South Side Sox: for Chicago White Sox fans

Levi Weaver, co-writer of The Windup with Ken Rosenthal on The Athletic, joined Chrystal to talk about all things Rangers. Before digging into what's going on in Texas, Chrystal asked about Levi's Halloween costume from last year: George Pee-Wee Herman Ruth, which he put together for his Sandlot baseball league. The pair discussed what is needed at the Trade Deadline and how unserious the American League is this year before previewing the upcoming series. Before closing, Levi shared a few baseball takes before diving into an emo debate and praise of seeing Nick Cave live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do women still have to prove they're "real sports fans?" On this episode of Ladies' Night, hosts Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and Kristina Airdo are joined by Dakota Rouse from the Chicago Women's Sports Club to talk about gatekeeping, finding your community, and why sports are better when everyone feels like they belong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Dante Jones and Malachi Hayes hopped on with Brett Ballantini to discuss the fabulous first half for the White Sox, but more so to focus on the second half and stretch run that could give the club its first postseason berth in five seasons. We discuss how the second half plays out, who ends up winning the division, what the trade deadline will look like, who finishes the season as the White Sox MVP — and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, current Toronto Star baseball columnist and host of the Deep Left Field podcast, Mike Wilner joined Chrystal to chat about the Blue Jays. Mike discussed what's new with the Blue Jays, and why he's not feeling negative about the team. The two also previewed the upcoming White Sox series and talked about what Mike is enjoying this season, as well as the statue being unveiled soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chrystal O'Keefe, Brian O'Neill and Hannah Filippo hopped on with Brett Ballantini to discuss the fabulous first half for the White Sox, but more so to focus on the second half and stretch run that could give the club its first postseason berth in five seasons. We discuss how the second half plays out, who ends up winning the division, what the trade deadline will look like, and who finishes the season as the White Sox MVP — and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a little hard to tell at South Side Sox given all of our normal draft features being churned out, but this year marked a wrinkle to our coverage: Actual writers on the ground to cover the event. Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and her son, Sage, were in Philadelphia for the draft, Melissa as credentialed SB Nation media. Now ... did that turn out to be a good thing? And did Sage, donned in a UCLA Roch Cholowsky jersey and White Sox cap, get feasted on by writers and broadcasters looking for No. 1 overall draft choice material? Tune in to learn all of the the ins, outs and power failures of the weekend experience in Philadelphia, as the pair sits down with Brett Ballantini to chat on MLB draft 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, reporting from the 2026 draft in Philadelphia, joined Brett Ballantini to wrap up an extremely impressive effort by the White Sox. We revisit the debate over the No. 1 overall pick (we had both settled on a player other than Roch Cholowsky), Chicago's maneuverings to land Landon Thome, note securing a first-round talent (and Grady Emerson doppelganger?) Cole Prosek at 41, and other highlights — including players taken DEEP in the draft, all the way down to Round 20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wonderful Aaron Cameron is back for the second time this season to talk about the Athletics. Aaron shared his experience with seeing the A's in Las Vegas, as they start to integrate and build hype in the desert. The pair went over trade deadline needs and confidence levels about 2026. Chrystal and Aaron also previewed the series, talked about the game they caught together at the end of May in Chicago, and Aaron shared his hottest take to date — he hates the Home Run Derby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red Sox media jack-of-all-trades Owen Brown made his Visiting Dugout debut to talk to Chrystal about what's new in Boston and preview the upcoming laundry series. Owen touched on the April firings, the Willson Contreras suspension, and if the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at the deadline. The pair also went over what to expect in this series including pitching matchups and fears, before moving on to what's going on with MLB in general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imari McPherson joins again to talk about a familiar team, the Cleveland Guardians. While the pitching matchups in this series will be similar, the White Sox will see the Guardians on the road this time, and for four games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The full squadron of South Side Sox minors writers (Brett Ballantini, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Joe Kiang-Resis, Kristina Airdo and Hannah Filippo) assembled to review June and the first half in the White Sox system. We assessed the second-half fortunes for each affiliate, and highlighted some of the system's brightest and most disappointing players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dream is back to talk to Chrystal about all things Orioles. The pair talked about what's going on in Baltimore, and previewed the series and what to expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there's one thing you can count on from Sox Populi, it's that every time the White Sox win a game by 21, we'll be on the air for a postgame podcast. That's our promise. Of course, that's never happened in White Sox history, and there's been just one bigger blowout in all 126 years of play for the South Siders, also against a Kansas City team (the Athletics, in 1955). And the 22 runs scored in the blowout tie for the second-most ever by the team (again, 1955, 29 runs). Game recapper Trevor Land (in his Sox Populi podcast debut) and Hannah Filippo hopped on with Brett Ballantini to talk about the win. And believe it or not, one of the trio STILL is not overly impressed with this White Sox team. Find out who, and give us a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Vince Guerrieri joined the podcast to chat with Chrystal about the Cleveland Guardians. Plagued with injuries and losing the heart of the order, the Guardians are still lingering at the top of the American League Central alongside the White Sox. Vince talked about the offseason, and how Cleveland owners don't spend money on free agents, either, as well as his confidence levels for taking the division. The pair previewed the series, and the pitching clinic the Guardians always seem to have. Vince shared the keys to winning, and his fears heading into the series before breaking away and sharing his insight on the rest of the season and the potential labor stoppage in 2027. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Brown of Motor City Metrics and Tigers ML Report is back to chat about all things Detroit Tigers. Chris went over what's new, and not-so-great this season as well as his picks for the All-Star Game (Spoiler alert: He voted for Colson Montgomery over Kevin McGonigle) Chrystal and Chris went over pitching matchups, fears heading into the series, and keys to winning. Then talked about Chicago's magical year, and how the division could certainly be for the White Sox to control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raise your hand if you thought we'd be talking about a first-place White Sox team in mid-June. Yeah, us either. Join the Ladies' Night crew as we discuss the biggest surprises, breakout stars, and what's next for the South Siders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the "It's a Miracle!" edition of Sharing Sox, as duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and usually west coast (but currently second bedroom, as he's in Chicago for the critically-acclaimed production of An Enemy of the People at TimeLine Theatre) correspondent, Will, celebrate the incredible season the White Sox are having so far, which includes just having taken series from both the Braves and Dodgers. They rave about just about every player and even manager Will Venable, and — get this — avoid saying anything at all about Jerry Reinsdorf as they consider just how long and far the wonderfulness can last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Epstein of Baseball Prospectus joined Chrystal to talk about all things Yankees. Dan talked about the ever-present injury bug in the Bronx, the offseason, and how confident he is about the Yankee's playoff chances. The two also spent a lot of time talking about how pitchers are the coolest, and how our old friend Carlos Rodón has changed since his time on the South Side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Stephen, co-host of Three-Inning Save Podcast and ruler of all things True Blue LA, joined Chrystal to chat about the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eric talked about what's new with the Dodgers, including injuries, bullpen depth, and what happened in the offseason. The pair went over pitching matchups and what to expect in the series, as well as how nice it is to see Miguel Vargas thriving. Before ending, Eric shared his thoughts on the potential stoppage of next season and how he envisions everything happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White Sox were in first place by percentage points via Cleveland loss earlier in the day, but the Sox Populi crew of Brett Ballantini, Chrystal O'Keefe and Melissa Sage-Bollenbach were going to make the team earn a celebratory postgame podcast with a win over vaunted Atlanta — and win they did, 2-1, moving a full half-game into first. It's the first time the White Sox have been in first place past April 15 since 2022, and the first time atop the division in a meaningful way since 2021. The trio spoke of the surprises of the season, favorite players to watch — and fears, if any, lurking on the road ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Demetrius, the managing editor from our sister site, Battery Power, joined Visiting Dugout to chat about the Atlanta Braves. With a new manager, and strong pitching and offensive firepower, Atlanta leads the National League and seems to be firing on all cylinders. Demetrius shared what is going right, and how he is taking things one day at a time. There will also be a lot of old friends back for the series, as the White Sox will see Chris Sale and Martín Pérez. Before wrapping up, the pair talked about how players like Munetaka Murakami are good for growing baseball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the end of the month, so that means it's time for some of the South Side Sox minors crew to band together and talk about the system. In this episode, Brett Ballantini, Joe Kiang-Resis, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach and Hannah Filippo discuss the South Side arrival date of Braden Montgomery, the resilient Cannon Ballers, Jacob Gonzalez's rise, and many more minors nuggets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mitch Bernstein is back on Visiting Dugout to chat about the Phillies. Mitch and Chrystal talked about his fandom over the years, who makes baseball great, and what is happening in Phillies land. They also talked about the series and what to expect from pitching matchups, and how unknown pitchers look like Cy Young winners when facing the Phillies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rogelio Castillo joined the podcast to talk with Chrystal about all things Tigers. He tried to explain what is happening in Detroit, with injuries and early season struggles, but sometimes baseball is just an enigma. The pair previewed the series, and how it's do-or-die for the Tigers heading into June. Before wrapping up, Rogelio and Chrystal talked about the possible labor stop next season, and what baseball needs to do to actually grow the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britt Huber made her fourth appearance on the podcast. Next time she's on, I'm going to have to ask Saturday Night Live where they order their Five-Timers Club jackets. The ladies talked about all things Giants, with what's new, how the offseason went, and confidence levels in a cut-throat division. They talked about how Buster Posey will never escape his playing days despite being the President of Baseball Operations now. The duo also previewed the series, talking about all things pitching and what to expect. To conclude the episode, they talked a bit about the joys and pitfalls about discovering more about players, why inclusion matters, and Pete Crow-Armstrong crossing the line with his words. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Sanchez from Bleed Cubbie Blue returned to chat about the first Crosstown series. Sara talked about what is new with the Cubs, and what is currently working for the team. Chrystal and Sara also previewed the series, the Cubs curse of 2016, and one year of the Chicago Pope and what he's doing right. Oh, and a tailgate mass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael “Lux” Farina is back on to chat about all things Royals. Chrystal and Michael chatted about the rough start for the Royals, the great city connect jerseys, and how odd this season has started off. They also previewed the series, including pitching matchups and keys to winning the series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ladies' Night crew is back to recap the White Sox's first-ever Gameday for the Girls event at Rate Field. From interactive fan experiences and women-focused activations to meaningful conversations about representation in sports, we break down our biggest takeaways from an evening dedicated to celebrating women in baseball and sports media. Join us as we discuss the atmosphere, the VIP panel, our favorite moments from the night — and why events like this matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire Jones is back this season to chat about the Mariners. While there is some hope for Seattle, Claire expressed her frustrations with what's going on with the injury-prone team. Claire and Chrystal previewed the series and what to expect from pitching, and ended with a conversation about the potential lockout in 2027. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly the entire minors crew at Sox Populi (Brett Ballantini, Joe Kiang-Resis, Melissa Sage-Bollenbach, Hannah Filippo) got together to discuss the first month of the affiliate seasons. Top news was the day's big development, getting word that Braden Montgomery was headed to Triple-A. Otherwise we took a team-by-team look at the season so far, highlighting the other bests of the best (Caleb Bonemer, Colby Shelton, Rikuu Nishida, Jackson Kelley, and many others). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graig Mantle joined the podcast to catch up on all things San Diego. Despite a new owner, and being just a half-game back from the Dodgers, Graig still doesn't feel super-confident with the Padres and their close games. Graig and Chrystal previewed the series and what to expect, and finished with a discussion on the ABS challenge and Simpsons references. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AngelsFaithful is back to chat with Chrystal about the Angels and help preview the series. The two talked about Mike Trout's most recent accomplishment, the club's quiet offseason moves, and confidence levels for 2026. They also talked about the pitching matchup and what to expect from the series, before closing on the potential 2027 lockout and ownership grumbles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ladies' Night Podcast welcomes Sheena Quinn, VP of public relations for the Chicago White Sox, to talk about the May 9 event “Gameday for the Girls,” a night designed to celebrate women who love baseball. From VIP access with Lily Sambashi to exclusive merch and game-day activities, we dive into what makes this night stand out and why it matters.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the second time in as many weeks, we're getting reacquainted with a familiar name from the South Side Sox past. This time it's Di Billick, who first appeared with us (podcast, game coverage) on Aug. 28, 2021. She ran the gamut during an hourlong conversation with Brett Ballantini, including a super-secret story she's been working on outside of baseball and reasons for her departure from and return to White Sox fandom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Longtime friend of the podcast Aaron Cameron joined to chat with Chrystal O'Keefe about the Athletics ahead of the series against the White Sox. During the episode, Aaron talked about the adjustment to Sacramento, what happened over the A's offseason, and what he hopes happens this year with the team. Chrystal and Aaron also previewed the series before jumping into silly takes, including judging the song choice of Mason Miller and how Phillies fans booed Santa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The season had hardly dawned when we got word that two of our most beloved South Side Sox figures, Ashley Sanders and Di Billick, would be returning to work with us again. In this episode Brett Ballantini gets to sit down for a Meet the Players podcast that never was (Ashley's first podcast appearance was on March 6, 2020, jumping right into the White Sox news of the day — namely, why was Carlos Rodón no longer popping his top uniform button). Ashley catches us up on what she's been doing during her SSS "sabbatical" — working at San Diego Studios as a live designer for MLB The Show. We also unlock the secrets of why she came back to SSS, whether she stepped away at all from the White Sox, and whether her sunny outlook on the 2026 White Sox has dimmed in light of the "slow start" to the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine Tinker is back this season for a quick chat about the Tampa Bay Rays, and being back at The Trop after Hurricane Milton destroyed much of the roof in 2024. During the conversation, Catherine shared her hopes of the Rays “getting their shit together” after a lot of veterans left in the offseason. Chrystal and Catherine ended the episode discussing food options at ballparks and the controversy surrounding fun new items, and the importance of spelling names correctly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin O'Brien is back to chat about division rivals, the Kansas City Royals. Kevin talked about what's new in Kansas City and what to expect for the upcoming series. Chrystal also asked about the Royals who took part in the World Baseball Classic, and how Vinnie Pasquantino stole the hearts of many while on a larger stage. Lastly, Kevin talked about his visit to Rate Field last season and hot takes for 2026. The biggest: Tony Vitello might not last long with the Giants, given he's on a similar trajectory as an old friend of the White Sox and Royals — Pedro Grifol. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ladies' Night Podcast welcomes Ashley Sanders, Live Designer for MLB The Show, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the game stays fresh all season long and what it takes to bring real-life baseball into the virtual world. Plus, we talk Chicago White Sox baseball, highlighting a few bright spots and sharing a positive outlook for the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather joined Chrystal O'Keefe to chat about all things Orioles. If you don't like Pete Alonso, this episode might not be for you. But they chatted about his move from the Mets and the good he does in the community. The Orioles had quite the offseason, and have looked good so far this year. Heather also shared her insight on what to expect when the White Sox see the O's, and what she hopes to see this season in both Baltimore and around the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a stirring 5-4 sayonara White Sox win in extras, Malachi Hayes joined Brett Ballantini to discuss the highlights. They drilled down into the pivotal 10th inning and noted the extra gear the club found that we haven't seen in years. There was discussion, of course, of the two amazing arms who opened up the game, and the reasoning behind letting Grant Taylor throw only nine pitches in the contest. Finally, it was time to deliver some plaudits to Ozzie Guillén, whose jersey will be retired in August. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In anticipation of the Chicago White Sox home opener Malachi Hayes, Joe Kiang-Resis, Hannah Filippo and Melissa Sage-Bollenbach joined Brett Ballantini to preview the game and review the disappointing first week of South Side baseball. The podcast also includes a brief weather update, predictions for the series outcome and a deeper dive into the malaise and lack of focus that has so far marked the 2026 club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices