The Chicago White Sox have been the worst team in baseball by a wide margin over the last two months, and their fans have found a hilarious way to inject some entertainment into a bad situation.
With the 2024 MLB All-Star ballot officially opening on Wednesday, the White Sox shared a post on social media encouraging fans to cast votes for each of their nine starters. So what did White Sox fans do? They began rallying one another to submit write-in votes for catcher Martin Maldonado.
White Sox Fans are uniting together in the replies to send “Mr .076” Martin Maldonado to represent their team in the All Star Game @barstoolchicago #VoteMaldyhttps://t.co/rik9w5c6Me https://t.co/8dd71kQ29f pic.twitter.com/IG65b3lycA
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) June 5, 2024
The movement has gained some traction, too, as the hashtag #VoteMaldy began trending on X Wednesday evening.
Maldonado, who signed a 1-year, $4.25 million deal with the White Sox this offseason, has always been known for his defense and pitch-calling. He’s only a career .204 hitter, though he has been even worse at the plate this season. Maldonado is batting just .076 in his first 33 games with Chicago.
Maldonado won a Gold Glove Award in 2017 and a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2022, but he has never been named an All-Star. You have to wonder if the 37-year-old would want his first All-Star appearance to be the result of his team’s fans being disgusted.
