One of the more bizarre stories recently among major league teams happens to come from the crumbling Chicago White Sox, leaving Chris Sale off the roster for their game against the Detroit Tigers because their ace was pissed off with the throwback jerseys the team was scheduled to wear in the game.
Sale was listed to start in the game, but was sent home after an incident with someone in the front office. Sale, the team’s ace, who is reportedly also on the trading block for the right kind of offer, was unhappy with the team planning on wearing the White Sox’s 1976 navy, collared throwbacks. He cut up the throwbacks during practice so they couldn’t be worn. Sale thought the jerseys were uncomfortable, and was angry that the team was putting PR and jersey sales ahead of winning and making things as comfortable as possible for the players.
Jose Quintana, the White Sox number 2 pitcher started the game against the Tigers. It was stopped with the score tied at 3-3 due to a lengthy rain delay, which means the game will pick up on Sunday afternoon, with Quintana scheduled to resume his performance. Players weren’t really opening up about what happened before the game, naturally, and the team itself gave a short, cloudy statement about what happened in the clubhouse prior to the first pitch. This isn’t the first time Sale has had problems with the White Sox front office, and has a reportedly strained relationship with executive vice president Kenny Williams and other members of the White Sox management.
The 27-year old lefty is one of the best pitchers in major league baseball, an All-Star five times in a row, and in the top 6 of the Cy Young voting in the last four years. He led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings in 2014 and 2015, also posting the best strikeout to walk ratio last season, while also getting some MVP votes (finished 19th). He is 14-3 with a 3.18 ERA this season, and his 133 innings pitches is more than anyone in the American League through 19 starts.