And that's a 9-0 White Sox winner!

[Chicago White Sox]

10 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

You be trollin’.  🧌 

Mostly trolling, but as I’ve been highlighting for weeks now, this team will be an improvement vs. last year baring a devastating amount of injuries.

The SP has been incredible and there is reason to believe the core five can be a solid group this year.  It’s certainly going to regress a ton from what we’ve seen to start the season and at some point innings could be a challenge, but at least the talent looks real there.  Honestly, the biggest issue there is the number of TJS’s we have experienced have always wiped most of our AAA depth.  A couple injuries to the major league rotation and we are in big, big trouble.

As for the offense, the HR’s are going to normalize and we are going to see less of these big eight and nine run type games (our .202 team ISO would have lead the majors last year, which won’t last).  However, Chris has made it a priority to bring in more disciplined hitters and that shows early on.  Our BB rate currently sits at 9.4% (17th overall) vs. 6.7% last year (29th overall), while our K rate sits at  17.4% (6th overall) vs. 23.9% last year (20th overall).  The improved plate discipline should mostly stick IMO and will provide a much better floor than we saw last year.  When accounting for defense too, this group will be better than the one we trotted out there last year and by wide margin.

TLDR - The team will still be bad, but better than many were thinking and we are seeing that with early season play.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

It can't be stressed enough just how awful Grifol was.  Truly one of the worst managers in MLB history.  

[Chicago White Sox]

7 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

It can't be stressed enough just how awful Grifol was.  Truly one of the worst managers in MLB history.  

Truer words have never been spoken

[Chick Mercedes]

48 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Mostly trolling, but as I’ve been highlighting for weeks now, this team will be an improvement vs. last year baring a devastating amount of injuries.

The SP has been incredible and there is reason to believe the core five can be a solid group this year.  It’s certainly going to regress a ton from what we’ve seen to start the season and at some point innings could be a challenge, but at least the talent looks real there.  Honestly, the biggest issue there is the number of TJS’s we have experienced have always wiped most of our AAA depth.  A couple injuries to the major league rotation and we are in big, big trouble.

As for the offense, the HR’s are going to normalize and we are going to see less of these big eight and nine run type games (our .202 team ISO would have lead the majors last year, which won’t last).  However, Chris has made it a priority to bring in more disciplined hitters and that shows early on.  Our BB rate currently sits at 9.4% (17th overall) vs. 6.7% last year (29th overall), while our K rate sits at  17.4% (6th overall) vs. 23.9% last year (20th overall).  The improved plate discipline should mostly stick IMO and will provide a much better floor than we saw last year.  When accounting for defense too, this group will be better than the one we trotted out there last year and by wide margin.

TLDR - The team will still be bad, but better than many were thinking and we are seeing that with early season play.

If you’re out on that limb, that’s fine, I would not tell you any differently in a significant way. But before you count your money sitting at the table, it’s March pitching, against the Twins and Angels. And it’s a pretty decent bet guys like Robert aren’t going to finish the year as Sox. And the talent just is what it is.

[Chick Mercedes]

9 hours ago, WestEddy said:

The team doesn't look like death warmed over. That is a great victory, and that is not premature. 

It would actually be difficult to be as bad as they were last season. You would have to try pretty hard to be to accomplish that feat. Not sure where the hype train is going

[Harold's Leg Lift]

9 minutes ago, Chick Mercedes said:

It would actually be difficult to be as bad as they were last season. You would have to try pretty hard to be to accomplish that feat. Not sure where the hype train is going

There's no hype train.  If they lose tonight this place will go back to being an embarrassing hellscape of hot takes.  Fire everyone! DFA everyone! Move the team to Nashville! Reinsdorf has to die!  AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

[Chick Mercedes]

14 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

There's no hype train.  If they lose tonight this place will go back to being an embarrassing hellscape of hot takes.  Fire everyone! DFA everyone! Move the team to Nashville! Reinsdorf has to die!  AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

All true sentences!

[WestEddy]

14 minutes ago, Chick Mercedes said:

It would actually be difficult to be as bad as they were last season. You would have to try pretty hard to be to accomplish that feat. Not sure where the hype train is going

The funny part is, looking at their schedule, aside from 6 against the Red Sox in April, their schedule doesn't really get harder than what they're playing right now until maybe the middle of May.

4/1-4/2 - Twins
4/4-4/6 - @Tigers
4/8-4/10 - @Guards
4/11-4/13 - Red Sox
4/15-4/17 - As
4/18-4/21 - @Red Sox
4/22-4/24 - @Twins
4/25-4/27 - @As
4/29-5/1 - Brewers
5/2-5/4 - Astros
5/5-5/8 - @Royals
5/9-5/11 - Marlins
5/13-5/15 - @Reds
5/16-5/18 - @Cubs

[WestEddy]

8 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

The funny part is, looking at their schedule, aside from 6 against the Red Sox in April, their schedule doesn't really get harder than what they're playing right now until maybe the middle of May.

4/1-4/2 - Twins
4/4-4/6 - @Tigers
4/8-4/10 - @Guards
4/11-4/13 - Red Sox
4/15-4/17 - As
4/18-4/21 - @Red Sox
4/22-4/24 - @Twins
4/25-4/27 - @As
4/29-5/1 - Brewers
5/2-5/4 - Astros
5/5-5/8 - @Royals
5/9-5/11 - Marlins
5/13-5/15 - @Reds
5/16-5/18 - @Cubs

And being a little bullish, I can see them at 17-24 after the Marlins' series. 

[Chicago White Sox]

37 minutes ago, Chick Mercedes said:

If you’re out on that limb, that’s fine, I would not tell you any differently in a significant way. But before you count your money sitting at the table, it’s March pitching, against the Twins and Angels. And it’s a pretty decent bet guys like Robert aren’t going to finish the year as Sox. And the talent just is what it is.

That’s all true and I don’t necessarily disagree.  This is going to be a very bad team, but I do think it should be a good 10+ game improvement vs. last year even if with a big veteran sell-off at the deadline.

[Colome's Hat]

2 hours ago, Snopek said:

Yeah I don’t think we really learned anything about the team in these first few games. Even if they did this against better teams, that’s just baseball. It wouldn’t change my opinion that they’ll still be one of the three worst teams in the league.

THAT BEING SAID, I’m not here to rain on any parades.

If they can be a young, fun, bad team this year, I think that’s a huge step forward and a massive improvement over whatever the past couple years have been. So far, so good.

They could also be like the 2012 White Sox.  A team that was written off due to free agent losses/trades but was in contention due to a new manager bounce.  Very different scenarios.  That 2011 team was nowhere near as bad as the 2024 team.  But that 2012 team would have gotten into the playoffs with the current playoff construction.  I don't think it's unreasonable to think that 85 wins could net a wild card spot.

 

 

[2Deep]

Great game yesterday.  Need less miserable days then last year....

[PaleAleSox]

22 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

Great game yesterday.  Need less miserable days then last year....

Pretty sure both wins have been more satisfying than anything I remember from last year. I remember a Benintendi walk off. 

[WestEddy]

43 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

Pretty sure both wins have been more satisfying than anything I remember from last year. I remember a Benintendi walk off. 

There's more guys on base. We would literally need 4 hits in an inning to score a run, most games, last year. More walks, a little more pop in the lineup - they could be a fun team 3-4 days a week. 

[Snopek]

1 hour ago, Colome's Hat said:

They could also be like the 2012 White Sox.  A team that was written off due to free agent losses/trades but was in contention due to a new manager bounce.  Very different scenarios.  That 2011 team was nowhere near as bad as the 2024 team.  But that 2012 team would have gotten into the playoffs with the current playoff construction.  I don't think it's unreasonable to think that 85 wins could net a wild card spot.

 

 

Sure I think there's definitely something to the new manager bounce, but ultimately the lack of talent on the roster should keep them as a bottom 3 team.

[chitownsportsfan]

2 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

There's no hype train.  If they lose tonight this place will go back to being an embarrassing hellscape of hot takes.  Fire everyone! DFA everyone! Move the team to Nashville! Reinsdorf has to die!  AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

You think a fanbase coming off the worst season of all time is full of "hot takes"? Ok bro.

[southsider2k5]

49 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

You think a fanbase coming off the worst season of all time is full of "hot takes"? Ok bro.

It's the best April Fools post of all 

[chitownsportsfan]

11 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

It's the best April Fools post of all 

I think setting the all time loss record is sorta like the 180 of a title. It gives fans a 5 year window to b**** about anything and everything.

[southsider2k5]

8 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I think setting the all time loss record is sorta like the 180 of a title. It gives fans a 5 year window to b**** about anything and everything.

No, no, no everything is fine.  Everything has been fixed.  

[caulfield12]

55 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

It's the best April Fools post of all 

Was only missing Lee for Canario...unfortunately, he'd already been acquired by Pitt.