Fast forward five or six months from now. It’s the dog days of summer, the middle of the baseball season, and the Sox are in the cellar of the division, fighting for last place… You’ll be sitting in the bleachers at “The Rate”  getting scorched by the sun, with your mind on… Beer.

Yes, obviously thinking about paying for a cold, overpriced Miller, but also pondering the idea of watching Clemson star Seth Beer play in black pinstripes.

I’d like to thank Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune for reaching out to us for an interview for a “Tank For Beer” article that appeared on page three in today’s Trib. The article turned out great, and did a tremendous job showing some of the fun Sox fans are having thinking about future draft picks as the team rebuilds.

“Is there a better name in baseball? Plenty of puns on tap, and some already have been turned into hashtags.

“#BeerMe,” “#TankForBeer,” “#PlayingForBeer,” “#DraftBeer,” “#RootBeer” and “#CheerForBeer” are some of the main ones floating around on Twitter and message boards. “Please, White Sox, go 0-162 this year!!! #TankforBeer #beerme,” one tweeter pleaded this week.”

That’s an excerpt from the article. As I said in the interview, I think the hashtags and shirt ideas are just good, clean fun from the fans. The team on the north side of town has shown how imperative drafting is for long-term success. The Sox have done a fantastic job acquiring prospects via trades, and now it’s time to get those blue chip players available in the draft.

No fan will say outright that they wish for their team to lose. Of course I like watching the White Sox win. But when you look at the franchise’s long-term goals, you can see the benefits of a poor rebuilding season in 2017 that could result in a high draft pick in 2018. That pick could be for Seth Beer, or it could possibly be for somebody else, only time will tell. For now, many eyes are fixed on the Clemson slugger (he already has two dingers through three games this season).

When the team made the choice to commit to a rebuild, it sparked a ton of buzz and energy within the Sox fanbase. Things like “Tank For Beer” and “Draft Beer” are just byproducts of that positive energy and focus on the team’s resurgence.

In my opinion, these are all good things.

[Cover photo via The Independent Mail – USA Today]