New White Sox co-bench coach Doug Sisson spoke to White Sox reporters before today's finale in Houston, and it would've been notable regardless of what he said because Charlie Montoyo kept the lowest of profiles in the same role.
But then you look at what Van Schouwen actually relayed, and we'd be talking about it even if Montoyo had a daily four-hour slot on The Score, because Sisson took a clear shot at one of Pedro Grifol's most-used clichés:
We've seen various members of the White Sox allude to dissatisfaction with the Grifol era since Chris Getz was allowed to fire him, in actions and words. Dominic Fletcher and Miguel Vargas are getting everyday playing time in set positions, and Fletcher is even starting against a good lefty in Framber Valdez today. There's also the thing where praise of Grady Sizemore happens to center on traits that Grifol didn't possess, a trend that Sisson continued:
The best thing about Grady, leadership comes in all forms and sizes, but he's just real. He's genuine, he's real, he immediately commands respect because he's a genuine guy. He knows what he's looking at, he knows what good baseball looks like. And he knows how to get guys to play good baseball.
Given that the White Sox were eliminated from postseason contention before MLB.com even added magic/tragic numbers to the standings, a little drama and dirty laundry is the least they can offer, whether it takes the form of passive-aggression or unmistakable broadsides. Beyond the entertainment value, there's some value in various White Sox decision-makers making it abundantly clear how much everything sucked.
The Astros are rolling out a true Sunday lineup, so much so that Houston MLB.com reporter Brian McTaggart was taken aback by the lack of brand-name power.
From the White Sox's perspective, it's a reprieve for Ky Bush. From the Astros' standpoint, if they don't believe that Bush is (yet) a major-league pitcher, then they have some room to meet him at his level.
First Pitch: White Sox at Astros
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
Lineups:
| White Sox | Astros | |
|---|---|---|
| Nicky Lopez, SS | 1 | Jose Altuve, DH |
| Luis Robert Jr., CF | 2 | Jeremy Peña, SS |
| Andrew Benintendi, DH | 3 | Yainer Diaz, C |
| Andrew Vaughn, 1B | 4 | Jake Meyers, CF |
| Korey Lee, C | 5 | Shay Whitcomb, 3B |
| Miguel Vargas, 3B | 6 | Zach Dezenzo, 1B |
| Lenyn Sosa, 2B | 7 | Mauricio Dubón, 2B |
| Dominic Fletcher, RF | 8 | Chas McCormick, LF |
| Corey Julks, LF | 9 | Pedro León, RF |
| Ky Bush | SP | Framber Valdez |
