Highland

I understand the frustration, and the idea of a boycott or something similar makes sense. However, this is an organization in complete denial. And fan criticism only makes them circle the wagons more. The real frustrating thing is that it appeared the rebuild was going to work, that attendance would increase, the team would win a hell of a lot more, and the White Sox would look like a class major league franchise. Instead, baseball people and fans wonder what is wrong with this team, and Tony LaRussa can barely get his ass out of the dugout. The rebuild is becoming a failure, and things will only worsen unless there are big changes. But there is no indication of any change. Instead, the FO watches the club go out and embarrass itself and then pretend everything is fine. Yes, .500 at the 112-game mark is just fine. All you have to do is pretend.

I've been a fan for decades and have seen some bad White Sox baseball. But some teams were just bad. They couldn't help but be bad. At least they put in some effort and looked like a team once in a while. This team looks like it has given up. And the longer LaRussa stays, the worse it will get.

Couldn't be. No one can be a bigger mistake than Tony. At least with Ozzie, you might have some fun. If LaRussa stays, we will see a team with a losing record. Ozzie can be no worse than that. Right now, this team is a disgrace.

Hey LaRussa: Tell Grandal to stop waiting for walks. Swing on 2-0, 3-0, 3-1. Forget the damn walks. You're supposed to hit some home runs and drive in runs.

Ozzie was right about everything he said. After the Vaughn homer, Eloy has a pathetic at-bat. Swings at two pitches out of the zone and takes one right down the middle for strike three. Stone said he was frozen. Frozen by what? Barlow throws nothing but junk. Hey, Eloy, stop saying hi to Mom and start using your brain. Want to save the season? Fire LaRussa and put in Ozzie. I think Ozzie is a disaster waiting to happen but put him in there anyway. I don't know how the FO can watch this shit go on day after day. Today was horrible baseball. Another base running gaffe and four at-bats with the bases loaded and no runs scored. No, this team is not going to win the division. Someone tell me why anyone in their right mind would think that.

The least the offense can do is give their ace some runs so he can pick up a win and have a shot at the Cy Young.

Grandal hit a homer in the first series of the season against Detroit. I can't remember his other one. I also can't ever recall him getting a clutch hit. The Sox are now 2-3 during the last five of this "easy" stretch.

This is bad news of course, but despite hitting a little over .300, I don't think Anderson was contributing all that much. In the past, he seemed to ignite this team. Not so this year. Before I would say this would be devastating. I don't feel that way now.

Sale has too much emotional baggage. When he was on the Sox, he'd kick at the dirt, and then give up a home run. Of course, no one would come out of the Sox dugout when he was losing it to calm him down. Last week he almost tore up a dugout in the minors when he was taken out of the game even though he was pitching lousy. Hide the scissors if you sign him.

What is strange about all of this is that when the Reinsdorf-Einhorn group first bought the team in 1981, JR said it made more sense to build a solid minor league system. He got some pushback because many fans, impatient after the awful 1970s, wanted him to spend money like George Steinbrenner. But it does make more sense to spend more within than trying to buy championships with free agents. Regardless, money has to be spent somewhere, and it has to be spent wisely. Instead, we got Adam Dunn and LaRouche and other veterans past their primes. If the team developed young players, it wouldn't have to tank seasons to trade for young players that other teams have. So, now I wonder if this rebuild fails, just what strategy will follow?

At this point, we will have to accept that Yoan is needed for his defense. The drawback to this is that the team can be so weak on offense, it's hard to hide him in the order. If his average continues to drop, a decision will have to be made about him. A third baseman is supposed to hit some, too. In the long run, somebody else will have to get a shot at third. This really can't go on.

I don't think there are any easy opponents for the White Sox. They played well today, except for the late Pollock brain cramp on the bases. Would like to see Giolito go more than five innings next start.

6-2 is what is needed. I don't expect that. This team has taught me not to expect much.

Maybe Moncada just stinks, or maybe something physically is wrong with him. Fans think he's not hustling, but I wonder if he can't run all that fast. If a player has problems with his legs, he can't be an effective hitter. I wonder if the Sox are in denial and maybe Moncada is as well.

This is an example of a talented team, but not one gelling into a cohesive unit.

And I put the Hawk hire on JR and Eddie Einhorn. Changing GMs is a big decision, and they acted on impulse. Don Drysdale was in the booth with Hawk and knocked Hemond and before you know, Hawk was the new GM. No real thinking this through, just handing the job over to one guy without exploring their options. Hawk was nothing a bull in a china shop. The Sox spent the rest of the 1980s under .500 including a last place finish in 1989. Another impulsive action: The second LaRussa hire.

The Sox have done this more than several times this season. Down one in the ninth, they meekly go down 1-2-3 with the ball not leaving the infield. There is something disturbing about this.

This is right. Vaughn isn't a right fielder and putting him out there is setting him up to fail. This is something the Sox have done a lot of during these many years. Just stick someone somewhere and watch him embarrass himself. Vaughn is going to be a very good hitter someday. He will never be an outfielder.

I think it was four. I lost count.

So much for the easy win. Never let Vaughn play right field again. He has no clue out there. If he can't play first or DH, sit him on the bench. The hardest hit ball was Grandal's out in the eighth. Left the bases loaded in the first. Normal for this team. Home run? There wasn't even a ball hit to the warning track. Otherwise, everything popped up, no line drives. Cueto deserved to win this game. No runs should have scored in the seventh. The Sox were lucky they scored at all.

I don't think there is a really easy win for the White Sox. Their offense can go into a slumber against anyone no matter who is pitching for them. They should win, but that doesn't mean they will, and if they do, it won't be easy.

I think they will, too. They are fortunate to be in the Central, but they do have some talent. I just wish they would use that talent more often and stop running themselves out of innings. A grand slam once in a while would also help.

The pitching has been good for the past five days. Should have won all five.

Wonder how bad things are with Robert. The Sox are not going to win the division without him.

Hawk was clearly in over his head. The LaRussa firing was handled badly and made the organization look like amateurs. But Hahn has more than enough time to turn this thing around. This offseason is important. If he misfires again, the tank will be for nothing.