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The Sox have picked up several veterans in the tail ends of their careers who stunk. Are three of those who might be the best in that category Seaver, Koosman and Jim Kaat? Didn't all three excel as White Sox despite advanced age and making names with other teams? Fisk too, but didn't the Sox acquire him only at 32 or so? Ancient today but not back then. Raines might fall in this category. He was good with Chicago, too. Who am I forgetting that actually excelled with the Sox after making names with other teams? Some who stunk: Santo, Kessinger, Bobby Bonds, Griffey, Carlton. It's still hard to believe Ron Santo played for the White Sox. He had to have severe mixed emotions.

Most people I know are cheap and no way they'd pay for tickets to see a team this lousy. Free tickets? Sure, they'd go but still they'd be so cheap they wouldn't want to pay for parking. I personally don't mind spending a buck on good seats, but my concern is comfort. I don't wanna go if there's a good chance of rain or if it's below 45 degrees over above 90 degrees if the team blows chunks.

It makes you wonder what the offseason strategy really was. They acted like they wanted Manny and/or Harper. But all their acquisitions for our young team were old stiffs. Very weird. I can't imagine Hahn and Jerry want to lose 100 games again but maybe Jerry fell in love with the low payroll/high profit season. McCann, Jay and Alonso are guys nobody wants to see play baseball at the MLB level. I mean at least Avi and Davidson were recognizable names and I'd have to believe I'm not the only fan who loved both those guys. There must be others.

Yeah it reminds me of all those bad Baltimore teams a few years ago.

Interesting that the Chicago police chief has been so outspoken in explaining the charges and blasting Smollett. It's let Smollett's lawyer, Mark Geragos, claim nobody is presuming innocent until proven guilty. Is it a little unusual for police to be this vocal against an alleged criminal? It's like our police force is explaining everything he did without letting the system do its thing: innocent til the trial. There's a chance he is deemed innocent if this goes to jury trial u know. Geragos: "I haven’t seen one piece of evidence and they don’t have one piece of evidence that they’ve turned over that links Jussie to this. What they do have is a great case against the two brothers….What do they have besides their word that he is in on this.” There are so many twists and turns with high profile cases in this day and age I would think there would be caution here. I admit it looks bad for the actor, but Geragos obviously thinks there's no evidence and Jussie is gonna be just fine.

One reason to be upset is we have to watch McCann hit. I hate acquiring bad players: McCann, Alonso, Jay. Right way to tank. Wrong way to win.

Great post. Legitimate stuff except for skepticism that the Sox will sign any impactful free agents.

Very interesting that the site has lost so much funding because of our team headed to another horrific season in terms of wins and losses. Very sad that our team has hit rock bottom. Our division is there for the tanking, but noooooooo we have to have this long period of tanking. Very sad. Like I've said zillions of times, the Sox front office should lower prices big time this season. Copy Atlanta and have 2 dollar hot dogs and beers all season or something like that.

No offense, but Thompson, Narvaez and Saladino are not very good. I won't offend the Leury and Yolmer lovers by saying they are nothing to write home about. This list isn't exactly a great list of stud big leaguers.

Good post. I can't take it. I get so mad thinking of openers.

He's probably the only "opener" I would ever accept. I love Matt Davidson. He and Palka both have hit some bombs in their young careers.

It's a huge season for him. He's had the seasoning. It's time to rake. If he has a poor year, he's no longer a prime prospect. If he has an all-star year, well that's sort of what you'd expect this season. Again, it's Timmy time.

Personally I would not sign him if I were the Sox. There's just no reason to go there if you are running a business. Am I against him ever working again? Man it's a tough topic. I don't know. I'd like to hear opinions from people much smarter than me. Would it be proper to ask the victim what she wants him to achieve out of his life? Would she be OK with him working again?

No. I worship the DH. I despise pitchers hitting. Look at it rationally. Once all teams get rid of starters and embrace the "opener," what you have is gut-check baseball from the first inning on. Lefty/righty matchups as early as the second inning. The poor hitters are going to be facing closers the first time up and 101 mph heat and they are going to whiff. Maybe a lousy reliever will be in there at some point but if he's lousy you can bet he'll be used L/R matchups mostly. The baseball starter is the lore of baseball. You get to the game early with your son and daughter, see the starter warming up, remembering he started four days ago. On the way to the game you talk about the starter and how you are glad (or mad) a certain starter is pitching the day you are attending the game. Is it Buehrle today or Steve Trout or LaMarr Hoyt or some stiff like James Shields or Todd Ritchie (although I credit James for being OK last season). I'm sure before too long no starter will ever be allowed to face a hitter a third time in a game. I would think analytics shows the odds greatly favor the hitter in that third at bat vs. the pitcher. I pray that when "openers" take over with 5-6 reliever/starters to follow that baseball forbid the opener for opening the next four days or some way to get statnik front office types to stop this insane ruination of the game! Just my take. I see no way openers can do anything but slow down the game and help ruin it more for the Millenials.

Because of the heat being thrown at them each and every at bat by a closer type. The relievers will be coming after the hitters. Starters get in a rhythm, etc., and a hitter once in a while guesses right and boom! Home run. Also Ray Ray, it's a proven fact starters weaken their third time through the order. The advantage will be so heavily weighed against the hitter! I will abandon baseball immediately. Aren't the Rays doing this again this season?

Man we disagree. The idea of an opener sickens me. If teams all go to "openers" I'm done with baseball. The starting pitcher is part of the lore of baseball. Can you picture baseball when we go to all relievers? Flame throwers will "open" the game and progress through it. Batters will have no chance. Statniks are going to ruin the game of baseball if we go to all relief pitchers. I mean in theory yes it makes a lot of sense. Have the guys who throw 95 and above step to the front of the line and each pitch an inning or two five days a week. Again, hitters will have no chance.

I fear our pitching. It is potentially very bad.

I'm watching the spring training game and they said Moncada has officially been moved to 3B. Hope he's good over there. And I hope Madrigal is the real deal our infield of Madrigal, Tim and Moncada figures to man 2B, SS, 3B for a long long time with Abreu at first for now.

Glad you are so high on Madrigal, bleeping me. I want him to be good. I just didn't like his physical makeup, his height. Altuve, I know ... I am hopeful and am glad you think he's can't miss. Cool.

If and when Machado gets hurt, ditto Harper, the complaints will stop. Most free agents are NOT worth the $$$ obviously. It takes no genius to see that. How many times do we laugh at Tigers "being stuck" with contract of Miggy? I am not in favor of mega deals. I want the regular free agents. The only thing that angered me about Manny/Harper is the Sox perpetrated a lie on both. They had no interest in signing either for realistic money, folks.

I like Moncada. Not thrilled with any of the pitching I've seen yet. Sometimes it looks good; often not. The future is gonna be all relief pitchers as starters anyway, right? Teams are going to go with "starters" that work an inning or two then on to the next guy. I like Timmy Anderson. Hopeful like everybody else on all the minor league outfielders/DH types.

I said 'same as I always have.' I don't like our team being out of it in May; hard to get used to.

I've always been fine with the youngsters. Big year for Timmy and Moncada. I think both have had a ton of MLB at bats and it's time. No reason to not believe the Eloy hype. I'm expecting Dave Winfield. True I wasn't thrilled of Madrigal but I'll trust the scouts til proven otherwise. And I've had nothing against Robert, even Rutherford and our MLB catchers til shown otherwise. I guess I'll predict Burger will be a bust. I'm hopeful on the young pitching. It's just that my anger over other things usually erases/supercedes any optimism I express. I really wish we'd dump Jay and Alonso and I wouldn't be as mad/depressed entering the season as I am now.

This is a big year for Moncada IMO. He should be much improved if he's elite. He had a year to digest all those at bats and should adjust to those bad calls by the umps and either swing more or start getting the benefit of the doubt. I also think Eloy is elite. I still like Timmy a lot. I'm hopeful on some of that young pitching and I'll trust the scouts on Madrigal. I also still am hopeful on Robert. Is there reason to be down on him?? GO SOX!

I was talking to some people today about how pathetically easy the AL Central is to win right now. The Sox appear to be just as bad or worse than the rest of the sorry souls in that division. So what I'm saying is if we don't win the Central this year I'd go with KW and Hahn as being worse. Guess what ... the addition of Manny, who was affordable, on paper should have given us the division. The division is that bad one player woulda been on paper the difference. That said I remain happy we didn't get him. I contend it's like Salvy being out all season for KCR. That could happen to Manny at any time. It's kind of scary to sign one player to that kind of money. So I know I'm being wishy washy here. I'm also being demanding in saying KW/Hahn should be ashamed they haven't put together a team to win this crap division by now. You'd think Manny would have loved simply playing 18 games vs Det, KC, Minnie and yes even Cleveland. His stats would have been amazing in the Cell vs. those stiff staffs. GO SOX!