tray

Alright already, I know, hindsight is 20 / 20 but I have a question about the last out in the top of the 8th, I believe. I think Lawrie was forced out at second base for the third out. It looked like he was safe or that the call was close enough to challenge, at least to me. If overturned that would have extended our inning with two men on. I was expecting a challenge by Ventura but it appeared as though he either saw the play clearly enough to not challenge, or perhaps he felt that the night was long and it was the 8th and we had a big lead. Maybe he simply exercised poor judgment. Did anyone else note that? I wish I could see the play again because maybe I am mis-remembering this and I apologize if that is the case. I just hate to give up a possible chance to score runs by not challenging close plays.

Hard to imagine another NFL team in the same market, and literally down the street from the Bears. There already was and they played in Comiskey Park while the Bears played in Wrigley Field. I'm not sure if another franchise will ever come to Chicago again but it is possible. As far as a future ballpark for the White Sox, it may not be in our lifetime but the lakefront is a logical place to build the next one.

Cub fans are the only people who are fixated on attendance figures at Sox games. They dream of the possibility of the Sox leaving Chicago, but that is never going to happen. First of all, the Sox have been in Chicago longer than the Cubs. Secondly, the league would never allow it. Third, Reinsdorf's sons have never indicated they would ever be interested in selling. Cub fans keep repeating a comment JR made to the effect that if his sons sold any team, it would be the baseball team but that doesn't mean they would even want to and if they did, chances are it would be to someone like bill Wirtz or a group of Chicago based investors, including those who already have a stake in the team. It is inevitable that the lakefront will be developed from McCormick Place South. That has been discussed since the Burnham Plan and brought up numerous times over the years including when the City was bidding for the Olympics. The City is now discussing bringing the Lucas Museum here (although Rauner opposes what appears to me to be a very sensible plan to locate it where McCormick Place East is). Eventually, that is going to happen. As part of that there there will likely be a new stadium. The White Sox are the logical tenant along with either the Bears or another NFL franchise ( perhaps a successor to the NFL's Chicago Cardinals) for a stadium right on the Lake. Until then, neither the White Sox nor US Cellular are going to go anywhere.

Jason Benetti's home run call "Oh my goodness," is at worst, a pussification of a home run. At best, Benetti simply used that trite expression because he could not come up with anything original or better. A grandmother says "oh my goodness'. I don't agree with Hawk's opinions and politics all the time and I understand he can't go on forever, but I would have liked to see him back full time this season. Instead of Benetti , I would have preferred that someone else be chosen as his successor, preferably a former major league player who has wit, personality and is more familiar with the game and the players. Benetti seems better suited to the radio side, not as the primary TV play to play man. As long as he is doing that job though, I wish him well and hope he improves.

So what if Danks pitches to contact against the BoSox, gets great defense and survives until the 6th inning? He gets another 5 starts to maybe win another game ? Danks provides opposing line-ups with confidence at the plate and that can extend to subsequent games in a series. He throws gopher balls that turn into tape measure home runs - ball busting game changers and momentum killers. If that continues it could impact attendance at home games where Danks is the scheduled starter. That is a problem that Sox management will not tolerate.

I would be surprised if Danks gets another start.