1 minute ago, Dick Allen said:

The Ricketts are printing money. Just wait u until  next year when White Sox fans have to pay more for their cable Bill's whether they have any intention of watching the Cubs or not.

The preseason advanced metrics had the Cubs not so good. And you don't have to be an average team in the AL  Central to have a record around average. 

It’s the same shitty division that produced the AL World Series rep from 2014-2016. Get in and anything can happen. Wouldn’t shock me if either the Indians or Twins went on a run to win the AL pennant in 2019.

Just now, Dick Allen said:

The Cubs have enough core players where throwing money around every year will always make them a threat. They have already mentioned increased spending with their new TV deal.

Starting next year, Sox young core should be better imo.

1 minute ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

It’s the same shitty division that produced the AL World Series rep from 2014-2016. Get in and anything can happen. Wouldn’t shock me if either the Indians or Twins went on a run to win the AL pennant in 2019.

Any team can win a 5 or 7 game series. But the Twins, Indians and White Sox overall record will be bloated playing 38 of their games against basically minor league teams.

The bottom two teams in the ALC have 56 wins. The bottom two teams in the AL East have 58. Would you say the same thing about the Yankees and Rays?

4 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Any team can win a 5 or 7 game series. But the Twins, Indians and White Sox overall record will be bloated playing 38 of their games against basically minor league teams.

 

6 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

Starting next year, Sox young core should be better imo.

It also largely depends on whether Bryant, Baez and Contreras stay with the Cubs long-term.  Keeping all three in the fold seems impossible, even for the Ricketts.

So, if you add Robert and Madrigal living up to their billing, definitely the case.

But the pitching...is still more about potential/projection than reality at this point.

53 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Lopez needs to man up and get us to .500 today.  I’ve been one of his biggest advocates on this board, but he’s been a total disaster this season and it’s finally put up or shut-up time if he wants any chance of claiming a rotation spot next year.  The clock is officially ticking.

That is kinda drastic.  Hopefully Lopez has a strong 2nd half.  If Lopez has a bad year this year, he can still come back next year and win a rotation spot. You only have to look at Gio's numbers last year which were horrible especially the walks.  McCann is hitting 100 points higher than last year.  What a difference a year makes. What we have to hope for next year is that Gio and McCann don't regress and Lopez bounces back. 

9 minutes ago, skooch said:

The bottom two teams in the ALC have 56 wins. The bottom two teams in the AL East have 58. Would you say the same thing about the Yankees and Rays?

 

Good question. It seems this argument only applies to the AL Central and not the two minor league teams currently playing in the AL East...

let’s also not forget the overrated White Sox took the season series from the top dog in the East.

Edited July 4, 20196 yr by JUSTgottaBELIEVE

5 minutes ago, skooch said:

The bottom two teams in the ALC have 56 wins. The bottom two teams in the AL East have 58. Would you say the same thing about the Yankees and Rays?

 

Considering Boston as a “crouching tiger, hidden dragon”...it’s difficult to argue the two divisions as close, especially with CLE trending downwards and the Blue Jays with a slew of young players on the offensive side.  Only the Orioles are terrible.

If the starting rotation for the Indians was pitching (and healthier) like 2016-18, sure...a puncher’s chance they could get on a roll, but Jose Ramirez falling off the map has really dinged that offense.

49 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

Interesting. So the combined record of teams in the AL East is 18 games under .500 if you remove the Red Sox. The combined record of teams in the AL Central is 24 games under .500 if you remove the White Sox. Is the White Sox schedule really that much easier than the Red Sox?

Yes

21 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

But the pitching...is still more about potential/projection than reality at this point.

Sign McHugh and Bumgarner in the offseason.  Trade a couple of OF Prospects for an upper level pitching prospect or 2.
What they don't need to do is trade for pitchers with 1 or 2 years left on their contract....those are asset-depleting moves.

4 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Yes

How so?

34 minutes ago, skooch said:

The bottom two teams in the ALC have 56 wins. The bottom two teams in the AL East have 58. Would you say the same thing about the Yankees and Rays?

 

Sure, although Toronto is better than Det ot KC and it isn't close.

 

Look at the team Det threw out there yesterday.  Who is good enough to start on the White Sox? Nick C , but who else? It was sad to me watching Miggy move yesterday. 

Edited July 4, 20196 yr by Dick Allen

53 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

The Ricketts are printing money. Just wait u until  next year when White Sox fans have to pay more for their cable Bill's whether they have any intention of watching the Cubs or not.

The preseason advanced metrics had the Cubs not so good. And you don't have to be an average team in the AL  Central to have a record around average. 

There is much chance you'll be forced to purchase the cub network as a part of basic cable sports packages. They will not bundle that network with the key networks in its first year. It'll be a seperate add.

15 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

How so?

The Ray's and the Yankees are significantly better than Cleveland and Minnesots imo. Minny pitching just isnt enough imo.

9 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

There is much chance you'll be forced to purchase the cub network as a part of basic cable sports packages. They will not bundle that network with the key networks in its first year. It'll be a seperate add.

That is not what I read from Crains.Hopefully it turns into a Dodgers situation.  The Sox could really benefit.

Ricketts owns half of Wrigleyville now. The cash registers are humming from early in the morning until everyone passes out later.

Edited July 4, 20196 yr by Dick Allen

10 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

There is much chance you'll be forced to purchase the cub network as a part of basic cable sports packages. They will not bundle that network with the key networks in its first year. It'll be a seperate add.

Here’s the article...https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-cubs-tv-network-cost-20190521-story.html

Let’s say $6.50 per subscriber, that would amount to $78 extra per year on their bill for non-baseball fans.  Especially if they don’t make the playoffs this year and still try to foist $7-9 extra on monthly charges, look out...

Edited July 4, 20196 yr by caulfield12

6 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

How so?

The Sox tough team is Minnesota, who in reality probably aren't as good as any of the big 3 in the AL East in a playoff series. 

 

Someone take Rondon away from Ricky

 

Rondon is more of a head scratcher than Alonso. Alonso at least at one time seemed like a legit middle of the order bat.

2 hours ago, GradMc said:

If the Sox win these last 3 games before the ASB, they will have a better record than the Cubs.

With the current make-up of the respective 25 player rosters,  that's stunning.

It's also telling me based on the Sox players on the DL and/or yet to be brought up, targeting the Cubs Rebuild is setting the bar way too low. 

The target is the Astros 

 

I don't think so.  The postseason is a crap shoot.  Any one of the 10 teams can go all the way.  Case in point:  a 116-win Seattle team didn't even make it to the World Series several years ago and in another year, an 83-win St. Louis team won the World Series.

The best that you can expect to do after a successful rebuild (which the Sox will be) is to make the postseason most every year for several years.  Once you're in, anything can happen. 

The Cubs have been in the postseason every year since their rebuild concluded. (This from a Cubs Hater)

 

Edited July 4, 20196 yr by bubba phillips

1 minute ago, bubba phillips said:

I don't think so.  The postseason is a crap shoot.  Any one of the 10 teams can go all the way.  Case in point:  a 116-win Seattle team didn't even make it to the World Series several years ago and in another year, an 83-win St. Louis team won the World Series.

The best that you can expect to do after a successful rebuild (which the Sox will be) is to make the postseason most every year for several years.  Once you're in, anything can happen.  The Cubs have been in the postseason every year since their rebuild concluded.

 

I don’t think it’s a total crap shoot.  There are advantages to being the best team.  There are advantages to having some balance.  But overall I agree.  I just think dominant teams can be built- and the White Sox might be doing it. 

 

Tigers started 16-17 somehow. 11-37 since, plus a suspended game they’ll probably lose.

2 hours ago, SCCWS said:

That is kinda drastic.  Hopefully Lopez has a strong 2nd half.  If Lopez has a bad year this year, he can still come back next year and win a rotation spot. You only have to look at Gio's numbers last year which were horrible especially the walks.  McCann is hitting 100 points higher than last year.  What a difference a year makes. What we have to hope for next year is that Gio and McCann don't regress and Lopez bounces back. 

My point is right now the Sox can’t rely on him holding a spot next year when we’ll also have Cease & Kopech in their first full seasons.  Unless Lopez has a strong second half, he’s going to have an uphill battle to be in the 2020 rotation to start the season cause the Sox will a pair of starters from outside the organization to the mix.

2 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

Rondon is more of a head scratcher than Alonso. Alonso at least at one time seemed like a legit middle of the order bat.

They are facing another lefty today, so R. R. is trying to stack the lineup with RH hitters. His other options are Jay, Palka or Collins, all left handed hitters, although Jay hits lefties very well. I would have used him, instead of Rodon. Maybe Jon isn't feeling well. Oops, I forgot that Abreu needs a day off, from playing first, after yesterday's double header. So, Palka would have been the other choice, not Jay.

Edited July 4, 20196 yr by Lillian