Dick Allen

My feelings certain aren’t hurt. This board is loaded with diehards, some who go to 50 games a year, some who haven’t been to a game in years. It doesn’t make them lesser fans. The Sox have to appeal to the masses. That is on them. Right now the Cubs are the latest tricked out IPhone,a dn the Sox are a cheap Korean made knockoff. It isn’t White Sox fans responsibility to change that.

That is one thing I would be a little worried about. But this guy and Harper are opportunities that don't come around very often. I think it's such a long shot, but if you are ever going to spend big on a free agent, it's on guys their age. Other than that, you are playing with fire. Production really drops off in the early 30s these days.

That's pretty much universal except for the Cubs, although they had some bailing, and their TV ratings were worse than the White Sox. Most people leave when things aren't going well. If a restaurant you loved and were a big fan, suddenly started sucking, are you a bad person for never going back? If your employer cuts your pay and benefits because they aren't making enough money, and asks you to work longer hours, would you consider another line of work? If you like a TV show and it just gets stale, do you insist you still must watch because you are a good fan? There are some things where you can criticize the White Sox base. Not showing up the past 6 seasons isn't one of them. Not showing up when the team is bad is not something that is unique to White Sox fans. The thing I worry about is will they show up when things are good? That really hasn't been the case since the WS high wore off.

2008,2010,2012, the Sox had some good teams, and the fans weren't all that supportive. But you are right, there is no way you can blame someone for not going to a game these last couple of seasons. Yes, you can do it dirt cheap, but the product is so bad that when they call up Moncada and Kopech, from day 1, the fan base treats them, and the team markets them, as saviors. Neither of their jerseys were front and center at their sales shops the last homestand of the season. Eloy's will be the next one. Hopefully, they will be able to keep it there for a while. I have had season tickets for a long time. I used to have a full season, now a 20 game plan. How it always went with me when the team was bad was the first couple of months, I still was excited to go. July and August was a grind, we would go but not that into it. Then a second wind in September because we knew we would be without baseball for a while. Even last year, that was how it worked for me. This year, I had no desire to go to games after May. I would have rathered watch a few innings on TV.

Jerry Krause always did something when he was running the Bulls that was pretty smart. In fact, it's how he actually landed Doug Collins to coach because he was one of the guys he hired to do this. He would bring in someone from the outside to evaluate their players and their staff. Being around guys all the time, or being the one that acquired him, or the one that thought he had a ton of potential, can cloud your judgement. Teams do fall in love with their players. I wonder if the White Sox do this. It would probably be nearly impossible to evaluate Steverson's day to day approach. But there could be some glaring things that he apparently has missed.

Sox fans have not cooperated. That is a fact. But it is also a fact the current front office hasn't done a stellar job. Ultimately you are based on wins and losses. Cleveland has had a couple of AL Central dominant stretches. Minnesota had a dominant stretch. Detroit had a dominant stretch. KC sort of had a dominant stretch. Why can't the White Sox compete with these teams?

Some, if not all, will pitch at Charlotte some. What we know is, every year, there is quite the shuttle between Charlotte and Chicago with relief pitchers.

The White Sox play in a bandbox. Todd Steverson has been a hitting coach for 5 seasons. At least 3 of those seasons the Sox were trying to win. They have yet to score the league average in runs scored since he took over. Either he isn’t a very good coach, the people making out the roster aren’t good at recognizing hitters, ownership can’t afford better players, or some combination of the three. Some sort of change has to be made.

They got Hader from Houston who got him from Baltimore.

I do think we may. Know pretty soon just how much this regime may try to change their stripes. If they go after Machado with a legit offer, maybe something has shifted. It it is like Tanaka and what they wanted to do with Ohtani, and want to try to sell the team as very comfortable but financially the offer is a bit short, we will know it is business as usual.

Kris Dunn attending to a personal matter. Cam Payne starting. The tank begins.

Victor was strictly a DH and put up a 121 OPS+. Palka, with all his hype is 111. i have also stated elsewhere on this board, Palka did surprise a bit, but strikes out a ton, doesn’t get on base very much, and probably won’t last. I also have mentioned scrub was a Fangraphs term twice. Maybe the third time is a charm.

Victor was 1.6. Palka was 0.7. Scrub, as I mentioned, was Fangraphs term. Why can’t you just play straight? Why must you try to spin everything with deception. The funny thing about it is it is even if you don’t agree with me, which you obviously don’t, your conclusion should be exactly the same. These people thought they could win. You said it was impossible for anyone. So , they have to be idiots, and need to be replaced. I just think they could have won with a better approach and execution.

Bill Self May have a little problem with some of the things coming out of this ongoing trial.

Absolutely. If you multiple it by 1.5 that’s still a 1.0 WAR in 660 appearances. That still comes up scrub. Fangraphs term, not mine.

You are saying no one could have put a winning team on the field. That is crazy talk. Oakland traded crappy prospects for guys who turned out decent. They didn't have a top of the line farm system. In fact, some of their guys are ex White Sox.

Right. It may have been impossible for these guys with the restrictions they put on them, but to say no one could have done better is crazy. Larry Himes would have had the balls to tell JR, we aren't winning a WS with Jimmy Rollins at SS, Dioner Navarro behind the plate, and Mat Latos in the rotation.

Other teams are able to do it. The White Sox haven't show that.

Eaton's "collapse" was injury related, and was a blown out knee on a wet base hustling one out. He may have gotten injured if he had stayed with the White Sox some other way, but it isn't like a pitcher blowing out his elbow. That was a freak, and has led to more problems. He's still pretty good when he plays.

Of course you would agree. You can't ever find fault with JR, KW or RH. Granted, some of the criticism is a bit meatheaded. But there is some that is warranted. And the record, the draft picks, the trades, the free agent choices....a lot of it leaves a lot to be desired.

They also spent money on guys like Adam Dunn. Jeff Keppinger. If it is as impossible as you suggest to add good players other than the draft, the White Sox are going to be bad a very long time.

Color me shocked this post was coming. The prospects have sucked. But they have always managed to get major league players for many of them. They have made some poor decisions. Balta's argument suggests the only way to add to your team is via free agency.

So the G League is going to offer potential one and dones a $125k contract. Skip college, turn pro,but not the NBA for at least a year. Make some cash. They can hire agents, and get endorsements.

It wasn't a high bar to get over. From Jim Callis: After hitting the jackpot in four straight years with Jack McDowell, Robin Ventura, Frank Thomas and Alex Fernandez from 1987-90, the White Sox experienced one of the worst first-round droughts in Draft history. They had 20 first-rounders from 1991-2009 and turned them into 14 big leaguers, none better than Kip Wells and Gordon Beckham. Wells and Beckham have combined for 15.4 Wins Above Replacement, while the other dozen have totaled -4.2.

I agree. People are excited about Daniel Palka. He hits some balls really hard and really far. But, according to fangraphs own rule of thumb chart, his 0.7 fWAR translates to scrub. Scrub0-1 WARRole Player1-2 WARSolid Starter2-3 WARGood Player3-4 WARAll-Star4-5 WARSuperstar5-6 WARMVP6+ WAR