White Sox leaders respond to former players' criticism about team's culture
CHICAGO (CBS) – Shortstop Tim Anderson was in the lineup for the White Sox Monday night as the team started a three-game series with the New York Yankees.
He's appealing the six-game suspension MLB handed down for Saturday's fight during a game with Cleveland, but that's not the biggest story emanating from the South Side.
CBS 2's Jori Parys had more on how the White Sox season just keeps getting worse.
Former White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton, who is back in town with the Yankees, had a lot to say to ESPN on Sunday about the team's culture. He said the Sox lacked rules and accountability. Lance Lynn, who pitched for the White Sox from 2021 until this season when he was traded to the L.A. Dodgers, publicly agreed with those opinions.
However, Sox general manager Rick Hahn, manager Pedro Grifol, and catcher Yasmani Grandal all spoke with reporters to clear the air ahead of the series opener and said culture is something that's been addressed throughout the season, one that's been full of adversity.
"It's a little bit ironic that Keynan's the one saying this because my last conversation with him face-to-face was a week ago in this clubhouse where he sought me out to apologize for his unprofessional behavior," Hahn said. "Unprofessional behavior that Pedro had called him out on, had an individual meeting with him about and Keynan wanted to apologize for."
Hahn did concede the team "had a bit of a cultural problem in this clubhouse. In Cleveland, there was already a team meeting where many people spoke on the topic on the club to each other about who we want to be going forward and how we're going to go about being that on and off the field."
"Maybe whoever said that wasn't really accountable for their actions," Grandal said.
Grifol also said he was "surprised" at Middleton's comments.
"Just prior to him leaving, he shared with us how much he wanted to come back," Grifol said. "So I was kind of surprised."
Grifol also explained the three rules he has related to the team culture he's trying to create: 1.What happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse. 2. be on time, and 3. show respect.
According to another report, there was a physical altercation between Grandal and Anderson earlier this season, but Grandal and Hahn both denied that ever happened.