Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast Sox Populi
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- スポーツ
For fans of the Chicago White Sox.
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Opening Day 2024!
Brett Ballantini invites Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and Malachi Hayes to chat about what is looking to be a chilly Home Opener against the Tigers on Thursday:
The upside and downside of Garrett Crochet, Opening Day starter
Breaking down the relatively sunny season projections for the White Sox from FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus
Why do the relatively similar Opening Day lineups in 2017 and 2024 feel so much worse this year?
Zeroing in on what it will take from Eloy Jiménez and Yoán Moncada to force the White Sox to pick up their options for 2025
The best starter in the current White Sox rotation
The next great right fielder on the South Side, if not Dominic Fletcher
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Detroit Tigers
Welcome back, friends! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the White Sox are, well, attempting to play baseball this season. The White Sox will host the Tigers for the first series of the season, and again about 70 times. I kid, but it certainly feels that way.
Walker Kelly, new to the pod, joined to chat about the Motor City Kitties, the opening series, and how the team might fare in a pitiful American League Central.
What’s going on in Tiger land these days?
Grading the offseason acquisitions — is the best Jason Benetti?
Confidence levels for the 2024 Tigers
Pitching matchups
The keys, the fears, and what player will have the most impact on the series
Thoughts and predictions for 2024
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2024 Season Predictions!
It’s that time of year again, and Dante Jones, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Chrystal O’Keefe and Hannah La Motta join Brett Ballantini to address the White Sox and Major League Baseball outlook for 2024:
White Sox: Universal last-place club
Diving into three-way battles to win the AL Central and AL East
Largely avoiding the C-word but discussing the NL Central and the foregone conclusions of the NL East and West
Not so fast on those Dodgers, sez Chrystal
The challenge of picking an player and pitcher MVP for these White Sox
Speed rounds: Grifol and Getz’s future, who is the true ALC rival to the White Sox, will the Chicago defense or offense be worse, and were we too optimistic or pessimistic predicting the White Sox record?
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Opening Day is on the way
As SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, record this edition the White Sox have the worst record in either spring training league, which normally would mean absolutely nothing, but this year, well, uh ...
Just how important are preseason results? Well, we have to hope not at all in the case of Luis Robert Jr. and his .158 average, but totally meaningful in the case of Gavin Sheets’ .333. (If you believe either of those averages predict the regular season, I have a bridge over the Chicago River at Michigan Avenue you might be interested in purchasing.)
We try to solve the mystery of why there has been no word from the White Sox on why Eloy Jiménez skipped four games and then forgot how to hit, after crushing the ball before ... but we can’t.
Speaking of Sheets, he’s hitting waaaaay better than any other right field hopeful, so should the White Sox play him there, just for laughs — or should they upgrade the defense by drawing the name of a random fan at that day’s game out of a hat and letting him or her play right?
And speaking of right field (and catcher) hopefuls, we delve into the question of why in the world you would even consider players well past their prime as starters on a team that faces a miserable season (or two, or three) instead of giving youngsters a chance to learn to compete in the big leagues.
Despite such questions, we go through the outlook for the season for both pitchers and position players. There’s even praise for a few, whom we have to hope Sox mismanagment won’t destroy.
And, finally, noting that ticket sales for Opening Day are terrible, we launch into attacks on the miserable treatment of fans by the White Sox (and other MLB teams, but especially the Sox) who seem hell bent to destroy any desire of kids to ever return to the park — wherever that park may be.
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Welcome to the party
In the first episode of the brand new Ladies’ Night podcast, Kristina Airdo, Jacki Krestel, Hannah LaMotta, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, and Allie Wesel discuss several topics related to our beloved — or despised, depending on the day — South Siders. Whether you’re a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there’s something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run chatting about all things baseball, including:
What the hopes and dreams are for the podcast and the importance of building a community specific to women’s fans, for once ... or, in Jacki’s words, “you belong here, let’s go!”
Fun facts about each of our guests — including four of five playing high-level softball or baseball!
Thoughts on Garrett Crochet being announced as the Opening Day starter
Opinions about Michael Kopech’s move to the bullpen
Experiences of being a woman in a man’s sports world
The podcast will air bi-monthly, with the next episode dropping in early April.
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Goodbye, Dylan Cease
Dante Jones, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and Brian O’Neill join Brett Ballantini to address the formal surrender of the 2024 season, as the White Sox dealt Dylan Cease to San Diego for three prospects and a bullpen arm. Thoughts on that, and who might replace him in the rotation:
Temperature check on the return for the team ace
Dividing right along hairstyle sides, Brian and Dante are partial to Samuel Zavala, while Melissa and Brett think Drew Thorpe is the prize of the deal
The strange smokescreen of GM Chris Getz predicting ill-prepared Jairo Iriarte will jump from Double-A to the majors this year
The [redacted] rumors, to our universal dismay
What will the White Sox have to do to erase this flirtation for fans?
Brian turns virtue signaling on its ear and bemoans the insipid state of the world with its predilection for VICE signaling
Updated win totals for the White Sox in 2024, including one more dire than Brett’s
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