Richie

They're not that bad. They're 4.5 games out of the WC hunt. Their pitching also hasn't been great. Thor's ERA is over 4.50. Also, in 2016... we had Sale and Q. About it. Rodon got going in the 2nd half, but Sale also regressed during that period. After that, it was a clown show. Latos, Shields, Danks, etc.

Cease must get to 2 strikes on something like 60-70% of the hitters he faces before losing a startling amount of them. I would be interested in any numbers on this. He has been horrific pitching with two strikes on batters. It's been a little better today thus far. However, you can clearly see why his pitch count is always jacked up, going back to the minors. Even when he gets guys out after getting ahead, the amount of foul balls he throws is quite something.

You are attributing entire wins to a player because of saves. Should we really have to explain to you why this is incorrect? It's self-evident.

On the flip-side, though. It's no more of a slam dunk that Colome will be this guy again next year. As opposed to a guy doing well coming in from elsewhere. He's on the wrong side of 30 and his 3.82 FIP says he's been a little lucky. I'm not saying that he's been anything short of great. I'm just pointing out that the uncertainty goes both ways when talking about a reliever for next season.

Oh my god! I can't believe the FO isn't calling up Cease when he's just sitting there in the minors and our starting pitching is so bad! He couldn't possibly be this bad! Backup quarterback fallacy Backup quarterback fallacy Backup quarterback fallacy What more could he possibly have to learn down there! Gee... I don't know. Maybe how to pitch, for starters. But hey... who ever said command was important

I think it's kind of like that Morgan Freeman dialogue in Shawkshank Redemption. "The worst thing you can give a man in here is hope. Hope will drive a man crazy." In recent years, it was easy to concede to the rebuild. We were so glaringly bad at the major league level, it wasn't worth stomping around about. Now, you see some pieces emerging. You hang around .500... You see the hope shining through. Then, every week when we trot out Santana, Banuelos, Covey, Detwiler... or whoever the hell it's been at that given time. You're forced to recognize (in the midst of your optimism) that you're still a ways away from truly contending. When the entire team is one glaring baseball black hole. What are you going to do besides throw your arms up in the air and accept that this is the process we've entered into? Now, when some of that dead space is being filled with promise and you can better pinpoint the areas that are lagging behind. It stirs up some contempt.

People are going to project their feelings all over this. So, I can't read anything into the reactions. You see these words through the lens you choose to. I think Stone is simply referring to the knee-jerk reactionary behavior of every fan-base. We start to show signs of growth and everyone is excited for the future. We come out looking bad in the 2nd half and suddenly much of the same fan-base sounds like they're about to hang themselves. You can't just keep doing 180's with every little turn of the tide. There has to be some perspective towards the larger picture and nothing has really changed in that regard. We're in the same spot we were before the break towards 2020 and beyond. This is year #3 of a complete strip down, overhaul and rebuild. Expecting more than what we've gotten this year is rather silly. If this is who we are next year, sure... I'll join the pitchfork carrying crew. But until then... we have to take our lumps and watch some growing pains. It's apart of it.

And Covey is rather brutal. On the bright side, Miami's lineup is rather hopeless outside of a couple young players like Cooper or Anderson who somewhat resemble major leaguers. So, maybe Covey can eek by with a QS and we push a few across.

Same lineup theme as last night. No reason to go away from it, I suppose. Reed still in there as the DH vs a LHP is the only thing you could call a surprise. McCann gets a night off for Castillo. https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1153744710277763082?s=20

Regardless... you could bump them down a few spots and they're still above average.

In fairness, the Marlins pitching has been very good.

Also, I'm an idiot... I initially had the first-pitch time at "8:10 CT". I live in the eastern time zone. So I was thinking "8:10 for me" while typing the title. I know most are on central time as they live in the Chicago area. So, my brain got all crossed up. Bottom line, it's fixed. lol

Ricky mixing things up. Jay in the two-hole, Moncada to cleanup, Reed 5th and McCann down to 6th. https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1153370348370518016?s=20

Yeah, there's some growing pains to be sure. However, you can see the future which lays ahead for him. It's bright. It's been mostly good, I would say. Really, just one bad inning in each start. Looking forward to that first start when it clicks into place.

If only we managed one or both of those runs in the 1st.

Yup. You sort of saw that coming, eh?

Watching these guys foul off pitch after pitch... it's like a trip to the dentist.

Seeing Dylan Cease jack his pitch count up in each of his three starts, is exactly how I had imagined it would look when he was constantly doing it in Charlotte. It's actually stunning how many 0-2/1-2 counts turn into full counts and 7+ pitch AB's. He has at least one per inning and if he does not get that hitter... stress inning upcoming.

That'll do, I suppose. lol

Hell yeah, Yoan. Rough day at the plate. Work a walk and find a way to contribute on the base paths. I love it

Come on Abreu. You're due. Put one in the gap

Leadoff walk... here we go. Time for Abreu to come through.

Just got done with dinner and drinks. Holy cow... we might win

Nice AB...

It's AJ Reed's world now. We're living in it.