Lip Man 1

"Luck is the residue of design" - Branch Rickey.

Well right now the only place they've been going is down the toilet.

It's a double edged sword. Yes, they are in first place but they are only two games over .500, have lost six of their last eight and look very much out of synch right now. 15 hits, total in the past three games. And with things so balanced across MLB fewer and fewer teams right now are going to be selling making getting the pitching help the Sox badly need more difficult. That's 11 of 13 for the Red Sox who I'm guessing won't be selling off Gray and Chapman. Getting Murikami back will help. The Sox need to get their heads out of their asses, win the A's series and go into the break with a little momentum

He should give them a shot in the arm if nothing else mentally. The Sox look very tired right now having lost five of seven.

They way things are shaping up Boston, Minnesota and Detroit may not be selling at the deadline making things even more complex and potentially difficult for Getz to get help. The price of pitching is going to be very, very expensive. We'll see what, if anything, the Sox can do to get help.

Five factoids today: July 9, 1912 - Looking for more pitching, Sox owner Charles Comiskey acquired Eddie Cicotte from the Red Sox after the pitcher argued with his manager and owner John Taylor. Cicotte of course would pitch well for the Sox but then would be banned from baseball in 1920 because of his involvement in fixing the World Series. In eight and a half years with the Sox he won 156 games. July 9, 1919 - In a twin bill in Chicago against the Philadelphia Athletics, Urban “Red” Faber won both games. The first one came in relief of starter Dickie Kerr. The scores were 8-7 and 6-2. He threw 11 innings combined allowing 10 hits and four runs. In the second game win he threw a complete game. July 9, 1972 - With the Sox desperately needing a third baseman to replace the injured Bill Melton, G.M. Roland Hemond acquired Ed Spiezio from San Diego for pitcher Don Eddy. Spiezio did a yeoman job holding down the fort the rest of the year as the Sox stalked the A’s and his dramatic extra inning home run against Oakland on August 12 off Rollie Fingers in the Coliseum, put the Sox into first place. It was the latest the Sox had been in first place in a season, since 1967. Spiezio from Joliet, Illinois also hit the first home run in San Diego Padres history. July 9, 2002 - In the infamous 11 inning tied All-Star Game in Milwaukee, Paul Konerko tied the record for most doubles in the game with two. His teammate Mark Buehrle (P) joined him in the contest. July 9, 2006 - Tadahito Iguchi’s single in the last of the 19th inning gave the White Sox a dramatic 6-5 win over Boston at U.S. Cellular Field in the final game before the All-Star break. Jermaine Dye’s two out, ninth inning home run tied the game at three. Both teams scored two runs in the 11th and the score stayed that way until the 19th. The game took 6:19 to play. It also appeared to take something out of the World Champions; they lost 10 of the next 12 after the break and skidded to a 90-win season.

When push comes to shove I'll be curious who has the final say in the organization. I assume it would be Getz but who knows. And who knows how much influence JR may have in it.

Given the state of the staff if he's hurt that's a crusher.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/07/08/white-sox-scouting-director-mike-shirley-roch-cholowsky-grady-emerson-vahn-lackey-mlb-draft-chris-getz

Eight hits total in two games. Not good. A few more weeks of Boston not losing, now 10 wins in 12 games, and they won't be trading anybody. Oh yea, the Twins are now right in the mix. Incredible. Maybe they'll wake up Thursday, but right now they aren't getting it done. And because Martin only went four innings they had to burn through four other pitchers. It always comes down to pitching.

SIX factoids today: July 8, 1941 – Edgar Smith became the first White Sox pitcher to win the All-Star Game, held in Detroit that year, after the A.L. rallied for four runs in the ninth inning. The winning runs scored on Ted Williams three-run home run. Smith pitched two innings, giving up two runs on two hits with two strike outs. Smith was joined on the team by Luke Appling (SS) and Thornton Lee (P). July 8, 1943 - Sox pitcher Orval Grove almost got himself a no-hitter and against the Yankees to boot. Joe Gordon’s bloop double with two out in the ninth spoiled it, but Grove did win the game 1-0 at Comiskey Park finishing with a one-hitter. It ran his record to 7-0 at the time. He’d finish 15-9 with a 2.75 ERA for the year. July 8, 1947 - White Sox shortstop Luke Appling played a key role in the A.L.’s 2-1 win in the All-Star Game, held across town at Wrigley Field. Appling, 40, had been named to his seventh and final All-Star Game as a substitute. With the A.L. trailing, 1-0, Appling pinch-hit for John “Buddy” Lewis of the Senators, to lead off the sixth inning and singled off of Harry “the Cat” Brecheen. Ted Williams singled Appling to third, and “Ol’ Aches and Pains” came home with the tying run when Joe DiMaggio grounded into a double play. The next inning, pinch-hitter Stan Spence singled in Bobby Doerr for the A.L.’s eventual game-winner. The other Sox representative that year was Rudy York (1B) July 8, 1958 - Sox ace pitcher Early Wynn got the win in the All-Star Game in Baltimore as the A.L. defeated the N.L. 4-3. Wynn entered the game in the sixth inning with the score tied at 3-3. He pitched a perfect inning. Then in the last of that inning the American League scored the eventual winning run on a single by the Yankees Gil McDougald scoring Frank Malzone of the Red Sox. In addition to Wynn, the Sox representatives were Luis Aparicio (SS), Nellie Fox (2B), Sherm Lollar (C) and Billy Pierce (P). Fox and Aparicio were named starters. July 8, 2008 - During a strange, back-and-forth game, A.J. Pierzynski drove home two runs in the 11th inning on a single sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded in extra innings, Pierzynski ripped a long drove into right-center that Royals center fielder Joey Gathright tracked down. But a collision with right fielder, and future Sox player, Mark Teahen forced Gathright to the ground, scoring both Joe Crede from third and Alexei Ramírez at second base. Orlando Cabrera also moved from first to third on the fly. Kansas City rallied for two runs in its half, but two innings later Cabrera gave the first-place White Sox the lead for good, 8-7, with an RBI double. July 8, 2016 – In a game at home against the Braves, the White Sox pulled off their third triple play of the season. That hadn’t happened in Major League Baseball since 1979. It happened in the third inning of an 11-8 loss. Shortstop Tim Anderson fielded a Freddie Freeman ground ball, tagged out lead runner Chase d’Arnaud before stepping on second base to force out former Sox infielder Gordon Beckham and then threw to first baseman Jose Abreu to throw out Freeman. Both the Red Sox and A’s accomplished the feat of three triple plays during the 1979 season, according to the Society for American Baseball Research’s triple play database. The White Sox turned a triple play on April 22 against the Rangers and turned the second on May 18 against the Astros.

That's the crazy situation the Sox find themselves in. The fan base (rightly in my opinion) wants them to make this a successful year on the field and in the won/lost column given the last few years. But the Sox themselves are still trying to develop (rightly in my opinion) many of these kids and try to set the foundation for the future. Hard to reconcile the two opinions.

They need to trade for two starting pitchers in my opinion. The question is can Getz get it done? (And would JR allow it?)

Valid concern but the issue is who can they replace him with? The Sox already don't really have a fifth starter there's no way they could survive without a fourth starter who at least goes out there every time. Like I posted Schultz need to go back down but then what?

Boston is red hot right now, these next two games won't be easy. Regarding Schultz, personally I think he needs to spend a lot more time in the minors learning his craft but I understand why the Sox brought him up. The starting pitching situation they are in is not good and they were hoping he could help. Maybe in three weeks after the trade deadline he's sent back down but right now he's very inconsistent from game to game and when you are in a divisional race like with Dominguez, how much rope can you afford to give him?

We'll see what happens. You said you wished they could open up a divisional lead, without solid consistent pitching that's going to be hard to do. Unless Getz can get some help it figures to go down to the wire. By the way, speaking of down to the wire, the Sox close the year with three at home vs. Colorado.

Pitching holds the key that's for sure.

Just don't think they have the pitching to rip off a six or seven game winning streak.

SIX factoids today: July 7, 1931 - In a 12-inning game won by the White Sox over the Browns in St. Louis, 10-8, neither team struck out. It remains the longest game ever played in the big leagues without a hitter fanning. The Sox led 8-7 going into the ninth inning but couldn’t hold it as pinch hitter Chad Kimsey, normally a pitcher, homered to tie the game at eight. Kimsey was on the mound when the Sox scored twice in the 12th inning, helped in part by a key error and he took the loss. He’d be acquired by the Sox on waivers from the Browns and pitch for the club late in the 1932 and all of the 1933 seasons before he was traded to Montreal of the International League. July 7, 1959 - Sox pitcher Early Wynn started the first of the two All-Star Games played that season. This one was in Pittsburgh. Wynn, who’d go on to take the Cy Young Award that season, and win 22 games, went three innings allowing one run. He didn’t get a decision in the N.L.’s 5-4 win. Other Sox representatives in the game included Luis Aparicio (SS), Nellie Fox (2B), Sherm Lollar (C) and Billy Pierce (P). Fox and Aparicio joined Wynn in the starting lineup. July 7, 1964 – White Sox manager Al Lopez, in charge of the A.L. All-Stars saw a former player ruin his afternoon. Johnny Callison, once a top Sox prospect, traded to the Phillies before the start of the 1960 season, belted a three-run home run in the last of the ninth to win the All-Star Game for the N.L. 7-4 at Shea Stadium in New York. The home run came off the Red Sox Dick “the Monster” Radatz and was the key blow in the four-run inning. The Sox quickly realized what they traded away and tried to get Callison back before the start of the 1962 season without success. Joining Lopez and coach Don Gutteridge from the Sox on the team were pitchers Gary Peters and Juan Pizarro. July 7, 1971 - Lee “Bee-Bee”Richard did not have many White Sox highlights, but on this day he managed a feat of superhuman speed and smarts, scoring from second base on a sacrifice fly. With the game tied with Oakland at Comiskey Park, 1-1, and future White Sox hurler John “Blue Moon” Odom on the mound, Ed Herrmann led off the inning with a single. Rookie speedster Richard pinch-ran and was bunted to second by Luis Alvarado. Batting for starting pitcher Tommy John, Rich McKinney launched a deep drive to the warning track in center field, where Angel Mangual made the catch, back turned to the infield, almost 400 feet from home plate. Richard took off and never hesitated turning third base, waved home all the way. Shortstop Larry Brown took the relay throw, but in his rush launched it up the third-base line, as Richard flew home to score what would prove the eventual winning run. In his career he also scored from second base on a passed ball and an infield hit showing off his blinding speed on the bases. July 7, 1982 - It was the coming out party for Sox outfielder Harold Baines. In a game in Chicago against the Tigers, Baines blasted three home runs in the Sox 7-0 win. One of his blasts was a grand slam. He’d drive in six of the Sox seven runs. His homers came in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. Later that week at Toronto in a 16-7 win, he’d hammer two more home runs including a second grand slam and knock in five more RBI’s. No wonder he was named A.L. Player of the Week! July 7, 2009 - On the same date that Harold Baines clubbed three home runs in a game in 1982, Sox first baseman Paul Konerko launched three in a 10-6 win over Cleveland at U.S. Cellular Field. Konerko had a solo home run, a two-run shot and a grand slam in his finest performance in a White Sox uniform. He went 3 for 4 with three runs scored and those seven RBI’s. He became the 12th different player in franchise history to drill three home runs in a game and the 13th overall to hit at least three. He also became the first Sox player to ever hit three in a game at what was then called U.S. Cellular Field.

I know but I couldn't find it. Feel free to move this if you'd like.

Which to be fair may not be until next season (if they have one...)regarding the pitchers.

Here's another one: Braves put Martin Perez on the IL with a forearm issue.

For those keeping score today: Dodgers released Jake Eder and designated Chuckie Robinson for assignment.

What was funny was when the Cleveland play by play guy said it was Gonzales who hit the home run when it was Peters in reality. he corrected himself when Peters was running the bases.

A lot is going to depend on his health situation. Anytime a pitcher starts to have forearm soreness to me that's a major red flag. He just got back to live action recently. I think the Sox, like it or not, have to give it time to see if this medical issue is behind him or not. Under no circumstances would I be rushing him.