This season has been a never-ending nightmare for the White Sox, but the sweep given by the hands of the Orioles on Sunday especially stood out to Skipper Pedro Grifol. After the game, Grifol was not hiding his thoughts from the media. He said besides, Crotchet, the team came out “flat.” Of course, that was the PG version of the quote.
To the fans, every game the Sox play seems flat, but it was nice to hear the manager finally give a post-game speech that wasn’t “word salad” and various ways of how the team is trying to build a “culture,” and “grinding.”
The White Sox have a duty to their fans to put the most competitive product on the field, but the last couple of years have been hard to sit through. Here are the following ways the Sox can unflatten themselves.
1. Fire Pedro Grifol
This is an easy one.
First off, it should go without mentioning that someone who starts off his coaching career 76-142, should already be on the hot seat, but what better way to light a fire under your club house than to fire the man leading it. This would paint the picture that ownership is no longer interested in a losing culture, and the team is ready to go in a new direction, especially with young guys coming up from the minors in the near future.
When initially hired, Getz told the media he understood the fans distain with an internal hire, but reassured fans that “the fans deserve different, I am different, we will be different.” What better way to prove to the fans that he is done with the status quo of mediocrity in the southside by making a change at the helm of the clubhouse.
Another note, remember the quote Grifol gave about Oscar Colas last season to explain why Colas wasn’t playing?“We have to dial down the intensity level; he plays the game at a 10 volume; we need him to play at an 8.”
But now he is angry that players are flat? Ridiculous! It wouldn’t be the worst thing if Colson Montgomery, Drew Thrope, and our other future big leaguers could skip the Grifol era before experiencing the big leagues. The team should see what they have in Charlie Montoyo before the year is over.
2. DFA underperforming veterans
There is nothing against these veterans, they just aren’t performing on the worst team in baseball and will not be on the team next year. Danny Mendick is 30 and is hitting .211. Martin Maldonado is 37 and batting .081.
Other veterans fit this bill but no need to mention them. The point is veterans like this should be cut and their spots should be given to players in the minors who are ready to prove themselves and can benefit from MLB at-bats.
These roster moves likely wouldn’t affect the team’s record this season, but at least give the fans something new to watch. If watching the team is like getting hit with a brick, at least let the brick be painted blue or hit the fans with another blunt object that would get them to turn the television on.
3. Bring back $1 hot dog nights
A couple of seasons ago, the White Sox had dollar dog Wednesdays where they would sell hot dogs for just as the name suggests, one dollar! If the team refuses to make changes to “unflatten” the team, maybe bringing back the best baseball promotion ever will bring fans into the stadium, and they may bring the energy the team has been severely lacking.
The team ranks 27th in attendance this year, and, the product will not get much better this season, so it would be wise to motivate the fans to attend games in person this season.