Lip Man 1

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Sep 8, 2015 -> 10:18 AM) I'll start with this caveat. I think that this off-season may be full of a bunch of moves. I don't see us staying put like we did a few years back with Dunn, AJ, Peavy, etc. and hoping for different results. So a lot of this is hypothetical -- the first domino will have to fall first to see the direction we're headed. However my thoughts ... Alexei since ASB? .301./.342/.473 -- 7 HR, 27RBI, 11 2B, 7 SB. His range is starting to fall off a bit, but I do think he has value on this team. Even at a $10mm option. Replacing 20-25 SB, 30 2B, a good arm, and a smart, reliable player is not that easy. Check out this stat of starting 3B since Crede for the Sox -- it reads like the Bears starting QB since Favre/Rodgers graphic they always show: Gordon Beckham Wilson Betemit Emilio Bonaficio Eduardo Escobar Josh Fields Leury Garcia Conor Gillaspie Orlando Hudson Jeff Keppinger Brent Lillibridge Jose Lopez Dallas McPherson Brent Morel Jayson Nix Mike Ott Ray Olmedo Tyler Saladino Marcus Semien Mark Teahen Dayan Viciedo Omar Vizquel Kevin Youkilis Also look at the 3B free agents ... nothing much prettier than the above. (Chris Davis/Uribe is about it) So with that being said ... (and I'd still love some kind of blockbuster trade where we trade pitching for Arenado, though I know that is dreaming) why not explore Alexei as a stop-gap at 3B? Declining range, still very strong arm, is better IMO than any in house option and most FA. Get to keep the speed he brings to the team, the consistency of him starting 150-160 games, the doubles, etc. This also allows the Sox to move Sanchez to SS, bring up the speed and bat of Micah (though the D comes with it). I do think he has an MLB bat though. It improves the overall team in my opinion. Also gives them a full year to determine who their starting 2B should be moving forward (Sanchez or Micah) when Anderson is finally up. I do think you have to bring in another Power Bat though to offset a weak infield/sunk coast of LaRoche. Ideally Cespedes, shift Garcia to DH. But don't think Uncle Jerry is opening the pocket book on this mess of a team. These post all star game numbers are what is called in the trade a "salary drive" nothing more. Personally I don't think the Sox are going anywhere next year without massive changes to the front office / manager / coaching staff. That's not going to happen. So...why waste 10 million on a player who is as inconsistent as they come, will be 34, can't hit in cold weather, is a mental midget and loses concentration at the drop of a hat? Alexei showed much promise in 2008 but for the most part, like the entire team, organization has been a disappointment. Mark

Ryan Raburn has 81 RBI against the White Sox. His next highest RBI total against one team is 25 against the Royals. Raburn also became the first player to hit two homers in a game against Chris Sale. Mark

QUOTE (dpd9189 @ Sep 7, 2015 -> 07:24 PM) Of all those guys listed I think Cespedes fits the Sox the best although he will probably demand the most money. Right now the Sox have a lineup where only one guy scares other teams, you put Cespedes behind Abreu and this lineup gets better and more powerful instantly. Cespedes also has indicated he wants to return to Detroit for what its worth. Mark

19th time this year the Sox allowed an opponent three runs or less...and lost. Bauer has an ERA of over four and a half, makes the Sox look like garbage. Ryan Raburn, RYAN RABURN...yet again. For those who might have missed it, it came out last year that Raburn has the highest percentage of career RBI's in history against a single opponent. Said opponent is of course the White Sox. Cleveland has less talent than the Sox in my opinion but somehow they are going to shake off a bad start and probably finish over .500. The White Sox will keep running on the treadmill to irrelevancy. And how about that Labor Day "crowd" today? 14 thousand! WOW. Mark

It does if the toxic relationship is putting more pressure on said pitcher and causing issues. Remember Cory Snyder? Good power hitter in Cleveland. Didn't get along with Walt Hriniak who tried to change his approach. Said result, Snyder only lasted a half season with the Sox in 1992. Mark

Got nothing to lose on this but it does say something about the black hole in the organization at third base (and catcher...and DH...) Mark

QUOTE (AlSoxfan @ Sep 4, 2015 -> 01:48 PM) ok I'll pray but I'll warn you I don't think Hahn can get anywhere near as deep in JR's pocket as Williams can. Kenny actually seemed to do better when he didn't have as much money to play around with. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 4, 2015 -> 07:54 AM) This and the source make me doubt the story though. For what it's worth I've heard from another source in the media that the two individuals are not getting along. Mark

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Sep 4, 2015 -> 08:31 AM) Same here. The trib is almost impossible to read if not a subscriber, which I am not. Oh well, doesn't sound like we're missing out on much. Without going into to much detail there are ways to read paywall stories from the Tribune via internet searches. Mark

I suspect there is some truth to this, I mean Shark completely fell off the table right after July 31st and that's probably not a coincidence. And Cooper does come across as an arrogant, smug, condescending SOB. However let's keep in mind this is Kaplan. The same guy who was so sure the Cubs were going to go after Albert Pujois that he walked on the set one day wearing a Cubs #5 Pujois jersey. He's the same guy who insisted Joe Girardi was coming to manager the Cubs and who shouted from the rooftops that the Cubs "would not be outbid on Tanaka..." Let's just keep that in mind. Mark

9th time this year the Sox have come from behind in the 7th inning or later to win a game. Balances out the nine times they have lost when leading in the 7th inning or later. Mark

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Sep 3, 2015 -> 12:44 PM) Sox at Minn record just awful this year. Not the first time, probably won't be the last time either. Mark

QUOTE (bjm676 @ Sep 3, 2015 -> 10:01 AM) The pattern is more about a soft-tossing lefty being dominant against the Sox. All I heard on the broadcast last night is how they've always had trouble. This has been going on since the Jerry Manuel era. You would think by now, they would have figured it out. As bad as they are at the fundamentals of the game (and have been since 2003 with the single exception of 2005) I'm not surprised they haven't figured out how to beat soft tossing, junk balling, no name pitchers. Milone by the way is from the Chicago area and grew up a Sox fan. Mark

QUOTE (Julius @ Sep 3, 2015 -> 12:06 PM) So the Hahn thread turns into an Attendance thread....love it! I'm a sucker for it '83-'84 attendance was due to playoffs early 90's attendance was due to a new stadium 2006 - coming off a world series The sox aren't getting a new stadium and the sox are not going to the playoffs anytime soon. Front office/scouting are woefully inept and are incapable of finding 24 guys to complement Sale. Sale will never pitch in a playoff game for the white sox. Season ticket base will be at its 10K base and overall attendance will hover around 19K - 22K, which is good for being above the Indians, Rays and A's for MLB Attendance Standings, which is what we are all obsessed about (even though we deny it...) Again the original statement was Sox fans don't support the franchise. The facts say that is incorrect. All of a sudden conditions and reasons are being listed for doing so, basically making exceptions. That doesn't hold water. If fans didn't support the franchise they would come out under ANY conditions and that's simply not true. I'll go so far as to say Sox fans have been pretty good at supporting this franchise given the generally bad baseball they've seen for decades. I mean five postseason spots in 35 years? The Sox being the only one of the original 16 pre expansion MLB franchises to have never made the postseason in consecutive years?? Given those facts the Sox should be grateful they are even getting the numbers they have been. Just my opinion. Mark

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 2, 2015 -> 08:58 AM) In the playoffs, the bats went silent. I doubt Mussina or Schilling make a difference. Charles Johnson was pretty awesome as a White Sox. Big Hurt and Paulie .000 in the playoffs. .182 for Maggs. They scored four runs in the first game. That would be enough for a pitcher of the caliber of a Schilling or Mussina to win with. Win Game #1 and everything changes potentially doesn't it? Yes the hitting went south but even Jerry Manuel said that off season, that if the Sox somehow won that series they basically had no one left for the next round due to the injuries suffered by Sirotka and Parque to go on top of the injuries to Baldwin (who missed a month and was pitching on guts) and of course the season ending injury to Cal Eldred. The Sox needed pitching far more than hitting at the trade deadline but that's not what Schueler did. Mark

QUOTE (LDF @ Sep 3, 2015 -> 08:28 AM) thanks on many counts and you are 100% correct. the sox fans, except before this yr, did not and will not support a full rebuild. they will show their displeasure by not showing up or spending good money on crap. that has always forced the owners hand to do it correct or even go further than ok in acquiring players. this is the a good enuf span that i can remember in a long time when i seen a time of the org in this state of hopelessness. easy was for me to explain it, a ship without a captain who has a clue of what to do. Well this rebuild while contending philosophy has led to a losing season (counting this year) in six of the past nine seasons, no consecutive winning seasons since 2003-2006, no playoffs (in an era of parity) since 2008, the lowest watched MLB franchise according to Fan Graphs and attendance that's generally ranked towards the bottom of MLB and that lost fans from the previous season for eight straight seasons. I submit that philosophy isn't working based on the historical facts. "It's Time" (sorry LOL) for a change in that philosophy and if that means a total complete rebuild...so be it. How much worse could it get if they did that given the facts I just presented? The REAL issue though is the same people who put this franchise in the position it's in are going to be charged with fixing it. Personally I don't think they can. Mark

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Sep 3, 2015 -> 09:34 AM) Sox fans don't support the team at all, rebuild or not. Have you looked at the attendance figures from the Golden Age (51-67) in relation to the rest of MLB at that time. How about in the period from 1983-84...or 1990 through the labor impasse? Or in 2006. I think those numbers show your statement is very wrong. Mark

I strongly suggest reading Steve Rosenbloom's column on the Sox today in the Tribune. It is 100% right on the money. When the executive VP says publicly he can't figure out what's wrong with the team while the G.M. is saying publicly that everyone is open minded in what needs to be changed you've got a serious disconnect...to say nothing of the disconnect between the organization and the fan base. Really good reading. The reality of course is that as long as JR owns the franchise there will not be much substantial change certainly not bringing in skilled people from outside "the family." Which means more losing, more irrelevancy in their own market and more fan apathy. Also one of the other Sox writers for Chicago Now has an interesting column on why Kenny Williams needs to go at the Tribune web site. Mark

10th time the Sox have been shutout this season. Bad...just bad. Mark

I remember both Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina saying they would not play for the White Sox after reports came out the Sox had interest due to their pitching falling apart via injuries in the second half of the season. I also remember Ron Schueler despite a desperate need for pitching going out and bringing back Harold Baines and Charles Johnson at the trade deadline. By the playoffs the pitching staff was being held together by duct tape and the results were predicatble. Such a sad end to what could have been a great season. But typical White Sox luck. Mark

9th time this season the Sox lost a game when leading in the 7th inning or later. And the first "blown" game didn't happen until May 26th. The bullpen has been directly responsible for losing seven of those nine games. Nine games is a lot to me. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 1, 2015 -> 02:33 PM) I don't know about anyone else, but I would rather the Sox not break laws and rules. The Wilder fiasco was enough for me. I can't believe anyone would seriously endorse that sort of thing. South: I suspect things like this have been going on for decades, all under the table. I respect your viewpoint but if that's what it takes to win, then so be it. This isn't a morality play, it's a business...and for the last decade basically business has been very poor. Mark

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Sep 1, 2015 -> 02:23 PM) By hiring the guy that traded Rizzo to him. All's fair in love and war. If this was a quid pro quo deal more power to Epstein. Wish the Sox were smart enough to do something like that. Mark

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 1, 2015 -> 08:01 AM) If you have players that reached the major leagues but have no clue when it comes to fundamentals, you have problems other than your major league staff. A major league baseball player on day 1 should understand how the game is played. Given how players are rushed to the big leagues today (the days when guys like Gary Peters and Joe Horlen spent five years in the minors learning their craft are long gone) maybe it would be to the Sox benefit to actually work with players every day no? ESPECIALLY if other teams aren't doing it. Makes you wonder if the coaches feel they shouldn't have to do it, what exactly do they do and what are they getting paid for. And don't overlook the impact a coaching staff can have, I refer back to this quote from Tony LaRussa when I interviewed him. He was talking about when he first came on-board and the Sox started to develop in the early 1980's: "For a long time coaches were just friends of the manager or guys getting their time in to get a pension. But jerry Reinsdorf recognized that because kids were being pushed to the major leagues earlier, the role of coaches as teachers became crucial. He embraced the idea of putting together the best coaching staff you possibly could, that the staff of a manager should be a force for developing players..." Note the last part of Tony's comment. This team has been putrid fundamentally and baseball stupid overall for the past five years or so. Some of that falls on the players, some on the manager and the coaches. This team was also totally unprepared for this year coming out of spring training. They were on a record pace in terms of poor defense and base running according to Fan Graphs. Again some of that falls on the players but in this particular case the majority of the blame goes to the manager and his coaches in my opinion. Mark

QUOTE (LDF @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 07:10 PM) don't get me wrong, i am in agreement with the bold. but is it the coaches fault for that. i mean, it been like this the whole season, i would imagine that the coaches and yes even the GM and team meeting are discussing this. so is it the mgr, the coaches, the players or is it the atmosphere of the clubhouse. It's a combination of all of the above in my opinion. All share in some of the blame. Things aren't helped when Mark Parent makes the statement (paraphrasing) that coaches shouldn't have to work on fundamentals every day with guys because "they are major leaguers..." Mark