Lip Man 1

According to a story earlier today at MLB.com James Shields threw last week before representatives of Cleveland, Detroit and Texas.

Pitching, timely hitting and for once, defense. Baseball the way it should be played. And Giolito was simply outstanding.

Jason is growing into the job, it doesn't happen over night at least he is miles above the final few years of Hawk who was getting almost "Harry Caray" bad (and this was after Harry's medical issues.) Stone is simply the best analyst in the business. Farmer would be right there as well if only they'd move him out of the play by play role which he is not suited for.

When you keep missing basically half to most of most seasons, the numbers while nice don't have a lot of practicality in my opinion.

Rodon will be in the organization, he's under contract. He simply won't be able to pitch.

I think we've seen the last of Mr. Jones, thank God. Guy started off his career something like 8-0 and I remember thinking this guy could be something special....turns out he wasn't.

If Nova could pitch against Cleveland every game he'd be a 20 game winner. Unfortunately that's not the case. Wonder if Indian fans are starting to call him "Cy Nova" derisively like Sox fans used to call guys like Joe Mays and Bruce Chen, mediocre junk balling pitchers who somehow always made the Sox look like a bunch of stiffs.

When Jeff Torborg moved Ivan out of right field (he told me he was misplaced out there) he became a damn good left fielder made sensational catch after sensational catch during that 1990 season.

That's not saying a whole hell of a lot is it though?

The Minnesota Twins (who just a few short seasons ago lost around 100 games) say HELLO!

I'm simply tired of seeing the same stiffs, rejects, has-been's and the like continue to get chance after chance after chance after chance for the past SEVERAL seasons and continue to get the shit beat out of them. I repeat my point, the Sox are three years into the rebuild, where is at least some quality organizational depth? If all they can do is continue to give these stiffs more chances that indicates to me am even bigger issue. But I'm just tired of seeing the same garbage on the mound? Aren't you?

Now it's a six year rebuild....interesting.

Well... Another bullpen blow up (but at least they didn't blow a lead since the game was tied), another pitcher got hurt apparently, another set of errors by Timmy and Jose' and another dismal showing in front of a very large crowd. As Steve Stone said during the broadcast, "With all the speed bumps you have during a season you have to have depth..." Year three of the rebuild and the White Sox have precious little of it and in my opinion injuries are no longer an easy excuse. Just what the **** is going on in the minor league system from a drafting and developing stand point? Inquiring minds want to know.

Rumors have been that Cooper is JR's "spy" in the clubhouse.

"Luck is the residue of design" - Branch Rickey

Is death a third option instead of either one of these bums?

The White Sox continue to play the new pitching game show "Wheel of Stiffs..." Again that says a LOT about the state of pitching in the organization three years into a rebuild. Stiffs, rejects, has-been's, and guys cut from other organizations. I don't care if a guy throw 108 MPH if he's had chance after chance and can't get it done, he needs to be sent packing and give someone else a try.

Pitching has always been a hallmark of this franchise, this is simply ghastly and worse they really have no available options to fix this three years into a rebuild. Injuries or not this shows how thin the overall depth for pitching is with this organization is if the best they can do are stiffs, retreads and has-been's. Just unacceptable. Here's how bad things are from Scott Merkin's story: "White Sox starting pitching continues to be an overall weak point. Factoring in the nine runs on 10 hits allowed by Banuelos, the White Sox rotation has given up 115 earned runs over 151 2/3 innings for a 6.82 ERA. The staff has made nine quality starts in 31 games and has a 9.28 ERA (77 earned runs over 74 2/3 innings) at home." And three more errors to boot. Nice! And next year even if the Sox are willing to pony up major, major dollars and years the pickings are slim for quality starting pitching.

Grissom was afterwards, he was Eddie Stanky's pitching coach. Now I'm only counting Al Lopez's full time tenure, not the partial years of 1968 and 1969 when he didn't manager a full season.

Saw a story yesterday where Ricky baby said he's making progress running and throwing but they still don't know for sure when he'll be ready. Another EXCELLENT signing by Rick Hahn (sarcasm implied)

Personally I'd cut both of these stiffs and admit that a very high first round pick was blown.

I did a long historical piece on SportsVision, the why's and what went wrong. It also includes an interview with one of the first anchors there Mike Leiderman. Here is the link for any interested: http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/01/the-legacy-of-sportsvision/

In my opinion the best manager the Sox ever had was Al Lopez...just look at his record.

Just some thoughts...yep the Sox the last three years can't seem to keep key pieces at both the major and minor league level healthy. Maybe bad luck if you believe in that. I don't. I think it has something to do with evaluating prospects and draft picks and off season conditioning programs. The Yankees can lose a dozen guys and still win 90 games...the Sox are not even in that discussion when that happens to them. Given next year's free agent class for pitchers remaining and what the salary demands are I just can't see the Sox making that commitment. Maybe via trades but then you have to give something to get something and the Sox can't afford to give up the quality they have. Agree about Covey and Engel, two more mopes who continue to get chances because the Sox are so bad talent-wise in those areas right now. Just can't count on Rodon...period.

Ozzie quit on the team, b****ed to the media about his contract and salary THAT HE SIGNED and was a revolving door of conflict. I appreciate the job he did early in his Sox career but he began to believe his press clippings...no thank you.