South Side Hit Men

Any evidence or articles there were? MLB Rumor reporting is robust, especially for "top" free agent signings. Would be interested in any link or quote of any rumor that any other team made an offer or was interested in either of these two even close to a 4 year $18M + AAV. I performed a Google search for both, and couldn't find anything between October and their signing dates other than reports of their signing, and one reference in MLB Trade Rumors (Padres "taking a look" at Keuchel and Bumgarner). Both were signed like most players acquired over the past two years the early part of free agency. They are good players, the Sox needed pitching, just saying 4 years has already, and will continue to limit other signings, and their production will likely decline the final seasons like a majority of players in their mid 30s.

Katz was the White Sox' best acquisition since completion of the tanking trades. He will not "fix" everyone, but pitchers will train and prepare with a plan and attention not shown under Cooper for several years, if not a decade. Hiring top coaches to impart modern baseball teaching, embracing analytics was long overdue. Full praise from me for the lengths taken to move the club into the 21st century in terms of on field instruction. Hoping Narron can begin helping the organization develop solid starting catchers.

Two nice updates late in the second hour of Inside the Clubhouse today: Bruce Levine reiterated the club's commitment to both Kopech and Crochet being considered eventual Starting Pitchers, targeting 1-2 + innings a few times a week to stretch them out and either send one or both down to convert to SPs in the second half, or stretch them enough this year in bullpen roles to roll out in 2022. Discussed conversations between the clubs and the Mayor over the past few weeks allowing up to 12,000 fans perhaps as early as April.

With your logic, the Bears should hire Ditka, finished with a Super Bowl and far superior record with the Bears than Tony's pathetic .506 mark and zero playoff success before Hawk Harrelson thankfully shit canned his ass. Who in their right mind is going to hire a doctor, lawyer or money manager 10 years out of practice, setting aside one that is also a recidivist criminal? And calling up the shitty presidents and congress be it a D or R, many who are senile and/or pathetically out of touch over the past decade, isn't helping your argument. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

If that was your point, I agree. I never said the reason FAs passed on the Bulls was due to cheapness. I stated nobody wanted to come here to play for a poorly run franchise, a series of bad coaches and poor prospects for team success. The FO/coaching in place now makes a Bulls offer at least worth listening to, whereas before it was simply for leverage with a team a top FA wanted to play for. The Sox had a similar problem, but not to that extreme, attracting FAs with no other bids for what they were offering in terms of years and $s. Hendriks is the first Top FA who selected the White Sox with similar competitive bids by other teams. In this instance, La Russa helped due to his previous relationship. $13M / year is a lot, and one can argue it was better to spend the money in RF/SP and use Bummer plus Colome or another FA. However, this deal is more reasonable and not as restrictive as the $18M / year for both Grandal and Keuchel (30% of current payroll). Grandal and Keuchel did not have similar bids from other teams, would have preferred the Sox offered 2-3 year deals tops with a similar AAV, give the team more flexibility when their core is making substantially more $. Take care and peace.

2019 428 ABs vs RHP, .794, still 43 points below Engel’s 2020 stats.

They still have gamecast for all ST games, for people wondering what’s going on. You don’t need the MLB phone app, which I removed since it is very intrusive in terms of data mining across all phone use (Apple lists what data an app takes in its store). https://www.mlb.com/gameday/white-sox-vs-indians/2021/03/06/642115#game_state=live,game_tab=box,game=642115

Just checked now. Blacked out, they’re talking about Saddam Hussein, about as bad as listening to ESPN radio. All ST home games are available either via radio, cable or their website. I understand not having road ST games broadcast commercially due to logistics and Covid, but would like a webcast or video stream, even with no announcers.

Engel was superior against all pitching. Hope they dont play Eaton all year like they did Parrot and Mazara waiting for yet another Hahn signing to “turn it around”. 2020 Stats against LHP / RHP Engel OPS .767 / .837 Eaton OPS .366 (WTF) / .768

Nice to see Engel in as well, hope he is able to regularly start if he continues to do well like he did last season. Nice for Collins, Mercedes and Berger to get some time as well. Glad the next three are available via radio / website, will try to get the Cleveland broadcast online if it isn't blacked out like regular season games.

Claiming Boozer or any other free agent signing over the past two decades was a "top" free agent signing doesn't understand how the NBA works. Between the toxic owner and front office, nobody with better options was signing with the Bulls. Period. As bad as GarPax sucked (466-437 .516), they still managed a better record than White Sox Tony La Russa (522-510 .506) White Sox GarPax (Hahn/Williams 526-667.440) This is the toxic history that Michael is attempting to rectify with the Bulls after years of effort and finally being able to clean house. Someone, be it Reinsdorf kids or an external owner will need to undertake with the White Sox once Jerry departs from his role or Earth. I'm hoping for new blood, but anyone is better than the current option.

Says the cowardly ass who won't honor his ban bets, because why operate with integrity in life. And WTF did my post have to do with TLR, talk about derangement?

Yet he wasn't. And unlike Pujols, he's not a future HOFer, didn't sign anywhere close to a record contract, A season where legitimate championship caliber free agents did sign. Lebron, Dwayne Wade (not the shitty version your Chicago Bulls signed) and Chris Bosh. But stick with your narrative. Yes, the Bulls have been a premier Free Agent destination since Jerry gleefully pulled the plug on the Jordan era. The great Carlos Boozer signed here. Such an attractive place to play, Gotta love playing for GarPax and Jerry, why would anyone with a choice play anywhere else. Dear Leader, we thank you for the crumbs you graciously provide.

Yeah, not buying the apologists claiming Boozer, who Jerry paid over $18M to leave, was a big game changing acquisition. Good solid player, not an All Star, team didn’t get very far postseason. For the record, Boozer was acquired via trade not free agency. July 8, 2010: Traded by the Utah Jazz with a 2011 2nd round draft pick (Malcolm Lee was later selected) to the Chicago Bulls for Mario Austin. Back to the OG topic, the transaction was discussed on the Score. They speculated on what this could mean, but one pertinent topic mentioned was the fact this transaction allows the Reinsdorf kids to buy out minority shareholders looking to sell at pennies on the dollar to cash out now, versus what they would likely net after Jerry dies and the team is up for sale to a majority controlling partner. Worth a listen for those interested. https://www.radio.com/670thescore/podcasts/laurence-holmes-on-670-the-score-61

LOL, yes we are all impressed with the Carlos Boozer championship era with the Bulls. About as impressed as with Tony Boozer La Russa's HOF tenure with the White Sox. Losing four straight to the Heat was Boozer and the Bulls high water mark since Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause's "Organizations Win Championships" swept out Jordan, Pippen and Phil Jackson and ushered in their preferred era of Bulls Basketball - max profits, sellouts to watch literal shit, and minimal on court success for decades. Still waiting for a game changing legitimate championship caliber free agent to arrive, perhaps this decade.

Boozer was an Amnesty disposal, and was never a top free agent. Are you really claiming Wallace was a top free agent? During his nearly two-year run in Chicago, Wallace battled with various knee injuries and averaged 5.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. I guess in White Sox terms, he would be a highly successful signing, given the mostly below 0 WAR crap Hahn has signed over his eight year tenure.

It took Michael over a decade (Named President in 2010) to finally clean house with the Bulls, replacing GarPax with a competent Front Office and qualified professional coach. It will still take years for the Jerry Reinsdorf stench to clear to the point were top free agents consider the Chicago Bulls a legitimate free agent destination. I'm hopefully fresh blood is brought in this decade, and not have to wait until the 2030s/40s for Jerry's lackeys Kenny, Hahn and La Russa to be replaced by legitimate top quality professional management, and the Sox can attract quality free agents and not overpaying for old and declining free agents with nowhere else to go. Bulls had the same issue (mid 30s Dwayne Wade their top external free agent signing since the Jordan era).

Marz Brewery is Just over a mile west of the park, very good craft, good food and free pinball and video games makes this a fun place to visit. Skylark on Halsted near Cermak is a great bar to visit as well, good bourbon whiskey and craft, nice chill atmosphere. Do miss McCuddy’s and Puffers, Jimbos was meh. Haven’t been to what Puffers became.

Will the White Sox also be as ready as the Pittsburgh Penguins were to photoshop masks onto fans that don't comply? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9327483/Pittsburgh-Penguins-fire-photoshopping-masks-fans-faces.html

I’d like to see a solid FA SP signing next off season. If Lynn is solid, a 1-2 year deal could work as well. All three of the Sox young SP core have great stuff, I believe Katz can work with them to harness their control and be solid dependable starters if the team ever permits them to becoming starting pitchers. If two of three develop into solid 2-3s, with Giolito and say a Lynn or good FA starter makes a formidable playoff rotation. They should still have a solid bullpen, and their core hitters will have a full year of experience. Perhaps Engel will be ready to play 120 games a season based on the progress he has shown against RHP, assuming Tony let’s him play regularly if Engel outperforms Eaton. Engel had a .837 OPS vs righties last year, much stronger than Eaton at .768 at his natural platoon split. Engel is a much better outfielder and has more power as well, he is by far the superior option at this stage of Eaton’s career. My preferred lineup would be Anderson, Moncada, Abreu, Jimenez, Robert, Grandal, Vaughn, Engel, Madrigal.

The less Tony does or speaks, the better. Let Narron, Cairo and Katz manage the team, he can collect victories for his record. In terms of playoff rotation, the Sox best chance at a World Series during this window is to have Kopech and Crochet in the rotation. 2022 is the more realistic option on that front, unless they sit out until mid season, which I don't see happening with La Russa "win today / April 9th" trumping everything. 2022/23 Giolito, Kopech, Crochet and Cease and or perhaps a solid FA signing >>> 2021 Giolito, Lynn, Keuchel and Cease Hoping Keuchel misses 1-2 months early this year, to force them to reconsider Kopech / Crochet La Russa bullpen boy toy time, and to avoid Keuchel vesting in 2023.

White Sox baseball, you need to be blotto to watch it, or manage the team.

If it is just tax/estate planning for a sale to a different owner, fine. If it's to control the team in perpetuity after Jerry's death, then it looks like I'll continue allocating White Sox ticket and merchandise money for other entertainment options. 26 U.S. Code § 666 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/666

This off-season was to placate Tony, give him players he remembered (Lynn/Eaton) or likes (Hendriks pet rescue). Just glad its one year deals for Eaton and Lynn, and Hendrick's $s are 2/3 of Grandal and Keuchel. My choice of words in terms of development is based on many young important core pieces facing their first full MLB season. Other young players around the league are facing the same challenges, but the White Sox are relying on more key younger players than any other contending team. That's why I believe 2022 is a more realistic chance of everything coming together in terms of legitimate contention for a World Series. Wouldn't have committed so much for four years to three 30 something players, but it is what it is with this FO. It's also why it is so important Kopech and Crochet are managed to be able to start 25-30 games next year. If they are kept in the bullpen to placate Tony over the next season or two, it will be a monumental and unforgivable epic waste of talent. Max MLB Games Played / Season Hitting: (Age 24) Madrigal (29 Games 2020); (Age 24) Jimenez (122 Games 2019); (Age 23) Robert (56 Games 2020); (Age 23) Vaughn (0 Games). Max MLB IP / Season Pitching: (Age 25) Cease (73 IP 2019); (Age 22) Crochet (6 IP 2020); (Age 25) Kopech (14 IP 2018).

You just proved my point. Funny, the Dodgers and Yankees don't play these service time games and they seem to be a lot more successful than White Sox. The Padres are "all in" this season. Trying to finally win the AL Central is not "All In". Fucking over Andrew Vaughn is not going to help the Sox today or tomorrow. Emulate the Dodgers and Yankees, not Seattle and other teams that suck ass in perpetuity.