Lip Man 1

QUOTE (soxforlife05 @ May 28, 2016 -> 04:50 PM) Wasn't that Billy Koch's first game after we traded for him? Yes sir. Another brilliant Kenny move! Mark

Royals have done this before, remember Ozzie's first game April 5, 2004. They scored six in the 9th on opening day. Only Robin and Cooper (Dumb and Dumber) would use five pitchers in one inning, then the next day use the closer in a non save situation. Mark

The season was defined by the Texas Two-Step game. This is just adding insult to injury. If Ventura isn't fired immediately tonight he's not going to be until the end of the year (maybe...) Three more two out RBI's. In a sick way I actually think its kind of funny. Maybe this is what it will take to get JR off his rear end. Mark

What Robin does well is be loyal to JR and a former Sox player so he's "family." That's what he does well and that's all that matters in the White Sox playbook. Mark

Wow...simply Wow. Once again Robin insists on bringing in Duke to face a left hander and once again he can't get the guy out. Three more RBI's tonight with two out. As Tom Petty once sang, "Yea I'm free...free fallin'" It's going to be another long ugly summer fans. Mark

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 26, 2016 -> 09:08 AM) David Wells hurt his back, it wasn't like he pitched the entire season and had a crappy season then went back to normal. He had a bad back from the get go Swisher was a whiny little b**** and pouted when he sucked. And that hasn't changed Which has nothing to do with the fact that as soon as he got out of town he became an All Star with the Yankees if I remember right. At the very least he turned back into a pretty good hitter. And Wells did not have a bad back "from the get go" he hurt his back in June if I remember. If he did, that makes Williams an idiot for trading for him anyway doesn't it? Mark

Reminds me of Jerry Manuel, Neal Cotts, Mark Buehrle and the Yankees from 2003. That didn't work out to well did it? Mark

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ May 26, 2016 -> 08:26 PM) Why would you not throw the best starters you can at a division rival and the defending world champions? Not pitching Sale in this series to get Gonzalez a start is incomprehensibly stupid. Agreed Robin & Cooper strike again! Mark

Great news...Sox can't lose tonight! Woo Hoo! Mark

Apparently Cooper or no one on the staff picked up on it. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs...p-some-pitches/ May explain why he's 'suddenly' doing well in San Francisco this season. Sounds like what happened with David Wells and Nick Swisher as soon as they left the organization. Mark

This will be the 11th start this season by a Sox 5th starter. They are 0-7 so far. That's 1996 and 2003 bad. Maybe the 11th time is the charm? LOL. Mark

QUOTE (SCCWS @ May 25, 2016 -> 02:46 PM) Mark: How important is the manager. I thought hiring Robin was dumb because he had zero experience. You say you want a ML manager w a proven track record. I submit 2 current names John Farrell--- was well respected pitching coach w Francona. Goes to Toronto and has 2 mediocre seasons of sub .500 baseball. Hired by Red Sox and wins World Series in first year. Next year w virtually the same team finished dead last. last year struggle again and then he is forced to leave for health problems. Interim manager comes in and Sox improve over last 2 months. Takes over this season and Red Sox at this point are playing very good baseball. My take---the team play determines his success since his career as a manager is a roller-coaster. Ned Yost---manager for Brewers for 5 years w sub .500 record and no post season appearances. He is fired and hired in 2010 by Royals. In 5+ years w Royals he has a sub-500 record but a 22-9 record in postseason and a WS win. Two guys who managed losing teams were rehired and have won a World Series and both are still sub 500 career managers. I think the team is much more important than the manager or his track record before he is hired. Good managers set the tone, make solid baseball decisions and put the players they have in the BEST positions to win games. That's how a manager is important. He is not the be-all / end-all but a good manager is damn valuable. Mark

If Ozzie was the last manager on Earth I wouldn't want him. After the way he quit on the team, whined about a new contract right before the biggest series of the year against Detroit in August 2011 if I remember correctly plus how he embarrassed the organization. No f***ing way. Mark

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 25, 2016 -> 04:36 PM) This road trip to KC, NYM and Detroit is going to be huge. The White Sox IMO wouldn't have released John Danks if they weren't off to such a great start and occupying first place. They would have muddled along like the last 3 years. It has been quite some time since the days of Bevington, Lamont and LaRussa being fired in the middle of a season. That said, it just depends on how long this 4-11 "slump" continues. Obviously, we've let all three of our main opponents back into the AL Central race when the Tigers and Royals were on the verge of being buried. They're going to be playing before large crowds in three very hostile environments. Yet, for whatever reason, the White Sox have tended to play fairly well on the road and inexplicably haven't defended the home field well at all, other than stretches of 2008, 2010 and somewhat in 2012. Maybe they need that excitement and energy of being the underdog and being left for dead to get going again. For whatever reason, White Sox teams can't stand success very well when they are front-runners with higher expectations and manage to put themselves in a situation nearly every time where they have to battle back. I think you got the Bevington part wrong. He was never fired in season he lasted until the end of the 97 year then was dumped. JR went to personally talk with Jimmy Leyland about the job who said no because of the resentment he felt towards the way the organization fired his friend Gene Lamont. Then Tony LaRussa was involved in negotiations and according to Nightengale then with the Sporting News had agreed on a handshake deal with JR. That supposedly was torpedoed because Scheuler was upset LaRussa wanted full authority on player moves for the major league roster. Somehow JR chose Schu over Tony when Schue gave him an ultimatum. Mark

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 25, 2016 -> 03:26 PM) 82 wins after this start and the only ones they can sell progress to will be Merkin's and Boyer's children... White Sox have had close to perfect health. Again. The Indians have been without Brantley and Carrasco. Royals w/o Gordon, Moustakas, Medlen and Young. Tigers without Maybin and Daniel Norris. I get you and you are correct but that's exactly what they'll be doing because they have no other choice. They only good thing will be Ventura will be gone but he'll probably be replaced by another stooge / inexperienced person. Mark

Sox have played 48 games this season; have scored three runs or less in 24 of them (50%) Same s*** as last year and the year before...nothing has really changed. Mark

Not much you can say. 5th starter hasn't won a game yet and we are almost at Memorial Day and the hitting has disappeared plus even more alarming to me, they have started to make more errors and made base running blunders again. This club will probably be out of first place by the end of the week. Now in a real free fall 4-11 since they blew that game in Texas. 3-7 on a very important home stand. Two out runs being allowed now are staggering. It's all gone south and given the recent history and inability to consistently beat teams in the division (which continues save for Minnesota) the future doesn't look great. We'll see. Win 82 game at least and you can say progress is being made with a straight face. Mark

QUOTE (Black_Jack29 @ May 25, 2016 -> 09:13 AM) Because the Sox arguably don't have a better DH option right now, and because Avi was hitting well in late April and early May. His base running? Well that's a different matter isn't it? LOL. Mark

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ May 25, 2016 -> 10:19 AM) I want a guy to come in with a philosophy that makes sense in the modern era I want a guy to come in who has had previous managerial experience at the big league level and has won...not somebody learning on the job, a complete unknown or someone who literally had to be talked into taking the job. Even if such a guy isn't out there right now, that doesn't mean they won't be AND you can always try to negotiate with a team to get a manager even if he's under contract. Players have been traded for good managers in the past, one example is when Pittsburgh traded catcher Manny Sanguillen to Oakland for Chuck Tanner. Mark

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 24, 2016 -> 10:10 PM) The Sox have been unable to draft a position player for a decade. They have tried, but they have failed. I'm convinced it is a scouting problem. They can draft pitchers, but that's really it. There's some truth to what you say but it's also a fact that the Sox have had multiple guys in charge of the scouting and drafting areas over the past years...and nothing changes does it? Again just another indication to me the problems start higher up in the chain of command. And I've also been told by multiple good sources that JR himself has personally 'suggested' to people who the Sox should draft. Puts the scouting people in a tough spot...would you go against what the guy who signs your pay checks recommends? Mark

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ May 24, 2016 -> 09:34 PM) I don't think the team has quitvat all. I think some fans on this site have quit. This is a long season.I have seen positives snack think we will get it going again. Hahn also kbiwsvthwrevus some autocross do on his end to find some pieces Excuse me...what? I can't even understand what you tried to type. Mark

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ May 24, 2016 -> 09:25 PM) What happened to the days when they could get players like Dye, Konerko, Ordonez, Lee and Thomas who could jack one? I hope they draft a hitter this year and scout better for position players. I'm tired of all of the failures, lots of other teams get it right, why can't the Sox? Maybe to answer your question its because the people on the baseball side of the operation simply aren't very good at what they are supposed to be doing. The results on the field speak for themselves don't they? Three losing seasons in a row and six out of nine. No playoffs since 2008 only Seattle, Miami and San Diego have gone longer. A lot of those folks would have been fired long time ago in other organizations but not with the White Sox. Remember it's loyalty first, second and third over accountability. Mark

QUOTE (fathom @ May 24, 2016 -> 09:21 PM) By no means did they quit after it. More just lost some of the confidence they had late in games. Albers for sure has lost his swagger. You may be correct. If you are that says a lot about them mentally doesn't it? And that indicates a much bigger issue to me. Mark

Six guys in the starting lineup tonight now hitting .250 or less and Lawrie is at .251. You thought it couldn't happen again offensively from last year? Better think again. Hitters come to Chicago and die. There's an organizational issue in play here, its systemic...all these players the Sox have acquired since 2006 can't all be this bad when they put that uniform on. The players are partly responsible. Those that evaluate them, trade for them, sign them as free agent's are the bigger problem in my opinion. Mark

Another game another desultory offensive performance. You knew sooner or later Sale was going to lose but to Cleveland which is now a game and a half back...that makes it worse. 4-10 since the Texas Two-Step Night where they blew a five run lead in the 8th inning. Mark