Lip Man 1

Saw this on the postgame show a few weeks ago and wanted to point it out before tonight's game. Bill Melton was commenting after a Chris Sale game about how he only had trouble with one team last year, the Twins. But here is what I found interesting. Melton on-air said that he privately told Sale what he was doing wrong and what the Twins were looking for. Melton said he wasn't going to tell everyone what he told Sale but we'll see how he does tonight. Let's hope for another very good game and a win. Mark

My attitude is to wait and see. Long way to go with this team and this season. Mark

According to CBS Sportline Tommy Milone was outright released tonight by the Twins. He's had some success in the majors. I don't think it would hurt to give him a look-see, maybe Cooper can help him out. Mark

Latos is coming back to Earth but the offense picked him up tonight. Good to see. Nice defense this evening as well. Good solid win. Mark

Johnson has been given plenty of chances. He's four A material nothing more. In my opinion he doesn't get anymore chances. You can't make deals in early May but Hahn simply has got to run up the phone bill and try. He's got no other choice unless he wants to roll the dice on a kid like Adams since Fulmer isn't ready tet. And here's the thing folks...if Latos has a good year he's gone next year to free agency. So assuming Carson steps into the rotation, YOU ARE STILL GOING TO BE A 5th STARTER SHORT. Mark

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 5, 2016 -> 11:39 PM) http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/white-s...till-uncertain/ Trying to remember who else started in 2003...other than Josh Stewart. Mike Porzio was one. Neal Cotts was the other for seven starts between those two. All four pitchers had ERA's north of 5.96. Dan Wright=6.15 Stewart=5.96 Porzio=6.43 Cotts (including the famous start at Yankee Stadium Buehrle wanted)=8.10 1996, 5th starters with ERA's, Kirk McCaskill (6.97), Joe Magrane (6.88), Bertotti (5.14), Sirotka (7.18), Luis Andujar (8.22), Jason Bere (10.26), Scott Ruffcorn (11.37), Marvin Freeman (13.50) OUCH. And let's not forget Kenny's "brilliant" decision in 2009 to have the back end of his rotation manned by a beat up, done Jose' Contreras and an overweight pre steroid Bartolo Colon. Worked out great didn't it? I've consistently said, you don't need five starters today, YOU NEED SIX because someone is going to get hurt, someone is going to slump, rain or snow is going to force double headers. The top five stay in the rotation and the sixth guy goes to the pen for long relief and spot starting. If one of the top five can't cut it, you switch the long guy into the rotation. It's not that hard to figure out folks and it gives you some flexibility and insurance. Why the Sox can't seem to figure this out is beyond me. They keep costing themselves playoff spots (like in 96 after a 40-21 start) and 2003. How many times do they have to see it f*** up before they learn. Mark

Stats of the Night: 1. The Sox have lost EVERY SINGLE START THIS YEAR by a 5th starter (0-5) 2. Sox have been outscored 34-10 in games started by the 5th starter. (Granted not all those runs scored were off the 5th starter but they are getting put in an early hole usually and simply can't recover...) Mark

The Sox need to solve this 5th starter situation as soon as possible. This is flat out ridiculous! Also ridiculous is a no-name pitcher giving the Sox six walks and two hits in three plus innings and the Sox get two runs out of it. White Sox walk hitters, they score...Red Sox walk hitter they are left on base. Poor weather (had to be cooler than listed 58 at the park), lousy crowd (sounded like nothing but Red Sox / Cub fans) and an absolutely lousy performance. Twins coming to town, pitching match up's are in the Sox favor, win two of three and you are back to 21-11. Again the Sox need to get a 5th f***ing starter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mark

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 4, 2016 -> 10:44 PM) Rodon really wasn't that bad. 3 ER in 6 IP, he is producing 4/5 starter numbers right now and that is okay with Sale-Quintana-Latos pitching so well. I think Rodon will get stronger as the year goes on, he is still very young Latos also scares me. Which is why Rodon who has an extremely bright future, needs to get his act together. He is getting stung by the 'one bad inning' situation that hampered Garland for so many years and let's not even bring up Javy Vazquez. Mark

Very disappointing night. To only get three hits off a struggling pitcher with an astronomical ERA (almost John Danks like)...very disappointing. Rodon needs to get his act together, Sox can't afford to have two holes out of five in the starting rotation. Was hoping for a win tonight to take the series...don't have a lot of faith with a fifth starter going Thursday that the Sox can win the game. And Zach Duke appears to be regressing into the Zach Duke we saw for most of last year. Mark

QUOTE (God Loves The Infantry @ May 4, 2016 -> 08:52 PM) If we're calling Ortiz a cheat because of the 2009 PEDs thing, we should probably discuss Bill Clinton being a rapist, too. Accused of the crime, but probably did not commit it. Let's lay off the dude. According to the findings in a supposedly confidential report that the New York Times was able to get their hands on Ortiz failed his drug test in 2003 if I remember correctly. It was during the time when there was no punishment if anyone failed a drug test. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 4, 2016 -> 07:57 AM) I didn't know this before, but apparently Lincecum has a degenerative hip condition in both hips. http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/07/20/san-franc...ry-degenerative So did Jack McDowell in one of his hips. He was able to pitch around it and have a very successful career. Don't know if Tim can do the same going forward but he was able to get some success even with it of course. In fact he was pretty good for a few years there. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 4, 2016 -> 07:53 AM) Maybe, eventually they will show up. If they aren't thinking about 2013, or 1982. Sox actually had a very good, solid season in 1982. Were in the race most of the year until Bernazard broke his leg in Oakland in September and Burns came up lame at the end. I'd take an 87 win season right now in a heartbeat, at least that puts you probably in the wild card now. Mark

Quote of the Night: Adam Eaton has it pretty much right on the money: “I can’t blame the fans for not wanting to come see us the last two years, especially with the struggles that we had." Just change it to the last three years and he'd be exactly on the money. Mark

I don't understand why this is so hard to understand for folks. The Sox have played s***ty baseball for three straight years and six of the last nine. One month isn't going to immediately change that. Sox sold 100,000 tickets last week...if they keep winning the crowds will be there especially when the kids get out of school. Really it's not that hard to understand folks. Mark

Another solid game...solid pitching, great defense. Defense wins championships and the Sox flashed the leather tonight. Looking very, very good right now against a killer first five weeks of the schedule. Mark

Wish him well, thank him for the good things that he did and the efforts he put in trying to come back from the injury. But this is best for all concerned, he simply doesn't have it and the Sox can't afford to keep wasting chances. I also give credit to the Sox for biting the bullet on a deal this large. They did the right thing. Mark

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 2, 2016 -> 09:11 PM) Yea was going to say the same. Interesting that JR is still so hands on even at his age. For better or worse no doubt. JR actually has the final say on the announcers from what I've been told. Some individuals for example never could get him to sign off on Dave Wills and he eventually left when the Tampa opportunity came up. Mark

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 2, 2016 -> 09:11 PM) Yea was going to say the same. Interesting that JR is still so hands on even at his age. For better or worse no doubt. Good interview Lip. I have to say sometimes your style is a bit anachronistic but you got some great answers out of Jason. Appreciate it but could you explain a little more about the anachronistic comment, I take no offense mind you, would just like to understand more of what you mean. Maybe its something I can adjust a little bit. Mark

Kind of typical after all it's the Eastern Sports Programming Network...all Red Sox, all Yankees all the time. Regardless of if you care about them or not. Making it worse as noted...Danks is attempting to pitch that evening. Mark

Folks: A few weeks ago, thanks in part to Bob Grim of the White Sox's help, I was able to have a phone conversation with new Sox TV broadcaster Jason Benetti. I found him to be funny, smart and have a passion for his position and the responsibilities that come with it to White Sox fans. That interview was just published this morning (appreciate it Dan!) and here is the link for it, should you be interested. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/05/a...-jason-benetti/ I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed conducting it. Mark

Considering the weather for this series, another long week on the road and the opponent, coming back to get the split is tremendous and worth nothing as is the 5-2 road trip. Nice to come home, get a day off, get some rest off a win. Hopefully the weather is decent in Chicago this week. As far as Chris Sale...he's the best in the game. Period. End of discussion. Mark

QUOTE (soxforlife05 @ Apr 30, 2016 -> 11:45 PM) Would be really dumb to be in the race all year and get to the end of the season and say "Wow if we only gave someone other than Danks a shot in the first half, we only came up a few games short". Give someone else a chance. 60 day DL fine but I don't want him seeing another start unless he has an ERA below 3 in Charlotte in at least 2-3 rehab starts. Very well stated. Mark

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 1, 2016 -> 07:13 AM) The Sox have eaten a few contracts in their time. Keppinger one of the recent contracts Huge difference, massive between Keppinger at four million or say what Danks, Dunn, LaRoche and Ramirez were / are making. Mark

Ugly, ugly game but at least the Sox got the win. To bad Albers had his streak snapped because Jose couldn't catch the damn baseball...at least he made up for it in the 9th inning. Defense has been bad the past few games, has looked like 2015. Maybe it's because of the raw weather conditions. Needs to tighten back up. Glad Robertson returns tomorrow, bullpen has been shaky the past few days. See if Sale can get the split tomorrow, considering everything that would be great. Oh you wonder when its all said and done if the Sox should have signed Alvarez on the cheap. Mark