Lip Man 1

The next 16 games will tell a lot. The Yankees series will have all their best pitchers lined up in order, that will be a real test.

Five factoids today: July 24, 1960 - In the first game of a double header at New York, future Hall of Famer Nellie Fox banged out his 2,000th career hit. On the afternoon he’d have a pair in the 6-3 Sox victory. The hit came in the first inning on a single to left field off of Jim Coates. The Sox would split the double header for the day. July 24, 1968 - Sox relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm appeared in both ends of a double header versus the Athletics at Comiskey Park and in doing so set the record for most appearances by a pitcher. The future Hall of Famer broke Cy Young’s record of 906 games. “Old Tilt” would appear in a staggering 1,070 games before he retired. Wilhelm became the top relief pitcher of the 1960's. In his six years with the Sox, he’d win 41 games and save 99 others while producing some astonishingly low ERA’s considering he threw the knuckleball. His highest ERA between 1963 and 1968 was 2.64, every other season it was below two. July 24, 2020 – Because of the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic the regular season started four months later than normal. A bizarre, bastardized 60 game season was ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred after the owners and players union could not agree on a longer schedule. There were also new bizarre rules put in place, while many people questioned the wisdom of sports being playing while thousands were getting infected and many were dying. For the White Sox, hoping to build on three years of rebuilding and a terrific off season, they hosted the Twins who beat them up 10-5 putting a damper immediately on things. July 24, 2022 – After many years of waiting and coming close, White Sox great Orestes “Minnie” Minoso was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The “Cuban Comet” was the first Latin player to excel in the Major Leagues and opened the door, much like Jackie Robinson did for Negros, to the wealth of talent in Mexico and Central America. Minoso was a six-time All-Star representing the White Sox, was named the American League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News in 1951, won two Gold Gloves with the White Sox and led the league at various times in triples, stolen bases and hit by pitches. He batted over .300 seven times with the Sox, scored 100 or more runs four times and drove in at least 100 RBI’s four times. His combination of speed and power were unique for the time period. He ranks among the franchise all-time leaders in triples, at bats, walks, runs scored, RBI’s, hit by pitches, hits, total bases, on-base percentage, doubles, extra base hits and OPS. July 24, 2022 – Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease was masterful in beating Cleveland at Guaranteed Rate Field. Cease went six innings allowing no runs on seven hits, striking out four in the 6-3 win. That marked his 11th consecutive start allowing one run or fewer which tied the modern era record for pitchers. It had only happened twice before. Bob Gibson of the Cardinals did it in 1968 and the Mets Jacob deGrom turned the trick in the 2021 season.

https://www.mlb.com/news/predicting-players-to-be-moved-2026-mlb-trade-deadline

They have a tough decision to make with him.

Good they need help there badly.

Saw a story at MLB.com yesterday that said he is actually drawing interest from teams.

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-players-embracing-unexpected-2026-success

I think Cleveland led the Sox by two games or three games at one point. Sox only need 28 more wins for a winning season.

Didn't realize that. That...really bad.

Hey asswipe, why did you make the comment about me not being happy if the Sox went to the playoffs multiple times yet didn't win anything? I bolded the part for you remember? You brought my name in to something and made an assumption about me. Reading is a skill.

So you know who my sources were for the story in November 2022? Interesting.

Once again you are absolutely out of your mind, making asinine assumptions about what I'd do. This is at least the third time you've done this and you even apologized once for it in a personal DM. Let me repeat for the last f$%^&*( time, I'd LOVE for the Sox to make the playoffs, three, four, five years in a row. I be THRILLED even if they didn't win s%*# because to me having a winning season and potentially making the post season makes that season a good one. Are we clear now doofus? I'm really getting tired of your nonsense.

Respectfully I disagree. “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.” Over time if things change regarding this issue with the organization, I'll be happy to change my opinion. That evidence of change in my opinion hasn't happened yet.

I'm a student of White Sox history as you know. I can only react to what has taken place. If that changes and I'm still alive to see, say when Ishbia takes over, then maybe I'll have to change my beliefs. Many seasons sometimes many decades it's torture just to be a White Sox fan.

Four factoids today: July 23, 1986 – It was one of, if not the worst, deal made by G.M. Ken “Hawk” Harrelson as he sent Bobby Bonilla to the Pirates for pitcher Jose DeLeon. Bonilla, selected by the Sox in the Major League draft in December 1985, showed flashes of brilliance in his half season on the South Side. He’d eventually turn into a complete, dominating, five tool type player with the Pirates during their divisional title runs in the early 90’s, although he was a handful because of his attitude. July 23, 2007 – All-time great White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce was honored with a statue at Sox Park, becoming the sixth White Sox legend so honored. Beyond being a wonderful person and lifetime ambassador (both unofficially, and officially) for the team, he was an amazing pitcher, as good as anyone in baseball in the 1950s. In fact Billy was one of the leaders by WAR in the Major Leagues during that decade. Pierce ranks first all-time in White Sox strikeouts (1,796), third in shutouts (35), fourth in wins (186) and innings (2,931), third in starts (391) and fifth in games pitched (456), tied for fifth in complete games (183), sixth in pitching WAR (49.2) second among southpaws, 10th in adjusted ERA+ (123), 20th in hits per nine innings (8.116), tied for 25th in FIP (3.42) and 27th in ERA (3.19). He represented the White Sox in seven All-Star games, starting for the American League in three of them, the only Sox pitcher to ever do so and he threw four one-hitters losing a perfect game with two out in the ninth inning against the Senators on June 27, 1958 at Comiskey Park. July 23, 2009 - It had only happened 17 times before. On this date the Sox Mark Buehrle became the 18th pitcher to ever throw a perfect game when he shut down Tampa 5-0. Buehrle was helped in the top of the ninth inning when Dewayne Wise, an otherwise mediocre player, made the catch of his career, leaping above the wall in left center to snare a ball hit by Gabe Kapler with one out. On the way down he started to lose the ball then snatched it out of the air with his other hand. Buehrle completed the task in 2:03, the exact same amount of time as his no-hitter in 2007. He became only the fourth pitcher to ever throw a perfect game and a no-hitter joining Cy Young, Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson. July 23, 2016 - It was certainly a strange and bizarre situation for the Sox. Chris Sale, arguably the best pitcher in the American League and one of the best in baseball went on a pregame rampage before his scheduled start against the Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field. Sale was upset that he had to wear a throwback Sox pajama style jersey as part of a promotion for the game. Sale reportedly said it was uncomfortable. With the heat index over one hundred degrees wearing a dark blue/black jersey probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do either. Sale decided to take matters into his own hands, as during batting practice, he destroyed all of the game jerseys the team was supposed to wear by cutting them up with scissors. He also said publicly the White Sox were more concerned with public relations and uniforms than winning games. He would be suspended for five games for the incident.

Houston is three games out of first in the division. They aren't selling.

These are the White Sox remember? Until from a medical standpoint I see things getting better I'll reserve judgement.

History appears to be on your side.

I see where Ramirez was in the lineup for them tonight so he's back with Cleveland.

Solid win, solid road trip. Pitchers only walked two this evening and struck out 12. Meidroth with a big game.

Well that would put the time frame from around Labor Day to very, very late in September.

You're right. I misread it. Sorry and thanks! Don't know how I missed that.

I don't think you can trade recent draft selections until after a year but I may be wrong. Someone may be able to clarify that for you.

Because the Yankees place a priority on winning regardless of cost?

MLB-TV keeps speculating he winds up with the Yankees.