CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- With the White Sox a team in turmoil amid a season of disappointment, general manager Rick Hahn is wearing a great deal of the blame.
On Monday, Hahn spoke with uncertainty as he addressed his own future and whether he deserves the opportunity to guide the White Sox forward.
"I absolutely get (the criticism),” Hahn said. "I get that because it's the nature of pro sports. The fact of the matter is I probably wasn't as smart as they said I was when I won the executive of the year award a few years ago (and) the odds now, I am probably not as stupid as people think I am now.
“I didn't do enough. It's that simple. I take responsibility for that.”
The White Sox were 45-68 entering Monday as they prepared to host the Yankees for a series at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Hahn stood before the media after Yankees right-hander Keynan Middleton told ESPN there were “no rules” with the White Sox, who dealt him last Tuesday prior to the MLB’s trade deadline. Hahn also stood by catcher Yasmani Grandal, who denied a report by 670 The Score’s Shane Riordan that said Grandal was involved in a July altercation with shortstop Tim Anderson.
Anderson was suspended for six games on Monday for his role in a Saturday benches-clearing brawl with Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez, who struck him with a punch. Major League Baseball issued several other suspensions and fines, including a three-game suspension for Ramirez.
Hahn admitted that he is exploring the culture problems within the White Sox clubhouse.
"I have made no secret about my disappointment, not just for myself but throughout the organization." Hahn said. "In terms of ranking the disappointments, I would rather wait until the end of the year. In the case of (manager Pedro Grifol’s) regime, here it does take a manager a certain amount of time to implement the culture that they want. I know early on Pedro wanted to observe and follow what the culture was in the clubhouse before he started putting thumb prints all over it.”
Hahn has been White Sox general manager since 2012 when the restructuring of the front office moved Kenny Williams into a higher role president of baseball operations. Williams remained as Hahn's superior in a number of different roles in the structure set up by White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
The White Sox have reached the playoffs twice during Hahn’s tenure as general manager, failing to win a postseason series. The White Sox were American League Central champions in 2021 but finished 81-81 last year.
Hahn declined to say whether he would consider resigning from his role.
“At the end of the day, it's going to come down to Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams or my own thoughts that I might not be the right guy going forward," Hahn said.
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