Lip Man 1

Have that game in my library. Joel Horlen threw a complete game in a 4-1 September Saturday win if I remember right. It was NBC's Game of the Week.

Giolito, Jose and Anderson. Jose will start.

So?

Saw some stories at MLB.com where they are dropping hints he's going to sign with (who else?) the Yankees right after the draft. Guess they no longer give a damn about the Luxury Tax threshold (which they are already over...)

At MLB.com they had some updated stats on the Central teams and this stood out to me about the Sox: "The Sox are in a four-way tie for the worst strikeout-to-walk ratio, have the second-to-worst WHIP in baseball and the highest walk rate in the MLB (10.6%)." Normally I'd say, "Coop will fix em'" but I have to cut him some slack since he doesn't have a whole lot to work with.

When Ed was doing nothing but color he was terrific. Go back and listen to the 2005 broadcasts for example...it was uncanny how often he'd predict something a pitch or two ahead of time and it would come to pass. But he is completely out of his element as a play by play guy...but JR likes him, so there you go.

Speaking of "dumb" I've seen White Sox ownership do a lot of dumb things over the decades so I put nothing past them. And thanks for the "courteous" reply.

Balta: By the way have you seen what Frankie Montas has been doing this year for the A's?

Well they won't get swept. Nice game all around except for Vieria.

Part of it was because Rooney wanted to go back to St. Louis, part of it was because the radio station wasn't willing to meet his salary demands.

I have to agree with Balta myself. I see very little in the system that inspires confidence. Or as I have put in in the past, a bunch of "retreads, no-name's, has-been's, cast-off's..." Basically four A stuff. Burdi is about the only one who I think can make an impact. The rest are all flotsam and jetsam.

Maybe constantly being on a losing, disorganized team was getting to him?

True although they ran him out there constantly trying to salvage what they could and it costs them games. I guess my point is they don't do it regularly and it takes an extreme situation for them to go that route. Maybe it will happen with Alonso but at this point I have my doubts...Ricky remember continues to bat him fourth even though he's hurting the team. They keep trying to salvage some face with his trade / salary.

I may have forgotten them but can you give me examples. Did they cut Dunn? LaRoche? Keppinger? et al. Not trying to be snarky just can't think of anybody off the top of my head save for Santana and they only owed him peanuts.

Dunning is coming off TJ and is a starter as is Hansen. Covey is a four A player, nothing more nothing less. Burdi also coming off TJ surgery is a complete unknown at this point.

I assume you mean a combined 65 million. The way you wrote it seems to indicate giving one player a 65 million dollar a year deal. But over and above that, it takes two to tango. Said players have to want to take the Sox offer and unless they overpay or show significant progress this season that may be a hard sell.

I'd be willing to take a wager on that statement. These are the White Sox remember. He may, MAY be traded but he won't be released with the Sox on the hook for nine million.

Not at all. My point is the Sox should try to be better than "average." One thing I always admired about Rocky Wirtz was when he took over he clearly and categorically stated the goal was to win Stanley Cup's. I respected that and I'm sure after the debacle that was Bill Wirtz Hawk fans were pleased to hear that. When you say, "well with work (one of the top prospects in baseball) he can be an average fielder" that sends the wrong message, that's lowering the bar, that's settling. That "attitude" is part of the reason this franchise is where it is at, it starts with the owner and permeates right down the line.

Loved the headline in the Sun-Times today where Ricky said that with a lot of work and time Eloy can become an "average" outfielder. LOL. Just what Sox fans hope the team / players / organization aspire to..."average." Way to inspire the troops Ricky! This clown needs to be sent packing along with half the guys on this roster.

And remember Hahn publicly said defense was going to be emphasized in spring training this year. LOL...right. Sox had zero chance tonight, nada. Verlander made them look like a Little League team. Moncada with the "Golden Sombrero" and Eloy looks completely lost now both in the field and at the plate. And Covey was....well Covey.

On who? Have you seen what that class looks like now with all the resignings?

What's even more of an indictment of the organization is that the manager Robin Ventura let this crap go on without doing a damn thing apparently.

"Minnie" had to deal with everything Jackie Robinson had to deal with including the fact that unlike Jackie, he spoke no English when he came to the states. Every Latin player of that generation growing up including Cepeda, Clemente and Tony Perez wanted to be like him. In fact Tony specifically talked about "Minnie" in his Hall of Fame induction speech.

Can Ricky be this "baseball-stupid" or is he simply being bullheaded because he hears what the fans are saying about this. Seriously this is just insane.

The Chicago Baseball Museum (for which I write) has worked tirelessly to get "Minnie" and Billy Pierce in. Both are very deserving if you simply go by the numbers themselves. Now add in their popularity and how they represented the sport and it is a damn shame, if they do get in, it will be after they have passed away. I don't know how much "influence" JR has anymore myself by the way regarding MLB issues. He's no longer on any committee's. If he did work to get Harold in I can understand it, he played for JR, JR knows him very well. Here is the link to the story I did on Billy's credentials: https://chicagobaseballmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/CBM-Golden-Era-Liptak-Pierce-20141121.pdf And here is the one for "Minnie" Minoso: https://chicagobaseballmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/CBM-HOF-Minnie-Minoso-20141205.pdf