WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 29, 2016 “Offense lacking for White Sox in ace’s return” … Carrie Muskat and Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sale rejoins team with tough-luck loss” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Ventura keeps focus on field, off trade winds” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Fulmer atop White Sox prospects list” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “The 5 toughest “buy or sell” dilemmas” … Richard Justice, MLB.com “A relentless Anthony Rizzo teased Dioner Navarro as only an ex-teammate could” … Adrian Garro, Cut4 MLB.com “Back with White Sox, Chris Sale ready to move on from ‘fiasco’” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Robin Ventura isn’t convinced White Sox will sell at deadline” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Chris Sale good in return but White Sox lose to Cubs” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox find normalcy in Chris Sale’s return from suspension” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “Back at Wrigley Field, Rick Renteria not concerned about managing again” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “Chance the Rapper throws shade toward the Cubs” … Staff, CSN Chicago “White Sox ace Chris Sale sorry for drawing suspension” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Upon return to Wrigley Field, Rick Renteria concentrates on job at hand” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Thursday’s recap: Cubs 3, White Sox 1” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “Cubs top White Sox to earn split decision in City Series” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “Wearing it well: Jersey flap past, Chris Sale shows he shouldn’t be dealt” … David Haugh, Chicago Tribune “Can the Chris Sale-Robin Ventura marriage be saved?” … Steve Rosenbloom, Chicago Tribune “Renteria keeps emotion out of it at Wrigley” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Chris Sale wants to stay with teammates, move past ‘fiasco’” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Sale starts for Sox, but Chapman finishes as Cubs split series” … Gordon Wittenmyer, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox welcome back Sale but can’t help him get the victory” … Dan McGrath, Chicago Sun-Times “Ventura doesn’t expect White Sox to sell as trade deadline approaches” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Sox ace Sale returns to mound, tries to move past controversial suspension” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Rozner: Why would Reinsdorf still want White Sox?” … Barry Rozner, Daily Herald “Levine: Chris Sale hopes to use fabric attack fiasco to contribute to a charitable cause” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Levine: Chris Sale admits some regret but doesn’t back down from his beliefs” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Suspension over, Chris Sale makes his grand return to White Sox” … Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic “Crosstown social: Which Cubs, Sox players are most active on Twitter?” … Lauren Comitor, The Athletic “Chris Sale returns, but White Sox’s drama may just be beginning” … Bob Nightengale, USA Today “Chris Sale: Nice to get out there, pitch after suspension ” … Bradford Doolittle, ESPN “Sale loses in return from ban, wants to stay in Chicago” … Associated Press

Offense lacking for White Sox in ace’s return Lackey bests Sale as crosstown series ends in split By Carrie Muskat and Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 28th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Aroldis Chapman got the final four outs for his first save with the Cubs, and John Lackey outdueled Chris Sale on Thursday night to end the intracity series in a split decision, with each team able to brag that they defended home turf. Lackey picked up the win, his first since June 8, as the Cubs edged the White Sox, 3-1, at Wrigley Field to close the Interleague series against their crosstown rivals and spoil Sale's bid for his Major League-leading 15th win. There were no wardrobe malfunctions regarding Sale. The lefty was scheduled to go Saturday but was scratched after he destroyed the 1976 throwback uniforms to be worn that night. Sale, making his first start since July 18, scattered six hits and walked three over six innings, and he also singled in the sixth. "I think Lackey was just better tonight," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "After the first inning, we really couldn't get anything going." Each team scored in the first, and Ben Zobrist hit a tiebreaking RBI single with one out in the third. The Cubs, who boast the best home record in the National League at 32-16, have won six of eight games at Wrigley Field since the All-Star break. Chapman entered with a runner on third and two outs in the eighth, and struck out Melky Cabrera on six pitches, with four registering 100 mph or higher. The other two were 99 mph. "It's exciting," Anthony Rizzo said of Chapman's outings. "When he's pitching, you stay to see what he does because he's that type of player. What he does for our bullpen, it's incredible to add a guy like that." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bryant vs. Sale: Prior to Thursday, Kris Bryant was 0-for-6 against Sale, striking out all six times, but in the All-Star Game, the Cubs third baseman hit a home run on the first pitch he saw from the lefty. On Thursday, Sale walked Dexter Fowler, who then scored on Bryant's double to center to tie the score at 1. Fowler also scored on Zobrist's single in the third. "The first couple was knocking the rust off a little bit, but I felt good," Sale said. "[Dioner Navarro] really did a great job of getting me through that. I don't think I had my best of the best out there tonight. He really, he got me through this one and I owe him a lot of credit." He can hit, too: Sale is known more for his prodigious strikeout totals and his low WHIP as opposed to prowess with the bat. But Sale opened the sixth with a single to center on a ground ball up the middle that hit the base. Sale got as far as second, but Lackey retired Jose Abreu on a popup to Anthony Rizzo to end the rally. Sale has two hits in his career, both singles. "I thought he pitched a good game," Ventura said. "He had a walk and a hit by pitch that ends up costing us but he pitched a good game and I thought he swung it well, too. He took some hacks." Melky makes contact: Cabrera doubled home Tim Anderson in the first inning for the first run of the game. Cabrera added a single in the sixth, standing as the lone White Sox starter with a multihit effort. Navarro reached base twice with two walks. Penmanship: The addition of Chapman has changed how Cubs manager Joe Maddon will use his bullpen. Lackey was lifted after throwing 84 pitches over six innings, and most likely could've gone longer. Maddon then turned to Pedro Strop and former closer Hector Rondon before Chapman entered in the eighth with a runner on and two outs. It was Chapman's first four-out save this season.

"He's your guy, and if you let that save moment get away -- if [Rondon] gives up that run and you go into the next inning tied, it's a different moment for [Chapman]," Maddon said. "You want to give him the opportunity to convert the save." QUOTABLE "I think everyone is making just a little bit bigger deal of this than it really is. We are here to win games and from this point forward, I think that's our main focus. We are going to come in every day and do our jobs and try to win ballgames, that's at the forefront." -- Sale, on his return from suspension "We'll keep scratching and clawing and trying to get it going again, but they're a tough team to go against. They've got a lot of power." -- Ventura SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With each team winning two games at home, the White Sox lead the crosstown Interleague series, 57-51. WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: Jose Quintana sits two wins away from reaching double digits for the first time in his career and takes the mound Friday night at Target Field. The left-hander has a 3-0 record with a 2.10 ERA in July and is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA over three starts against the Twins this season. Cubs: Jon Lester will open the Cubs' Interleague series against the Mariners on Friday at Wrigley Field. Lester is 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA in 12 career starts against Seattle. In his last four starts this season, Lester is 1-1 with a 10.13 ERA, giving up 18 earned runs over 16 innings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT.

Sale rejoins team with tough-luck loss Ace lefty tosses 6 solid innings in return from suspension By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 28th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Chris Sale was a pitcher, make that a pretty good pitcher, Thursday night during a 3-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. If the five-time All-Star has his way, the mound is where the focus will remain for the remainder of the 2016 season. Sale returned from a five-game suspension to pitch the finale of the Crosstown Cup series, a suspension given Saturday for violating team rules, insubordination and destroying team equipment. That equipment, of course, was the 1976 throwback jerseys that he felt impeded performance. But after losing for the fourth time against 14 victories, Sale looked more toward the future than past transgressions. "It is what it is. I know that's very cliche to say, but you move on," said Sale, sitting in the visitors' dugout and surrounded by media following his first outing since July 18. "You move forward, and the main focus from this point forward is winning ballgames. "This is what I signed up to do, play baseball. It felt incredible. It was nice to get back out there and pitch again." The White Sox staked Sale to a 1-0 lead on Melky Cabrera's run-scoring double in the first, but Sale gave that back in the bottom half of the inning on a walk to Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant's double. Sale admitted to knocking the rust off early and credited catcher Dioner Navarro for getting him through the evening.

Stuff-wise, one of the game's best pitchers has been better. Sale was still good enough to yield two runs on six hits over six innings, striking out four and walking three. "He definitely pitched well enough to win a game," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I thought he was there," Navarro said. "He was painting, throwing the ball to the corners. Probably wasn't throwing as hard as he normally does. He gave us a great outing. We just weren't able to score any runs for him." When Sale arrived at Wrigley with a number of his teammates around 4:45 p.m., it looked like business as usual. Cabrera embraced him in a bear hug and Sale went around patting teammates on the back and talking to them as if he was never gone. Nonetheless, Sale had been gone. He left the bullpen to cover for him on Saturday, something the intense competitor doesn't approve of doing even when he does make the start. Any sort of message to teammates, Ventura or the coaching staff will wait until this weekend for a series in Minnesota. Sale wanted to keep Thursday as close to a normal start day as possible. Though Sale didn't address the specifics of Saturday's incident, he reiterated a point made to MLB.com Monday concerning staying and winning with the White Sox. "I'm a pitcher," Sale said. "I'm called upon every fifth day, and when I can't go out there for my guys and the fans, it gets to me. I felt like I was out on an island, really. Seven o'clock rolls around and I usually know what's going on. Sitting at the house [stinks]."

Ventura keeps focus on field, off trade winds White Sox have flexibility to stand pat as Deadline nears By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 28th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Robin Ventura doesn't want to see anyone from this White Sox team depart before the non-waiver Trade Deadline on Monday. And to be honest, the White Sox manager doesn't think anything is going to happen. "We'll go from there," Ventura said during his pregame media session Thursday at Wrigley Field. "You have to put it out of your mind to the best of your ability and play, focus on today. There's nothing you can do about it. "Everybody's been part of it, and we have some guys that I think people want. This week probably led to some more phone calls, of people calling just to see what's going on with us. Our guys should look at it as a nice thing that people are calling and asking about you because that means people want you." There are a number of White Sox players drawing interest, even with the group as a whole hovering around .500. Left-hander Chris Sale, who returned to the mound Thursday night following a five-game suspension, and his left-handed rotation mate Jose Quintana would bring the greatest talent package back in return, but the White Sox certainly aren't looking to trade the aces of their staff unless their exact demands are met. Veterans, such as closer David Robertson, left-handed reliever Zach Duke, third baseman Todd Frazier, starters Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields and outfielder Adam Eaton have been asked about by contenders. But the White Sox have nobody with a contract running out into free agency and aren't forced to begin a rebuild at this moment. They simply need to try to go on a run akin to the seven straight wins they put together approaching the Deadline in 2015.

"I hope we do it again," Ventura said. "The decision isn't mine, and I'm not taking or making any phone calls. For me, I hope we do it again." "Whatever you can control, control that," Frazier said. "Until your agent or somebody in the brass comes up to you and says, 'We're looking to move you,' that's when stuff maybe gets in your mind." Renteria focused on job he's doing Rick Renteria termed his 2014 season managing the Cubs as "a great experience," adding that he's talked to a few of the youngsters on the other side of the field. But as far as the low-key White Sox bench coach getting back in the manager's game, that question will be left for another time. "I'll give you the same answer I've always given everybody. I came out here to do the job I'm doing right now," Renteria said. "I've always believed that whatever goes on after that kind of takes care of itself. "I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing right now. Whatever comes in the future, comes in the future." Rodon looking like Sunday starter Ventura indicated Carlos Rodon could be the TBA starter in Sunday's series finale against the Twins at Target Field. Rodon is on the disabled list with a sprained left wrist. "He felt pretty good," Ventura said. "We're going to hold off on that until we get a better idea about him [Friday]."

Fulmer atop White Sox prospects list 2016 Draft class joins rankings, top pick Collins at No. 2 By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 28th, 2016 CHICAGO -- The White Sox were thrilled with their 2016 Draft class, including three picks in the top 49. And apparently others have taken notice. MLBPipeline.com's newest Top 100 prospects overall and the Top 30 for the White Sox, released on Thursday, show the newest selections made quite an impact. Carson Fulmer still sits No. 1 for the White Sox and No. 71 overall. But catcher Zack Collins, the 10th overall Draft pick in June, ranks second for the White Sox and 97th overall, followed by RHP Spencer Adams, RHP Zack Burdi, OF Adam Engel, 3B Trey Michalczewski, RHP Alec Hansen, OF Jameson Fisher, LHP Jordan Guerrero and RHP Jordan Stephens. Burdi (26th), Hansen (49th) and Fisher (fourth round) were also 2016 Draft selections. "You almost have to take each individual case," director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler said of the '16 Draft, which was his first in charge for the White Sox. "There are times where you want to get overly excited and puff out your chests and say our guys are doing great and whatnot. "But you have to go on the flip side and point out the guys who aren't. The first thing for these guys is to get them accustomed to pro ball. They've got to get their feet wet. They have to understand what life is, doing stuff on their own, washing clothes or getting a meal, whatever it might be." The ranking of baseball's top prospects is done by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status are eligible for the list. The rankings follow the Collective Bargaining Agreement guidelines for which players fall under the international pool money rules: Players who were at least 23 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.

Fulmer, who was the top White Sox pick in the 2015 Draft (eighth overall), currently pitches in relief for the big league squad. Fulmer sat 38th among all prospects in the preseason rankings but has struggled in the early part of his bullpen career with a 17.18 ERA through four games and 3 2/3 innings. "The ball is jumping out of the zone," Fulmer said. "I just have to stay through the ball a little bit better and get my pitches where I want them. And obviously more reps will fix that. It's a matter of time before it clicks." Infielder Luis Curbelo (No. 18) and outfielder Alex Call (No. 19) also cracked the White Sox Top 30 out of the 2016 Draft.

The 5 toughest “buy or sell” dilemmas Royals, Yankees, Mariners, White Sox, Rockies have decisions to make before Trade Deadline By Richard Justice / MLB.com | July 28th, 2016 No general manager faces a tougher couple of days than Dayton Moore of the Royals. He has a team on the fringe of the postseason race and veteran players who might bring a bounty of young talent. Buy or sell? For some teams, it's obvious. The Rays, Athletics and Padres are willing to listen to offers for virtually anyone on their rosters. For other teams -- the Royals, for instance -- the path is less clear. Kansas City could still make a postseason run, but it would take a significant turnaround. With the non-waiver Trade Deadline on Monday at 4 p.m. ET, this is the weekend when decisions have to be made. Let's look at five teams who'll likely have stressful weekends: Royals: 49-52 4th place in American League Central, 9 games back 7th place in AL Wild Card race, 6 1/2 games back Moore is attempting to evaluate what the market is for his closer, Wade Davis, arguably the best in the game. What if Kansas City can get two elite prospects, or maybe three? Moore has other players who have drawn interest, particularly right-hander Edinson Volquez. Moore has had a simple answer: He's listening to what other teams have to say, but he hasn't decided to make deals that would be viewed as pulling the plug on 2016. These decisions are the toughest any GM will ever be asked to make. It's one thing to evaluate another team. It's totally different to assess your own. One thing Moore has prided himself on is making the tough call, and this one is a doozy for the defending champs. The Royals have six teams to pass just to get an AL Wild Card berth. Some of those teams -- Red Sox, Astros, Tigers -- are playing better than Kansas City. But while the standings announce one reality, the other reality is that the Royals are one good stretch from getting right back in the hunt for a playoff berth. The Dodgers and Nationals see Davis as someone who potentially could get them to the World Series. If he's traded, the Royals would still have Kelvin Herrera to pitch the ninth inning. If some of the pitchers Moore had counted on get healthy, Kansas City could still play meaningful games in September while putting the club in a better spot for 2017. Yankees: 52-49

4th place in AL East, 6 games back 4th place in AL Wild Card race, 3 1/2 games back This is an easy call. As long as the deficit is reasonable, the Yankees are in it. If it's the AL Wild Card Game, so be it. Two years ago, the World Series featured two Wild Card teams -- Royals and Giants. When general manager Brian Cashman traded closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, it wasn't an indication the Yanks were pulling the plug on the season. Instead, it was an acknowledgement that the Cubs had made an overwhelming offer. To reject it would have been silly. New Yankees closer Andrew Miller probably would fetch more than Chapman, but Cashman apparently hasn't come close to dealing him. He may also find some interest in veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran, who has been one of the players who has helped the club creep back into contention. For now, the Yanks are going to let things play out. To play two meaningless months of baseball simply isn't in their DNA. They've played well enough lately to justify that thinking. Mariners: 51-49 3rd place in AL West, 6 1/2 games back 5th place in AL Wild Card race, 4 games back The Mariners face few critical free-agent issues after the season, so general manager Jerry Dipoto is free to play things out. If Felix Hernandez gets hot, Seattle has a chance to play meaningful games in September. The Mariners' other issue is an inconsistent bullpen, so Dipoto becomes one of about 20 general managers looking to upgrade that part of his team. Dipoto could be a motivated buyer depending on what happens over the weekend. One of the teams in front of the Mariners, the Rangers, has had a terrible month. The other, the Astros, faces a brutal schedule the first two weeks of September. Seattle still might have an opportunity to make some noise in the postseason picture. White Sox: 50-52 3rd place in AL Central, 8 1/2 games back 6th place in AL Wild Card race, 6 games back Chris Sale and Jose Quintana aren't available, at least for a price any club has been willing to pay so far. General manager Rick Hahn might be willing to move third baseman Todd Frazier, but it's Sale and Quintana who could bring impactful talent. The White Sox began this season in a win-now mode, and unless something changes by Monday afternoon, that's how they'll finish it. Hahn seems likely to keep the current group of players together and add to the core in the hopes of a run in 2017. Rockies: 50-52 3rd place in National League West, 9 games back 5th place in NL Wild Card race, 5 games back Few teams are more optimistic about their immediate future than the Rockies, who are loaded with young talent. They may be aiming toward a 2017 playoff run, but they find themselves in the 2016 NL Wild Card race after Thursday's dramatic win against the Mets. General manager Jeff Bridich may listen on both Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, but it would take a significant package of players to get them. Bridich will also listen on relievers Jake McGee and Boone Logan, catcher Nick Hundley and infielder Mark Reynolds.

With so much young talent -- shortstop Trevor Story, outfielder David Dahl, catcher Tom Murphy -- Colorado is in a good place, whether it makes the postseason in 2016 or not.

A relentless Anthony Rizzo teased Dioner Navarro as only an ex-teammate could By Adrian Garro / Cut4 MLB.com | July 28th, 2016 Catcher Dioner Navarro is a member of the White Sox. Back in 2013, Navarro was a member of the Cubs, appearing in 93 games. Anthony Rizzo's tenure with the Cubs began in 2012. Therefore, the two of them were teammates in 2013. (Thanks, math class!). That important context is pretty much all you need to know to fully appreciate what went down in Thursday's matchup of the two Chicago clubs at Wrigley Field, won by the Cubs, 3-1. It might also help to recall Rizzo's penchant for playful shoves with opposing catchers, too. Rizzo strode to the plate in the fifth inning, prepared to assume his place in the batter's box to face Chris Sale. Too bad Navarro was in the way. No matter, a lighthearted shove ought to do the trick: The Cubs first baseman doubled down on his antics after Navarro reached base in the seventh. This time, Rizzo playfully tossed Navarro's batting glove ... because why not? This same type of thing happened across the country in Anaheim during the Red Sox-Angels game, courtesy of Albert Pujols. After the slugger reached first base on a single, he gave known prankster Hanley Ramirez a playful shove: Who says ballplayers don't like to have a little fun out there on the field?

Back with White Sox, Chris Sale ready to move on from ‘fiasco’ By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 28th, 2016 Even though he felt isolated and experienced a five-day stretch he called “a fiasco,” Chris Sale was right where he wants to be Thursday, surrounded by White Sox teammates. Shortly after a 3-1 loss to the Cubs, the pitcher echoed the sentiments of White Sox management in a 10-minute media session when he suggested he’d like to move on from a five-game suspension for insubordination and destruction of team property. With the trade deadline only four days away, Sale wants to stay with the White Sox and hopes the current roster gets an opportunity to win. He also thought an incident in which he destroyed promotional throwback jerseys had been blown out of proportion. While he didn’t apologize for his actions, the left-hander said he regretted letting down his teammates and fans who attended Saturday’s game. Sale, whose record fell to 14-4 after he allowed two runs in six innings, said he plans to address White Sox players and coaches soon and intends to let them know his level of appreciation. “I want to let them know where my head is at, where my heart is at,” Sale said. “And let them know how much I appreciate them. “I felt like I was out on an island, really. 7 o’clock rolls around and I usually know what’s going on. Sitting at the house sucks. “I regret not being there for my guys. I’m a pitcher. I’m called upon every fifth day and when I can’t go out there for my guys and the fans, it gets to me.”

Similar to March when he pitched a day after ripping executive vice president Kenny Williams, Sale said his focus is back on the field. He declined to answer what he didn’t like about the throwback jerseys, calling it “counterproductive.” Even though the White Sox are on the outside looking in, Sale is hopeful he and his teammates can rally and make a strong postseason push over the final 60 games. “I think everyone is making just a little bit bigger deal of this then it really is,” Sale said. “We are here to win games and from this point forward, I think that’s our main focus. We are going to come in every day and do our jobs and try to win ballgames, that’s at the forefront. “I don’t like people filling in for me. I love what I do. I love pitching. I love competing. I love the guys that I’m surrounded by.” “When I let them down, it hurts me more than it hurts them.” Three days after he suggested manager Robin Ventura didn’t properly support him, Sale declined to discuss their future relationship and again diverted the conversation back to the field. When asked what was the biggest lesson he took from the ordeal, Sale said he wasn’t quite sure. “I know you guys are trying to get in there and you guys have to write stories and stuff,” Sale said. “I understand. But they said their side. I said my side. I’m ready to talk about baseball and playing baseball and getting back to winning and getting the Chicago White Sox into the postseason. That’s my goal. That’s my focus. Anything else, that’s for you guys.” While he admits that his competitive side may have fed into Saturday’s events, he also knows abandoning it would hurt him on the field. Sale said he was inundated by texts and calls from teammates past and present during his absence. That only strengthened his desire to win with the current group, Sale said. “There’s no doubt my emotions have got me to this point,” he said. “I wouldn’t be the same person without them but stuff happens. Move on. We have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. We’ll just push forward. “I’m here to win. I love exactly where I’m at. I have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. We’re pulling for each other, they are pulling for me and vice versa, through and through. I’d like to stay with this group of guys and make a push for the playoffs because I love those guys.”

Robin Ventura isn’t convinced White Sox will sell at deadline By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 28th, 2016 There’s been plenty of smoke and trade rumors this week, but Robin Ventura doesn’t get the sense a deal is forthcoming. The White Sox manager acknowledged on Thursday afternoon his role in trade dealings is minimal as general manager Rick Hahn and his staff have fielded all the phone calls, with Chris Sale and Jose Quintana believed to have drawn the most interest. Jon Heyman reported Thursday the New York Yankees are the latest team to have inquired about Sale’s availability. As busy as Hahn has been this week, his phone apparently ringing off the hook, Ventura isn’t convinced the White Sox will be sellers come Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline. While it could simply be another round of posturing as teams angle to best position themselves, the White Sox headed into Thursday’s finale against the Cubs 50-51 with at least a pulse when it comes to the postseason.

“This week probably led to some more phone calls, of people calling just to see what's going on with us,” Ventura said. “I think our guys should look at it as a nice thing that people are calling and asking about you because that means people want you. But I don't want to see anybody go out of here. I don't think that's going to happen.” The White Sox managed to stay afloat even though Sale was gone for five games with a 4-1 mark in his absence. That included two walkoff victories over the Detroit Tigers and a pair of wins against the Cubs on Monday and Tuesday. Ventura acknowledged a win behind Sale on Thursday would be a big boost as the club heads into a three-game series at the Minnesota Twins on Friday. The run comes almost a year after the White Sox rolled off seven straight victories to inch their way back into the wild-card race in 2015. That week of victories convinced the White Sox to hold off from trading free-agent-to-be Jeff Samardzija. The next four games could very well decide the fate of several players as Hahn said last Thursday the club is open-minded in trade talks and sick of being “mired in mediocrity.” “I hope we do it again,” Ventura said. “That decision isn’t mine and I’m not taking or making any phone calls. For me I hope we do it again.” Last year the White Sox collapsed after they didn’t trade Samardzija, who fell apart and went 1-8 with a 9.24 ERA in his first eight starts after the deadline. The White Sox rotation is in much better shape than last season’s with the recent success of James Shields and Miguel Gonzalez. The team also is hopeful Carlos Rodon could return on Sunday to accompany Sale and Quintana. Though the offense has been inconsistent, the group has improved and finally has another much-needed left-handed hitter for the middle of the order in Justin Morneau. So while the White Sox bullpen is beat up pretty good, Ventura thinks his club is better prepared for the stretch run. “We’re probably better situated of sustaining that than last year,” Ventura said.

Chris Sale good in return but White Sox lose to Cubs By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 28th, 2016 He wasn't as sharp as a knife, but Chris Sale was still pretty good in his return to the mound on Thursday night. Following a nine-day layoff, including a five-game suspension for insubordination and destruction of team property, Sale pitched well enough for a victorious return. But John Lackey and the Cubs bullpen were even better and the White Sox fell 3-1 in front 41,157 at Wrigley Field and had to settle for a Crosstown Cup series split. Sale, who also singled in two at-bats, allowed two runs and six hits with three walks in six innings. The White Sox dropped to 50-52 as they head to Minneapolis for a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins. Nobody quite knew what to expect as Sale returned to his team for the first time since he was sent home Saturday for destroying the 1976 throwback uniforms the team was supposed to wear that night. “It could go a lot of ways,” catcher Dioner Navarro said. “But I expect him to show up. He’s mature enough and he knows what he’s doing. “It’s weird. It’s a crazy situation, but I think if somebody can handle it it’s him. Hopefully, he deals today and we won’t talk about this for a little bit.” Wearing a suit for the road trip to Minneapolis, Sale smiled as he arrived in the visiting clubhouse at 4:42 p.m. Upon entering the constricted confines of the visiting clubhouse, Sale was greeted by a series of fist

bumps and hugs. Seated on the floor, outfielder Melky Cabrera shouted “my man” and jumped up to bear hug Sale, stealing a second hug as the pitcher walked away. Todd Frazier and J.B. Shuck also instantly met Sale before he headed to his corner of the clubhouse and teammates Navarro, Matt Albers, Carlos Rodon and Tyler Saladino walked over, too. With his return coming in the midst of the Crosstown Cup finale, teammates were uncertain what kind of atmosphere Sale would face at Wrigley. “I know the crowd’s going to be a little crazy,” Frazier said. “I think everybody in the world kind of knows what happened, and we’re on the North Side, so we’re going to hear some crazy stuff here.” About 40 minutes before first pitch, Sale began to warm up in right field. Near the end of his long-toss session with Navarro, Sale walked to the bullpen and handed a young girl wearing a Sale T-shirt a baseball. As he began to throw off the mound, a number of curious fans began to snap pictures with their phones (even a beer vendor briefly stopped). Another, wearing a green pinstriped Jon Garland White Sox jersey, took a selfie as Sale warmed up. Though a few wisecracks were made, the scene was relatively tame. With Sale returning only hours before he took the mound, Ventura -- who hadn’t talked to his pitcher in several days -- didn’t expect the left-hander would have much time to address teammates. He thought Sale might talk to players a few at a time over the next few days, though Frazier believed it might happen before he pitched Thursday. Asked if he thought Sale would apologize, Frazier said: “That’s a good question. I think he knows what he did wrong. I think he’s a guy of his word. I think he understands how much winning means to him. I’ve had an opportunity to talk to him and, you know, he’s ready to go. He just wants to play. I’m sure he’ll talk to us before the game. Whatever he has to say, if it deals with winning, we’ll take it.” The White Sox offered their All-Star a welcome back gift with an early run when Melky Cabrera doubled in a run in the first inning. But Lackey found a rhythm and retired 16 of 19 after Cabrera’s double. No out was bigger than the last of the sixth inning as Lackey induced a pop up on the infield from Jose Abreu with the go-ahead run at first. Down 2-1, the White Sox threatened once more in the eighth inning as Saladino doubled off Hector Rondon. Rondon recorded two outs before Aroldis Chapman took over and struck out Cabrera with the tying at third. The effort was enough to outdo Sale, who was hurt by walks in the first and third innings. Dexter Fowler drew a nine-pitch leadoff walk in the first inning and Kris Bryant, who homered off Sale in the All-Star Game earlier this month, nearly did it again, settled for an RBI double off the centerfield fence. Sale stranded the go-ahead run however, retiring Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Willson Contreras to keep it tied at 1. After Sale hit Fowler and walked Bryant to start the the third, Zobrist hit a comebacker just past Sale in the third for an RBI single and a 2-1 Cubs lead. But even though he wasn’t pinpoint, Sale never broke. After stranding a runner at third base in the first inning, he did it again in the fifth. He also struck out pinch-hitter David Ross with two on in the sixth. Though it didn’t result in a victory, Sale gave the White Sox what they needed. “He's a great kid,” Ventura said. “This doesn't change that. We've seen him do some really great stuff. I know I've done some stuff that I wouldn't want people to know. We're in an age where in what he's doing

is his job, but sometimes you don't get that luxury. I think for him, he's just going to go pitch and we'll move on from there.”

White Sox find normalcy in Chris Sale’s return from suspension By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | July 28th, 2016 The word of the day Thursday around the cramped confines of the visitor’s clubhouse at Wrigley Field was normal, as in getting things back to it with ace left-hander Chris Sale taking the mound after serving a five-game suspension for “insubordination and destruction of team property.” A completely abnormal story — Sale cut up the 1976 throwback uniforms he didn’t want to wear last Saturday and was sent home for his actions — gave way to a relatively routine evening. Sale allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts over six innings, though the White Sox lineup was shut down by John Lackey and the Cubs’ new three-headed bullpen monster in a 3-1 Crosstown loss. “Things were pretty normal,” manager Robin Ventura said. “Guys got here, not a different clubhouse or anything like that. I think everything went fairly normal as far as him going out there and pitching and it was about baseball.” First baseman Jose Abreu said things felt like an ordinary Sale start, even though the American League’s All-Star starting pitcher hadn’t pitched since July 18. He didn’t have his best stuff and wasn’t his sharpest, either — those three walks were his highest total in over two months — as he wasn’t able to consistently paint the corners with his explosive arsenal of pitches. But, as usual, Sale worked quickly and kept his team in the game against one of baseball’s best offenses. “He pitched a very good game,” Abreu said through a translator. The Cuban first baseman added: “I think that we already moved on.” Catcher Dioner Navarro agreed. “He gave us a great outing, we just weren’t able to score any runs for him,” Navarro said. Before the game, third baseman Todd Frazier said he and his teammates rallied around Sale and hoped a solid outing from the 27-year-old left-hander would put the bizarre incident squarely in the rearview mirror. “Some mistakes are bigger than others but you gotta understand that we’re all not perfect,” Frazier said. “Things do happen in this game, different things that you think (you’ve) never seen before, and then it happens. It’s just one of those things, hopefully it goes away quick with the way he pitches." Sale said he didn’t discuss the incident or his suspension with his teammates before the game to keep things as normal as possible. After he showed up a little after 4:40 p.m., he received hugs and handshakes from teammates welcoming him back following his five-day exile. But after that, Navarro said things were business as usual. He and Sale went through the gameplan and got ready to face the Cubs' powerful lineup instead of dwelling on what happened last Saturday. Eventually, Sale will talk to his coaches and teammates on a personal level to “let them know where my head is at, where my heart is at, and let them know how much I appreciate them.” With the White Sox playoff hopes flickering as the trade deadline approaches, though, Sale’s teammates are eager to keep the focus on trying to dig themselves out of a substantial, two-games-under-.500 hole. “Everything’s in the past,” Navarro said. “He did a great job. Quality start, nothing else you can ask.”

Back at Wrigley Field, Rick Renteria not concerned about managing again By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | July 28th, 2016 Rick Renteria returned to Wrigley Field this week, but instead of greeting the media in a large, well-lit room outside the palatial new home clubhouse, the former Cubs manager sat in a folding chair in the squeezed confines of the visitor’s clubhouse. The cramped setup even made the old Wrigley Field interview room/dungeon, where Renteria held press conferences as the Cubs’ manager in 2014, look spacious. But with Al Green and some other soul hits of the 1970s blaring from a speaker in his locker, Renteria — who’s in his first year as the White Sox bench coach — said he’s not concerned with when he’ll get another opportunity to manage after being pushed out for Joe Maddon as the Cubs accelerated their rebuilding process following the 2014 season. “I came out here to do the job I’m doing right now,” Renteria said. “I’ve always believed that whatever goes on after that kind of takes care of itself. You can’t really control those things and that’s how I’m viewing it. “I’m happy to be doing what I’m doing right now and whatever comes in the future comes in the future. And right now I can’t control that.” The 54-year-old Renteria, who spent six seasons as a coach for the San Diego Padres before managing the Cubs to a 73-89 record two years ago, took a down-the-middle approach to that question about if his return to Wrigley Field brought back thoughts of managing again. He said he’s shook hands and received well-wishes from a few of his former players, and didn’t mention any animosity to how his exit from Clark and Addison went down. Whether or not Renteria gets another managerial gig remains to be seen. But his brief stint as skipper on the north side of Chicago is one he said he looks back upon fondly. “I thought it was a good time,” Renteria said. “It was a lot of positive energy, a lot of possibilities and it was a great experience. Can’t deny it, it was a great experience.”

Chance the Rapper throws shade toward the Cubs By Staff/ CSN Chicago | July 28th, 2016 Chris Sale will be back on the mound on Thursday night for the White Sox after serving a five-game suspension for a well-known clubhouse incident. According to Chicago native Chance the Rapper — who was recently named a club ambassador for the South Siders — Sale being back guarantees a win over the Cubs in the Crosstown Classic. The up-and-coming rap star threw some shade at the Cubs on his Twitter page on Thursday: With so many celebrities from Chicago supporting the Cubs, it's nice to see that someone has the White Sox back.

White Sox ace Chris Sale sorry for drawing suspension By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 28th, 2016 In the dim visiting dugout at Wrigley Field, after pitching for the first time in 10 days, Chris Sale looked at the TV cameras and reporters and spoke of the regrets he felt about leaving his White Sox teammates and fans without an ace for the last five days. Sale said he felt like he was "out on an island" as he sat at home serving his five-game suspension for the jersey-cutting incident that made national headlines, but he said he's ready to move on after pitching six innings of two-run ball in the Sox's 3-1 loss to the Cubs. "I regret not being there for my guys," Sale said. "I'm a pitcher. I'm called upon every fifth day, and when I can't go out there for my guys and the fans, it gets to me. "We have great fans. They're very loyal. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and it stinks when they want me to go out there and I don't show up." Sale didn't get into specifics about the incident, in which he destroyed 1976 throwback jerseys before Saturday's game against the Tigers because he reportedly found them uncomfortable. He also didn't want to delve into his relationship with manager Robin Ventura and general manager Rick Hahn. "They said their side, I said my side," he said. "I'm ready to talk about baseball and getting back to winning and getting the Chicago White Sox into the postseason." With his name flying around the trade rumor mill — something he said didn't contribute to his frame of mind Saturday — Sale said he hopes to stay with the Sox to try to make a push this season, citing his teammates as the reason. "I love exactly where I'm at," Sale said. "I have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. We're pulling for each other. … I'd like to stay with this group of guys and make a push for the playoffs because I love those guys." Sale worked his way around the cramped visiting clubhouse offering hugs and hellos about 2 1/2 hours before the game, but he said he hadn't yet had a conversation with his team about the incident. The Sox were flying to Minnesota on Thursday night for their three-game series this weekend, and he wanted to speak with his teammates "on a personal level" to iron things out. He had been in touch with some of them before his return Thursday, so they knew his thoughts beforehand. "He feels bad about some things, so I'm sure he'll take some time to try to rectify the situation," Sox reliever Zach Duke said before Sale arrived. "He's a guy who takes pride in going deep in games and saving the bullpen. Knowing he left us out there (Saturday), that probably took as big a toll as anything on him." Sale said he also realizes he needs to use his emotions in the right ways. "My emotions, clearly I pitch with a lot," Sale said. "I'm a competitive person — just keep those in check and use them and not abuse them." He was in control Thursday night. Kris Bryant's RBI double in the first inning and Ben Zobrist's RBI single in the third provided the only runs against Sale. He stranded seven on base, ending the first, third, fifth and sixth innings with runners in scoring position. He struck out pinch-hitter David Ross with two on in the sixth to end his night.

"Everything went fairly normal as far as him going out there and pitching and it was about baseball," Ventura said. "Normal" would be a relief after a bizarre week for the Sox.

Upon return to Wrigley Field, Rick Renteria concentrates on job at hand By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 28th, 2016 Rick Renteria said he wasn't overly emotional about his return to Wrigley Field for the first time as White Sox bench coach Wednesday night. Renteria managed the Cubs in 2014 but the club replaced him with Joe Maddon after the season. He has kept a low profile with the Sox since being hired as their bench coach in November and was reluctant to talk about his return to the North Side on Wednesday. But he said Thursday it was nice to see some of his former players and colleagues. "The park had a lot of life and energy, which was neat to see," Renteria said. "But other than that, personally I was just focused on us trying to do what we could do as a club. "The kids that were there have extended their hand a little to say hello. You saw them when they were developing, but for the most part, once the game starts, you see them as an opponent." Renteria said he still looks back on his short time with the Cubs as a "great experience" despite the early dismissal. Now, after taking a year off from the game, he said his time with the Sox also has been "a good fit." When Renteria was hired, it looked as if the Sox were bringing in a potential candidate for manager should Robin Ventura not be retained after the final year of his contract. But Renteria said he can focus only on his current job and not a desire to manage again. "I came out here to do the job I'm doing right now," Renteria said. "I've always believed that whatever goes on after that kind of takes care of itself. You can't really control those things, and that's how I'm viewing it. I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing right now, and whatever comes in the future comes in the future." As for his former team, Renteria said it appears the Cubs newcomers have blended in well. "They are a talented group," Renteria said. "You could see that from the beginning. They are coming together. They are playing as a unit." Roster move: Anthony Ranaudo pitched a quality start and recorded his first major-league hit when he homered Wednesday. Still, the Sox optioned the 26-year-old right-hander to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday to make room for Chris Sale's return from suspension. Ranaudo's departure signals the impending return of left-hander Carlos Rodon from the disabled list after a left wrist sprain. Ventura said he hopes Rodon will be ready to pitch Sunday against the Twins. Ranaudo had a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings and ended up allowing three earned runs on two hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings.

Thursday’s recap: Cubs 3, White Sox 1 By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune | July 28th, 2016 Cubs 3, White Sox 1 Ben Zobrist's seventh career hit against White Sox starter Chris Sale, an RBI single with one out in the third, put the Cubs ahead to stay Thursday during a 3-1 victory against the White Sox. Addison Russell added an insurance run with an RBI groundout in the eighth inning of a game dominated mostly by Sale, Lackey and a host of relievers in front of 41,157 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs’ victory means the season series ends in a split, with each team winning both games at their home parks. The White Sox's Melky Cabrera and the Cubs' Kris Bryant each hit RBI doubles in the first inning at to leave the score tied 1-1. Sale started for the White Sox after serving a five-day suspension for cutting up some of the team’s 1976 throwback jerseys before his scheduled start Saturday. He allowed two runs, six hits, three walks and struck out four in six innings. Jason Heyward, who is 5-for-45 in his last 13 games, was not in the Cubs' starting lineup but entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth. John Lackey retired 10 White Sox in a row from the second inning through the fourth. He allowed a run, four hits a walk and struck out four in six innings. At the plate Ben Zobrist had two hits and an RBI for the Cubs. Melky Cabrera had a pair of hits and an RBI for the White Sox. On the mound The Cubs tried out their new bullpen rotation of Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman after Lackey departed. Chapman entered early, though, and struck out Cabrera on a 102 mph fastball with a runner on third to end the White Sox’s threat in the eighth. Key number 61-40. Cubs’ record, the best in baseball. The quote “He’s a great kid. This doesn’t change that. … I know I’ve done some stuff I wouldn’t want people to know.” – Sox manager Robin Ventura on Sale

Cubs top White Sox to earn split decision in City Series By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune | July 28th, 2016 It was smiles and handshakes all around when Chris Sale strolled into the White Sox's clubhouse at Wrigley Field on Thursday, a few hours after his reinstatement from a five-day suspension. Sale had returned from the team-imposed suspension for cutting up throwback uniforms in a snit before his last scheduled start Saturday and got back to business by trying to help the Sox take their third of four games against the Cubs in the City Series.

When the dust had settled on the final installment, it was the Cubs who were shaking hands with grins on their faces thanks to a 3-1 victory fueled by a sparkling effort from starting pitcher John Lackey and the North Siders' bullpen. Lackey went six strong innings, yielding one run on four hits while walking one and striking out four, and then watched as Cubs relievers finished things off. "I had a four-pitch mix a little bit better than I've had recently," said Lackey, who upped his record to 8-7 with his first victory since June 8. "(Sale) is a good pitcher but you have to handle your own business. I have to face their lineup, that's my job. Our lineup's job is to try to score some runs off him. They got a couple for me (Thursday night) and it was enough." Fireballing closer Aroldis Chapman earned his first save for the Cubs — a four-out effort — as the Cubs improved to 61-40 on the season. It was their second victory in a row after the Sox claimed the first two games of the crosstown series at U.S. Cellular Field. Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell knocked in runs, and Dexter Fowler scored twice to pace the offense. Sale also went six innings and gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 111 pitches. "We got (Sale's) pitch count up high, which is good for us — especially facing a pitcher like that," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "Scoring (three) runs was enough (Thursday night), fortunately." Said Sox manager Robin Ventura of Sale's effort: "We've seen him have better stuff but I still think he … definitely pitched well enough to win a game. Lackey was better." The Sox got a run-scoring double from Melky Cabrera in the first but not much after that as they fell to 50-52. In the bottom half of the opening inning, Bryant laced a ball off the ivy in center to score Fowler, who led off with a walk. In the third, the Cubs took a 2-1 lead when Zobrist singled sharply past Sale to drive in Fowler again. Meanwhile, Lackey was cruising, at one point retiring 11 consecutive Sox hitters before being pulled for a pinch hitter in the sixth. In his second appearance for the Cubs, Chapman came on with a runner on third and two outs in the eighth and blew a 102 mph fastball past Cabrera to end the threat. The Cubs tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when Russell's groundout scored Zobrist, and Chapman then put the Sox down in order. "We beat a good pitcher," Fowler said of Sale. "We picked up where we left off (Wednesday night): Guys swung the bats well and scored some runs."

Wearing it well: Jersey flap past, Chris Sale shows he shouldn’t be dealt By David Haugh / Chicago Tribune | July 28th, 2016 Perhaps never have the White Sox jerseys hanging in players' locker stalls commanded so many stares as they did Thursday in the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field. Will Chris Sale approve? How will they fit? Is that a wrinkle? Once Sale arrived to mark the official end of his five-game suspension for destroying Sox throwback uniforms Saturday in a juvenile fit of rage, teammates rose to greet him. Sale started hugging them, one at a time — and Melky Cabrera twice. By the time Sale finished, the emotional left-hander's smile lifted tension as teammates warmly welcomed back their leader.

"It's hard to put into words,'' Sale said with sincerity in the Sox dugout after losing 3-1 to the Cubs. "When you feel like you're out on an island, lonely and sitting on the couch. … Coming in today and having that (reception), it gives you what you need to get by.'' If Sale felt the layoff added any pressure, you might say he wore it well. This year's City Series morphed into a four-game debate over which team had the most volatile left-hander pitcher, with subplots about Sale and Aroldis Chapman dominating baseball storylines. On the night Chapman got the final four outs to notch his first save as a Cub, Sale returned to make his first start in 10 days — a must-see baseball moment in the city. "It's like a normal day,'' Sox manager Robin Ventura said pregame. Sorry, Robin, the day was anything but normal — just like the rest of a wacky week of Cubs-Sox. With temperamental John Lackey opposing Sale, the final game of the series really should have been sponsored by a sedative. It might mark the only time all season Lackey started a game against someone easier to agitate than he is. Wearing road gray uniforms with nary a scratch, the Sox scored first off Lackey before he settled into a rhythm well enough to barely outduel Sale, who gave up two runs and six hits in six innings and left after his 111th pitch. In that way only, it was a normal day for Sale. "It felt incredible,'' Sale said. "This is what I signed up to do, play baseball. Pitch.'' Asked pregame if he ever had seen a pitcher as overpowering as Sale over an extended period of time, the Sox manager and former third baseman who played in 2,079 games over 16 major-league seasons shook his head. "I haven't,'' Ventura said. "Maybe one year you might be with a guy that dominant, but not for that long.'' Teams don't trade guys like that — even if the Yankees were reportedly the latest to inquire about Sale. Teams build with guys like that, not without them. Eventually, the Sox will build a Sale statue too. Speaking for the first time since Saturday's incident, Sale called it a "fiasco" but stayed away from specifics of his outburst — "It's counterproductive to winning ball games to bring it back up,'' he said. But he acknowledged the need to control his emotions and lobbied to stay in a Sox uniform, even though he has yet to discuss those feelings with team officials. "I don't know what the plans are,'' Sale said. "I'm here to win. I'd like to stay here with this group of guys.'' All guys on the Sox not named Sale merit trade discussion. With the Sox showing more life lately, the risk comes in convincing themselves it changes their status as sellers. It shouldn't. The Sox made that mistake last year when they won seven of eight games before the trade deadline. They felt compelled to hold onto Jeff Samardzija, who lost eight of his next nine decisions and left for the Giants via free-agency. The Sox were left with regret. To repeat the same mistake two years in a row would border on professional negligence. Take resurgent starting pitcher James Shields, for example. The Sox would be wise to sell high to get something for Shields, who always could opt out of his contract to test free agency if his success continues. Closer David Robertson surely appeals to a playoff team. Third baseman Todd Frazier and his 29 home runs should pique interest. Outfielder Cabrera could help someone. If teams ask about first baseman Jose Abreu or outfielder Adam Eaton, the Sox owe it to themselves to listen. But it makes the most sense to aggressively shop No. 2 starter Jose Quintana, one of baseball's most underrated starters who could bring in the biggest haul of prospects other than Sale.

If any animosity lingered from Sale using an MLB.com interview to criticize his manager for not fighting for him in the promotional jersey flap, Ventura hid it well. This is the Ventura players love, diffusing tension with praise and diminishing controversy by treating every day the same. "He's a great kid,'' Ventura said of Sale. "This hasn't changed that. We've seen him do some really great stuff.'' Chicago has seen Sale greater, but Sox fans had to enjoy hearing their franchise player suggest his best was yet to come — on the South Side.

Can the Chris Sale-Robin Ventura marriage be saved? By Steve Rosenbloom / Chicago Tribune | July 28th, 2016 While wondering if Theo Epstein’s next “Hot Stove, Cool Music’’ event will feature a band named “Mired in Mediocrity:" Can this marriage be saved? Does anyone want it to be saved? Does anyone care? Talking Chris Sale and Robin Ventura here. After Sale lost to the Cubs on Thursday in his return from a five-game suspension for his selfish, childish episode cutting up uniforms he didn’t want to pitch in, the Sox ace continued to show he doesn’t have much respect for the manager. Sale apologized to fans who came to see him pitch the day he was suspended, and said he plans to talk to his coaches and teammates about his act that made him a laughingstock while depriving them of a much-needed start. But Sale didn’t want to say anything about Ventura or general manager Rick Hahn beyond “they said their side, I said mine.’’ Sale’s side came in an MLB.com post in which he called out the manager for not fighting for his players by going up the food chain to make their cases. Sale’s crazed act and refusal to talk about Ventura stokes the idea that he will be traded by Monday’s deadline. Or perhaps it indicates Sale is showing some discretion because he knows the manager won’t be back next season. Sounds like a web poll dying to happen, and look at that, I just happen to create one. Who’s here next year? Chris Sale. Robin Ventura. Sale and Ventura. Neither because the franchise will move to Las Vegas. If the Sox had a sense of humor about the whole thing, they’d have brought in Heidi Klum to tell Sale he was out.

The Sox retained sports’ most storied trophy, the Crosstown Cup, less than two weeks after the Bulls won the summer league title by beating the Thibowolves. I’m telling ya, nothing but championships for Chairman Reinsdorf’s franchises, made sweeter by vanquishing the most evil of enemies. I can’t remember which player in the Cubs-Sox series was batting when it struck me, but the player was wearing an eye black strip with a team logo on it. Why couldn’t a team cut a deal to put a sponsor’s logo on them and create a new revenue stream? Unless Sale would cut everybody’s orbital bone. So now Kris Bryant’s dad has to tell James Shields to stop striking out his kid? The Cubs reportedly are bringing in a new translator after Aroldis Chapman’s disrespectful answers regarding his domestic violence issue made everyone involved look stupid. But shouldn't the Cubs have done this in January when major league baseball created a new policy requiring teams to employ a full-time interpreter? So, how long before the Cubs hire a domestic violence expert? How long before MLB mandates that? Javier Baez worked a 10-pitch at-bat into a walk, the kind of grinding at-bat that will keep the erstwhile wild-swinging infielder from getting traded. If Tim Anderson ever has a 10-pitch at-bat that results in a walk, the Sox will build a statue. Wait, you mean Alshon Jeffrey made it through the first practice healthy but Kyle Long didn’t? Bears coach John Fox said Leonard Floyd left his first official training camp practice because he was sick. Related: Bears fans are sick of high picks that can’t stay on the field. In advance of Friday’s Team USA game against Venezuela at the United Center, Jimmy Butler responded to the charge that he’s a diva dictating roster changes, saying, “I don’t move guys." I’m buying that, because otherwise, Derrick Rose would’ve been traded last summer. Which reminds me: Has Neil deGrasse Tyson figured out which universe Rose was flying through when he heard that gobbledygook about the Knicks being talked about as a super team like the Warriors? The Blackhawks and David Rundblad parted ways. I’m imagining Rundblad exiting Joel Quenneville’s doghouse like he’s Kimmie Schmidt. What’s up, Chris Snopek?

Renteria keeps emotion out of it at Wrigley By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 28th, 2016 Rick Renteria did a pretty good job of keeping his emotions out of his return to Wrigley Field. Renteria managed the Cubs to a 73-89 record in 2014 before being unceremoniously let go on the North Side with two years left on his contract to make room for Joe Maddon, and he was back when the White Sox played the Cubs Wednesday and Thursday. Hired by the Sox to be manager Robin Ventura’s bench coach this season, Renteria has reasons to harbor bad feelings but as is his classy and gentle nature, he has displayed none of that.

“I don’t know if I had any emotions one way or the other because time has passed already,’’ said Renteria, who was out of baseball in 2015 and remains on the Cubs payroll through 2016. ”The park had a lot of life and energy which was neat to see. But other than that personally I was just focused on us trying to do what we could do as a club.’’ Energy indeed. Wrigley Field is a happening place night in and night out now that the Cubs have emerged from the developmental stage they were in under Renteria’s watch to World Series contender. “I thought it was a good time,’’ he said of his time in the Cubbie manager’s chair. “It was a lot of positive energy, a lot of possibilities. And I can’t deny it — it was a great experience. “There’s still a few guys over there (Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Kyle Hendricks, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop to name some). It’s been nice to see them. The kids that were there have extended their hand a little to say hello. You saw them when they were developing but for the most part, once the game starts you see them as an opponent. It becomes a different place and you’re just trying to compete. “They are a talented group and they are coming together and playing as a unit. They’ve known each other and they’ve added pieces who have assimilated to that clubhouse.” Since the first day of spring training, Renteria has tried to distance himself from being viewed as a possible replacement for manager Robin Ventura, either in the event of Ventura wouldn’t last this final season of his contract, or beyond this season. Asked about his desire to manage again, Renteria gave a familiar answer: “I came out here to do the job I’m doing right now. I’ve always believed that whatever goes on after that takes care of itself.”

Chris Sale wants to stay with teammates, move past ‘fiasco’ By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 28th, 2016 Chris Sale found a uniform to his liking, the White Sox traditional road grays. This one looked better, in Sale’s view, but it didn’t help the Sox win a game they badly wanted at Wrigley Field Thursday night. Sale pitched six good but not great innings, saw his record drop to 14-4 after a 3-1 Cubs victory in which he allowed two runs and then had to answer questions from a media horde crammed into the visitors dugout afterward. It was an odd place for a postgame interview after a strange and bizarre six days for the Sox ace, who said he felt like he was “on an island” while serving a five-game suspension for destroying 1976 throwback uniforms he was supposed to pitch in Saturday but didn’t want to because of how they looked. As expected, only one of the questions Sale was asked to answer was about the game itself. No, he hadn’t talked to his teammates about his zany behavior and the reasons behind it but he would. And the message would be? “I want to let them know where my head is at, where my heart is at,’’ he said. “And let them know how much I appreciate them.’’ Sale raved about support he’s received from teammates who he feels he let down by not taking the ball on his scheduled day to pitch. “I regret not being there for my guys,’’ he said. “I’m a pitcher. I’m called on every fifth day and when I can’t go out there for my guys and the fans, it gets to me. “I felt like I was out on an island, really.’’

In an interview with MLB.com Monday, Sale said he went off because the throwback promotion demonstrated the Sox are more about business than winning games. He had said the uniforms could affect his mechanics but there is little doubt, according to those in the Sox clubhouse, that Sale despised how they looked more than anything. When manager Robin Ventura felt powerless to do anything to have the promotion day changed, he went off. “I don’t want to get too far into it,’’ Sale said when asked specifically about his issue with the baggy throwback uniform. “I want to put this stuff behind me. I really do. It’s counterproductive to winning ballgames talking about it and bringing it back up.’’ On his relationship with Ventura, whom he had said should support his players more, Sale didn’t exactly extend an olive branch. “I know you guys are trying to get in there and have to write stories and stuff,’’ he said. “I understand. But they said their side. I said my side. I’m ready to talk about baseball and playing baseball and getting back to winning and getting the Chicago White Sox into the postseason. That’s my goal. That’s my focus.’’ The subject of trade rumors like never before during his career, Sale said he wants to remain with the Sox, who fell to 50-52 four days before the trade deadline. “I’m here to win,’’ he said. “I love exactly where I’m at. I have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. We’re pulling for each other, they are pulling for me and vice versa. I’d like to stay with this group of guys and make a push for the playoffs because I love those guys.’’ “I thought he pitched a good game,’’ Ventura said. “[Cubs right-hander John] Lackey [one run allowed on four hits] was just better tonight.’’ In the end, nothing good seemed to come of it. Sale said he’s hoping a charity will benefit somehow, suggesting something could be done with the uniforms. “Hopefully we can find to help somebody, a group of people with this whole fiasco and hoopla, whatever you want to call it, who would benefit,’’ he said. Fiasco works.

Sale starts for Sox, but Chapman finishes as Cubs split series By Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun-Times | July 28th, 2016 Maybe it was only fitting that the culmination of this bizarre week of Cubs and Sox non-baseball would come down to the two left-handers who seemed at the center of every subplot of the week. White Sox ace Chris Sale returning from his jersey-shredding suspension to start the last of four games between the teams Thursday. And Aroldis Chapman, the controversial closer acquired by the Cubs Monday in a trade with the Yankees, finishing the four-game set with his first save as a Cub in Thursday’s 3-1 victory at Wrigley Field. It was the first time this season Chapman has been called in the eighth inning – something he told the staff before the game he was willing to and something he was told might happen as the game reached the late innings. “I was ready,” said Chapman, who took over with two out, the score 2-1, and the potential tying run at third.

He struck out Melky Cabrera swinging at a 102-mph fastball to the gasps of a full-house crowd still getting used to triple-digit scoreboard velocity readings. Then he finished the game with a 1-2-3 ninth for a four-out save – his 21st of the season overall. Replacing Hector Rondon with the lefty Chapman also had the effect of turning around the switch-hitting Cabrera to his slightly weaker said – something manager Joe Maddon said never factored in the decision. “It’s just different [with Chapman],” Maddon said. “I throw all that out.” Chapman found a greater comfort zone in his second appearance for the Cubs, both in terms of the more natural save situation and also a second day with Wrigley Field fans, some of whom got high fives from him Thursday. “I feel really comfortable with them,” he said with the help of teammate Miguel Montero translating. “They make me feel [like they’re] proud of me when I go out there, with the fans actually cheering for me. It’s something I didn’t have in the past when I came here [as a Reds pitcher]. I’m pretty pumped to be part of it.” Sale (14-4) didn’t have his All-Star sharpness after nine days between starts, but he pitched out of enough trouble to get through six innings, allowing just two runs. He struck out four and walked three. In fact, Cubs starter John Lackey (8-7) out-pitched Sale in his six innings of work (pulled for a pinch-hitter in the seventh) for his first victory since June 8 – retiring 16 of 19 after allowing a first-inning run. Facing and beating the White Sox ace? “I’ve gone against a bunch of aces, man,” Lackey said. “Yeah, he’s a good pitcher. But you’ve got to handle your own business.” For the second night in a row, former Cubs closer Rondon started the eighth to set up the Chapman finish – pushing Pedro Strop down the pecking order into Thursday’s scoreless seventh. “It just shortens the game for the other team, and they know they only have so much time before the game is over, mentally,” said Ben Zobrist, who drove in the go-ahead run in the third. “That’s what [Chapman] does with our bullpen, is just takes it to that next level, where the game is at least an inning shorter.” And where the end becomes must-watch baseball. “It’s been a cool atmosphere,” Lackey said of the last two nights with Chapman finishing. “It was definitely something you want to tune in to see, for sure.” Kris Bryant, who homered off Sale in the All-Star game the last time he saw him, nearly did it again in the first inning Thursday, following a leadoff walk by Dexter Fowler with a drive off the center field wall, just under the basket. Fowler, who scored on the double, reached again leading off the third and scored again for the other run off Sale. He was hit by a pitch just ahead of a Bryant walk. And one out later, Zobrist singled to center for the run. Zobrist scored an eighth-inning insurance run, hitting a leadoff double into the right-field corner off Nate Jones, and continuing to third when Adam Eaton dropped the ball for an error. He scored on a one-out grounder to short by Addison Russell.

A 60-foot single by Tim Anderson turned into the only run against Lackey. Anderson topped a weak grounder down the third base line that died on the grass just fair for a one-out hit. Cabrera followed with a run-scoring double.

White Sox welcome back Sale but can’t help him get the victory By Dan McGrath / Chicago Sun-Times | July 28th, 2016 It’s one of the cooler rituals in baseball: The starting pitcher, having finished his warm-up, strides purposefully from bullpen to dugout, accompanied by his catcher and pitching coach. The scene evokes a heavyweight boxer and his retinue of cornermen entering the ring for a title fight, trying to look composed but nervously wondering if he’s done enough to handle what awaits him. The title-fight analogy was relevant in the case of Chris Sale at Wrigley Field on Thursday night. As he marched from the right-field bullpen to the first-base dugout with Don Cooper and Dioner Navarro trailing, Sale faced the most important start of his seven-season, 216-game career. He was trying to regain the trust he had jeopardized with a clubhouse outburst that cost him one start and a five-game suspension. You know the particulars: Incensed at having to wear an ugly, dysfunctional throwback uniform, Sale took a sharp object to his own and several teammates’ offending threads, shredding them beyond wearability. Angered by this petulant breach of decorum, the White Sox sent Sale home, then suspended him. His team won four of the five games he missed, and the finale of the Crosstown Series represented Sale’s first attempt at character recovery, before a raucous sellout crowd. If he wasn’t vintage Chris Sale, he delivered a plausible impersonation with six innings of six-hit, two-run pitching. But John Lackey was slightly better, and the Cubs won 3-1, salvaging a split of a four-game series the Sox really needed to win. “We’ve seen him sharper, but he certainly pitched well enough to win,” manager Robin Ventura said. “Lackey was just better.” Sale’s electric stuff was slightly off after a 10-day layoff. He walked three (one intentionally), hit a batter and needed 111 pitches to cover six innings. Thirty of them came in a difficult first inning, when Kris Bryant lined an RBI double off the wall in right-center to score Dexter Fowler after Fowler coaxed an eight-pitch walk. Sale owned Bryant in the Cubs star’s rookie season, striking him out all six times he faced him. But Bryant took sale deep in the All-Star Game and continued to get even with his well-struck double. Sale’s lack of sharpness was evident again in the third when he nicked Fowler with an 0-1 pitch, walked Bryant on four that missed badly and yielded an RBI single to Ben Zobrist to trail 2-1. Sale said he felt like he was “on an island” during his suspension, “and it [stunk].” He appreciated the support he received via text messages from teammates, and he was greeted warmly when he arrived in the visiting clubhouse at 4:42 p.m. Thursday, exchanging handshakes, hugs and back slaps as he made the rounds of the cramped, muggy room. “I have an unbelievable group of teammates, and I know who they are now,” he said. “When I let them down, it hurts me more than it hurts them.” Beyond that, Sale was reluctant to discuss particulars of the incident, including his motivation, and whether an apology is in order.

“It is what it is,” he said. “Talking about it is counterproductive to winning games, which is what we’re here to do.” It was not, Sale insisted, a ploy to force a trade to a contending team that might be a better fit for his hyper-competitive nature. “I want to stay here. I really do. I want to move past this. I want to play, I want to pitch and be there when my name is called.” The Sox got the tying run to third base with two outs in the eighth inning, but the Cubs summoned newly acquired mega-weapon Aroldis Chapman and, well, game over. Chapman registered a four-out save with a speed-of-light fastball that consistently topped 100 mph and had the crowd roaring in amazement. The series split means more wheel-spinning in a season in which running in place has been the Sox’ team dynamic. They missed a chance to reclaim the momentum they had gained with crisp, well-played victories in the first two games of series, and they’re back below .500, which represents the distant periphery of playoff contention. “We’ve been flat on our back, we’ve had standing-eight counts, but we’re still here,” Ventura said. Just barely.

Ventura doesn’t expect White Sox to sell as trade deadline approaches By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | July 28th, 2016 The nonwaiver trade deadline is Monday, trade talk is heating up and the White Sox are completely calm. Late last week, general manager Rick Hahn described the Sox as being "mired in mediocrity." He did not rule anything out, except trading for players before Monday to help in a playoff push. Here is where the White Sox are sitting. If a legitimate contender wants to send the Sox four or five quality young players for Chris Sale or Jose Quintana, Hahn just might bite. If Hahn wants to let the White Sox play out the season with the current roster, maybe they get hot and sneak into the playoffs as a wild-card team. But if the Sox stand put and fade like they did last year, Hahn can probably get more trade value for Sale, Quintana and any other veteran player in the off-season. Manager Robin Ventura doesn't think the White Sox are going to look any different next weekend when they return to U.S. Cellular Field after playing at Minnesota and Detroit. "We have some guys that I think people want," Ventura said. "I think our guys should look at it as a nice thing that people are calling and asking about you because that means people want you. But I don't want to see anybody go out of here. I don't think that's going to happen." Wrigley return: Bench coach Rick Renteria had a bittersweet time at Wrigley Field on Wednesday and Thursday. Renteria, currently the White Sox's bench coach, managed the Cubs in 2014. He had two more years on his contract but was fired when current manager Joe Maddon became available.

At U.S. Cellular Field Monday and Tuesday and then Wrigley the next two days, Renteria enjoyed catching up with old Cubs players and coaches. "There's still a few guys over there," Renteria said. "It's been nice to see them. The kids that were there have extended their hand a little to say hello. You saw them when they were developing but for the most part, once the game starts you see them as an opponent, it becomes a different place and you're just trying to compete." With manager Robin Ventura in the final year of his contract, Renteria is an obvious replacement candidate if the White Sox make a change at the end of the season. Once again, Renteria was not comfortable discussing the possibility. "I came out here to do the job I'm doing right now," he said. "I've always believed that whatever goes on after that kind of takes care of itself. You can't really control those things and that's how I'm viewing it. I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing right now and whatever comes in the future comes in the future." Rodon return: On the disabled list with a sprained left wrist, Carlos Rodon is positioned to make his first start since July 5 on Sunday at Minnesota. Anthony Ranaudo, who pitched well in a spot start Wednesday night against the Cubs, was optioned back to Class AAA Charlotte Thursday. Rodon threw 58 pitches over 3⅔ innings Monday night in a rehab start with Charlotte. "He felt pretty good," manager Robin Ventura said. "We're going to hold off on that until we get a better idea about him tomorrow."

Sox ace Sale returns to mound, tries to move past controversial suspension By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | July 28th, 2016 After serving a five-game suspension for snapping out and cutting up the 1976 throwback uniforms the Chicago White Sox were supposed to wear last Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field, Chris Sale returned to the mound Thursday night at Wrigley Field. When the game ended -- the Sox lost to the Cubs 3-1 -- an overflow crowd of media awaited. And given the cramped conditions in Wrigley's visiting clubhouse, the White Sox wisely brought Sale to the dugout for more comfortable questioning. Not surprisingly, few if any inquiries concerned Sale's outing against the Cubs. For the record, the ace left-hander pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. Sale also had 4 strikeouts and threw 111 pitches in his first start since July 18. Predictably, the questions centered on Sale's bizarre behavior. Why did you do it? "I don't want to get too far into it," Sale said. "I want to put this stuff behind me. I really do. It's counterproductive to winning ballgames talking about it and bringing it back up. We're here to win games and we're in a decent spot to make a push, so regroup and come back every day and try to win." What was it like being away from the Sox for five games?

"I felt like I was out on an island, really," Sale said. "Seven o'clock rolls around and I usually know what's going on. Sitting at the house (stinks)." Any regrets? "I regret not being there for my guys," he said. "I'm a pitcher. I'm called upon every fifth day and when I can't go out there for my guys and the fans it gets to me." A big crowd of 32,527 was at the Cell on Saturday night, and many were there to see Sale show why he has been the best starter in the American League this season. Instead, they got to see Matt Albers make a 2-inning spot start in a game eventually suspended by rain. "I'm sorry to them as well," Sale said of the fan base. "They came out to watch me pitch the day I didn't pitch. They're the reason we're here. "The fans, they come out, and we have great fans. They're very loyal. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and it stinks when they want me to go out there and I don't show up." There is a growing belief Sale destroyed the 1976 throwbacks because the White Sox are threatening to rebuild and the 27-year-old pitcher doesn't want to be the centerpiece of a youth movement. "I have not," Sale said when asked if he's requested a trade. "I don't know what the plans are. I come in every day and prepare myself the best I can and try to win ballgames." Signed through 2019 with the Sox, does Sale want to stay on the South Side? "I hope so," he said. "I do. I have a group of unbelievable guys in there. My teammates, I knew who they were before this, but I found out who they really are and what they're about. I have unbelievable teammates, I really do, and I appreciate them, and I'm glad I'm surrounded by this group of guys, no doubt."

Rozner: Why would Reinsdorf still want White Sox? By Barry Rozner / Daily Herald | July 28th, 2016 What must Jerry Reinsdorf be thinking? That thought kept popping up as Chris Sale took the mound Thursday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs playing another game that mattered, the White Sox playing yet another game that didn't. What must the Sox owner be thinking and how much longer does he want to endure this? Sure, he wants to win another World Series, but at least he's got one and that's one more than any other owner in Chicago has been able to say for the last 200 hundred years of combined local baseball. And, yeah, he'd like to get this turned around soon so that he can enjoy the baseball team in his golden years. Makes sense. But little else makes sense about what's gone on this year with the White Sox, and you wonder why Reinsdorf wouldn't just take a billion-something for the club and call it a day. Seriously, who needs the aggravation? And that's what Sox players are best at delivering.

There are reasons to criticize Reinsdorf's ownership of the Sox, just as there would be for any owner. He's far from perfect. He has made many mistakes. But he has tried to win. In fact, he has tried to win every year, a desire that has cost the team years of development. Yet, there was rarely a Sox fan angry that he was going for it again, even while some observers were calling annually for a rebuild. And now Reinsdorf's reward is to be subjected to the continued madness of Chris Sale, a player he drafted, developed and brought to the big leagues, rewarding him after 29 starts and at age 23 with a $56 million deal (including options). In March, it was Sale's incomprehensible defense of Adam LaRoche, followed by an attempted coup after Drake was sent home to begin a childhood existence that didn't include charter flights with a professional baseball team. And then the screaming attack on his boss, Ken Williams. It was at that moment that Reinsdorf had to wonder how a raving lunatic had seized an entire locker room. Of course, that was merely prelude to what occurred Saturday, and the carving up of a marketing approach designed to -- wait for it -- sell tickets and jerseys so that Sale could collect $1.5 million per month. Sorry, Mr. Sale, for trying to run a franchise. Should have asked you first for permission. As if it all weren't bad enough, Sale buried Robin Ventura in an MLB.com story Monday night, bus-tossing yet another Sox executive after getting Williams in March and marketing director Brooks Boyer when he shredded those uniforms. Sale's close friend and partner in all things bizarre is one Adam Eaton, another player who was paid $40 million (including options) at age 25 after only 123 games in Chicago, even after being run out of Arizona by his teammates. Upon hearing last week that the Sox might be sellers at the deadline, Eaton said of Reinsdorf, "There's zero loyalty in this game. Sell tickets and win ballgames, that's what ownership and the front office wants to do. However they want to do it, that's how they're going to do it." It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. Reinsdorf is the most loyal and generous owner in sports, often making the mistake of caring so much about his employees that he overlooks their faults. Loyalty? You've got to kidding. You're ripping Jerry Reinsdorf for his loyalty? That's so far beyond irony as to be considered unbalanced. In the last few days came to light a story by Fox Sports that Sale and Eaton led a revolt against paying dues and tips to the Mariners' visiting clubhouse attendant, skipping out on a couple hundred bucks per player. This is such embarrassing and childish nonsense by very rich professionals that it would be enough to make an owner throw up his hands and say, "Enough. Get me out of this game and get me away from these fools." So instead of enjoying a packed house on a summer night, watching the best pitcher in baseball apply his craft against a team favored to win the World Series, Reinsdorf might have been wondering why he was wasting his time with these goofs.

Rather than focusing on Sale, maybe, just maybe, he was thinking about a sale. If it were actually true, no one would blame him.

Levine: Chris Sale hopes to use fabric attack fiasco to contribute to a charitable cause By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | July 28th, 2016 CHICAGO (CBS) — The damage done emotionally to the White Sox and literally to their equipment in Chris Sale’s jersey destruction fiasco may take a positive turn with a worthwhile result after all. After admitting Thursday night that he regretted not being there for teammates and fans during his five-game suspension but also maintaining his beliefs, Sale was asked about whether he could somehow find a good cause to help others with what remains of the 1976 throwback uniforms that he ripped to shreds Saturday in a fit of rage. “That is actually what we have been discussing,” Sale said, alluding to a positive form of communication with the team’s top brass on this matter. “For everything that is negative, you hope to find a positive in all of it. I do personally anyway. Hopefully we can find a way to help somebody, help a group of people with this whole fiasco, hoopla, whatever you want to call it. Hopefully we get there.” Chicago White Sox Charities helps countless people and causes, specifically contributing to work to find cures for diseases. The charity also helps battered, poor and homeless individuals.

Levine: Chris Sale admits some regret but doesn’t back down from his beliefs By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | July 28th, 2016 CHICAGO (CBS) — Back with the White Sox for the first time since serving a five-game suspension for the destruction of team uniforms last Saturday, White Sox left-hander Chris Sale expressed remorse to his team and fan base for not taking the mound when his name was called. The discipline and fallout from the incident appears to have humbled the fiery Sale, at least a bit. “I felt like I was out on an island,” Sale said of how he spent his hours during the time away. “7 p.m.rolls around, I usually know what is going on. Sitting in the house sucks.” Sale made his return Thursday, pitching six good innings but taking the loss as the Cubs beat the White Sox, 3-1, at Wrigley Field to split the four-game rivalry series. Sale allowed two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. When it was over, no one was asking questions about his outing. The topic of conversation was his recent behavior, what he was thinking in taking scissors to 1976 throwback jerseys and whether he regretted the ugly episode. Sale didn’t apologize about the torn-up uniforms or the debacle that ruined the promotional night, but he did feel he let people down. “I regret not being there for my guys,” Sale said. “I am a pitcher. I am called out there every fifth day. When I can’t be out there for my guys, for the fans and the people, that gets to me.” The 27-year-old Sale was welcomed back with hugs and handshakes by his teammates before the game. This reception brought welled-up tears of emotion and touched Sale deeply. “I want to play, pitch and be there for my guys,” Sale said. “Point blank, that is it. I want to be there when my name is called. I do not like people filling in for me. I love what I do. I love pitching and competing. I love the guys I am surrounded by. When I let them down, it hurts me more than it hurts them.”

Sale wants to stay with the White Sox despite the trade rumors swirling around him after the general manager Rick Hahn said Sunday that Sale would help either the White Sox or someone else compete for a championship. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff,” Sale said. “I don’t read the newspapers, I don’t have Twitter. I stay out of all that. That stuff is for other people. I don’t know what their plans are. I come in every day to prepare myself to win ballgames.” Sale refused to take back or expand upon the critical comments he made about manager Robin Ventura to MLB.com earlier in the week. In that interview, Sale indicated Ventura didn’t have the players’ backs because he didn’t stand up for them when Sale expressed his disdain for wearing the collared 1976 throwback uniforms. It was after that when Sale destroyed the jerseys. “I know you have to write stories and stuff,” Sale said. “They said their side, and I said my side. Now I am ready to talk about baseball.” Refocusing his emotion is a future goal for Sale. “My emotions, I pitch with a lot of it,” he said. “I am a pretty competitive person. I will try to keep those in check a little bit more. Use them, not abuse them.”

Suspension over, Chris Sale makes his grand return to White Sox By Sahadev Sharma / The Athletic | July 28th, 2016 Just five days ago, we heard about a bizarre story on the South Side of Chicago. After his complaints about the team’s throwback jerseys went unheard, White Sox ace Chris Sale took matters into his own hands and went through the clubhouse cutting them up, rendering them unusable. That’s certainly one way to make a point. Sale was suspended for five days and on Thursday returned to his team as they wrapped up a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. As he made his way through the clubhouse, his teammates welcomed their Cy Young candidate, greeting him with handshakes and hugs. It was a gesture that didn’t go overlooked by the Sox left-hander, he said after the team’s 3-1 loss to the Cubs. “It’s hard to put into words,” Sale said. “When you feel like you’re out on an island, you feel lonely and you’re just sitting on the couch at seven o’clock and I get the text messages I got from the people I got them from, current and former, guys around the league. Then coming in today and having that; that gives you what you need to get by. There’s a lot of crap that’s been going on this last week, there’s no doubt about it, but for them to do what they did today and the previous four, five days before that, it says a lot about who they are and how much they care about me.” Sale said he hadn’t formally addressed his teammates or coaches, but planned to do so soon enough, saying he wanted to, “get to them on a personal level.” He wanted to treat Thursday like a normal day and just get back to pitching. And that’s what he did. Sale tossed six innings and gave up two runs on six hits, three walks and hit a batter while striking out four in the loss. He admitted that he was shaking off the rust for the first few innings, but was thrilled to get back to doing what he loves. “Felt incredible,” Sale said. ”It’s what I signed up to do, play baseball. It was nice to get back out there and get back to pitching.”

But in what’s become a sort of trend in Chicago this week, there were bigger things at work than just baseball. When asked if he had any regrets, Sale responded by saying he “regretted not being there for my guys.” The multiple times Sale was asked about the specific incident, he demurred, suggesting he didn’t want to dwell on the last week. Sale definitely wasn’t about to get into a discussion about his feelings about manager Robin Ventura. “I think everyone’s making a bigger deal of this than it really is,” Sale said. “We’re here to win games and from this point forward I think that’s our main focus. I hope it is too. We’re going to come in every day, do our jobs and try to win ball games. That’s at the forefront.” In an interview with MLB.com, Sale said the 1973 throwbacks were uncomfortable to wear and said they could possibly throw off his mechanics. When his complaints to Ventura led to no action, Sale took the matter into his own hands. In the interview, Sale suggested that it was Ventura’s duty to stand up for his team to management. Sale was asked how he felt his relationship with his manager would be going forward. “I know you guys are trying to get in there and you’re trying to write stories and stuff,” Sale said. “They said their side, I said my side, I’m ready to talk about baseball and playing baseball and getting back to winning and getting the Chicago White Sox to the postseason. That’s my goal, that’s my focus. Anything else, that’s for you guys.” Sale didn’t want to get into whether he felt remorse over cutting the jerseys, saying that was counterproductive to winning. However, he did admit that he may need to do a better job of controlling his emotions. “There’s no doubt that my emotions have gotten me to this point,” Sale said. “I don’t think I’d be the same person without them. I’m a pretty competitive person. Just try to keep them in check a little bit more. Use them, maybe not abuse them.” A reporter suggested in a vague manner that perhaps something constructive could come of this, maybe even something useful being done with the remains of the destroyed jerseys. One source indicated that the jersey remnants had been retained and could be someday be used for marketing purposes. “That’s actually what we’ve been discussing,” Sale said. “For everything that’s negative you hope to find a positive in all of it. I do, personally, anyway. Hopefully we can find a way to help somebody, a group of people with this fiasco, hoopla, whatever you want to call it. Hopefully we get there.” Perhaps this all leads to the shredded remains of 1973 White Sox throwbacks being ground up and added as a special topping on some helmet nachos. A few days prior to Sale’s incident, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters it might be time for the team to start selling veterans and restocking for the future. While it’s unlikely Sale would be moved, that hasn’t kept his name from popping up in rumors as the Aug. 1 trade deadline approaches. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff,” Sale said. “I don’t read the newspapers, I don’t have Twitter. I stay out of all that. That stuff’s for other people. Like I said, I’m a pitcher. I get ready to pitch and play better and try to win games.” Sale said he hadn’t spoken to the front office about the trade rumors. When asked if he wanted to be a part of a team that may think about a rebuild, Sale was quick to answer.

“I’m here to win,” he said. “I love exactly where I’m at. I have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. We’re pulling for each other, they’re pulling me, I’m pulling for them, everything through and through. I’d like to stay here with this group of guys no doubt and make a push for the playoffs. I love those guys no doubt, and I think we deserve it.” With the White Sox (50-52) two games under .500 and 6 1/2 games out of a playoffs with five teams ahead of them for the final wild card spot, a postseason appearance seems unlikely. And that means a few of those teammates Sale holds so dear may no longer be around. It’s likely Sale sticks around this season, but if a rebuild is in the cards, Sale may not be long for the South Side. Come winter when the Sox try to determine their course going forward, getting a king’s ransom for Sale may just be what puts them on the best path.

Crosstown social: Which Cubs, Sox players are most active on Twitter? By Lauren Comitor / The Athletic | July 28th, 2016 When it comes to social media, the Cubs easily have the crosstown matchup in the bag. As a whole, more Cubs than White Sox players have a social presence, and those that do have more followers and post more often. Probably in large part due to his time in a couple different cities, including Boston, Jon Lester has the most followers of all Cubs. According to Forbes, Lester left behind a couple lucrative endorsement deals in Boston, but is still sponsored by Nike. Meanwhile, his teammates Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have become endorsement kings, with Rizzo signing on with BodyArmor sports drink, Buona Beef and his cereal, RizzOs. Bryant is a spokesman for Express clothing, Red Bull and has a deal with adidas. Of White Sox players, Brett Lawrie is the most followed, having spent four seasons in Toronto and one in Oakland before joining the Sox. He’s active on Twitter and Instagram, though not as much as rookie Tim Anderson, who posts an average of 4.5 times per day. And it isn’t because he just joined, either. Anderson has the second oldest Twitter account, created back in May 2010. At the time, he was sixteen years old. Cubs manager Joe Maddon has the oldest active account, created back in June of 2009. For an older gentleman, he sure catches on to trends pretty quickly, doesn’t he?

Chris Sale returns, but White Sox’s drama may just be beginning By Bob Nightengale / USA Today | July 28th, 2016 CHICAGO — White Sox ace Chris Sale strolled through the Wrigley Field visiting clubhouse door at 4:42 p.m., Thursday, took a left turn, and was abruptly stopped when teammate Melky Cabrera leaped up from the floor and hugged him. "My man! My man!" Cabrera said. Sale tried to take another step, and Cabrera grabbed him again. "I love you! I love you!" Then, it was White Sox catcher Dionner Navarro’s turn to hug him. Reliever Matt Albers walked over and shook his hand. Pitching coach Don Cooper greeted him warmly. Sale is returning from a five-game suspension for ripping up his teammates’ throwback uniforms last weekend.

"There was a lot of crap that was going on this past week, no doubt about it," said Sale, the losing pitcher in the White Sox’s 3-1 loss to the Cubs. "But for them to do what they did today, and the previous four or five days before that, it says a lot about who they are and how much they care about me. "It’s hard to put into words, really. When you feel like you’re out on an island, and feel lonely, and just sitting out on the couch at 7 o’clock and to get the text messages from the people I got them, gives you what you need to get by. "I’m definitely appreciative of the guys I have in my corner, and I hope they stay in my corner." Sale hopes now to reward his teammates for their loyalty. He said Thursday that he wants to stay with the White Sox, dreaming of the day they can finally reach the postseason. Sale, 14-4, 3.17 ERA, knows he can’t stop the White Sox from trading him if the front office decides to undergo a full-scale rebuilding process, but he certainly isn’t volunteering to be ushered out the door. "I’m here to win," Sale said. "I love exactly where I’m at. I have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. I’d like to stay here with this group of guys, no doubt, and make a push for the playoffs because I love those guys. "I think we deserve it." Well, the White Sox front office can certainly debate that, considering they are 50-52, and 8½ games behind the division-leading Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. The White Sox have told everyone that they’re open for business, willing to listen on offers for anyone, even Sale. "Everybody's been part of it, and we have some guys," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said, "that I think people want. This week probably led to some more phone calls, of people calling just to see what's going on with us. Our guys should look at it as a nice thing that people are calling, and asking about you, because that means people want you. "But you have to put it out of your mind to the best of your ability and play, focus on today. There's nothing you can do about it." Sale knew this day would be like no other in his career. He hadn’t seen most of his teammates since he was ordered to go home last Saturday night. He was unaware that the opposing pitcher this night was Cubs veteran John Lackey. And when he wanted to congratulate Anthony Ranaudo, who made his White Sox debut Wednesday, he was stunned to find out that he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, to actually make room for him. Sale, who said that the White Sox bus ride to Wrigley Field took two hours, then went out and performed like a man who hadn’t pitched in 10 games. He still showed signs of his Cy Young caliber-talent stuff, but was a tick off, unable to put away hitters as usual. You noticed it in the first at-bat of the game when Dexter Fowler drew a nine-pitch walk, and only once did he have a 1-2-3 inning. Sale gave up six hits and two runs in his six-inning outing, walking three batters, with a hit-by-pitch and just four strikeouts. It was his fewest strikeouts since June 2, and only twice all year did he strike out fewer batters. "It felt good," Sale said, "but I had to knock off the rust a little bit. I didn’t have the best of my best."

Yet, Sale’s performance really was nothing more than afterthought. It was the drama of the past days that everyone wanted to talk about, seeing if Sale’s emotional outburst could have forever damaged his relationship with the White Sox front office, Ventura in particular. "I think everybody is making a little bigger deal of this than it really is," Sale said. "We’re here to win games, and from this point forward, it’s our main focus. "I want to play. I want to pitch. I want to be there for my guys. Point-blank. That’s all it is. "I want to be there when my name’s called. I don’t like people filling in for me. I love pitching, I love competing. I love the guys I’m surrounded by. When I let them down, it hurts me more than it hurts them." Sale has yet to meet with Ventura, or his teammates. There will be a time, maybe even Friday before their game against the Minnesota Twins. But not now. He simply wanted to treat this as a normal day. "I’ll get to them on a personal level," Sale said, "that’s where I’ll leave it. I want to let them know where my head is, where my heart’s at, and let them know how much I appreciate them." Does he owe the team an apology? "That’s a good question," White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier said. "I think he knows what he did was wrong. He’s a man of his word, and he understands what winning means to him "Pretty much, we’re a family. Some mistakes are bigger than others, but you have to understand that we’re not perfect, and things do happen in this game, different things that you many think you’ve never seen before. "It’s just one those things. Whatever went down, there’s nothing you can change now." You mean no one’s ever seen a grown man running around the clubhouse, cutting up team uniforms, and making sure that no one could wear the vintage throwbacks? FOR THE WIN White Sox fan supports Chris Sale with funny sign and ill-fitting throwback jersey "I know I’ve done some stuff that I wouldn’t want people to know," Ventura said. "He’s a great kid, and this hasn’t changed that." It’s just that, well, Sale realizes he’s going to have to do a better job keeping his emotions in check. Sure, his fiery demeanor helps make him one of the elite pitchers in the game, but when things go wrong in the clubhouse, or unpopular decisions are made, temporary insanity can no longer be a valid excuse. "There’s no doubt my emotions have gotten me to this point," Sale said. "I don’t think I’d be the same person without them. I use my emotions to pitch. I’m a pretty competitive person. "I’ll just try to keep them in check a little bit more, and use them, and not abuse them." The only question is whether Sale will be undergoing his self-analysis treatment in Chicago, or with another team. It’s possible this was Sale’s final start in a White Sox uniform. "I don’t know what the plans are," Sale said. "I don’t pay attention. I don’t read the newspapers. I don’t have Twitter. I’m a pitcher. I get ready to pitch. And I prepare myself the best I can to try to win ballgames."

It’s hard to fathom that a team will come up with the package of prospects to overwhelm the White Sox before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but if Sale isn’t traded, and he watches everyone else leave, does he really want to stay? Sale is back for now, but as far as the White Sox drama, it just may be getting started.

Chris Sale: Nice to get out there, pitch after suspension By Bradford Doolittle / ESPN | July 28th, 2016 CHICAGO -- White Sox ace Chris Sale said he felt like he was "out on an island" for five days. He was back in more comfortable terrain Thursday: on the pitcher's mound at Wrigley field. And now Sale is anxious to put his recent controversy to bed. "This is what I signed up for, is to play baseball," Sale said Thursday night. "So it was nice to get out there and pitch again." Sale, considered the front-runner in this season's chase for the American League Cy Young Award, overcame early command problems Thursday to hold the Cubs to two runs over six innings. Nevertheless, Sale (14-4) took the loss in the Cubs' 3-1 win and missed out on a chance to become the first 15-game winner in the AL this season. "I thought he pitched a good game," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You know, he had a walk and a hit by pitch that ends up costing us. But he pitched a good game." Of his outing, Sale said, "Felt good. First couple, I was knocking the rust off a little bit. [Catcher] Dioner [Navarro] really did a great job of getting me through that." The rust was most evident in one regard: a lack of strikeouts. Even though Sale punched out four Cubs looking, none of those K's occurred during the first three innings. According to ESPN Stats & Info research, that hadn't happened to Sale in any of his previous 135 career starts. Chris Sale dismissed suggestions that his relationship with the White Sox front office is irreparable. "I think everyone is making a little bit bigger deal of this than it really is." Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Of course, the focus before, during and after Sale's outing was not on his performance on the mound. He returned to the White Sox on Thursday after serving a five-day suspension for a much-publicized incident in which he cut up some throwback jerseys that were to be worn Saturday in a game against Detroit. Sale's postgame news conference marked his first time addressing the general media, and although he spoke for 10 minutes, he didn't want to delve into specifics about the incident. "Listen guys, I don't want to get too far into it," Sale said. "It is what it is. It's in the past. Just look to the future and try to make things right, make things better and win ballgames." Regrets? "I regret not being there for my guys. I'm a pitcher, called upon every fifth day. If I can't go out there for my guys, for the fans, that gets to me," he said. Sale said that while he was away from the team, teammates, former teammates and other players around the league sent him text messages to boost his spirits. The gestures did not go unnoticed. "There is a lot of crap that was going on this week, no doubt about it," Sale said. "But for them to do what they did today, and the previous four or five days, it says a lot about who they are and how much they care about me."

Sale was received warmly in the clubhouse before the game after arriving at Wrigley Field, exchanging hugs with teammates as he made the rounds in the cramped visiting clubhouse at the old ballpark. "I have a group of unbelievable guys in there, my teammates," Sale said. "I knew who they were before this, but I found out who they really are and what they're about. I have unbelievable teammates, I really do." Sale said he did not address his teammates as a group before the game but planned to talk with them individually. "Get to them on a personal level," Sale said. "I want to let them know where my head's at, where my heart's at. And let them know how much I appreciate them." Sale's return comes just four days before the trade deadline. His name has come up often, and the uniform controversy added an extra layer of intrigue to the situation. Nevertheless, even with a lot of extra time on his hands, Sale said he paid no attention to the rumor mill. "I don't read the newspapers," Sale said. "I don't have Twitter. I stay out of all that. That stuff is for other people. I'm a pitcher. I get ready to pitch and play baseball." Sale also dismissed suggestions that his relationship with the White Sox front office is irreparable. "I think everyone is making a little bit bigger deal of this than it really is," Sale said. "We're here to win games. And from this point forward, I think that's our main focus. "I'm here to win. I'm happy exactly where I'm at."

Sale loses in return from ban, wants to stay in Chicago By Associated Press | July 28th, 2016 CHICAGO (AP) — Chris Sale arrived on the last player bus to Wrigley Field dressed in a dark suit, walked into the cramped visiting clubhouse, scanned the room and smiled. He hugged teammates Dioner Navarro and Matt Albers, then did a lap around the clubhouse, greeting each player sitting at his locker. "Good to see you, pal," third baseman Todd Frazier said. Chicago White Sox players warmly greeted their ace as he returned to the team Thursday following his jersey-tearing incident last weekend that earned him a five-day suspension. Sale went on to throw six effective innings, but it wasn't enough as the Cubs won 3-1 to earn a split in Chicago's rivalry series. "It felt like I was out on an island, really," Sale said of being away from the team. "When seven o'clock rolls around I usually know what's going on." The White Sox optioned right-hander Anthony Ranaudo to Triple-A Charlotte to open a roster spot as Sale was reinstated from the suspended list. "Some mistakes are bigger than others, but you've got to understand we're all not perfect," Frazier said. Kris Bryant, who homered against Sale in the All-Star Game, hit an RBI double off the center field wall in the first inning. Ben Zobrist added an RBI single in the third. Sale (14-4) allowed six hits and worked out of other jams, but John Lackey (8-7) outpitched him and Aroldis Chapman got the final four outs to save his first game for the Cubs.

Sale could also be traded before the Aug. 1 deadline. The White Sox are struggling to stay in playoff contention and Sale's behavior has caused friction with manager Robin Ventura and the front office. "They said their side. I said my side," Sale said. "I'm ready to talk about baseball and playing baseball and getting back to winning and getting the Chicago White Sox into the postseason. That's my goal. That's my focus. Anything else, that's for you guys." The left-hander tore up 1976-era throwback jerseys he didn't want to wear for his previous scheduled start Saturday against Detroit. The White Sox scratched Sale, sent him home and a day later suspended him five days for "insubordination and for destroying team equipment." Sale later told MLB.com that he stood by his actions and suggested Ventura should have stood up for him. He said the uncomfortable uniforms showed the White Sox valued promotion over winning. "I think everyone is making a little bigger deal of this than it really is," Sale said. "We're here to win games and from this point forward I think that's our main focus. I hope it is, too." Ventura spoke to reporters before the game just a few minutes after his five-time All-Star arrived. "He's a great kid. This hasn't changed that," Ventura said. "We've seem him do some really great stuff. I know I've done some stuff that I wouldn't want people to know." But Sale has had other run-ins with management, and his team-friendly contract could produce a deal full of prospects if the White Sox decide to sell at the deadline. Sale, though, insisted he wants to stay in Chicago. "I hope so. I do," he said. "I have a group of unbelievable guys in there. My teammates, I knew who they were before this, but I found out who they really are and what they're about. "I have unbelievable teammates, I really do, and I appreciate them, and I'm glad I'm surrounded by this group of guys, no doubt." Sale also apologized to the fans and suggested a possible charity event tied to the jerseys he destroyed. "Hopefully we can find to help somebody," Sale said, "a group of people with this whole fiasco and hoopla, whatever you want to call it."