Dick Allen

Hopefully keep the team in the game Danks shows up tonight. Even when Danks was at his peak, when he was bad, he was really bad. He just is bad more often these days.

The haters should be comforted in knowing that when Robin gets back from this "vacation", he will only have 2 days the next 4 weeks he won't be required to work. Slacker.

I don't like KW, but his story with Sale has been the same since it happened. There is no hindsight here. Sale could have flopped, could have broken down injured, then KW would have been full of hot air, as he usually is, but this time, spot on.

QUOTE (Mike F. @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 01:12 PM) Hypothetically, if Sale retired today, would his number be retired by the Sox? No way.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 12:28 PM) For those who haven't read this, there is a ton of high praise from people like Randy Johnson, Jerry DiPoto, and Don Cooper who called him the best pitcher he has everhad. I'll be seeing the Big Unit tomorrow night at the Rush show. He is their Joe Photo. And before he really took off and was still sort of struggling with Seattle, Randy Johnson almost became a White Sox. The trade was so close, they had a uniform for him hanging in their clubhouse.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 12:14 PM) Because his number isn't retired...since they didn't have numbers...people tend to forget one of the greatest pitchers of all-time pitched for the Sox. It is retired in a way. No one will ever go numberless again.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 10:31 AM) It would be different if the Sox were the only ones who did it. Heck he wasn't even the only owners kid drafted yesterday. That isn't even getting into all of the coaches kids drafted, etc. After the White Sox selected Carey Schueler, they actually drafted 3 guys who played in the major leagues, including Placido Polonco who put up over a 41 WAR for his career. He didn't sign.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 10:34 AM) Now you're going back from a 3-2 count to a general plate appearance. This is pointless. Either way, my original point in the thread was that we should generally stop running with Avi. It's way less stupid to do it in that situation than it was to do it in the 3-1 count his prior caught stealing, granted. The first time he ran, it was 2-1 when he ran. The pitch he ran on was a ball to make it 3-1.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 10:22 AM) Are you for real? It's 24% chance of a positive, 27% chance of a negative and 49% chance of a neutral. And that's without considering infield liners, which extends the gap even further. It's net negative. And even with your numbers, 73 is much higher than 27 and Avi is still 50/50 into second. The way this team has been bouncing into DPs, they are trying to do something about it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. With a runner on 1st and less than 2 out in his career, Soto has 540 plate appearances and has grounded into a DP 69 times. And even on a strikeout Avi is 50/50 into second.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 10:02 AM) I'll reply here since the thread you made the comment in is closed. I am not wrong. He may have a .497 OBP, but that's mostly down to walks. In a 3-2 count, he gets hits 14% of the time. He puts the ball in play for outs a further 24% of the time. Of this, let's presume he hits his career average 40% grounders. That means he hits 10% grounders. He strikes out 27% of the time. So that's 24% chance of a ground ball or hit, where running is advantageous, 27% chance of a strikeout, where it's disadvantageous, with the rest being walks or fly outs (neutral) or infield liners (disadvantageous). I'm right, you're wrong. And that's purely assuming an average runner, whereas this whole thing started because I stated that Avi was below average. There is a far greater chance of a positive or neutral result than negative.

QUOTE (harkness @ Jun 11, 2015 -> 09:18 AM) I have never seen this before. I really don't care if Ventura misses... it's nice that the Sox organization isn't being facist to its manager. Just going to be honest this and last year missing games for graduations.... Can someone give me a similar example? I can't think of one. Cooper missed time earlier this season for I believe the same thing. As far as players, MLB does now have a Paternity Leave policy, which covers 72 hours. But in the grand scheme of things, Robin's #1 job is being a dad, not making out the White Sox line up, and it's pretty likely he would have been back Sunday if it wasn't a coast to coast, west to east, day game. It's nice that the organization understands this as well.

Since being 8-14, they have played 4 over .500 without playing well. Rodon in the rotation helps. Sale, IMO, getting up to speed after missing spring training helps. Q is been much better lately. Get Samardjiza going, some guys starting to hit better, and who knows what happens. As great as everyone wants to make out the AL Central, each team has some major flaws. The fact that the Sox probably have a much better record than they should I find encouraging. They have to regress to the mean which would mean some guys are really going to be playing pretty well soon. There is no question in my mind Melky will be much better. Eaton will be much better. Alexei will be much better. Abreu will be much better. To me the key is Samardjiza. If he starts pitching like they thought he would when acquired, it is going to be hard to beat this team. That would be 4 top guys. It is so funny how little respect Q gets. The advanced numbers say for the past 3 1/2 seasons, he's been just as good as Jon Lester. Yet he makes more than $100 million less, and is younger.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 10:15 PM) I said adjustments can be made but I'm still right. You said the chance of a groundball/hit was higher than a K. I believe I have demonstrated that not to be true. As if to prove it, Soto just came up with a runner at first, looked at a strike, swung at a strike and looked at 4 straight balls. He just doesn't perform in a way that it's optimum to run with him there, particularly with my gripes about Avi not being a good runner. No you are not. You are also ignoring the count. Soto in his career has a .497 OBP with a full count. Again the only plays that hurt are infield liners and strikeouts. Anything else either doesn't matter or it helps he was running.A fly out, Avi gets back to first, a pop out, same thing. It is worth the gamble, now be like you want Hawk and Stome to be and just admit you are wrong.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 09:57 PM) Well that just strengthens my argument. If it's merely to stay out of the double play, that means you're expecting Soto to behave like he does in a normal at-bat. And Soto swings just 40% of the time, puts the ball in play about 35% of the time, and gets groundballs on his balls in play just 40% of the time. Therefore, he hits a groundball on roughly 6% of pitches. He gets hits on about 10% of pitches. He takes called strikes about 27% of the time and swinging strikes about 10% of the time. Therefore I have the chances at a groundball or hit at about 16% and a strikeout at about 37% of the time. Adjust somewhat for a 3-2 count if you want to but it's not gonna make up the difference. But you are ignoring the situations his running is a push. The only gamble is striking out and lining out. Plus with 3 balls his chances for a walk are heightened.

QUOTE (Chris Sale @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 09:52 PM) If it was, it means that Soto isn't taking signs, which opens another set of manager concerns. That being said, you're right --- probably was just a double play avoidance tactic. Full count it is a very common move

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 09:43 PM) I'm not wrong about the hit and run. And I just said I'd be unsure about groundball/hit v K, not that it's wrong. I'm simply asking why you think that. It wasn't a hit and run

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 09:40 PM) No it doesn't. A hit and run is best used when: a) the batter is someone who does not frequently strike out, b) at a time when the count won't disadvantage a hitter if he takes a bad swing and c) with a runner fast enough to take second base even if the batter does strike out. The Sox didn't have a, b or c. And why do you think a ground ball or a hit is more likely than a K? Genuine question, just briefly thinking about it without running numbers I'd be really unsure about that. Run the numbers. You are wrong.the 2 bad things are a K and a line out in the infield. There is more than a 50% chance that doesn't happen.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 09:06 PM) He was probably safe today by an inch, which is not enough when you have to steal bases 70+% of the time for it to be worth it. He's 9 for 20 on his career now. Soto is a flyball hitter who is striking out 34% of the time. The chance of a strikeout is higher than a ground ball. Ground ball + hit is greater than k. So the play makes sense

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 09:01 PM) Not really. He was safe last night and a lot of people say he was safe today. Running to steal and running to stay out of a DP or running for a hit and run are 2 different things Exactly. He wasn't concerned about getting a big jump. Totally different situations.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 10, 2015 -> 08:51 PM) Why the f*** does this team keep trying to run?? Ironically he was running to stay out of a DP

It is about to rain

Only Soxtalk would complain the manager they complain is managing won't be managing. His daughter goes to college in CA, the Sox are in FL. Typically 2 games are missed but it is not practical he gets back for the Sunday afternoon game.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 9, 2015 -> 10:15 PM) Don't give in to Springer. Of course, behind him is Altuve...maybe the best hitter in the AL. Yeah Mike Trout is no Jose Altuve.

Sox have been running the bases better lately.,Still some dumb things from time to time but not daily.