Lip Man 1

Wouldn't it be nice if the Sox had this type of team instead on one who can't play hard because (heaven forbid) they may get injured yet again: “They’re a very athletic club they’re really good defensively, they play smart and have a really good bullpen,” Sox coach Jerry Narron said. “They don’t hit the ball out of the park but they generate runs going first to third, scoring from first on a double because they’re so athletic. We were talking about the Guardians lineup and they run out the same lineup every day.”

Cleveland wins on a wild pitch. Typical. They've got the magic touch this year, the baseball gods have spoken.

32nd game this season the Sox lost to a team with a losing record. And it is the 71st time in 145 games they have scored three runs or less.

The Sox post their third consecutive winning season but miss the playoffs in what was supposed to be a legit World Series possibility this season.

Sox love playing shorthanded!

I would not be surprised shortly after this season ends the Sox announce he is going to have surgery on the wrist/hand. Which if memory serves would be the second serious injury to that part of his body requiring surgery (his thumb being the other one)

They were the same way with his "lightheadedness' For weeks they were as confused it seems as the fan base.

Some very interesting comments along these lines in DVS story today at the Sun-Times: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2022/9/15/23355103/tony-la-russa-doesnt-travel-with-white-sox

Well they still are breathing, that's something I guess. They did play very well today though.

Just another frustrating player who simply can't stay healthy.

My advice is to take care of yourself, and hope to be around to witness new ownership.

Just now received an e-mail from the Sox promoting Diamond Suites for the 2022 postseason. Get yours now! ?

Just FYI, Cito Gaston later said that the Blue Jays knew exactly what Jack and Alex were throwing because they were tipping their pitches. Something Gene Lamont and the Sox coaching staff never picked up on. In that series the Jays beat Jack and Alex each time while losing every other game to Sox starters not named Jack and Alex. When I interviewed Jack I asked him about tipping pitches and he said it was possible and he also said the Jays were one of the best teams in the league at stealing and relaying signs.

As has been widely reported and JR has said himself, he's not selling and has told his family when he dies to sell the Sox and keep the Bulls.

Why should you expect anything different from this organization? I know some fans were saying months ago the Sox were going to use injuries as an excuse. All teams have injuries, the Dodgers if I remember right, have lost more potential positive WAR to injuries this year to anyone, Tampa had the second most WAR loss in a story I saw last month. They both are making the playoffs anyway. The Sox have actually been good at a few things under this ownership...disappoint their fan base, make excuses and blame said fan base (and the media) for their issues.

I guess the good news is that should they lose Thursday, everyone and his brother will finally realize this season is over. The question then will be, what will the organization do about it in the off season?

Anything is possible but it would be way out of character for him in my opinion.

When the Sox look back on this season they may notice how badly they played against really bad teams...some awful ones in fact. As of right now they have lost 31 games to teams with a losing record on the season. 31. All teams will lose games from time to time against bad teams, but man 31 of them (and the season isn't over... on paper anyway) is just a killer.

ALL teams had injuries and ALL teams went through a shortened spring training although I've interviewed a lot of guys who have told me spring training is to long anyway, those are simply excuses for an inept, dysfunctional and incompetent organization.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of wrist surgery in the off season.

I agree that his gaining a lot of weight (I assume it is muscle and not fat) has a LOT to do with his situation and I posted that opinion. I was simply posting a link to a story recounting his many injuries.

By WAR Billy Pierce was the best pitcher in the decade of the 1950's. That's a long time to be very, very good. Cease has had a magnificent season but can he do it over time? We'll see.

Regarding this current piece by Ken, it is hard to argue with any of it.

I have, as he penned a scathing piece on the Sox situation vis a vis the Cubs in the early 00's. I supplied him with information for it after getting reports from sources and former players about some things that were happening including fans angerly confronting JR at White Sox fantasy camp to the point where Bill Melton had to step in and try to cool things down. Here is his column: “While angst-ridden Red Sox and Cubs fans mutter about curses, White Sox fans are far more deserving of sympathy. Their franchise is in an inexcusable funk, and not simply because it operates with small-market restraint in the nation's third-largest city. As the Angels and Marlins proved, teams can win with mid-sized payrolls. But the White Sox, burdened by bloated contracts, are going backward. And though they face genuine disadvantages trying to compete with the Cubs, most fans don't want to hear it. They're fed up with a team that hasn't been to the World Series since 1959 or won it since '17. The first to go should be Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, the distrusted Brooklyn native who could re-energize the franchise by selling to Chicago interests. But because Reinsdorf gives no indication he wants out, the more likely departure is All-Star right fielder Magglio Ordonez, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. Then what? As the Cubs have continued their ascent with a series of impressive offseason moves, the White Sox have lost six free agents -- an especially troubling development considering their farm system no longer is providing impact replacements. Even in the weak A.L. Central, the Sox might not contend with Miguel Olivo at catcher, Willie Harris at second and Aaron Rowand in center. Their rotation will suffer from the loss of Bartolo Colon. Their bullpen could be OK ... if closer Billy Koch regains his velocity. The team's projected $64 million payroll reflects its poor home attendance, which ranked only 21st in the majors last season. But general manager Ken Williams has left himself little payroll flexibility, committing $53.375 million to eight players, including two disappointments, Koch and first baseman Paul Konerko. The anger in Chicago is palpable. Some fans confronted Williams during a heated question-and-answer session at the team's winter festival, and the G.M. sniped back. Others grilled Reinsdorf during a Q-and-A at the team's fantasy camp in Tucson, Ariz., and former Sox player Bill Melton reportedly tried to intervene before Reinsdorf continued taking questions. The negativity drives Sox officials’ nuts; the Cubs draw even when they lose, thanks to the party atmosphere at Wrigley Field. The Sox, though, had better attendance than the Cubs every season but one from 1951 to '67 and also from '81 to '84. The opening of their new park in '91 should have sparked a renaissance. Instead, the Sox have drawn fewer than 2 million for 10 straight seasons -- an incomprehensible streak for a team with a new park. U.S. Cellular Field is part of the problem; the White Sox opened their cookie-cutter facility a year before the Orioles launched Camden Yards, the retro park that revolutionized the sport. The Sox since have made extensive renovations, the latest being the removal of the top eight rows from the absurdly steep upper deck. Yet, even if they transform the park into an asset, better attendance won't be assured. U.S. Cellular is on the south side of Chicago, and inbound evening rush-hour traffic from the north and west has become oppressive. Wrigley is more accessible, and the Cubs start the majority of their games in the afternoon. They also draw a sizable percentage of fans from surrounding neighborhoods. The Sox, playing in a more depressed section of the city, soon might receive a similar benefit; the area west of the park is beginning to revive. Reinsdorf's cynical ownership, however, remains an enduring obstacle. After taking over in 1981, Reinsdorf and vice chairman Eddie Einhorn drove away popular legends such as Bill Veeck, the team's previous owner, and broadcaster Harry Caray, who left for the Cubs. In 1988, the owners extracted a new, publicly financed stadium from the state after nearly moving the Sox to St. Petersburg, Fla. And the team hasn't recovered from the '94 strike, a showdown advocated by Reinsdorf, a hawk on labor issues. The Sox had the third-best record in the majors when the season was canceled. It is not easy to categorize Reinsdorf: He ordered the notorious "White Flag" trade in '97 but also has authorized bold moves -- signing Albert Belle and trading for Colon. Friends and employees tell of his kindness and generosity. Still, the Sox suffer from a severe image problem, and it starts with an owner many perceive as arrogant and stubborn. Even at their worst, the Cubs always had likable players -- Ryne Sandberg, Mark Grace, Sammy Sosa. The Sox, by contrast, traded Sosa to the Cubs for George Bell, and now the White Sox's biggest stars are the quiet Ordonez and the self-absorbed Frank Thomas. One rival executive says Reinsdorf hired Ozzie Guillen as manager to give the team a personality. Williams never stops trying as G.M., but he failed in his goal to get to the playoffs last season and create additional revenue for the '04 payroll. The Cubs came within one win of going to the World Series, then added first baseman Derrek Lee and reliever LaTroy Hawkins. The Sox finished four games out of first place in the A.L. Central and added infielder Juan Uribe and relievers Cliff Politte and Shingo Takatsu while suffering major defections. Their fans have a right to be mad. The Cubs shouldn't own the town.” – Ken Rosenthal, senior baseball writer, The Sporting News, February 16, 2004.

Hahn on why Robert wasn't put on the IL: “We did not place him on the IL because I don’t think at any point, either prior to his most recent return or in the period of time between when he was hit in the hand and tonight, that more than 10 days elapsed,” Hahn said. “We were trying to maximize his availability.” OK let's give him the benefit of the doubt here but how does that explain not putting on the IL after the wrist injury when he jammed it on the steal attempt vs. Detroit? Yet he was used twice simply as a pinch runner. Just my opinion but it seems the Sox have completely misdiagnosed and screwed up this entire situation and are trying to make excuses.