No Dice

Noah Schultz had a no-hitter going into the bottom of the fifth. Maybe he would’ve survived if the White Sox had their A-team behind him instead of Luisangel Acuna and Drew Romo trying to pass for Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel, and maybe if the bullpen had brought it’s A-game instead of letting three inherited runners score. But none of that happened. Orioles 6 Sox 1. The lefthanded Schultz walked four batters, three of them lefties, in 4.1 innings. Not good. Same goes for needing 87 pitches to record thirteen outs. The seven strikeouts were OK+, the 5.86 ERA not so much. Schultz turns 23 next month. Randy Johnson, the pitcher he’s often compared to, wasn’t even in the major leagues until age 24, so I guess in that regard our Johnson is further along. The real Johnson didn‘t have his first above-.500 season until age 26. Three more years of what I saw yesterday? I’d rather things speed up a little. Or a lot. Or David Sandlin gets another look. Or all of the above.

On a Roll

White Sox rookie first baseman Jacob Gonzalez is on a roll. Last night, he collected two doubles among his three hits to go with three RBIs in a Sox 9-3 beatdown of the host Orioles. Gonzalez missed a fourth hit by a foot or so when his flyball in the ninth inning just failed to clear the wall. That’s seventeen RBIs for the 24-year old infielder in 73 at-bats, in case you’re counting. Pitching-wise, Erick Fedde kept putting baserunners on while (kind of) minimizing the damage, with three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings of work. Thank you, rookie reliever Tyler Schweitzer. It would be nice, though, if Noah Schultz stepped up today in his first start off the IL.

Déjà vu All Over Again

Not too long ago, the Orioles completed a rebuild to die for. Talent up and down the lineup, talent ready to make the jump from the minors. But after postseason appearances in 2023-24, things have gone downhill fast, sort of like the 2020-21 White Sox. Bad baseball from the home team was on full display last night in the 10-2 drubbing administered by Vibes Venable and company. The score was actually tied at two going into the eighth inning. That’s when things began to fall apart for the home team. It wasn’t the Orioles’ fault entirely. I mean, nobody in the league has figured out how to avoid hitting Sam Antonacci, who led off the inning with his seventeenth hit-by-pitch. After that, it was only a matter of time. One out, to be precise. After Miguel Vargas struck out, O’s manager Craig Abernaz did something that, analytics-wise, maybe made sense—he kept in lefthanded reliever Grant Wolfram to face lefty-swinging Colson Montgomery. Either Abernaz didn’t have the stats in front of him or, more likely, didn’t bother to check them to see that Montgomery is hitting 37 points higher against lefties than righties. Which helps explain Montgomery’s run-scoring double. After that, the Orioles slowly imploded, giving up six run over the final two innings. But the hitting star of the night may have been another rookie, Jacob Gonzalez, who had two hits to go with three RBIs. That gives the 24-year old infielder nine in his last four games and fourteen in 68 at-bats. More, please. Meanwhile, Chris Getz may want to consider keeping Gonzalez around once Munetaka Murakami comes off the IL. At least, I would.

Pitching, Please

You’d think four runs against a team like the Royals would be enough to secure a sweep, but you’d be wrong. Starter Anthony Kay couldn’t make it through the fourth inning in a 5-4 loss. Oh, and White Sox hitters twice gave Kay a lead to work with. Which leads us to the odd decision by GM Chris Getz to send David Sandlin down after pitching six innings of one-run ball on Friday. What, we have too much pitching? Just look at Kay, whose ERA stands at a hefty 4.50, to know that’s not the case. Oh, Noah Schultz is supposed to be close to coming off the IL. So? There’s no saying Schultz can pitch injury-free, or, if he can, that he’ll be effective. One columnist yesterday beat the drum for Tarik Skubal. Talk about silly. The Sox a team playing with house money; nobody expected them to do anything better than not lose 100 games. It would be shortsighted verging on criminal if Getz shipped off good young players for two or three months of Skubal. With Scott Boras for his agent, Skubal wouldn’t be anything more than an expensive rental on the South Side. See what Schultz and Sandlin can do in the rotation.

History Not Repeating

The game after scoring 22 runs in Boston, the 1970 White Sox managed nineteen fewer in a 4-3 loss to the Senators. A day after scoring 22 runs against the Royals, the 2026 White Sox were held to two runs, and they still won in a walk-off, 2-1. Rookie Jacob Gonzalez did the honors with an opposite field single past a drawn-in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Grant Taylor got the win, pitching a scoreless eighth and ninth innings. Taylor pretty much threw gas, striking out four of the six Royals he faced. More, please. I have to wonder what’s going to happen to Gonzalez once Munetaka Murakami comes off the IL. After enduring an 0-for-25 streak, the 24-year old infielder has been on a 6-for-12 tear, with six RBIs. Gonzalez makes an attractive trade candidate. I just don’t want to see him shipped off for a rental pitcher. And, yes, I’m talking the likes of Tarik Skubal.

I Remember the Last Time

I remember the last time the White Sox scored 22 runs prior to last night’s 22-1 romp over the Royals. I was dressed in a white tuxedo jacket on my way to Medinah Temple for high school graduation. Walt Williams and Luis Aparicio both had five hits. Bill Melton homered. Chicago 22 Boston 13. I think my mom made her potato salad for the party. Last night, the Sox had 22 runs on 23 hits. In other words, just about everything that could go right, did, the only possible exception being Braden Montgomery going 0-for-5, though he did score two runs. Oh, and just about everything went wrong for the Royals. Flashbacks of Mike Sweeney and Billy Butler lead me to say, Boo-hoo. Miguel Vargas had three hits, which puts him to within four points of the magic .250 BA mark. Sam Antonacci had three hits, which puts him within six points of the magic .300 mark. Chase Meidroth woke up to chip in with four hits while Tristan Peters added six RBIs. David Sandlin was called up for a spot start. The rookie responded with six innings of one-run ball. Sandlin looked almost as sharp as he did in his MLB debut against the Twins. Way to make an impression, young man.

Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One: Two Old Guys…

First thing I do at The Rate is head for the public service desk. So, that’s what I did Wednesday, almost bumping into an elderly gentleman, at least older than me, as we both reached for the same item. And what would that be, you ask? Why, a pre-printed scorecard, of course, with enough to go around. “Old guys’ corner,” I joked, looking up. “Yes, you have to be over 60 or 70 for one of these,” he replied. “Unfortunately, right both times, “ I said as we each went our own way.

Waiting on a Friend

Clare and I made it to the ballpark 20 minutes before starting time yesterday afternoon, only we needn’t have bothered. We had a two-hour, 40-minute rain delay ahead of us. So, we walked around the Rate and did what all people do at the mall—we shopped. But we couldn’t find a Munetaka Murakami tee-shirt to fit Leo. After we ran out of souvenir stands and team stores to visit, we did the other thing you do at the mall—we ate. Then, we walked some more before settling into not-too-wet seats to wait for the game to start. Another White Sox game with an opener, another loss. Chris Murphy opened by retiring the first four batters he faced, at which point manager Vibes Venable thought it was time to bring in Erick Fedde, who proceeded to do what he does best, which is to put runners on base and try to get out of it. It was a game of If’s: If Colson Montgomery hadn’t committed an error setting up two Guardians’ runs in the seventh; if Steven Kwan hadn’t gotten a great jump on Randal Grichuk’s line drive with the tying run sure to score; if Joe Rock didn’t give back the run the Sox scored in the seventh (and if he hadn’t walked three batters to go with a single); if Chase Meidroth had played within himself. Meidroth stranded two runners in scoring position in both the seventh and tenth innings. Guardians 4 Sox 3. I hate watching the Sox lose, but at least it was tolerable this time because of the company. My daughter knows her baseball, and she’s got some strong beliefs about parenting, as in not bringing babies to the ballpark. It was just the two of us. The Sox were down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth, when Braden Montgomery homered; Grichuk followed on the next pitch for back-to-back jacks. And Clare screamed like a kid. She also screamed at Rock, but we won’t get into that. My daughter had such a good time she decided we all had to come back in a couple of weeks, only this time we bring Leo along for his first-ever Sox game.

Winning Retro

Last night, the White Sox managed a mere three hits over the 7.2 innings they faced Guardians’ starter Parker Messick—a fourth-inning double by Randal Grichuk followed by an RBI single from Colson Montgomery one out later and a solo shot off the bat of Miguel Vargas in the sixth inning. But it was enough for a 2-1 win at a rocking Rate Field. For a second straight game, Sean Burke pitched like he had a clue, going 6.1 innings, the only run surrendered a gopher ball to Kahlil Watson in the fifth inning. Then, whether by choice or circumstance, manager Vibes Venable called on reliever Sean Newcomb. Guess what? Newcomb pitched the final 2.1 innings for the save. The 33-year old lefty faced nine batters, retiring eight while giving up a walk. Wow, this means Newcomb had to face a whole bunch of righties, just like in the old days. No situational matchups here. Holy Hoyt Wilhelm! Venerable Bob Locker!

Winning Very, Very Ugly

And the rookies shall lead them. Down a run in the bottom of the ninth against the Guardians last night and facing one of the best if not the best closer in the person of Cade Smith, Braden Montgomery drew a one-out walk. Tristan Peters followed with an opposite-field double. After Jacob Gonzalez struck out, Sam Antonacci delivered the game-winning single. Sox 6 Guardians 5. Only it never should have come to this. The Sox were ahead 3-0 going into the seventh, but manager Vibes Venable thinks Grant Taylor should be a setup man; three runs later, Taylor proved how wrong that assumption is. The Sox then went ahead 4-3 in the eighth (Antonacci driving in the go-ahead run, of course), which led Venable to call on Seranthony Dominguez, who everyone outside of Venable at the Rate knows is not a closer; two runs later, Dominguez proved that point. So, a shoutout to the rookies for coming through. But when will Venable realize he has to flip-flop Taylor’s and Dominguez’s roles? And what’s up with Colson Montgomery, who went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts? Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but if Montgomery doesn’t hit, the Sox won’t make the postseason.

Second-guessing

What’s baseball without a little second-guessing? As in yesterday’s White Sox-Tigers’ game. No, make that yesterday and Saturday, because one questionable decision the day before played a direct result in the 5-4 defeat yesterday. Martin Davis pitched great, giving up just one run in six innings. The Sox were ahead 3-1 going into the bottom of the eighth. Grant Taylor came in for an inning, gave up a run. He hadn’t pitched in a week, so there may have been rust involved. You could also argue Taylor was rested and ready to pitch a second inning. Instead, manager Vibes Venable went with Seranthony Dominguez, who managed two quick outs before surrendering three straight singles. Game tied. Then came the deluge, courtesy of a move Venable made on Saturday. The Sox scored the go-ahead run in the tenth, and Venable thought he had a chance with Brandon Eisert and his 5.50 ERA. Nope. Eisert immediately gave up two hits to tie the score. Enter Jordan Hicks with his 5.60 ERA. One hit later, and the Tigers swept the Sox. So, why didn’t Venable bring in Sean Newcomb in the tenth, with that 2.58 ERA of his? The first batter for Newcomb, a lefty, would’ve been lefthanded-hitting Riley Greene. Oh, that’s right. Newcomb “opened” Saturday’s game with three innings of work and wasn’t available Sunday. That’s on Venable and, more so, GM Chirs Getz. You don’t win with openers, but with starters. Until the Sox get at least one more of those, they’re going to lose games like Saturday and, by extension, Sunday.

Wake-up Call

Sam Antonacci and Sean Newcomb came to play in Detroit yesterday afternoon. Their teammates, not so much. Tiger 4 White Sox 1. Antonacci provided the offense with a leadoff homerun while Newcomb nursed a 1-0 lead through three innings of hitless “opening.” Then came the relievers. Tyler Davis went .2 innings while walking the bases loaded. So much for him going two innings. Joe Rock bailed out Davis only to give up three runs in 2.1 innings of work. After Rock, Trevor Richards got nicked for a run in an inning. All of this while Sox hitters managed four hits, two by Antonacci. Calling Miguel Vargas, calling Colson Montgomery. You guys don’t hit .250, forget about the postseason, and a collective 0-for-8 won’t get you to .250. And GM Chris Getz needs to stop deluding himself that pitching “openers” solves anything. You need starting pitching. The trick is to find it without trading away the store, aka prospects. It’s why they pay you the big bucks, my man.

The Point

The point isn’t Tarik Skubal yelling at Mike “Magic Wand” Vasil in the fifth inning for possibly stealing signs. The point is Skubal struck out Colson Montgomery with the bases loaded in a 2-2 game. The White Sox needed runs, only to lose 4-3 after a misguided dive by centerfielder Tristan Peters in the sixth on a ball that scored two runs. Tigers 4 Sox 3. The second point worth noting is that Montgomery struck out three times in three at-bats, with a walk. As to two straight games with an “opener,” and a third planned for today, make of that as you will.

Small Ball, Sort Of

With the game tied at one last night, 5’11” Sam Antonacci led off the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium with a pinch-hit double. Four batters later, 5’9” Andrew Benintendi hit a pinch-hit grand slam. White Sox 5 Yankees 1. Not that the taller guys didn’t contribute, too. Colson Montgomery, who stands 6’3”, clubbed his 20th homer in the second inning while 6’6” Sean Burke showed what he can do when in control of his talent. Burke went 7.1 innings, the second time in his career he’s gone that deep in a game, giving up one run on five hits and a walk; the 26-year old from Sutton, Massachusetts, also struck out eight. And to think this is the same guy who gave up four runs in four innings against the Dodgers five days earlier. Go figure. There’s an old saying, that if you can’t take a series on the road from the Yankees, you better do it against the Tigers. Starting tonight.

Still Not Ready

Anthony Kay pitched like Davis Martin did the night before; the White Sox bullpen took the night off; and the Sox laid a second egg in the Bronx, losing to the Yankees 10-5. No pitching, no postseason, by the way. Right now, the hitting shows more promise long term. The Sox won’t go anywhere with Colson Montgomery hitting under .250. Last check shows him 25 points below that mark, but, like I said, there’s hope. Montgomery hit a three-run homerun last night to bring his team to within a run in the third inning, and he hit it lefty-on-lefty against Carlos Rodon. Montgomery added a second homer in the eight for the first multi-homerun game of his career. In addition, Sam Antonacci homered for the second time in three games, so that’s nice, and Chase Meidroth continues to impress. His two hits yesterday give him a .278 BA with a .347 OBP. Bet you the Red Sox regret including Meidroth in the deal for Garrett Crochet. Braden Montgomery is doing what I’ve seen him do twice in the minors after a promotion—start hot, then struggle. After a 4-for-9 start with three extra-base hits, Montgomery is batting .222 in 27 at-bats since being called up. If past is prelude, the rookie should go from hot to cold to hot again before long. Tonight would be a good time to start. Last and not least, Edgar Quero went 3-for-4, which makes me think he doesn’t want to be the catcher sent down when Kyle Teel returns from his rehab stint in Charlotte. Just keep hitting to make that happen, young man. Because, if the Sox don’t get better pitching, they’ll need to score a whole bunch of runs.

Not Ready for Prime Time

Davis Martin laid an egg in the Bronx last night, and the rest of the White Sox clucked along in a 12-2 drubbing from the Yankees. Ouch, in case I forgot. Martin gave up nine earned runs, all earned, in a labored 3.1 innings; Chase Meidroth and Jacob Gonzalez gave the Yankees two extra outs in a four-run third inning. And nine Sox batters managed four hits along with two walks. Ouch, again. Game two features Anthony Kay going up against ex-Sox lefty Carlos Rodon. I can’t wait.

Different Memories

Paul Sullivan wrote a column in the Trib today about the White Sox going to New York in mid-June of 2000 and sweeping a four-game series from the Yankees. You’d think I’d remember something like that, but I don’t. My mid-June memory dates to 2008, when I took Clare to a softball-skills’ evaluation camp. The weather was perfect, sunny and cool, the sky blue and my daughter’s face a darkening shade of red as the day progressed. It seems the coach didn’t think much of her hitting ability. We suspected that from the way he acted with her then. The report he mailed didn’t exactly come as a surprise. Sullivan’s point was that a team can surprise from time to time. Young ballplayers, too, especially when they go on to set homerun-hitting records in college.

Up Next

When your leadoff hitter in an inning homers and the guy five batters later homers in the same inning, you know things are going good. When those batters are Sam Antonacci and Chase Meidroth, respectively, it’s cause for celebration. That’s what happened yesterday when a Dodgers’ 1-0 lead vanished in the bottom of the sixth as the Sox scored six runs on three homers, with Colson Montgomery sandwiched between Antonacci and Meidroth. The bullpen tried but failed to give the game back, for a final score of Sox 6 Dodgers 4. Dodgers’ fans, enjoy your ride back to the airport. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to start calling manager Vibes Venable by his given name; I can live with that. Hey, if Venable can get one or more of his young starters—Sean Burke, Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, who gave up four homeruns in his latest Triple-A start—to step up, I’ll be more than happy to refer to myself as “New Mickey.” Up next, the Yankees on the road. No Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton, though. It’s only fair they should have injuries if we do, too.

One Stepped Up, The Other Didn't

Ozzie Guillen, bless him, said this week that White Sox starter Sean Burke is his own worst enemy. The 26-year old righthander proceeded to prove Ozzie’s point by grooving the second pitch of the game to Shohei Ohtani. For added measure, Burke then gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Max Muncy. Dodgers 7 Sox 1. On top of our bad pitching, the Dodgers’ YoshinobuYamamoto came within four outs of a perfect game, until shortstop Mookie Betts booted a groundball by Chase Meidroth. But that still left the no-hitter intact. Which Tristan Peters took care of with a homer to right to lead off the ninth inning, thank you very much. Miguel Vargas said the hit made it feel “like we won the game after that. We really needed it.” [quote from story today on team website] I’ll say. Nobody, myself included, expected anything from Peters going into this season; he was just a guy. But given a chance, the onetime Savannah Banana has shown himself to be a plus-defender and, so far, a surprisingly good hitter, especially in the clutch. That homerun included.

About Last Night

Clare and Chris went to the White Sox-Dodgers’ game last night, leaving the Katzenjammer Kids to sleep over. I’m pretty sure they didn’t burn down the house and our hair was already green before they stepped through the door. What an evening. After batting practice and hot dogs outside, we went in for lots of Bluey mixed in with baseball, so I could be wrong about some of what I saw, or think I saw. The White Sox beat the Dodgers, 8-2, before a packed house at the Rate. I think. I do know I wanted to shout some inappropriate words at the TV screen for how Sox starter Anthony Kay was pitching in the second inning—two runs in, two runners on, nobody out, then bases loaded one out after the second hit-by-pitch in the inning. Miracle of miracles, the Dodgers were done scoring. In fact, Kay and three relievers retired the last nineteen Los Angeles batters in a row. Leo cheered Andrew Benitendi’s first-inning homerun while I cheered Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidtroth picking up three hits. As for Tristan Peters, he tripled on pitch shoulder-high, driving in two runs. Way to go, young man. You squash that bug. Funny how quiet a house gets with the kids gone.

The Business of Baseball

White Sox rookie Rikuu Nishida has a personality so infectious it would make even Ted Williams smile. But Nishida wasn’t hitting all that well (7-for-29, all singles), and Braden Montgomery looked to be ready. It only made sense to move one prospect up and the other down. Derek Hill had himself some nice hits as a spare outfielder for the Sox, including a pinch-hit homerun that beat the Royals back in May. Like Nishida, the veteran Hill was a positive presence in the clubhouse. But Hill is 30, and Everson Pereira clocks in at five years younger, with some pop in his bat. The smart move was to trade Hill, which GM Chris Getz did yesterday in a move with the Phillies, and active Pereira from the IL, where he’s been since late April with a pectoral sprain. Not that Pereira should feel too comfortable. Munetaka Murakami will be coming off the IL, late this month if his hamstring heels quickly. That means Pereira or rookie Jacob Gonzalez will go. And when Kyle Teel is activated, either Edgar Quero or Drew Romo most likely will have to find a new home. Even teams evoking talk of Cinderella and magical seasons go about the business of baseball.

Tuning Out the Static

We lost power just before 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon; it didn’t come back on for close to ten hours. Did I mention it was a little hot and stuffy in the house? Instead of sweating in the dark, I decided to spend much of the evening on the back porch, windows open radio in lap, trying to get the White Sox game, only it was all static until the bottom of the sixth inning, lightning bugs flashing, Sox ahead of the Braves, 2-0. Len Kasper’s voice faded in and out, loud if I pointed the antenna one way, then a whisper if I repositioned the radio for a second. It was dark by the time Bryan Hudson locked down the save in a 2-1 Sox win. Oh, to beat Chris Sale. I like how winning starter Davis Martin put it. He looked out at the scoreboard, where his and Chris Sale’s career strikeouts marks were posted, “mine at 250 punchouts and he had 3,000 or 2,000 or something like that. Some crazy big number. And I was just like, ‘Man, this is fun.’ This is who you want to play against and this is why you want to be in the big leagues.” [Tribune online story today] Yes, indeed. I’m guessing Braden Montgomery feels pretty much the same. The 23-year old rookie followed his walk-off homerun debut the night before with a 2-for-4 performance, both hits doubles, the first one coming against Sale and leading to a run in the fourth inning. The Sox picked Hagen Smith over Montgomery in the first round of the 2024 draft; now, they have both. Like I said, pinch me. I must be dreaming.

Pinch Me

Pinch me. I must be dreaming. Since when does a White Sox rookie hit a walk-off homerun in his major-league debut? Well, it happened last night in the bottom of the tenth inning when Braden Montgomery connected off of Braves’ closer Raisel Iglesias. Sox 6 Braves 5. Where to start? It was Montgomery’s second RBI hit of the night, following a fourth-inning single. Iglesias entered the game with a 0.87 ERA and thirteen saves in 22.1 innings of work; he had yet to give up a homerun this season. Well, that changed. And let’s not forget fellow rookie Jacob Gonzalez, who also had two hits on the night, along with an RBI. Or Miguel Vargas, who hit a two-run homer. Or (gulp) Erick Fedder, who pitched five innings in relief, giving up two runs, one earned. As for the following, best to remember in order to stop doing. By that, I mean the Sox had two runners thrown out at the plate on failed squeeze attempts and a third trying to score on a two-out single from second base. Hard to win games when you do that, especially against the best team in baseball. And you don’t want to do anything like that against tonight’s starter, ex-Sox lefthander Chris Sale. Clean baseball, smart baseball, winning baseball. Please.

Bears and Sox

I’ll do the silly stuff first. On Friday, the Bears announced they were moving forward on plans for a new stadium in Indiana. They also signaled a willingness to keep talking to the relevant powers that be in Illinois. Huh? Oh, it gets better. Today, a state Republican legislator announced he’s going to introduce a bill to give Bears-like megaprojects the power to negotiate payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) with local governmental bodies. The bill also provides a property-tax relief provision. Only you can’t square a circle. The lower the payment negotiated, the greater the need for the affected governmental body to make up for the loss revenue, that or cut services. The greater the tax relief, the less willing governmental bodies will be to sign off on those payments in lieu of. Good luck with getting this thing to fly, sir. Now, for something completely different—the White Sox just called up outfielder Braden Montgomery. Alleluiah, alleluiah. May Hagen Smith follow soon after.

Chris Getz, Meet John Ford

The White Sox had enough hitting—five runs, ten hits—but next to no pitching against the Phillies, with an opener and three of four relievers coughing up nine runs on ten hits. The Sox could’ve scored as many as five more runs with some clutch hitting and along with a little luck; the wind kept two balls in the park. Not that it kept the other guys from cranking two out. Philadelphia 9 Chicago 5. We won’t talk about the Sox going into the bottom of the fifth up 5-4. If this were a John Ford movie (and baseball is a form of entertainment, right?), the cavalry would be showing up to save the day. In case anyone is wondering, Hagen Smith struck out nine batters in 4.2 innings of scoreless work for Triple-A Charlotte yesterday while Braden Montgomery upped his BA to .315 (with a .417 OBP!). Help could be on the way, and would be with Ford at the helm. But someone else is in charge of this production. He needs to send in the cavalry. Now.

Get Used To It

The White Sox are going to be the White Sox, very unpredictable, and I can either get used to it or go crazy. I’ll take door #1, please. Yesterday, they jumped all over Phillies’ starter Adrew Painter, scoring four runs in the first inning on their way to a 6-3 win. Later, Colson Montgomery homered, his sixteenth, though he still doesn’t look good at the plate. Rookie Jacob Gonzalez, who does look good at the plate, also went deep for his first major-league homerun. Go figure. Sam Antonacci went hitless but got the first inning started by getting hit for the fourteenth time this season, most in the majors. Tristan Peters has come out of nowhere to claim a starting job in the outfield with a combination of hitting—3-for-4 with an RBI—and fielding. We’re talking Ken Berry-caliber glove here. So, it’s going to be a roller coaster of a season. All I ask is for Chris Getz to call up Braden Montgomery. Montgomery hit .313 at Double-A Birmingham, which earned him a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte. The pitching must be tough in the International League. The 23-year old outfielder is “only” batting .312. Montgomery and a heeled Kyle Teel added to the lineup, oh my. Now, that I could definitely get used to.

Not Ready for Prime Time

If the White Sox want to play with the big boys, they’re going to have to do better than they did last night in Philadelphia. Given a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the second, starter Anthony Kay turned it into a three-run deficit, courtesy of four hits and a walk. At the end of the night, it was Phillies 8 Sox 6. The Sox actually tied the game at six in the seventh, only for the bullpen to go south. Bryan Hudson gave up a run on his own and was charged with another when Seranthony Dominguez bounced a ball past catcher Edgar Quero. Bad pitching was followed by bad luck in the eighth and maybe some bad decision-making in the dugout. The Sox put two runners on with nobody out when Rikuu Nishida lined into a double play. Maybe baserunner Jacob Gonzalez was to blame for not getting back to second base in time, but why was Nishida swinging away in the first place? Speed is the essence of Nishida’s game. Him bunting puts pressure on the defense. First baseman Bryce Harper had already misplayed a ball in the inning to put on a baserunner. What’s to say he wouldn’t have done it again? So, again we’re going to see what this team can do in a tough situation. Some good starting pitching would be nice, and timely hitting, too. Oh, and some help out of the bullpen Yes, a tall order, but that’s what you have to do in order to beat the big boys.

Perchance to Dream

History didn’t repeat itself in the Illinois General Assembly early Monday morning; it didn’t even rhyme. No, the Bears went home—wherever that is—empty-handed. Back in 1988, state house majority leader Mike Madigan employed an old trick as the clock approached midnight on May 31st, the yearly end to the legislative session in Springfield; Madigan literally stopped the clock on the assembly floor. This allowed Gov. Jim Thompson time to wrestle up the votes for a publicly funded White Sox stadium, technically, after the midnight deadline. That’s what the Bears and just about every Chicago sports and news journalist figured would happen again. Only they were wrong. What happened? Well, these are different times, and what the Bears wanted—the power to negotiate (more like dictate) their own property taxes for their proposed stadium/entertainment district in Arlington Heights—rubbed a whole lot of people the wrong way. You could tell by the lukewarm reception legislators gave to the idea. They had to be getting an earful from constituents back home. On top of that, the Bears were the Bears, mixing incompetence with arrogance as is their style. They threatened more than cajoled, and it blew up in their face. Now, the team has to decide if it really wants to relocate to northwest Indiana, where brown fields grow if they don’t exactly glow. I have a sneaking suspicion Chicago is back in play as a preferred stadium site. All it will take is jilting Indiana and Arlington Heights. If any organization can pull that off, it’s your Munsters of the Midway.

Oh, Ye of Little Faith

I set yesterday’s White Sox game to TIVO and went about my business, namely, washing fifteen windows and fifteen screens around the house. I thought my reward would be a job well done. Wrong. With the ladder and hoses put away and the towels and buckets brought back in the basement, I settled my bulky back into the couch to catch up on the game. Four runs in the top of the first? Erick Fedde going 4.2 innings before giving up a hit in an 8-0 Sox win over the Twins? Jacob Gonzalez recording his first two MLB RBIs with a bases-loaded single? What was going on here? Well, I wondered how much the 2026 White Sox had grown, and here was my answer. This was yet another game they might have frittered away. Instead of the bad overwhelming everything else (see 2023, 2024 and much of 2025), the good kept the bad at bay. And by bad, I mean Colson Montgomery. Sam Antonacci went 4-for-4 and reached base six times. Montgomery went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts. Antonacci vibes ruled. It would’ve been nice to have Munetaka Murakami available for the next series, in Philadelphia, for a Murakami-Kyle-Schwarber matchup. Oh, well. Someone gives you a lemon, you make Antonacci and Gonzalez out of it.

Rebound or No?

Well, this had to happen eventually. Davis Martin got pounded by the Twins last night, giving up six runs on ten hits in not even five innings of work. Twins 6 White Sox 4. Oh, and Erick Fedde is slated to go this afternoon. Now we find out just how much the Sox have grown.

Nothing Doing

White Sox rookie starter David Sandlin and the Twins squared off for the second time in six days, and the Twins were ready. The Sox righthander gave up eight runs on eight hits and four walks in four-plus innings. Twins 9 Sox 6, with two homeruns from Miguel Vargas and not much of anything from Colson Montgomery. I have to remember it’s all a marathon. Like the Bears getting a new stadium. Team McCaskey may have thought the Illinois General Assembly was going to roll over for them and pass sweetheart property-tax legislation, only it didn’t happen. I think voters sent a message legislators couldn’t ignore, that everything costs too much, and a billionaire’s tax break would inevitably raise taxes for everyone else. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of the conference room where the Bears’ “brain trust” will meet to figure out a next step. The weeping, the gnashing of teeth, the realization that Indiana is in Indiana…

Déjà vu(s)

I remember a game when Chris Sale was still with the White Sox, against the Rangers in June of 2015. Sale was vintage Sale, which meant that he was virtually untouchable. In this instance, the lanky lefty threw eight shutout innings, giving up two singles and no walks while striking out fourteen, all this on 111 pitches. The Sox went into the ninth with a 1-0 lead. Well, manager Robin Ventura decided to pull Sale for David Roberston, who proceeded to give up two runs and lose the game. The next morning, I was out walking the dog and heard a woman’s voice off in a yard somewhere. “Why did he [Ventura] do that?” the unseen fan demanded to know. “I mean, Chris Sale was pitching!” Something like that happened yesterday, only it was the Tigers’ Keider Montero pitching and manager A.J. Hinch making like Robin Ventura. Hinch opted to lift Montero after six innings of two-hit, shutout ball accomplished with a mere 65 pitches on a pleasant Sunday afternoon a little on the cool side (66 degrees). In other words, a pitcher-friendly day. But Hinch did what he did, and the Sox again did what they did on Friday night, mixing longball and smallball. First, Colson Montgomery homered off of Drew Anderson, who then gave up three straight singles to Chase Meidroth, Jacob Gonzalez (his first major-league hit in his first game) and Tristan Peters, the last one scoring the first one. Rookie reliever Tyler Davis came in to pitch the nine and recorded his first save. Sox 2 Tigers 1. I hope that Chris Sale fan, wherever she is, enjoyed the outcome nearly as much as I did.

Terra Incognita

These last two games against the Tigers show just how much things have changed for the White Sox, or, if you prefer, how they’ve made changes for games like these to happen. If this were 2023 or ’24 or ’25, they lose Friday night’s game in extra innings instead of having Miguel Vargas hit a two-run walk-off homerun. And yesterday, that 2-0 first-inning lead against Framber Valdez would’ve disappeared instead of turning into a 7-1 win for Anthony Kay. I mean, Grant Taylor pitching two perfect innings of relief with the game still on the line along with Edgar Quero, Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi going deep late? It’s been awhile, to say the least. Same for today, with seven lefthanded hitters in the lineup against righty Keider Montero; there were years the Sox didn’t have seven lefthanded/switch hitters on the roster, and now this. Who is this team? We’re in the process of finding out.

Smallball, Longball

The White Sox beat the Tigers last night with a blend of smallball and longball. Trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Rikuu Nishida laid down a so-so bunt that pitcher Kyle Finnegan fielded without much trouble. Only Finnegan didn’t notice Andrew Benintendi’s lead off of third base while throwing Rikuu out at first. Benintendi timed his dash home perfectly to beat the throw from first baseman Spencer Torkelson. Then, in the bottom of the tenth, with two out and one on and the Sox down a run, Miguel Vargas walked off a homerun to left field off closer Drew Anderson. Sox 4 Tigers 3. This being the White Sox, of course some rain had to fall on the parade. It happened in the second inning when Munetaka Murakami beat the relay on an attempted double play, only Murakami suffered an apparently mild right hamstring injury. Did I mention injuries are opportunities for teams that are prepared? Rumor has it Jacob Gonzalez, the Sox first-round pick in 2023, is being called up. To say the 24-year old lefthanded-hitting infielder is having a monster year would be an understatement. Gonzalez is hitting .317 for Triple-A Charlotte with nineteen homers and 62 RBIs. Wow. Two wishes here, that Gonzalez seizes his opportunity and Murakami heels quickly.

Blossoms

Everything’s coming up roses for the White Sox right now. Davis Martin threw six innings of one-run ball; bargain-basement pickup Randal Grichuk hit a bases-clearing double during a four-run fourth inning; and the White Sox beat the Twins 6-2, taking three out of four games. What’s not to like? Well, Edgar Quero still isn’t hitting, as evidenced by an 0-for-3 day resulting in a .176 BA. And Jordan Leasure doesn’t seem to realize how lucky he is to be back up from Charlotte, not with two innings of work in two appearances totaling two runs and two innings. That’s no way to make a good impression, young man. But Tristan Peters went 3-for-4 with a swing that brought back memories of Clare in high school. Different hitting coaches back then had differing opinions on “squashing the bug,” or pivoting the back foot in the follow-through. Peters is a definite proponent of fully squashing the bug. Whatever works.

Opportunity Knocks

I’m a firm believer in injuries being opportunities; just ask Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig. I know a good medium. Of course, it’s only an opportunity for organizations that have the wherewithal to plug in the talent. I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but the White Sox look to be reaching that stage, if David Sandlin’s debut in last night’s 15-2 Sox win is any indication. Two pitches in, and the 25-year old righthander was down 1-0, courtesy of yet another Byron Buxton homerun against the Sox (number 24, if you’re counting). But after Buxton, eighteen consecutive Twins went down without a hit or a walk. On the night, Sandlin needed just 61 pitches to get through six innings. Manager Vibes Venable did the right thing bringing in Brandon Eisert to start the seventh. Sandlin is a talent to develop, not waste. Chase Meidroth hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, with Munetaka Murakami going back-to-back four pitches later. Oh, and Sam Antonacci had himself a three-hit, three-RBI night. More, please.

Almost

The White Sox almost stole one from the Twins last night. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Rikuu Nishida led off with a single. One out later, Munetaka Murakami tied the game with a moonshot to right. In the tenth, Nishida may have entered the record books in the tenth inning with a second straight game recording an out-at-the-plate assist. Murakami nearly singled in the winning run, only for first baseman Josh Bell turn a one-hop smash into an inning-ending double play. Twins 5 Sox 3 in eleven innings. The big concern, at least for me, is hitting, as in the lack thereof. Outside of Sam Antonacci and Chase Meidroth, none of the regulars is close to .250, except for centerfielder Tristan Peters at .248, and he shouldn’t be a regular. This team isn’t going anywhere if Colson Montgomery can’t hit better than .222 or Miguel Vargas .233. For this I have no answers other than to offer that the Sox needs to steal more games like they might have last night until the hitting comes around, if it comes around.

A Shot in the Arm

Yes, Anthony Kay pitched six innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 White Sox win over the Twins on a beautiful Memorial Day afternoon on the South Side. And, yes, Munetaka Murakami and Drew Romo both left the yard to power the offense. Oh, and Rikuu Nishida, a ball of nervous energy, if there ever was one. What a debut. The 5’6”, 25-year old rookie barely got the ball out of the infield in the fourth inning to record his first major-league hit, but, so what? Nishida, playing in the (very big, literally and figuratively) shadows of Harold Baines and Jermaine Dye, threw himself into the hearts of Sox fans by throwing a strike to nail Orlando Arcia at home as Arcia tried to score from second base on a two-out single by Alex Jackson. Wait, there’s more. Nishida recorded seven putouts on the day, the most ever by a Sox outfielder in his first game. Did I mention Nishida lost a shoe in making the throw or that he nearly made a great diving catch in the seventh inning? Or that Nishida wears number 51, in honor of Ichiro Suzuki? I didn’t find that out until listening to Nishida’s postgame comments. All game, I kept thinking of Terry Forster, shall we say a slightly larger number 51? Yesterday, it worked either way.

Monkey See

Erick Fedde put the White Sox in an early three-run hole Saturday; Noah Schultz put the Sox in an early three-run hole Sunday. The Sox came back to tie the game Saturday and chose to stick with Fedde, a show of faith that led to a Giant’s grand slam. The Sox came back to tie the game Sunday and chose to stick with Schultz, a show of faith that led to a Giants’ grand slam. San Francisco 8 Chicago 5. When Fedde leaves (sooner than later, unless GM Chris Getz is a complete masochist), it’ll be a DFA. If Schultz leaves (and I hope he can figure out things sooner than later), it’ll be a demotion to Triple-A Charlotte. So, there’s that. Speaking of DFAs and Charlotte, the Sox released outfielder Jarred Kelenic and promoted infielder Rikuu Nishida. The 25-year old lefthanded hitter can do two things, get on base and steal bases once he does. Nishida has a .410 career OBP with 110 stolen bases over three-plus seasons. Did I say infielder? Nishida, all 5’6” inches of him, will make his major-league debut today as a right fielder. Fingers crossed.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

Erick Fedde is no longer a major-league pitcher, and signing him to a bargain-basement contract, like White Sox GM Chris Getz did this spring, more or less confirms that. So did Fedde’s performance yesterday against the Giants. San Francisco 10 Chicago 3. First, the 33-year old righthander put his team in a 3-0 hole. Then, after the Sox tied the game in the fifth inning, Fedde gave up a two-run homerun in the bottom of the frame. Wait, there’s more, namely two dropped popups by Miguel Vargas that translated into another four runs. The line for Fedde was 3.1 innings, eight runs on ten hits and two walks, but I’ll give him a pass on three of those runs. Still, does five runs in 3.1 innings sound that much better? Two points worth noting, starting with Vargas. He addressed the popups in postgame comments to the media. That could not have been easy, so a tip of the cap there. Oh, and Lucas Giolito won his second straight start for the Padres. That’s two starts and two wins for the ex-Sox, vs. an 0-5 record for Fedde (who technically didn‘t start yesterday, but came into the game in the second inning after “opener” Bryan Hudson). Just saying.

He Did What?

Last night in San Francisco, Sam Antonacci did something no other White Sox player has managed to in franchise history—he was hit by a pitch twice in the same inning. On top of that, Antonacci scored both times as the Sox put up a nine-spot in the fourth for a 9-4 win. What a weird, good game. Giants’ starter Trevor McDonald retired the first nine batters before losing it in the fourth; the Sox scored all their runs on just five hits, none of which left the ballpark; Sox hitters did not record another hit the rest of the game; and starter Davis Martin was at less than his best, though a few bounces didn’t go his way. Martin gave up four runs in 5.2 innings of work. Still, he picked up the win to go 7-1 on the season. Munetaka Murakami had a three-run double, one run better than Andrew Benintendi’s two-bagger. I’m starting to think the Sox will go as far as Murakami, Benintendi and Antonacci can carry them, along with Martin. Everyone else on the roster is welcome to prove me wrong.

Odds and Ends

Ex-White Sox Jake Burger has as many RBIs (33) as Munetaka Murakami. Would I take Burger over Murakami? No, but I wish there were a way to have him on the team. Gavin Sheets, too, for that matter. Oh, well. Maybe Burger and Sheets—and Murakami, for that matter—can prove Leo Durocher wrong about nice guys finishing last. Right now, the Sox would be hard-pressed to finish last in the AL Central; the Tigers look intent on winning that honor. But if the South Siders want to be real contenders, they have to bounce back against the Giants after losing two out of three in Seattle. Davis Martin vs. Trevor McDonald. I may actually stay up late for this one. TIVO assist, of course.

Domino Theory

The White Sox could have won yesterday’s rubber match against the Mariners. Instead, a lack of clutch hitting contributed to a 5-4 loss. So did a lack of clutch hitting, even more so. For the third straight game, starter Sean Burke couldn’t get out of the fifth inning. How do you say “pressure on the bullpen”? Right, I just did. Sean Newcomb replaced Burke with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth. Newcomb did his job by getting Rob Refsynder to ground out. The lefty then went out to pitch a scoreless sixth. Was he done for the day after that? Nope. Manager Vibes Venable decided to ler him face righthanded hitting Jhonny Pereda, who led off the seventh with his first career homerun. But that’s more on Venable than Newcomb. Especially letting Newcomb face Julio Rodriguez, another righty hitter; Rodriguez doubled. And this is where the game slipped away. Venable called on Jordan Hicks, who grooved his second offering to Randy Arozarena, who sent the ball over the fence in left centerfield. Venable has reliable relievers (Tyler Davis, Bryan Hudson and Grant Taylor), but he used them all the night before in the Sox 2-1 win. Newcomb also falls into that category, as evidenced by going 1.3 innings before losing it. Hicks was the wrong choice at the wrong time, so shame on Venable. But I doubt he was excited over his options. If not Hicks, then who? Trevor Richards? Seranthony Dominguez? Again, I find myself in the odd position of pining for Jordan Leasure. The lack of that option doesn’t fall on Venable but GM Chris Getz, which leads us back to Burke. If he pitches into the seventh or finishes the sixth, it’s an entirely different ballgame. Simply put, short outings by Burke hurt bigtime. As it is, the Sox rotation is trying to get by with Erick Fedde. How’s that going, Chris? Maybe Getz doesn’t want to rush Hagen Smith or Tanner McDougal. If so, why didn’t he consider re-signing ex-Sox deep thinker—and I mean that as a compliment—Lucas Giolito? Right now, I’d rather see Giolito out there than either Burke or Fedde. I’m sure a lot of Sox fans would, too.

Go-Go and Kudos

It was Go-Go White Sox 2.0 in Seattle last night as the Sox used a walk; a hit-by-pitch; and a double steal plus two infield hits to manufacture two runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Mariners 2-1 last night. Holy Al Lopez! I believe in giving kudos where kudos are due, even—especially—if I was just throwing brickbats at the same people. I’m talking about you, Vibes Venable. The Sox manager showed some definite in-game chops. Munetaka Murakami led off the ninth inning with the Sox down a run by drawing a walk. Venable then chose to prioritize speed now over possible power later by having Derek Hill pinch run. Miguel Vargas followed with a hit-by-pitch, thank you very much, Luis Castillo. After Colson Montgomery struck out, Seattle manager Dan Wilson brought in his closer Andres Munoz to face Chase Meidroth. No three-outcome baseball here. Meidroth poked a singled through a pulled-in infield, after which Andrew Benintendi did likewise. Wait, there’s more begrudging kudos. I’m talking about you, Anthony Kay. The 31-year old righthander labored, and I do mean labored, through a 35-pitch first inning. Kay gave up a single; walked two batters; and hit another. Here’s the thing—that was the Mariners’ only hit all night. Kay settled down to retire fifteen of the final seventeen batters he faced. Now, more kudos coming. I’m talking about you, Chris Getz. Not all the relievers the Sox GM has come up with the past two seasons have been a bust. Two recent acquisitions, Tyler Davis and Bryan Hudson, combined for 2.2 hitless innings in relief of Kay. Then came Grant Taylor, the reluctant reliever, to pitch the bottom of the ninth. The righthanded Taylor needed thirteen pitches to strike out three lefty pinch-hitters, all swinging. Mercy. The trick now is to keep playing smart baseball. A few displays of power wouldn’t hurt, either.

Find Head. Scratch

It’s like White Sox manager Vibes Venable is going out of his way to lose games, with an assist from GM Chris Getz. The two contributed mightily to last night’s 6-1 loss in Seattle. Start with Venable’s decision to start Drew Romo behind the plate. Excuse me, but Edgar Quero hit a walk-off homerun the game before, and he sits? That’s almost as head-scratching a move as playing Luisangel Acuna in center. Another game, another 0-fer for Acuna, now hitting .174 in 86 at-bats. Unfortunately, there’s more. It was a 3-1 game going into the bottom of the eighth, the Sox scoring on a homer by Tristan Peters, another homerun-hitting hero from the game before who managed to escape the Quero treatment. Starter Noah Schultz went 5.1 decent innings (three runs, five hits, zero walks), after which Venable decided to play Russian Roulette with his bullpen. First, he brought in Brandon Eisert and dodged a bullet. Next, he tried Jordan Hicks and lucked out again. But the third reliever proved an unlucky charm, when Trevor Richards gave up a two-out, three-run shot to rookie third baseman Colt Emerson. It was the 20-year old’s first career hit, by the way. Yes, Venable can only use the players he’s given, and, for all I know, he’s pleaded with Getz to move on from Acuna; Eisert; Hicks; and Richards. If that’s the case, he has to plead harder. And only use Acuna to pinch-run or come in for late-inning defense.

More Good Than Bad

First, the good news—the White Sox overcame poor starting pitching yesterday to beat their archrivals, with Edgar Quero (!) delivering a two-run, walk-off homerun in the bottom of the tenth. Sox 9 Cubs 8. I’m starting to wonder if Tristan Peters isn’t a lefthand-hitting Adam Engel, a ballhawk with less power but more ability to make contact. Which isn’t to take anything away from Peters hitting his first career homer yesterday in the bottom of the eighth, a three-run shot that should’ve won the game in regulation if Seranthony Dominguez was doing his job. Peters offered heartfelt sentiments after the game, with a heavy dose of Manitoba nice throughout. Quero provided more passion, and I especially liked it when he said he wanted to hit a homerun to win the seventh game of a World Series. Keep visualizing, Edgar. Now, for the bad news—the Sox had to overcome bad starting pitching, which is usually the case with Erick Fedde on the mound. Fedde had his team in a 2-0 hole two batters into the game after Michael Busch took him deep to right. Sox get a run back in the third, Fedde gives it back in the fourth. The 33-year old righthander went three-plus innings giving up four runs on six hits and four walks. Which leads to this question for GM Chris Getz: Do you want to compete for the postseason? If so, bring up outfielder Braden Montgomery and starter Hagen Smith; starter Tanner McDougal, too, if he’s healthy. All three could break into the lineup/rotation at their own pace. Fedde and at least two relievers on the roster are patch jobs. (Yes, I’m also pining for the return of Jordan Leasure. Truly, End Times.) Now’s the time to get real. Or am I missing something?

They Did Do

Well, most of the do-be White Sox I singled out yesterday did in fact do what I hoped they’d do I an 8-3 Sox win over the Cubs at a packed Rate Field last night. Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas homered. Jarred Kelenic didn’t, but Andrew Benintendi did, and Munetaka Murakami, too, twice to be precise. Which brings us to Davis Martin. The 29-year old righthander was nothing short of superb, pitching six innings of one-run ball, with seven strikeouts and zero—I repeat, zero—walks. In 56 innings this season, Martin has walked ten batters while holding the opposition to a .223 BA. How do you say a “record of 6-1 with a .98 WHIP”? I think I just did. And let’s not forget Sam Antonacci at the top of the order—two hits, two runs scored. It’s best not to depend on the longball; in my experience, it’s never there when you need it the most. But small ball is something you can almost call on at will. Antonacci does, along with Chase Meidroth. Punch-and-Judy mixed in with pop. Now, that’s a formula for success.

Do's and Don'ts

Don’t labor through 4.1 innings of a start, give up four runs on eight hits, and then tell reporters, “I kind of liked how my stuff was,” Sean Burke. [today’s online Trib] Cubs’ hitters liked your stuff, too. Don’t come in to relieve, Jordan Hicks, if you’re going to walk four batters, all of whom will score in an eventual 10-5 Cubs’ win over the White Sox. And, trust me, a run-scoring wild pitch will only leave a bad taste. Do homer again, Colson Montgomery; Miguel Vargas; and Jarred Kelenic. If nothing else, fireworks rev up the crowd. And do take tonight’s start as an opportunity to make a statement, Davis Martin. Your team turns its lonely eyes to you.

Two Sides of Crow

A preference for young teams is baked into my baseball DNA, thanks to two-time White Sox owner Bill Veeck, who had a knack for trading away tomorrow for today. After winning a pennant in 1959, Veeck shipped off a nucleus that would’ve driven the Yankees to distraction—Battey; Callison; Cash; Romano. Gene Freese, Minnie Minoso and Roy Sievers in return did not constitute fair trade(s). Then, when he was running the Sox on a shoestring budget in the second half of the 1970s, Veeck traded off the likes of Bucky Dent Brian Downing; Terry Forster; and Goose Gossage, though GM Roland Hemond got a better return. All of which is to say I was less than excited when Chris Getz acquired 34-year old Randal Gruchuk and 31-year Anthony Kay. So far, Getz looks a lot smarter than I do. In eight games since he was let go by the Yankees, Grichuk has gone 5-for-16 with his new team, including three homeruns and seven RBIs. Last night, he homered and drove in four runs in a 6-2 win over the Royals, Naturally, Kay got the win, which provided a three-game sweep of a team that usually sweeps us. Girchuk, at least, has had a solid major-league career, with 215 homers 638 RBIs. Kay? He’s 3-1 so far this year, 7-3 over the course of five-plus seasons. The Royals looked befuddled with the lefty’s assortment of breaking pitches. Pitchers are supposed to throw hard in this age of velo and launch angle. To quote Devo, how long can this go one? I don’t know. Maybe long enough for the talent in the minors to be ready. That would work for me.

Kids Growing Up

Maybe Colson Montgomery peaked ever so quickly at his batting average after last night’s 6-5 White Sox win over the Royals. I would, if I’d just gotten three hits, including the difference-making homerun. Allow me to point out to young Mr. Montgomery how hits turn into runs (he had two for the game) and RBIs. But I don’t want to sound like a cranky, old fan longing for the old days, when youngsters dreamed of winning batting titles and triple crowns. Check that. I do long for those days. And the day when Noah Schultz figures out how to throw strikes on a consistent basis. The rookie lefthander had a 3-0 lead going into the fourth inning and promptly loaded the bases on walks; Schultz had five walks on the evening, three or which scored. Exactly half of the 76 pitches he threw were strikes. This will not do. Especially if the Sox want to get beyond .500, where they find themselves for the first times since starting last season at 2-2. You can’t win without pitching, and the Sox won’t win without Schultz. Waiting on you, my man.

If Just For One Day

It seems like the White Sox have a thousand outfielders, which is to say they don’t have three solid regulars. Sam Antonacci has come out of nowhere—or the infield—to stake his claim to left, where he’s made himself at home while batting .280 with thirteen runs scored and a .382 OBP. After Antonacci, though, it’s dicey. Austin Hays was signed to play left, but Antonacci’s out there because Hays can’t stay healthy. Luisangel Acuna played himself out of center field because he can’t hit, and Tristan Peters, his replacement, can’t hit for power. Right field belonged to Everson Pereira, but he can’t stay healthy, either. That led to a chance for Jarred Kelenic, who pretty much hits like a dead man walking. At some point in the season, Braden Montgomery will get called up from Charlotte, and somebody not named Antonacci will have to go. It could even be Derek Hill, who pinch-hit a homerun in the bottom of the eighth last night to put the White Sox ahead and proved to be the deciding run in a 6-5 Sox win over the Royals. Wait, there’s more. Hill went in to play right field for Kelenic in the ninth inning and proceeded to rob Bobby Witt Jr. of extra bases with a diving-to-the-line catch for the first out. Then, in a postgame interview, Hill came off as humble and articulate, as well as the consummate teammate; if praise were money, Hill was making everyone in a Sox uniform rich. The 30-year old journeyman, now on his sixth team, was a hero, if just for one day. And, who knows, maybe a little longer.

No. Take a Peek

The White Sox haven’t been this good since they went bad under Tony LaRussa in 2022 Success is relative to a point, I guess. With the exception of Davis Martin, nobody from then is n the roster now; different players definitely generate different results. Coaching helps, to a point. Now, consider Colson Montgomery. Starting with 2022, here are his predecessors at shortstop: Tim Anderson; Elvis Andrus; Paul DeJong; and Chase Meidroth/Jacob Amaya. Anderson, Andrus and DeJong were all on the decline while Meidroth was just holding Montgomery’s spot for him while he got ready. As for Amaya, I never understood why he was on the team, and we’ll leave it at that. Right now, Montgomery rates as a cornerstone of the current rebuild, surprisingly good in the field and with plenty of left-handed power. He hits in the clutch but so far hasn’t hit for average (.221 BA this season, .233 over a two-season career). Cause for concern? Depends who you ask. Montgomery told the Sun-Times today, “I don’t look at my average.” Instead, he checks “production, on-base percentage, OPS [on-base plus slugging percentage], things like that.” OK, let’s do that. The 28 RBIs in 145 at-bats would come out to 112 in just under 600 at-bats, so that’s good. But Montgomery also projects to score 64 runs, which isn’t. Long story short, batting average matters. If you don’t get on base, the next guy(s) can’t bat you in. Somebody needs to explain that to Montgomery, and soon. The Sox have a whole bunch of promising middle infielders in their system along with the number-one pick in the upcoming draft, which could turn out to be a shortstop. Players needs good numbers all along the board. To me, OPS is overrated because slugging is a statistic that can be distorted from a lot of solo-shot homers. The other part of OPS comes from on-base percentage, and guess what that depends on? Hits as well as walks. Thirty-two hits and fifteen walks times four in a season won’t cut it, Colson. Either start hitting, or start looking over your shoulder.

The Long and Short of It

I taped yesterday’s White Sox game for something to watch while riding the exercycle. Given that the Sox managed but one hit over seven innings, I was all caught up by the time I showered and dressed for a Mother’s Day dinner with Michele’s mom. What a difference ten or fifteen minutes make. First, the much-maligned—by yours truly—Randal Grichuk left off the bottom of the eighth with a pinch-hit homerun that tied the score at one. Drew Romo followed with a longish ball of his own, a double to the corner in right. But teams do not win by the long ball alone. Which is another way of saying Sam Antonacci laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving Romo to third, the better to score on a very short fly to left. Let’s just say Randy Arozarena’s arm will never be confused with Carl Yasztremski’s. Sox take the rubber game against the Mariners, 2-1, this against Seattle reliever Eduardo Bastardo, who entered the game with a 1.53 ERA over 17.2 innings, and this despite closer Seranthony Dominguez loading the bases with one out in the ninth. It’s been a while since the Sox have pulled off wins like this. That said, they’re still two games under .500, at 19-21. The Royals come to town Tuesday, followed by the Cubs. Talk about two teams I’d love to beat to get over the hump, it’s them.

Lessons

We had a Saturday evening of babysitting at Clare’s so she could go out with Chris for a Mother’s Day dinner. Cue the chasing and puzzle-assembling. Eventually, my grandson ran out of gas, to the point he actually sat next to me on the couch; naturally, the White Sox game was on TV. A tip of the cap to Miguel Vargas for his two homeruns in a 6-1 Sox win over the Mariners. This allowed me to do my hitting-coach thing. “Do you see how he hit just like you did today?” I asked Leo, referencing a ball he launched a few hours earlier off a tee into the outfield. Then I said what grandson and ballplayer both did, they “saw the ball and made sure to hit it,” after which I started talking about the strike zone; like souls, we all have them. “You have one, your mom has one, your dad and even me.” Next, I talked about knees-to-armpits, along with an imaginary plate that follows everyone around. “You don’t want to swing at anything too high or too low or way outside.” Walks, I said, are good. At 4-3/4 years old, does he know four balls equal a walk? Well, you have to start sometime. Lessons on Sam Antonacci hustle to follow.

Cranky

Games like last night’s 12-8 White Sox loss to the Mariners make me cranky. You do not hit two batters in an inning, the second forcing in a run, or give up a two-out grand slam on an 0-2 pitch, all after getting the first two outs in an inning. I’m looking at you, Sean Burke. And you don’t let the number-seven batter drive in seven runs, guys. I was admittedly cranky going into the game after reading a smart-ass remark by Jayson Stark in The Athletic yesterday, that Munetaka Murakami “may not be the next [Harmon] Killebrew, [Hank] Aaron or Bambino [Babe Ruth]. But he might be at least the next Adam Dunn. And we are all in on that.” What the hell does that mean? All I know is, if Dunn exhibited half the personality that Murakami has shown so far this season, he would’ve had a longer career; better stats; and more friends in the dugout. If Murakami resembles anyone recent, it’s Kyle Schwarber, and right now I’ll take Murakami. On a brighter note, the Osvaldo Bido era ended on the South Side yesterday. Bido was DFA’d to make room for someone under the age of 30, Tyler Schweitzer. That almost makes up for the Sox sending down Joran Leasure after acquiring 32-year old Trevor Richards, who made his Sox debut yesterday by giving up a three-run homerun to Josh Naylor. Now, I’m cranky again.

Uncarted Waters

Michael Reinsdorf apologizing to Bulls’ fans for the state of the franchise? The new team executive vice president of basketball operations admitting to reporters that he cried when Reinsdorf gave him the job? That’s what happened at the Wednesday press conference where Bryson Graham made his Chicago debut. “We’re going to pull our sleeves up,” Graham told the media. “We’re going to get to work, and we’re going to get out of the mud. I’m not afraid of the work. It’s going to take time. This is something that is not going to be rushed. We’re not in a place that we’re going to be adding players and competing for a championship in the ’26-’27 season.” [quote from story on team website] Wow, shades of Winston Churchill. Granted, ex-vp Arturas Karnisovas leaves a pretty low bar, but, still. Graham came off as sincere and willing to engage reporters the way that Chicago baseball GMs do, whether they want to or not. Let the blood, sweat and tears begin.

Same Old Same Old

Noah Schultz didn’t have it yesterday, giving up seven earned runs in 3.2 innings of work. Angels 8 White Sox 2. But, hey, Ovaldo Bido threw 2.1 scoreless innings, thereby lowering his ERA to 6.27. Dare I say, “Wow!”? For his career, the 30-year old Bido has a 5.17 ERA to go with a 11-13 record. Want more? GM Chris Getz apparently did. On Tuesday, Getz went out and acquired another Bido, though this one left-handed, that being 32-year old Trevor Richard, he of a 24-28 career record and 4.52 ERA. Not “Wow!” but “Yikes”! It’s one step forward, two likely steps back for the Sox bullpen. Two weeks ago, Getz brought up rightie reliever Tyler Davis, who right now looks to be a real find at age 27. Davis played college ball through age 24, and even spent a year as the first baseman for Sam Houston State; the Sox signed him out of independent ball in 2024. So far in five games totaling 5.1 innings, Davis has posted a 1.69 ERA. Shouldn’t Getz be on the lookout for another Tyler Davis, or two? Instead, it’s Bido and Richard, the same old same old. Go figure.

Frenemies

Interesting what a little competition can do to motivate a player. Before the White Sox called up Sam Antonacci, Chase Meidroth was batting .196 with eleven hits and six runs scored. With Antonacci as a teammate (and possible replacement at second base), Meidroth is hitting .319 with 22 hits and fifteen runs scored. Last night in the first inning, leadoff batter Antonacci walked and Meidroth singled him in from the five-spot. More, please. Is anyone on the Sox competing with Munetaka Murakami? I doubt it. You’d have to be crazy to think you could outhomer Murakami, who clubbed his fourteenth in the top of the fourth last night, a two-run, 429-foot shot to dead center in a 6-0 Sox win over the Angels. Then Miguel Vargas went back-to-back with a homerun to right center. I could get used to this. Starter Davis Martin must feel the same. The righty threw seven shutout innings, recording a career-best ten strikeouts along the way, against no walks and five hits, four of them singles. On top of that, Martin needed just 85 pitches to do it all. I’m betting the coaching staff could get used to that. Oh, did I mention Antonacci went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored?

A Silver Lining or Two

The way Padres’ closer Mason Miller is throwing right now, the best possible combination of Ted Williams and Jesus Christ probably couldn’t hit him. Still, the White Sox had the tying run at second base in the top of the ninth with two out against Miller. If only. If only what? If only somebody other than shortstop Luisangel Acuna had faced Miller, but, for whatever reason, Sox manager Vibes Venable stuck with Acuna rather than pinch hit Austin Hays. Three pitches, three strikes. Padres 4 Sox 3. Acuna is now batting .169, in case anybody is wondering. Oh, well. Catcher Drew Romo homered again, so there’s that. And top prospect Braden Montgomery was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte. Montgomery was hitting .313 in Double-A with six homeruns and 22 RBIs. With luck, he’ll do the same with Charlotte, and, then, who knows? Did I mention he plays center field? That’s where Acuna mostly plays.

More Dues-giving

The White Sox won a game yesterday they would’ve lost any number of ways in seasons past. Reliever Grant Taylor took the mound in the bottom of the ninth for a second inning of work and a 4-0 lead. Taylor failed to cover first on an infield single by Jackson Merril and then proceeded to walk the next two batters. This brought up ex-Sox Gavin Sheets in a lefty-righty matchup in Sheets’ favor. Key the fireworks for grand slam. No, check that. Sheets was called out on strikes after catcher Edgar Quero challenged a ball call by plate ump Sean Barber on a 2-2 pitch. Exit Taylor for Seranthony Dominguez. Keep those fireworks ready. No, check that. Dominguez recorded a flyout and strikeout to preserve the win while earning his eighth save. What’s going on here? Obviously, the new regime is making headway. Winning starter Sean Burke threw six shutout innings. This is the same Sean Burke who pitched himself back to the minors last season. Pitching Coach Zach Bove must be doing something right, though I couldn’t say what; ditto hitting coach Derek Shomon. And, yes, manager Vibes Venable seems to be pulling the right levers more often than not lately. If, by some miracle—another two-hit game from Sam Antonacci wouldn’t hurt—the Sox pull off the sweep today, they’ll be at .500, cause for celebration, indeed. I’ll keep the fireworks ready.

Additions

The White Sox started a six-game road trip last night with an 8-2 win over the Padres. Four players contributing to the win weren’t on the team this time last year. Three are from the Sox farm system while the other may be from another planet, and, if not that, another hemisphere. That would be Munetaka Murakami, who clubbed his major-league leading thirteenth homerun, good for three of seven runs scored in the second inning. That was all that Noah Schultz, one of those farmhands I mentioned, needed. The 22-year old recorded his second career victory with six innings of shutout ball, at one point retiring sixteen straight San Diego batters, with a little help from a double play. Did I mention Colson Montgomery and Sam Antonacci? My bad. Montgomery started the second by walking; two batters later, Antonacci drove him in with a single. Montgomery also homered in the fifth while Antonacci had two hits on the night with a run scored and RBI. More, please. Now, to give the devil his due. Schultz and Montgomery were both drafted by the old regime headed up by Rick Hahn (or Hahn-Kenny Williams, the uncertainty of which was a big part of the problem). So were starter Hagen Smith and infielder Jacob Gonzalez, both of whom are putting up call-up worthy numbers at Triple-A Charlotte. Hahn deserved to be fired. That said, if this rebuild—I forget which number we’re on—starts taking off, Hahn deserves part of the credit. You have no idea how much it pains me to say that.

Market Discipline

I saw a survey not too long ago that found baseball fans are warming to the idea of a salary cap. So, maybe I should get onboard, too. In fact, I will just as soon as owners can spell out how savings for them will be passed on to me. In the meantime, I’m still inclined to point out how well the market works on its own: The Dodgers get what they’ve paid for. The Mets, not so much. After blowing the rubber game to the Nationals at home yesterday, the Mets have themselves a 10-21 record to go with a $357.6 million payroll, the highest in baseball for a 40-player roster (per USA Today from 3-25-2026). Francisco Lindor is hurt; Juan Soto has been hurt; and free-agent acquisition Bo Bichette is hitting .230 with fourteen RBIs. Guess who has fifteen? Miguel Vargas. Speaking of ex-Sox players on the Mets, Marcus Semien is looking every bit of 35, with a .218 BA and nine RBIs in 110 at-bats. And Luis Robert Jr., who not too long ago was saying how nice it was to play in front of a lot of fans for a change, just went on the—wait for it—IL with “lumbar spine disc herniation.” Bet that clears up real fast. The only way for things to improve is if everyone starts to play up to the stats from the back of their baseball card. If they don’t, the Mets end up like a Rick Hahn team. Wait, wasn’t Hahn the one who told Sox fans to chill because it was only a matter of time before Yasmani Grandal—wait for it—played up to the stats on the back of his baseball card? Only it didn’t happen. Mets’ owner Steve Cohen spent recklessly and is paying the price. Why let a salary cap protect a fool from his folly?

By Way of Comparison

And the young shall lead them. Rookie Sam Antonacci tripled in the tying run with two out in the bottom of the ninth yesterday afternoon against California. One inning later, second-year player Colson Montgomery delivered a walk-off single. White Sox 3 Angels 2 for a Sox sweep. Antonacci isn’t setting the AL Central on fire, but he exhibits an intriguing skill set, heavy on contact and hustle. He has nine hits in 40 at-bats for a .225 BA, with four walks; five runs; and six RBIs, including yesterday. He also has a double, two triples and an inside-the-park homerun. Did I mention a .347 OBP? Now, compare that to Fernando Tatis Jr., the one who got away. Tatis is hitting .250 in 112 at-bats with eleven runs and thirteen RBIs. The thirteen walks help elevate his OBP to .323, but the 32 strikeouts are more than a little concerning, especially when you consider Tatis has yet to homer. Tatis is averaging just south of $24.3 million a year, part of a fourteen-year deal with the Padres worth $340 million. The Sox travel to San Diego for their next series. This could be interesting.

History

“That’s interesting,” I said watching the White Sox game from the couch last night. “What?” asked Michele. The dog didn’t say anything. “Drew Romo homered, again.” The 24-year old catcher, called up from Triple-A Charlotte three days earlier, had already gone deep in the fourth inning against Angels’ ace Jose Soriano, who came into the game sporting a 5-0 record and 0.24 ERA (!) over 49.2 innings. Impressive, given that it was Romo’s first-ever major-league homer. Wait, there’s more. Romo is a switch-hitter. He batted lefty against Soriano, then righty against reliever Brent Suter. Yup, another homer, this one to the stands in left field. The history that I sensed was Romo being the first-ever switch-hitting catcher to homer from both sides of the plate in Sox history. I later found that he’s just the third player in MLB history to record his first two career homers switch-hitting in consecutive at-bats. There was a TV show back in the 1960s that opened with the voiceover, “There are seven million stories in the Naked City, and this is one of them.” Something like that applies to Romo, who was a first-round draft pick out of high school by the Rockies in 2020 and who made his debut for Colorado in 2024. He showed some pop in the minors, but apparently not enough to keep the Rockies from releasing him last December. The Orioles picked him up, then released him. The Mets then picked him up, only to release him in early January. Then the Sox signed him; released him; and re-signed him. Either I’m missing something here, or other teams are. The only possible problem I can see with Romo is a so-so arm. Maybe he goes down as a one-game overachiever for the Sox like Merv Conners, who hit three homers and a double in a game against the A’s in 1938. Or he could turn out to be a steal, like Nellie Fox or Billy Pierce. Time will tell. In the meantime, it sure was fun to watch.

Awaken, Remember

I went to bed last night around 11:15. The last time I checked, the White Sox were losing to the Angels by a score of 4-0. Why they were even playing was beyond me. A three-hour rain delay could only mean one wet, muddy field. Then I got up this morning to find the Sox had rallied from a 5-1 deficit with a seven-spot in the seventh and hung on for an 8-7 win, highlighted by a three-run homerun off the bat of Munetaka Murakami, who now leads the majors with twelve long balls. Now, if the Sox would just stop pretending that Anthony Kay—four innings, four earned runs on seven hits and two walks—is a major-league starter, there might be cause for hope. Funny thing about the weather. It was the same fourteen years ago today, only colder. We were in Appleton Wisconsin for a doubleheader between Elmhurst College and host Lawrence University. Clare had a forgettable two games until her last at-bat, when she hit a ball a good 260 feet or more to give her Blue Jays a sweep. Six days later, she hit a ball maybe 20 feet further in the conference playoffs. A prophet of power to come.

Good Pitching, Bad Hitting

If good pitching stops good hitting, the White Sox have one and not the other. Nationals 2 Sox 1 in ten innings. I don’t want to get too excited, but rightie Sean Burke does seem to be figuring things out on the mound. Yesterday, he threw 7.1 scoreless—and walk-free—innings, only to have his teammates strike out thirteen times. And that’s actually an improvement over Saturday, when they whiffed fourteen times in ten innings. We turn our lonely eyes to you, Braden Montgomery. Speaking of which, the Luisangel Acuna watch continues. Acuna’s BA has hit .179 and shows no signs of stopping its downward spiral there. Did I mention Derek Hill, with his one RBI in 34 at-bats or Tanner Murray, with 3 in 28? Murray most likely will be the first of this trio to exit, but only because he hurt his left shoulder making a diving catch in the tenth inning yesterday. The Sox being the Sox, expect them to promote Jarred Kelenic, batting a robust .190 for Triple-A Charlotte. The late, great Bob Newhart used to do a bit about how a roomful of chimps at typewriters would produce the works of Shakespeare over the course of eternity: To be or not to be, that is the @@!#. That’s the White Sox front office, bringing up Noah Schultz, finding a way to tap into Sean Burke’s potential, along with signing Anthony Kay to a two-year deal, even though he has no real future on the South Side. @@!#

Full Circle

White Sox rookie lefthander Noah Schultz had himself a very nice third start in the majors, six innings pitched, two earned runs, eight strikeouts. Too bad Vibes Venable went with Jordan Leasure to open the tenth inning. Nationals 6 Sox 3. Not that I watched the game in real time. No, we had to be at our grandson’s t-ball game, where his mother made her coaching debut, subbing for the absent head coach. Where my daughter found the patience is beyond me. Clare didn’t start t-ball until she was six, and here she was dealing with a bunch of four-year olds, some of whom found it hard to stand up for any length of time. As for hitting, they made more contact whacking the tee than the ball. And there was my daughter, getting little knees to bend and eyes to concentrate on the ball in front of them. This from someone who is very much like her father, someone who doesn’t suffer fools gladly and considers way too many people to be fools. Leo at least drove the ball and knew to touch the bases; no doubt, Mom will work with him about standing in the field. A glove doesn’t do much good when you’re lying down.

Baby Steps

By beating the Nationals 5-4 last night to begin a six-game homestand, the White Sox improved their record to 11-15, which is better than eight other teams, the same as the Giants and a half-game behind the Angels and Mariners. Who knew? Sam Antonacci hit what proved to be the game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth. The sort-of left fielder now has four RBIs in 28 at-bats along with three walks vs. two strikeouts. To me, Antonacci looks to be a keeper. The question, though, is what happens once Austin Hays comes off the IL? At that point, Chris Getz and Vibes Venable may find themselves facing a difficult choice. Who do they want at second base, Antonacci or Chase Meidroth? In 91 at-bats, Meidroth has managed all of two RBIs; the twelve walks turns his .253 BA into a .340 OBP, as opposed to .343 for Antonacci. Meidroth plays a nice second base, but Antonacci bats left-handed and looks to be faster on the basepaths. I know who I’m leaning toward. But it’s Getz and Venable who’ll have to decide, and probably sooner than later.

Like a Good Team

Wow, a three-run homerun by Andrew Benintendi in the ninth to break open a tied game and give the White Sox a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks along with a series’ win. This must be what good teams do on a regular basis. If only. But maybe I’m being too hard. At 10-15, the White Sox have a better record than six teams—oh, I wouldn‘t want to be the Astros, Mets, Phillies or Red Sox right now—and are half-a-game behind three others, one of whom will be in town for a three-game set starting tonight. Beat those Nationals! There’s just enough hitting and pitching on the major-league level to make me wonder why GM Chris Getz isn’t moving the minor-league talent up sooner. Or maybe it’s a tomato/tomahto thing, my slow is his fast. In which case, I can’t wait. I’ve already mentioned the minor-league pitching talent. There’s also hitting, starting with Braden Montgomery in Double-A. The 23-year old switch-hitting outfielder is batting .354 with eighteen RBIs for the Barons. Teammate Alec Makarewicz is also worth watching. The 25-year old undrafted third baseman has come out of nowhere to hit .364. Triple-A outfielder Caden Connor and first baseman Ryan Galanie could also hit themselves into a callup before too long. All I know is, this sure beats 2024.

A Waste of Pop

Last night in Arizona, Munetaka Murakami homered for a fifth straight game; Colson Montgomery a fourth; and Miguel Vargas a third, but the White Sox still lost to the Diamondbacks, 11-7. Given the pitching, it could’ve been worse. Oh, the organization has pitching, only GM Chris Getz won’t promote it. No, instead of bringing up talent from their minor-league system, the Sox insist on using retreads. Last night, they started Anthony Kay, who pitched, as my father would say, like Mickey the Mope. I mean, eight earned runs in 3.2 innings on eight hits (two of them homeruns) and three walks. After the Sox pulled to within 8-5, manager Vibes Venable brought in Lucas Sims, and he gave up two runs in an inning of work. This is both depressing and, I’d argue, self-defeating. Let the kids—Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, Shane Murphy, Duncan Davitt—take their lumps with the parent club. Why? To see what they have, which can’t be any worse than what Kay has shown. He’s 1-1 on the season with a 5.57 ERA. For his career, the 31-year old is 5-3 with a 5.59 ERA. Tell me that’s going to get any better.

This and That

Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery hit back-to-back-to-back homeruns in the second inning last night as the White Sox beat the Diamondbacks, 11-5. I wonder if Billy Donovan was watching? Each homer was important in its own way, as was Sam Antonacci’s inside-the-parker in the ninth inning. Murakami can point to his ninth homer in this young season to quiet the doubters (like me) while Vargas needs to put up the best stats possible as the new Lenyn Sosa. The better he does, the better his new team will be (see Sosa, Toronto Bluejays). Short of a miracle, Vargas will be gone sooner than later. The Sox have 20-year old third baseman Caleb Bonemar tearing up High-A pitching; odds are Bonemer will be in Double-A before long and/or Triple-A. In addition, the Sox will draft first come June. The consensus best player is UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. If the Sox take Cholowsky, somebody has to move, either to third base or centerfield. Like I said, Vargas can only help himself find a good team by producing now. Montgomery also needs to produce, even if he won’t be switching teams anytime soon. The doubters (like me) keep looking at BA (.213) and strikeouts (30 in 80 at-bats); the six homeruns and sixteen RBIs make a strong case for the glass being more than half full. We’ll just have to wait and see. Ditto for Antonacci, who also had a triple in the first inning to go with three RBIs for the game. My, that kid can fly. The more he hits, the more he quiets the doubters (for once, not me). We’ll just have to wait and see. Which brings us to now ex-Bulls’ head coach Donovan, who announced yesterday he wasn’t coming back even though Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf clearly wanted him to. Who can blame Donovan? He’s seen Reinsdorf dysfunction up close for six years. He can pretty much have any head-coaching job in the pros or college that he wants. Good luck to the only New Yorker I’ve ever liked.

Relief

In the bizarro world that is stadium politics in America, the Illinois General Assembly is scrambling to keep those lovable Munsters on this side of the state line with Indiana. The focus is on “tax relief.” Legislators know any kind of deal with the team risks charges of favoritism. When Virginia McCaskey was the face of the Bears, it was hard to say or think nasty things. With her son George in charge, it gets a whole lot easier. So, a billionaire handout is being disguised as “megaproject” legislation that will allow corporate entities to get tax breaks because, otherwise, local property taxes can be such a drain on quarterly profits. But fear not, little folks, you too will be offered some sort of tax relief. And how much will that cost? Correct me if I’m wrong, but lower taxes mean budget deficits if the affected taxing bodies don’t lower spending. Which Illinois communities are going to cut back on teachers and first responders? Which ones are going to rush to privatize municipal services or slash library hours? Of course, tax relief could be tied to some sort of millionaire’s tax, an idea of growing popularity with anyone not a millionaire. Question, though. Do you think George McCaskey is going throw his support behind any such effort?

Hear Me

I speak, and people listen, sometimes or only in my mind or not at all. Whatever. But White Sox players do seem to perform right after I call them out. Take Miguel Vargas (please), who homered and singled in yesterday’s series-clinching 7-4 win over the A’s (should’ve been a sweep, but, well, it’s the White Sox). Guess what I never realized until I slowed down Vargas’ swing, courtesy of TIVO? We have ourselves a disciple of Walt Hriniak, that’s what. Vargas may have no idea who the former Sox hitting coach is, but his top hand left the bat on his follow-through in every at-bat yesterday. Whatever works, if it works. Or consider Munetaka Murakami. Another game, another two strikeouts. Also a homerun for the third straight game, this one a real moon shot to right field. Murakami has his BA up to .208, with eight homers and sixteen RBIs. All I can say here is, more across the board, please. And let’s not forget Colson Montgomery. Another game, another strikeout, another…homer, his fifth of the year. Montgomery has his average at exactly .200. Sixty points more, and I’ll be happy, just like I am with his defense. Fifteen games started at short and four at third, 66 total chances without an error. More, please. Last and certainly not least (other than Sam Antonacci pinch-hitting a single), a tip of the cap to Noah Schultz, whom I didn’t criticize but who still bounced back nicely from his so-so first start. Schultz gave up a run, a hit and a walk in five innings of work while striking out six A’s. It was a dominating performance marred only by the 22-year old needing 82 pitches to get his first major-league win. Efficiency, young man, efficiency; pitches well outside the zone will only tire you out. There, I criticized him.

Not Good

A good baseball team builds on a second-inning, 5-0 lead. And it sure as all whatever doesn’t strand fourteen runners or go 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position or fail to score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th inning or roll over and play dead the way the White Sox did yesterday against the A’s in an eleven-inning 7-6 loss. Then again, the White Sox aren’t a good team. And they don’t have a good manager, if managing means more than telling reporters after the game, “Some chase above the zone in big spots [Colson Montgomery and Everson Pereira both whiffing on high pitches out of the strike zone]. Whether guys were trying to do too much, I don’t think that was the case. [Then, what was the case?] That’s not really what I saw. [Then, what did you see?] Just weren’t able to make it happen.” [today’s online Trib] Just? You’re the manager, Vibes. It’s your job to make things happen, and your coaches’. If players aren’t producing, you diagnose the problem and fix it. If it can’t be fixed, you give other players a shot. Instead, Vibes and company, well, I haven’t a clue what they’re doing with Miguel Vargas and Sam Antonacci. After going 0-for4 yesterday, Vargas is batting an anemic .153, with two hits over his last 29 at-bats. He’s hitting off his front foot; lunging; taking a hand off his bat on his follow through. But he keeps playing. Either he’s not getting advice or not following the advice he’s getting. He needs to sit. Alas, so does Antonacci. After recording a hit in his first major-league at-bat, the 23-year old has gone 0-for-14. The good news is one strikeout in nineteen plate appearances. The bad news is contact softer than a Dreamsicle left out in the August sun. The kid is obviously pressing. What I want to know is, who’s helping him calm down? Vibes? I doubt he knows how.

If Just for One Game

If I didn’t know better, I’d think the White Sox took my complaints to heart yesterday and responded accordingly. Why not? Whatever the reason, Sox hitters woke up and pounded out fifteen hits in a 9-2 road win over the A’s...in Sacramento, of course. Now, let’s see if there’s any carryover. I hope so. Andrew Benintendi and Munetaka Murakami had three hits apiece while Colson Montgomery had two, along with Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth and—wait for it—Luisangel Acuna. Murakami’s third hit was a monster grand slam in the seventh inning to dead center field, over a 50-foot high batter’s backdrop. It sure looked to go further than the announced 431 feet. But the real hero was starter Davis Martin, who picked up his third win with seven innings of one-run ball. How good was Martin? The 29-year old needed twelve pitches to get through the first two innings and 20 over the first three. For the game, the Sox best starter right now threw just 89 pitches. Compare that to A’s starter Aaron Civale, who got the hook after 4.2 innings and 103 pitches. By losing, the Mets and Royals have tied the Sox for worst record in baseball. Which of this lot will climb to the top of the pile? We’ll know soon enough.

Garbage, and not the Band

Three times yesterday, the White Sox had the lead over the Rays, and three times Tampa tied the game. Naturally, the third time proved a charm, with the Rays scoring three runs in the ninth, two with two out, to win 5-3 and sweep the series. What a load of…garbage. Where to start? Let’s start with the hitting, or lack thereof. What Casey Stengel once said about catchers and passed balls applies—in spirit—here. You don’t hit, you don’t win, and the Sox don’t hit. It was another day, another bunch of whiffs for Munetaka Murakami, as in three. Murakami has now struck out 26 times in 60 at-bats. Somewhere, Dave Nicholson shakes his head in disbelief. Signing Murakami was one of GM Chris Getz’s big offseason moves. The other was taking the money he saved from dumping Luis Robert Jr. and using it to sign Seranthony Dominguez to close. Now, not only does Getz’s team lack a centerfielder (how long until Luisangel Acuna gets sent down?), they don’t seem to have much of a closer, either. Dominguez fell behind 3-1 to Junior Caminero to start the ninth before delivering a sinker right in Caminero’s wheelhouse, thank you very much. Wait, there’s more. After getting an out, Dominguez gave up a single and a walk. Wait, there’s more. Then, he hit a batter. Wait, there’s more. Manager Vibes Venable brought in Lucas Sims, who apparently was so excited over striking out Jake Fraley he faced, he walked the next two. Game over. But, yes, you have to wait, because there’s more. After the game, Venable offered to reporters, “I think it was one of those [days] where he didn’t have his best stuff. He wasn’t able to command the ball.” [today’s Trib] Ya think? Now, tell me this, Vibes. Isn’t it the job of the manager and his coaches to get his closer ready, and, if he isn’t, to move quickly to minimize the damage? Only Vibes decided to go with an opener again, this time Jordan Leasure. Maybe one day Commissioner Rob Manfred will change the rules and allow a pitcher to return after being lifted, like in spring training. But, until then, you use a reliever to open, and you can’t bring him back in the ninth. Anthony Kay followed Leasure and went just 2.2 innings. Why didn’t Kay start? Maybe because this organization is clueless and content with garbage results. Right now, they have the worst record in baseball at 6-13 and are on a pace to lose 111 games, which would be the fourth straight season of 100-plus losses. Maybe they think a new stadium in the South Loop will fix everything. Yeah, that’s it. Only 10,128 showed up on a beautiful Thursday afternoon on account of location, not performance. What a load…

This is Progress?

Ask, and ye shall receive. Not really, but the White Sox did call up Sam Antonacci yesterday, and he responded by going 1-for-3 in his major-league debut, with a run scored in an otherwise dreadful 8-3 Sox loss to the Rays. Dreadful why? Because that one hit meant Antonacci ended up with a higher batting average in the lineup than Andrew Benintendi (.178); Munetaka Murakami (.179); Miguel Vargas (.155); and Colson Montgomery (.175). It’s hard to say which of this group looks worst, but Montgomery’s four strikeouts does stand out. Vargas at least makes contact. Did I mention Luisangel Acuna and his .170 BA? My bad, and Chris Getz’s for thinking Acuna is a major-league hitter. Nope. And neither is Tristan Peters, while we’re at it. But these guys continue to see playing time. Why? Speaking of head-scratching moves, Getz sent down Brandon Eisert and replaced him with fellow lefty Tyler Gilbert. Nothing says, “Thank you, Jesus, for this chance,” more than giving up four earned runs in 1.2 innings of work. Just kidding, about the Jesus part. But this team sure could use some divine intervention.

So-so

It could’ve been worse, it could’ve been better. In his big-league debut last night, lefthanded giant Noah Schultz went 4.1 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on just three hits to the Rays in a losing effort. All four of the walks, though, scored as Tampa Bay coasted to an 8-5 win. Down 1-0 with runners on second and third and one out, Schultz fielded a bunt from Ben Williamson on an attempted suicide squeeze. At 6’10”, Schultz got to the ball in plenty of time for the out at home, only to throw it away. Take away the two runs that scored, and who knows? The good news is that Schultz won’t be going anywhere, as in back to Charlotte. He’ll see if he can steady his nerves in his second start, against the A’s or D-backs. The bad news is GM Chris Getz insists on staffing his bullpen with retreads; last night, Lucas Sims and Brandon Eisert let in four runs over 2.2 innings. Meanwhile, any number of promising pitchers await in Triple-A. Go figure. In another bit of Getz-second-guessing, I see he didn’t see fit to promote Sam Antonacci, a move that paid off in the short term. Instead of bringing up Antonacci, Getz activated Everson Pereira from the IL, and Pereira repaid the move by hitting a three-run homerun that put the Sox to within a run at 4-3 (see bad bullpen, above). Antonacci got two hits in his game, by the way.

Stuff

There’s stuff going on with the White Sox right now, but it’s tough to get a good read on the extent. What I do know is #2 prospect Noah Schultz, all 6’10” of him, will be making his major-league debut tonight against the Rays. That in itself is news. No waiting to make sure the 22-year old lefty is absolutely, 100-percent ready. Instead, both a leap of faith and an expression of confidence by the front office; how unlike the Sox. Rumor also has it that Sam Antonacci, all 5’11” of him, will be joining Schultz from Charlotte. Only this is where the new Sox are being just like the old Sox. No official word until around two hours before game time. With nothing better to do, I might as well dream, that Schulz will dazzle and Antonacci come through in the clutch. Perchance…

Back to the Future

By rallying yesterday to beat the Royals 6-5 on a wild pitch, the White Sox “improved” to 6-10 on the (thankfully, still young) season. Hmm, 6-10, sounds familiar. Back in 2023, then rookie manager Mickey Mouse posted the very same record. A year later, with Mouse working his magic, the Sox fell to 2-14 before Mouse was shown the door in August. His successor, Vibes Venable (Note: I will be using this moniker until Venable gets the team to ten games over .500), had a 4-12 record after sixteen games last season. You could say that progress is in the eyes of the beholder here. I’ll leave it to my daughter Clare to assess that progress. “At least they’re doing things,” she said yesterday. “It’s not like before, when they’d lost 80 games by July, and then said, ‘Ooh, what happened?’ Now, they’re doing stuff.” More on that “stuff” tomorrow.

No Change

Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery went a collective 0-for-11 in yesterday’s 2-0 White Sox loss in Kansas City. But, hey, the guys grinded away and actually doubled their hit total, from two on Friday to four. Even better was this nugget of wisdom offered by manager New-Mickey Venable. “As tough as it has been offensively, these guys remain positive,” Venable told reporters. “The vibe is good.” [today’s Tribune] And here I didn’t know teams make the postseason based on their vibe.

Help!

Davis Martin threw seven innings of two-run ball last night in Kansas City and still lost 2-0. Why? Because his team can’t hit. The “projects” went a collective 1-for-9 while everyone else managed 1-for-20 plus a walk. Not one batter in the Sox lineup is hitting better than Chase Meidroth’s .224, and I’m not convinced Meidroth is a major-league hitter, as evidenced by his three strikeouts last night in the leadoff spot. Speaking of strikeouts, take Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery (please); Murakami went down flailing three times against KC pitching while Montgomery did it twice. Murakami is 8-for-45 with nineteen strikeouts vs. 9-for-48 with another nineteen strikeouts for Montgomery. If these guys don’t hit, who will? Meidroth? The Sox rank 29 out of 30 with a team BA of .196 and 29th in runs scored (43). The Astros lead the majors in runs with 85, by the way. I wouldn’t panic, but I would be concerned, very concerned.

One and Counting

The White Sox did something last night in Kansas City they haven’t done since April 4, 2024. Yup, beat the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. A shutout, no less. Sox 2 Royals 0. If nothing else, 5-8 tops 4-9. But how bad must the Royals be if an opponent with only six hitters in the lineup—again—beats them? Those six hitters generated all of five hits, two by catcher Edgar Quero and a run-scoring double off the bat of Colson Montgomery. As for the three, let’s call them “projects,” a single from Dustin Harris and a sacrifice fly from Luisangel Acuna, who now has two RBIs in 39 at-bats. Right now, the pitching both stinks and looks promising. Last night, Anthony Kay went 5.2 innings giving up three hits and two walks against six strikeouts, all good enough for Kay’s first win since June of 2021. (Not a good idea to hit two batters, though.) Manager New-Mickey Venable actually used Grant Taylor out of the pen for a change, and Taylor went 1.1 innings before yielding to Jordan Leasure, who did no damage over an inning, while Seranthony Dominguez managed not to blow the save despite a leadoff walk in the ninth. Did I mention Noah Schultz is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA for Triple-A Charlotte, or that he has nineteen strikeouts in fourteen innings? Some stats are worth repeating.