WestEddy

Notes: Hmmm, not sure if Buddy Biancalana or Steve Livesey was his least favorite manager. Josh Pressley and Dan Grummitt were the main two 1B on that 2000 Charleston team.

Coming in at number 3 in my list of favorite homes in my professional playing career @ChasRiverDogs #Charleston Riverdogs (A Ball) 1. Stadium/Field I’ll say it straight: I love this stadium! It’s right there by the Ashley River, which means humid, sticky summer days and the kind of bugs that bite through your socks. As a pitcher, that field was great, the wind off the river made it almost impossible to hit a home run there, so you really had to crush the ball to even sniff the warning track. The stadium was still considered new when I played, and it’s only gotten better since. Grounds crew never missed—field was always pristine. If it didn’t get so damn hot—that sticky, soupy Carolina swamp heat—it’d be a perfect 10. Still, near perfect. 9/10. 2. Front Office / Coaching Staff The front office—just the best. Even years later I still have a great relationship with those folks, which honestly tells you everything. They cared about us, did everything they could to help, really made us feel like pros even when we were just baby ballplayers. If this score was just for the front office, it’d be a 10. But coaching has to be factored in, and that brings it down a little. I had some of my all-time favorite coaches here (shout out John Duffy, Charlie Montoya, Jamie Nelson the hitting coach), but also one of my least favorite managers in all of baseball. 6/10. 3. Clubhouse/Locker Room Single A ball is all PB&J sandwiches and cold cuts, and the clubhouse at Charleston was no different. For the level, it was solid. Had the basics you needed and not much more. Only small gripe was the clubbie—could’ve kept things a little cleaner. Some days it smelled like underwear died in the vents. 6/10. 4. City Easy: Charleston is one of my favorite places in the world. No question. I lived here in the offseason, even dated a local girl for seven years, so I got to know the city inside and out. Speaking of women, Charleston was the place where you got your wife. So many player ended up marrying women the met while playing in Charleston. The food is stellar, there’s history around every corner, the people are as real as it gets. That city, to this day, holds a special place in my heart. 10/10. 5. Fan Base People here truly loved their RiverDogs. Sure, Monday and Tuesday games were sometimes ghost towns (like, 800–1,100 in the seats), but come Thursday through Sunday, it felt like all of Charleston turned out for us—5,000+ fans on a summer night, loud, fun, and into it. The fans made you feel like the game mattered, and they’d talk to you around town, too. 7/10. 6. Living Situation Not going to sugarcoat it: living conditions for Single A players in the early 2000s was rough. My first year, I was one of seven crammed into a rental—got ripped off on rent by a shifty first baseman on my share of the rent. My second stint I managed my own $800/month spot but it was in a tough part of town.Shady like I had ladies of the night knocking on my door. Charleston is a wonderful place to live, just not if you’re living on $1,100 a month scrapping by. 3/10. 7. Team Chemistry Single A is the last stop where “we’re all in this together” actually means something, though even here you start to feel that “dog eat dog” vibe (pun intended for the Riverdogs). There’s camaraderie but, make no mistake—everyone wants to be the guy moving up. Still, some of the best friendships I made were formed there. 6/10. Total: 47/70 #SouthCarolina #Lowcountry

Charleston RiverDogs at #3

it's all handshake agreements right now. Nothing can be binding until he's 16.

But it's all fluid. Nothing is guaranteed. If in 3 years, the kid comes to realize he's a men among boys and will be in the pros in 3 years, he might ask for more money. If the kid can't see his toes on his 16th birthday and hasn't even played catch in 18 months, the Sox might pull out.

We are. I don't see a single post expressing consternation that somebody gave this team an F. There's a small bunch of "the amount of B's given is simply amazing". Again, nobody is being criticized for giving an F. That is a fact. People who gave Fs are being criticized for criticizing those who gave Bs. Big difference.

Obviously. I'm not saying that this is my Championship parade. I believe they made enough progress in 2025 to be satisfied Chris Getz and friends are moving forward towards a goal. Yes, the payrolls are insanely low and belie some deep trouble in the organization from a finance standpoint. I get not wanting to eat stupid money, overpay, or free agents keeping their distance. But it sounds like picking up a reasonable closing/flipping candidate for $15M, then paying a starting pitcher, OF and 1B $15M each to win some games is completely out of their range right now.

On SoxMachine, some commenters are suggesting adding somebody like Kyle Lodise to Benintendi to get another team to take lots of White Sox money and take on his contract. While I'm the one usually firing back at those expressing dismay at wild trade scenarios, what in the actual f***?!?!?

Nobody's complaining about people giving Fs. The Sox certainly deserve an F, and those who have chosen to explain why do have a point. There are people complaining about those of us who gave Bs. A few of us have explained our criteria, and that should be it. I had expectations, they were exceeded. I'm happy. I want more, now.

I don't understand this comment. Betting on 12 year olds is what the entire league does, and we've all be screaming for the White Sox to do so that they could be players at the top of the market when these kids come of age. Yes, the concept is ludicrous, but I don't see how criticism gets lobbed at the Sox' front office over this practice.

Next season, Ramirez is going to pass 300 HRs and 300 SBs. I'm going to guess there's less than 5 of those guys in MLB's history. Checked. There's actually 8. Player (HR/SB) Barry Bonds (762/514) Alex Rodriguez (696/329) Willie Mays (660/339) Andre Dawson (438/314) Carlos Beltran (435/312) Bobby Bonds (332/461) Reggie Sanders (305/304) Steve Finley (304/320)

As our own Jarold Rosado and Tyler Jacobs showed later on in the game. Rosado bookended a ground rule double with walks, committed an error to score a run, then gave up the granny. Carson Jacobs entered in relief, then gave up a double and two walks before getting out unscathed. Tyler Davis gave up a single, homer and a single before striking out the rest of the side in the 9th.

And there is no joy in Mudville. Goodbye, Yankees.

Continuing my list of favorite home stays during my 16 season professional career. @DurhamBulls Coming in at number 4 on my list of favorite home stays during my career: The Durham Bulls Stadium/Field (8/10 — AAA Standards) Playing in Durham, North Carolina was a true experience. The ballpark is classic—a real gem in the minor leagues. Hitting the bull out in left field and getting a steak for it is one of those quirks you don’t forget. The blue monster in right and all that classic brick gave the place real character, even though those bricks could bake you alive on a hot day. Still, it’s one of the most beautiful parks I got to play in. Front Office / Coaching Staff (9/10) Can’t say enough about the professionalism and class from the front office here. They mostly kept their distance but when we did interact, they were accommodating and just easy to deal with. The coaching staff—guys like Charlie Montoyo, Gary Gaetti, Xavier Hernandez, Joe Coleman, and Bill Evers—most of those guys I would’ve run through a brick wall for. There was one rough year, but overall, I was lucky to play for those coaches. Clubhouse / Locker Room (3/10) This was the real downside. The clubhouse was small, cramped, and always felt dirty. It needed a scrub badly, most days. To make it worse, our clubbie was always angling for tips. Want something extra? Be ready to cough up a little more cash. It turned what should’ve been a sanctuary into something that just felt transactional. The City (5/10) Durham itself didn’t do much for me. It had the basics, but nothing to really get excited about. You could always find a decent meal and run your errands, but if you’re looking for a city to explore, this wasn’t the place (of course, that’s coming from someone in and out between road trips). Fan Base (6/10) The fans showed up, there’s no doubt about it. Thursday through Sunday, the place was lively, and weekdays were pretty good too—sometimes it felt like we outdrew the big league club, with 14-15,000 per game. Only catch? Most weren’t there amped up for us—they were out for a wholesome night, or college kids just there for cheap beer and a good time. Living Situation (5/10) Being up and down from AAA all year, I spent a lot of time in extended stay hotels. Everyone in AAA gets to know the “suite life,” and trust me, it gets old fast. Not exactly the most comfortable way to live day in, day out. Team Chemistry (5/10) This one could be hit-or-miss. There were good guys in the room, but the reality is nobody wants to be stuck in AAA, and there were plenty of guys willing to throw you under the bus if it meant a shot at getting called up. Not the most fun situation, but that’s the nature of the beast. Final Score: 41/70 Durham ranks high for that ballpark and the guys running the show, but it loses big points for the off-field experience. For anyone who loves the nostalgia and quirks of minor league baseball, though, #Durham is worth a watch

#4 favorite - Durham Bulls

Only one walk and one HBP through two for Hagen. It's one camera angle from up behind the plate. Gameday shows him to be a little wild. Aggressive Saguaro baserunning has bailed him out of both innings.

Aubry Huff was on every Tampa Bay team that McClung played on, so I can guess one of the toxic dudes.

Number 5 on my top 5 places to play during my career is #Tampa Bay Devil Rays, St. Petersburg, #Florida. 1. Stadium/Field Tropicana Field gets a bad rap across the league but, from a player’s standpoint, it was actually pretty easy to play on. It always played the same—no factors like wind, rain, or temperature. The ball acted how it acted all the time. You knew what you were going to get. 6/10 2. Front Office/Coaching staff Aside from us just not being good, the front office wasn’t that hard to deal with; you just had to know what you’re dealing with. There was roster manipulation, we traded players away for future hopes. The issues I had were with my personal development. We had a revolving door of pitching coaches, and I was never really put in a role long-term to figure anything out. Coaching pretty much stopped once I got to the major leagues with Tampa Bay. I wish it hadn’t. I really needed it, and it ended up haunting me the rest of my career. I loved playing for Lou Piniella—I knew where I stood with him at all times. I sometimes struggled playing for Joe Maddon. By the time he got there, I think I was written off as part of the future, and I think that factored into my relationship with him. 5/10 3. Clubhouse/Locker Room The clubhouse was nice! Could be hard to get gear from time to time, but overall it was a great place to be. The food was good, and there was plenty of space. 7/10 4. City St. Petersburg wasn’t extremely exciting, but it was big enough to have everything and small enough for a young guy like me to not be overwhelmed. I enjoyed it. I still live here today. 7/10 5. Fan Base The fans that showed up loved us! Sadly, there just weren’t a lot of them. What most people don’t realize is that even if they didn’t show up, it didn’t mean they weren’t paying attention. People watched us, they knew who we were out and about in town—in St. Pete. In Tampa, it was hit or miss if you got recognized. Overall, this isn’t Tampa Bay’s strongest quality. 4/10 6. Living Situation During my time as a Devil Ray, we also had spring training in St. Petersburg. That meant I could live there year-round and not miss any training. This was a huge advantage. And you’re living in Florida—beaches, bikinis, and no state income tax. Pretty perfect for a 22-year-old. 9/10 7. Team Chemistry This is where the Devil Rays struggled. For the most part, we had solid guys, but there were members on these teams who were just toxic. These guys took pleasure in ruining young guys. If you didn’t fall in line with how they trashed the team, other players, or just matched their negativity, they made your life hell. I don’t miss the feeling of dread walking into the clubhouse and thinking, what type of bullshit am I going to have to deal with from these toxic guys today. 2/10. 40/70

McClung continues on to list his 5 favorite places to play

Arizona Fall League | MLB.com Streaming on the front page.

Hagen Smith's 1st inning is starting in the AFL, if anybody's interested. Arizona Fall League | MLB.com

There's a lot of debate of Getz now vs. Getz when he ran the organization through Hahn and KW. Here's Caden Conner talking about the difference between Getz vs. Machiavellian Getz: add: he also talks some around 10:30 about talking to vets on various teams.

Correct, a top ranked farm system will probably produce more major league stars than the lowest ranked system. No, not shocking, so we should probably stop presenting it like we invented the concept of number "one" being a good rank to have. I don't think we should disregard prospect rankings "because many will bust". I think they should be seen more as a snapshot in time of individual player pedigrees, and not of the system as a whole. We just graduated 3-4 top 100 prospects, which makes the system ranking take a hit. Our top pitcher was injured, another needed work on his mechanics, while a third prospect played across 3 levels and didn't mash at the highest level he attained. That also was a hit to the ranking. 4 other starters just had TJS that delays their careers for 18 months. Another hit. Did our minor league system suddenly become bad? No. Did Schultz, Hagen Smith and B. Monty suddenly drop off and are no longer considered prospects? Of course not. But because of the nature of ranking systems, they need to look at healthy, pedigreed dudes who are dominating their current, age-appropriate level, and declare who has an elite system from that. Is it unfair? I wouldn't say that. We just drafted an elite defense shortstop who could be a stud if suggested hitting tweaks are made. We also plucked an elite high school bat that will also rank once he produces at any level. But their true potential remains to be seen, so that's a drag on the overall ranking. Every other system experiences the same ebb and flow, so a #19 ranking has so many moving parts. Colson was dropping, but he just put up 3.3 bWAR in less than half a season. To paraphrase another poster, here, minor league rankings don't win World Series. Players putting up 6 WAR seasons in the majors do.

Again, I'm still not getting where you're going with all this. Yeah, teams need good players to win. Profound.

I can't figure out what's being argued here. I think you generally get anxious over the lack of top ten (in the game) pitching prospects, and you want the Sox to obtain/develop their pitching prospects to be considered best in the game with no chance of failure before you'll recognize the Sox are doing a good job developing pitching. You're not "saying" this, but that's what I glean from your posts. There are currently no pitching prospects in the MLB top ten, and only ten pitchers that rank above Noah Schultz at 40. He got up to 16 on that list but fell back due to injuries this season.