Grasping at Straws

By scoring six runs in the top of the ninth against Cincinnati yesterday, the White Sox pushed their spring record to 10-16, which is actually better than the Guardians, Mainers and Marlins; same as the Angels; and one less win than the Reds and Padres. Who knew? If their real record looks like that come May, I’ll be happy. Right now, though, there’s way too much emphasis on a future that doesn’t extend beyond Triple-A. This pitcher, that hitter, all with an ETA that sometime after Opening Day. The problem with that is no one will want to show up at 35th and Shields if there aren’t (m)any new, young faces in the dugout. The longer those faces stay in the minors—and the longer Jerry Reinsdorf holds onto the team—the less likely it is for Will Venable to make like another rookie Sox manager. Chuck Tanner took a team that went 56-106 in 1970 and pushed it to another 23 wins in ’71. (Note: Technically, Tanner wasn’t a first-year manager in 1971. He got his feet wet managing the last sixteen games of the 1970 season.) That’s the standard I’m holding Venable to, with GM Chris Getz to Roland Hemond. As for Jerry Reinsdorf, he couldn’t hold a candle to John Allyn.