CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- When the final out was recorded and the World Series dream had died, the collective energy once carried by more than 40,000 strong at Guaranteed Rate Field was reduced to just the visitors celebrating on the field.
After embracing championship expectations, the White Sox saw their season come to a disappointing end with a 10-1 home loss to the Astros in Game 4 of the best-of-five American League Division Series on Tuesday afternoon. Whether their woes were self-inflicted or whether the White Sox were simply outclassed is something they'll have to consider in the cold offseason.
But in the moments after the loss, it was difficult for the White Sox to look past the Astros celebrating on their home field.
“I wanted that feeling,” said White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon, who was charged with the loss in his first career playoff start.
After first baseman Yuli Gurriel gloved the final putout and the Astros ran onto the field to begin their celebration, Rodon stayed put, staring out from the home dugout on the third-base side. He wanted to stay and soak in what could've been.
The 28-year-old Rodon was the No. 3 overall pick to the White Sox in 2014. He arrived in the big leagues a year later and experienced the entirety of the organization's rebuild. He endured the painful years, was doubted amid injury-plagued seasons and then was non-tendered after the conclusion of the 2020 season. But Rodon returned on a one-year deal with something to prove in 2021 and produced his first All-Star season.
Rodon had long imagined himself taking the mound before a packed ballpark in a big game like he did Tuesday.
“You play 162 games to experience these playoff moments,” Rodon said. “We have the taste for it, and I think we’re going to be pretty hungry to get back to where we’re at, exceed where we were this year.
“It’s been an interesting road for me. Just to have the opportunity to pitch in an important game, it meant a lot. So thank you, White Sox fans. Thank you to the organization.”
Whether Rodon returns to the White Sox in 2022 is unclear. He's set to become one of the more coveted pitchers on the open market this offseason, and he may have priced himself out of the White Sox's range as they have a few needs to address.
The White Sox fell flat against championship-caliber teams like the Astros too often this season. Their lineup lacked punch against top pitchers like Houston right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., who stymied Chicago in Game 1 and threw four innings of one-run ball Tuesday. The White Sox's starting pitching was terrific in the regular season but faltered in the postseason. Their bullpen was a weakness rather than a strength in October. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was the one who set the expectation of winning a World Series. Now, it’s his task to further fortify the roster of the talented White Sox so they're truly strong enough to accomplish that goal.
The White Sox will face more urgency to win in 2022 after exiting in the opening series of the playoffs two years in a row. They already recognize what that pressure means.
“Going into the offseason, we’re all going to be talking about that atmosphere and wanting to play in front of it again,” White Sox rookie Gavin Sheets said. “That’s going to be the goal from day one when we step into spring training. I expect us to come right back next year with the same goal in mind.”
The White Sox won 93 games in 2021 and their first AL Central title since 2008. They continued to develop a young core that's under long-term contract control. But the White Sox also saw that they weren't ready to beat a team like the Astros, who reached the AL Championship Series for the fifth straight season.
There won’t just be pressure felt in the White Sox's dugout next season. Hahn approached team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf after the 2016 season with his plan for a bold rebuild, outlining the goal of sustained success and winning multiple championships. Reinsdorf, now 85, offered his stamp of approval despite his own age because he believed in Hahn and what the vision could mean for the White Sox.
By Hahn's own admission, anything short of a World Series title now is a "disappointment," as he said back in February. Reinsdorf certainly has embraced that standard as well. It permeates with a team and fan base that felt this October could be special.
The White Sox didn’t live up to the championship standard they set for 2021. The demand and pressure to win it all will only rise from here.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.