Lip Man 1

July 18, 1921 - The trial for eight White Sox players known as the “Black Sox” began in Chicago. The players were accused of trying to defraud the public by throwing the World Series. A jury found the players innocent; however, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned them for life and destroyed one of the finest teams on paper in baseball history and perhaps the only team that could have stopped the emerging Yankee dynasty. July 18, 1936 - Sox outfielder Ray “Rip” Radcliffe became the first player in franchise history to ever collect six hits in a game. He went 6 for 7 with four RBI’s and four runs scored in the Sox 21-14 win over the Athletics in Philadelphia. July 18, 1948 - In the first game of a double header in Philadelphia, Sox outfielder Pat Seerey hit four home runs in a game against the A’s. The Sox would win the slugfest 12-11 in 11 innings. He’s the only Sox player to ever hit that many in a single contest. He went 4 for 6, with seven RBI’s and four runs scored. The seven RBI’s is one off the franchise record for a single game. His home runs came in the fourth, sixth, seventh and 11th innings and his blow in the 11th was the game winner. July 18, 1984 - A dud of a deal because of the long-term implications. The Sox traded Chicago native, relief pitcher Kevin Hickey and prospect Doug Drabek (the player to be named later) to the Yankees for Roy Smalley. Smalley did nothing on the South Side...eventually Drabek would wind up as the ace of the great Pirate teams of the early 1990's winning the Cy Young Award. He finally pitched for the Sox in 1997 going 12-11 but his ERA was 5.74 July 18, 2008 – The White Sox brought their hitting shoes to the park for their game with the Royals. The first eight batters for the Sox reached base safely as part of a six run first inning. They’d wind up winning the game 9-5. Orlando Cabrera led off with a single, A.J. Pierzynski singled, Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch, Jermaine Dye singled, Jim Thome singled, Paul Konerko singled, Nick Swisher singled and Joe Crede singled. The hits all came off Zach Greinke. July 18, 2021 – In the Sox 4-0 win over the Astros in Chicago a couple of franchise records were set. Shortstop Tim Anderson became the first player to have a hit and score a run in 11 straight games breaking the tie he had with several other players. The record came when he had a solo home run in the fifth inning. Also, that afternoon Carlos Rodon set the team mark by striking out at least eight hitters in 10 straight starts. He was tied with Juan Pizarro for that record. Rodon struck out 10 batters only allowing one-hit in seven innings of work.

That was partly because of the results of the study the Sox commissioned. Like I posted they never revealed what that study determined. They also hired a biomechanical specialist.

No Montgomery?

PTATC: I thought you'd be interested in this (if you haven't seen it already). It is from my "State of the Sox" story this past November. Spoke with a half dozen sources for it. Keep in mind over the last six years or so the Sox have gone through three trainers and members of the strength and conditioning staffs have been let go. On the constant injuries “Alan Thomas (Author’s Note: Thomas was the Director of Strength and Conditioning) was let go because his son was draft eligible and he was told the Sox no longer wanted to draft sons of members of the organization. Turns out his kid is playing center field for the Diamondbacks. I’m not saying he’d be playing center field for us but he’s good enough to be in the Major Leagues. I don’t know the new guy they brought in, but guys are getting hurt left and right.” (Author’s Note: I had heard Thomas disagreed with the results of the Sox injury study conducted last winter which was never released to the media or public. I was told he felt the Sox issues were only caused by the COVID restrictions. “The Sox play checkers where others teams play chess” when it comes to injury prevention, conditioning, nutrition, sleep schedules is a phrase I had heard mentioned.) “The White Sox playing shorthanded started in 2007 when Jermaine Dye got hurt and Kenny Williams refused to call up Brian Anderson or Ryan Sweeney. Maybe they were cheap, maybe they wanted to protect Herm’s record of keeping guys off the DL.” (Author’s Note: Herm Schneider was the Sox longtime head trainer and for years the Sox were among the league leaders in keeping players healthy.) “Jake Peavy made the comment one time, ‘They have no reservations about playing shorthanded.” “You know about Mike Reinold right? (Author’s Note: Reinold is the White Sox Senior Medical Advisor) He was fired by the Red Sox because he was injecting players with Toradol.” (Author’s Note: Bleacher Report had a story on this situation published in February 2013. Here is the link to that story: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1530943-ex-red-sox-trainer-mike-reinold-injected-players-with-controversial-substance) “Given the inordinate amount of soft-tissue injuries they have had you’d think that they would do a complete change in the training, conditioning and nutritional areas.”

same GM

From my story this past November from a source: “The problem with this team is there was no real leadership, nobody to hold guys accountable. No red-asses like the Sox had in the past… Carlton Fisk, Jack McDowell, A.J. Pierzynski. Paul Konerko was a quiet guy but when we weren’t doing well he’d get really pissed. Elvis Andrus tried to supply some leadership when he came and Lucas Giolito tried.”

The Sun-Times no longer charges for viewing stories, they changed that months ago. They just want you to register but stories are free.

July 17, 1959 - It was a pitcher’s duel for the ages and one of the key games in the 1959 season. The Sox were in New York and before over 42,000 fans, Ralph Terry and Early Wynn hooked up in a classic. After eight innings Terry had no-hit the Sox...Wynn allowed the Yankees one hit, that an infield single in the sixth inning to his mound opponent. In the top of the ninth Jim McAnany broke up the no-hitter with a single to center leading off the inning. The Sox would eventually score two runs thanks to Jim Landis’ bases loaded hit. Wynn closed down New York in the last of the frame and the Sox had a 2-0 win. It was Landis who also had the defensive play of the game, maybe of the regular season, when he robbed Mickey Mantle of an inside-the-park home run with a sensational catch out by the monuments in center field 460 feet away from home plate in the fourth inning. July 17, 1989 - In a game at Comiskey Park against the Yankees, Carlton Fisk notched his 2,000th career hit. It came in the first inning on a single to center off of former teammate Dave LaPoint. He’d have three for the evening in the Sox 7-3 win along with an RBI and a run scored. At the time he was the 173rd player ever to reach the 2,000 hits mark. July 17, 2022 – He came over from the Cubs in the Jose Quintana deal and it was showing to be one of the best trades made by the Sox in recent memory. Pitcher Dylan Cease was dominant against the Twins in the last game before the All-Star break going seven innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight in the 11-0 win. With the eight strikeouts he passed Chris Sale as the fastest White Sox pitcher ever to record 500 of them. He did it just short of 400 innings of work. Sale’s record was recorded in a little over 472 innings pitched. Cease and two relief pitchers only allowed Minnesota that one hit, a single by Alex Kirilloff in the fifth inning.

Garfein on his latest podcast said JR is "miserable" and won't go for another rebuild/tear down.

They'll sign some end of the road guys to one year deals hoping to catch lightening in a bottle like they always do.

40-55 in the supposed middle of the "championship window..." That's all folks.

"Only" is a relative term especially when the overall budget is probably going to be drastically slashed and the Sox are going to have to try to fill numerous gaping holes. At least try to get someone who can actually stay on the field.

Part of the issue I think with both Moncada and Eloy (well two issues) are they were given huge contracts before proving a damn thing and that impacted them negatively and second they are both built like Greek Gods, yet both are made of glass because of it.

For the 19th time, that's right DVS of the Sun-Times listed his missing in action stints since he was called up to the Sox last month in the newspaper, our guy Eloy is going to miss time "at least the next four or five days..." Of course the Sox won't put him on the IL and play shorthanded. LOL. https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/7/16/23796778/eloy-jimenez-exits-white-sox-game-with-groin-tightness Please trade this stiff! So tired of this crap. ?

Only thing that could save it would be a change of heart by JR or new ownership.

With what they owe him he isn't going anywhere (no one wants him unless the Sox eat most of the salary). They are stuck with him until the end of next year then..."he gone!" They'll play him you can bet on it. Burger will take a seat until Eloy goes on the IL yet again.

Then they'll lose series to garbage teams like the A's and Royals.

Eloy ? Look for him to miss time for the 19th time since he came up to the Sox. ? Please trade his ass for whatever you can. More unfulfilled potential in part because of that big contract before proving anything.

July 16, 1980 - Bill Veeck’s ownership syndicate accepted offers to buy the White Sox. Sox broadcaster Harry Caray was one of those expressing interest along with millionaire Edward DeBartolo Sr. DeBartolo would eventually be turned away from getting the club after he had a deal with Veeck by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and the other owners and Veeck eventually sold the club to Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn in January 1981. July 16, 1990 – It was one of the funniest moments in Sox history, as Sox utility player Steve “Psycho” Lyons made a mistake that wound up on every highlight show in the nation. In the fifth inning at Detroit, Lyons bunted his way on, sliding head first the final few feet to beat the throw. He then called time and completely blanked out as he started to drop his pants to get the dirt out of them. Fortunately, he was wearing sliding shorts. When he realized what he was doing he quickly yanked his pants back up while turning beet red in the process. After he was forced at second base later in the inning and ran back to the dugout, female fans in the first few rows behind the Sox bench began waving dollar bills at him. July 16, 2013 – The White Sox Chris Sale got the win as the A.L. beat the N.L. 3-0 at the All-Star Game from Citi Field in New York. Sale pitched two innings facing the minimum six batters and recording two strikeouts which came during the second and third innings. His strikeouts victims were Carlos Gonzales and Troy Tulowitzki. He got credit for the win when the A.L. scored the lead and eventual winning run in the top of the fourth inning when he was still the pitcher of record.

To DVS of the Sun-Times: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/7/15/23796140/focus-attention-to-detail-lacking-for-white-sox-manager-pedro-grifol-says

July 15, 1963 - Sox pitcher Gary Peters, on his way towards being named Co-Rookie of the Year, threw a one-hitter at Comiskey Park in beating the Orioles 4-0. Future Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts got the start for Baltimore and got that team’s only hit… in fact he would be the only O’s base runner on the night. That hit came in the third inning a single to center field. J.C. Martin and Tommy McCraw blasted two-run home runs for the Sox. Peters would strike out 13 that night and would finish the year with 19 wins despite not getting his first start until May 6 in Kansas City. July 15, 1994 – “Batgate” came to Comiskey Park. Indians’ slugger and future Sox outfielder Albert Belle was caught using a corked bat by Sox manager Gene Lamont in the first inning. In order to keep Belle from being suspended further, teammate Jason Grimsley crawled through the air ducts and dropped into the umpire’s room where the bat was being held for examination. Grimsley replaced Belle’s bat with a Paul Sorrento model which tipped off everyone to the switch. Umpire Dave Phillips then realized the bats had been switched and the police investigated; the league demanded that the Indians return Belle's bat; four days later, Belle's bat was sent to New York; it was x-rayed and cut open in the presence of Belle and G.M. John Hart and discovered to have cork in it; Belle was suspended for 10 games. The Sox lost the game 3-2. July 15, 2003 - Sox pitcher Esteban Loaiza started the All-Star Game being hosted by the White Sox for the fourth time in franchise history the others being the inaugural game in 1933, 1950 and the 50th anniversary contest in 1983. He went two scoreless innings and got no decision in the A.L.’s 7-6 come from behind win. He was joined in the game by teammates Carl Everett (OF) and Magglio Ordonez (OF).

Ed Herrmann told me one time Chuck was so pissed at him in his office that you could hear the yelling all through the clubhouse. You'll appreciate this story from my interview with him: “The other thing that turned it around took place pretty early in the 1971 season. We weren’t doing well; we were having a hard time catching the ball in the outfield. Mike Hershberger was back in Triple-A because he pulled a hamstring and I said I wanted him called back up to the Sox. I got a call from Roland the next day saying that there was a meeting going on at Comiskey Park and that a number of Sox people didn’t want him to return. I said “I’ll be right over.” So I got to the park and went to the meeting. A number of Sox people were there, the Farm Director, the Assistant Farm Director, scouts. Basically they said Hershberger had a bad attitude, he didn’t want to play, a lot of stuff.” “So I said, and this was the greatest thing I ever did with the Sox, that “you know there’s a reason Don Gutteridge isn’t here as manager anymore. It’s because he listened to all of you!’ I said “if Hershberger isn’t brought back up, you’ll be looking for a new manager tonight.” I threatened to resign. Mike helped turn it around. He hit a home run to win a game; he threw out a guy at the plate to win a game. He settled down the outfield and we started to win. (Author’s Note: In 74 games that season Hershberger hit .260, with two home runs, nine doubles, 15 RBI’s and 30 walks in 177 at bats.) The point was I was going to win or lose the way I wanted to, not the way someone else wanted me to.”

The next owner likely will not be an individual but a corporation.

This is an excellent look at the situation and its ramifications. Brad is my radio broadcast partner for Idaho State. He went to Northwestern, was the sports editor of the student newspaper. Both Michael Wilbon and Christine Brennen worked under him: https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/opinion-lessons-from-northwesterns-hazing-scandal/article_cd07ad90-21a9-11ee-ac26-3797ea3bc63a.html?fbclid=IwAR1U4uZiijL7cLUjDWoARGU48cX5HlbGLnqD5XKvCAvGr-zUyUlg5jrYqWU

For a few years he was dating a reality TV stars daughter which generated publicity then he married an actress, who if I remember right got pregnant with someone else, they separated, got back together, had a child and he admitted having some emotional and mental strain (can't blame him for that of course). The point being between his injuries his sitting out the COVID year (one of the few players who did that) and all the "Hollywood gossip stuff" it seems the very last thing on his mind is becoming a solid pitcher.