South Side Hit Men

Danny Mendick: 19-10 Nick Trubisky: 17-12

There are no credible fans who believe teams have guys sitting around who can replace the top players in the league. I cringe at times when I hear people rip on the insertion of bench players, even though regulars need rest, and for bench players to get playing time to stay fresh. Many only look at this particular moment, and not the broader picture. It's what scares me most about La Russa, especially when it comes to truly valuable talents ensuring Kopech is a starter capable of at least 140-150 innings next season. That said, the White Sox have by and large failed in areas of player acquisition beyond Cubans and tanking trades. Failed top ten draft picks. Other picks (and top free agent dollars) concentrated in areas you already have surplus and strength (DH, 1B, C). Terrible non tanking trades and FA acquisitions. Not having a single ML ready corner OFer, and relying on two DHs (Eloy and Vaughn) to play one corner, and an end of career player in RF. Guys like Hamilton and Lamb who are negative WAR players. Poor roster construction. The same problems that has plagued this team the past decade. Spending less FA money this offseason than your already cheap Division opponents. Penny pinching now, and wasting $60M on a few veterans during tanking. It's not going to change until Jerry and his cronies are all swept out, consistent with what the Chicago Bulls did once Jerry finally left the building. Never knew @ptatc or @Texsox's followed teams. I liked both the Cubs and Sox until I was 8, than only White Sox. I adopted the Expos and Mets at that time. Sadly the Expos were destroyed by MLB decades later, and the Mets were destroyed by the Wilpons. I gave up the Mets for several years, but have returned to the fold with the new owner. Thankful Reinsdorf's power has waned over time, and his hand picked puppet ownership group (A Rod/ J Lo) were. denied. I'm hopeful baseball also returns to Montreal if MLB ever expands. I stayed White Sox only, because we were also a working class family without a lot of money. I really appreciated the free White Sox tickets Bill Veeck gave to school children with perfect attendance and or good grades. Made me a fan for life. Such a smart promoter and overall great human being.

I do it to accentuate a point for the benefit of others. I don't believe it is prudent to extrapolate the impact last year and this of a COVID / Owner induced 60 game farcical schedule to avoid paying players. There is no indication of a long term change in the mindset across most teams, that the top rotation pitchers are expected to target 6+ IP, and the bottom to target 5+. Giolito, Lynn and Keuchel should target 190-200 IP, Cease and Rodon 150 IP. Give Kopech 90-100 + IP this year, let him go 150-160 next year, and 190-200 for the rest of his career. Time will tell what Crochet's arm will handle.

COVID / aborted season skews last year's numbers. This year's numbers will be skewed as well. Expect a return to normal (#1-#3s SPs 6 IP, #4s-5 SPs 5 IP) in 2022, assuming baseball is played after a successful CBA implementation.

They have a solid shot at winning the next two, with Lucas on the bump tomorrow and LH starters the next two nights. Hopefully they got some sleep and are into the game from the start. Hopefully Moncada can break out of his funk to start the season. I have a good feeling about Rodon tonight. Did they fly him to Seattle early?

Not to mention the fact 3 of Hendrik's 4 outs came after the Sox increased the lead to six. Yet, in a tie game, Hendriks warms up, sits down because he can't get a save, and they have Ruiz start the 9th, than have nobody else warming up to face the heart of the order before rushing Foster who promptly lost the game. Four close games, your best reliever pitches in one, you lose three.

OPS: Gwynn .847; Rose .784; Ichiro .757; Madrigal .745 (will likely be in the high .690s-low .700s once he gets a full season in and pitchers and more importantly OFers squeeze him since he can't hit a ball beyond 300 feet). OPS +: Gwynn 132; Ichiro 107; Rose 118; Madrigal 103 (71 this season, will finish under 100). HR average per season: Gwynn 9; Ichiro 7; Rose 7; Madrigal 0 SB average (success rate) per season: Gwynn 21 (72%); Ichiro 31 (81%); Rose 9 (57%); Madrigal 10 (50%) it's a negative expectation each time Nick attempts to steal a base. Rose shouldn't have stolen bases either, but he has the power and speed to get many doubles / triples, unlike Nick Trubisky).

No, on so many levels. https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-madrigal-663611?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb xwOB: 62% of MLB hitters are better. Exit Velocity: 82% of MLB hitters are better. HardHit%: 90% of MLB hitters are better. Outs Above Avg: 95% of MLB hitters are better. Call up his 2020 spray chart. Nick Trubisky has has one ball beyond 300 feet, he will continue to be squeezed and prove to be as worthless hitting as he is fielding or baserunning. https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-madrigal-663611?stats=splits-r-hitting-mlb&season=2020

Mendick needs to be brought up, whether for one day, one week, or one month, until Tim is able to play SS. No further replies to this, just addressing your “there are no other 2B / SS backups beside Leury” statement. Getting back to the topic of the thread, beyond the negative win expectation decisions (Intentional Walk of his BFF Pujols) and obvious missed pinch hit opportunities with one of he worst hitters in MLB, I still haven’t heard an answer regarding Tony being literally asleep at the wheel last night having no pitcher ready in the bottom of the ninth. Did he intend to have Ruiz face the heart of the order? If not, and since he stated he was “saving” Hendriks for save only opportunities, why the hell wasn’t Foster or anyone else available not warming up? Was he surprised someone reached against the great Ruiz? If another manager did this, this board would have lost their mind over it. Anyone have an answer, beyond a knee jerk “It’s Ruiz’ fault for allowing a base runner.”

With the roster and minor league depth Hahn assembled, it beats playing Garcia everyday at SS until Tim returns, or putting Mercedes at SS, or whatever other cockamamie idea they come up with to cover yet another position with no viable depth / backup.

No, they are not playing Vaughn regularly in LF, while Engel and Eaton take turns platooning. Mendick is with the travel taxi squad, and eligible to be brought up today. ^ This.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/04/nationals-to-sign-jonathan-lucroy.html

Eloy is always with us in spirit.

Ricky's gone, there is no need. The consensus here proclaimed Tony's bullpen "skillz" would certainly lead to the Sox to superior bullpen management. The consensus also was the GM of the year, if not the upcoming decade or century, went out and acquired a legitimate third starting pitcher, and an elite bullpen, pitchers the worst manager in baseball did not have. Yet here we are. Tony pwned by Joe Maddon to open the season. Delusional apologists like you posting ludicrous statements quoted above, claiming Ricky had better pitchers at his disposal. A barely able to speak Tony La Russa claiming "This was one of the most impressive losses I can remember being a part of". https://www.mlb.com/video/tony-la-russa-on-tough-loss A game where the Sox' lone offense was the result of errors and passed balls. A game La Russa saved his $54M closer for a save, instead of facing the heart of the lineup, because he wants his guy to get saves. Tony asleep at the wheel and having to stall just to get a reliever in the game, with nobody warming up. Bringing in a lessor option to give up the game winning home run, the third bullpen loss in four games played. Joe Maddon 2-3 steps ahead of this fool the entire series. If Ricky Renteria, or any other White Sox manager pulled this crap, the game thread would have at least 100 fire Ricky posts, just like last year. Instead we have posters like you carrying the Pacific Ocean for Tony La Russa.

Seriously, with the horseshit staff Hahn had for him by the time Game 3 happened? They literally did not have a starting pitcher for Game 3, after a "grueling 60 game season". Stop trolling already, you're wrong. Admit it or slink away.

Dude, La Russa has Kopech, Crochet and Hendriks at his disposal, Ricky had none of these guys except Crochet for 6 innings. The Bullpen had mostly unproven rookies last year, the bullpen this year is the one touted as "elite". What does Tony care about? Winning Saving his guy for a save opportunity.

And Ricky's Boys blew one game after having the lead after 7 innings. Tony's team blew 2 within the first three games. Bullpen loses 2020 after sixty games (10): Anderson (1); Burdi (1); Cordero (2); Detwiler (1); Foster (1); Fry (1); Gonzalez (1); Marshall (1); Rodon (1). Bullpen loses 2021 after four games (3): Bummer (1); Marshall (1); Ruiz (1).

Tony literally said this within the past half hour, on the broadcast radio postgame show. Are you really expecting a published story at this point?

Tony was pwned by Joe Maddon the entire series, one or two moves behind.

Wonder if Tony skips the flight and retires to his wine cave.

No

No and No Yes Albert 663 White Sox 600 (including Leury and Anderson) Anderson 75 Garcia 26 Eaton 61 Abreu 199 Moncada 56 Mercedes 1 Grandal 149 Robert 11 Hamilton 22 Madrigal LMAO

The second Jerry dies, Kenny (Jimmy) and Hahn (Henry) go down to see Tony.

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Tonight's game does not impact Division / League Leaders. Houston continued their current Division and League Lead to became the first AL Team to go 4-0. Philadelphia now has a 1 1/2 game lead with a sweep of Atlanta, and the overall lead in the National League. Farmeo's "Fightin' Phils" hosts the Mets for their first game of the season. Baltimore continued in first place in the AL East with a sweep over Boston. The travel to New York to face the Yankees tomorrow. San Diego was knocked off of both their NL and Division Lead with a loss today, and the Dodgers' win in Colorado. Both are 3-1. There is a three way tie for the AL Central, and a two way tie between the Cubs and Reds atop the NL counterpart. Division Lead - The last time each team has led their Division (ties don’t count). (NL #1) 4/3/21 San Diego (Jayce Tingler) (AL #1) 4/2/21 Tampa Bay (Kevin Cash) (NL #2) 9/27/20 Atlanta (Brian Snitker) (NL #2) 9/27/20 Chicago (David Ross) (NL #2) 9/27/20 Los Angeles (Dave Roberts) (AL #2) 9/27/20 Minnesota (Rocco Baldelli) (AL #2) 9/27/20 Oakland (Bob Melvin) (AL #4) 9/22/20 Chicago (Ricky Renteria) (AL #5) 9/2/20 Cleveland (Terry Francona) (AL #6) 8/19/20 New York (Aaron Boone) (NL #5) 8/15/20 Miami (Don Mattingly) (NL #6) 8/12/20 Colorado (Bud Black) (AL #7) 7/31/20 Houston (Dusty Baker) - 4/5 @ Anaheim (NL #7) 7/25/20 Saint Louis (Mike Shildt) (NL #8) 7/5/19 Milwaukee (Craig Counsell) (NL #9) 6/9/19 Philadelphia (Gabe Kapler) - Current Manager Joe Girardi - 4/5 vs. NY Mets (AL #8) 4/27/19 Seattle (Scott Servais) (NL #10) 4/23/19 New York (Mickey Callaway) (NL #11) 4/21/19 Pittsburgh (Clint Hurdle) (AL #9) 4/10/19 Detroit (Ron Gardenhire) (AL #10) 3/30/19 Kansas City (Ned Yost) (AL #11) 9/30/18 Boston (Alex Cora) (NL #12) 8/31/18 Arizona (Torey Lovullo) (NL #13) 6/10/18 Washington (Dave Martinez) (AL #12) 5/6/18 Los Angeles (Mike Scioscia) (AL #13) 5/20/17 Baltimore (Buck Showalter) - Current Manager Brandon Hyde (I admit I had to look this up) - 4/5 @ NY Yankees (NL #14) 5/7/17 Cincinnati (Bryan Price) (AL #14) 10/2/16 Texas (Jeff Banister) (AL #15) 9/5/16 Toronto (John Gibbons) (NL #15) 8/20/16 San Francisco (Bruce Bochy) This list contains the last date each team held the overall best record within their respective League, tied leads do not count: (NL #1) 4/3/21 San Diego (Jayce Tingler) (NL #2) 9/27/20 Los Angeles (Dave Roberts) (AL #1) 9/27/20 Tampa Bay (Kevin Cash) (AL #2) 9/17/20 Chicago (Rick Renteria) (AL #3) 8/28/20 Oakland (Bob Melvin) (AL #4) 8/18/20 New York (Aaron Boone) (NL #3) 8/14/20 Chicago (David Ross) (NL #4) 8/8/20 Colorado (Bud Black) (AL #5) 8/6/20 Minnesota (Rocco Baldelli) (AL #6) 7/25/20 Houston (Dusty Baker) (NL #5) 5/2/19 Saint Louis (Mike Shildt) (AL #7) 4/21/19 Seattle (Scott Servais) (NL #6) 4/20/19 Colorado (Clint Hurdle) (NL #7) 4/16/19 Milwaukee (Craig Counsell) (NL #8) 3/31/19 Philadelphia (Gabe Kapler) - Current Manager Joe Girardi (AL #8) 9/30/18 Boston (Alex Cora) (NL #9) 7/2/18 Atlanta (Brian Snitker) (NL #10) 5/12/18 Arizona (Torey Lovullo) (NL #11) 4/20/18 New York Mets (Mickey Callaway) (AL #9) 10/1/17 Cleveland (Terry Francona) (NL #12) 6/8/17 Washington (Dusty Baker) (AL #10) 5/9/17 Baltimore (Buck Showalter) (NL #13) 4/15/17 Cincinnati (Bryan Price) (AL #11) 4/12/17 Detroit (Brad Ausmus) (AL #12) 4/11/17 Los Angeles (Mike Scioscia) (AL #13) 10/2/16 Texas (Jeff Banister) (NL #14) 7/18/16 San Francisco (Bruce Bochy) (AL #14) 4/22/16 Kansas City (Ned Yost) (AL #15) 4/4/16 Toronto (John Gibbons) (NL #15) 4/23/09 Pittsburg (Fredi Gonzalez)