By Sam Reeves

The White Sox have played 43.8% of their scheduled games so far this season (71 games for those who don’t have a calculator in front of them), and they are currently 34-37. That is, very gross, based on the expectations that were set for this season. Look, I am aware its a long season and there are 91 games left, at the time I’m writing this, and baseball is unpredictable and yada yada yada. However, being 3 games under .500, and 5.5 GB of the division that was supposed to be a “cake walk” again, is not what White Sox fans had in mind when they bought tickets to “The Ride”. Metaphorically, or physically, buying the tickets to this 2022 season has been a waste of money and time. The friends we’ve made along the way, is literally the only lifeblood this season has right now.

On paper this team was supposed to be the same, if not a little better. However, they failed to address RF (AJ Pollock is a CF, trying to play other OF positions, I don’t blame him) and 2B for the millionth year in a row. Calling up Lenyn Sosa is apparently a “temporary” move, which is just so stupid to bring him up for that reason. Josh Harrison has started coming around, a little bit. Leury Garcia has been nightmarish with the bat, and well, with his glove lately too. They added Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly to a bullpen that only lost Ryan Tepera as a main contributor. They added Reese McGuire as a “backup” catcher, which even when Grandal was healthy, McGuire caught more. They added Johnny Cueto to replace Carlos Rodon, which, has kind of been a wash? However, the regression of Lucas Giolito has made him the 2021 Dallas Keuchel of the rotation, at the moment. Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jimenez, AJ Pollock, Yoan Moncada, Joe Kelly, and Liam Hendriks have all missed time or are currently missing time this season. Injuries happen, I understand that. It happened last year too, but somehow the Sox played well and stayed afloat. This year? Everything is falling apart.

Who better to keep your blind optimism going, than NBC Sports Chicago employee and White Sox color guy, Steve Stone. Steve Stone has been around the game, a very long time, I get that. However, his analysis in a broadcast vs how he uses his personal twitter platform, are wildly on different wavelengths. Most people ignore him, some take being blocked by him as some weird trophy moment. Me? I laugh, then I remember, he’s had a run-in with the Cubs when he worked for them, ultimately costing him his job. So now he has to go off on insane tangents, praising the White Sox, no matter how bad they are. Then he goes into comments, and waffles on his own tweet. Its truly a site to behold. One of our contributors, Stoop Kiid, has been kind enough to put together a portfolio for this article.

The condescending tone, that you really don’t need to have, is what is driving fans insane. I get it is his own Twitter account, and he can use it however he chooses, but to alienate the fans, for wanting better, is a wild choice.

Those who defend Steve Stone, have the absolute right to. The fans who disagree, also have the right to respond. Its a conversation, if he doesn’t want to read these comments, he simply doesn’t have to. He can also, turn them off. Of course he will just get QT’d to death, but do you think Steve Stone really cares? His check is going to clear, either way. Do I think Steve Stone deep down thinks this team has no issues and everything will be fine? No. Do I think he is putting on this front so he can keep cashing checks for talking baseball? 100%. There are so many ways, he could use his platform, but to blatantly tell fans to stop watching because they were lied to, isn’t it. Look, it shouldn’t be on Steve Stone to face the fans, anyway. Rick Hahn, Kenny Williams, and Jerry Reinsdorf should be taking the brunt of this, and they never will. You can direct your anger at uncle Steve all day, but it won’t get you anywhere.