Eight years before putting on an Atlanta Braves jersey, Chris Sale decided he didn't like the look of the White Sox throwback jersey, grabbed a knife, and tore up the jerseys. He was immediately sent home and suspended by Chicago for five games.
The #WhiteSox have suspended pitcher Chris Sale for five days after yesterday's clubhouse incident: pic.twitter.com/xmMNTRSI19
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 24, 2016
While Sale has briefly commented on the incident since then, (like when he clarified that the a knife was his shearing tool of choice), he hasn't given the full story until appearing on Compound, hosted by Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ, former Braves utility player Zack Short, and former Cubs prospect Dakota Mekkes.
Why Chris Sale ripped up the Chicago White Sox throwback jerseys
In July 2016, the Chicago White Sox were set to wear their 1976 throwback jerseys, which had large collars. The team had worn them the year before as well.
However, when gametime started, the White Sox were not wearing their 1976 throwbacks, but their 1983 throwbacks instead.
Update: White Sox wore different throwbacks after Chris Sale reportedly cut up 1976 jerseys https://t.co/szELkqwQ7F pic.twitter.com/gsVSEO1tS8
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) July 24, 2016
While speaking on The Compound, Sale's 2024 teammate Zack Short finally asked Braves ace Chris Sale what happened led him to destroy the ugly throwback jerseys. Sale mentioned that they had worn the jerseys the season before and hated them so much that the next season, he refused to even get fitted for them.
He didn't think they'd perform well wearing the jerseys, and being the competitor that he was, felt that it was in the best interest in the team if they just didn't wear the jerseys.
Sale advocated for the 1980s throwbacks instead, but the White Sox declined. He showed up early for his start and saw the jerseys hanging up, He once again asked the clubhouse manager if they could just wear the other throwbacks instead, but once again, his request got declined.
After being told he had to wear the jerseys, he realized that if he wanted to win, he had to destroy the jerseys. He took a knife that was in his locker and shreaded it from the middle.
He told the clubhouse manager that his jersey was ruined to try and convince him to switch out the jerseys, but then he was hit with a twist: the team had extra jerseys and could just make him a new one.
Sale, at first disappointed, didn't give up on trying to get the jerseys out of the rotation. He calculated that while the White Sox had a few extra jerseys, they didn't have 26 extra jerseys. If he destroyed enough of the jerseys, there would be no way for the team to use them. So, he went back, grabbed his knife, and began destroying nearly every jersey in the clubhouse. In the end, he said four jerseys survived the massacre, which he's signed afterwards.
The story has been a part of Sale's reputation since then, and when Zack Short was traded to the Braves, he was initially afraid of the 2024 All-MLB First Team pitcher. However, after meeting the lefty, Short began to second-guess himself that Sale was the guy who had ruined all the throwbacks.
Still, the Braves should be wise when trying to choose throwback jerseys in the future, or at least make sure that they get the presumptive 2024 Cy Young's approval first.
You can listen to the whole interview here, but the jersey story begins around 23 minutes in.