harkness99

This guy.... he is talking about Abreu. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘struggling,’ ’’ hitting coach Todd Steverson said Monday. “For his standards, yeah. He’s found a way to maintain a decent average but he knows he’s getting himself out more than he should be. It hasn’t been about the pitchers, it’s been about him and being able to stick to a plan. He’s well aware of the things he’s been doing. It’s easy to see it.’’ Did this guy really say .237 is a decent average? No wonder we can't hit - the bar is high

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ May 24, 2016 -> 07:09 AM) This really makes no sense. The Sox have no chance because Abreu is struggling and yet the Sox are still in first place and 8 games over .500 despite Abreu's struggles. It makes every bit of sense... we struggle to score runs even when Abreu is decent. He has struggled throughout the year - but especially bad lately. If he is going to be bad we are really going to have trouble scoring. I guess you missed that KC series where we lost 2/3 games and scored 5 runs.

Can't believe how bad he has been.... If he doesn't get his head out of his a** we got no chance.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 23, 2016 -> 06:09 AM) Almost as bad as Dallas fans This message board is basically the same as every other... Don't know how many times I've seen that sentiment posted on every team message board ... "You guys are almost as bad or as bad as _________________insert whatever fan base is perceived to be exemplar for its obnoxious behavior. People just handle losing and winning in different ways. The only thing that really bothers me is the bandwagon type fan... but in the end there are no rules to fandom.

Well he has been on fire as of late... last year he was a 249 hitter with 7 hrs in 86 games.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ May 22, 2016 -> 05:22 PM) 3 runs in a win is excellent 3 runs in a loss is bad Such is baseball. The win is all that matters. 5 runs in 3 games = not good

I'll give it to Ventura... the spring training line up worked out. 5 runs in 3 games... offense has to wake up.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 22, 2016 -> 02:19 PM) Shocked the trio of Sands/Lawrie/Sanchez killed a rally lol this is a great post... This is the talent level our front office and manager churn out for us.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ May 22, 2016 -> 02:00 PM) The ABs by the team are absolutely lazy. Players have changed.. getting same lethargic results. The first thing to try is another manager... if its still the same then Hahn needs to go.

we are really good at swinging aggressively at a ball and weakly at a strike.

QUOTE (flavum @ May 22, 2016 -> 11:37 AM) Rodon is going to be on today. 7.1, 1 run. The problem the last few hasn't been the pitching really.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 22, 2016 -> 12:17 PM) Man there is enough drama in this thread for a Greek tragedy. ehhh.... would be a pretty boring greek tragedy

I hope it works... otherwise Ventura going to roasted. That line-up is sad and a bunch of people playing in the wrong spots.

QUOTE (Lillian @ May 22, 2016 -> 07:49 AM) There are at least 3 ways to counter the strategy of being pitched inside: 1) He can get his bat out in front early enough to pull the inside pitches, before they get in too deep. However, that would require him to swing too early, and also likely result in a lot of pitches pulled foul. 2) Take those inside pitches for balls 3) Back a little off of the plate and take the strikes, which he could still reach, the other way. He has enough power to hit to the opposite field, with authority. Any pitches that look like they are even close to coming inside on him, he could take with confidence, knowing that they were definitely inside, given how far he is from the plate. If they throw him breaking balls "away," many will actually break across the plate for strikes, given that he is standing off the plate. He would need to recognize them as strikes, and make some contact. If he is going to be suckered into swinging at balls breaking away, and out of the zone, as he has so often done, standing off the plate won't work for him. However, if he can lay off those low and away breaking balls, this tactic could effectively counter the strategy of being pitched inside. If there is indeed something wrong with his right wrist, as someone here has suggested, going the other way, and not rolling his wrist over, could help overcome that. The "hands before the barrel of the bat" swing takes a lot of stress off of the top hand. One thing is apparent; he can't continue to do what he is currently doing. He must make some adjustments. I think that he will figure it out, and I hope that he does so very soon. This is a very good post (I like a lot of your posts) He does look like he really doesn't have a plan up there - if he does its falling apart fast. If he is going to stand that close to the plate he needs to not swing at those pitches.

I'd take Jim Thome right now....

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ May 21, 2016 -> 06:09 PM) At least the corpses of the late 2000's hit homers sometimes. Outside of 2006, Thome was one of the worst things to ever happen to the white sox. Konerko, Thome & Dye had zero wheels. Needed three hits to score Thome. This is a different version of suckball. I'm talking about the last 4 years... back in previous years yeah we could hit the ball out of the park.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ May 5, 2016 -> 09:38 AM) Over the past two weeks, Abreu is hitting .308/.373/.462. As I said in this post, his problem has not been swinging at the offspeed low and away, it was always not swinging enough at pitches in the zone. Over the last two weeks he's still swinging at balls, but now he's swinging a lot more at strikes. After swinging at just 63% of strikes after the first few weeks, he's swung at nearly 80% of strikes over the past two weeks (numbers similar to his 2014 season), with great success. Abreu is successful when he swings the bat more often. You can live with him not laying off the pitches low and away as long as he's swinging at the good pitches to hit, which is what has happened during his current hot stretch. He currently has a career-high walk rate and a career-low strikeout rate, so he'll be fine. Keep swinging, Jose. Uhh I'm not sure were watching the same guy. You can tell he has zero confidence up there... he is a panicking man flailing desperately at any and every pitch he sees.

It's early... but this team looks exactly the team I recognized the last 4 years under Hahn/Ventura. Lifeless offense and a bury your head in the sand conclusion at the end. This feels way way too familiar.

Like most of the team he has his head shoved up squarely between both a** cheeks atm.

He needs to lay of the fastball inside... a lot of our players have trouble with this - but he is the worst. Look for fast balls middle out and drive the ball to right field. If they dot the inside corner over and over again just let them.

great win... but this team has got to play better. That was just such a struggle... Abreau's at bat with the runner on 3rd was unbelievable in its futility.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 19, 2016 -> 06:22 PM) Steve Stone. The only one with real, tangible baseball thoughts. I don't mind stone... but I can't say I've ever been amazed with his "intangible" perspectives.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 19, 2016 -> 06:05 PM) It's fairly obvious Jason is a professional and the Sox have done nothing to get over the moon excited about. The season is too young. Get back to me when he calls the Sox winning the division. Also, if you find the horsecrap Hawk spews out now "a broadcast" and you can get past the fact that Stone visibly dislikes Hawk and hates his antics. Hawk and Stone are like a movie where one person is trying to take the movie seriously and the other is trying to spoil it. Which one is taking the movie seriously?

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 19, 2016 -> 12:19 AM) Jason is a lifelong White Sox fan. He cares about the outcome of the game. The difference is Jason has perspective. The reality is, there is no reason to get too excited this early in the season. Hawk's "passion" is played out and boring. He gets frustrated and upset by things a month into the season. Please save some of it for when the team is really accomplishing things. Ahh k so Benetti doesn't get excited because it's early in the season...You know this how exactly? I also never said he didn't care - that is the presentation style. I more I listen I'm starting to not like him and Stone together that much. It's kind of like being at the movie but your friends are joking and not paying attention and you are trying to watch the movie.

I guess a lot of you enjoy the type of announcers that put on the persona that they don't give a F*** about the game. Jason has some good qualities... but he sorry as dottering as Hawk can be at times I prefer his passion and the fact over the years he truly cares about the outcome.