Greg Hibbard

Yes, I also pointed out that 79 games might win this division. You said nobody thought the Sox would go .600, much less .500 the rest of the way. Do you stand by your statement that this team won't win more than 76 games? .500 from here on out gets them to 77-85.

It's an laughably absurd to posit that anybody alive doesn't believe this team isn't capable of winning 77 games out of 162. Walk away from the edge.

And there are nearly 3 more 34 game stretches left in the schedule where the Sox have the ability to make up 5 games at a time while not even playing close to their best baseball.

Sox 20-14 Det 16-17 Cle 15-19 Min 15-19 KCR 11-23 Sox have gained 3.5 on Detroit, 5 on Minnesota and Cleveland each in just 34 games. God, this division just sucks. 79 games might win it.

Wait, so the pitcher would come to bat later? Crazy. So it’s effectively always a double substitution.

Yep. I’m fine with the lineup as is but I want Burger subbed for Sheets if it’s a lefty at the crucial end of the game. Can you now move Eloy into the field without penalty?

Guys, if Gordon Beckham and his then .210/.600 average/OPS were able to hang around the majors from 2014-2019, Yoan Moncada will have absolutely no fucking problem hanging around the major league for a decade on defense alone. What Yoan Moncada actually is is the most overly criticized player in recent White Sox history, especially on this forum. He still sports a 3.3 WAR per 162. Is he overpaid? Hell yes. He is not worth $25 million. Is he going to have a problem getting $10 million a year until he's 35? Absolutely not.

How the hell can this organization not understand the basic concept that in all divisional games where there is a two game swing, you start your nine best damned players every fucking day, and you get the scrubs their damned playing time when you play the oaklands and baltimores and inter league games that literally mean nothing in terms of divisional jockeying? How are we this dumb?

Why is Robert out?

I’m not comparing Beckham to Anderson at all in that post I concede your point, but Tim’s 2018 WAR seems unnaturally inflated by his weird dWAR number that year, which I’m not quite sure I understand entirely, looking at his fielding stats. Look at his oWAR from 2016-2018.

That’s simply not accurate. Tim has 3400 PAs. He was below average for the first 1650 of his career (.260/.700), absolutely exceptional for the next 1300, and for the last 500 he has declined back to basically a .260/.700 hitter - if we are being generous about this year not being a trend further down. I really like TA and I would gladly take some of the distractions to have the fire back in him. At this point, I don’t know what will help, but he needs something different.

We absolutely need to win 2 of 4. Yes, 3 or 4 would be nice, but let's keep this all in perspective.

Eh, I appreciate your perspective, so keep coming back. The Sox got very lucky in that the rest of the division has played down to their level allowing them to hang around. In any other division, they would be toast and the rebuild would have started. To your first points, everyone - literally everyone - has said they have not added a proven MLB 1st tier superstar. JR and Co have billions - they needed to open the pocketbooks to the tune of a $300 million mega star. They didn't do that. It's not that everyone else succeeds when they do, but it is a glaring, glaring oversight to not have added more than Benintendi to this mix - especially when you need HR hitters and he is not one. I was just going down a rabbit hole of HR hitting for the Sox historically - it's really not good. What is it about playing for the Sox that really stymies power? Is it that the ballpark is facing in the wrong direction?

I suppose I’m somewhat heartened that Tim is confident… but my confidence is pretty shook right now. I want the good Tim back.

20-30 Sox are 5.5 out in the AL comedy central 30-20 Yanks are 5 out in AL East I like the Sox’ chance to win the division better… It’s clear the Sox are going to hang around this division all year one way or another…

I think the book is out on Jake swinging at almost every pitch. Until he learns to take more pitches, he’s not going to see a lot of good pitches to barrel.

The ongoing problem with TA has always been that there’s never really been a plan B for his high BABIP streak. He doesn’t take enough walks and he doesn’t have nearly enough power to compensate for a streak like this. Couple it with the recent defensive and baserunning lapses and it’s a perfect storm of bad. It would be helpful if he started to make some adjustments.

Burger should DH. Eloy should play LF. move Benintendi to RF. Yes he hasn’t played there, but at least he’s an outfielder by trade. And he’s better than Sheets. I don’t want Burger getting injured, period. With Eloy, it’s an inevitability. So play Eloy out in the field, where he claims he’s most comfortable.

How many little league lapse plays will it take to get Pedro to have them run laps after the game?

Moncada isn’t tradeable. Burger needs to be in the lineup. If you’re going to try to get away with Hanser at 2nd, you can try Burger there.

9-7 over their last 16 since cratering at 7-21. if they keep playing 9-7 ball over every future 16 they end up at 82-80. just sayin’…

It’s striking that Sheets has basically very similar stats to Vaughn at this point in the season. I get that Sheets is really just a strong side platoon hitter but this speaks more to Andrew’s lack of excellence than Sheets’ potential or ability.

Wait is his option this year a player option or a team option?

Haha sure, but lots of pro Athletes play at completely different levels based on feeling and emotion - and other stuff. Nobody would say Dennis Rodman wasn’t one of the greatest power forwards and rebounders of the late 90s. Would he have been a great office employee? 😂😉