Pedro Grifol goes off on White Sox after latest loss
May 8, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol (5) returns to the dugout against the Kansas City Royals after a pitcher change in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol is quickly losing patience with his struggling team, judging by the comments he made after their latest loss Sunday.
The White Sox fell 4-1 to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, marking their fifth consecutive loss. The team wasted an excellent start by Garrett Crochet by failing to record a hit until the eighth inning, with Danny Mendick’s solo home run providing the only hit and run of the afternoon for Chicago.
Grifol held a closed-door meeting after the game, then went off on his players through the media. He characterized their effort as “f—ing flat” and suggested the team had essentially disrespected the game.
“I don’t have much. Crochet pitched his a– off. We got no-hit through eight. We had a pinch-hitter break it up,” Grifol said, via Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “The rest of the guys… Not the rest of the guys. Most of the guys were f—ing flat today. Unacceptable. That’s all I got.
“Flat. Period. Major League game. Gotta respect it. Pretty simple.”
Not all of Grifol’s players seemed to feel that the criticism was fair. White Sox catcher Korey Lee said Grifol was “entitled to his own opinion,” but that the team “(has) a different feeling.”
Lee on Grifol: "I’ll let him comment on his statement. He’s going to feel that way and obviously we have a different feeling. He is entitled to his own opinion . I think that’s a valid reason. It’s nothing to hide about that …"
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) May 26, 2024
Grifol’s tenure with the White Sox has been a mess, to say the least. There were questions about clubhouse culture last season, and things only got worse this season when the team got off to a 3-22 start. He has been mocked by some for what comes off as an overly serious demeanor as well. One has to wonder if he’ll get another season in the job the way this year is going.
