Chisoxfn

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 5, 2016 -> 04:40 PM) Here's the thing with Hahn...though. He's the flip side of AJ Preller, whose success in the Rangers' front office was almost entirely wrapped up in international scouting, running the minor league system/new trends in coaching and player evaluation and development. What evidence do we have that Hahn really knows how to pull that off? Because if he was mentored by Hahn and JR over all those years, their approach has been the completely, exact opposite of what the organization SHOULD have been doing? So, because Hahn is very good at "negotiating contracts," that makes him the best qualified to create and manage an entirely new ecosystem, a "White Sox Way" or whatever you want to call it? Is keeping someone who is too close to see "the forest for the trees" involved in turning things around really the best approach here? It's certainly the most LOYAL, but we've seen where that's getting the Bulls and Sox these days. Dysfunction. Hahnh grew up in the Braves organization, IIRC. I think Hahn is a strong tactician and a good GM, but I think the strategy he's been given and the plan of attack handed down by JR / KW (as well as the overall budget) has hamstrung them to for a lack of a better word, half ass contention.

Bottom line, I really don't think this deal was a very good use of resources. While I think our 4th / 5th starters, more specifically the 4th, needed to be upgraded (especially considering Rodon, like any extremely young pitcher, will have his up's and down's (just look at my preseason posts), I don't know that Shields is really a guy who provides such an upgrade (yes, name value is > than Gonzalez / Latos and we all know I am not a Latos fan) but this guy isn't a huge difference maker (at least hard to bet on him being that given advanced stats and declining velocity) and while Pads ate a ton of money on that contract, we used financial resources (knowing Reinsdorf has a budget) not just for this year, but the next two years, plus a guy like Tatis who has real potential (and obviously more likely he will be a bust, but still pretty short sited) and a guy like Johnson, who is a valuable piece towards any rebuilding team (as he's a guy who can work on his craft at the big league level and ultimately prove himself to be a reliable, cost controlled #4 / #5 (Johnson won't be an ace, we know that, but I'd bet on him having a good back of the rotation career on the cheap which is a real value). If we are going to use the resources, use them on difference makers. A lot of this goes back to the fact that we kind of half-assed it this off-season and never really put together the team needed to contend and it puts you in a tough "middle" ground where you aren't developing for the future as effective as you could and you aren't really contending. All this said, I am sure the Sox are going to make a full frontal effort to add another bat and another reliever. Seems they are hell bent on contending and I don't know how they can without doing those things. I also can't really figure out how they can give Ventura much more rope. Everyone knew it was a make or break year for him and now with that start and them using longer term resources on Shields, they are looking at this from the perspective of, they need to do this now, and well, if that is the case, than, you got to try everything possible and I'd have to think Ventura is out of if they can't turn it around soon. Good news is, of the guys they acquired, all still have quality trade value (Shields would probably have more suitors now than he did before....and we could clearly always move Frazier or Lawrie, etc, if need be).

Lue lost me when he said they needed to play faster against the Warriors (playing right into Golden State's strength). Doesn't help when Richard Jefferson is your 2nd leading scorer in the finals. I wonder if they get swept, does Lebron opt out and leave Cleveland?

Guaranteed win...new version of thunderstruck to get the clubs and the fans mojo back!!!

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 04:28 PM) The stuff revealed about trumps scam University is pretty terrible. Structured like a high pressure multi level marketing scam. Why does an alleged multi billionaire need to bilk the elderly and poor single mothers of of thousands of dollars? Cause he's a slimeball.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 02:37 PM) Christopher Kamka ‏@ckamka 47s47 seconds ago Albers is first #WhiteSox reliever (non-position player pitcher) to score a run snice Cliff Politte 6/8/2005 Most meaningful stat of the year. We won the series that year...therefor....oh yes...October is going to be fun!!!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 12:53 PM) Realistically, I don't want my hitters thinking any more than they have to. Stats and strategies are for management and coaches. They might communicate to do something a specific situation, but players just need to play. I think his approach isn't necessarily a bad one. He figures, don't outsmart yourself by playing a game with the pitchers and over-analyze the film, instead focus on what you can control and have as good of an approach and swing as possible (which is fully in your control).

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 12:53 PM) That's good to hear as well. Is it just his approach is flawed and he's not trying to pull the ball enough? From what my eyes have seen, he's just swinging at a lot more crap, most likely because he's pressing quite a bit from getting into an early funk. I think his issues are entirely mental right now. I have seen him turn on some good fastballs and he's hit plenty of balls hard...he's just getting himself out. Toughest thing about baseball is you fail a lot more than you succeed and it can be easy for guys to press, etc. Jose has to get back to the basics and could probably benefit significantly from some time off. He'll get things figured out.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 08:05 AM) Every move Trump makes is a masterstroke in the eyes of his supporters. That's what you get when you're running a cult of personality, though. America's finest. I honestly have never seen a candidate where I am legitimately appalled at how someone could actually follow him.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 11:24 AM) Offense once again struggling to hit fastballs. Almost wish we'd have more guess hitters on the team and cheat on the pitch more. So are we just going to ignore the fact that everyone in baseball struggles to hit Degrom? He's one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Great post Greg. Baseball is a marathon not a sprint and in a large season, every team, even the best, are going to have their fare share of losing streaks and beat downs. I do think if this team is going to legitimately make the playoffs, it needs some help. The back of the rotation won't hold, probably need another reliever, and the offense could use help.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 10:41 AM) Christopher Kamka ‏@ckamka 17h17 hours ago 16+ HR before June 1, #WhiteSox history 20 Frank Thomas, 1994 20 Jim Thome, 2006 16 TODD FRAZIER, 2016 16 Adam Dunn, 2012 And in none of those seasons did the club make the postseason (1994 due to strike). In fact, we kind of choked in two of those seasons (and depending on what happens this year, it could be a 3rd).

Bulls bringing in Schaefer is a good move and supposedly they are also bringing in Gaines (who is Butler's guy, but also has a really strong rep and is supposed to be a player friendly guy). Gaines trains a ton of NFL guys (including Kyle Long) and is currently training with Taj, Butler and Snell in LA and is expected to also work with Rose (who is supposedly joining those other three guys in LA this week).

I think we are too busy dicking around with Johnson. He's had two games and has been pretty darn electric in the minors (again) and was coming off some success last year. I realized he had the slow spring, but he seems to have turned that around and in his last start, he was pretty good outside of losing it in the 7th (not unheard of for a young pitcher to have to deal with adjustments making it through a lineup a 3rd time). He does give up a lot of homers though (not sure if that could be fixed or not). Clearly we don't like him, and if that is the case, we should have capitalized on his trade value (cause he'll make it as a cost controlled back of the rotation guy somewhere).

QUOTE (Tex @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 06:45 AM) Exactly. Yeah and getting medical advice on Soxtalk is like the equivalent of going to an unlicensed doctor in a 3rd world country, haha.

I legitimately think I could be a pretty good x's and o's manager. I could not do that in football or basketball. Literally couldn't. Now I wouldn't have the job in any league cause I don't think I'd command enough respect in the lockeroom if I just got hired from my finance gig to being an MLB manager. I also think it is hilarious how literally no matter what a manager does it will be given grief. People complain about Rollins, he sits him yesterday against a lefty and everyone goes irate (it isn't like Saladino is a lefty and Rollins doesn't have a huge career lefty / righty split).

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 31, 2016 -> 06:43 PM) I told everyone this a month ago.. What do I know though? Preaching to the choir. I've liked what I've seen from him for a while and want to see what he can do with more regular at bats (find out if he can be a starter or if he's better served as a good bench guy).

This is baseball and anything can happen, but I certainly didn't look at this matchup and say, oh yes, we will win this. We have lost a ton of games this year that were winnable / ours to win. Failure to do so is why they are where they are right now (and with negative momentum). Aren't near as bad as this losing streak, but hard to be much more than a .500 team anyway when you have some of the guys in this rotation that exist (especially when the pen is going to struggle and some of the key bats are going to be quiet). This team was going to need a few things to go right to be a playoff team and while some have gone right, others have gone wrong (i.e., Abreu). Still, they are fully capable of being in the thick of things closer to the deadline and if they are (presuming they can get back to playing at least consistently .500 to slightly above .500 ball), than I see no reason they shouldn't go for it. If this continues another two weeks, then yes, it is time to pull the plug (and lets be frank, if this goes another week, I think they have to make the first move which is dumping Ventura just to see if somehow it does something and putting Renteria in as the guy). If it works, great, if it doesn't, you are in the same place in the off-season that you would be anyway (as there was no way Robin was going to survive a less than stellar campaign, imo).

QUOTE (raBBit @ May 31, 2016 -> 01:59 PM) I am not sure which video/GIF you're referring to. While your analysis is correct, I looked at much more tape than what I posted in the article along with scouting reports from last year. He's always been on the 1st base side and really, it makes sense given his lack of size thwarting him from getting a good angle on the ball. It worked a lot better with his mechanics from last year. This year, that placement is exacerbating him opening as you're alluding to. He's got some work to do for sure. Thanks! Strangely enough, Bell and Perdew aren't of the opinion his mechanics are different so it's questionable. He surely looks different to me. Yeah, on your last point, that is what gives me the concern. If he's changed, he's doing it without talking to his pitching coach, etc. If they haven't changed, then you have less reasons for his struggles. I was hoping I'd hear the Sox are working with him on some minor mechanical changes that he is still adjusting through which is causing some issues repeating his delivery and thus causing command issues. Instead what I got (not your fault...you are just reporting) is that they don't think he's made a change, but we see things different, which tells me he is out of whack or just doing things without working with the coaches (which doesn't really make a lot of sense).

Good piece on Fulmer, however, I am actually more dissapointed based upon the read. Seems like he is messing / tinkering without working with the coaches and I don't like that. I might be misreading and he is fully entitled to making mechanical changes but seems odd that he's made changes, yet key brass have kind of indicated as if he's doing it on his own. I think there should be a more team effort there. Good thing is we've been aggressive with the assignment and the stuff is there and evidently he has a real strong mental makeup. I should point out, I tend to be a skeptic when people make major mechanical changes that their body has dealt with for a long time.

Good piece on Fulmer, however, I am actually more dissapointed based upon the read. Seems like he is messing / tinkering without working with the coaches and I don't like that. I might be misreading and he is fully entitled to making mechanical changes but seems odd that he's made changes, yet key brass have kind of indicated as if he's doing it on his own. I think there should be a more team effort there. Good thing is we've been aggressive with the assignment and the stuff is there and evidently he has a real strong mental makeup.

Shock everyone OKC..shock everyone. I utterly can't stand Steph so please please beat him.

I've said for a while I can't stand Dany. Too holy, but the episode had a lot of cool moments, just as a lot of you have said an awful end. Than again, there was a lot of cool Stark storylines and I like the Starks.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 27, 2016 -> 01:23 PM) A quicker way to die is whenever I use ellipses. you know it will end badly for . . . Or whenever you post in green.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ May 27, 2016 -> 11:52 AM) Sadly enough I think I actually sub consciously picked up that writing style from Gage. Good god, that's sad to think about. You know Row...i always knew there was a reason I liked you