CHICAGO – The White Sox have learned a lot about building a winning culture during the 2020 campaign and that knowledge doesn’t just come from the 35 wins in 60 games.
Take as an example the last 10 competitions of the team’s regular season. The White Sox became the first American League team to win a playoff spot with a home win over the Gemini on Sept. 17 and had a three-game lead in the AL Central at the time. They continued to lose eight of their next 10 games, including four straight to Cleveland, and dropped to No. 7 in the AL.
Four months later, with White Sox chips and catches reporting to Camelback Ranch on Wednesday and the full team ready for action on Feb. 22, that tough stretch was remembered and processed, instead of completely erased.
“When we won the playoffs, we might have – I wouldn’t necessarily say we gave up on gas, but it was a kind of relief, like, ‘We did it.’ We entered the playoffs, “a White Sox team member, Lucas Giolito, said on Tuesday in Arizona from a Zoom call. “Then we all know that we went on a bad stretch immediately after that. It was definitely a great learning experience.
“After last year, we will really adopt that mentality in which we have to step on our necks, we have to try to kill other teams to the end. It doesn’t matter what our record is, it doesn’t matter if we are in the playoffs, if we lead the division. All that matters is that we go out there, waiting to win a game every day – whether it’s April or September or post-season – and we have that killer instinct, the killer mentality as a whole, and we just get the job done.
“I do not think there is room for premature holidays. That’s for sure. “
Any mention of the word “rebuild” was also affected by the popular language of the White Sox. This constant but important phase of loss ended, however, when Giolito threw six perfect innings during a victory in the first game in Oakland in the AL Wild Card series.
Now, the White Sox’s main goal varies much deeper than reaching the playoffs. With Tony La Russa about to start his second career as manager of the White Sox, the goal is to win big and win big now.
“We want to win a ring. We want to win a World Series “, said Giolito. “For this to happen, we certainly need to improve in many areas. With the acquisitions of players and the acquisitions of coaches, we are already in a very good place. But AL Central is not stupid. Other teams have put together a few pieces together, so we just have to focus on the day to day, which we have to do every day individually and as a team to improve. Building the winning culture. I think we took the first steps last year.
“But there is still a lot of room to grow. That’s what we intend to do. Continuing to grow, to get closer as a team, to play really solid baseball. Consistent baseball. And at the end of the day we want to win a World Series. That is obviously the goal. “
Giolito arrived in Arizona a week ago and has already met with most of the new coaching supplements and talked to new teammates, such as right-handed starter Lance Lynn and right-back Adam Eaton. Giolito likes to present the vibration.
With the chicks taking a step back after six years of success, the South Siders have a chance to make Chicago a White Sox city. This label does not concern Giolito as much as the process required to become a championship team.
“Yeah, it would be great for more people to care about the White Sox in Chicago,” Giolito said. “But the only way it will happen is if we win. I wouldn’t say there are too many conversations to be had, because everything will happen if we win games and go deeper and hopefully win a ring. ”