The White Sox Podcast w/ Chuck Garfien

Chuck Garfien, Ryan McGuffey and Chris Kamka go over their preseason predictions, explain what happened to the White Sox in 2018 and what it all means for the future. They discuss Lucas Giolito, Tim Anderson, if Avisail Garcia will be back next season, plus Eloy Jimenez, Matt Davidson, Zack Collins, Gavin Sheets, Jace Fry and more.

Rick Renteria sits down with Chuck Garfien and gives the one word he'd use to describe the 2018 season. He talks about taking criticism for some of his in-game decisions, how Tim Anderson has taken the next step in his development, what Yoan Moncada learned this year, what affect Eloy Jimenez will have on the team when he comes to the majors, what keeps him up at night, why this season meant more to James Shields than people realize, if Renteria will find time to relax this off-season and more.

Chuck Garfien speaks with White Sox outfielder Daniel Palka who as a 26-year-old rookie has come out of nowhere to become one of the White Sox most popular players in 2018. They talk about the time Palka gave a pitcher a black eye in Little League, how he used to be a relief pitcher at Georgia Tech, why the Twins gave him up on him, the time when Chuck called Palka’s walkoff homer this year, his friendship with Kyle Schwarber, how he has connected with so many White Sox fans and more.

Hawk Harrelson sat down with Chuck Garfien to talk about his emotions prior to calling his final White Sox game. Why has he been such an unspoken announcer in his career? Does he have anything prepared for his final inning? How does he want to be remembered? That and more on this edition of the White Sox Talk Podcast.

Chuck Garfien, Ryan McGuffey and Vinnie Duber discuss the trials and tribulations of Yoan Moncada's first full season in the majors and what kind of player they think he will become. Plus, they talk about White Sox buried treasure that Chuck found on the internet: Nolan Ryan pitching a no-hitter into the 9th inning against the White Sox from 1974 with audio from Harry Caray's call that night.

Chuck Garfien speaks with Ryan McGuffey and Matt Dahl, executive producers of the documentary "Hawk" which looks back at the life and career of Ken "Hawk" Harrelson. They talk about how they made the documentary, Harrelson's emotional return to his childhood home in Savannah, Georgia, going back to Fenway Park with Harrelson, how he met his wife at a Putt-Putt golf championship, what Mark Buehrle's perfect game meant to Harrelson's career and much more.

Chuck Garfien is joined by MLB.com Senior Writer Jim Callis to discuss the White Sox farm system in 2018. Callis explains why they named Dylan Cease the 2018 Pitcher of the Year in the minor leagues, why the Cubs will come to regret trading Cease and Eloy Jimenez to the White Sox, how soon Nick Madrigal will be ready for the majors, what outfielder besides Jimenez and Robert has the highest ceiling, why Kodi Medeiros could become a lights out left-handed reliever, plus thoughts on Zack Collins, Alec Hansen, Steele Walker and many more.

With the shocking news that Michael Kopech has a significant tear in his UCL joint and is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber bring you the news and what it means for Kopech and the White Sox going forward. You’ll hear Kopech describe what happened and G-M Rick Hahn discuss the details of the injury. Yeah, this sucks.

Chuck Garfien talks with James Fegan of the Athletic about a number of White Sox topics: biggest takeaway from the 2018 season, how aggressive the White Sox will be in the off-season, his favorite story he wrote this year, who will be the starting catcher in 2020, most underrated White Sox prospects, the Eloy Jimenez situation, etc. Then Chuck speaks with White Sox reliever Caleb Frare about how he got traded to the White Sox, the funny story about how he learned he was getting called up to the majors and more.

With a winning record since mid-July, and many young players making big contributions at the major league level, the White Sox are making some noise in the American League. Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber talk about how things are changing on the South Side. Chuck speaks with Daniel Palka and Matt Davidson on the field after their dramatic home runs in the 9th inning against the Tigers. Plus, Rick Hahn talks about the decision to not bring up Eloy Jimenez until 2019.

Rain wreaked havoc with another Michael Kopech performance, suspending play and cutting short his second home start, just like the first one. Still, there was a lot to be excited about with Kopech and Yoan Moncada hitting a home run against his former team. Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber break down his abbreviated start, Kopech talks about the game and facing the team that traded him to the White Sox. Chuck also interviews James Shields about Kopech’s development and predicts that the White Sox will soon have one of the best pitching staffs in the game.

Who and what are the biggest surprises on the 2018 White Sox? And with a winning record since the All-Star break, are they better than people think? Chuck Garfien, Ryan McGuffey and Slavko Bekovic break it all down.

The day after making his White Sox debut, Michael Kopech spoke to Chuck Garfien about his first start in the big leagues, the raucous crowd, what it was like facing Joe Mauer, wanting to pitch after the rain delay, getting emotional with his dad after the game and more.

Chuck Garfien and Ryan McGuffey discuss the major league debut of Michael Kopech: the atmosphere in the ballpark, Kopech’s performance on the mound and behind the scenes stories in the Kopech family suite. You’ll hear Kopech’s post-game press conference and Chuck’s interview after the game with former White Sox reliever Addison Reed who now pitches for the Twins.

With the big news that Michael Kopech is coming to the majors, Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber talk about the decision by the Sox to bring up their top pitching prospect and the excitement that Kopech will bring to the team and the 2018 season. Kevan Smith discusses what kind of stuff Kopech has and what it was like catching him in the minor leagues. Plus, they talk about Paul Konerko’s unforgettable day in the booth with Hawk Harrelson.

Carlos Rodon speaks with Chuck Garfien about his dominant stretch of starts and how he’s started to figure things out as a major league pitcher. Rodon talks about controlling his temper on the mound and how he’s learned to win on days he doesn’t have his best stuff. He explains why he doesn’t miss any of Daniel Palka’s at-bats, how he’s impressed with Michael Kopech, why he sympathizes with Kopech being in Triple-A, why he’s not wearing an undershirt during games and much more.

With Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech dominating in Triple-A, we tackle the No. 1 question on the minds of every White Sox fan. Are either or both of the White Sox top prospects going to play in the majors this year? Chuck Garfien, Vinnie Duber and Slavko Bekovic give their takes and predictions. Plus, what other minor leaguers should be called up in September?

With Yoan Moncada in a slump and being dropped down to 8th in the lineup, Chuck Garfien spoke with White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson about his struggles. How does Moncada get out of his slump? Does he need to change his approach? What he’s learning right now? Are the strikeouts getting to him? And more. Plus, Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago and Scott Merkin of MLB.com come on the podcast to talk about Moncada as well.

Don Cooper came on the podcast and had a lot to say about Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Carlos Rodon, Dane Dunning and so many other White Sox pitchers. He brought a long list with him to talk about them all. Coop also spoke frankly about the challenges of the rebuild, fans supporting the team, why he’s excited about the future and more.

White Sox G-M Rick Hahn was our featured guest live at Reggie’s Rock Club in front of a live audience. No topics were off limits with our podcast crew and in the Q&A with White Sox fans. He talked about Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Zack Burdi, Luis Gonzalez and many of the White Sox prospects. Plus, Hahn spoke about his own impatience in the rebuild, the highlight of his tenure as GM, how many prospects have to hit for the rebuild to work, if the White Sox will spend big money in free agency and much, much more.

On the day Jim Thome is inducted into the Hall of Fame, we play the best parts of his speech. Chuck Garfien interviews Paul Konerko who talks about what it was like to be Thome's teammate, why he traveled to Cooperstown to be at Thome's induction and more. Chuck speaks with Jim's dad who explains how his son used to hit rocks in the driveway when he was a kid, frequently breaking windows across the street. Chuck also tells a funny story about famous documentarian Ken Burns.

With Jim Thome getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, Chuck Garfien interviews Thome, Jerry Reinsdorf and Ken Williams in Cooperstown, NY. Thome talks about how he made it from Peoria to Cooperstown, his biggest White Sox moment and how he was able to be so clutch during his baseball career. Reinsdorf compared Thome to a certain Chicago Bull, what he told Thome after they acquired him and how he almost missed his 500th home run. Williams discusses how the trade for Thome went down, why 2006 was the World Series that got away, Thome’s performance in the Blackout Game and much more.

With Jim Thome being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend, Chuck Garfien, Scott Podsednik and Chris Kamka explain what made the former White Sox slugger such a special player. Kamka provides a treasure trove of incredible Thome statistics, and they discuss Thome's greatest moments in a podcast dedicated to one of the all-time greats.

White Sox first round pick Nick Madrigal speaks with Chuck Garfien about how he became the baseball player he is today. They discuss what Nick said to the White Sox that made them want to draft him, why he hates strikeouts so much, what makes him so competitive, the major league career he envisions for himself, why his 5-foot-7 height doesn't matter, and a whole lot more.

With the White Sox in the middle of a rebuild, Chuck Garfien spoke with three Houston Astros All-Stars who explained how they went from a rebuilding team to World Series champions. Jose Altuve, George Springer and Alex Bregman talk about how they dealt with losing, how they learned how to win, the importance of adding veterans to the young core and how they kept hope alive during the rebuild. Then, Chuck spoke with Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain trying to understand how he dominated the White Sox for so many years.

With Jose Abreu playing in the All-Star Game, we asked some of his American League teammates about the White Sox first baseman. Justin Verlander, Craig Kimbrel, and Michael Brantley rave about Abreu, explaining why he’s such a great hitter and a tough out for pitchers.

Coming to you from Washington DC, we speak with Dylan Cease who competed in the MLB Futures Game along with his Birmingham Barons teammate Luis Basabe. Cease talks about the White Sox loaded farm system, what players have impressed him the most, where he gets his composure on the mound and more.

With the White Sox hitting the All-Star break, Tim Anderson sits down with Chuck Garfien to talk about the first half of the season. Anderson talks about the rebuild, if the losing is affecting him, improving on defense, Manny Machado, his run-in with Salvador Perez, being a part of the White Sox future and much more.

One year after the blockbuster trade between the White Sox and Cubs, Rick Hahn reveals to Chuck Garfien what happened behind the scenes between him and Cubs President Theo Epstein as they pulled off one of the biggest trades in Chicago baseball history. Hahn also talks about how Dylan Cease has exceeded expectations this year and if Eloy Jimenez will be in a White Sox uniform when the White Sox play the Cubs in September.

With the July 31st trade deadline approaching, what White Sox players could be on the move? Chuck Garfien, Ryan McGuffey and Vinnie Duber discuss who might get dealt in the next few weeks and predict where they might be going.

When it comes to uniforms, no one can top the White Sox whose wide spectrum of uniforms over the years have ranged from bold to bright to bizarre. Chuck Garfien and Chris Kamka speak with author Todd Radom who wrote the new book "Winning Ugly: A Visual History of the Most Bizarre Baseball Uniforms Ever Worn." They talk about how the White Sox have been at the forefront of many uniform trends over the years, and speak specifically about the disco pajamas of the 1970's, the shorts, the 83's, and many more. Plus, is it time for the White Sox to change their modern day uniform?

With the news that Eloy Jimenez will miss 2 weeks with a strained abductor muscle and Luis Robert out 4-8 weeks with a sprained ligament his thumb, plus injuries to other top prospects like Dane Dunning, Zack Burdi and Jake Burger should White Sox fans be concerned about the future? Chuck Garfien, Chris Kamka and Ryan McGuffey talk it over on this edition of the White Sox Talk Podcast.

White Sox pitcher Dylan Covey comes on the podcast and opens up to Chuck Garfien about his battle with diabetes, a disease that almost ended his life in 2010. He talks about his struggles last season, admitting "I wasn't ready for the major leagues," and explains why he's a better pitcher now because of it. Covey discusses what it was like being left unprotected by the Oakland A's, coming over to the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft, getting a second chance with the White Sox, beating Chris Sale at Fenway Park and much more.

White Sox Director of Player Development Chris Getz came on the podcast to talk with Chuck Garfien about many of the top prospects in the minor league system. What does Eloy Jimenez have to do to make it to the majors? What needs to happen for Michael Kopech to be promoted? Why are Joel Booker and Blake Rutherford having such big seasons? Was Laz Rivera the steal of the 2017 draft? Getz answers those questions and many more.

In Part 2 of "Ask Us Anything" we answer the following questions: Who will be the biggest free agent the White Sox sign this off-season? What are the chances they trade Avi Garcia before the deadline? What's your assessment so far of Luis Robert? Who's on your all-time busted prospect list? Is Omar Vizquel the next White Sox manager? Would the 1994 White Sox have won the World Series if there wasn't a strike? What's the long term plan at third base? These questions and many more on this edition of the White Sox Talk Podcast.

We asked you to ask us anything about the White Sox and you delivered in a big way. We got so many questions, we had to do two different podcasts! Among the questions here in Part 1: should the White Sox send Yoan Moncada to Triple-A? What players will be traded before the deadline? Who are some sleeper prospects in the minors? Will Jordan Stephens be called up before Michael Kopech? Should Juan Uribe be a team ambassador? What's our all-time White Sox team from 2000 to the present and many more.

White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar speaks with Chuck Garfien in a revealing interview about the brain hemorrhage that almost ended his life. Farquhar talks about what he remembers from the night of the incident, harrowing moments that happened while he was in surgery, and how his family and teammates have helped him in his recovery. Plus, how he hopes to pitch again, his fallback job if pitching doesn’t work out, why Rick Renteria was his favorite baseball player as a kid and much more.

The latest podcast with Chuck Garfien, Ryan McGuffey and Vinnie Duber began with a question: "Have we seen the worst of the White Sox rebuild?" But just four minutes into the conversation, White Sox Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing, Brooks Boyer showed up and became an impromptu guest turned host. Garfien had to leave for game duties, so Boyer sat in for him! In an entertaining conversation Boyer discussed how he watches White Sox baseball during a rebuild, whether the "K Zone" will return once Michael Kopech makes the major leagues and what his best and worst promotion ideas have been in his 15 years with the White Sox.

With the 2018 MLB draft completed, White Sox scouting director Nick Hostetler came back on the podcast to discuss the 2018 draft class. Hostetler describes the moment he realized that they had to draft #1 pick Nick Madrigal, he tells the story of a White Sox scout who demanded they draft Steele Walker in the 2nd round, he talks about some of the sleeper picks the White Sox took in the later rounds, plus the story of their 38th round pick who recently lost both his mother and father to illness and much more.

With Michael Kopech knocking on the door to the major leagues, Chuck Garfien spoke with Charlotte Knights pitching coach Steve McCatty to get the latest on the White Sox top pitching prospect. They discuss what pitch Kopech has recently added to his arsenal, how he deals with the attention and pressure to make it to the big leagues, his preparation for games and much more. Plus, McCatty talks about the time threw a 14-inning complete game for the Oakland A's, what it was like being a teammate of Rickey Henderson and playing for Billy Martin.

After the White Sox drafted Oregon State's Nick Madrigal we called up Pat Casey, Madrigal's head coach at Oregon State. Casey came on the podcast and raved about the White Sox first round pick. He spoke about why Madrigal is the only sole captain he's ever had on his team, why his 5-foot-8 frame doesn't matter and where he thinks Madrigal is actually better than Red Sox All-Star Dustin Pedroia. Casey talks about Madrigal's hitting, defense and if he can play shortstop in the big leagues. Finally, he told the story about how he offered Madrigal a scholarship to Oregon State when he was in 8th grade.

With the White Sox holding the 4th overall pick in next week's MLB draft, we got an in-depth look inside the White Sox thought process from White Sox scouting director Nick Hostetler. Chuck Garfien and Ryan McGuffey spoke with Hostetler about some of the top talent in the draft (Brady Singer, Nick Madrigal, etc.), the challenge of picking fourth, the accuracy of mock drafts, Hostetler's hectic travel schedule, his relationship with colleague Chris Getz, the success of players from last year's draft like Gavin Sheets, Luis Gonzalez and Laz Rivera and much more.

Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber discuss the shocking news that Welington Castillo has been suspended for 80 games for testing positive for a performance-enchancing drug, putting the White Sox catching position in quite the precarious position. You’ll hear reaction from Rick Hahn and Ricky Renteria, Castillo’s apology, the options the White Sox have at catcher both inside and outside the organization, and what it means not only for Castillo’s future with the White Sox but what the team might do at catcher going forward.

Manny Machado to the White Sox?? It's been the dream for many White Sox fans for months. With Machado in town to the play the White Sox, Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber discuss the White Sox chances of signing the soon-to-be-free agent. Garfien also talks with Nicky Delmonico who played with Machado and fellow free agent to be Bryce Harper on the USA 18-under national team.

Hitting in front of Eloy Jimenez in the Birmingham Barons lineup, Zack Collins has seen up close what Jimenez is doing in Double-A and predicts very big things in his future. Collins spoke with Chuck Garfien not only about Jimenez, but his fellow catcher and roommate Seby Zavala, Dane Dunning, Jordan Stephens and Matt Rose. They discuss why Collins went back to his hitting style from college, who hits the ball the farthest on the Barons, a crazy college stat about Collins and Dunning and much more.

It’s that time again. Time to check out everything that’s going on in the White Sox minor league system. Lots of exciting things happening. Chuck Garfien, Chris Kamka and Slavko Bekovic cover it all from Charlotte to Kannapolis with the latest on Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Blake Rutherford, Gavin Sheets, Alec Hansen and Zack Collins plus some sleeper prospects who are making noise at all levels of the farm system.

In honor of the Crosstown Classic, Chuck Garfien and David Kaplan are joined by Ozzie Guillen and David DeJesus to discuss the Cubs-White Sox series. Guillen and DeJesus tell stories of their playing days, what their crosstown experience was like, and share their favorite memories. Guillen also recalls a radio incident with Mike North of 670 The Score at the time after a crosstown game in May 2007, when he was the manager for the White Sox. You don't want to miss what happened in the aftermath.

With Jose Quintana struggling with the Cubs and Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease playing like future superstars in the White Sox minor league system, Chuck Garfien and Ryan McGuffey discuss this worst case scenerio developing for the Cubs. They also talk about how Jimenez makes his teammates better, the sleeper player the White Sox got in the trade and much more.

With the White Sox honoring Bill Melton with a special Bill Melton Day for the 50th anniversary of his White Sox debut, Chuck Garfien and Ryan McGuffey sat down with Beltin’ Bill to discuss his special baseball career and why he has meant so much to White Sox fans over the years. They cover his very first game which came against Mickey Mantle and the Yankees, his 1971 home run title, how his career almost ended when he fell off a roof in 1972, his secretive back surgery, passing out on the field, hangovers, why the mention of his name helped White Sox fans win arguments with Cubs fans and much more.

After a rough first month of the season in the win-loss column for the White Sox, it's time to hash things out, get stuff off our chest and put the 2018 season in perspective. Chuck Garfien, Chris Kamka and Vinnie Duber have their own White Sox therapy session and you're all invited! Look at this as a guidebook for the 2018 season, how to deal with losing streaks, why the rotation will get better, what bullpen pieces will likely get traded, when Michael Kopech will be here, etc. They talk about Yoan Moncada, Matt Davidson, Tim Anderson, Nate Jones, Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, Daniel Palka and more.