WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF MAY 21, 2016 “Quintana labors in key sixth in loss to Royals” … Scott Merkin and Cody Stavenhagen, MLB.com “White Sox looking to bear down against KC” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Eaton ejected after called strike on final pitch” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Duffy set for the second start in clash with Gonzalez, White Sox” … Cody Stavenhagen, MLB.com “Raines likes chances for Hall of Fame election” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “McDowell feels Sale is coming into his own” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox miss early opportunities, fall to Royals” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Adam Eaton ejected after White Sox-Royals game ends” … J.J. Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “Robin Ventura hopes to mix up White Sox lineup with Jose Abreu in second spot” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox great Jack McDowell on Chris Sale: ‘He’s coming into his own’” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Tim Raines on Hall of Fame: ‘It’s getting a little nerve-wracking’” … J.J. Stankevitz “Friday’s recap: Royals 4, White Sox 1” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “White Sox offense absent again in 4-1 loss to Royals” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “White Sox’s Adam Eaton ejected after 4-1 loss to Royals” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “Baseball’s streaky spring stars Chris Sale, Jake Arrieta, Jackie Bradley Jr.” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “From one White Sox ace to another: Jack McDowell praises Chris Sale” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “In final year of eligibility, Tim Raines upbeat over Hall of Fame chances” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “White Sox saved for city in their own version of the Chicago way” … David Haugh, Chicago Tribune “Tax dollars still paying off renovations on White Sox stadium” … Jared S. Hopkins, Chicago Tribune “Sox drop fifth game in last six in 4-1 loss to Royals” … Jeff Arnold, Chicago Sun-Times “Eaton takes exception to strike zone, ejected following 4-1 loss” … Jeff Arnold, Chicago Sun-Times “Raines: Waiting on the Hall of Fame getting nerve-wracking” … Jeff Arnold, Chicago Sun-Times “Jake Arrieta, Chris Sale and a golden era for Chicago” … Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun-Times “Frustrated White Sox fall to Royals, 4-1” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Former Sox starter McDowell raves about Sale” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Royals get to Quintana late, beat slumping White Sox 4-1” … Mike Cranston, Associated Press “Eaton tossed as frustrated White Sox fall to Royals 4-1” … Mike Cranston, Associated Press “Tim Raines confident with final Hall of Fame bid looming” … Associated Press “Levine: White Sox shuffle lineup in series opener with Royals” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Rick Hahn steers White Sox to faster rebuild” … Christina Karl, ESPN “White Sox all talk, no action in 4-1 loss to Royals” … Tom Musick, The Athletic “‘Punch A.J.’ landed 10 years ago and we’ll never forget it” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic

Quintana labors in key sixth in loss to Royals By Scott Merkin and Cody Stavenhagen / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Lorenzo Cain hit a go-ahead RBI double in a three-run sixth as the Royals rallied for a 4-1 victory over the White Sox on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field in the first meeting this season between the division rivals. The victory improved Kansas City to 22-7 over its last 29 games played on the South Side of Chicago.

"We play good against those guys over there," Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar said. "We won again tonight. [We will] try to win again tomorrow and win this series." Jose Quintana took the loss, after allowing one Salvador Perez single and facing the minimum 15 over five innings. Quintana gave up four runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, marking the first time in nine starts this season he has allowed more than two earned runs. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk in 91 pitches. "They just kept getting good swings at him," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "For him, that's the one inning that bit him tonight. Early on he battled, but these guys are tough once they get it going." Paulo Orlando, the one-time White Sox Minor Leaguer, drove in two runs with a double and a single and went 3-for-4. Kendrys Morales added a run-scoring single in support of Dillon Gee, who gave up one run on four hits in five innings. The White Sox fanned 10 times against five Royals pitchers, with eight of them looking at the third strike. Matt Purke made his Major League debut for the White Sox with two out in the eighth inning. He allowed Perez's single, but then struck out Alex Gordon to end the frame and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The White Sox lost for the seventh time in nine games and moved into a tie in the loss column with the Indians atop the American League Central. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Owning Quintana: This was the first time all season Quintana surrendered more than two earned runs in a game, and it's fitting it came against the Royals. Quintana had retired 11 straight batters before Infante's double sparked the sixth-inning rally, and Quintana never recovered. He moved to 1-7 in 19 career starts vs. the Royals, and went at least five innings in all of those games. "Our games that we play him are always tight," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "They're always very closely contested. Two years ago, it started. It just seemed like every game we were going to go up against him was like a dogfight. It was just tough to score runs, and they've all been very low-scoring affairs, and he's tough. He's an excellent pitcher." Don't forget the other shortstop: White Sox shortstop Tyler Saladino had his share of gems, but Escobar might have made the most important defensive play of the night. With two on and one out in the seventh, the White Sox were threatening. Cleanup man Todd Frazier lined a ball to Escobar's backhand side and seemingly into left field. But Escobar made a leaping, twisting catch and swiftly threw back to second to double up Adam Eaton and end the inning. "He's pretty good," Yost said. "He's very athletic. ... He's a Gold-Glover for a reason." Saladino shows some glove work: On the first pitch of the game, Saladino showed he was ready defensively. Saladino robbed Escobar of a base by going deep into the hole between short and third, and making a perfect one-hop throw to first baseman Jose Abreu. Saladino made three solid defensive plays in the game. Abreu keeps Sox alive: The Royals were one step from blowing the game open with the bases loaded and one out against Zach Putnam in the seventh, already leading 4-1. But Abreu snared Cain's line drive and doubled off Escobar with the unassisted tag to end the threat. QUOTABLE "It was probably a little wide today. I think both sides were doing that." -- Ventura, on Hunter Wendelstedt's strike zone, which resulted in Adam Eaton being ejected after taking a called third strike to end the game SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Gee earned his first win as a starter since Sept. 12, 2014, when he gave up three earned runs over 5 1/3 innings for the Mets in a victory against the Nationals. More > EATON EJECTED Eaton took a called third strike from Royals closer Wade Davis on the final pitch of the game and had a few words for home-plate umpire Wendelstedt. At that point, Wendelstedt turned toward the official scorer and indicated an ejection. WHAT'S NEXT Royals: Left-hander Danny Duffy (0-0, 2.57 ERA) will be on a 60-pitch limit as he makes his second start of the season against the White Sox on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. CT. Duffy threw 48 pitches and three scoreless innings in his first start against the Braves last Sunday. White Sox: Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (0-0, 5.17) makes his fourth start as part of the White Sox rotation in Sunday's middle game, but he's still looking for his first decision. Gonzalez will be making his first start at home, but is 1-3 with 5.09 ERA career vs. the Royals.

White Sox looking to bear down against KC AL Central leaders known they need to play better against WS champs By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Through the first seven weeks of the season, the White Sox have been one of the best teams in baseball. But after dropping a 4-1 decision to the Royals on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field and falling to 2-7 over their last nine games, it's clear this team has no intention of solely being known as this campaign's early-season wonder. "I can't stress it enough: You've got to play a full six months in this league," said White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton, who went 1-for-5 as Chicago slipped to 1-3 on the 10-game homestand. "You can't play a month and think you're going to throw your gloves out there and win. "There are many teams that do really well in the first month and you don't see them in September. We're not going to be one of those teams. We've got to get better as the season goes on, and it starts tomorrow." That turnaround needs to start against a Royals squad that has dominated the White Sox for the past four years. Kansas City improved to 22-7 over the last 29 games played at U.S. Cellular Field, while raising its all-time record to 7-1 against starter Jose Quintana. Quintana breezed through the first five innings, giving up Salvador Perez's single in the second, but facing the minimum 15. The Royals scored three runs on five hits in the sixth and added another in the seventh, producing the first start for Quintana where he allowed more than two earned runs since Sept. 30, 2015. That start also came against the Royals. "A couple of base hits, I tried to get the ground balls. I got the ground balls, but bad spots," Quintana said. "I know I have a little trouble with them, but I'll try to work on it and try to be better the next time."

"Q threw a heck of a game: Four runs to those guys, as competitive as he was," Eaton said. "If we get on them early, it may be a different story. He may not even give up four. Definitely, the offense has to step up tomorrow." The White Sox went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. Even the move of Jose Abreu to the lineup's No. 2 spot and Todd Frazier in the three-hole didn't pay dividends, as the top three hitters finished 1-for-12. Two-out hits are essential in beating a top-notch team such as the Royals, as Eaton pointed out, trying to get a lead before the bullpen takes over. Kansas City entered the night as a .500 team, but the White Sox know the defending World Series champions have better days ahead. They intend to practice that same philosophy. "If you ask any of those guys or anybody in Kansas City, they'll say they underachieved the first month of the season," Eaton said. "They're a good team." "You're going to go through stuff like that," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "As frustrating as it is, we'll grind through it. We've got some guys that have been around. But yeah, it is a rut."

Eaton ejected after called strike on final pitch By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- It's seemingly impossible to get ejected after a game has concluded, but White Sox leadoff man Adam Eaton managed to pull off that feat in a 4-1 loss to the Royals on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Eaton took a called third strike from closer Wade Davis and had a few words for home-plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. At that point, Wendelstedt turned toward the official scorer and indicated an ejection. "Really anti-climactic, to be honest with you," Eaton said. "But it is what it is. I think he understands my frustrations. Umpiring is very difficult. I understand that, I really do. But when you strike balls with such conviction, I have a problem with it." The problem for Eaton began in the seventh inning when he took a first-pitch strike from reliever Joakim Soria that he didn't feel was in the zone. Wendelstedt told Eaton to go look at it. "At the end of the game, I told him I looked at it, and it wasn't a strike, either," Eaton said. "The inconsistencies are tough to deal with as a hitter. Hitting is hard enough as it is, and when you have those inconsistencies, it makes it even more [difficult] -- especially Wade Davis throwing 95-plus. "It's tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike, and you didn't take the bat off your shoulder. It's pretty tough to hit like that. Most guys didn't like the inconsistency all night. I think I know the zone pretty well. "Very difficult," Eaton added. "He heard my displeasures. But new day tomorrow. Those guys have got a job to do and we do, too, so we'll get back at it. He threw me out. Part of the game."

Duffy set for second start in clash with Gonzalez, White Sox By Cody Stavenhagen / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 Royals left-hander Danny Duffy will square off against White Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez in the middle game on Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field.

Duffy will be making his second start of the season and will be on a 60-pitch limit as he continues his transition from the bullpen after moving into the rotation when Chris Young and Kris Medlen went on the disabled list. Duffy threw 48 pitches and went three scoreless innings in his first start this season against the Braves last Sunday. "Duffy was doing such a great job in the bullpen, but it's the process of getting him built back up again," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The bullpen has got to pick up that slack, and they've done a nice job of that." Gonzalez will be making his fourth start of the season and first at U.S. Cellular Field as he looks to solidify the back of the Chicago's rotation. Gonzalez has yet to receive a decision and has a 5.17 ERA. "There are things that we obviously need to think about and talk about when we're talking to the guys who are doing really well," Gonzalez said. "It makes us a lot better and a lot smarter when we're out there." Things to know about this game • Duffy has held left-handed hitters to a .160 average this season. He hasn't allowed an extra-base hit to lefty since Sept. 11, 2015, and hasn't surrendered a homer to a lefty since Jim Thome took him deep on Aug. 27, 2011. • Eric Hosmer is just 2-for-13 all-time against Gonzalez. • Adam Eaton is 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts in his career against Duffy.

Raines likes chances for Hall of Fame election Former leadoff man on hand for U.S. Cellular Field celebration By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Tim Raines enters his 10th and final year on the Baseball Writers' Association of America's Hall of Fame ballot, coming off receiving 69.8 percent -- 75 is needed for election -- of the vote last year. So one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters has some confidence going into his last opportunity. "This is probably the first year out of the nine years that I've been on the ballot that I really, really feel like I have a chance," Raines told reporters on Friday at U.S. Cellular Field prior to the White Sox series opener with the Royals. "I was 23 votes away last year. "Up until that point I thought about it, when people ask me about it, the only thing I wanted to see was how many votes I got. But this year, realizing like I said that I was only 23 votes away, I think about it a lot more than I ever have in the past." Raines returned to Chicago for the 25th anniversary weekend celebration of U.S. Cellular Field. He served as a coach on Ozzie Guillen's staff during the 2005 World Series championship season and for the 2006 season, and played five of his 23 seasons on the South Side (1991-95), including the '93 postseason year. Raines' .294 career average, .385 on-base percentage, .810 OPS, 808 stolen bases, 1,330 walks against 996 strikeouts and 1,571 runs scored speak volumes of the on-field impact had by Raines, who joined Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson as leadoff hitters who changed the game. If those numbers don't support the candidacy strongly enough, then Raines' friends and former teammates lent a hand on Friday.

"He was a definite impact, similar to what Rickey did with the A's and some other teams. He just immediately gave credibility at the top of the lineup," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "When you break down his numbers with some other people, I think he ranks right up there with anybody." "Huge impact," said Jack McDowell, the 1993 American League Cy Young Award winner with the White Sox. "He was one of the guys that, once we had our core group, you bring a guy like that in and it bumps us up to contention level. He's got the numbers to be in." There never was a sense of nervousness for Raines when he played. He simply had fun playing the game. His Hall of Fame feelings are the same. A great career won't be tarnished if Raines doesn't get those necessary votes in his final balloting. All the same, he would like it to happen. "For those 23 that want to vote for me next year, please. I'll be grateful ... very appreciative," Raines said with a smile. "It would be something I never dreamed of and never really thought about. "My only thinking [last year] was I wanted to see where it was going to end up. I was very encouraged by being almost 70 percent. The prospects of maybe getting in next year is a lot more comfortable to deal with than if I got less votes. "I loved every minute of playing the game. It's just a situation now where I have an opportunity to close that chapter of my career. Hopefully it's getting in. If I don't, it's not the end of the world."

McDowell feels Sale is coming into his own Former White Sox Cy Young Award winner’s angry style has been compared with ace lefty By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- The last time Jack McDowell, who was the 1993 American League Cy Young Award winner, talked with Chris Sale, seemingly a future AL Cy Young Award winner, was in Spring Training about three years ago. But two of the White Sox greatest pitchers spoke about weight gain, not pitching nuances. "He had a question about them trying to get him to put on weight and get bigger," said McDowell, speaking at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday as part of the 25th anniversary weekend celebration for the ballpark. "I went through that, being a 6-foot-5, 175-pounder out of college. "We talked about it and I said, 'Do you feel good?' He said he feels good. 'Do you feel strong? Do you feel normal? Then don't beat it up. It's either going to happen or it's not.' I did try to do that growing up because I bought into the whole, 'Boy, you throw pretty hard, but if you get big and stronger you're going to throw harder.'" Sale actually is not throwing harder during the 2016 season, but his more efficient lower velocity directed gameplan has been letter perfect through nine starts. His three complete games are the most by a White Sox starter in his first nine starts of a season since McDowell in 1991 (also three). The last Major League pitcher to accomplish the feat was Johnny Cueto in 2014 (three), and the last AL pitcher was Zach Greinke in 2009 (four). Since 1912 (per Elias/STATS), Sale joins Walter Johnson (1913) and Sal Maglie ('52) as the only pitchers to win their first nine games with an ERA of 1.58 or lower. Sale's .163 opponents average is the second-lowest through nine starts in franchise history, trailing his .152 mark in '14. McDowell's competitive, sometimes angry mound style has been compared to Sale's, although Sale admits to throwing fewer pitches in anger this season. McDowell joked that he has no problem being mentioned with a 9-0 pitcher.

"Not a guy who's 1-10 copying me," McDowell said with a laugh. "But the greatest thing seeing Chris is he's coming into his own. You guys are finally picking up on it. He's pounding the strike zone. He's going after guys. "I've told guys forever, hitters don't know what to do when you do that. When you don't pitch so much and try to get them to do things and say, 'Here's my stuff, here it is and I'm going to throw it over the plate.' And they go, 'Ugh.'" White Sox manager Robin Ventura played with McDowell before managing Sale, and sees leadership qualities in both along with the immense ability. "Chris, it's been a while. It's been in the works," Ventura said of Sale, who is trying to join McDowell, LaMarr Hoyt (1983) and Early Wynn (1959) as White Sox Cy Young Award winners. "When he first went from the bullpen to starting, he was a young guy on our team. He got a good tutelage from those older veterans. "Now, he's been able to embrace it and understand it, and feel comfortable with it. [McDowell] didn't have any problem with it."

White Sox miss early opportunities, fall to Royals

By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | May 20th, 2016

One rule has stood firm for opponents during the successful run of the Kansas City Royals — get your offense early. The White Sox received another copy of that memo on Friday night as they lost their first meeting of 2016 against the reigning World Series champions at U.S. Cellular Field by a 4-1 count. The White Sox didn’t convert on early chances against Kansas City starter Dillon Gee and his bullpen picked up the slack with four scoreless innings. Meanwhile, the Royals scored four late runs against Jose Quintana to send the White Sox to their seventh loss in nine games. “You want to keep those horses in the bullpen,” catcher Alex Avila. “You don’t want them coming out in the game. Usually when they’re coming out, you’re on the wrong side.” Without question the White Sox offense has improved from last season. They entered Friday averaging 1/2 a run more per game than they did in 2015, which has them in the middle of the pack in the majors. Part of their improvement stems from hitting .267 with runners in scoring position, which ranked 11th among 30 teams in the majors entering play. But the White Sox offense is still susceptible to ruts and they’re currently in a funk. For the fourth time in six games, the White Sox scored three or fewer runs. It wasn’t for a lack of chances. With Jose Abreu hitting second in hopes it would mix things up, the White Sox had several opportunities to build upon a 1-0 lead against Gee in the early innings. They failed in each one. Austin Jackson put them ahead with a sac fly in the second inning. But Gee retired Tyler Saladino to strand a pair. Gee struck out Brett Lawrie with two aboard to end the third inning and Adam Eaton grounded into a fielder’s choice with two on to end the fourth.

Gee retired the side in order in the fifth inning (he also did in the first) and handed it over to his bullpen — but you knew that was coming. The White Sox even had a shot at Joakim Soria in the seventh inning as Eaton — who was ejected after the game ended for arguing balls and strikes — singled and Abreu walked. But Alcides Escobar snagged a Todd Frazier liner headed for left and doubled Eaton off second to end the inning. Though White Sox manager Robin Ventura credited Gee for being sneaky and effectively using his cutter, he put the onus on an offense that went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. “We had some opportunities and we didn't do that same thing that they of being able to put it in play, knock guys in,” Ventura said. “We had enough guys on base, we just didn't execute enough. “We've just got to do a better job executing.” The Royals did their job in limited chances against Quintana. The left-hander faced the minimum through five innings and only allowed one hit. Quintana looked just as effective as Thursday’s starter Chris Sale as he needed only 43 pitches to complete four innings. But Omar Infante jumpstarted the Royals, who trailed 1-0, in the sixth inning with a one-out double and they didn’t stop until they had a three-run lead. Former Sox farmhand Paulo Orlando continued to torment his old team with a game-tying double off Quintana and Lorenzo Cain doubled in another to put Kansas City ahead 2-1. Kendrys Morales also singled in a run in the sixth. An inning later, Orlando singled in another run to make it 4-1. He also singled in the ninth and finished 3-for-4. Orlando is now 18-for-51 (.353) against the White Sox with six RBIs and 63-for-247 (.255) with 28 RBIs against everyone else. The combination of the White Sox struggles and the Royals’ ability in the clutch led to the inevitable as Ned Yost rolled out Luke Hochevar, Soria, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis. Royals relievers retired 11 of 15 batters to beat the White Sox for the 13th time in their last 20 meetings. “To beat a competitive team like Kansas City, you’ve got to get those two-out knocks,” Eaton said. “It just seemed like missed opportunities. It’s been kind of the story of this homestand thus far, and then going on the road there. We’ve got to turn it around, some way, shape or form. Q threw a heck of a game. Four runs to those guys, as competitive as he was. If we get on them early, it may be a different story.” Instead, it was the same story the Royals have told for three seasons now.

Adam Eaton ejected after White Sox-Royals game ends By J.J. Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | May 20th, 2016 White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton was ejected by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt on Friday night -- but his booting, oddly, came after the game ended. Eaton struck out looking to end the White Sox 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals and, after saying something to Wendelstedt, was tossed even though there was no longer a game from which to throw him out. Eaton's strikeout looking was the eighth the White Sox took Friday night, and an inconsistent strike zone was the root of his grievance.

"It’s tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike and you didn’t take the bat off your shoulder, it’s pretty tough to hit like that," Eaton said. "I think most guys didn’t like the inconsistency all night. Like I said, it’s tough. I think I know the zone pretty well. The at-bat before that, the first pitch I didn’t really like, and he told me to go look at it. So I went down and looked at it, and at the end of the game, I told him I looked at it, and it wasn’t a strike, either. "Like I said, the inconsistencies are tough to deal with as a hitter. Hitting is hard enough as it is, and when you have those inconsistencies, it makes it even more hard – especially Wade Davis throwing 95-plus. Very difficult. I think he heard my displeasures. But new day tomorrow. Those guys have got a job to do and we do, too, so we’ll get back at it." According to Brooks Baseball's strike zone plots, Eaton and the White Sox had legitimate gripes with a handful of calls throughout the evening. There are a couple of blatant called strikes out of the zone here, and a few borderline ones that weren't consistently called. That the White Sox struck out looking eight times sticks out, and while the Royals didn't have any backwards-K's, that's probably normal for an aggressive lineup that's generally focused on putting the ball in play. White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier expressed some displeasure toward Wendelstedt after Joakim Soria had a fastball called a strike in the seventh, and Eaton's strange ejection was the culmination of a frustrating day at the plate for the entire lineup. Eaton isn't expected to receive any additional discipline because of the timing of his ejection. "He's going to be in the lineup tomorrow," Ventura said, adding some deadpan analysis: "This game he's out. He couldn't have come back and played in this game." This was Eaton's second career ejection (his first came in September 2014 against the Minnesota Twins). He's not the first player to earn a postgame ejection, either -- Mike Aviles was tossed after a game in 2013, for example. "I think he (Wendelstedt) understands my frustrations," Eaton said. "Umpiring is very difficult. I understand that, I really do. But like I said, when you strike balls with such conviction, I have a problem with it."

Robin Ventura hopes to mix up White Sox lineup with Jose Abreu in second spot

By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | May 20th, 2016

Fans have clamored for him to hit second, but Jose Abreu simply doesn’t care where he Robin Ventura lists him on the lineup card. A day after he dropped Jimmy Rollins out of the two hole, the White Sox manager moved Abreu up from his customary third spot to second for Friday’s contest against the Kansas City Royals. Ventura didn’t commit to how long he’d try Abreu in the spot, but said the move is in hope of jumpstarting both his slugger and the team’s offense, which is in a little rut. It’s the 35th time Abreu has batted second with the previous 34 coming last season. The team went 15-19 in those games. “We did it last year, mixed it up a little bit, Ventura said. “He seemed to handle it fine. You’re just moving guys around. Offensively we’ve been in a rut.” Though Abreu only is nine RBIs behind baseball’s league leader (Robinson Cano, 36), he’s yet to have a lengthy hot streak. There’s no question that Abreu hasn’t been himself. Normally a beast with runners in scoring position (he has a .976 career OPS), Abreu is hitting at a .265/.361/.286 clip with no homers and 18 RBIs in 61 plate appearances this season. The first baseman said before Friday’s game he doesn’t mind where he bats and that he feels fine and hasn’t changed his process.

“I’ve been feeling good,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “Step by step, I’ve been feeling better. I know I have to keep working hard. I’ve been feeling very good. It’s a work in progress. It’s a long season, but I’ve been feeling very good.” Abreu entered Friday hitting .290/.338/.478 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 148 plate appearances batting second. Leadoff man Adam Eaton would seem to be the biggest beneficiary as he expects to see more fastballs. But Eaton said not much changed with Abreu behind him in the lineup last season. “You’re in scoring position at first base,” Eaton said. “I don’t know if there’s a huge difference. I’ll approach it the same.” Ventura suggested he likes how Abreu’s use of right field could come into play with Eaton on base. Perhaps the White Sox hope that getting Abreu to hit it to the right side will get him back on track. Either way, Ventura doesn’t intend to ask Abreu to do anything different when he mans the position. “I just want him to go play,” Ventura said. “There’s times to take pitches, he’s probably taken too many at this point. I’m not sitting there putting any parameters on what he has to do just because he’s hitting in the two-hole. It’s just mixing it up and a letting him go out and he uses the other side of the field very well, I think that’s part of it as well.”

White Sox great Jack McDowell on Chris Sale: ‘He’s coming into his own’ By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | May 20th, 2016

Jack McDowell is impressed with the way Chris Sale has continued to develop over the course of his career. The last White Sox pitcher to win a Cy Young Award appreciates how Sale -- who Thursday joined Ed Cicotte as the only pitchers in franchise history to win their first nine starts -- has attacked the strike zone this season. McDowell, who won the award in 1993 when he went 22-8 with a 3.37 ERA, said Friday he sees how Sale has tried to be more efficient and thinks it has taken him to a new level. The pitcher formerly known as “Black Jack” is at U.S. Cellular for White Sox homecoming weekend along with Tim Raines, Lance Johnson and Roberto Hernandez. “He’s coming into his own,” McDowell said. “He’s pounding the strike zone. He’s going after guys. I’ve told guys forever -- hitters don’t know what to do when you do that. When you don’t pitch so much and try to get them to do things and say, ‘Here’s my stuff, here it is and I’m going to throw it over the plate.’ And they go, ‘Ugh.’ ” A first-round draft pick in 1987, McDowell pitched in parts of seven seasons for the White Sox. He amassed a 91-58 record with a 3.50 ERA in 191 starts. McDowell spent the past two seasons as a manager in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system. A tall, skinny pitcher as well, McDowell, who also finished in second place on the 1992 Cy ballot, said it was three years ago in spring training when Sale specifically asked about him the proposition of adding weight to his frame. “I went through that, being a 6-5, 175-pounder out of college,” McDowell said. “We talked about it and I said, ‘Do you feel good?’ He said he feels good. ‘Do you feel strong? Do you feel normal? Then don’t beat it up. It’s either going to happen or it’s not.’ ”

McDowell thinks the direction Sale is headed is the correct one. The results would seem to back that assertion as Sale already has three complete games, one shy of his career total. Even though Sale has better stuff than he did, McDowell has always believed the pitcher would beat the thrower. “Just watching him this year, it’s not about the strikeout, it’s about pounding the zone and putting the pressure on the hitters,” McDowell said. “I didn’t have the kind of putaway stuff that Chris does at all. My whole deal was to go after guys and make them put the ball in play. “If you were a guy with lesser stuff than a Chris Sale and you’ve got that approach, you’re going to have more success than going the other way. Trust me.”

Tim Raines on Hall of Fame: ‘It’s getting a little nerve-wracking By J.J. Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | May 20th, 2016 Tim Raines likes to classify himself as one of those “weird guys” who never really got nervous during his 23-year major league career. But his case to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — which is in its 10th and final year — just might be changing that personality trait. “Coming now to this point, being my last year on the ballot and being so close, it’s getting a little nerve-wracking,” Raines said. “I think those nerves are starting to set in. I just can’t wait until it’s over now.” Raines’ Hall of Fame credentials at one point were a battleground for the old school vs. new school battle that's raged in baseball circles ever since the "Moneyball" days of the early 2000s. But his .294 batting average, .385 on base percentage, 808 stolen bases, 364 more walks than strikeouts and 69.1 WAR have been viewed in an increasingly favorable light by Hall of Fame voters in recent years. “Rock” Raines received 69.8 percent of the vote in 2016, falling just 23 votes shy of the 75 percent to earn induction into the Hall of Fame. This year’s mark is significantly up from 55 percent in 2015, 46.1 percent in 2013, 52.2 percent in 2012, 48.7 percent in 2011 and 37.5 percent in 2010. No player who has received 68 percent of the Hall of Fame vote has failed to be inducted. “This is probably the first year out of the nine years that I’ve been on the ballot that I really, really feel like I have a chance,” Raines said. Raines is back on Chicago’s South Side for the White Sox “Homecoming Weekend,” along with former teammates Jack McDowell, Lance Johnson and Roberto Hernandez. Raines only spent five seasons with the White Sox (1991-1995), but he made a major impact on those teams — four of which finished over .500. His best year in Chicago came in 1993, when his .306/.401/.480 slash line helped push the White Sox to an American League West title. “He was one of the guys that, once we had our core group, you bring a guy like that in and it bumps us up to contention level,” McDowell said. Added Johnson: “He was already a Hall of Famer when he came to us.” Raines seems likely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, along with former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who received 71.6 percent of the vote in 2016, and perhaps former San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman. Ivan Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero will debut on the ballot next year but aren’t locks to be first-ballot inductees, so making up those 23 votes may not be too difficult. Even though the numbers point to Raines making it, the nerves will only continue to build until the balloting results are announced in January 2017.

“For those 23 that wanna vote for me next year, please,” Raines smiled. “I’ll be grateful.” But with or without the Hall of Fame, Raines is proud of what he accomplished in baseball and how he went about doing it. “I had a really great career, I know it personally, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Raines said. “I loved every minute of playing the game. It’s just a situation now where I have an opportunity to close that chapter of my career. Hopefully it’s getting in. If I don’t, it’s not the end of the world. “But I just know the things that I did on the field, I enjoyed doing it and I’m sure the fans that cheered for me and cheered against me enjoyed seeing me and doing the things that I did. I would love for it to happen. It would be something that I never really thought of when I first started playing the game, or even when I finished playing the game. That never was a thought in my mind that Hall of Fame would even be a chance.”

Friday’s recap: Royals 4, White Sox 1 By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox got their first look at the World Series champion Kansas City Royals when the teams kicked off a three-game series Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field. So far, not-so-good for the Sox as they fell to the Royals 4-1 in front of a crowd of 24,020. Paulo Orlando went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Lorenzo Cain and Kendrys Morales also knocked in runs. After cruising early, starter Jose Quintana suffered the loss for the Sox, who lost for the fifth time in their last six games. At the plate Sox manager Robin Ventura shook up the lineup, moving slugger Jose Abreu to the second spot behind Adam Eaton while Todd Frazier hit third, but it didn't amount to much as the top three in the order finished a combined 1-for-11. Cleanup hitter Melky Cabrera had two hits and scored the Sox's run. On the mound Quintana faced the minimum through five innings, yielding a hit that was erased on a double play, but roughed up in the sixth inning when he allowed three runs. The left-hander gave up another in the seventh before being pulled. Quintana allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking none. In the field Starting at shortstop in place of Jimmy Rollins for the Sox, Tyler Saladino made three sparkling plays, including when he retired Alcides Escobar on the first pitch of the game. Saladino ranged into left field to snare the hard-hit ball and gunned down Escobar by a step. The quote “He’s that quiet assassin kind of guy. He gets on there, he grunts a little bit when he pitches, not many people can hear it but I’m kind of close to him. And he’s determined to be the bulldog that we need as well. He’s just like a No. 1. I think he likes it right now not being in the limelight because he knows what he’s capable of. But he’s a solid No. 2 for us and it’s the same thing kind of with Chris (Sale)—when he goes out there we know we have a great chance to win.” – Frazier on Quintana Up next

Vs. Royals, 1:10 p.m., Saturday; CSN.

White Sox offense absent again in 4-1 loss to Royals By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 A forgettable four-run sixth inning hardly spelled the end of an ERA era for Jose Quintana. But the Royals' big inning Friday night was the end for the White Sox during a 4-1 loss, their seventh in nine games. Quintana started his start with an American League-best 1.58 earned-run average. Eight hits, four runs and 6 1/3 innings later, Quintana took a seat with a 1.98 next to his name, dropping him a spot behind teammate Chris Sale to third. "He's that quiet assassin kind of guy," third baseman Todd Frazier said. "He grunts a little bit when he pitches; not many people can hear it, but I'm kind of close to him. And he's determined to be the bulldog that we need as well. He's just like a No. 1." The left-hander looked the part before the Royals' Omar Infante began a doubles parade with one out in the sixth. Before the five-hit, three-run wreckage unraveled, Quintana had retired 11 straight Royals before a crowd of 24,020 in the first of their three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field. Infante, Paulo Orlando and Lorenzo Cain sandwiched doubles around Alcides Escobar's single with the final hit of the inning, a Kendrys Morales single, scoring Cain to give the Royals a 3-1 lead. "After the double to Infante I tried to get down in the zone and I missed a couple of pitches trying to get ground balls," Quintana said. Quintana, who hadn't given up three runs in an outing since last season's finale, was a victim of the Sox's slumbering offense. A day after skimming by on two runs, five hits and a complete game from Sale for a 2-1 victory against the Astros, the Sox managed just six singles against the Royals in the first of 10 straight games against the two teams closest to them in the American League Central. The defeat, combined with an Indians' victory, squeezed that lead to 1 1/2 games. The Royals crept within 3 1/2. After making the last out of the game, Sox right fielder Adam Eaton was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Eight White Sox struck out looking. "We have to turn it around in some way, shape or form," Eaton said. The musical chairs in the No. 2 spot in the White Sox order continued Friday when Jose Abreu became the third player in three games to hit there, following Jimmy Rollins and Austin Jackson. Abreu turned 3-6-3 and 3-unassisted double plays Friday, to go along with an error, but was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. The shake-up in the order was a bust as the first three hitters went a combined 1-for-12. "It didn't work, Ventura said.

The switch is fine with Abreu. "I don't care," he said. "The only thing I care about is to help the team win games. If it's second or third or fourth, I don't care. That's a decision the manager made and I'm good with it." Abreu hit .290 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 34 games in that spot last season. "He seemed to handle it fine (last year)," Ventura said. "Offensively we've been in a rut as far as how it works and guys that have missed games." A rut that became a little deeper Friday.

White Sox’s Adam Eaton ejected after 4-1 loss to Royals By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 Last call Friday night came courtesy of plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Adam Eaton wasn’t ready to go home – or leave home. After Wendelstedt punched out the White Sox’s right fielder to conclude a 4-1 loss to the Royals, Eaton was thrown out of a game that was over for voicing his displeasure with a strike zone that claimed eight Sox hitters looking. Eaton not only was upset with the pitch that ended the game, he also wasn’t happy with a strike Wendelstedt called on him during his previous at-bat in the seventh. “It’s tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike and you don’t take the bat off your shoulder,” Eaton said. “I know the zone pretty well. The at-bat before that, the first pitch I really didn’t like.” Wendelstedt suggested Eaton look at video of the pitch, which Eaton said he did. “At the end of the game I told him it wasn’t a strike either,” Eaton said. “Hitting is hard enough. When you have inconsistencies it makes it even harder. … Those guys got a job to do; we do too.” Eaton’s postgame ejection isn’t unprecedented. In 2013, the Indians’ Mike Aviles was thrown out after flying out to end a 4-3 loss to the Yankees for arguing what he believed was an earlier missed call. Despite the fact that Eaton’s game wasn’t over till after it was over, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said his leadoff hitter will be back in the lineup Saturday . “I don’t know what he got ejected from,” Ventura said. “The game was over.”

Baseball’s streaky spring stars Chris Sale, Jake Arrieta, Jackie Bradley Jr. By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 Streaking has been the craze in major-league baseball this spring, with Chris Sale, Jake Arrieta and Jackie Bradley Jr. leading the way. Sale, the White Sox ace, has won his first nine starts, including Thursday's complete-game victory over the Astros. Arrieta, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, entered his start for the Cubs on Friday night in San Francisco with a 7-0 record and an 18-game winning streak, fourth longest since 1913.

Bradley, the young Red Sox center fielder, extended his hitting streak to 25 games in Friday's game against the Indians at Fenway Park. Individual streaks are part of what makes baseball such a great sport. Whether it's a winning streak, a hitting streak or a home run streak — like Rockies rookie Trevor Story's four-game streak to open the season — the anticipation of whether a player can beat the odds and continue his excellence is almost as enjoyable as the performance itself. One little thing can end a pitcher's winning streak, even if he has done his job. Perhaps the offense doesn't show up or an error leads to an unearned run or a blooper falls in at an inopportune time or he has one bad inning. Sale began a May 7 game against the Twins by forcing home two runs in the first with a walk and his second hit batter. He hit himself in the head with the ball in disgust but recovered quickly and extended his streak to 7-0. Pitchers need some luck — and the ability to adjust during the game. "We're both locked in mechanically," Arrieta said of himself and Sale. "I'm sure he has days he goes out and doesn't feel great but finds a way to get it done. Changes his approach slightly, based on how he feels or what kind of stuff he has on any given day, and he's able to put it all together and continue to win on a start-to-start basis. "As a starter, that's one of the things you have to do because we don't get to play every day. You have to find a way to adjust and still get the job done. He has been tremendous at that and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. And I hope he continues to have a really good year." Arrieta said he would welcome a matchup against Sale, which he predicted would be a "dogfight." The Cubs and White Sox meet in late July. "There's a chance we (will face off)," Arrieta said. "He's on my list of guys that if I see a game on TV and we're not playing, he's one that I'll stop and watch. "He has a lot of weapons. He knows how to pitch and has tremendous stuff. I don't necessarily know if people are surprised at what he's doing, but he has all the tools to be a dominant guy for a long time." While Sale has been a "dominant guy" since starting out as a reliever in 2010, Bradley and Arrieta were highly touted prospects whose career paths included some early speed bumps. Bradley lasted until the 40th pick of the 2011 draft, the last for Theo Epstein as general manager in Boston. Area scout Quincy Boyd had recommended Bradley, and scouting director Amiel Sawdaye pushed hard for the pick after some were concerned about Bradley's play during his junior year at South Carolina, when he was fighting injuries. Epstein was long gone by the time Bradley was called up in 2013 and hit .189 in 37 games. He struggled again in 2014 and was demoted in August, then went 1-for-36 when recalled in September, winding up with a .198 average and .256 on-base percentage. Last year Bradley showed vast improvement (a slash line of .249/.335/.498), and now he's coming into his own at 26. Bradley is less than halfway to Joe DiMaggio's unimaginable record 56-game hitting streak in 1941, but it has been an impressive ride.

"I'm never a person to say, 'Look, I told you so,' " Bradley told the Boston Globe. "But that is what me smiling is about. I don't need to say anything to anybody who was negative about me. Just know that when I smile, it's me knowing I proved people wrong." National media coverage of Bradley's streak probably wouldn't begin until he extended it to 35 or so games, then would build daily. White Sox shortstop Jimmy Rollins had a 38-game streak for the Phillies, but it occurred over two seasons in 2005-06. The last epic hitting streak was Paul Molitor's 39-game streak in 1987. It ended Aug. 26 with Molitor in the on-deck circle at County Stadium; the home crowd booed Rick Manning for his RBI single in the 10th that gave the Brewers a 1-0 victory. "I told Paulie, 'I'm sorry,'" Manning said afterward. Molitor replied: "It had to end one day." Arrieta's winning streak began in August, so he's used to answering questions about it. "It's kind of secondary to me," he said. "It's just brought up after the games or in between starts. Once game day is here, it's as far out of sight or out of mind as you could possibly put it. Streaks like this don't continue if you think about them all the time." So Arrieta never has thought about beating Carl Hubbell's record 24-game streak? "I've surprised a lot of people by the lack of baseball history that I know," he said with a grin. Hubbell, a Hall of Fame screwball pitcher for the Giants, was legendary for striking out five future Hall of Famers — Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin — in succession during the 1934 All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds. "That's pretty solid," Arrieta said. So is what Arrieta, Sale and Bradley have accomplished during their runs.

From one White Sox ace to another: Jack McDowell praises Chris Sale By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 The last White Sox pitcher to win the Cy Young Award has kept a watchful eye on the hurler who could be the next. Jack McDowell, who captured the award in 1993 after going 22-10 with a 3.37 earned-run average while helping the Sox to the American League West title, has nothing but praise for current ace Chris Sale. "The greatest thing seeing Chris is (that) he's coming into his own," said McDowell, who was at U.S. Cellular Field as the Sox faced the Royals on Friday night during the team's homecoming weekend celebrating 25 years of U.S. Cellular Field. "He's pounding the strike zone. He's going after guys. I've told guys forever, 'Hitters don't know what to do when you do that. When you … say, here's my stuff … and I'm going to throw it over the plate.' And they go, 'ugh.'" Much like when McDowell was on top of his game in '93, Sale has been making hitters say 'ugh,' a whole lot this season. After a brilliant complete-game outing in a 2-1 victory over the Astros on Thursday night, Sale improved to 9-0 with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. Sale became the first Sox pitcher with three or more complete games in his first nine starts of the season since McDowell had three in '91.

"Just watching him this year, it's not about the strikeout, it's about pounding the zone and putting the pressure on the hitters," McDowell said. "I didn't have the kind of put-away stuff that Chris does at all. My whole deal was to go after guys and make them put the ball in play." One obvious comparison between McDowell and Sale are their physiques: tall and lanky. McDowell said the last time he spoke with him three years ago in spring training, Sale asked about the team trying to get him to put on weight. "I went through that, being a 6-5, 175-pounder out of college," McDowell said. "We talked about it and I said, 'Do you feel good?' He said he feels good. 'Do you feel strong? Do you feel normal? Then don't beat it up. It's either going to happen or it's not.'" Sox manager Robin Ventura was a teammate of McDowell's and said the biggest similarity between the two is their attitude on the mound. "They are both competitive and fiery in a way," Ventura said. "They also pitched out of anger a lot." McDowell agreed with that, though he added, "I was probably a little more over the top than Chris." After managing in the Dodgers organization the last two seasons before being let go, McDowell is out of baseball and didn't dismiss joining the Sox in some capacity, saying, "We'll see; I don't know." For now, McDowell is relishing having people compare Sale to him. Royals 4, White Sox 1 Photos from the game at U.S. Cellular Field on May 20, 2016. "Yeah, for a guy that's 9-0, sure," McDowell said with a smile. "(But) not a guy who is 1-10 copying me."

In final year of eligibility, Tim Raines upbeat over Hall of Fame chances By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 Andre Dawson calls Tim Raines around the same time every year. Every year, for eight years, Raines put down the receiver no more of a believer that he was going to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Until this year. "This is probably the first year out of the nine years that I've been on the ballot that I really, really feel like I have a chance," Raines, 56, said Friday during a homecoming weekend to celebrate 25 years of U.S. Cellular Field. Dawson began phoning his best baseball friend annually in 2008, when Raines, a White Sox outfielder from 1991-95, was named on just 24.3 percent of the ballots in his first year of eligibility. That number has climbed steadily in the seven years since — to 52.2 percent in 2013 to 69.8 of the 75 percent necessary to earn election in 2016. And his 69.8 percent has nurtured optimism in Raines that had been absent in years past. That and a phone call he received from the Hall of Fame in January. It wasn't calling to tell Raines he had made it, but it was a good sign that he was a strong possibility for 2017, his 10th and final year on the ballot.

More than he has thought about any of his career numbers — .294 batting average, .385 on-base percentage, .810 OPS, 808 stolen bases, 2,605 hits, seven straight All-Star selections, two World Series titles — Raines has thought about one number more: 23. That's how many more voters he needs to pencil him in on their ballots to earn a Hall bust like his buddy Dawson has. "I think about it a lot more than I ever have in the past," said Raines, who spent eight of his 23 seasons patrolling the outfield for the Expos with Dawson, who was elected in 2010. Raines, who's now a roving minor-league instructor for the Blue Jays, said he's "one of those weird guys who don't really have nerves." But his last chance at being elected to the Hall next year has tested his resolve. Raines' career ran concurrent with Rickey Henderson's. And Henderson, who often overshadowed Raines, said he doesn't understand why two great leadoff hitters can't be enshrined. "If I don't (get in), it's not the end of the world. … I would love for it to happen," Raines said. "But coming now to this point, being my last year on the ballot and being so close, it's getting a little nerve-wracking. I think those nerves are starting to set in. I just can't wait until it's over now." Sox manager Robin Ventura, who played with Raines those five seasons on the South Side, thinks it's about time his former teammate is elected. "When you break down his numbers with some other people, I think he ranks right up there with anybody," Ventura said. The Negro League Baseball Museum deemed Raines worthy of induction in its 2016 "Hall of Game" class along with Dawson, Orlando Cepeda and Tony Oliva.

White Sox saved for city in their own version of the Chicago way By David Haugh / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 Before they even broke ground on what is now U.S. Cellular Field, then-Gov. James R. Thompson made the political earth beneath him move. Thompson had just arrived on the steps of the Capitol Building in Springfield around 4 p.m. on June 30, 1988, the last day of the legislative session, when staffers greeted him with long faces. "One of them said, 'It's over, it's not going to pass' … and that spurred me," Thompson recalled this week before the White Sox celebrated the 25th anniversary of their ballpark at 35th and Shields. Without Thompson immediately spurring into action to line up enough votes for the General Assembly to approve a new tax-subsidized, $167 million Sox stadium literally at the 11th hour, The Cell likely never would have been built. What transpired over eight hours one day almost 28 years ago still goes down as one of the most clutch plays in Chicago baseball history, an extraordinary effort by city and state politicians that stopped the Sox from leaving for St. Petersburg, Fla., where they already had begun selling "Florida White Sox" T-shirts. "I don't like to lose," reflected Thompson, 80, who was Illinois governor from 1977-1991. "I was bound and determined to keep the Sox here. I still get stopped on the street and people thank me for saving the White Sox. I always say, well, they were worth saving." But it took every ounce of political muscle Thompson could muster. After receiving word that the bill indeed was dead, Thompson headed straight to the office of then-Senate Republican leader James "Pate" Philip to persuade fellow party members who were hedging. The clock was ticking. Thompson remembered closing the door to make his point clearer.

"I said, 'Pate, this is personal. I want this stadium and you have to help me,'" Thompson said. There was more arm-twisting than a UFC fight card. Hours of lobbying eventually paid off and 30 state senators voted to pass the bill — the minimum required — but now Thompson had to quickly carry the legislation by hand onto the House floor on the other side of the Capitol. Time worked against him. After the midnight deadline, he would need 71 votes in the House instead of the usual 60. And with about 10 minutes left in the session, only 54 were committed. They needed six more. In sports terms, this was crunch time. Thompson says he literally rolled up his shirt sleeves and started working the room and earning his reputation as a deal maker. Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan joined him to make a powerful one-two combination of clout. History officially recorded the 60th vote was secured at 11:59 p.m., but Tribune archives show that Wite-Out was used to blot out the actual time with "11:59 p.m." written in ink. Thompson laughed off the folklore that he ordered someone to unplug the clock one minute before midnight. "They didn't stop the clock," Thompson said, chuckling. "That's legend." 25 memorable (and 5 forgettable) moments in U.S. Cellular Field history After 81 years across 35th Street at old Comiskey Park, the White Sox moved into their new home -- then the new Comiskey Park and now U.S. Cellular Field -- on April 18, 1991. In the 25 seasons since, there have been many memorable moments, good and bad, at the park. With the Sox commemorating their 25th season at the Cell on this homestand, the Tribune takes a look at the 25 most memorable -- and five Sox fans might like to forget. The bill actually passed at 12:03 a.m. Three minutes earlier, one of the Florida television reporters in the public gallery began his live report by announcing: "That's it, the Sox are going to Florida." "Then they were in astonishment when it officially passed," Thompson said. Down in Florida, bad news traveled fast. Tim Nickens, a reporter who covered the story for the St. Petersburg Times, still marvels at the sudden civic mood swing. "Everybody was excited about the possibility of the Sox coming … and then it was crushing," said Nickens, now the editor of editorials at the Tampa Bay Times. Weeks before the surprising Illinois vote, then-Florida Gov. Bob Martinez wore a White Sox jersey accepting thousands of petitions in favor of the Sox's arrival. A local company started selling "Florida White Sox" T-shirts, which Nickens still has. St. Petersburg started building the 43,000-seat Florida Suncoast Dome in 1986 with hopes of luring a major-league team — which wouldn't happen until the expansion Devil Rays began play in 1998. An entire decade earlier, hopes were high on June 7, 1988, when Florida lawmakers approved a $30 million package to entice Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. Old Comiskey: A South Side shrine Reinsdorf, encouraged by his Northwestern University law school buddy Thompson to threaten to move to Florida so Illinois legislators would approve his publicly financed Sox ballpark plan, gave every impression he was willing to leave the South Side. When Reinsdorf and the late Eddie Einhorn, a Sox top executive and minority owner, flew into Thomasville, Ga., about 30 miles north of Tallahassee to avoid negative attention surrounding the negotiations, the St. Petersburg Times reported death threats in Chicago as a reason for the secrecy. Imagine Chicago's reaction if Reinsdorf's appearance with the Florida governor at the Capitol in Tallahassee had come during the social-media age. As it was, only Floridians felt scorned.

"I think a lot of people down here initially felt (Reinsdorf) was the savior and then the bottom fell out," Nickens said. "And people realized this was a typical Illinois political move." Perhaps, but even those involved in orchestrating some of those moves became mesmerized by this one. Paul Jensen worked as the Sox director of public relations from 1984-89, making him intimately involved in the team's quest for a new stadium, whether it was in DuPage County, the west coast of Florida or across the street. After 78 years, Comiskey Park had outlived its usefulness and the Sox needed a new home to generate revenue and stay competitive. The incessant pursuit of a stadium so often interfered with Jensen's daily duties that, at his going-away party, he good-naturedly thanked Reinsdorf and Einhorn for "making my five years here seem like 10." "The fear the Sox were leaving was palpable," Jensen said. "But the goal always was to keep the team in Chicago." Yet as Jensen and the Sox beat writers listened to coverage of the vote on WBBM-AM 780 late that night in his Comiskey Park office, not even the team's PR guy knew what message he was about to shape. Two press releases had been prepared; one for each outcome. The Sox had just lost 5-3 to the Yankees — pitcher Tommy John beat Dave LaPoint with Kenny Williams starting in right field — but everybody's focus remained on the drama unfolding 200 miles away in Springfield. "It was surreal," said Jensen, a Park Ridge native now retired after 15 years with Arizona Cardinals. "I remember hearing on the broadcast, 'He's pounding his fist on the desk.' … We were like, 'What just happened?'" What just happened? Thompson later would call it "a baseball resurrection." Jensen borrowed a metaphor from another sport. "To use hockey parlance," Jensen said, "Gov. Thompson and Jerry Reinsdorf made a kick save." And for South Siders, it was a beauty.

Tax dollars still paying off renovations on White Sox stadium By Jared S. Hopkins / Chicago Tribune | May 20th, 2016 As the White Sox celebrate 25 years at U.S. Cellular Field this season, their fans can rejoice in a resurgent ballclub on the field. Whether taxpayers are as joyful subsidizing the publicly owned ballpark is another matter. Though the ballpark has now been paid for, a variety of taxes continue to underwrite millions of dollars' worth of renovations for a facility economists say has limited economic impact on Chicago. "The return of investment is really low, maybe negative" for the public, University of Chicago sports economist Allen Sanderson said. Payments for bonds funding the stadium's construction were completed six years ago. But the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the public agency that owns and operates the Cell, has other responsibilities: nearly $430 million in debt related to renovations at the ballpark and a major overhaul of Soldier Field, including $36 million in payments owed this year. To make its annual payments, the agency mostly relies on cash from Chicago hotel taxes. In addition, the city of Chicago and state each pay a $5 million subsidy required by law. The Bridgeport ballpark was proposed in the 1980s to counter a threat by Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to move his team to Florida, where a stadium was built to lure a team.

Then-Gov. Jim Thompson worked the floors of the General Assembly to pass a law creating the facilities authority in order to build a new ballpark. (Thompson later served as the authority's board chairman.) The clock on the House floor was turned off in order to meet a midnight deadline. The arrangement, spelled out in state law and a lease agreement that expires in 2029, called for the authority to design, build and maintain the ballpark. But ever since the authority's creation, it has been criticized for not looking out for taxpayers in its dealings with the team. "It is one-sided," said Lake Forest College sports economist Robert Baade. "I think the city and state (were) very much afraid they were going to lose the Sox." For example, the deal requires any nonbaseball events to be approved by the Sox, which some have said deprives the authority of the opportunity to book concerts and other lucrative activities. Several years ago, the authority paid nearly $7 million to build a 10,000-square-foot restaurant outside the stadium, now called the ChiSox Bar & Grill. The team pitched in $1 million, but the authority agreed to forgo any profits at Reinsdorf's request. Sox spokesman Scott Reifert defended the arrangement with the authority and said the Sox turned down a "better" deal to stay in Chicago. "The construction and operations of the ballpark were very creatively funded by relying primarily on tax revenues from visitors to the city of Chicago rather than its residents, and every hot dog and soda sold at a Sox game benefits the city, county and state of Illinois," he said. "Like any long-term contractual agreement, all parties have shown a willingness to compromise, adjust and work together for our mutual success." With workers busily pounding and wiring away, the White Sox's new park begins to rise in the shadows of the old Comiskey Park at 35th and Shields in November 1989. (Frank Hanes / Chicago Tribune) Under the deal, the Sox didn't have to pay a fee for use of the stadium until 2008. In 2015, that fee amounted to about $1.6 million. The Sox also must pay a fee on each ticket sold in excess of 1.93 million in paid attendance. Since 2008, the Sox have paid that fee only in 2010, when games drew 2.2 million fans. However, the Sox were allowed to apply a credit based on the taxes the team paid that year, reducing the ticket fee payment from $455,974 to $95,531. "The White Sox didn't have that much of an incentive to really pack the place," Sanderson said. Last year's attendance was 1,755,810, better than only four of the 30 Major League teams. Despite leading its division this season, the Sox have the second-worst total attendance in baseball. Baade said it's still disturbing that the city and state contribute money from their general funds at the expense of taxpayers who aren't interested in sports. "How you justify that has always been an issue," Baade said. "You're subsidizing elite spectators often at the expense of people of modest or less economic means." Baade said politicians and teams often justify public financing of stadiums with claims of broader economic benefits. However, the isolated Cell is surrounded by parking lots and has never made much of a dent on the economy of Chicago or Bridgeport, he said. "It's crystal clear that did not happen." Stadiums like the Cell are designed as walled cities to bring as much income inside the stadium as possible, giving local businesses little reason to open up shop nearby, according to a 2007 journal article that Baade co-authored.

Reifert said teams and public officials continue to believe that sports facilities are valuable for local economies. "In the case of the White Sox — and in addition to all of the marketing, public relations, community relations and charity benefits we bring to the city on an annual basis — we have produced a significant amount of amusement tax revenue and other direct tax payments to the city, county and state, in addition to other economic benefits, over the past 25 years," he said. The authority created to build the Cell, meanwhile, continues to help local sports owners with their stadium needs. In 2001, state lawmakers passed legislation so the authority could issue bonds for renovations at Soldier Field — changes that then-Mayor Richard Daley and others said were needed to keep the Bears in Chicago. The agency initially provided more than $400 million through bonds toward the $600 million project, which included some money for work at the Cell. (As the agency increased its debt, the city agreed to provide extra money if hotel tax revenue fell short; that happened once, totaling about $185,000.) Cost overruns brought the cost to about $690 million, and a Tribune analysis found the public portion was actually $432 million. The authority issued bonds again in 2003 for $42 million for improvements and upgrades to the Cell and again in 2008 for a $10 million expansion project alongside 35th Street. In 2014, a $291 million refunding of bonds helped ease the debt burden for the next two decades. But the authority said it still owes more than $430 million. Payments on the last portions of that debt are expected to last until 2032.

Sox drop fifth game in last six in 4-1 loss to Royals By Jeff Arnold / Chicago Sun-Times | May 20th, 2016 Todd Frazier likes to refer to Jose Quintana as the White Sox silent assassin. The Sox starter quietly goes about his business with the exception of the low-level grunts that Frazier can hear from his post at third base. Without anyone else hearing, Frazier knows Quintana is all business. “He’s determined to be the bulldog that we need,” Frazier said. For five innings Friday night, Quintana was just that, effortlessly mowing through the Kansas City Royals line-up. But then the sixth inning hit – and so did the defending World Series champions. Quintana retired 11 straight hitters after surrendering a second-inning single before the Royals strung together five hits as part of a three-run sixth that led to a 4-1 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. The loss marked the fifth in six games for the suddenly struggling Sox (25-17), who saw their lead in the AL Central Division shrink to 1 ½ games over second-place Cleveland and 3 ½ games over the Royals. In the sixth, Quintana (5-3) yielded back-to-back doubles to Omar Infante and Paulo Orlando before Alcides Escobar singled and Lorenzo Cain doubled. Cain’s double broke a 1-1 tie before Kendrys Morales delivered a two-out RBI single to score Cain. “(Quintana) seemed to be cruising along, pitching well,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “For him, (the sixth) was the one inning that bit him tonight. (The Royals) are tough once they got it going.” And once they got it going, Quintana couldn’t stop them.

“I missed a couple of pitches,” Quintana said. “(The hits) happen when you miss the zone – a couple of base hits. I tried to get the ground balls.” Quintana kept the Royals off-balanced with effective off-speed offerings that made life easy for Quintana before he gave up four straight hits – including two doubles – to start the sixth. The Royals added another run in the seventh to extend their lead. After Quintana – who scattered eight hits and struck out five – yielded back-to-back singles to start the inning, Orlando drove in a run off of reliever Zach Putnam. Kansas City threatened to add more by loading the bases with an Escobar infield single. But Putnam avoided any more damage when Cain lined out sharply to Abreu, who tagged Escobar to end the inning. The Sox didn’t provide Quintana with much run support over his five scoreless innings. Austin Jackson’s sacrifice fly in the second inning drove in Melky Cabrera, who led off the inning with a single. Royals starter Dillon Gee limited the Sox to only four hits over his five innings of work and struck out five and walked one before the Kansas City bullpen kept the Sox scoreless the rest of the way. Ventura shuffled the top of his line-up before Friday’s game, moving struggling slugger Jose Abreu into the No. 2 slot behind Adam Eaton. But the move proved ineffective as Eaton, Abreu and Frazier combined to go 1-for-12. Eaton was ejected after striking out looking to end the Sox ninth. The Sox put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh. Eaton singled and Abreu walked, but Joakim Soria got Frazier to line out to Escobar, who picked Eaton off second base to end the threat. It proved to be the theme of the night for the Sox, who finished with only five hits. “We had some opportunities but we didn’t do the same thing they did – being able to put it in plays and knock guys in,” Ventura said. “We had enough guys on base, we just didn’t execute enough.”

Eaton takes exception to strike zone, ejected following 4-1 loss By Jeff Arnold / Chicago Sun-Times | May 20th, 2016 A frustrating night for the White Sox offense got even more so for lead-off hitter Adam Eaton – even after everything in a 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals was over and done with. Eaton was ejected by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after Eaton was called out on strikes on what he thought was a questionable pitch by Royals closer Wade Davis. “It’s tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike and you didn’t take the bat off your shoulder, it’s pretty tough to hit like that,” Eaton said. “I think most guys didn’t like the inconsistency all night. Like I said, it’s tough. I think I know the zone pretty well. The at-bat before that, the first pitch I didn’t really like, and he told me to go look at it. So I went down and looked at it, and at the end of the game, I told (Wendelstedt) I looked at it, and it wasn’t a strike, either.” Eaton’s ejection – the second of his career with the first coming in 2014 against the Minnesota Twins – won’t impact him playing on Saturday. The Sox managed only five hits off of Royals pitching in the loss – their fifth in the last six games. Sox hitters struck out 10 times (including eight times looking), including Eaton’s to end the game. Asked about Wendelstedt’s strike zone after the loss, manager Robin Ventura said he thought it was “probably a little wide.”

Eaton, who went 1-for-5 and factored into the first three Sox hitters going a combined 1-for-12, agreed. “Like I said, the inconsistencies are tough to deal with as a hitter,” Eaton said. “Hitting is hard enough as it is, and when you have those inconsistencies, it makes it even more hard – especially Wade Davis throwing 95-plus. “I think (Wendelstedt) heard my displeasures. But new day tomorrow. Those guys have got a job to do and we do, too, so we’ll get back at it.”

Raines: Waiting on the Hall of Fame getting nerve-wracking By Jeff Arnold / Chicago Sun-Times | May 20th, 2016 Tim Raines doesn’t consider himself a nervous person. But with only one year remaining before his name is taken off the Hall of Fame ballot, Raines – who finished 23 votes shy of being inducted along with Ken Griffey, Jr., this year – admitted on Friday he is getting a big jittery. “Being so close, it’s a little nerve-wracking,” said Raines, who appeared at U.S. Cellular Field Friday along with former White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell, outfielder Lance Johnson and pitcher Roberto Hernandez as part of a homecoming weekend event commemorating the park’s 25th anniversary. “I just can’t wait until it’s over.” Raines spent five years with the Sox after 12 seasons in Montreal before playing with the Yankees, A’s, Expos, Orioles and Marlins. Raines retired in 2002 at age 42 and finished his career with a .294 batting average with 2,605 hits, 170 home runs, 980 RBI and 808 stolen bases. Raines, who went on to coach first base for the Sox, appeared on 69.8 percent of ballots this year after he was on 55 percent of ballots in 2015. Raines is the only player who put together more than two back-to-back seasons with at least 50 extra-base hits and 70 stolen bases, accomplishing the feat for four straight years between 1983-86. Raines is also the only player in major league history with at least 100 triples, 150 home runs and 600 stolen bases. Raines said of the years he has been on the ballot, this year was the first he felt like he had a chance of getting in. Each year around the same time, Raines receives a phone call from former Expos outfielder and teammate Andre Dawson, a Hall of Fame inductee Raines considers his best friend in baseball. This year when Dawson called, he asked Raines if he had gotten The Call. Not The Call, Raines told Dawson, but A Call. After not making it last year, a Hall of Fame official phoned, informing Raines that he had a good chance of being enshrined in 2017 – his 10th and final year on the ballot. “Up until that point, I thought about it when people asked about it, but after that, the only thing I wanted to see was how many votes I got,” Raines said. “This year, realizing I was 23 votes away, I think about it a lot more than I ever did in the past. Raines added: “If I don’t (get in), it’s not the end of the world. … I would love for it to happen.” Sox manager Robin Ventura said Raines played a critical role with the Sox during his time in Chicago. Between his ability to get on base and then steal bases while hitting in the lead-off spot, Raines played a similar role to another Hall of Fame lead off hitter, Oakland’s Rickey Henderson – someone who gave the Sox instant credibility at the top of their line-up.

Asked if he saw Raines as a Hall of Fame player then, Ventura didn’t hesitate. “When you break down his numbers with some other people, I think he ranks right up there with anybody,” Ventura said Friday.

Jake Arrieta, Chris Sale and a golden era for Chicago By Rick Morrissey / Chicago Sun-Times | May 20th, 2016 Having Chris Sale and Jake Arrieta in the same town is like walking into a packed restaurant and being told by the maître d’ that he might be able to add a chair to a table in the back, the one with Mr. Clapton, Mr. Page and their guitars. We’re in the right place at the right time. We’re in a city big enough to support two baseball teams, those two teams found two brilliant pitchers who now are at the top of their games and we stumbled into the treasure, through no merit of our own. What the two men are doing, Sale for the White Sox and Arrieta for the Cubs, borders on the preposterous. Sale is the fourth big-league pitcher since 1950 to go 9-0 in his first nine starts. Three of those starts ended in complete games, including his 2-1, 107-pitch, no-walk victory against the Astros on Thursday. His earned-run average is 1.58, which means he joins the New York Giants’ Sal Maglie as the only pitchers in major-league history to win their first nine starts with an ERA under 2.00. Arrieta has thrown two no-hitters in a short period — Aug. 30 against the Dodgers and April 21 against the Reds. He’s due for another one in, what, June? After an 8-1 victory over the Giants on Friday, he’s 8-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Oh, and he hadn’t lost a game since July 25. The two pitchers are as different as the arm with which they earn their money. Sale is a lefty, throws side-armed and, despite years in the gym and the refrigerator, remains as skinny as a pipe cleaner. On his follow-through, his glove hand goes flying up behind him, sometimes in a half circle on a maximum-effort throw. It’s pretty much Twister on a mound. Arrieta is a righty with a three-quarters throwing motion and very little wasted body movement. If you look at photos of him at the top of his delivery, he is almost always leaning back in an exaggerated fashion, as if someone in his past told him that rearing back and firing isn’t an expression but a way of life. His physique is less major-league baseball and more Muscle Beach. But the two pitchers get to the same place at the same time – very, very fast. Both have high-90s heat. They also have evil breaking balls. If you’re a left-handed hitter facing Sale, you have to try to dismiss the legitimate fear that his side-armed delivery is going to take your head off. Seeing as how lefties have hit .201 against him in his career, you are not succeeding. Sale mostly keeps his approach on the mound to himself. “I’m just trying to hit my spots,’’ he said after Thursday’s outing. “Location, location, location.” Arrieta is an open book. Actually, he’s an open technical manual. “I didn’t command the ball really all that well, especially with my sinking fastball,’’ he told reporters after a game against the Nationals and Bryce Harper earlier this month. “I was erratic around the strike zone. There were times where I tried to backdoor some off-speed to (Harper), and I missed under the strike zone on the inner half of the plate, which made it tough for (catcher Tim Federowicz) to really handle those pitches.’’ When has Chicago had this kind of excellence on both sides of town at the same time? One website mentioned 2003, when the Sox’ Esteban Loaiza finished second in Cy Young award voting in the

American League and the Cubs’ Mark Prior finished third in the National League. Sorry, no. They weren’t the Sale-Arrieta combo in all its power and glory. In 1992, the Cubs’ Greg Maddux won the NL Cy Young award with a 20-11 record and a 2.18 ERA. Jack McDowell went 20-10 with a 3.18 ERA for the Sox that season and finished second in AL Cy Young voting. Close, but not closer enough. In 1971, the Cubs’ Fergie Jenkins went 24-13 with a 2.77 ERA and won the NL Cy Young award, and the Sox’ Wilbur Wood finished third in the AL after going 22-13 with a 1.91 ERA. But Wood was a knuckleballer. He didn’t throw heat. He threw smoke rings. Those two guys don’t fit the Arrieta-Sale mold either. We’re seeing two power pitchers at their peak at the same time in the same town. There’s still most of a season to go. That’s not a warning. That’s a cause for celebration.

Frustrated White sox fall to Royals 4-1 By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | May 20th, 2016 The Chicago White Sox have been in first place in the AL Central since April 23, they have the league's best No. 1 starter in Chris Sale and probably the best No. 2 in Jose Quintana. They have quality hitters like Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier and Adam Eaton, and the defense is vastly improved over last season. So what's the problem? In the long term, the Sox are going to need some outside help if they hope to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years, and general manager Rick Hahn has vowed to do everything possible to bolster the roster. In the short term, the White Sox are obviously frustrated after falling to the Royals 4-1 Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field. How frustrated? Seven White Sox hitters were called out on strikes by home-plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt in the loss, including Eaton to end the game. Slowly walking toward the dugout after being rung up, Eaton turned back and went after Wendelstedt. Had manager Robin Ventura not alertly stepped in and pulled Eaton away, the leadoff man might be facing a suspension. "It's tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike and you didn't take the bat off your shoulder," said Eaton, who was ejected even though the game was over. "It's pretty tough to hit like that. I think most guys didn't like the inconsistency all night. Like I said, it's tough. I think "Hitting is hard enough as it is, and when you have those inconsistencies, it makes it even more hard -- especially with (Kansas City closer) Wade Davis throwing 95-plus. Very difficult. I think he heard my displeasures. But a new day tomorrow. Those guys have got a job to do and we do, too, so we'll get back at it." Quintana (5-3) started for the Sox and was cruising until the sixth inning, when the Royals scored 3 runs on 5 hits. "I missed a couple of pitches," said Quintana, who came in with the lowest ERA (1.54) in the league. "And after the double by (Omar) Infante, I tried to keep it down in the zone. But I missed a couple of pitches. It happens when you miss the zone."

Ventura tried to shake up the scuffling offense by moving Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier up a spot to No. 2 and 3, but the bats failed to fire again. The Sox were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and they left 9 runners on base. "Really, the game was we had some opportunities and we didn't do that same thing that they did of being able to put it in play, knock guys in," Ventura said. "We had enough guys on base, we just didn't execute enough." The Sox (25-17) have lost 5 of their last 6. "I can't stress it enough, you've got to play a full six months in this league," Eaton said. "You can't play a month and think you're going to throw your gloves out there and win. There are many teams that do really well in the first month and you don't see them in September. We're not going to be one of those teams. We've got to get better as the season goes on, and it starts tomorrow."

Former Sox starter McDowell raves about Sale By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | May 20th, 2016 Jack McDowell is the last White Sox pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, and that was back in 1993 when the lanky right-hander was 22-10 with a 3.37 ERA for the AL West champions. Returning to the South Side Friday to help celebrate the 25-year anniversary of U.S. Cellular Field/Comiskey Park, McDowell raved about current Sox ace Chris Sale, who is 9-0 with a 1.58 ERA and 3 complete games. Sale is already being viewed as the runaway Cy Young favorite this season. "Just watching him this year, it's not about the strikeout, it's about pounding the zone and putting the pressure on the hitters," McDowell said. "I didn't have the kind of put-away stuff that Chris does at all. My whole deal was to go after guys and make them put the ball in play. So I wasn't one of the best fantasy guys out there because I gave up over a hit an inning, usually, and they weren't very happy with me about that." In his early days with the Sox, the 6-foot-6, 180-pound Sale talked to the 6-5, 180-pound McDowell about bulking up. "The last I talked to Chris was I believe three years ago in spring training," McDowell said. "And he had a question about them trying to get him to put on weight and get bigger. I went through that, being a 6-5, 175-pounder out of college. We talked about and I said, 'Do you feel good?' He said he feels good. 'Do you feel strong? Do you feel normal? Then don't beat it up. It's either going to happen or it's not.' "I did try to do that growing up because I bought into the whole, 'Boy, you throw pretty hard, but if you get big and stronger you're going to throw harder.'" Hall of Fame bound? Along with Jack McDowell, Roberto Hernandez and Lance Johnson, Tim Raines was at U.S. Cellular Field Friday to commemorate the ballpark's 25th anniversary. Raines was traded to the White Sox from the Montreal Expos before the 1991 season and spent five years on the South Side. "It brings back fond memories, really," Raines said. "To spend 11 years in Montreal and then come here, the whole reason to come here was to have an opportunity to win a world championship. With guys like

Robin Ventura and Frank Thomas, Ozzie Guillen -- all those young guys who had proven themselves in previous years -- I felt like it was a great opportunity for me to get that chance to hopefully maybe win a world championship." Raines said the 1994 Sox "was probably the best team I had ever played on," but a players' strike on Aug. 10 wiped out the season and playoffs. After winning a World Series championship in 1998 with the New York Yankees, Raines retired after the 2002 season and has been on the Hall of Fame ballot the last nine years. In January, he received 69.8 percent of the vote, just shy of the 75 percent needed for entry into Cooperstown. Raines, 56, is expected to make the Hall next year, his final on the BWAA ballot. "This is probably the first year out of the nine years that I've been on the ballot that I really, really feel like I have a chance," said Raines, who ranks fifth all-time with 808 stolen bases. "I was 23 votes away last year. I had a really great career, I know it personally. I wouldn't change a thing. I loved every minute of playing the game. It's just a situation now where I have an opportunity to close that chapter of my career. Hopefully it's getting in. If I don't, it's not the end of the world."

Royals get to Quintana late, beat slumping White Sox 4-1 By Mike Cranston / Associated Press | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- When asked before the game if facing the World Series champions would be a good measuring stick, Chicago White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier pointed to the standings. "We're leading the division, so they have to come through us," Frazier said. The Kansas City Royals responded with a vintage 2015 performance. Omar Infante, Paulo Orlando and Lorenzo Cain all doubled in a three-run sixth inning off Jose Quintana to lead the Royals to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Orlando added an RBI single an inning later, Dillon Gee (1-1) allowed a run over five innings for his first victory since 2014 and shortstop Alcides Escobar's fine double play saved at least one run. The Royals won for the fifth time in seven games and moved within 3 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading White Sox. "We needed a game like this," Orlando said. Quintana (5-3) who entered with an AL-best 1.54 ERA, gave up one hit while facing the minimum 15 batters through five. He retired 11 straight until Infante had the first of four straight one-out hits. Kendrys Morales' two-out RBI single made it 3-1, with all the run-scoring hits off curveballs. "When we got runners in scoring position, he tried the breaking ball," Orlando said. Four relievers combined to blank the White Sox over the final four innings, with Wade Davis working out of ninth-inning trouble for his 10th save in 11 tries. Quintana was charged with a season-worst four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Austin Jackson's second-inning sacrifice fly provided the lone run for the White Sox, who have lost seven of nine. "We had some opportunities and we didn't do that same thing that they did, being able to put it in play and knock guys in," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We had enough guys on base, we just didn't execute enough." It looked like Chicago's dominance with its top pitchers Chris Sale and Quintana would continue early. Salvador Perez was quickly erased on a double play following his second-inning single, and the Royals didn't have another baserunner until the sixth. Consecutive one-out doubles by Infante and Orlando tied it at 1. After Alcides Escobar's infield hit, Cain smacked an RBI double into the left field corner. That was enough for the Royals, who have won 22 of 29 at U.S. Cellular Field. Ventura shook up his struggling lineup, moving Jose Abreu to the second spot for the first time since last season. Frazier batted third and Melky Cabrera fourth. Cabrera led off with a single to left and scored on Jackson's bases-loaded fly. But Chicago was frustrated while striking out looking seven times. Adam Eaton was ejected by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after taking a called third strike to end the game. "It's tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike and didn't even take the bat off your shoulder," Eaton said. "It's pretty tough to hit like that. I think most guys didn't like the inconsistency all night." Luke Hochevar, Joacim Soria and Kelvin Herrera threw a scoreless inning apiece. Escobar caught Frazier's liner to start a double play that ended the seventh. Gee, who took the injured Chris Young's spot in the rotation, allowed four hits and struck out five. "Great outing," manager Ned Yost said. "Going in against Quintana, it's going to be a low-scoring game. You've got to hold the fort there and he did." TRAINER'S ROOM Royals: 3B Mike Moustakas (thumb) rejoined the team after a minor league rehab stint and is expected to be activated off the disabled list before Saturday's game. HOT ORLANDO Orlando is 18 for 51 against the White Sox, whom he played for in minors. It's eight more hits than he has against any other team. WHOOPS Gee slipped in his windup, stumbled and the ball popped out of his hand and rolled toward first base with Cabrera at the plate in the fifth. Cabrera put his hand up and jumped out of the batter's box, while Wendelstedt ruled it a no pitch. Cabrera eventually struck out swinging. UP NEXT

LHP Danny Duffy (0-0, 2.57 ERA) makes his second start for the Royals since returning to the rotation in the series' middle game Saturday. White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-0, 5.17) has 11 strikeouts and 10 walks in 15 2/3 innings.

Eaton tossed as frustrated White Sox fall to Royals 4-1 By Mike Cranston / Associated Press | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Adam Eaton's emotions boiled over after he became the eighth Chicago White Sox player to be called out on strikes to end the game. At the same time the Kansas City Royals celebrated a 4-1 victory on Friday night, umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejected Eaton. "It's tough when you strike out and you only saw one strike and didn't even take the bat off your shoulder," Eaton said. "It's pretty tough to hit like that. I think most guys didn't like the inconsistency all night." It wasn't what Todd Frazier had in mind before the game. When asked if facing the World Series champions would be a good measuring stick, the White Sox third baseman pointed to the standings. "We're leading the division, so they have to come through us," Frazier said. The Royals responded with a vintage 2015 performance. Omar Infante, Paulo Orlando and Lorenzo Cain all doubled in a three-run sixth inning off Jose Quintana. Orlando added an RBI single an inning later, Dillon Gee (1-1) allowed a run over five innings for his first victory since 2014 and shortstop Alcides Escobar's fine double play saved at least one run. The Royals won for the fifth time in seven games and moved within 3 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading White Sox. "We needed a game like this," Orlando said. Quintana (5-3) who entered with an AL-best 1.54 ERA, gave up one hit while facing the minimum 15 batters through five. He retired 11 straight until Infante had the first of four straight one-out hits. Kendrys Morales' two-out RBI single made it 3-1, with all the run-scoring hits off curveballs. Quintana was charged with a season-worst four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. "After the double to Infante, I try to get down in the zone, but I missed a couple pitches," said Quintana, who fell to 1-7 in 18 starts against Kansas City. "That's what happen when you miss the zone." Four relievers combined to blank the White Sox over the final four innings, with Wade Davis working out of ninth-inning trouble for his 10th save in 11 tries. Austin Jackson's second-inning sacrifice fly provided the lone run for the White Sox, who have lost seven of nine. "We had some opportunities and we didn't do that same thing that they did, being able to put it in play and knock guys in," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. It looked like Chicago's dominance with its top pitchers Chris Sale and Quintana would continue early. Salvador Perez was quickly erased on a double play following his second-inning single, and the Royals didn't have another baserunner until the sixth.

Consecutive one-out doubles by Infante and Orlando tied it at 1. After Alcides Escobar's infield hit, Cain smacked an RBI double into the left field corner. That was enough for the Royals, who have won 22 of 29 at U.S. Cellular Field. Ventura shook up his struggling lineup, moving Jose Abreu to the second spot for the first time since last season. Frazier batted third and Melky Cabrera fourth. Cabrera led off with a single to left and scored on Jackson's bases-loaded fly. Luke Hochevar, Joakim Soria and Kelvin Herrera threw a scoreless inning apiece. Escobar caught Frazier's liner to start a double play that ended the seventh. Gee, who took the injured Chris Young's spot in the rotation, allowed four hits and struck out five. "You're going to go through stuff like that," Ventura said. "As frustrating as it is, we'll grind through it." MCDOWELL & SALE Jack McDowell, who won the AL Cy Young while leading the White Sox to the playoffs in 1993, threw out the first pitch to celebrate 25 years for the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. McDowell fielded several questions about Sale, off to a 9-0 start with the White Sox, including about comparing their fiery demeanor. "I was probably a little more over the top than Chris was," the 50-year-old McDowell said. OZZIE'S BACK Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen came through the press box and chatted with reporters in the first inning. UP NEXT LHP Danny Duffy (0-0, 2.57 ERA) makes his second start for the Royals since returning to the rotation in the series' middle game Saturday. White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-0, 5.17) has 11 strikeouts and 10 walks in 15 2/3 innings.

Tim Raines confident with final Hall of Fame bid looming Associated Press | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Tim Raines is hopeful he'll make the Baseball Hall of Fame next year when he's on the ballot for the 10th and last time. "This is probably the first year out of the nine years that I've been on the ballot that I really, really feel like I have a chance," Raines said Friday. Raines, who was part of an event marking 25 years for the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, knows the numbers. The former leadoff hitter was 23 votes shy earlier this year. He knows he would have to depend on a separate committee if he doesn't make it in 2017. "I think about it a lot more than I ever have in the past," Raines said.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza will be enshrined in Cooperstown, New York, this summer. Jeff Bagwell appeared on 71.6 percent of ballots and Raines 69.8, shy of the 75 percent needed. But no player has ever received as much of the vote as Bagwell and Raines and never eventually gotten in. Raines hit .294 in a 23-year career in which he walked 1,330 times and stole 808 stolen bases. He was a seven-time All-Star with the Montreal Expos and was being honored Friday for helping the White Sox reach the 1993 postseason. Raines hopes voters will find room for two leadoff hitters in the Hall of Fame from his era, as he would join Rickey Henderson. "I don't know the reason you can't have two guys being great leadoff guys. But obviously it is," Raines said. "Things have gotten better over the nine years I've been on the ballot. "For those 23 that want to vote for me next year, please. I'll be grateful," he added, smiling. "It would be something I never dreamed of and never really thought. But it would be something I'd be very appreciative of."

Levine: White Sox shuffle lineup in series opener with Royals By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | May 20th, 2016

(CBS) — With their best hitter not pounding the baseball like he did in the past, the Chicago White Sox are moving Jose Abreu up in the batting order, in hopes of better results. “We did it last year,” Manager Robin Ventura said. “He seemed to handle it just fine. We are just moving guys around. Offensively, we have been in a bit of a rut as far as how it all works.” Abreu hit between leadoff man Adam Eaton and Todd Frazier, who moved to third from fourth in the batting order. Melky Cabrera also moved up to the cleanup spot in the lineup. “My first experience there was last year,” Abreu said. “It was good for me, and I am sure this will be good, too.” The 29-year-old Cuban first baseman has not done a lot of damage with the stick so far this season. In 41 games Abreu was hitting .247 with 6 home runs and 27 RBI. Although the RBI projected out would be around 106, the power numbers are down. A combined 13 extra base hits is a serious dropoff from his prior two season averages of 68. The .407 slugging and 321 on base percentage are career lows based on 2015/2016 numbers. “I don’t really care about where I hit in the order. If I am playing, I will get to hit. I don’t care where in the order,” Abreu said. If you are a metrics man or women, Abreu had a 5.5 WAR in 2015. He dropped to a 3.8 WAR in 2015. So far this year, his WAR is underwater at 0.2. The talented Abreu is in the third year of a six -year, $68 million contract and seems physically fine to fulfil l his obligation. He has one home run and six RBI in his last ten games. Abreu is hitting .227 during that ten game sample. The rest of the order was also moved up, including Frazier from fourth to third. “I batted second before, as well,” the Sox third baseman said. “Billy Hamilton was leading off, speed guy, of course. I got a lot more fastballs. I had four or five stolen bases … I think everyone knows what Jose is about. I still think they will pitch to him cautiously. Hopefully, I will get more opportunities to drive those guys in.”

The matchup with the world champion Royals has been played up as a test. People want more proof that the White Sox really have the right stuff to win the central division this season. “To be honest with you, we are No. 1 right now,” Frazier boldly stated. “If you want the truth, we are leading the division. They have to come for us. We know what they are all about. We understand the position they put themselves in each of the last two years. Kudos to them, but we have done some good stuff. … We have to be ready to go.” A bold pronouncement by Frazier? Or, a new sheriff in town? We mayknow more after this seven -game stretch with the Royals and Indians.

Rick Hahn steers White Sox to faster rebuild By Christina Karl / ESPN | May 20th, 2016 CHICAGO -- A couple of weeks ago in the Chicago White Sox clubhouse, Adam Eaton was ribbing Avisail Garcia about the fact that he was the senior position player in the White Sox organization in service time. Garcia just laughed it off as the White Sox hurried to get on the field and start getting ready for their game. That might seem a little crazy. Garcia has been with the team since July 30, 2013, coming over in a three-way deal pulled off by Rick Hahn during his first trade deadline as the White Sox general manager. Which brings home something very simple about the 2016 White Sox: This, now, is Hahn’s team. That’s a meaningful distinction because it’s important to remember the team Hahn inherited after taking over for Kenny Williams in October 2012, especially a lineup relying on past-their-prime veterans Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios. That first Hahn team lost 99 games, a 22-game decline that might have encouraged other execs to blast down to the foundation and try to earn a genius rep through a slow rebuilding program. The problem is that wasn’t the job Hahn had taken on. “We don’t get the luxury of an extended rebuild here,” Hahn said. “Those have been executed masterfully throughout the league, as we’ve seen, which is understandable. It’s just not how we’ve chosen to address things here over the years. The fact is, after the ’13 season, losing 99 games, having what was widely regarded as a bottom-tier farm system, and having several players on the roster who were older, some contracts that were rather sizable, we had to make a choice: Do we go with the five- to seven-year full rebuild? Or do we try to turn this thing a little more quickly?” Hitting the reset button might bring the benefits of better draft position -- and revenue-sharing money – and might protect your draft picks from free-agent investments. But it also risks chasing away fans and sponsors, potentially hampering your ability to maximize your profitability with local revenue. And doing that in one of the biggest of big markets -- Chicago? As an executive, you might ultimately reap some genius laurels. It even worked out for Dayton Moore with the Royals, years after he’d been reduced to a national punching bag by my fellow statheads for talking about “the process” when it didn’t seem that his team's three-decade absence from the postseason was ever going to end. Instead, the White Sox made a hard choice, and for them it might have been the only choice while operating in a market where they don’t have Wrigley Field to draw fans no matter what the master plan might be. And this year, Hahn’s fourth, is being played and won with the roster Hahn has designed. So you look at today’s outfit, with Adam Eaton -- picked up in a Hahn trade in December 2013 -- giving the Sox one of the best leadoff men in the game. Jose Abreu -- signed by Hahn in October 2013 -- is the roster’s centerpiece slugger, and the latest additions, Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie, provide additional power. Melky Cabrera -- signed before the 2015 season – has also rewarded the Sox’s faith in him; after

the break last year, he put up a .782 OPS. And finally, the Sox might have a lineup that can produce to make regular winners out of their one-two punch atop the rotation. “Starting off with that ’13 team, at least having Chris Sale, having Jose Quintana, that gives you a pretty decent starting point,” Hahn acknowledged. “And then being able to very quickly add Abreu to the mix, and Adam Eaton helped us make that transition. But we still knew it was going to be a multiyear process. Not of the magnitude of the full rebuild, but instead one that would be able to pivot much more quickly.” Another key for the White Sox has been getting better production throughout the lineup, a matter of design meant to correct last year’s short-sequence offense that saw the bottom three slots generate just a .628 OPS. “It was important to us this past offseason to, how shall I say it … level off portions of our roster,” Hahn said, managing to be politic and pointed about previous problems. “We had a number of players, other slots in the lineup, that were not keeping the line moving, so to speak. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have any dead spots.” A part of why the White Sox have a .722 OPS now over last year’s .686 is that they’re almost 50 points better from their bottom three slots in the order, and that’s without getting big numbers out of their catchers (Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro) and center fielder Austin Jackson in the eight-nine slots. Improvement may be relative, but as bad as the Sox were, they’re much better now. That fix ends up creating a lineup not unlike last year’s surprising Astros team, which sprang into contention in part because of a lineup equipped with more power top to bottom -- the power to overcome mistakes late in games. It gives you a puncher’s chance, even once the game is in the hands of bullpens designed to erase opponents in the last three innings. “Obviously, adding a guy like Frazier, Melky picking up where he left off in the second half last year, are big pluses. But we also wanted to make sure that, one through nine, we avoided carrying any negatives. In recent years, we’ve had too many holes in the lineup.” You could note that without Sale’s 9-0 start, the Sox are “just” a .500 team. But you can do that with a lot of teams and their ace. (Shazam: The Dodgers are 13-20 without Clayton Kershaw.) Pick holes, and you’d risk missing the point that the White Sox are better built today to win games, something they’ve accomplished without the full teardowns we’ve seen in Houston -- or on Chicago’s North Side. Which deserves a question: Isn’t that the harder job? “I’ll go with that,” Hahn said with a laugh. “It’s my approach, it was Kenny’s approach, it’s Jerry [Reinsdorf’s] approach as well.” And to be fair, it’s that win-now approach that did notch Chicago’s only World Series win in almost a century, back in 2005. If the White Sox earn a shot at another division crown, another pennant or another title, it will be because they charted the course that made sense to them, rather than retreat into an extended rebuild that may have left them forgotten as the Second City’s second team.

White Sox all talk, no action in 4-1 loss to Royals By Tom Musick / The Athletic | May 20th, 2016 Adam Eaton envisioned his second career ejection to be a little more exciting. Surely, White Sox fans would stand and scream in support of their outfielder. Teammates would rally to his defense. Maybe the vendors would bark a little louder, the organist would punch the keys a little harder.

None of that happened, of course. Instead, Eaton was called out on strikes to end Friday’s game. He argued with home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, and he was tossed. From a game that already was over. “Really anticlamactic, to be honest with you,” Eaton said. It was a strange ending to what has been an unsettling week and a half for the White Sox. The Royals pulled away for a 4-1 win, handing the White Sox their fifth loss in the past six games and their seventh loss in the past nine. “You’re going to go through stuff like that,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “As frustrating as it is, we’ll grind through it. We’ve got some guys that have been around. But, yeah, it is a rut.” Eaton’s ejection offered a tangible sign of mounting frustrations on the South Side. The White Sox stranded nine runners and struck out 10 times, including eight caught looking, in the series opener. Eaton said his problems with Wendelstedt started in the seventh inning. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Wendelstedt called a strike, and Eaton voiced his objections. “He told me to go look at it (on video),” Eaton said. “So I went down and looked at it, and at the end of the game, I told him I looked at it, and it wasn’t a strike, either. Like I said, the inconsistencies are tough to deal with as a hitter. Hitting is hard enough as it is, and when you have those inconsistencies, it makes it even more hard. “But new day tomorrow. Those guys have a job to do, and we do, too, so we’ll get back at it.” The sooner the White Sox can move past Friday, the better. For the first time in a long time, Jose Quintana looked vulnerable for longer than 10 seconds. Quintana breezed through the first five innings, but the Royals erupted in the sixth inning to tag the southpaw for three runs on five hits. By the time Quintana’s night was finished, he had allowed four runs on eight hits, both season highs, in 6 1/3 innings. He failed to register a quality start for only the second time in the past 14 outings. Quintana dropped to 1-7 in his career against the Royals. “I know I have a little trouble with them,” Quintana said. “But I try to work on it and try the next time to be better. “I missed a couple of pitches. And after the double (by Omar Infante in the sixth inning), I tried to keep it down in the zone. But I missed a couple of pitches. It happens when you miss the zone.” Quintana will be fine. But no one can blame White Sox fans for worrying about the team’s trajectory. After a slow start, the Royals have won four of five to climb back above .500. Meanwhile, the White Sox have scored a grand total of six runs in their past three games. “I think if you ask any of those guys or anybody in Kansas City, they’ll say they underachieved the first month of the season,” Eaton said. “They’re a good team. I can’t stress it enough, you’ve got to play a full six months in this league. You can’t play a month and think you’re going to throw your gloves out there and win.

“There are many teams that do really well in the first month and you don’t see them in September. We’re not going to be one of those teams. We’ve got to get better as the season goes on, and it starts tomorrow.” Ventura tried to ignite a slumping offense by moving Abreu into the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Abreu finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout as the White Sox managed only six hits all night. “It didn’t work,” Ventura said. As Ventura spoke, ex-manager Ozzie Guillen walked through the bowels of the stadium with his son, Ozzie Jr. The elder Guillen spotted a familiar security guard near the visitors’ clubhouse and embraced him in a lengthy bear hug. Guillen smiled at his old friend as he said goodbye. It was another strange ending on a night filled with them.

‘Punch A.J.’ landed 10 years ago and we’ll never forget it By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | May 20th, 2016 Henry Blanco will never forget the fight between the Cubs and White Sox that took place 10 years ago Friday. “I still remember seeing the picture where Lou Piniella fell down,” the Cubs coach said in Milwaukee on Thursday. OK, wrong fight. For a second, Blanco, who was a backup catcher for the Cubs way back when, transposed details from the Cubs-Sox melee in 2006 with the Cubs-Padres fight in 2007. The latter fight, which took place at Wrigley Field, had Derrek Lee and San Diego pitcher Chris Young throwing wildly missed haymakers, Piniella falling down trying to break it up, and Carlos Zambrano, who was in the middle of a no-hit bid, running out of the clubhouse with his belt unbuckled ready to throw down. But Blanco can’t forget the Cubs-Sox fight on May 20, 2006 at U.S. Cellular Field. It was a Chicago classic that captured the two fanbases’ hatred of each other. The Sox were in first place, the defending World Series champs, while the Cubs were in the middle of an ugly season that would see them lose 96 games, ending manager Dusty Baker’s tenure on the North Side. How did it start? White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski charged home on a sacrifice fly and sent Cubs catcher Michael Barrett flying. Pierzynski then karate-chopped home plate and started walking toward Barrett, who didn’t like it and clocked Pierzynski in the face. “We saw Michael Barrett, the kind of attitude that he had,” Blanco said. “We knew he wasn’t going to take that. Obviously it was a matter of time before someone was going to do something and he was going to react back.” (The next year, Barrett got into a fist fight in the dugout and clubhouse with Zambrano. There was no disputing who won that fight.) Both benches emptied with bad intentions between the team. White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik jumped on Barrett, Sox outfielder Brian Anderson came at…John Mabry?

After it was cleared up, Pierzynski was raising his arms to hype up the home crowd like the wrestling heel he was born to be. “Fans from Chicago enjoy that kind of stuff,” Blanco said. “I think it’s going to always be there whenever we play each other.” Will the Sox highlight the fight in Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals? “How in the world did you know it was the 10th anniversary?” White Sox vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer wrote back when I emailed him about it Thursday. “When I saw the subject line, before I opened it I was trying to think what 10th anniversary we could be celebrating. ‘The Shot Heard Across the Southside.’ (sic) Sorry to report, no big plans for a celebration but might have to figure out how to weave it in to our game presentation tomorrow night.” On Friday, the White Sox tweeted out a video reminder. Some of the more memorable moments came afterward, with Sox manager Ozzie Guillen getting into a brief war of words with Cubs pitcher Rich Hill (guess who won), and having a misunderstanding with Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, thanks to an interview with morning radio host Mike North about Joey Cora biting people and Guillen’s kids fighting. (Read this story for the full details.) One of Guillen’s rants included this classic Ozzie joke about his three sons. It was all worth it to hear him say one of his kids could only eat or drink somebody. While Cubs bootleg T-shirt vendors made a killing off T-shirts of Pierzynski getting punched (I remember Cubs reliever David Aardsma packing a few away on their locker clean-out day), the Sox actually commemorate the play on a pole in the 100 level. And back in 2006, they used the play to tout Pierzynski for the 25th man All-Star spot, which is secured through fan voting. The campaign was called “Punch A.J.” It was perfect and successful as Pierzynski made a White Sox-flavored All-Star team, which was managed by Ozzie Guillen. “I don’t remember who exactly came up with the concept (I know it wasn’t me) but it was a good one,” Boyer wrote me. “I do recall some laughing as the original reaction but it sure hit the mark. Everyone was on board, including AJ. He just laughed, and said ‘Have some fun with it.’ Those are types of campaigns where you can have little fun with the players as they all get behind it and want to see their teammate win.” As Guillen said of the “Punch A.J.” promotion back in 2006: “I thought it was awesome, and I know a lot of people want to do that.” One guy did and the result will always have a home in our collective memory. Pierzynski’s hustle play to first in the 2005 American League Championship Series was his most meaningful moment as a White Sox, but just his luck, everyone will always remember him getting punched in the face.