The Chicago Cubs and White Sox have traded locations because the finale of the 2021 City Series, when the Sox pummeled Kyle Hendricks in a 13-1 win at Guaranteed Rate Field for a three-game sweep.
The ’21 Cubs, coming off their vaunted sell-off, went into that recreation on the South Side with a 6-20 file in August and the third-worst file in baseball because the All-Star break, forward of solely the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers. The Sox had been 19 video games over .500 with a 10-game lead within the American League Central.
The future seemed exceedingly vibrant for the Sox, whereas the Cubs had been getting into the rebuild that president Jed Hoyer wouldn’t name a rebuild.
As Hendricks took the mound once more Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field, the Cubs had been again within the hunt for a playoff spot for the primary time in three years, whereas the Sox had the fourth-worst file within the recreation and had been 14 1/2 video games out of first, enjoying out the string after a mini sell-off of their very own.
Times flies whether or not you’re having enjoyable or counting the times till the beginning of the offseason.
No one might’ve predicted again in August 2021 that Hoyer’s plan would quickly begin paying dividends, or that Sox normal supervisor Rick Hahn can be underneath hearth for the collapse of a rebuild he’d been lauded for whereas it was occurring.
But right here we’re, and now the 2 largest questions are whether or not the Cubs can trip on Cody Bellinger’s shoulders into the postseason, and if the Sox need to tear aside the core, as Hoyer did in ’21, and take a look at one thing totally different to get again in competition in a comparatively brief time-frame.
The distinction between the 2 groups was noticeable earlier than Tuesday’s recreation.
Dansby Swanson stated the Cubs have “done a lot to build chemistry” within the clubhouse and have gelled collectively because the season went on and gamers grew extra comfy with their roles. They went into the beginning of the City Series 19-10 because the break, and enjoying nearly as good a model of baseball as we’ve seen on the North Side since 2019.
No matter what their total file is on the finish of the common season, getting in offers them a shot, and it’s as much as them to make it rely.
“You want to be playing at your best when October comes,” Swanson stated. “You see a lot of teams that catch fire at the right times and always have a chance. That’s all we’re asking for.”
On the opposite aspect of the park, Sox middle fielder Luis Robert Jr. stated within the guests’ clubhouse that he didn’t view himself as a possible chief. Robert was then requested if there have been any leaders within the Sox clubhouse.
“I don’t know,” he stated by means of a translator.
At least he was sincere. Tim Anderson ought to be that man, however the one-time face of the franchise has studiously averted the media because the José Ramirez knockdown punch went viral.
Whether the core of the Sox is salvageable is a query nobody can reply. This staff was constructed round Anderson, Robert and Eloy Jiménez, who all stay, together with starters Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease.
Could the Sox get again to profitable subsequent 12 months with the identical core and a little bit of tinkering?
“That’s out of my hands,” Robert stated. “That’s the front office’s job. They’ll do what they think is best and I don’t have any vote or any major opinion of players or what they have to do.”
He doesn’t have a vote, however he ought to have an opinion. Unfortunately, it’s a lot simpler to say nothing and go about what you are promoting prefer it’s simply one other job. That’s the brand new Sox tradition. “Change the Game” was the mantra in 2021 when the staff was cocky and lively. Now they’ve gone in the wrong way — saying nothing and searching lifeless.
Manager Pedro Grifol, who got here into the job speaking about “kicking ass,” has resorted to repeating the identical speaking factors.
“I don’t ever want to compromise a major-league win to find out what somebody can do,” he stated Tuesday. “However, that’s important for us too, moving forward. There’s a fine line we have to walk through to get to where we need as far as evaluation purposes.”
What Grifol doesn’t know is that someplace within the baseball world, somebody is evaluating him to see whether or not he ought to stick round subsequent 12 months. Hahn might or is probably not the one requested to repair this mess, but when he’s not again of his personal volition, his substitute wants to observe what Grifol is doing and saying these ultimate 42 video games.
While Hahn deservedly will get a lot of the blame for the downfall, (together with government vice chairman Ken Williams) not less than he did a good job of eliminating some deluded would-be leaders who not solely declined to guide however confirmed no accountability for their very own roles within the staff’s regression.
You can’t have good clubhouse chemistry with self-serving gamers like Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman backstabbing their teammates alongside the way in which and pretending they weren’t a part of the issue. If any of the present Sox pitchers nonetheless revere their former teammates, maybe the clubhouse chemistry is doomed to fail once more in ’24.
Only a handful of the Cubs who performed in that 13-1 loss within the City Series finale of 2021 stay with the staff now. Hoyer cleaned home and located a bunch of gamers who put their egos apart for the betterment of the staff.
The Sox can flip issues round comparatively rapidly with the identical form of recreation plan.
Who will execute that plan, within the government suite and within the dugout, stays to be seen.
But not less than we all know it may be completed.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com