White Sox’s Chris Sale says ‘easy fix’ by manager could have prevented him from destroying uniforms

Chris Sale’s epic tantrum Saturday night easily could have been avoided, the Chicago White Sox star pitcher said in an interview two days later.

Sale told MLB.com he destroyed some of the 1976 throwback jerseys the White Sox were planning to wear that night only after Manager Robin Ventura refused to make a last-minute uniform change before the game.

“Robin is the one who has to fight for us in that department,” said Sale, who was scratched from that game and eventually suspended five days by the team after reportedly cutting up the jerseys.

“If the players don’t feel comfortable 100% about what we are doing to win the game, and we have an easy fix — it was as easy as hanging up another jersey and everyone was fine. For them to put business first over winning, that’s when I lost it.”

Sale said he first told the team he did not want to pitch in those particular uniforms, which have collars and are designed to be worn untucked, back in spring training.

After learning on Friday the White Sox were slated to wear those jerseys the next night, when he was scheduled to start against Detroit, Sale voiced his objections to the clubhouse manager as well as to pitching coach Don Cooper.

When he saw those uniforms set out for the players Saturday, Sale ended up having a heated discussion with Ventura.

“When I saw that there was something in the way of that 100% winning mentality, I had an issue,” Sale said. “I tried to bring it up and say, ‘Hey, listen, these are my thoughts and concerns,’ and they got pushed away because of the business deal that was set in place. I’ll never understand why we need to do something on the business side on the field that might impede us winning a game.

“[The ’76 uniforms] are uncomfortable and unorthodox. I didn’t want to go out there and not be at the top of my game in every aspect that I need to be in. Not only that, but I didn’t want anything to alter my mechanics. ... There’s a lot of different things that went into it. Looking bad had absolutely zero to do with it. Nothing.”

Ventura said: “I didn’t put promotion in front of winning. But I think we all have things that we have to do. There has to be a line somewhere, and that’s what ended up happening.”

Sale offered an apology to fans and his teammates for missing a start, MLB.com said.

Ventura told MLB.com he saw no reason why he needed to sit down and talk with Sale before his next scheduled start, Thursday against the Cubs.

But the manager also said he had no idea whether the incident will affect their working relationship. “We’ll find out when he gets back,” Ventura said.

Sale said: “I’m going to show up on Thursday and do what I’ve always done: that’s get ready to play baseball and put everything I got into winning that game. I know my teammates are too. So that’s all that matters to me. It’s unfortunate it got to this point.”