South Side Hit Men

ELOY TIES IT! Keep the line moving!!!

Yes, I noted this earlier. 8/25 0-5 8/28 0-0 8/29 0-0 9/5 0-4 9/6 0-2 9/13 0-4 9-14 1-4 (Line drive to RF) 9/16 0-0 9/17 0-4 9/20 0-2 Total: 10 Games (pending finish of tonight) 1-25 .040

That assumes Cairo has final say. Think he has third say, behind Tony's calls and Rick Hahn's input. Hahn interfered with that asinine Joe Kelly opener game, haven't heard reports of meddling since, but that doesn't mean he hasn't.

f*** the Sox for playing Robert over and over. He has one hit since August 24. There are OFers in the organization with two capable hands and wrists. Call one up and IL Robert. Hahn is such a worthless tool.

Josh gonna turn it on.

Civale gave up 7 hits and 4 runs over 2 2/3 in his one minor league rehab start last week.

23 balls, 21 strikes. Need to turn it around here.

Hahn's greatest idea Craig Kimbrel. The gift that keeps on giving.

Generally managers, experienced or not, rely on their replay guy actually watching the video. That would be Tony La Russa's friend's son.

Miami in the Winter. Chicago in the Summer.

Minnesota has always been my most hated Sox rival since the shift to three divisions in 1995. Hated the North Stars even worse. I respect Cleveland’s FO and Manager, and players like Ramirez and Bieber. Minnesota is nothing but punk ass bitches from top to bottom. Especially Jake Cave.

Hard pass. https://www.mlb.com/video/michael-kopech-in-play-run-s-to-owen-miller

Didn't see me mention anything about him being traded, or traded for nothing. He's fine as organizational depth in AAA, or if you can get a 5th starter for him, that would be a big win for the Sox. The Sox don't need any more Diekmans or Kellys.

The biggest regular season game I've been to, possibly the biggest regular season game in White Sox history. Cleveland won the Monday opener, and the Sox lead was down to 2 1/2 games after holding a large division lead all season. The Dark Clouds were circling on WSI, but the team and specifically Joe Crede came to play and win. There was no looking back after this game, the Sox were going hard for the World Series crown. "JOOOOOOOOOEEEE CREEEEDDDDDEEEE" (7:30 mark)

2022 featured maximum possible Sheets play (110 games w two weeks remaining). Gavin played nearly every game against RH starters despite the fact he can’t field a position. He can’t hit against LHP. Leury is a Silver Slugger Award winning hitter compared to Gavin’s .399 OPS vs. LHP. As an everyday strong side platoon player, he delivered a 98 OPS + , and negative WAR because he costs you more runs playing OF than he puts up at bat. Perhaps on a tanking team or a team without 4-5 other better DH type hitters, he could have a future role. The Sox need to play actual major league capable outfielders if they want to seriously contend.

The one major change heading into 2023 is the fact that players will have their first full and regularly timed spring training since 2019. 2020 - COVID + Long Owner Lockout and truncated July Spring Training. 60 Game Season, no minor leagues disrupted player development. 2021 - Truncated Spring Training due to COVID lockdowns. Players coming off of short season, pitchers had to rebuild stamina. 2022 - Second Owner Lockout. No off-season training / rehab work with staff or at team facilities. Third consecutive truncated Spring Training. Not saying this impacted the Sox more or less than any other team, but with many Sox players coming off of injuries this year, it will be beneficial for them to work with staff throughout the offseason and hopefully report to Spring Training fully healthy and prepared to compete in 2023.

I agree Vaughn and Eloy are ML everyday hitters, but defensive ability at their slotted position is 1A to hitting 1. Handedness is a tertiary concern. If they are a 30-40 ish reserve in LF to help rotate others through DH for rest, that's fine I guess until Abreu retires. I think Eloy's body type is much more suited to 1B than Vaughn, but I don't think Eloy has the coordination to play 1B. Even limiting plate appearances to about 10% vs. LHP, Sheets is hitting .708. Perhaps it would improve if he wasn't forced to play RF, but even if Abreu retires or plays elsewhere (that better not happen), there is no room for Sheets here beyond organizational depth. Same with Pollock, I guess he can be a $13M-$14M 4th / 5th OF, but you are pissing away money that could have been spent on an actual RF or 2B. My first job out of college was at an accounting firm that did their and several other Chicago area professional bands / musicians taxes.

Breaking down team statistics on FanGraphs, the primary reason for Cleveland's lead over the White Sox is the fact that their defense is Top 5 and the White Sox is Bottom 5. This is driven primarily by the White Sox' league worst outfield, and also a big drop in Tim Anderson's individual metrics year over year. The Sox did improve in catching, though much of the increase was traded away when the Sox swapped McGwire for yet another old ineffective RP with a multi-year contract. Pitching: Cleveland & Chicago have the exact 15.5 fWAR, tied for 10th across The MLB. SP Chicago 12th (10.9 fWAR), Cleveland 15th (10.0 fWAR) RP Cleveland 5th (5.6 fWAR), Chicago 10th (4.6 fWAR) Position Players: Overall, the teams are middle 10 across total fWAR, Cleveland 14th (18.6) & Chicago 19th (16.0). Hitting fWAR: Chicago has a slight advantage, 14th overall vs. Cleveland is 19th. Fielding fWAR: This is the primary difference this season. Cleveland is 3rd and Chicago 27th. Fielding Components: UZR Ultimate Zone Rating: Cleveland 36.8 (2nd) vs. Chicago -39.4 (30th) DRS Defensive Runs Saved: Cleveland + 68 (3rd) vs. Chicago -23 (24th) ARM OF Arm Runs / Throwing: Cleveland 8.3 (3rd) vs. Chicago -14.9 (30th) Positional Breakdown: Similar: First Base (Cleveland 5th, White Sox 11th); Shortstop (White Sox 21st, Cleveland 25th); Third Base (Cleveland 9th, White Sox 10th) Advantage White Sox: Catcher (Includes Pitch Framing White Sox 2nd vs. Cleveland 13th) Advantage Cleveland: Second Base (Cleveland 3rd, White Sox 21st); Right Field (Cleveland 17th, White Sox 30th); Centerfield (Cleveland 1st, White Sox 26th); Left Field (Cleveland 11th, White Sox 23rd). 2021 vs. 2022 - Significant Internal Changes Catching is the one area with significant improvement (12th to 2nd), driven primarily by replacing Zack Collins with Seby Zavala and and The Departed Reese McGwire. First Base (11th) and Third Base (10th both seasons) remained unchanged year over year. Second Base (23rd to 21st) White Sox Positions featuring a Year over Year Decline: Shortstop - Sox dropped from 10th to 21st this season, driven by both the quality of Tim Anderson's fielding (9.0 2021 vs. 1.0 2022). Elvis Andrus is an upgrade over 2021 options, and a defensive upgrade from Tim (ranked 7th last year vs. Tim's 12th). Tim needs to improve his fielding efforts or perhaps shift positions. Right Field - Went from bad (21st) to league worst (30th). They must never, ever play Vaughn or Sheets in RF ever again. Period. Center Field - Luis missed time both years, but also suffered a regression this season, from a slightly above average overall CF to below average. This drove the Sox to regress from 19th last season to 26th this season. Luis needs to get health, but also needs to significantly improve his efforts, improve play near the wall, and return to the promising defensive CF he showed glimpses of in 2020. Left Field - The White Sox were solid here last year (10th), but both Vaughn and Eloy have taken massive dumps in LF this season, and the overall rank dropped to 23rd. Pollock is below average, but the best of this pathetic bunch. It would behoove the Sox to have all four corner OFers (Sheets, Vaughn, Eloy and Pollock) gone from any starting OF roles in the future.

Sheets really shouldn't be an everyday player. I'd say setting aside Tony's mere presence, I believe the main reason the hitters have seen a resurgence is because lineups have become stabilized. Tony and the platoon evangelicals on Soxtalk are obsessed with this split or that supposed advantage. I'm of the mindset that you play your best nine most games, resting them about once a week, and no "Sunday lineup". Keep them at the same positions on the field and in the lineup. Players get continuity with the lineup, helps their fielding as well playing the same position nearly everyday. Someone posted Tony had something like 123 different lineups in 123 or 124 games. It's absolutely ludicrous. Also, Toronto is an extremely RHH lineup, but they win because they have good regulars and they play them consistently. Your best nine playing 130-140 games will give you your best results. Also helps that Leury is the last man on the bench, not a guy Tony is trying to plop in the lineup. Also helps showing up to the ballpark and knowing what your role will be baring an emergency, not on what Tony's gut is saying. You can look at every stating lineup with this link. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/2022-lineups.shtml Since Tony left: Aberu, Andrus, Moncada and Eloy are playing the same position every day. Gonzalez is playing most days OF Rotation - Vaughn, Pollock and Sheets, Vaughn for Sheets vs. LHP, Pollock to LF for Robert. Grandal catching 3 days on and one day off (Zavala). Miguel is not trying to be the smartest guy in the room. Not coming up with crazy lineup construction, not walking guys on 1-2 counts. Inserting pinch hitters and not saving his closers for a save stat. Being aggressive late in close games, not relying on push button roles and decisions. Giving the team energy, encouragement and motivation. In other words, he is doing his job.

I'd trade it for Bobby Bonilla's remaining contract ($1.19M per year each July 1 through 2035). No brainer considering inflation / time value of money. And thanks again Hawk Harrelson for trading Bobby Bonilla for Jose DeLeon.

[Narrator] Eloy returned to Left Field in 2023, only to be injured yet again.