LDF

QUOTE (Mike F. @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:33 PM) If and when the Sox start winning, we'll look back and laugh how we all argued like a bunch of nitwits over nothing. Winning games solves everything. It's only a matter of time when they'll turn it around. They're not that bad, they just had a horrible week. i am glad you are saying this, i truly hope you are right. but do you really think they can rally enuf to make up for the losses.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:35 PM) Right but the on-field product sucks because Sale/Abreu/etc. have sucked. If you're going to blame Hahn for this 8-14 start or whatever it is, you have to blame him for relying on those guys. I don't think ANY of us are ready to say that Hahn shouldn't have relied on Sale/Abreu/Eaton/Samardzija to put up good numbers. If those guys would have had an April like we all expected and we were STILL 8-14, then you'd HAVE to blame Hahn for not putting enough depth on the field and letting the scrubs drag everyone down. Right now, you HAVE to blame the players. Or you can blame the coaching staff if you believe that they didn't do enough to prepare the players, but I always hate to make an assumption like that based on no evidence. nice.... very nice. one question, re the bold, wouldn't that be the managers of the team's job??

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:10 PM) I can't praise a GM for building such a pathetic defensive team. It's just so flawed. It's not like their bats can compensate either. If you're going to have a ton of offensive question marks on your roster, they better be able to pick it. which GM, Hahn or KW???

QUOTE (LVSoxFan @ May 4, 2015 -> 08:55 PM) I like this post. I remember thinking when all the splash moves were made in the offseason: now we're going to find out how real a manager Ventura is, since not having the talent underneath him has been the narrative. I wonder if that's backwards. That the first move is manager because a manager can make the most of the stars but also bring the lesser names up to their full potential. At least I THINK that's what a manager's supposed to do. It's interesting because somebody just mentioned the Garcia "experiment" but really, isn't Ventura the biggest "experiment" being tried here? And if the goal is "win now" and forget rebuilding, why would you decide this was the time to do such an experiment? I would think you'd "experiment" during rebuilding years, where there's no expectation to win and once the pieces are in place, you send the experiment manager on his way for a real manager--like, yes, the Cubs did. If I had to guess and I don't know as much about the game as so many of you here, you're seeing the results of what is yes, very much a family business where family loyalty and politics are given more priority than executing on the field year after year. That whole Ozzie/Kenny thing at the end seemed like something out of Game of Thrones, with two sons trying to off the other to be the favorite of the father. I feel like I've been watching the same thing for the better part of a decade: a few guys whose jersey you can buy with confidence (Abreu, Sale) surrounded by guys you won't remember in three years (save for Ramirez). I thought the plan was, one or two years ago, to rebuild and I was fine with that. But here we are back to "win now!" mode so we made a couple of splash moves but... yeah. Maybe Kenny looked at KC and thought we could emulate their success and it's just a few key moves away? Because IIRC he seems to abhor the idea of a rebuilding year. As for when will it change, the answer is simple I think: when Jerry passes the torch. Not sure if there's an heir there that would keep it in the family and do a Rocky Wirtz (please!), or if it means another owner entirely comes in. But I've seen this film for years now and have no reason to believe it will change until that happens. 2005 was great but that was the exception, not the rule. isn't the other part of a managers duties is to find a way to get players motivated in playing for him and the club. another thing i would like to add, the sox are not the kind that will wait for a rebuild. we are the blue collars workers and we want the improvement to happen now. is it unrealistic. hell yeah, but we, the fans will not spend money to watch a team with no future.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:44 PM) According to reports last offseason they were close to their limit before they signed Cabrera but they felt confident in doing so after an increase in season ticket sales after the previous moves. If ticket sales on the season therefore don't go as high as they were hoping, because the team starts out slowly and doesn't wind up in contention...that tells me their revenue won't be where they thought it would be and keeping this roster together is in trouble. as good as you and many will think that way, i am more skeptical in that. lets say the profit isn't where they wanted it to be.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 4, 2015 -> 08:49 PM) Nobody was talking about glaring holes entering Opening Day. It was supposed to be a contending team now. The perception was the starters would be great, the bullpen was greatly improved and the everyday lineup would score a ton of runs. Only missing part was defense and nobody talked about defense being so bad it would hinder the team. It's not too early to say this team blows. There's a good opportunity for another do-over by simply dealing all the guys Hahn acquired. This time get prospects and good ones. Think of all the bodies we're going to get for Shark, Robertson, LaRoche, Melky and Lexi and Duke. Tons of new faces. Make em good ones Rick. alot of posters where talking about the holes. but after a time, when spring season started, i, in my opinion, will say, every one jump on the band wagon and hope for a magical trip. Beatles.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:41 PM) The Sox know they can, but they are trying too hard. the best and most truthful answer. i agree 100%

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:38 PM) Jerry ok'ed expanding the payroll and hes the scapegoat? WTF is happening. and your point is??? ok i got it, he ok'd the expanding of the payroll, did he also say when to stop???

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:15 PM) There is a whole lot of baseball left. The Sox go 8-2 in their next 10 and its back to .500 with 130 to go. But they do need to dig themselves out this hole quickly. Well under .500 a month from now will be troubling. And with the way this team has looked the past week, 8-2 seems like a pipe dream. But I'll keep watching, cuz that's what fans do. yes there is, but they will need a huge winning, unbeaten streak. but first this ship needs to be fixed. maybe, if the players and FO is seeing this wrenched day, we the fans are debating, this team. just maybe they will take some pride in the kind of, well whatever they want to call it, on the field.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:20 PM) Yeah, lots to like in that area of the farm. can you remember when this system had paper to wipe their backside??? it is a long road. but i love it.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:32 PM) Just like he does with his other team. i don't know about that. the GM has final decision. of course he is the extension of the owners trust. as long as i can remember, the owners has always had a major palm in everything that entail money spending.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:28 PM) From every story this past offseason, Jerry told them he didn't want the team to keep losing like they had and they were going to try a quick turnaround this year. but they, the sox org didn't go all in, who final decision was that?? does anyone knows??

QUOTE (Soxfest @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:23 PM) Jerry signs off on all decisions what are you even talking about? exactly and look at the final decision that was made on Jose A and the money. it ends with the owners appv.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:13 PM) Here's an example of something I fault Hahn for. After last season ended, everyone felt like something had to be done at catcher, especially vs RHP. He didn't bring in a platoon option for Flowers, and so far this year, Flowers/Soto are a combined 11 for 60 vs RHP (.183 average) with 1 homer and 22 strikeouts. A lot of the struggles this year couldn't have been predicted, but the catchers struggling to hit RHP and lack of power from 3rd base were easy to see coming. the problem with the way the FO is setup, no one, that is the fans do not know who runs what and who made what decision. this is like the old godzilla movie the monster call Hydra, the 3 head beast. my point, are we to assume its all on Hahn, or arbitrarily say it is KW?

QUOTE (fathom @ May 4, 2015 -> 08:35 PM) Who's to blame for Sale injuring his foot by doing something he probably wasn't supposed to? How about Samardzija focusing more on his rivalry with Cain and the Royals this year instead of his breaking ball command? Quite simply, basically everyone but Robertson, Duke, Jennings and Avi have been a disappointment this year. I said this a few weeks ago, but if this was the NBA, Sale's acted like the type of player that would end up requesting a trade. that is JR's, he owns the parking lot.

this is how i see the events unfolding from last yr in the off season till now. Hahn is responsible for the getting of the majority of the players on fa's. that is not kw mo. stop the rebuilding in dec with a few players short. that is kw mo. getting rethreads for pitching and mi, meaning penny and beckham. kw mo taking a gamble on the players we have without upgrading. kw mo JS trade..... i realy don't know. you pick,.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 4, 2015 -> 07:24 PM) Yet Jerry owns even more of the Bulls, and they continue to fly high. How does that work, exactly? Getting old only hurts in baseball, but helps in basketball? getting good management. first hire 2 people to do the gm job until if starts to fall apart. then get a kick arse coach.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ May 4, 2015 -> 07:11 PM) Perhaps true, but the point is that forcing "going for it" in 2015 was silly coming off of a 73 win season. It also caused the Sox to do other things like putting together a poor bench...AGAIN so as not to risk young players, etc. the poor bench was going to happen no matter what. they were going to use rethreads for those. so pls don't kid yourself of anything else.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ May 4, 2015 -> 07:21 PM) KW's fingerprints were all over the offseason moves. They look like Williams' philosophy, executed by Hahn, to me. ( how many times, how many times, has Williams loaded the Wagon for his "Ace" starter? ). The only really productive trade Williams made as GM since 2008 was for Youkalis. The only really top defensive team we've had was 2005; and then we gutted the defense. I don't know what Hahn can or can't do because I don't think we've seen it, other than the execution of the trades, which has been fine. i would also say the recommendation of signing Jose A.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ May 4, 2015 -> 06:54 PM) A team that's rebuilding really shouldn't trade one of the better prospects for a rent a pitcher. This team wasn't going to compete this year. They could have pursued Shark as a free agent and hung onto Semien. all this is hindsight, and i meant no offense.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ May 4, 2015 -> 06:50 PM) I basically agree with the article. It was way premature to trade for rents. Ventura was a very good baby sitter until he learned on the fly or drastic measures need to be done.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 4, 2015 -> 06:45 PM) It's got to be a major factor for the Brewers for one, keeping their fanbase satisfied and creating the perception (at least) they're trying to do everything in their power to remain competitive this season (especially with Wainright on the shelf). Still, the Cardinals Nation machine just keeps humming, as happened before when their starting pitchers have gone down to major injuries like Carpenter and Wainright in the past, Jaime Garcia/Wacha more recently, etc. pretty much $$ Bill of the blackhawks philosophy and edict.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 4, 2015 -> 05:45 PM) In this , the 35th season Jerry Reinsdorf has owned the White Sox, please tell me when attendance determined a manager's fate. the biggest secret the owners never wanted out was the tv money and forbe's profit / lost in their magazine. no matter what the real money is or hidden forbes does a great job of showing the teams are making a big profit. so in essence attendance, and how it will affect the owners of the sox. a question for a future time.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ May 4, 2015 -> 06:24 PM) Hahn made some big blunders building this team. It's a team whose strength is pitching, yet we have awful defense. He invested too much in a closer. Trading Semien was a mistake IMO. i disagree, the sox needed another pitcher. many have said that, even with the wonder kid developing. they, the sox management and fans thought he would come in and take a spot. some disagree so what did they do, went out and got penny and drabek. how much was that hahn and how much was that upper management.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ May 4, 2015 -> 05:22 PM) I've tried to stay positive as long as I could. And thank god for the Bulls and Blackhawks playing almost every night to get me through this, but I am at my tipping point. It seems like every year we get off to the worst starts. We blame it on the cold weather, the unforeseen off days (Balt, rain outs etc.), other teams are just off to quick starts, etc. This just deflects the true problems of our team. Don't we have one of the highest if not the highest first pitch swinging statistics? Don't we see fewer balls than anybody else in the MLB? Why is our rookie of all players seeing the best plate appearances? There are problems with this team.. and here is my ranking: 1) Our #4 and 5 starter. I don't care how much money Danks makes -- he's not worth a spot in the rotation. He should be a middle reliever. If he was being paid $500,000 a year we'd all say cut him or put him Carroll's role. Sunk cost. Play to win the game. 2) Defense -- rule one of baseball -- you have to catch the ball... okay, I'm not Hawk. But it needs to be better. We're stuck with the outfield we have. Those guys aren't going to get any better. It's not going to improve at 3B or 2B either (Minus bringing up Sanchez at 2b -- which I'm a proponent of. 3) 3B and Catcher. Again - nothing is going to change. But Beckham -- who couldn't get a MLB job, is again starting in our infield a ton. I don't think Conor is THE problem, I think hes average to below average. 4) Coaching -- keep saying its the players faults. But then why even have a coach. Fundamentally we suck. I dont think I've had confidence over the past 5 years that we can lay down a bunt when necessary. 1st and 2nd nobody out? How many of you have confidence we can move those guys over? 1st and 3rd, 1 out, what are your thoughts that we can successfully move them in? get em on, get em over, get em in. Sorry I start today with the firing of Steverson as a wake up call. End of May, fire Robin. Not the end of the year so that PR wise it looks better. We play to win the game! as much as i have said this, the owners will not bury Danks and his contract.