Lip Man 1

Agreed. They played well. Don't know if I've ever seen a squeeze called on an 0-2 pitch before though. Gutsy call.

We aim to please! ?

Gio pitched very well. It's the White Sox...what can you do?

I hope you are right about 2020 but with all the injuries and all the missed developmental time by said kids it's looking more and more likely 2021 or 2022.

The good news is the bullpen couldn't blow the game tonight in the late innings because basically the game was already lost.

10th game this year the Sox lost when leading in the 7th inning or later. Fourth time they blown the lead in the 9th inning. Soria's done it himself three times now, Jones was the other time. Sigh.

Then that reflects to a certain extent on the front office doesn't it? I mean this has been going on since the last few years of Ozzie's reign. (i.e. being "baseball-stupid.") Absolutely the players deserve a big share of the blame for this but the organization apparently isn't teaching it very well either since some of these guys the last eight years or so came up through the system. Plus the manager does have one hammer in all this, playing time. If a guy consistently keeps screwing up simple things, like run down's or throwing to the wrong base from the outfield, he can always sit them. Plus a manager can order additional practice before games (which used to be a daily occurrence back in the day) I know Ventura actually did this a few times. It was quickly reported on by the media. The Sox seemed to play better fundamentally for a time if I remember right. Then Ventura stopped doing it for some reason.

If KW thinks that RR and his staff are doing an excellent job teaching the fundamentals then obviously the message isn't getting through to the guys on the field.

Correct. The power of the Tribune Company in owning the Tribune, plus WGN radio, plus WGN-TV, plus Superstation WGN plus Chicagoland cable TV (I think that's what it was called) clearly gave them a huge advantage. Now add in the Sox bizarre reluctant to even fight for their own share of their home market (i.e. "We're Chicago's American League team...") and the marketing brilliance of John McDonough in promoting Wrigley Field and the experience (even though the Cubs sucked on the field for many years) and it all added up to the situation where we are in now. Ironically Eddie Einhorn himself predicted this was going to happen the day the Sox were eliminated by Baltimore when he said (paraphrasing) 'As long as the Tribune Company holds all these media outlets the Sox will never get a fair shake...' (I've got the WLS broadcast from that night in my library which has the story and the quotes) Of course EE was partially responsible too because he was the biggest proponent of the 'We're Chicago's American League team' concept and then SportsVision which was a brilliant idea, but ahead of its time and a dismal failure which kept the Sox out of the eye of the public and turned a generation of fans to the Cubs because they could actually watch their games. It's a very complicated story but again the end result is the Sox find themselves in the position they are in clearly second fiddle in the market and from that standpoint facing some serious issues.

I just saw yesterday where the Dodgers are moving five games to "free-TV" because of the on-going issues with their regional sports network and cable operators in So. California.

Is this the same Yolmer with nine or 10 errors already? I think he's a decent player, a good sub playing once or twice a week on a solid team...nothing more in my opinion.

Maybe in 2021

Especially with Moncada the next hitter and he's done well the last few games. Makes no sense to me.

Don't know if anyone saw this but Friday a federal judge ruled that Dustin Fowler's case against the Sox and the state agency that runs Guaranteed Rate Field can proceed in circuit court. Fowler's lawsuit filed last December claims the Sox and the ISFA were negligent in not securing the unpadded electrical box he collided with along the right field line. Judge Gary Feinerman rejected the Sox motion to remove the case directly to federal court. Fowler is seeking an unspecified amount of money from the Sox and the ISFA.

Don't want any part of Avi long term. None what so ever.

9th game the Sox have lost when leading in the 7th inning or later.

Personally given the number of injuries, the time not playing, the inconsistent performances of some guys and the youth of others I hope the Sox don't call anybody up this year. Let the guys heal, maybe Hansen, Dunning, Robert can play in the Arizona Fall League and then see everyone in February.

Here you go gang: Robert out another four to eight weeks with another injury to that thumb. Assuming the middle ground (four weeks), that'll run his total time missed to 16 weeks (four months) of time because of two injuries to the same thumb. Eloy out two weeks with a strained left adductor muscle. So the total for the prospects is: Robert (two serious injuries), Eloy, Dunning, Burger (two serious injuries), Burdi, Cordell, Hansen and Adolfo. The "baseball-gods" keep giving the middle finger to the Sox. Unbelievable.

He fired him because it became personal between him and Himes. To wit: On the firing of G.M. Larry Himes in September 1990: “The fact is, Larry Himes cannot get along with anybody. You can hardly find anybody in the Sox organization that wasn’t happy when Larry Himes left.” – Jerry Reinsdorf to radio talk show host Chet Coppock. September 1990. “The past is gone. The fact we did reach Point C this year doesn’t mean Larry (Himes) wouldn’t have reached it. It does mean we guessed right with Ron (Schueler). I just felt at the time a change was necessary, so let’s not think about anything but the future. We all have a good relationship now.” – Jerry Reinsdorf to the Chicago Sun - Times’ Joe Goddard and Tony Ginnetti. September 28, 1993. Pg. 92. Also I've been told that down the stretch in 1990 JR and his people were pushing Himes to acquire some vets to help, Himes refused. (Pitcher Mike Scott was the name I was told) Plus you've got this from my interview with then manager Jeff Torborg: ML: At the trade deadline the Sox were only three games behind the A’s yet the only thing the organization did was get reserve outfielder Phil Bradley from the Orioles. Were you disappointed especially since there was a lot of talk about the Sox getting guys like pitcher Mike Scott? JT: “Sure we were disappointed especially since that same day the A’s picked up Harold Baines and Willie McGee. I was sitting in my hotel room when I saw the news come across the TV and I thought ‘how did that happen?’ because we were behind Oakland, we could have put in a claim. At almost the same time I was thinking this I got a call from Jerry Reinsdorf and he asked me “what’s going on?” All I could tell him was that I didn’t know.” “And you mentioned Mike Scott…this is the first time I’ve ever heard anything like that. If that’s true that just goes to show you that I wasn’t involved in everything that may have been going on. (Author’s Note: ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight’s” lead anchor Dave Marash reported when Larry Himes was fired in mid-September, that part of the reason was, that he wasn’t interested in trading any of his minor league talent for more highly regarded players for the stretch drive. This apparently caused a wedge between him and ownership.)

Apparently Robert is back on the DL with a thumb injury. I don't know if it is the same one he hurt in spring training or not. Eloy left the game today after he hurt himself on a swing. Garfein thinks it may be a leg injury. They keep dropping like flies the past three seasons.

A number of bad starts and an ERA of around 5.5 I think.

I understand where you are coming from and there is some truth in your comment but JR isn't selling. He didn't sell yesterday, he isn't today and he's not tomorrow. Just not happening and he's not going to fire the baseball side of his front office like John Allyn did in September 1970. He probably should, but he won't. As Kenny said many time. "it is what it is..." All we can do is hope it works out.

From Sunday's Sun-Times: Manager Rick Renteria said Moncada didn’t go all-out to the plate, thinking Andrus, fielding Jose Abreu’s sharp grounder to his right, was conceding the run and throwing to first. “If you’re asking me if he gave his best effort, no he did not,” Renteria said.

What is going to be the important part for the Sox is what do they get money-wise for the new TV deal? Considering the past 11 years and the fact they are rebuilding, that could depress the market for them (as well as not potentially having multiple suitors. Seattle, Arizona and St. Louis all got billion(s) dollar deals when their rights were up. I don't know if the Sox can get that in a split market but we'll see.

They still own I think 40% combined between the Sox and Bulls since they are owned by the same group / individual.