caulfield12

Can’t get enough of this conversation and the “two strikes guy” in the background.

I mean how many times do the Sox do things that have never even been done once in MLB history? Sox LHBers against RHP. Hitting with bases loaded has to be close to bottom for 1/3rd of a season. First or only intentional walk in decades with two strikes on a hitter. Leading the Majors in CNN non baseball related stories since hiring. Most embarrassed fans since Bevington. Most questionable leadoff hitters with Ops numbers under 600 and even 500. Most obvious lack of awareness about rules changes such as extra inning ghost runners...see Hendriks debacle. Least PHers used in history. Most bullpen changes. Most money ever spent on said bullpen west of NYC. Top Five or Three for oldest managers. Have to look that one up. Third. Mack 87, McKeon 80. LaRussa 78. Stengel 74. Etc.

This doesn't seem like it will earn 21 laugh emojis in one fell swoop, but, then again...some bold "fire" emojis perhaps.

No knowledgeable Sox fans believed Sheets was more than a platoon hitter, at best...with limited defensive options. The White Sox just don't have that type of success with non first round draft picks...until they move on to other organizations like a Semien or Luis Gonzalez, although Gonzo will eventually come back down to earth. Plus, the idea of trading him left pretty much no LH hitting candidates, since Hahn whiffed on addressing that need the entire offseason. Or he put all his eggs in the Conforto and not Joc Pederson basket. Unlikely they were ever really in on him, though.

Sounds more like Espada. But then those kind of moves are inpracticalities when most candidates are on other contending teams right now.

Pretty much no way to field a lineup without four bad hitters and whatever Mendick is...unfortunately.

Yep they have ReyLo at mlb.com Pollock Vaughn Robert Abreu Burger (DH) Moncada (3B) Grandal Harrison Mendick No Leury against a RHP. Pollock hitting first is going to be the biggest question mark. Burger off the field after yesterday.

That was the whole argument against Machado. And one that didn’t age particularly well. And then again with Giolito, which might be the right move but not if a trade can’t be successfully executed to replace him.

A record-setting payroll was not enough to work with?

Fair enough. You certainly plan for that last year to go bad, but none of the the Central teams can easily absorb three full years for two of the most highly paid guys in Keuchel and Yasmani. Certainly not without one of Robert Moncada or Jimenez playing like a superstar. And with Vaughn badly out of position.

Nobody mentioned Bochy. Beltran would be another name...for someone specifically to get through to the Latin American players like Renteria had a gift for.

91 years old? I can't imagine another full year like this, let alone more than a decade.

If all you get is 1 1/2 seasons out of 4 it's not exactly a massive success. In fact, he will end up blocking a solution to the problem...which will just perpetuate the cycle of personnel issues that kicked off with the Kimbrel trade and just spun out of control.

Through until the window has realistically closed to compete...then jumping ship? If they do that, the outcry about pulling his HoF status might become a reality with another year or two of this never ending train wreck.

Who the hell would go out and buy season tickets if KW left or was fired? It's Hahn LaRussa or selling the franchise. There are only three choices if they don't make the postseason. And naming let's say an internal candidate like Jeremy Haber wouldn't stave off the pitchforks either. Why would we expect different results?

Up until Hahn they had a solid record taking guys off the scrap heap and making something out of them. Marte, Thornton, Jenks, deAza, Floyd, Quintana, Sergio Santos, Dye, Loiaza, Contreras, AJ, Iguchi, Pods, Crain, Thome, the list under KW goes on and on. Something changed in 2011 with the Dunn group and they've never gotten back that mojo again. Or you could even push it back to the flameouts of Beckham and Viciedo if you prefer. They had all that time from the second half of 2016 through 2019/20 and almost nothing to show for it. Bad draft choices other than TA7, Sale and Rodon, who underperformed until last year. Targeting relievers and collegiate/advanced hitters. Aaron Bummer was one of the best system products, which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. But they had all that playing time to give away and perhaps the best two were Narvaez and Avisail Garcia. Then they obviously missed or were simply outworked or out hustled on a bunch of evaluations like Semien, Escobar, Tatis Jr., Bassitt, Montas, Devenski, etc. Yes a lot of names...that all boil down to core shrinking by the day, but also getting older and pricier simultaneously.

The Angels are never going to give Rick Hahn a blank checkbook. That would be the definition of insanity.

But the White Sox are still barely favorites over the Twins right now. They clearly underestimate LaRussa's ability to further screw things up horrifically. https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/tony-la-russa-defends-strange-intentional-walk-decision-after-it-backfires-in-white-sox-loss-vs-dodgers/ Really detailed takedown of TLR and exactly why he was wrong... "La Russa's judgment has been questioned since he assumed his post before last season, and the White Sox's underperformance to date has led to fans and media members alike wondering if he should be allowed to finish the campaign. If La Russa keeps making decisions like the one he did on Thursday -- decisions that feel wrong at the time and after the fact, and that backfire immediately -- the calls for his dismissal will only grow louder."

CHICAGO — Max Muncy believed he was in a much better place Thursday. During the sixth inning, Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa dared him to prove it. In a stunning, unexpected and inexplicable piece of decision-making, La Russa decided to not only intentionally walk Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner with Muncy on deck, but do it in a 1-and-2 count after a wild pitch opened up first base. In a cathartic, emotional and perhaps season-altering sequence that followed, Muncy not only made La Russa pay by crushing a three-run home run, giving him five RBIs in the Dodgers’ 11-9 win. The fiery infielder might also have rediscovered part of his old self in the process. “I’m glad they did it,” teammate Freddie Freeman said with a smirk. “Because I think it got us Max Muncy back." https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2022-06-09/dodgers-white-sox-max-muncy-trea-turner-tony-larussa

"The baseball mind in me gets it," said Muncy. "At the same time, I don’t know that walking someone with two strikes is ever the right move." TLR " ... Now if (Will) Smith was hitting behind him, it would have been a different thing. But Muncy's there, it's an easy call." "If Turner (gets) a hit there, I'd be walking into the lake or something because that would've been stupid. And (Sousa) did get ahead of Muncy (in the count)." Turner's 10-for-39 (.256) this season with two doubles, no walks and 17 strikeouts when the count gets to 1-2. Muncy, who has a .159 average and .626 OPS this season, has a higher batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage against left-handed pitching in his career. "Obviously my year has sucked up to this point," Muncy said. "Trea has been really good. But in the moment, I was animated." https://theathletic.com/news/white-sox-intentional-walk-trea-turner-1-2-count/O7NVYmGAsMJo/

What about disinflation or stagflation?

AJ Pierzynski has quietly thrown his hat into the ring.

Sounds like Survivor..."your journey ends here."