Gamethread: White Sox at Tigers (PPD)

OK, funny thing, this, I wrote everything below when I thought there was still a game on. So think about that: I was gonna push all of this on you, plus a game. But no game today means the decision (Bañuelos? Covey? Jack Kucek?) on a starter to replace the injured Lucas Giolito in the rotation can be delayed, with Ervin Santana’s start today pushed to tomorrow. Perhaps Ervin will be a monster on five days’ rest!

Anyway, mostly no baseball content from here.

Whew. What a couple of days, eh? I wish we could all agree this will be the last of injustices like Tim Anderson’s suspension.

While I am by no means Tim Anderson, for better or worse, as both a woman and an ethnic minority the issue of TA’s suspension and the resulting fallout along white/black, old/young, old-school/new-school, whatever/whatever is gripping. And, given who I am, a person who like many of you was not born in this country, it still hits me hard in the gut.

On SSS, it’s been a relief that this has been discussed in a generally respectful and open manner. Not perfect by any means. I had more than a few cringes reading comments over the past few days. But overall, and certainly where things seem to be heading with us — with only one ejection from Brett — calm and understanding seem to be prevailing.

I am in a mixed-ethnicity marriage, and I have told my husband many times in trying to relate my story and my place in the world that until someone reminds me, I don’t feel any different than anyone else. And yes, in the white world, that means I don’t feel like an “other” — until someone points it out to me. When they do (and to be fair, yes, sometimes it is a comment on my personality or style or beauty or smarts) it is almost always tinged negatively. It is impossible to convey the crushing feeling that comes with being considered an “other.” Even couched with a smile, or eagerness — “what do you eat?” ... “no, really, what do you eat?” — it makes me feel a little bit like a novelty, or equal-but-different, or ... a zoo animal.

Anyway, this is Tim’s moment, not mine. But let me say that I appreciate this community, as well as the makeup of this SSS staff. Brett doesn’t trumpet this nearly enough, and thus maybe it’s not my place, but SBN has cited South Side Sox multiple times as the blueprint for how to diversify a team site. To go from essentially 100% white and male to a 50/50 gender split and much more of a “rainbow coalition” of writer perspectives, and doing it while pretty much turning on a dime and building from scratch, is no small feat. For me, it helps me feel more welcome and comfortable, giving me confidence that this isn’t any sort of token effort, but a real attempt at sharing power. Why shouldn’t this site, devoted to loving this exasperating ballclub of ours, reflect the very diversity most Chicagoans are so proud and boastful of?

And ultimately, it takes a readership accepting that to truly make us all feel welcome, and you — readers, commenters, and those who drop in just to look at pictures and videos and buy merch — have done so. For that, I owe all of you a huge thank-you. Brett has heard this from me far too often, even now, a year-plus in, but I never thought I’d be a sportswriter, as my professional background is far from this world. But you guys have made a weird transition for me very, very easy. Thanks.

So, now that Brett’s gonna fire me for soapboxing, and there’s no game three of the quartet in Motown, how about a little bit of humor after a stressful day or two? I think he has it right with this tweet:

(although I gotta say, I never pictured Felix as a guy with a Steven Tyler headband or frosted-tip hairstyle. 21st Century Odd Couple, baby!)