SCCWS

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 14, 2018 -> 02:57 PM) This is circular logic at best, and at worst a terrible comparison between two non-related situations. We are not trying to win games this year. This is a rebuild. This is not a team trying to compete for a division title. This is a rebuild. If confused, re-read the above line. Actually your response should go to the circular file. I will help you out. Basically Anderson got dropped in the order because he was struggling hitting at the top of the order. Most likely his struggles were caused by an off the filed incident. I think we will see Moncada dropped lower as well if he continues to struggle leading off, rebuild or not.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 14, 2018 -> 10:07 AM) I did. Someone shot Tim Anderson's best friend to death. It is different. Your logic? He was struggling w a personal issue so it was okay to drop him down in the order because he was not hitting? It appears he is in a better mental state this year but again he is still down in the 7th spot. I would think if he is considered a key to the rebuild, he would be hitting higher up like Moncada to get him more AB's. My logic. Renteria is using a batting order that is constructed to win games and Anderson is not a top of the order guy. Now if he hits consistently and Moncada still struggles, I bet they flip them.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 13, 2018 -> 11:23 PM) Anderson's struggles are not the same as Moncada's. You didn't answer the question. How do Anderson's struggles justify him being dropped to 7th but Moncada should not get dropped because it would hurt his confidence.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Apr 13, 2018 -> 07:06 PM) From the left side: 15.8% BB rate, 36.8% K rate, .156 ISO, .717 OPS, 110 wRC+ From the right side: 10.5% BB rate, 52.6% K rate, .059 ISO, .387 OPS, 13 wRC+ I wouldn’t say he’s struggling from the left side. Could he be better? Sure. Does he need to be better to offset his right handed issues? Most definitely. But I think it’s clear where the largest problem is stemming from. Agree but the 37% K rate from the left is even worse than last year. Maybe they can sit him against tough lefties to help him out some on the right side.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 13, 2018 -> 05:57 PM) Winning is not a priority in 2018. Taking lumps and developing players is the priority for this season, and until the team shows they are close enough to the playoffs to have a realistic chance at winning. Was winning a priority last year?. Because Anderson began the year hitting at the top of the order, struggled in April and was dropped to 7th. Shouldn't Anderson be batting 2nd to get him more AB's and speed his development? I think Renteria makes up a batting order w the intention of winning that game and not appeasing young players. Maybe I am wrong.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 12, 2018 -> 10:46 AM) Nothing states that an organization has confidence in you like telling you to quit switchhitting or taking you out of the lead off spot in the second week of the season. That may be true but if a player is really struggling, you need to help them. I agree on not dropping the switchhitting ( he is struggling from both sides) but changing the spot in the order may change his mental approach to hitting. By saying we don't want to do anything in case we hurt his confidence, that infers winning is not a priority. In a rebuild, we have to expect less quality but the team still has to try and win. You have to live with young players going through growing pains but you disregard trying to win also. I know there is a fine line and some decisions are difficult to make.

I would hold off any concerns w Gio. Some pitchers do have problems w cold weather. I thought Moncada should have been moved out of the leadoff spot a week ago. usually cold weather favors the batter so I don't think his issues are weather related.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 12, 2018 -> 09:26 AM) Vieira, Rondon (already up), Stephens, Guerrero...even Adams and Fry will get shots before Volstad. If they go with vets, it will be Gomez or Ross, Jr., first. If he was ever going to make it, it was coming out of ST this year. Get rid of your "inside source"...............................

QUOTE (Real @ Apr 12, 2018 -> 07:54 AM) I just dont see how you can honestly say that the Sox have the chance to be substantially better than Boston, that doesn't even make sense. 2020 *maybe* better but that's a long shot this rebuild is gonna take longer than you guys think. barring two major FA signings I just dont see it. No way. First we don't and won't have anyone close to a #1 like Sale( unless we trade for him) in 2018 or 19. Maybe in 2020. Boston is loaded w young players who already have or are getting MLB experience. Their outfield, 3rd-SS and C are all young. Hopefully they continue to struggle developing young starting pitchers. Their bullpen is really good. Cora is obviously questionable but so is Renteria. Maybe we catch them in 2021 and in the year 2025 if man is still alive...............

11 K's today is really good as well as only giving up 4 hits. How was the weather??

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Apr 10, 2018 -> 09:52 PM) Last year I heard thru the grapevine that Hahns contract was going to be expired. I really thought he wouldn't be renewed. turns out I was wrong. But I really thought Hahn wouldn't be back. I figured afte 5 years of the team being "Mired In Mediocrity" he would be gone. I remember when Larry Himes was the GM for a few years. He drafted well and made some good trades and the team won 94 games in 1990. JR showed his appreciation after the season by not renewing his contract. JR even blasted Himes in the media saying he wasn't the man for the job and he didn't think he could bring the team from point C to point A. The White Sox almost made the Playoffs in 2012 and after the season JR made Hahn the GM. He has taken this team from Point C to almost Point Z. I thought Hahn wouldn't be back so I wrote JR a letter. I've had contact via the mail since 1981 with JR. At times he has responded to me. He has even help me acquire some items for my White Sox memorabilia collection. I wrote him a letter last year and told him if Hahn is not going to be rehired, I would like to interviewed for the job as the new GM. I'm not only a life long White Sox fan (something Hahn isn't), I think I'm a good evaluater of MLB talent If I was the GM of the team for 5 years and was as unsuccessful as Hahn has been I would walk out the door and hang my head in shame. I didn't get a response from JR to my letter. He is probably too busy getting your office set up. Let him know if you want mahogany or oak.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 10, 2018 -> 06:02 PM) Tampa sucks also Tampa Bay is a team w Denard Span and 8 other hitters you never heard of. Where have you gone Evan Longoria....................

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Apr 9, 2018 -> 05:16 PM) Benintendi has been a stud? He was a barely league average hitter last year in a corner outfield spot with not great defense and has been terrible to start this season. Personally I think he's been one of the more overrated players since he came up. His first year in the majors and he hit .271 w 20 hrs and 90 RBI. He stole 20 bases walked 70 and struck out 112. In 151 games. We didn't have anyone w close to 70 BB and it was his first full season. He walked more than Avi and Abreu combined. You say not great defense but he was adequate learning a new position in LF in a difficult ballpark. I would take him in a heartbeat. He is the kind of player that sells tickets. Even worse, I watched the Rays yesterday and the same situation as today. Colome struggled late but the difference was Benintendi knocked in the winning run in the 8th and we let him off the hook.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 9, 2018 -> 06:25 PM) Moncada, Delmonico, and Leury (I guess he counts) had great games overall. Win or lose, that's what I want to see- the young guys succeeding. Moncada and Del get a star. Leury only a half based on last AB. Anyone "lucky" enough to listen to Rays broadcast heard their color guy say Leury was the perfect guy up since he swings at everything. At which time the play by play guy said we could use another grounder to 1st like he hit earlier. Leury must have been listening.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Apr 9, 2018 -> 08:34 AM) Do you mean Archer? Cobb isn’t on the team anymore and was never as good as Chris. Yes. I will correct post

Living in Tampa area for the winter, I get to see a lot of the Rays. They get good starting pitching and Archer is good but they are an awful team. Remind me of some of the past expansion teams. A few good young players and veterans and the rest look like AAA material. More amazing, they are going w a 3 man rotation. They went into the year wanting a 4 man and one got hurt so they changed to a 3 man and use days off and bullpen day to get through. This franchise needs an implosion. the Sox should sweep as long as they get by Archer.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 8, 2018 -> 04:27 PM) Yikes... Benintendi was promising last year but I'd hardly call him a stud. Moncada's "struggles" have been going on for about a week, not 2+ years. He was an above average player in his MLB time last year, I can't find a single metric that says otherwise I would say striking out 37% of his AB last year ( while his team was 23%) and hitting .231 was struggling. I don't count this year since the sample size is so small. But he is struggling so far and striking out at a higher rate early on.

QUOTE (daggins @ Apr 7, 2018 -> 11:36 AM) Andrew Benintendi, the "more polished" player the Red Sox refused to trade, is batting .174 with no extra base hits. Please, I beg of you, forget this thread exists...cast it into a deep pit and move on with your lives. As a White Sox fan living in Red Sox country that is a terrible comparison. Benintendi and Moncada arrived together from AA to the Majors. Moncada went back to AAA while Benintendi stayed in the majors. Benintendi has 700 ABs 22 HR- 105 RBI-22-SB 89 BB/140 SO and a .270 avg. Moncada has 286 ABS 9HR -26 RBI 3 SB 35 BB/98 SO and a .226 avg. Benintendi has been a stud since he arrived. Moncada has struggled for 2+ years. I still think Moncada has a higher ceiling. To make it worse for me, even Devers who was behind Moncada arrived last year , has similiar ABS as Moncada and put up better numbers. I would take Moncada over him as well but I do have "White"-colored glasses.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Apr 6, 2018 -> 04:26 PM) What makes you think the leadoff spot is effecting? It’s not like we’re trying to complete this year so I doubt he is pressing and his approach looks basically looks the same as last year to me. The kid simply needs to move through the next stage of development and getting the most at-bats possible is what will help there. I'm not sure it is. I said if he continues to struggle it might help to move him down in the order for a while. Some players are affected by their batting position especially the leadoff and cleanup positions. Regardless if this year means anything, young players will still be trying to improve their game and will press if they struggle.

Not yet, but if Moncada continues his struggles, I hope they move him down in the order to see if the leadoff spot is affecting him. Maybe he will bounce back and then midseason move him back to leadoff.

How about the first two weeks ( 2 series home and 2 away) of the regular season are played in the spring training sites. Each team will loose gate money for two series since spring sites are smaller than MLB sites. Require new stadiums to have retractable domes. I saw a piece yesterday where Tampa Bay, (probably the worst franchise in baseball) projects their new stadium if built will cost $800 Million of which the rays will contribute $150 MIL. It would have a retractable roof ( but only 15,000 seats since they will never draw more than that)........................................................just kidding.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 10:28 PM) Aside from that walk, rough game for Yoan If he continues to struggle this month, I hope they move him down to 6-7 spot and see if the pressure of leading off is affecting him.

QUOTE (Sox-35th @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 01:55 AM) Attendance used to matter more. Now it's all about TV deals. Unfortunately for the White Sox (and many other MLB franchises), the teams negotiate for local right on their own. The good news is, the "salary cap" is going to help us long term, as the Sox make enough money as an organization to afford the entirety of the cap. I think attendance still matters. Tickets, food and gear are a source of revenue for the team. Crowds have a major impact on the surrounding area depending on the location. If attendance wasn't important, teams would not continue to build new stadiums. I live in New England and Florida and in both new stadiums are very hot topics right now. In New England, a turf war is developing over the new location for the Red Sox AAA location. Tampa Bay continues to "beg" for a new stadium to replace the Trop. As a New England resident, I know Fenway has a whole cottage industry in the surrounding area. At the same time, Gillette Stadium was built in the burbs. At one time, there was only private parking lots around the stadium. Then attendance came along and now there is a massive year-round entertainment complex in and around the stadium. TV is a big big deal but attendance is still a big factor.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Mar 28, 2018 -> 04:32 PM) Yes, I agree, people are sleeping on this kid -- both nationally and in Chicago. There's a lot of lazy analysis and old school thinking wrt to his batting average and strikeouts last year and a lot of ignoring how good his defense was (overall, certainly had some hicups) in his first season full time at 2B. The SI "scout's" preview actually said he had a "hitch" (his timing mechanism) in his swing and wouldn't be surprised to see him back in AAA this year. Come on. He has one of the prettier swings in all of baseball, especially against RHP. He rips the ball as evidenced by his exit velocity. He's going to be a star. If he can hit 280 he'll be a superstar. If he just hits 250/330/470 and plays good defense he's a 3-4 player. If he hits 280/370/520 he's a 6 WAR 2B and a superstar. He can get there imo. Won't be this year almost certainly but by the time he's 26? Sure. I hope so but i am "wait and see". FWIW---His 2018 spring results were a slight drop off from 2017 ST. If he starts slow, I hope they drop him down in the order for a while in case batting 1 or 2 is putting pressure on him.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 28, 2018 -> 10:10 PM) Forgot about Thome, although he was injured, on the wrong side of 30 and getting pushed out by Ryan Howard. Freddy Garcia is about the only other example from the last 30 years, but definitely not a superstar. All-Star, competitive for a few Cy Youngs, sure. Carlton Fisk who had a few good years but he also was heading downhill