Between Lance Lynn’s outburst of obscenities, Liam Hendriks primal screams, Joe Kelly’s pouty faces, and Tim Anderson’s bat flipping, it is easy to see why the White Sox can rub opponents the wrong way.
“We’re pretty much going to be unanimously one of the most hated teams in baseball and that’s completely fine,” Liam Hendriks told Chuck Garfein on the White Sox talk podcast.
“It brings it back to the White Sox of old where everyone didn’t know what was happening and were terrified to play us, and that’s what we’re going to get back to.”
The White Sox certainly play the game with an edge. The colorful cast of characters on the roster make them an easy team for fans to get behind. However, it also makes it just as easy to hate them from an opposing dugout. It’s part of the “change the game” culture they have been building over the past couple of seasons.
In 2019 Tim Anderson threw his bat like a javelin after hitting a moonshot off of Royal’s pitcher Brad Keller. His next at-bat Keller proceeded to throw at him causing the benches to empty.
Yermin Mercedes was the talk of baseball when he swung at a 3-0 pitch in the middle of a blowout and sent it sailing over the center-field fence. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli had some words for Mercedes after the game and the Twins proceeded to throw at him the next day.
Even the White Sox more mild-mannered players saw themselves in the middle of confrontations. Lucas Giolito and Josh Donaldson got into a war of words after Donaldson accused Giolito of using “sticky stuff” to doctor the baseball. Donaldson even threatened to meet Giolito in the parking lot after the game.
Jose Abreu caused a scuffle in Detroit after he slid hard into second base. Abreu was frustrated after being hit by a pitch and voiced his displeasure causing a fight at second base.
The White Sox’s newest reliever Joe Kelly is also not afraid to get under the skin of his opponents. He made his hatred for the Astros known in 2020 when he threw a fastball dangerously close to Alex Bregman’s head then mocked Carlos Correa after striking him out causing both teams to spill out of the dugout.
Kelly is a fiery competitor who can’t stand the Astros. The feeling is mutual from the Astros side. Seeing that the White Sox will be battling for control of the American League with the Astros, adding Kelly to the mix should only add to the disdain between the two sides.
Hendriks believes teams like the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, and Astros are going to look across the field with scorn for the White Sox.
“I think with the personalities that we have, the amount of flair we’re going out there with, the kind of energy levels we’re going to show, I think it’s a very good possibility.”
Hendriks has no problem playing the role of villain, especially if it translates to victories.
“You put a chip on our shoulder,” Hendriks explained to Garfein. “It’s the same thing with TA. When you disrespect us, it just makes us bite harder.”
Sometimes a little motivation is all it takes.
