South Side Hit Men

Also, Kopech’s established role was to pitch multi innings / spot starts. This one inning cap is a recent phenomenon, solely because Tony is fretting about 4-0 leads, and won’t use his best pitchers in tie games, down one. The FO tried to make the bullpen “Tony Proof” adding Kimbrel and Tepera, but apparently 4-5 solid backend pitchers are not enough to get past the Twins.

The fears and strengths heading into the season have been flipped. Tony has been fine in terms of clubhouse, but his game management, particularly bullpen management, has been poor.

Might have been my favorite commercial since Mean Joe Greene. Loved they featured the Gordon Beckham dropped ball and Hawk’s anger.

Why, you can switch to Len and DJ (click Audio Track - Away. All Six Games should be broadcast on YouTube, and with this feature. I do the same anyway for National TV games, but the sound is synced this way (radio 10-15 seconds ahead otherwise). I don’t get weird commercials people are talking about in the thread. White Sox highlights “Sox TV”. Perhaps it’s my ad blocker.

You have a lot of good things to say, and I agree with your takes on Madrigal and Pilkington. Just want to point out Steele Walker was traded for Nomar Mazara. SoxTalk Legend Avery Weems and Dane Dunning were traded for Lance Lynn. My take on what Stone said post trade was Madrigal is a solid player, but with a 4th overall pick, you would prefer someone with a much higher upside, and in the eyes of the Sox and Stone, Madrigal's ceiling is not as high as that pick should have rendered. In the end, Madrigal got more of the initial press post-trade, but the Cubs received two solid players in return and Heuer may turn out to be the better of the two, unless Nick can find a way to consistently remain on the field. If I were a Cubs fan, I would be happy with the haul.

He gets paid whether he plays or not. Tony wasn't playing Sheets anyway the past few weeks, so it's better he can play regularly and Lamb sit and collect his checks. If they trusted Lamb at 3B, he could spell Yoan. but outside of late inning blowouts, they don't have faith to start him anywhere but corner OF, and that is for only 4-6 innings before he is pulled for an actual outfielder. I think he'll make it until the end of the season, not sure if that impacts post-season shares or service time, but I don't believe the team will roster him in the postseason or bring him back to play. Can see him being on Tony's staff though next season, or perhaps the team can find something else for him to do for the FO.

Anyone who heard Hawk's HOF speech, or half inning on radio last week, are likely of the opinion he doesn't have the stamina or likely the ability to announce any longer. He can sit in for a few minutes. perhaps tape a little longer interview you can edit / provide breaks, but he doesn't sound like he is in any position to broadcast a game at this point. He's been out of the booth for almost three years, and that final year was just part time. I hope he is able to continue to enjoy time with his family. It was great he was able to celebrate his induction alive (when many are elected posthumously) and with his family, and visit a full ballpark at least one more time to throw out the first pitch and say hi to some folks. He sounded very appreciative of the past few weeks.

89 minute rain delay. Close early, Brewers jumped on the Cubs bullpen. Contreras pinch hit as tying run but whiffed badly. Only a few thousand stuck around for the final two innings. Cubs typically win when I attend. Listened to some of the Sox game. This was one of the few I didn't get a chance to follow live beyond my Vegas trip. Truly wonder if anyone has any input (Hahn, Katz, Cairo) at this point. Most see you should take Keuchel out after 5, or at minimum have a minimum level of baseball aptitude and have someone warm up. In close games when a good manager would impact a game the most, the Sox glaring hole is evident, with no team having a greater disparity between their overall record and record in one run games. Very sad.

Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Raisel Iglesias and David Fletcher. Well, only because Nick is injured, if not obviously they should have gotten a lot more than these minor upgrades. With all due seriousness, Kimbrel also provides Hendriks insurance, remains the better pitcher of the two, and will be very valuable the next two seasons (perhaps beyond). That he is willing to serve in a set-up role is an added bonus. Craig Kimbrel: 1.12 ERA, 40 1/3 IP, 68K, 13 BB, 2 HR Liam Hendriks: 2.40 ERA, 48 2/3 IP, 79 K, 5 BB, 8 HR

Or a cool way for Sox fans without cable to access games now that they are off WGN permanently. I got free skybox seats for the Brewers vs. Cubs game tonight, so it looks like I'll miss one of a handful of Sox games live this year. Hoping for another Sox victory!

https://www.aamazzonnee.com/limited-----edition--?name=apparel-classic-tshirt-lifestyle-back-69 This is the best!

MLB instant replay confirms, Rockies fans are less racist than Cub fans. Cubs staff immediately jump the person recording the Cub fans taunting the fans with racial slurs (the four letter S word), and the Cubs security standing by and smiling. "No recording (our racist Cub fans), this is private property. You don't have permission to record (our racist fan base)."

Can't be any worse than that monstrosity on ABC last night. Can it? I'd just mute the broadcast and listen to Len and DJ like I did yesterday. Bottom of the 5th White Sox vs. Cubs footage from ABC's Broadcast:

Sox will just continue to play under National League Baseball rules. Player / (Period) / OPS Dylan Cease (2021) .875 Lucas Giolito (2021) .500 Lance Lynn (2021) .400 Leury Garcia (August 2021) .385

This is an awesome article. Thanks for posting. I hope Steve Stone reads it. Yoan is an unappreciated gem, and the best player the Sox acquired when they sold off everything. He plays nearly every game on the White Sox schedule (over 86%) after being called up as a 22 year old (488 games played, 77 games did not play), even though he a severe case of COVID and is called "soft" or a "baby". Steve Stone rips on him, despite the fact he is the best player on the team during his tenure. White Sox fWAR leaders 2017-2021 (4 + White Sox fWAR) (Moncada wasn't called up until after the ASG in 2017) Yoan Moncada 13.4 Jose Abreu 11.6 Tim Anderson 10.6 Lucas Giolito 9.8 Carlos Rodon 6.6 Yolmer Sanchez 5.2 Reynaldo Lopez 4.8 Avisail Garcia 4.2

James Fegan on the White Sox beat. READER CONTENT WARNING: Positive commentary regarding Yoan Moncada, Soxtalk viewer discretion is advised. I REALLY hope he asks Eloy about his timing post game tonight.

Yes. I understood the grief people had when they lost one of their favorite players permanently, but many have come around quickly once they could see and enjoy what Cesar could do. Madrigal’s injury helped with this acceptance. There would have been much more angst with the trade, and daily Madrigal comparisons, if Nick was still playing this season. Then again, neither move would likely have happened if Nick were still healthy.

Jack and a few others didn’t see this, but most did anticipate a vast improvement, both in ability and just the overall demeanor of the team, with or without shaking off some rust and regaining timing. Hope you are right one day/year on the player in bold.

Because radio stations, which pay for broadcasting rights, and generate far less revenue, pay out of their own pocket for their announcers to travel. RSNs are owned by MLB owners, generate far more revenue, yet refuse to spend money for their broadcast teams to travel. It’s beyond egregious, and why Jason publicly called out Jerry Reinsdorf’s RSN policy “hot garbage”. No skin off my back, I cut the cord last century. Not sure why anyone else pays for substandard broadcasts. Half the league perennially tanking, no designated hitter in the NL to save a few crumbs. Cancelled 1994, locked players out for most of the season last year, scheming to do the same next year for the CBA. Amateur television broadcasts fans and non fans are paying significant money for each month in their cable bill. Pulled all local games from over the air broadcasts. Millions dropping cable each year as a result. And MLB wonders why attendance and television ratings continue to decline, year after year after year.

Jerry: “Can’t we just have Jason read the MLB gameday feed play by play, have Steve move runners around a replica Diamond and not worry about camera crews, producers or video feeds. They can use baseball savant to add details to the broadcast. We’re giving fans more information than we did for World Series broadcasts, it should be good enough for regular season baseball. Why are they insisting on having broadcast personnel be at the events they are covering, ESPN had beautiful video feeds for their broadcast last night. Also featured Al Michaels, live and in person.”

Rumors of Jerry renouncing miserly ways have been greatly exaggerated. Jason did attend a game in Milwaukee, but as a fan. He apparently has the means that Jerry one day aspires to.

It has nothing to do with “safety”, it has to do with $$$$$. Len and DJ have been traveling since May.

Perhaps because Kasper is in Minnesota, and Monaco and others are in the Jerry (Springer) studios in NBC Tower. That is unless today is the first day Jerry's RSN is paying for their TV announcers to travel outside of Chicago to broadcast games in person (Jason attended the Sunday night Milwaukee game as a fan).

Tony decided to sit Vaughn to get Leury's left handed bat in the lineup tonight. He is the worst hitting option currently on the roster, so he should only playing a part time role now that everyone has returned. Counting stats are a product of playing time, RBIs more a product of your position in the lineup and previous hitters reaching base (beyond the 1 RBI for a HR). Tim, Jose and Yoan should be getting 2-3 days off a month, but are getting 0-1 beyond injuries. Leury starting to rest Cesar, Tim and Yoan (at least one game each every two weeks), and coming in for late substitutions for the INF/OF would be optimal now that everyone besides Grandal has returned. The OFers on the team need to get more at bats to stay fresh (Engel, Goodwin, Lamb). August OF Starts through 8/9/21 Five (Engel, Vaughn & Garcia) Four (Goodwin) Three (Jimenez) One (Robert & Sheets) Zero (Lamb) White Sox 2021 OPS Rankings .961 Jimenez (9 Games) .895 Hernandez (9) .870 Engel (30) .824 Grandal (63) IL .822 Robert (25) .795 Abreu (105) .791 Vaughn (96) .783 Goodwin (44) .776 Sheets (29) Minors .767 Anderson (95) .764 Moncada (101) .764 Zavala (18) .749 Lamb (32) .653 Collins (62) .652 Garcia (91) <+ Literally the worst option on the Chicago White Sox on the current roster .642 Hamilton (57) IL .568 Mendick (58) Minors

That would be fine if that is what Tony was doing across the roster. Yoan, with an injured shoulder, hasn’t had an inning off since July 9th. Tim hasn’t had a non DH day off since late May. Jose has had one (a second game of a DH) since mid May.