Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

In an audio-only joint, Malachi Hayes joined Brett Ballantini to discuss the inspiring (?) second half of the White Sox season and forecast what's to come for the club in the offseason: First off, the host can't even get the podcast episode correct, ah well Is the improvement in the second half real, or a mirage? There is evidence to support hope as well as cynicism; as Malachi puts it, best to just dip your toe in the waters of optimism, it's the White Sox after all Prediction we can immediately agree on: The White Sox and their lottery luck will find a way to NOT end up with the first overall pick in next summer's draft Second-most intriguing prediction(s): The White Sox will dump Andrew Benintendi or Luis Robert Jr. Most intriguing prediction: Either Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero will be traded Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bayleigh and Chrystal wrap up the season with their own baseball postmortem, and look ahead to the playoffs and 2026 season. Here is what was discussed: Chrystal's reaction to the White Sox season Bayleigh's reaction to the Red Sox season The Mets spent $300 million and went nowhere How are the Brewers so good, and is it sustainable? Daaa Yankeeees lose, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Derek Jeter's lack of personality Tigers or Mariners Phillies or Dodgers Cubs or Brewers Not supporting facists or homophobes The first time in almost a decade without the Yankees or Astros in the ALCS Locking up Pete Alonso, and celebrating retirements and new babies 2026 predictions for both Sox teams You can follow Bayleigh on Twitter and Chrystal on Bluesky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and (while he’s in Chicago acting in Ashland Avenue at the Goodman Theatre) next room correspondent, Will, do the expected evaluation of the 2025 White Sox season: the good, the bad, and the not-quite-as-ugly as the past two years. They also delve into the firing of four coaches the day after the season ended, most notably the dismissal of pitching coach Ethan Katz, who seemed to have done a very good job with a young and not particularly talented staff, many of whom were castoffs from other teams. What do Chris Getz and Will Venable have in mind? All they let on was the usual p.r. b.s.release, which no reporter with access to the team has bothered to follow up on. And, of course, because the podcast was recorded the morning before the start the playoffs, they make their predictions for the Wild Card round, not all of them totally sensible, but, what the heck, why not go with the gut. Or heart. Or anything but brain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chrystal O'Keefe, Joe Resis, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and podcast rookie David James joined Brett Ballantini to look back on the 2025 season, from a few enticing angles: Hmm ... the return of Soxivus? Reviewing the final stats and standings for what ultimately was a disappointing White Sox team, whether you are on Team Chrystal (optimism) or Team Brett (pessimism) Vibe check on the 2025 White Sox, which features the brimming glass of David, Melissa's utter confusion, Chrystal's cautious optimism, and Joe's lingering doubts Brett challenges the sunny among us, particularly David and Chrystal, to explain what they anticipate in 2026 that will reward their faith Coaching staff changes for 2026, in light of Monday's breaking development that everyone but the manager was canned Is it fair to give Will Venable a pass for all the close losses the White Sox endured this season, and/or for a Pythagorean record that's 11 wins better than actual? Speed round: breakout player of 2026, 2026 win total, and ... with the White Sox be a last-place team next year? Please support our White Sox writing and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brett Ballantini flies solo on this postgame podcast, addressing the ramp-up to 100 losses for the 2025 White Sox, and what infamy the club can still achieve in 2025: A rundown of the ins and outs of where the White Sox now stand (seventh-worst White Sox team ever) and can still fall to (sixth-worst ever) And with that, the second-half record is looking uglier; does the flat tire ending 2025 leave a bad taste in your mouth for 2026? Will the White Sox set a new losses high for this 2022-25 "era?" Two more losses will give the club the 11th-worst "era" in major league history It is the first time on the South Side, but how rare is losing 100 games three seasons in a row? Breaking down the club in terms of moving forward: the keepers, the pretenders, and the position moves that would make the most sense for a better 2026 Please support our White Sox writing and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This edition of the mothership podcast features Dante Jones and Hannah Filippo, who join Brett Ballantini to discuss the encroaching and unprecedented third straight 100-loss season for the White Sox. Believe it or not, some positives were discussed: Gut check! We all weigh in on how the season has transpired and the (brief) spike in performance in the second half; Dante's glass is half-full, Hannah has seen the floor and it's ugly On that note, this one's a freebie, White Sox Marketing Dept.: Chicago White Sox 2026: Everybody Has Shown Their Floor Concerns: No true reinforcements coming from Charlotte next year, with Hannah noting the lack of arms and Brett exposing the fact that there are ZERO bats on the cusp. Dante? He just wants Andrew Benintendi off of his team Brett reveals just how bad the past three seasons have been, against the backdrop of all of major league history Concerns heading into 2026 A brief digression into hate for the Crosstown team and an examination of rookies flying away from the team while in a playoff positioning fight Colson Montgomery crashed the majors prematurely, and that gamble paid off. Will that encourage the White Sox to be risky in moving players up ... and is that a good or bad thing? Does the flat tire at the very end of this season stain our outlook for 2026? Early, early, early predictions on the 2026 win total Please support our White Sox writing and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacey Gotsulias of Locked On Yankees joined Chrystal to chat about the Yankees and help set up the second-to-last White Sox series of the season. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr. just became the third Yankees player to join the 30-30 club Removing the antiquated facial hair policy Rediscovering players' personalities How the Yankees did at the trade deadline Rushing Anthony Volpe and allowing him to play through an injury The magic number and how the Yankees might do in the postseason Aaron Judge's chances to win another MVP Voter fatigue and only caring about two teams is not helping the league grow What to expect from Yankees' pitching A lot of Carlos Rodón love and appreciation Ashley Rodón's tweets Spring Training curing seasonal depression and Lucas Giolito talking about pitching Biggest threat to the White Sox Keys to winning the series Fears heading into the series The AL Wild Card race has been fun to watch Waiting for the Dodgers to fall off A little Astros hate and reliving the 2017 postseason You can follow Stacey on Bluesky, and subscribe to Locked On Yankees on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Kirby joined Chrystal to chat about the Padres and their upcoming postseason, while also helping to preview the final White Sox home stand of the season. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Padres? The Wild Card is within reach What the metrics show vs. how the team is playing Was the trade deadline good for San Diego? Postseason odds and what needs to go right Dylan Cease is on his bad year Yu Darvish has not been the same since returning from the IL Worried about what Colson Montgomery will do Biggest threats to the White Sox Keys to winning the series The White Sox trades that will haunt, and old friends Starting pitching and bullpen stress Fears heading into the series Will we have repeat Cy Young and MVP winners? Cal Raleigh is very good and Aaron Judge is a robot Etsy witches are making the Mariners win? Stop using Twitter You can find Aaron on Bluesky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz Thompson joined Chrystal to talk all things Orioles and preview the upcoming series. Liz, who has worked with the Orioles in the past, is still involved in baseball; Liz is known for her custom scorebooks and will be presenting a panel called "A New Scorebook" on Sunday, September 21, during the 2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference. The conference is virtual this year, so be sure to check it out! Here is what Liz and Chrystal talked about in this episode: What's new and what happened to the Orioles this season? The injury bug hit hard Shady front office business, season ticket fiascos, and only signing Charlie Morton Growing pains with private equity ownership The last great draft year A terrible trade deadline in Baltimore What the Orioles need to do in the offseason Renovations and fixing a bad fan experience Pitching expectations for this series Who is the biggest thread to the White Sox? Keys to winning the series Fears leading into the series Anthony Rizzo's return to the Cubs Paul Skenes and the fun and young pitchers this season Letting go of expectations for your team to have more fun LOL Mets! The 2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference You can find Liz on Bluesky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 17th episode of the 2025 season features host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and guest Julie Swieca Gannon. Julie spent a decade at Chicago’s sports talk radio station 670 The Score, working as a reporter, anchor, and talk show host. She began her career there as a part-time producer and eventually hosted her own show. We're really grateful to Julie for agreeing to come back here at the end of the season to discuss several topics related to our beloved — or despised, depending on the day — South Siders. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. It's a fun podcast by the ladies, for the ladies (guys, you're welcome to listen, too)! So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things baseball, including: Overall take on how the Sox have looked lately Biggest differences between the first half and the second half of the season Young talent and rookies who have impressed the most Recent games and series that demonstrate where the team is headed Players most likely to stick around for 2026 Thoughts on Will Venable’s approach so far this season Offseason moves that could put the Sox on a better track Realistic timeline for the Sox to get back into contention Don't forget to check out the Sox Populi YouTube channel (and please subscribe) or listen on Megaphone below. If you love our White Sox coverage, consider supporting us on Patreon to keep the writing and podcasts going strong! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long-awaited and highly-requested guest Catherine Tinker joined Chrystal to talk about the Rays and help preview the upcoming White Sox series. A fan of two teams, Catherine talked about her hometown team and what to expect. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Rays? Will things change or stay the same with new ownership? Rookies getting their feet wet The future of the Trop How baseball stadiums feel like home Losing Taj Bradley and Curtis Mead Pitching matchups The Rays' 2025 motto: "It's a surprise!" The biggest threat to the White Sox Bringing back plate discipline Keys to winning and fears heading into the series That Dodgers vs. Orioles game, from a Dodgers fan No juggernaut team this year Fearing the Pope Cal Raleigh's historic run Getting your name spelled wrong on TV You can follow the adventures of Catherine and her cat Cocoa (but only the latter when her teams are winning) on Bluesky and X/Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time to look back on the month of August in the White Sox affiliate world and drill down into the stories of the season that are pushing toward their conclusions. Brett Ballantini welcomes Joe Resis in to chat about the four full-season clubs active for all of August, from top to bottom: A rundown of all six teams in the system Do the White Sox have an overt (or vested) interest in having their key starting arms sidestep Charlotte? Would strong outfield play — using recent call-back Dominic Fletcher as the fulcrum — affect the decision of whether or not to pick up Luis Robert Jr.'s $20 million option for 2026 (Joe and Brett agree on the decision that should be made!) A salute to the playoff-bound Birmingham Barons, plus special citations for the key figures in a second straight season of stellar starting pitching A bit of a deep dive into Jeral Perez's season, and whether he's still on an accelerated pace to the majors Who will ultimately have the greater impact in the majors, 2024 trade deadline pieces Miguel Vargas or Perez? (Again, Joe and Brett agree!) Beyond All-Everything Caleb Bonemer, who is another intriguing name among the many middle infield prospects? Congrats to Lucas Gordon for his call-up to Double-A, it is well-deserved Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rogelio Castillo is back to chat with Chrystal about the final White Sox and Tigers series. As the season heads to a close, the top team will host the bottom team in an American League Central matchup. Here is what they discussed: What's new with the Tigers? It's been a long summer for fans Javy Báez is starting to come back down to earth Trade deadline woes — Detroit prospects weren't going to be traded, even though another bat was needed Is first place still safe? Pitching, both starters and the bullpen, is a mess What to expect from the pitching matchup, spoiler: It's chaos Biggest threat to the White Sox Keys to winning the series Not taking the White Sox seriously Fears heading into the series The rookies are too good Staying away from Wrigley Field The World Series needs more diverse teams Indiana vs. OKC series was ideal You can find Rogelio on Twitter, both his personal account and his work accounts (Motor City Metrics and Tigers ML Report). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 16th episode of the 2025 season features host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and guest Tania Farries. We're genuinely grateful to Tania for agreeing to share her fandom journey with us and discussing several topics related to our beloved — or, depending on the day, despised — South Siders. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things baseball, including: Tania's unique pilgrimage to becoming a White Sox fan How she's managed to survive the trying past couple of seasons Who does she currently enjoy watching What is her opinion about the future of this team Her win prediction for the end of the season Don't forget to check out the Sox Populi YouTube channel (and please subscribe) or listen on Megaphone below. If you love our White Sox coverage, consider supporting us on Patreon to keep the writing and podcasts going strong! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bayleigh and Chrystal had plenty to talk about this week. Here is what is going on around Major League Baseball lately: Cal Raleigh up to 49 home runs, most-ever for a catcher How are the Brewers this good? Colson Montgomery is so good (and thank you for Kyle Teel) Zack Wheeler needs Thoracic Outlet Surgery MLB realignment? Families receiving horrific DMs MLB is finalizing a deal with ESPN, Netflix, and NBC Sports on a three-year media rights contract BBWAA to start honoring relief pitcher of the year in 2026 The Yankees were absolutely destroyed by the Red Sox How does Aaron Boone still have a job? Red Sox send Walker Buehler to the bullpen and promote The Password Red Sox sign Nathanial Lowe, after he was DFA’d by the Nationals Season-ending hernia surgery for Austin Riley After mere weeks in MLB, the Orioles ink backstop Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million extension Jen Pawol, MLB’s first female umpire, is back up! Matt Olson played in his 741st consecutive game, passing Braves legend Dale Murphy Twin Peaks and Lucas Giolito Braves already released Erick Fedde Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Warne is back this season to chat with Chrystal and provide insight on the Twins ahead of the upcoming series. With both teams dwelling at the bottom of the division, Brandon had plenty to say about the fire sale and rebuild. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Twins Navigating injuries The news guys are trying to get acclimated, and every day is like Spring Training Post-deadline ERA Making sense of the fire sale and rebuild Brandon's optimistic attitude Falling apart in Sacramento and not being able to inject life into a team limping toward the finish line Pitching matchups and bullpen games The biggest threat to the White Sox Scoring runs early and often to win games Fears heading into the series The Brewers are using data in their favor Will it be a Brewers and Blue Jays World Series? Exhausted by the Yankees and Dodgers You can find Brandon on X, and on both Access Twins and Locked On Twins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friend of South Side Sox Tommy Barbee joined Chrystal to chat about the Atlanta Braves and help preview the upcoming series. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Braves? Why does Atlanta keep picking up former White Sox pitchers? Buck Showalter rumors The youth movement and useless veterans A season in limbo The trade deadline bust Not feeling great about the rest of the season Pitching matchups and what games the White Sox pitching squad might win Spencer Strider's routine Pitchers with autism The biggest threat to the White Sox Fears heading into the series Keys to winning the series The weird second half struggles featuring the Mets, Yankees and Tigers Pete Alonso is holding Chrystal's sanity hostage What fringe team will get hot at the right time? Hayden Christensen's time at Wrigley Field The anniversary of the White Sox being eliminated You can follow Tommy on Bluesky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 15th episode of the 2025 season features host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and guest Nancy Hays. We're truly grateful to Nancy for agreeing to share her fandom journey with us, as well as a very special passion project of hers that connects to Chicago sports history. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or just have an overall love of sports, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the ladies hit a home run conversing about all things, including: Nancy's professional background in singing, dancing, and acting Her deep family ties to the South Side A very special passion project that blends her love for Chicago sports with her passion for the arts You connect with Nancy on her website at https://www.nancy-hays.com/. Be sure to check out her upcoming performance on Saturday, August 16, in Grant Park, starting with dance lessons at 6:00 p.m. Don't forget to jump on over to the Sox Populi YouTube channel (and please subscribe) or listen on Megaphone below. If you love our White Sox coverage, consider supporting us on Patreon to keep the writing and podcasts going strong! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After some of Brett Ballantini's idiotic, angry and/or questionable ramblings in our staff discussions, Malachi Hayes suggested a ... debate? ... of sorts, centered around the White Sox trade of Adrian Houser to the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline last week. You don't have to listen to the podcast to determine who won the debate: If you are a "gut" fan, you might like my arguments, while if you like reasoned analysis and optimism, Malachi is your guy. (By the way, first round went to Hayes, as Houser had his worst start of the season to open his Rays career.) This was mostly Houser and related debate, but we did move on to other things: Shout-out to pandemic-era media, as multiple technical snafus found the two of us back on Zoom for the podcast! Some of the crux of Brett's biscuit with Houser comes from some raw (albeit small sample-size) stats: No pitcher of 11 games or fewer with the White Sox has ever done better than Houser's 3.0 WAR — and you have to get to 18 games before you find a better (short) season. Additionally, over 125 seasons of White Sox history there have been just 18 better 11-game stretches better than Houser's 2.10 ERA ... and just seven have come in the DH era, and two this century Malachi counters that such stats make it even more urgent/compelling to deal Houser now, without (much) regard to the return. While Brett largely rejects the logic, Malachi pointed out that this deadline runs along the lines of 2024's, where a similiar-ish trade was made in sending out Erick Fedde for Miguel Vargas At some point, do you start collecting quality players rather than continuing to build for the future? Whether Houser is one of those guys, or Fedde was, SOMEONE has to be a building block instead of a trade piece Through process of elimination Brett isolated Malachi's best-case competitive window opening for the White Sox to be 2027. Brett is more of the 2029 belief As time ran out on our free Zoom, Malachi and Brett discussed some of the brighter developments of 2025: Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery Please support our White Sox writing and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bayleigh and Chrystal return to talk about a busy few weeks in Major League Baseball. The Trade Deadline: Winners? Losers? What on earth is AJ Preller thinking? Carlos Correa returned to his cheating ex The Mariners made big moves The Phillies picked up several pieces, and the Twins had a fire sale The Yankees picked up some terrible pitchers, and one is already back in Triple A The Rangers get Merrill Kelly A few Mets moves, including Cedric Mullins The Biebs is in Toronto Busy but bad trade deadline for the Red Sox Musician Jack White reveals he has completed his mission of visiting every MLB ballpark. The Speedway Classic or Fyre Festival 2.0 The Marlins swept the Yankees! How are the Brewers the best team in baseball? Tanner Houck's time with the Red Sox might be over now that he's undergoing Tommy John surgery Lucas Giolio, on the other hand, is turning it around post-injury The White Sox hot streak and youth movement Ryne Sandberg passed away at 65 after a long battle with cancer Hall of Fame inductions and crying during speeches Julio Rodriguez completed the 20/20 campaign, the second Mariner to do it this season Wrigley Field gets the 2027 All-Star Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices