Lip Man 1

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-chicago-white-sox-chris-getz-jerry-reinsdorf-20230831-2ix2s26w6bfgzgxjbn4zbfhpre-story.html

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/8/31/23854819/breaking-news-white-sox-chairman-jerry-reinsdorf-speaks

I'd take Giolito...you can have Lopez.

Here you go sports fans: https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/jerry-reinsdorf-on-chris-getz-white-sox-future “Look, we’re not going to be in the [Shohei] Ohtani race, I’ll tell you that right now. And we’re not going to sign pitchers to 10-year deals. But we’re going to try to get better, and that means trades, it potentially means signing free agents, it means playing smarter baseball. It’s a lot of things. I don’t have a lot of time left. I don’t want to go through a long rebuild. I only expect to be here another 10 years.

https://www.southsidesox.com/2023/8/31/23854520/press-conference-chris-getz-named-white-sox-general-manager-chicago-jerry-reinsdorf

It's called being arrogant and tone-deaf.

He works relatively cheap and is willing to kiss JR's ass?

From DVS story this afternoon in the Sun-Times: https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/2023/8/31/23854558/white-sox-shooting-jerry-reinsdorf-makes-first-public-comments-on-ballpark-incident-chicago-mlb

Didn't know that...thank you.

You know things reached a critical mass when JR actually forced himself to talk with the media. (I thought the comments about the gun incident were interesting). Getz, didn't disappoint in the sense you can tell he's completely green with this assignment but I will say his opening remarks at least acknowledged the areas Sox fans have been screaming about for years. Now whether anything is done about them is a totally different matter.

The Sox will continue to sign/acquire has been's, broken down injury prone stiffs and retreads. They they'll wonder why they can't win. ?

When you are 87 one year is a big deal.

Smart move by Cleveland since I assume if they make a qualifying offer to Gio and he refuses they get a draft pick.

What's next for Sox fans? Simple. Take care of yourself, eat right, exercise, see your doctor and hope to outlive current ownership. Other than that write the Sox (e-mails are easy to figure out) and let them know how you feel.

A.J. said on his Foul Territory podcast that Getz and LaRussa angled and manipulated events to get Hahn and Williams fired. Now keep in mind some of the things I was told over the winter for my State of the Sox story: “Things started to change when Howard Pizer (Author’s Note: Pizer is the Senior Executive Vice-President) was told that he’d no longer be in charge of everyone, that some folks would no longer have to answer to him. That opened the door and some people are trying to get themselves into position to become a team president. Folks aren’t telling JR everything; in some cases they are lying to him.” “Howard Pizer was the only guy who could tell JR ‘no’ and stop something. If people are angling to try to become a vice-president or president that’s just embarrassing.” “I know the friction in the front office just wore Bob Grim down.” (Author’s Note: Grim retired after 30 years with the organization. He was the Senior Director of Business Development and Broadcasting) “Here’s a story about scouting/development. Nick Hostetler was ‘promoted’ to the Special Assistant to the Vice-President/General Manager. He was ‘promoted’ because he was overheard complaining about a scout in Arizona, Ken Williams Junior. Someone got their revenge. I liked Nick, he was independent, he was his own guy.” “People wonder why Dennis Gilbert (Author’s Note: Special Assistant to the Chairman) is around.” “Mike Shirley is the darling of amateur scouts right now. (Author’s Note: Shirley is the Director of Amateur Scouting) He’s the power broker. I heard him saying that he’s been in baseball a long time, I looked up his career and it was only a couple of years maybe a half season of at-bats.” “I think Chris Getz (Author’s Note: Getz is an Assistant General Manager and in charge of Player Development) is getting to much power to soon but I like him, he’s got some interesting ideas.” “There are department heads in the organization who don’t know what they are doing, worse, all they care about is getting ahead themselves, some of them are real snakes.”

A tough but fair analysis: https://soxmachine.com/2023/08/white-sox-announce-chris-getz-as-gm-because-they-already-know-him/

August 31, 1926 - In a twin bill at Detroit, Sox infielder Ray Morehart cranked out nine hits in 10 at bats! Morehart went 5 for 6 in the opening game, and then capped it off with a 4 for 4 performance in the nightcap. Two of his nine hits were doubles. The Sox would gain a split on the day. August 31, 1935 – It was the highlight of his career. Sox rookie pitcher Vern Kennedy threw a no-hitter against the Indians. It took place in Comiskey Park. The Sox won it 5-0. The no-hitter was saved in the ninth inning when with one out, outfielder Al Simmons made a diving catch on a ball. Kennedy didn’t even realize he had a no-hitter going until the final out! He also had the game breaking hit in the contest; a bases loaded triple driving in three runs in the sixth inning. It was also the first no-hitter in the American League since 1931. August 31, 1964 - Sox catcher Jerry McNertney was part of the cover shot for Sports Illustrated. It was one of the few black & white covers ever done by the magazine. The caption read, “Orioles vs. White Sox.” August 31, 1993 - Outfielder Tim “Rock” Raines became only the second Sox player to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game. It took place at Yankee Stadium as he victimized Sterling Hitchcock and Rich Monteleone helping the Sox coast to an 11-3 win. Raines went 3 for 5, with two runs scored and four RBI’s. His home runs came in the fifth and ninth innings. August 31, 2023 – After the firing of both Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn, White Sox fans were hoping that owner Jerry Reinsdorf would go out and bring in a top-notch executive from a consistently winning organization to rebuild the franchise which sank to new lows both on and off the field. Instead Reinsdorf decided to promote former Sox infielder Chris Getz to the G.M. position. Getz had been in charge of the White Sox minor league operation for the past seven years, an operation that saw it usually rank near the bottom in Major League Baseball and failed to develop anyone outside of a few high draft picks to produce for the big-league club. White Sox fans, and even many in the mainstream media, were highly critical of the decision but not completely shocked given Reinsdorf’s history.

I'll be curious if they have an actual press conference or if they are simply just sending out releases. Also NBC Sports Chicago has a comprehensive look at Getz and what he has done. They are very critical: https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox/white-sox-news/who-is-chris-getz-what-to-know-about-lead-candidate-for-white-sox-head-of-baseball-operations/503188/

My only comment along this entire subject is that personally I don't care what color a person is, what sex, what religion, what sexual orientation. I want the best damn people running the franchise...if they are all gay, all white, all women, all Catholics...I could care less. My issue is the fact that Reinsdorf seems to be doing anything but even trying to bring in the best people because he continues to think his way is the right way despite over 40+ years of basically failure, especially since the start of the 2007 season. To me that should be the overriding issue, nothing else. Just my opinion.

That remains to be seen doesn't it?

Fundamentals are an unknown word to this organization. But Grifol I'm sure is "working on it" to "clear things up". ? Oscar Colás made an on-target throw to second, which should’ve nailed Anthony Santander, but Tim Anderson dropped the ball on the tag. Cease ignored Ryan O’Hearn at first base until O’Hearn got a huge jump toward second. That’s when Cease looked back to second base, except he had to continue his motion home or accept a balk. He then fired a fastball into Cedric Mullins for a doofy-looking HBP. Adam Frazier singled to right, and even though O’Hearn held up, he still made it home unchallenged because Tim Anderson went to the wrong base. Frazier stole second even though Cease picked him off, because Andrew Vaughn froze up out of fear of allowing Mullins to score from third. Neither Lenyn Sosa nor Vaughn are able to catch a Jordan Westburg popup near the netting in foul territory, and Westburg hit a sac fly to center with his second life. The White Sox were able to get the third out by correctly cutting the ball off and executing a one-throw rundown, although Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown roasted them as the play unfolded, saying, “Let’s see if the White Sox can figure this one out.”

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/8/30/23852431/what-we-know-and-dont-about-the-white-sox-game-shooting

It was Eric Dybas who attacked umpire Laz Diaz. This is what I wrote for my long history on the Sox relationship with the media: "Mentioning Dybas also brought up another point which left many, even non-conspiratorial individuals wondering what was going on. The following day after the incident both Dybas' girlfriend Kelly Sherwood and his roommate, said on various Chicago radio stations that they were shocked that Dybas was even at a Sox game. Both said he was a diehard dedicated Cub fan who had been drinking heavily at the afternoon Cub game before deciding to go to the Sox game that night. These facts on the individual never seemed to make it into print leaving the impression to many that Dybas was just another "white trash, stupid Sox fan."

Correct an error can be charged even if the fielder never touched the ball.

August 30, 1941 - Sox pitcher Johnny Humphries had his string of 35 consecutive scoreless innings snapped on a home run by the Browns Chet Laabs in the second inning. The Browns won that afternoon going away 10-1. Humphries threw three consecutive shutouts going into the Browns game and started his scoreless streak back on July 19 with some coming in relief. August 30, 1949 - The Sox organized and celebrated “Jackie Hayes Night” at Comiskey Park. Hayes was a fine second baseman who suddenly lost his sight due to glaucoma. After a shower one afternoon, he felt as if he had soap in his right eye. The next day his vision was blurry, and the club sent him back to Chicago for treatment. “I thought it was just a cinder in there at first,” he said, “but specialists all over town have looked me over and they say it’s an infection somewhere else settling in my eye. All I know is, I can’t see very well and it’s getting no better.” It never did. Hayes visited 10 doctors and received several diagnoses — infection, inflammation, cataract — but no relief. Incredibly before he completely lost his sight, he played 18 games in the 1940 season, when he eyesight began to go bad and he hit .195. He literally closed his right eye when batting! August 30, 1959 - The Sox sealed a huge four game sweep of their closest pursuers in the American League by beating Cleveland at Municipal Stadium 6-3 and 9-4. Early Wynn and Barry Latman picked up the wins. The four-game sweep increased the Sox lead to five and a half games in the league and basically ended any suspense as to who was going to win the 1959 American League championship. An oddity came in game two when Latman’s sacrifice fly in the second inning scored both Johnny Romano and Al Smith! Latman hit a long drive caught at the fence by the Indians Rocco “Rocky” Colavito (who’d join the Sox in 1967) which scored Romano easily but Smith never hesitated and slid safely before third baseman George Strickland could even make a throw. The double header sweep was played in front of over 66 thousand fans. Sportswriter Gordon Cobbledick of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that it was time for the Sox to “Go-Go home…” August 30, 1981 - The Sox dealt three prospects to the Twins for pitcher Jerry Koosman. The three were “Bambi” Mesa, Ron Perry and Randy Johnson (no… not THAT Randy Johnson). This Johnson was a Sox utility player who appeared in 12 games in 1980. It was a small deal pulled off by G.M. Roland Hemond that turned out to have big implications in future years. Koosman was like a second pitching coach, tutoring young Sox hurlers. He’d start games, pitch long relief and be a situational left hander in his two plus years on the South Side. He’d win 23 games and save five more overall in his time in Chicago. August 30, 1983 - Carlton Fisk, one of the fastest catchers in baseball history, hit an inside the park home run off the Rangers Dave Stewart at Comiskey Park. His drive struck the top of the wall in left center field and bounded back towards the infield. While the Texas outfielders were tracking the ball down, Fisk circled the bases. The Sox won that night, 5-0. August 30, 1990 - Ron Karkovice, not the fastest catcher to ever play the game, (although he amazingly had 10 steals in 1992!) hit an inside the park grand slam off the Twins David West at Minnesota. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning Karkovice hit a line drive just over shortstop that rolled to the wall in left center. Outfielder Dan Gladden was picking the ball up when he started to slip and fall. As he did so, he tossed the ball towards outfielder John Moses to try to start a relay, except that Moses wasn’t looking for it and the ball rolled towards center field. By the time the Twins got to it, Karkovice and all the runners had scored. It was the difference in a 4-3 win. August 30, 2004 - Sox outfielder Joe Borchard hit what’s believed to be the longest home run ever hit at U.S. Cellular Field (now Guaranteed Rate Field). He drove a pitch from the Phillies Brett Myers, a future Sox pitcher, an estimated 504 feet to right field, in the second inning, smacking off the wall at the back of the bleacher seats. It was part of a Sox 9-8 win. At the time he was drafted in the first round in 2000, Borchard got the largest bonus ever handed out by the franchise… $5.3 million dollars.