)
Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale spoke for the first time since being suspended for five days after a dust-up with the front office regarding throwback uniforms.
Sale reportedly took a knife to the club's 1976 throwback uniforms because he did not like the untucked style of the shirts.
He expressed his chagrin to pitching coach Don Cooper on Friday about the jerseys, but lost it on Saturday after no changes were made.
Speaking for the first time since being suspended over the incident, Sale pleaded that his manager should have stuck up for him as he felt the club put business interests ahead of winning.
)
)
)
"Robin [Ventura] is the one who has to fight for us in that department," Sale said on Monday in a interview with MLB.com.
"If the players don't feel comfortable 100 per cent about what we are doing to win the game, and we have an easy fix - it was as easy as hanging up another jersey and everyone was fine. For them to put business first over winning, that's when I lost it."
Sale added: "When I saw that there was something in the way of that 100 per cent winning mentality, I had an issue.
"I tried to bring it up and say, 'Hey listen, these are my thoughts and concerns,' and they got pushed away because of the business deal that was set in place.
"I'll never understand why we need to do something on the business side on the field that might impede us winning a game."
Ventura, who in the end told Sale (14-3, 3.18 ERA) there would be no change to the uniform, said he did not put the promotion in front of winning.
Sale insists he wants to stay with the White Sox despite recent trade talk.