Lip Man 1

"But there are more questions than answers in the rotation. How will Smith perform this year after an All-Star rookie season? How will Kay adjust back to the majors after two years away? Can Burke cut down on the mechanical issues that led to his ineffective outings? Can Fedde rediscover his 2024 form?" Also talks about how poor the defense specifically the outfield is. Chicago Sun-TimesStarting rotation is White Sox' X-factor in 2026: 'Our th...If the Sox want to avoid their fourth consecutive 100-loss season, it starts with the rotation.

West: You just have to realize that apparently cousins shouldn't be allow to marry with the way some of these individuals are reacting and posting bizarre opinions.

March 18, 1964 - The Sox purchased the contract of veteran pitcher Don Mossi from the Tigers for 20,000 thousand dollars. Mossi would have a spectacular season for the club that lost the pennant by one game, going 3-1 with seven saves. He had an ERA of 2.92. In 40 innings he struck out 36 and only allowed seven walks. He’d team up with Hoyt Wilhelm and Eddie Fisher to give the club the best bullpen in the league. At the end of the year though he was released. March 18, 1981 - Carlton Fisk signed a free agent deal with the White Sox beginning the process of turning a laughable organization into a real, legitimate Major League franchise. The All-Star catcher and future Hall-of-Famer got his free agency after the Red Sox did not tender him a contract by the required date. Immediately Sox co-owner Eddie Einhorn and G.M. Roland Hemond jumped at the chance to get a player of Fisk’s caliber on to the team. Fisk would play 13 years on the South Side, make four All-Star teams as a member of the White Sox, and have his number #72 retired in 1997. When he retired, he also held the team record for most home runs in a White Sox uniform as well as most home runs in MLB history hit by a catcher. His two best seasons were in 1983 when he rebounded from a very slow start to hit .289 with 26 home runs and 89 RBI’s for the Western Division champions, finishing third in the M.V.P. voting and 1985, his career season. That year Fisk hit only .238 but blasted 37 home runs with 107 RBI’s. March 18, 2016 - The ongoing embarrassment that surrounded the retirement of Adam LaRoche ended, at least officially, with the player explaining his side of the story. Just hours earlier, Chris Sale had kicked off what would be an utterly bizarre year for him by speaking out in support of LaRoche and against his own G.M., Ken Williams. Outfielder Adam Eaton would do the same. The crux of the story came down to LaRoche claiming that, contrary to what was promised when he signed with the White Sox, his son Drake recently had been completely banned from spring training. Williams proffered that he’d spoken to Adam about lessening Drake’s constant presence with the team (as prompted by players like Jimmy Rollins, who talked to the G.M. about this strange, unprofessional and intrusive arrangement), and then lost his cool, when after that, he saw Drake on the pitcher’s mound during infield practice and issued a complete ban. The entire situation made the organization look inept and dysfunctional.

Sox Machine on this story: https://soxmachine.com/2026/03/report-justin-ishbia-nearing-deal-for-potential-alternate-south-loop-white-sox-ballpark-site

Saw a story via the AP a day or two ago where the interim head of the MLBPA said if there is a lockout next year and/or if regular season games get cancelled it will put in jeopardy MLB players willingness to participate in an Olympic tournament.

Thank you for doing all this involved work.

Starting pitching will probably be an issue again this season.

March 17, 1910 - Construction began on the stadium that would eventually be called Comiskey Park at 35th & Shields. The stadium would be completed by late June and officially open on July 1 with a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns. Think about that one…a new steel stadium in a little over three and a half months!

Can't say I'm surprised. The way pitchers are today anytime they say they have an elbow, forearm or shoulder issue it is best to assume the worst.

At least Smith looked good today.

March 15, 1976 - After stepping in at the last minute to buy the franchise and prevent them from being moved to Seattle, Bill Veeck appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The caption said, “Baseball Couldn’t Shut Him Out. Bill Veeck of the White Sox.” Veeck would own the team from 1976 through 1980 in his second stint. Then Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, a big Sox fan, was instrumental in contacting Veeck to see if he would get involved since Daley did not want to see the club relocated. The original plan by baseball was to move the Sox to Seattle thus ending the lawsuits filed by that city, King County and the state. Then Charlie Finley would move his Oakland A’s to the South Side. Originally the other owners voted down Veeck’s bid, demanding that he change financial ownership terms in it. Amazingly Veeck somehow got it done and the other owners reluctantly voted to let him have the franchise.

You'd think somehow, someway he'd get better. He's actually getting worse.

Like it or not when Ishbia takes over as is the case the vast majority of the time, highly successful people want their own individuals that they have hired and who are loyal to them in place. Unless Getz, Boyer et al do something miraculous in the next two-three seasons odds are they and most, if not all, of the Sox organization on the baseball side will be unemployed. And if they continue to lose 90-100 games for the next two-three seasons you can bet your life that is exactly what is going to happen.

The issue with the White Sox over the past several years is the "next man up" usually isn't very good. Again in the grand scheme of things I guess it doesn't matter much, they aren't going anyplace even if every person stays healthy for the entire season (although that could certainly help with the younger players who may be a part of the future.) Here is the story on Baldwin by the way: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/03/13/white-sox-outfielder-brooks-baldwin-sidelined-by-right-elbow-inflammation

Do they even allow fans to enter early enough to watch BP and fielding practice anymore? Back in the day they'd open the gates two hours before game time so fans could watch. I'd always go early, sometimes only a handful of fans would be in Comiskey Park. I'd always try to get a baseball hit into the stands but never could snag one.

The next rebuild won't take place until Ishbia is in charge so you'll be waiting a few more years. And given what we've seen generally over the past 45 years certainly since 2007 I'll take my chances with his judgement regarding the baseball side of the operations. I mean, in all seriousness, how much worse can he be than what is going on lately?

Time will tell. They don't seem to have a lot of depth, injuries are going to play a part and the pitching overall is not very reassuring.

This may be the worst group of outfielders in the entire Major Leagues. The injuries which are starting yet again certainly bother me but I don't think as much as when this team was supposed to be a "contender." I mean honestly, they aren't going anywhere and there's not much difference between losing 90 games or losing 100. It is what it is until Ishbia takes over and cleans house.

Always nice to see/hear Nancy around the organization even in a limited capacity.

March 14, 1994 - Sports Illustrated took issue with former NBA superstar Michael Jordan and his attempt to play Major League Baseball. Jordan was on the cover of the magazine again but in a far different light. The caption read, “Bag It Michael! Jordan and the White Sox are Embarrassing Baseball.” From that day on, Jordan, who was always very cooperative with that magazine, would never speak to them again. His biggest objection to the story was that they never talked with him as part of it. During the documentary “The Last Dance” the writer of the story, Steve Wulf, said that after Jordan showed some potential and a sincere desire to play the game, he wrote another piece apologizing but the magazine never published it. No reason was ever given. March 14, 2022 - After the White Sox failed to even attempt to keep him with an 18.4-million-dollar qualifying offer, Carlos Rodon signed a two-year, 44-million-dollar deal with the Giants. Rodon was coming off of a tremendous season with the White Sox, pushing himself into Cy Young favorite status before running out of gas and being sidelined for a month late in the White Sox’s 2021 playoff season. But a combination of foolhardy overconfidence in his thin rotation depth and sheer frugality prevented G.M. Rick Hahn from extending any offer. The decision blew up in the White Sox’s faces, as the wildly-disappointing, 81-81 team could certainly have used what Rodon gave the Giants that season, 14 wins, a 2.88 ERA and 237 strike outs in 178 innings.

Thank you for your effort to get things back to normal.

March 13, 1954 - Think today’s streaming madness has made baseball too hard to watch, or the MLB’s blackout rules are an anachronism? On this day, ABC made an ill-fated effort to televise a Spring Training game featuring the White Sox at the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla. ABC intended the game as a national Game of the Week presentation, while G.M. Frank Lane of the White Sox felt it would not be shown in MLB cities and the Phillies believed the game was only going to be broadcast back to Chicago. ABC proceeded with its broadcast prep, which would feature just a single camera, in the stands behind home plate. A hole was cut in the protective screen and the sole cameraman, from a local affiliate in Ft. Lauderdale, donned full catcher’s protective gear in case of foul balls getting through the opening. The resulting chaos — during the game broadcast, mind you — forced ABC to cut its broadcast off after the third inning, without any explanation for viewers. The White Sox won the game, 6-3. March 13, 2000 - Sox slugger Frank Thomas was again featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. A lengthy story talked about his career, the controversies and his desire to return to the top of the game. The caption stated, “Don’t Question My Desire. Frank Thomas Comes Out Swinging.” Thomas would have a spectacular season losing out on his third A.L. M.V.P. Award to the A’s Jason Giambi, who’d later admit to using steroids in grand jury testimony. Frank’s numbers in 2000 included a .328 batting average, 43 home runs, 143 RBI’s, 112 walks and a slugging percentage of .625. Despite those gaudy figures he didn’t lead the league in any single category that year.

Saw a story on him in I think it was the Sun-Times and they weren't sure when he'd be back. He's got elbow soreness and was just starting to throw again.

Assuming he need to go back and get a rehab start in the minor leagues you are looking at May 1...maybe.

Teel, Baldwin, Vasil and who knows who else is going to be hurt.