The White Sox current situation is so bad that even players on other teams sympathize with them. Dodgers star pitcher Tyler Glasnow stated on Chris Rose’s show earlier that he “feels so bad” for former teammate and now White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas following the video of him that went viral a few days ago. Glasnow’s comments represent one of the absolute lows in a season full of them on the south side.
Glasnow’s Relationship With Vargas
Glasnow was highly complimentary of Vargas in his discussion with Rose. He called Vargas one of the funniest people he has ever played with and said he loved having him around as a teammate in Los Angeles. Glasnow also mentioned that the silver lining is that Vargas will get much more playing time in Chicago than in Los Angeles. However, based on his White Sox stint, you would never know anything about Vargas’ personality or happy demeanor. Considering the White Sox have won just one game since he got to Chicago, that is hardly a surprise.
Glasnow Is A Winner
Glasnow knows what it is like to be a winner. Not only is he one of the best pitchers in baseball individually when he is healthy, but he has pitched in four different postseason runs in his career, soon to be five this year with the Dodgers. He has already played for relatively bad teams early in his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, so he has perspective from both sides. It is common sense that playing for a good team is the ideal scenario, but this being a talking point illustrates how much of a joke the White Sox are right now.
Vargas’ Poor Performance In Chicago
Moving from a winning team in the Dodgers to the worst team in baseball in the White Sox has not helped Vargas. Not only did he go viral for his somber look by the dugout after their 21st straight loss, but his stats have fallen off a cliff. Vargas has just three hits in 42 at-bats in a White Sox uniform. While it is just a ten-game sample, it is reasonable to conclude that the change in surroundings is causing Vargas to press and not perform as well as he did with the Dodgers. He could turn it around, but the early returns are not promising.
Losing Is A Disease
Glasnow called losing a “disease that puts everyone in a bad mood and turns the clubhouse.” He seems to be onto something. The White Sox miserable season has had negative storylines and personnel changes from day one. Nobody is having a good time, and everyone’s jobs are at risk. Countless players have been shipped in and out of Chicago this season, and the manager and some of his coaching staff have also gotten the boot. Even Luis Robert Jr, the team star, is in the middle of the worst stretch of his career.
Final Word
New interim manager Grady Sizemore will hopefully be able to turn things around somewhat, but it is not pretty right now. It will take a long time for the White Sox to become a respectable team again. Glasnow’s comments and Miguel Vargas’ sudden decline after switching teams make the difference between a winning organization like the Dodgers and a losing organization like the White Sox crystal clear.
