CyAcosta41

Been following the White Sox in print since the mid 1960s with a passion second only to following the White Sox period. In my not very humble opinion, James Fegan was the best White Sox "beat reporter" during that time, and by a large margin. Others might have been fine writers, good investigative reporters, or keen observers of all the nuances of baseball, but James combined all three of these characteristics in a way nobody else could touch. Given James's reporters skills, I'd have to imagine that he does the occasional due diligence here. If so, fire trucking job well done, man. You rock. It's obviously a difficult and changing industry, but you're a star and you'll find bigger and better opportunities. To the NYT: My subscription runs through October, but it's now canceled. Fegan was the sole reason I've kept the subscription the past couple of years. Baseball coverage has been meagre and if you've made the choice to jettisoning a talent like Fegan and, moreover, to not even bothering with a "beat reporter" for a horribly depressing downer of a team, but MY horribly depressing downer of a team, then I'm not going to bother with your product. More than ever before, we've all learned that you vote with your pocketbook. Not sure if the contents of said pocketbook allows me to use the grand title of "pocketbook," but I've just voted with mine. Man, oh man, the White Sox related hits keep coming this year.

Good one. Not the only thing, but the most useful fun fact for SoxTalk and other gatherings. Thematically, of course, JR might as well be the opposite of Ahab and his monomaniacal quest for his whale. I’m not a believer that Jerry actively seeks out second-place as the sweet spot for fan engagement and profitability, but there’s not a shred of evidence that our Captain doesn’t sleep well at night because he’s obsessed with everything humanly possible to harpoon a World Series trophy. Better? ?

Uncertain why this made me laugh so hard. I think it's being tired from the unnecessary drama of this unnecessarily prolonged manager decision (other and arguably better organizations make these kinds of decisions quicker and with far less drama). Or it might be the hard-earned knowledge gained by slogging through the entirety of Melville's Moby Dick and learning that "dork" technically means "whale peni$" (rather than being a late 20th century synonym for nerd or doofus). Wear that dork label with pride!

https://www.pinstripealley.com/2021/3/6/22316467/yankees-future-manager-carlos-mendoza-interim-mlb-baseball-aaron-boone-spring-training Grinder ... versatile ... paid his dues ... analytical and organized ... native Spanish speaker (Venezuela) ... Yankees Bench Coach ... Cashman gushes about him ... Mendoza seems to check-off a lot of boxes. Hey, the reality is virtually none of us know a thing about the personalities and leadership skills of any of these guys. The Sox track record doesn't give me a lot of confidence that they're particularly good at evaluating that either -- or even care about such qualities -- but I'm not personally negative about Sox interviewing candidates and these people failing to get the job. The positive spin is that above and beyond the baseball resume, they're looking for leadership qualities that separate that candidate from the pack. Of course, the Sox are gonna Sox, so the less charitable spin is they're looking for someone who is willing to take a below-market deal. For the moment, Mendoza sure seems like a viable candidate with possible upsides. Like the wealth of quality experience, including bench coach for a baseball lifer in the highest profile organization in baseball, that he has amassed for his young age (42).

We're all hyper-fans here. We wouldn't post, or lurk, or both, otherwise. As fans of that ilk, one sees and feels the history, one sees, feels, and senses patterns. When you watch a game and you know a pitcher is about to fall of a cliff, or a particular pinch hitter is going to send one into orbit, it isn't that you're Nostradamus, it's feel and patterns borne from seeing and feeling such things thousands and thousands of times before. It's going to be Guillen. In his mind, Jerry wasn't wrong with his LaRussa hire; instead, the circumstances were wrong. For similar reasons, he believes that bringing back Oswaldo, the manager of his only World Series winner, has the most chance of getting another one in, hmm, from an actuarial standpoint, his limited remaining time as chairman. Personally, I'm steeling myself for the day that news breaks. I'm already at the point where I don't think it's terrible. You know what you get from Ozzie. He's got some small-ball and Sunday lineup tendencies I despise, but he's also the kind of personality this bunch likely needs. There might be better choices (some of whom would have zero interest in working with this circus), but there are positives for OG, redux. My hope is that they get creative with the overall succession plan. Give Guillen a 2 year gig, maybe with an option for a third, but make it clear to him that this could be a really good short-term fix while we groom a more long-term manager as his bench coach. And make that bench coach either system wunderkind Justin Jirschele or give Kevin Long a better path to his goals of manager by making him bench coach and hitting coach (simultaneously getting rid of Frankie "Hit 'em where you can't smoke 'em) M.

Joe was an outstanding major league starting pitcher -- he would have been a star had he played for a team that scored runs -- and an even better person. Total gentleman. He, Gary Peters, Little Looey Aparicio, and Ken Berry were my favorite mid to late 1960s Sox players. Other than attending Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, favorite ballpark moment was convincing my mother (I was 9 at the time) to let my season ticket holder neighbor take me to a game on September 10, 1967 (my mother's birthday) and being in the park when Joe no-hit the Tigers in the midst of the 1967 pennant race. Favorite fan moment also involved Joe. Sometime around 2015, a business deal gave me the opportunity to sit in a small booth at Lou Malnati's on Wells for about 2-1/2 hours sharing pizza and beer with Joe and his 1972 Oakland A's World Champions teammate Mike Epstein. I tried to tone-down the "fanboy" stuff, but wasn't very successful. Joe put up with my questions about pitching craft (he was a righty, but stylistically he reminded me a lot of Tom Glavine in his approach to pitching -- everything had a purpose, everything moved, and, in the earlier part of his career threw harder than people realized) and my recollections about his no-hitter. It was sad but kind of joyful too to watch this soft-spoken older gentleman light up when I reminded him that he hadn't given up a hit, but he had a hit, he was also hit-by-a-pitch as a hitter and hit one Tiger too (the only other baserunner against him was E5 Ken Boyer). I mentioned sad because Joe was clearly in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's and just a few years later it was announced that he had Alzheimer's. But on that evening, effervescent New Yorker Mike Epstein took care of his teammate while Mike and I regaled him about his career accomplishments. It was my honor and privilege to buy the man a few beers and toast his no-hitter -- about 50 years later, but I reminded him I was only 9 at the time. While his memory was starting to fade he remembered a lot about the game and his teammates. I asked him who the best player -- teammate or opponent -- he had ever been on the field with. Joe took about a tenth of a second and said that it wasn't even close. He said the single best player WAS a teammate, but he was being tricky because it wasn't a major league season teammate, rather it was a teammate early in his career when he was playing winter ball in Puerto Rico (great side story because many emerging major leaguers played winter league ball to earn extra cash and stay in shape). He said the guy he's talking about was the best he had ever seen in each and every category you could name -- best hitter, best power, best outfielder, best throwing arm, best and fastest baserunner, most competitive. Roberto Clemente. Joe said that playing with Roberto Clemente in his native Puerto Rico was like being on a team with Elvis. The ladies and men alike couldn't get enough of him. Clemente basked in all of the adoration. Within minutes of ending a game he was out of uni, showered, and dressed in ultra sharp and expensive clothes that would have been joked about if anyone else was dressed that way, but this was Clemente. Joe had a number of amusing "colorful" locker room discussions about Clemente, but this is neither the time nor place to talk about that. Joe said his interactions with the great Clemente were absolutely minimal after the winter ball experience -- mainly just in Florida spring training games -- because of course the A.L. and N.L. had no in-season interaction in those days, other than the World Series, and as a 1960s to early 1970s Sox player, it's not as if Joe was blessed to play in a World Series. That had to wait until 1972 with the A's. Joe added that the rare few times he saw Clemente after winter ball, Clemente always greeted him warmly and called him his nice "Texas friend." It was truly sad to learn a few years ago that Joe was suffering from Alzheimer's. It didn't surprise me because the beginnings were clearly there when I met him, but still so sad. It's now sadder still to learn he's passed, but, as many of you either know or will come to know, for the good people of the world who you care about, there is a certain grace when suffering is no more. RIP #20! Not a Hall of Famer, but like Paulie K., a definite inductee in the Hall of Very Good.

He's an asset if the Sox consider him an asset. They have him; we don't. Doesn't matter why they've left him at AAA. Could be he was always insurance for them (they're covered quite well at 2B, of course) and always had a flip in mind. I understand that players aren't stagnant and their abilities and perceived values change over time. Fascinating that we're at a point in history where Escobar is considered much more valuable than Jason Kipnis. And he is. But I certainly wouldn't trade real value for Escobar (who is notoriously streaky and entirely capable of putting up similar or worse numbers than Leuri Garcia moving forward) and pooh-pooh a trade for Kipnis for something that we wouldn't really value anyway (Burdi, Rutherford, Lu-Gon, and Adolfo being the best examples I can think of at the moment). Guilty as charged at perhaps valuing him and his AL Central and big game experience more than some. Vets with anything in the tank matter. Especially down the stretch. Quality player. Know the family. He'd go after it hard. Just wanted to float it out there in case anyone had heard anything. Cool that you don't think much of 2021 Jason Kipnis. That's what makes arm-chair GM'ing so much fun.

Ha. No offense taken. Been around a loooooong time with a meagre post count by personal preference. Don't think we're disagreeing much, although I think your "guys like him" are worth no more than cash considerations or pure lottery plays is hyperbolic. Sox have a need. Braves have an asset with serious professional cred. He's not who he was with the Tribe, but he's got a shot to be +++ Leuri or Mendick down the stretch in one final swan song. Simply a question of what it will take. A vet like Kipnis -- one who won't cost a meaningful future piece -- is an asset I'm sure Hahn and Co. are considering. I'd easily trade Burdi for him. Guys like Burdi (post surgery Burdi) are a dime a dozen and there are always orgs that will take on 90th percentile gas thinking they'll be the ones to retool enough to make him better. I personally wouldn't trade the likes of Lambert, Stiever, or Pilkington for him -- not that I'm completely enamored of them, but instead know they're move valuable trade pieces in potentially bigger deals.

Jason Kipnis anyone? Count me in with those who would prefer we roll with our current outfield -- the surprisingly adequate group of unwanted misfits (Billy H. and B. Good, raise your hands), the getting to be very underrated Adam Engel, and the coming return of hopefully 80-90% + versions of uber talents like Eloy and Luis -- and look at 2B for the offensive upgrade. Tony loves Leuri, but he'll love him more as a super-sub IF and OF. Also don't want to overpay for a few months and playoff worth of the kind of upgrade we'd get at 2B. Frazier will be far too costly given the additional year he brings; Story brings the name, but asking a SS to move to 2B and change leagues (plus the Coors effect - overrated IMO, but clearly it is at least a bit of a thing) will likely cost more in the way of prospects than most of us want to go; Escobar would be interesting as a rental, but the fact that he's not here already likely means Hahn and AZ are in the midst of a "who blinks first" match about the pool of prospects. Would protect all the young Turks on the MLB roster (Kopech, Crochet, Sheets, Burger) and maybe 5-6 farm guys (the three HS draftee starters, J-Rod, Cespedes, Bailey), but guys like Lambert, Stiever, Adolfo, L-Gon, Rutherford are all fair game. AZ is likely holding out for more and it's probably the blinking match with them would go down to the wire. One possibly interesting name I haven't seen mentioned. Sure someone has, but I haven't seen it. Charlotte is currently playing Gwinnett (Braves AAA) -- they've got Yolmer (!), Ryan Goins (meh), and Jason Kipnis stashed away down there. Kipnis might be worth a shot. Bring in a Chicago native who played in the AL Central at a high level for a very long time to see if adrenaline and one final opportunity for important games and playoff baseball gets something out of the dude. Upside is a professional left-handed bat with occasional pop. Lost some speed, but still a quality base runner. Downside is nothing better than adequate defense, although something to be said for playing a position he's played FOREVER. Braves would likely ask for Sheets/Burger -- to replace what they just lost for Joc -- but I'd dangle Burdi, and consider dangling names like Lambert, Stiever, or Pilkington (I'm higher on him than most -- bit of a forgotten man and doing well at a young age every step of the way). Pitchers with possible MLB upside might be of interest to an organization that values pitching and has no long-term connect to Kipnis. Edit: Just saw Konnor Pilkington reference by Ron and Jimmy in 7/15 MILB thread. Based on his performance the last two years, and reports on the velo uptick and the legit change, I've got greater interest in him than guys like Lambert and Stiever. Love to see him get a chance to work with Katz and Dallas Keuchel (Buehrle too, while we're at it).

Senior moment, Caulfield. No Mickey Moniak for our Sox. But we did acquire Mikie Mahtook. Personally, I wanted Mickey Mantle.

Never let a hot take get in the way of the facts, junior. Been talking LaRussa with my core group of Sox fanatics the past couple of weeks. Maybe 15-20 guys, all aged 60-67 or so. Not a single one of us like it at all. And if I canvassed a broader network of the discerning baseball types (distinguished from the meathead fan) I know, I'd guess not 1 in 10 would like it. We saw LaRussa in the 80s. Most of us were not unhappy when he was gone. We were all baseball fans who watched what he did with the A's and the Cardinals. And most of us who are discerning understand the huge opportunity cost lost by giving a plum job to the old buddy and not take into account the personality of the modern ballplayer generally and this team in particular. Conference about to start -- I can be persuaded to NOT HATE IT, if and only if it's some sort of goofy "we're smarter than everyone else" pairing of LaRussa with Justin Jirschele. That would be bizarre, but a non-traditional of grooming a guy like JJ is ... interesting ... and could work. But simply hiring LaRussa, as a retread manager, yuck. Taking a break from my golden years for a moment to give you my take.

My take FWIW ... Obsessive Sox fan for 55+ years. Didn't love LaRussa first go around, although loved that 1983 team and the way the pitching staff dominated baseball the second half of the regular season. Felt he was a good X and O guy, the partnership with Duncan helped him a lot, but intuited and some insider press pals confirmed that his clubhouse schtick as the detached resident genius rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Not at all happy that THAT GUY (and I never warmed up to his act with the A's and Cardinals) -- who has been away from a dugout for a decade, and a decade where tech and personality has dramatically altered the game -- could be considered a leading candidate by anyone. Why? There are so many others! That said, I never bought and would be incredibly surprised if the the Reinsdorf owned Sox EVER considered Hinch or Cora. The point can be and already has been debated ad nauseam but why hire guys fresh off a scandal like that? In many people's eyes a truly big scandal? And to do it that soon? And by a team that already has a scandal in its history that mocks the team name (obviously I'm talking Black Sox). I think we're seeing a few things coming together here and it's not simply a TLR hire in the conventional sense. I think Hinch and Cora were never going to be considered. I think Bochy likely got some discussion, but for whatever reason (likely JR), TLR was preferred. But a common characteristic of Reinsdorf owned sports teams is getting too cute by half, thinking they're going to come up with clever ideas that will revolutionize the game and elicit wows. Specifically -- I think they LOVE whiz-kid manager Justin Jirschele, want him for the long-haul, but realize that they can't throw him into the fire with no big league experience. So, the "we're smarter than everyone else" boys decide they are going to bring TLR and all of his supposed genius out of mothballs, surgically attach JJ to Tony's hip as Assistant Manager (NOT Bench Coach because a Bench Coach has too many specific real Bench Coach duties which would prevent full time learning from the grizzled old manager), with the thought that in Year 1 it would be TLR as Mgr and JJ as Asst-Mgr, but in Year 2 (or 3) it would flip and it would be JJ as Mgr with Tony as Asst-Mgr (or Mgr-Emeritus). One consistent fan thing (here and elsewhere) is to assume that the guys in charge can't see obvious things that we as fans see. These aren't stupid people. The more plausible explanation to me is that they are the opposite -- people who think they are just a wee bit smarter than they actually are. I can totally see the plan I mentioned as their thought process -- or a somewhat similar plan. If it's TLR, there's just no way that it's a straight-forward conventional hiring of a retread manager hire. Just don't see that, but looks like we'll know in short order. And edit: I would hate a pure TLR hire ... because, "why?" But I don't hate the idea of creating an apprentice situation for JJ -- who I think has all sorts of potential and the industry seems to think so as well.'

It will 100% bother me a lot if Hinch (or Cora) is hired. The binary nature implied by this question -- win with the consensus best guy, overlooking some "warts" VERSUS run scared of the "warts" and settle for less -- is fallacious. Strong case can be made that Hinch is not some irrefutable genius is a must get, all other factors (and candidates) be damned -- his humble AZ start and his failure to win it all outside of a cheating environment raises question about his genius bona fides. More importantly, the very fact that blatant and rampant cheating occurred under his watch can be argued to instantly take him out of the "best guy" category. Yes, people make mistakes and deserve 2nd chances. And, I actually do think that Hinch is a strong overall manager and will likely do a fine job with a really good and possibly soon a stellar roster. But if I own the team (I don't), or if I'm looooong time obsessive fan (I am -- first attended game in 1962 at age 4), I want the organization to be represented by someone you could take true pride in having as your manager, someone whose leadership doesn't contain pretty fricking big and RECENT warts. It's not binary -- there are other top baseball guys who can offer a great chance of maximizing this roster while providing exemplary leadership. Finding THAT GUY isn't settling for less, it's making sure the selection choice includes a proper weighting of all factors. For me -- no Hinch, no Cora -- there are other choices. No LaRussa -- once upon a time got results, but that was a long time ago, and with a different society and breed of player. My top candidates would come from one of two areas: (1) top bench coaches who have apprenticed in top organizations (e.g., Espada, Quatraro, and others); or (2) a veteran or RECENTLY (sorry, Tony) retired successful manager with RINGS -- and my leading candidate here, by far, is Bruce Bochy. He's won it all three times -- but each time with very different rosters -- and exudes professionalism. Others have said it here (and in the press), but pairing Bochy with in-house whiz kid Justin Jirschele (who is also fluent in Spanish, if he didn't already tick off all the other boxes) makes so much sense. Bring in a pro with rings. Check. Bring up your star pupil for graduate school work with an acknowledged master. Double Check. Marry new outside influences with the continuity of someone who has worked with most of the young players on the roster already. Check, check, and checkmate. I hope this is what they'll do. For those who have never seen it -- the NYT wrote an amazing profile of Jirschele a few years back: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/magazine/making-an-mlb-manager.html

Big wow. And don't forget Matt Foster -- kid is a bulldog, a pitcher, knows how to pitch with stuff that plays-up for consistently uncomforable at-bats.

Tim Anderson is truly amazing. Incredible MENTAL skills of understanding his particular strengths (off-the-charts hand-eye coordination and hand-speed) and developing an approach to let his strengths play through each at-bat, thereby taking away all of the tactics of smart major league pitchers (changing eye-level, in-and-out, changing pace to keep a hitter off-balance, etc.). And it's one thing to formulate an approach, but a different and completely rare MENTAL strength is required to have the discipline to do this at the plate, virtually every at bat, against the best pitchers on the planet. Tim looks like he's toying with pitchers. He can do whatever he wants to do. His hand speed allows him to react so much later than most great hitters can. Barry Bonds had that same "advantage" when he became THAT Barry Bonds, only, well, you know .... As a somewhat older fan, TA reminds me of Paul Molitor in his HOF prime -- lightning quick and strong hands making him nearly impossible to pitch to. Incredible that TA has blossomed before our eyes, making him in some ways the primary weapon on a team that already has a revitalized Abreu and young studs like Robert, Jimenez, and (a hopefully soon recovered) Moncada.