White Sox are team in turmoil
As the Cubs make a run at the playoffs, the White Sox are in a crisis of their own making.
Under Pedro Grifol, their fourth manager in the last four seasons, Chicago has the third-worst record in the American League and a cloudy future.
After being traded to the Yankees, reliever Keynan Middleton said the White Sox operated without team rules under Grifol, leading to players skipping meetings without being held accountable.
There were the usual denials but Chicago has been a mess since opening the season 7-21. Outside of Luis Robert,
there’s not a particularly dangerous hitter in the lineup and the bullpen has been a weakness.
Grifol, a former Royals coach, was an unexpected choice to manage. Miguel Cairo was 18-16 at the end of last season after Tony La Russa stepped down for health concerns but was skipped over.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf
and president of baseball operations Kenny Williams surprised the industry by bringing back La Russa as manager in 2021. That initially paid off with a 93-win season but it didn’t last.
The White Sox have not won a playoff series since Rick Hahn took over as general manager after the 2012 season. Now they’re starting over again after trading pitchers Lucas Giolito, Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly, Reynaldo Lopez,
and Lance Lynn.
Hahn seems to sense his time could be up.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, or my own thoughts that I might not be the right guy going forward,” he said.
Extra bases
The Rays were 42-41 after a 27-6 start and now Shane McClanahan is expected to miss the rest of the season because of an injury that could require Tommy John surgery. Manager Kevin Cash now has a rotation of Aaron Civale, Zach Eflin, Tyler Glasnow, and Zack Littell. Josh Fleming, who is coming back from an elbow injury, could be part of the mix . . . The Orioles have not been swept in a series since May 13-15, 2022, at Detroit. Their string of 76 series without being swept is the fifth-longest in history. The Cardinals have the record of 124 from 1942-44. The
Braves, who have the best record in the league, have been swept four times this season . . . Wade Miley pitched one season in Boston, going 11-11 in 2015 for a last-place team and getting into an altercation with manager John Farrell after he was taken out of a game at Camden Yards. He has since posted a 4.19 ERA with the Mariners, Orioles, Brewers, Astros, Reds, and Cubs and last week made his 300th career start. That’s ninth among active pitchers and tied for 345th all-time . . . The Padres promoted 17-year-old catcher Ethan Salas to High A Fort Wayne on Wednesday. He batted second and was 1 for 5. Salas had a .837 OPS in 48 games for Single A Lake Elsinore. Salas, who is from Venezuela, was signed for $5.6 million in January and has obviously moved quickly since . . . Toronto center fielder Kevin Kiermaier made a terrific catch at Fenway last Sunday, stealing a hit from Luis Urías with a leaping grab that sent him crashing into the metal grate where The Bleacher Bar is. Kiermaier came away with a cut that required eight stitches and landed him on the injured list . . . Royals third base coach Vance Wilson was pleased to be back in Boston last week. His daughter, Peyton, graduated from Boston College in 2022 with a degree in Art History and was a Fulbright Scholar . . . Steve Buckley reports that the 29th annual Oldtime Baseball Game will be Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. at St. Peter’s Field in Cambridge. Fred Lynn will be an honorary manager and admission is free. The game will be a fund-raiser for The Boston Home, a residence for adults with advanced neurological disorders, and will be played in memory of Bill Novelline, a board member who died in December. Go to oldtimebaseball.com for more information . . . Happy birthday to Brandon Workman, who is 35. Workman pitched for the Red Sox from 2013-21. The two-time World Series winner appeared in 10 postseason games. He was 25-16 with a 3.83 ERA and had 20 saves for the Sox. Workman had an eventful rookie season. He was called up on July 10 and pitched in relief. Four days later he made his first start and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Seattle. Workman went on to appear in three World Series games, throwing 3‚ innings without allowing an earned run. He was Koji Uehara’s setup man in Game 6, retiring Yadier Molina, Matt Adams, and David Freese on nine pitches. Workman now works in his native Texas as a sales rep.