South Side Hit Men

Perhaps, but their splits against RHP and LHP are a real phenomenon. Stats through 5/7/21: White Sox Hitters Against LHP: 301/.370/.457 OPS .826 sOPS + 133. White Six Hitters Against RHP: .242/.330/.369 OPS .699 sOPS + 102 2020-2021 Splits against starters: LH SP: 19-1 RH SP: 33-37

If he starts swinging the bat more, and better his BABIP will improve. The Sox are in second in MLB in BABIP (.318, league average in the mid .280s) , so there may be some regression on the way for others. https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/babip?expanded=true

Sounded like a planned outing, regardless of the score. He pitched in the bullpen after his appearance, DJ was discussing working on the slider. He is likely to start one of the doubleheader games this Friday.

Game was somewhat "boring" after the Top of the First, though it was good to see solid performances from the staff, and Mendick playing RF which will hopefully stabilize his place on the team and give him more ways to contribute. I'll hope to keep the win streak going tomorrow with the Sunday Game Thread. Go Sox!!!

Fans will get giddy in games like these against LHP, and get depressed watching all the 0s accumulate vs. RHP. Still early, but the team splits are similar to last year. Against LHP, the White Sox resemble 2021 Luis Robert (Team Splits: .301/.370/.457 OPS .826 sOPS + 133). Against RHP, the White Sox resemble 2020 Yoan Moncada (Team Splits: .242/.330/.369 OPS .699 sOPS + 102). 2020-2021 Splits against starters: LH SP: 19-1 RH SP: 33-37

They played a clip from La Russa discussing Mendick on the radio broadcast: “He takes infield, then takes 27 balls in Left, Center and Right. Reminds me of a smaller version of Robert out there.”

Blackjack! 21 straight scoreless innings by Sox starting pitchers, and counting.

Hope Mendick continues to get playing time. RHP final brought in (Zuber). Mike Minor is pissing his pants thinking about tomorrow.

How does any team start a LHP against the White Sox?

It is crazy to think about. It would be easier to pick two consecutive sets of winning powerball numbers than to predict what you stated in your post 15 months ago.

I understand your take, it’s reasonable and shared by many. My thoughts on the 2019-2020 offseason (realtime then, I didn’t join until September) were their primary needs were SP and RF. While the contract length for Keuchel scared me, from a roster standpoint it made sense. In terms of Grandal and Parrot, I thought these were more luxury type acquisitions where they still need of SP and RF. Once Grandal signed, their budget didn’t allow for McCann, and I didn’t argue to also try to resign vs. a $40M offer, which I believe was an anomaly due to Cohen throwing around funny money. McCann was a great bridge here as their best pitching coach since Ricky was stuck with Cooper. Lucas led the effort to bring in Katz, who I wanted since Lucas’ turnaround, and stated this here before the manager change. If Tony’s pitching coach choice said yes (Dave Duncan), I don’t believe the Sox would be .500 at this point, that Cease or Rodon would not have been this good, this quick or what level if any to be coached by Dave Duncan, also far removed from the radical changes in pitching over the past decade. The Sox need to continue to move into the 21st century, and can take a quantum leap once their 20th century manager leaves the building.

Perhaps, but Mendick bat + questionable glove > Hamilton or Garcia playing everyday, with Tony many times both playing the final three innings in addition to one or both starting. The more options the Sox have to muddle through without daily starts for Garcia/Hamilton until Engel and Robert return the better. Mendick should have been up this entire time to backup the IF, limiting Garcia to the OF. Lamb needs to go yesterday, Hamilton can follow.

Not sure why people don't understand Grandal isn't a terrible player, yet at the same time isn't worth the $30M in additional salary these two years over his backups, with two more years to go. In terms of "catcher of the future", the White Sox should have played Collins in 2019, but Hahn was busy spending $7.3M per season on roid guy Welington Castillo (and then burnt international bonus money having Texas paying his buyout). Then after seeing what McCann could do in 2019 (a solid 80-100 game/season catcher), Hahn went out and gave Grandal the biggest contract in White Sox history. Yes, the money has been spent, on a marginally better catcher than his backups, Calling for Grandal to catch 60% of games keeps him as a starter, possibly fresh and healthy (how exactly did he hurt himself this offseason?) for his final three years, since nobody is taking on that contract via trade or waivers. People are asking for the backup, Collins, to play a backup role, but to catch the two pitchers he is best suited (and Grandal worst suited) to catch. it's the best path moving forward.

Projected starters are RHP Lance Lynn (2-1 1.89 ERA) taking on LHP Daniel Lynch (0-0 5.89 ERA). Mendick gets his first start in right field (or any outfield position) in his ML career, after getting his first pitching appearance in Boston.

Grandal is a sunk cost at this point, you can't undo what Rick Hahn doneth. Best you can do to salvage the situation is catch Collins with Rodon and Lucas, and hope Grandal can get healthy and manage 1-2 fWAR seasons over the final three seasons. 2020: $5.4M James McCann (1.5 fWAR) vs, $18.3M Yasmani Grandal (1.7 fWAR) 2021: $0.6M Zach Collins (0.3 fWAR) vs. $18.3M Yasmani Grandal (0.3 fWAR)

I hate this post (because I listen to games, and want Len on with DJ). Keep Jason on Sox TV broadcasts forever, pair him with Bill Walton when Stone retires. They were made for each other.

Come in Tex, your much smarter than this poor attempt. 1. Tony pinch ran for the trail runner at first (Vaughn sprint speed 31), up 3-0, behind lead runner Collins (sprint speed of 6). 2. There is nothing hypothetical about my criticism of Tony’s late inning instance of either keeping worse LFers in the game (Lamb and Williams, both in the five hole no less), or continually leaving good, ACTUAL hitting alternatives on the bench while Hamilton and Garcia flail away, time after time (cues Cindy Lauper), late in close ballgames. Not because these are the best chances of winning, but rather because “Veterans have earned their at bats”. This is Tony’s reasoning. 2021 Batting Averages (Innings 7-10): Andrew Vaughn: 5-14 .357 vs. Tony's Guys 3-45 .0666 (Let he who hath reckon the number of the beast…) Leury Garcia 2-22 .091 Billy Hamilton 1-12 .083 Jake Lamb 0-6 .000 Nick Williams 0-5 .000 3. I listed my criteria for possibly considering EVER installing Hamilton as a late replacement (9th inning or beyond, with little to no chance of a meaningful at bat). You know, like running Hamilton in the tenth instead of of say, LIAM HENDRIKS, a move nearly the entire universe, including Tony’s dugout, were screaming WTF. If we put it to a poll, of SoxTalk members, or baseball people (like Steve Stone), I’m confident my preferred usage of Billy Hamilton would win out over Tony’s. No Hypotheticals Required.

Perhaps you didn’t see Leury Garcia turn a single into a double in the ninth, before Tony sent Liam Hendriks to run and Leury to get caught stealing in the tenth. There have literally been dozens of situations where leaving batters with nearly zero chance of reaching have cost the Sox a chance to win late in ball games. I don’t recall Andrew Vaughn costing his team in LF in any game. Plus with strikeouts a major part of MLB baseball, and good hitting at a premium, your best hitter is far more valuable than a slight upgrade in OF, or in the case of Jake Lamb and Nick Williams, a downgrade in LF.

The are found on Baseball Reference, player split stats. I selected the four because those are the four primary left fielders Tony has used in place of Vaughn.

Tony continues to do the same thing over and over again. He actually defended the ridiculous decisions you mentioned, and repeated and rinsed tonight. Tony replaced Andrew Vaughn with Billy Hamilton in the seventh after Andrew went 2 for 3. Only White Sox batter tonight with two hits. Why the hell would you want him in a still close game? With Billy Hamilton the pinch runner, La Russa AGAIN has Leury Garcia bunt. Tony decided to THROW AWAY AN OUT with two on and nobody out in a three run game. One inning later, the Sox once again have two on, this time with two out. Guess who's up. Not Andrew Vaughn, he went 2 for 3, but who needs hits when you can have small ball. Billy Hamilton promptly flew out to end another threat. When it comes to late inning ballgames, Tony eschews hits and power for automatic outs, time and time again. 1983 - Men At Work's It's a Mistake, Tony La Russa's Walk Up Music, peaked at number 6 on the music charts. Tony La Russa plays small ball and loses Game 4 of the ALCS against rookie skipper Joey Altobelli. Wednesday wasn't the first time Tony's team went scoreless into the 10th inning, running themselves out of a chance to win the game. 1983: "Well, this is a state of confusion." 2021: Same as it ever was... Sox go from a 50% expected win, to 18% after Tony butchered the inning. Darrin Jackson: "I don't know what they're doing out there." Hawk Harrelson, watching from home and screaming at the TV: Top of the 10th, White Sox Batting, Tied 0-0, Reds' Lucas Sims facing 6-7-8 Lucas Sims replaces Alex Blandino (PH) pitching and batting 6th Liam Hendriks running at second base to start the extra inning t10 0-0 0 -2- 5,(3-1) CHW Yasmani Grandal Lucas Sims -5% 45% Walk t10 0-0 0 12- 4,(1-2) O CHW Leury Garcia Lucas Sims 4% 49% Groundout: 3B-2B/Forceout at 2B (SS-3B Hole); Hendriks to 3B; Garcia to 1B t10 0-0 1 1-3 4,(1-2) O CHW Billy Hamilton Lucas Sims 19% 68% Garcia Caught Stealing 2B (C-SS) t10 0-0 2 --3 5,(2-2) O CHW Billy Hamilton Lucas Sims 14% 82% Strikeout Swinging 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. White Sox 0, Reds 0. I'm guessing you (James Fegan) knows the rules better, now I know.

I'm not saying Leury shouldn't be on the roster, or even shouldn't be playing since he had to cover for numerous injuries. My main point with Leury is if anyone is going out late in a tie game or a game where you're down by 1 or 2, he should be pulled for a better hitter. I agree the other three should not be here. Hamilton is fine as the 26th man on a properly managed team. He should be used solely to pinch run in the 9th/extras, or the bottom of the 9th defensive replacement with a 1-2 run lead. Tony has taken out Vaughn, only to have Hamilton bat in multiple games. Tony's small ball tendencies are decreasing the team's win probability. This will come back to haunt the team if they continue when playing better teams and more crucial games. PS - I updated the numbers from my OG post (were through yesterday) to include tonight's game. It's why there is a difference between my edited post and the post you quoted.

Thank God for Rodon. Should have added a few more runs late if Tony wasn't all caught up in small ball bunting and Hamilton batting late because he pulled Vaughn again. Hamilton has two less at bats to end the game (Innings 7-10) than Vaughn. This needs to stop, now. Hamilton should never be brought in before the 9th, and never with the possibility to bat in a crucial spot. 2021 Batting Averages (Innings 7-10): Andrew Vaughn: 5-14 .357 vs. Tony's Guys 3-45 .0666 Leury Garcia 2-22 .091 Billy Hamilton 1-12 .083 Jake Lamb 0-6 .000 Nick Williams 0-5 .000

Glad they didn't blow my first Game Thread Win! Go Sox!!!

I don't think they can check the check.