Sox Populi - A Chicago White Sox podcast

The incomparable Chris Towers joined the podcast to give an update on the Marlins, break down the series, and make jokes about being old. You might know Chris from his work over at CBS Sports and the Fantasy Baseball Today newsletter.

Here is what we discussed:

Continuing our 600th podcast celebration, Brett Ballantini had the Sharing Sox duo of Leigh and Will Allan on, for the very first time together, the mothership. We attempted to make zero references to the 2025 White Sox, but failed. Still, this is mostly contemporary White Sox-free:

To commemorate the 600th Sox Populi Podcast, we had podcasting mainstays Chrystal O'Keefe (Visiting Dugout, Soxy Chicks, Estrogen Power Hour, et. al), Joe Resis (Sox Pop on the Farm) and Melissa Sage-Bollenbach (Ladies' Night) on to discuss the past four-five years of podcasting at Sox Populi and South Side Sox.

Brief acknowledgement was made for Sharing Sox (the subject of podcast 601) and Tommy Barbee, our Father Soxivus and co-host of Killer B's, but then we dug into some talk with each host/guest about their respective programs. We bridged our break discussing the connection between our two...

Somehow it's been more than 10 months since our last Farm podcast, so we returned with authority — namely, three authorities (Joe Resis, Kristina Airdo, Hannah Filippo) and a host (Brett Ballantini). We spent an hour covering each affiliate ... yes, even the Winston-Salem Dash:

Friend of the pod Kevin O'Brien is back to talk to Chrystal about a division rival — the Kansas City Royals. After winning a series against the Houston Astros (thanks to the rain!), the White Sox embark on a four-game series against Bobby Witt Jr. & Co. Tune in to hear what Kevin said about the Royals and how this series might play out.

Here is what we talked about:

Recording on the day after Luis Robert Jr. stole a grand slam and then knocked in four runs himself, duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and (while he’s in a play in Cincinnati) Ohio Valley correspondent, Will, call for the White Sox to trade Luis before another game is played, taking whatever a contending team will offer. Said urging by people who are very much his fans is not just so the Sox can perhaps pick up a decent prospect, or at least a top-of-the-line parking lot attendant, but to free Robert from captivity and let him pl...

Chrystal hosted fantasy baseball expert Anthony to chat about the Houston Astros and what to expect from the upcoming series.

Here is what was discussed:

In the fifth episode of the 2025 season, Kristina Airdo, South Side Sox writer/editor and Sox Populi podcaster, joins host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and special guest Chrystal O'Keefe to discuss several topics related to baseball, sports, and our beloved — or despised, depending on the day — South Siders. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things, including:

Career Reflections: Chrystal recounted her journey to becoming a writer and podcaster, sharing advice she has for wome...

The Chicago White Sox are finally playing a new team, so that means a new episode. I had the incomparable Jordan White on to provide an update on the Milwaukee Brewers and help break down the upcoming homestand. Jordan provided the analytics and keen insight on what to expect:

The Chicago White Sox wrapped up a series in Sacramento by falling from ahead and losing a series with an extra-inning loss — a loss that put them at, you may want to sit down for this, THE EXACT SAME RECORD PACE AS 2024 (if you've been living under a rock, that's 41-121). Seems a good time to sit down, as Brett Ballantini did with Hannah Filippo, and wonder what in the world we are doing following this team:

Bayleigh and Chrystal are back to chat about what's going on in Major League Baseball at the moment.

Topics:

In the fourth episode of the 2025 season Allie Wesel, South Side Sox writer/editor and Sox Populi podcaster, joins host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and guest Jacki Krestel to discuss several topics related to baseball, sports, and our beloved — or despised, depending on the day — South Siders. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things, including:

Family ties: Jacki spoke with the ladies about growing up in a sports-loving family and how...

No, it's not Groundhog Day. The White Sox are shipping off to Boston to face the Red Sox. Unless Lucas Giolito is pitching for the Red Sox this coming Patriots' Day, the White Sox hopefully won't suffer the same fate they did in 2021.

In a sillier episode that is a bit different from the usual series previews, I talked to a sleep-deprived Ed Hand about what happened last week in Chicago and the most recent Red Sox vs. Rays series. We also discussed what the next laundry series will look like.

Here...

Duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and (for the moment as he performs in a play at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) Ohio Valley Correspondent, Will, start off by eschewing reality as best they can, talking about some White Sox high points. Those include Edgar Quero about to make his MLB debut a few hours after they recorded the cast, the apparent upturn in enthusiasm and effort led by youngsters like Brooks Baldwin and Chase Meidroth, what seems to be improved defensive fundamentals (at least most of the time), and the strength of most of the starting rotation...

Die-hard Athletics fan and friend of the podcast Aaron Cameron joined to discuss the Athletics' recent developments, both good and bad. We also discussed the A's coming to Chicago for a series opener on Jackie Robinson Day.

While we could've recorded for hours with many side quests, here is a bit of what our lively conversation consisted of:

With the White Sox tumbling from first place (OK, they were 2-4, and they were tied for last place at the same time) to last, it was time for Brett Ballantini to assemble Chrystal O'Keefe, Joe Resis and Hannah Filippo to discuss the state of the team.

The crux of this podcast was how similar or different this 2025 team feels from 2024:

The first laundry series of the season is ahead, as the White Sox host the Red Sox in Chicago.

With Garrett Crochet and Lucas Giolito in the starting rotation, the White Sox might see some old friends.

Bayleigh, known also as the co-host of Soxy Chicks, was on to chat about her Sox and preview the series.

Here is what we discussed:

In the third episode of the 2025 season, Sox Populi podcaster Delia Ritchie joins host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and guest Julie Swieca Gannon to discuss several topics related to our beloved — or despised, depending on the day — South Siders. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things baseball, including:

Family Ties Julie talked with the ladies about growing up as a Chicago-area native who spent her formative years in Mt. Prospect/Arli...

Imari is back this season to discuss Cleveland's home opener and the series with the White Sox. Despite the Guardians making a deep run in the playoffs last season, the experts favor the Tigers and Royals. But the American League Central can be anyone's to win.

On this episode, we talked about:

Bayleigh and Chrystal chat about what's been happening in Major League Baseball since Opening Day.

In this episode, they talk about:

Walker is back this season to discuss the Tigers and explain what the series might look like. Listen for player breakdowns, and stay for how funny we are.

Is that title a gag? No, actually, the White Sox have spent all but one day of this season in first place, including at the moment this podcast was recorded and published. Sure, the team has lost both of its series this season and sits 2-4, but so what? A five-way tie for first in a terrible AL Central still counts as first!

Joe Resis, Brian O'Neill, Malachi Hayes and Hannah Filippo joined Brett Ballantini for a roundtable discussion of the season's first week:

In the second episode of the 2025 season, Sox Populi/South Side Sox writer and editor Kristina Airdo joins host Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and our special guest, Ashley Sanders. Ashley is currently a Live Designer on MLB The Show's Live Team for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE).

Melissa and Kristina talked to Ashley about her role with SIE, and of course, we did fit in some White Sox talk. So, whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. We invite you to sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the...

Jackson Nelson joined the podcast to chat about the White Sox hosting the Twins for the season's second series:

Just like we wrote it up, the White Sox romped over the Angels on Opening Day, 8-1, so naturally Brett Ballantini gathered some of his closest pals (Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Brian O'Neill and Joe Resis) to comb back over every luscious detail of a shocking start to the 2025 season:

To get you hyped for Chicago White Sox 2025 baseball and specifically this Opening Day, Brett Ballantini brought in Chrystal O'Keefe, Joe Resis and Hannah Filippo for thoughts on Thursday, the weekend series, and the season itself:

Welcome to season three of Visiting Dugout, our season-long White Sox opponent preview series! In this episode, AngelsFaithful joined to chat about Opening Day and this weekend's series between the White Sox and the Angels:

Follow AngelsFaithful on Twitter/X.

In the first episode of Ladies' Night for the 2025 season, our newest team member, Hannah Filippo, joins veteran Melissa Sage-Bollenbach to discuss several topics related to our beloved — or despised, depending on the day — South Siders. Whether you're a die-hard White Sox fan or not, there's something for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beverage because the girls hit a home run conversing about all things baseball, including:

We can't avoid the reality of the 2025 season any longer, thus Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Hannah Filippo and Brett Ballantini sat down to discuss our predictions for the 2025 season, in the framework of the annual South Side Sox prognostication challenge. We focused significantly on the White Sox, but took a broader look at baseball as well:

Bayleigh Von Schneider and Chrystal O'Keefe are back to start the season with MLB updates, opinions, and plenty of Ghostface sightings hidden in the background.

Here is what they talked about:

With a week to go until Opening Day, duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of what’s in store in 2025.

The good?

The food menu, of course. Through all their many name changes, White Sox stadia have featured some really good food, usually at very decent prices for event chow. This year brings a new twist — a heavy dose of Korean items.

Will there be people on hand to enjo...

With pitchers and catchers reporting this week and games underway at the end of next, it seems time to cinch it up and hunker down to discuss the prospects of the 2025 White Sox. Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Chrystal O'Keefe, Hannah LaMotta, Joe Resis and Brett Ballantini gather to discuss the club as constituted, trying at the dawn of the season to skew optimistically:

With a week until pitchers and catchers report to start the old ball rolling again, duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, delve into some of the predictions made for the White Sox for 2025, in the process getting a good laugh at the computers that think the team will lose 100 or fewer games ... so much for artificial intelligence.

The two do their best to find places where the Sox have improved this time around, other than getting a manager with a basic understanding of the sport, but find it...

Sox Populi and South Side Sox had two writers attending the reimagined SoxFest this past weekend, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach for both days, and Kristina Airdo lucky enough to cover the better day, kickoff night on Friday. Both sat with Brett Ballantini to discuss the pluses and minuses of the event:

Duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, ring in the new year (OK, a few days late) with a podcast dedicated to how they believe the White Sox will suddenly break through this season and become a major league team again, sweeping all before them en route to a season of 90, 100, 110 wins, or even more!!

Now, that’s a lie, but they do manage to mostly avoid talking about how bad the 2025 Sox will be by talking about other teams, terrific players who happen to ply their trade elsewhere, fr...

For one last time in Our Year of the Utterly Hapless 2024, our staff gathered for a mothership podcast. This time around it was Brett Ballantini hosting Chrystal O'Keefe, Joe Resis and Dante Jones. The program runs broad but obvious: Looking back at the horrors of 2024 and ahead to what may be different in 2025.

We made our season predictions for the fourth consecutive year over at South Side Sox, and for the fourth consecutive year, a different writer took the crown.

And this year, in fact, the crown is worn by two prognosticators — the veteran Year of the Hamster, and newcomer Enrique Silva.

We have a comprehensive rundown of the twists and turns of our 2024 predictions over at SSS, but here are some highlights of the podcast that Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Joe Resis and I did addressing them (and, I suppose, the moribund White Sox postseason and future):

Before crashing into White Sox matters, duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, indulge in postseason palaver — especially happy on Will’s part because he got to take part (very small part, but part nonetheless) in the team that won it all. So, much of the discussion is about the complete — and very happy — collapse of the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series. Yea, verily, that inning showed that even the White Sox are occasionally better than teams much better than they doth occasionally perform. (Will had a sort of defense of Yankee ineptitu...

Soon after the story broke of Jerry Reinsdorf possibly selling the White Sox, thereby sending waves of glee throughout Chicagoland, duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, try to figure out if Reinsdorf had the information leaked in order to try put pressure on politicians to plunge public billions into a monument to himself, or if he just had it leaked (to somebody on The Athletic who has no Chicago ties) because he hates the news media and wants to see them make fools of themselves believing it.

Whatever the cause, it...

The long road to ignominy is over for the White Sox, but the long road to parsing the reasons for their total failure lives on. Duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and west coast correspondent, Will, examine the recent national media analyses and yell a hearty, “Amen, brothers!”

The two agree it would have been handier if the big shots had torn into Jerry Reinsdorf and how he runs his mess of an organization a little earlier, preferably several decades earlier, but better late than never and all that. They tear Reinsdorf apart from every conceivable dire...