13 minutes ago, ShoeLessRob said:

I did and I wasn’t impressed. His fastball was once again hit hard by Semian and Vlad. One was an out and the other was a single. Hes got a good breaking pitch, but players are sitting on his fastball.

Players are sitting on every pitcher’s fastball.  

12 minutes ago, Jerksticks said:

Players are sitting on every pitcher’s fastball.  

Sure but look at lance Lynn and for the most part Liam. All they throw are fastballs mostly and people still can’t touch them (most the time). 

11 hours ago, Colome's Hat said:

We have this game and you post this?  Seriously? 

pee in  the ole Cheerios. Ah well. 

3 hours ago, reiks12 said:

He better get it together and soon, because this trade is looking awful

Fair take.

11 hours ago, CeaseAndExist said:

Also, let's be real, it isn't just a "Kimbrel problem".

The whole bullpen outside of Tepera and ReyLo is shaky and underperforming

GC has also been good. carry on.

No need to undress Kimbrel. Reylo rocks.

Cubness, simply Cubness, at least that's what my cub hating friend insists.

There's no need for multiple threads about Kimbrel.

Kimbrell is an elite closer. Now he doesn't close. I think it's probably that simple.

By the way, do great closers command more on the market than great setup men come contact time? Just trying to get a handle on this from Kimbrell's perspective...

I took a quick look at Kimbrel's release point yesterday compared to his release point in the 2 games in Toronto. 

He was all over the place last night with it. Usually his fastball release point is very consistent, even when he's off, but his release point yesterday had about a nearly 9 inch deviation from lowest to highest release point. 

His curve release point was a little off too, as usually they're clumped but it looked like he was throwing 2 different types of curves with 2 totally different release points. 

Edited August 28, 20214 yr by chw42

I don't have time to read an 8 page thread, but IMO, Kimberl has been put into too many situations that a seasoned closer shouldn't be

He just gave an interview saying he didn’t care what inning he pitches in, his release is messed up. 

It’s makes me ill thinking about giving up Madrigal for the fucking guy

Heuer looks like he found himself again, his August looks pretty damn good. Kimbrel better be THE deciding factor for the playoffs, because i have a feeling this trades going to be a laugher along the lines of quintana for eloy/cease.

If Craig doesn’t turn it around… I hereby declare that a new culinary item should be offered at all home games next season:

A burnt hotdog smothered in dark red ketchup housed in a dumpster brimming with flame decorations.

It shall be called The Kimbrel Dumpster Dog. 

I recall reading a recent article about Heuer where he talked about how he was impressed with the technology that Cubs had for pitchers, as if it was a vast difference to what was available with the Sox.  

I wonder if Kimbrel is going through an adjustment not having the same type of resources available to him right now.  Possibly something that helped him with his turnaround this season.  

Edited August 29, 20214 yr by Sambuca

9 hours ago, T R U said:

It’s makes me ill thinking about giving up Madrigal for the fucking guy

Tell me about it.  Only a WS win will make the price paid worthwhile.   

The more he struggles the bigger the problem becomes later. I still think the plan was for him to dominate, exercise the option and trade him, but a couple more clunkers, no one will want to pay him $16 million next year, let alone give up anything for him, and it’s not like the Sox would be able to get him cheaper if they decline the option because the closers job is taken . So it is pretty much make the WS or bust. I still think he will be fine.

I have a simple solution to all this. Pickup the 2022 options on Kimbrel and Hernandez and then trade them to the Cubs for Madrigal.

1 hour ago, WBWSF said:

I have a simple solution to all this. Pickup the 2022 options on Kimbrel and Hernandez and then trade them to the Cubs for Madrigal.

I can’t understand how you haven’t already gotten a GM job somewhere. 

34 minutes ago, Tony said:

I can’t understand how you haven’t already gotten a GM job somewhere. 

The only GM job I want is the White Sox job. If I was the GM I would have never traded Madrigal for Kimbrel.

13 hours ago, T R U said:

It’s makes me ill thinking about giving up Madrigal for the fucking guy

I wouldn’t even have traded heuer straight up for craig gumball 

Madrigal is a nice little player, but he’s not exactly going to be a WAR machine. The only thing about him that is spectacular is BA. I’m not sold he’s ever going to have enough power. Let’s not treat it like trading him up was some huge gaffe like the shields trade. In any event, giving him up while he’s injured was absolutely the right move to win RIGHT NOW. We will solve this Kimbrel problem in some way over the next month. Maybe Liam and him do need to flip roles for him to get his head back, let’s try it and see what happens. There’s too much talent for us to not be able to figure out a way to make this work IMO. 

On 8/28/2021 at 10:01 AM, The Grinder said:

The 2021 Chicago White Sox. Where relievers  come to die

More like the book Moneyball taught the world damn near two decades ago that buying high, especially on RPs, is stoopud.

Yes, Kimbrel "WAS" a HOF pitcher years ago. And yes, Kimbrel had a nice half-season with the scrubs. But, I'd bet that Kimbrel's 2021 with the scrubs was probably a mirage/the beginning of his inevitable age-related decline. 

Edited August 29, 20214 yr by Two-Gun Pete

10 minutes ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

More like the book Moneyball taught the world damn near two decades ago that buying high, especially on RPs, is stoopud.

Yes, Kimbrel "WAS" a HOF pitcher years ago. And yes, Kimbrel had a nice half-season with the scrubs. But, I'd bet that Kimbrel's 2021 with the scrubs was probably a mirage/the beginning of his inevitable age-related decline. 

Oakland has advanced past the division series all of once since 1993, so maybe that theory of not buying high on relievers works great for the regular season but doesn't help you win playoff games.