NWINFan

I agree with Fan O'Faust. The window to compete will be there only for so long, and it is time to end the drought. One other thing: One key to this rebuild is the belief that the process is moving along and working. Being two under at the ASB is not great, but the improvement is good for the team's confidence. I don' t think that the team will finish .500 or above this year. But if it can get that loss number under 90, that would be significant.

I didn't get a chance to watch the second Oakland game. My wife checked the score on her cell phone and then was hesitant to tell me the score. I told her just tell me and she need not worry about my reaction. At that time, it was 12-2. Lopsided losses are more common for the White Sox because of lack of major league depth. For the time being I would like to keep the few major league caliber players the team has. The White Sox are supposed to have all these great young talent. Why would the team trade for more prospects? There are no absolutes, but I don't think the team should sell to pursue non-stop rebuilding.

I can see your point, but the late Seventies provide few good memories. My best memories of the decade were home runs hit by Dick Allen and the Southside Hitmen. I also recall going to night games in the mid-Sixties when Comiskey was still in good shape and admiring the beauty of the place. My largest point is that the real meaning of Disco Demolition gets lost in a haze of pot. And I don't consider Dahl much of an icon. He was a twenty-something who got in way over his head and since then has passed all the blame to Mike Veeck.

Disco Demolition happened and that's all I care about it. I think it has been talked about enough. It is significant but not for the reasons most cite. Otherwise we can go through every July without remembering it. I no longer care about these images and no longer care what happened.

Something tells me that White Sox fans are feeling better about their team than Cub fans are feeling about theirs. This is despite the fact the Cubs are tied for the division lead, and the White Sox have little chance of going to the playoffs.

No. This has been a good first half considering everything. Glad to have this Cub crap over. Looking forward to seeing how the team shapes up. Still have a long way to go, but the feeling is much better.

They have a good chance to win a weak division or go in as a wild card. But I don't see them going far in the post season. Some other NL team is going to the World Series.

I agree with this. Simply put, Leury Garcia is a good player. The Sox should keep him. He is another that should not be traded for prospects.

This is not always an indicator how good the division is. When the Sox won their first division with 99 wins in 1983, they were the only team with an above .500 record. This division just hasn't been all that strong. Not having one division title this decade was not a pleasant experience.

I think the harsh reality is that even an improved Palka doesn't fit in with long-range White Sox plans. He was kind of fun in 2018, because the team had little going for it, and he'd crank one out occasionally. If the club gives him a few more at-bats and chance to break out of it some, that's fine with me. But that should not happen if younger players are not getting their time in. At the very least, Palka should not be with the team in 2020.

I couldn't believe no one was warming up in the pen. Now this was a meltdown.

I do think it is time to move on from the effects of the bad trades. It reminds me of Hawk getting riled up over every ball-strike call. Yes, it is frustrating when the ump blows a call, but I don't want to be driven nuts over it. I would like to enjoy the game without Hawk whining. At the same time, I don't blame fans for being concerned. The rebuild is moving along better than I thought it would, but the Sox have a ways to go to join the ranks of the Yankees, Astros, Twins, and yes, even the Rays. Now it is time for the front office to seal the deal. Not every prospect will excel, veterans get old. The rebuild is no longer an excuse for inaction. I don't care about a draft pick position; it is time to contend. Some fans claim money will be spent. We will see about that and how wisely it will be spent. The viability of this franchise depends on this rebuild. It is up to the front office to fully realize. How badly do they want to win?

One good thing about this All-Star game is that the Sox have more than one representative. It is an indication of the team's improvement.

You are right that the '20's can be something, But more right moves have to be made and the rebuilding blocks have to be constructed in the right way. For the moment, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, the team can avoid more serious injuries.

I'm glad I was busy and didn't see the last inning. Otherwise, I think this is a significant day for the team. If others look ready in the minors, the team should not hesitate to bring them up.

It is only five innings but I find Cease more impressive than Kopech. Kopech will need to work on his command among other things. But the potential is there for an excellent rotation. If the Sox go out and get a quality starter in the off season, the team will have a good chance to compete in 2020. No more trading for prospects.

I am anxious to see Cease pitch, but other than that, I have no large expectations. But I do want to see what the excitement is all about. The frustrating thing about this long rebuild is that young players are hurt or still in the minors developing. We won't truly know how the rebuild is going until the players like Cease get their shot.

Rebuild or no rebuild this has been the worst decade for the franchise since the 1970s. It will be the first time since then the team didn't make the playoffs at least once during a decade. Nothing can change that.

I believed you are proving my point. Bring up Cease because there is no one else. In a sense, the team has nothing to lose except that Cease may not be ready and calling up now would be a bad idea for several reasons. Yet, I understand your frustration. Watching other teams fatten their averages on White Sox pitching is no fun.

I would have no idea of Cease is ready for a call up or not. But with the rebuild, players like Fulmer are called up or used because there is simply no one else. So they put Fulmer in the game and he can't get through an inning without giving up a run.

The simple fact is that most days the White Sox provide no competition against the Twins. Another lopsided score. Another game with double digits in strike outs. What is really amazing is the Sox are as close to .500 as they are because there are times they don't even look like a major league team.

I couldn't figure out Rondon's throw to the plate considering the most logical thing to do is get out at first. Also Benniti and Stone said that weird double in the eighth was because of tough conditions in right field. But the fact is Boston should never have gone ahead in that inning. White Sox gave them five outs. Boston is a good team, they are not getting by the Yankees.

Keep Abreu and Colome. Never let Alonso bat again.

I don't know how much to blame or credit Steverson, but the mounting strike outs has been a problem for a time. What bothers me is the White Sox have festering problems that seem to go on and on. I would hope somewhere along the line the strike out problem has been at least addressed by the coaching staff. But it is obvious that an offense has no chance when it doesn't put the ball in play. Watching strikes outs is boring. It's bad enough the team will have another losing season. It's boring watching Sox hitters walk back to the dugout with their bats in their hands especially when there is a man on third with less than two outs. It's not much fun, either.

I am not for trading Abreu and really don't care about getting prospects. He is still a good presence in the lineup even with his current problems. But I don't think he will be a big part of the team's future. I don't think a long term deal is in order.