Dick Allen

Someone who went to the Chiefs game where they allowed limited fans, now has the virus. Everyone who was seated around him is in quarantine. Stupid to allow fans now.

Engel is being used correctly. Overexposed is bad. Nomar has to be the pick to click tonight.

McNeil was basically going to retire after the 2022Super Bowl. His plan was to do voiceovers and fill in work, buy an RV and Iive a simple lifestyle out west. In a way I feel for him, but the tweet was pretty stupid, and since he probably made some money and ad sales are probably near an all time low, firing and perhaps getting out of the contract probably trumps a long suspension.

That is my point. The randomness of it, and being slightly above average, if that, gets you to the dance, the incentive owners have for financial risk gets very small. Especially once a 7 or 8 seed gets to the World Series. It happens in hockey occassionally. Blackhawk fans couldn’t care less if the Hawks win their division. It’s making the playoffs. Hockey is fairly close to randomness as baseball. A cheap goal here, a shot off a post there, and it’s an entirely different result . But many say the NHL playoffs are the best of all, maybe because more teams have a legit shot than any other sport.

Say the Sox bow out in the first round this year. If 8 teams make the playoffs in 2021, what is JRs incentive to make a big financial commitment this winter know that , at best, he will have to win a 3 game series, which in baseball is pretty much a toss up most of the time? There has to be some way they don’t take away the incentive of winning the division . Obviously, it doesn’t happen all of the time, but math and logic would suggest the better team wins a best of 7 match up more often than a best of 3. The one and done,I can see why a lot of people hate it, but the best of 3 isn’t that much better to where you take almost all the advantages of winning a division over 162 games away. I always thought the one and done was genius because it added a playoff team and added one huge game. Those games were always fun to watch. The playoffs are such a crapshoot. The 2005 White Sox were 11-1, one of the most dominant postseason records ever, but they were one ball going through Tony Graffininos legs, a play he makes probably more than 99% of the time, and one improbable ElDuque performance from going out in round 1.

It would become more like the NFL in that way. The playoff droughts will be a lot shorter obviously. There still will be some teams that will almost always be good and a few that will almost always be bad, and the rest will be jockeying for playoff position on an almost yearly basis. The thing is, the playoffs will be a bigger crapshoot than any sport except maybe hockey, so it would be interesting, I do think it will cheapen winning a division, although in the future you won’t be playing in empty stadiums so maybe playing the best of 3 all at home will be a huge advantage.

Now they won’t need to make that trade. You are around .500, you have a decent shot of making it. Then it’s a crapshoot. Where it might help is tanking. It shouldn’t take too much of a commitment from an organization to be average.Then have a hot month, win a trophy. Both extremes probably will be the most affected. I suspect owners would love it because more playoffs is more TV money. And a lower standard to make the playoffs is a smaller payroll.

That is exactly right. Teams going crazy on payroll with the exception of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and perhaps Cubs will be over. You won’t need a 100 win roster, and why risk the money to try to put one together? Best of 3 in baseball, anything can happen especially if the underdog has one or two really good starters.

No Kopech, no Bummer, EE hitting .160, Mazara no home runs, nothing from Rodon,Moncada suffering from Covid aftereffects. Still 32-16. This is pretty unbelievable to me.

To be fair, he was coming off a batting title for sure, but it did seem like it would be nearly impossible to keep his BABIP that high. He didn’t walk, and his defense was pretty bad last year. I thought it was probable his defense would pick up, most of his mistakes were on pretty easy plays, but his offense would probably regress. The defense has risen, but so has the offense. I have come to the conclusion that this is no fluke. I still don’t think he is a .360 hitter, or a .330 hitter, but at some point soon, I think I am going to have to change my mind. What’s next? 30 homers a year?

It does appear Madrigal is better than Mendick.

I’ve ripped Ricky as much as anyone but it’s kind of hard to argue with 32-16.

I think if they do keep it 8 there will be some adjustments. I think the division winners will get in, and then the next 5 best records. They will get rid of the top 2 in each division requirement, although with a full schedule, with everyone playing every team, the top 2in each division will most likely qualify anyway.

I get that, but they should make all non division winners wildcards, and seed them accordingly from 4-8. They had to do it like this because of the schedule this year. To me you have to beat them all anyway so playing Cleveland in round one doesn’t really matter. That is why I previously wrote having your rotation set up properly is the most important thing of round one because 2 losses, your done. You lose to Beiber, which wouldn’t make you unique, you could be a few inches or a bad call away from going home.

I agree. Whether they win or not with Mack remains to be seen, but they weren’t going to get a player like him with the picks they gave up.

The defense was worrisome but I am going to take this to be more like college. The difference between game 1 and game 2 will probably be very noticeable. Not playing any preseason games, as worthless as they might seem, has to have some sort of effect. I think the Bears defense plays a whole lot better next Sunday. Hopefully Mitch continues to play as well as he played vs. the Giants 1st string as he did against the Lions 3rd string corner. For the first 3 quarters it was the Mitch we have come to know. But he was pretty awesome in the 4th albeit vs guys deep on the depth chart. But he did make some nice throws.

Bears go for it 4th and 7 from the 35. Mitch had been OK until this pass, about 4 feet behind the receiver.

The Sox are going to make the playoffs, but more important than winning the division or even coming in second, is lining up the rotation for round one. If it is lined up for round one, it will probably be lined up for round two.

According to Dan Patrick, the Bears were the runner up for Tom Brady. It would have been fun but probably ultimately dissappointing.

I just read something in the Tribune. The Bears were undefeated last year when their offense scored a TD in the first half. They only did it 5 times.

It might make you happy but you are dreaming if you think there is even an outside shot at the White Sox signing both. Maybe one, and that is a big maybe. But it would be bold. Reclamation projects seem to be the way the Sox usually go, even after their other total rebuild in the late 80s. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went after Kluber for a reclimation price. I know I am in the huge minority, but Mazara is actually hitting fairly well now except for power which we all know he has. I am sure his illness zapped that. Hopefully he gets it back because It is more likely than not if they replace him next season, it will be with a player that has just as many warts.

He turns a DP about a quick as anyone.

After 7 years straight of horrid baseball, the Sox have 10 players make their major league debuts this year, there are still only 3 teams in baseball with a better record, Yet the b****ing level stays the same.

To me this post is the most correct. It is just a matter of time before Matt Foster doesn’t look like a HOFer. Same with Marshall.Detwiler is due to implode. You are getting what you need out of Colome, but losing Bummer is going to hurt, and Cishek being meat is going to take its toll. Also, Jimmy Cordero as an every day guy might work for a week or two, but it isn’t going to last, The bullpen has outperformed its talent level, and things are regressing back to the mean IMO. Maybe Rodon can help if he gets back. Maybe Lopez becomes a scary reliever. But they were probably OK with everything working out. Cishek and Bummer not contributing is hard to overcome , although they have overcome for quite a while.

Patrick Finley thinks it is very unlikely the Bears bring Prince or Ha Ha back. Says moving on from them was an easy call after last season.