White Sox fire manager Pedro Grifol after end of 21-game losing streak that tied AL record
NBCJul 28
White Sox Oust Manager Pedro Grifol Amid All-Time Losing Season
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The Facts
Amid one of the worst losing seasons in MLB history, the Chicago White Sox have dismissed manager Pedro Grifol in a move that was widely expected to occur this year.
The White Sox currently have the worst record in baseball at 28-89 (a .239 winning percentage) and are on pace to lose 123 games, which would be the most since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. Former MLB All Star Grady Sizemore will take over for the rest of the season as interim manager.
The Spin
Narrative A
The White Sox may well be the most dysfunctional franchise in all of professional sports, and firing Pedro Grifol does nothing to change that. Aging owner Jerry Reinsdorf has failed to hire the right executives to run his team’s baseball operations, and its members are left picking up the pieces of a once-promising core. It’s difficult to overstate the depth of Chicago’s problems, and the team has little recourse to improve its future after trading away key players for marginal returns. The team needed a scapegoat, but that’s about all that's changed.
Narrative B
While Pedro Grifol isn’t all to blame for the White Sox implosion, he clearly wasn’t the guy to get the team back on a winning track. From feuds with players to uninspiring press conferences, it was evident that Grifol isn’t cut out to be an MLB manager. Of course, the club is still in a difficult situation, and it will take a lot of work to return to contention. Nonetheless, the White Sox have ripped off the band aid and are on the path to rebuilding the team.