In April 1999, then-Baltimore Orioles coach the late Ray Miller reacted to a tough loss by turning on his players.
“If you have any more questions, go to the clubhouse,” Miller said. “They are the ones who make all the money. Ask them to explain how they did and how they performed in front of 47,000 people.”
At that point, it became clear that Miller was lost. A quarter-century later, Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol’s assessment of his players’ effort as “fucking flat” after a May 26 loss to the Orioles — and his doubling down on his comments the next day – might not have been worth it. pretty much the same resonance as Miller’s diatribe. But he was in the same verbal zip code.
These things, of course, rarely end well. Grifol probably would have been in trouble even if he hadn’t criticized the players about him. The White Sox, then and now, had the worst record in the majors. Its first-year CEO, Chris Getz, inherited Grifol from the previous regime. All the pieces are in place for a management change. The only question is when.
Miller lasted the 1999 season despite two recommendations from former Orioles general manager Frank Wren to owner Peter Angelos to fire him, primarily because the late Angelos had a contrarian streak, particularly when facing media pressure. Grifol could also last a little longer, even though the White Sox extended their losing streak to 12 games Tuesday night, blowing a 5-0 lead in a 7-6 loss to the Cubs.
The test of Getz’s patience with Grifol will likely come later in the season, when the White Sox are ready to promote some of their top prospects. At that point, Getz will have to decide: Is the environment under Grifol one in which top young players like shortstop Colson Montgomery, catcher Edgar Quero and right-hander Drew Thorpe can thrive? Or could the entire team benefit from a change right then and there?
The choice might not have been entirely Getz’s, just as Grifol’s return after last year’s 61-101 crash might not have been entirely GM’s choice either. Nothing with the White Sox happens with the approval of owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and Reinsdorf operates according to his own whims, no one else’s.
White Sox fans traveled to Milwaukee on Sunday to deliver a message to the team’s owners. (Benny Sieu-KeynoteUSA Sports)
If the White Sox make a change, the logical move would be to promote bench coach and former Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo as interim, and then conduct a full search at the end of the season. Tony La Russa, back with the team as a senior advisor after serving as manager in 2021 and 2022, almost certainly wouldn’t be the replacement. Neither at age 79 nor when he resigned at the end of season 22 due to health problems.
Grifol isn’t the only reason the White Sox are (15-46). It may not even be the fifth or sixth most important reason. Getz traded the team’s best pitcher, Dylan Cease, in the middle of spring training. Injuries to key hitters such as Luis Robert Jr., Yoán Moncada and Eloy Jiménez were once again crippling. Veterans like Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi have been big disappointments. No coach could win with this team.
One White Sox player, granted anonymity for his candor, called Grifol’s “damn flat comment” simply an attempt to motivate the club, adding: “It’s really hard to judge when you have a team built like this and all these injuries.” Another player, however, said Grifol’s misstep was making his message public after delivering it to the players directly in a closed-door team meeting.
The timing was also questionable. Grifol’s men issued their complaints after a day in which the White Sox faced Kyle Bradish, who finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting last season. Bradish shut out the White Sox for seven innings, striking out 11. The way he pitched that day, he could have made any team look “fucking flat.”
Some fans approve of such outbursts and prefer confrontation to pampering. Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees, in particular, frustrated fans in past seasons with his refusal to tear down players. Coaches, however, generally refrain from making public criticism because players react poorly to it. It doesn’t matter if some fans think that today’s players are weak compared to those of previous generations, a debatable claim. Managers generally know not to cross a certain line.
Grifol probably just wanted more energy from his players, to reinforce to them that playing in the majors is a privilege, that adversity can create opportunities. Former Angels coach Phil Nevin gave a similar talk to his players early last season. But he didn’t reveal it to the media until much later, explaining during another losing streak that the players had reacted well to his earlier reprimand and were preparing appropriately.
While Grifol declined to address his previous comments, he said he had no problem with his players’ overall effort.
“Do we make a mistake here and there? Everybody does it. But they are playing very hard,” Grifol said Monday night, on the eve of the Cubs series. “I don’t question it at all. I haven’t really questioned it much this year. There have been some matches, but that happens everywhere. Our guys are giving everything they have 99 percent of the time, they really do.”
He probably should have said the same thing the first time, but Grifol can be forgiven for his frustration. He knows his team is horrible. He knows his job is in danger. Even if he had bitten his tongue, the unfortunate reality was obvious. He’s running out of time.
(Top photo by Pedro Grifol last month: Nuccio DiNuzzo//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.