Lip Man 1

I don't think the Sox had a five game win streak in 2020 either although I don't remember for sure.

JR does not give out eight and nine figure long term deals to pitchers. This just isn't happening. And I think Cease's agent is Scott Boras. I could be wrong on that but if he is, and if Cease does pitch well the next two years, he's hitting the free agent market and will not be signing an extension with the Sox. What could change that? Of course if new ownership is in place anything can happen.

Agreed. That ship sailed when the organization fought him over a 50-thousand dollar difference this past winter in arbitration. His comments and his agents comments after they did that ended that dream.

If is the biggest little word in the English dictionary. TA's numbers for the last few seasons, not just the past few weeks or months indicates something is clearly wrong with him. Regarding Eloy, he like TA, Grandal, Moncada et al can't go a single solitary month with having a serious injury. Again the facts from the past few years indicate this is an on-going issue that for whatever reason the White Sox can't solve. Color my skeptical they will put anything together before the trade deadline. And then if Rick is smart he'll cut bait and admit his rebuild is broken and flushed down the toilet.

"Bullet" Bob James' best season was in 1985. He was another brilliant "minor" trade pick up from Montreal for Vance Law by Roland Hemond. In 1985 he had 32 saves, a 2.13 ERA and struck out 88 guys in 110 innings pitched. He also was indirectly one of the reasons the Sox got "Hawk" Harrelson as GM in 1986. This excerpt from my chapter on that season for Dr. Fletcher's newest book that comes out next year on the 1990 club and the new stadium: "The Sox were beating the Orioles 6-3 in the ninth inning on July 11 with “Bullet” Bob James on the mound working his second inning. James was another “minor” deal executed by Hemond that paid off in a big way as he was having a career season. Hemond got him from Montreal for Vance Law in December 1984. James would finish with 32 saves, a 2.13 ERA and 88 strike outs in 110 innings pitched. But on this day, after fielding a ground ball off the bat of Alan Wiggins, James had to leave with what turned out to be a knee injury that he really never recovered from and saw his career end in 1987. LaRussa called on Mike Stanton, a journeyman pitcher picked up by the Sox on waivers from Seattle in late June, to close things out. Stanton did not get a single hitter out, facing four men… giving up a single, walk, single and a three-run game winning home run from Fred Lynn. Baltimore scored four runs after two outs and won the game 7-6. Up in the TV booth both Drysdale and Harrelson were commenting on the fact that if Stanton was the “best” the Sox could do there were issues that had to be addressed. Both Reinsdorf and Einhorn were thinking along the same lines for several months. Towards the end of the season Harrelson was talking with both men when Reinsdorf asked him what he thought about the state of the organization. “I think there are a lot of holes” was the reply. Reinsdorf then asked what they were and Harrelson said, “Do you want me to write down what I think is the state of the organization?” That is exactly what the owners wanted and Einhorn in particular said that was a real selling point telling the Chicago Tribune, “Of all the people we spoke to, he was the only one who submitted a plan and explained how it could be implemented.”

Well I know stuff about the Sox from before I was born in 1955. I had the desire to learn it. It's called "history."

West Coast team which is his preference.

I'm not familiar with a Bobby Jones are you referring to someone else? The White Sox had a Barry Jones in the early 90's who was spectacular as a set up man for Bobby Thigpen.

Well played sir.

Valid point by you. They are not a well rounded club. When they hit they don't pitch, when they pitch they can't field when the make plays in the field they can't score. Just they way it is.

They simply don't have what it takes to consistently win or put together long winning streaks. Be that lack of talent, injuries, lack of depth, a poor manager...who knows for sure. But the reality is they simply don't have it and would be smart to start selling guys at the deadline for what they can get. It's not going to work again this season and that's the way it is.

As far as "bad owners" my definition only involves activities done or not done on the field impacting the team they own. Rocky Wirtz was wrong for example in the cover-up situation off the ice, but on the ice, he won three championships. Same thing with Al Davis, the man put winning above everything else and the Raiders record under his watch for a very long time was among the best in the NFL, plus three titles if I remember right. Hard to say he didn't give the fan base a best effort at winning.

Even in the Comedy Central division, that team wouldn't be competitive.

Well Moncada already missed a month on the IL, if his back is still that bad then maybe they should have had surgery back in early April. Hahn said in 80% of the time it's not necessary...but these are the White Sox remember. Good fortune usually laughs in their face.

Exactly correct. Nine...make it nine times this team took a lead into the 7th inning or later and lost the game. Nine. Fourth time out of those nine they lost the lead in the 9th inning. Graveman has been directly responsible for two of them (Which considering guys like Kelly and Lopez isn't that bad.) The good news? They can't blow another late lead tomorrow because they are off.

Normally you'd love to have a guy with his talent in the lineup but given his history the past few years, not being able to stay off the IL, the lack of power, the key errors in the field maybe it's not as much of an issue anymore. Something is just wrong with Anderson and has been for a long time now.

You post fwar and bwar and abc war numbers showing supposedly how "good" guys like Anderson, Moncada et al are. Then the only question that remains is, if these guys are so good, why has this rebuild been a failure? (and I realize they aren't totally responsible for the failure) Regarding the ignore function you have to do what you think best, again that's your right, just like it is your right to celebrate as you see fit. No problem.

June 11, 1939 - Sox pitcher Ted Lyons began his streak of 41 consecutive innings pitched without issuing a walk. The streak would last through his game on July 23 when he walked the Yankees Frank Crosetti to lead off the game. In 172 innings pitched that season Lyons would only walk 27 hitters, one intentionally. June 11, 1959 – It was the fourth and last one-hitter in Billy Pierce’s White Sox career. On this date he beat the Senators 3-1 at Griffith Stadium. Shortstop Ron Samford’s double to left leading off the third inning was the Nats only safety. Billy struck out six in the contest but wasn’t guaranteed a win until the Sox scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning. June 11, 1965 – In Washington, in the first game of a double header, the Sox beat the Senators 5-2 to collect the franchise’s 5,000th win. Juan Pizarro got the victory with Eddie Fisher picking up the save. Pete Ward knocked in two runs to lead the Sox offense. Then they’d win the second game 5-4 in 10 innings on a home run by Don Buford. The Sox would go 95-67 that season and finish in second place seven games behind the Twins.

Each fan is entitled to experience the team in his or her own fashion. Bottom line, regardless of what the numbers say (and as you well know stats can be manipulated to show day is night and night is day along with 2+2=5) the rebuild is a complete failure, the core players have been mediocre at best, can't stay healthy and the win-lost record is the ultimate arbitrator. "Error" or no "error" being charged Anderson screwed up yet another play in a key situation. But no one is stopping you from taking a "positive" "rose colored" approach to another lost season of failure. That is certainly your right. My bottom line is winning, at least winning more games than you lose when all is said and done. Anything else is totally meaningless to me. I for one find nothing to be positive about when the club ends the year in third place 10 games or so under .500 with an incompetent, dysfunctional and inept front office/ownership still in place. But again to each his own and I'm not ripping you for your approach.

The last I saw they had spent the most money in MLB on bullpen pitchers.

People forget that from 1951 through 1967 the Sox were one of the best organizations in baseball. 17 straight winning seasons which if memory serves is the fourth longest streak in MLB history, seven years with 90+ wins, consistent pennant contender, got the lions share of media attention in Chicago and had something like 86 All-Star members during that time period. It was the "Golden Age."

Remember he missed three weeks last year with the same issue and because, as he's stated, he's been pitching with a torn UCL sine 2008, his elbow has been battling the increased inflammation off and on since then. Ultimately this hurts his potential trade value at the deadline.

Possible. But remember he missed three weeks last year with the same issue and because, as he's stated, he's been pitching with a torn UCL sine 2008, his elbow has been battling the increased inflammation off and on since then. Ultimately this hurts his potential trade value at the deadline.

This team has little future and needs to be torn down at the trade deadline regardless of how far back they are in the "Comedy Central" division. The issue of course is the same incompetent, dysfunctional, inept front office will be in charge of the most recent tear down/rebuild. But keeping the status quo with this "baseball-stupid" club also isn't a winning solution.

"But this collapse was a failure in all three phases. Kelly, for his control. Anderson, for his defense. And the offense, for producing just one run on an Andrew Vaughn solo homer." - Rob Schaefer Chicago Sun-Times.