Friedrich Nietzsche on the new White Sox prospects

To provide perspective on the White Sox glossy new farm system additions, I begin to look back at the last time the franchise boasted a No. 1 farm system, before the 2001 season. But then I shook myself out of it and just decided to talk to Nietzsche about it. He always knows what to say when it comes to the Sox.

Thanks for doing this on such short notice

“The doer alone learneth.”

When we last spoke, you seemed opposed to a White Sox rebuild, but now you’re willing to talk prospects?

“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.”

Do you find it hard to believe still the Sox had the nerve to trade a franchise player as revered and loved as Chris Sale?

“This feeling is a hindrance to the acquisition of new experiences and the correction of customs: that is to say, morality is a hindrance to the development of new and better customs: it makes stupid.”

Ok, you’ve given a lot of flippant and mean-spirited answers over our time, and called me stupid a lot, but come on. Fans have cause to mourn the loss of Sale.

“What is new, however, is always evil, being that which wants to conquer and overthrow the old boundary markers and the old pieties; and only what is old is good.”

The centerpiece of the Sale return and now of the entire Sox farm system is Yoan Moncada, an incredibly tooled-up physical specimen with franchise player potential but still a lot of swing-and-miss and risk in his game. Do you have concerns about his ability to adjust to big league pitching?

“When will we ever be done with our caution and care? When will all these shadows of God cease to darken our minds? When will we complete our de-deification of nature? When may we begin to “naturalize”humanity in terms of a pure, newly discovered, newly redeemed nature?”

So you think Moncada’s tools will carry the day?

“You will never get the crowd to cry Hosanna until you ride into town on an ass.”

Yes, uh, the physique is uh…let’s move on to Lucas Giolito. He’s obviously already undergone Tommy John surgery and saw some worrisome depreciation of his stuff last year. Do you still see top-level potential after all he’s been through?

“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.”

Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez are both very talented but are also seen as  future relievers by some evaluators. What do you think of the Sox placing their hopes on such volatile projects?

“One has to take a somewhat bold and dangerous line with this existence: especially as, whatever happens, we are bound to lose it.”

So you think their deliveries can be reigned in?

“It was only the coarser and more violent that conquered the more spiritual and delicate.”

Luis Basabe is a true centerfielder with power potential, but a lot of Sox fans worry he’s another toolsy outfielder with contact problems. Do you think the Sox are still overlyy drawn to those types?

“Never yield to remorse, but at once tell yourself: remorse would simply mean adding to the first act of stupidity a second.”

Regarding Dane Dunning, do you think back-end rotation types like him often go unappreciated?

“Not only are they better than the powerful, the masters of the world whose spittle they have to lick (not from fear, not at all from fear! but because God orders them to honour those in authority) – not only are they better, but they have a “better time”, or at least will have a better time one day. But enough! enough! I can’t bear it any longer. Bad air! Bad air! This workshop where ideals are fabricated – it seems to me just to stink of lies.”

So, you’re high on Dunning, then?

“Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.”

Do you think the Sox need to keep making trades or do they have enough pieces in their farm system in place to consider holding onto Jose Quintana?

“One must be a sea, to receive a polluted stream without becoming impure.”

What do you say to fans preparing themselves for a grueling rebuild period?

“Everyone who has ever built anywhere a new heaven first found the power thereto in his own hell.”

Thanks again for having your centuries-old quotes taken out of context and repurposed for abstract analysis of moderately popular baseball team.

“The worst readers are those who behave like plundering troops: they take away a few things they can use, dirty and confound the remainder, and revile the whole.”

Lead Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas // USA Today Sports Images