WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF AUGUST 26, 2016 “White Sox rally past M’s on Frazier’s walk-off hit” … Scott Merkin and Greg Johns, MLB.com “Todd Frazier sets RISP issues aside with clutch hits” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sox won’t reveal direction until after season” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Top Sox pick Burdi could be September callup.” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Aces Sale, Felix set to duel on South Side” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Todd Frazier’s late single lifts White Sox over Mariners” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Rick Hahn denies rift in White Sox front office, holds off on plans for 2017” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox rule Austin Jackson, Matt Davidson out for season” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Thursday’s recap: White Sox 7, Mariners 6” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Todd Frazier comes through for 7-6 White Sox victory over Mariners” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “David Robertson ‘little angry’ but keeps composure after 3 fans delay game” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox GM Rick Hahn says talk of trade-deadline discord ‘simply untrue’” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox, Frazier enjoy walk-off win over Mariners” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Hahn, White Sox front office ‘have sense of what we want to do’” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Frazier comes through late as Chicago White Sox rally past Mariners” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Hahn: Chicago White Sox’s plan will become clear” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “North: Sox stadium name not as important as winning ” … Mike North, Daily Herald “Levine: David Robertson gets win after waiting out fans running on field” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Levine: No discord in White Sox front office, Hahn says” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “The Bernstein Brief: Guaranteed Idiot Field” … Dan Bernstein, CBS Chicago “Frazier’s single in 9th leads White Sox over Mariners, 7-6” … Mike Cranston, Associated Press “MLB Rumor Central: Busy winter for the White Sox?” … Doug Mitler, ESPN “Todd Frazier delivers late for White Sox” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic “One Guarantee for Chicago White Sox’ new stadium name: Derision” … Richard Sandomir, New York Times “Will ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’ grow on wary White Sox fans?” … Jonathan Berr, CBS News

White Sox rally past M’s on Frazier’s walk-off hit By Scott Merkin and Greg Johns / MLB.com | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO -- As far as the Mariners are concerned, they can't change the name of U.S. Cellular Field soon enough. A day after the White Sox announced they'll be renaming the facility Guaranteed Rate Field for next season, Seattle's struggles on the South Side continued as Todd Frazier singled in Adam Eaton for a 7-6 walk-off win on Thursday night. Frazier delivered his third RBI of the game with one out in the ninth inning off reliever Nick Vincent as the White Sox rallied from a 6-3 deficit over the final three frames. Full Game Coverage

Perhaps a name change will exorcise the demons, as the Mariners are 7-26 at U.S. Cellular since 2008. Their latest loss proved costly, dropping them 7 1/2 back of the Rangers in the American League West and kept them three back of the Orioles for the AL's second Wild Card berth at 67-60. "Everybody played hard. They didn't give up at all tonight," said White Sox closer David Robertson, who improved to 4-2 as the White Sox improved to 61-65. "We pitched well enough to win and had timely hitting. A few things went our way, a couple errors that really ended up giving us a few runs. A few things went our way and it was great to pick up a win." Mariners southpaw James Paxton overcame a shaky start to get through five innings with a 6-3 lead in his first outing since getting nailed by a line drive in the elbow Aug. 7. Paxton allowed three runs in the first, but held the White Sox in check for the rest of his outing. Chicago scored three unearned runs off reliever Arquimedes Caminero to tie the game in the seventh as Frazier delivered the big blow with a two-run single. That was the inning that gave the White Sox life as shortstop Ketel Marte booted a leadoff grounder by J.B. Shuck and Caminero walked Eaton with one out to set up the comeback. "Those things will bite you," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "You give teams more than three outs in an inning and it'll come back to bite you and it did tonight." Anthony Ranaudo, making his third start for the White Sox in place of the injured Miguel Gonzalez, allowed five hits and six runs over 5 1/3 innings. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Not so fast: Seattle jumped to a 2-0 lead against Ranaudo in the top of the first, but the White Sox offense didn't let that advantage last long. Eaton, Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia and Justin Morneau all knocked out singles, and Dioner Navarro added a sacrifice fly as the White Sox scored three times. That damage could have been worse if not for Norichika Aoki's diving catch in left on Navarro's line drive. Flipping the switch: After seven of the first 11 White Sox batters reached base via six singles and a walk, Paxton got out of the second with a scalding double-play line drive by Abreu that was hit right at Robinson Cano behind the bag at second, allowing him to easily double Tyler Saladino off second and preserve the 3-2 lead. But from there, Paxton turned things around and retired nine straight before a two-out single in the fifth. Though he was removed after that inning, the 27-year-old Canadian was in position for the win until the White Sox tallied their three unearned runs in the seventh. Paxton thus remains 4-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 14 starts. "That was huge," Paxton said of Abreu's double-play line shot. "I ducked that one. Didn't get hit by that one, which was good. Then Robbie was right there, which was awesome. That was big time, getting out of that inning and getting reset and kind of just going from there." More > Cano keeps crankin': The Mariners' second baseman tied the game at 3 with a homer off Ranaudo leading off the fourth. Cano ripped a 2-1 changeup into the right-field seats for his 29th homer, which ties the second-highest single-season mark of his prolific career and is just six shy of his total in his first two seasons combined in Seattle. Cano's best was 33 homers in 2012 with the Yankees. Cano went 2-for-4 and is 9-for-16 in his past four games to hike his average to .298. Timmy Baseball: The strong rookie campaign for Anderson took another step forward with three hits, two runs scored and one RBI. Anderson contributed to a three-run seventh off Caminero by hitting a 2-0, 99-mph fastball down the middle for a long ground-rule double to center to score Shuck. "He had a great night, He changed the complexion of that inning," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "The kid's out there throwing hard, he walks somebody but that one set up the inning for us.

Timmy's been swinging it. A lot of things he's done well, offensively he went through a little bit of a rut but right now this is a pretty good run for him." QUOTABLE "It was tough. Once is fine, but twice, that makes it harder." -- Aoki, on his ninth-inning at-bat that was twice interrupted by fans running on the field "There wasn't anything else to do. I can't go sit in the dugout. I just kind of had to figure out where I was in the game and make a couple of pitches and give myself out of a bad situation." -- Robertson, on dealing with the same ninth-inning situation when facing Aoki SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Frazier was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against Vincent in his career before his game-winning single. THAT'S A CATCH Saladino's blooper to left field with one on and nobody out in the seventh originally was ruled an out via a great diving catch by Aoki. Ventura challenged the ruling and after video review, the call stood although it looked as if the ball might have hit the ground just before Aoki's glove. WHAT'S NEXT Mariners: Felix Hernandez (8-4, 3.26 ERA) gets the start in Friday's 5:10 p.m. PT game at U.S. Cellular Field. The Mariners' ace is 4-0 with a 3.80 ERA in seven starts since coming off the DL and has been particularly sharp in his past few outings. He's 4-6 with a 3.97 ERA in 17 career meetings with the White Sox. White Sox: Chris Sale makes up the White Sox half of this aces-high matchup Friday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Sale had gone six starts without picking up a victory, posting a 4.43 ERA during that stretch, before throwing eight scoreless innings against the A's on 120 pitches for win No. 15.

Frazier sets RISP issues aside with clutch hits White Sox third baseman singles in tying, winning runs By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Todd Frazier entered Thursday's series opener with the Mariners hitting .159 (17-for-107) with runners in scoring position this season. It was a dismal statistic that the third baseman recently pointed to as the greatest blight on his first season in Chicago. So of course it was Frazier who emerged as the driving force in the South Siders' 7-6 walk-off comeback win at U.S. Cellular Field. Full Game Coverage And Frazier did the job by hitting with runners in scoring position during the seventh inning to tie the game and in the ninth to win it. These moments were especially big for Frazier after striking out in his first three at-bats. "Like I said, you learn something," Frazier said. "You take the last at-bat and throw it away and just keep on going. Unfortunately it took me three times to do that. To come up clutch today felt pretty good." "You can't rely just on the homer. There's more to his game than that," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of Frazier. "You have to be able to knock in runs when you're not hitting them over the fence. He

can use the other side of the field. He can level it out somewhat and get some hits. Just put it in play more because you don't know what's going to happen." The White Sox had climbed to within 6-4 in the seventh, when Steve Cishek struck out Jose Abreu to keep runners at second and third with two outs. Frazier entered the contest hitting .135 (7-for-52) with runners in scoring positon and two out, a situation made even tougher by Cishek's sidearm style, but he connected on a 2-0 slider to single home Adam Eaton and Tim Anderson. "It's tough. Basically you have to pick one pitch and stick with it the whole at-bat," said Frazier of facing Cishek. "It's that slider or that fastball. He's a sidearmer, but his ball doesn't necessarily dive hard and gets on you a little bit. I got a pitch to hit and luckily it found a hole." Eaton opened the ninth with a single off reliever Nick Vincent and moved to second on Anderson's sacrifice bunt. The Mariners elected to intentionally walk Abreu, setting up Frazier once again. This time, he hit a 2-1 fastball down the left-field line to score Eaton with the game-winner. It was the White Sox sixth walk-off hit, the fifth of Frazier's career and his first hit off of Vincent after four previous strikeouts. "Just go out and think of nothing, relaxed, knowing that you've been there before," Frazier said. "Bottom line is if I don't get the job done, there will be another time that I'm going to have an opportunity. It would have stunk if I didn't get the job done, but for me it felt pretty darn good to get it done." "Tonight was a great night all the way around for him. He looked like he was swinging it better," Ventura said. "Then there in the ninth, to be able to get a guy in scoring position, a great night for Fraz. The guys are happy for him."

Sox won’t reveal direction until after season GM Hahn says club’s brass open to possible rebuild By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO -- To rebuild or not to rebuild? That is the question facing general manager Rick Hahn and the White Sox organization as they move through another season "mired in mediocrity" to quote a previous Hahn news conference. Hahn and company have a pretty good idea as to the answer, but the team's direction won't be divulged until after the current campaign is complete. "By the time we make our first or second transaction, publicly it will be fairly clear as to our direction," said Hahn during a 15-minute pregame meeting with the media before Thursday's 7-6 win over the Mariners. "While we aren't going to say, 'Next on our list is this,' it will be obvious what we're trying to accomplish. Full Game Coverage "We have a sense of what we want to do, but we have 25 guys in there trying to win a ballgame tonight. If I were to say we're going to do a full rebuild, that's disrespectful to what they're trying to accomplish. "To the other extreme, if I were to say we're going to fight and go for it and plug the holes it begs the question, 'Where are the holes?' and that's disrespectful to the guys in the clubhouse," Hahn said. "It's just not the time to be laying out offseason plans. We're working on it, exploring a lot of angles internally trying to come up with priorities so we can hit the ground running when the time is appropriate." The club consistently has shied away from the full rebuild mode, choosing instead to revamp and strengthen the core since 2013 while also trying to compete in '15 and '16 in focusing on recent activity. The White Sox have not reached the playoffs since '08, and coming off a second straight disappointing season, it has become apparent that plan isn't working.

In Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu, to name a few standouts, the White Sox have controllable pieces who still could be built around, but also could turn around a franchise with the right return in a major deal. Hahn reiterated Thursday that the White Sox are open to anything. "There comes a point where there is a level of frustration with the way things have played out over the last couple of years," Hahn said. "There are different approaches and again, I'm not saying [a rebuild] is the route we're going to go. "But I assure you there is absolute openness from [White Sox chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf], [executive vice president] Kenny [Williams], myself. Everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success, even if that involves a short-term step back." Reports of Trade Deadline discord between Williams and Hahn in regard to the direction of the team not only were exaggerated but untrue, per Hahn. "The frustrating thing is it seems every few months we need to have this same conversation," Hahn said. "The fact of the matter is I have no idea where an unnamed random report of any discord at the Deadline came from. "It's simply untrue. There was no trade or direction of whatever it was described as vetoed, so to speak, at the Deadline. We are of a similar mindset as to how best to proceed. We've had a number of conversations, both Kenny and I as well as Kenny, Jerry and I, about the best way to approach the offseason and what we want to accomplish."

Top Sox pick Burdi could be September callup Flame-throwing righty turning heads at Triple-A By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Right-hander Zack Burdi, the 26th overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft with the 100-mph fastball, is making it tough for the White Sox to overlook him among a handful of September callups. Burdi, who is at Triple-A Charlotte, has fanned 46 and walked 13 over 31 innings across four levels, while holding opponents to a .168 average. "It's funny, one of the things we want Zack to work on is his consistency with his delivery out of the stretch," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "The only problem is he's not allowing any baserunners, so he's not really having a lot of opportunity to work on that. Full Game Coverage "A lot has already been thrown at this kid and he's responded essentially to every outing, with the exception of the first one at Birmingham was rough. It's been a lot about the consistency of his delivery and fastball command and fairly simplistic stuff that he's taken to very quickly and he's got a world of ability. Whether it's in September or it's next year, it's not too far away that he's going to be able to help our big league club." Jackson, Davidson done for year; no time frame for Lawrie Center fielder Austin Jackson (surgery to repair torn meniscus in his left knee) and third baseman Matt Davidson (surgery to repair broken right foot) are progressing but not expected to play again this season. Second baseman Brett Lawrie had an MRI on his knee and calf after being returned from his injury rehab assignment, with everything showing up structurally clean. "He received some medicine in the joint there," Hahn said. "We'll let that work for a couple of days and we'll ramp up the activity and see how it goes. No specific time frame." Ventura willing to wait

Robin Ventura has expressed a desire to extend his five-year tenure as the White Sox manager. But he's in no rush to have talks about the future, even with his contract in its final year. "As I've told [Hahn], we can talk when the season is over," Ventura said. "There's enough going on here that we need to concentrate on this, run this out and go out here and try and win games right now. I just think it's better done in the offseason."

Aces Sale, Felix set to duel on South Side

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 25th, 2016

Back on Aug. 14, Chris Sale was scheduled to pitch against the Marlins' Jose Fernandez during the finale of a three-game series in Miami. Fernandez eventually was moved from that day, which didn't upset the White Sox ace, who said with a smile that he wouldn't miss having to hit against Fernandez. Neither Sale nor Felix Hernandez will have to swing the bat in this aces-high matchup Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field, featuring the popular Elvis Night promotion. Hernandez is 4-0 with 3.80 ERA in seven starts since returning from a two-month disabled list stint with a strained right calf. He's 4-6 with a 3.97 ERA in 17 career starts vs. the White Sox, although just 1-3 with a 5.48 ERA over his past seven. Sale broke a six-start winless streak Saturday against the A's, a streak during which he had a 4.43 ERA, by hurling eight scoreless innings. Sale matched a season high with 120 pitches in picking up his 15th victory, earning him an extra day of rest. Sale has a 4-0 record and 2.22 ERA lifetime against the Mariners, with 60 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. Sale threw eight one-hit innings against the Mariners on July 18 at Safeco Field, in a game where the White Sox lost a 3-0 lead in the ninth and eventually lost the game on Adam Lind's walk-off homer. "He's one of the better pitchers in the league," said Mariners manager Scott Servais of Sale. "I think our guy is one of the better pitchers in the league. It should be a good game." Seattle doesn't have its normal right-handed platoon hitter at first base to face Sale as it sent Korean rookie Dae-Ho Lee to Triple-A Tacoma last Friday, leaving the lefty-hitting Lind as its only regular first baseman. Switch-hitting utility man Shawn O'Malley is an option, but he's starting at third base with Kyle Seager sidelined by a bruised right foot the past two games. Things to know • Left fielder Melky Cabrera was out Thursday with what White Sox manager Robin Ventura described as the flu. His availability for Friday was unknown. • Servais said Seager is "50-50" to play on Friday against the White Sox. It looks as if Lind will face Sale despite his career .214 average and .588 OPS vs. lefties (compared to .287 and .776 vs. righties) and could remain in the lineup even as the White Sox roll out three straight southpaws this weekend. "You have to balance the comfort level of him defensively at first base," Servais said. "It's Chris Sale, right or lefty he's tough to hit, no matter who it is. "So we'll take into account we've got Felix on the mound and I'm hoping it's a low-scoring game. I'm projecting it's probably going to be. So that's where the pitching and defense stands up. I'd love to see Adam step up and slap some balls to left field and kind of keep himself afloat there. But we'll just have to play it day to day." • Sale has gone 22-5 with a 2.27 in 44 career appearances (31 starts) against the AL West. He has 279 strikeouts in 241 1/3 innings against that division.

Todd Frazier’s late single lifts White Sox over Mariners

By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | August 25th, 2016

The White Sox offense showed a bunch of late life on Thursday night. Todd Frazier had two hits with runners in scoring position, including the game-winner, as the White Sox topped the Seattle Mariners 7-6 at U.S. Cellular Field. Frazier’s one-out single in the ninth inning off Nick Vincent scored Adam Eaton as the White Sox won for the fourth time in five games. Frazier’s game-winning hit was his first since June 2015 and the fifth of his career. It and a game-tying, two-out, two-run single in the seventh helped Frazier shake off a game in which he struck out three times in his first three at-bats. “You learn something,” Frazier said. “You take the last at-bat and throw it away and just keep on going. Unfortunately, it took me three times to do that. To come up clutch today felt pretty good.” Frazier leads the club in home runs and RBIs. Similar to his teammates, however, Frazier has lefty plenty of chances for more damage on the table. He entered Thursday hitting .159 with runners in scoring position for a team that ranks 18th with runners in scoring position (.255). While Frazier struck out with runners on the corners in the first inning, he succeeded in his next two tries. He picked up Jose Abreu in the seventh after the slugger struck out against Steve Cishek. Frazier sat on a slider and ripped a 2-0 pitch into left field to drive in Eaton and Tim Anderson, whose one-out RBI double made it a 6-4 game. Then in the ninth, Frazier came through again. Eaton’s bloop single to center got things going before Anderson bunted him over. Vincent walked Abreu to get to Frazier, who singled to left again. Frazier was previously 17-for-17 with five doubles, four homers and 42 RBIs with runners in scoring position. “These are the best ones,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You can't rely just on the homer. There's more to his game than that. You have to be able to knock in runs when you're not hitting them over the fence. He can use the other side of the field. I think he can level it out somewhat and get some hits. Just put it in play more because you don't know know what's going to happen.” David Robertson found that out in the top of the ninth inning when his outing was delayed for several minutes by a trio of fans who ran onto the field. Robertson worked around the delay and a one-out walk to keep the score tied at 6. Down 2-0, the White Sox scored three times in the first inning to briefly take the lead. Abreu and Avisail Garcia both singled in runs and Dioner Navarro had a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. White Sox starter Anthony Ranaudo pitched well after a slow start and then ran into bad luck in the sixth inning. What looked to be a surefire double play ball kicked off Ranaudo’s glove and combined with an Anderson throwing error led to a three-run inning that put Seattle ahead 6-3. Ranaudo allowed six earned runs in 5.1 innings. The White Sox were 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position. “That’s just part of it,” Robertson said. “I guess that happens some times.

“Everybody played hard. They didn’t give up at all tonight. We pitched well enough to win and had timely hitting. A few things went our way, a couple errors that really ended up giving us a few runs. A few things went our way and it was great to pick up a win.”

Rick Hahn denies rift in White Sox front office, holds off on plans for 2017

By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | August 25th, 2016

Rick Hahn said Thursday he won’t divulge which direction the White Sox would head this offseason out of respect to his current players and staff. But once the offseason begins, Hahn said it would quickly become evident what the White Sox front office has in mind. Roughly a month after his comments about being “mired in mediocrity,” the White Sox general manager said that he, executive vice president Kenny Williams and club chairman Jerry Reinsdorf are still mulling their options and open to all. Hahn also strongly denied recent reports that a divided front office prevented the start of a rebuild at the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, describing them as “tired.” “The frustrating thing is it seems every few months we need to have this same conversation,” Hahn said. “The fact of the matter is I have no idea where an unnamed random report of any discord at the deadline came from. It’s simply untrue. There was no trade or direction of whatever it was described as vetoed, so to speak, at the deadline. “We are of a similar mindset as to how best to proceed. We’ve had a number of conversations, both Kenny and I, as well as Kenny, Jerry and I, about the best way to approach the offseason and what we want to accomplish. And once the offseason rolls around we will start executing that plan.” “It’s just, frankly, tired news and repetitive and there’s nothing there. None of us would be here doing what we do if we didn’t feel we were set up to have the potential for success.” As for the most successful route to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008, Hahn wouldn’t yet commit to a plan. Hahn said the club would also address all questions about its roster and coaching staff after the season, which ends on Oct. 2. With 36 games remaining after Thursday, the White Sox appear on pace for a fourth straight losing season. While the team has many of the top-tier pieces necessary to compete, its lack of depth continues to be a critical issue holding back the franchise. Injuries in the bullpen and outfield and the unexpected retirement of Adam LaRoche forced many part-time players or inexperienced pitchers into key roles. With a farm system still short on talent, the White Sox would likely need a serious cash infusion to fill in some of those holes in order to compete in 2017. Or, they could begin a rebuilding process and replenish their farm system by unloading some of their talented, affordable players. Either way, Hahn isn’t ready to talk shop. “We have a sense of what we want to do,” Hahn said. “Frankly, regardless of which direction it is — full rebuild or add on — we’re still in the middle of the season. “If I were to say we’re going to do a full rebuild that’s disrespectful to what they’re trying to accomplish. To the other extreme, if I were to say we’re going to fight and go for it and plug the holes it begs the question, ‘Where are the holes?’ and that’s disrespectful to the guys in the clubhouse. It’s just not the time to be laying out offseason plans. We’re working on it, exploring a lot of angles internally trying to come up with priorities so we can hit the ground running when the time is appropriate.”

When he spoke about the team’s trade deadline plans July 21, Hahn said the White Sox had only ruled out short-term acquisitions, but remained open to all options. He said the idea of trading away Chris Sale or Jose Quintana seemed “extreme,” in part because competing teams wouldn’t deal players helping them in their playoff chases; that they’d have a better market in the offseason. Hahn said Thursday the White Sox remain open-minded. When reminded that the White Sox have operated in an aggressive manner under Reinsdorf, Hahn agreed. But he also noted that the White Sox haven’t been happy with their recent performances and left the door open for a rebuild. “OK, but there also comes a point where there is a level of frustration with the way things have played out over the last couple of years,” Hahn said. “There are different approaches and again, I’m not saying (a rebuild) is the route we’re going to go. But I assure you there is absolute openness from Jerry, Kenny, myself. Everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success, even if that involves a short-term step-back.”

White Sox rule Austin Jackson, Matt Davidson out for season

By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | August 25th, 2016

Austin Jackson and Matt Davidson are officially done for the season. Meanwhile, the White Sox still remain hopeful that Brett Lawrie is on the mend after a second MRI. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday that Jackson, who had surgery June 10 to repair a medial meniscus tear in left knee, and Davidson, who had surgery after he fractured his right foot, won’t return this season. “Austin is progressing, but it unfortunately it’s been a slow pace,” Hahn said. “He has not taken baseball activities. I wouldn’t expect him back this season.” Jackson hit .254/.318/.343 with 18 RBIs in 203 plate appearances before he suffered the injury. At the time of Jackson’s injury, Hahn didn’t think it would end his season. But, Hahn did say it would take at least six weeks before they could re-evaluate Jackson’s knee post-surgery and get a better determination of when he might return. Jackson’s re-evaluation was pushed back a few days from the six-week mark and the White Sox made it clear they weren’t optimistic about him returning. Davidson went 1-for-2 with an RBI before he broke his foot running the bases in his first game of the season. “(I) would not expect (Davidson) either. It was a pretty bad fracture. It’s progressing and he’s hitting the early milestones. There just isn’t enough time for either of those two.” Lawrie, who has been on the disabled list since July 22, had a second MRI earlier this week and is being treated, Hahn said. Manager Robin Ventura has been adamant all along that Lawrie’s injury was tricky to diagnose. What began as a strained hamstring and later was thought to be a quad injury has been reclassified as a knee and calf issue. Hahn said the MRI showed the area is structurally sound. “He received some medicine in the joint there,” Hahn said. “We’re let that work for a couple of days and we’ll ramp up the activity and see how it goes. No specific time frame.” Miguel Gonzalez will participate in one more bullpen — possibly a simulated game — before he starts a rehab assignment, Ventura said. Gonzalez is on the DL with a strained right groin.

Thursday’s recap: White Sox 7, Mariners 6

By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 25th, 2016

Todd Frazier's RBI single down the left-field line gave the White Sox a 7-6, walk-off victory over the Mariners on Thursday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Adam Eaton dropped a single into short left-center field off Mariners reliever Nick Vincent and advanced on Tim Anderson’s sacrifice bunt to open the ninth inning. After the Mariners intentionally walked Jose Abreu, Frazier’s winning hit completed a comeback from a three-run deficit in the seventh. Anderson’s ground-rule, RBI double to center field and Frazier’s two-run single to left tied the game in the seventh after Sox right-hander Anthony Ranaudo gave up six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. With the game tied heading into the sixth, three straight Mariners singles and a Tim Anderson fielding error gave the Mariners the 4-3 lead. Ranaudo exited after issuing a one-out walk to load the bases, and Sox reliever Dan Jennings gave up a two-run single to Leonys Martin. At the plate Five of the first six Sox players singled in a three-run first inning against Mariners left-hander James Paxton. Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia drove in runs with their singles, and another run scored on Dioner Navarro’s sacrifice fly to left field. Paxton came off the 15-day disabled list Thursday while recovering from a left elbow contusion. On the mound In his third start with the Sox, Ranaudo gave up two runs in the first inning on Seth Smith’s RBI double and Nelson Cruz’s sacrifice fly to center field. Robinson Cano hit his 29th homer of the year to open the fourth and tie it. In relief David Robertson earned the win in relief after pitching a scoreless ninth. Robertson stranded a runner on second after waiting out a delay due to three fans rushing the field.

Todd Frazier comes through for 7-6 White Sox victory over Mariners

By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 25th, 2016

Todd Frazier struck out in each of his first three at-bats in Thursday night's game against the Mariners at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox slugger made up for it in his next two trips to the plate. Frazier hit the tying two-run single in the seventh inning and had the winning RBI single in the ninth to give the Sox a 7-6, walk-off victory over the Mariners. "You take the last at-bat and throw it away and just keep on going," Frazier said. "Unfortunately it took me three times to do that. To come up clutch today felt pretty good." Check out these helpful suggestions from First59.com that can put you on the path to a better night’s sleep so the world sees a better you in the morning.

Frazier has 31 home runs this season, but he has managed just a .211 batting average. He left those struggles behind in the final three innings against the Mariners bullpen. Adam Eaton dropped a single into short left-center field off Mariners reliever Nick Vincent and advanced on Tim Anderson's sacrifice bunt to open the ninth. After the Mariners intentionally walked Jose Abreu, Frazier's winning single down the left-field line completed a comeback from a three-run deficit in the seventh. In that inning, Anderson's ground-rule double knocked in J.B. Shuck, who had reached on an error, and moved Eaton to third after he had walked. Frazier's single to left off Steve Cishek tied the game. "There's more to his game than (homers)," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You have to be able to knock in runs when you're not hitting them over the fence." Sox reliever David Robertson picked up the victory in relief despite a delay after three fans, in two separate incidents, ran on to the field with a runner on first base and one out in the ninth. Robertson kept his composure to strand the runner on second. "The first two guys I was like, 'OK, all right. They have it under control,'" Robertson said. "The next guy, I got a little angry there. … I guess that happens sometimes. I've been at games in Seattle where I've seen four people running on the field and one of them wasn't wearing any clothes." In his third start with the Sox, right-hander Anthony Ranaudo gave up six earned runs in 51/3 innings in his U.S. Cellular Field debut. With the game tied heading into the sixth, three straight Mariners singles and an Anderson error gave the Mariners the 4-3 lead. Ranaudo exited after issuing a one-out walk to load the bases, and Sox reliever Dan Jennings gave up a two-run single to Leonys Martin. Injury updates: Sox general manager Rick Hahn said outfielder Austin Jackson and third baseman Matt Davidson are not expected to return this season. Jackson has been out since he had left knee surgery in mid-June, and Davidson fractured his right foot in late June. MRIs on second baseman Brett Lawrie's left knee and calf showed his leg is structurally clean. Hahn said Lawrie was given medicine in his joint and would try to ramp up activity again in a couple of days.

David Robertson ‘little angry’ but keeps composure after 3 fans delay game

By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 25th, 2016

In his ninth major-league season, White Sox closer David Robertson experienced a first while pitching Thursday night against the Mariners at U.S. Cellular Field. With one out and a runner on first base in the ninth inning of a 6-6 game, Robertson's pitching was delayed as a pair of fans raced across the outfield, from right to left. One made it to the left-field stands before security tackled the other on the field. Then, as the Sox were readying to resume play, a third fan jumped into the outfield. He, too, was dragged off by security. "The first two guys I was like, 'OK, all right. They have it under control,'" Robertson said. "The next guy, I got a little angry there. … I guess that happens sometimes." Robertson said he never had a fan-on-the-field disruption while he was pitching before, but he has witnessed them from the dugout or bullpen, including one in Seattle where multiple people ran on to the field, one of whom was not wearing clothes.

"All he had on was a backward hat," Robertson said. "He should have worn his shoes for traction because he didn't get very far." White Sox's David Robertson on fans running onto field during game White Sox pitcher David Robertson reacts to fans coming onto the field during the game against the Mariners on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune) Robertson said he was able to keep his composure Thursday by focusing on where he was in the game and what he needed to do to prevent the Mariners from scoring the go-ahead run. As a pitcher put in key, late-inning situations, Robertson at least has gotten used to delays because of instant replay. "The replays, for some reason, I feel like they're never-ending when I'm out there," Robertson said. "It seemed like getting the guys off the field, at least it was something to watch instead of just watching the umpires holding the headphones and just listening." He laughed but quickly added he didn't condone it. The Sox, after all, know it's not always a quirky disruption, after two fans attacked Royals first-base coach Tom Gamboa in 2002. "It just disrupts the game," Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Thursday night's incident. "For Robby to be on the mound and have people running around, it slows down the game." Robertson, at least, stranded the runner on second and earned the victory for his composure as the Sox walked off for a 7-6 victory in the bottom of the ninth.

White Sox GM Rick Hahn says talk of trade-deadline discord ‘simply untrue’

By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 25th, 2016

Rick Hahn has grown tired of the conversation after four years as White Sox general manager, but he shot down rumors of front-office discord again Thursday before the Sox tipped the Mariners 7-6 in their series opener at U.S. Cellular Field. A pair of recent media reports suggested Hahn trade-deadline strategy clashed with that of executive vice president Ken Williams and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, with Hahn favoring a rebuild. Those reports from Chicago radio and TV host David Kaplan and MLB reporter Jon Heyman again fueled the frequent speculation about how the front-office dynamic works between Hahn and Williams. Hahn said the talk was "tired news and repetitive and there's nothing there" and stressed there is "an open dialogue and exchange of ideas" between the trio before decisions are made as a group. "The frustrating thing is it seems like every few months we need to have this same conversation," Hahn said, noting he has been with the Sox for 16 years. "I have no idea where an unnamed, random report of any discord at the deadline came from. It's simply untrue. There was no trade or direction vetoed, so to speak, at the deadline. We are of a similar mindset as to how best to proceed." The 61-65 Sox, of course, have more to be frustrated with than rumors, but Hahn didn’t clarify the plan to right a team that is on pace for its fourth straight losing season. He called it “disrespectful” to the current team to talk about offseason strategy but did say the club’s direction would be clear after the first couple of winter moves.

There was widespread speculation at the trade deadline that the Sox were considering dealing their most valuable pieces, including Chris Sale or Jose Quintana, but they ended up moving only lefty reliever Zach Duke. Reinsdorf's recent blueprint has been to try to put together a contender from major-league players rather than taking a few years to build one up from the farm system. "But there is a level of frustration with the way things have played out over the last couple of years," Hahn said. "I'm not saying (a rebuild) is the route we're going to go, but I assure you there is absolute openness from Jerry, Kenny, myself. Everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success, even if that involves a short-term step-back." Among the concerns over the last month of the season for Hahn are evaluating which players they want to keep and determining the status of manager Robin Ventura, who is in the final year of his contract. Hahn said the team has had internal conversations, but "whether it's manager, coaching staff, scouts, front office, announcements of extensions or whatever, all that stuff is going to wait till the offseason." What the Sox do as a team over the final month may not alter the Sox's plan, but Hahn said players could influence individual decisions, pointing to rookie catcher Omar Narvaez, who has impressed in his first year playing above Class A. "He has put himself on the map for the next several years of playing some sort of role on this club, not just with the at-bats he has given you but the way he has handled some of our pitchers, including Carlos (Rodon)," Hahn said. "He has opened some eyes around here." Hahn hadn't done a full media session since the Aug. 1 trade deadline, but before talking for 13 minutes, he said he didn't want his accessibility to be a question after Tribune baseball columnist Paul Sullivan suggested he was avoiding the media. He also clearly doesn't want his ability to work within the Sox structure to be a question. "None of us would be here doing what we do if we didn't feel we were set up to have the potential for success," Hahn said.

White Sox, Frazier enjoy walk-off win over Mariners

By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | August 25th, 2016

Todd Frazier has been an all-or-nothing threat with 31 homers and a .211 batting average and an even lower average (.159) with runners in scoring position. In the White Sox’ 7-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field, Frazier came through with something other than the long ball – a tying two-run single in a three-run seventh inning and a walk-off RBI single in the ninth. Tim Anderson, with nine hits in his last 23 at-bats since returning to the second spot in manager Robin Ventura’s lineup was 3-for-4 including an RBI double in the seventh plus a sacrifice in the ninth that put Adam Eaton (2-for-4, three runs) on second base for Frazier, who lined a single down the left field line against Nick Vincent after Jose Abreu (2-for-4, eight-game hitting streak, 15th RBI in last 19 games) was intentionally walked. Abreu, Avisail Garcia and Dioner Navarro had RBI in a three-run first against James Paxton. “To come up clutch felt pretty good,’’ said Frazier, who was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against Vincent previously. “It would have stunk if I didn’t get the job done, but for me it felt pretty darn good to get it done.’’

David Robertson (4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth, working around a lengthy delay caused by two fans – and then a third after the first two were done – running around the outfield. “The first two guys I was like, ‘OK they have it under control,’ ” Robertson said. “The next guy, I got a little angry there.’’ Sox players had better luck surrounding Frazier in their postgame celebration than ballpark security had halting the intruders. “Everybody played hard,’’ Robertson said. “We didn’t give up at all tonight.’’ The Sox improved to 61-65, dropping the wild card contending Mariners to 67-60. Sox right-hander Anthony Ranaudo allowed six runs and five hits in 5⅓ innings. Narvaez catches Sox attention Left-handed-hitting rookie Omar Narvaez, 24, who has hit safely in 11 of the 12 games he has started at catcher, has ‘‘opened some eyes,’’ general manager Rick Hahn said. Narvaez was playing in Class A last season. ‘‘He has really acclimated himself well in the big leagues,’’ Hahn said. ‘‘He has put himself on the map for the next several years of playing some sort of role on this club going forward.’’ Wait till next year? Hard-throwing right-hander Zack Burdi has excelled and progressed all the way to Class AAA Charlotte since the Sox picked him 26th overall in the June draft, but he isn’t a lock to be called up in September, Hahn said. ‘‘He’s got a world of ability,” Hahn said, alluding to Burdi’s 100 mph fastball and good slider. ‘‘Whether it’s in September or it’s next year, it’s not too far away that he’s going to be able to help our big-league club.’’ Trainer’s room Center fielder Austin Jackson (knee surgery) and third baseman Matt Davidson (surgery on broken foot) have made progress but won’t return this season, Hahn confirmed. Jackson signed a one-year, $5 million deal during spring training in hopes of carving out a better position in the free-agent market this winter. The MRI exam on second baseman Brett Lawrie’s knee and calf was clean after he returned from an injury-rehab assignment.

Hahn White Sox front office ‘have sense of what we want to do’

By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | August 25th, 2016

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn says he, vice president Ken Williams and Jerry Reinsdorf “have a sense of what we want to do” this offseason and, disputing speculation the front office triumvirate wasn’t on the same page before the trade deadline, said they “are of a similar mindset” as to what exactly that is as the team plays out what could be its fourth consecutive losing season. “We’ve had a number of conversations about the best way to approach the offseason and what we want to accomplish,’’ Hahn said Thursday. Most signs point to an offseason rebuild that could involve trading premium assets such as All-Star left-handers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. With too few young position players on the roster and no impact

prospects coming soon from the farm system, Sale or Quintana – or both — could bring a significant haul in return. Both are under contract control for multiple seasons and their value will be heightened by a thin free agent market for pitching. “Everything is on the table. Absolutely,’’ Hahn said, talking to reporters in the Sox dugout before the 60-65 team opened a four-game series against the playoff-contending Seattle Mariners. Hahn, Williams and Reinsford are “looking at every angle how best to get ourselves in a sustainable position going forward, and that includes the extreme of going to a rebuild.’’ He’s not tipping his hand about which direction they’re leaning out of respect for the current team and staff but Hahn said “by the time we make our first or second transaction, publicly it will be fairly clear as to our direction. And while we aren’t going to say ‘next on our list is this’ it will be obvious what we’re trying to accomplish.’’ Manager Robin Ventura’s contract is up after the season, as well as most of his staff, and Hahn said that won’t be addressed till season’s end. “That’s the most appropriate time whether it’s manager, coaching staff, scouts, front office, announcements of extensions or whatever, all that stuff is going to wait,’’ Hahn said. Sources indicated Reinsdorf wasn’t sold on a rebuilding plan before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, and the Sox made only one deal at the time, trading lefthander Zach Duke for outfield prospect Charlie Tilson. But Reinsdorf, 80, who has almost always attempted to field a team capable of winning now, may be changing his tune. “There also comes a point where there is a level of frustration with the way things have played out over the last couple of years,’’ Hahn said of Reinsdorf’s viewpoint. “There are different approaches and I’m not saying (a rebuild) is the route we’re going to go but I assure you there is absolute openness from Jerry, Kenny, myself. Everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success even if that involves a short-term step-back.” Hahn said it’s “frustrating” having to address speculation he and Williams are not on the same page, a popular talk-show topic which prompted Reinsdorf to make a phone call to a host to say the three are in “lock-step” and a Sox spokesman to characterize the talk as “absolute nonsense.” “The fact of the matter is I have no idea where a unnamed random report of any discord at the deadline came from,’’ Hahn said. “It’s simply untrue. There was no trade or direction of whatever it was described as vetoed, so to speak, at the deadline. We are of a similar mindset as to how best to proceed.’’ Hahn, promoted from assistant GM to GM when Williams was bumped up to team vice president before the 2013 season, said he’s been involved in every major decision made in the last 16 years. “And that’s involved sitting down with both Kenny and Jerry and having an open dialogue and exchange of ideas and coming to what we felt was the best decision as a group,’’ he said. “I would not have taken the position of general manager if I didn’t think it was a recipe for us to have success as a group’’

Frazier comes through late as Chicago White Sox rally past Mariners

By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | August 25th, 2016

Creeping toward the end of an uneven offensive season, Todd Frazier was having a tough night. In his first 3 at-bats against the Mariners, Frazier struck out three times. He stuck with it.

"You learn something," the White Sox's third baseman said. "You take the last at-bat and throw it away and just keep on going. Unfortunately, it took me three times to do that. To come up clutch today felt pretty good." In his fourth at-bat, Frazier drilled a 2-run single with two outs in the seventh inning to pull the Sox into a 6-6 tie with the Mariners. In his fifth and final trip to the plate, Frazier came through with another RBI single in the ninth as the White Sox edged Seattle 7-6 at U.S. Cellular Field. "You just go out and think of nothing, stay relaxed, knowing that you've been there before," Frazier said. "The bottom line is if I don't get the job done, there will be another time that I'm going to have an opportunity. You know, it would have stunk if I didn't get the job done, but for me it felt pretty darn good to get it done." Frazier leads the Sox with 31 home runs and 80 RBI, but he's batting .211, has an equally poor on-base percentage (.293) and he has struggled with runners in scoring position all season. "Great night for Fraz," manager Robin Ventura said. "The guys are happy for him. You can't rely just on the homer. There's more to his game than that. You have to be able to knock in runs when you're not hitting them over the fence. "He can use the other side of the field; I think he can level it out somewhat and get some hits. Just put it in play more because you don't know what's going to happen." Injury report: Out since June 10 with a torn meniscus in his left knee, center fielder Austin Jackson's days return to the White Sox is not looking good. "Austin is progressing but unfortunately, it's been a slow pace," general manager Rick Hahn said. "He has not taken baseball activities. I wouldn't expect him back this season." The same goes for third baseman Matt Davidson, who broke his right foot on June 30 in his debut game with the Sox. "Would not expect him either," Hahn said. "It was a pretty bad fracture. It's progressing and he's hitting the early milestones. There just isn't enough time for either of those two." What's in a name? The White Sox have been getting skewered for selling stadium naming rights to Chicago-based mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate on Wednesday. "The way I view the naming thing is fans are going to call it what fans are going to call it," GM Rick Hahn said. "It's going to be Guaranteed Rate Field, it's going to be something cute off of that. It's going to be Comiskey. It's going to be New Comiskey. It's going to be Sox Park. It's going to be whatever people come up with, naturally. "I do know this is an opportunity to add a little bit of revenue to the operations, which is then our responsibility to channel properly in the best way to get us better on the field."

Hahn: Chicago White Sox’s plan will become clear

By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | August 25th, 2016

Looking ahead to the off-season for the Chicago White Sox, a strong argument can be made that it's time to shop starting pitchers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana and get as much quality young talent in return as possible. Why trade two of the top starters in baseball? The Sox have had Sale and Quintana in the rotation since 2012 and they haven't been to the playoffs. They haven't been to the playoffs because they've had too many offensive holes in a lineup that has been routinely patched together. They need to go in a different direction. Specifically, the White Sox need as many young hitters with impact potential as they can get. Trading Sale and Quintana should bring back five promising bats in return, at a minimum. The Sox might decide to go all-in again in 2017, but that is highly doubtful considering this is their fourth straight year with a losing record. Speaking to the media before Thursday night's game against the Seattle Mariners at U.S. Cellular Field, Sox general manager Rick Hahn did not dismiss an off-season rebuild. "Everything is on the table," Hahn said. That's all Hahn is saying for now, which is understandable. "We have a sense of what we want to do," the White Sox's GM said. "Frankly, regardless of which direction it is, we have 25 guys in there trying to win a ballgame tonight. If I were to say we're going to do a full rebuild, that's disrespectful to what they're trying to accomplish. "To the other extreme, if I were to say we're going to fight and go for it and plug the holes, it begs the question, 'Where are the holes?' and that's disrespectful to the guys in the clubhouse. "But there also comes a point where there is a level of frustration with the way things have played out over the last couple of years. There are different approaches, and again, I'm not saying (a rebuild) is the route we're going to go, but I assure you there is absolute openness from (chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf), (vice president) Kenny (Williams), myself. "Everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success, even if that involves a short-term step-back. "By the time we make our first or second transaction, publicly it will be fairly clear as to our direction, and while we aren't going to say, 'Next on our list is this,' it will be obvious what we're trying to accomplish." There have been more rumblings that Hahn and Williams can't work together, be it on an off-season rebuild or going in another direction. The two have been in the Sox's front office since the end of the 2000 season. At this year's Aug. 1 nonwaiver trade deadline, Hahn reportedly wanted to start the rebuilding process but was undercut by Williams.

"The frustrating thing is it seems every few months we need to have this same conversation," Hahn said. "The fact of the matter is I have no idea where an unnamed random report of any discord at the deadline came from. "It's simply untrue. There was no trade or direction of whatever it was described as vetoed, so to speak, at the deadline. We are of a similar mindset as to how best to proceed. "We've had a number of conversations -- both Kenny and I as well as Kenny, Jerry and I -- about the best way to approach the off-season and what we want to accomplish. And once the off-season rolls around we will start executing that plan."

North: Sox stadium name not as important as winning

By Mike North / Daily Herald | August 25th, 2016

Hey, I'm in the minority camp! What camp is that you ask? The camp of, "I don't care what the ballpark is named," as long as they win. In case you haven't heard, U.S. Cellular Field will be changing its name on Nov. 1 to Guaranteed Rate Field. Yes, the name could be better, and anyone who tells you otherwise has an agenda, especially when the mortgage company's logo is an arrow pointing down. Not exactly a concept a ball team would like to emulate. I think it has already been a huge win for the mortgage company and whatever they paid the Sox for the 13-year contract was worth it. Was it a win for the Sox? It seems no at the moment, but that could change. I wonder if it was the only offer made. Don't the fans have a right to know since they helped pay for the park? Jerry Reinsdorf is a billionaire and I am not, but if I was that rich I think I would say no every so often. As great as some partner sponsorships have been for Reinsdor -- like U.S. Cellular for the Sox and United for the Bulls -- he has had some unlucky ones. BP is a great company, but when the Sox wanted a sponsor for the Cross-town Cup in 2010, that turned sour as BP suffered a disastrous oil spill that resulted in a PR nightmare. Originally called White Sox Park, the field was renamed in 1912 for White Sox founder and owner, Charles Comiskey. On occasion I still hear it called it Comiskey, but eventually the fans and media will fall in step and call it by is new name, or at least a shortened version. To me it's not about the name, it's about other things. Like will the money help buy a new player or two? Before the start of the 1927 baseball season, Cubs Park was changed to Wrigley Field, named after chewing gum magnate William Wrigley who had taken complete control of the club by 1921. Renaming the park made them one of the first and only corporate sponsors and it remained that way for many years, with Busch stadium one of the few to follow suit, named after team owners Anheuser-Busch.

Wrigley Field was short and quick and became almost more famous than the team itself. I doubt that name will change any time soon. I used to feel my favorite baseball team, the White Sox, were more about tradition, like the New York Yankees, but while the Yankees wear pinstripes, the Sox wear black tops. The Yankees still play at Yankee Stadium, the Sox play at Guaranteed Rate Field! But most teams are doing what the White Sox are doing, so get used to it.

Levine: David Robertson gets win after waiting out fans running on field

By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO (CBS) — Art imitated life on the baseball field for White Sox closer David Robertson on Thursday night when he became the observer rather than the participant. Robertson was in the midst of pitching the ninth inning against the Mariners when game was halted by three different fans running onto U.S. Cellular Field. The time in between action was significant for Robertson, as each trespasser displayed uncanny running abilities. “That is the first time I ever had people run out on the field when I was pitching,” Robertson said. “The first two guys, I said to myself, ‘OK, now they have it under control.’ The next guy kind of just got me angry.” Robertson got the win in Chicago’s 7-6 walk-off victory. He said afterward he had seen fans’ sprinting performances in other venues as well. “That is just part of it, I guess,” he said. “I had been in a game at Seattle and saw four people run on the field. One of them wasn’t wearing any clothes — that was interesting. All he had on was a backwards hat. He should have kept on his shoes for traction. He did not get very far.” The fun-loving Robertson felt bad for the worn-out security officers, who had a heck of a time catching all three intruders. One in particular ran all the way across the field from the first-base line into the third-base stands without getting grabbed. A group of off-duty state policemen made the assist on the fan as he ran into the stands. “I guess it made sense to the third guy to go on,” Robertson said. “They were all tired after chasing the first two guys. Makes sense.”

Levine: No discord in White Sox front office, Hahn says By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO (CBS) — The smoke has cleared at the ballpark on the South Side. General manager Rick Hahn was out to make sure the media and White Sox fan base know everyone in the front office at 31st and Veeck Drive is on the same page going forward. “The frustrating thing is every few months, we need to have this same conversation,” Hahn said Thursday before the White Sox hosted the Mariners. A recent report said the White Sox front office, according to an unnamed source, wasn’t in agreement at the Aug. 1 non-waiver trading deadline regarding which direction to proceed. Hahn denied that he, executive vice president Kenny Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf weren’t on the same page.

“We have had a number of conversations, both Kenny and I, as well as Kenny, Jerry and I, about the best way to approach the offseason and what we want to accomplish,” Hahn said. “Once the offseason rolls around, we will start executing that plan.” Hahn was asked if the fan base was entitled to some clarity as to what that direction the franchise may be headed moving forward, keeping in mind the White Sox entered Thursday evening at 60-65 and in a distant fourth place in the AL Central. “From a fan perspective, I get it,” Hahn said. “We have had these conversations going back to when I assumed the position, about how this operation works. I have been here now for 16 years. I have been a part of virtually every major decision from the start when I got here. That has always involved sitting down with Jerry and Kenny and having an open dialogue and exchange of ideas. I would have not taken the position of GM unless I thought it was a recipe for us to have success as a group. “I understand why it comes up from time to time, especially when there is some unnamed report. At this point, it’s just tired news and repetitive. There is nothing there.” Hahn was asked if his relationships had changed within the group of top brass. “It has always been in a matter of open dialogue,” he said. “Now that I am the GM, my tasks are different than when I was assistant GM. Over the last four years, it’s been the same about me bringing something to the table and trying to push it through when I believe in it.” It would be disrespectful to the present team to signal whether the front office will have a total rebuild or just plug holes, Hahn said. “This is just not the time of the year to be laying out off season plans,” he said. “We are working on it. We are exploring a lot of different angles internally. We are trying to come up with priorities and hit the ground running when the time is appropriate. I get that may be a little frustrating from the outside. It’s not where we are at in the cycle. After the first or second transaction of the offseason, it will be clear as to our direction.”

The Bernstein Brief: Guaranteed Idiot Field

By Dan Bernstein / CBS Chicago | August 25th, 2016

(CBS) I know it happens in other places, but Thursday night was too perfect for the South Side ballpark long beset by the related issues of naming-rights changes and moronic fans running onto the field during games. It was still Comiskey Park when William Ligue and his son jumped out to attack Royals first-base coach Tom Gamboa in 2002, but it became U.S. Cellular Field after that season, with the easy and early nickname of “The Cell” reminding of that ugly incident, nevertheless. Then in the first weeks of 2003, four drunken fans stormed the field during another game against Kansas City, this time trying to go after umpire Laz Diaz. The multiple arrests for aggravated battery and criminal trespassing further cemented an image of “The Cell” that the team would work against for years. And so it was again Thursday night, timed just right with the clumsily-handled announcement Wednesday that the park will become Guaranteed Rate Field this fall. Three more fans raced out to challenge security — two shirtless and one with his pants drooping, as if sent from central casting — delaying the game in the top of the ninth. Call the place whatever you want, but with White Sox fans, some behaviors prove all but guaranteed.

Frazier’s single in 9th leads White Sox over Mariners, 7-6

By Mike Cranston / Associated Press | August 25th, 2016

CHICAGO (AP) -- Todd Frazier tied it with an RBI single in the seventh inning and won it with a line drive down the left-field line in the ninth to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 7-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. Adam Eaton led off the ninth with a bloop single off Nick Vincent (3-4) and went to second on Tim Anderson's sacrifice. Jose Abreu was walked intentionally before Frazier's liner over third scored Eaton, leading to a pileup of players behind the pitcher's mound. David Robertson (4-2) worked around a walk and two incidents of fans running on the field in the ninth that delayed play for several minutes in Chicago's fourth win in five games. Robinson Cano hit his 29th home run and the Mariners wasted a solid return off the disabled list by James Paxton in their third straight loss. Seattle fell 7 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Texas. Leonys Martin had a two-run single in a three-run sixth as Seattle built a 6-3 lead off White Sox starter Anthony Ranaudo. But Anderson, who had three hits, led a seventh-inning rally with an RBI double off struggling Arquimedes Caminero before Frazier's two-out ground single off Steve Cishek tied it. Paxton gave up five singles and three runs in the first, then scattered two hits in four scoreless innings before leaving after 90 pitches in his first start since getting hit on the elbow by a comebacker Aug. 7. Ketel Marte's fielding error on J.B. Shuck's leadoff grounder in the seventh led to three unearned runs for Chicago. Ranaudo was charged with six runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his third third start with the White Sox.. TRAINER'S ROOM Mariners: 3B Kyle Seager (bruised right foot) missed his second straight game, with manager Scott Servais saying it's "50-50" if he'll play Friday. Mike Freeman was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma for infield depth, with RHP Tony Zych sent down. ... DH Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the first a day after leaving with back spasms. White Sox: LF Melky Cabrera (illness) sat out. ... GM Rick Hahn said CF Austin Jackson (knee surgery) and INF Matt Davidson (broken foot) won't return this season. ... An MRI on 2B Brett Lawrie, out with hamstring, calf and knee issues, came back clean. LEBLANC CUT LHP Wade LeBlanc, acquired from Toronto in June, was designated for assignment to make room for Paxton. LeBlanc had a 4.50 ERA in 11 games with Seattle, including eight starts. "I thought he pitched great," Servais said. "My fingers are crossed that he doesn't get claimed, but everybody is looking for pitching." With LeBlanc gone, LHP Ariel Miranda will start Saturday. STARTING OVER?

White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf hasn't authorized rebuilds in the past. But with Chicago on pace for a fourth straight losing season, Hahn reiterated a roster teardown is possible. "Everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success," Hahn said, "even if that involves a short-term step back." UP NEXT A showdown of aces Friday night, as Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez (8-4, 3.26 ERA) faces LHP Chris Sale (15-6, 3.15).

MLB Rumor Central: Busy winter for the White Sox?

By Doug Mitler / ESPN | August 25th, 2016

After making a big splash in June, the Chicago White Sox were relatively inactive leading up to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. That philosophy could very well change this winter. Before Thursday’s game with the Mariners, general manager Rick Hahn told reporters, including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, that “everything is on the table, absolutely.” Following their trade with San Diego for starter James Shields on June 4, the only notable trade for the White Sox this summer sent reliever Zach Duke to the Cardinals. The White Sox (61-65) are trying to avoid a fourth straight losing season and there is ample speculation that the team has not closed the doors on dealing All-Star pitchers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. “With too few young position players on the roster and no impact prospects coming soon from the farm system, Sale or Quintana -- or both -- could bring a significant haul in return,” Van Schouwen writes. “Both are under contract control for multiple seasons and their value will be heightened by a thin free-agent market for pitching.” The contract of manager Robin Ventura is up after the season, and ESPN’s Jim Bowden lists Ventura among his list of skippers who are on the hot seat. Hahn said no decision on Ventura or his staff will be made until after the season.

Todd Frazier delivers late for White Sox

By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | August 25th, 2016

Todd Frazier hit a walkoff single and the White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 7-6 on Thursday night at the ballpark still known as U.S. Cellular Field. Describe this game in three words: Up goes Frazier. The White Sox (61-65) were down 2-0 before they got a chance to bat and then scored three runs in the bottom of the first. It was tied at 3-3 when the Mariners scored three runs off White Sox starter Anthony Ranaudo and Dan Jennings (all charged to Ranaudo) in the sixth. In the seventh, Sox shortstop Tim Anderson cracked a run-scoring double and Frazier hit a two-run single to tie the game with two outs. Frazier came up big again in the ninth, scoring Adam Eaton from second on a sharp single to left. That meant he was 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

Frazier’s had an odd season to say the least. He’s hitting .211. He has 31 homers, but only 14 doubles. Before Wednesday’s game, he said his low batting average didn’t bother him as much as his average with runners in scoring position. Frazier understands that particular split isn’t something you can practice, but he also knows he’s paid to produce with men on base. “Everybody’s like ‘your batting average this year’, but your average is going to go up and down. that’s the bottom line,” he said. “It’s how you’re hitting with runners in scoring position, batted balls in play, those two things are really off for me.” Going into the game, he was only hitting .159 (17-for-107) with a .336 slugging percentage (five homers, four doubles) with runners in scoring position. But his career RISP numbers aren’t that great either, just a .226 average and .404 slugging percentage. Going into Thursday’s game, he had hit 24 homers in 681 at-bats with RISP. As for his BABIP (batting average balls in play), well, that’s really abnormal. Going into Friday, it was at .209, well under his career mark of .276. Last year, his BABIP was .271, the year before it was .309. That signifies some bad luck, but considering his low amount of doubles, it’s more than that. But on Thursday night, at least, Frazier hit like he expected to and won a game for the White Sox. Wrath of Hahn: White Sox general manager Rick Hahn spoke to reporters before the game, after getting needled for not speaking to reporters by the Chicago Tribune the previous two days. It was another state of the organization talk, and given the state of the organization, it wasn’t a very positive chat. In his 15-minute conversation with reporters, Hahn shot down the David Kaplan report of discord between him and vice president Kenny Williams, calling it “simply untrue.” The crux of Kaplan’s story was that Hahn and Williams differed on important strategy at the trade deadline, with Hahn wanting to rebuild by selling major pieces and Williams wanting to hold onto veteran assets to compete next year. Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf apparently called Kaplan to dispute the report. “I would not have taken the job as general manager if I didn’t think it was a recipe for us to have success as a group,” he said in a snippet of the conversation on the Chicago Tribune website. “I understand why, from time to time, it comes up, especially when there’s some unnamed report of discord. But at this point it’s just frankly tired news and repetitive and there’s nothing there.” As for the team’s future, Kaplan said Reinsdorf told him the Sox’s strategy going forward would be apparent once the offseason really kicks off with the opening of the trade market. Hahn told reporters the same thing. “By the time we make our first or second transaction, publicly it will be fairly clear as to our direction,” Hahn said, according to MLB.com. “While we aren’t going to say, ‘Next on our list is this,’ it will be obvious what we’re trying to accomplish.” I like the suspense here. Will the first (or second) transaction be signing veteran catcher Matt Wieters or trading Chris Sale? If the Sox haven’t started a massive rebuild yet, they’re not going to telegraph it right now. Though I wonder if they’d have better success selling season tickets by telling fans they actually have a plan, even if it’s taking a step back for a year or two. Hahn said they also don’t want to disrespect the current players in the clubhouse, though I’m pretty sure they know there are going to be changes, and most probably agree there should be.

“There comes a point where there is a level of frustration with the way things have played out over the last couple of years,” Hahn said, according to MLB.com. “There are different approaches and again, I’m not saying [a rebuild] is the route we’re going to go. But I assure you there is absolute openness from Jerry, Kenny, myself.” Obama’s-favorite-team-Care: Hahn informed reporters that outfielder Austin Jackson (left knee surgery) and Matt Davidson (broken foot) wouldn’t be returning this season. Davidson is one of the four young Sox players who got injured in their first game with the club this season. Local kid Charlie Tilson tore his hamstring in his first game after coming over in a trade with St. Louis, ending his season; Kevan Smith was scratched before his first major league game with back spasms and he hasn’t returned; Jason Coats got injured in an outfield collision in his first game, but he played the next day. Just be happy Sale didn’t lose a finger cutting up those throwback jerseys. On deck: Sale starts against Felix Hernandez on Friday, and it’s Elvis Night. How could you miss it?

One guarantee for the Chicago White Sox’ new stadium name: Derision

By Richard Sandomir / New York Times | August 25th, 2016

The corporate logo of the mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate is a red arrow pointing downward. It suggests low rates for customers, which is a good thing for them. But when it comes to baseball, the symbol is more like an emoji for losing. For the next 13 years, the red arrow will be indelibly linked to the Chicago White Sox, who announced Wednesday that their 25-year-old ballpark, U.S. Cellular Field, or the Cell, would be renamed in November. Those red arrows will be all over Guaranteed Rate Field, which has already inspired nicknames like Guaranteed Loss Park or Low Interest Stadium, according to The Chicago Tribune. An arrow headed south suits the current state of the White Sox. Adam LaRoche, a first baseman and designated hitter last season, retired in spring training after a disagreement over his son’s presence in the clubhouse. The team opened the season with a 23-10 record but sits in fourth place in the American League Central at 60-65. Its star pitcher, Chris Sale, was suspended for five days in July for cutting up throwback uniforms he disliked. Victor Ciardelli, the exuberant founder, president and chief executive of Guaranteed Rate, pointed to one statistic for which an arrow heading down is a positive association. “We joked about it, that it’s good for pitchers’ E.R.A.s,” Ciardelli said. “That’s the way we’re looking at it. It is what it is.” The waggish reaction to Guaranteed Rate’s name and arrow logo is like the feedback Energy Solutions received when its name replaced that of Delta Air Lines on the Utah Jazz’s arena a decade ago. Energy Solutions’ business — disposing of low-level nuclear waste in the Utah desert — led to people calling the arena the Dump, the Isotope and Radium Stadium. Last year, it was renamed something less mockable: Vivint Smart Home Arena. When Enron imploded financially and went bankrupt in 2001, it was best to get its letters off the Houston Astros’ new ballpark as quickly as possible. In a relatively short time, the soiled Enron name was replaced with the juice maker Minute Maid’s. There is also the question of what nickname fans might give Guaranteed Rate Field.

“We like ‘the Rate,’” Ciardelli said. “But we really want to let the fans make the decision on what they want to call it. I don’t think it’s our place to make the nickname.” If Ciardelli is fortunate, fans might reduce the name to the G, following Cleveland Cavaliers fans who refer to Quicken Loans Arena as the Q. Ciardelli looks at the naming rights deal with the White Sox as the apotheosis of his love of Chicago sports. He said he has tickets to all of the local teams and is a fan of the White Sox and the Cubs, if that is even possible. “Isn’t that crazy?” he said. He looks back happily at being at the Cell for the White Sox’ wins over Houston in their 2005 World Series sweep — a time when all of the figurative arrows were pointed upward for the Sox. The White Sox’ deal with Guaranteed Rate prompted a reminder from the Chicago Bears’ Twitter account — “Breaking: Still Soldier Field” — that not all names need to be replaced with corporate ones. Soldier Field has held onto its name since 1925. The deal also prompted a ranking of major league stadium names by Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk, who placed the combination of U.S. Cellular Field and Guaranteed Rate Field last. He wrote, “It’s telling that the best name for a park this club has ever had” — Comiskey Park, for the White Sox owner Charles Comiskey — “was a memorial to an owner who was so crooked, cheap and stingy that he inspired his players to fix a World Series to get some cash.”

Will “Guaranteed Rate Field” grow on wary White Sox fans?

By Jonathan Berr / CBS News | August 25th, 2016

Though the Chicago White Sox won’t officially change the name of their stadium to Guaranteed Rate Field until Nov. 1, some fans couldn’t wait to voice their displeasure over the team’s decision on social media. Some snarky fans started a Twitter hashtag #BetterSoxStadiumNames, where they lamented the White Sox’s subpar performance on the field which has kept them out of the playoffs for nearly a decade. User @IamMIdwayMonster offered the following ideas: “Guaranteed Loss” Field, “Guaranteed Disappointment” Field, “Guaranteed Empty” Stadium and “Guaranteed Gunfire” Park.” Another user, @Brett_Lyons, chimed in with “I spent $6 on StubHub field.” Former New York Times reporter Stuart Elliott suggested “Obama Park” and “Shoeless Joe Stadium,” an ode to “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, a White Sox slugger linked to the “Black Sox” scandal a century ago when players were accused of taking money from gamblers to throw the World Series. For most of their history, the White Sox played in Comiskey Park, named after White Sox founding owner Charles Comiskey. The original park, which was built in 1910, closed its doors in 1990 and was replaced by a new facility of the same name. U.S. Cellular bought the naming rights to the stadium in 2003 in a 20 year, $68 million deal. The company, the fifth-largest carrier, decided to end the agreement with the White Sox since it no longer serves customers in Chicago, according to Iman Jefferson Riedel, a U.S. Cellular spokeswoman. Terms of the Guaranteed Rate deal were not disclosed. Both the team and Guaranteed Rate Mortgage expect fans to warm up to the new stadium name once they get used to it.

“We understand that the baseball home on 35th Street holds special, personal memories for our fans,” said Sheena Quinn, a spokeswoman for the White Sox, in an email. “Some will always remember it as Comiskey or refer to it as Sox Park, but in the long run, we have welcomed a new, enthusiastic partner who cares about bringing a great experience to our fans at the ballpark.” Stadium naming deals are not without their risks. Enron, for instance, lent its name to the Houston Astros stadium until the energy trading firm collapsed. The homes of the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens were briefly associated with tech darlings CMGI and PSInet, which fizzled when the dot-com bubble burst. Scott Stephen, president of Guaranteed Rate’s online division, isn’t concerned that the “curse” of those failed partnerships will affect his company, noting that some naming deals including Gillette’s sponsorship of the Patriot’s stadium have worked out well. “Gosh, they got the same grief when they changed it to U.S. Cellular,” he said in an interview, adding that the money the company is spending will improve “the product on the field.” “Why would you expect anything different from fans in general?” Victor Ciardelli, president & CEO of Guaranteed Rate, and other top managers of the eighth-largest mortgage lender are big Chicago sports fans, so any chance to associate themselves with one of the city’s stadiums is a “dream come true,” according to Stephen. Guaranteed Rate and the White Sox are working on developing a joint logo because the company’s current one features an arrow pointing downward, which while useful for a mortgage company promoting low interest rates sends a confusing message to baseball fans accustomed to cheering for numbers to increase for runs among other things.