Lip Man 1

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 15, 2015 -> 09:29 AM) And the end result is going to be...we paid $9 million for him this season, the A's paid $1.5 million, the A's will have those guys for 4-5 more years, and we will keep seeing comments here about how the White Sox minor leagues has no depth while wondering how that could possibly have happened. The White Sox have called up several players this year from their minors and just by having them be non-terrible, they've helped this team to winning streaks (Tyler, Trayce). Depth can be nice too. Counting the draft picks...we gave up 6 players from our minor leagues for the privilege of the 2015 season and we'll be lucky to get 1 back next summer. That's what happens when you have that "go for it" attitude (right Kenny??????) LOL. Mark

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Aug 12, 2015 -> 09:10 PM) When it happens game after game it shows staff not working enough with players to know what to do in easy baseball 101 situations. Remember though Mark Parent told the media "these are major leaguers" it's not up to the coaches to work with them every day...LOL Mark

QUOTE (LDF @ Aug 12, 2015 -> 10:24 AM) ok i will acknowledge your snark. but if the sox really cared, they should have continue the rebuild in the off season instead of stopping. yet jr went on and lambasted the fans for not buying more season tickets.... that is money he was talking about..... more profit. Never saw or heard anything like that. I know Cooper and Kenny at three times this year questioned where the fans were or their baseball knowledge. Mark

Lot happened on this day August 11th....including a no-hitter in 1991. Have two audio cuts as part of TDISH for you to enjoy. On the first audio cut by the way, the actual audio starts :10 seconds into it. Enjoy. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2015/08/t...rezs-no-hitter/ Mark

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 11, 2015 -> 02:08 PM) If they don't fire him I expect he will get at least 1 more year. If you're not firing him you have to - don't want to have him become a "free agent manager" if the team overperforms next year. No disrespect but even if somehow the Sox over perform next year, what team would really want Ventura? Mark

Why? LOL. Mark

QUOTE (Baron @ Aug 10, 2015 -> 06:01 PM) I put embarrassed So did I. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 10, 2015 -> 05:19 PM) I tried, but it crashed for me. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Mark

I'd encourage fans to take a few minutes, answer the questions and pass along your thoughts. I'm not saying it will make any difference but I do know if fans don't tell management how they feel, NOTHING will certainly change. http://www.baseballfanconversations.com/a/...77520-824375113 Mark

Given the way people rarely leave the organization let along get outright fired job security should be the thing they should be least concerned over. Marl

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 10, 2015 -> 01:44 PM) As a White Sox fan I found his opening campaigning for a contract extension with a year left on his deal and his team collapsing, then opening courting another job during the season WAY more troubling then any of his personal political views. His political views don't concern me nearly as much as his penchant for putting his own self in front of the team. Very true. Mark

QUOTE (LDF @ Aug 10, 2015 -> 12:25 PM) great stuff. a question.... how much of a factor was ozzie's kid being involved. You mean "kids". Let's put it this way...they didn't help the dynamic. Mark

Nice story by Dan. Here's a little more historical info on Ozzie and his "situation": He was considered “the face of the franchise” for eight seasons but on this night (September 26, 2011) after a 4-3 win over Toronto, manager Ozzie Guillen announced he was leaving after owner Jerry Reinsdorf agreed to let him out of the final year of his contract. Guillen, who was the 1985 A.L. Rookie of the Year with the White Sox, won the World Series in 2005 and also got the club into the playoffs in 2008. He had five winning seasons in the eight years as manager and was named Manager of the Year for his work in 2005. In that magical season of 2005, “Ozzie-ball” resulted in the Sox getting off to the best start in their history and with a perfect blend of pitching, speed, power and the ability to execute the fundamentals the Sox were in first place from wire to wire. Then they blitzed through the post season putting together an 11-1 record that was the third best post season record in baseball history. Guillen’s passion and enthusiasm for the franchise was unparalleled but at times he was his own worst enemy. Over his final years in Chicago he became increasingly thin-skinned and defensive when criticism was directed his way and he lashed out at Sox fans on more than one occasion. Among his famous rants against the fans were one where he said that they could ‘‘turn off their TVs and stop watching the game if they don’t like the [bleep]ing lineup’’ and another in May 2011 where he claimed Sox fans would not remember him “as soon as you leave the ballpark they don’t care about you. They don’t. The monuments, the statues…they pee on them when they get drunk.” On the afternoon of the day he left the team Guillen told reporters that he would not want to return to fulfill his 2012 contract unless he got an extension and more money. Ozzie’s relationship with G.M. Kenny Williams also deteriorated over the final few years because the two men appeared to have different viewpoints over how the roster should be constructed and the style to which the Sox should play. Guillen’s family didn’t help the situation with social media comments derogatory to Williams. Many felt when Ozzie was hired in November 2003 that he was the right man for the right team at the right time and for a few years he was. Unfortunately the manager with the longest tenure since Al Lopez let some personal foibles override a good situation and it was best for all that a parting of the ways took place. Mark

I wouldn't be surprised if two / thirds of the crowd this weekend for the Cubs series are made up of Cub fans. And I wouldn't blame Sox fans for staying away given the franchises performance certainly since September 2012. Something else I've noticed which should be troubling to the organization. On the on-line version of the Tribune the past two mornings, not one word, one story is about the Sox on the page that first comes up on the screen. As bad as the Sox are you'd think the "badness" would get some mention. It isn't. The Sox are becoming totally irrelevant in their own city. Not blaming the papers in one sense (although from a journalistic standpoint it shouldn't matter what the team's record is). My guess is that the majority of the season ticket holders who signed up this year after the off season spending spree on veterans in their 30's won't be back. Mark

QUOTE (Saufley @ Aug 9, 2015 -> 04:28 PM) Let's be real and let's be honest now. Really, how does Ventura not deserve to be let go? This is big business and this team is losing the fan base. How can the management and the ownership not be aware of this? I'm totally dumbfounded!!! You have to take into account that with the enormous sums of money flowing into MLB I seriously doubt any team is losing money now. And that's not even taking into account "revenue sharing." Unfortunately under those circumstances "winning" and "losing" may not be impacting the bottom line like in decades past. Unless an owner has the mentality of George Steinbrenner where the only thing that mattered was winning, it simply may no longer be an issue. Save for as I said, personal pride...maybe. Mark

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Aug 9, 2015 -> 03:36 PM) Too have Hahn sit there with a straight face and say, he did not want to mess with the teams chemistry was it for me. This team was not even .500 WTF! To be fair and from a devil's advocate standpoint the team was playing very well heading into the break and Hahn may also have been saying what he did because no other team wanted what he was offering. (If that's true that speaks volumes about how MLB views the Sox "talent". Personally I think there's some truth to the last part of my statement. Honestly who wants a lot of the s*** we put out there day after day? Mark

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Aug 9, 2015 -> 03:36 PM) Too have Hahn sit there with a straight face and say, he did not want to mess with the teams chemistry was it for me. This team was not even .500 WTF! To be fair and from a devil's advocate standpoint the team was playing very well heading into the break and Hahn may also have been saying what he did because no other team wanted what he was offering. (If that's true that speaks volumes about how MLB views the Sox "talent". Personally I think there's some truth to the last part of my statement. Honestly who wants a lot of the s*** we put out there day after day? Mark

Three straight one run losses. The only consistent thing about this team this year is their inconsistency and inability to stand prosperity. Two examples: Win six straight...then lose seven of the next eight. Win seven straight...then lost eight of the next 10 (and counting...) When you have as poor an overall approach to hitting as the Sox have, plus poor base running judgment and at best mediocre defense you simply can't go on extended runs no matter how many "veterans" you bring in. Fundamentals fans decide close games. Always has, always will and the Sox are bad at those aspects of the game. Mark

Who wears short shorts? The White Sox do. This Date in Sox History for August 8th has a five minute video from a fan at one of the games in 1976. I'm sure some of the players are still trying to forget about it! http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2015/08/347/ Mark

Sox couldn't beat the Royals with regularity when they were good and Kansas City was trash. No reason to think they can beat them now that K.C. is good. Mark

Just my opinion. I think Ramirez is gone after the season and unless Micah can stay healthy and get over his hamstring issues, his futue with the Sox is dubious at best. Can't play Tyler at third base. Third base is a power / RBI position. You've got to have a masher at that position who plays decent defense. Now who that can be for the Sox I have no idea. I can see Tyler as the all around utility guy next year since Gordon and Bonafacio will be gone. Sanchez is settling in nicely at second leave him there. Mark

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Aug 8, 2015 -> 09:55 AM) They played nice a couple weeks back and as a result did not sell. They mentally checked out in April and never really appeared ready to go. This organization became relevant with a one week run. In Chicago now they are about on par with the golf tourney or NASCAR race as at as relevance. Unfortunately I have to agree with that last statement 1000%. Mark

One more for the road. Sox have played 107 games. They have scored three runs or less now in 57 of them. That's 53% of their games this year...that's not good. Mark

Last four hitters in the starting line up tonight all hitting under .250. Basically that's almost half of your starting lineup in "automatic out" status. Simply can't win that way very often anyway. As Kenny would say, "it is what it is..." LOL. Mark

Offense has scored three runs or less in four of their last eight games. Tonight marked the 15th time the Sox held an opponent to three runs or less...and lost. Mark