Over the weekend, Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks got the attention of some folks with his quotes about the national attention that this team gets. He claims that the White Sox needs to do so much more to get nationally recognized than the Chicago Cubs who don’t have to do much at all.
He is spot on with his quote but it really doesn’t matter. In fact, it is probably a good thing if the national media ignores the White Sox. That would mean that they can catch everybody by surprise. Ozzie Guillen made a great point on NBC Sports Chicago about this topic saying something similar.
The Chicago White Sox don’t need national recognition for them to be a good baseball team.
Ozzie Guillen knows what it is like. He was a player and manager with the team and had a lot of success doing both. In fact, he won the World Series with them in 2005 so it clearly doesn’t matter what is going on with the outside. All that matters is that the guys in the clubhouse believe in each other so they can achieve a common goal.
The White Sox are in first place with a great record. They look like serious contenders to win the American League and that is without Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert who have big-time bats. Once those guys return, the sky is the limit for them. The world will eventually notice on the same level that they do the Cubs and if they don’t, it is their loss.
Liam Hendriks signed in January and has already accrued the South Side chip on his shoulder.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) May 30, 2021
"I feel like we have to take four steps to get any sort of national recognition while our crosstown rivals just have to put together one game and then they'll get on it."
Are the Sox getting the respect they deserve?! @OzzieGuillen and @thecarm talk now on #WhiteSox Pregame Live 👀👀 @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/7ePJ4AY2DK
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) May 31, 2021
Ozzie’s point about the trophy makes complete sense as well. They were already the first Chicago team to win the World Series in the lifetime of anyone reading this and if they bring another one home, they will get the recognition they deserve. This organization has the potential to win more than one so they just need to keep going.
Mark Carman also makes a very good point. ESPN is starting to recognize them a little bit more and the White Sox conversation around town is better than ever. He said a long long time but it is fair to say ever. The 2005 White Sox will always be most of our favorite team but this team has a much higher ceiling.
Everyone has high expectations for them so it is up to them to live up to it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks as long as those guys continue to keep doing what they are doing. Seeing them get recognized is nice but that will come in time. Watch out for the White Sox, especially when they get healthy.