caulfield12

Better get Kopech in there soon. Can't give up this third run.

And this is the Cease we all worried about...despite all the talent in the world.

Didn't quite catch it cleanly.

What next? Giolito was surely robbed by LaRussa running him out there in the 5th...

And the Astros were pretty bad defensively last year...thought that was a gapper for sure off the bat.

Absolutely electric environment. Put this on permanent replay for everyone in the organization to reflect (again) on the value of HFA. Cease at 99-100…amped up so much, hope he can sustain this for at least 5 or possibly 6.

Seems he has been too relaxed and Ventura-esque, trying to prove he could be cool or tolerant in his old age. Just not a good fit…when he’s going against certain aspects of his nature as a manager. Say what you will about Ozzie and Cora, but they had their teams ready to play…at least until 2011. This team under Renteria and now LaRussa still hasn’t developed an identity…we have a lot of speed, but don’t use it, or are afraid of getting Moncada and Robert hurt. Bad defense. Inconsistent fundamentals, like runners from 3rd or simply holding runners on. Consistently throwing to the wrong bases or missing cutoff men. Lack of situational hitters who can make adjustments or hit against shifts instead of grounding right into DP’s. We have big personalities…especially TA, and quiet leaders like Abreu, but this team has never seemed cohesive ever since the first series of bullpen disasters in Anaheim. We do have the trademark inconsistent offense, albeit with more walks due to Grandal and Moncada this year. But if you stacks the two lineups up against each other, Robert and Grandal are perhaps the two positions the White Sox have a clear advantage at. And we’re just not getting enough from our aces to even things out…and nothing yet from Kopech or Rodon.

There’s something a little off about wanting to court or risk mental health issues. Cheering that on? Why? Boredom? Rubber necking when passing an accident site? You always want to err on the side of caution in these situations. Because you never know the real life consequences, and asking to be banned repeatedly is a flashing red warning sign. This is far from a self help or therapy site, it might be even be the diametrically-opposed opposite, based on numerous disagreements on Covid and politics over the years. I’m sure the mods can survive getting called out. Certainly, there are and always will be posters who take extreme positions or simply enjoy playing Devil’s Advocate or maybe even are courting attention for whatever reason, but it’s still a privately-controlled entity and free service and will probably always be managed that way. There won’t be an IPO or NFT’s of banner art. It seems Parkman has a need to participate in quite public boards, but he also has to consider the repercussions for his personal life, career and mental health. In some ways the site can be a comforting, familiar place…but it can also bring out one’s worst instincts as well if one chooses to take things too personally or feels attacked/ganged up on.

He at least fills a massive LH need in the lineup. If Seager’s getting $225+ million despite his injury history, the White Sox might as well give up. It means we get Story, Simmons or Baez, at best. And the dynamic of the lineup hardly changes at all. Might as well just play Burger there until he gets hurt again. Buying high on Semien is just another version of the Dunn deal waiting to happen…compounded by the fact he was originally brought up by the Sox.

What about TLR’s hire and this particular playoff series hasn’t played out exactly to the worst initial fears of most Sox fans? Of course, if that isn’t enough, we inevitably get Groundhog Day 2 next year as well.

Seager or Story are more realistic…but it will undoubtedly be Andrelton Simmons since KW was in love with him a decade ago. Or Baez, but he’s such a prototypical feast or famine guy, it would be too fitting for this lineup. If you want to win in the postseason, you definitely need a guy like Seager or Correa, though. If they could stay healthy, that is. Hate the idea of overpaying for Semien’s homer binge this year, then getting 18-20 next year…the Cesar Hernandez Effect.

Ah, the silent majority argument. Your problem is that most message board posters are a bit more extreme, as by definition those reasonable posters who are reticent to express their opinions usually aren’t drawn to call in shows or participating on public boards in the first place…they certainly don’t have time to report micro-transgressions to board moderators on a bi-monthly basis.

Just realized that the 2017 Indians were up 2-0 against the Yankees and lost three in a row, one of just ten times in MLB history that has happened in 3 out of 5 format. So that means the AL Central actually is on an abysmal 1-16 run in the postseason going back to those two Indians’ losses, with the only win in a string of 17 total games being Giolito’s against the A’s in Game 1. Well, that’s almost as bad as Bellinger’s 2/52 against the Giants that he broke last night with a two run double.

Well, the comments after Game 2 on Kimbrel suggest there’s definitely a growing divide…or at least brought it out into public view. (Just wish we could actually find out what the cost for Kris Bryant would have been, instead.)

I say we have a poll whether Ron should be a moderator…how will that vote go?

This is not Survivor with Jeff Probst. And why are you assuming only Tex might be on your side from the moderating standpoint?

Depth. Tucker is having a 2019 Moncada season, and Alvarez is a monster. Imagine the Dodgers with him in there for Muncy instead. Pitching and pen is just good enough.

There were quite a few of us speaking out that day that Kimbrel in a non~closing role was a recipe for disaster. It was just a guess or intuition...but you shouldn't base your postseason chances on a hunch if you're a major league front office paid hundreds of thousands or millions cumulatively to make these decisions. Would love to know who was for and against, internally. And then there was a lot of whispers about him (Madrigal) rubbing some the wrong way, his earnest religious beliefs that also could potentially be divisive. You'd like to think they would have weighed all that more carefully. Long term, all those injuries will weigh down his base running and fielding, the two areas along with contact hitting he was supposed to be really good if not a notch below elite. And all that said, he was really coming into his own before the injury, looking more and more comfortable, confidence coming back from OSU form.

I'd almost rather have Hamilton starting, but none of those possibilities but Sheets have any type of positive rhythm offensively. No idea why Mendick is even on the roster.

Let's say they did have Bohm or Kelenic instead...Sox wouldn't be any better off, at least this year. The biggest problem is largely missing on their evaluations with pitchers in recent drafts.

The lines are getting better and better. Petras just does enough to win, similar to Stanzi, Stanley and Beathard. Of course, Ragaini was open by 15 yards on that play action... All that said, forgot they get a bye week before WI, but Purdue, in Evanston (hard to imagine this year) and at Nebraska if Frost doesn't lose control of that program are all tough games. Beating Ohio State or Michigan State are also going to be a huge challenge as well in eventual title game. Losing Riley Moss if the knee injury's serious is another tough blow to overcome. All that said, whenever they get a really hyped recruiting class (once a decade) it's usually counterproductive because the Iowa tradition is transforming 2-3 star recruits into NFL draft picks.

The only (immediately) foreseeable issue is the stadium one...and one can argue declining population/tax base, sure, but the same thing is true of Detroit and Cleveland, in particular. Kansas City will never be more than a mid to small market team, with Minnesota forever stuck in the mid-market tier just like the Cardinals.

I don't think Iowa is better than even 2015, but their toughest remaining game is at Camp Randall in two weeks. But I also don't believe any of those remaining teams have the talent to win on neutral fields, unless Caleb Williams of OU wins the Heisman as a true freshman (or plays at that level from here on out), but B12 defenses are just too soft. And even most objective Iowa fans will admit PSU probably wins with Clifford still in for the second half.

And still think there's a pretty good chance SEC or Big 10 could send two teams each this year...with Cincy on the outside looking in again.

Guess the difficulty of winning in the road in such a hostile environment was slightly overlooked. Nearly everyone asserting today was the best crowd in Kinnick history, at least going back 36 years ago to #1/2 matchup against Michigan (that I was so fortunate to be at as a high school sophomore).