Finally. The White Sox fired Pedro Frifol after a 21 game losing streak. The question is, what took them so long? This season could be worse than last season, when the Sox went 61-101, if the losses do not stop. The Sox lost 89 of 117 games so far this year. Coach Grady Sizemore will take over to finish the season. “The team, which plans to hire a permanent manager in the offseason, also fired multiple coaches Thursday. Grifol lasted less than two seasons, finishing with a record of 89-190.” (Sun-Times)
“Overall, the sum of the parts, the sum of everything, we expect better, we need better,” general manager Chris Getz said during a video conference call Thursday afternoon. “So that certainly motivated us to make this change… I reflect back to how we went into the All-Star break and then came out of the All-Star break in hopes that it would be a reset for players and staff, and was disappointed in how they responded after the break. And it motivated us to make this decision.” (Chicago Tribune)
“What a peculiar franchise Jerry Reinsdorf’s Sox are. Built on resentment, weaned on stubbornness, fermented by inanity, the organization seems to enjoy thumbing its nose at fans. That the Sox don’t care what the fan base thinks is apparent in almost everything they do.” (Rick Morrisey/Sun-Times)
The Sox do not just have a manager problem. They have a front office and ownership problem. That they let Grifol go so long is proof of that. And why did Reinsdorf bring back that antique, Tony Larussa? Why is he listening to him? La Russa is living in the far past. The game evolved. La Russa is stuck on stupid.
The Cubs are running hot and cold. They moved from last place to third in their division. If they can keep some momentum going, they could get a wild card place for the postseason (The 2024 season ends September 29th) There are 36 games left. The team is 56-70. The teams in the Central Division, except for the first-place Brewers, have similar win-loss numbers.
This is one of the best years for America in the Olympics. Our teams and individuals are on top with 103 medals so far-30 Gold, 38 silver, 35 Bronze. China is number two in the medal count with 72.