caulfield12

Outscored 45-14 now. Worst in the majors. Please KW, more inspirational speeches to the media. They always work so well. At least when Ozzie took the focus off the team, it used to work to the team's benefit until the 2011 season.

Harold Reynolds predicted 4-5 managers would be fired before the All-Star break.... The ones MLB.com showed on screen were Bryan Price, Dan Jennings, Bud Black, John Farrell and Ryne Sandberg. Bill Ripken predicted the Tigers would have one of the best records in baseball in June..."not happy in third place and would be getting Martinez and Verlander back, Anibal Sanchez should come around"

What team has gone for 7 seasons in a row without a playoff performance and has fans that are 100% content with that? (Before someone says the Cubs, it's the 25% of the Cubs' "casual" fans who come to one or two games per year on a bus or regional tour from outlying states and whose trips are planned a year in advance, not the "local" Cubs' fans who are much more invested in the team). If the fans and posters at places like SoxTalk completely gave up or didn't care about their team at all...well...wouldn't that be an even bigger problem?

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/128047826/an...ins-arent-fluke Five reasons the Twins aren't a fluke

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ May 30, 2015 -> 11:05 PM) I think Houston goes with 2 position players. If I had to predict, I'd go with: 1. Arizona-Dansby Swanson SS 2. Houston- Brendan Rodgers SS 3. Colorado- Tyler Jay LHP 4. Texas- Alex Bregman 2B 5. Houston- Daz Cameron CF 6. Minnesota- Dillon Tate RHP 7. Boston- Andrew Benintendi CF 8. Sox-Carson Fulmer RHP With Tate, Berrios, Buxton, Sano....you might be talking about the #1 farm system in the game if they all stay healthy. Berrios is probably having the #1 season of all the top pitching prospects so far. You've also got Kohl Stewart/Meyer/May/Burdi on the pitching depth side...and Dee's brother Nick (who's struggling right now) but a huge talent from all the scouting reports last season. The problem's quickly becoming not only the Royals and Tigers, but the Twins might be the best positioned to go on a long run, with Mauer's being the only really big contract on the books.

You could also make an argument we went after the wrong Oakland A's player. With Josh Donaldson at 3B, we'd undoubtedly have a better record than what we've accomplished with Samardzija. Not to mention the fact that the White Sox would control his services for another three years. With the cost savings, they would have had the money to add another veteran starting pitcher to the rotation. 1 year/$4.3M (2015) lost in arbitration with Toronto ($5.75M-$4.3M) Can't believe Donaldson lost his arbitration case when he was one of the best players in baseball for 4+ months last season.

I would just guess it's because he's very rarely pulling the ball down the RF line...against RHP. That's where the majority of triples come from. Higher quality pitching in AA, better fastballs, harder to pull into the corner unless you get some off-speed stuff or are a dead-red FB hitter. Also depends on the RCF alley in Birmingham. Unless the outfielders are way out of position, it's almost impossible to get a triple to RCF at US Cellular to that RCF gap (as opposed to bouncing around down in the corner). Last year, he had 10 triples.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 09:24 PM) I miss him already Todd Lickliter is available. Former AP NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year, "The Butler Way," etc.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 05:03 PM) Any ideas for Hoiberg's lead assistant (defense)? I was thinking about Lawrence Frank or Kurt Rambis. Any other names? Since Frank was rumored to be a top head coaching candidate for the Bulls at one point, I doubt Hoiberg would approve that one.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 05:19 PM) The starter for the Marlins tonight (Urena) is absolutely horrible. Sucks the Cubs basically get a free win going up against him. Miami's inability to keep their starting pitching healthy has killed them the last 5 years or so. Jose Fernandez hit 97 in his rehab start and threw 45 pitches. Cosart and Latos are coming around as well, but it will be too late in all likelihood.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 03:38 PM) I like the ideas. A couple thoughts: -Melky has hit into some really hard luck. If you don't watch most/all of the games, it'd be hard to know that by looking at his numbers. He has been roping the ball right at defenders for weeks. He puts the ball in play and strikes out as few as anyone in MLB (struck out 19 times this year, which is 7th least for qualifiers in MLB). I don't hate the idea of him in the 5 spot in the lineup versus the 2, but I don't think we should be down on Melky. They're gonna start falling. -I agree that Soto needs more starts, but man do I hate watching him catch. It is literally hard to watch. I feel like we said this for half the season in 2008 when Swisher was "hitting into bad luck." The main difference is that he was still taking his walks, at least. And he never should have been hitting leadoff.

Where was this inspirational speech 2-3 weeks ago when it was really needed the most? Just for the fans, timed for the prime attendance months of June/July/early August?

One good week in September of 2012 would have given the Sox the AL Central title and made Ventura AL Manager of the Year, he said. “People make incorrect assumptions about Robin’s will to manage, number one, and his intensity,’’ Williams said. “Those who question it, I can assure them this man wants to be in the dugout, wants to win, wants to improve and has improved. “He hasn’t gotten any dumber. He has a lot more managerial savvy in him.” Ventura has made decisions that have opened him to second-guessing, Williams said, but that isn’t unique to him. “Name your Hall of Famer in the dugout– you’re going to second guess that guy,’’ Williams said. And this is supposed to inspire the fans, how exactly? Maybe we should go back to that alternate reality where there's an attendance trophy and the White Sox won the World Series or at least made it to the playoffs in 1994, 2003, 2006, 2008 (Quentin didn't get hurt, he wins MVP, Javy's not "mentally weak" and we beat TB), 2010 and 2012. There. I feel much better now. (Although I would have felt a lot better had he listed some areas where the coaching staff had actually improved or adapted/evolved from 2012 to 2015).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 10:13 AM) In this thread I would also offer this thought. All of this is a process. You just don't change something overnight and have it work. The Sox have gone a long way towards changing their draft philosophy over the last few years corresponding with the changes to the CBA and the draft slotting, plus there has been more money than ever put into our system by the team. You may not see the full results for the better part of a decade. A lot of making results here is sucking really badly for a long period of time. It is how KC built their system. It is how the Cubs built their system. It is how Tampa built their system, and even more indicting is that their system has pretty well dried up corresponding with the time period of having a pretty good team for a decent period of time. We have started to see some of the results already, as the White Sox farm system is as highly rated as it has been in years. We are about to put another top prospect into it at the #8 pick, and there are rumors of some pretty good signings from Latin America, not to mention some of that talent is starting to filter into the lower levels of the minors. We are getting there, slowly but surely. But then that essentially means a 6-8 year rebuilding process like the Cubs/Astros/Rays and not one in half that amount of time... What has been the difference doing it this way? We've added about 1900 fans per game this season...at the cost of 6 years of cost-controlled Marcus Semien (at the very best, a net wash). If they don't trade Samardzija this season, the impact of this trade won't even be seen or felt in the organization until 2019 or 2020. In the end, the White Sox are still going to finish in the 25-30 range for attendance, so wouldn't it have been better to hold off one more offseason before blowing all their ammunition? Chicago fans are going to pay more attention to the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks and Cubs until the Sox have a team capable of making a deep playoff run anyway.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 09:23 AM) I didn't answer the question because no question was asked. Sigh. And it isn't my place to say if Theo should be fired, but I would bet if the Cubs lost 90 + 6 years in a row, there would be plenty of calls for his head. And if Hahn or KW lost 90 games plus 6 years in a row, you would be calling for their head. And regarding 2008, last I checked, KW hasn't written a book about how to judge players based off his success that season. But if Dayton Moore can have 6 90+ losing seasons in a row but is still a baseball genius in your mind, maybe you should cool it on all your posts about every White Sox employee needing to be replaced. Look at some of the players he passed on with these high picks. If it was KW doing it or the White Sox, you would be complaining like crazy. Since it is KC, he is doing everything right. Well, I kind of doubt that KW's every going to write a book where he donates 100% of the monies raised to charity. But here's hoping...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 08:53 AM) He also has had 6 top 8 picks as a GM. And Moore totally flopped for 6 straight 90 loss seasons. Even the 2014 White Sox didn't lose 90 games and think how horrible you think they are now and how horrible you have pegged their future. The FACT is the Royals got lucky winning the WC game, now they are some sort of model. Bubba Starling says hi. Then we should subtract the 2008 White Sox playoff appearance because we got lucky that Hahn's son chose heads over tails? You didn't answer the question, of course. Should Luhnow and Theo Epstein both be fired because of the record of the Astros and Cubs for the last five seasons prior to this one? The fact of the matter is that the last time the Royals had a playoff appearance was 29 years prior to that...the White Sox had a "playoff caliber" (and Top 10-12 MLB payroll) team as recently as 2012, and then proceeded to one of the worst two-year performance records in team history to follow that up. Yet in the middle of that stretch you just brought up, the team president of the Royals gave Moore a contract extension. Is JR about to give one to Rick Hahn and we just don't know about it? Sal Perez, Yordano Ventura and K.Herrera, FA Latin American signings (Rene Francisco, came over from Braves) Jarrod Dyson, 50th round Danny Duffy, 3rd round Greg Holland, 10th round Terrance Gore, 20th round

As soon as they have a game scoring 5+ runs against someone without two different names (Roberto Hernandez/Fausto Carmona)....then we can start getting (somewhat more) excited. If not for the Feldman injury, his final start in the rotation would have been yesterday against the Sox.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 07:52 AM) Dayton Moore author. If KW wrote a book on how to judge players, many here would laugh. Yet, Dayton Moore's Royals made the WC last year now he's a genius. He has been KC's GM since June of 2006. The Royals record: 2007 69-93 2008 75-87 2009 65-97 2010 67-95 2011 71-91 2012 72-90 2013 86-76 2014 89-73 Not really all that impressive. First 6 full seasons lost 90 + each time. By this same definition, Theo Epstein and Jeffrey Luhnow with the Astros should both be fired. They've done nothing differently than build the best farm system in baseball, something Moore and the Royals did 5 years ago. Basically, the only players that the Royals/Moore inherited were Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. (Not to mention the fact that they had to go through a complete rebuilding process of Alex Gordon because of the position change to LF, mostly through the help of former White Sox OF Rusty Kuntz). Then you had Zach Greinke (who they traded for Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain). And that was basically it. Ever heard of Jeff Austin, Kyle Snyder, Mike Stodolka, Colt Griffin and Chris Lubanski? All of them were Top 10 draft picks from previous GM's that flopped.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 08:01 AM) Al Goldis was the scouting director, and he has had a nice record drafting players. Not just his brief stint with the White Sox which got him McDowell, Ventura, Thomas, Fernandez, he also drafted Durham, signed Magglio. When he went to the Cubs, Kerry Wood. I think he was with KC when the got Bo. Was with the Angels when the drafted Devon White and Dante Bichette, and was instrumental in the Sox acquiring Roberto Hernandez as an Angels farmhand for junk. He and Himes were about as successful a duo as can be with the most limited budget in baseball. The 1990 Sox won 94 or 95 games with the lowest payroll in baseball. I think Adam LaRoche alone makes more money this year than that team made total. Art Stewart was responsible for Bo Jackson.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 07:43 AM) the biggest problem is or has been the ability to recognize talent esp in the area of drafting. lets take a look on who drafted Big Frank and Robin for starters. it goes back to the FO and lets see how that really worked? next, with the FO lack of ability to drafting, how can anyone judge the coaches, if the product is not there. the one thing that i did like was the hitting coach, when he went to the minors and talked to the other coaches. the coach Todd Steverson made it a point to see if the coaches are on the right page. now whose idea was that?? this is a great way to develop a cohesiveness thru out the whole system. great idea. before i started my campaign against the FO, i mention that i am not going to look the other way. this team with the pitchers and Jose A, was too good to waste. i was going to be truthful and critical. Larry Himes

AL CENTRAL: It might be anybody's game here, too. Minnesota, the only team utterly disregarded as a contender for the Central crown, is, naturally, sitting alone in first place at the start of June. And don't forget: The Twins will add Ervin Santana to their rotation at the midway mark. The Royals and Tigers remain elite, but Kansas City could use a rotation reinforcement and the Tigers need to get Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez back on the field. The Indians' power-armed rotation can take them far, but their defense remains a big issue and their bullpen has been shakier than expected. The White Sox have nowhere near as dynamic an offense as anticipated but still have the talent to make a charge (and if not, look for Jeff Samardzija to be dangled in trade talks). Baseball Prospectus says … Tigers (36.5), Royals (32.2), Twins (14.0), Indians (13.4) and White Sox (3.9).

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 05:46 AM) It's a bad sign. Run differential is generally the best indicator of future performance and it tends to correct itself as the season plays out. Which is what's going on right now with the Indians surging forward, and the Tigers falling back. Minnesota +21, 27-22 EWL (+3) KC +49, 30-18 EWL (-1) Detroit -1, 26-26 EWL (+2) Cleveland +4, 25-25 EWL (-1) CHW -42, 19-30 EWL (+4) Right now, not surprisingly, the Twins and White Sox have the biggest spreads between expected and actual records.

side.... The Fearful Player: This player won't trust the development process. He's a poor self-evaluator. He blames his coaches and teammates for his failure. He's often insecure about where he was taken in the draft. He can often be uncomfortable with baseball's diverse cultures, and he's always making excuses. He's consumed with self and doesn't know how to be a good teammate. Because of the importance of being able to manage failure (in baseball), his spirit will eventually be crushed. Even the player who Jim Beauchamp (Atlanta Braves' scout) would call "chosen" ends up being miserable later in his career and throughout his life. It's not about the team. There are plenty of examples of talented, producing major league players who are in the "fearful" stage. They put up great numbers, but their teammates and coaches don't respect them because because it's all about self. It's difficult for teams to win championships with players who possess these traits because they usually bring the team down. The Overcomer: The Fearless Player: This player is a great teammate. He intuitively does whatever needs to be done to help the team win. He never lets a situation, a circumstance, or an event drive a wedge between him and what he loves to do. He especially doesn't let the circumstance or situation affect the team. He understands that everyone's success is tied together. He's accountable; he doesn't make excuses. He always answers the media's tough questions. He is completely focused on what he has to do to prepare and give his best for the team each day. The bottom line: he always plays for something bigger than himself. from "More than a Season" by Dayton Moore Reading this book, it made me realize that it's not really anything wrong with Buddy Bell specifically. It's simply the fact that there's a huge disconnect between the talent level of the players we've been drafting and their make-up or moxie. Ken Harrelson kind of had it right, that will to win...the desire to outwork your opponent, to perfect your craft, to never be satisfied and constantly be looking for ways to improve. We've brought in so many talented athletes, but often they didn't have the mental/psychological acuity to adjust and deal with failure. Or they'd never experienced failure before becoming professional baseball players, so we didn't have a system in place to help them overcome struggles until it was too late and permanent "confidence" damage had been done (some critics would say inflicted). It's easy in hindsight to say it was simply poor scouting with guys like Joe Borchard, Brian Anderson, Josh Fields, Gordon Beckham, Dayan Viciedo, Jared Mitchell, Trayce Thompson, Keenyn Walker....because so few position players have gone on to success with other organizations after leaving the White Sox. Even someone like Carlos Quentin, who experienced near MVP level results but then couldn't overcome the mental side of the game and eventually succumbed to physical problems as well. I would suggest that it's not quite that simple...since we don't know how any of those guys might have turned out differently had they started their careers in other organizations, beginning with rookie ball or extended spring training. I still believe we've had as much or more talent than many organizations, but we just have a much harder time getting them to "buy in" because they tend to bring baggage with them from so many other organizations. We don't have any type of identity as an organization. Lacking in "homegrown" players who are drafted and advance level by level and learn how to win together and trust in each other just seems like it's continuing to have a "trickle down" consequence at the big league level, even with Kenny Williams no longer making the day-to-day decisions. The success stories that we do have are guys like Alexei Ramirez, Abreu, Sale and Rodon who hardly spent any time in our minor league system...and you're still seeing the lack of fundamentals in Alexei and Jose well past the time they left Cuba, because it seems like so much of major league coaching is "maintenance" and they just skipped over all the important lessons they should have learned because their sheer raw ability overcame it (or compensated for it). But certainly not enough to allow us to give up 1-2 runs every game to the opposition when the margin of talent differential has never been thinner, and every single run counts (especially in the early innings). How do you "retrain/untrain" those two or Avisail...how to improve Conor's footwork or Eaton's throwing and baserunning (mostly decision-making in both areas)...what can be done with Flowers and Soto at this point in their careers? There aren't any simple answers, but I think it has to be fixed/addressed for this team to ever be a serious pennant contender again. It worked in 2005 because Iguchi, Pods, Uribe, Crede, Rowand and Everett were all were leaders and brought out the best in their teammates. Going back to the "unselfish" idea, those were guys who weren't into their stats but mostly just wanted to win, above everything else. Buehrle, too. We were told in the offseason that LaRoche and Robertson had those same qualities, but it seems like there's just too many players who are struggling with their individual situations for it to make much of a difference from a team perspective.

The Tigers need a bullpen... David Price can't hold that rotation together singlehandedly. http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnis...oledo/28278097/ Verlander doesn't look ready to rejoin Tigers

Any type of a fire-sale is basically an impossibility, anyway. Other than Samardzija (who everyone realizes can pitch better than he has, meaning you'd be trading him lower than his value)...Alexei's in the same exact boat of "selling low" not making any sense in present or future terms unless you had a suitable replacement waiting to take his place. The fact of the matter is that they undoubtedly need Ramirez to be the player he was for much of the last two seasons to have a realistic chance at competing in 2016 anyways. Trading Cabrera, Robertson or LaRoche just isn't going to happen. The statistic that scares me the most is the fact that we're outplaying our expected wins and losses by at least three games. On paper, we should already be out of it, almost. So that's either a window of opportunity or all the late game comebacks have hidden to some degree the numerous flaws in the construction of the team. Probably a little bit of both. In the end, with such inconsistency from Rodon/Danks/Noesi, a regression from Quintana/Eaton, the terrible baserunning, defense and fundamentals, this whole situation screams +/- 5 games over or under .500 team. Another concern is simply the fact that there hasn't been much progression from some of the big pitching names in our minor league system, guys like Montas and Danish (although Adams has come on recently, he's not a factor for 2015)...in the back of your mind, you're hoping one of them (or someone like Sanburn, Crain or Nate Jones) could take a step forward and help to solidify that 7th/8th inning issue currently undermining the bullpen. With the financial resources stretched thin, it's hard to imagine adding much there. So basically, the classic definition of no-man's land, where a Samardzija deal becomes another White Flag Trade but it's also the best possible means of improving the product on the field for next season.....Catch-22.