By Dom DalDegan | February 10, 2023

It was not all that long ago that the White Sox protected their brand. Through the thick, the thin, and the mediocrity the Sox have been mired in since post-2005, the team would at least not get tied up with the wrong people. In recent years though, it has been difficult for the team to not be involved with problematic individuals.  

As of January 24th, 2023, newly signed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Mike Clevinger, is facing allegations of domestic violence and child abuse. The accuser, Olivia Finestead, took to Instagram to show off prior incidents involving Clevinger that took place last June. There appears to be overwhelming evidence against the Sox pitcher. Clevinger and his legal team continue to build a defense case into early February. 

The White Sox used to not get wrapped up in situations like this. Sure, the team did not know Clevinger was involved in any of this when they signed him, but Clevinger did not exactly have a clean track record even prior to this news coming out. The White Sox should have shown a little restraint toward signing the controversial figure so early in the offseason. If General Manager Rick Hahn had spent the team’s budget more wisely, then perhaps he would not have been banking on the upside of somebody who is coming off a bad season and likely out of his prime. 

Hahn also seems keen on bringing in personnel that have connections with the White Sox coaching staff. Prior to being the pitching coach for the White Sox, Ethan Katz was previously a coach for the San Francisco Giants. The White Sox have already acquired three pitchers, including Clevinger, who were formerly in the Giants’ system. If Katz being familiar with a pitcher wasn’t such a huge criteria for Hahn, he probably would not have been so eager to sign Clevinger in November. Similarly, it is possible that Clevinger jumped on a one year deal just a few weeks after MLB free agency opened up because of the incident. Hahn has had a longer rope than most. We saw Kansas City move on from General Manager Dayton Moore last September, and it was under Moore that the Royals made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015. Whether you like him or hate him, the fact is that Hahn has accomplished far less since he was promoted to General Manager in 2012. The White Sox are certainly loyal to their employees. 

Loyalty trumps more than just winning though. Recent actions by the White Sox have me questioning the moral character of the organization. Certainly they don’t want people with poor character to be affiliated with the organization. But can they tolerate it? There’s no way to pinpoint when this ethical shift would have taken place, but in recent years the White Sox have knowingly hired and kept on personnel with troubled pasts and priors that ordinary people would face jail time for. 

The most known example of this is former Manager Tony La Russa. Already pleading guilty to a DUI charge back in 2007, La Russa was able to plead guilty to a lesser charge for reckless driving rather than being hit with a second DUI which most people have to go to jail for. This is despite the night ending with him smashing his vehicle into the curb after possessing a BAC well over .08 on February 24th, 2020. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf knew about the incident prior to hiring La Russa to be manager. 

CONTENT WARNING: The reading below may be disturbing. 

The lesser known example of this would be first base coach Daryl Boston. A New York Met at the time, Boston, along with two teammates, allegedly r—d a woman during Spring Training of 1991. Cindy Powell, the victim, notified police, specifically citing Boston as somebody who said a particularly harmful quote to her on the night of the incident. Boston has somehow survived multiple coaching staff turnovers as he has been the first base coach since 2013.  The White Sox have kept Boston around for what exactly? Boston coaches outfield defense, and we know how that has been for the Sox.

There have been instances of misconduct in the minor leagues as well. In 2019, Omar Vizquel, former successful MLB player and then-manager for the Birmingham Barons, sexually harassed an autistic batboy. When Barons bench coach Wes Helms stepped in as manager after Vizquel was put on paid leave, he mocked the batboy over the harassment. Helms is also accused of laughing at the batboy during just one of the acts of sexual harassment committed by Vizquel. Frustratingly, the Sox don’t condemn anyone publicly when ridding themselves of poison like this. When the organization dismissed Vizquel, head of player development Chris Getz reflected on the positive influence that Vizquel had, saying that he “created a good environment for our players”. While this probably does not mean that Getz is an apologist for such behavior, how is it not apparent that you don’t publicly praise somebody who is accused of something like this? In Helms’ case, he continued to work within the White Sox system as manager of the Charlotte Knights even though the team was aware of Helms’ involvement. Feeling the heat of a lawsuit filed against the White Sox in August 2021 by the victim, the team finally terminated Helms last May.

The White Sox do not need to bring in more personnel with criminal behaviors. This was already a difficult offseason for White Sox fans, and the Clevinger news did not make it any easier. These stories reflect poorly on the organization even if they only involve a few individuals. The White Sox should recognize this and be more active in displaying their morals to the public. Too often it feels like loyalty outweighs morality.