There’s no need to beat around the bush.
The Chicago White Sox are the worst team in the MLB. It’s not even close. Through two months of play, they are roughly 30 games under .500. Entering a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, they had lost 14 of their last 15 games and went just 9-19 in the month of May. They are off to their worst start in franchise history.
The White Sox are so awful because they have a terrible roster from top to bottom, led by Pedro Grifol, a lousy manager out of his wits.
That didn’t stop ex-Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen from ranting about a problem entirely unrelated to the team’s issues.
On Saturday, after a crushing loss on Friday evening, Guillen sounded off about Grifol apparently using too much analytics and data — basic information — to coach a team that is already 17.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. It is as silly as it sounds:
Ozzie had a STRONG reaction to Pedro Grifol's comments about "data and analytics"
"Those data/analytic guys, they're a bunch of nerds with computers telling people what to do and say. Those guys never played the game.
"Put the computer down, go downstairs and be a coach." pic.twitter.com/nogzFiYbfk
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) June 1, 2024
Let’s make one thing clear. There is no concrete evidence that Grifol is even utilizing analytics. Any mention of him looking at the data is almost certainly tantamount to throwaway comments to share with the press. Let’s make another thing clear. Anyone attributing evaluating information as a main cause of the White Sox’s foibles is grasping (and failing) to say something interesting.
The “nerds” that Guillen speaks of won the analytics “war” long ago, folks. Every good team in sports uses statistical information to inform their team building and approach. Every single one. Full stop. It’s time to move on from this tired argument. It’s 2024.
Using these abysmal White Sox as a conduit for this lazy argument against analytics is the definition of irony. It exposes the whole charade.
Featured image courtesy of NBC Sports Chicago