Keynan Middleton rips White Sox 'no rules' culture

[Texsox]

Make everyone shave. Let's get back to old school rules. 

[The Kids Can Play]

10 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Here you go, it's up at the Sun-Times:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/8/6/23822523/ex-white-sox-reliever-keynan-middleton-says-team-has-no-rules-accountability-yankees

Monday is going to be VERY interesting. 

My favorite part of his rant: 

"The second I found out I was traded, I shaved my face," Middleton said. "I was ready to play by their rules because all I want to do is win games. ... You know how to act [here]. You know not to be late and you know there are consequences if you are late."

 

[CWSpalehoseCWS]

This report is nothing new to us, it’s great that it’s finally being aired out in public. Push this straight into the face of this FO and let them drown in their incompetence. The more lack of action this organization makes, the more asinine and moronic JR looks nationally. He deserves to be treated like the laughing stock of an owner that he is.

[SoxFest23]

What needs to happen to get JR attention is to empty the stadium and to go to Cubs games wearing an obvious t shirt saying "former Sox fan, Fu Jerry!"

The message needs to be clear and harsh. We can't continue to play the fool.

Edited August 7, 2023 by SoxFest23

[Texsox]

How about a billboard? 

[SoxFest23]

1 hour ago, Dick Allen said:

It's weird, sometimes he carries the water, especially on twitter, and other times, he sort of blasts them. And the Score is the place he blasts them since it isn't their flagship. 

Stone will spin the drama, will say it's all about winning or losing. Losing and you're unhappy and the culture feels wrong. Win and nobody cares.

[White Sox Park]

If Jerry Reinsdorf cares at all about his legacy, concerning the Chicago White Sox, then he will do something drastic, and change his way of doing things . he cannot hire a new president and/or general manager by himself, if he digs deep he will realize this . i'm sure that he has a tremendous ego and great pride, but he must move past that and seek help in hiring the right people . I wouldn't have any idea on how to do that, but there must be people who do . unless changes are made, then I think that for most, he won't be remembered for the American League Pennant and World Series win in 2005, he will be remembered for the complete disaster that the White Sox organization has been for so many years under his tenure.

[bmags]

3 minutes ago, SoxFest23 said:

What needs to happen to get JR attention is to empty the stadium and to go to Cubs games wearing an obvious t shirt saying "former Sox fan, Fu Jerry!"

They message needs to be clear and harsh. We can't continue to play the fool.

What we need is to lobby to pass a bill that would raise a huge tax that targets Reinsdorf's estate very specifically to make it more expensive to pass down after death than to sell the team now.

Call it like the
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Sportfranchise
Developments and
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Failing at
Thirtyfifth
And
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Act

[cuban_sammiches]

27 minutes ago, White Sox Park said:

If Jerry Reinsdorf cares at all about his legacy, concerning the Chicago White Sox, then he will do something drastic, and change his way of doing things . he cannot hire a new president and/or general manager by himself, if he digs deep he will realize this . i'm sure that he has a tremendous ego and great pride, but he must move past that and seek help in hiring the right people . I wouldn't have any idea on how to do that, but there must be people who do . unless changes are made, then I think that for most, he won't be remembered for the American League Pennant and World Series win in 2005, he will be remembered for the complete disaster that the White Sox organization has been for so many years under his tenure.

I think he will also be remembered as the guy who got a sweetheart deal for a new stadium and built something that had the warmth of soviet architecture, tried (and failed) to bust the players union and admitted that his business model is to profit off mediocrity. Complete trash human being.

Edited August 7, 2023 by cuban_sammiches

[TheFutureIsNear]

When ownership doesn’t care about wins and losses there’s always going to be a trickle down effect. No accountability exists within the entire organization. 

[Lip Man 1]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-reliever-rips-no-rules-white-sox-after-trade-says-rookies-were-sleeping-in-bullpen-during-games/

[ptatc]

18 minutes ago, SoxFest23 said:

Stone will spin the drama, will say it's all about winning or losing. Losing and you're unhappy and the culture feels wrong. Win and nobody cares.

He's right. No one was complaining about his 2 years ago when they one 90 games. Does not having facial hair make you a better player? Or do all players need to be accountable for themselves? Or is it somewhere in the middle?

I know in higher education this is a significant struggle right now. Are they adults or do we treat them like Kindergarten and have rules for everything.

[The Kids Can Play]

This is all comes down to the absolutely horrible decision Rick Hahn made in hiring Grifol. 

Let's go back to the original press conference when Hahn introduced Grifol as the new White Sox manager.

Two key parts to watch on this video:

1. Hahn introduction of Grifol - 3:10 - 6:22 - This is Hahn gushing and arrogantly telling everyone what a stud he just hired.

2. Grifol taking the mic - 14:46 - 15:47 - These were the strong promises that Grifol boldly made about the effort and accountability he was going to demand. 

 

 

[flavum]

I’m just out of energy to care about any of this. Can’t do anything about ownership, but hopefully a house cleaning is happening soon, and by the time Montgomery and Quero, and few other guys are ready…the executives that suck, the coaching staff, and the players whose contracts will be expiring will be gone, and then I can start enjoying the only team I really care about.

[Tnetennba]

Someone needed to say it.  Bravo Keynan!

[Bob Sacamano]

Defending against this is really something.

[Timmy U]

I think the problem starts at the top with JR, KW, and RH but also reaches deep into the Sox development philosophy.  I watch a fair number of MiLB games. Recently, the Sox A ball teams were playing the Rays A ball teams, and the difference was stark. The Rays play to win the game, that means situational baseball, bunting when necessary, pitching changes to get match ups etc. Curt Bloom says the Sox have a philosophy to never bunt in the minors.  They leave pitchers in to face bad situations to get their work in, no one hits situationally.  Everybody is taking their personal ab to get numbers to get to the next level. At best, the Sox approach every game like Spring Training. At worst, it looks like a try out camp. So, is it any wonder that when they get to the majors, the guys are all selfish, caring only about their own numbers, their own at bats?  They have got to bulldoze the hole thing from the bottom up.

[Tnetennba]

This team being a dumpster fire behind the scenes should come as no surprise.  The rot runs deep and starts at the top. 
 

[bmags]

26 minutes ago, cuban_sammiches said:

I think he will also be remembered as the guy who got a sweetheart deal for a new stadium and built something that had the warmth of soviet architecture, tried (and failed) to bust the players union and admitted that his business model is to profit off mediocrity. Complete trash human being.

[Tnetennba]

11 hours ago, fathom said:

Things I wouldn’t be shocked to also hear:

1) training staff messing up

2) lack of preparation to face opposing pitchers

3) minor league development inconsistencies

4) huge clubhouse divide 

All things that go back to the Renteria days, but seemed to multiply exponentially after he was fired. 

[The Kids Can Play]

1 hour ago, DirtySox said:

 

 

I wonder what J Hood said after Jesse Rogers interview about this lack of accountability from Grifol. J Hood is a huge Sox fan and he is not afraid to speak his peace and be harsh. I hope he did call out Grifol and the FO.

[Dick Allen]

19 minutes ago, ptatc said:

He's right. No one was complaining about his 2 years ago when they one 90 games. Does not having facial hair make you a better player? Or do all players need to be accountable for themselves? Or is it somewhere in the middle?

I know in higher education this is a significant struggle right now. Are they adults or do we treat them like Kindergarten and have rules for everything.

There are rules in every grown up business. Middleton's problem was there was no consequence for skipping or arriving late to drills. It was all OK. No consequences for sleeping in the bullpen. And that was the pitchers. He insinuated the position players were far worse. Obviously, these players should have enough pride to do what ever they can to make themselves as prepared as possible. But many do not. Many are the product of being babied and placed on a pedestal their entire lives because they were good at baseball. It's probably why the quote about having your best players be your hardest workers, makes everything a lot easier comes into play here. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Dick Allen

[ptatc]

15 minutes ago, Timmy U said:

I think the problem starts at the top with JR, KW, and RH but also reaches deep into the Sox development philosophy.  I watch a fair number of MiLB games. Recently, the Sox A ball teams were playing the Rays A ball teams, and the difference was stark. The Rays play to win the game, that means situational baseball, bunting when necessary, pitching changes to get match ups etc. Curt Bloom says the Sox have a philosophy to never bunt in the minors.  They leave pitchers in to face bad situations to get their work in, no one hits situationally.  Everybody is taking their personal ab to get numbers to get to the next level. At best, the Sox approach every game like Spring Training. At worst, it looks like a try out camp. So, is it any wonder that when they get to the majors, the guys are all selfish, caring only about their own numbers, their own at bats?  They have got to bulldoze the hole thing from the bottom up.

This is a good point. How much is personal development and how much is situational development. I could see the Sox philosophy in the low minors but you would think by the time they hit AA, that should start to change.

[ptatc]

2 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

There are rules in every grown up business. Middleton's problem was there was no consequence for skipping or arriving late to drills. It was all OK. No consequences for sleeping in the bullpen. And that was the pitchers. He insinuated the position players were far worse. Obviously, these players should have enough pride to do what ever they can to make themselves as prepared as possible. But many do not. Many are the product of being babied and placed on a pedestal their entire lives because they were good at baseball. It's probably why the quote about having your best players be your hardest workers, makes everything a lot easier comes into play here. 

I agree. Its where you draw the line that is difficult to figure out. It's somewhere between Not having facial hair and not sleeping in the pen.

 

But again if they were winning no one would care. So what level of the rules make a winning team?

[nrockway]

12 hours ago, maxjusttyped said:

I'm delusional enough to believe that if Lynn, Giolito, Kelly etc went public with similar comments, it might lead to enough embarrassment where we finally see real change this off-season

those are the old men that are supposed to be leaders and hold guys accountable, so it makes them look bad. lance probably thinks it's funny that Soto (or whoever) is falling asleep on the job. man, you're 40-years-old. tell him to stop. middleton criticized them for it it seems like with the WBC/spring training remark. I think Giolito tried earlier in the season to be a leader and was rebuffed because there's no expectations from management or even a pecking order and he's also kind of a nerd and not very charismatic it seems like. I think another issue is that half the lineup comes from Cuba. Not Latin America specifically, but there has to be some bond between all of them about all having to defect from their home country in order to fulfill this dream. Probably a deeper bond than one between typical teammates and I feel like you probably have two clubhouses. I've said it several times but the only reason they hired Grifol is because someone in his lineage was born in Cuba once upon a time and so the front office thought he would be the guy to bring Cubans and Americans together as a team. What a stupid idea, I think even the wealthy Cubans are not fond of Gusanos.