Sean Burke’s – Sean Burke said he wakes up thankful to play for the Chicago White Sox, crediting a clubhouse he describes as unusually bonded. Veterans including Randal Grichuk have echoed that feeling as the team continues its streak of togetherness.
MINNEAPOLIS — After the White Sox’ comeback victory Sunday at Rate Field against the Tigers, Sean Burke sounded energized, even while nursing a lingering cold. He joked that he should pitch sick more often, and then backed it up with 5 ⅓ strong innings.
Later, Burke shared a thought that came to him first thing every day: “I wake up every day, ‘Thank God I get to play for the Chicago White Sox.’ ”
What stood out wasn’t just the sentiment. It was the fact that he offered it unprompted, with a smile, light enough to be playful, even as he said it “on the record.”
Burke said he didn’t intend for the moment to land like a viral punchline. “I meant that, but I kinda said it originally half-joking,” he told the Sun-Times on Monday. He then explained what he was really feeling. “I just have a really great appreciation for this group and the way we’re playing. the way everybody’s bought into what we’re doing. Everybody’s playing hard; everybody’s playing the right way.”.
There’s a mix to the clubhouse that Burke points to as a big reason the team’s chemistry has taken hold. The roster includes young players who. in his view. haven’t yet learned enough to be weighed down by all the usual caution. And it also includes veterans who have a clear sense that something different is happening.
Burke described how Randal Grichuk — a 13-year veteran who joined the Sox on May 4 — noticed it early. “Grich told me day one, he’s like, ‘Man, this team’s something else,’ ” Burke said.
Grichuk said he told people on the bench that he couldn’t believe how much energy he was seeing. “It’s young, it’s energetic, it’s immature — not in a negative way,” Grichuk said. “I actually talked to a couple guys [Sunday]. because I wasn’t starting. on the bench. and they were both like. ‘I am genuinely excited and happy to wake up and come here and work.’ It’s good friends. it’s good vibes.”.
Grichuk is playing for his eighth major-league team and sixth in four seasons. He appeared in 16 games for the Yankees this season before being released May 1. With that résumé, he said the camaraderie he’s seen in Chicago feels uncommon.
“It’s rare,” Grichuk said. “There’s definitely less cliques, more overall bonding here. Most teams you have the bullpen, the starters, the young guys, the old guys all in their little cliques. But here, [the older guys] fit in well, and it’s great. It’s hard to put into words because I’ve not seen much like it, honestly.”.
Burke said he values how veterans — including Grichuk, Andrew Benintendi and Seranthony Dominguez — have helped make the environment feel easier for younger players.
“They understand it’s a younger team, and they enjoy how we’re playing,” Burke said. “There’s no walking on eggshells or anything like that. Younger guys coming in, they’re a little bit intimidated by an older clubhouse. But everybody from the top down has been doing a pretty good job of making everybody play free and relaxed.”.
Grichuk described a similar desire on his side: he wants to be seen as part of the group, not as someone set apart from it. “I want to feel like they look at me as one of the boys,” he said, “not as I looked at some of the vets when I came up. You didn’t talk to them, you didn’t bother them.”
He added that the clubhouse tone has even included harmless jabs. “I’m not naming names. but one guy was giving me some jabs the other day. and a few other guys were like. ‘Uh oh.’ I laughed it off. and I said I’ll pay that back later. It’s fun, and it’s light. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far.”.
That “gratitude” tone landed with the team’s leadership as well. After Burke’s quote, Sox general manager Chris Getz said he recognized the sentiment from inside the clubhouse.
“It’s gratitude. It’s organic,” Getz told the Sun-Times. “He’s excited to come to work.”
By the sound of it, Burke’s feeling isn’t unique — it’s spreading through how the group shows up for each other, and how they see the work ahead.
Sean Burke Chicago White Sox Randal Grichuk Chris Getz Tigers Rate Field MLB clubhouse chemistry