When the White Sox fired manager Pedro Grifol (along with bench coach Charlie Montoyo, assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar and third base coach Eddie Rodriguez), they handed Grady Sizemore the unenviable task of steering the ship for the remainder of a historically inept season. The Sox are currently tied for the modern era record with 120 losses and figure to establish a new benchmark for futility in the coming days. At the time Sizemore was elevated to the top job in the dugout, general manager Chris Getz plainly stated that the Sox would conduct a managerial search and hire a new skipper from outside the organization after the season. It now seems that Sizemore will at least be considered for the permanent post, however.
“Grady’s in consideration,” Getz said this week (link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). “He has a lot of traits we’re looking for.”
The Sox will still conduct an extensive search for their next skipper, Getz emphasized. Sizemore will be one of many candidates from what the GM called a “deep pool” that they’ve cultivated since Grifol’s dismissal. (It’s not clear whether that pool will include Double-A manager and former Sox reliever Sergio Santos, but he’s publicly thrown his hat into the ring and voiced a desire to manage the club.) Still, Getz noted that Sizemore’s “temperament is exactly what we needed” for the remainder of the current season and praised his rookie manager’s communication skills with the players. Van Schouwen adds that Sizemore has another year remaining on his coaching contract, so it seems likely he’ll remain with the organization beyond the ’24 season in at least some capacity.
ESPN’s Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers report that Sizemore had never voiced a desire to manage prior to being promoted to his current post, but his strong relationship with the players made him the front office’s pick. Time will tell whether that leads to a more solid appointment following the season.
More broadly, Olney and Rogers explore the staggering levels of dysfunction that have permeated the White Sox organization this season. It’s a deep dive into the team’s many failures across virtually all levels, highlighting clubhouse rifts that date back to the 2023 season and questionable decisions from owner Jerry Reinsdorf, among many other fascinating aspects.
As has been suggested in the past, Rogers and Olney write that former general manager Rick Hahn appeared to have zeroed in on A.J. Hinch as the team’s new manager following the 2020 season when Reinsdorf went over his head and hired longtime friend and former White Sox skipper Tony La Russa. One club source told the ESPN pair that Grifol inherited “as negative a place as I’ve seen anywhere” in the game when he took over as manager. La Russa remains involved with the organization as an advisor and, notably, gave positive feedback about Getz when Reinsdorf fired longtime baseball operations leaders Hahn and Kenny Williams. That’s not to say Getz was promoted based solely on La Russa’s recommendation, but it’s a notable bit of context given that he was tabbed the new GM after just nine days and with no external search conducted.
There are countless other bits throughout the ESPN piece making it a must-read piece for fans not only of the White Sox but any club. Rogers and Olney delve into some specifics on the trade deadline, noting that the Sox targeted top Phillies prospect Andrew Painter when Philadelphia was in pursuit of Garrett Crochet — a price at which the Phillies balked. The Dodgers, per the report, believed they could make a compelling offer without including catcher Dalton Rushing, but that offer “never developed” in the end. They instead acquired Jack Flaherty from Detroit in exchange for another top catching prospect, Thayron Liranzo, and current Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney.
Crochet stayed in Chicago, as Getz and his staff were intent on getting their price met or revisiting the trade market for Crochet this winter. That’ll surely be the case, and Crochet will enter the season as perhaps the top trade candidate in the sport. The asking price will again be astronomical, but there will also theoretically be more bidders for him — in addition to a lack of concern about his status for pitching in the postseason and/or his reported desire for a contract extension.
Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. will be the last vestiges of the core that propelled the White Sox to playoff berths in 2020 and 2021. The rest have either been traded or, like third baseman Yoan Moncada, will become free agents at season’s end. Moncada has a $25MM club option, but the Sox will pay a $5MM buyout on that option and send him into free agency for the first time in his career.
Moncada, still just 29 years old, tells Bruce Levine of 670 The Score that he plans to play winter ball this offseason in order to showcase his health for the other 29 teams in the game. He missed nearly the entire season due to an adductor strain and has scarcely played since being reinstated from the 60-day injured list earlier this month. Chicago has been committed too getting the younger Miguel Vargas — acquired at the deadline in the three-team Erick Fedde/Michael Kopech/Tommy Pham swap — regular playing time at the hot corner even as he struggles mightily at the plate.
That’s left Moncada with just one plate appearance this month, despite the fact that he was activated back on Sept. 16. He’s hitting .275/.356/.400 on the season in a tiny sample of 45 plate appearances. On the one hand, it’s confounding that the Sox would leave a talented and fairly productive veteran out of the lineup as they try to stave off their inevitable date with history. On the other, Moncada clearly isn’t in the team’s plans going forward, so there’s some sense to allocating those at-bats to younger players.
Moncada once ranked as the top prospect in the sport. He signed with the Red Sox after leaving Cuba, taking home a massive $31.5MM signing bonus (which cost Boston a 100% tax under the former international free agent system, bringing their total price to $63MM). He landed in Chicago alongside Kopech as one two headliners in the trade sending Chris Sale to Fenway Park. It took a couple years, but by 2019 Moncada looked on the cusp of stardom. He swatted 25 homers while batting .315/.367/.548 in just 559 plate appearances. That breakout contributed to Chicago extending Moncada on a five-year, $70MM deal covering the 2020-24 seasons.
The contract hasn’t aged well. Moncada gave the Sox one healthy, productive season in 2021 but has otherwise spent more time on the injured list than in the lineup. Even when healthy, he’s been below-average at the plate more often than not. He’s appeared in 404 of 703 possible games during that five-year period and slashed .244/.326/.395 along the way. That’s league-average production on the whole (101 wRC+), but the vast majority of that positive output came during the aforementioned ’21 season.
A healthy showing in winter ball would surely help Moncada’s stock this offseason. He’s likely looking at a low-cost one-year contract with incentives baked in to potentially boost his guarantee. There’s clearly a talented player beneath all the recent health troubles. Moncada has had seasons worth five wins above replacement (2019) and four WAR (2021). He’s still on the right side of 30. It wouldn’t be a total shock to see him return to form in ’25 — almost assuredly with a new club — and then cash in on a multi-year deal the following offseason.
Jump 84
Mr. Reinsdorf please sell the team . Terrible brand of baseball from low a ball to ownership. Empty seats ask the southside. Also includes Chicago bulls.
Very Barry
Somebody seems to be forgetting that Mr. Reinsdorf’s ownership has produced 7 World Championships in Chicago between the White Sox and the Bulls.
chopper2hopper
Nobody is forgetting that. All special memories. The problem is that’s all we have now. Memories without any hope for either organization.
(And for the record, giving reinsdorf credit for the bulls without mentioning how he ended the dynasty prematurely is Very Lazy, Very Barry)
Very Barry
Reinsdorf was also smart enough to hire Jerry Krause to run the team. Michael Jordan is the best player ever …. Krause was smart enough to NOT listen to him for personnel decisions …. Remember, Jordan wanted the Bulls to draft Joe Wolf from North Carolina instead of Scottie Pippen in the 1987 draft. Krause said NO. …. R.I.P. to Joe Wolf who just passed away earlier today.
Dock_Elvis
He’s won one WS since Reagan took office in 1981
brewsingblue82
To be fair though, that’s only one less championship than they won between when Theodore Roosevelt took office in 1904 to when Reagan took office. So 2 championships in an 80ish year span to 1 championship in a 40ish year span. It’s not like they were really winning them left and right before Reagan took office. Not saying he’s a good owner, just saying that they weren’t exactly pulling in championships at a high rate before than either.
Whifff
Under 40+ years of Reinsdorf, Chicago has failed to win a single playoff series outside of 2005! The league should take a team over with such failure.
BarNone
I’m 44 and only one of those has come when I was an adult (ok technically 2 because the 1998 NBA championship was 1 week after I turned 18.
avenger65
Keep in mind that when Veeck was selling the team, he had a buyer he wanted to sell it to that was would care for the team and make them competitive. But Bowie Kuhn, the commissioner at the time, wouldn’t allow it and all but forced Veeck to sell it to eingirn and reinsdorf
avenger65
Keep in mind that when Veeck was selling the team, he had a buyer he wanted to sell it to that would care about the team and make them competitive. But Bowie Kuhn, the commissioner at the time, wouldn’t allow it and all but forced Veeck to sell it to einhorn and reinsdorf. Then jr forced einhorn out and what we have is the mess you see today.
nrd1138
Just ….stop… This guy was lucky enough to get Krause and even then, its basketball, for his baseball team: 7 playoff appearances (total) and 1 WS win, while a win, in over 40 years should be nothing to be proud of. Reinsdorf is also the guy that submarined his own team’s excellent chance of getting a WS back in the mid 90’s by orchestrating the lockout all because he did not want to give guys like McDowell a million dollars more THEN, after severe damage was done to baseball, THEN goes out and gives the largest contract ever to Albert Belle… Thats just a few of the highlights of this clowns ‘acumen’ for baseball. How about Harrison firing Larussa?! Also let Schuler pass up Francona being the mnager of the big league club in lieu of Bevinginton.
No, but a great owner though…
Very Barry
Double A Birmingham is playing for the title this week.
Big Hurt
I think they already won the title.
Rsox
I’m not sure if Hinch would have made a discernible difference. This team has been taking on water for years and the ship finally capsized. Reinsdorf and his front office lived too hard for too long off of the 2005 championship and have zero presence in international scouting beyond the collection of Cuban players they collected
Very Barry
Clayton McCullough from the Dodgers is my pick to be the next skipper of the Chicago White Sox.
avenger65
Why would anyone in their right mind want to manage in reinsdorf’s disaster of an organization? The guys mentioned in the article have little or no major league managing experience. Getz already went outside the organization when he hired a puppet from KC. Firing Grifol, making him the scapegoat for a bad team made progressively worse thanks to reinsdorf’s refusal to spend any money and getting rid of all of the players who should have been the core of a rebuild but were making too. much money for jr’s liking. The no. 1 problem with the Sox is the Reinsdorf/larussa love affair, with no. 2 being a clueless GM. This can only be fixed with the elimination of problem no.1 from this team.
Very Barry
Perhaps you should do a bit more research on McCullough.
Fever Pitch Guy
avenger – You answered your own question. In the baseball world, just like the real world, if you want an opportunity to gain experience and build your resume then you need to consider less appealing jobs. After a few years, THEN you will have more and better opportunities elsewhere.
Why do you think Bloom and Breslow accepted a job in Boston that nobody else wanted because it’s so unappealing.
Dock_Elvis
They had the org rebuilt and were considered legit a WS threat. Then LaRussa.
Banix12
I don’t understand why they don’t just release Moncada if they have no intention of playing him.
chopper2hopper
Does it matter in the slightest
DarkSide830
If Sizemore is liked by the club, then might as well keep him around. It’s clear they’re not gonna be great in 2025, so might as well go with a guy that should be able to keep everyone together.
Dogbone
Does anyone know if William Legue Sr or Jr are still in the area. Maybe Hawkeroo is interested? They all have that fire within
Very Barry
Clayton McCullough from the Dodgers is the guy.
DarkSide830
That’s the sorta reyrogressige thinking I’d expect Reinsderp to have. The White Sox need a manager to manage their rebuild. If that’s a former Cleveland player it’s a former Cleveland player.
realsox
“What they need is a culture change within the clubhouse”—are you kidding me!!!!?? What they need is major league talent, not more AAAA players who can’t hit.
nrd1138
Im torn on this as Sizemore may be a good manager. The team HAS played better, but this club also played well for Larussa’s replacement, but what club is Cairo managing now?
Sizemore was also here when the Sox were screaming toward oblivion for the past 4 months. So he had NO say during that time? Im not talking about trying to over ride Grifol and he weak style. Im talking about suggestions to players to work with them to get them better, at least average? Trying to motivate players to get in early to put work in… Etc.
You cannot keep the guys who failed around, specifically this whole manager/coaching squad as many were here last year when they did have a team, on paper, that should have been competitive. It shows a severe lack of accountability and shows players that they can suck and it will be OK, just show up and collect your check. We have seen the last few years of the results of that.
all in the suit that you wear
Suddenly the White Sox have won 3 in a row and 5 of their last 10.
Canuckleball
Wouldn’t it be just the perfect finale to the White Sox season if after getting to the 120 loss mark, they won the last 6 games and end up not setting the new loss record.
They couldn’t even do that right.
I’m sure they will lose at least one of the next three, but it would be funny if they missed out on the new record.
all in the suit that you wear
Yes. Crazy things happen in baseball.
avenger65
As long as they’ve spent six months compiling 120 losses they might as well go for the record. They swept the Angels, but I doubt they’re going to take all three from Detroit.
Bucket Number Six
It doesn’t matter whether they win or lose. They can lay claim to being the worst team since 1901.
They matched the 1916 Philadelphia A’s record of 36-117 after 153 games. The best they can do tomorrow with a win is to match the 1962 Mets at 40-120.
YankeesBleacherCreature
That team is finally clicking!
johnsilver
No wonder Crochet remained with Chicago at the deadline. I can see Rushing, but top flight pitching prospects, in the present are of higher value than most top flight position prospects. Not even a free trader, like Dombrowski would have been foolish enough to give away 6y of Painter.
Aiden Awe
White Sox don’t need a catcher. They need high quality OF prospects.
Samuel
Aiden Awe;
They need everything.
Get the best players they can back, even if they are AAA guys. They’re so far away from having a decent 26 man roster that to expect one in 2025 or 2026 is unrealistic.
Catcher is the most important position on a MLB team. If they have 2 developed they can always get multiple quality prospects back for one of them.
Aiden Awe
I slightly disagree. They already got pitching checked off, the ranking(#11) isn’t everything. I agree they need high quality hitting, but their system/depth is deeper than the last rebuild.
avenger65
Aiden: Look a little closer at the last rebuild.
tff17
Would Kristian Campbell be comparable?
Very Barry
If Aaron Nola doesn’t pitch like a stud in the Playoffs …… Andrew Painter will then be joining the White Sox. I am all-in on making a move on Painter. Starlyn Caba and Dante Nori also need to be included.
A future rotation headed by Noah Schulz, Andrew Painter and Hagen Smith. ….. Sign me up for that!! ….. Drew Thorpe as the #4 or #5 guy. Looking forward to seeing Chris Getz get this done. Yes …. I am on board with Getz!
oh cey can you see
Too bad the White Sox didn’t play the Angels 162 times – they would have set a record for most wins in a season instead of losses. They went 5-1 against the Angels!
Bucket Number Six
And you are wrong.
njbirdsfan
If you honestly believe any manager in the history of baseball could take this roster to even .500 I’ve got an amazing investment opportunity for you.
mlb fan
Leadership almost always comes from the top on down. Without good solid ownership it’s virtually impossible to be successful in MLB.
njbirdsfan
Boom. Exactly.
Which is why I’m pulling my hair out listening to my Pirates fans here thinking firing Shelton and Cherington is going to change anything.
Replace them, give them the same resources, MAYBE you get to .500. If everything breaks your way.
stymeedone
Resources are limited more by the market than ownership. You can count the number of owners who add from their own pocket to the teams finances on one hand. Detroit and San Diego, who were trying to win before they passed, and the NYM, who did it and regretted it in year one of their new owner. If there are any others, I apologize for missing it. Teams will use their in house resources, and market size tends to determine that.
raz427
Chicago resident here and lived all my life, I have many close friendswho are diehard White Sox fans and even their parents before Jerry bought the team. They have the mentality as most Sox fans. Their spirits are broken, their love for the team and the game has been broken, the disconnect between Jerry and the fanbase continues to grow game by game and year by year. They are tired of the 2005 talk. It was nearly four presidents ago. They keep talking about how it’s embarrassing to wear any Sox gear or have the pride of being a Sox fan publicly. All of that stems from Jerry being clueless on how to run a modern day MLB franchise in 2024 and not in 1994. They tell me the same things I read on this site for Sox articles. They have zero hope that front office and ownership will hire a guy who can come in and reestablish a winning and healthy environment. They believe it will be Sizemore because that’s what Jerry does, he lowballs 1st year managers. If you don’t believe me look at the trend, Jerry Manuel, Ozzie, Robin, Renteria and Grifol. The international scouting is a joke as well. They have not made it a priority to draft hitters and when they do, they take guys that do not fit their timeline. The organizational chart and values that most MLB implement, this team does not have a damn sense of what to do when a player is in a slump, neither do the broadcasters both on TV and radio. Most organizations would send down a guy like Andrew Vaughn to reestablish his swing and power, most organizations would send a message to their “best players” that lack of hustle, accountability and professionalism is mandatory. This team might as well move to Nashville because as long as Jerry is alive, this team will not sniff the playoffs, yet a world series. If you think those 18-22 pitching prospects will fetch you a real MLB team filled with quality hitters then you are apart of the problem that Jerry loves to brainwash. Noah Schultz? Do you honestly think before his arbitration cases start early next decade will sniff the playoffs as long he is a member of the White Sox? Same goes with Drew Thorpe, Hagen Smith and the list goes on and on. The strength and conditioning is an issue too. So many injuries to the SAME players for multiple years. It’s like Groundhog Day for Sox fans since 2017. 2020 and 2021 was a mirage and there were real red flags top to bottom within this franchise, but it was swept away because they made playoffs back to back years for the first time in their history. They can’t even sell 2025 tickets for their 125th anniversary because of the horrendous and historic 2024 season. You want a better product for baseball? Watch the Brewers and see how they sustain their winning ways (assuming you won’t ever root for the Cubs). If you’re looking for a competent owner with accountability and willingness and desire to win and sustain it for multiple years with payroll, minor leagues, etc then you’re looking at the wrong place on 35th and Shields because it’s a cemetery where fans hopes are dead, and players careers will wither away to virtually non-existence.
And no I am not a former White Sox employee or spokesman for anybody who previously played or worked within the organization.
Aiden Awe
I hear you. They hit rock bottom. They’ll make the postseason one more time before Jerry is dead sooner nor later. But after this season, they have anywhere but to go up. Solutions don’t happen overnight.
avenger65
Aiden: Just how are they going to make the PO again in reinsdorf’s remaining lifetime when he is so indifferent to his own team that he not only won’t pay to keep his best players, won’t improve the farm system and has the guy who wrecked the last rebuild and completely demoralized the team in his ear? I know you’re optimistic about the Sox but I’d rather deal in reality.
Emilia
Moncada and Viciedo would like to chime in.
Behn Wilson
Life long fan here too who drifted from baseball because of how bad the Sox have been. Relocated to AZ and rediscovered enjoyable baseball through the Diamondbacks. Competent front office, good manager and they have speed and play defense. Refreshing change from JR and his organization.
raz427
Behn, that’s exactly what a few of my Sox friends are saying these days. Arizona is a well managed, well constructed clubhouse with fundamentally sound players who have high baseball IQ. It’s a no brainer to me if I was you or him.
Samuel
raz427;
I hated and respected the ’59 Sox that won the AL from my beloved Indians – The last time the Tribe was in a pennant race for 35 years.
Luis Aparicio got on 1st. Stole 2nd. Nellie Fox – using his big bat with the outrageously think handle – just meeting the ball and lining a single to anywhere in the OF to get Luis home – often enough to win the game. Sherm Lollar behind the plate. Al Smith who they’d gotten from Cleveland along with Early Wynn for Minnie Miñoso and Fred Hatfield – Cleveland had no money. Jim Landis covering everything in CF as well as stealing bases. Norm Cash and Johnny Callison coming up. Ted Kluszewsk came in because Earl Torgeson was old and bad. Billy Pierce, Dick Donovan, Bob Shaw, Wynn, and Barry Latman starting. Turk Lown and Gary Staley in the bullpen. And former Indians manager Al Lopez who was the only manager to win AL pennants in the years Casey Stengel managed the Yankees – Indians in ’54 and Sox in ’59.
Admired that Sox team.
I’ve seen a lot of bad owners following MLB since 1956. Jerry is in the select top-tier. In a way he’s like Thomas Yawkey was with the Red Sox in that he spoiled his FO personnel, mangers, coaches and players. But Jerry took it further. He became MLB’s SJW before the term even existed. He selected Kenny Williams over a far more qualified GM candidate that had been with the Sox for years. Then backed Williams in some of the most cockamamie policies and player transactions. Later kicked him upstairs to President and did the same thing to GM’s. I was one of the very few on here that knew the Sox were a spoiled team with no self-discipline and awful baseball fundamental skills that just wanted pitchers to throw the ball hard and batters to hit HR’s during the screwy “Sox are the next MLB power” a few years ago.
Jerry won’t sell. That in itself is sad because it leaves Sox fans like you without a team to root for (as you explained). He and his organization are so far behind state-of-the-art MLB management that to expect him to spearhead an organizational rebuild is a fallacy.
Am watching to see if Steve Stone announces his retirement this week. That franchise needs people that grew up with computers, and associated business processes. Jerry is not at all equipped to deal with that. If he tries to hire someone with those qualifications, they’ll be the bottom of the barrel.
Samuel
..and if that’s not enough…..
His backwards organization even lost Jason Benetti – one of the best TV play-by-play broadcasters in all of MLB – due to the Sox culture.
Respected within the profession. Tigers grabbed him. He’s a joy to listen to. Brilliant. Funny. Insightful. Good with Dan Petry. But now they have him with Kirk Gibson and Carlos Peña: That are doing the “When I played” dance that negates Benetti. Fortunately he does national Fox games. Hope the Tigers fix that next year.
Astros Hot Takes
@Samuel
“from my beloved Indians ”
the one thing they could do right was find arms : between ’59 & ’64 they debuted Gary Bell, Jim Perry, Mudcat Grant, Sam McDowell, Luis Tiant, Tommy John, and Sonny Siebert. – That is 1,280 career wins right there.
Comps that spring to mind are the early Connie Mack A’s, the Seaver/Koosman/Ryan/Mcgraw/Matlack Mets, and the Braves with Glavine/Smoltz/Avery/etc
Bucket Number Six
Kenny Williams 1, Dan Evans 0.
lesterdnightfly
After that tale of Woe (Sox), one question:
What have you got against Nashville, that you would dump this horrible franchise upon it?
raz427
I love Nashville, I’ve been there multiple times. One of my favorite cities in the country. I think Nashville is too nice for the White Sox. They should be relocated to middle of the ocean with this nonsense last few years/decades.
30 Parks
Fire Chris Getz.
sss847
Grady’s traits that we’re looking for: willing to work for 15$/hour
Behn Wilson
Yawn Moncada gets tired counting his $$.
mlb fan
Good thing I’m ALWAYS available to help count other people’s money. I have extremely reasonable rates too.
Edp007
Sox have been let down by the Moncado Eloy Luis Jr gang
8======D (Carl Winslow)
“40 mill us greens pre tax says he don’t give a hoot what you all internet trolls think”
-Edp007
They are at what? 150 million us green backs pre tax? I doubt they give a hoot what you think
Edp007
lol you got that right
Dumpster Divin Theo
Hard to fault Yoan when he was hurt most of the time. Always gave it his all when he was in the lineup and never took any issues getting his swing back while dealing with a debilitating lower body injuries to the field- continued to provide stellar defense which the Sox will have a really hard time replicating.
letitbelowenstein
How about Mike Matheny? Or, just to give fans a chuckle, John Farrell?
Serubian
hiring LaRussa was inspirational.
.. you could bring back Renteria or Ventura but bring back DeJong at 2nd base.
avenger65
Serubian: Only if you can teach him to get in front of the ball and not side-step it. The Sox have been hilarious this season, and watching De Jong miss ball after ball was gut-busting.
cooperhill
Nolan Ryan is laughing!
lesterdnightfly
“Sizemore will be one of many candidates from what the GM called a “deep pool” that they’ve cultivated since Grifol’s dismissal. ”
That “deep pool”, when the Woe Sox hierarchy muddies it, is a “cess pool”.
Pants Rowland
Reinsdorf is the problem, FULL STOP
McNasty1
Wander Franco is toast.
Saddest thing in life is wasted talent,
Edp007
Sad but plenty of “sadder” in life. Kids with cancer etc. etc
Dumpster Divin Theo
In related good news, the Minnehaha twinkees just blewett
cooperhill
Dumpster diving Dan Duquette!
GarryHarris
The common denominator is Tony LaRussa. Why is he “advising”? The ChiSox had a very fast rebuild and were on their way to building a very good team until LaRussa showed up.
avenger65
Very well said!
CKinSTL
Were the White Sox in the middle of a promising rebuild? I know that was the common perception at the time.. before and after LaRussa, their key guys were struggling with health, production or both. Kenny and Company were frantically trying to bolt-on veterans (to bad contracts) to make this team work. The team was underperforming expectations to the extent where a managerial change was warranted.
Don’t get me wrong.. LaRussa was a terrible choice. But things were pretty bad before he arrived. There are plenty of people who deserve more blame than LaRussa for this trainwreck.
Manfred Rob's Earth Band
At least Steve Stone was extended. Phew!
quonset point
They had no choice. Stoney is the last vestige of respect the Sox have in the entire organization, which is why they gave him an open-ended contract. They ought to be thanking their lucky stars that Stoney is such a homer because without him, the pathetic clown show that’s in the booth right now is completely unbearable.
lesterdnightfly
Stone is a bitter shell of his former competent announcing self.
avenger65
Stone is not a homer like his broadcast partner, whatever his name is. Stone gives insights into all aspects of the game. When he’s away, I listen to Len Kasper instead of their first year guy and that moron Gordon Beckham on TV. Kasper is good but still has that voice that sounds like the cubs radio man for me.
quonset point
I meant that Stone is a homer in respect to his love and loyalty to the Sox, not his game calling. My bad. As for Len, you are correct that he still has that Cub sound. I wonder if he has regrets, knowing that the the Sox will not provide him any of the Game’s Great Calls in the near or distant future.
jimrad
i like Stoney, but he did tone down any sharp criticism of the White Sox this year. That seems to have led to his new contract. Glad he is back . I cant blame him for melliowing out.
Citizen1
There is another cubs announcer who jumped ship to the Sox thing they were going to be the next biggest thing.
Manfred Rob's Earth Band
If I recall, Kasper said he left to do radio announcing full time. He had an idol growing up who was the radio play by play guy for the Tigers. I think it may have also been because of Marquees Sports Network taking over Cubs games.
greg1
I like Grady’s call to hold back Crochet to make a real effort to beat the Tigers. Shows that even at 39-120, he is setting a tone that every game is important.
Truth is that no one outside the organization worth a pinch of salt won’t want the Manager’s job. Knowing that, I would like to see them give Grady a chance next year.
DashaToushu
Greg
“I like Grady’s call to hold back Crochet to make a real effort to beat the Tigers. Shows that even at 39-120, he is setting a tone that every game is important.”
Except the game that Crochet was originally on track to start?
avenger65
Even if the Sox are leading during Crochet’s four innings, all hell breaks loose when he’s taken out.
goldenglamourboybradyblocker71
The lads have won three straight going into the season-closing series with the resurgent Detroit Tigers. They’ve played (dare I type this?) only AWFUL baseball instead of HORRID ball since Sizemore took over the bench boss role. Sizemore should get the permanent job for that reason and because he’s a handsome lad who’ll attract lady fans to (yech,what an off-putting name for an MLB park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Guaranteed Rate Field.
avenger65
I don’t know anyone who calls it that. We call it Sox Park or Comiskey Park. We’re not contractually obligated to call it GFF.
Melchez17
Tigers need revenge for the 2009 game 163.
BarNone
All this could have been avoided if they didn’t fire Rick Renteria.
avenger65
Dead on.
James Midway
Saw Crochet pitch live last week. I was glad he was on an innings limit because wow he was dealing. He was spotting 99 on the corners and then added breaking stuff.
cooperhill
Please sweep the Tigers, Grady!
HalosHeavenJJ
The espn article is really good.
Citizen1
ESPN article is really good. Shows how teams are really more interested in other teams talent (crochet) without offering much in return then blasting the gm for holding onto the player.
Didn’t know the available players from last year were mostly blacklisted by other teams as not clubhouse friendly.
Yet another team playing well in the last 6 games. Fools gold into thinking that will carry into next year since it was missing all season. (Cubs, pirates, reds too)
nrd1138
If Reinsdorf really wanted to have a chance to be respectable again, he would have gave a blank check to Mike Rizzo to come to Chicago and given him anything he wanted (fun fact, Rizzo apparently is the one that also wanted Frank Thomas when Rizzo was in the Sox FO back in the late 80’s) . It may not work, but its a power move for a proven guy and shows you ARE willing to do what it takes to be respectable.
Jerry-atric needs to go, if he cares so much about the fanbase, he should be selling now, especially when, reportedly, his family does not want control over this club when he goes. That it appears that no one in the ownership group is stepping up to run this franchise is telling. just sell it now. He will still make far more than he put into it. If he cares, sell it now while he is alive, if he really cares about ensuring the franchise is in good hands, and not leave it up to his kids who will sell it to the first stooge that runs in.
As for Sizemore, part of me wants him here for next season, however I cannot overlook the glaring fact that he was here during this whole mess this season, and one good week of results does not wash the former away. They need to shake up the locker room and Im not sure keeping a guy from the last regime around is going to do that, same with Getz and his ‘My first GM’ book.
Glad Moncada is gone (hopefully anyway). Glad that Sizemore basically said ‘we know what you are, time to see what Ramos can do as he will be here next season”–though wayyyy too late in my opinion Ramos should have come up and played every day, and never had been sent down.
920falcon
I wonder which owner is more despised by their respective fanbases, between the Athletics, White Sox, Angels and Pirates.
MLBTR needs to hire editors
There is no reason to put “notably” between commas. Zero. None.