Lip Man 1

They have been which means three or four of them should bring back something decent in trades in a month.

Fegan wrote today: "They entered Saturday with the lowest on-base percentage in baseball, and relatedly, 15 of their last 16 home runs have been of the solo variety."

Fegan wrote this in this afternoon's story in the Sun-Times: "Third baseman Yoán Moncada is sidelined indefinitely by a recurrence of back pain caused by a protruding disc that he’s dealt with since the end of spring training. He can take routine ground balls, but Grifol said Moncada’s back started to flare up after charging a shorter grounder earlier this month in New York, and that he feels it most acutely while swinging. He’s yet to test out either of those movements. That makes it very unlikely that Moncada could return before the All-Star break, and brings much uncertainty for a 27-year-old that is seeing his second-straight season go sideways due to injures that seeped into his on-field performance." After 2024 it's "he gone..."

Mixed feelings about this one. Always nice to get the win. But... Hit four home runs...naturally all of them are solo shots. And the bullpen yet again blew a late lead...luckily though it didn't cost them in the end.

June 24, 1914 – In a telegram discovered in 2012, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey told scout George Mills that the asking price for pitcher “Babe” Ruth was too high at $16,000 dollars. At the time Ruth was playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Comiskey had sent Mills to scout the best Orioles players on June 9. Mills gave Comiskey a list of six players he thought were the best with Ruth among them. He later revealed that Jack Dunn, the Orioles owner, said Ruth could be had himself for 16,000 dollars cash. In the telegram Comiskey replied “Do not need pitchers bad enough to go that high price.” The White Sox thus joined the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia A’s in turning down chances to get Ruth. Ruth eventually was sold to the Red Sox. Comiskey later would try to get Ruth before the start of the 1920 season offering “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and cash to Boston to no avail as they then sold him to the Yankees. June 24, 1956 - It was probably the biggest White Sox weekend of the 1950's. Two days earlier the Sox started, what was an unheard of, four game sweep of the Yankees winning 5-4 in 12 innings. Saturday the Sox shut out the Bombers 2-0. Then on Sunday before almost 48 thousand, the Sox took a pair, closing to within one game of first place. Larry Doby would hit a pair of three run shots in the twin bill helping to account for the 14-2 and 6-3 wins. He went 5 for 7 with six runs scored in addition to the six RBI’s. Fans by the hundreds poured on to the field during the second game, simply to get the chance to shake players’ hands and run around the outfield. Then Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley came out and said that the Sox would be in the World Series that fall. Of course, they didn’t... but they did finish the season at 85-69 good for third place. June 24, 1969 - In the second game of a double header in Seattle, Sox third baseman Bill Melton slugged three home runs in the 7-6 win. All were solo blasts. The Sox took the first game as well winning 6-4 with relief pitcher Wilbur Wood picking up wins in both games allowing only two hits in almost six innings of work. June 24, 1972 - Behind the inspired play of Dick Allen, Wilbur Wood, Stan Bahnsen, Rich “Goose” Gossage, Terry Forster and Carlos May, the Sox were in the middle of a pennant chase when the bizarre injury curse struck again. Third baseman Bill Melton fell off a ladder damaging his back during the previous off season and had been playing in pain ever since. The defending American League home run champion was put on the disabled list and lost for the rest of the year when it was discovered he had a herniated disk. He only played in 57 games with seven home runs and 30 RBI’s. The reason he was on the ladder? His young son was with him as he was re-nailing some patio roof shingles when the boy started to slide towards the edge. Melton caught him but fell backwards on to the ground right on his tailbone. The Sox would finish five and a half games behind the Oakland A’s with a record of 87-67. June 24, 1973 - It almost tied the club record. In the second game of a double header at Comiskey Park, Sox catcher Ed Herrmann drove in seven RBI’s in the 11-1 win over the A’s. Herrmann went 3 for 4 with a three-run home run, a two-run double and a two-run single. The club record is eight RBI’s in a game. June 24, 1977 – It was an embarrassing moment for Sox outfielder Ralph Garr and, as it turned out, a costly one for the team. In the third inning of a game in Minnesota, Garr hit what appeared to be a three-run home run... however as he was running the bases he passed catcher Jim Essian who was returning to first base because he thought the ball might be caught. Garr was watching the ball and didn’t see Essian until it was too late. He was called out for passing the runner and awarded a two-run single. The Sox wound up losing the game 7-6. June 24, 2017 – It was Mark Buehrle day at Guaranteed Rate Field as the White Sox honored the left hander by retiring his number #56. Buehrle played 12 seasons with the Sox winning 161 games including a perfect game against Tampa and a no-hitter against Texas. He also won two post season games and saved another. He was a three-time All-Star who won the 2005 contest. Buehrle was a model of consistency with 11 straight years winning in double figures, starting 30 or more games and throwing at least 200 innings with the franchise.

I've been told the next owner will more than likely be a corporation.

Again that's not my comment and the second part of it is important too: No one could have foreseen how those contracts impacted those guys and their effort. But it was clear when Tony LaRussa was hired that Rick really is powerless. I just don’t have a lot of faith that he can get this done. And words matter, when he talked about “Multiple championships” and “Call me after the parade”…if you are going to be arrogant like that you need to deliver and he hasn’t.”

Agree, but what is the alternative? They aren't getting fired and they need to shitcan a bunch of these stiffs.

I've noticed that lately even Merkin is coming to terms with reality and stating in "nice" terms the rebuild is a failure (although he still refuses to blame his friend, Michigan grad, like himself, Hahn)

I'm guessing Giolito is counting down the days until he can get out of this clown show.

Once they cut bait in a month it'll be closer to 95 losses which is fine with me, maybe that will force JR's hand.

I'd argue it is intolerable baseball right now.

I agree with this. I was on a podcast yesterday where I went into a deep dive in a lot of these areas if you are interested: https://www.southsidesox.com/2023/6/22/23770543/sox-populi-white-sox-podcast-150-no-historical-precedent

Just to be clear none of what I quoted came from me, these are direct quotes from others who know the organization.

Still remember when Kenny confronted Rauch for leaving a game early after he was pulled and then cut him. I think he did have some decent to good seasons elsewhere if I recall right.

From what sources told me about Hahn this past off season which I printed in a story in November: “The issue with Rick is he’s got all these guys around him like Jeremy Haber (Author’s Note: Haber is the Assistant General Manager), friends from Michigan or someplace and they aren’t baseball guys. They didn’t play the game and have no real idea of what it takes. D.J. (Author’s Note: Sox broadcaster Darrin Jackson) and others have said the same thing.” “I thought Hahn was prepared to do well, his last few years as assistant G.M. he was out on the road, watching guys, scouting, trusting what he saw. Then when he became G.M. he started getting guys like J.B. Schuck.” “Rick won’t leave in part because his wife doesn’t want to leave the area unless it is for a job in California where she’s from.” “Hahn actually is in charge, more than people think, although Kenny has input and of course JR has the final say.” “Hahn put his foot down with Renteria, he wanted his manager to start doing what he (Hahn) asked.” “Hahn is a go-along, get along type of guy, I don’t want to say he was dour this past season but there was a defensiveness to him that you could see especially when Tony was mentioned.” “I’ll use a political term to describe Rick, he’s a ‘filibusterer.’ When Theo Epstein was running the Cubs everything he said meant something, if you went back to reread what he said you could read between the lines and figure out what he was saying. With Rick you heard what he said but then when you went back and reread his comments you realized he said less than you thought he did when he first spoke.” “In 2016 when the rebuild started I thought he did the right thing and he deserved credit for that. I also thought at the time that giving out those long-term deals was good. No one could have foreseen how those contracts impacted those guys and their effort. But it was clear when Tony LaRussa was hired that Rick really is powerless. I just don’t have a lot of faith that he can get this done. And words matter, when he talked about “Multiple championships” and “Call me after the parade”…if you are going to be arrogant like that you need to deliver and he hasn’t.”

June 23, 1919 – White Sox center fielder Oscar “Happy” Felsch tied a record originally set in 1904 when he recorded 12 chances in a nine-inning game. He had 11 putouts and one assist in the 3-2 loss to Cleveland at Comiskey Park. That record has never been matched. June 23, 1956 – It was first of the two great fights on the field between Yankee and White Sox players; almost one year later, June 13, 1957, the second one took place. In this one Bob Grim (the late uncle to former Sox Director of Business Development and Broadcasting Bob Grim) threw one high and tight to Sox outfielder Dave Philley in the home half of the sixth inning. The ball glanced off Philley’s shoulder and bounced into his batting helmet knocking it off. Philley charged the mound as the benches and bullpens emptied. Both players swung at each other, as the rest of the teams held each other back. Order was restored after about 20 minutes. Philley was tossed from the game. Grim was allowed to stay in, but perhaps shaken; he was tagged for two runs...driven in by Sherm Lollar and Luis Aparicio, the only runs on the day in the Sox 2-0 win. June 23, 1958 - The Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Omar “Turk” Lown from the Reds. Lown and teammate Gerry Staley, also acquired via the purchase route in 1956, gave the Sox one of the top bullpens in baseball during the late 1950's/early 1960's. They were especially effective during the 1959 championship season. That year Lown would go 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 15 saves. Staley also had 15 saves that year and those two led the league in that category. Lown’s best pitch was a blazing fastball that was among the best in baseball. The first time he faced both Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams he threw nothing but fastballs and struck them both out on three pitches. June 23, 1963 - Sox catcher J.C. Martin set an American League record by being involved in three double plays in a 2-0 loss at Cleveland. Martin had two strike out/throw out double plays and was also in the middle of a third base to catcher to first base one. His record would later be tied by another Sox catcher, Ed Hermann. And in both cases the Sox would lose the game!

I don't believe any active player can own any type of percentage in a team. When they retire, of course, that's different.

The system basically is going to supply very little if anything. They won't commit to spending big money to bring in a bunch of free agents. Unless ownership changes the chances of success in the next few years is very small.

June 22, 1913 – Behind “Big” Ed Walsh’s complete game shutout, the Sox beat the St. Louis Browns 2-0 in the second game of a double header at Comiskey Park. It was the team’s 1,000th victory. Outfielder John “Shano” Collins drove in both runs for the Sox that afternoon as they got a split on the day. June 22, 1938 - Sox outfielder Hank Steinbacher became the second player in franchise history to rap out six hits in a game. Steinbacher went 6 for 6 with two RBI’s and three runs scored in the Sox 16-3 win over the Senators at Comiskey Park. He had five singles and a double raising his average to .337, he finished the season at .331 June 22, 1958 - Ed Walsh Day was celebrated at Comiskey Park. The Sox honored their Hall of Fame pitcher who recorded 195 wins with a ceremony with the proceeds going to help pay his medical bills. Urban “Red” Faber and Ted Lyons were among those who attended. Less than a year later, the man who won 40 games in 1908 was dead of cancer. June 22, 1983 - Noted team prankster, pitcher Jerry Koosman, somehow ‘discovered’ Gaylord Perry’s false teeth on the mound at Comiskey Park during a game against the Mariners. He offered to return them but Perry declined. The Sox won the game 6-3. June 22, 1993 - On "Carlton Fisk Night", Fisk set the Major League record for games caught at 2,226. He broke the old record held by Bob Boone. Teammates surrounded Fisk on the field for pre-game ceremonies and presented him with a motorcycle that they chipped in and bought for him. Each player donated $500 dollars. The cycle was driven to home plate by “Bo” Jackson. The Sox would beat the Rangers 3-2 on a game winning single in the ninth inning by Lance Johnson with Donn Pall getting the win in relief. Fisk went 0-2 in the game. June 22, 2010 – Now this you don’t see every day. The Sox were hosting the Braves in a game they’d win 9-6. With two outs in the fourth inning, and the Sox ahead 6-3, Alex Ríos hit a hard ground ball that bounced up into third baseman Brooks Conrad’s chest. The ball somehow went inside his jersey where it remained. Conrad felt the ball hit his chest but then couldn’t find it. It went as an infield single. Paul Konerko then singled, and Carlos Quentin homered to make the jersey mishap cost the Braves.

This isn't supporting, defending or condemning TLR, JR, Einhorn or anyone. Simply stating a fact. AT THE TIME the stretch from 1981-1985 was the best since the Sox Golden Era from 1951-1967. That's what the numbers say.

Don't forget in 1970 the White Sox won 56 games...in 1971 they won 79 games. +23 In 1989 the Sox won 69 games...in 1990 they won 94 games. +25

Only possibility of this happening would be if JR is no longer running the franchise and even then it's a very slim possibility.

As befitting a team that doesn't draw walks nor hit for a high average nor has a high on-base percentage... 30 of the last 41 White Sox home runs have been solo blasts.

Grifol on Moncada to DVS of the Sun-Times: " It could be 10 days, it could be two weeks. I don't have an answer." (Moncada isn't expected back until after the All-Star break...if then.) Other injury news: Grandal scratched from Wednesday's game (sore knee), Crochet got a cortisone shot isn't expected back for two or three weeks and Anderson hasn't played since the weekend in the field but they still haven't put him on the IL. What an operation...?