Saturday, November 07

CHICAGO -- I was walking back from dinner Wednesday night just off Michigan Avenue by the Water Tower in the Gold Coast area of Chicago when a man pushing a suitcase moved toward me as we crossed the street.

“Go White Sox,” he said, offering up a fist bump. “I recognized you and I wanted to say something.”

After I got my blood pressure back down to a workable level from being briefly startled, I thanked him for stopping and saying something and continued walking home. Almost the same situation happened last week when I was going to lunch with my friend and an individual stopped at the light in his Toyota and yelled to us about the White Sox.

This tale is not about me being recognized in Chicago or anywhere else. It’s also not about my visiting too many restaurants during the offseason, although I can provide good recommendations if needed.

My story is about the plethora of White Sox pride I’ve seen from the fan base. Those fans had every right to be annoyed, irked and upset when general manager Chris Getz embarked on another rebuild, traveling through part of the three straight seasons with 100-plus losses, including the forgettable 121-defeat campaign of 2024.

White Sox fans are a straightforward group, but also very loyal. And that perturbed nature was almost completely taken over by the excitement and flat-out fun generated by the special 2026 campaign. Their strong connection to this group and its accomplishments was visible in their vocal stadium attendance at Rate Field and on the road.

It’s visible in the White Sox hats and shirts I’ve seen around town, not to mention the placement of those same apparel items at stores that previously might not have had them front and center. I’ve seen it in fans pushing for these White Sox players to be recognized through postseason honors. I’ve even seen some on social media talk about the possibilities of SoxFest and when it would take place.

White Sox fans didn’t want the ’26 season to end. Their spirits remained high, even with the concluding three straight American League Division Series losses to the Guardians and a nine-inning record of 21 strikeouts during the deciding Game 5 setback in Cleveland.

“These fans all year, they've shown up, they have,” said Getz during his 45-minute season wrap Zoom. “And they were loud and they were out there supporting this club. It was a very easy club to support, and that probably amplified them even further. It can be very intimidating for opposing teams.

“Now, for our own team, we perhaps went out there with a little too much adrenaline at times. But once again, what a great experience to feel that and go through that for future years. More than anything, I couldn't thank our fans enough for the way that they've shown up all year, but certainly the way that they did in the playoff games as well.”

Here’s the next step now for Getz, AL Manager of the Year candidate Will Venable and their respective staff: build off this White Sox groundswell. The White Sox benefited from a down year in the American League, with struggles from predicted contenders such as Toronto, Seattle, Detroit and Kansas City, but this season was a massive success and didn’t feature apparent career years across the board from their young core. They still need to enhance what they have to take that next major step.

Work already has begun for Getz and company before arriving in Las Vegas on Monday for the General Managers Meetings. The goal of this process was never to jump up and make a significant mark one season, only to drift back for the next few years.

Starting pitching will be a focus, as it always is. The White Sox also could be looking for an outfield bat. They have built a tight-knight group ready for action on a daily basis, playing for the name on the front of the jersey as much as the name on the back.

They have built a team holding just as strong with the fans one month after the season ended, a team fans will stop to talk about even as the weather gets colder in Chicago.

“The first thing I realized with Chris was the organization he was putting in place,” said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, speaking after the team’s two-game Wild Card Series sweep in Houston. “When you build a building, the foundation comes first. He went about putting in place a terrific foundation -- the scouting and Minor League development.

“It was a process. I didn’t think it would come to fruition this fast. I really thought 2027 was the year that we would contend. But nobody told the players they couldn’t do it.”

• Tristan Peters’ column in the Players Tribune was an excellent read. It perfectly summed up his rise to All-Star status and the ’26 team’s belief in itself.

• I feel fairly certain the Bears’ stadium stays in Illinois. I would not be shocked if they stayed in Chicago, despite the apparent obstacles.

• Michigan women’s basketball was not exactly prime entertainment when I attended school in Ann Arbor. Now, they are serious national title contenders. Their win over UConn on Thursday night was exciting to watch.

• Speaking of Michigan sports, we can all agree it will be a happier universe if the football team wins its Saturday night contest.

• Happy birthday to my good friend, Kris, who celebrates today.

“It’s just empowering scouts and giving them a voice and trying to blend the objective information that’s in place with their subjective take on players. It’s a human game. There’s always an element of a need for refined eyes out in the field, valuing players.” -- Matt Roffe, on his blended philosophy as the new director of amateur scouting for the White Sox.

“The resiliency. It didn’t matter if you were down one run, three runs, five runs, going into the seventh or later. You could tell even outside, watching this year, it didn’t matter how many runs they were down. They were never going to give up.” -- Super utility player Brooks Baldwin, on what impressed him most about his White Sox teammates as he rehabbed in Arizona following season-ending internal brace surgery on his right elbow.

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