gogosox1959

I live in Manhattan but grew up in Chicago. Related created a whole new neighborhood with Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan. Their experience here matches exactly what they would need to do in Chicago and what I believe they would be successful with. Any comments about the current neighborhood aren't relevant.

He loves the manager hire.

In Athletic, Bowden gives the Sox a "B". There's one A+, 3 B+, 8 B, and 18 teams lower than Sox. Cubs=C; Det=B; Cleve=C-; KC=B; Minn=B- "I love all of the pitching gambles… (Getz) emphasized makeup and character in a lot of his player moves, which should help improve team culture" The Sox are such a mess that Getz might be right in addressing culture first and then worrying about production https://theathletic.com/5176521/2024/01/05/mlb-offseason-grades-trades-signings/

Jungle Jim was in right. Jim Landis was in center. He was super smooth. There's a famous photo of him virtually jumping old (low) centerfield wall in old Comiskey. 5 Gold Gloves: 1960-1961-1962-1963-1964

I'm on the UES - 95th Street and it's the best it's been all day. Sun is actually breaking through

Maybe not a good pitch to swing at for a hit, but an uppercut when all you need is a fly ball is something else. The game was won soon as he got it into the air

vaughn abreu apr+may may apr apr+may may apr at bats 212 204 average 255 255 211 235 OBP 333 358 276 267 OPS 776 792 536 537 HR 7 4 3 1 1 0 RBI 39 19 20 20 9 11 BB 20 7 13 16 12 4 K 48 24 24 51 24 27 extra base hits 25 12 13 8 4 4 salary - year $760,000 $19,500,000 AV isn't, so far, the player we expected or needed, however it's amazing how much better his numbers are as compared to Abreu - to say nothing of the salary

Currently Vaughn is #11 out of 26 qualified 1st basemen in OPS. I predict that his OPS will be going up as his power stroke seems to be coming alive recently and will finish in top 10. He's in 4th for most extra base hits. May not be optimal, but he seems to be doing okay now and still has significant upside potential https://www.mlb.com/stats/?playerPool=QUALIFIED&position=1B

While it's true that he has always gotten better, his home run production has shockingly gone down. Last year he had three home runs from 8/1 to the end. Here is homers by month in 2022: apr-2, may-3, june-4, july-3, aug-2, sept-1. My intent wasn't a negative thread about Abreu per se. More about showing AV's value. I had thought that in 2023 JA would be better than AV and that may still be true; in 2024 AV=JA; 2025 and beyond AV would be better.

We've come to expect Abreu to be bad in April but part of the blame was always on Chicago weather. Houston was to have helped. AV destroyed him in April. JA has become a singles hitter. APRIL vaughn abreu average 255 235 OBP 358 267 OPS 792 537 HR 3 0 RBI 20 11 BB 13 4 K 24 27 extra base hits 13 4 salary - year $760,000 $19,500,000

Nah, no collision. He never would have gotten there.

Sheets seems to be a lock as he's the only one with left handed power. The great irony is that the greatest Sox strength over the past years has been offense at first: Frank, Paulie, JA, and hopefully AV in the future. They are all right handed in a position that ideally calls for a lefty - which is also better defensively for down the line defense and the angle for catching throws going into the runner. This a significant factor in line-up imbalance.

Tomorrow, Saturday 3/25 is the first date on which Billy and Hanser are free to void their minor league contracts and become free agents.

Decision day for Billy and Alberto is tomorrow. per The Athletic, "under the new collective bargaining agreement, type XX(B) free agents who signed minor-league deals are allowed to opt out of their contracts on March 25 if their team does not plan on having them on the Opening Day roster" https://theathletic.com/4341208/2023/03/24/white-sox-full-roster/

I think that rather than thinking about players first, start with roles first. I come up with catcher, left-handed bat, infielder, outfielder. catcher: Seby left-handed bat: Sheets outfielder: Leury, Marisnick, Billy, Hasely infielder: Leury, Alberto, Romy Burger is the worst fit. I'd DFA Leury and then decide Billy/Marisnick, Alberto/Romy. I'd pick Marisnick as he has a better chance of occasionally running into a pitch and Alberto as they can still hid Romy in AAA.

"YOUNG ACHES AND PAINS" https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/26/sports/old-aches-and-pains.html If he only has half of Luke Appling's career, 20 years (all with Sox), lifetime 310 hitter: "The man known as Old Aches and Pains acquired his nickname by playing despite injuries yet always telling anyone within earshot he was hurting with a variety of maladies. ''I've still got them,'' said Appling, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964. ''I've got a bad right knee. Hurt it in an old-timers game. And a bad left knee and right shoulder. I reinjured the right knee a couple of years ago. I think it's mutilated now.''

Looks like he played through 2017 - age 42. Managed 2018-2020 or 2021. Now broadcaster.

He never would have accepted QO. The Sox blew getting the draft pick for him, but not a year of performance.

You're watching 1 or 2 NFL a week. MLB might be 4 to 6 a week and if you're a season ticket holder going to 2.3 a week. I think too much emphasis is being placed on total time. It's the improved pace of play which enhances watching the game

I recall hearing about a d ivided locker room after last season. There was a reference to the Cuban Corner. If that's all true, then JA not one to throw stones. Also the locker room is mostly on the leaders and can't be fully blamed on the manager

I would think that there's no question if you release a non-suspended player, under contract, you owe him all the money. Otherwise contracts have zero value to a player. Why else is leury hanging around

Outside of playing a man short, the problem might be the contract if it has performance bonuses in it and the Sox deny him the possibility of earning them for no cause. While I believe that there's a 90% chance that he's guilty of all that he is accused of doing, he still might be cleared. Cutting him and then him being cleared looks like a potential $24mm liability. GT

Without the shift, two defensive factors become very important: 2nd baseman's range and right fielder who can be strong throwing to 3rd. Two weak spots from the past could become strengths.

The drug charge is interesting and could be determinative for him depending on the timing of that accusation. Other than last year, almost all of his games were in 2016-2019. There was mandatory drug testing in 2016-2018. Something changed in 2019, but not sure how that season was affected.

I think that the "putting him in front of a mike " criticisms aren't valid. The press would be following him around regardless. The Sox share facilities with the Dodgers so plenty of national reporters around. Better to bite the bullet all at once up front.