CHICAGO — The White Sox have carried a little noise into October: knee slaps, synchronized claps and a dugout dance that has become part of the club’s pregame pulse. After three consecutive 100-loss seasons, Chicago has won four straight postseason games and stands one victory from sending the Guardians home in the American League Division Series.
A postseason club playing loose
The routine has caught on beyond Rate Field over the past week, but its roots go back to Spring Training. Right-hander Mike Vasil and third-base coach Justin Jirschele began dancing before workdays, a small bit of clubhouse business that eventually migrated into the dugout.
Vasil, who underwent Tommy John surgery during Spring Training and will not pitch this season, starts the sequence. Teammates join in with the clapping and knee-slapping as the group readies itself for first pitch.
- The dance appeared during the regular season, including the White Sox’ September meetings with Cleveland and their late-September series against Colorado.
- Chicago kept it going even after Cleveland moved ahead in the AL Central race.
- The club has now brought the same ritual into the postseason rather than changing its personality under October pressure.
Vasil said the routine was never designed as a production. It grew out of his daily exchange with Jirschele, then spread when other players began joining. With the playoffs providing a larger stage, he said, the spontaneous dugout moment has naturally drawn more attention.
Vasil’s role from the rail
Unable to take the ball, Vasil has found another way to contribute. Center fielder Tristan Peters said the injured pitcher supplies energy every day and helps pull the room together, an important trait for a team navigating an unexpected October run.
Peters called the moment a rare opportunity for the group, but said the White Sox have turned the excitement into something useful rather than allowing it to tighten them up. The pregame clapping, he said, is one visible example of the team channeling emotion into its baseball.
That relaxed approach carries considerable history with it. Chicago can clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since 1906, yet the clubhouse has resisted treating the moment as a burden.
Vasil said he would rather be available to pitch, but believes his job now is to help keep the dugout loose. October can make every inning feel heavier, he noted, and staying relaxed is especially important at this time of year.
Game 3 brings the series back to Rate Field
The White Sox will try to finish the Division Series on Wednesday in Game 3 against the Guardians. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. CT, with TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max carrying the game.
Vasil expects no scripted encore between games. The next dance, like the original one, will be whatever develops in the dugout. He particularly enjoys it when new teammates step into the routine, and manager Will Venable has also joined the fun.
For a club that has spent years taking its lumps, the White Sox have found a different kind of October rhythm: play hard, keep the room light, and let the dugout move to its own beat.
