The Chicago Cubs and White Sox have traded areas as a result of the finale of the 2021 Metropolis Sequence, when the Sox pummeled Kyle Hendricks in a 13-1 win at Assured Charge Subject for a three-game sweep.
The ’21 Cubs, coming off their vaunted sell-off, went into that recreation on the South Aspect with a 6-20 file in August and the third-worst file in baseball as a result of the All-Star break, ahead of solely the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers. The Sox had been 19 video video games over .500 with a 10-game lead inside the American League Central.
The longer term appeared exceedingly vibrant for the Sox, whereas the Cubs had been entering into the rebuild that president Jed Hoyer wouldn’t identify a rebuild.
As Hendricks took the mound as soon as extra Tuesday night at Wrigley Subject, the Cubs had been once more inside the hunt for a playoff spot for the first time in three years, whereas the Sox had the fourth-worst file inside the recreation and had been 14 1/2 video video games out of first, having fun with out the string after a mini sell-off of their very personal.
Instances flies whether or not or not you’re having satisfying or counting the instances until the start of the offseason.
Nobody would possibly’ve predicted once more in August 2021 that Hoyer’s plan would shortly start paying dividends, or that Sox regular supervisor Rick Hahn could be beneath fireplace for the collapse of a rebuild he’d been lauded for whereas it was occurring.
However proper right here we’re, and now the two largest questions are whether or not or not the Cubs can journey on Cody Bellinger’s shoulders into the postseason, and if the Sox must tear apart the core, as Hoyer did in ’21, and try one factor completely totally different to get once more in competitors in a relatively temporary timeframe.
The excellence between the two teams was noticeable sooner than Tuesday’s recreation.
Dansby Swanson said the Cubs have “completed so much to construct chemistry” inside the clubhouse and have gelled collectively as a result of the season went on and players grew additional comfortable with their roles. They went into the start of the Metropolis Sequence 19-10 as a result of the break, and having fun with practically pretty much as good a mannequin of baseball as we’ve seen on the North Aspect since 2019.
It doesn’t matter what their whole file is on the end of the frequent season, getting in provides them a shot, and it’s as a lot as them to make it rely.
“You need to be taking part in at your greatest when October comes,” Swanson said. “You see quite a lot of groups that catch fireplace on the proper instances and at all times have an opportunity. That’s all we’re asking for.”
On the alternative side of the park, Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. said inside the friends’ clubhouse that he didn’t view himself as a attainable chief. Robert was then requested if there have been any leaders inside the Sox clubhouse.
“I don’t know,” he said via a translator.
A minimum of he was honest. Tim Anderson should be that man, nevertheless the one-time face of the franchise has studiously averted the media as a result of the José Ramirez knockdown punch went viral.
Whether or not the core of the Sox is salvageable is a question no one can reply. This workers was constructed spherical Anderson, Robert and Eloy Jiménez, who all keep, along with starters Michael Kopech and Dylan Stop.
May the Sox get once more to worthwhile subsequent 12 months with the an identical core and slightly little bit of tinkering?
“That’s out of my arms,” Robert said. “That’s the entrance workplace’s job. They’ll do what they assume is greatest and I don’t have any vote or any main opinion of gamers or what they should do.”
He doesn’t have a vote, nevertheless he should have an opinion. Sadly, it’s so much easier to say nothing and go about what you’re selling desire it’s merely one different job. That’s the model new Sox custom. “Change the Sport” was the mantra in 2021 when the workers was cocky and energetic. Now they’ve gone within the flawed method — saying nothing and looking out lifeless.
Supervisor Pedro Grifol, who received right here into the job talking about “kicking ass,” has resorted to repeating the an identical talking elements.
“I don’t ever need to compromise a major-league win to search out out what any individual can do,” he said Tuesday. “Nonetheless, that’s necessary for us too, transferring ahead. There’s a wonderful line we’ve got to stroll via to get to the place we want so far as analysis functions.”
What Grifol doesn’t know is that someplace inside the baseball world, any individual is evaluating him to see whether or not or not he ought to stay spherical subsequent 12 months. Hahn would possibly or might be not the one requested to restore this mess, however when he’s not once more of his private volition, his substitute desires to look at what Grifol is doing and saying these final 42 video video games.
Whereas Hahn deservedly will get quite a lot of the blame for the downfall, (along with authorities vice chairman Ken Williams) not lower than he did an excellent job of eliminating some deluded would-be leaders who not solely declined to information nevertheless confirmed no accountability for his or her very personal roles inside the workers’s regression.
You’ll be able to’t have good clubhouse chemistry with self-serving players like Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman backstabbing their teammates alongside the way in which during which and pretending they weren’t part of the problem. If any of the current Sox pitchers nonetheless revere their former teammates, possibly the clubhouse chemistry is doomed to fail as soon as extra in ’24.
Solely a handful of the Cubs who carried out in that 13-1 loss inside the Metropolis Sequence finale of 2021 stick with the workers now. Hoyer cleaned residence and positioned a bunch of players who put their egos aside for the betterment of the workers.
The Sox can flip points spherical comparatively quickly with the an identical type of recreation plan.
Who will execute that plan, inside the authorities suite and inside the dugout, stays to be seen.
However not lower than everyone knows it might be accomplished.
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