South Side Hit Men

There's not much of a difference, at least for me. 3 divisions and 4 wild cards. If they whittled the four wild cards in single elimination games down to 1 team, it wouldn't be too far of a departure, and I'd have the same level of interest as now (only if the Sox are in). However, they will likely have the top record with a bye, and the other two division winners are thrown in the slop with the four wild card teams in a best of three or five, I like that the best team is rewarded in that scenario, but division winners shouldn't get mere home field (either 1 game or all) against a 75 win wild card. There is still no legitimate competitive reason to expand the playoffs beyond the current set up, whether they go four divisions (there should be no wild cards) or keep the three. My preference would be keep the current six five team divisions. Top record in each league gets a bye, the second best division winner hosts the third in a best of three, the winner playing a best of seven. Division champions competing for a championship.

It's the right strategy for the Sox to rest players, with the entire AL Central a debacle. However, with a 16 team playoff, I will be more interested in my rotisserie leagues and not interested in the postseason, even for the Sox. Baseball was the one sport that a champion was derived solely from league (8-10 team) or division (6-7 team) champions. Adding the wild cards cheapened the sport, at least for me, and I for the most part stopped watching the post-season. It's ridiculous if a team not good enough to win a four or five team division to be crowned "World Champion", for playing 3 games over .500 in October. With a 16 team playoff, I don't believe I'll follow even if the Sox are playing. Will still follow the regular season games as I have my entire life, and my Rotisserie teams, but an 1 in 16 (may as well make it 18 with a "8 vs. 9 playin game") lotto ball playoff renders the "champion" pretty much a farce. I'm sure many will disagree, and I'm not here to debate the point, just state my feelings. That is why I will celebrate the AL Central title, even though it has been a forgone conclusion since July, because it may be the last season it even matters.

Fans should remember three months of these lineups when their Sox rep calls to ask for a renewal of season tickets at jacked up prices. With a 16 team playoff, the NBA regular season will hold far more integrity.

Or Eaton, or Parrot.

Well, at least it wasn't a double play.

I wish James Fegan would ask Tony if Kopech is available to pitch, since he has pitched once (4 outs) this month, and I don't recall him warming up in other games. Also, I don't see how the Sox can convert him to starting for more than a few months next season with innings of 0, 0, and 54 + a few more the rest of this season.

Two of the top three players aren't even options. Hard pass on voting. Name Age G PA HR SB BB% K% ISO BABIP AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ BsR Off Def WAR Yoan Moncada 26 124 529 11 3 13.6% 25.9% .134 .354 .263 .372 .397 .341 119 0.6 12.7 6.9 3.8 Tim Anderson 28 108 484 14 17 3.9% 21.5% .156 .364 .302 .331 .458 .337 116 4.2 13.7 5.0 3.5 Yasmani Grandal 32 72 285 19 0 23.9% 23.9% .300 .236 .233 .419 .533 .406 162 -2.7 19.0 2.6 3.1 Jose Abreu 34 132 568 28 1 8.5% 22.4% .231 .294 .263 .345 .494 .357 129 -3.6 16.7 -8.8 2.7 Luis Robert 23 48 208 7 5 4.8% 21.2% .195 .400 .333 .370 .528 .381 146 1.1 12.7 0.0 2.0 Leury Garcia 30 106 392 3 6 9.4% 21.7% .097 .335 .262 .337 .359 .308 96 5.1 3.2 2.1 1.9 Nick Madrigal 24 54 215 2 1 5.1% 7.9% .120 .324 .305 .349 .425 .335 115 1.2 5.0 1.5 1.4 Adam Engel 29 33 121 7 7 8.3% 19.8% .257 .253 .248 .339 .505 .359 131 0.9 5.5 -0.1 1.0

When I think of Brett Lawrie, I think of his number one fan. "I'm positive they won't trade him back some day. That guy's going to be too good. They're never going to want to trade him back" Waiting for a SoxTalk poster to post their own self video after Nick Madrigal was traded.

You don't even have to be good to make a 16 team playoff. 75-79 wins will likely do it. Making the playoffs, on either side of town, cannot be accepted by fans as the goal. The goal is fielding one of the best teams in baseball, with the talent to be a legitimate WS favorite (top 4-6 teams in MLB). If fans accept mediocrity (wild card team), that's what the owners will provide.

Actually wouldn't mind seeing more rest for this one, either for Abreu (Sheets at 1B) or Robert (Sheets in RF, Hamilton to CF, Vaughn to LF), push back Reynaldo to Friday and make it a bullpen day. Kopech 1-2 Wright 3 Ruiz 4 Tepera 5 Bummer 6 Kimbrel 7 Crochet 8 Hendriks 9 (if there is a bottom of the 9th) Rather punt 1 full game per series than 2-3 games per series with half starters / half bench players.

Link? Couldn't find it, would love to read. Much obliged. http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?/search/&q=minor league&author=NorthSideSox72&search_and_or=or&sortby=relevancy $2M-$3M per team is a few percentage points at most in the current CBA negotiations. The owners support less baseball (minor leagues contracted, MLB games blacked out, lockouts be it COVID/CBA), rendering the regular season competitively meaningless (expanded 14-16+ team playoffs). They also support shittier baseball. Cancerous parasites on fans, players and taxpayers. It is in the Players Union's short and long term interest to fight for their current and future membership. They should fight for a $40k-$60K AAA salary ($30k-$40K for A/AA) and improved working conditions at the minor league level, attempt to organize the minor league level so the owners don't contract the entire minors and just run development at the Arizona/Florida (and perhaps local/Schaumburg) facilities.

Per Fegan's article, Rodon, Cease and Lynn are possiblities if Lynn's bullpen goes well tomorrow. Not sure if Friday will be a bullpen day, saving Rodon for Sunday, if Lynn's bullpen does not go well. Otherwise they could just list Rodon for Friday.

Correct, though Cleveland was next week, not the following. Anaheim followed by a flight to Texas precedes the Detroit and Cleveland (5 games, 4 days) series.

Kansas City’s poor play and Minnesota’s winning vs. Cleveland has now brought parity in the race to be eliminated first. Detroit still has an outside chance. 1. Kansas City 6 1. Minnesota 6 3. Detroit 8 4. Cleveland 14 The road series in Texas, Detroit and Cleveland is the likely clinch location, with the home series against Anaheim a possibility. For the top two AL Playoff seeds: Tampa Bay 16 (White Sox 30) Houston 23 (White Sox 25)

Wonder if Kopech is going to pitch before the Cleveland series.

I was told I was an "amateur" for not considering his sprint speed as an indication he is a good outfielder. He was fine as a NRI mid season signing, but he really is a AAAA player, good enough to show signs he can be on a roster, but not a starter in important games. He seems to only do this with his catchers, rarely takes out Abreu or others even in 10 + run games. When he rests his starters, they may as well wear pajamas, as he will rarely if ever insert them even to pinch hit late in a tie/1 run game.

Goodwin needs to go.

Well, something means jack shit alright. # Name Team G PA HR R RBI SB BB% K% ISO BABIP AVG OBP SLG wOBA xwOBA wRC+ BsR Off Def WAR 1234 Page size: 99 items in 4 pages 1 Jose Ramirez CLE 126 532 32 91 86 21 11.1% 13.9% .285 .247 .261 .352 .546 .373 .370 136 4.3 27.5 5.6 5.1 2 Rafael Devers BOS 135 571 33 86 101 4 9.6% 21.7% .266 .302 .276 .350 .542 .373 .383 135 0.6 24.8 1.5 4.6 3 Yoan Moncada CHW 123 525 11 61 54 3 13.5% 25.9% .135 .357 .265 .373 .400 .343 .348 120 0.5 13.1 8.1 3.9 4 Manny Machado SDP 130 548 24 79 89 11 10.0% 16.8% .214 .291 .276 .347 .490 .351 .367 122 -2.2 13.3 6.4 3.8

How does Yoan suck, exactly? He has an .891 OPS with runners in scoring position, one of the best defenders and position players in baseball.

Also the best RF option if Engel isn't available, definitely the best defensive option not counting Hamilton.

That's a dumb play by Olsen there. Glad to see the other team can do that every so often.

He also narced the kid passing out the popcorn from his humungous bag, then pled faux outrage after security confiscated sad bag.

No, just him. Bad defense, bad baserunning, marginal platoon bat, .568 OPS past 28 games. Fine to fill in, once Engel returns, he is the next logical drop. Sheets more valuable

Goodwin needs to go.

It's Cal-Berkeley Night at the game. Oakland manager Bob Melvin is also an alum.