Pregame notes: End of the road for 2025 White Sox, and Michael A. Taylor

WASHINGTON, D.C -- It didn't leak into the public until Saturday that Michael A. Taylor was calling it a career at age 34, after appearing in parts of 12 major league seasons, but he had committed to it months ago.

"I did really say anything, because I didn't feel like I needed to really. But that question kept coming up, and I wasn't gonna lie to people, so I told them the truth, and then it spread from there," Taylor said. "I spent a good amount of time praying about it and talking with my wife, just trying to figure out if now is the right time. We have two little kids, and after praying and thinking, we agree that it's best to maybe spend a little bit more time at home with the family, and I'm excited about that. And I think to be able to play my last games of my career here in this ballpark in front of these fans is just the icing on the cake. So I think it's all part of God's perfect plan, so I'm very grateful for that."

Taylor's quiet presence, and chess prowess, has been lauded by teammates all year, and Will Venable didn't hold back any praise about his clubhouse influence.

"He really developed the fabric of our culture here," Venable said. "He could do whatever he wants in this game. He's super bright, great communicator, he'd be a great coach, he'd be a great whatever he wants to be."

Venable isn't talking out of turn, as Taylor himself said he would like to stay in the game as a coach, if it lines up with his larger priority.

"When my daughter was asking me to be home asking why I had to leave and things like that, that was...I love the game, but my family is my priority," Taylor said. "I think there are ways I can stay in the game and still be there for my family. And playing 162, it’s tough to do that. If there’s another way for me to stay in the game and be around, I’d like to do that."

There were multiple times in recent weeks, even in the immediate wake of a cathartic victory, where Taylor and Curtis Mead were still wearing parts of their uniform, locked in a chess duel right as the White Sox clubhouse opened to media after a game. Talking about his love of the game, Taylor described chess as "relaxing and stressful at the same time." Asked if such a description applied to baseball, he disagreed.

"I wouldn't say it's relaxing, it's enjoyable and stressful at the same time," Taylor said. "It's not like floating on a lazy river, relaxing. You've got to go out there and work. It can beat up your body a little bit. But it's fun, and it can be stressful at the same time."

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Tyler Gilbert was seen packing up his stuff and saying his goodbyes to teammates postgame Saturday night, after pitching a scoreless 1 2/3 innings to lower his season ERA to 3.88 in a career-high 51 major league innings. His wife is in labor and he will be away from the team for the season finale.

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Will Venable likes to be matter of fact about mistakes, but doesn't imagine he'd ever have cause to intentionally air out a player in the media. He might have come closest with the way Jacob Amaya caught a stray when Venable was asked about the biggest difference that stands out to him at Game 162 compared to Opening Day.

"The height of our shortstop."

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Despite never completing an 100-inning season before 2025, Shane Smith sits at 140 1/3 innings for the year and will lead the Sox in the category if he can get to the second out of the third inning on Sunday. Sox people have been drilling home all morning how much they intend to exert a normal, complete effort to win Sunday's game, so Smith should have a shot to complete six innings if he's in a groove.

"He’s exceeded everyone’s expectations, being a Rule 5 guy and doing what he’s done throughout the year," Venable said. "It’s great now as we talked earlier in the season about getting these guys to the finish line and developing young pitching and protecting them a little bit as far as their innings. Excited about Shane going out there where he’s at innings-wise and performing how he has, especially recently, it’s great."

First pitch: White Sox at Nationals

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