Lip Man 1

The baseball gods look down on the White Sox and laugh. Or as John Lennon once sang, "Instant Karma's gonna get you...gonna knock you right in the head..." The season can't end soon enough. Mark

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 01:27 PM) Cool, I like forward to many more seasons of ~78 wins. re: the bolded, identical post could have been made last year. Year before. Year before that. etc. As long as JR is in the camp of no rebuilding (and as of right now he is) there will not be one. It's that simple. Mark

QUOTE (Black_Jack29 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 03:49 PM) And that'll totally fix everything! A friend of mine is a huge Mets fan, but doesn't spend his time on message boards b****ing about how the Wilpons screwed his team by getting into bed with Madoff. He's had to focus his energy on the adult aspects of life, such as getting laid off and dealing with a child who has vision problems due to a birth defect. Some fans are more fortunate then your friend so they are able to focus their energies on something they are passionate about...the Chicago White Sox. Different strokes for different folks. Sweeping generalizations are rarely correct or accurate in my opinion. If fans aren't able to vent, or post opinions why is this web site available? Mark

Just heard from a second source who was told the same thing, JR does not want a rebuild and unless that changes it simply won't happen. Mark

QUOTE (miracleon35th @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 11:13 AM) The Sox are one of the oldest franchises in major league baseball, a team that defeated the Cubs in the World Series in 1906, and has won the World Series twice sionce then including one 11 years ago. Never forget, the last time we heard this kind of talk about the Cubs taking over the entire Chicago metro area was in the Fall of 2003, just before the NLCS. LOL! And how did the Cubs do in the Mets series in last years NLCS? Swept! O for 4. Yes, indeed, things can turn around rather quickly in sports. Does anyone think the Yankees and Dodgers or the Giants and Cardinals will ever stay down for very long? Stop all the hand wringing, finger pointing and worst of all the false outrage from pseudo Sox fans (aka Cub fans). Go to a game with friends, tail gate and have a good time. If you are a fair weather fan, , take your s---- to the Northside and leave Sox fans alone. Enough of the piling on. This has gotten way old. Get a life and move the ____ on. I agree with one thing you wrote...yes it has gotten old. The losing, the mismanagement the failing to make the postseason. All of that is true in my opinion. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 11:21 AM) This is the big thing. This is the worst free agent market in history, and we have a TON of pieces that could go. Take this for what it may be worth to you, regarding Buster Olney's comments this morning about the Sox and the possibility of moves this winter / rebuild. Just heard from a source who said to not discount JR in everything that happens this off season. That he DOES NOT WANT to rebuild....and JR has 51% of the vote as it turns out in anything that takes place with the franchise. Meaning his vote/voice is the final one. Mark

We go to August 2, 1990. In the first game of a double header first baseman Frank Thomas made his major league debut in Milwaukee. The greatest hitter in franchise history went 0-4 in his first game. The next night Frank narrowly missed a home run in the seventh inning when his line shot hit the top of the wall in right field and went for a triple. It would be his first major league hit. The Sox would sweep five games from the Brewers that weekend. A bit of trivia; when Thomas came up with the Sox he did not wear #35. His first number was #15. We've got the audio from Thomas' first major league hit. Announcers are Jim Durham and Tom Paciorek. Courtesy: WGN-TV. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/08/t...frank-comes-up/ The audio clip can be found about halfway down the page. And yes I've already contacted the folks about the headline which is wrong. LaRussa wasn't "canned" on this day...he was hired. Mark

QUOTE (shipps @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 08:57 AM) Ever since the team completely fell on their face once the 2015 season began a year and a half ago it seems Hahn has lost a lot of, if not all, the confidence and trust from the fan base and it appears it isn't repairable. The public sees a FO that doesnt seem to be in line with one another. There is no synergy throughout the organization (Phil Emery reference:)). The moves that have been made have rarely panned out which were questioned by many at the time they were made. Admittedly some of the moves many of us liked, but because of the trust that we had in them that they were doing the right thing and that they were going according to plan (2-3 year window which they spoke of). They give constant mixed signals in the media, whether it be different directions of philosophy from KW and Hahn or what they are thinking one week being different from what they just said the week before. They build up ideas through the media to the fans that they dont quite follow through with and it leaves the fans in an outrage because they did not meet the expectations that THEY PUT IN OUR HEADS. When they talk about going for it they strike out on all the big FA's that were available. They talk about identifying that this team isnt good enough and they have to get better before the trade deadline only to trade a bullpen arm in Duke which is one of the last guys you would think we needed to move. They have a 12 year old leader spark a revolt in the locker room during spring training. They have the best player cutting up jerseys on game day. No one shows respect for their manager publicly. They all do a terrible job of building a good relationship with the media and fans. There is no confidence in the team currently or for the future, nobody shows up to games, poor TV ratings and the core fan base (Us) which has always been strong is straying away from having any interest or respect for the organization whatsoever. Could the Sox be a team that relocates in the next decade? I dont see the support waiting to be there for them even if they do come around and have a surprise season next year or the year after. It wont come until they change from the top down. Well things aren't going well on a number of fronts for this organization including the worst stretch of sustained bad baseball since the period from 1968-1980 if they have their seventh losing season in ten years this year...but moving? Just can't see it because of the good stadium lease and the money the franchise is making. And make no bones about it, they are in good shape financially. Mark

From David Haugh's column tonight. As I mentioned earlier part of the theme was that he simply didn't trust the front office but he also wrote this: "For all intents and purposes, any suspense Monday marked the end of real drama in the Sox season. Nobody expects a spurt. A team Hahn said was mired in mediocrity has shown every indication it will stay there. Let the next movement begin, whatever it is. Reinsdorf should make no small plans unless he enjoys being average. Sox fans deserve better than average." Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 09:10 PM) If it didn't bother you, you wouldn't have posted this thread, nor responded like this. It is a message board, which means that other people can, and will respond to your posts. Thanks for playing though. Southside: I simply was curious how others felt. That's all pure and simple. As others have posted in the past there's no need to offer snarky reply's to honest questions. That's simply common courtesy. We're not in grade school anymore playing a game of who can cut somebody up better right? There was no ulterior motive on my part. Period. Is that so hard to understand? And if anyone assumes there was I'll get pissed off. I know what my intentions were... nobody else. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 08:09 PM) Yep. If it bothers you that bad, don't do it. Southside: It doesn't bother me a tinker's cuss either way. I simply wanted to get some feedback. This is a message board correct or am I hallucinating? Thanks for playing though. Jesus. Mark

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 06:51 PM) How many of these threads do we need? Excuse me. I didn't know there were any others. Mark

Thought this deserved its own thread for discussion purposes. Why watch / listen / care the final two months especially since an influx of young talent isn't coming in and these guys are out of the pennant race? I'm curious to read what others think. I can think of only two possible reasons: 1. Chris Sale - Can he win 20 games, can he win the Cy Young. A month ago I would have said both are slam dunk's...now? I don't know. 2. Can the Sox finish with a winning season for the first time since 2012? Three under right now and another tough stretch of games coming up. I don't think they can. In fact they may win fewer games then in 2015 when all is said and done. I think they'll finish six to eight under. Fourth straight losing year and seventh in the last 10. So...why watch / listen / care? Mark

Columns are out at the newspapers. Saying a lot of what Sox fans are saying everywhere. Rick Morrissey said he was glad the Sox didn't trade Sale because that's the only reason to watch the team calling them "boring." Daryl Van Schouwen at the Sun-Times wrote if the Sox make any moves it'll be in the winter. Quoted a scout as saying more teams will be involved. Haven't seen David Haugh's yet but in an e-mail earlier we discussed some things and he said frankly he doesn't trust this front office to get good value / top talent back for Sale or Q so he's glad they didn't trade them. I told him the same thing I've said at other times...Sox are between the rock and a hard place, no easy answers...no simple solutions everything is interrelated. You can't fix A then fix B then fix C. Things are so convoluted who knows how they are going to get out of this, if ever before new ownership eventually comes to pass. Mark

Anything can still happen around August 30th and in the off season but in my opinion if I had to bet, I'd bet the Sox are going to "go for it" yet again in 2017...just like they went for it in 2015 and 2016. Rebuilding simply isn't in the DNA of this front office for whatever reason or reasons. Now I'm sure the Sox realize that they are going to have to overcome some severe handicaps next year. To wit: 1. A poor free agent class. 2. Little depth on the major league roster. Trading pieces off it could open up more holes to fill. 3. Little depth in the minor league system to make deals. Same situation as the big league roster, they need to hoard the talent they have...not trade it. 4. Budget limitations whether self imposed or not. That's a lot to overcome when realistically the Sox are going to have to fill black holes at catcher, center field, DH, at least two spots in the bullpen, three would be better and possibly a back end of the rotation starter. All I can say is that would be a challenge for the best organizations. Mark

July 31st was a historic day for a number of reasons in White Sox history some were memorable. Some fans are still trying to forget (the White Flag Trade). Among all the events were three that we’ve been able to get audio of and you can find all of them at this location: http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/07/t...ting-contreras/ Regarding the historic audio we start with July 31, 1972. Dick Allen's first of his two inside the park home runs in the same game at Minnesota. Both were hit off Bert Blyleven. The Sox won 8-1 with Dick driving in five RBI's on the day. His first home run scored Pat Kelly and Luis Alvarado ahead of him. It’s something that has rarely happened in baseball history. And listen for the sound made when Allen connected with the pitch. When Dick hit them square, it was a sound like no other player made. Announcer: Jack Drees. Courtesy: WFLD-TV. https://soundcloud.com/soxnet/allen-inside-the-park-hr-1972 Then we move to July 31, 1977. It was the year of the “Southside Hit Men.” Ralph Garr's hit gave the Sox and six and a half game lead over the Twins and Royals, the largest lead that late in a season since 1972. It wouldn't last as Kansas City became unconscious the last two months and won the division but the Sox still went 90- 72 to finish third. It was some summer! Announcer: Lorn Brown. Courtesy: WMAQ Radio. And listen to the capacity crowd at Comiskey Park begin chanting in unison “we’re number one!” https://soundcloud.com/soxnet/garrs-hit-beats-royals-1977 And finally the moment that made Robin Ventura’s career as a player July 31, 1991. The white hot White Sox capped off a sizzling month with one of the most dramatic moments in team history. The Sox trailed the Rangers 8-6 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Texas brought in former Sox All Star pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage to close things out. But the goose got cooked on this night as with two out, Robin Ventura hammered a grand slam into the right field stands winning the game 10-8. A full house, which included noted Cub fan Bill Murray sitting almost behind home plate, went wild as Ventura was bodily lifted off the ground by massive Frank Thomas in a celebration hug at home plate. Announcers: Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and Tom Paciorek. Courtesy: SportsChannel-Chicago. https://soundcloud.com/soxnet/venturas-gran...lam-winner-1991 Mark

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 09:13 AM) why does Sanchez keep getting chances but not Leury Garcia? I know Garcia has been horrible in his MLB opportunities, but he's killing it in AAA unlike Sanchez. L. Garcia isn't the answer either... career four A player. More deadwood in my opinion that the Sox don't need. Mark

Well maybe it's because this front office doesn't like to admit failure. Tearing everything down, trading guys like Sale and Q basically are admitting, "we screwed up big time..." Mark

QUOTE (Deadpool @ Jul 31, 2016 -> 03:09 PM) Hard to tell. First of all, it's really unclear who is in charge in this organization. I'm not saying he has done a great job, but I'm concerned he might not have full control of personnel based on the various comments from Kenny on the way the organization works. In most organizations, the GM is hired as head of personnel with a few exceptions. To answer your question, most organizations would have fired Hahn, but most would probably not have his boss working that closely over his shoulder. Deadpool: I'm glad you brought this up. Heard from one of the mainstream media members yesterday and I was asking about this. Was told that Hahn still isn't "up" on things (direct quote) and that's why Kenny steps in as much as he has been. This brings up an interesting point. This is year three of Hahn supposedly being in charge. What could he possible be not "up" on after all that time? (Not counting the years he spent in the organization working under Kenny...) Just gets curiouser and curiouser doesn't it? Mark

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jul 31, 2016 -> 02:52 PM) Twins 4 errors and win ............only the Sox pull this s***! How about hitting seven home runs in a game and losing...just sayin' Only two more months of this s*** left to go! Out of all the disappointments this year (and there have been a lot) Rodon has been one of the biggest. This guy now looks like he has no idea what he wants to do out there. Mark

QUOTE (Tex @ Jul 31, 2016 -> 01:24 AM) Konerko . . . Said he wants no part of being in baseball until his kids grow up just last week. Mark

Kid went to the same high school as Hahn. I'll be curious now to see how Duke performs with a better organization. Mark

The Sox bullpen is really, really, REALLY bad. Mark

QUOTE (dmbjeff @ Jul 30, 2016 -> 01:33 PM) Do you really think they will spend $50 million in salary next year to fill these positions with players who are actually good? Then what do they do in 2018 when Frazier, Lawrie and Melky's contracts are up? Spend another $50 million to replace. Now is the time to sell and rebuild the farm. This situation could not be any more ideal. Selling 2 of the top SP in the game and get back huge hauls for the future. Trading now will have you in a good position as early as 2018. Keep in mind that even if the Sox wanted to spend that kind of money the free agent class is poor. That means in all probability if they are "going for it" yet again they are going to have to make trades. That does two things, deplete an average at best farm system and potentially create MORE holes on the big league roster because they traded someone off it. The Sox have been reduced to "hope and a prayer" that they can catch lightening in a bottle. Mark

Well hopefully it's Kenny and Ventura. Mark