CHICAGO — The do-over began Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
If the Chicago White Sox are going to save this hazy, crazy season, the players realized at 5 p.m. they were on their own.
They responded by beating the lowly Kansas City Royals, who proved to be even more defensively inept than the Sox.
Lance Lynn took the mound Wednesday afternoon in the rubber match, hoping to give the Sox back-to-back series wins against the two worst teams in the American League, which would put them two games over .500.
After the nonstop debate over what the Sox needed to acquire before the trade deadline Tuesday, the front office made only one move in the final 48 hours, acquiring left-handed reliever Jake Diekman from the Boston Red Sox.
General manager Rick Hahn spent a good portion of his post-deadline media scrum talking about his disappointment of not being able to pull off another deal. It was almost as if he were apologizing to the players for failing to do what general managers generally do when their team is in a three-way battle for the division at the deadline.
Manager Tony La Russa, who did not speak before the game because the Sox decided not to make him available, had a different viewpoint. Asked afterward for his reaction to the Sox’s lack of movement, La Russa said they were “very pleased” with the acquisition of Diekman, and the players were happy Hahn gave it his best effort.
“We talked about that just because they communicate,” La Russa said. “Rick was down there talking. The effort is what counts in that clubhouse. I mean, that’s the reward for the guys, knowing (Hahn tried). "
“Because, you saw, a lot of clubs were very active, and even to the last minute (the Sox) were pursuing something that went some other place. So we had a really good attitude knowing that they were after somebody and are very pleased with what they (got done).”
La Russa pointed out the Sox were without injured left-handers Aaron Bummer and Garrett Crochet and said the sole lefty — Tanner Banks — was “more of a starting pitcher” than reliever. He said Diekman was “an outstanding gift for us” for the stretch run.
“We like what we got,” La Russa said. “We’ve just got to stay healthy.”
Sox analyst and former slugger Frank Thomas said after Monday’s loss to the Royals that watching the White Sox lose these days is “like death by 1,000 paper cuts.”
Yet the Sox should still win the American League Central despite themselves.
As aggravating as they can be, the Sox have all their key pieces back with Luis Robert’s return and a relatively easy path to the playoffs — though nothing comes easy for this team.
Hahn’s request for a “swagger” infusion was answered in the first inning Tuesday when the entire dugout erupted to dispute a borderline call by plate umpire Quinn Wolcott. The whole stadium heard them.
Starter Lucas Giolito admitted the swagger has been missing this season.
“I’d say so a little bit, just because the stuff we’ve been dealing with this year,” he said. “But if there is a game to get the swagger back, it’s definitely tonight. We showed it there.”
Giolito didn’t elaborate about “the stuff” they’ve been dealing with. A brief list surely would have to include injuries, the inability to get on a hot streak and the daily controversies involving La Russa’s decision-making, comments or drowsiness while on duty in the dugout.
The Sox knew what they were getting into when they brought La Russa back to the dugout after a nine-year absence, but smooth sailing last season made the hire a nonstory by October. Now the Sox don’t feel the media is treating La Russa fairly and expressed that to me Tuesday after I tweeted that La Russa was not speaking pregame, which predictably led to dozens of replies about “nap time.”
The Sox said La Russa, 77, wasn’t made available because Hahn was scheduled to speak, though he could’ve followed Hahn, as he often does.
Maybe, but they seemed to be more concerned about the brief clip of La Russa closing his eyes, taken from Monday’s NBC Sports Chicago telecast. It spread on Twitter on Monday night and led to stories in the New York Post and various media outlets Tuesday. The video even was discussed on the Sox’s flagship radio station, ESPN-1000, which objectively covers the Sox the way Marquee Sports Network should cover the Cubs.
La Russa did not fall asleep. He apparently was affected by homeostatic sleep drive, the feeling of pressure to go to sleep. This happens to many and was immortalized by Jackie Gleason in an episode of “The Honeymooners” in which he fights to keep his eyelids from shutting while watching TV.
When it happens, you either give in, as Ralph Kramden did, or snap out of it, as La Russa did.
But the damage was done. The memes will be there forever. It was a bad look for La Russa, but he has thicker skin than most managers, so he’ll be fine. The Sox hope napgate blows over, just as the intentional walk to Trea Turner on a 1-2 count and other La Russaisms did.
In a season in which Sox players have been accused of sleepwalking, it was just another day on the South Side.
But the do-over gives them a chance to put all that happened before Tuesday in the past. Every game will be the biggest of the season for the Sox, who could return from the upcoming road trip to Arlington, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo., in first place.
Close your eyes for a second and imagine that.
Just don’t forget to open them again.
