ChiSox59

QUOTE (Special K @ Jun 3, 2015 -> 08:45 AM) The team is in dead last in its division and 7 games out. We have the 5th worst record in the AL. Their offense is just brutal by every measurable category. I don't see the Sox hopping the 4-5 teams it will take to make the playoffs. Sad to say, but it's June 3 and this season is already over. Would love to see if someone can dig up the stats to see how many teams in the past 5 years have made the playoffs while being in dead last at the start of June. Betting it's very few. And this Sox doesn't strike me as the "exception" to the norm. Would give this team 3 more weeks to turn it around, and then start putting some of those contingencies in place. 4 games under .500 on June 3 does not end the season. With 2 WC in today's game, a .500 record on August 1 and you're in the thick of things. That means the SOX need to play 4 games over .500 the next two months. The season is over if the Sox continue to play as they have the first 50 or so games, but c'mon...these comments are just stupid.

The OP daily calling for someone to be DFA'd a nearly daily basis, especially when he called for Sanchez to be DFA proves he has very little idea what he is talking about, but Jennings has been pretty bad. But I doubt they go back to 1 LHP in the pen.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jun 1, 2015 -> 04:23 PM) Saying "I hope RV has the flexibility to move Melky from the #2 hole this season" got me absolutely torched in March. I think it's a move that needs to be made. I hate losing Abreu at bats but he hasn't been playing to his ability anyways. I'd go with this lineup until Abreu starts rolling again. L Eaton R Garcia L LaRoche R Abreu S Cabrera L/R Gillaspie/Beckham R Alexei R Soto S Sanchez Also, when do we start giving Soto more of the starts? We've given Flowers 1100+ PAs to show he's mediocre. I say Flowers starts for Sale, Soto starts for Samardzija/Rodon, and Soto starts for every LHP. Soto has been so hot and cold up (game-to-game) I think some regularity could get him finding that potential we were excited about when he was signed. He makes a lot more hard contact. I am sucker for this kind of stuff and it's not tangbile but I like the way he carries himself too. I know the team raves about Flowers' makeup but you kind of have to when he doesn't do anything well. Soto is attached to Rodon during his starts, gets pumped for his pitchers (Samardzija especially) when they hit their spots and I saw him with his arm around Sanchez after he recorded his third out of the game. Again, not a deciding factor, but Soto is definitely a plus in the clubhouse. I like the ideas. A couple thoughts: -Melky has hit into some really hard luck. If you don't watch most/all of the games, it'd be hard to know that by looking at his numbers. He has been roping the ball right at defenders for weeks. He puts the ball in play and strikes out as few as anyone in MLB (struck out 19 times this year, which is 7th least for qualifiers in MLB). I don't hate the idea of him in the 5 spot in the lineup versus the 2, but I don't think we should be down on Melky. They're gonna start falling. -I agree that Soto needs more starts, but man do I hate watching him catch. It is literally hard to watch.

Nice post. I agree with a lot of it. Still a lot of baseball left and this team has its best baseball ahead of it.

What a horrible situation for Johnny. Certainly has some involvement, seeing as though he offered to pay $2M for it to go away. But it was really just two brothers being dumb asses and Danks not getting in the way of it.

I am always fairly optimistic when it comes to the Sox, because why not? Baseball is the best sport in the world to follow, and it's much more enjoyable when you're not a Debby downer. I am realistic, but when you're 4 games under .500 if May, and things literally couldn't have gone much worse, just enjoy the season until they're mathematically out.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 24, 2015 -> 08:46 PM) Damn, u just can't win baseball games with bad leftfielder, bad rightfielder, lousy armed centerfielder, lousy armed catcher, horrific defender at third and first. Just can't do it. I'd say two games over .500 is this team's high water mark, 25 below .500 is the low water mark. Will prolly finish about 12 below .500. This post proves you have no idea what you're talking about.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ May 20, 2015 -> 01:42 PM) If the Sox are .500 at the break and 5 games out of first place in the division, what do you do at the deadline? Stand pat or buy some pieces without giving up major portions of the future. 5 games at the break isn't all that much. You sure as sh*t don't sell at .500 at the break in the 2 WC era.

QUOTE (Lillian @ May 20, 2015 -> 12:39 PM) Ok. For all of you Smart Alecks, I would be satisfied if Adam La Roche could hit .260, with an OBP of close to .375. If he hits 20 homers and 25 doubles, and doesn't strike out 35% of the time, which is what he is doing now, I'll stop complaining. Oh, and Robin has to find a way to be sure that he doesn't start against any lefties. Does anyone disagree that the Sox would have been better off with K. Morales, Adam Lind or Andre Ethier? You expect a guy that has eclipsed a .375 OBP exactly zero times in his career to do it for the first time at age 35? Hmmm... Plus, Adam's OBP is currently in the .360's, so not all that far off. But, a .375 OBP is a fairly high bar to set. I do agree that he should play less against LHP, and we have the bench flexibility to make that happen.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ May 19, 2015 -> 02:57 PM) Jhan Marinez? Yeah, that's who the sox got for Ozzie, but Pedro Hernandez did pitch the game Rabbit is talking about. The Sox got him for TCQ.

Doubt he'll be available.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ May 19, 2015 -> 02:28 PM) He's got a 10% career walk rate over his prior 4000PA, so we should probably wait a little longer than 120PA to draw conclusions about his diminished ability to take walks. Him not having a great start is the only reason he'd be available/affordable for us. That said, I don't think we'd win the bidding and it would be hella risky, indeed. I can't make a strong case, but it would still be a TON of fun. Exactly. He is also one of the best three players in the game when he is healthy. The when part is a significant caveat, however. I'd be all for the SOX grabbing Tulo if they could, but it is not my $$.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 19, 2015 -> 02:13 PM) Besides catcher, I actually think biggest need is a power righty set up man We have two or three of those guys rehabbing in the minors in Jones, Crain and Lindstrom (bit of a stretch on the last one). Albeit, I'd be shocked if we see Crain in the bigs again - but I don't really think that will be Rick's targeted area.

Tulo would be pretty friggin' cool. Derrek Norris would be a good add from SD, but they did just trade for him this off-season, but maybe they want to give Hedges the job.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ May 19, 2015 -> 09:34 AM) I'm 2-0 and also going Saturday lol Any update on our STUD Avi?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 17, 2015 -> 09:24 PM) He delivery and stuff aren't nearly the same as last year. Exactly. This modified windup he is using has me interested.

Da Fuk?

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ May 14, 2015 -> 10:10 PM) Well the Brewers suck. As a team they have the 2nd highest K% and 5th lowest BB% in baseball this year, so were an ideal match-up for Rodon's first start. Oakland should be much tougher. They're one of the better teams at putting the ball in play, and rarely swing at pitches out of the zone, so not a good match-up for a rookie with control/command issues. 10K in 7IP is probably a little optimistic. Maybe 6 IP, 4 BB, 5 SO. No idea for hits/runs. Rodon faced the Reds.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ May 14, 2015 -> 03:10 PM) Regardless of who made the decision ( I believe it was KW) this move is about as two faced as it comes. To basically say they are gonna be patient with Micah bc he has been performing very well offensively and struggling a bit defensively but is the future of the team and then to turn around the next day and demote him is just wrong. I lost all respect for the front office with this move. Not the move itself but how they went about doing it. This post makes me laugh.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ May 14, 2015 -> 03:03 PM) he has 2 errors. I'd say he is one of our best defensive playears and did far less to hurt the team then conor, eaton, abreu, or even Alexei has. He also has been a better hitter then, conor, alexei, and Eaton You've said that before to me, and you're wrong. Errors are a terrible metric for grading ones D. He missed several plays that weren't ruled errors that should have been made. He didn't turn double plays that should have been turned. There is a lot more to defense than errors. Sure, Alexei has made some bonehead plays that have hurt the SOX, but you can live with that from a guy that makes plays no one else in baseball except maybe Simmons or Gregorious would make. I will agree that Eaton has been disapointing in the field, but I am far from worried about him. Gillaspie...ugh..he's been brutal, and that's why Beckham is stealing his ABs, because he's been unf'in real at 3B this year.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 14, 2015 -> 02:18 PM) I hope they can find a 4th outfielder that can hit against LHP, especially if Melky's struggles continue. If you watch the games, I don't think you'd think Melky is struggling. Hitting into some real bad luck. He's been stinging the ball for a few weeks without much to show for it.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ May 14, 2015 -> 12:57 PM) I can see this move for defensive purposes but unless Sanchez has made huge strides since last year it will be a drop in batting average, OBP, baserunning, etc. This move to me makes absolutely no sense especially since this morning the Sox said they were gonna remain patient with Micah since he is the future for the sox Micah's D was piss poor. He single handedly lost or made a play that drastically changed the SOX chance to win a game several times to his poor D. He'll be a good player in time, but AAA is where he belongs for now.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ May 13, 2015 -> 04:11 PM) Anyone else think that on days Beckham and Bonifacio are both in the infield, they should be playing Beckham at second and Bonifacio at third? Just my opinion as it seems Beckham is better and the combo of Alexei and Beckham was always great on double plays up the middle. Meh. Gordon has played gold glove worthy defense when he's played at 3B.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ May 10, 2015 -> 12:52 PM) Micah has had a far less impact negatively on defense then Ramirez or Connor or even Eaton Connor and Eaton sure. Don't agree at all on Alexei. Why is Danks pitching out of the stretch?

QUOTE (Condor13 @ May 10, 2015 -> 12:29 PM) He is way better then Emilio at 2B I haven't seen enough of Emilio to make that determination, but I know his scouting repot at 2B isn't great. I have a hard time believing he is any worse than Micah though. Like I said, I like Micah, and I think he should be out there most days, but his negative impact to date on D cannot be understated.