Trying to help Schiffren find good things to say about the White Sox

Listening to the recent controversy over new White Sox TV play-by-play man John Schiffren’s comments about White Sox “haters,” I tried to put myself in his shoes.

Here he is, the new guy in town, trying to make a good impression on his new bosses and for White Sox fans. It’s got to be a herculean task, considering the team he’s reporting on is the 10-28 fifth-place White Sox.

He’s trying to put a positive spin on the second-worst team in baseball. He can start with saying that they’ve won enough games lately to move up from worst.

He’s trying to drum up enthusiasm — South Side stand up — for a team in which there is little hope. Their playoff chances are miniscule. Attendance is just 16,103 a game so far this season, 27th in Major League Baseball. But hey, someone on a Titanic life boat must have enjoyed looking at the stars that night, right?

So let’s try to help out young Mr. Schiffren a little and find the positive in this ragtag bunch. Here goes.

Since being called up from Double-A Birmingham last week, prospect Bryan Ramos has given the team a little spark. He’s hitting .389 in his first six games through Thursday, with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and just 1 strikeout and a .900 OPS, according to Baseball Reference.

Tommy Pham, 36, also has added a little juice since signing with the team. He’s hitting .313 in 12 games through Thursday with an .840 OPS.

Gavin Sheets is among the American League leaders in doubles with 11. He’s got a strong .805 OPS over 109 at-bats.

The White Sox are 4-4 in May through Thursday. Not great, but definitely an improvement. It rises to the level of mediocre.

Pitcher Garrett Crochet is tied for sixth in the American League with 53 strikeouts. We’ll overlook his won-loss record and ERA for now.

Fellow starter Erick Fedde is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in eight starts. He’s a piece you can build a rotation around, if he sticks around. Did you see the job Jordan Leasure did in relief Thursday night?

Sure, barring a miraculous turnaround, the White Sox will be sellers at the trade deadline, but they have some pieces other teams might be willing to trade for, parting with some more promising prospects in return. They’ve already gotten started, sending Robbie Grossman back to the Rangers for a prospect.

Pham might be one of those pieces, and the Sox acquired him for nothing.

Luis Robert Jr. had a little setback on his road to better health, but he could be dealt. It might be hard to part someone so talented, but think of the prospects he would bring in return. Assuming he stays healthy, that is.

Michael Kopech is getting used to being a reliever. Sure, it’s been a little rough at times, but teams always need bullpen help at the deadline, and GM Chris Getz could get some young talent in a trade to replace him.

The White Sox will have the No. 5 overall pick in the July amateur draft and can use it to grab a future all-star. How do you feel about Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz, the projected pick according to Jonathan Mayo of mlb.com? Or high schooler Konnor Griffin, a shortstop/outfielder projected here by prospectslive.com.

The Sox might draft even higher next year. Back-to-back years in the top five would do wonders for the farm system.

Recent first-round picks Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz and Jacob Gonzalez are doing well in the minors. Not great, but well.

The White Sox’s farm system is rated 20th in the majors and figures to improve after the July amateur draft and after the trade deadline.

See that? Who said there’s nothing good to say about the South Siders?

In other words

· Here’s everything you need to know about the Chicago Fire this season: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are scheduled to play at Soldier Field on Aug. 31.

· It might be portal madness, but Illinois men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood is following his Elite Eight team this spring by putting together a very talented and intriguing roster for 2024-25. This looks like a team designed to be around a couple of years and score a lot of points. Whether they can mesh as a team and play defense will be interesting to see.

• Finally, sad news of the passing of long-time Chicago Sun-Times sports writer Steve Tucker. “Tuck” was a legend in the high school sports community here, especially for his coverage of girls basketball. I was fortunate to be one of the many young sports writers whose career got a boost from Tuck in the 1990s, and I will be forever grateful.

May his memory be a blessing to his family and many friends.

Daily Herald Sports Editor Orrin Schwarz can be reached at oschwarz@dailyherald.com.