tray

Jack- The thing is KC has Soler and we don't have Eloy. Meanwhile we are waiting patiently (at least for a few more series) for the real Andrew Vaughn to arrive.

I didn't say that. I do feel that there are incremental differences in the talent level of teams the Sox have played, and those differences can turn some close losses into wins. Vaughn had a hit today but in reality that was on an error. Hahn will have to demote him if he doesn't start hitting in the next few series. You cannot replace a star player with a dude that can't hit .200 and think that doesn't make a difference in a league that is as competitive as the AL is.

The combined talent on the White Sox does not appear to be demonstrably better than any of the teams they have played thus far this season. That isn't anyone's fault, it just is what it is. Right now, it looks like the White Sox are a pretty decent .500 team, plus or minus a few games. Once Eloy got injured, I resigned myself to the Sox being in the middle of the pack , perhaps competing with KC for third place in the division.

The reality is that Rodon was released by the Sox front office (Hahn, et.al. ) . They waited for a month or two (according to Rodon himself during an interview with Garfein) before they decided to sign him to a one year deal. Apparently, no other team made him an offer during that time period. Historically, Jerry has shown a sense of loyalty to existing or former White Sox. Rodon has been in the White Sox system for 5 or 6 years or so, I think. I do not know for certain whether the organizational loyalty that Jerry has instilled in the front office contributed to them taking a second look at Rodon, but it would not surprise me if that came into play in some fashion. IMO, I doubt the Sox would have signed Rodon if he was from another organization. So far, it looks like signing Carlos was a good move. If he stays healthy and keeps pitching like he has been, it will be one of the FO's best signings.

IMO Vaughn needs at least one season in the high minors to refine his hitting and fielding. His talent is too raw to develop at the major league level. In comparison, consider how long Mercedes has had to develop his hitting skills. The reality for Vaughn is that Engel will soon return and Mercedes has sewn up the DH spot for the foreseeable future.

I do not think we have seen enough Vaughn yet to conclude that he is better than anyone out there. Let's withhold judgment on him as a hitter and as an outfielder until we see more of him. TLaR is giving Vaughn the chance to prove himself.

It may soon come down to whether you want Vaughn or Mercedes as our full-time DH. Pick one.

Afternoon shadows between the mound and the plate impacted hitters. Cold weather was a factor on both offense and defense. This is football weather, not baseball weather. I am amazed how many times posters still like to take shots at Eloy. If a player wants to take his starting role they will have plenty of chances on offense and defense this year to prove themselves. This was a bad game today because, among other things, it was impacted greatly by what I believe was a bad call on Eaton's double. Allowing a defender to tangle his leg with a base-runner and then stumble down while tagging him looked like a dirty trick by a wise guy more than a legitimate baseball play. Then the taller player stared down Eaton like a tough guy. All that without any consequences for his behavior.

How what works?

Several players on the Cubs (and their families) have refused to get vaccinations. I am not sure about the White Sox. I don't understand how anyone is allowed to play major league baseball or be in contact with the players if they are not fully vaccinated.

How can you be happy for a lynch mob? I read a post by a guy who was hoping JR would drop dead. Others have mocked TLaR incessantly. One guy said yesterday that he is now rooting against the White Sox. I am happy for real White Sox fans though.

The Sox front office lost confidence in Carlos after he came in out of the bullpen and blew that game against the Tribe last Fall. I suspect Jerry Reinsdorf may have approved signing Carlos after Rick Hahn decided to DFA him. Whoever made that decision, it was obviously a good call.

It will be Eloy in LF and Mercedes at DH.

I guess I am a little more forgiving of Plesac and maybe people in general than you might be. Pleasacs explanation of violating curfew: "I understand that there are risks people are taking to play this game. And the last thing I would ever want to do is put anybody at risk. The last thing I would want to do -- my little brother has type-1 diabetes, my mom's a nurse. I understand the significance of this illness and this disease, and I know how important it is that we must follow certain procedures and guidelines to ensure safety for the entirety of a group. "It breaks my heart for people to think I'm a bad teammate or a bad person. But I wanted to share with you guys that moving forward, there's a selflessness lesson taught here and at the end of the day, I want everybody to be healthy. I want to be a good teammate. I want to win baseball games, man. That's all I want to do"

I wanted to trade for Plesac in the off-season....and I still would, just for a lot less. Maybe ReyLo straight up.

Lamb just missed a 2 run homer to tie the game. He put a nice swing on that pitch. If it was a little warmer outside, that ball would have carried out. This is a guy who hit 30 HR a few years back and still has plenty of power, particularly against RH pitchers. The guy that should not be on the roster is Williams, but he should be gone, I hope, when Engel returns. Engel should be in LF every game. That said, I am not sure how they get Vaughn at bats when Engel comes back. Maybe cut the juvenile swipes at Tony LaRussa at some point? Grow up folks.

No trades for an outfielder. Hang on until Eloy returns. Try Vaughn for a while to see how he fares.

The Sox are not all in without Eloy. He would have transformed the heart of the line-up and hit 30+ HR. You can't recover from that loss by spending money.

Vaughn is a As far as Lamb getting a shot tonight, Sox Scouts know about the 2016 and 2017 seasons that Lamb had, particularly against RH pitching where he jacked 25 HR just against RH pitchers. Yea, TLaR is older than you but he has a law degree, World Series rings, and is in the HOF. Maybe give him a break and stop piling on the criticism. Enough is enough. Try to enjoy the game men. Be happy.Things are looking up this year. Jake Lamb 2016 Highlights

Tony wants some defense to help Giolito. That at least explains why Vaughn isn't in LF. Using Lamb at DH was a decision that might be based on some factor(s) that the fans don't know about. Well, the line-up is weak because Eloy and TA aren't here, not because Vaughn is on the bench Mercedes will get in to pinch hit at some point or possibly replace Lamb if we knock out Bieber. Let's just win and live to fight (with one another) another day (tomorrow).

Mental.

There was one out when Williams hit the grounder. Even if the throw didn't hit Grandall there was no way they were going to turn that double play and prevent the winning run from scoring. It was ugly, but we would have won it without that throwing error.

Keuchel and Hendriks suck.

I really dislike the artificial double to start an inning with no outs, It really makes no sense to me for several reasons My 2 cents: If, after a conventional extra inning of play (the 10th) the game remains tied, then it is registered as a tie. So balls to the wall with whatever pitching and hitting you have in the 10th. During the last 12 games of the season and obviously during the play-offs, the old way goes back into effect. Play until it is decided.

There wasn't much movement on Hendriks gopher ball. Easy to critique in hindsight, but I question the pitch selection. The bottom line is that he should not have thrown a low strike to to a power hitter in a tie game in the 9th. That was in his wheel house.