Chicago White Sox third baseman Jake Burger Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

White Sox debut 'Chicago mobster' HR celebration amid awful start to season

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 4/28/23

Jake Burger debuted a "Chicago mobster" home run celebration Thursday night after hitting his sixth dinger of the season, but it came in a 14-5 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays (21-5). The White Sox (7-19) have now lost eight games in a row.

Jake Burger flicks a solo homer into the White Sox bullpen and is now wearing a very ridiculous celebratory home run jacket. Sox trail 4-2. 95.7 mph exit velocity has to be one of Burger's softest hits of the season, let alone home run.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) April 28, 2023

White Sox haven't had much to celebrate this year, but they hope to use their new home run dugout garb quite frequently: https://t.co/WmFbBDktYK
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) April 28, 2023

The fans are not happy. Sox about to fall to 7-19. pic.twitter.com/PK2nl2HBbz
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) April 28, 2023

The third baseman leads the Pale Hose in home runs this year, despite having only 59 plate appearances (eighth on the team). Half of Burger's 12 hits have gone over the fence, and he also leads Chicago in on-base percentage (.339), slugging percentage (.680) and OPS (1.019).

According to the former first-round pick, shortstop Elvis Andrus came up with the idea for the new home run celebration.

"I love the idea," Burger said, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "It’s a little Chicago mobster-type outfit, and my wife says I look good. That’s the positive."

"Yeah, Elvis had been talking about it for a while, and we got back from the road trip and it was hanging up," the 27-year-old added. "We are excited to wear it a lot this year."

The breakout of the stylish look was one of the few high points in recent weeks, as the White Sox have the third-worst record in MLB, ahead of only the Oakland Athletics (5-21) and Kansas City Royals (6-20). According to Merkin, Chicago is off to their worst start since 1950, when they opened 6-20.

The current skid is their third eight-game losing streak since the start of the 2022 campaign.

Burger: "I think the morale is still good. Obviously it sucks getting punched in the face, but we’ll start punching back here."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) April 28, 2023

"We didn't play defense today. We didn't hit with runners in scoring position. We didn't do much of anything," said Pedro Grifol.

"Obviously you don’t want to get punched in the face three games in a row like we have," said Jake Burger.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) April 28, 2023

Things won't get any easier for Burger and company, as they play the second of a four-game set against MLB's best team on Friday.

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