White Sox

Cairo gave an ‘eye-opening' speech on his first day

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The White Sox have tried everything this year. They've held two leadership meetings, players-only meetings and meetings with Tony La Russa about the season and where they expect to be. 

It's debatable whether or not those specific meetings and their timing worked. One meeting led to a five-game win streak. Another came before the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the team was subsequently swept over a three-game stretch. 

However, interim manager Miguel Cairo gave the team a fiery speech on the first day he filled in for Tony La Russa, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. La Russa is on a leave of absence with a heart issue stemming from his pacemaker. He said he is "uncertain" about his return to the dugout. 

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In terms of the meeting, it sounded like a tense one to sit through. 

"I let them know how I feel," Cairo said before Tuesday's game against the Rockies. "'Are you in or are you out? If you're out, let me know. If you're in, let's go for it.'

"Sometimes you just get a little push. And, I think that's what I did."

Hendriks explained the message has been the same for the club all season, but Cairo's delivery woke them up. 

The team has been criticized for a lack of production and lackluster effort on the field. All season, the club has failed to produce their mainstay offensive play -- home run balls. In the month of August, the Sox hit the sixth-least home runs of any team in MLB. 

But, since Cairo's speech, the team has won four straight series against the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins and Oakland A's. Plus, so far in the month of September, the club's hit 16 home runs, which is the fifth-most in MLB at the time of writing.

The team is 9-4 under Cairo's leadership and the Sox are within striking distance of the division lead. 

Despite the recent success, the team still an up hill climb with 21 games left in the season to overtake the Cleveland Guardians in the standings. Of the 21 games left, 16 of them are against division opponents. Four of those games are against the Guardians and have tie-breaker implications. They are 6-9 against the Guardians this season. 

How far can the momentum from Cairo's speech last? It seems to have staying power.

“Let’s put it this way, you can tell your kids something, and they don’t listen," second baseman Jose Harrison told Nightengale. "Someone else tells them the same thing, and they get the message. It’s put up or shut up time. 

“Miggy has done a great job bringing energy to the team.’’ 

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