South Side Hit Men

Carson Kelly was claimed by Detroit, but the Sox have another opportunity for a catcher at the ML minimum through 2024 with the Cubs waiving Tucker Barnhart. Think he would be a good fit to mentor Seby or Lee, help with the staff as well. Doesn't appear to hit anymore, but that is not important for 2024.

I believe the Cubs invented the concept of a Winter fan convention a couple decades ago. Before that, perhaps you remember from real time or via reading Bill Veeck's books that he would travel across areas / small towns for dinners and other speaking engagements during the Winter to drum up interest in his teams during the offseason. What Veeck and other good marketing folks knew is the fact that television and media coverage was good, helps sell interest in the team, helps sells tickets. The Wirtz and Reinsdorf clans are on the opposite end of that spectrum. The McCaskey's are the only one that televises their product for everyone. Correspondingly, they are the only team the general public cares about and follows, though this has more to do with league policy and contracts and less to do with their business acumen. Like Hahn, the "children" in their 60s / 70s are another example of it's the person that matters, not their "impressive" Ivy League credentials.

He has a 1.26 FIP difference between the Dodgers (3.94) as here (5.20). He's pitched against bad offenses, has a much better defense behind him and likely gives a s%*# whereas he didn't here unless someone made him bend down and pick up a bunt.

Funny, these assclowns couldn’t sell 60,000 tickets the last game they played. Even the National Felon League has limits of what fans will tolerate. https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2022/1/2/22864133/by-their-absence-bears-fans-show-dissatisfaction-with-ownerships-sorry-course-mccaskeys-ryan-pace Smaller capacity helps better ensure the not quite “sellouts”, not to mention the tens of thousands who don’t bother to attend another garbage game / season. At least season ticket holders can recoup some of their losses selling tickets to Green Bay and other opponents fan bases. I assume Jerry pockets SoxFest Promotional funds despite him and fraud Boyer not having the courage / balls to hold it and face the music for three years running. They have already announced they have something planned other than SoxFest to “celebrate the fans” this Winter. I assume it includes a remote feed of Jerry flipping off fans, players and mankind.

Likely be done with it. Jerry helped kill my other favorite team, the Montreal Expos. Would be fitting if killing the White Sox was his final act.

Exhibition football played by a team leaving Chicago trumps "Championship Regular Season" White Sox baseball. Sad. The Sox will have multiple bumped games the rest of the season: 9/10 at Tigers - likely bumped for Bears Pregame 9/17 vs. Twins - Bumped 9/24 at Boston - likely bumped for Bears Pregame 10/1 vs. San Diego - Bumped

I want Pedro to stay until both he and Hahn go out as a package. Hahn has zero qualifications to hire another manager, and I don't care if Jerry was 100% to blame with La Russa. Under no circumstances should Hahn get another rebuild, or another few years to see if yet another manager "makes things right". A qualified GM needs to hire a qualified Manager for the first time in decades on the South Side.

This, and if they or any team leaves the city for Bedford Park, Charlotte, Texas, Idaho, Bumfuck, Egypt or anywhere else, they are dead to me. The second tier American Football League (MLS) built a stadium nobody wanted to go to, DePaul basketball played in a half empty Horizon, before returning to Chicago in an attempt to regain relevancy. Minor league teams like the Wolves or the minor league baseball teams work out there because they are only drawing a few thousand people. I'm sure the Bears will still sell well for the several games they play each season, but it will be interesting to see how general interest sustains or declines as time goes on away from the city. The same as seeing if interest is sustained with the four "major league" Chicago teams that pulled all their games off of terrestrial television to a dying cable platform. Out of sight, out of town, out of mind.

Whatever a Scoop Jackson is, that article is awful. You know where leadership starts? At the top. Jerry's slumlord provisions didn't include kitchen areas, players had to eat 7/11 or McDonalds. Was also far away from the stadium with no transportation. His leadership is the anthesis of the Dodgers, which is why they are thought to be the premier organization in MLB, and the White Sox are considered to be among the worst two or three organizations in MLB, perhaps in North American sports. The Dodgers Way The White Sox Way https://theathletic.com/3404269/2022/07/13/white-sox-minor-league-housing/

Based on run differential (Sox -107, Detroit -102) and expected record (50-72), AJ Hinch could be considered seven wins better than Pedro Grifol through today. https://www.mlb.com/standings/2023-08-18 Detroit 55-67 White Sox 48-74 Doesn't exactly correlate, but could see the Sox with a similar 55-67 record if Hinch was in charge. Then again, could see the Sox with a 70-52 record with Andrew Freidman or Erik Neander in charge over the past several years.

I'd like the team to sign him to an extension. Then again Luis may want to leave after seeing Abreu's entire productive career wasted here by POS Jerry and his incompetent cronies.

Acres of parking lots and a free Section 8 stadium is what Jerry wanted, they rejected all other designs. It equates to max profits in his brain, same as fielding second place teams ad infinitum.

I know, but the Sox won't be a legitimate contender until he is 30 or older. This roster is far worse than the 2016 roster, there will be no quick turnaround. Robert is the only player I wouldn't trade.

No, just one of five DH/1B they need to convert to prospects with everyone else. He's in his 30s, good chance out of baseball the next time the Sox have a legitimate contending team. Need to get as many prospects as possible over the next 12 months, have a new FO have a road map to compete in 2026 or 2027.

Meh. This version is not a starting outfielder regardless where he bats. Can't even be a reserve outfield because of his week arm. People were excited because he bats left handed, but you can't play a starting corner outfielder to hit a couple HRs and .700 ish OPS. People b**** about Moncada, but he had two great seasons (4.0 and 5.5) here for $66M total including the post 2024 buyout. Don't see Benintendi getting more than 5,5 fWAR over a full five seasons / $75M, with minimal upside potential.

Hahn will give Elvis a two year plus team option deal this offseason.

Brett Honeywell warming up in the bullpen. There is a delay on the radio broadcast, they are behind Gameday which I haven't experienced before.

Way to start the game! Home run #100 for Elvis, went 439 feet per Len.

I hope they don't get a top 6 pick next year based on the fact they would be precluded from having one in 2025, and the fact the draft class is not suspected to be as strong as 2025.

Sosa is up. The Sox (or any team) cannot add a 26th man to cover a player sitting out due to an suspension earned during a game.

f*** it, my 2022-2023 game thread record is trash regardless at this point, and I'm listening to the game. Hoping Kopech has command and keep this nearly as bad lineup limited to say 3-4 runs. Sox are about a pick unless you have access to decent Vegas lines (Wynn and a few others). The total is 12, not because of the offenses but because of the location and horrendous bullpens. I better not see Sheets wear a glove this weekend beyond 1B. The Sox have two players above .700 OPS in the lineup, the Rockies with five. On the good news front, it's nice to hear DJ back after a week off due to his hip replacement surgery.

Nice calls, though a bit optimistic. I stayed off here from the end of January after they punted on improving or addressing their significant holes in the offseason until later in April when they were approaching records in terms of losing streaks / series losing streaks. I agreed with Hawk's assessment before OD that a lot would have to go right for them to win a wild card, thought Minnesota or Cleveland would win the division with 85ish games. That said, I didn't think they would finish with 95-100 losses. They would still reach/exceed 90 losses even if they didn't ship have the pitching staff away. I stand by my mid April production that 79 wins will take the division (the second place team will have under 79 wins).

I triple dog dare the Dodgers to start him in the playoffs.

This, and they better be called the fucking Arlington Heights Bears. Better yet, put their asses in London or Berlin and bring back the Cardinals.

When you’ve lost Hawk, you’ve lost most Sox fans as well. Wonder if he is still a team ambassador.