The hits keep coming for the White Sox. If the scathing article by The Athletic revealing further insights into how dysfunctional the organization is was not enough, ex-players are also coming forward with their opinions. Former White Sox pitcher and current MLB Network analyst Jake Peavy is the latest player to step forward with his thoughts on the organization. His perspective is not exactly a glowing endorsement of the team.
Peavy’s Credibility
A 15-year MLB veteran, Peavy spent parts of five seasons on the south side from 2009 to 2013. He won the pitching triple crown and the NL Cy Young award with the Padres, made three All-Star teams, earned a Gold Glove award, and was a World Series champion with the Red Sox and Giants. Given his success and longevity in the big leagues, Peavy has credibility. His words hold merit. Sports reporter Paul M. Banks recently interviewed him, and Peavy’s insight on the intricacies of the White Sox organization is startling.
Internal Strife And Lack Of Organizational Cohesiveness Are Big Issues
Peavy blames the lack of evolution regarding analytics and internal strife as two key factors that have caused the White Sox to fall into organizational disarray. He mentioned that the White Sox lack analytics and science as part of their operations, and failing to keep up in those areas has become a very problematic issue. He also mentioned how then general manager Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillén could not even be in the same room together during Peavy’s stint in Chicago, whereas the GM and manager had tight bonds with the successful organizations Peavy was a part of.
In addition, Peavy remarked how there was no cohesive plan regarding the training and coaching staff by saying, “Ozzie thought he was in charge, Joey thought he was in charge, Coop thinks he’s in charge, Herm Schneider thinks he’s in charge, him and Jerry are best friends, and he really trumps anybody in the room.” While there are very few holdovers organizationally from Peavy’s time with the team, these flaws have continued to persist over time.
Disconnect Between Weight Room And Training Staff
Peavy also pointed out an incident with former Sox catcher and current MLB Network colleague Alex Avila. The longtime MLB catcher had a hamstring injury at the time, but the disconnect between the training staff and the weight room was so great that Avila stopped going to the training room altogether. While this is somewhat anecdotal evidence, stories like these reveal how deep the issues within the White Sox organization really are.
Jerry Reinsdorf Is Loyal To A Fault
Jerry Reinsdorf’s loyalty is another issue from Peavy’s perspective. He references the hires of former manager Robin Ventura and current GM Chris Getz as examples of Reinsdorf bringing in people he is familiar with rather than the best, more qualified options from the outside. Reinsdorf’s allegiance to his people is certainly not a new development, but Peavy’s perspective reconfirms how much of a factor that really is within the organization’s hierarchy.
Final Word
Things will likely get worse before they get better for the White Sox. The team is on the verge of setting the all-time modern MLB loss record, and it seems unlikely that Jake Peavy will be the last person affiliated with the White Sox organization to step forward and expose them. Whether one wants to believe Peavy or not, the fact that he would publicly expose the White Sox is not a good look for Jerry Reinsdorf or the organization as a whole.
