Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

You may be familiar with new SSS writer Jeremy Karll via Meet the Players, or possibly through his considerable writing on site already. But as an early favorite for Best Newcomer in 2021, it was past time to sit down and have a podcast chat together. However, no cameos from Sadie, Jeremy’s dog ... yet. Highlights of our talk together: Jeremy’s route to the White Sox — and South Side Sox The talk Mr. Karll had to have when young Jeremy came home from school one day deciding he needed to change allegiance from White Sox to Cubs Confirmation that, yes, South Dakota does actually exist A Bummer of a disappointment for Jeremy in the early going Acknowledgement that Adam Eaton has been a net positive so far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With brilliant timing, Sharing Sox this week was recorded mere moments before the White Sox Wednesday game in Cleveland was postponed — a huge break for the Sox — thereby making moot the point that poor TBD is often listed as a starting pitcher, but never gets to actually take the mound. Fortunately, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, also delve into the question of when it’s justified to put a position player on the mound, the brilliance of Carlos Rodón (and the possible unbrilliance of letting him throw 110 pitches on Tuesday), the stupidity of Cleveland’s Josh Naylor, the equal stupidity of throwing fastballs to Yoán Moncada (thank you!), the woes of the Sox bullpen, the batting breakthroughs of Luis Robert and José Abreu, the looming catastrophe of Sox catching (why isn’t Yermín Mercedes given a chance, given the alternatives?) and just how long you keep Leury García around to be awful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlos Rodón’s story is one of resilience. For Rodón, 2020 was supposed to be a hopeful bounce-back from Tommy John surgery, but instead, that year saw some disastrous relief appearances, a shoulder injury, and finally, being non-tendered. And then he threw the 20th no-hitter in White Sox history. Though we at North Side Sox were admittedly unclear on Rodón’s future on the South Side, there was one person who never had a doubt, and we brought him on the pod. Rod Whitesell is the baseball head coach at Holly Springs High School, in Holly Springs, N. C., and knew Carlos back in his formative years. We ask Coach Whitesell: His coaching philosophy, and his early observations of a young Carlos Carlos can hit, too! Coach Whitesell recalls some great offensive performances Roberto Pérez was hit with a pitch, marring the perfect game. Knowing Carlos has a sense of humor, what was he likely thinking? Beyond talking to Rod about the one and only Hard Karl, we also discuss: The defensive plays by José Abreu and Leury García that saved the no-no The Yermín Mercedes hype is real, and it’s spectacular Is it too early to worry about the bullpen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this fantastic episode of The Big Blurt, White Sox Twitter phenom Janice Scurio (SSS writer, and co-host with Sam Sherman of the North Side Sox podcast on the SSS Podcast Network) joins Rob Colletti and Bill Meincke to meet the boys and share her brilliant thoughts on fantasy baseball tips, trade deadline targets, “The ’Los No-No,” Yermín Mercedes’ hot start, Tony La Russa’s silly mistakes, In N Out’s silly french fries, and Steve Stone and Jason Benetti’s impending Broadway debut! Plus, so much more. Dive head-first into The Big Blurt! (And don’t miss the bag like Josh Naylor on a swinging bunt.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a couple of years since I first approached the irascible and energetic SSS comments champ AnoHito to contribute a bit more to the site, and have been gently rebuked. All it took was one of his favorite players throwing a no-hitter to get him to reconsider! In a first for the South Side Sox, but hopefully not a last, one of our active community members hopped above the fold for some podcast time! This Carlos Rodón-focused program hits some unexpected highlights: Did AnoHito watch any of the no-hitter live — and what role did superstition play in his decision? The London Fog of Rodón’s first start for the White Sox The role that Hard Karl’s gaming persona has played in AnoHito’s fandom Tracking how the rest of Rodón’s 2021 season could play out Assessing the 6-7 start for the White Sox, and positive signs (road games, run differential) point optimistically to the future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, it was already a successful game, based on the bats coming out like they did in the first inning after getting shut out on Tuesday. But things got better; did you hear, Carlos Rodón threw a no-hitter! Brett Ballantini, Joe Resis and Chrystal O’Keefe abandoned the “let’s talk about the night in baseball” format due to the celebration of specialness that was Rodón’s no-hitter (and near perfecto). Highlights: Do we blame Roberto Pérez for the cheesy HBP that ruined the perfect game in the ninth? Only four big xBA hits from Cleveland — and three of them came in the last third of the game Unsung MVP of the game? No, not Zack Collins, but Andrew Vaughn, for not turning anything routine into a hit or a controversial error Better game score, Lucas’s 2020 no-hitter or Carlos tonight? How hard did we cringe when Mercedes came barreling out of the dugout after the final out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, do respectful oohing and aahing about the contest between pitching masters Lucas Giolito and Shane Bieber on Tuesday night, with some minor booing and bahing about losing the game. The oohing and aahing continues for all the White Sox pitching lately, from Lance Lynn’s complete-game gem to relievers like Evan Marshall and Liam Hendriks recovering from their poor starts and making it look like the bullpen may live up to its hype after all. Then the booing and bahing comes back for the offense, which isn’t living up to the smallest hype you could find, the team — less Yermín Mercedes — hitting an anemic .198, without much power to speak of. Sure, Adam Eaton and Danny Mendick are hitting fine and so was Billy Hamilton ... but the rest? Yikes. So who should be sent down and/or out when Tim Anderson, Adam Engel and Hamilton return from the IL? We tell the front office who should go where (refraining from telling them where they themselves should go), but will they listen? Fat chance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bit of a crushing loss in extras for the White Sox, after a Lucas Giolito-Shane Bieber classic. Brett Ballantini and North Side Sox Podcast co-host Sam Sherman debuted a postgame show that drilled down a bit into the White Sox loss, and took a short look around the league as well. Highlights: Yes, that Roberto Perez GWRBI in the 10th had an expected batting average of .040. Over/under on Yasmani Grandal’s catcher’s interference calls this season? Tonight’s in the 10th was a .110 WPA play in favor of Cleveland. The White Sox “offense” (three hits, no runs) broke the Win Probability Added box score The Cubs had six hits in a comeback win tonight ... call the authorities Oakland es en fuego Top commenter in tonight’s gamethread: AnoHito, with 27 comments at recording time obnoxious american with the top-rec’d comment tonight. Yes, I read it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, this was a much more fun postgame podcast than a week ago, on the heels of a dominating Lance Lynn performance and more Yerminating. The Indianapolis branch office, staffed by Joe Resis and Chrystal O’Keefe, again joined me for the discussion: Did anyone adhere to Opening Day traditions, and do any involve watching Parks and Recreation” episodes? Learn how Chrystal juggled her obligation to her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and her need to boo Tony La Russa for pregame introductions What were the odds of this game even getting played? How much should we ascribe Lance Lynn’s domination today to him hailing from Indianapolis? What did La Russa and Lynn discuss in the dugout before the ninth inning? It took Yermín just four pitches today to cement his White Sox legacy How will the rest of this Royals series play out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the heels of a rough, 3-4 trip for the White Sox, South Side Sox girded its collective loins and brightened its collective spirit to band together for a DELIGHTFUL pregame podcast in anticipation of Thursday’s home opener. So much covered, in so little time: Tommy Barbee manages to crash the podcast early enough for a spectacularly profane rant from Colleen Sullivan. NSFW, but worth the price of admission Is the defense beyond saving? Trevor Lines doesn’t think so Tony La Russa was a problem for the White Sox months ago, and lingers as a problem, like a bad smell Chrystal O’Keefe will not be making Opening Day churros, but will be cheering the hell outta Yermín Mercedes Story time: Who among us has taken a fly ball off of our heads, a la Luis Robert, in our careers? Again, Joe Resis’ confession truly is worth the price of admission Trevor sees a dominant pitching staff, based on this first week — perhaps superior to the offense Tommy wonders why anyone should apply a “learning curve” to a Hall of Fame manager Should Tony be booed on Opening Day? Chrystal will be booing from her couch, and doing so in Seussian style Our personal Opening Day traditions, or lack thereof Wind Colleen up, and watch her crap on the Royals! A huge week on South Side Sox, which is a product not just of the outrageous amount of content we’re producing but of you, the readers and listeners who make up our community. So, thank you for being here for us Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naturally, the White Sox waited until SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, were recording this podcast to put Tim Anderson on the IL, so we talk about him maybe being back for the home opener. Guess that’s what we get for lashing out about the stupidity of ESPN’s apparent love affair with Tony La Russa. Will attended the Little League game in Anaheim Sunday night — sorry, that’s unfair to Little Leaguers everywhere — and cringes in horror at the memory. Otherwise, of course, this is a paean to Yermín Mercedes, José Abreu being on pace for a 64 grand-slam season, Billy Hamilton’s .300 average, and the great pitching surprises from Carlos Rodón and Michael Kopech. On the down side, there’s the awful defense to ponder, including wondering whether Nick Madrigal — a favorite of both but in a terrible funk — would be well served to spend time in Charlotte, if only there were a viable alternative. There’s the equally awful offense against righthanders to ponder, including whether Andrew Vaughn would be well served by some time in Charlotte once Adam Engel is back. And, of course, there’s a lot to worry about when it comes to starters other than Rodon and Lucas Giolito. With any luck, though, by the time you hear this, the Sox 12-game losing streak against righties will be over, given they were facing the No. 6 starter of a terrible team on Wednesday afternoon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday, we had two staff writers and podcasters at the ballgame, chilling together in the Angels Stadium center-field stands, high-fiving over ... four unearned runs on three singles? Well, no matter, it was live baseball, and while Will Allan wasn’t able to join us (check out his reax to a live game on Wednesday’s Sharing Sox), Bill Meincke hopped on with Brett Ballantini to talk about the experience, and exchange early takes on the White Sox, and other goofiness: A singing intro from Brett? A singing intro from Brett! (h/t Rob Colletti) The sheer joy of being back in the ballpark — and, in California, being surrounded by Sox fans Masked fandom was Bill’s first experience at Angel Stadium — and so was Brett’s, a decade earlier Unearned runs offense! The Curious Case of Cease’s Hook Bill’s road to writing for South Side Sox (which includes stopovers at Second City, network TV, and even Kings writing for Los Angeles Sports Nation Neither Brett nor Bill were taken in the MLB draft — but what about the Wiffleball draft? Concerns for the club going forward, after the 1-3 start, including a rotation taking too many pitches to cover too few innings Things to be excited about coming out of the weekend, including Tony La Russa vibing with this team, the Yerminator and that megadeep pen Do the pair predict a series sweet at Seattle? Yes, the pair predicts a series sweep at Seattle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, look who’s back! Our resident minor league update grinder and big-club analyst Darren (Black) Jackson hops on the podcast to talk about the near-misses of the White Sox roster. Nearly all of those near-misses have piled into the VW bus and driven north to Schaumburg, where they will work out at the alternate MLB site in hopes of getting into (or back into) the Show, not sent to Charlotte. Key points in our tour of near-misses and four-A falderal, including a take on the White Sox roster that has proven hilariously bad three games in: The pros and cons of Andrew Vaughn in left field The unlikely battle for the last roster spot: Jake Lamb vs. Danny Mendick Who’s the weirdest choice to break camp with the team? And how much do both Brett and Darren regret their pick, made last Friday, about right now? Is there any hope of redemption for Reynaldo? The loss of Bernardo Flores Jr. and the utter lack of starter depth high in the system Who’s missing from the Schaumburg roster? Darren lists three surprises Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Someone you might know from this very busy first week of White Sox coverage, Colleen Sullivan — you know, from the gamethread Sullivans, the recap Sullivans, the Know Your Enemy Sullivans, the season preview Sullivans, or even the Meet the Players Sullivans — jumps on the podcast with Brett Ballantini to dress down the rest of baseball, in our “trash the opposition” special. Actually, not all of our time was spent trashing opponents. There are also some kind words, and one incredibly precise prediction that’s already come true: Are the Dodgers all that? Yeah, but Brett has words for the moaning “hadn’t won a World Series since 1988” set Are the Yankees all that? Heh, they never are Things are looking up for the Mets. One of us NAILS the Francisco Lindor extension a full day before it was announced, and I’ll give you a hint: It’s not the guy who isn’t a Mets fan Does the pair have any kind words for our crosstown neighbors? (heh) Brett picks the low-hanging Central fruit as his pick for worst division — will Colleen agree, or go rogue? The person who detests Trevor Bauer manages to mention him twice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OK, well, that sucked. Somewhat amazingly, it was three SSSers living in the Eastern Time Zone who managed to limp onto the podcast to discuss that painful, fall-from-ahead loss in Anaheim tonight. Topics broached: Play of the Game: Tony La Russa’s non-challenge of the Nick Madrigal CS, or Madrigal’s botched throw that turned a double play into runners on first and second? Wither Ashley Sanders? A defense of Adam Eaton? White Sox, where do we send flowers to the recently-departed Eloy Jiménez? How long did BillyOK last — and are we all secretly envious of him? Joe is to blame for this loss. Bet you can’t guess why At what point did Chrystal shift from Vanilla Coke to tea? Brett is to blame for this loss, because of a cockamamie idea to run two podcasts celebrating the return of baseball When are we doing this again? (Next Thursday, for the home opener) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We run a full five-pack of SSS writers at you, talking White Sox Opening Day! Aside from crafty Sun-Times and Vanilla Coke product placements from Chrystal, here’s what went down, as the minutes tick toward opening pitch: Is the Central Division’s improvement going to pose a problem for the White Sox? Tommy wins the best Opening Day gear battle, with a rocking ~1917 throwback The left field dilemma — or will Andrew Vaughn forever destroy the arbitration cases of left fielders by playing passable, even good, left-field defense? Yes, Eloy in left is addressed Chrystal wins the well-cropped studio background battle — and reveals her key to putting BillyOK to shame when it comes to her devotion to the South Siders Bask in the awesomeness of the White Sox bullpen Tim Anderson’s mouth — unsung MVP of the White Sox “Outfit man” Joe Resis explains his support for Luis Robert for Sox MVP, possibly even without threats from his Las Vegas sources Are we out of danger when it comes to playing a full, healthy season as a pandemic still rages more than whimpers? Which of our Eastern Time Zoners will make it until game’s end for our postgame podcast? (Answer: ALL OF THEM!) Yes, there will be a postgame podcast And, of course, predictions for tonight’s game! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the regular season finally starts, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, naturally delve into predicting what lies ahead, with an explosive device attached to the recording to make sure it self-destructs before they are proven so very, very wrong. They delve into such questions as: Are the brilliant Dylan Cease of Tuesday and the equally brilliant Carlos Rodón of all spring for real? Does that mean that, contrary to all earlier expectations and recent history, the Sox will become a team where the pitching makes up for the hitting? Is it just blind fan-ness that makes us write off the bad things in spring training as meaningless, yet maintain that the good things are true indicators of what’s to come? Can we really trust the backup catchers? Did the Sox make the mysterious signing of Jake Lamb out of a sense of tradition, a bold move to continue the decade of horrible designated hitters? And even more, probably. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super Joseph Resis hops on the podcast to elucidate and defend his thorough 2021 season predictions piece, as well as address our dozen-plus staff predictions on the season. Here’s what’s in store, as the season creeps one day closer: How bad does Brett get roasted for being the only staff member not to predict playoffs for the White Sox? At the same time, 97 wins? 96? Someone is drinking the Kool-Aid, and it is mighty refreshing In the battle of the Centrals, which division will suck worse? What are the sneaky reasons why guys like Billy Hamilton or Reynaldo López — neither likely to be on the roster for very long in 2021 — will be Chicago’s weakest performers? How can anyone pick a White Sox player outside of Garrett Crochet as best rookie? Joe is super-bullish on Luis Robert. Bask in his reasoning Will Minnesota finally end their postseason losing streak? The pair disagrees Easier call: Mike Trout as AL MVP or Ke’Bryan Hayes as NL Rookie of the Year? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer/photographer Sean Williams is back for a third episode of Camelback Confidential, as he’s just shot his third Sox home game — yep, another win. His price is going up with every game, White Sox. Here’s what’s on the docket: Sean shares some of his between-the-lines observations of the team, from the photo pit Hey, ever since he started shooting the Sox, the team has caught fire, now guaranteed to avoid a losing Cactus League slate. Does it mean anything, getting hot into the regular season? Is there concern over the relative inefficiency of Lance Lynn, Dallas Keuchel and Dylan Cease? What in the world is going on with the final cuts for the club? Is the team in such need of a Gatorade dumper to replace Yolmer Sánchez that Yermín Mercedes makes the team? Jake Lamb. Huh? Any yes, the return of good cop (Sean)/bad cop (sign, Brett) Sean guarantees a 7-0 start on the opening road trip — if the Sox hire him to shoot it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I wanna play where you play, with the Angels.” We all want to be in Anaheim this Thursday, as the White Sox open their season vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Orange County, for what is guaranteed to be one heck of a 2021 debut for our beloved Pale Hose. To help us Cut to the Feeling, the witty and talented Eric Stephen from our SB Nation sister site, Halos Heaven, joins us to break down the Angels, and what Sox fans can expect out of this series. Pitching matchups: The Angels are rolling with a six man rotation, including two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. Who else will we see? This offseason, the Angels upgraded their roster in a few spots, and oh yeah, they still have the best player in baseball. What else should White Sox fans know about the Halos? Let’s make a deal: we ask Eric what it would take to bring some of our favorite Angels players over to the South Side. (Cue Thanos: Everything.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the Killer B’s for their last episode before Opening Day as they discuss: Beer and Mushrooms (the food): The Killer Bs take a brief detour on the way to baseball to discuss opinions on types of beers (IPAs or nay?) and other controversial ingestible items. Hitting the Wall: Eloy Jiménez’s pectoral tear and 5-6 month recovery period highlights the glaring depth problems of the Chicago White Sox. What do we do now? Tommy and Keelin discuss potential solutions. Trade Options: The gap Eloy has left and the Marlins in the hunt for a trade leaves some looming questions. Additionally, the team takes a look at who is left in free agency to fill gaps. Pitching: As the outfield and hitting issues loom, pitching looks pretty good heading into Opening Day. What are some areas that look good, and what still needs some work? See You in the Stands: Tommy and Keelin are spending Opening Day at home, but you can also catch them in the stands this season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Big Blurt, Rob Colletti and Bill Meincke talk about the Eloy Jiménez injury, the DH situation, Oscar Colás, and more! Tune in and get excited because Opening Day is in arms reach ... but don’t reach too far, Eloy. On tap for today: Rob sings to Bill! Eloy Jiménez is out five to six months — do the White Sox have options? The DH situation in years to come looks loaded José Abreu’s tenure and future on the team Zack Collins is turning into the player he was destined to be Marco Paddy, Oscar Colás, and Yoelqui Céspedes Spring training monsters ... and underachievers The Bottom Nine: Bulls, Bears, MLB, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when you thought you wouldn’t hear from the Dugout Metrics crew again until late May, BAM, we’re back. Trevor Lines and Luke Smailes are back to break down the Eloy Jiménez dilemma, Oscar Colás addition, and final roster cuts: Can you “tell” a player — in this case Eloy — to play the field at less than full tilt? Luke Smailes deftly sneaks “his guy,” Zack Collins, into a question about ... left field Has the time come to state unequivocally bar Jiménez from left field? And if so, how does being a (young) DH ding a player’s overall value? How do the White Sox end up, year after year, with like a dozen DH-only types? Is it absolutely insane, or just merely insane, that Andrew Vaughn is making his post-Little League debut in left field three games before Opening Day? Yep, Trevor called Colás to the White Sox more than a year ago, in his first SSS piece! He provides a breakdown of his game, if reading isn’t your thing The Ethan Katz connection will factor into the final pitching slot for the Sox, which is good news for Nik Turley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IMPORTANT NOTE: This show was recorded before the terrible news about Eloy’s shoulder. That would have dampened the frivolity a whole bunch — and changed some roster predictions. You heard it here first — an (indirect) assessment of the man she knows as Uncle Kenny by someone who should know because she’s part of a famous baseball family! As for actual baseball stuff, South Side Sox duty geezer and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, talk about Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease and the rest of the White Sox staff, but fail at trying to figure out who will take the place of the newly departed Reynaldo López on the Opening Day roster. On the failure front, neither can fathom why anybody would ever walk Billy Hamilton on four pitches, as happened twice in one game this week, but they agree that Hamilton will be the roster replacement for the injured Adam Engel. And, of course, there’s the usual banter about the usually-less-than-immortal Zack Collins, including speculation Collins might finally have quite swinging like he has to drive the ball into the next state and become a more intelligent batter, leading to his success this spring. Plus, Will may become the first SSSer to see a real game this year, since he has tickets for the weekend of the opening series in Anaheim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer/photographer Sean Williams is back for another episode of Camelback Confidential, as he’s just shot his second Sox home game — just happening to be another win. Good luck charm, much? Here’s what’s on the docket: Sean switched out his fleece for shorts to shoot Saturday’s game — get the inside skinny on the action (the ballgame, not the wardrobe change) The ramifications of the Adam Engel injury, specifically Leury García vs. Nick Williams vs. Billy Hamilton Fourth and fifth starter talk: Reynaldo López vs. Carlos Rodón, with a sprinkling of Dylan Cease Jimmy Cordero’s injury, and the impact it has on a major league bullpen he wasn’t likely to break camp with Does the weak depth in the rotation and fourth outfielder confirm a failed offseason? And before you answer, Sean brings some good cop mojo to my bad cop garrulousness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brief hiatus, North Side Sox is back, and stirring the pot, as we are wont to do. To help us stretch our legs and get ready for the regular season, we’re joined by baseball mind extraordinaire and White Sox fan Zach Hayes of PitcherList, to discuss some of our favorite spring training story lines. While we love Yermín Mercedes, how does he fit in? We also discuss Jonathan Lucroy, Zack Collins, and the backup catcher contest. The early spring showings of Dylan Cease, Carlos Rodón, and Jimmy Lambert have been impressive so far. Should we be worried about Reynaldo López? How far does the Ethan Katz effect extend? A tale of two Adam E’s: What should we expect from the right field platoon? Hot take SZN: Can Nick Madrigal win a batting title on singles alone? It’s been done once before in MLB history. Enter the White Sox multiverse: If you were to staff a whole field of nine copies of the same White Sox player, who would you pick? Sam, Janice, and Zach give their universe-crossing answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was it really Ethan Katz who chased the snakes out of Ireland, or has he just chased the shakes out of some White Sox pitchers? In Sharing Sox this week, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast corespondent, Will, bow to the (OK, just so far) miracles apparently wrought by the new White Sox pitching coach, at least where Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodón are concerned. Then it’s on to how good the Sox pitching has been (OK, just so far), and how weak the hitting has been (hopefully, just so far), with the Sox giving up the fewest runs in the Cactus League, but also scoring the fewest. Is it the (marginally) more deceased ball? Or is it (marginally) more deceased bats? Side trips to the backup catcher scene (yes, Zack Collins is hitting like crazy, just as he does most springs) and the roster cuts from Tuesday lead to Will’s story of the strange Sox Opening Day lineup and roster in R.B.I. Baseball 21. And then there’s the strange case of how damnably secret the Sox are about pretty much everything, and how that’s bound to get much, much worse with the media-despising, insipid arrogance of you-know-who. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago, a player who had been featured in our Top 100 Prospects series reached out to provide a photo (DSL players are extremely hard to illustrate for these profiles). But the player, Frander Veras, couldn’t reach out directly, for reasons including a very straightforward one: the Spanish-English language barrier. So he got in touch with White Sox minor league education coordinator Erin Santana (who, as it turns out, has been doing a little PR for South Side Sox by letting her students know when they’ve been featured by us) — and from that seed, this podcast grew. Erin was gracious enough to give us a lot of time, and hopefully that comes from a place of mutual respect and even admiration — we were adding diacritics to Spanish names before MLB or Baseball-Reference, after all! From our end, it’s easy to see what a godsend Erin has been to our Latin players In our wide-ranging conversation, we hit on a lot of core stuff about the White Sox player education system, but stretched far beyond. Please do yourself a favor and give this one a listen! In what we hope is the first of many talks, the podcast touches on: As a granddaughter of a college pitcher, was Erin destined to work in baseball? How she came to the White Sox in the first place, after growing up rooting for the other Sox The importance of a huge advocate like director of player development Chris Getz being so closely involved Being so committed to making sure her player-students succeed that doors get pounded on to make sure tests aren’t missed Yes, it’s true, “son” Harvin Mendoza made her tear u Surprise student Michael Kopech sitting in on classes and helping to kick-start a sort of study-buddy system What responsibility do native English-speaking personnel (teammates, executives, media) have to aspiring bilingual players? And of course, an obligatory Billy Russo question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Side Sox Podcast 28 features Brett Ballantini talking to writer/photographer Sean Williams about his first photo pass experience at Camelback Ranch, and much more: Sean steps us through his day, which worked out almost impossibly well Was anyone among the minor leaguers vamping for Sean — literally the only person there watching drills — on the back fields? The White Sox won yesterday in a nail-biter, and given he shot them doubling their win total to two, shouldn’t the team plan on having Sean shooting every game? How did Sean hold off the media hordes following Shohei Ohtani, the Angels starting pitcher on Saturday? Reynaldo López vs. Carlos Rodón: Battle for the fifth starting spot Jonathan Lucroy vs. Zack Collins: Battle for the backup catcher spot The continuing amazement that is Andrew Vaughn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heh, yeah, so what if it’s been two months since our last episode? (The plans are for another one out within the week!) Dugout Metrics, which features South Side Sox college ballplayers/metrics mavens Trevor Lines and Luke Smailes breaking down the news of the day, is back, and as the SSS Top 100 Prospects list enters its final 50, we’re talking prospects, baby! We set this up as a sort of “draft” of prospects, highlighting some of the differences in ranking between Trevor’s and Luke’s lists. Brett was there to insert jokes and offer his far less valuable opinions on prospect rankings. The eternal question: Is youth and upside more important than professional achievement? Werefore art thou, Hunter Schryver? What role should injury (e.g. Jake Burger) play in how a prospect is ranked? Good luck charm challenge: Will Luke’s labor supplying bats to DJ Gladney this offseason outpace Trevor’s major league debut-inducing interview of Zack Burdi last year? Is James Beard just sporting a great-looking NFL halfback look, or can he increase his contact to fulfill his fourth round choice promise? Will Trevor have lived in all 50 states by Episode 50? Luke and his two-win Kohawks throw down the gauntlet and challenge the one-win White Sox to start getting their spring training asses in gear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, wonder where all those starting pitchers have disappeared to instead of being in games so far this spring, whilst also wondering about the rant of Lance Lynn, one of the starters who did pitch this week and barely managed at one stretch to keep a bunch of his pitches in easy driving distance of the plate. From pitching, we wander into the hitters who are and the hitters who aren’t so far, which naturally leads to the still-missing Yasmani Grandal and the plethora of backup catcher candidates, which in turns leads to the philosophy of catching on one knee and why it’s scary to think of Zack Collins trying that with men on base. Which, just for snicks, brings us to two questions about Nicks. First, just how are you really supposed to pronounce Nick Madrigal’s last name? No announcers seem to be able to agree, which leaves the rest of us at a loss as to whether the accent is on the first or last syllable, or maybe not there at all. Second, could Nick Williams be the best choice for 26th man? Williams has only had five at-bats so far, but hitting .600 with a double sure would seem like a reason to give him more spring shots against actual major league pitchers to see if he might be the pleasant surprise of the spring and the left-handed bench bat the Sox need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phoenix is back in the house! South Side Sox Podcast 26 features Brett Ballantini, talking to writer/photographer Sean Williams about Cactus League play. Sean is one of the few of us in the world to have seen a live baseball game this month, attending this past Sunday’s White Sox loss at Camelback Ranch. Here’s what we’ve got going for you: A sigh of relief over seeing Yoán Moncada in apparent full health, and José Abreu (hopefully) avoiding obvious debilitation from his coronavirus infection Fighting for spots in a perhaps already-full White Sox bullpen Zack Collins, and the battle for backup catcher (and how Jonathan Lucroy’s quest for a Cactus League batting title could affect things) Shout-out to the White Sox, who have issued SBN/SSS some unprecedented access and given Sean a pass for the photo pit for a few games this spring Sean’s challenge in shooting “from the stands” when covering the Arizona Rookie League and Fall League play Sean also was at Sunday’s game at Camelback Ranch, and shares his experiences there, and how it may or may not apply to games in Chicago next month The science behind a gambling outlet issuing a small-sample drinking survey (pegging White Sox fans as “top drinkers”) that briefly set White Sox Twitter aflame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Killer B’s are back, baby! Tommy Barbee and Keelin Billue reunite and welcome very special guest and fellow South Side Sox writer, Chrystal O’Keefe as “The Third B.” In this episode, Chrystal, Tommy, and Keelin discuss: The Journey to White Sox Fandom: How did we get here? Enjoy three very different stories about the common threads woven together to make up the Pale Hose. Spoiler: All journeys involve the C*bs. Season Predictions: What are some bold predictions for these season? The team discusses Nick Madrigal’s development, Moncada’s post-COVID performance, and the bullpen. Back at G-Rate: Will or when will spectators be allowed to attend games? (This conversation occurred before the City of Chicago said fans would be allowed into games on Opening Day; tune in to find out how right or wrong the Killer B’s predictions were.) Who is The Top Adam E.?: Tommy, Chrystal, and Keelin weigh in on who the preferred Adam E. is and continue discussing how the right field question was never really answered. What Lies Beneath: Early projections reflected the lack of depth in the Sox roster. As spring training continues and Opening Day looms, can the team survive a full season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Big Blurt, Rob Colletti and Bill Meincke talk about the offseason in retrospect, spring training, drunk Sox fans, and more! Tune in and get excited because the Sox actually are No. 1 at something! (consuming alcohol, according to a study) On tap for today: It’s almost shorts weather in Chicago! Do the White Sox did enough in the offseason? Is Lucas Giolito already out of the team’s price range to re-sign? Early spring takes Dioner Navarro somehow was traded to Seattle for Alex Colomé Zack Collins vs. Joanathan Lucroy vs. Yermín Mercedes Going gaga for Andrew Vaughn Props to Jake Burger and his recovery ... and future at second base Sorting out the bench, with Leury García and Adam Engel in key roles Predicted top players for the 2021 season ... and underachievers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yea! Baseball! Well, sorta, if you think baseball is when you just stop an inning whenever you feel like it. Which, admittedly, requires its own sort of strategy. This week, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and son and west coast corespondent, Will, have fun lashing into the incredible stupidity of a multi-billion dollar organization so incompetent it can’t decide what rules and lineups half of its members will play under in a season that begins in less than a month, as well as enjoying the concept of end-an-inning-any-old-time spring training. There is a serious disagreement — is MLB run so badly if the commissioner headed Amazon it would just be a corner store in Iowa somewhere, or would that store have closed by now? As for actual baseball, we look at the good things the White Sox have shown so far (Lucas Giolito! Andrew Vaughn! Adam Engel! Just about all the hitters who will actually be on the team!) And then we delve into the one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing made much more obviously worse by Jonathan Lucroy’s defense Tuesday — the fact the Sox really have no backup catcher better than randomly picking a fan out of the stands (even one of those Covid-induced cardboard fans). But, there’s baseball! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Side Sox Podcast 25 features Brett Ballantini and Joe Resis. Aside from Joe’s recent study program and Brett’s harrowing past internship, what was the scuttlebutt? The early bright spots of White Sox gameplay, featuring Andrew Vaughn The surprising twist in the Garrett Crochet-Michael Kopech 2021 story Will there ever be another nine-inning Cactus League game? The second base extras rule, continued Brett’s favorite White Sox coach of all time Stepping lightly given the nature of our host, jumping into the hotbed topic of the week, unpaid internships Is there something noble in doubling down on exploitation? How long was Brett working on the railroad? The over/under on Joe running his first MiLB team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We at North Side Sox are so excited about this team. Tim Anderson’s comments on the Parkins & Spiegel show about the White Sox being the best team in the American League included a spicy expletive, and as a result, we wanna run through a brick wall for this man. (As if we needed another reason!) To share in our excitement (and perhaps to distract us from some recent drama), the effervescent Josh Nelson of Sox Machine joins us for a discussion on some hot button issues in White Sox land lately, including: Rick Hahn’s comments to James Fegan that sniped at White Sox fans being critical of the front office’s spending habits, and the masterful takedown of this rhetoric in an article by Jim Margalus. If the White Sox are going to be competitive with the likes of the Yankees, why do they keep operating like a small- to mid-market team? We discuss Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, Garrett Crochet, and Carlos Rodón, and some possible scenarios for the bullpen and back end of the rotation, in the scope of a full 162-game season. This episode was unofficially sponsored by the Wisconsin board of tourism; Josh shares his insider’s guide on a good time in Madison and what on the food scene you should check out (when it’s safe to do so, of course.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the great American philosopher Pogo once put it: Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is. Pogo was referring not to the one-time White Sox catcher who remains unwanted by any team this spring, but by the giddiness about all things blooming, a giddiness present in any all statements by White Sox players, coaches, managers, front officers and, no doubt, batboys and clubhouse crew. Not to be outdone, pretty much everyone covering the Sox has gone ultra-giddy, no doubt from the joy of warm Arizona weather. In Sharing Sox this week, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and son and west coast correspondent, Will, do their bit and wax effusive over all kinds of things, then delve into the great philosophical question of whether spring training performances mean anything. Oddly enough, they even have an answer to that. Plus. of course, an evaluation of Yoán Moncada’s hit single fo the musical variety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Side Sox Podcast 24 features Brett Ballantini and Chrystal O’Keefe, together again and not talking about the Hall of Fame. What did they talk about, then? The early bright spots of White Sox camp, including Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech The palpable impact of new pitching coach Ethan Katz Concern about right field Why it’s important to address the Tony La Russa hiring revelations of the past week, for better or worse Trevor Bauer, owning himself on social media, over and over — and the challenges of learning simple social media terminology The Kevin Mather/Seattle Mariners debacle (or: how to not be overtly racist) The coolness of the Sox Spring Break experience The ubercoolness of Yoán Moncada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring Training is here! And no one could be more excited about it than us. Well, maybe there is one person. So we asked him to come on our podcast. Our guest, Jim Callis of MLB.com, has been covering the draft and prospects since 1988, and graciously shared his thoughts on the White Sox, and where he sees some of the names we’ve been watching, and what we can expect for the club’s future. In this live-wire of a conversation, we discuss: Andrew Vaughn: Can he jump to the big leagues and offer the expected amount of production in the DH spot with little minor league experience? With Jace Fry starting the season on the injured list, Garrett Crochet has an opportunity to dazzle once again, as he did last year. What’s his ceiling, and long-term starter potential? Michael Kopech is returning, and boy, are we thrilled. We haven’t seen him pitch since last spring, however; what’s his role in a full 162-game season? Find out who Jim thinks is the all-time White Sox prospect bust — and how he may potentially still find success! Jim also identifies his White Sox sleeper prospect, and why we should be talking about this player more. We also briefly discuss the music scene in 1980’s Athens, GA, and the current state of time travel technology to send Sam back to experience it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luke “The Truth” Null hops on with Rob Colletti and Bill Meincke to provide that necessary Cincinnati Reds perspective to the offseason proceedings. But, Skyline Chili aside, the trio brought the heat: The sad-sack story of young Luke’s miserable sports existence, tied to Cincinnati sports. The Reds and Bengals can’t even concoct a strong lovable loser narrative, like Cleveland Living in Wrigleyville as the Cubs rose to prominence, crushing the dreams of all humanity The Jerry Reinsdorf Secret The start of spring training, and why no one should trust the glowing beat writer and manager assessments of players ... in mid-February Why the NL Central is going to be ass The Reds/White Sox relationship Tune in, get excited, grab some skyline chili or a Chicago dog because baseball is around the corner! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Side Sox Podcast 23 is our first-time crossover event, as the boys from Sharing Sox wander over to the mothership podcast to chat on some coverage esoterica. The role that entertainment plays in sportswriting How the White Sox see their fans, and the media that covers the team The insular nature of how the White Sox approach anyone outside of 35th & Shields Jerry Reinsdorf’s disinterest in the fan base How the conservative nature (personal conservatism, not political) of the White Sox office limits the team’s popularity Is negative attention better than no attention at all (at least I would argue, yes) We’ve had house pet delays and even recording dropouts, but look for the first “sunset delay” in this podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You say PECOTA and I say PECOTA ... On this week’s episode of The Big Blurt, Rob Colletti (School of Rock, The Book of Mormon) and Bill Meincke (NBC, TruTV) talk about Jerry Reinsdorf’s legacy (which big, bad Bobby Colletti wrote on earlier this week), and the new Chicago White Sox PECOTA projections. Looking for 2021 season predictions? Bill and Rob put theirs on the board. And of course, there’s much, much more — and if you’re watching on YouTube, don’t forget to play Find the Chewie. Tune in and get excited, because pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Glendale in less than a week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and son and west coast correspondent, Will, have a ball this week — a brand-new, marginally-lighter, allegedly possibly, claimedly, we’ll-believe-it-when-we-see-it-ably, fractionally dejuiced ball. They then wonder why free baseball is such a horrible thing that MLB is obsessed with getting rid of extra innings. After that, it’s on to all the 2021 projections now out (BOO! — we don’t fear you!), and to the FanGraphs projected White Sox lineup (nice!) and backups and injury replacements (not nice at all, no, no!). All of which is a build-up to asking the big question for the future of Sox: whither Micker Adolfo? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Side Sox Podcast 22 marks the return of Leonard Gore, South Side Hit Pen podcast vet and victim of “technical difficulties” that scuttled his SSS Podcast 15 weeks ago. No matter, Lenny is back to talk about his take on the 2021 White Sox schedule, and much more: The stretch between the Super Bowl and the first burbles of Spring Training may be the deadest and blackest sports whole all year long Good cop (LG) and bad cop (BB) on the White Sox and MLB outlook (although, the roles reverse by the end! Putting a runner on second in extras is just another terrible “overtime” solution among the major sports PECOTA problems: Are the White Sox an 83-win team? Tony La Russa: Change your first flip phone saved number from Binny’s to Uber SSS methup road trip to Milwaukee in July? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hot dish is on the Hot Stove! The Minnesota Twins remain the final boss fight in the South Side’s quest to take the AL Central. With the offseason additions made by the Twins, how has their team dynamic shifted, and will the White Sox have to grasp for power-ups? To provide us with an inside look (cheat codes?) at the Twins, we’re graciously joined by The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. We were big Nelson Cruz fans for a little while here at North Side Sox, but that enthusiasm was short-lived. Cruz returned to Minnesota on a one-year, $13 million deal, but we found out through Dan that it was about just more than the money. We ask Dan about the Twins hiring Cruz’s personal chef. Semi-related: the Twins have counter-punched the offseason moves made by the White Sox by acquiring new-old friend Alex Colomé for a one-year, $5 million deal. What is Minnesota’s plan for him? A known film buff, Dan tells us his top movie picks of 2020! Sam offers his, and Janice talks about her lack of an attention span. We break down the flat-circle return of Carlos Rodón, the addition of framing guru Jerry Narron to the White Sox coaching staff, and the acquisition of Jonathan Lucroy to a minor league deal. If you’re sick of hearing about it, we’re sick of it still happening: We discuss the optics of the Mets firing Jared Porter, only to intend to sign Trevor Bauer, and the mess that followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadly, Sharing Sox was recorded moments too early to include the huge Chris Getz announcement, so it’s all about current players instead. Well, that and the failed MLB attempt to connive the players into major concessions for 2021. SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, delve into their own preferred playoff sizes — oddly, they disagree — before moving on to Minnesota’s announcement that is even bigger than Chris Getz news, namely that Nelson Cruz will continue to have the White Sox to kick around and that they are talking with Alex Colomé. After that, it’s a journey to the pitching mound to disagree about the value, if any, of the Carlos Rodón signing and the possibility that Ethan Katz is the Anne Sullivan of pitching coaches, able to miraculously turn Dylan Cease or Reynaldo López or Rodón, or — what the heck — all three into viable starting pitchers. Helen Keller may have been less of a challenge. And, yes, it’s true — an entire podcast without ever once mentioning that Tony guy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Side Sox Podcast 21 is a bit of a heavier sort, exploring the latest news in which women in baseball are treated as object and second-class citizens. Colleen Sullivan hops on the podcast to discuss her Tuesday article addressing creepy Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway in greater detail. Also, on the docket: Baseball’s problem with catering primarily, if not exclusively, to white males The burden of baggage every woman has to carry into their baseball fandom How baseball can address the issues of sexism, workplace harassment and spousal abuse once and for all How to move forward from here A short second-half segment that addresses baseball’s failure to protect players and make the sensible move to delay the season, and spring training Player rep Colleen and ownership stooge Brett attempt to broker an agreement going forward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Colletti (School of Rock, The Book of Mormon) and Bill Meincke (Chicago PD, Second City) aren’t just a tag-team acting duo. They’re two old friends who love the Chicago White Sox, and have gotten together to talk about the team on a new South Side Sox podcast, The Big Blurt. The program will feature in-depth analysis, engaging segments, plenty of humor — and some special guests. The premiere, commercial-free episode is chock full of Sox stuff: Growing up White Sox, and South Side memories Rob’s provocative jumbotron dancing Thoughts on the White Sox offseason so far What the Sox still have to do to fill in the gaps An examination of the international signings A quick rundown of the White Sox prospects in Baseball America’s Top 100 Chewie cameos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, delve into a pleasant surprise in Hall of Fame voting for nice guy Mark Buehrle, and a wonderful failure for total jerk Curt Schilling; then move on: MLB vs. MLBPA battles on schedules, DH’s and such White Sox starting pitching projections and needs An Eddie Rosario plug sighting (complete with Eloy Jiménez defensive struggle pseudo-analysis) A skim of the backup catcher remnants A glance at how absolutely weak the White Sox schedule will be in 2021 A full circle to good guys, with praise for Liam Hendricks as a person And there’s even a visit to Las Vegas to check the baseball futures odds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices