Lillian

Bleday homered again.

Except for right field, isn't that ballpark virtually the same as Guarantied Rate Field?

And another walk to Palka. Second consecutive game with 3 walks.

Palka with 2 more walks. That's 22 in just 85 official at bats. He came into tonight's game with a ,425 OBP

However he was using less effective mechanics. It is reasonable to argue that he is "fixed".

Both Vaughn and Bleday went 2 for 4, with a homer tonight.

Then, whose spot will Eloy replace? They really need to move Alonso. I'd prefer to have Palka. Eloy & Palka, instead of Nicky & Yonder. We know that he is not part of the future.

I expect Palka to be called backup soon. Whose roster spot would he take? I suspect Delmonico's

In reference to the thread title: I thought that the dumbest move was choosing to give Moncada an extra off, following his 2 homer game. Sit a guy when he is in a slump, not when he's hot. It didn't seem to help him. He looked awful tonight

This tightly wound baseball is going to ruin the game. Aside from all of these injuries to pitchers arms, trying to throw breaking pitches, with virtually no raised seams, the exit velocities, on some of these hard it balls, is going to get a pitcher killed. I hope they decide to go back to the old ball. I think that those are more important considerations than the inflated ERA's.

Touché. LOL. Now you're talkin'

Paying any pitcher for future years is a risk, especially today, with all of the injuries they are sustaining. At least in this case, he will have already had TJ surgery, and his shoulder was already "cleaned up" without any apparent negative effect. If Rodon were not willing to accept such a deal, then he would be sealing is own fate. Cut him loose.

Would one of you moderators please repost this new thread to "Palehose Talk"? I inadvertently posted it in the Future Sox section.

Apparently Rodon is waiting for a second opinion, before proceeding with the anticipated Tommy John Surgery. He will turn 27, at the end of the year and will be arbitration eligible, next year. He'll be a free agent in 2022, at age 29. If he has TJ surgery, he will miss all of next year and thus have only one year left, before he becomes a free agent. With Scott Boras as his agent, that could mean that the Sox will likely have to competitively bid for his services. Given that this surgical procedure has become so common and so well perfected, with pitchers coming back, as good as ever, perhaps management should consider extending him now. Carlos might appreciate having a little more security, given his recent injuries. If the Sox could give him something more than what he would likely receive in arbitration, given the fact that he won't pitch next year, perhaps he would be willing to take a "discount" for a few years, beyond his free agent year. Quantifying such a proposal is something I'd prefer to leave to others, but the idea of offering him a little security, in exchange for some contractual consideration, beyond his free agent year, could make sense for both sides. If not, why even bother to keep him? If they can't extend him, could it almost make more sense to just not offer him a contract, after this season?

Is it possible that Madrigal is trying too hard to hit for power, which he clearly lacks? Maybe he should simply be trying to spray line drives, all over the field. I prefer more of that, than his hitting fly balls to the warning track. I understand that many here want to see him hit for more power, but I just don't see that as his game. A guy with his contact skills and ability to avoid being struck out, could become a very high average hitter. Combine that with learning to take more walks and you could have a very useful second baseman, playing outstanding defense. If the Sox wanted a guy with power, they couldn't have made a worse choice. Why waste the #4 pick on a guy, who doesn't profile as someone who can hit home runs? They selected him because he has exceptional contact skills and plays great defense, at second base. The development staff should be nurturing those skills and not encouraging him to try to hit the long ball. If they aren't doing that, they could be making a big mistake.

That is nice to see. You know me and left handed bats. LOL. I've been hoping that either Bishop, or Bleday would overtake Vaughn. Now the question is, who does the Hostetler and the staff prefer?

I hope that my quoting the article, which discussed Giolito's changed mechanics, did not suggest that I don't like Coop. I actually like Coop, a lot. I was just surprised to learn that the change was the suggestion of Gio's old high school coach.

I'd still like to know why Birmingham is such a difficult place to hit. If it's merely the park's big outfield dimensions, that would actually help batting averages. However, the averages are even worse than the power numbers. How is the lighting in that park?

I just read that the advice Giolito received, which led him to shorten his arm delivery, going from straight arm to bent arm, came from his old high school pitching coach, Ethan Katz. So it looks like this is not a case of "Coop fixed him": https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/lucas-giolito-strikes-out-eight-in-win-over-blue-jays

Oh yes, I'm sorry. I had a "brain cramp". I was thinking that it was $350 Million. My mistake.

Absolutely, but it's $350 Million, $35 Million per year. He'll probably still have a good year, but his first 1/4 of the season, is pretty underwhelming for $35 million a year. He has 12 extra base hits and a .250 Average.

That would be ok, except there is no protection for Eloy. In that scenario, I could foresee pitchers continuing to throw him sliders, low and away, out of the zone.

Alonso is batting in that spot because R. R. wants a left handed power hitter there. I know that everyone thinks that I'm obsessed with LH middle of the order bats, but it is conventional baseball wisdom that a lineup needs balance. Alonso was expected to help provide that balance, Unfortunately, he isn't delivering. The lineup still needs a potent, left handed bat, especially after Eloy returns. Eloy needs to bat in the middle of the order, as well, which adds yet one more right handed hitter. It really irritates me that the front office has not done a better job of obtaining that needed left handed hitting presence. I'm sick of the failed attempts, with guys like Dunn, LaRoche and now Alonso. At this point, they may need to use Moncada at clean up, just to break up the right handed heavy, middle of the order. Against RH pitching, they might try this: Leury Anderson Eloy Moncada Abreu McCann If Moncada stays in the 2 hole, you end up with 4 consecutive RH hitters. That is not a well constructed line up. How many teams would fill the numbers 3 through 6, in the line up, with all right handed hitters, against RH pitching? Now you know why Alonso keeps showing up, in that spot. Who else do they have? That's why I'm still rooting for Palka to get back to last years production.

Well, you have to give Hahn credit. He's 3 for 3, on the Manny Machado "family and friends" signings; Castillo, Alonso and Jay. None of them have justified their acquisitions, or playing time. The only good thing that has come of it, is that we didn't get Manny, for that $350 million. That could have made it 4 for 4. Manny is not going to earn all of that money, at his current pace.

I know that he will not end up with numbers anywhere near his current pace. Nevertheless, you have to love the guy. He's a smart ball player, a great pitch blocker, has a good arm and calls a good game. Offensively, his approach is precisely what I advocate for most hitters. He sprays the ball all over the field and chokes up with 2 strikes. I still can't get over how he has taken to hitting clean up and 5TH. Who would have guessed that he could be a productive middle of the order hitter? Unless, or until he cools off, he has to be the primary backstop, with Castillo used only to provide the necessary rest. On days which he is not catching, I would not use him as the DH, but he could certainly pinch hit, occasionally.