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Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn poured more fuel on the fire started by another former Sox pitcher, Keynan Middleton, who ripped the team on Monday for its lack of rules.
Middleton, who was traded to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline, blasted the culture he saw under first-year manager Pedro Grifol when he was with the White Sox.
“We came in with no rules,” Middleton told ESPN. “I don’t know how you police the culture if there are no rules or guidelines to follow because everyone is doing their own thing. Like, how do you say anything about it because there are no rules?
“You have rookies sleeping in the bullpen during the game. You have guys missing meetings. You have guys missing PFPs (pitcher fielding practices), and there are no consequences for any of this stuff.”
Multiple sources corroborated Middleton’s claims to ESPN.
Middleton also added that the issues within the organization didn’t just begin this year.
“When I got to spring training, I heard a lot of the same stuff was happening last year,” Middleton said. “It’s happening again this year, so not sure how I could change it. They don’t tell you not to miss PFPs. They don’t tell you not to miss meetings, and if it happens, it’s just, ‘OK.'”
The blame, according to Middleton, falls squarely on the management.
“They say s*** rolls downhill,” he said. “I feel like some guys don’t want to speak up when they should have. It’s hard to police people when there are no rules. If guys are doing things that you think are wrong, who is it wrong to? You or them? It’s anyone’s judgment at that point.”
After Middleton’s remarks about the lack of accountability within the White Sox organization, two-time All-Star Lance Lynn, who was traded to the Dodgers by Chicago, told the media, “I was there a lot longer than Key was. He’s not wrong.”
Lynn also appeared on the Foul Territory podcast with former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski and was asked about what Keynan Middleton said.
“I did see what popped up yesterday,” Lynn replied.
“Do you have any thoughts on that, possibly?” Pierzynski followed up.
“I could say this. Let me tell you, I could tell you what Key was wrong about,” Lynn replied, then sat there silently, getting his message across.
Lynn did later expound on the White Sox culture a little bit.
“Everyone knows that it’s a culture. The backbone to an organization that has to be in place,” Lynn said. “And as veterans you can police things that are obviously known and there’s a way of doing things and like a code.
“And I think that’s what Key was alluding to, there was no backbone to the culture, ways to do things, ways to do things as a pro were just not there.”