Blaming Blackhawks for Sox’ struggles preposterous
Clearly, it’s all the Blackhawks’ fault.
Yep. They’re in the midst of an exhilarating Stanley Cup playoff run, the city of Chicago is transfixed — and that includes White Sox players.
As a result, this South Side ballclub is far too focused on the ice and not on the diamond.
At least that’s what I was told this week.
Which reminds me, didn’t I ask you last week to “lose your phone” during the Cubs series if you thought you might have the urge to call the postgame show with irrational anger?
I’m sure I did.
No, I did. I just looked.
Well, one guy in Tinley Park ignored that appeal — and he divulged this secret to me during Thursday’s show:
The Sox had been losing because they were more concerned with the Hawks’ Game 7 against the Red Wings than they were with preparing for the Cubs.
I thought about that for a tenth of a second, then I summarily dismissed the idea. Probably because it’s preposterous.
While the likelihood is slim of a major-leaguer proving the Jordan Curve Theorem, players still having working, complex brains like most of the rest of us. They’re able to compartmentalize, and sometimes multi-task.
On occasion, they can accomplish other non-baseball-related chores on game day, like dropping off kids at school or working on a crossword puzzle. Sometimes, they’re able to procure tickets to a hockey game and think about how much they want to attend said game, and somehow they’re still able to perform their daily jobs.
That caller singled out Paul Konerko as one of the offenders. And I agree. He did answer several questions about Game 7 and was genuinely excited about the series.
The effect was noticeable.
Konerko hit .300 while the Hawks-Detroit series was happening and raised his OPS about 45 points. Oddly, he was able to do it without eating and breathing baseball the entire time.
I take solace in the idea that most people don’t think that way. At least I hope not.
Look, what the White Sox have been doing over the last week is annoying. It’s frustrating. I, like you, hate it.
But the truth is, there is no single reason why it’s happening. Answers for problems like this usually don’t come in all-illuminating explanations.
If they did, there would never be any problems.
The reality is that there are probably multiple reasons why this Sox team teased us over a two-week period — only to follow it up with a miserable seven days.
After giving us a fortnight (that means “two weeks.” I have a big brain) of good, clean play, a 10-4 record and arriving at the .500 mark for the first time in a month and a half, the White Sox haven’t won since.
But the Hawks are not, nor is any other off-field distraction, a reason. I also seriously doubt it has much to do with lack of effort or preparation.
ŸChris Rongey is the host of the White Sox pregame and postgame shows on WSCR 670-AM The Score. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRongey and at chrisrongey.com. Subscriber Total Access members can email him questions each week via our online link.