Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

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

Brett Ballantini, Joe Resis and Melissa Sage-Bollenbach gathered together to look back at the month of July in the White Sox farm system, with special attention paid to the surging Birmingham Barons. Topics? Yeah, we got 'em: A rundown of all six teams in the system, spotlighting the likelihood that due to some "tiebreaker" shenanigans in the Arizona Complex League just one White Sox affiliate will make the postseason in 2025 Breaking down what has made Shane Murphy so special in 2025 ... yet still outside of the MLB Pipeline Top 30 for the club And a related point, maybe pay more attention to an outlet like ours, ranking 100 prospects, than MLB and its oversights ... or anyone else, for that matter How is Birmingham doing what they're doing? Joe rescues his poor host before the break by remembering that possibly the best pitching in the entire system is NOT Shane Murphy ... but teammate Tanner McDougal. Apologies, Tanner A dive into scary-close to .500 Charlotte, a photo negative of Birmingham with massive mashing and no arms. If manager Sergio Santos, with one title under his belt so far, has a secret ... what is it? Joe reps the Dash, because no one else will Christian Gonzalez, the extraordinary DSL youngster so good the White Sox gave him the unprecedented call-up to Arizona IN-SEASON The sadness of seeing some blue-chip prospects stall out A final quickie round, who is your favorite prospect in the White Sox system right now? Please support our White Sox writing and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire joined Chrystal to chat about the Mariners and help break down the upcoming White Sox series. Here is what they discussed: What's new with the Mariners How we talk about players during the trade deadline is a little gross The Mariners are good but not great right now Pitching matchups: Bryan Woo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert The 17-game stretch leading up to this series Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodríguez with a 20/20 season, and others are on the way Keys to winning the series Fears heading into the series Blackout restrictions suck Bluesky has been great for connecting with other baseball people and checking in on their teams Do Angels fans exist? Rob Manfred is bad for baseball The game isn't growing despite the Olympics and World Baseball Classic Will there be a 2027 lockout? You can follow Claire on Bluesky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White Sox roared ... well, squeaked ... through the trade deadline, sending off only Adrian Houser and Austin Slater and getting back all of three minor league pitchers (only one of them even listed on any teams top 50 prospects) and one utility infielder. Duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, talk about the White Sox activity or lack thereof, including what the future may mean for Luis Robert Jr., and then wander into the more interesting world of teams that actually got better ... or in some cases, worse (looking at you, Twins) ... and what all that may mean. The duo also consider the strong possibility the AL Central is headed back to its usual doldrums after a brief sojourn into adequacy in 2024, and commiserate with Guardians star José Ramírez, who deserves a better fate than playing for a team that doesn’t seem to care any more. Of course, there is fun talking about the post-All Star break offensive surge for the White Sox, and chat about just how real Colson Montgomery should be considered at this point. Speaking of fun, there are also a few chortles about how little the other team in town did on the trading front, with best wishes for the team north of the state line to whip them soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy 100 episodes! Chrystal failed to acknowledge that in the episode, but we can all celebrate it here. Brett Haffner is back to chat with Chrystal about the Phillies and help preview the upcoming series. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Phillies Weird games Kyle Schwarber's All-Star Game experience Is Bryce Harper coming around? Trade deadline wishes The glaring issues at the bottom of the batting order Is Brett more optimistic post-break? What to expect from Phillies pitchers Who is the biggest threat to the White Sox? Keys to winning the series Fears heading into the series Could the White Sox cause a momentum shift for the contending Phillies? The Diamondbacks have a stronghold over the league for the trade deadline Where does Erick Fedde go? The White Sox are finally fun bad You can follow Brett on X, where he also posts content from Sox On 35th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Mear joined Chrystal O'Keefe ahead of the Crosstown Classic to talk about what's happening on the North Side and preview the upcoming White Sox series with the Cubs. Here is a bit of what they talked about: What's new with the Cubs The recent dip to second place and foundational cracks being exposed A hot streak from the Brewers Trade deadline needs if you want to be a serious contender Cubs players turning into pumpkins Pete Crow Armstrong's funk Pitching matchups Adrian Houser's trade value Jerry Reinsdorf's hate is deserved Threats to the Cubs and on the Cubs Keys to winning the series Sunday scaries — pitching edition Social media is bad for baseball Baseball movies, and introducing kids to 90's classics You can follow Nick on X and Bluesky. His podcast, NickFlix is available on Spotify and Apple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 14th episode of the 2025 season features host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach with a special edition of Ladies’ Night-turned-Family Night with guests Shaun and Sage Bollenbach. Melissa’s husband and son join her to discuss several topics related to the upcoming Crosstown Classic showdown between the White Sox and the Cubs this weekend at Rate Field. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or a Cubs Fan, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because this divided family trio hit a home run conversing about all things baseball, including: Assessing the current form of both the White Sox and Cubs coming into the series. Looking out for specific player performances. Discussing different aspects of the rivalry. Balancing allegiances for the resident Bollenbach Sox and Cubs fan. Wondering if a Sox vs. Cubs World Series is ever a possibility. Predicting the outcomes of the weekend. 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

It's been a while, but Bayleigh and Chrystal are back to discuss what's going on around Major League Baseball. Mac Miller Day and the White Sox putting up over 20 runs against the Pirates Red Sox lose 10-game winning streak, now have lost 2 in a row to the Cubs Are the Red Sox for real? Will Craig make additions at the deadline? Number 1 overall pick in the draft, Eli Willits, signs for $8.2 million with the Nationals The cutest thing out of the draft was the Rockies taking Ethan Holliday at four A’s have the lowest attendance in MLB at the break Ronald Acuna’s wildly impressive throw against the Yankees Mets retire 5 for David Wright Guardians extend pitcher Luis Ortiz’s leave of absence in the wake of the gambling scandal Pitcher Aaron Sanchez is trying to make a comeback Tigers are on a 6-game losing streak Brewers are on a heater, 9th straight win after mounting a comeback against the Dodgers Daniel Bard and Yasmani Grandal have retired The HR Derby and the AS Game Swing-off The no-shows at this year's draft and how Scott Boras ruins everything Ketel Marte's home was burglarized MLB players have been advised by MLBPA to keep legal documents with them, amid ICE raids Dane Dunning traded from the Rangers to the Braves ahead of the deadline MLB is open to letting players participate in the 2028 Olympics Will Judge or Raleigh break 73? You can keep up with Bayleigh on Twitter/X. Chrystal is primarily on Bluesky but sometimes on Twitter/X. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Collette of RotoWire and FanGraphs joined Chrystal to talk Tampa Bay Rays baseball, preview the series, and catch up on what's happening around the league. Here is what they talked about: What's new with the Rays? Steinbrenner Stadium and the idiosyncrasies of playing at a smaller (and dome-less) ballpark Rating the offseason and addressing needs at the quickly approaching trade deadline The Rays need bullpen arms Is there any wiggle room in the American League East? Making the playoffs in a tight division The downfall of the Baltimore Orioles Pitching matchups The threat that is Yandy Díaz Can the Rays control the running game by staying aggressive on the base paths? Keys to winning the series Fears heading into the series Bullpen vs. bullpen is close games The Blue Jays are finally better Cal Raleigh — a pleasure to have on our screens How are the Astros still in first place? And moreover, how are the Brewers in second place with no offense? Charlotte Knights and Tim Elko You can follow Jason on Bluesky. He also has a weekly column for all your fantasy baseball needs on RotoWire. Lastly, you can listen to his podcast The Sleeper and the Bust on FanGraphs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 13th episode of the 2025 season, Sox Populi/South Side Sox writer/podcaster Delia Ritchie joins host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach to discuss several topics related to baseball, sports, and 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. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things, including: Observations on the 2005 World Series reunion weekend. Reflections regarding the passing of Bobby Jenks. Thoughts on the Mark Buehrle statue unveiling. Opinions on the next White Sox player to get a statue or number retired? Speculation on the second half of the season. It's hard to believe there are only 65 games left in 2025. Thank you so much for sticking with us. We look forward to continuing our conversations with some fantastic ladies in the second half! 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