SEATTLE — If there was a worst day during this two-season stretch of frustration and misery for the White Sox, it just might have been April 29 of this year.
With the Rays in town at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox gave up 10 runs in an inning in their 10th consecutive defeat, matching their longest losing streak in 10 years. That’s a lot of 10s and a lot of indignity.
And speaking of indignity, something else happened that same day as the Sox’ record was falling to a numbingly terrible 7-21: Young franchise cornerstone Luis Robert Jr. was benched by rookie manager Pedro Grifol for failing to run out a ground ball on a play that easily should have gone as an infield hit. It happened in the first inning of a scoreless game.
Robert later explained that he had tightness in a hamstring but hadn’t told Grifol because he wanted to play. But Grifol interpreted it differently — and publicly — calling it a “mental lapse.”
Here as the Sox’ lone All-Star, Robert hardly tipped his cap to Grifol for the benching.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” he said. “I think my effort is always there. And if, for whatever reason, there’s a play where I can’t run or I can’t do my best, it’s for a reason — it’s not because I don’t want to do it.”
But Robert has been — coincidentally? — one of the hottest hitters on the planet since the benching, with 21 of his career-high 26 home runs and 38 runs driven in. He doesn’t attribute that success to divine managerial intervention, but he does credit Grifol for the overall job he has done in a brutal Sox season.
The fourth-place Sox are drowning at 38-54. Don’t blame the skipper for that, according to the team’s best player.
“I think he has done a good job,” Robert said. “What happens on the field is something he can’t control. On the field is on us, the players. We are the ones who have to perform and execute. Besides that, he does a good job, and you can’t blame him for our struggles.”
With general manager Rick Hahn, executive vice president Ken Williams, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and a bunch of underperforming players there to be criticized, Grifol hasn’t exactly been under fire. But he is tied to Hahn as much as Tony La Russa was tied to Reinsdorf, and we can’t be absolutely certain Hahn will continue to get chances to build a real winner. Grifol has two years left on his contract.
Then there’s Cubs manager David Ross, who’s signed through 2024, with a club option for 2025, after receiving an extension before last season. As the third-place Cubs underachieved to a 42-47 first half, Ross practically lived as a trending topic on social media and not because of his charming smile or adorably klutzy Viennese waltz and quickstep. He has been target No. 1 for blame from Cubs fans.
This Cubs team needs to come screaming out of the gate in the second half if it’s going to stay together — or even be supplemented with reinforcements — into August. This Cubs manager might need things to go well if he’s going to keep the job whenever it is that president Jed Hoyer considers the team to be in a true World Series window.
Does Hoyer, who wasn’t in charge when Ross was hired — that was still Theo Epstein — view Ross as a championship-caliber manager? Now in his fourth season, has Ross done anything that makes it clear his presence adds to the win column? Will Hoyer try to strike with a star — the Cubs’ next Joe Maddon — when the moment is hot?
A more recent example than Maddon is three-time World Series winner Bruce Bochy with the Rangers. That first-place team had six All-Stars in Tuesday’s game, none of them named Jacob deGrom. Even without the pitcher who was brought aboard to be the key piece in a championship push, Bochy has the Rangers singing. That’s the kind of development that might get Hoyer thinking if it hasn’t already.
Cubs All-Star Justin Steele went to bat for Ross.
“I love Rossy,” he said. “In the clubhouse, he’s great to have. All the players love him, love playing for him. He’s just a great guy.”
Liking Ross never has been a problem for anyone. It doesn’t mean he’s the right manager for the Cubs going forward. The next couple of weeks present an opportunity for him to at least begin to prove himself. Trending in the right direction would be a most welcome switch.
