Lillian

I wish Moncada would try to go the other way, as the previous two hitters did. Never mind. Flied out to CF.

Marvin Miller was the shrewd labor negotiator, who made Free Agency the gold mine, for players, that it is today. He knew that the key was limiting the number of eligible players, in any given year. That kept the supply limited, and gave the players a significant advantage, when their turn came, for their big contract. The owners should have known that Miller was outsmarting them, but they didn't. You would think that would continue to be a principle, which the players' union understands. If players want to flood the market with more, and more players, they will only hurt their bargaining position. It's as simple as "supply and demand". The one change, which I'd like to see is an age limit, for eligibility. If they would agree that a player had to be, for example 28 years old, that would allow for young guys like Eloy to get their chance to play, when they are ready.

The best part of Moncada's hit is that it was not really a strike, and with 2 strikes on him, he decided to hit the damn thing.

I really like where Palka is setting up in the batter's box. Now, if he can take an "outside" pitch to left, he can beat that shift. And, if he elevates it, he can hit it out of the park. It may not actually be an outside pitch, but from where he is standing, it will be on the outside edge of his reach.

That scenario of Castillo/Narvaez is fine, for next year, as long as they give almost all of the starts, vs. RHP to Omar. He has earned it. My only reservation is whether his defense is good enough. He seems capable enough handling pitchers.

At this point, it may not be a question of what would be best for the organization, but rather how to justify to Eloy that they aren't calling him up. He clearly wants to have a chance to play in the Big Leagues this year and he has done more than enough to prove that he deserves it. What possible excuse can they give him, for not calling him up? I doubt that Hahn would risk making an honest admission that they are holding him down, on the farm, until next year, so that they can obtain an extra year of service time. Not that they would need to admit that to him, as I'm sure that he has figured out, either on his own, or from someone else. Perhaps they could tell him that they know he will be one of their regulars, during their competitive window, but they need to have an opportunity to evaluate Avi, Delmonico, Davidson and Palka, so that they can determine who to keep, going into the off season. They can't play all of them. That is actually a plausible explanation, or excuse.

Robert is likely the future centerfielder, but as young and raw as he is, I think that he is at least two more years away from the "Show". He lost a lot of valuable development, with his injuries, this year. He barely had any time in A Ball. Next year maybe he makes it to AA and the following year, AAA. If Engel could hold down the position until then, that would be terrific.

Yes, in fact few teams have 8 and 9 hitters, as good as Anderson and Engel have been, this year and it wouldn't be surprising if they both get better. You have to love their speed. Once Moncada can get back to hitting at the top of order, and you add Eloy, next year the bottom 3RD could be Narvaez, Anderson and Engel. That would be a very decent bottom of the order. That's one of the reasons that I think they could be competitive next season.

Most of us have asserted that, if Engel could hit .250, he could be a useful centerfielder. Since May 1ST, he has hit better than .250 and is improving. I really wanted this guy to figure it out, and that appears to be happening.

What happened to the glasses, for Anderson and Moncada? Did they switch to contacts?

I love it when guys are able to hit to the opposite field. Tim's recent development of that ability and willingness, is absolutely HUGE!!

Another good at bat for Adam. I hate to tell you guys, but it looks like he has managed to "buy" himself more playing time. I would guess that he will be in CF, the rest of the season.

That plate umpire is just terrible.

How do you like that "Palka Smash"?

I'll repeat what I posted, in the last game: "Moncada should take lessons from Omar". Geez, it's hard to watch.

From MLB.com: "The 21-year-old is now hitting .364/.407/.620 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in 48 games at the Triple-A level." Just let that sink in, for a moment. After the "Big Hurt," he could end up being the best hitter, in White Sox history.

Yes, that is a far more rational approach. And, for those who want to do more than simply observe, constructive suggestions are interesting. Unfortunately, they have little chance of being heard, by those who matter.

Well, finally. Yoan didn't need to try to figure out what to do with 2 strikes, that time.

Moncada should take lessons from Omar.

Absolutely!! That was a pitch that he could have taken to left field, for a hit. Striking out two times in a row, against Zimmerman is just pathetic.

I'd like to clarify how I erroneously came up with a 39% strike out rate. I used "at bats" rather than plate appearances. Since I was relating it to batting average, I thought that made sense. If I were relating it to on base %, I would have used plate appearances. At the time of my calculation, he had struck out 179 times in 459 at bats, which is 39%. If a hitter strikes out 4 times in every 10 at bats, that leaves 6 at bats, for him to accumulate hits, applied to his average. If he has a BABIP of .400, on those 6 at bats, he would get 2.4 hits. That would produce a batting average of .240 for the total 10 at bats (2.4 hits, in 10 at bats). It's not plausible to expect him to have a .400 BABIP, and even then. it would only produce a .240 Average. That was my point. I understand that the game has changed and that these very high strike out rates are becoming much more common, and for some, acceptable. It just seems to me that a hitter is going to have to hit a lot of home runs, to justify that kind of strike out rate. That said, I am hopeful that he will get that strike out issue under control. The encouraging thing is that he has taken an awful lot of called 3RD strikes, many on bad umpire calls. Once he learns to swing at those close pitches, when he is in a 2 strike count, that should reduce the strike outs.

Strike outs matter, simply because it means an automatic out. If a batter makes contact, there are many possible outcomes and a lot of them result in something positive. With his speed, there are so many chances to get on base, if he can improve his contact rate. What BABIP does a hitter need, in order to have a respectable batting average, if he strikes out 39% of the time?

Why would they waste the service time, and opportunities for him to get the experience? I don't understand that idea. What am I missing?

I understand your skepticism. However, on the other hand, these adjustments may simply be part of the learning process. He does seem to be more comfortable, at the plate, doesn't he? His approach appears to be pretty sound now, and he is getting good results. I think, if he can get to the point where he can hit .250 and draw a few walks, he would be a useful piece, until Robert is ready.

Another good day at the plate for Engel. That last at bat would have been out of most parks. 2 for 4, with a pair of doubles, will do just fine. Ever since he moved closer to the plate, he has been having good at bats. I'm still hoping for him to become an acceptable hitter. He's inching his way toward that point.