This Passionate Rant By a White Sox Fan Has All the Feels

This Passionate Rant By a White Sox Fan Has All the Feels

It’s official.  The Chicago White Sox have managed to break their fan base completely.  It’s gotten REALLY bad.

“The South Siders” are off to a miserable 7-18 start to the 2023 season.  Only the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland A’s (who are blatantly trying to lose) currently have worse records.  This was a team that was expected to compete with the Cleveland Guardians (that still sounds weird) and the Minnesota Twins for the A.L. Central title.  This Sox team made a managerial change, let one of its best players in Jose Abreu leave in free agency, and signed a pitcher in Mike Clevenger, who we will simply say has some baggage.

Still, the White Sox have talent on their roster.  At least, that’s what has been sold to the fan base during this rebuild.  I still call it a rebuild because while they have made two recent playoff appearances (2020 & 2021) fans are still waiting for the team to approach its ceiling.  Don’t hold your breath Sox fans.  You would think a squad with young talent like Tim Anderson (he’s 30 now), A.L. Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, and Yoan Moncada, among others would be better. 

They’re not.

Anderson, Jimenez, and Moncada have ALREADY spent time on the IL.  Again.  Where’s legendary former Sox trainer Herm Schneider when you need him???  The bullpen has gone from bad to horri-awful.  That’s a combination of horrible and awful.  No bueno.  The starting pitching, other than Dylan Cease has been atrocious.  New manager Pedro Grifol told fans this would be a new White Sox team.  Instead, he looks like he’s in over his head.  It’s gotten so bad that former White Sox manager and current TV studio analyst Ozzie Guillen has offered to strip – if they win!   White Sox analyst Steve Stone recently suggested on Chicago sports talk radio that pitcher Lance Lynn eat a couple of salads!  Granted, he was suggesting that Lynn may not be in shape to adjust to the new pitch clock, but still!  Ouch.

This team looks uninspired.  They’ve lost two straight games by a score of 8-0.  The Sox haven’t scored a run since Monday!  White Sox fans were frustrated last year.  I don’t know what the appropriate word or term is for how they feel so far in 2023.  Broken, perhaps?  Even that doesn’t sound strong enough, which leads us to Berto…

I’ve been listening to “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000 for as long as they’ve been on the air.  Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman have hosted the highly entertaining sports talk radio show since 2007.  They started yesterday’s show by talking about the White Sox and basically allowing the fans to vent about the “South Siders.”  One fan perfectly captured how all White Sox fans currently feel.  Waddle and Silvy took a call from a fan named “Berto,” and it was audio gold. 

I can comfortably say that “Berto” spoke for all Chicago White Sox fans in this seven-minute-long rant.    This was the BEST fan rant that I’ve ever heard since listening to the show.  Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.  You can hear it at the 7:50 mark of the YouTube clip below, courtesy of ESPN 1000 in Chicago.  

Kudos to Waddle and Silvy for letting this man roll.  “Berto” is all White Sox fans – heartbroken and angry.  It’s a miracle that the man didn’t drop an F-bomb once during this spectacular rant.  “Berto” was 100% accurate in all the points he made and with the shots he took at various Sox personnel.  Waddle compared the rant to Will Ferrell debating James Carville in “Old School.”  Both radio hosts gave “Berto” props and rightfully so.  Here are some of the highlights from his rant:

He said the Sox only have two exception players: Tim Anderson and Dylan Cease.  I’d add Liam Hendriks to that list.

Kenny Williams is not in a good place?  SOX FANS aren’t in a good place!

Rick Hahn’s broken promises.  It sounds like a good name for a Fantasy Team.

Pedro Grifol said that the Sox will kick everyone’s butt.  He must have meant the fans.

Jake Burger is currently the best player on the Chicago White Sox

It took the Chicago Bears 6 months to get 11 games under .500, the Sox took 4 weeks.

Steve Stone is more concerned about Lance Lynn eating a salad that the Sox are developing players.

“Berto” especially railed on the lack of accountability with White Sox President Kenny Williams, General Manager Rick Hahn, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf.  He was right in saying that the White Sox have only had one excellent year in the 20+ years of Kenny Williams in the front office – their 2005 World Series wn.  Williams once said that Frank Thomas, “should stay out of White Sox business.”  Thomas is only the best player in the history of the franchise.  Rick Hahn has been “rebuilding” the team since 2008.  He’s made moves, but more have been duds than successes.  How many chances is he going to get? This latest rebuild has been in progress since the Obama administration!

Jerry Reinsdorf still hasn’t signed off on a $100 million contract for a player.  Ever.  The only other MLB franchises that can say that are the Royals and A’s.  Do you see a trend in comparing the Sox to the Royals and A’s?  Spoiler alert: it’s not a good thing!  Reinsdorf also owns the Chicago Bulls.  He bought the team in 1985 – with Michael Jordan already on the roster.  Reinsdorf was lucky to have Jordan and lucky that he delivered six championships in the 90s.  Did you know that Jerry Reinsdorf is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?  He’s in the HOF because he got lucky.  The Bulls have done squat since.  And he canceled Sox Fest!  Now the White Sox have ME ranting!  Back to “Berto.”

His now legendary rant has made waves throughout social media, especially Twitter.  He’s getting props from all over and is becoming an instant celebrity in Chicago.  Maybe.  The rant has served as a rallying cry for White Sox fans to fight back at Reinsdorf and the team.  There has already been talk of boycotting games.  The rant has also started a defacto-emotional support group for White Sox fans on Twitter.  I agree with all the fans who have called for “Berto” to get a gig somewhere in Chicago Sports media.  Hell, he could guest post on this blog if he wants to!

Thank you “Berto” for delivering an emotional and accurate rant on the 2023 Chicago White Sox.  You ARE all Chicago White Sox fans.  Thank you, Waddle, and Silvy, for allowing this man the platform to rant.  All sports teams need to have fans like “Berto.” 

Courtesy of: (Mike L – @dirtyswede27 on Twitter)

Perhaps this rant will wake up the White Sox brain trust (assuming they have brains) of Reinsdorf, Williams, and Hahn.  Maybe they will be more accountable, and the team will turn it around.

I doubt it.  But at least we have “Berto” and his legendary rant.

Main Photo Credit: Depositphotos