Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

Well, a weird first “official” week of the offseason yielded some trippy topics, and Adrian Serrano, Zach Hayes, Leigh Allan and Chrystal O’Keefe showed up to chat with Brett Ballantini about some of the most notable: In the words of Zach channeling DJ Khaled, to the White Sox: “Congratulations, you played yourself.” While of course Scott Boras now says Carlos Rodón would have rejected the QO if m...

Tommy Barbee and Keelin Billue are back after a five-month hiatus, as the embers of the 2021 Chicago White Sox season and South Side Soxivus cool down. Typically, there are talks of a stove that is supposed to be hot, but this year, the pilot light does not seem to work yet. So, in this episode of the Killer B’s, Tommy and Keelin spend time discussing the past, present, and hopes for the future. J...

We’ve come to the Soxivus week that celebrates the worst games of 2021, and we’ve got seven SSS scribes a-swimming through the season to provide insights on the most painful: Leading off, Joe Resis talks about an April 13 loss that had it all: weak exit velo heartbreakers, nine innings of Bieber, Manfred Mann runners, and Cleveland Handing the mic over the cubicle wall at the Indianapolis Field Of...

We’ve come to the Soxivus week that celebrates the best games of 2021, and we’ve got seven SSS scribes a swimming through the season to provide insights on their favorites: (yes, there were several costumed writers on the podcast, on the day after Halloween. Don’t ask why, it was a spontaneous staff decision) Keelin Billue spent too long in podcast exile, inadvertent though it may have been. Not o...

For our “bonus” SSS on the Farm podcast (24), Darren Black and Brett Ballantini discuss the best of the White Sox system, through the lens of this season’s South Side Sox MVP votes. Let’s jump right in! José Rodríguez is the unqualified winner of our Player of the Year honors, and there’s honestly not a lot more that can be said about his 2021 In a full season, Kade McClure just edged out Norge Ve...

For Farm podcast 23 we’re hitting the rookie leagues for some review, two teams with almost identical (bad) records. Arizona finished 25-34, 13th of 18 ACL teams, while the DSL White Sox were 26-33, tied for 33rd of 46 teams. But, there were some stars and some breakout performances. This podcast is a companion piece to Sean Williams’ ACL review and Darren Black’s take on the DSL season, so, enjoy...

Finally, we come to the biggest disappointment in the White Sox system, great taste, no filling Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Ballyhooed as the gem of the system this spring, the CBs fell flat almost immediately, and ended the year with an almost statistically-impossible -275 run differential. Seriously, in 119 games, Kannapolis was outscored by 275 runs — 2.31 runs per game! Well, so what if our Low...

Podcast 69, nice. The companion article that Joe Resis, Zach Hayes and Brett Ballantini address in the podcast was, again, the brainchild of Tommy Barbee. All three writers submitted entries for their top beef of the season, but we also cover the other six grievances as well. Here are some highlights: Zach spins a detailed yarn about his Feat of Strength, biblical in nature, with gore, bat racks,...

John Stolnis, Kris Willis and Ashley MacLennon set the table for the World Series showdown between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros! Presented by T-Mobile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Same Kanny hat for Darren Black, same black shirt for Brett Ballantini, and this pair comes back to chat on the Farm to talk Winston-Salem Dash on their weeklong wrap of the White Sox system. Have you read Darren’s season review piece? Well, it is live alongside this podcast, so go get yourself some. The Dash wasn’t the worst team in the system, but they did finish farther out of the race than any...

Hey, Darren Black and Brett Ballantini reassembled, put their Farm uniforms back on for continuity, and are hitting up the Birmingham Barons on their weeklong wrap of the White Sox system. Have you read Darren’s season review piece? Well, it is live alongside this podcast, so, dig it. Birmingham finished with a winning record — to wit, 15 more wins in 10 fewer games than the Charlotte Knights — an...

As other teams mosey on through the playoffs, the White Sox head into the silly season of speculation on matters small and large, and SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast corespondent, Will, take a look at some of it. There are a few chuckles along the way, because most of the speculation is downright nutty — though they do agree if you want to pretend you can trade a guy who can...

Darren Black and Brett Ballantini are back “on the Farm,” with a weeklong wrap-up of the White Sox system. First up are the Charlotte Knights, and Darren’s season review piece is live alongside this podcast. While the Knights were stunningly bad, with the very worst record in all of Triple-A, several successful prospects were shipped up from North Carolina to make an impact on the 2021 White Sox....

Podcast 68 has to be the best South Side Sox podcast ever, from theme music to Soxivus wailing. Wow, it packs a hilarious punch. The companion article that Joe Resis, Brett Ballantini, Adrian Serrano and Zach Hayes address in the podcast was the brainchild of Tommy Barbee. All five writers submitted entries for their top beef of the season, but was also cover the other seven grievances as well. He...

Well, the White Sox are out of the playoffs. Some of us wanted a White Sox/Red Sox series. Alas, that won’t happen this year. We’re putting on a brave face and hoping Boston knocks Houston out, so Keelin and Chrystal invited Red Sox writer Bayleigh Von Schnieder on the podcast for a chat. Who is Bayleigh? Meet a talented Red Sox writer, and learn about her Boston roots and why she loves baseball....

In the wake of the whomping the White Sox took from the Astros in the ALDS, most every writer or commentator is talking about what a shelling it was and how bad decisions by the HOFBP were instrumental in the team’s demise. But SSS duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, say the collapse was ordained in early summer when warnings from Steve Stone and many others wen...

Well, this isn’t the podcast we wanted to record, despite it being the one we knew would come eventually. Zach Hayes dashed back from the ballgame, Joe Resis scrambled to find his mic, Jacki Krestel paused her baked pasta, Chrystal O’Keefe made fart noises and Brett Ballantini and Darren Black decide where there were going for dinner, in an ACTION-PACKED half-hour of happy times and warm thoughts....

With Monday’s rainout of Game 4, we found ourselves with some time to preview the rescheduled Tuesday tilt, so naturally Chrystal O’Keefe and Zach Hayes jumped on with Brett Ballantini to do just that. A whole buncha stuff happened since our last podcast, oh, approximately three hours earlier, so we got right to it: Momentum in the series and how the unexpected day off on Monday impacts it Lance M...

Trying to rush this up because hey, it’s early a.m. and boy oh boyo that was a long game. And a helluva game! Di Billick, Adrian Serrano and Brett Ballantini got together postgame in the wee hours, to discuss this super-fun win. Highlights of what we discussed, before Adrian had to hop on the El to make it to the park in time for Game 4 (slight exaggeration, perhaps, but just slight): For all the...

Two games down in the books for the 2021 ALDS, and yes, the White Sox are two games down. That said, it’s Blackout Night! And we wear black and Sox Park not to mourn, but to kick some ass. Host Brett Ballantini is joined by Jacki Krestel, who tonight will be one of just a few thousand folks in the park also to have witnessed Blackout Game I back in 2008. That good juju alone should make this a 2-1...

This was a rough game to revisit, but a promise is a promise, and Zach Hayes, Adrian Serrano and Brett Ballantini got together postgame fulfill our playoff mission: a postgame podcast after every game. So, here’s how this one broke down: It was shaping up as a classic game ... until about two-thirds the way through At what point will we see Hall of Fame Baseball Person, Tony La Russa? Pick your fa...

It was not an inspiring playoff opener, but Zach Hayes, Joe Resis, Jacki Krestel and Brett Ballantini got together postgame to break down what happened, and how things can change going forward: Good Vibes Krestel turned into Bad Vibes, but by podcast end, she was back to at least OK Vibes Was it the offense, or Lance Lynn? Happy Zach Hayes — say what! Did Dusty Baker give the White Sox a gift with...

So here we are, on the doorsteps of the playoffs, mere minutes from ALDS Game 1, and who better to share in the anticipatory glory than your best White Sox friends in the whole wide world: Adrian Serrano, Joe Resis, Colleen Sullivan and Brett Ballantini? The quartet recognizes this game is so important, a whole new White Sox podcast has been created: the South Side Sox Pregame Podcast. Dig in, as...

Talent from all around SB Nation come together to preview the MLB AL Playoffs as John Stolnis, Ashley MacLennon and Andrew Mearns debate all the biggest topics and make their predictions! Presented by T-Mobile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Funny how at playoff time, wonder twins Luke Smailes and Trevor Lines have come together to activate their powers as Dugout Metrics, once more! Yes, we’re all together again, for the first time since the trade deadline. Brett Ballantini asks the questions, some of them dumb: Obligatory temperature check on the regular season; even the metrics fellas are plenty pleased From a players’ standpoint, w...