Lip Man 1

Team seems really tired right now. With no break until next Thursday unless they get a rain out, which to me, wouldn't be a bad thing.

I'm guessing the Braves were pissed being swept by the damn Twins. Let's see what they can do against a red hot Mets club this weekend.

Mets are off Thursday and are 11-4 since the trade deadline. Sox are getting them at exactly the wrong time.

Five factoids today: August 20, 1928 - Sox rookie Art “The Great” Shires made a sensational debut with four hits against the Red Sox in a 6-4 win. His first at-bat was a triple then he added three singles. He’s one of only 11 players to ever get four or more hits in their first big league game. “The Great” nickname by the way was self-given! August 20, 1929 - The Sox honored pitcher Urban “Red” Faber with a day at Comiskey Park. The Hall of Famer won 254 games, all with the Sox and had four seasons of 20 or more wins. On this day he threw 11 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees. Before the game he was given a check for 2,700 dollars, a Majestic radio, a diamond ring and several baskets of flowers. August 20, 1948 - The Sox played before the largest regular season crowd in franchise history as they faced the Indians on a Friday night in Cleveland. An amazing 78,382 were on hand to see the Tribe edge the Sox 1-0 at Cleveland Stadium. The winning pitcher that night for the Indians was none other than Leroy “Satchel” Paige who only gave the Sox three hits. August 20, 1957 - Pitcher Bob Keegen tossed the first night no-hitter in Sox history as he blanked Washington 6-0 at Comiskey Park. It was the second game of a double header. He’d walk two Senators and faced 28 men in a game that lasted only 1:55. Only one ball was really hard hit and that came in the first inning when outfielder Larry Doby made a backhand catch of a drive by Herb Plews. Keegen also drove in the last run of the night for the Sox with an RBI single. At 37 he became the oldest Sox pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter. Keegen would go 10-8 on the season that saw the Sox win 90 games and finish in second place. August 20, 1989 - After Sox star Harold Baines was traded to Texas on July 29, the team retired his uniform number #3 when the Rangers came to Chicago. He was only the third active player to have his uniform number retired by a club, joining Frank Robinson and Phil Niekro.

Awful Announcing had their MLB broadcaster ratings revealed today: 21. Chicago White Sox (John Schriffen, Steve Stone, Brooke Fletcher, Gordon Beckham, Connor McKnight, Dan Plesac): 1.99 Credit: CSN Most common grade: C (42.8% of votes) Percentage of A/B/C grades: 70.9% 2025 Ranking: 27th This is a solid step up for a White Sox broadcast that was much maligned last season in the wake of Jason Benetti’s departure. Schriffen still faces significant skepticism from viewers and received some harsh feedback about an “over-the-top” and “unnatural” style. Multiple viewers shared the sentiment that he “tries too hard to try and make you forget Jason Benetti.” The “legendary” Stone is the broadcast’s primary saving grace, with fans saying that he is “one of the best in the business” and “moves this up a full grade” thanks to his sharp pitching insights. Some graders acknowledge that Schriffen has improved somewhat as the team performs better, but many still find his catchphrases “grating.” Overall, the shadow of Benetti’s departure continues to heavily color fan perception, but it’s worth noting that their grades did improve this year.

July 29, 2000 - With the Sox badly in need of pitching at the trade deadline due to injuries to starters Cal Eldred and James Baldwin, G.M. Ron Schueler (a former pitcher with the team in the 1970’s) went off in another direction acquiring catcher Charles Johnson and DH Harold Baines. It was Baines’ third stint with the Sox and while he and Johnson helped offensively, it did nothing to lighten the load on the pitching staff. That staff, even though they’d go on to win the division, suffered even more arm injuries to starters Jim Parque and Mike Sirotka and relief pitchers Bobby Howry and Kelly Wunsch. The Sox would pay for Schueler’s mistake the following season since the staff was decimated, many coming off surgeries. It should be noted however, in his defense, that some of the pitchers the Sox were rumored to be interested in like Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling, said they would not accept a trade to Chicago for various reasons.

All depends on what JR allows Getz to do. You know his policy regarding pitchers and contracts. And it depends on the labor situation and all the uncertainty that brings.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/man-arrested-wrigley-field-fight/

From Fegan's Sun-Times story: Injury updatesMartin threw his first bullpen session Wednesday since hitting the IL for a blister on his right middle finger. The blister is basically healed, but the IL stay also offers Martin the chance to rest and reset his delivery mechanics. After a phenomenal first two months, he has a 7.06 ERA since June 1. He is eligible to be activated on Aug. 29. Kyle Teel is on track to test his recovering left ankle running the bases this weekend. If he completes two successful days of running the bases, the Sox starting catcher will be cleared for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. Prospect lefty Cameron Johnson underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow this week. Last month’s 15th round pick is expected to be ready by spring. White Sox rotation is in place, if you squintManager Will Venable stipulated Wednesday that Erick Fedde and Jose Urquidy are part of the Sox rotation at present, though both pitched behind openers in the Crosstown series, and the former has bounced between roles throughout August.

So it's OK to have different rules at different parts of the season? Interesting. Sorry I have to disagree. I'd like the ABS better if they were judging every pitch thrown and not just when challenged. Anything that limits the damage incompetent umpires like Bucknor do is absolutely good for the game.

Just got back from the doctor and very, VERY happy they won. They get something positive out of the start of the week. Can't believe the Twins swept Atlanta though. ☹️ Let's see what happens the rest of the week. 16 more wins to a winning season.

LOL. Right. If only JR had answered your letters and given you an interview. 😆

Today (Wednesday) will be the third time in the past six games. That's not good.

I hear you but to be fair as I've posted before, Getz never in his wildest dreams, expected the team to be in this position this season. He probably thought it was going to be another development season, maybe win 75 gams so nothing really was done this past off season. Now throw in the Sox unable to keep pitchers healthy anymore, JR refusing to pay the going rate to good pitchers and this is where you are at. That being said Getz may ultimately have to take the blame for not doing more at the deadline. Although we don't know what was being asked for pitchers or what JR allowed him to do regarding the payroll.

After the last two long nights I'm fortunate that I'll be at my surgeons office this afternoon for the follow up to the rotator cuff surgery I had on August 6. I'll feel a lot better not following this one. Who knows, maybe they won't urinate away another lead after the 7th inning like the last two nights.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/08/18/white-sox-noah-schultz-hagen-smith-tanner-mcdougal-david-sandlin-brian-bannister-will-venable-erick-fedde-jose-urquidy-davis-martin-al-central

Four factoids today: August 19, 1930 - The White Sox sent 20,000 thousand dollars along with outfielder Doug Taitt to the Cubs in return for minor league shortstop Luke Appling. The deal was engineered by the front office’s Milt Stock who was future Sox manager Eddie Stanky’s father-in-law. Appling would go on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Sox winning batting titles in 1936 and 1943. That season of 1936 would also find him driving in 128 RBI’s. His 20-year career would see him collect 2,749 hits. August 19, 1953 – Sox star left hander Billy Pierce’s run of almost 40 consecutive shutout innings ended at home against the Browns when former Sox outfielder and Pierce teammate, Don Lenhardt got an RBI double in the sixth inning of a game eventually the Sox lost 4-3 in 10 innings. Pierce’s streak started with a complete game shutout in Washington on August 3. He’d have three complete game shutouts in the streak along with two relief appearances covering almost eight innings. He’d have four wins and a save in the run allowing only 18 hits with 30 strikeouts. That year Billy went 18-12 with a 2.72 ERA. August 19, 1970 - The White Sox set the franchise record for most runs ever scored in the ninth inning of a game when they got 11 runs in Boston. Earlier in the year the Sox scored 22 runs at Fenway Park and on this day the 11 runs turned a loss into a 13-5 win for pitcher Wilbur Wood. The 11 runs were scored without the benefit of a single home run as 16 men batted in the inning. There were 10 Sox hits, an intentional walk and two Boston errors in it. August 19, 1983 – In a double header in Arlington against the Rangers the Sox had already won the first game 3-2 in 10 innings. They were leading in the nightcap 3-1 in the seventh inning when an unusual occurrence happened. Left fielder Jerry Hairston came up with the bases loaded and hit a deep drive to center field that was caught by George Wright. Vance Law scored easily but Julio Cruz kept right on going from second base and also scored. That was a pair of RBI’s credited to Hairston on the play! In the postgame comments Cruz said he “Dreamed of doing that all my life” which indicated that it wasn’t so much an outfield misplay or stumble but Cruz simply outrunning relay throws. The Sox would sweep the twin-bill taking the second game 6-1.

Fair point, they are saved for wont of a better word by being in a crap division. But at some point the pitching staff has got to break down and that's been happening as I posted especially in the late innings, four times in the last 12 games they've blown and lost the lead. They've been resorting to bullpen games in three of the last six games, soon to be four of seven Wednesday because they literally have only three starting pitchers right now they can count on (maybe). That's not good. Even a guy like Hudson who had a great first half has been brutal since the All-Star Break. And like Fathom posted the minor leagues don't look like they are going to produce any 'saviors'. I understand Shane Smith had another bad game for example. This division hasn't been won yet...not even close. The schedule eases up (on paper) but these guys may be so beat up and worn out it may not matter. We'll see.

So far the organizations deadline deals don't look so hot do they? Castillo is mediocre at best, Brazoban has been a disaster, Doyle is meh doesn't move the needle and Bart got hurt. Great job right? 😉

He came to the Sox of course...

Well maybe they can win Wednesday. 11th time this season the Sox had a lead in the 7th inning or later and lost the game. What's front and center though is that four of those blown and lost games have come in the last 12 games played. At Boston, Cincinnati and back to back night against the Cubs. This pitching staff right now is running on fumes.

A.J. was very good considering the position he played.

PCA is the Cubs version of A.J.

That's what happens when you don't have enough pitching.

Always happy to help the uninformed. Again I prefer, as stated, the elimination of the ghost runner rule completely but if you must have something to eliminate 15 inning games (oh the humanity!) then yes I prefer a tie instead of this bastardized rule. I also would like to see the ABS system call every pitch in a game eliminating umpires who simply are terrible. Umpires would have three functions at home plate: Relay the ABS call Decide plays at that plate Be involved in rules discussion or interpretations.