In a season that has been marred by historic lows, Ozzie Guillen's unbridled critique of the Chicago White Sox has captured eyes and ears. The 2005 World Series champion manager watched in dismay Tuesday as the Sox recorded their 28th loss of the 2024 season, marking the franchise's worst start through 36 games.
With a brutal -92 run differential, disappointment is widespread on the South Side. Guillen's analysis during the White Sox's Postgame Show on NBC Sports Chicago highlighted a glaring issue: a lack of accountability that's costing the team dearly.
.@OzzieGuillen is tired of watching the White Sox lose every day without any accountability pic.twitter.com/02GlyGjvcM
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) May 8, 2024
The small flashes of optimism that once surrounded the White Sox have quickly faded. General manager Chris Getz's commitment to a cultural overhaul and manager Pedro Grifol's pledge to implement a F.A.S.T. approach — fearless, aggressive, selfless, and technically sound baseball — have fallen short of already-low expectations. At this point, F.L.U.S.H. I.T. might be a better acronym for what the White Sox are doing.
F - Flounder
L - Laughably.
U - Underachieve.
S - Showcase
H - Horrible Baseball.
I - Intentionally
T - Tank (without telling your fan base).
This would certainly be a more fitting narrative for the 2024 Chicago White Sox.
The statistics paint an even bleaker picture, as the team resides at the bottom of MLB rankings in nearly every offensive and defensive category. Stats guru Jay Cuda highlighted the offensive woes below, and his post exemplifies just how bad things are on the South Side of Chicago.
white sox league ranks this season
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) May 8, 2024
thank u to chris getz & pedro grifol for getting this team focused and back on track this year like u guys said pic.twitter.com/0ehtvXwjcg
Those numbers fly in the face of the F.A.S.T. approach that Grifol and the White Sox were hoping to showcase in 2024. Instead, such figures are downright embarrassing.
Although such horrid performance would normally constitute some organizational change, my co-host over at Sox On Tap recently detailed why an in-season managerial change is unlikely. While that's somewhat incomprehensible to the average baseball fan, it's the reality that White Sox fans must live in.
This alone is a testament to the validity of Guillen's rant on the postgame show.
"The word 'accountable.' They say that every day. They lying, they [are] not accountable, they don’t. I’m sorry, they don’t, they not," Guillen expressed in frustration on Tuesday's postgame show.
The sentiment of accountability — or the lack thereof — resonates deeply with fans who've seen the organization's tailspin since 2022. Guillen's commentary extends beyond mere postgame analysis, touching on the emotional toll of the White Sox' extended dismal performance. Guillen touched on these systemic issues, stressing that change is long overdue.
"I told my wife...I’m tired of watching this thing day in and day out. I’m a White Sox fan, bro," Guillen said, embodying the disappointment felt by fans who still tune in to White Sox baseball.
When the guy who's paid to talk about a team on a televised postgame show says something like that, it should raise red flags aplenty. But again, this is the White Sox we're talking about.
It's only May 8, but it's already evident that it'll be a long, grueling summer on the South Side.
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