South Side Sox’ most-read posts of 2016

Sometimes the list of most-read stories on South Side Sox leaves me confused and hurt.

My favorite post of the year was about my favorite game of the year — the day-after analysis of Matt Albers’ plate approach. I didn’t expect it to land in the top 10 posts of the year, because the Sox had bigger national stories to drown it out, but I expected a decent showing.

Alas, it wouldn’t even have cracked a top-five list of Albers-centric posts. “F***ing like a cat” I get, and the game recap, sure ... but three others? For that matter, how did it get half the traffic of the Brad Penny post? What is the matter with you people?*

(*Not to be confused with You People, who is good people.)

Then again, “confused and hurt” is a good way to sum up the list of South Side Sox’s most-read posts of 2016. White Sox players felt it (see: the two attempted mutinies), and White Sox fans felt it (see: the offseason after Todd Frazier, or October).

Want to get mad all over again? Scroll down to see what the survey said.

• No. 10: White Sox pitching depth thrown out of order (July 7)

This one surprised me. From the headline, I recalled only some somewhat routine in-season roster speculation. Clicking through, it was probably this GIF:

Spencer Adams took a scary step off the mound, looking like he ruptured his ACL or something equally scary (just an ankle sprain, fortunately). Throw in coverage of Zack Burdi’s disastrous Double-A debut and some speculation about Carson Fulmer joining the bullpen, and it had enough rubbernecking appeal to catapult it into the top 10.

• No. 9: How the White Sox stack up in the AL Central (Jan. 21)

Josh delivered this divisional analysis that explained why the White Sox needed one more hitter/outfielder right as the free agent market was approaching its crescendo.

• No. 8: Details of a White Sox offer to Dexter Fowler emerge (Feb. 28)
• No. 7: White Sox let outfield market pass them by for reasons undetermined (Jan. 23)
• No. 6: Outfielder market tilts further toward White Sox after Chris Davis signing (Jan. 17)

People really wanted to see the White Sox acquire an outfielder last winter. They really, really, really wanted to see it. (Also, a show of hands: How many of you SSS regulars found the site while tracking rumors?)

• No. 5: It’s just about impossible to relate to Adam LaRoche (March 17)

This was the first summary of L’Affaire LaRoche. He had announced his retirement two days before, and at this point, we understood it was because the White Sox wanted to reduce his son’s access. It didn’t make much sense then. Time and distance failed to clarify it.

• No. 4: The White Sox’ John Danks problem is exposed (April 29)

The answer to “What about Danks?” cracked the top five. When he came out firing fastballs that looked like changeups against Baltimore in late April, the writing was on the wall. The White Sox DFA’d him before his next turn and magically solved all their problems.

• No. 3: Three times the 2005 White Sox never happened on Monday (Oct. 25)

The Cubs’ run to the World Series may have been slightly more tolerable if the White Sox’ championship didn’t get stepped on in attempts to make the North Siders’ plight more dramatic.

• No. 2: Chris Sale scratched after cutting up uniforms (July 23)

Where were you when the Condor was suddenly scratched from a start as the trade deadline approached? I was at the hardware store, and I dropped what I was doing and picked up dinner to-go, thinking the rest of my evening would be dedicated to tracking a trade. Welp.

• No. 1: Open letter to White Sox players (March 19)

In the two days after I wrote the first summary of the absurdity of LaRoche’s retirement, Chris Sale lashed out at Kenny Williams and Adam Eaton called Drake a “leader,” which prompted Larry to write the most-circulated post in South Side Sox history. Hawk Harrelson’s superlatives had a good run.