Sweep the Cubs at Wrigley? White Sox have bigger fish to fry
Congratulations, White Sox.
The addition of Craig Kimbrel cemented your grip on the 2021 American League Central title with two months left in the regular season, and acquiring switch-hitter Cesar Hernandez alleviates any concerns about your defense at second base.
But sweeping the rival Cubs at Wrigley Field this weekend? So what. These Cubs no longer possess Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kimbrel. That quartet still couldn't prevent a rapid decline to fourth place in the stagnant National League Central that fortified the need for a roster overhaul and the start of auditions for the future.
The White Sox should feel as comfortable this weekend at Wrigley as they did last August, when first baseman Jose Abreu launched six home runs in a three-game series. Their fans were notified of the availability of tickets, so Eloy Jimenez might get some help tracking fly balls in left field if his groin allows him and if rookie Andrew Vaughn or Abreu is relegated to the bench with no designated hitter available.
The White Sox have reached the point where there's not much to prove this weekend, with the exception of attempting to earn the best record in the league for home-field advantage purposes in the playoffs. They were anticipating the potential return of dazzling center fielder Luis Robert, but manager Tony La Russa said Thursday afternoon Robert will not join the team for the three-game series.
Jimenez could get more at-bats and playing time in left field to regain his rhythm, but he put an exclamation mark to his 2017 trade from the Cubs with a game-winning home run in his first game at Wrigley Field two years ago.
The White Sox encounter long-term issues that supersede earning city bragging rights for this season. Catcher Yasmani Grandal isn't expected to return until later this month from a knee injury, although Seby Zavala filled in capably since being promoted from Triple-A Charlotte.
Though the return of Robert is not happening this weekend, the roster has been extremely resourceful. But the lack of a DH creates a strain on playing time for the position players. At any rate, the next seven weeks will allow the White Sox to monitor Robert's work.
Perhaps the opportunity to stomp their intercity rivals will raise the spirits of a voracious fan base. But they won't need the candidness of Ozzie Guillen, who spiced the rivalry 16 years ago.
Guillen orally pounced on a television reporter who, unaware of the team's pregame plans, immediately asked why Brandon McCarthy was pulled after 5⅓ innings in his major league debut against the Cubs in 2005.
The following season, Guillen said, "(Bleep) the Cubs" on the eve of the first game and later called out Cubs left-hander Rich Hill for questioning A.J. Pierzynski's collision with Michael Barrett.
The coupe de grace occurred in 2007 when Guillen took exception to Pierzynski expressing his disappointment over not starting the first game at Wrigley Field to WSCR-AM 670 talk show host Mike North, whose box of candies to the visitors' clubhouse was dropped in a garbage can by Guillen.
One day later, Guillen chewed out a columnist inside the tiny visiting manager's office for 17 minutes for opinions dating to the previous September.
Guillen has since blossomed as a top-flight pregame and postgame analyst for Sox games on NBC Chicago, with studio host Chuck Garfien directing any traffic with Guillen and co-analyst Frank Thomas more deftly than he did serving as Jimenez's chauffeur prior to Jimenez's first game at Wrigley.
Despite the local hype, La Russa will continue to keep the focus in front of his players and mitigate any shenanigans.
The White Sox can't afford to get Abreu dinged any more than he has this season. And it was only four years ago that Cubs pitcher John Lackey dotted four White Sox batters, including Abreu twice.
Fortunately for those concerned, Cubs starter and control maven Kyle Hendricks will try to earn his 12th consecutive victory Friday, and Albert Alzolay will try to cure his struggles against left-handed batters on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the White Sox will encounter more challenges than their weekend rivals who are in the midst of pre-2022 spring training tryouts. The White Sox face the Yankees, Athletics, Rays and Blue Jays during a 14-game stretch starting Aug. 12.
They could be at full-stretch when that run ends, when they'll be treated to their next break - a three-game home series against the Cubs.
• Mark Gonzales is a veteran sports writer who covered the White Sox from 2005-2012 and the Cubs from 2013-2020 for the Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @MDGonzales