White Sox GM remains optimistic: We'll get through this
If there is one major-league team that is equipped to be patient during the coronavirus shutdown, it's the White Sox.
They were pretty cool and calm the last three years while rebuilding a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2012 and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008.
Anxious to get rolling now that they have a roster that looks good enough to contend, the Sox are fine with waiting a little longer after major-league baseball on Thursday announced spring training is suspended and the start of the regular season is being delayed by at least two weeks.
"None of us here are focused right now on any selfish interests or what may be lost in terms of opportunity," general manager Rick Hahn said on a conference call Friday. "Instead, I think we're focused on providing whatever physical and emotional support is needed for players or staff to get through what is a difficult time beyond the world of baseball. We hope to be back playing games soon.
"Unfortunately, that's beyond the control of anyone's individual will right now. We're going to still remain very optimistic, not only about the possibilities of what lays ahead for 2020, but certainly beyond that.
"We know we'll get through this. We know there's another side of this at some point. We know we'll be playing baseball games again and we know it's going to be an exciting era for White Sox baseball in the not so distant future. It makes sense for the greater good of society as a whole to delay that for a period of time. We understand that. We know where we fit in and we look forward to, when the time is right, bringing a great deal of happiness to people who will certainly be missing this game and are in need of something to pick them up, in all probability."
Speaking from the Sox's training camp in Glendale, Ariz., Hahn said all players and staff are in good health.
"We currently have no players or staff either in major- or minor-league camp exhibiting any symptoms of the coronavirus, knock on wood," the GM said.
Hahn said all players in major-league camp were at Camelback Ranch Friday morning. Later in the day, MLB announced all camps are closed. "Major-league players can elect to return home, remain in their spring training cities or return to their club's home city," MLB said in a statement.
"We are open right now and we intend to be open the next couple of days for players that wish to come in for either treatment or light activities and continue to sort of maintain their physical condition for the foreseeable future," Hahn said. "(Manager) Ricky (Renteria) and I and (VP) Kenny (Williams) and the staff had a great conversation this morning with the players, an open dialogue about what's best for all of us, what's best for our families.
"Everyone agreed that being here is a resource for the players over the next couple of days. It makes the most sense and everyone is on board with doing that."
The White Sox were supposed to open the regular season on March 26 with a home game against the Royals.
That is obviously not going to happen, but if MLB gives the green light for players to get back on the field soon, the stoppage shouldn't cause much of a problem.
"It's fairly dependent on how long the hiatus is," Hahn said. "If, for example, there's only a modest couple weeks away, certainly we've played a decent amount of games. We've got guys with their legs under them. We've got guys who are built to a certain level and it's a matter of sort of maintaining that and then building off that.
"Obviously, things change and if for whatever reason, people return home and we pick up again at a later date, it's really going to be a function of how long that hiatus is."
One potential challenge would be April games. On Thursday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there will be no professional home games in Chicago until May 1.
Sox VP of communications Scott Reifert is optimistic a full season will be played.
"Right now, the long-range plan is that we will play 162 games," Reifert said. "That's the hope. Whether that ends up being the reality, we'll see down the road."