South Side Hit Men

Dude.

FIP 2.35. White Sox Defense.

This has Rick Hahn written all over it. Perhaps a dash of Kenny and a lump of Jerry. The Sox brain trust.

Bunting every at bat toward Lynn Burger Vaughn would result in much success, even more Lance Lynn anger. Perhaps Lynn would retire after the game like La Roche, likely would sprain his knee and/or ankle by the second inning if he bothered trying to field more than one or two bunts.

Hahn always likes to pull these bullshit moves before a start of a home series so he has something positive to talk about. Did the same rushing Cancer / Tommy John Liam up to pitch on Memorial Day. Hahn is such a worthless hack.

Liam likely needs Tommy John surgery and out until 2025. Wouldn't be surprised if Crochet is out until 2024. Think the best case scenario if they try to compete is 85 wins in 2024 if a lot of things go right / above realistic expectations, Rotation Cease regains his #1 form, Kopech can stay healthy and provide 150 4.00 ERA innings. Hahn brings in 3-4 lottery starter tickets (Maeda, Keller, Flaherty, Wacha, Cueto), 1 - 2 pan out like Cueto. Can scrape together a decent starter out of what exists in the organization. Sox surprise and sign a good plus starter, say Stroman likes Chicago and is OK with Tony gone. Bullpen Somehow Liam doesn't need TJS, can pitch well in 2024, Santos can pitch in the 8th or 9th role. Graveman isn't moved & can perform decent in a 7th-8th role. Pitching for FA, so may be OK. Middleton returns or someone like him, Bummer pitches well (his 2.35 FIP is outstanding). Grab / graduate a few more. Starting Lineup Anderson & Moncada play well for their upcoming free agent contracts Burger, Eloy, Vaughn somehow provide 1.5-2.0 + WAR seasons. Colas can figure out ML Pitching and provide a 1 + WAR. Benintendi's hand is fully healthy, he can hit 5 + HRs and be a 1.5 WAR player. Robert continues to progress with a 5 + WAR season. Sox score a lottery ticket at 2B, say Kolten Wong, or perhaps get serious and try for a Merrifield / Frazier FA signing and they actually perform well. Tucker Barnhart type and Zazala form a quality defensive / no hit catcher duo. Like I said, a s%*# load has to go right and you're looking at a likely 85 ish win ceiling, but that is what would need to happen if they Sox want to try one more season before decent prospects start to emerge in 2025-2026.

I agree with what you are saying, but Ohtani is also a Top 5 MLB player, so would be the exception. Not to mention the financial revenue the Angels receive from merchandizing, advertising and significant fan interest with him on the team far and above any other player. That's why I suggested if they dump him / not try and extend his contract they may as well dump Trout who will be in decline phase for several years of a quarter billion dollar contract which will saddle them with limited options similar to that awful Pujols contract, though Trout will likely accumulate more than the 12.8 WAR Pujols did the rest of the way. Shedding Trout's deal would put them in much better position to sign Ohtani, who is 28 and should still have several good years left in him. They still have Rendon ($115M) on the books, perhaps couple Rendon and Ohtani to free up options to sign Ohtani in the offseason or start from scratch with a clean slate and do a proper rebuild if teams aren't giving you enough prospects for 2 months of Ohtani. Current Angel Commitments: 2024 (7 Players) $119M 2025 (5 Players) $96M 2026 (2 Players) $77M 2027 - 2030 (Trout $37M per year) Not as bad as the Padres, who also will never win anything with their "stars". 2024 (12 Players) $155M 2025 (9 Players) $155M 2026 (8 Players) $133M 2027 (7 Players) $146M 2028 (Bogaerts, Darvish, Machado, Tatis, Cronenworth) $111M 2029 (Bogaerts, Machado, Tatis, Cronenworth) $108M 2030 (Bogaerts, Machado, Tatis, Cronenworth) $108M 2031 - 2033 (Bogaerts, Machado, Tatis) $96M 2034 - 2036 (Tatis) $36M

Most deadline trades are made to dump salary, not pick up prospects to substantially change a team’s fortunes. Sure back in the day people would overpay for short term chances, and there are teams like the Padres that overpay for everything including Soto, but guys the Cubs, Sox or most other teams have aren’t going to bring much back, it’s more to purge salary. You need to sell a Top 5-10 MLB player to get a huge return. Peak Sale (Age 28) was the only player the Sox sold off under Jerry that met this criteria. Robert would be borderline at this point, more for future potential Top 5-10 MLB status. Cubs don’t have a player like that to sell. They aren’t going to get players that will substantially move the needle moving those two (Stroman Bellinger) and or anyone else.

I hope it gives Jerry diarrhea, perhaps coupled with the hiccups. Let him feel what he has wrought on Sox Fandom and mankind.

MLB and their owners and the sport would be stronger overall contracting to 28 or even 24 teams. Two to six less teams to split the pie with, stronger on field product, two to four less teams tanking. Need a strong enforceable salary floor matching at minimum annual league shared revenues. Have 28-30 man active rosters to have adequate daily lineups and nix the 10th inning did runner rule. Four total playoff teams (Four Divisions, Zero Wild Cards) to have legitimate “World” Series Champions. Will also add future great memories like Dodgers vs. Giants, Yankees vs. Red Sox (1978), Astros vs. Dodgers (1980), White Sox vs. Twins (2008) and a half dozen others. Plus great photo finishes like 1968. It’s all gone now.

John MacBeth Paxson makes Kenny Williams (36 years of service) look like “the new kid in town”. Player October 29, 1985 - August 22, 1994 Bulls Announcer August 22, 1994 - August 29, 1995 Assistant Coach August 29, 1995 - August 29, 1996 Bulls Announcer August 29, 1996 - April 14, 2003 General Manager April 14, 2003 - May 21, 2009 Vice President of Basketball Operations May 21, 2009 - April 13, 2020 Senior Advisor, Basketball Operations April 13, 2020 - Current

I miss the Chicago News Bureau and journalists who worked there. Enjoy Seymour Hersh’s independent reporting and books, one of the best in the business. Rest In Peace Chicago Daily News (12/23/1885 - 3/4/1978) & Chicago Sun Times (10/5/1947 - 1/9/1984).

Jerry Reinsdorf - 43 years (1981-2023) Kenny Williams - 36 years (1986-1989 & 1992-2023) Rick Hahn - 21 years (2002-2023) Pedro Grifol - Nearing 9 months (November 1 - July 24) It’s Pedro’s fault. Got it Chuck. Garfien had the same spiel after Ricky led them to the best winning percentage in the Hahn era, a mark which still stands. Chuck is NBCSCH Bob Nightengale, and also needs to go.

It might be good for firing Hahn and the 2024 draft pick if they lose here on out, but just like the Twins series I want the Sox to sweep because f*** the Twins, the Cubs, the Red Cubs, the Dodgers and the Yankees, in that order.

Did Windy City Limos drive him to/from games and ambassador events at the stadium his final few years, or did he handle it himself?

It’s not an attractive job because Jerry wants things done his way and there is a good probability Jerry dies during your 5-6 year tenure. Unless his kids take over, a new owner will likely want their own management team after a transition period. No solid external person is going to want to step into this situation.

With the expanded playoffs, 3rd is the new 2nd.

The two primary differences between Kenny and Hahn are Kenny could assess baseball talent and was successful flipping his poor prospects for veteran talent. Hahn cannot assess talent, including in his own system, dealt his best prospects for bad end of line veterans, and hangs onto the bad ones until the point nothing can be salvaged. Hahn needed solid baseball people around him to help with player evaluation, but he instead hired Michigan cronies equally inept at talent evaluation.

We are approaching the one year anniversary of Hahn announcing he was unable to improve the club in 2022. “We're disappointed that we weren't able to do more to improve this club,” Hahn said. “I think you saw a year ago at this time, you've seen it for the last several years, arguably the last couple of decades, that it's our nature to try to improve this club at any opportunity we have. “Unfortunately, we weren't able to line up on some of our other potential targets.”

Rick Hahn spoke of “winning the division and doing some damage in the postseason” and having the “best record in the division since May 1st” the last time he spoke to the media. Stay tuned for more BS and spin this Tuesday before the Cubs game.

Beyond new ownership, Kenny retiring as scheduled (2023) and a new quality external EVP / President of Baseball Operations is hired in October - November is the best case scenario for Sox fans. Kim Ng is the only external candidate I can think of who has worked a number of years under Jerry that would possibly take the job as a promotion if she is interested. Perhaps there are one or two more that Jerry would hire are out there, would let the process play out. If Hahn and or Kenny stay on as an "advisor" than I don't think it will work, jerry will still listen to "his guys". Both need to retire or be expunged, and all of Hahn's Michigan s%*# also need to be flushed down the toilet. Would like to see Brooks Boyer flushed down the toilet as well so as not to f*** up baseball operations on top of everything he fucked up as "Chief Revenue Officer".

2023 Series Won vs. Minnesota (2-1) at Cincinnati (2-1) vs. Cleveland (2-1) vs. Kansas City (3-0) at Cleveland (2-1) vs. Detroit (3-0) at New York Yankees (2-1) vs. Boston (2-1) at Atlanta (2-1) 2023 Series Lost vs. San Francisco (1-2) at Pittsburgh (1-2) at Minnesota (1-2) vs. Baltimore (1-2) vs. Philadelphia (1-2) at Tampa Bay (0-3) at Toronto (0-3) vs. Tampa Bay (1-3) at Kansas City (1-3) vs. Houston (1-2) at Detroit (1-3) vs. Los Angeles Angels (1-2) vs. Miami (1-2) at Los Angeles Dodgers (1-2) at Seattle (1-2) vs. Texas (1-2) at Oakland (1-2) vs. Toronto (0-3) vs. Saint Louis (1-2) at New York Mets (1-2) at Minnesota (0-3) 2023 Series Split at Houston (2-2) at Los Angeles Angels (2-2) East / West Division 3 + Game Sweeps in the Rick Hahn Era at 40-34 San Francisco (3) July 1-3, 2022 at 10-16 Boston (3) May 6-8, 2022 at 28-58 Baltimore (3) July 9-11, 2021 vs. 17-32 Baltimore (4) May 27-30, 2021 vs. 9-10 Texas (3) April 23-25, 2021 at 56-53 Tampa Bay (3) August 3-5, 2018 vs. 70-41 Houston (3) August 8-10, 2017 vs. 65-90 Tampa Bay (3) September 26-28, 2016 at 10-10 Toronto (3) April 25-27, 2016 vs. 10-6 Texas (3) April 22-24, 2016 vs. 59-51 Los Angeles Angels (3) August 10-12, 2015 vs. 34-24 Houston (3) June 8-10, 2015 at 13-23 Oakland (3) May 15-17, 2015 vs. 57-53 New York Yankees (3) August 5-7, 2013 vs. 13-34 Miami (3) May 24-26, 2013