Say what? White Sox talk about up-and-down first half
The Chicago White Sox are on break, except for Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, who are American League all-stars, and Todd Frazier, who made his third straight appearance in the Home Run Derby Monday night.
It was an interesting first half of the season for the Sox, and here are the annual quotes that mattered the most:
"Antsy is probably a decent way of describing most all of us around the club the last few years. We've been going through a process here that began midway through 2013 in terms of retooling this club and getting ourselves back in a position to contend."
- General manager Rick Hahn on April 4, the day the White Sox opened the season at Oakland.
"We are pushing each other to try to win every day. It doesn't matter if we are behind late in the game, we have confidence in ourselves that we can come back and win."
- Jose Abreu on April 30 after the Sox rallied for an 8-7 win at Baltimore, finishing the first month of the season with a 17-8 record.
"We've got an opportunity to do something special here. Every win is going to matter this season."
- Hahn on May 3 after releasing ineffective starting pitcher John Danks.
"When you can stand up and express yourself in the fashion that they did - that many of them did - I walked out feeling good, not necessarily with how they may have felt about me at the time, but I felt that as a team they were sending the message right now that we're together and we're unified. I loved it. I loved it."
- Sox VP Kenny Williams on May 4, telling the Daily Herald about his explosive visit to the Sox's clubhouse in spring training after Adam LaRoche abruptly retired.
"It has definitely been peaks and valleys, for sure. Offensively, we definitely need to step it up."
- Adam Eaton on May 25 after the White Sox lost their third straight to the Indians and dropped to 27-21.
"It might have a lasting effect. There are going to be some guys who are in here who tonight aren't going to be real happy."
- Frazier on May 28 after the Sox blew a 7-1 lead in the ninth inning and lost at Kansas City 8-7.
"I don't think you've ever seen me telegraph any move or comment on any individual player or anybody in uniform or scout or anyone like that. From my standpoint, when things are going tough the best thing you can do is rally around the guys you have here, do everything in your power to put them in the best position to win with the people you have in that clubhouse, and that's all you're going to hear from me in terms of anyone in uniform."
- Hahn on June 9 when asked if manager Robin Ventura's job was in jeopardy.
"I always kept my confidence, no matter what level I was at. It's good to have that swag that I'm the best player on the field, no matter where I'm at. It's kind of one of those humbling inside things for me. It just keeps me going."
- Rookie shortstop Tim Anderson on June 28.
"I'm not going to reserve anything when I get in there. I fully intend on letting it eat when I get out there, whenever that is. You've got a packed crowd, you're facing the best, so you better bring it."
- Sox ace Chris Sale on July 6 after being named to his fifth straight AL all-star team.
"It was good, then it was bad, then it started getting good again."
- Ventura on July 10 before the White Sox closed out the first half with a loss to Atlanta.