The Kids Can Play

First of all, to clarify something for you, in every single debate on Burger in here over time, I have been in his corner and one of many in here in the Pro Burger camp, long before these home runs came. To further clarify my points, the complaints for Burger are more from the perspective, that besides him being a good HR hitter, I would also like to see him to hit for a higher average and be able to drive in more runs through more contact and less strikeouts. As great as Burger has done with home runs, he still does swing too much at pitches way outside the zone. It's not just him. As we all know the Sox are the worst in baseball at this swings outside the zone. Frankly all of them need this work with Pedro. In fact, Jake knows he needs work, because it was posted in here by someone, that Jake was one of the few Sox players going in that new batting cage that can give them off-speed secondary pitches to look at. Btw, for the record if you go back to any of the numerous debates of Burger at third over Moncada and moving Yoan to 2B, you will find 100 percent of the time I have been quite adamant for Burger at 3B over Yoan and Yoan to 2B. It's fine for now while Eloy is out, but it becomes a huge problem when Eloy gets back. As far as Jake's fielding, again look at all the Burger discussions and I have been as adamant of Burger being a competent 3rd baseman. I stated this a several times in other posts, but for those of you still thinking he needs work on his defense is just not accurate and statistically false. Jake has made only one error at third this year and started several double plays. Yes in the past Jake was bad at 3rd. However give him some credit as he did work hard to improve his defense at third.

- 29th at SS is really sad especially since we have a player at that position who used to have some power. TA currently is at his all-time lowest SLG% at .307. Back in 2019 when TA win the batting title he had 18 HR's and 32 2B's for a .508 SLG%. In 2020 the pandemic shortened season, when he finished second for the batting title and hit 10 HR's 11 2B's 1 3B in 49 games for an even higher .529 SLG%. If he could produce those similar numbers this year, only Robert, Moncada and Burger have a higher SLG% than TA had in either 2019 or 2020. - 18th is sad at First Base. Vaughn needs to get back to that hot hitter. I know we've discussed it a lot in here, that maybe Vaughn might not be more than a 20-25 HR hitter, but I think we all figured he would be at least a strong Doubles/RBI's guy. - 17th at DH is also bad! Without even looking up the numbers, I know DH is probably one of the highest SLG for most teams at DH. I know Eloy was starting to get hot right before the IL stint and hopefully when he gets back to that power hitter again. - We have sucked at SLG% in left and right field for a long time now! That's on Rick Hahn's ineptness struggling to acquire power at those two positions. - Great job to Moncada, Burger Robert.

I hope it works. When Robert learns to be more patient and recognize to hold off the breaking stuff outside the zone and to wait for his pitches...he will be one scary hitter for pitchers to face. Once Pedro hopefully improves Robert, he then needs to work with Burger and Eloy next. Those two have the same issues on pitch recognition.

Terrible is an understatement. Putting things in perspective: White Sox are 15-28, 13 games under .500 and 9 games back from the Twins. Over in the toughest division in baseball, the AL East, the Red Sox are 23-20, 3 games over .500 and in last place in the AL East, the same 9 games back.

I'm glad he is on our team! It's fun to watch his home run missiles!

Thanks for posting and I did watch it. I loved their candid thoughts. The only point I disagree with was McGuffy wanting to trade Robert. Yes it might bring a big haul. However Robert is only 25 years old. There are not many talented 5-Tool players in baseball with the huge upside of Robert. Trading away Robert could possibly be one of those lifetime famous trades that become a nightmare. What Luis is doing in a lineup with TA .257 BA/.299 OBP and Benintendi .272 BA and 333 OBP is remarkable. You trade him away to some stronger team that has some dangerous on base hitters in front of him, along with more dangerous bats behind Luis and you will be looking at a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. Let's hope the Sox can get the talent in the lineup around Luis to get the full potential out of him. Of course that will take a different GM.

Kudos to Lynn, he turned back the clock and looked like the pitcher we traded for. Robert is fun to watch. I'm not sure there are many others right now in baseball who hit the ball as far and as hard as Luis. I know that was four games in a row for Robert with HR's, but let's not forget Burger with back to back games of a home run. Please move Jake up in the lineup.

It's insane how hard he hits those home runs and how fast they get into the seats. He is one ridiculously strong dude!

As we all sadly realize we can't control the power structure. We are stuck with a POS owner and GM. However as you suggested correctly, the fans could send a message and quit showing up to games, whether they already paid for tickets or not. I really don't give a s%*# if JR still makes money crap, the horrible look of a really empty stadium like the Oakland A's...would send a louder message to this POS owner. The fact is, if that wouldn't make JR make some major changes, then we as Sox fans all totally fucked until JR passes away.

I don't think Kopech struggling is because he didn't come back from TJS successfully. I think it's more if not all, because of his mental makeup you accurately suggested that hurts him. It also doesn't help he has terrible catchers that don't call better pitch sequences, as well as a crappy pitching coach not effectively working with Kopech to fix his flawed mechanics or tweak his slider and curveball.

I did watch Cease last year for every single start and he was awesome. In fact I was at the ballpark for two of his great outings. Having said that, since so many of Dylan's starts were so solid last year, we have to assume he made the big jump to being a #1 stud starter and last year wasn't an aberration. Btw, last year was last year and when you reach greatness as Dylan did, you are expected to take it even to a higher level or at least maintain it. You are not suppose to go backwards. If you do...then early on the pitching coach better correct it quickly. However Dylan has struggled this year and its too many starts to be just an off game here and there. My point is, if Katz was such a great pitching coach, he should have been able to work closer with Dylan already to get the mistakes corrected and get him back to 2022 pitching form. Great pitchers sometimes struggle early in the season. However they usually have some good catchers and pitching coaches that can help tweak and fix the small mistakes. In this case Katz needed to Dylan get back to being that Cy Young runner-up. So yes, all of Katz starters have fallen off outside of Clevinger, which doesn't count. In baseball you are not graded as being a great pitching coach because you did it one year for the pitchers you mentioned. You need to continue the success in all future years and not make it look like you got lucky one time with that pitcher. I sure hope you aren't trying to defend Katz that he is a good pitching coach!

I like that plan. I just hope the Sox GM, manager and coaching staff do too and don't screw Crochet up.

The scary point here you bring up is a AAA team around Robert hurts him having weak hitters in front and behind him in the lineup. Robert still tends to lack that consistent plate discipline on the breaking balls outside the zone. The day the Sox get solid hitters in front and behind Robert, pitchers will not be able to pitch around him anymore like they can now.

I agree. We don't have any starters and we drafted Crochet to be a starter. Note to the clueless Rick Hahn. There is no rush to get Crochet up here. The Sox are not going to finish over .500 this year or make the playoffs. You might as well have stretched him out and kept him down in Charlotte. Let him be a starter for next year with a fresh start in 2024. I know many in here have said that Crochet needs to develop another one or two strong pitches other than his fastball and slider. Well no better place than in Charlotte for the rest of the year to work on adding that. The only problem I see is we probably don't have any good pitching coaches down there who probably have any clue to help him. It will be interesting to see if Crochet got that upper 90's fastball back after TJS.

Exactly and let's face it, other than the initial off-season miraculous turnaround Katz did in resurrecting Giolito, he hasn't done s%*# since that big year in getting Lucas back on track. Actually all of Katz's starters other than Clevinger, who he didn't have before...have all fallen off drastically.

Seeing this posted made me see the one glaring name in the HOF, that makes Dick Allen not being in the HOF a total blatant injustice. Ron Santo - 15 year career - .277/.362/.464/.826, with 342 HR's, 365 doubles, 3779 Total Bases, no MVP or ROY Dick Allen - 15 year career - .292/.378/.534/.912, with 351 HR's, 320 doubles, 3379 Total Bases, one MVP and one ROY. The Baseball Hall of Fame Era Committee formerly known as the Veterans Committee needs to wake up and get their act together and get Dick Allen in.

The Sox fans are pulling for you Liam and probably most baseball fans!

I do think Dick Allen deserves to be in the HOF. What a jerk Reinsdorf was with the negative comments about Dick Allen. !5 years career - .292/.378/.534/.912, with 351 HR's, 320 doubles, 3379 Total Bases, one MVP and one ROY. Just more reasons to hate the POS Jerry Reinsdorf.

True, but it is not some major career threating injury. He should be back soon and hopefully continuing his ascent forwards to eventually playing SS for the Sox..

You are correct...Keeping this group together and expecting a different result also makes no sense. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein

This is where we will agree to disagree! Those of us in here who want TA traded is not because of his struggling production and hoping he regains it. We want TA gone regardless of his potential because he changed and became a cancer to this team. He lacks leadership, hustle, desire and hates the team. As I've said before some team will want TA and give up good prospects. As far as Montgomery goes, I don't believe he has regressed from 2021-2022, other than he is currently injured and hasn't played yet this year...at least not at the A+, AA or AAA levels.

I agree with this plan. At least Colas will play a better right field. If the Sox were smart, which they are not, they should hire a Frank Thomas, or someone like Frank on a short term consulting basis, to come in and work with Colas, or other struggling hitters. Frank could try and help them with their lack of plate discipline and impatient swings. It sure couldn't hurt to try because our hitting coach can't seem to get it done.

In my opinion TA is never going to get back to the 2019-2021 three year strong run, at least not here as a Sox member. He has changed drastically and not only are his numbers off significantly, but so is his attitude. With all the issues Tim is dealing with, keeping him around hoping his numbers jump back up to increase his trade value, is not worth the risk and further damage you will do to this team. Sometimes players need another fresh start. We've seen it happen many times in baseball where a guy changes teams and the new club, better culture, vets and manager allow the player to do better. Other teams know Tim has value and will be willing to attempt to change him and have the trade resources to give the Sox. Regardless of whether Hahn knows trade value or not, which of course he doesn't...isn't the issue! The issue is Hahn isn't going anywhere! Thus if Hahn isn't leaving, then it doesn't mean you keep an underperforming player with a bad attitude and lack of desire. You make it sound like the Sox have all this time to see if TA can get back to those huge numbers. Next year is the club option and then UFA in 2025. If you take a risk and assume he will improve and avoid trading him before the 2023 trade deadline, and he has a bad 2024 season again, then the Sox really will be screwed for trading Tim away and getting value in 2024.

This isn't Moneyball where Brad Pitt is telling Philip Seymour Hoffman who is playing first base. HaHa! With Rick Hahn being an even more direct reason for this losing team and his job on the line...I would think Hahn wouldn't have any issues with Grifol making a change like that.

You're right 14 million is nothing. Which is why it's time to move TA now and get good value back.