South Side Hit Men

Moncada comes through again.

I'd be OK if they immediately flew Eloy home and played short handed. I don't want Eloy breathing that air and being out for the season. Probably should avoid sending Eloy to the two Los Angeles series to avoid the smog. The others should be in discomfort, but survive.

None of us can properly judge Yoan's current health status. if this is who he is 100% healthy, then he is a platoon 3B go forward. The Sox Organization has managed all of their recent significant injuries for s%*#. Robert, Moncada, Grandal, Anderson, etc.. I understand the frustration, but based on comments and how he has appeared vs. LHP, he should be on the IL., or at bare minimum sit against LHS.

Career: Burger: 1.3 bWAR, 109 G, 375 PA, .829 OPS, .779 vs. RHP (Can play everyday), .542 Road. Sheets: -0.1 bWAR 223 G, 730 PA, .741 OPS, .375 vs. LHP (i.e. Platoon Only). .588 Road, Recent sample size - Last 28 Days: Burger 20 G, 68 PA, .924 OPS. Sheets 21 G, 64 PA, .697 OPS. Gavin Sheets, Go Directly to Charlotte. Do Not Pass Go!. Do Not Collect $200. Await Eloy's next injury for further instructions.

Liam - No Fisting! Billy - Rehab assignment! Liam loves Billy!!

No team has a winning record against the Yankees. Hard to erase the Yankees head start at this point, aided by KKK Landis’ gutting the White Sox’ roster in 1920. The White Sox were the best American League team of the era, not the Yankees, until The Purge. https://champsorchumps.us/team/mlb/new-york-yankees/head-to-head The Cubs have the worst all time record, 4-23. Houston is under .500 in the regular season, but .500 overall when the postseason is included. Winning Percentage against the other original eight American League Franchises: .597 Baltimore .595 Oakland .595 Minnesota .565 Chicago .560 Cleveland .549 Boston .532 Detroit

Preller spends a s%*# load on prior performance across all 26 roster spots. Future performance is what matters. Padres six primary 2023 starters: Darvish $25.0M Age 36, 11 GS, 4.10 ERA, ERA+ 99, 0.5 bWAR, 4.4 and 1.4 last two seasons. Wacha $7.5M Age 31, 11 GS, 3.48 ERA, ERA+ 116, 0.8 bWAR, 3.3 and -0.5 last two seasons. Snell $16.6M Age 30, 11 GS, 4.50 ERA, ERA+ 90, 0.1 bWAR, 2.1 and 1.4 last two seasons. Lugo $7.5M Age 33, 8 GS, 4.10 ERA, ERA+ 99, 0.3 bWAR, 0.8 and 0.7 last two seasons. Musgrove $20.0M Age 30, 7 GS, 4.71 ERA, ERA+ 87, -0.1 bWAR, 3.3 and 3.7 last two seasons. Weathers $0.7MAge 23, 7 GS, 5.09 ERA, ERA+ 80, -0.2 bWAR, -0.2 and -0.3 last two seasons. Total Starting bWAR 1.4 $75.3M White Sox Starters bWAR: 2.5 $44.7M (Giolito 1.2; Clevinger 1.0; Kopech 0.9; Cease 0.3; Lynn -0.9)

Having watched baseball for close to a half century, I can tell you when it comes to the postseason, give me a team full of the best starters over the team with a few "stars". This isn't the NBA (top player) or NFL (QB driven). The only World Series won over the past collective century by these two teams combined was because of Buehrle, Garcia, Contreras and Garland. El Duque and a tight bullpen. Sure, they had solid position players such as AJ, Konerko and a few more with solid seasons. But they weren't winning without the rotation. Do the Padres have a better shot this year (slim vs. White Sox none)? Sure. Do the Padres have a legitimate shot? I wouldn't take 10-1 odds on it, possibly a flier on 30-1 or better, or the same as 30 random unweighted MLB lottery balls, Don't have confidence in that rotation. The Sox will need 3-4 years minimum to rebuild the organization with a new owner, but they have no long term bad contracts for the next window beyond Benintendi, they can install a new FO (Padres signed Preller through 2026, good luck with that) and create a new organization from scratch that can build a sustainable winning organization if there is a mandate from a new owner. But until Jerry is dead or cells, so are the Sox' chances. White Sox Analytics since 1981: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html Current probability - by 2030.

Tim now appears healthy and has played well the past two weeks (.746 OPS, .751 OPS last week not counting Sunday which will bump it up further since he went 2 for 4 with a walk). IL Moncada for a few weeks to recover his back. If this is going to linger the rest of the season, than platoon Moncada, play him vs. RHP and let Burger play 3B vs. LHS. Moncada would be valuable as a pinch hitter or late defensive replacement once RH relievers come in. Robert is playing a little better, but if he and Eloy can play as capable, and now you have a solid core four plus Vaughn and Burger playing well. Seby handling the best starters and Grandal contributing hitting wise with his starts, and Benintendi perhaps hitting for doubles power as the year goes on and his wrist gains strength, perhaps you have a solid enough team to to hit and field well enough to support a solid starting rotation and now a bolstered bullpen if Liam regains full Liam capabilities. Perhaps Oscar Colas gains ground and can return in July / August as an injury replacement. Have said from Opening Day the AL Central Final Standings are as follows: 78 or more wins, possibly over .500 77 wins at best 74 ish wins 70 ish wins 60 something wins

Both were included in the opening day payroll totals. Leury was cut before the season, so he was added separately in the listed Opening Day Payrolls.

There is a bunch of incoherent half truths and opinions above, beyond "attendance" and winning "a total of three playoff series" are past results, not necessarily future expectations. Preller is Hahn with an extra zero at the end when it comes to a series of terrible free agent signings. My initial post, both teams have suck ass on the field over the past decade, have sucked ass this season, and both spent the same $ to get to suck ass, is correct and accurate. Let's address the other factors Caufield threw out there that of course had little to do with my post. Finances - Sox lead most metrics, San Diego has maxed out current value and has insane future contract issues. Current Value: White Sox $2.05B vs. San Diego $1.75B Year over year change: White Sox 16% vs. San Diego 11% Debt/Value: White Sox 7% vs. San Diego 17% 2022 Revenue: White Sox $276M vs. San Diego $324M Operating Income: Same -$53M Forbes Estimate Future Contracts: White Sox $163.4M vs. San Diego $1,278.8M Organization - Ownership clear San Diego Advantage, Front Offices - Both Suck: Current Ownership - Current Clear Advantage San Diego vs. Jerry Reinsdorf, one of the worst in the history of sports. Current Front Office / Organization - Major Leagues - Both Suck, Minor Leagues - Advantage San Diego. On field performance - Clear Long Term Advantage White Sox, tie past decade (Hahn vs. Preller) Long Term - White Sox Advantage All Time Record: White Sox .502 (11th) vs. San Diego .464 (29th) Miami .461. Post-season 1969-2022 - Tie World Series White Sox 1-0; Pennants Padres 2-1 90 Win Seasons 1969-2022: White Sox 8 vs. San Diego 4 Winning Seasons 1969-2022 (Over .500): White Sox 23 vs. San Diego 16 Recent Performance - Tie (0.7 wins/season difference San Diego 707-811 .466 vs. Chicago 700-817 .461) Recent Pennants / World Series - Slight edge to San Diego only because they advanced once to lose 4-1 in the 2022 NLCS. Neither team sniffed a Pennant or World Series victory since 2005. Fan Base - San Diego has a current advantage, new ownership could swing this to the White Sox advantage over the next ten years Demographics: Population *: Tie Chicago Metro Area 3.3M vs. San Diego County 3.1M Income: San Diego Metro Area $121K over Chicago Metro Area $100K Political Environment: Both Suck - Tie, San Diego edge locally, White Sox edge as a state. Stadium Opened: San Diego 2004 vs. Chicago 1991 Capacity Tie: Chicago 40,615 vs. San Diego 40,209 Recent Attendance: San Diego clear advantage Local Competition: San Diego 0 Teams vs. Chicago 4 Teams Note *: The White Sox and Cubs split the area in terms of attendance and interest until MLB prevented Ed Debartolo from purchasing the team. Jerry Reinsdorf's greed, avarice, and hatred of mankind has shifted the fan allegiance to approximately 67% Cubs and 33% White Sox. New Ownership could shift the balance back, or leave the area. This is an unknown until after Jerry dies. The Chicago Metropolitan area has 9.9M people, so 3.3M were assigned to the White Sox based on destruction of approximately 1.7M fans over Jerry's 43 carpetbagging years.

They have the same exact complete garbage results. The Padres are one of the few teams in worse shape than the Sox at this stage, due to the ridiculous contracts they are stuck with, and the fact there is a chance Jerry won’t own the team in 2033. 2013-2022 (Average annual payroll) San Diego 707-811 .466 ($114M) Chicago A. L. 700-817 .461 ($115M) Contracts: 2034 - Tatis Jr. 2033 - Bogaerts & Machado 2028 - Darvish 2027 - Musgrove

Plesac is a nozzle, but not completely toxic like the other two Cleveland exiled trio (Bauer and Clevinger). Wouldn’t be opposed to kicking the tires for pitching depth the Sox could need, even if just to survive over the rest of the season.

It’s best for Burger’s long term health to avoid turning double plays at 2B. Even if Yoan was healthy all year, 26 Yoan rest days at third for Burger to play plus 100 DH games works fine. He can learn 1B and spell Vaughn as well. Sheets is the odd man out since he can’t field anywhere, and really isn’t a good enough bat to carry as a platoon only DH. He’s fine at Charlotte, and to come up if Burger or Yoan are on the IL. I’d like Hamilton or Colas up ASAP to allow proper CF coverage when Robert rests. What scares me is Grifol starting Andrus today at 3B. Outside of an emergency situation, there are no reasons to play Andrus over both Yoan and Burger. I understand trying to get him back into hitting rhythm, but Tim and Romy could rest a game a week plus late inning swap outs for 5+ run difference games should be enough. There is no reason to attempt to play Andrus as a starter or Leury like “everyday reserve”.

25. Chicago 26-35 .426 25. Colorado 26-35 .426 27. Washington 25-34 .424 28. Saint Louis 25-35 .417 29. Kansas City 18-41 .305 30. Oakland 12-49 .197

TRIGGER WARNING - 1983 Uniforms Viewer Discretion is Advised

Second sweep of the season. Glad they took advantage of this team, perhaps they will play inspired baseball in New York. Four of the five 2022 sweeps were on the road, with Detroit the lone exception. It is hard to sweep teams over .500 (records below reflect opposing team record prior to the series). White Sox 3 Plus Game Sweeps Rick Hahn Era (19 Home; 17 Road): 2023 (2 Home; 0 Road) vs. Kansas City 14-31 (May 19, 20, 21) vs. Detroit 26-28 (June 2, 3, 4) 2022 (1 Home; 4 Road) at Boston 10-16 (May 6, 7, 8) at Detroit 24-35 (June 13, 14, 15) at San Francisco 40-34 (July 1, 2, 3) vs. Detroit 43-70 (August 12, 13, 14) at Oakland 50-87 (September 8,9,10) 2021 (4 Home; 4 Road) vs. Texas 9-10 (April 23, 24, 25) at Kansas City 15-15 (May 7, 8, 9) vs. Minnesota 12-20 (May 11, 12, 13) vs. Baltimore 17-32 (May 27, 29, 29, 30) at Detroit 26-36 (June 11, 12, 13) vs. Minnesota 33-43 (June 29, 30, July 1) at Baltimore 28-58 (July 9, 10, 11) at Chicago N. L. 52-58 (August 6, 7, 8) 2020 (2 Home; 2 Road) at Kansas City 3-4 (July 31, August 1, 2) vs. Detroit 9-10 (August 17, 18, 19, 20) at Kansas City 14-23 (September 3, 4, 5, 6) vs. Detroit 20-23 (September 11, 12, 13) 2019 (1 Home) vs. Kansas City 18-34 (May 27, 28, 29) 2018 (1 Road) at Tampa Bay 56-53 (August 3, 4, 5) 2017 (2 Home) vs. Kansas City 7-11 (April 24, 25, 26) vs. Houston 71-40 (August 8, 9, 10) 2016 (2 Home; 2 Road) at Minnesota 0-6 (April 11, 12, 13) vs. Texas 10-6 (April 22, 23, 24) at Toronto 10-10 (April 25, 26, 27) vs. Minnesota 8-20 (May 6, 7, 8) 2015 (2 Home, 3 Road) at Oakland 13-23 (May 15, 16, 17) vs. Houston 34-24 (June 8, 9, 10) at Cleveland 45-48 (July 23, 24, 25, 26) vs. Los Angeles A. L. 59-51 (August 10, 11, 12) at Kansas City 82-51 (September 4, 5, 6) 2014 (1 Home) vs. Cleveland 24-27 (May 26, 27, 28) 2013 (2 Home, 1 Road) vs. Miami 13-34 (May 24, 25, 26) vs. New York A. L. 57-53 (August 5, 6, 7) at Kansas City 64-59 (August 20, 21, 22)

BURGER TIME!!!!

Everyone is excited Romy Gonzalez is back in the lineup, some more than others.

Checks out.

Would have preferred Burger getting 3B, Zavala catching for Kopech, and Andrus sticking with SS and 2B. Would also be glad if the IL’d Moncada until he is healthy, let Burger get a few weeks of reps in at 3B with Andrus spotting him a game every two series. SS Anderson 3B Burger CF Robert RF Jimenez DH Vaughn 1B Grandal LF Frazier 2B Gonzalez C Zavala Reserves: Andrus, Benintendi, Moncada, Sheets.

There are no outlets in Heaven. 😎 😄