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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Ray Ratto

Kyle Freeland of the Colorado Rockies takes a moment as he pitches in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field on June 19, 2026.

Baseball’s Bad-Team Shitshow Could Use More Shit

Lauren Theisen

Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run

White Sox Cleverly Lull Yankees Into False Sense Of Superiority In Potential Playoff Preview

The Chicago White Sox celebrate a walk-off, two-run home run by Braden Montgomery

Call Them The Chicago Delight Sox

Kathryn Xu

Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run.

Munetaka Murakami Watch: Big Homers, Wacky Numbers

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Bill Veeck holds up a sign to the crowd so they can manage the baseball game

Bills Week

Bill Veeck’s Goofy, Gag-Filled Baseball Book Was Ahead Of Its Time

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Adrian Houser pitches against the Blue Jays.

Impressive Blue Jays Win Streak Thwarted By Noted Barf Man

Barry Petchesky

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 26: Baseball: World Series, Chicago White Sox A,J, Pierzynski (12) and Bobby Jenks (45) victorious after winning Game 4 and series vs Houston Astros, Houston, TX 10/26/2005 (Photo by John Biever/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X74496 TK4)

Bobby Jenks Made The Most Of A Short Time

Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Life's Rich Pageant

Chicago Man Wears White Sox Cap To Work

Group shot of the 1919 White Sox. They would after this year be known as the "Black Sox Scandal" team, due to the allegation that eight members of the team accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Baseball Frees Its Gambling Ghosts

A passer-by looks on as worker hangs papal bunting over the entrance to the Holy Name Cathedral after Cardinal Robert Prevost, who was born in Chicago, had been named as first American leader of the Catholic Church. She's wearing a White Sox hat.

Which Accursed Chicago Baseball Fan Base Will Get To Claim Pope Leo XIV?

Cardinal Robert Prevost, newly elected as Pope Leo XIV is seen on the Saint Peter's Basilica balcony, at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican on April 8, 2025.

Well, They Made A Cubs Fan The Pope [UPDATE]

David Roth

Elon Musk speaks during a cabinet meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025. He's backlit and is doing his Thinking Hands and is wearing a stupid hat. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Podcasts

Beavises In The Code Base, With Tim Marchman

<div id=":g4.ma" class="Mu SP" title="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5"><a href="https://twitter.com/GoStevenGoldman">Steven Goldman</a> is a former BP editor-in-chief and current consulting editor. He is the author of the Casey Stengel biography <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forging-Genius-Making-Casey-Stengel/dp/1574888749">Forging Genius</a> and host of the long-running <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/show/the-infinite-inning/">Infinite Inning podcast</a>, which sits at the crossroads of baseball, history, politics, and culture. His most recent book, which has an introduction by David Roth, is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Brief-Lives-Inspired-Infinite/dp/B0BBJTPGDF">Baseball&#8217;s Brief Lives: Player-Stories Inspired by the Infinite Inning</a>.</div>
<div id=":g5.ma" class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:45 PM UTC-5"></div>

Steven Goldman

Bill Rariden of the Cincinnati Reds tags Buck Weaver of the Chicago White Sox out at home plate in the second game of the 1919 World Series at Crosley Field.

Cruelty, Hype, And The American Way In Harry Stein’s Baseball Novel ‘Hoopla’

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 23: A sign depicting Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf hangs from the upper deck during the ninth inning of a game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 23, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Baltimore defeated Chicago 8-6. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

South Side Stand Up: Your Owner’s Open Letter Wasn’t The League’s Worst

<a href="https://twitter.com/johnwilmeswords">John Wilmes</a> is a writer and professor in Chicago. His work has appeared in The Ringer, GQ, Chicago Reader, and The New Republic, among other places. He is the author of the novella Jad&#8217;s Dad Milo.

John Wilmes

Andrew Benintendi gives a kind of grim looking thumbs-up in profile after completing a TV interview following his walk-off hit in the Chicago White Sox's win on September 24.

“We’re Trying To Focus On Losing”: A Night With The White Sox At The Edge Of History

SAN DIEGO, CA - Chicago White Sox playes look out from the dugout during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres, September 22, 2024 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

The 2024 White Sox Have Achieved The Abominable

Samer Kalaf

White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore argues with umpire and gets ejected from the game

The White Sox Can Always Find A Way To Get Lower

Travis Jankowski celebrates after the Rangers win

White Sox Almost Win

Fans look on during the eighth inning between the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2022.

At Home With The Worst Team In Baseball

Manager Pedro Grifol of the Chicago White Sox walks back to the dugout after a pitching change during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians on July 4, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Pedro Grifol Paid The Price For Winning That One Game

Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox exchange a fist-bump during the team's win on August 6, 2024. It was the White Sox's second win since July 10.

Why This Team Sucks: The August 7 Chicago White Sox

Nicky Lopez of the White Sox looks exhausted and sad during a loss to the Minnesota Twins on August 4, 2024.

Why This Team Sucks: The August 6 Chicago White Sox

Andrew Vaughn #25 of the Chicago White Sox looks on against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field on August 04, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 13-7.

20 Straight Losses Is Where The Real Blight Sox Begin

Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet throws a pitch against the Twins.

The White Sox Continue To Mock The Law Of Averages

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 28: Victor Robles #10 of the Seattle Mariners scores during the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox on July 28, 2024 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago White Sox