caulfield12

Already beginning a lot better than Giolito's start yesterday, so there's that...quickly two down. Looking too easy, like most of his starts in the first 3-4 innings so far.

Steve Stone quietly/not so quietly making his move for GM??? Because he definitely doesn't want to be a field manager, not his style...not something he would be particularly well-suited for, temperamentally. Can't imagine him being held to account answering questions post-game. Just as prickly as Cooper.

So basically the entire organization is a California wildfire right now, great news!!!!! As if we don't already have enough problems surrounding the team. Well, Stone and Chip went there once with the Cubs, highly doubt Benetti is willing to stick his neck out to get it chopped off, maybe Stone's looking for a way out of the Sox booth and this is his way of nudging that door open a crack. But who REALLY knows what's going on behind the scenes? James Fegan? Joe Cowley, lol? Spymaster Cooper?

That's too suggestive of a headline there...ambiguous, he's definitely not going to officially throw him under the bus, it's more Stone being snarky but not committing to putting himself in a position he can't easily joke his way out of if KW or Hahn was to ask him what the hell he was thinking???

SouthSideSox? I jest.

Which requires, you guessed it, masterful talent evaluation and/or development. Ideally both?

Once again, give me a good option besides Springer and Pederson... Left Fielders Michael Brantley (34). Maybe, but aging/oft injured vets in 30s for White Sox usually work out so wonderfully well? Ryan Braun (36) — $15MM mutual option with a $4MM buyout No no hell no Yoenis Cespedes (35) Ummm...maybe, call me crazy Leury Garcia (30) Option controlled by Sox for $3.25/3.5 million Brett Gardner (37) — $10MM club option for 2021 Umm. Already discussed this offseason but even older Marwin Gonzalez (32) Steal from Twins...Astros numbers thing of the past Alex Gordon (37) Hahn lucked out once. Double down in foolishness? Brad Miller (31) No no no Marcell Ozuna (30) See 19-20 offseason debates, great numbers overall so far year. Will be in huge demand if that form keeps up through playoffs. Joc Pederson (29) Horrible season so far strictly platoon bat like Mazara Hunter Pence (38) 4th/5th decorated veteran presence Center Fielders Jackie Bradley Jr. (31). KW always gets his man? Numbers way down in dumps, buy low to protect Robert defensively, hope for elusive offensive revival yet again? Jarrod Dyson (36) 2013-2016 is long gone Brett Gardner (37) — $10MM club option with a $2.5MM buyout. See above Enrique Hernandez (29) definitely ely intriguing winning highly versatile player from winning org Jake Marisnick (30) no no no Starling Marte (32) — $12.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Let's see if AZ can afford him Cameron Maybin (34) No no no Kevin Pillar (32) Maybe as Engel replacement but unlikely George Springer (31) Michael A. Taylor (30) maybe perennial underachiever has stuck around Right Fielders Jay Bruce (34). Too limited defensively. All or nothing guys we have enough of Nicholas Castellanos (29) — can opt out of remaining three years on contract. Would be buying high high high past peak value Adam Eaton (32) — $10.5MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout Haha haha. To protect women from child trafficking rings with Adam LaRoche as Sox Community Relations Ambassador?? Robbie Grossman (31). Has overachieved recently. Goes to Sox falls apart like Keppy. Matt Joyce (36) Older than Old Yeller Nick Markakis (37) fourth OF who just might have one shot left at glory? Hunter Pence (38) 4th/5th guy? Josh Reddick (34). At least interesting/intriguing but AGE issue again, would have to scout extremely well Steven Souza Jr. (32) Younger/youngish, worth a flier? Giancarlo Stanton (31) — can opt out of remaining seven years, $218MM Albert Belle Two, here we come...Sox shock the entire baseball world with Jerry signing off from deathbed...”win me another damn World Series, at this point, i don’t gaf what it costs or exactly how it it adversely affects/impacts cleverly constructed tax plans or my rotten spoiled lazy no good messing up the Bulls for yet another generation sons” There you go Sox. 14 players for KW. Put ‘em on the Big Board, now. Let’s get to work, advance scouts & Roget Bo Zard.

Drake La Roche?

Basically, the Joe Borchard Treatment...pioneered in early 2000’s.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2020-01-01&enddate=2020-12-31&sort=19,d&page=5_30 Abreu and Grandal being listed as two worst... Luis Robert 19th in fWAR (0.9). Leaders, Yaz and Tatis, Jr., tied at 1.7, 0.3 clear of Betts and 0.5 ahead of Br.Lowe (TB).

The mood with Eloy clowning his way into nets, tarps, side walls, Leury done, Mazara v. Engel in RF, McCann v. Grandal for catching time and McCann twice not catching Lucas G leading to disaster and Abreu vs. Keuchel for "veteran leader" really couldn't disintegrate much more precipitously with Puig. He was well loved in CLE and Cincy by all of his teammates to a man... who give a flying f--k right now, they have something seriously wrong with this organization and it needs to be excised or exorcised or whatever "EX" prefixed word you choose to apply as the cure.

Oops, think of Rick Carlisle being with Celtics as a player, not Mavs’ boss. Nabbing Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic in two consecutive years was absolutely huge for revitalizing that franchise after their all-time great German bomber Nowitzki was no longer serviceable...

Padres have now lost 2 games on the road with the tying runner (Mateo, don’t look around, just run) cut down at home plate to end the game (plays close enough to be under long replay reviews in both cases.) One Chris Taylor with the rifle in LA, the other late last night in ARIZ. Odds of that transpiring in roughly 20 games, pretty much slim and none. https://www.mlb.com/gameday/padres-vs-d-backs/2020/08/15/630116#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=630116

Mazara is a lesser version of Eloy Jimenez, essentially. Much better throwing arm, but about 60% of the offensive firepower needed on a corner (typically). Of course, with the Sox, Robert's immense power can compensate to an extent for someone like a Leury Garcia or Adam Eaton or whoever we can name (DeAza, for example) that's not going to hit more than 12-15 dingers. The problem is that he has to at least put up a 775-825 OPS in a platoon to have value at that position because of his defensive limitations, overall.

How many of those teams would have been in the Top 3-5 of that particular conference? Hard to compare MLB and NBA playoff scenarios, amirite? 2006 team definitely qualifies if not for great Twins/Tigers' runs, 2008 made the last week, 2010 and 2012 teams would have made the NBA playoffs if we imposed those standards on MLB. Obviously 2012 was Ventura, but if Ozzie and Buehrle stayed...very easy to extrapolate those numbers out and project. That gives you 2005/2006/2008/2010/2012 (five playoff teams) and 2007, 2009, 2011 (Dunn's debacle season) missing. 5/8=62.5% You're also talking one of the most unlimited budget teams in the NBA, and most valuable franchises historically. Not exactly fair to compare to the Little Sisters of the Poor Chicago White Sox/Bill Veeck, almost relocated to Trop Dome team.

It's finally time for the Little Big League managing approach, hire from the Twins/Piranhas.

Personal favorite was Hostetler on Trout, hadn't seen that particular quote before...

I highly doubt Super Joe McEwing would do much better...but hey, why not? Id take Omar Vizquel back at this point. Justin Jirschele is the one everyone is pointing to internally.

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/luis-robert-eloy-jimenez-homer-in-loss-to-cardinals Jimenez after G2 loss. “We’re going to fight.”

"That's just the game of baseball, folks." Predictably will be uttered post-game by RR. "Don't know what happened with the pen today, we have a lot of faith in our guys coming through, didn't get 'er done. Need to get on the road and bounce back quickly tomorrow." Oh, and we still haven't even faced their far and away BEST pitcher in Jack Flaherty, Giolito's high school teammate at Harvard Westlake.

2-2. The tide has completely reversed again. WHERE'S OUR VERY OWN NICHOLAS CASTELLANOS????????????????????????????????? Instead we get washed up and overpaid Parrot Guy, Grandal and Mazara Margarine...every ball just slides into open spaces in RF in patented Daniel Palka fashion.

So wonderful have the Sox scouts have been (choked out in distinctive Yoda voice) in identifying veteran players ONE YEAR LATE in their 30's instead of pulling the plug one year EARLY. Almost every single time, we're wrong. It's almost uncanny. And it makes you wonder when the next shoe to drop will be Dallas Keuchel...? Not even going to be happy the Cubs lost to the Brewers, as you can almost already pencil them into the playoffs, and surely that will be the case after going 4-2 or 5-1 against the White Sox. Seems we have to win at least one, right? But you just KNOW David Ross would love nothing more than to run over the White Sox like a runaway locomotive with no brakes. He's certainly taken notice of all the hype on the South Side and in the Chicago and even national media with Luis Robert early this year.

First plate appearance the White Sox have had with a RISP this entire game. Glad I slept through the first 2/3rd's of it. That's brutal. Ticketbuyers would have been issued refunds/rain checks in the Bill Veeck years after a shitty-ass performance for the one just witnessed.

Had Robert off balance and reaching, still poked it out to the warning track... "Wouldn't this be something if the Cardinals came out and swept the doubleheader after being out of action for 17 consecutive days..."??? Cards' announcers NOT wrong, that's a testament to their unity and Schildt's leadership of that team after they finally managed to jettison Matheny.

Rodon as the next Andrew Miller, NOT happening...