HOUSTON — Jerry Reinsdorf stood in the visiting clubhouse at Daikin Park on Wednesday night, smiling through the noise after the White Sox beat the Astros 7-3 to finish off the American League Wild Card Series in two games. For the chairman, the moment carried the weight of a franchise breakthrough — and gave him another chance to tease the critics who doubted his choice of Chris Getz as general manager.
“I guess I matched the confidence everybody had when I picked Chris,” Reinsdorf said with a grin, joking that the coverage of the hire had been universally glowing.
Chicago’s celebration came two years after a 121-loss 2024 season, the worst single-season loss total of the Modern Era. Now the White Sox have their first postseason series win since the 2005 club swept the World Series in four games.
From 121 losses to an October clubhouse
- Getz was named general manager on Aug. 31, 2023, after previously serving as the White Sox director of player development during the organization’s earlier rebuild.
- Questions followed the appointment, particularly because that previous rebuild produced only two playoff-game wins and left fans wondering how much would truly change.
- The doubts deepened in 2024, when Chicago lost 121 games.
- This season, the White Sox remained convinced they could contend even before others around the game shared that belief. Reinsdorf said the group arrived in Spring Training expecting to win.
- After the All-Star break, Reinsdorf began to think a postseason berth was within reach.
- Chicago missed the AL Central crown by one game, finishing behind Cleveland, but answered with a two-game Wild Card sweep of Houston.
Reinsdorf watched Wednesday’s celebration alongside his sons, Michael and Jonathan. He said the 2026 club has a different feel from the teams that delivered earlier high points during his 46 seasons as White Sox chairman.
“The 2005 run was an incredible night and an incredible series,” Reinsdorf said. “But this has its own meaning because hardly anyone believed this team could do it. The players did.”
He described the roster as young, close-knit and almost collegiate in its energy. The daily chemistry, he said, has been as visible as the club’s confidence.
Why Reinsdorf settled on Getz
Reinsdorf said Getz was not initially at the top of his list when the club began its search for a new baseball operations leader. He spent time speaking with people throughout the baseball department and organization, trying to understand how the White Sox had reached such a difficult point.
As those conversations continued, Getz emerged as the answer already inside the building.
“Chris did not begin as the person I expected to hire,” Reinsdorf said. “But I kept talking with people and looking into what went wrong. The more it developed, the more I felt the right person was already here.”
He compared the decision to finding the right house at the beginning of a search, then risking losing it by continuing to look. Once he became convinced Getz was the man for the job, Reinsdorf did not see a reason to wait.
Starting the process early, Reinsdorf said, gave Getz part of a season to begin putting his plan in place. The chairman credited his general manager for remaining committed to that plan and for assembling a fearless club that enjoys being together.
“He has done an outstanding job,” Reinsdorf said, before returning to his playful theme about the reaction to the hire.
Another October chapter awaits
Reinsdorf declined to rank this run above every other memorable season in his tenure. He pointed to the 1983 White Sox, the 2005 championship team and the six Michael Jordan title seasons with the Bulls as experiences too distinct to place in order.
For now, he is content to let this young White Sox club write its own chapter.
The next test comes Saturday, when Chicago opens the American League Division Series against the Guardians in Cleveland. Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, noon CT, with TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max carrying the game.
