The Kids Can Play

Hahn has always been full of s%*# and obviously a disastrous GM. When you look back at his credentials, why would we expect him to be good as a GM? Ok after he graduated from Michigan he went to Harvard law school and then got an MBA from Northwestern. Those are fine academic achievements, but they have nothing to do with judging baseball prospects, judging ML pro players, drafting, developing a strong farm system, negotiating solid trades and signing productive free agent, etc. His first job after all the college was as an sports agent which has nothing to do with prearing to be a good GM. Then his second job he somehow lucked into the assistant GM under Kenny. Here is what we do know: 1. He never played baseball. 2. He never was a baseball scout. 3. He never learned the various aspects of a successful baseball organization by moving up the ranks and doing different meaningful positions. 4. Then when Hahn did fail miserably as GM, the owner was ignorant, stubborn and ridiculously loyal to a detrimental point, in not firing Hahn. This of course is the basic definition of Insanity.

You're right I did misread the original question. However knowing the question now, it's kind of dumb because there has never been a team with a horrible bottom end farm system and bottom end payroll, who went from really bad to really good. That would be impossible. You can't be at the bottom end of both and have a successful huge wing season. Your example of the 2024 White Sox is also a bad example. Yes the farm system will probably still be bad, but the Sox payroll will not be anywhere near the bottom in MLB. Even if they don't spend big money in FA, they still are on the books for some big contracts. Plus you can't say that the Sox won't be spend FA money. Everyone assumes and claims Jerry is cheap, but the fact is, the Sox 2023 payroll is 12th highest. The problem was not Jerry spending money, it was Rick Hahn spending the money poorly. Btw, your hypothetical example of the Sox wining 90 plus games in 2024, while having a bottom end farm system and not spending big or even reasonable money in FA, will simply never happen.

You're right it's a pipe dream as a Sox fan, but only because of Jerry. However under some other future rich billionaire owner I could see it happening. The Orioles just went out and got one of the young bright executives in Mike Elias from Houston who I wrote and documented about in a separate post. These young smart modern day executives are out there. We just have to have an owner who wants to go recruit them away from the successful organizations who know how to win and build a farm system like the Rays, Dodgers, Astros, etc.

Going down memory lane to 1993 and 1994 are some of my greatest Sox memories, but yet so very sad. Of course being able to witness one of, if not greatest White Sox player of all time and a future Hall of Famer was as good as baseball can get. Frank put up some of the most ridiculously huge numbers in those early to mid 90's on the level of Ruth, Gehrig and Ted Williams. We came so close in those two years. That 1993 team lost in the AL championship series to the Toronto Blue Jays who only went on to win the 1993 World Series. Of course the 1994 team, which was arguably one of, if not the best team in baseball was royally screwed of their chance to win a World Series at 113 games. This as we all know, was due to the blatant and ruthless dealings of Jerry along with Bud Selig to break the players' union and end the season.

I think this might be the best example with the Baltimore Orioles over the last four years: Year W-L W-L Rank Farm System Rank Payroll Dollars Payroll Rank 2023 45-28 5 1 67.7 Million 29 2022 83-79 15 1 44.8 Million 30 2021 52-110 30 5 42.4 Million 30 2020 25-35 25 13 23.4 Million 30

I have no doubt you are probably right. We are talking about the worst owner in baseball. Stupid is as Stupid does! I was just explaining why the Orioles are doing so well with so little money and illustrating how other smart owners unlike our POS owner, actually do things the right way to be successful, by going to the outside winning organizations to find their executives. I also came to grips a long time ago, that none of this dysfunctional BS with the Sox will ever change until Reinsdorf passes away and the team is sold. The only other hope is that as Jerry gets older and has perhaps a serious loss of cognitive skills or dementia... then maybe you might see his son Michael run the team. If that doesn't happen, then I'll just wait until the team is sold.

It's working out badly, but that's not a fair comparison. I will agree with you the Sox roster is flawed, but it's better than the Royals. The talent level on the Royals doesn't even compare to the Sox. There isn't one manager in baseball who would have the Royals above 500 right now. The Royals are as bad if not worse than the A's. Grifol has made many managerial mistakes which I believe cost the Sox several losses. If the Sox had a better manager for example, like a Francona, Showalter, Hinch, Bochy or Cash, I am pretty damn sure the Sox would have a better record right now than they do. .

That would be the brilliant hire of 40 year old Mike Elias in 2018 who became the Baltimore Orioles Executive VP & GM in 2018 in which he is currently at. Mike Elias Resume: Yale graduate. Was a pitcher on the Yale baseball team. Started his career as a scout for St. Louis and was there from 2007-2011. He worked closely with Jeff Luhnow, who was the Cardinals' Director of Scouting and Player Development. Under Luhnow and Elias the Cardinals developed one of baseball's top ranked farm systems, that won multiple minor league championships across all levels. During the 2005-2007 drafts, they produced 24 major leaguers of which several contributed to the Cardinals' 2011 WS championship. In those three years the 24 ML players was #1 in baseball. Then in 2011, Luhnow was hired as the new Houston Astros GM. With that move, Luhnow brought with him Mike Elias to Houston initially as his special assistant to the GM. Elias was at Houston from 2012-2018. He was eventually promoted to Asst GM and Director Of Player Development and Minor League Operations for Houston. The facts are, since Elias has been in Baltimore, he has drafted well and built the current #1 ranked farm system. The Orioles record of 45-28 is in the toughest division in baseball with the the 29th ranked payroll in MLB. This kind of reminds me of the move by the Dodgers several years ago, hiring a young executive from Tampa Bay in Andrew Freidman. Wake the F*$K up Jerry! Fire your POS FO and go to the outside and find the next successful rising executive.

I guess Rick Hahn won't be getting any votes for the 2023 MLB Executive of the Year award.

You can hope and pray all of sudden Touki is going to magically turn it around. Some quality wining teams can take a struggling pitcher and maybe correct some of their flaws, but that's rare after six struggling years, that ever happens where they turn it around and become stud relievers. Touki has bounced around several teams and somehow the other teams haven't been able to help him yet. Now you think the Sox are going to be the exception to fix him. Good luck with that! The Sox do not have a good record in this area and with pitching in general. Furthermore if Hahn actually knew how to scout, draft and develop pitchers in his own farm system like the Dodgers, Rays and Guardians do, where they just go promote their own pitchers from the minors, then Hahn wouldn't have to go get a DFA pitcher. The fact is, Hahn had to go pick up a DFA pitcher by the Guardians, because his pitching staffs in both AA and AAA are dead last in their respective leagues for team ERA. The only hope for pitchers in our farm system is down in low and high A...and they 'be ready for several more years. Btw, if the Sox were so good at fixing pitchers, then why can't they fix Bummer and get him back to the time when he was once dominant? Or why can't they fix Lopez? Or why can't they fix Cease to get back to the 2002 form? Or why can't they help our starters from throwing 100 plus pitches for only 5 to 6 innings? He might have been a former # 1 pick, but many former #1 picks struggle mightily...case in point Carson Fulmer and Zach Burdi.

He definitely should go back to Charlotte. In fact if they didn't bring him back at all, I would be fine with that too. Maybe that's even a more sound decision. They also need to slow down his ramp up program. He is not only dealing with coming off TJS, but now a shoulder injury, that for a pitcher needs to be taken seriously. I would rather slow the pace down and get him back for the start of the 2024 season healthy and hopefully back to his early rookie form.

Dumpster Diving other teams is Hahn's specialty. Another stud move by genius Hahn finding a 27 year old lifetime reliever with a lovely 5.33 over 6 seasons. News Flash Rick Hahn: this is what happens when you have one of the worst farm systems in baseball and for damn sure, the worst team ERA in the minors between AA & AAA.

OF course you haven't...most 27 year old relievers with a lifetime ERA in 6 seasons of 5.33, are usually not well known!

His spinning the hell of of the ball has produced a lovely career 5.33 ERA. He is the current 2.0 version of Bummer, with wicked pitches, but has no clue how to control them in the zone.

Career 5.33 ERA. Slim to none and slim left town.

Cease gave another gutsy outing with 6 innings, 101 pitches, 2 ER, 2 BB and 9 K's Too bad the bullpen couldn't hold the lead for Dylan. What is up with Middleton and Santos all of sudden? They were two our most consistent relievers and the last few outings they have struggled. Zach Remillard with yet another awesome game and total stud wining RBI. You just have to love his story and be pulling for him to keep this up and be the regular 2B. Thank god we finally get a call ruled in our favor from New York!

I think that is referred to as, "Stupid is as Stupid does!"

Your best point is the hardest part is accepting this team sucks. I've accepted it, but it's sad and sucks! As die-hard fans, we tend to let our Sox fandom fantasize on the possible results which are totally unrealistic. On the flip side, let's look how the Sportsbooks view the Sox, as they are not biased and call it as it is. The White Sox to win the 2023 World Series is currently at +15,000. That is all anyone needs to know to keep in perspective the chances the Sox have going far in the playoffs. If anyone here still thinks they have a great shot, then my advice is drop some money right now on the Sox winning it all. A quick $1000 bet would net you $150,000 dollars, or $500 for $75,000. ?

Agreed those three players should bring a good return. However Hahn is making the trades. I am pretty sure Hahn will screw up each of those trades based on his past track record and get fleeced like he always does.

Nobody should be shocked. This is the annual All-Star game for the best players so far in the first half. Sadly we don't have any obvious no brainers. The fact is, the Sox are lucky MLB has this long time rule that at least one player must make the All-Star team. We should be thankful Jerry is so much smarter than most of other owners and his GM has done such a great job putting this winning roster together.

Just another endless example of this highly dysfunctional organization that has no clue. They continue to embarrass themselves in every single aspect of what it takes to be a successful winning baseball club. They rushed Crochet back this year and there was no reason to do so coming off TJS, especially since the team wasn't going anywhere. It also makes you question if the Sox medical and training staff even did the proper rehab and strength training necessary to have Crochet recover properly from TJS. How many blunders does Hahn get before Jerry finally needs to wake up and fire Hahn. I guess some cats actually have 9 lives!

Poor Dylan tonight. Much like Lance Lynn the other game, it must be frustrating as ever going into the game, knowing he has to pitch a near perfect game, as this offense will likely struggle to score runs. Of course thank you again Mr. Hahn, for all the great roster options for Pedro to actually have available. At least Grifol got one thing right tonight and moved Burger to #4. Since Pedro is so good at calling out the fans, maybe he could send another tweet out to the fans, "Are you happy now, all you stupid Sox fans questioning my lineup decisions? Your boy Burger is batting 4th and not 7th."

Well it sounds like Fegan is going to be ok for the rest of the year financially. As he mentioned his contract is good for the rest of the year, which is great. A talented guy like him can now take his time and to search and interview for his next sports site to work for. I would hope with his reputation and great work he is getting plenty of interest and inquires. On the other hand, I understand why you hardly listen to the Score as it's exactly why I never listen to them. That was painful and annoying to listen to. Holmes and Bernstein are really bad at interviewing and just plain boring and terrible at what they do.