CHICAGO -- There’s no team in baseball having more fun right now than the White Sox.
Despite losing at least 100 games in three straight seasons, the White Sox have reeled off four straight postseason victories and are one win away from eliminating the Guardians in the American League Division Series. And they’ve been having a blast along the way, including a pregame dance routine that gets their players fired up and has gone viral on social media over the last week.
Right-hander Mike Vasil is the ringleader even though he’s been out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in Spring Training. Vasil begins a highly elaborate and entertaining dance with third-base coach Justin Jirschele that gets his teammates slapping their knees, clapping together and pumped up for the start of the game.
“It kind of just happened naturally between me and Justin Jirschele,” Vasil said with a smile. “In Spring Training, he would always look at me before a workday, just something he kind of did, and just start dancing. And then randomly we just started doing it in the dugout and then everyone started doing it, and then everyone loved it and then it just kind of organically happened.”
Vasil said they did it during the regular season, most notably before their games against the Guardians in mid-September and against the Rockies in late September. And while Chicago ultimately couldn’t hold off Cleveland in the AL Central race, Vasil said they didn’t want to abandon it in the playoffs.
“We did it even as we had given up the division lead, and I think that’s the thing, it's win or lose, we're going to stay consistent with who we are,” Vasil said. “So it's kind of been a thing for a couple weeks, but obviously now in the playoffs, getting more coverage and everything, it's kind of blown up a little bit.”
Vasil’s teammates credit him for keeping things loose, especially with the pressure that comes with playing October baseball. The White Sox have a chance to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since 1906, but they’re doing their best to stay relaxed.
“This could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us, but at the same time, I think we use that excitement in a really good way,” said center fielder Tristan Peters. “You see it in the dugout before the game with the clapping thing and stuff like that. We just take that energy and put it into the game.”
Peters added that even though Vasil hasn’t been able to contribute on the field, he’s been a huge part of their high-energy chemistry that’s been critical to their unexpected success.
“He brings the energy every day,” Peters said. “I think he's a huge part of why we're here. He really bands everybody together, and I think it's just a massive part of this team.”
So for now, Vasil is simply enjoying the ride, even showing off his dancing skills to the media in the dugout during Tuesday’s workout day at Rate Field. He said the routine between Game 3 and the next game will be unplanned and natural like every other time, and he mentioned that he loves it when different teammates and even manager Will Venable join the dance party.
"It's been a lot of fun,” Vasil said. “I wish I could definitely be pitching, but to be able to at least bring energy, just bring loose vibes, have fun playing baseball, I think it's crucial. This can be a very, very stressful time of year, so I just think of all times, especially now, it's crucial to stay relaxed."