Lip Man 1

Braves club is miles better than the Sox and they have a recent track record of very good success to make one think they'll be fine the rest of the way. Unfortunately you can't say the same about the Sox. Not a valid comparison in my opinion. Let's see how they play against Sacramento. Win the series, take some positive momentum into the break and get some much needed rest.

At this point I'd be surprised if Boston is selling. The 10 days after the break should determine it once and for all. If they stay hot their fan base will demand that they add and not subtract.

I don't think it would be a failure either (in fact I don't think they will claim a spot) but a missed opportunity none the less.

Again a lot of truth in your comments. The next 10 days or so after the break could determine if the Sox will be actively looking to bring folks in at the deadline or stand pat and hope for the best. With so many teams still "in it" it may not be wise in the long run for the Sox to trade away assets and have to pay a very high price. We'll see.

Even before that Bob Elson would interview guys on the pregame show and they'd get a Zenith transistor radio.

Bottom out and fall apart in the last 80 games, which could happen for a young team especially if they get more injuries. Not saying it will happen but it could although I don't think it likely but we'll see. They have been on a downward trajectory the past 22 games.

A lot of truth in what you are saying but also asking Sox fans for patience is a hard sell. The record since 2007 speaks for itself.

Your point is?

Look I'm happy they aren't an embarrassment (although we still have a half season to go remember) and I never predicted they'd lose 100 I said it was possible (and bet you 30 dollars on it) but now that they are being competitive in a mediocre division let's remember, they have an opportunity and aren't taking advantage of it. Put it this way, will you be happy if at the end of the year they win 70 games but weren't able to finish things and put themselves in post season play? That's the dilemma for the fan base. They weren't supposed to be in this position in the first place, but here we are... now they need to take advantage of it. That's what is frustrating.

Nothing is a 'done deal' until it is officially announced to the media and public. Just look at the Bears situation.

No I was very happy they rebounded in Cleveland the way they did. But it's "what have you done for me lately" and they blew chances to increase the lead. It's actually now a four team race in a mediocre division. And they've lost 13 of their last 22 games, that's not a good sign. The issues surrounding the club are becoming more apparent as the season goes along. We'll see what Getz may be able to do, or allowed to do to help matters.

"Luck is the residue of design" - Branch Rickey.

Well right now the only place they've been going is down the toilet.

It's a double edged sword. Yes, they are in first place but they are only two games over .500, have lost six of their last eight and look very much out of synch right now. 15 hits, total in the past three games. And with things so balanced across MLB fewer and fewer teams right now are going to be selling making getting the pitching help the Sox badly need more difficult. That's 11 of 13 for the Red Sox who I'm guessing won't be selling off Gray and Chapman. Getting Murikami back will help. The Sox need to get their heads out of their asses, win the A's series and go into the break with a little momentum

He should give them a shot in the arm if nothing else mentally. The Sox look very tired right now having lost five of seven.

They way things are shaping up Boston, Minnesota and Detroit may not be selling at the deadline making things even more complex and potentially difficult for Getz to get help. The price of pitching is going to be very, very expensive. We'll see what, if anything, the Sox can do to get help.

Five factoids today: July 9, 1912 - Looking for more pitching, Sox owner Charles Comiskey acquired Eddie Cicotte from the Red Sox after the pitcher argued with his manager and owner John Taylor. Cicotte of course would pitch well for the Sox but then would be banned from baseball in 1920 because of his involvement in fixing the World Series. In eight and a half years with the Sox he won 156 games. July 9, 1919 - In a twin bill in Chicago against the Philadelphia Athletics, Urban “Red” Faber won both games. The first one came in relief of starter Dickie Kerr. The scores were 8-7 and 6-2. He threw 11 innings combined allowing 10 hits and four runs. In the second game win he threw a complete game. July 9, 1972 - With the Sox desperately needing a third baseman to replace the injured Bill Melton, G.M. Roland Hemond acquired Ed Spiezio from San Diego for pitcher Don Eddy. Spiezio did a yeoman job holding down the fort the rest of the year as the Sox stalked the A’s and his dramatic extra inning home run against Oakland on August 12 off Rollie Fingers in the Coliseum, put the Sox into first place. It was the latest the Sox had been in first place in a season, since 1967. Spiezio from Joliet, Illinois also hit the first home run in San Diego Padres history. July 9, 2002 - In the infamous 11 inning tied All-Star Game in Milwaukee, Paul Konerko tied the record for most doubles in the game with two. His teammate Mark Buehrle (P) joined him in the contest. July 9, 2006 - Tadahito Iguchi’s single in the last of the 19th inning gave the White Sox a dramatic 6-5 win over Boston at U.S. Cellular Field in the final game before the All-Star break. Jermaine Dye’s two out, ninth inning home run tied the game at three. Both teams scored two runs in the 11th and the score stayed that way until the 19th. The game took 6:19 to play. It also appeared to take something out of the World Champions; they lost 10 of the next 12 after the break and skidded to a 90-win season.

When push comes to shove I'll be curious who has the final say in the organization. I assume it would be Getz but who knows. And who knows how much influence JR may have in it.

Given the state of the staff if he's hurt that's a crusher.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/07/08/white-sox-scouting-director-mike-shirley-roch-cholowsky-grady-emerson-vahn-lackey-mlb-draft-chris-getz

Eight hits total in two games. Not good. A few more weeks of Boston not losing, now 10 wins in 12 games, and they won't be trading anybody. Oh yea, the Twins are now right in the mix. Incredible. Maybe they'll wake up Thursday, but right now they aren't getting it done. And because Martin only went four innings they had to burn through four other pitchers. It always comes down to pitching.

SIX factoids today: July 8, 1941 – Edgar Smith became the first White Sox pitcher to win the All-Star Game, held in Detroit that year, after the A.L. rallied for four runs in the ninth inning. The winning runs scored on Ted Williams three-run home run. Smith pitched two innings, giving up two runs on two hits with two strike outs. Smith was joined on the team by Luke Appling (SS) and Thornton Lee (P). July 8, 1943 - Sox pitcher Orval Grove almost got himself a no-hitter and against the Yankees to boot. Joe Gordon’s bloop double with two out in the ninth spoiled it, but Grove did win the game 1-0 at Comiskey Park finishing with a one-hitter. It ran his record to 7-0 at the time. He’d finish 15-9 with a 2.75 ERA for the year. July 8, 1947 - White Sox shortstop Luke Appling played a key role in the A.L.’s 2-1 win in the All-Star Game, held across town at Wrigley Field. Appling, 40, had been named to his seventh and final All-Star Game as a substitute. With the A.L. trailing, 1-0, Appling pinch-hit for John “Buddy” Lewis of the Senators, to lead off the sixth inning and singled off of Harry “the Cat” Brecheen. Ted Williams singled Appling to third, and “Ol’ Aches and Pains” came home with the tying run when Joe DiMaggio grounded into a double play. The next inning, pinch-hitter Stan Spence singled in Bobby Doerr for the A.L.’s eventual game-winner. The other Sox representative that year was Rudy York (1B) July 8, 1958 - Sox ace pitcher Early Wynn got the win in the All-Star Game in Baltimore as the A.L. defeated the N.L. 4-3. Wynn entered the game in the sixth inning with the score tied at 3-3. He pitched a perfect inning. Then in the last of that inning the American League scored the eventual winning run on a single by the Yankees Gil McDougald scoring Frank Malzone of the Red Sox. In addition to Wynn, the Sox representatives were Luis Aparicio (SS), Nellie Fox (2B), Sherm Lollar (C) and Billy Pierce (P). Fox and Aparicio were named starters. July 8, 2008 - During a strange, back-and-forth game, A.J. Pierzynski drove home two runs in the 11th inning on a single sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded in extra innings, Pierzynski ripped a long drove into right-center that Royals center fielder Joey Gathright tracked down. But a collision with right fielder, and future Sox player, Mark Teahen forced Gathright to the ground, scoring both Joe Crede from third and Alexei Ramírez at second base. Orlando Cabrera also moved from first to third on the fly. Kansas City rallied for two runs in its half, but two innings later Cabrera gave the first-place White Sox the lead for good, 8-7, with an RBI double. July 8, 2016 – In a game at home against the Braves, the White Sox pulled off their third triple play of the season. That hadn’t happened in Major League Baseball since 1979. It happened in the third inning of an 11-8 loss. Shortstop Tim Anderson fielded a Freddie Freeman ground ball, tagged out lead runner Chase d’Arnaud before stepping on second base to force out former Sox infielder Gordon Beckham and then threw to first baseman Jose Abreu to throw out Freeman. Both the Red Sox and A’s accomplished the feat of three triple plays during the 1979 season, according to the Society for American Baseball Research’s triple play database. The White Sox turned a triple play on April 22 against the Rangers and turned the second on May 18 against the Astros.

That's the crazy situation the Sox find themselves in. The fan base (rightly in my opinion) wants them to make this a successful year on the field and in the won/lost column given the last few years. But the Sox themselves are still trying to develop (rightly in my opinion) many of these kids and try to set the foundation for the future. Hard to reconcile the two opinions.

They need to trade for two starting pitchers in my opinion. The question is can Getz get it done? (And would JR allow it?)

Valid concern but the issue is who can they replace him with? The Sox already don't really have a fifth starter there's no way they could survive without a fourth starter who at least goes out there every time. Like I posted Schultz need to go back down but then what?