Lip Man 1

Without good scouting and a development staff you can't do it on the cheap as the Sox are finding out.

A few after game notes from James f**an at Sox Machine. Chris Flexen has now gone 17 straight starts without a win, a franchise record. And he wrote that on the play where Bellinger scored and Baldwin never even looked at home plate, "Cameras caught Cubs players laughing at replays of the gaffe on their tablets in the dugout." The Sox have officially become a laughingstock I guess.

A.J. reiterated his comments about Getz to the Tribune Saturday before the game. Those comments he made initially got him fired as a club ambassador. (I wonder if he'll be invited to Sox Fest next winter...if they go through with having it): “You get a free shot to talk to 29 other teams’ best guys,” Pierzynski said Saturday. “Why would you not use that, even if (Getz is) the right choice? Hell, you might learn something about why this team does this or that. It might help you when you get hired.”

It's called more revenue sources both domestically and internationally for MLB than ever before in history. Shared mega-millions in TV revenue, a sweetheart lease agreement with the state, a low payroll during the first "rebuild" seasons and the fact that JR still gets money from the parking lots which he owns (they'll still draw about 1.5 million). I don't know if this is a 'bad economy' or not, most figures say it is not and JR certainly knows how to manipulate the system including taxes.

That's what this looks like but who knows for sure. There seems to be a disconnect between the team saying 'he can play' and Moncada saying 'no I can't' If he doesn't play this year that could hurt his chances to get a decent deal next year with another club and it wouldn't surprise me if the Sox put out info discreetly of course, that there may be some 'issues' with him.

From the Sun-Times tonight: Third baseman Yoan Moncada hasn’t played since April 9 after suffering a strained left adductor while running out a grounder against the Guardians. Moncada, who has played in only 11 games, has been medically cleared to play, but a return to the majors isn’t imminent. His rehab was interrupted in late July because of soreness, and he hasn’t made any gains that would enable him to return to the team. ‘‘He’s been running,’’ Sizemore said. ‘‘He’s still kind of feeling something there. I can’t tell you that we’re going to get him back or we’re not. I just don’t know. ‘‘With him, we’re checking in daily, hoping for the best and waiting for him to tell us when he’s feeling confident that he’s not favoring it or worried about anything else.’’ The Sox have a $25 million club option for next season on Moncada, who has been beset by injuries through much of his career.

He deliberately does that around reporters to avoid eye contact. No I'm not kidding. He doesn't want to open up any opportunities to have to engage with them.

You are assuming three things: 1.Quality free agents want to come here. 2.JR will actually pay top dollar for top free agents 3.Even if he is willing would he be giving four-five-six year deals for your timeline.

Greenberg with some interesting information: "He made scores of mistakes — strategic, interpersonal and inspirational. He was Baseball Jim Boylen, which is a uniquely Reinsdorfian, Chicago sobriquet to describe a coach. To put it in purely South Side terms, Grifol was the worst Sox manager since Terry Bevington. This year, it was no secret to those around the team, or the game, that Getz wasn’t enamored with his manager. Behind closed doors, the two sparred during the season over player usage, a disconnect that was understandable. Getz’s focus was keeping guys healthy for the trade deadline. Grifol was trying to win games to save his job and his reputation."

https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox-jerry-reinsdorf-dan-bernstein.html

https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/white-sox-analyst-steve-stone-future-john-schriffen.html

Getz yesterday on the Mully & Haugh show said they were not shutting him down for the season and he would continue to start games.

Floyd: Just FYI when I said I thought this was a good interview I meant from the hosts perspective. If I didn't make that clear that's on me.

If he doesn't realize he is in over his head, we are in deeper trouble than we think.

We'll just have to disagree then on the interview. Also just FYI, I don't know JR (have met him twice though briefly and corresponded with him directly and he answered. Why? Because I was respectful in my comments) so I'm not "scared" of him. Also I no longer live in Chicago nor do I work in the Chicago media.

Apparently JR was at the game tonight. From Steve Greenberg's postgame story: "That is, unless you count the sight of owner Jerry Reinsdorf making the rounds behind the batting cage Friday before a game against the Cubs. The old man slapped the shoulders of the new coaches who’ve replaced the ones fired along with Pedro Grifol. He hugged Ozzie Guillen and walked side-by-side with Harold Baines. He avoided eye contact with reporters, as is his custom. There went Reinsdorf — lord of all he surveys, including and especially the worst team on the planet’s galling 28-89 record. But enough about that."

The hosts asked Getz about the fact that fans don't trust the organization and don't have any confidence right now in things. That's not good enough for you? And yes the questions you pose are valid ones, I've got no issues with them. They could have been asked also as long as it was done in a respectful way and not in an accusatory voice. You want the latter perspective and that isn't going to fly in the long run. The "Jay Mariotti" style of broadcasting doesn't usually work very well. Most fans I know think "Mad Dog" Russo or Skip Bayless are provocateur's and basically idiots.

Right...rip a guy apart, get no answers out of them and cut off your nose to spite your face because "real" fans want blood. Meanwhile you never get the guy again for an interview. Again the word is PROFESSIONALISM. Based on your comments, your complete not understanding of how things are done and a four letter word every other word, I assumed you had a beer or two or six or 12. The hosts put Getz on the spot got him to at least semi-answer their questions and provide information. If you don't like the answers well, that's to bad because that's all you are going to get from the organization and frankly I'm surprised Getz even said what he did and didn't completely dance around things. You don't like what this franchise has become? Get in line with the rest of us. You want real change? Get used to this fact, it's not happening...not yesterday, not today and not tomorrow until new ownership arrives. So, take care of yourself, eat right, exercise, see your doctor once a year and hope to outlive current ownership and see better days. That's all I've got and that's all you've got.

We'll see what eventually happens with this.

I've been a Sox fan for 63 seasons now. I'm as embarrassed as I have ever been about this incompetent, dysfunctional and inept organization. Interviewing a subject is an art form, you don't go all balls out, blow the guy up and expect him to ever consent to an interview again. It's called respect and common courtesy whether the subject deserves it on not. Another word is professionalism. You're pissed I get it, you're embarrassed I get it. There's nothing anyone can do about it now but hope for the best and hope to outlive current ownership. That's the way it is. Feel free to have another beer or six. Or do what I've been doing, watching games on You Tube from good seasons (or in my case from out of my library. I've got 74 games dating back to 1981)

His raw talent is off the charts. His inability to stay healthy saddled with a poor organization has probably beaten him down mentally where he doesn't care anymore and he's probably pissed he wasn't traded.

Correct. Sox blew leads in the 8th inning (Leasure) in the first game and in the 7th inning (Soroka/Schuester) in the second game.

I have been in the sports media since 1978 yes, but to me that's irrelevant. They made Getz explain his restrictions on the managerial search. They asked him directly if the decision on the hiring was his, they specifically asked about what TLR's relationship is to the front office, the directly asked about the fact the Sox don't pay managers well (unlike the Cubs) and would that make an impact and they specifically asked if JR understands what is going on (the implication that at age 88, he may be losing his mental faculties) and tried to get a time line with one host saying he has elderly family members who could be dead before the Sox are good again. Yea...that's a damn good interview and to an extent put Getz on the spot. What would YOU have them ask?

Of course the wild card in everything moving forward is how long JR owns the club. The 'rebuild" could be even longer if new ownership arrives, fires everyone and literally has to start from scratch.

Very good point but then again JR likes Stone the same couldn't be said for Benetti.