Dick Allen

What is amazing is how many replay challenges wind up pretty much not enough evidence to overturn. (I think the 2 extra cameras thing they floated to Hawk is BS as I have walked around USCF plenty, and haven't seen extra cameras anywhere for replay purposes only).

I am not watching this on TV, but if Navarro said it hit him, it hit him. Whether the replay shows enough evidence is the question.

QUOTE (chw42 @ May 11, 2016 -> 02:05 PM) Avi's reverting to his weak contact ways. Uh oh. He hit a shot last night that cleared the bases. Pretty hard to maintain what he had been doing.

Apparently, last night's loss wasn't very demoralizing.

Hero worshippers. Let it be known, Trayce Thompson hit a walk off homer last night.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 11, 2016 -> 01:08 PM) The wind has been a big factor in this series for sure. I also think he may have thought he was a little closer to the wall than he was.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 11, 2016 -> 12:26 PM) So, who should have pitched then? That is the question and the only person who answered was Caulfield who said Duke/Albers/Putnam. Duke and Albers pitched the 8th. I imagine Putnam would have got the 9th, so Robin did what he wanted and he still moaned.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 11, 2016 -> 11:27 AM) 1) On the road in Texas, where no lead is ever safe...don't think I'd say that about any other stadium, maybe Wrigley when the wind's blowing out. 2) The best hitters on the Rangers were due up. 3) You had the feeling all game long, especially after Desmond's homer and then the Sox only scoring one and leaving the bases loaded (again) that it was really going to play like a 3 run lead. 4) He pitched himself into high leverage and needed to be pulled after the first or definitely the second batter reached. Mazara and Odor have simply been crushing the ball recently. You can't have a guy who crushes RHP from the left-hand side of the plate teeing off on Carroll. I think I said in the middle of that at-bat I wish he'd just give up a homer and cut the lead down to 2 because those situations have a way of continuing into huge innings as opposed to clearing the bases with a homer and having to start over. It's like the line-up keeps growing more and more confident as you keep the line moving and the pitcher can never relax with all those runners on base every time he looks around. If it was 6-7 runs, you don't worry. But 5 or under, well, anything can and will happen. So you draw the line at the lead the Sox had. You do realize a 6 run lead would have still been a loss, and a 7 run lead would have meant at the very best extra innings. And if you didn't use Carroll earlier, guess who would have been basically the only guy available in the 10th of a tie game?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 11, 2016 -> 10:56 AM) Well, with Rodon, Latos and Gonzalez...it seems there might be plenty of opportunities in the near future. For a couple of innings, it was looking like Rodon wouldn't make it to the 5th or even the 4th. The problem in this case is your closer was overextended the night before, Jones and Putnam both pitched (I think it was 22 pitches), Duke/Albers/Putnam were the best options in that particular situation (overall)....and clearly Jennings wasn't going out for multiple innings two consecutive nights. In the last week, Albers has seen his stuff lose its earlier crispness. Duke pitched, Albers pitched, so Robin did exactly as you wanted, yet you still complained. After the fact. No surprise.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 11, 2016 -> 10:38 AM) Wtf when did he go on the dl? That makes more sense to me then. I will say then that the team put rv in a bad spot. Carroll never should have been the guy called up. Longman is not needed in todays mlb. I was out hiking all day yesterday was he put on the dl prior to the game? Last Thursday.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ May 11, 2016 -> 10:35 AM) Who exactly is a mental midget? Every pitcher who gives up a run, and every hitter who isn't on base at least 2 or 3 times every game.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 11, 2016 -> 10:31 AM) Where the hell were petricka and putnam? Your mopup man is not the guy you EVER want starting the 8th up five runs. He should only be used to mop up early in games where the starter s*** the bed. Awful managing. Just awful not using a guy on the DL. He needs to be fired immediately. To think this poster thinks ROBIN is clueless.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ May 11, 2016 -> 10:26 AM) I wonder when Eaton, Abreu, Melky, Frazier, Lawrie, Jackson, etc will get a day off. They've played just about every game so far. Tomorrow and Monday

It would be nice if he could be a force. I don't think anyone can be sold yet, but hopeful. He seems like a good kid who really works hard and wants to be good. Hopefully this works.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ May 11, 2016 -> 08:59 AM) I can't crush Robin for that. Taxed late inning guys. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Let's get the series today! That's what I say. Keep the offense rolling. The Sox team OPS is suddenly pretty, pretty good.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 11, 2016 -> 08:32 AM) Go back to the gamethread. Fathom called it "inexplicable" if I remember correctly...that was before the count was 2-2 on Mazara I'm sure. Yes, Duke has been pretty lousy in high leverage situations against almost every lefty recently. Big Papi, Moreland and Chris Davis come to mind just from the past week alone. But you still go with statistical probability. You paid Duke $5 million per year for these specific situations, not Carroll. Everyone who has followed Sox baseball the past 30 years knows that no lead in Texas is ever safe, unless it's 7+. Duke, Putnam and Albers in no particular order were the priority relievers over Carroll once the situation started becoming a "clear and present danger." The bullpen was taxed. Just like your boy with the Rangers had to leave a guy in who gave up 5 walks in less than an inning. Why isn't that inexplicable? Then the people's choice Albers came in, and even if he let all the inherited runners score, the Sox would still have the lead, but he was bad. It happens. Next game. I do know if he would have pitched a taxed bullpen piece and he got hurt, that would have also been inexplicable. You and a few others have been waiting a long time to pounce on Robin. That's pretty obvious. But you pounced when it was obvious to most the problem wasn't the bullpen management. It was the performance of the pitchers.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 11, 2016 -> 08:25 AM) Great point. These are the best in the world. Again, does anyone have evidence how reliable and accurate pitch trax is? That is a good point. The one that was on Fox or TBS last year in the playoffs was either way off, or the umpires had the same issues every game. The problem is, we are talking inches. One or 2 inches makes all the difference in the world, and if you aren't working the edges of the plate, you wind up being an ex pitcher. Almost impossible to get them all right, but obviously some are much better and consistent than others. That's why I think if they aren't going to go robotic, they should make the best balls and strikes umpires just balls and strikes umpires.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 11, 2016 -> 08:28 AM) Well I have to admit, I was ready to write off Avi a few weeks ago. Happy I'm wrong. Not sure if he sustains it, but I will say this isn't just BABIP luck or the like. He does look different up there - different approach, different swing plane, more restraint, driving the ball better. I am wondering how different his swing really is. I think this might all be mental. Sure he starts with his hands lower, but if you notice ,they go back up to where they used to start pretty quickly.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 11, 2016 -> 08:21 AM) Mazara hits lefties at 630 and righties at 895. Duke should have been used there...once he got to Moreland, it was already a brush fire. Sample size. Still had a big lead. Albers pitched the previous night, I am sure Robin was hoping not to have to use him. If there are pitchers who should not ever be used on a roster, that isn't the manager's problem. But I'm sure Duke would have had no problem with Mazara, because hindsight is awesome. The move that wasn't made would have easily worked out 100% of the time.

Hamels is tough, but the Sox bats seem to be heating up. Hopefully Latos will bounce back after a couple of mediocre outings.

I think it should be one of 2 things, either get technology to call balls and strikes or make the best balls and strikes umpires permanent home plate umpires. Let the Laz Diazes of the world work the bases. Now with replay, balls and strikes is the biggest umpire issue. Everything else can be reviewed. If they aren't going to do anything about it, they probably should ban pitch trax. All it does is makes the umpires look bad. And these are the best in the world. It shows just how tough of a job it is.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ May 11, 2016 -> 07:23 AM) Man am I glad I went to bed. What in the actual f*** happened? Good luck against Hamels now lol Robin took Soxtalk's advice and used Matt Albers in a high leverage situation. It didn't work out, so Robin is back to being an idiot. He should have used his gassed relievers because last night was a must win. Now the playoff hopes really take a hit. With Latos going today, another nugget is it will be a miracle if he holds them to single digits. So basically the White Sox are screwed.

The other thing that killed them was Carroll struck Andrus out but the umpire didn't give him the call.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 10, 2016 -> 11:49 PM) 1-2-3. Don't think any team can recover from that kind of shock. Yep. Season is ova.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 10, 2016 -> 11:48 PM) I was calling for Duke as soon as Mazara was announced Isn't that what you got?