Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

Back from his brief IL stint, Darren Black hops on with Brett Ballantini to take a quick look at the lower reaches of the system, and then to discuss the White Sox prospects most likely to be included in a 2021 deadline deal. The options aren’t too inspiring: With Micker Adolfo certain to leave the organization after the season (he’d need to be on the active roster to be retained), is he out the door — and for what return? Is there any combination of players who could be used to acquire an oft-mentioned MLB impact player like Adam Frazier? A brief moment of acknowledgement heralding the current team with the most first-round draft choices on the active roster (yep, that’s the White Sox) Subpar performances or injury (Jared Kelley, Matthew Thompson, Benyamin Bailey, Blake Rutherford) guts any chance of a blockbuster Is cap-less Darren more, or less, insightful than capped Black? And how will a Kannapolis cap impact the Cannon Ballers record? Take the Arizona Complex League results with the biggest grain of salt you can find Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might have thought this day would never come: Jake Burger getting called up to the White Sox. This has nothing to do with lack of talent or ability, but many players just don’t come back from Achilles tears, let alone two of them. Jake Burger has done just that. After torching Triple-A pitching down in Charlotte to the tune of a line of .322/.368./.964, the 25-year-old third baseman will finally get his chance to show what he can do in the major leagues, on a first place White Sox squad. Keith Guttin is the head coach at Missouri State, and has been for the last 38 seasons. He has coached more than 20 major league players, and turned Missouri State into one of the best college programs in the country. He was gracious enough to take few minutes out of his day to chat about his former player, and let’s just say he's not at all surprised with Burger’s success; he even thinks the rookie could be President one day. Enjoy this chat with Missouri State Baseball Head Coach, Keith Guttin! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For once, we’re not doing a postgame or emergency podcast to talk about something tragic happening to the White Sox, but something wonderful! Brett Ballantini discusses this (mostly) glorious Twins series with sleeper agents Tyrone Palmer and Jeremy Karll, #SoxMath legend Joe Resis, and all-around man about town Tommy Barbee. Among the highlights: The much-delayed, long-awaited power surge from the White Sox offense! Thank you, Josh Donaldson! Hey, how about that Gavin Sheets, professional hitter Does Yoán Moncada need injured-listing ... and given his propensity for near-Alexei Ramírez theatrics, how can you tell? Speed round: Who replaces Yoán if necessary, Jake Burger or Tim Beckham? There are pros and cons with both Predictions for the nine games remaining in the first half, from Joe’s “they don’t need to win any” to Brett’s run the table with eight or nine, and all points in-between Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s edition of Sharing Sox is back to just SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will. But they harken back to last week’s guest, renowned expert on the physics of baseball Dr. Alan Nathan, as they look at the early returns on sticky stuff enforcement and reduced spin rates. Nathan had said reduced spin rates will most importantly impact high fastballs, but will make no more than an inch of difference on how much the heaters elevate. With Lucas Giolito being a high-heat guy, the duo looked at Tuesday night’s game against the Twins, when Lucas got only one strikeout, but had a ton of balls fouled back. Then there’s a look back over the past two weeks, a quick one because it’s not exactly filled with happiness for the White Sox, together with a little round of applause for the first game of Gavin Sheets (and acknowledgement of some good fortune therein). Not to mention admiration for Yasmani Grandal’s perfect bunt, which is, of course, something lefties should be doing on a regular basis to force opponents out of shifts. The deep look is at trade possibilities, wherein the two agree the White Sox could win the pathetic AL Central with the current lineup. Will expounds at length on the reasons the Sox shouldn’t use any trade chips to acquire a second baseman, instead saving what little we have in the way of prospects to acquire relief pitching — especially because the White Sox, while very unlucky in outfield injuries, have been remarkably lucky so far in avoiding pitcher injuries, which will inevitably be coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go figure, Brett Ballantini talks with new SSS staffer Tyrone Palmer and neglects to discuss his most recent domination of Sox Twitter, as he brought attention to the White Sox dishonoring Loretta Micele. But, no worries, Tyrone is much more of a White Sox dynamo than a mere viral tweet that touched the hearts of more than 32,000 Twitter users ... Topics broached: Highlights from Tyrone’s Meet the Players profile, including his all-time favorite Simpsons episodes Reminiscing about 2008’s Blackout Game, which both Tyrone and Brett attended, with fond memories. And both still have their generic black “blackout” towels The majesty of seeing Frank Thomas clobber a home run to straightaway center in your first-ever White Sox game Offseason reactions, including revamped coaching staff Spending smartly vs. spending more Making sure the “window of contention” is not just a carrot dangling, merely masquerading as a World Series ring Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alert the reply guys! Estrogen Power Hour, an all-White Sox, estrogen-based podcast focused on the intersection of inclusivity in baseball and sports at large, is back. Listen in to episode 2.75 “We’re Just Here So We Don’t Get Fined” as Janice, Keelin, Colleen, and Chrystal discuss topics such as: If You’re Reading This, You Probably Have Estrogen Some folks felt the use of “estrogen” in the podcast title was not inclusive. So, unfortunately, this episode has a brief science lesson at the beginning, for the slackers that hang out in the comments. Janice Does Pittsburgh Janice went to the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago White Sox series in Pittsburgh; ate a delicious, pierogi-topped sandwich; made new friends; and will be on some Pirates archival footage somewhere. Sports Expertise Barriers for Women and How You Can Help The burden of proof is higher for women (and especially women of color) when it comes to fandom and sports knowledge, and sometimes these conversations turn nasty, especially on social media. Learn how you can be an ally and support the women in your life. Janice gives a shout out to UK baseball fans, including Bat Flips and Nerds. Baseball’s Problematic Full Monty Moment As the MLB vs. Sticky Stuff saga continues, pants have come down, but at what cost? Early on, the sticky ban has been chaotic and promises to leave the MLB with an even messier legacy. However, bets are placed on who will moon the umps first or add some drama to the substance-check process. Pride Month Continues The White Sox “put their money where their mouth is,” as Liam and Kristi Hendriks are hosting a benefit for the Center on Halsted, an organization mentioned in Episode 2 of Estrogen Power Hour. Additionally, the crew discusses Carl Nassib’s coming out, how other MLB teams do Pride, and expanding the idea of Pride to everyone. Hey Guaranteed Rate Field! We Need Our Bags Back! Guaranteed Rate Field issued a policy to minimize bag size during the pandemic. However, as the stadium returns to full capacity, the 9´´x 5´´ bag size remains the same. The crew talks medicine, menstrual products, and other items that, uh, people kind of need to have with them and do not need to broadcast. It is time to update the bag policy. AND MORE! Do you like snakes? Exploding Snakes? Snakes heads on stakes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chrystal O’Keefe and Joe Resis join Brett Ballantini for another podcast that seems Indianapolis invitation-only. It’s a quicker podcast than usual, because we wanted to focus on just a couple of concepts, beyond thanking any listeners still tuning in to Podcast 48 in 2023: What is up with the offense? Yes, there are injuries aplenty, but this isn’t a lineup of guys found at the bus stop, either How many of the 16 games (starting on Friday) do the White Sox need to win to feel good going into the All-Star break? (Bad news for Chrystal, who said 14 ... the Sox can only lose once more before mid-July!) Alternately, rather than sheer wins (with an eye toward the only real competition at the moment, Cleveland) how far up should the South Siders be by the All-Star break? The schedule from the All-Star Game to the end of August is not easy. Each of us has varying levels of terror over this fact We welcome the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce to our stable of sponsors at SBN Also: a little more time travel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sharing Sox this week, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, have a very special guest: University of Illinois emeritus professor of physics Alan Nathan, the world’s preeminent authority on the physics of baseball. Yep, two people pretending they know what they’re talking about are joined by one who really does. The podcast includes explanations of the physics of spin and spin rates, the types of pitches impacted (maybe not what you’d think), how much MLB cracking down on sticky stuff is apt to impact offense, and everything else spin-worthy. Then it’s on to the baseball itself, with explanation by Dr. Nathan — who was on the committee that studied the ball and its manufacturing process after MLB became worried about the home-run barrage — of what has and hasn’t changed, what does and doesn’t vary, and what could be done to make balls more consistent. And finally, we get the opinion of Dr. Nathan (a lifelong Red Sox fan, but nobody’s perfect) on what could and should be done to get baseball away from the Three True Outcomes and back to the excitement of balls in play, and catches and throws, and running on the bases and on defense. Trust us, it’s the most educational and informative Sharing Sox ever — and still fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After taking a look at the highest ceilings in the system during our last podcast and speculating on deadline deals in the last SSS mothership podcast, Darren Black hops on with Brett Ballantini to discuss the White Sox prospects most likely to make an impact during a pennant push in 2021. Indeed, believe it or not, there were some to discuss: Can Micker Adolfo leapfrog all the Charlotte outfielders and make an impact on the 2021 White Sox? Of the triumvirate most likely to ascend next to the White Sox, who has the edge among Jake Burger, Gavin Sheets and Tim Beckham? Will any starters — Charlotte or Birmingham — fill in ably as needed in the stretch run? Is Jason Bilous 2021’s answer to 2019 Jonathan Stiever? To that end, yes, it is Bil-OWS, but what does that surname mean in Ukranian? There is one easy DFA from the 40-man roster — wanna take a guess at who it is? Some cursory attention is paid Kannapolis and Bailey Horn/Luis Mieses Yes, Brett pronounces Evan Skoug’s name correctly, as he gets some shine as our weekly Winston-Salem MVP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A four-game losing streak? Podcast! Chrystal O’Keefe, Joe Resis, Tommy Barbee, Darren Black and Brett Ballantini gathered post-sweep to discuss the panic level (very low) and prospects for bringing in help to bolster the club (also, very low). Aside from Brett forgetting Chrystal’s name, here are some chat highlights: Another stirring Joe Resis introduction! We figured out that “the money will be spent” truly does translate into “the money has been spent (on rehabbing players we already have)” Chrystal/Cheryl gets an Edible Arrangement from Rick Hahn? True confessions of personalized jerseys: Do I hear a Dayan Viciedo from Darren? Innovative trade idea: Adam Eaton for a ham sandwich Speed round: Will the White Sox acquire more substantial infield help, or outfield help? (none of the above was not an option) Ruminations on the cornpone tones of Gordon Beckham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this new segment from your friends at the North Side Sox Podcast, we invite you to get to know the guys of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, the White Sox Low-A affiliate in the East League. We’re especially excited to bring you a hometown guy for our inaugural episode: Ballers third baseman DJ Gladney. The 19-year-old (soon to be 20) was drafted by the White Sox in the 16th round in 2019 out of Illiana Christian High School in Lansing, Ill. DJ is also an alum of the ACE (Amateur City Elite) program, run by the White Sox, which encourages the participation of underserved youth from Chicago (and the suburbs) in baseball. The ACE program offers the support, structure, and exposure young talent may not have access to, and also aims to help reverse and correct the trend of reduced participation by African-Americans in baseball. We asked DJ: To bring us into his day-to-day as a young minor leaguer — traveling, workouts, pregame rituals, and Zaxby’s and Mortal Kombat on days off His experience being mentored and coming up through the ACE program To reflect on his game, and what kind of player he is, and what he’d like to become What it was like growing up as a White Sox fan, and his favorite player as a kid! His thoughts on the big league club, and some reflection on Andrew Vaughn’s admiration from 2018 What it was like having his career disrupted by a global pandemic, and how he stayed sharp for the 2021 season We also asked him about any hobbies he might have picked up in 2020, and he shared that he writes and records his own music — experimenting with Pro Tools for beats, but writing flows with some allusions to baseball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and (usually) west coast correspondent, Will, prove their stick-to-itiveness as they delve into the world of (theoretically) disappearing illegal substances that prove their stick-to-itiveness on baseballs and what it might mean, while more sadly delving into the (all too real) disappearing of Nick Madrigal’s season and what it might mean. The two also go over the week that was, including a whole lot of brilliant starting pitching. There’s also worry about some things happening on the offensive side, including the Mariana Trench-level slump of Yermín Mercedes and its very negative impact on José Abreu. And they once again beg for the disappearance (just from the White Sox, we’re not violent) of Adam Eaton, knowing it will never happen. Plus the hoped-for reappearances of Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert. Plus, they throw in multiple plugs for next week’s program, to be recorded June 23, because it will feature University of Illinois Physics Professor Emeritus Alan Nathan, a renowned expert on the physics of baseball, talking about things like the baseball itself, spin rates and their impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South Side on the Farm podcast focuses on the highest ceilings in the system, with our update maven weighing in on at least two players per affiliate who we should be keeping tabs on as future White Sox. So, let’s raise the ceiling: It is, in fact, the last hippie podcast for Brett, who is due to lose some locks on Tuesday José Rodríguez epitomizes this exercise, so there’s a lot of talk about our current player of the year in the system, with bonus speculation on what his eventual position will be in the majors All the prime beef in in Kannapolis, but Darren surprises a bit with his second pick Winston-Salem is a challenge, as evidenced by Darren’s first pick: Caleb Freeman Luke Shilling lives the dream — making the SSS on the Farm podcast When will Micker Adolfo reach Triple-A — or is he being showcased and unable to move from a roster where he is MASHING? As for Charlotte, Darren sticks with Gavin Sheets, and his second pick is a reliever — and a bit of a shocker Brett’s mispronunciation streak continues, as this podcast he isunable to pronounce the word “palpable” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the Killer Bs to welcome special guest Max Bay in Episode 9. While Max is part of Dodgers Nation, he has become embraced by some in the Chicago White Sox community and beyond for his baseball modeling and statistical analysis. He has contributed to FanGraphs and recently developed the Stuff+ model with Eno Sarris. Tune into this episode, as Max and the Bs discuss a few of the latest hot topics for the Chicago White Sox, and baseball at large: Yasmani Grandal is playing poker: Max talks about Grandal’s frustrating time as a Dodger and the enigma of Yasmani Grandal’s splits. Yaz is getting fewer pitches in the zone, but it does not contribute to a massive walk rate that is probably not sustainable. Max contemplates that Grandal might be approaching at-bats with a no-swing mentality that’s tricking pitchers. Listen in for the entire conversation. Dodgers fans are just like us: Max shares the recent ups and downs with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, including season starts with high expectations and love-hate relationships with managers. MLB’s recent obsession with sticky stuff and juiced balls: Two months into the 2021 season, MLB has decided to focus on sticky substance usage. Max chats with the Bs about why this is an oversimplification of the issue, and why the timing is less than ideal. Additionally, this topic harks of the steroid witch hunt detailed in the Mitchell Report. Will this sticky substance conversation complicate players’ legacies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, once again we’re putting together an emergency podcast to address a potential season-ending injury for a White Sox starter. This time, it’s Nick Madrigal, who on Thursday was placed on the 60-day injured list. In the aftermath of yet another extended injury loss, Chrystal O’Keefe, Joe Resis, Trevor Lines and Brett Ballantini gathered to discuss the injury, and possible replacements. It seems clear Trevor was unable to successfully scalp his seat to this podcast, despite it being one of the final Hippie Brett podcasts before next week’s cut Initial reactions to seeing the injury on Wednesday, and feelings about the prognosis announced on Thursday Joe Resis, Madrigal superfan, vs. Trevor Lines, Madrigal doubter What is up with the sniper fire coming out of the stands to fell all of our players running to first base? And can we perhaps get a bullpen cart that can help guys off of the field when they, say, have torn their hamstrings? How this season’s dead ball couldn’t touch Madrigal Are the White Sox suddenly injury-prone, or is the rash of South Side injuries just a symptom of a larger, league-wise issue? Chrystal, who should already be employed by the White Sox as bottle opener, good-luck charm and animated cadaver, offers her services as yoga coach in response to all the soft tissue issues Everybody, downward dog during the break! Trevor is worried that Luis Robert will come back to the White Sox with a Domino’s baby Sorry, Domino’s! Is Madrigal injury-prone? Brett makes Joe worried, now Trevor has some wild solutions for the second-base opening, and he teased this morning’s article last night Trevor’s trade target: Adam Frazier The podcast crew winds up by time-traveling ahead to predict a White Sox win on Thursday before first pitch even happened — as far as you know Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While at no time going to their hats, mitts, uniforms or body parts to load up on gooey gunk to stick on their computers, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and (usually) west coast correspondent, Will, take a look at baseball’s latest dive into the scandals of substance abuse, emerging with suggestions for truly stiff penalties to dissuade both pitchers and teams from indulging in the dark arts (hint: sudden end of games, sudden end of careers). Do they have faith MLB will come up with truly devastating punishments for holders of Ph.B. degrees (doctorate of baseballs)? Um, well ... First they take a look at the week that was, with the Detroit series (ho-hum) and the very fine Tuesday performance against the Blue Jays, and even get into the issues raised by readers of Will’s column on White Six players and what soft drink each would be. (Yes, some bozo took that seriously ... really?) But it’s the latest ruination of the game that gets the heavy attention, just as it has done in media from Sports Illustrated to CNBC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South Side on the Farm podcast turns the party line back on, as Brett Ballantini and Darren Black welcome in our Charlotte correspondent (did you know we have a Charlotte correspondent? WE HAVE A CHARLOTTE CORRESPONDENT!), Anders Johanson. The two cutie pies chatted each other up and decided to wear their compatible Charlotte caps, leaving Brett baldheaded and more clowny than usual. So, the two experts plus Brett talked Farm: Anders solves the puzzle of “How Did Kannapolis win just four games in six weeks?” Before the season, Chris Getz indicated there wouldn’t be too much player movement among affiliates this year, and in the first month of the season there were like 8,000. Bonus: Darren calls Brett a liar Brett and Darren, fellow LHS Wildcats with Evan Skoug, celebrate their countryman’s success in Charlotte, even though Brett can never remember it’s pronounced SKOWG not SCOOG. Some lifelong friend he is Anders talks about his very first Triple-A coverage, this past Sunday at Charlotte The Triple-A Paradox of being so close, but so far way from the majors Jimmy Lambert vs. Jonathan Stiever for Next Starter Up, with bonus party crashing by Reynaldo López Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part of our Meet the Players podcast series, so to speak, Brett Ballantini welcomes new addition Dick Reillo to the staff in this podcast. In addition to the colorful stories that mark Dick’s route to White Sox fandom, we catch up on where the first-place White Sox currently stand and look going forward. There’s a lot of good stuff, so dig in! Dick’s LiveJournal roots with White Sox coverage, connecting him with another SSS writer, Janice Scurio, who hooked him up with — ALDS Game 1 tickets in 2005! So, why was our new staff member half-dressed at the moment the White Sox won the World Series? The completely logical explanation of why one of Dick’s brothers is ... a Cubs fan Hey, are those signed baseballs from the souvenir stand ... not authentic? Someone give Dick a heads-up Call him a lucky charm, but you’ll never guess what Dick saw in his first game back at Sox Park — sadly though, it wasn’t the pitcher he wanted to see There is another sport rivaling Dick’s baseball fandom, not one Brett is very familiar with, and the connection that sport has to the steady trend of superhero movies The reaction in-park to the HBP that ruined Carlos Rodón’s perfect game Is the AL Central title being handed to the White Sox? The rotation is strong, but the depth is not. How terrifying is that? Is Rick Hahn up to making the necessary trade deadline deal to fortify the club for a true playoff run? (And, no, that means more than just hoping to get Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert back this season) Dick’s pick for the trade acquisition at the deadline? Oof, it’s rough — and hopefully, will not come true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the second episode in what is now titled “South Side Sox Estrogen Power Hour,” an all-White Sox, estrogen-based podcast to focused on the intersection of inclusivity in baseball and sports at large. Occasionally, coverage includes how the White Sox can monetize major life events (primarily funerals). In this episode, tune in as the team discusses: Welcome Janice: A tripod becomes a rickety but free-standing chair, as Janice Scurio joins the Estrogen Power Hour. Lefties, Righties, Bunting — Fact or Myth?: Have you heard that White Sox crush lefties? The team discusses facts and myths about lefties vs. righties. Also, Colleen talks more about bunting, and she is ready for folks to stop trying to explain things to her. Sleeping with The Enemy: Waddle and Silvy of ESPN 1000, the flagship White Sox radio station, think the Chicago Cubs are the feel-good story of the year, but the group rolls unrolls a long sheath of papyrus to reveal a long list of reasons Waddle and Silvy are wrong. Pride in the MLB: White Sox social media shared an image featuring Liam Hendriks to acknowledge and celebrate Pride Month. Although this is a step forward for in terms of primarily male-dominated sports in acknowledging the LGBTIQA+ community, how can organizations and the MLB do better? In Chicago, organizations like Center on Halsted and Howard Brown Health on the North Side and the Brave Space Alliance on the South Side support LGBTIQA+ communities and could use some local love and support. Leave Naomi Osaka Alone: Recently, Naomi Osaka declined media interviews to protect her mental health, which resulted in a $15,000 fine and outrage from, primarily, older white guys. This treatment is a double standard. Surprise! Baseball Players Are Humans: It is no secret that Yermín Mercedes is not having the best month. However, some shock and surprise is undue. The crew discusses why fans should expect slumps and be patient, especially for players with longer contracts. Goodbye, Bad Guys! Mickey Callaway and Marcell Ozuna are off the job, thanks in no part to their abuse of women. How will organizations continue to address abusive coaches and players? How can we expect baseball to truly be “for all” when crimes like these go unchecked? Who Do Sox Fans Want to Dump This Week?: Eaton? Abreu? Grandal? Mercedes? García? Lamb? Mendick? Who stands where in the great debate of dumpage? Keelin Forgets Nomar Mazara’s Last Name: This is more of a correction that no one will probably read. More Death Stuff: Concession embalmments. Faygo embalming fluids. The usual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, yes, it’s “La Russa’s Second DUI Bust, the Movie” week on Sharing Sox, as SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, get to review the DUI arrest video obtained by WGN-TV through a Freedom of Information request. And, yes, one of the arresting officers had no idea who the HOFBP was, and the other one had to explain it to him — grievously insulting Michael Jordan in the process. On to actual baseball things, this week’s cast covers the Cleveland series that just ended, including Steve Stone’s observation of a black spot in James Karinchak’s mitt, which leads to a rant or two about pitchers doctoring baseballs and how enforcing rules against it could bring the game into better balance. Then there are observations on who’s up and who’s down playing-wise (hint: one YM way up, one YM way down), and, mainly, who’s likely to be up and down roster wise. Given that every time we say a player should be sent to Charlotte said player suddenly becomes Willie Mays or Sandy Koufax, and every time we say a player definitely needs to stay he turns into Mario Mendoza or Jaime Navarro, you may want to make your fantasy picks based on disagreeing with every comment made. And then the mater of pop-ups pops up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darren Black is back, discussing our first round of monthly MVPs (Gavin Sheets in Charlotte, Konnor Pilkington in Birmingham, Luis Curbelo in Winston-Salem and José Rodriguez in Kannapolis) in the system, and more: Jace Fry will get called up to Chicago before Adam Engel Will Gavin Sheets be called up to Chicago before Engel? What are the pitchers eating in Birmingham, and is it available for delivery? Darren Black calls out the voters for ignoring Ofriedy Gómez this week. Birmingham bats, hot and cold: Micker Adolfo and Romy González Next week’s guest, joining Darren and Brett: Venus Victor What is going on in Winston-Salem, with such a weird collection of players and performances (every Sunday, they end up at .500)? Benyamin Bailey was sent back to Glendale from Kannapolis, and what should we make of that sort of setback for a top organization prospect? 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, are once again awestruck by the awfulness of the White Sox organization, which decided to dis a 60-year employee for no apparent reason other than to prove they can do it, thereby setting off the great Loretta’s Lounge controversy. Yes, we do rant a bit about that, as do pretty much all White Sox fans alive. Naturally, we take a look back over the past week’s play, including all the mistakes made by the person for whom Loretta’s Lounge is now named, the ease with which Dylan Cease loses all concentration, the brilliance of Carlos Rodón, the (we hope) minor injuries to Michael Kopech and Adam Eaton, and — mostly — ways to try to save the game of baseball from itself. That last includes seconding Steve Stone’s excellent strike zone advice and kicking the tails of pitchers who need two minutes between pitches to recover. And, oh, yeah — we pick a player to disappear when Adam Engel returns. Clue word: wool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White Sox ace Lucas Giolito did not start the year the way we would have wanted. His strikeouts have fallen, fastball velocity has dropped, and he’s also getting hit hard — a recipe for disaster. He’s had OK starts, and bad starts — he’s also given up nine home runs this year, already well past his eight in 2020’s shortened season. We think that Giolito is a much better pitcher than his 3-4 record and 4.35 ERA implies. Michael Ajeto of PitcherList and our Seattle Mariners sister site, Lookout Landing, agrees, and explains why in this excellent piece written earlier this month. In this in-depth conversation about Giolito’s mechanics, Mikey discusses what small adjustments Giolito needs to make to get himself right again. He may already be on the way to getting back to his old self, as his last start on May 19 he pitched eight innings, holding the Twins to one run off of two hits and striking out 11. We also discuss Mikey’s PitcherList article on Tony La Russa (yeah, yeah, him again) and the problems surrounding his hiring, and the nefarious implications behind the statements he made regarding Yermín Mercedes taking Willians Astudillo of the Twins deep on a 3-0 count last week. We’re always pro-player, always pro-fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, Julie Brady is back writing with us, after almost two years (with no minors) away! (If you click on her profile, you’ll see Brett made her a “Senior Writer” without having any idea what that entails. Maybe it’s just funny to him. Anyway, with occasional interruptions by Chico Marx, the cat, Julie helps Brett break down the system as we approach the month mark of the season. Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger are going ham in Charlotte Is there any hope offered by the starting pitcher reinforcements for the Knights? What stands out about Micker Adolfo, simply standing for the National Anthem? ROAM-Y or ROM-Y, no matter, the magic of González’s first month, at a new position What happens when Julie encounters the basketball-sized countenance of Lane Ramsey? The irony of the most hyped team in the White Sox system — perhaps in any system — being so darn lousy How many McD’s Dollar Menu runs has Jared Kelley had to treat his impoverished teammates to? There were otherwise no drag racing or train interruptions in this podcast, uncommon for Julie’s downtown environs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s edition of Sharing Sox, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, show incredible self-control by not delving into the world of 76-year-old arrogant jerks until the second half of the show — though they have a whole lot of fun when they get around to it, including a desperate search for Ken Williams’ and Rick Hahn’s respective manhoods. First off, though, there’s a whole lot of oohing and aahing about Lucas Giolito’s Wednesday performance against the Twins, great admiration for Billy Hamilton’s game-saving defensive work at the May 13 game the duo got to attend, and perhaps a gentle chuckle or two about a mysteriously garter snake-like route they watched Andrew Vaughn take on a routine fly ball. Mix in some observations on the Sox starting pitching in general, and it’s time to get to the occasionally DUI-ed elephant in the room. Once there, well, the conversation ranges from the rule that you praise in public and chastise in private, to the question of who the hell should actually be chastised — whether for actions of a baseball nature or a human nature, to very serious questions of why Williams and Hahn don’t have the guts to tell Jerry Reinsdorf that if Tony La Russa isn’t gone, they will be. As for who has an office and who has a locker — maybe it’s time that office got moved into the third stall from the left. And, oh, yeah — a theory, and a really good one, thanks to basketball coach Rick Pitino, of why a certain White Sox .130 hitter gets walked so often. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As much as we didn’t want to do this podcast tonight, we had to address the Chicago White Sox manager enforcing “Major League Baseball” “unwritten rules” on his rookie star. Highlights of our talk about the dumbfuckery of this Tony La Russa/Yermín Mercedes kerfuffle: Why in the world do we have to talk about La Russa’s clown act with the White Sox as the best team in baseball? Is there any aspect of this “controversy” that is acceptable, namely Yermín swinging through a take sign? Brett lets you know what the answer is probably no, as La Russa let another tell leak in his pregame Zoom today Boston runs on Yermín Mercedes when he was pitching earlier in the season and that’s OK ... but swinging the bat during an at-bat isn’t? Welcome Anders Johanson to South Side Sox, and he gets a trial by fire hopping right into this fray — and listen to how spectacularly Brett mispronounces his name, in unique MIDWESTERN fashion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second edition of SSS on the Farm was so damn good, we duplicated the scene this week, as Weekly Update writer Darren Black comes back to review the system. He and Brett Ballantini run through most of the streakers and flaggers in the White Sox minors so far this season. Here are some of the highlights of our affiliate tour: OK, so Darren still isn’t wearing his Vox/SBN/SSS-issued “Down on the Farm” wear, but Brett wears his proudly Explanation for the Kanny (1-11) Madness How big an advantage does Matthew Thompson and Drew Dalquist have as 2019 draftees vs. 2020 draftee Jared Kelley? Benyamin Bailey needs to add weight? Benyamin Bailey needs to add weight! Dude might make Eugenix Frank Thomas look small by comparison when he does Get your Kannapolis Second-Half Division Winners gear ready, people Kudos to Dan Metzdorf, who is the first (and perhaps only in 2021) player on two Cold Cats lists — good enough to be promoted from Low- to High-A, but with two bad outings so far What are you hiding from, SSS scouting ace Dan Victor? Birmingham doesn’t just have the solid slugging bats so far this season, but some stellar starting pitching, with Konnor Pilkington possibly turning the corner early this season The good and bad of Blake Rutherford’s stellar week in Charlotte And Jake Burger is thisclose to the majors, who’d a thunk it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite a masculine rhetoric and presence in the MLB, 45% of women in the United States consider themselves “casual” or “avid” MLB fans. Despite this statistic, there is dearth of representation in baseball media by women. Join Chrystal O’Keefe, Colleen Sullivan, and Keelin Billue for the first of many relaxed and casual conversations about how and why baseball is for everyone. While this podcast explores the experience of women in baseball, it was also entirely unscripted and takes some interesting twists. Join us for what can only be described as an immersive experience, sprinkled with baseball including topics such as: What Angry Man Yells at You on the Internet? The crew compares notes on what fan base yells at them the most and what baseball topics created e-rage. Sometimes Athletes Are Attractive: Are grunting women tennis players a fetish? How may straight men would give it up for Kopech? Getting Buried at Guaranteed Rate Field: We all know you can get married at Guaranteed Rate field, but why have they offered burial packages yet? Join marketing geniuses/funeral planners to plan Chrystal O’Keefe’s after life plans and where Part 1 and Part 2 will go. So Your Significant Other Isn’t Big Sports Fan: There is a cultural narrative that women care less about sports, but what is it like when your reality is flipped? The crew discusses dating people who are not sports fans. Colleen Could Win a Cy Young on the Reds: You read it here first. Is Adam Engel a Clone? He has been recovering, and we’ve seen video of him, but is it really him? Can we clone more of him to put in the outfield? The crew covers the ups and downs of Adam Engel over the past three years. Are There Actually Rules for How Long a Suspension Is? It really doesn’t seem like it, and we are confused. Baseball Jail: Who wants to go on a tour? Thanks for Listening, Dick!: We know that @SavesTuesday is probably the only person who will make it to the end of this podcast. Take our trash as a sign of gratitude. MORE: To be honest, this was all over the place. Will this happen again? Hopefully. Enjoy the ride for now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Kansas City Royals are a ball club in a state of flux going into May: their hot start in April where they once had the best record in baseball has since gone tepid. Going into Friday, they’ve lost their last 11 games. They’re still packed to the brim with talent, and sit third place in the AL Central, 6.5 games behind the Good Guys. So what’s going on with those Royals? To answer the questions on everyone’s minds, we brought on a friend whose work on Royals coverage we deeply admire: Kevin O’Brien, a.k.a. the Royals Reporter. Kevin’s grassroots coverage started in 2019 where he wanted a forum to share his thoughts on the Royals along with his passion for baseball and sabermetrics. Our deeply informative conversation with Kevin includes: Royals prospects and rookies we should keep our eyes on: Kyle Isbel, Brady Singer, Sebastian Rivero Danny Duffy’s hot start Other Royals on a tear: Salvador Perez, Whit Merrifield, Carlos Santana, Andrew Benintendi A walk down memory lane: the Royals actually won a World Series with Ned Yost as manager Kevin wrote not long ago that he believes the White Sox and Royals will contend for the AL Central. We ask him why, and if he expects Cleveland, Minnesota, and Detroit will put up any kind of fight for the division. Kevin shares his KC hot spots with us: BBQ, cool neighborhoods, and a place we’d love to visit someday: the Negro Leagues Museum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can Major League Baseball be saved from itself? On Tuesday night, Jason Benetti and Steve Stone got into a long conversation about the great need to reverse the trend to all-strikeout-and-home-run-Three-Basic-Outcomes games in order for baseball to once again become exciting and to have its fan base increase instead of dwindle. Wednesday SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son, Will, usually the west coast correspondent but this week the living room correspondent during a visit to Chicago, took what Stoney and Jason were talking about and ran with it, looking at all the possibilities to make pitchers less dominant while also cutting home runs — complete with statistics and the advice to seek help from NASA, the Air Force, or Fermi Labs. After that ranting and raving, the duo take a long and analytical look at Dylan Cease’s toes, and how the angle at which they point in his delivery are a complete indication of whether he’ll have control and/or command of where the ball is going. Of course, there’s also plenty to talk about when it comes to the White Sox’s terrific week and the schedule’s terrific weakness, not to mention how Billy Hamilton’s running mitt means he only needs to fall down from his lead to reach the next base. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second edition of SSS on the Farm features Weekly Update writer Darren Black, reviewing the first six games of the season for each affiliate. We review most of the players Darren highlighted in his piece, including all of the MVPs of the week. Here’s some of the stuff we drill down into: The two of us travel through the southeast, in both the SSS on the Farm-mobile, and also using the SSS on the Farm parasail, lack of Vox Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance be damned Are they using the old MLB balls in Birmingham, by way of explaining the Barons early slugging? Gavin Sheets is selling out for power, and will the resulting poorer K/BB rate hurt his shot at the majors? Darren has a theory for some early and exotic position changes (Romy González, Bryan Ramos): It’s the White Sox’s new “just stick some players anywhere” theory Talk about the K&K Boys in Birmingham, and the J&J Boys in Winston-Salem Eventually we will see and read that law school slacker Julie Brady on the podcast, but meanwhile Darren and Brett have to carry the mail Hey, you might have heard Brett is high on José Rodríguez. He maybe mentions that again in this podcast Yes, Brett remembered to plug in his microphone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a podcast. Well, OK, yes, this is a podcast. But it’s so, so much more. Really, though, it’s up to you to determine what it is, exactly. When we flip the baseball card over, it says that this is the boldest crossover event to date in South Side Sox history, as the Killer B’s (Tommy Barbee, Keelin Billue) invade North Side Sox (Janice Scurio, Sam Sherman). The result is as many laughs and expletives as you can pack into 103 minutes of White Sox audio. How do the Killer Side Sox/North B’s reveal themselves? Let us count the ways: Host Daddy Mendick is wearing a salmon shirt, which turns him ribald Killer B alter ego Horny La Russa is “not a big stats guy” Tommy Barbee writes for South Side Sox so you don’t have to Is 45-year-old Albert Pujols a fit for this team? Janice is practicing cheerful nihilism this season Do managers really matter? Bigfoot Mercedes’ long road into Major League Baseball Moneyball deleted scenes A very long story about Jonathan Lucroy’s season with the Nationals Jerry Reinsdorf has reached Bill Wirtz status A Charles Comiskey seance preview The Christmas lights mummy in Colorado Daddy Mendick doesn’t understand why we fear death, and that invites a long conversation about covering games during a pandemic last year, and reintegrating into society this year 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 injuries, outfield replacements, offensive woes, and closing out games. Tune in and get excited, because the Sox are in sole possession of first place! Let’s take a look at what’s inside the show: The new intro music! Is Tony La Russa going to manage his way out of the Hall of Fame? How many games has La Russa lost for the White Sox this year? Perhaps Albert Pujols should join the White Sox — to manage, not play Dylan Cease resurgence Who in the AL Central can overtake the White Sox? Some Minnesotans are eatin’ some crow dere, bud The Awful Josh Donaldson The injury bug — letting Eloy and Luis take the season off, and rely on the pitching Brian Goodwin, and other trade possibilities for the team as the season plays on Kris Bryant for Jonathan Stiever? Jared Kelley? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waiting to record until after Wednesday afternoon’s White Sox game sure provided a whole lot of new material for Sharing Sox. SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan, his son and west coast correspondent, Will, and their special guest, renowned theatre director/artistic director/founder/lifelong Sox fan Jim Sullivan, get to lace into all the dumb moves Tony La Russa made in the 10th inning alone, then go back to tear up the Hall-of-Famer Baseball Person over past stupidities. As you can imagine, delineating La Russa incompetences took quite a while, but the trio managed to also praise the starting pitching, question the bullpen, and, of course, worry over the repercussions of Luis Robert’s absence. Naturally, that last included sage advice to the aforementioned HOFBP on how to proceed. Other questions included wondering why the h#*! Yermín Mercedes wasn’t given a chance to catch in one of the games in Cincinnati, where he was lost to the offense because of the lack of a DH; what the h#*! Luis González was brought up for if he isn’t going to get a chance to play and demonstrate he’s not a major leaguer; and, of course, when will we get to see Dylan Ohtani take over in center field. Oh, yeah — then there was a whole bunch of ranting and raving about the incredible boredom of games that are all strikeouts, walks and homers, and the profound need of MLB to wise up and change the balls and the rules to stop it before the audience is completely gone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a minor league season debuting tonight, it seemed a good time to unveil a new site podcast, SSS on the Farm. It’s envisioned as a weekly or bi-weekly snapshot of the system. We should chat with everyone on a routine basis. Heading into the season, here’s our lineup: Jake Mastroianni (Birmingham Barons) Julie Brady (Winston-Salem Dash) Dan Victor (Kannapolis Cannon Ballers) Tiffany Wintz (Kannapolis Cannon Ballers) Sean Williams (Arizona) Kim Contreras (Arizona) Non affiliate-based writers who will be working on Minor League Updates, including Darren Black, Joe Resis, Brett Ballantini and Year of the Hamster. Darren and James Fox (minors at Future Sox, majors at SSS) both hopped on with Brett to debut the podcast, so you know we’re not messing around. Yet somehow, these two prime experts (who often have fiery behind-the-scenes debates on our SSS Slack and Twitter), agree on almost everything. No fisticuffs, raised voices, or derisive laughter. Do better next time, guys. Highlights of the premiere: Are the only interesting aspects of the White Sox system residing in Kannapolis? The new trend of aggressive assignments ... and how the White Sox are contributing to the trend What does the loss of the Great Falls Voyagers do to the White Sox system, and how might MLB make accommodations for losing an entire “class” of minors? Pet prospects from both of our experts Conversely, James and Darren peg their most overhyped prospects How much of Double-A and Triple-A will serve solely as showcases for trade deadline deals to fuel a White Sox playoff run? What will be the effect of full-year play for guys hitting the ground running at Single-A, given some have never endured such a long season? Is Jimmy Lambert (Opening Day Charlotte starter) going to be Michael Kopech Phase 2 in the majors for the White Sox this season? “Engineer” Brett Ballantini fails “host” Brett Ballantini and “podcast producer” Brett Ballantini by failing to fully plug in his “fancy” podcast mic, leading to low volume and incidental audio noise. It’s only been like 100 podcasts, people, but I’ll promise again to avoid such pratfalls in the future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luis Robert is out for the foreseeable future, and naturally some of the South Side Sox crew got together to pour one out, commiserate, lash out, and speculate on what form of signed jersey-and-batting gloves tribute will be hanging in the visitor’s dugout come Tuesday night in Cincinnati. Highlights of our talk together: Just how big a chunk of the preseason starting lineup and starting outfield is already lost in 2021? Is this somehow Adam Eaton’s doing? The utter lack of outfield depth does not suit a division title favorite Whither Melky Cabrera? Does the starting rotation’s success and presumed sturdiness belie any worries over having two-thirds-plus of the starting outfield currently sidelined? Would Rick Hahn ever repeat a challenge trade with the Cubs — say, to acquire Kris Bryant — after winning the Quintana-Jiménez-Cease trade so decisively? There has never been this much gallows humor in a South Side Sox podcast Likewise, this is a record number of heads-in-hands for an SSS podcast, so you may want to watch over on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the Killer B’s are joined by special guest Darrin Brown, who had a big month in April after winning #SoxMath, being blocked by Steve Stone, and turning 20. Darrin joins Tommy Barbee and Keelin Billue as “The Third B” to discuss the latest Chicago White Sox news and takes: Who’s Our Ace?: As Lucas Giolito struggles, the rest of the rotation still keeps surprising under Ethan Katz’s leadership. Carlos Rodón, Michael Kopech, and, most recently, Dylan Cease are stepping into their new roles as aces and potential aces. Spanked by Steve: Darrin recently had an interesting run in on Twitter with White Sox color analyst Steve Stone. Honestly, you will just need to listen to the story. The B’s hands were tied on if they should share it, but it is sure to whip up some laughter. Please don’t block us, Steve. A Different Field: In Chicago sports at-large news, the Chicago Bears did something good for once. Tommy and Darrin discuss the latest on the Chicago Bears draft, including the addition of Justin Fields. We Justifiably Believe in Yasmani Grandal: Yaz has not had the best season, and his performance has been questioned widely among fans. The B’s discuss why you should believe in Grandal not as a feel-good story, but the stats are behind this bet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharing Sox got recorded a day late this week, but a few minutes too early to include news about Garrett Crochet going on the IL with a back strain ... so, naturally, SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, had talked about how his reduced velocity should mean Crochet gets hurt less often. Both will turn in their medical licenses. On matters they don’t have to take back, it’s “Let’s Get Tony” week for pitching decisions such as the fiasco of leaving Lucas Giolito in waaaaaay too long, lineup decisions aplenty, and, to top it off, the imminent collapse of La Russa’s animal rescue charity and the waaaaaay too racist joke he told at a public event of the charity’s. All in all, a case of wondering just how La Russa’s alleged baseball acumen is making up for the arrogance and other baggage. Then it’s on to arguing that Michael Kopech needs to be in the starting rotation — under strict pitch/innings limits — and bemoaning the bullpen and the catching situation. And, oh yeah — a little knocking of Stoney and Jason for calling the Sox schedule so far this year difficult. In other words, a normal week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just half of the Indianapolis Field Office, South Side Sox Flash Feature Writer, Six Packer, and Lead Baker Chrystal O’Keefe managed to hop on for a post-sweep, post-winning streak SSS Podcast 42. Yes, it’s the Brett & Chrystal Show! Highlights of our talk together: Apparently fellow SSS Indianapolis Field Office member Joe Resis was circling the block, hoping for one of those famous O’Keefe churros, instead of prepping for a podcast Is it surprising how well Michael Kopech has hit the mound running? Apologies for Brett’s annoying scraping noise, which apparently is related to his lame-ass apple headphones. The issues shall be remedied in future Interesting, every Billy OK mention on the podcast seems to involve him napping during a game. Sorry, B O’K. We had a two-O’Keefe gamethread recently, and the universe did not fold in on itself The White Sox skipped Lucas Giolito’s fifth-day turn last week ... and now he’s missing starts after his water bottle mishap. Throw your ace every five days New position for prospective White Sox intern Chrystal: clubhouse bottle opener And yes, amazing O’Keefe managed to juggle cooking dinner and wrapping up Sunday’s Six Pack, with no sauce splashes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s another paisan podcast, and who doesn’t love those? New South Side Sox writer Hannah LaMotta is our regular Sunday recapper, spot feature writer, and soon-to-be AL Central roundup writer, so sit tight, a lotta LaMotta heading your way. As part of our new writer podcast weekend, Brett got a chance for the first time to catch up with her and talk some White Sox! Highlights of our talk together: Hannah’s first favorite season, and the random players she still can count among her favorites The strange pull of Gordon Beckham — and how much of it is that walk-up song Who among us hasn’t teared up watching the Paul Konerko farewell video on the bus on our way to school? We figure out who “must have” inspired Hannah into sports journalism with his stellar beat work covering the 2011 White Sox Are the White Sox on the verge of a breakout? Early 2021 MVPs: Luis Robert and Michael Kopech Early Cold Cats: Garrett Crochet and Andrew Vaughn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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