8/27 White Sox Winner and recent run of solid pitching

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Over the last 20 games the Sox have gone 11-9. They just concluded an 8 home stand going 5-3 . The recent run is because of solid pitching mostly from Rodon, Gonzalez and Shields and a surprising decent run from the bullpen. It has also coincided with a hot streak from Nicky Delmonico to offset games missed from Matt Davidson who proves his worth with a 3 run bomb in today's win.

 

Tim Anderson and Yolmer Sanchez have contributed walk off hits in this stretch . Matt Davidson had 2 walk off hits in a row right before this 20 game stretch so the Sox have been playing some exciting baseball.

 

Reynaldo Lopez had a solid debut in a game the Sox eventually won. Lucas Giolito has had a solid and very good start going 1-1 in his 2 starts. They won the series against the Tigers without help from Delmonico and Moncada who both were placed on the DL prior to the series . Moncada also had been playing some exciting ball recently showing off the wheels and contributing to late inning wins.

 

It's probably no coincidence that the Sox bullpen has improved with the good starting pitching easing the bullpen load.

 

Over his last 58 AB's Avi Garcia has 25 hits for a .431 batting average .493 OBP . 500 SLG and ,993 OPS . Avi has been reduced to a singles hitter during this span with only 4 doubles in those 25 hits . This is probably due to recent hand/wrist injuries . Give him credit though . Right when he was slumping and average creeping back toward .300 he has upped it back to .322 .

 

In the last 30 games who is leading the Sox in RBI ? In the unlikely event you guessed Yolmer Sanchez you would be right. Yolmer went 3/4 driving in a run in the Sox 7-1 victory against the Tigers today. His last 7 games he has 3 HR and 9 RBI and also has raised his OPS on the season to over .700 .

 

Jose Abreu has been the rock of the lineup hitting HR's and fielding much better the 2nd half of the season.

 

I know it sucks for draft pick position but when the young guys contribute to victories I can't be unhappy about it. I've spent my whole life cheering for Sox wins and it's just counter-intuitive to do otherwise.

Besides I know I am not alone here in wanting these youngsters to experience the thrills of victories and growing together.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jerksticks]

Over the last 20 games the Sox have gone 11-9. They just concluded an 8 home stand going 5-3 . The recent run is because of solid pitching mostly from Rodon, Gonzalez and Shields and a surprising decent run from the bullpen. It has also coincided with a hot streak from Nicky Delmonico to offset games missed from Matt Davidson who proves his worth with a 3 run bomb in today's win.

 

Tim Anderson and Yolmer Sanchez have contributed walk off hits in this stretch . Matt Davidson had 2 walk off hits in a row right before this 20 game stretch so the Sox have been playing some exciting baseball.

 

Reynaldo Lopez had a solid debut in a game the Sox eventually won. Lucas Giolito has had a solid and very good start going 1-1 in his 2 starts. They won the series against the Tigers without help from Delmonico and Moncada who both were placed on the DL prior to the series . Moncada also had been playing some exciting ball recently showing off the wheels and contributing to late inning wins.

 

It's probably no coincidence that the Sox bullpen has improved with the good starting pitching easing the bullpen load.

 

Over his last 58 AB's Avi Garcia has 25 hits for a .431 batting average .493 OBP . 500 SLG and ,993 OPS . Avi has been reduced to a singles hitter during this span with only 4 doubles in those 25 hits . This is probably due to recent hand/wrist injuries . Give him credit though . Right when he was slumping and average creeping back toward .300 he has upped it back to .322 .

 

In the last 30 games who is leading the Sox in RBI ? In the unlikely event you guessed Yolmer Sanchez you would be right. Yolmer went 3/4 driving in a run in the Sox 7-1 victory against the Tigers today. His last 7 games he has 3 HR and 9 RBI and also has raised his OPS on the season to over .700 .

 

Jose Abreu has been the rock of the lineup hitting HR's and fielding much better the 2nd half of the season.

 

I know it sucks for draft pick position but when the young guys contribute to victories I can't be unhappy about it. I've spent my whole life cheering for Sox wins and it's just counter-intuitive to do otherwise.

Besides I know I am not alone here in wanting these youngsters to experience the thrills of victories and growing together.

 

I'm with ya! Almost TOO many interesting guys. It's a weird kind of depth we have right now. Not star depth, not even good depth, but not bad depth either. It's just solid to maybe good depth and it competes in an exciting way. Not sure what the hell I'm talking about. Go Sox

 

[greg775]

Guys: I don't care what anybody says. I am in baseball love with Matt Davidson and Avi Garcia.

And congrats Mr. Giolito! Take a bow.

Gawd, I love Davidson and Avi.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

I'm with ya! Almost TOO many interesting guys. It's a weird kind of depth we have right now. Not star depth, not even good depth, but not bad depth either. It's just solid to maybe good depth and it competes in an exciting way. Not sure what the hell I'm talking about. Go Sox

I know what you mean. Take Engel for example. He plays a very good and fundamentally sound CF . Leury Garcia probably should be getting most of the starts there because he he also a good fielder out there but nowhere near as fundamentally sound as Engel. While many here think there's very few on the roster now who can contribute to a winning team, the Sox are trying to learn as much as they can about them all and ,as you say , it's an interesting group of kids.

It'll be fun seeing Delmonico and Davidson in the same lineup. We haven't seen much if any of that yet. Moncada , Delmonico would be a great 2 and 3 in the lineup since they both draw walks with a 4 -5-6 of Abreu, Davidson, Avi or Abreu , Avi, Davidson .

Edited August 28, 2017 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[SCCWS]

I know what you mean. Take Engel for example. He plays a very good and fundamentally sound CF . Leury Garcia probably should be getting most of the starts there because he he also a good fielder out there but nowhere near as fundamentally sound as Engel. While many here think there's very few on the roster now who can contribute to a winning team, the Sox are trying to learn as much as they can about them all and ,as you say , it's an interesting group of kids.

It'll be fun seeing Delmonico and Davidson in the same lineup. We haven't seen much if any of that yet. Moncada , Delmonico would be a great 2 and 3 in the lineup since they both draw walks with a 4 -5-6 of Abreu, Davidson, Avi or Abreu , Avi, Davidson .

 

Usually, you want a #2 batter to be able to handle the bat well and not SO a lot. Moncada so far does not fit the bill. Hopefully in a couple of years he is the #3 hitter which I think will be perfect when his power numbers start showing.

 

[Soha]

These guys are fun to watch now. It's unreal that they could dump as much talent as they have, and feel every bit as competitive as the team was a year ago. Also the schedule since they finished with the Dodgers has gotten dramatically easier and for the most part it will remain that way the rest of the way out.

 

I hope the Sox consider an extension for Avi - not sure what the costs might be or if the numbers would work. He has hit all year other than when he played through the injury. What a career turnaround year for him.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Usually, you want a #2 batter to be able to handle the bat well and not SO a lot. Moncada so far does not fit the bill. Hopefully in a couple of years he is the #3 hitter which I think will be perfect when his power numbers start showing.

I want him at the top of the lineup to get as many AB's as possible mostly, plus the speed and the walks. K's not bothersome because at least its not a DP if the leadoff guy gets on. Mostly rooting for Abreu to get his 100 RBI again so I want the guys at the top who walk a lot. Also 3 run bombs provide instant big inning which is what Davidson is for.

[southsider2k5]

Over the last 20 games the Sox have gone 11-9. They just concluded an 8 home stand going 5-3 . The recent run is because of solid pitching mostly from Rodon, Gonzalez and Shields and a surprising decent run from the bullpen. It has also coincided with a hot streak from Nicky Delmonico to offset games missed from Matt Davidson who proves his worth with a 3 run bomb in today's win.

 

Tim Anderson and Yolmer Sanchez have contributed walk off hits in this stretch . Matt Davidson had 2 walk off hits in a row right before this 20 game stretch so the Sox have been playing some exciting baseball.

 

Reynaldo Lopez had a solid debut in a game the Sox eventually won. Lucas Giolito has had a solid and very good start going 1-1 in his 2 starts. They won the series against the Tigers without help from Delmonico and Moncada who both were placed on the DL prior to the series . Moncada also had been playing some exciting ball recently showing off the wheels and contributing to late inning wins.

 

It's probably no coincidence that the Sox bullpen has improved with the good starting pitching easing the bullpen load.

 

Over his last 58 AB's Avi Garcia has 25 hits for a .431 batting average .493 OBP . 500 SLG and ,993 OPS . Avi has been reduced to a singles hitter during this span with only 4 doubles in those 25 hits . This is probably due to recent hand/wrist injuries . Give him credit though . Right when he was slumping and average creeping back toward .300 he has upped it back to .322 .

 

In the last 30 games who is leading the Sox in RBI ? In the unlikely event you guessed Yolmer Sanchez you would be right. Yolmer went 3/4 driving in a run in the Sox 7-1 victory against the Tigers today. His last 7 games he has 3 HR and 9 RBI and also has raised his OPS on the season to over .700 .

 

Jose Abreu has been the rock of the lineup hitting HR's and fielding much better the 2nd half of the season.

 

I know it sucks for draft pick position but when the young guys contribute to victories I can't be unhappy about it. I've spent my whole life cheering for Sox wins and it's just counter-intuitive to do otherwise.

Besides I know I am not alone here in wanting these youngsters to experience the thrills of victories and growing together.

 

This is a great example of why these next couple of seasons aren't nearly as easy as being happy about losing 120 games. Getting progress out of a guy like Giolito is so massive for the future of this franchise. The same goes for about half of the roster.

[kitekrazy]

Over the last 20 games the Sox have gone 11-9. They just concluded an 8 home stand going 5-3 . The recent run is because of solid pitching mostly from Rodon, Gonzalez and Shields and a surprising decent run from the bullpen. It has also coincided with a hot streak from Nicky Delmonico to offset games missed from Matt Davidson who proves his worth with a 3 run bomb in today's win.

 

Tim Anderson and Yolmer Sanchez have contributed walk off hits in this stretch . Matt Davidson had 2 walk off hits in a row right before this 20 game stretch so the Sox have been playing some exciting baseball.

 

Reynaldo Lopez had a solid debut in a game the Sox eventually won. Lucas Giolito has had a solid and very good start going 1-1 in his 2 starts. They won the series against the Tigers without help from Delmonico and Moncada who both were placed on the DL prior to the series . Moncada also had been playing some exciting ball recently showing off the wheels and contributing to late inning wins.

 

It's probably no coincidence that the Sox bullpen has improved with the good starting pitching easing the bullpen load.

 

Over his last 58 AB's Avi Garcia has 25 hits for a .431 batting average .493 OBP . 500 SLG and ,993 OPS . Avi has been reduced to a singles hitter during this span with only 4 doubles in those 25 hits . This is probably due to recent hand/wrist injuries . Give him credit though . Right when he was slumping and average creeping back toward .300 he has upped it back to .322 .

 

In the last 30 games who is leading the Sox in RBI ? In the unlikely event you guessed Yolmer Sanchez you would be right. Yolmer went 3/4 driving in a run in the Sox 7-1 victory against the Tigers today. His last 7 games he has 3 HR and 9 RBI and also has raised his OPS on the season to over .700 .

 

Jose Abreu has been the rock of the lineup hitting HR's and fielding much better the 2nd half of the season.

 

I know it sucks for draft pick position but when the young guys contribute to victories I can't be unhappy about it. I've spent my whole life cheering for Sox wins and it's just counter-intuitive to do otherwise.

Besides I know I am not alone here in wanting these youngsters to experience the thrills of victories and growing together.

 

Quote of the week.

How much credit goes to Renteria? That's the scary part.

I guess it depends on who is still there next season but anything can happen in baseball. The team could dabble in being a division contender in 2018 if some teams regress. It could be just like most Sox seasons, you get fooled a month or two then reality sets in. The difference is no veterans contribute to that disappointment.

Edited August 28, 2017 by kitekrazy

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Quote of the week.

How much credit goes to Renteria? That's the scary part.

I guess it depends on who is still there next season but anything can happen in baseball. The team could dabble in being a division contender in 2018 if some teams regress. It could be just like most Sox seasons, you get fooled a month or two then reality sets in. The difference is no veterans contribute to that disappointment.

As much as we hate the bunting it's really hard to pin anything else wrong with Renteria. He was a cog in the wheel of signing Robert right ? The clubhouse seems loose . The guy's hustle. Mistakes are usually the over exuberance of youth type and he corrects them right after they happen in the dugout.

 

Without getting too crazy with the psychology, maybe there's a method to the bunting madness. After all the term is sacrifice bunt. Why ? Because you are sacrificing your AB for the good of the team. Sacrificing the chance for glory to drive in that guy , letting the guys behind you do it, hypothetically. We mostly hate it because it's old school baseball that mathematically isn't very sound. It does promote the team concept however . all for one and one for all.

 

If I am Sox management I'm happy with Renteria. Despite the loses piling up the key players, the youth of tomorrow, are thriving. What more could they ask for ?

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Sorry, but this just isn't right.

 

I have my meatball tendencies, I'm in the camp of keeping Abreu around not only because he has been a very productive player for this team, but for what he seems to do with the younger players. I really do think that makes a difference, and can appreciate it.

 

When it comes to the sacrifice bunt, in most cases you are hurting the team. That doesn't help the team concept. The manager is going out of his way to take the bat out of a players hand to "hopefully" execute a sacrifice bunt. Players are smart. Much smarter than a bunch of us on a message board. They understand how inconsistent this bullpen has been. They understand how they are in last place. Do you think RR calling for a sacrifice bunt in the 5th inning, playing for 1 run is really building a team concept?

 

You want to bunt in the 9th to help seal up a victory? You want to bunt in an NL park with the pitcher on the mound? OK. I can wrap my head around that.

 

Aside from that? Not for me.

I'm sure you have been part of a team. Many of us have, a lot of teams over the years. We understand who the weak links are even if we didn't play professionally and have the talent traded away. When a team sucks it's a lot easier to have a mini goals that will serve them well in the future. That's why he stresses hustle. It's why he corrects mistakes. He shows he cares about the players individual careers. He wants them to be good team mates. Wins and losses are not the focus of this team so why get angry at your team mates when they make mistakes or just don't have the talent.

 

I don't think it's a stretch at all to understand the players know Renteria cares about them. The main goal from all the mini goals is to not place blame , do your part and embrace the team concept as a way to show Renteria the loyalty he has shown you. Do you think a clubhouse as loose as the Sox have comes from out of no where? Players who hate losing and place blame do not a happy clubhouse make. If you aren't as talented players can accept that if you embrace a team concept. Is bunting a part of that team concept ? I think so but it's also not mathematically sound as I said (aka bad managing).

 

I said I didn't want to get to crazy with the psychology but apparently you think I did. I am just of the opinion that in a season where wins and losses don't really matter the players are playjng for their manager and each other . If you don't want to think the sacrifice bunting is part of that , no problem. It drives me crazy also but I like to look outside the box at times.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

I actually agree with most of this, or at least I know where you are coming from.

 

What I can't get on board with is then taking the next step to the sacrifice bunts. There are ways to have "team building" take place without making poor managerial decisions, I guess that's my point.

Well we have seen it many many times. When a player advances a runner either by bunting or hitting a ball to the right side you get congrats from your team mates. They realize you gave up yourself to help the team . That means something. It always has in baseball until only recently when the sacrifice bunt has come under attack and it's fairly easy to understand why .They know it's the managers job to manage . Renteria probably knows all the arguments against sacrifice bunting ( at least I hope he does) but still uses it in situations we don't like. If you congratulate a team mate weather its for hitting a HR , or driving in runs or pitching well or sacrificing it builds camaraderie. Any poor managerial decisions Renteria makes probably haven't hurt the team at all so I'm inclined to look at other things . I wasn't as forgiving with Ventura because we were supposed to be winning.

 

You do make a good point. It's just right now it just doesn't matter (Meatballs the movie reference).

[southsider2k5]

I'd argue the exact opposite. I've seen multiple people say "Well he is just getting them ready for the future, so when this team is good, they will be ready to bunt and prepared."

 

Who's to say the players on this team have lost faith in Renteria for making poor in-game decisions? I know if I have a boss that continues to make poor decisions in their job, decisions that directly affect me, I start to loose faith in that boss.

 

I'd be more worried if I saw any signs that this team has quit at all. Even the veterans are playing out this at 100% effort.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

I'd argue the exact opposite. I've seen multiple people say "Well he is just getting them ready for the future, so when this team is good, they will be ready to bunt and prepared."

 

Who's to say the players on this team have lost faith in Renteria for making poor in-game decisions? I know if I have a boss that continues to make poor decisions in their job, decisions that directly affect me, I start to loose faith in that boss.

I think it's pretty apparent the players like Renteria. He manages the players much better than he manages the game . You are not a kid still learning a game or new position so I doubt your boss sits you down after a mistake and explains why what you did was incorrect in a gentle fatherly type way,

 

We often complain the Sox are bad at developing players. I happen to think developing players is Renteria's strong suit. Even in the majors development happens since so many players are not finished products once they come up. That development is way more important than a few bunts we think come at a stupid time, When I watch the games , at the moment, I hate the bunts But later understanding or rationalizing how clubhouses work I'm inclined to think it's not an issue at this point in time. Good debating the subject with you Tony.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

On another Renteria note, speaking of development, I did have issues with the lack of steal attempts by our faster players which I expressed a few weeks ago. Hope it's not my imagination but it seems as though the steal attempts have increased since I first expressed concerns about it. I am pleased to see that.