As the legend of Mike Vasil’s magic wand continues to grow, so does his arsenal as a wizard.
Despite being out for the season with Tommy John surgery, the 26-year-old right-hander has been the Chicago White Sox biggest cheerleader.
What started as a $20 wand that Jordan Leasure ordered off Amazon has evolved into a staple of the White Sox dugout, with Vasil waving it before home runs, tapping teammates on the helmet, and taking his place atop the dugout steps to cast “spells” in big moments. He has now been seen wearing a customized White Sox wizard hat gifted to him by a fan after home runs and tells CHSN that he is looking to add a robe and staff to the look.
But Vasil nearly turned from wizard to enforcer on Friday, after Tigers ace Tarik Skubal accused Chicago of stealing signs, a charge that is filled with irony given Tigers manager AJ Hinch’s past connection to the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.
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After allowing the White Sox to tie the game in the fifth inning, Skubal escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Colson Montgomery, then turned toward the White Sox dugout, pointed at Vasil, and started jawing.
Vasil immediately climbed to the top step of the dugout and fired back, with the exchange continuing even as Skubal made his way back toward the Tigers’ dugout.
“I was up there on the top step and helping the team out, cheering them on. Next thing I know, I’m getting reamed out,” Vasil told reporters after the game.
White Sox manager Will Venable said he believed the exchange stemmed from Skubal thinking Chicago was stealing signs, which is legal in Major League Baseball as long as teams use visual observation rather than electronic methods.
“Everything that Mike does, everything that we do is inward, it’s above board. My guess is there’s some sign-stealing or something potentially. I don’t know. You have to ask them,” Venable said.
Vasil also believes that Skubal’s reaction was targeted at him.
“I think it was some pretty choice words, and then I shared back some choice words. It was good stuff,” Vasil explained.
Whether Skubal was angry about potential sign-stealing, irritated by Vasil’s antics with the wand (which he was not holding at the time of the interaction), or simply frustrated that he coughed up the lead, it made for great drama and is an encouraging sign for the White Sox.
Opponents usually are not going out of their way to pick fights with teams they view as irrelevant. The fact that Chicago is getting under teams’ skin, whether through energy, gamesmanship or simply hanging around in games, suggests the White Sox are starting to command more attention. For a club trying to establish a new identity, that may be as telling as the final score.
The wand was also top of mind for former White Sox play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti, who happily exclaimed, “It turns out the Tigers have their own magic wand” after Kerry Carpender’s go-ahead double in the sixth inning.
The White Sox ultimately lost 4-3, but Friday felt like another small sign of a changing dynamic. Chicago may not be winning every game yet, but opponents increasingly seem to expect a fight. If Friday was any indication, the rivalry with Detroit might be starting to feel a little more personal.
