As the 2024 baseball season comes upon us, we will roll back the clock a little bit to nearly a year ago when the White Sox were preparing for the 2023 season. They had the talent, both in the batting lineup and at pitcher. It appeared they would win the AL Central. But some of their players may have taken them off course. The internal dysfunction among players and management took a serious toll on the White Sox’s ability to win in 2023.<\/p>\n
2023 was manager Pedro Grifol<\/a>\u2019s first year helming the White Sox. It was easy to see that he did not have a firm grip on the team. There was internal dissent, players acting out, and players who weren\u2019t on the same page with each other or management. An article from CBS Sports<\/a> last year outlined some of the team’s issues.<\/p>\n It was fairly easy to see who the main offenders were. From an aggregate of news articles, interviews, and commentary, it appears as if Tim Anderson<\/a> and Yasmani Grandal<\/a>, both now gone, were causing some trouble. Some even say that Eloy Jim\u00e9nez<\/a> and Yo\u00e1n Moncada<\/a> were causing some dissension.<\/p>\n After doing a lot of reading and listening to interviews about this, it\u2019s hard to know what happened unless you were there. It appears that there were rifts in the clubhouse between different players. There may have been rifts between players and the coaching staff. However, it appears that there were many more issues among the players themselves.<\/p>\n It\u2019s strongly suggested that Grifol lost control of the clubhouse to the stronger personalities on the team like Anderson. The general manager at the time, Rick Hahn, cut loose some of the guys that may have been causing issues. This also included pitcher Lance Lynn<\/a>. Then, new general manager Chris Getz let guys like Anderson and Grandal walk in the offseason.<\/p>\n It would appear as if most of the \u201ccancer\u201d that was part of that clubhouse had been removed. Additionally, based on interviews and some of the actions taken during spring training, it seems that Grifol may have his hands on the team in a positive way. Maybe now they are listening.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s hope that they are.<\/p>\n If the Sox have a turnaround this season, it would support the theory that they had a problem in the clubhouse last year. If the Sox play even a little better, one can chalk it up to their ability to overcome clubhouse issues.<\/p>\n It all comes down to leadership. This team was a bit leaderless last season. Now, let’s look forward to guys like Dylan Cease<\/a>, Luis Robert Jr.<\/a>, and some of the newer guys (if they make the team) like Paul DeJong<\/a> and Mike Moustakas<\/a> taking the lead. That\u2019s why they brought in some of these older guys, for leadership. They can help voice the wishes of the management staff to the younger guys. They can be champions, evangelists if you will, on behalf of management.<\/p>\n “Just prepare to play, play hard and go have fun. Play the game.”@whitesox<\/a> manager Pedro Grifol shares his mindset for the season and discusses the pitching staff in the South Side. pic.twitter.com\/rwMnDj43cK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 5, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Remedy for the Sox was to Cut Dead Weight<\/h3>\n
Leadership Is Important<\/h3>\n
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