Look at Ray Ray Run

Agree 100%. I think Hamilton has made twice as many 5 star plays than any defender in baseball in that same time period. To be honest I may be remembering that number and not the drs number lol. Either way, it's absurd.

I know this much as a shitty analytical thinker: Things are never as bad as they look and they're never as good as they look. Emotions betray us when it comes to thinking. When you remove emotions from the context, it's often much better or worse than we believe in the moment.

Really quick on this, using DRS, Billy Hamilton has (I believe) 12-15 more DRS than ANY CF'er in baseball since he entered the league. It's not even close. It's amazing honestly.

No, I'm not given that Billy Hamilton is arguably better than Luis Robert (and this is coming from the biggest Luis OF defense fan that exists) and Engel is just a little worse. The last thing I'm worried about is the Defense.

I'll leave this here https://gph.is/g/4gVLyxX https://giphy.com/gifs/Jomboy-baseball-white-sox-tim-anderson-WnIEgm78ayu7IK25lh https://gph.is/g/4gVLyxX

Power is down throughout the game, the Sox are getting on base. Getting on base is how teams with great pitching can win games. Also, this offense has gone as Tim has gone for the past two years. You tell me TA7 is out for the year and not Robert, I'm a bit more concerned. They feed off his energy and his offense. Abreu was the MVP, but Anderson was the heart of the offense last year - heck, we saw it this year with him out. They go as 7 goes.

I was negative in the off-season because the front office failed and I will stand by that forever. The off-season was complete trash! I was also negative about the SP depth and relying on Rodon and Cease, and I've watched enough of that to know I was wrong and that I can trust the SP's this season. I am always quick to admit where I was wrong, and I am enthused to know I missed on that prediction. I now have a ton of faith in these starters - they are feeding off each other at this point which really does happen with these weirdo pitchers - and I think they could carry a terrible offense to a playoff appearance in the AL Central. It really comes down to attitude, and I have enough faith in Tim and his absurd arrogance and confidence that he won't let this offense give up on themselves. I've always been a big fan of Tim's, and I thought his skills were otherworldly (mainly his wrists), and now is the time for his skills and leadership to shine. We know the bum manager isn't going to lead anyone to anything. PS. I'm also a HUGE Andrew Vaughn stan and I think we'll be talking about ROY Andrew Vaughn at years end, with a guy holding an 850+ OPS. I have mad faith in that swing and approach. It's just a thing of perfection. When he gets zoned in fully, and confident, we're going to see weeks where Andrew carries the offense.

I'm optimistic after seeing the pitching. My number one concern with this team was the rotation depth, but with Cease coming on (maybe) and Kopech being Doc Gooden (I'd say minus the drugs but who knows with Kopech ha) and Carlos Rodon finally coming into his own (it's still about staying healthy which is why I loved them pushing him back this week), it's hard not to trust the team. The rotation has star written all over it, and pitching is the best safety net in the game of baseball; always will be. I was higher on Robert than most and I think a lot of people thought Luis would struggle a bit offensively again this year. I am bummed because he was on his way to being a superstar, but I genuinely have thought since this season starter that Tim Anderson was going to win the MVP. Well, TA has a better shot than ever now, and it's his team to keep together. I'd like this call more if LaRussa was gone, but hey... life can't be perfect. VAFan has got nothing on Optimistic Ray!

If this were a broken hip, or femur, I'd have big time concerns. I have way too much faith in modern medicine and rehab. I was told I would never be able to lift my arm above my head consistently again at one point. I'm playing "no ceilings" in my living room with the bass turned way up!

I know it's a shitty day, and we all hate to see Robert go down. He is so much fun to watch and makes the game look easy. But let's look at this realistically. Abreu and Grandal have not hit at all this year. Moncada is just starting to get going the past 8-10 days. Nicky sticks is a guy who can step up further. Vaughn has been rake city for the past few weeks and will only improve. They won't replace Robert, but with Grandal and Abreu improving, and the Yerminator continuing to yerminate, they're in good shape. Even better though? The future MVP, #7, is still on the roster and he will carry the weight of Luis on himself. If 7 can be the elite player we all know he can be, this team is still in good hands. The SP is top of the league, and the bullpen will improve. Does it suck to watch Billy Hamilton and Leury Garcia everyday? Yes, but let's be honest with ourselves. Is that really different than what has been happening under bozo the clown Tony LaRussa? Not really. If Vaughn keeps getting better, I think the Sox can easily hang on and win the division. By then, Eloy will have been resurrected like Jesus Christ, and with his ressurrection he will bring with him #88 to return for the playoffs. Cease, Kopech, Rodon, Lynn, Giolito (until Jack kicks him out of the rotation) and Keuchel can carry this team to the regular season finish line with TA7. Then the season resets and the Sox add some secret weapons come playoff time. Let's go!

The guy is out 3-4 months, not 12-18 months. If he shattered a major leg bone or broke his hip, I could buy some of this. Hell, I'd be more concerned if he destroyed his wrist honestly. A muscle injury in his leg? Nope. Rehab and reconstruction, back as good as new. It's 2021. Guy will be patrolling the outfield with ferocity sooner than we know it.

Yes, Luis Robert became an elite athlete and rising superstar because he didn't really want to work hard. My goodness.

Yes, I'm saying Luis Robert will come back and be Luis Robert.

Amazing that I'm usually pretty pessimistic but after seeing these guys pitch, and knowing that the offense had some wiggle room being near the top already, this isn't that doom and gloom for me. I still feel good about this team.

yeah, i figured; I just wasn't sure what you meant by competitive baseball was all. there just wasn't a season but he was back last year.

Billy is god awful offensively, but he might be the best defensive center fielder in the game when he's out there - him or Bux.

And i get you comparing recovery to a normal person because that's what research and info tells us, but it also tells us that athletes of this caliber with this rehab and training programs, and these body types, just have a way of healing faster and more efficiently than people like me and you. And nothing is a slam dunk - especially with surgery involved - but for all the pessimism going on I think it's not warranted. He'll be Luis in 6 months. Sometimes these guys heal even quicker, but I'd rather they don't rush him back obviously.

Burger tore his Achilles Tendon TWICE, doing that once 20-30 years ago was a death sentence. He's been back playing competitive baseball for months so not sure what this means. The fact that he's back and has looked pretty solid says all you need to know about medical advancements. and jake burger was not the physical specimen that luis robert is.

They couldn't fix tatis shoulder with surgery though. That was the thought. I get 100% where you're coming from, but if you could wager on this I would bet my house that Robert comes back 100%. You just don't see injuries like this derail careers in the modern world of athletics. Doom and gloom is normal now, but the kid will be OK. He works hard, has an incredible build and will bounce back.

Yeah, and he's an elite athlete. It's rare for an injury to a young guy to actually destroy their career. Hell we heard Tatis was in big trouble and could be impacted for life like 3 weeks ago and now he's smashing dingers and looking good. I'd be hesitant before worrying about serious impacts. Modern medicine and rehab do wonders. I'd guess Luis is absolutely back to his normal self in 5-6 months.

I'll say this, career ending or hampering injuries just aren't all that common with modern medicine and rehab. I would be shocked if he doesn't come back 100% and good to go; as long as they allow him to fully heal and rehab properly. Not a doctor, but just my take after seeing most doom and gloom turn into much less career-impacting than it may have been 20 years ago.

what? i swear some sox fans literally enjoy losing and want to quit.

This. Is. Awful. Get a grip, jack.

Yes it is. They were a top 5 offense with luis and abreu/Yaz not hitting a lick. They're not suddenly not even a contender without luis. Come on.

The Sox are good because their starting pitching is great. If the bullpen turns it around the loss of robert on the win column shouldn't be that substantial. The problem here is the manager is a moron and now can be even worse. Maybe engel puts up a 750 ops full time. This sucks, luis is a ton of fun and I hope it's just a fixable injury, but the sox still have no excuse not to win the division with this rotation.