caulfield12

Can't believe Collins didn't bunt there. Maybe Conforto's just not comfortable doing so, but he was 0-5 with 4 K's going into that AB.

Just goes to show you that minor league success doesn't immediately translate. Kelly, pretty sure, was leading the minors in hitting or hits or something like that but has struggled so far in the bigs. At .133 now.

Nate Jones with the good 'ol self-inflicted inning looming. Harrelson must be going batty. Had him down 0-2, which is the worst part of all...to put the go-ahead run on 2nd when Lagares is probably a 650ish career OPS guy. Jones isn't throwing high 90's now. Only 95.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 01:47 PM) I dont think you can keep batting Abreu at the top of the order while he's slumping. If Im Hahn, I am bringing up Coats and Hayes while Jackson is away and dropping Abreu down to 6th. Eaton CF Coats RF Cabrera LF Frazier 3B Hayes DH Abreu 1B Lawrie 2B Saladino SS Navarro C I think you're overestimating how high the organization and/or Ventura are on Hayes and Coats. I can see ONE addition, but not too completely inexperienced rookies without a pedigree. Not on a second place team in the middle of the playoff hunt. They need Shuck because they prefer to keep Eaton in RF. Now Sands' spot, sure, one of those guys could change places. Unless they're willing to give up on Avi...which is still at least 2-3 weeks away from happening, at least.

Should be easy if he can just get past Neil Walker...

QUOTE (Baron @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 01:41 PM) Anybody hear the Padres Exec Ron Fowler's interview today? The honesty was extremely refreshing. No bulls*** answers. LINK? That inning would have been a better opportunity to put Eaton in motion to try to get him to second base somehow...than running with Abreu at 1st and Frazier hitting.

Man, Abreu is really really not seeing or driving the ball well.

Eaton with a nice at-bat here so far...battling.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 01:34 PM) Strategy/playing the percentages with two lefties coming up. I blame Ventura for it succedding If Cespedes was actually available (to hit for Conforto), it would have tested that theory. But, yeah, it worked this time. Because then you would have had Duke, Albers or Jones against Yoenis.

Lots of Sox names in this one. DeAza, now Addison Reed into the game. (Let's just hope he pretends we are the Detroit Tigers in the 2nd half of 2012).

Cespedes has to be banged up...not using him here doesn't make sense. Ventura would have to keep Duke in or bring in Albers/Jones. Got bailed out by Collins. Can't believe Duke struck out the side there.

Yeah, hard to imagine we can get through this game and somehow avoid using Albers unless we get the lead in the top of the 8th and can give the ball directly to Nate Jones...

Yeah, it's hard to win when Eaton and Abreu are both scuffling, and even Melky's cooled down a little as well. Obviously Garcia and Lawrie had been trending downwards, and then you have Jackson (who had his best stretch going recently) out of the line-up. Struggle to score more than 2-3 runs against good pitching.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 01:22 PM) Probably not a coincidence that the Sox struggled as he has slumped. Probably because every time he opens up his mouth and speaks to the media (this one a big USA Today feature column) or via Twitter, he ends up saying something regrettable. Just kidding. Well, 50% at least. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2...-game/85233580/

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 01:21 PM) You get a 3-1 fastball over the plate where he likes it and he takes. On pitch trax, it's a bit lower and to the outside half of the strike zone...but lefties usually do prefer low fastballs historically.

Gutsy call there to go with a change-up or curveball...Avila was up in the count 3-1. Can't ask for a better swing than Saladino gave them there, though. Now, about that catching situation, Mr. Hahn.

Uh-oh. Duke warming up. Not the words that you want to hear, but we have no choice but to use him I guess. Ventura would get ripped for using Purke, so there's no way not to be second-guessed with bullpen decisions. Saladino can be a hero again today...nice swing, hit the ball too hard and almost right at Conforto. Rollins will be the PH if it gets past Avila to the pitcher's spot.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 01:08 PM) Zach Putnam has been quietly very good for most of the year. He was even better in 2014. This season is something in between last year and 2014. Lagares is playing kind of lackadaisical defense in CF for someone with his reputation...he played Shuck's ball earlier into a hit and got a death look from deGrom.

Atta boy, Todd. 17th homer...leading the majors. They'd been consistently busting him inside so he stepped into the bucket and made an adjustment. Sitting on that pitch..."waiting in the weeds." Smart hitter.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 09:42 AM) This team is not trading Todd Frazier while 2 games out of first place, no matter how many random things you put into a list. Okay, I don't even know what you were talking about since you referenced 2008 which was a playoff season and then didn't clarify which season you were actually referring to..."This team would need a 2008 style meltdown season (not bad month) to get to the point where they think about it." And then I followed up by pointing out ONE season when the White Sox were patient and didn't blow things up. Which is actually positive/encouraging in the same way Greg Hibbard was attempting to be with his thread. Hmmm...

Some Ventura decisions that will be second-guessed. Not walking Rivera to face deGrom, although the pitcher actually walked (and Rivera's a poor hitter historically)...but the Mets' announcers were surprised at the time. And deGrom, even though he looks like a righty version of Sale physically, can actually hold his own as a hitter. Having Abreu running with Frazier (obviously not a contact hitter) batting. PHing Sands and pulling Gonzalez out of the game with only 85 total pitches...exposing the back end of the bullpen

Adam Eaton wants to be the next Sox manager!!!! From the Hawk School of Baseball “I go home,” says Eaton. “I sit on my dock. I fish. I drink beer. And I relax. I don’t look at anything media. I don’t look at anything that’s written. I don’t even know what slugging percentage is. I don’t follow that. I think it’s people from Harvard that want jobs and want to create jobs and stats. Honestly, I don’t put much emphasis in any of that. I let my eyes tell me what to do. "Even in the outfield, if a guy -- if the stats say he’s going to pull this ball but he’s fouling every ball off to my left, I’m not going to go with the stats, I’m going to go with my gut. For me that’s telltale of a good baseball player. You can look at all the stats and all the sabermetrics that you want but realistically it’s your heart and understanding the game and understanding body language with what you think is best.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2...-game/85233580/

I just think it's interesting to see where we stand against them. Obviously, record in different leagues is just ONE of many possible measures or comps. And also for the same reason the Tribune's Crosstown Classic "All-Star selections" are so oft-debated, Arrieta vs. Sale, used to be Abreu vs. Rizzo, etc. Something to talk about or discuss.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 08:52 AM) With as hard as it has been for the White Sox to find dependable position players, especially at third, it really isn't reality to suggest that Frazier is going anywhere. This team would need a 2008 style meltdown season (not bad month) to get to the point where they think about it. And in reality, I really think they trade a guy like Quintana as they know they can produce pitching, before a guy like Frazier goes. 2007? 2009? 2011? 2013? 2015? It's important to note here they were VERY close to blowing up the 2010 team and gave it a couple more weeks (and were rewarded big-time for that patience)....resulting in a 26-5 run. Now if the White Sox would have been better off starting the rebuild then instead of 2013, I'll leave it for someone else to argue.

http://www.southsidesox.com/2016/5/31/1181...e-sox-backslide Pretty well-written article about the managerial situation as of now...