Thad Bosley

Not a bad crowd out there today. Too bad today's performance is unlikely to entice many back anytime soon.

QUOTE (Insp @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 12:58 PM) Over at the Orioles Hangout, 177 fans are viewing their game thread with over 150 posts already. Meanwhile there are only 8 members and 23 guests on the SoxTalk game thread that has only 13 posts. It stands to reason. One team is playing meaningful baseball in the middle of the summer. The other, for the 4th year in a row and 9th in the past eleven, is not.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 12:44 PM) Hahn needs to be fired so badly Problem is the only people who could fire him need to go even more so than him.

QUOTE (flavum @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 12:35 PM) I want the Orioles to win the division anyway, so I hope Bundy does his thing. Shields helping out the Orioles cause so far early on in this one.

Not the most exciting first innings there offensively for our Sox.

Sox win!

Dreaded lead-off walk

At the moment, the game of Tim Anderson offensively is eerily similar to that of Alexei Ramirez.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 07:58 PM) Looking for a manager while your current manager is still employed, would turn off a lot of candidates There are only 30 of these jobs available in the world, so unless you are talking about the top two or three managers in the game, this wouldn't come into play for a candidate for any potential Sox managerial opening. Meanwhile, nothing for a White Sox fan to be concerned about, because none of the top managers currently in the game have a tie to the Sox organization, so that disqualifies them from consideration by Jerry Reinsdorf in the first place. That's how it works for the owner successful in only 5 of the 36 seasons he's been at the helm.

QUOTE (Baron @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 10:36 AM) Rick Hahn may think there are going to be more suitors. But that doesnt mean the price will be met. Heyman in his last article posted pretty much the same thing from another front office executive. Just because there is more people doesnt make your price any less ridiculous. Does anyone honestly think their price is going to be met? Or that they actually want someone to meet that price? I actually think they dont want their price to be met so they can keep on going in their dream world where they can just add a few veterans and compete. In other words, the approach to compete in "Year 3" of the 3 Year Plan will be the same approach as the one used in "Year 1" and "Year 2", which brought the team 76 wins last year and is on pace for 77 victories this year. Terrific! You go, Rick! You go! Don't change a thing. It's all going according to plan! Lol - somebody ought to ask Reinsdorf, Williams and Hahn what they actually mean when they say they want to compete. They throw that phrase around a lot, but it's not entirely clear what they mean. Certainly the traditional understanding doesn't seem to square up with the actions and decisions they make to approach each season (see last offseason dumpster dive moves).

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 06:54 AM) Gammons just said Moncada, Benitendi, Devers and Kopech were not available for Sale. LMAO, seriously, go f*** yourself Boston. I hope you flame out LOL - what in the world type of conversation can you have then for Chris Sale if these guys are not available, and presumably the Betts and Boegardts of the world were not available? There is absolutely NO conversation to be had then.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 11:52 AM) How many playoff appearances did they have when you became "a fan"? You mean way back when I was 9 years old? Oh, I don't know, Dick. Go back and do the math for yourself around 1977. I'm not going to do it for you because it's irrelevant to the discussions going on about where the team is today. Why wasn't that important to you and everyone else then? It was probably important to long suffering adult fans back in 1977, given the team had not been to the postseason at that time since 1959. 18 years, and those fans still had 6 more to go before they would see the Sox in the postseason. (Hmmmm....why am I answering such a pointless question like this?) Then they had a period where they won more games than most but not a lot of playoff appearance. "Won more games that most but not a lot of playoff appearances". Not much of an accomplishment there, Dick, particularly if you subscribe to a theory that Our Very Own Chris Sale maintains, which is that nothing matters other than getting to the postseason. Most knowledgeable fans tend to agree. They have a couple, win a WS, then the bar is moved to CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF APPEARANCES. Only one team in the AL Central that has never been to the postseason in consecutive seasons. Can you guess which team that is, Dick? The small market Royals? Noooooo. The small market Twins? Nooooooo. The small market Indians? Nooooooooo. The mid market Tigers? Nooooooooo. They've all had several periods where they had streaks of consecutive years of making it to the playoffs. The White Sox have NEVER done that in their entire history. NEVER. So when you declare the "bar is moved" when describing Sox fans' expectations, I respectfully say to you that it is only being moved to that of a minimum standard. Once that is accomplished, Hey Dick, ya gotta a timetable on that? the bar, like it was when the seats were the wrong color, Ahhh yesss, the lame go-to "seats are the wrong color" line the ticket prices too high, the video board isn't big enough, will be moved again. I presume you've gone door to door to the home of every White Sox fan comprising the fan base to be making such statements presumably representing the views of the majority of the thousands of people in the base. Because if not, then this is just the usual rubbish that those who find it sporting to make baseless complaints about the fan base tend to say. The White Sox have a fanbase who say winning is most important. Oh geez! The audacity! The utter gall of a fan base of a sporting team making winnning its top priority. What's wrong with them!! The reality is many are like you. I'll take that as a compliment, thank you! What is most important is having something to complain about all the time. Which you seem to do at a pace approaching regularity, Dick. Just sayin'!

QUOTE (Black_Jack29 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 10:27 AM) Yes, but they still have a LONG way to go before they hit rock bottom. You and others seem to assume that their current trajectory isn't going to change until they can't draw flies and are forced to move to Las Vegas. I really doubt that's going to happen. Look at the Sox in the '90s. They went from division champs to the best team in the AL to the strike. And then they began selling off their pitching staff, tried to get back to competitiveness with two key FA signings, sold off at the end of July, and pissed off the fan base again. Then they continued to lose key players to free agency and bottomed out in 1999. Then they won 95 games in 2000 and their fortunes were suddenly reversed. I'm not saying that the Sox are going to win 95 games next year (or the following year), but history strongly suggests that they're not going to marinate in mediocrity forever and eventually fade into nonexistence. They have a handful of really nice players who are under contract for the next 4-5 years and a farm system that's beginning to come back. If they can trade Sale sometime in the next 12 months, they'll be in even better shape down the road. Are you sure about this? How much worse can this organization get when you think holisitcally about the state of things today? The team is at the bottom of the league in attendance and TV ratings. The farm system is in the bottom five in all of baseball. Four losing seasons in a row which matches the longest streak in the team's history. Only one playoff appearance and playoff win in over a decade now. A management team whose credibility is increasingly being questioned in the media. What does "rock bottom" look like in comparison to all of this?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 01:25 PM) The same as most teams. I know White Sox fans are owed more than any other fanbase, but what you are arguing is 'why would they try to win?" You haven't made the playoffs in 8 years. Quit trying to win" Lose, lose, lose. Get a bunch of prospects. It's fool proof, and don't hold out for the best price. Just take what you can get. With a miserly five playoff appearances - just five, Dick! Count 'em! - in the past now going on 56 years, I'd say our beleaguered fan base is certainly owed something at this point.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 11:52 AM) So do you think there is any reason to watch/listen/care about the White Sox as long as JR is around? Stop trying to turn the frustration of the fanbase on the futility of the octogenarian owner and his management team on the fans.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 11:45 AM) You are right. Proof positive. Could you imagine what Atlanta could have received for Shelby Miller if they would have just traded him last deadline as opposed to the winter? These guys are so stupid, they should listen to message boards. Who cares what the offers are, if they are going to give you pennies on the dollar, take the pennies because message board posters love prospects until they suck for a week, then they are despicable. Just remember listening to fans regarding personnel will lead you to bad things. Someone bumped a Bonafacio thread from last year a couple of months ago, and there was a post by someone that no one should complain about Hahn as he did what Soxtalk wanted him to do. Well, that didn't work out, and not only did it become not what Soxtalk. it wasn't even Hahn. It was all Kenny Williams. Basically, most of the people complaining wanted a trade just to make a trade. What good does it do to trade Melky or Robertson for another Avi Garcia (who many were extremely high on btw) . See what's out there this winter. I think either they trade a couple of these guys away, or JR is going to jack up the payroll. I think the half assed approach is over. At least I hope so. Whimisical meanderings of a message board poster.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 08:38 PM) Spending a boat load of money on Josh Reddick is not wise. Why would we! Just re-up with Austin Jackson!

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 08:14 PM) Not surprised one iota that we kept Sale and Q . Look what the Yankees got for Chapman for a a rental. Then figure the time Sale and Q have left and no matter what the return we got it wouldn't be enough. We can still get productive cheap years from them and then trade them for a haul if they stay healthy. Maybe we see Shield or Gonzales moved later but if you look at how we entered this season with the 4 and 5 spots in turmoil and look at how the top 5 are pitching now the Sox could have a pretty good rotation next year especially if Shields and Gonzo finish as strong as they have been pitching lately. Let's say Jerry opens up the checkbook , long shot I know, but the lack of moves could be tied to Jerry saying something like that. Even though it's a thin free agent class there is still going to be some quality that could help the Sox. Cespedes( if he opts out), Reddick, Kenley Jansen, Lucroy ,Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond. Add some OBP ,power and relief pitching and all of a sudden you have a team with direction . Maybe Melky and Robertson get moved in the offseason to free up some money. Just sayin' things CAN get better. I wouldn't spend too much time expecting a spending spree sprouting forth from "Our Octogenarian Owner" this winter, for premium talent that matters, at least. Remember the negotiation "principles" that he tethered the organization to last winter? No contract offers greater than three years to the available premium talent? How'd that approach work out for the team? Not too well! If they enter this winter with these same "principles" in place, they will exit the winter with the same results. Unfortunately we'll need a plan in the offseason not counting on 'ol Uncle Jer digging deep into his tax-subsidized profits to improve this team, but one that hopefully proves to be effective in lifting this team out of its current and long term malaise.

It's like deja vu all over again, this feeling of disappointment like we felt last winter when we didn't come away with one of the big name outfielders, after weeks of speculation strongly suggesting that we would. Sigh.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming of "Year 2 of the 3 Year Plan".

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 01:24 PM) If you wait until the off season you can get a player that is on a major league roster right now. True, but I guess where the conversation becomes interesting is would we rather get Moncada, Benintendi, Kopech, and Shihart now, or Betts, Swihart, and Kopech in the winter? I think for me I'd rather take my chances now with the former.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 01:19 PM) Yeah, Boston still not willing to give up Moncada, and maybe on Ben That's fine. TTYL, Boston. Yoohoo, Dodgers! Urias and Deleon, you were saying?

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 01:05 PM) Why??? Their teams are all in good position to make the playoffs. If they are not willing to pay out what Hahn is asking, they are still in good shape. They not only have their team in the playoff hunt, they all have several outstanding prospects in their farm system as well. That is the job of a GM. Success in the majors and talent in the minors. We have neither right now. Let me play devil's advocate here. I think the GMs of the Rangers, Dodgers, and Red Sox would have some 'splainin' to do to their respective owners if the very available Chris Sale and Jose Quintana are still with the White Sox come the top of the hour. Both represent as good of a game changer to each of those team's playoff chances (and longer term success, given each of their contract situations) as any player out there. I think from those team's point of view it could be considered a colossal failure to not come away with either simply because they weren't willing to give up top minor league talent. I mean, remember - we aren't even talking about top Major League talent like we would be if it were the offseason. This should really be a no brainer for these other GMs at this point.

There was a time not too long ago when the prospect of acquiring Puig was definitely intriguing. But given his continuing struggles offensively in the National League, not so sure I'm keen on acquiring him and putting him in an American League lineup that is already next to last in the league in offense.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 11:21 AM) Joel Sherman says he is told RedSox not discussing Sale Probably not. It's lunchtime here on the east coast. They'll get back to in the next hour!