Red-hot White Sox don't doubt they'll keep it up: 'We believe we can'
CHICAGO - The Chicago White Sox hated the notion, but they also had to be realistic.
So they sat behind closed doors at their offices on 333 W. 35th St. on the South Side of Chicago and quietly talked about whether they should tear down their roster and start a rebuilding program.
They were coming off a putrid season, the most frustrating White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf can remember in 30 years, and maybe they were kidding themselves that they could turn it around and become contenders.
“It was certainly discussed,” White Sox vice president Ken Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “We have debated plenty of times over the years whether to remodel ourselves, reinvent ourselves, or have a complete tear-down.
“We discussed whether this might be the year to do it but decided against it. We still believed in this team.”
White Sox ace Chris Sale, who has been on one winning team since his first full season in 2011, concedes he was apprehensive. Simply, you can’t keep on losing without a total rebuild. It happened on the north side with the Cubs. In Houston with the Astros. In Kansas City with the Royals. And it worked.
“We went through a tough stretch,” Sale said, “so you definitely worry about that. But then you learn about the mentality our front office has, and you find out they want to win as bad as we do. It gives you so much confidence knowing the guys upstairs are behind us.”
The White Sox decided to go for it, handed the keys to general manager Rick Hahn and after a dizzying array of moves — from the first week of December until two weeks into spring training — the White Sox have gone from a lifeless, plodding team to one of the most energetic and exhilarating teams in baseball.
Entering Wednesday at 19-8, the White Sox had the American League’s best record and were off to their best start since 2006. The team that has finished last or next-to-last for three consecutive seasons had a four-game led in the AL Central, their largest since June 19, 2008.
Chicago suddenly has become the epicenter of the baseball universe with the White Sox and Cubs (20-6) owning the best records in their respective leagues — the only time both clubs entered May in that fashion.
“It’s just so different around here now,” said White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton, who led the major leagues with 13 defensive runs saved and six assists despite not having played the position since 2010, when he was in college. “Last year, we came in here just hoping to win. It didn’t work.
“This year, we came in here expecting to win. It’s working. We know that anybody can do it for a month. We want to do it all of the way through October. And we believe we can.”
This is no fluke. The White Sox might not have the greatest pitcher in their own town, not with Jake Arrieta on the north side, but they have the greatest pitcher in the American League in Sale, 6-0 with a 1.66 ERA. They have the most underrated pitcher in baseball in Jose Quintana (4-1, 1.40 ERA), who represents one of the biggest blunders in recent New York Yankees history.
Their rotation was yielding a league-leading 3.04 ERA, with five shutouts, their most at this juncture in 43 years. The bullpen, anchored by closer David Robertson, has been the best in the league with a 1.58 ERA. Their defense has been airtight, enabling Sale to pitch even better, no longer feeling compelled to strike everyone out.
“I had the pressure of trying to be perfect,” Sale told USA TODAY Sports, “and now I can just go out there and pitch. There’s just the confidence of knowing that even if they do hit the ball hard, more than likely we’ll have a guy in position to get it. Our starting pitching has been great, but it’s been great because we’ve had some unbelievable plays behind us and a great bullpen, no doubt about that.”
And, oh, do they have team chemistry, with a vibe that they’re going to win every single game, just like in 2005, when they brought the first World Series title to Chicago since 1917.
“I’ve never had so much fun in baseball in my entire life,” Sale said.
The White Sox, with a mixture of trades and modest free agent signings, brought in eight new players. You name the personality, they added it, from Todd Frazier to Austin Jackson to Jimmy Rollins to Brett Lawrie to Alex Avila to Mat Latos.
“It certainly is a big risk bring in that many pieces,” Hahn said, “but there is a common thread linking all of them. These guys have been important parts to (playoff) clubs before. They had reputations of being strong makeup guys and leaders. We thought it might take a little bit of time to find their niche, but I was surprised how quickly it came together in camp.
“I think Day 4 of camp one of our coaches came up to me and said, ‘Rick, you’re going to think I’m crazy, but every winning team I’ve been part of had a different feel to it.’ This team has that winning feel.
“That was Day 4.”
Well, after six weeks of spring training and a month of the regular season, that feeling has permeated the clubhouse.
Peptides under greater scrutiny in MLB's performance-enhancing drug battle
“When I came here, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Rollins said. “I barely knew who was on the team, to be honest. I just didn’t pay attention to the AL teams. So I really didn’t have any expectations.
“When I talked to Kenny, he told me that we have a team that can win right now I said, ‘OK, that’s cool.’ But everyone says that, right? Well, so far, it sure looks like that. You can have good teams and not have good guys. We have good guys.
“We’ve got guys making things happen.”
The only real storm on the White Sox’s love boat happened in spring training when popular first baseman Adam LaRoche abruptly retired, upset when Williams told him to restrict his 14-year-old son’s access to the clubhouse. The players went ballistic, screaming at Williams in a private meeting. When the smoke cleared, Williams was convinced this team’s bond was for real.
“There was no room for interpretation,” Williams said, “that was a group that’s together. I told my staff there are a lot of guys in that clubhouse angry at me, and I just have to wear that. But the one thing I do see is a togetherness that’s reminiscent of any winning team I’ve ever seen.”
Sale, who was most outspoken in the meeting, had a private talk a few days later with Williams. He expressed his feelings; Williams shared his. They walked out of the room together laughing, and since have interacted as if nothing ever happened.
Braves discussing whether to fire Fredi Gonzalez, eye Bud Black
“When we left that meeting,” Williams said, “Chris said to me, ‘Let me tell you something. We’ve got a good team here. This will not deter us in any way, shape or form. I’ll make sure of that.’
“He was right.”
Now, here they are, enjoying life in the shadows of the Cubs, knowing they’ll be seeing one another in a four-game home-and-home series in July, and who knows, perhaps again in October.
“We’re having a good time here, and I know they are too,” said Frazier, who celebrated his first off-night in Chicago on Monday by getting a delivery of Five Guys burgers. “All I know is that we’ve got something special going. You can feel the energy in here every day.
“And I’m telling you, it’s not going away.”
GALLERY: MLB photo of the day
