FT35

Excatly. I am beginning to really dislike all the people out there who use the phrase "work smarter, not harder." No...we should work smarter AND harder. Push BOTH bars high and gain an advantage over all those who have decided to pick just one. I'm talking smarter in the sense that you should play as hard as your body will allow. If it's raining and you're hamstring is sore and you are wondering whether you should try to risk an extra base--then no, take the smart approach, run as hard as your body will allow to your base and be ready to go if there's a bobble or misplay of any kind. Run as hard as you can to first base all the time--If it's not fast enough, let the manager make the call to keep you out of the lineup for someone healthier--but as long as you're in there--you play as smart and as hard as you can. Know your body and it's abilities on any given day and be ready to play as hard as it allows without being stupid--unless you're in a game 7 situation and there is no tomorrow. In that case...keep playing hard with that bloody sock.

It's the only acceptable way to play the game. Hustle isn't always running into the walls, it's a mindset that improves every aspect of the game--mental sharpness, the will to win. You must apply it to every aspect of the game so it becomes reflex. He won't achieve any star profile without it. It is Renteria's job to make sure that his players are engaged and performing at their highest possible level at all times. Maybe if Moncada plays balls to the wall everyday for the next 8 years he can have a lazy moment--then people will look at it and say--yeah, he had a bad moment, but that's not the player he is and it probably won't happen again...THAT is when the free pass comes...not in his first full season in the major leagues when he's still being defined and bulding habits and team culture. We need to break those bad habits of disengagement and the "too proud to run it out" mindsets now--for everyone--we will not become a winning team on talent alone.

Good. Now he knows that the way to play for this team is to hustle. Message received. Hustle benefits the team 99/100 times--with the 1% fluke ankle twist/bruise in there. I'm ok with it.

I actually thought he meant “Michael Jordan” with the 45 comment! Anyhow...I think they will ride Anderson at SS. A Machado acquisition might force a mindset change on the left side of the infield, but I think many believe in him at SS. That’s a LOT of errors though...yikes. He kind of reminds me of Alfonso Soriano—they eventually pushed him to the OF.

Yeah, I think we will end up sticking to the template of buying an ace when we’re ready to make a run, even if we have 1 or 2 who have developed by then. Tough call on Rodon though. I mean you want him to be good, but good drives his price up right at the time he becomes a FA. Plus 2021 would be the earliest our window would start to crack open—so his current contract is not as important as his next. Is Carlos Rodon “The man” we will build our top teams’ rotations around? Cause I think if he shows us that more talent is developing between now and then (on bad teams), Boras will price him as such. We could take on significant payroll this winter...I don’t know how Carlos fits for a big extension with what he’s shown. Just need a larger sample size. Still lots of time to see I suppose.

Not a bad return for an injury prone Boras client.

Off the wall thought of the night...but Ian Happ sure looks out of place right now on the north side—with Baez running away with the 2nd base job and Almora Jr. doing the same in CF...could we put him to work?? They probably want a pitcher...Jones? Rodon? Ok I’m going to shut up now.

Don't know about Altuve, but closer to Brian Dozier's stat line with the lower average in there. Either way, I'll take it!

Fair. Just hope the return rate gets a lot higher. While I like him, it's tough to hang your hat on Yolmer Sanchez as the best your organization has to show for your player development staff. Especially over a multi-year sample. But I do agree--I see some evidence of fundamental knowledge with Yolmer. Just wonder if it was there before he came to us or as a result of being with our guys. A lot of this has to do with our drafting style--drafting tools and athletes over baseball players/fundamentals. Problem is, these guys breeze through their bench press drills, but struggle with the basics--the basic understanding of the game. I absolutely believe they have the skills to succeed and they are too good not to compete at this level eventually--but man, just looking at our track record of developing players to make a seamless transition to the big leagues is kind of shaky. Our MLB roster is looking more and more like a collection of our best organazational options, rather than guys who are ready to compete at this level. You can see why Rick Hahn and the front office made the decision to pull the plug on the direction of the White Sox...they probably saw this coming a few years ago and though...YIKES......Minus the guys we got in firesale trades, this year's team is mostly the product of decisions made in 2015-2016. Not good!

VERY MUCH agree with this. I've always been skeptical that they have had good teachers as coaches in our system. A lot of these kids are right out of college/sometimes high school and learning seems to stop their senior year. I haven't seen a fundamentally sound player produced by our system in a long time. I've seen natural talent graduated to the big leagues, and continue to refine itself at the MLB level but when was the last fundamentally sound player produced by our system? Who is still teaching them? I see Renteria teaching in games--but I agree with you 100%, it seems like the info is brand new to these guys. MLB players clueless to the fundamentals of the game. But boy they know all about the launch angle!!! They know that part really well!

I think the key is to build consistency in other ways--culture for example. They aren't ready to compete at the MLB level because they don't have a grip on the infrastructure of things. Competing in games in the final phase. They need to focus not just on learning, but the learning process. You have to stick to your guns amidst the chaos and I think if you look a little deeper, you'll see signs that we are doing just that. Building structure is critical. Rules. Repitition. Expectations. It's the dirty work that no one wants to be a part of. Honestly, from an instructional staff standpoint, you have to approach it like this. Continue to give consistent, correct information whenever possible. Constantly, vocally repeat the rules of the game and the correct ways to mentally process the game. Reinforce everything/always. Players will go through a pattern of receiving that information. It will go like this "duh, I know that" to "I know" to "I know w/annoyance" to "I know w/anger" to "why on earth do they keep saying this," to "these guys are crazy for saying this over and over," to "I'm done with this!" Once that happens...true learning is near! From there, they will entertain the instruction by focusing on it--usually first out of spite or pure entertainment value--then a positive result will come of it. That will get everyone's attention. Trust will build and since the process has been drilled so far into their heads, it will start to come easier and more naturally. It will start to show up in games and then it will start to impact the outcome of games. Once that happens it will become extremely important to everyone and they will start to make personal sacrifices in order to further the team goal, more importantly...they team "way." They will have learned how to play and win together. It's Pavlov's dogs. It's in all the text books because it's an actual thing. Ricky is doing that now. Defining what should be done, defining everyone's responsibility, definining the culture, defining the type of gameplay we're going for and having real, consistent positive/negative consequences for players along the way. Benching players is important if patterns develop that go against what we are going for. Watch "Miracle" and the way Herb Brooks teaches the kids on the Miracle on Ice team. Early on, HE looked like the crazy one and the tendency is to side with the players. Managerial credit is the LAST step to come around--not until the team starts to win consistently do you see the "this guy's a genius" comments start. Until then, it's rough going...why? Because in a complete rebuild, you don't start with how to win. You start with how to think...THEN how to play. Right now we are somewhere in that process and everyone's solution is indictive on where they think we are or should be in that process. Our people know where we actually are. Rick Renteria knows where they are and what to do. He's a professional with more experience than any of us doing this very thing. Let him work, let him bench, let him teach, and manage. The on-field product is horrific because they are in a state of teaching and initial learning. Seeing them getting blown out consistently just means that the opportunity is prime for messages to sink in. Players are more understanding to the fact that they need to listen closer. Managerial messaging should be "I will continue to show confidence in you as long as you are playing the right way...if you are not playing the right way, I will take you out of the lineup and help you by having you work with our instructional staff until you get back on track--then you will be back in the lineup." Mistakes don't get you out of the lineup--but poor effort will.

Anyone else find it strange that the April 15th game is being made up a month before the April 14th game? I guess it really doesn't matter, but still seems odd.

QUOTE (SonofaRoache @ Apr 16, 2018 -> 12:05 AM) That wasn't the point. The point was the evaluation of that trade shouldn't be Sale for 6.5 years of Moncada and Kopech, when history may show other options were better. Also, I said the trade needed to happen as it did and we shouldn't regret it no matter the results. I don't think this would happen--but even if Moncada was a bust (Gordan Beckham), having Kopech there in our competative window as opposed to a declining Sale (by the time that window gets here)...could be enough to win that trade. I think at the very least (assuming no injuries), you will have a very serviceable Mondaca with an above average WAR, and a top 3-5 TOR starter in the AL in Kopech in his prime (which aligns with your team's window), for 4 meaningless years of Sale. I don't hate that. The superstar in the deal might not turn out to be the guy who everyone thought it would be--but that superstar was in the deal.

QUOTE (soxfan49 @ Apr 8, 2018 -> 05:20 PM) I just can’t believe that anyone truly thinks that he looks fine and is not struggling. This is absolutely nuts I think he’s struggling from the standpoint of not getting hits to fall—not struggling to belong in the league. He looks and plays like a major leaguer—does not look out of place. That’s a big difference I think.

QUOTE (miracleon35th @ Apr 8, 2018 -> 03:37 AM) I liked Hawk and Wimpy. I always thought Stone liked the Cubs better and that he would have been more comfortable staying on the North side. Benetti? The nerdish look and routine just doesn't work for me.. Sox Math, the play shelf, pandering to Stone, the oddly configured straight man/funny man 9 inning comedy team. And God forbid you go too hard on Benny because he is handicapped. But that isn'y what this is about. He just doesn't cut it and cannot fill the shoes of Harry and Hawk who came before him. One thing that hasn't been discussed is the antipathy for the Cubs that both Hawk and Harry had as Sox announcers (yes, Harry used to wail on the Cubs). Sox fans loved that. Cub/Sox in Chicago is like the Hatfields and McCoys, Republican v. Democrat, Religious vs Agnostic. Right or wrong you take a side and that's pretty much it. Anyway, let's see what happens after a full season. Maybe people will get used to Benet and Stone's shtick. On the other hand maybe their routine will wear on fans, diminish fan interest, reduce ticket sales and advertising revenue, etc. That is what would make it obvious to ownership that it is time for a change. The Hawk/Wimpy combo was my favorite. Wimpy’s silly was actually funny. Wanted to throw this out there...what if Steve and Jason switched roles? Steve and his more serious approach calling the majority of plays, and Jason interjecting the humor on a less frequent basis? I think it might not be as much overkill. Also don’t think what they have would drive fans away—just gets annoying over time.

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 5, 2018 -> 03:28 PM) Bennetti's call of Abreu's home run was great. That is something that develops with more time. Stone and Bennetti during the review process last night were great. That again, will develop with time. I do agree...this was a great call. Can't argue with that.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 5, 2018 -> 03:20 PM) I love this post and all the posts on this thread. However I think you guys have set way too high a standard in a medium that is full of nasal-voiced, TV game show voiced shills who work for the team. The Sox announcers talk in regular conversational voices. Stone is brilliant like right now he's talking about Miggy and doing so with so much knowledge. Yes the two joke around some but listen to any games on mlb.com and you will hear a lot of crap. The Sox have guys you can listen to. I'm not lying when I say I cannot listen to the Royals TV broadcast. The TV announcers are that bad. I can listen to two of the radio announcers but when the other two guys come on I have to turn the channel when driving. Sup Greg! I can't speak for the Royals' broadcasts--I am not familiar. Totally agree about Steve. He is brilliant but Jason dumbs him down a lot. I remember the days where Steve sat with Harry Carry and was the only resemblance of cohesivness you would hear. Harry was tanked by the 3rd inning and Steve salvaged air-time value with his knowledge. I'm glad he's here--he's great...but Jason brings him out of genius land and into candy land by baiting him into mindless banter and it's a waste of a great talent. It forces Steve to dumb things down because he's trying to explain himself to the guy who asked the question...it's why his explanations seem like he's treating us as first-time baseball fans. I don't think the problem is Steve Stone. I think it's Jason. The guy sounds likeable, everyone speaks highly of him and his work and I think that's great! I personally don't like the light he places our team in. We aren't trendy, we aren't twitter, we aren't selfie stick--and if we're those things off the field, so what...on the field, we're the White Sox--we win ugly, we are grinders, we will compete and lay it on the line every night. You know that's closer to the message our guys are hearing from Ricky before they take the field--so embrace it--let that show up everywhere. All things associated with the White Sox brand need to be consistent with who we really are. I'm not calling for Benetti's head...I'm calling for his involvement! Lose the cute, limit the silly, focus on the things the team does that makes them the White Sox--that will draw in the viewer--give us a DOSE of the White Sox baseball we all know and love--that's coming back after a 10-year wait!

QUOTE (Knickname @ Apr 5, 2018 -> 02:28 PM) I refuse to pay for tv. When games are on broadcast TV I usually mute it and listen to Ed and DJ. After their first season together they seemed to get to know each other well enough to allow humor to defuse any potential antagonism. It's a long season. I don't have a problem with the tv guys. I enjoyed Hawk with Drysdale. Not a bad solution--I like Ed a lot. And I don't mean to bash Steve and Jason as people...I know it sounds like I totally just did, lol. But I'm sure they are nice guys and do a lot of good things for the team. Just not my idea of what I look for in a good broadcast. Far from it actually. Too millenial, no grit. Too much candy in a meat-earter's world. I understand it could be just my personality...but I've been a Sox fan for nearly 30 years--there are a few things that are consistent traits of most other Sox fans...we are gritty, get dirty, Ozzieball, go-go hustle, run through the wall, long-ball dagger fans. That's the White Sox brand, that's the White Sox people. Our whole breed can be summed up in this 1 minute video: Here's an exercise for you all...take the events of this game, Konerko pouring his GUTS out on the field for us--literally encompassing what we all stand for--and then imagine adding the following comentary on top of this clip...something along the same lines of: "...and Konerko gets hit in the face with that pitch and is down, hopefully he's ok...you know Steve, I wondered whether Rick Hahn has ever been to Hahnville--now we know the answer to this because we pulled some strings and emptied our resources tank and had his secretary call him at home to answer this dire question so we can get to the truth, as Konerko gets up and heads to first...the truth is...Rick Hahn has NOT been to Hahnville--a trip we may need to make happen someday. Now wouldn't THAT be amazing? Rick Hahn...in Hahnville!? SIMPLY INCREDIBLE" That would be simply insulting. And if that's a new direction where our brand is going???? Hmmm...serious evaluation time. I just don't think that's the real plan.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 4, 2018 -> 12:17 PM) I think he's fine, but for some reason, he and Steve seem to think they are at Zanies doing 3 hours of stand up. Not everything has to be a clever joke. If they cut out the bit about trying to be cleverly hysterical all the time, they could be funny and provide quality game content. The current style doesn't bother me so much I can't listen, but it seems obvious it is 2 guys trying too hard to be funny for 3 hours straight. Just call the game and let the humor happen. Don't force it. Exactly. The reason it drives me nuts is that each one of these guys seems to have the same tendency to default to that cute/silly humor. They bait each other and they ALWAYS take the bait. You know whatever they are about to say they are going to try to 1-up each other on the witty scale and the result from the viewer is "yeah, yeah, yeah..." And like others have said--they need to try to be serious sometimes because the moment calls for it. Instead of researching the players, they should spend a little time researching the fan/viewer base. Thinking of the typical fan who tries to catch as many broadcasts as possible--those are your more serious/hardcore fans who actually care about the team more than just a few "casual, live game fans". Another word would be "intense." Steve knows the game, but he doesn't have much of an edge--Benetti doesn't know what having an edge means. Neither comes across as a competitive person--and I absolutely miss Hawk's competitiveness. I'm not saying the TV personalities shape a team's idenity or gameplay, but it does kind of shape a fan base's perception of the team. When these guys start to be good, you'll start to see more and more intense, meaningful, competitive moments in games...it worries me to go through those moments with a laid back Steve and a quirky, happy-go-lucky Jason calling the game through a concrete smile. I want to feel excitement/anticipation, I want to feel the letdown--sometimes anger/frustration, I want to feel joy. That's baseball!! It's mental, it's emotional, and that's ALL missing from our broadcasts right now. Give me the impression that these players are maturing--turning into men, heroes, beasts...don't saturate us in candy and cute humor--that yields the perception even more that we still have a bunch of kids for a team. Technically speaking, the correct emotion is there sometimes...but it's all book training--excitement generated by volume only. No real, genuine emotion. Right now, all I feel is the same--a heartbreaking moment happens and it's on to the next batter and time to report all the quirky research we've done on them that day and trying to figure out if Rick Hahn has ever been to Hahnville. While they've moved on to the next scheduled segment of content...my head is still in my hands and I'm still trying to decide which direction to throw my remote! I appreciate the work that goes into a broadcast, but I'm not tuning in to hear what Steve and Jason come up with next. Some of that can imprve by the TYPES of research findings the guys bring to the booth--all the research facts are currently things to make you go..."huh...ok." Shallow, or inappropriately deep. Maybe it's time to bring some different types of stories to the table that invoke different types of emotions for the viewer. Tell me Yoan Moncada was in the weightroom until 3am because he missed a grand slam by about 3 inches. Tell me about Tim Anderson making 100 throws to first base before he leaves a stadium at night to improve his fielding% from his league worst last year. Report growth. Maturity. I'm tuning in to live and die with my team and to fight hard with them and to watch them become fierce competitors/warriors/champions. I don't care if a player likes twinkies--and to have that launch into 40 different twinkie jokes...I care about them doing whatever humanly possible to beat their opponent and looking for content that supports that quest. Stay relavent--if a converstaion genuinely goes in a particular direction, fine. But it sounds way too much like there are forced cues to tell specific comments about something they did research on. Deliberately teed-up lines to lay ground for a silly joke--all decided on at a short game-prep lunch meeting rather than something that comes up during the game naturally.

Dodgers are running out of places to play their prospects but I still doubt we'd get Verdego out of a Kemp deal because that would mean they are losing 2 OF's from their depth chart. That would leave them with Puig and Pederson (both of them better off in RF) then a big drop off to Chris Taylor in CF. After that is a bunch of young guys headlined by Trayce Thompson... In other words, I think they are counting on Verdego being a part of their plans.

Another feather in the cap for the Moose signing supporters......with the Burger injury, there's a little extra insurance incentive if we sign him--they could take their time getting Jake back to speed if we handed out a 4 year deal to Moose. Kind of encouraging to see Davidson raking already, though...maybe buying us some time.

QUOTE (FT35 @ Feb 23, 2018 -> 03:50 PM) Son of a...... I'll make it up to everyone...I'll turn a dud into a stud...just you watch... QUOTE (Sleepy Harold @ Feb 25, 2018 -> 01:55 PM) Kevin Powell @kpowell720 1m Hahn says there is no risk of further damage to the elbow. So the hope is he can get reps at the plate while rehabbing injury. James Fegan @JRFegan 1m Yes, this decision is the result of the second opinion. Hahn said the sprain in Adolfo’s UCL has been described as a “pinhole tear,” but that it’s a “very robust ligament” I told you I'd make it up to everyone!!!

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Feb 23, 2018 -> 02:29 PM) No more specific prospects posts from you FT35...... Son of a...... I'll make it up to everyone...I'll turn a dud into a stud...just you watch...

QUOTE (wrathofhahn @ Feb 23, 2018 -> 01:41 PM) I don't know if I necessarily agree with this. Morrison has a career ops of .741 and OPS+ of 104 prior to last year thats 7 years of prior data. Prior to last year Cargo has a career ops of .868 and OPS+ of 119. Do you make the bet that Morrison figured it out or do you go with the previous 7 years data. Is Cargo washed up at 32 or do you bet 9 years of overall solid hitting prior to last year. It's an interesting discussion point. One thing supporting the idea of Morrison possibly figuring it out was that he had 81 walks last year. That's a MAJOR difference from his norms...kind of jumps off the page a little.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 23, 2018 -> 11:02 AM) The guy has pretty much been average to bad for 4 years, and is streaky as hell. What, realistically would you get on a flip for him if everything goes right? Honestly--IF--he proves he can hit anything remotely close to what he has in the past (and stay healthy of course), I think we could get an organizational top 10 plus a wild card if we were able to sign him below market value. That and some jersey sales. So is that worth what we would pay him between now and then? Lot of things would have to go right.