greg775

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 06:05 AM) There you go again, dealing in absolutes and drama. Sigh...... Our third baseman of the future is back at his home in California and it's not even the all star break. There are no plans to have him return. This is horrific news. I think he's finished. He's on his own right now.

QUOTE (Real @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 06:32 AM) He isn't a starter, he's a long reliever/spot starter. I'm sure the Sox know he isn't ready but we have no other options. He'll never be ready. Zach Stewart can't pitch.

QUOTE (SpainSOXfan09 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 03:25 PM) Haven't seen anything recent on Morel posted so thought I would put up this quick blurb by MGon of the Trib: Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,1829688.story By Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune reporter 8:58 p.m. CDT, June 17, 2012 LOS ANGELES — Instead of visiting his teammates this weekend, third baseman Brent Morel stayed 110 miles north of Dodger Stadium to embark on a lower-back rehabilitation program with the hope he can rejoin the White Sox at the start of the second half. "That would be the goal," Morel said from his Bakersfield, Calif., home Morel hasn't played since June 7, when recurring discomfort in his lower back caused him to suspend his minor league rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Charlotte after nine games. Morel hasn't played for the Sox since May 17 because of back discomfort that surfaced late in spring training. After visiting a back specialist last week in Southern California, Morel said he was placed on a program for four to five weeks. He said he could incorporate baseball work during the latter stages of the program if he makes progress. "It's a program for my glutes and core area, essentially to take pressure off my back," Morel said. Morel was batting .267 (8-for-30) during his rehab stint with the Knights. He is batting .177 in 113 at-bats with the Sox as the pain has harnessed his swing, especially on outside pitches Who would have thought Brent Morel would be sent home at this stage of the season to be on his own rehabbing a bad back. Sounds like the team has pretty much written him off. Sad, but this is the Crede thing all over again. He's done.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 03:26 AM) Nice to see in the Tribune that Kenny seemed to question Ventura's decision making on Sunday. No reason not to win at least one of the next two, especially with Dempster out on Wednesday. I hope Ventura calls out KW in the press as well. This move of starting Stewart tonight has KW written all over it.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 03:55 AM) He might be done for the season. I would agree. With this team still looking .500 at best cause of our inability to win at home, might as well hold him out to be safe. I do believe he's done for the year. Sounds scary to put him back out there for a long period of time.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 04:19 PM) wrong. He plays dominos and tells his kids he is gonna f*** their mom. What do you want your manager to do? You know how many hours they spend at the park? Ozz has time to f*** around. Like he said, let the coaches do the things they are paid for. The manager is the organizer. I wouldn't read scads of stats on the Internet either, if I were Ozzie. His track record suggests his style works.

QUOTE (Springfield SoxFan @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:02 AM) I hope Stewart is DFA's or optioned to minors after tonight. There's no reason to keep him around. He's so bad it's laughable. Let somebody else take him on and try to fix him.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:34 AM) According to the Tribune, KW suggested to the coaching staff Viciedo return to 3B. The coaching staff shot him down. Good for the coaching staff; horrible idea. QUOTE (SouthSidePride05 @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:36 AM) It was only a few weeks ago when Hawk was raving about the bullpen with Wimpy and rated the bullpen an 8 1/2 out of 10. Way to go, Hawk! Such is the life of a White Sox fan/announcer. This team has been wildly inconsistent for years now. Bullpen does good for a while, then sucks. Ditto starting pitching. Team is destined to finish around .500. KW has no right to ever complain about attendance again after what his team pulled tonight in conceding a game to the Cubs. Amazing.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:25 AM) Well one thing would be certain. If the previous clown and his band of twitter fiends were still here going through the motions you would get butt hurt at anyone questioning his odd genius. Then make a reference to 2005. I have no idea how I'd feel if Ozzie gave a game away like this by starting a pitcher who should be released, a total hack like Zach who is DONE. He'll be cut after this game I am confident. I don't live in the past. I'm mad today, June 18, and I do not feel badly for the Sox if they don't sell another ticket the rest of the season. Those fans who paid big bucks tonight had no chance to see a Sox winner. None (unless we outscored em 13-12).

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:20 AM) This would never have happened if Ozzie were managing. Sorry you are not upset about whatever clown decided to give this game away.

If we lose this division by one game (which we won't) please remember the White Sox giving away a game to the Cubs the moment Zach Stewart put his cleat on the mound.

QUOTE (stretchstretch @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:16 AM) Makes the lad giveaway games that much more painful. Losing those means you simply cannot afford to come home and lose to the worst team in the bigs Amen! QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:17 AM) This was seriously like giving away a game. Totally and that is inexcusable. Zach Stewart?? Jerry should kick some clubhouse ass to whatever genius came up with the idea whether Cooper (whom I suspect), KW or Robin.

QUOTE (RZZZA @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:13 AM) This is very interesting right now. I'm not even mad because I got all my anger out after that last game. This team has been slumping for a while. It's just interesting to me because this game has highlighted our bad pitching depth. Forgive me for being so mad I could punch the wall. I feel we CONCEDED tonight's game against a fellow Chicago team in OUR PARK by pitching Zach. God I'm mad.

Is Jones' pitching motion conducive to arm trouble?

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:07 AM) Agree. Worth a shot Well everyone is going to do some of that. What I was lol'ing about was the notion of a reprimand for starting Zach Stewart. This was the quintessential "sacrifice in near term, profit in long term" decision. I think a reprimand is in order. We're playing our rivals! Anybody but Zach.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 01:56 AM) lol You can't just give away games and expect to contend for a division title! Why lol. And to concede a game to the Cubs is a joke. QUOTE (RZZZA @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 02:02 AM) Hi everyone, I'm new here. Kind of a new fan to baseball. Go Sox. Hello. Go Sox!

I'd pitch anybody in the world besides Zach Stewart. If we lose this game, somebody should be reprimanded by Jerry; whomever decided on Zach.

By pitching Zach, I mean (in case it wasn't obvious)

This is why it's hard to take the White Sox seriously (except for '05) We give away games and concede games and just shrug it off. 6-3.

Just getting caught up with the game. I assume Zach sucked. I assume as we all feared we just conceded the Cubs a game tonight by pitching him.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 06:11 AM) Greg, haven't we been hearing this same prediction for about 3 or 4 years now? Seriously, who is the rotation for the Royals right now? I bet most Royals fans couldn't name more than a couple of guys. When you guarantee the Royals are going to finish ahead of the White Sox, that's what makes everyone believe you're really more of a fan of other teams. If you really believe we're going to be THAT bad, why even bother to follow the White Sox? I would say it's possible we finish behind them, but I wouldn't bet any money on it happening, either. If you're going to guarantee something like that, you should have to lose something if you're wrong...like you have to admit that Tony Pena or Buddy Bell or Trey Hillman could managed the 2005 White Sox to the World Series title. If KC has the same head to head record against the Sox as it did last year, it definitely will pass the Sox. I say it because our starters are sucking and they got Hosmer who is ready to break out and Butler who kills us and Gordon, etc. They are young and will pass us IMO. Sox have played like crap of late and still can't figure out how to do squat at home.

If the Cubs are smart, they come out hacking. This could be Zach's last outing as a member of the White Sox IMO. He and Humber have been horrific in terms of fastballs screaming "hit me."

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 03:03 AM) KC quietly only 6 games out of first place after some big time heroics against Axford the last two nights I guarantee you KC is going to finish ahead of the still dysfunctional Sox. Sweeping the Cubs would right the ship, but Zach in Game One? Ouch.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 06:08 AM) Thanks, but you misunderstand my 1/162 reference. I'm no Hawk groupie, but it's just like how Hawk (endlessly) refers to "you'll win 60, you'll lose 60, but how you do depends on what happens with the other 42." So many 1:1 battles in baseball, so many decisions that not only impact what happens later in the game, but what happens later in the week, month, and season, that we can all spend a lifetime second, third, and infinity guessing everything if we're so inclined. That's the nature of baseball. EVERY team deals with countless moments just like this (NOT just the White Sox -- most of us just follow the White Sox though). EVERY manager makes decisions that turn-out differently than how he hoped they would (NOT just Robin Ventura -- the same happened with Connie Mack, John McGraw, Earl Weaver, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, Ozzie Guillen, or insert the name of your favorite manager here). I know 1/162 is important since they all add up, but the entire 162, the entire body-of-a-season's-work is more important. And for the record (since this post stays in the permanent record that is the internet), nobody hated Robin's decision to take out Quintana more than I did. He was breezing, dealing, and totally on auto-pilot. I'm with what I'd imagine to be a majority of people and let Q start the inning, having Reed ready if any trouble arises in the pivotal 9th. However, no way is that the "right way" or the "only way." Plenty of baseball managers and experts (real or in the reality of their own mind) would have done just what Robin did -- graciously accept Q's yeoman work and turn the 9th over to a guy who had been perfect for the year and who has a "chance" to be a long-term stud closer. I wouldn't have done that, but I think it's overly simplistic to say that many baseball lifer's wouldn't have done exactly what baseball lifer Robin Ventura in fact did do. Love talking Sox, but I'm choosing to be angsty about things I think are bigger problems -- like why intentionally handicap yourself to THAT extent by such an extreme Sunday lineup that had so little chance to score more than a run or two, losing momentum from a nice Saturday night win, and ensuring a downer of a long flight home. To this point in the year, I had been happy that Robin was staying away from getting the scrubs in all at the same time (something I thought was one of Ozzie's biggest flaws as a tactical manager). Hopefully today's mess of a game might become a memorable lesson! Another great post, but we've lost 12 of 16 which is very very s***ty baseball. Sox are in trouble.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 04:07 AM) So much angst about 1/162, gentlemen. I hated watching today's game (starting with the inexcusable "too Sunday, Sunday line-up"), squirming the whole time because every freaking sign pointed towards a painful loss. But we're Sox fans and dissect every decision and move made in a White Sox game and I think many of us fail to recognize that the nature of baseball is such that every manager makes decisions that he'd possibly change in hindsight (if only because of result). Like many on the board I'm sure, I played baseball at a high enough level (Div. 1 college for me), and have been a fanatic of the game for so long, that I'm sure I'm equipped to manage a big league team, notwithstanding that it would never work for a nanosecond since I don't have the professional bona fides to get one ounce of respect from MLB players! If it were me, I'd have left Quintana out there to start the 9th. It wasn't so much that he threw just 77 pitches, it was that his entire outing was nearly stress free, he had a remarkable rhythm going all game, the 8th inning might have been his easiest of the game, and the Dodgers had nothing scary to trot up against him in the 9th, particularly because their best available player, Abreu, was unlikely to hit as long as Quintana was in the game. To me, managing is an art as much as a science, and feel is part of the art. I'd have looked the young lefty in the eye, told him he's in until he gives up one base runner, and take my chances. All that said, I can't blame Robin at all. For everything I said, Robin's "feel" seems to be that he got a great game out of the youngster, and that he wanted to show a "possible" lights-out closer of the future that he has full confidence in him. I think my way had the possibility of instilling a lot of confidence in Quintana, while preserving the ability to still get Reed out there, but I can't say Robin is wrong, just different. The beauty of baseball, but sometimes the pain too, is that there is often no one right way, and even a good decision can still have bad consequences. Trotting out Reed wasn't horrible -- many of us would have done differently, many others (including lots of great baseball managers) would have done exactly what Robin did. And getting past Robin's decision, the 9th inning doesn't have me wondering whether Addison Reed can do the job. Dude was not going to be perfect this year. Abreu's hit was a veteran hitter fighting off a tough pitch with a good bit of hitting; the hit and run single was a total seeing eye grounder. Reed is good, very good, but every closer not named Mariano Rivera gets beat sometimes. That's baseball. If the Sox are angsty too, hope they take it out by absolutely destroying the AAAA team playing on the North Side. EDIT -- Just saw Caulfield's post above ... mentioning one batter for Q ... and Mo. Don't post often; this is one reason why! So many posters say exactly what I feel like saying, but I'd rather read than write! Nice post. I do hate your first sentence though. One of 162. Yeah but we've been talking that way for years now. It's just one game. And one series. And it all, always adds up to the ceiling of this team and most of our recent teams ... .500(ish)