The risk in calling an entire team out, as Dallas Keuchel did after Monday's loss to Detroit, is the question about what happens if the poor play continues. It's the same lesson as not asking a question you don't know the answer to. That card is best played once a season, if that.
Fortunately, the White Sox responded well, and even before they opened up an immediate 4-0 lead on the Tigers Tuesday night. James McCann, Tim Anderson and Rick Renteria were all asked about Keuchel's comments before the game, and nobody objected.
“It couldn’t have come from a better guy or at a better time,” said McCann. “I think it was received great. The way he went about it, no one was singled out; it was a team-type comment. It was really the first full-team kind of gut check.” [...]
“Somebody had to say it, and I think it was the right time for him to say it,” Anderson said. “Hopefully that will light a match under some guys and get them going. I don’t see anything wrong with what he said.”
It'd be in the White Sox's interest to win a series or two in order to close this particular case. They'll have a shot against the Tigers a couple hours from now in the rubber match. They'll get a day off on Thursday, and after that, who knows?
Well, we know a little about about the scheduled weekend set with the Cardinals. Let's use this post to address some loose ends from that and other recent discussions.
The St. Louis Cardinals
The White Sox are still scheduled to host the COVID-ridden Cardinals this weekend, although the schedule showed the first signs of compromise when Saturday's game was bumped back from 1:10 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold explains:
The Chicago White Sox moved Saturday’s start time back from an afternoon game to 6:10 p.m. (St. Louis time). If Friday’s scheduled game vs. the White Sox is postponed, that later start would buy time for the Cardinals to get results from Friday’s tests and play Saturday’s game a full week removed from the most recent new positive result.
That said, a hair stylist who cut Ryan Helsley's hair a day before he started showing symptoms said she never heard from him or the team. The Cardinals regret the error.
Carson Fulmer
If the Tigers have any ideas in how to get more out of the White Sox's first-round draft pick, the transformation won't be immediate. The Fulmer the White Sox saw on Tuesday is the Fulmer the White Sox had, getting himself in trouble with control problems and averaging just 92 mph on the fastball. Ditching the cutter is the only detectable difference thus far.
The Astros-Athletics brawl
Major League Baseball suspended Ramon Laureano and Houston hitting coach Alex Cintron for their roles in Sunday's shovefest, and the punishments are proportional: Laureano for six games, and Cintron for 20. The former appealed, but the latter accepted his suspension. Coaches don't have a union, sure, but I'm wondering if the league issued specific instructions for Cintron, who probably should've already been fired in a fumigation of the Astros' entire operation.
Laureano did manage to get in a shot at Cintron after all:
Laureano, 26, said he wishes he had chosen not to run toward the Astros' dugout and waste his time on Cintron. "I regret charging him because he's a loser."
Cleveland's self-imposed suspensions
Mike Clevinger joined Zach Plesac on the team's restricted list, because Clevinger had joined Plesac in leaving the team hotel to party in Chicago during their series against the White Sox. He did not join Plesac in the car service back to Cleveland, instead flying on the team plane back before his behavior was discovered.
His teammates are not happy.
One DFA stays
If you had to pick between the players the White Sox recently designated for assignment, who would you hope stays: Luis Basabe or Drew Anderson?
Well tough luck. Anderson cleared waivers and is headed back to Schaumburg. The Giants acquired Basabe for cash considerations.
Yonder Alonso
Manny Machado is one step closer to being on the same roster as his brother-in-law, as the San Diego Padres took Alonso off the Atlanta Braves' hands. Alonso hadn't reported to the Braves' alternate training site, but he's more amenable to being off the roster if it's in San Diego, where he has more friends and family. Note for future free-agent pursuits: Prioritize acquiring the good player, not the average one.
