Bob Sacamano

QUOTE (FT35 @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 03:45 PM) Still not ready to call the Abreu deal a bust. He's been a top-5 1B for 2 years and hit a rut this year (on a team with absolutely no direction). I believe in his ability to bounce back. Even .280/25/100 is a bargain at 6/68. Through this disaster of a year by his standards, he's still on pace for .270/18/87. A hot streak for him could easily put him back into the .280/25/100 conversation--in an off year. I'll take that as a floor any day. He didn't say it was a bust. Just the truth that it's one of the biggest contracts they've given out.

QUOTE (FT35 @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 03:36 PM) Robertson and cash back to the Yankees for a pair of mid-level prospects. I think this could happen but I'd bet money on the Yankees resigning Chapman. I guess both could happen though.

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 01:43 PM) well a few years ago, Stony said Abreu was "far better" than Rizzo, so I don't know what to think. Now, they seem like completely different players.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 09:37 PM) K.J. Woods has been a pleasant surprise since we got him. I made a thread about him when we got him. Was a surprising related by the Marlins based on his age and last year's numbers. Guy does K a lot but does also walk a lot.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 10:35 AM) I usually try to go on most bobblehead days and nights but there haven't been as many this year Yeah I kinda feel the giveaways have been worse. But I guess last year we had PK day and the 10 year World Series reunion day (replica ring).

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 08:27 AM) Avi has to be one of the most frustrating players in recent Sox memory. You can clearly see that there is talent there. When he gets hot he looks like a potential superstar but when he's cold he does absolutely nothing. He has two months this year with OPSs in the .500's. If he could even manage a .650 OPS during his down stretches he would be a useful player. Hopefully he continues his hot stretch and something clicks for him. Still just barely 25 years old. Since the all star break - .290/.378/.742 The one good thing he has really done is improve his walk rate. It was an anemic 3.9% throughout his minor league career and has improved to a respectable 8.3% this year. Call me crazy but I still have at least some faith left that Avi can become a useful everyday player. While his defense will probably never be good, it has improved each year if defensive stats are to be believed. They might as well play him everyday.

With Dave having an inside source and how ludicrous those offers must have been without any of their top guys, I'd imagine Dave is more correct than Gammons on this one.

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 09:23 PM) Actually with Tilson out and Austin Jackson apparently not coming back soon I would just start Avi in CF every game from here on out. Keep Eaton in RF where he excels and see how Avi does in center. I've heard some people claim that center field is actually easier to play for a lot of outfielders that struggle in the corners as long as they have the speed to cover the ground from gap to gap. Avi certainly struggles in RF and one thing he does have is speed. What could it hurt? At this point what's the difference if he's a butcher in RF or in CF? With the team being out of it (the front office knows this otherwise they wouldn't have traded a reliable reliever in a thin pen), f*** it. Might as well do anything. At this point you might as well play Garcia everyday. Maybe he has clicked on rakes the next 2 months. You won't know unless you play him.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 01:44 PM) http://www.overthemonster.com/2016/8/3/123...trigger-on-sale Red Sox were unwilling to trade Moncada or Betts... Well if they were, Sale would be with the Red Sox.

Farmer and DJ were just talking about old jerseys. Whatever happened to the sleeveless jerseys?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 11:11 AM) I think he'll hit much higher than .250. He picture him being a .280+ hitter. He'll probably never walk a bunch but even if he can get his walk rate to 5% he should be able to manage a .320ish OBP. With his speed and defense he can still be a very valuable player even if he only manages a .700 OPS. That's a useful player. But with that obp not likely at the top of the lineup.

Not a trade, but Dave Martinez or Sandy Alomar Jr as manager. Wanted either last time but pulled Robin into the job instead.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 09:40 PM) I just hope they both tear it up and then are moved at the deadline. Same for Abreu. Rip up this entire team. When does the waiver process begin? It already started Monday after the trade deadline. Good chance guys have already been placed on it. Not everyone is reported.

QUOTE (HeGone7 @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 12:51 PM) I'd like to consider myself a rational person. For me, I love sports. Played them, love to talk them, prefer to watch them over standard TV, etc. It doesn't effect my life but I'd say I'm a passionate fan. If they lose, I'll give it a "damn it" or "these guys suck" but then I go on with my day. So it isn't "my life" per say, but I love the game. I don't pass any judgement on those where it plays a bigger role in their lives, I just see it for what it is. Entertainment, hobby, etc. This franchise though, given the geographic situation (2 teams splitting a city), is comprised mainly of the "die hard" fans. Which is a big deal to me because they have always stuck by you through thick and thin, and 95% of this franchise is in that thin category. They put up with the step-child type attitudes socially. They expect more and so on. I've seen "fair weather" used to describe people, and I'm sorry, if you're on a board like this, you're not a fair weather fan. You don't go to those lengths to talk about your team. So using that as an insult is silly/immature. My friends who are Sox fans are all big baseball fans. I have a lot of friends who really, truly don't care but if they had to pick - they choose to be a Cub fan. Not an attack on the Cubs, it's just the reality. They have more casual fans. Now, as far as this fan base goes, I have to say, this feels different. It's beyond the normal "we stink". And that is troublesome. I can't recall a time in my life where so many people I've talked to are so upset, or "sickened," that it would alter them being a fan of the team permanently. And these people aren't just venting, there is a genuine distain that has taken a toll on them. That kind of thing only happens to people who truly care. That doesn't stem from bad play, because you can stomach that. It stems from feeling like the organization doesn't care about them. Which in all the bad years I've seen, this is a first to hear/feel from those people. My dad has been a fan for 65+ years and he literally watches the Cub games. Doesn't root for them, but he can't stand the Sox anymore and still loves watching baseball. Right now, the Cubs have a watchable product - even if you're rooting for them to lose. To your point, you don't root for the ownership, you root for the team. What you're misunderstanding, and what those people are saying, is whether you're a casual fan, an intense fan, or whatever - this ownership/management group has essentially ruined their ability to enjoy baseball. So while I get your point "people should be a fan of the team itself," this continuous failure/incompetency/etc is having an effect on their ability to enjoy the team itself. That is a major, major problem. It's one thing if you're bad. Things happen. Your star players who help you draw fans can still perform well in those cases, just other teams may be better that season. You look at it and search for the optimism, "there is always next year". When you can't even say that, you get that "what's the point?" feeling. Why waste the energy? And when your fan base is smart enough to point the blame at the front office/ownership, hostility/animosity grows because you can't blame players for simply just not being good. The guys who are lining their pockets based off the money you're spending to see the team are the issue. They're responsible for assembling a product warranting your money being spent. They're failing miserably. Not 100 losses every year miserably, but this is potentially worse. I'm of the business mindset that you're better off being terrible so you can, in theory, get better. You get franchise changing players through the draft (see the Cubs, Astros, Royals, disregard the 76ers, etc.). We're "mired in mediocrity." If it's the team, that's one thing. When your hand is being forced by ownership/executives to not care about their product, it's another. So I get where those people are coming from. I've never understood people who can change what team they root for. At the same time, those are frustrated people and eventually, enough is enough. That same thing applies to a job, a gf/spouse, a friend, whatever. Eventually, it isn't worth their time, effort, energy, and in this case, their money. This situation is unique because you have a fan base who is so tired of failure that a majority of them feel the only way it's possible to win is to tear it down. Most teams fear tearing it down because it'll be bad for business. When you're already one of the worst draws in baseball, both for tv and the ticket sales, it would appear to be a disaster to do it if you're in the FO. However, this fan base is begging for it because they know it's necessary. They know that the front office has badly damaged the franchise by not doing their job well. The brand itself, which we should be rooting for, is suffering and they're to blame. When given the opportunity and support from the fanbase to sell, something both parties know is greatly needed, they hold and do nothing. They don't add, they hardly subtract - they hold. Yikes. The way I see it. When a player stinks, you cut/trade him. When a manager is bad, he gets fired. If your GM/President make bad moves - they get fired. And when all of that is occurring but these people all still have jobs - you have to point to the highest ranking person and place the blame there. Once you do, you're holding him accountable. So it's up to him to completely turn-over everything, or leave. Knowing it's a business and how unlikely that is, you're left feeling hopeless as a fan. So why bother? I get that and I get where everyone is coming from. And I agree, this franchise would be better with a new owner. Being that most of us see him doing the same nonsense with his other team, it really screams that this guy is part of the problem. He needs to go but unlike players, coaches, fans - that is extremely unlikely. Basically, you're F'd. Now, I am willing to give them through the offseason. I'd have preferred they sold at the deadline but I understand a complete franchise shift may take more time than the few weeks of preparation before the deadline. In saying that, should nothing change, I will feel like one of those people who is tired of wasting time on this group. I'll cheer for them if they're on but I won't care enough to follow them religiously. The point of sports is to compete. This is not a competitive team/organization right now. They're "mediocre" in record and a joke in reality. And when you know where the problems are but they're still around, it says they really don't care about you - the fan. When you're a passionate fan, like most Sox fans appear to be, that is a really bad look. You've managed to alienate a vast majority of your formerly unwavering fan base. That, regardless if I share the sentiment, is a disaster. Sports is such a big business now, I'm not sure it matters, but it would not shock me to see this go way south if they make the wrong moves this offseason. Anything short of an overhaul offensively, where you are a realistic contender, or a complete fire sale - will be a big mistake for the White Sox. You will lose what little casual "Chicago Fan" contingency that you have, and you will lose a lot of "die hards" who are just tired of the same incompetence. Not a good situation. Beautiful post. Please post here more often.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 08:51 PM) Detroit looks so much nicer in the aerial shots than if you were actually walking done their streets. Never been. I'd like to see the team play there though. Have you been to Comerica?

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 08:47 PM) I got some bad news for you... QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 08:48 PM) Yeah he was the choice. Someone would have had to get him from his hospital bed, and somehow tell the league the were only joking putting him on the DL. How does Ventura stay employed? He can't even see this obvious move Lmao

The look on Sale's face after the game. Not sure why people think he'd take a discount to stay here. Don't see the organization changing much from now until then.

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 07:25 PM) Why? If he can go to the plate and risk getting hit by a fastball what's the greater risk of playing 1B? This. So much this. More likely to take a fastball to the head than somehow miss a ball thrown to him.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 05:50 PM) If someone claims Shields, do they take on his entire contract or just the portion that the Sox owe him? No way Melky clears waivers, he is below market value asset in a constrained environment. Robertson is near market value, but with the low number of quality arms available I doubt he will make it through. Agreed. Boston and Yankees I'd think would both place a claim on Robertson so he wouldn't even make it out of AL.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 06:15 PM) This team plays some stupid baseball What happened? Didn't see.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 05:37 PM) Is there any sort of return-policy or take-backs on the Duke trade that we can call upon? Don't think so.

QUOTE (Username @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 03:28 PM) Yeah I don't see him clearing either - but the Sox have some leverage over claiming teams, because they have no real incentive to just give him away. So if he hits well this month I don't think it's impossible that he returns a decent prospect. In some ways he could actually be more valuable than most available bats, as he's basically riskless money-wise. We did trade Dunn so you never know. If he has a good month they may be able to an interesting prospect.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 01:12 PM) Also, his argument is that a team shouldn't "intend to lose games". Well, obviously. No one is suggesting that Robin is telling the players to throw the games. But as a fan who has no impact on the team, I am HOPING they lose every game. Exactly. They're not going out ttrying to lose games. The results certainly make it seem like they are however.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Aug 3, 2016 -> 12:47 PM) That isnt necessarily true, every season players surprisingly sneak through and get moved. And who knows, maybe one gets claimed and the Sox are like "well, ok. Take him." Not likely, but could happen Frazier doesn't make a lot of money. He'd definitely be claimed. A contender or team looking to contend next year can place a claim.

Here's a nice source. http://www.baseballamerica.com/statistics/...ankings/majors/