Lip Man 1

Another pitcher with a losing record and a high ERA facing the Sox tonight. Maybe they'll get more than two runs.

I believe since time has to be called when a manager / coach / player visits the mound that the play is dead.

One of those, "Did I just see this?" moments... July 16, 1990 - 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.

I think many fans take this left handed / right handed lineup construction to an extreme. If a guy is a good hitter, he's a good hitter and you get him and it shouldn't matter if he hits left handed, right handed or between his legs. You get as many good hitters as you can (who also have baseball skills as in fielding and base running) and let them do their thing. I'd never turn down the chance to get a good hitter / player because of what hand he favors.

Well said. I don't think he can be an "ace" with overpowering staff and a reputation to match but he could be a very good, very productive pitcher if things continue to go as they have been. But we're just seeing his good side for a half a season, need more time to see how this will play out.

Sox have scored 18 runs in their last seven games, six losses and in the game they won they only scored three runs.

Organizations win championships...not really it's the players, but they go a long way towards putting you in a position to possibly win.

What's really disappointing about tonight was that the Royals pitcher was awful...had a losing record, an ERA of over five...and he strikes out 10 guys. Unbelievable. This offense is just bad especially the last few spots in the lineup tonight. Gio wasn't as sharp as he has been but tonight should have been good enough.

PTATC: As others who appear to know more about the draft than I do here at this site have been consistently saying Burdi was a reach to begin with for a first round pick. But since you bring it up and since you are a trainer I'm sure you know about the procedures in place that some teams are using based on a series of data points to try to help "predict" if certain athletes are prone to future injuries. I've been reading about them in Sports Illustrated among other places. I wonder if the Sox have or use such new techniques? And since you are alluding to the "luck" factor I remind you of Branch Rickey's famous comment on luck, "Luck is the residue of design..."

If this is indeed true (who knows for sure?) then that's another black mark on the drafting part of the front office. It would be another high first round pick that they missed on. How many mulligans does that group get before someone starts asking what is wrong? Fulmer, Collins, Burdi, Burger...

So the Sox burn an option on Collins by bringing him up and start his service clock, then rarely play him and send him back down. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I agree but remember JR has often said he's really not interested in paying for "potential". He prefers to pay based on actual results. It is a short sighted take in my opinion but that seems to be part of his basic philosophy.

With the new experimental rules: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/atlantic-league-player-becomes-first-professional-to-steal-first-base-days-after-new-rule-is-introduced/

That was some move to get out of the run down today vs. Atlanta. Kid is just incredible.

A's just get Homer Bailey from K.C. for a minor league prospect.

This is an interesting take and one I think I'd be willing to take a gamble on. The question is would the Dodgers?

Garfien was asking on Twitter yesterday if the Sox have ever played well in Oakland. I told him to look up the records between 1977 and 1982 for his answer. Yeah it's a quirky ballpark and that does give the A's an advantage much like the Metrodome did for the Twins but when you cut through everything in a lot of those years, the small market A's have simply put a better product out there than the Sox. That's a front office issue...not a stadium one. By the way the A's just got Homer Bailey from K.C. for a minor league player.

Wasn't comparing it to anything other than as rich as MLB is right now, the cost while nothing to sneeze at wouldn't be a back breaker for anybody. And even a short season team costs money to operate. How much? Again that's a great question as well as why the Sox won't add one.

That's a good question. Seriously I don't know but you have to pay players, team executives, stadium upkeep, utility bills, insurance costs. I'd imagine on the surface it's not cheap. Relatively speaking though since MLB is now a 10 billion dollar industry when you look at it in those terms the cost is minor.

I have a very hard time thinking ANYBODY will take this guy without the Sox paying a significant part of his salary.

Not like the Metrodome

Totally crap weekend, the Sox look awful against Oakland while the Cubs sweep Pittsburgh. Fundamentals win or lose games folks, just ask Rondon. Maybe they'll play better against the torpid Royals...maybe.

I didn't say that you did say it did I? My point is valid though, he's been good for a half season, others have done the same and flamed out big time. Give it time with him and we'll see. And the reason I feel the way I do about most Sox relief pitchers is because the track record at the major and minor league levels has been so poor especially with development over the past several years. I'm skeptical until shown otherwise. We're talking about the White Sox here remember, cynicism because of results (or lack of same) is somewhat inherent. 59, let's face it, you know and I know most of these guys are bad, it doesn't take a genius to see it, unless you believe in miracles or luck. I just admit it as a fact and move on. I hope Bummer and Giolito and McCann have turned it around and can become very good players because that will give the rebuild a tremendous shot in the arm but until I see more evidence that this has happened, a larger body of work, again I'm skeptical because of the organization.

When JR wants to spend the money I guess.

You sell if you can get a team in contention panicking somewhat and offered the moon for some of the Sox players. Otherwise you hang on to them especially those with deals in place for next year.