This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin's White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- A new year usually brings new resolutions, and here¡¯s one to start.

At just one week into 2025, with pitchers and catchers reporting to White Sox Spring Training in a little less than five weeks, I resolve to share a trio of interesting and enlightening stories going somewhat unnoticed at the close of ¡¯24. Let¡¯s take a look.

Talented Taylor has an award-winning baseball supporter

On the quick rise, right-hander Grant Taylor seems to be a vogue pick to watch during the upcoming campaign among White Sox Minor Leaguers. The club's No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, struck out 25 over 16 innings covering four starts for Single-A Kannapolis last season, and he is healthy after dealing with a lat injury.

He also counts at least one important, accomplished friend who strongly believes in him: Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year. The two knew each other from their collegiate days together at LSU.

¡°I¡¯ll talk to him, and he¡¯ll tell me different stuff that he notices throughout the league, and he¡¯s like, ¡®You can be here very soon, dude,¡¯¡± Taylor said during a recent Zoom. ¡°He¡¯ll tell me basically from what he saw when we were kind of going after it with each other, he¡¯s super confident in me -- and then seeing him do all the stuff and him being super confident believing in himself at the highest of the highest levels ¡­

¡°He was one of the best in the league this year. It¡¯s pretty cool for one of my really, really good buddies to believe I can be right up there with him, and he¡¯s at the top of the league.¡±

The fiery side of Will Venable

The first ejection for Venable as a manager could come over the next 162 games, even though the new White Sox man in charge seems very level-headed and even keel. But it won¡¯t be his first ejection overall.

That moment came on April 9, 2015, as a member of the Padres while pinch-hitting in the 12th inning.

¡°It was [umpire] Tripp Gibson, who is a great guy and so nice. And I felt bad,¡± Venable said. ¡°I didn¡¯t cuss at him too bad. He was the home plate umpire, and I had a checked swing.

¡°I didn¡¯t think I went. He did. We talked about it, and he said it was time for me to go. But he¡¯s great, and we laugh about it.¡±

Venable struck out against reliever Santiago Casilla in the 1-0 loss to the Giants. Padres manager Bud Black also was ejected after coming out to support Venable.

¡°As a manager, all I can say is I know I¡¯ll be fighting for our players and sticking up for our players,¡± Venable said. ¡°Beyond that, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll see how it goes.¡±

Bradley¡¯s Chicago connection

Scott Bradley has an influence on the White Sox rebuild as Venable¡¯s trusted baseball coach and mentor at Princeton. The 64-year-old also recorded the last hit in the history of old Comiskey Park.

Bradley, who was with Seattle on Sept. 30, 1990, pinch-hit against White Sox closer Bobby Thigpen and recorded an infield single to open the ninth. Thigpen then retired Omar Vizquel, Pete O¡¯Brien, and Harold Reynolds to close out the 2-1 victory, the historic stadium and maintain Bradley¡¯s place in baseball lore.

¡°We were out of it. The White Sox were out of it,¡± said Bradley, who considers himself a baseball historian. ¡°In my mind, I¡¯m thinking to myself, ¡®I need this game to end right now, and I don¡¯t want anybody else to get another hit.¡¯

¡°Nobody is going to ever know me for doing anything in baseball. This is my one chance to be part of baseball history, and it worked out that way.¡±

During his nine-year playing career, Bradley played for managers Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, and Tony La Russa. He was a part of the White Sox for nine games in 1986 during the season when Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, the iconic Hall of Fame broadcaster, served as the team¡¯s general manager.

¡°A lot of memories,¡± Bradley said. ¡°And to be able to play with future Hall of Famers [Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver and Harold Baines], I loved every second. I still try to remind people, ¡®Yes, I did play for the White Sox for a short time.¡¯¡±