The TLR Manager Thread

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

31 minutes ago, VAfan said:

Do you know what's so tiresome about all these "bash TLR" posts?  You could likely write the EXACT SAME THING against every manager in MLB.  

Managers make decisions for reasons they feel like make sense at the time. They don't always work out. To say another strategy would have been better doesn't mean the other strategy would have worked, and therefore, it may not have been better. 

Now, we ALL second guess managers. That's the nature of being a baseball fan. 

But NONE OF US -- absolutely none of us -- COULD ACTUALLY BE A MAJOR LEAGUE MANAGER.

So, by all means go ahead and continue to question TLR. But just know that you haven't:

1. Ever managed a major league game

2. Ever won Manager of the Year, much less won it as many times as TLR has

3. Been elected to the Hall of Fame. 

So, forgive me if I find most of the criticism of TLR to be misguided, shortsighted, over the top, and tiresome. 

You know what's tiresome about all your posts?

They're usually slanted and riddled with absurd whataboutisms. Shut up, jaysus.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

23 minutes ago, Jerksticks said:

Absolutely.  Again, more big boy pants headed your way.  Enjoy them.  They’ll fit nicely brother ?
 

 

I gotta ask, why do you post here on a baseball fan forum? 

All you do is cite, via your thoughts and opinions, a deferrel to what you deem to be professional authority. Everyone who's opinion disagrees with a coach or manager, you tell them how they're not employed in either profession so their opinion is meaningless. So again, why are you here if everything is meaningless and trumped by the decision making of these people you deem unflappable geniuses. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Jerksticks]

13 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I gotta ask, why do you post here on a baseball fan forum? 

All you do is cite, via your thoughts and opinions, a deferrel to what you deem to be professional authority. Everyone who's opinion disagrees with a coach or manager, you tell them how they're not employed in either profession so their opinion is meaningless. So again, why are you here if everything is meaningless and trumped by the decision making of these people you deem unflappable geniuses. 

Hey man, if you can’t see that the line between grown adults opining about baseball and little children whining, screaming, and worst of all, blaming, is beyond being crossed on here then I don’t know what to tell you.  

We have the most talent in the league.  What the fuck else do you whiners want from a front office?  They finally did it.  They made us the best and for a long time.  Let’s fucking celebrate!  Or at least be cool when something goes wrong. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Jerksticks

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

7 minutes ago, Jerksticks said:

Hey man, if you can’t see that the line between grown adults opining about baseball and little children whining, screaming, and worst of all, blaming, is beyond being crossed on here then I don’t know what to tell you.  

We have the most talent in the league.  What the fuck else do you whiners want from a front office?  They finally did it.  They made us the best and for a long time.  Let’s fucking celebrate!  Or at least be cool when something goes wrong. 

You've been doing this as long as I've been posting here, and this team hasn't been the "best" or "most talented" group in baseball... since I started posting here. This has been your shtick since day 1.

Sox are real good this year, but there's a long way to go. Celebrating in May has never been something Sox fans should be doing.

[chitownsportsfan]

1 hour ago, Jerksticks said:

Hey man, if you can’t see that the line between grown adults opining about baseball and little children whining, screaming, and worst of all, blaming, is beyond being crossed on here then I don’t know what to tell you.  

We have the most talent in the league.  What the fuck else do you whiners want from a front office?  They finally did it.  They made us the best and for a long time.  Let’s fucking celebrate!  Or at least be cool when something goes wrong. 

the 28th and 29th men are literally 2 WAR players in Mendick and Vaughn.  You can't make this shit up.  Like, this is an OOTP roster after you've been building for 3-4 years and making lopsided trade after lopsided trade with the AI.

[35thstreetswarm]

I don’t agree with many of the specific opinions of the two super-positive posters being attacked here, but I find them a welcome counterweight to the equally extreme negative posters who outnumber them 10-to-1.  I’m surprised there aren’t more like them given that, objectively speaking, the team has given fans more to be excited about in 2021 than at almost any time in franchise history. And I don’t understand why they seem to touch such a raw nerve here.  

[DoUEvenShift]

12 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I don’t agree with many of the specific opinions of the two super-positive posters being attacked here, but I find them a welcome counterweight to the equally extreme negative posters who outnumber them 10-to-1.  I’m surprised there aren’t more like them given that, objectively speaking, the team has given fans more to be excited about in 2021 than at almost any time in franchise history. And I don’t understand why they seem to touch such a raw nerve here.  

It is at the very least, super intriguing to see the polar opposites. Obviously there will be attacks when the sides collide. I tend to be one of the "super-positive" guys, but to be completely honest I didn't follow the team much at all as I lived out of state from 2013-2018. So I totally get where they come from watching the shit show during those years. 

That being said we are in first place, our SP/bullpen has to be 1st if not close to it in MLB, we are 1st by a mile in run differential in the entire league, and we have 2 allstars coming back in August/September. Maybe it's because I started meditating to help simmer my type A personality but I don't see how anyone can be angry/negative about this team.

[Tony]

14 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I don’t agree with many of the specific opinions of the two super-positive posters being attacked here, but I find them a welcome counterweight to the equally extreme negative posters who outnumber them 10-to-1.  I’m surprised there aren’t more like them given that, objectively speaking, the team has given fans more to be excited about in 2021 than at almost any time in franchise history. And I don’t understand why they seem to touch such a raw nerve here.  

Because in this case, it’s absolute bullshit. @VAfan, seemingly trying to school all of us, posted this..

Managers make decisions for reasons they feel like make sense at the time. They don't always work out. To say another strategy would have been better doesn't mean the other strategy would have worked, and therefore, it may not have been better. 

That’s a bunch of words that mean absolutely nothing to the specific debate at hand. As we have discussed ad nauseam, LaRussa admitted he didn’t know a rule, and wouldn’t have made the same call if he was aware of the rule. This isn’t second guessing bullpen decision or lineup placement. These are errors that should not be happening, and have happened multiple times. But someone like Vafan won’t get specific about that, because it destroys his entire “position.” Instead he’ll just use cliches and general ideas that aren’t speaking to actual issues at hand. 
 

Positivity is a good thing. And as many know, I get after the negative posters more than most here. But positive or negative, come at an argument with actual substance. That had none of it. 

[chitownsportsfan]

4 minutes ago, Tony said:

Because in this case, it’s absolute bullshit. @VAfan, seemingly trying to school all of us, posted this..

Managers make decisions for reasons they feel like make sense at the time. They don't always work out. To say another strategy would have been better doesn't mean the other strategy would have worked, and therefore, it may not have been better. 

That’s a bunch of words that mean absolutely nothing to the specific debate at hand. As we have discussed ad nauseam, LaRussa admitted he didn’t know a rule, and wouldn’t have made the same call if he was aware of the rule. This isn’t second guessing bullpen decision or lineup placement. These are errors that should not be happening, and have happened multiple times. But someone like Vafan won’t get specific about that, because it destroys his entire “position.” Instead he’ll just use cliches and general ideas that aren’t speaking to actual issues at hand. 
 

Positivity is a good thing. And as many know, I get after the negative posters more than most here. But positive or negative, come at an argument with actual substance. That had none of it. 

Let it go man.  TLR might not be the sharpest tool in the shed anymore but so far these guys are producing for him.  IMO the managers main job is man management: getting his guys ready to play 162 games from day one of camp to the start of the year to the dog days of August to the stretch run and for this club playoffs.  TLR will be tested in the fall.  Until then he gets a pass fail grade and so far it's a pass.

[Jerksticks]

48 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

the 28th and 29th men are literally 2 WAR players in Mendick and Vaughn.  You can't make this shit up.  Like, this is an OOTP roster after you've been building for 3-4 years and making lopsided trade after lopsided trade with the AI.

Yes!  
 

Dude we have one of the best players in baseball at like EVERY POSITION, 1-29 (I hadn’t though about adding 27-29.  Nice work!)   And our payroll is under $150M or whatever ????

 

Nothing like this has ever been close to being assembled in the history of the game.  We are on the verge of witnessing the greatest collection of talent...ever.   
 

And people are whining about TLR and some blown saves ??

Close to 1st in probably every measurable category and just warming up...with 10 WAR of outfielders on the shelf.  
 

Sweet Moses some of you.  Be cool

[35thstreetswarm]

8 minutes ago, Tony said:

Because in this case, it’s absolute bullshit. @VAfan, seemingly trying to school all of us, posted this..

Managers make decisions for reasons they feel like make sense at the time. They don't always work out. To say another strategy would have been better doesn't mean the other strategy would have worked, and therefore, it may not have been better. 

That’s a bunch of words that mean absolutely nothing to the specific debate at hand. As we have discussed ad nauseam, LaRussa admitted he didn’t know a rule, and wouldn’t have made the same call if he was aware of the rule. This isn’t second guessing bullpen decision or lineup placement. These are errors that should not be happening, and have happened multiple times. But someone like Vafan won’t get specific about that, because it destroys his entire “position.” Instead he’ll just use cliches and general ideas that aren’t speaking to actual issues at hand. 
 

Positivity is a good thing. And as many know, I get after the negative posters more than most here. But positive or negative, come at an argument with actual substance. That had none of it. 

Well, that’s definitely the anger I’m talking about.  Anyway, seems like the poster was choosing to comment generally on what he sees as a trend of over-the-top criticism of TLR rather than the specific rule screwup, which is...not really that unusual, even if I disagree with it (which I do as someone who has increasing levels of concern about TLR, though also a generous dose of humility that will allow me to reconsider if the results are sufficiently good). My point is also addressed to general trends on this board rather than a specific incident or argument. 

[Chicago White Sox]

3 minutes ago, Jerksticks said:

Yes!  
 

Dude we have one of the best players in baseball at like EVERY POSITION, 1-29 (I hadn’t though about adding 27-29.  Nice work!)   And our payroll is under $150M or whatever ????

 

Nothing like this has ever been close to being assembled in the history of the game.  We are on the verge of witnessing the greatest collection of talent...ever.   
 

And people are whining about TLR and some blown saves ??

Close to 1st in probably every measurable category and just warming up...with 10 WAR of outfielders on the shelf.  
 

Sweet Moses some of you.  Be cool

I really wish for just once in your life you could make an even keeled post and not regurgitate the same old sensationalist BS.  The board needs more optimism but posts like this just antagonize the pessimistic faction and rightfully so.

[Chicago White Sox]

Also, for those of you who don’t like the board picking on poor Tony, then go ahead and post some positive things he has done.  Provide some actual substance rather than just award him a free pass simply because he’s been a manager and the rest of haven’t.  Overall he had a better series this weekend and yet none of the truthers even pointed that out.  Instead they’d rather attack their fellow Sox fans for being upset with some blatantly bad in-game decision-making.

[caulfield12]

4 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I really wish for just once in your life you could make an even keeled post and not regurgitate the same old sensationalist BS.  The board needs more optimism but posts like this just antagonize the pessimistic faction and rightfully so.

Luis Robert's going to put up a 7 or 8 fWAR, lol?

After missing 4+ months of the season?

Because I'm not seeing how Eloy would even get close to 2...but let's just say they're inarguably (well, unless you DO want to argue about Jimenez's defensive woes) two of the Top 50-75 players in baseball and leave it at that.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

25 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Let it go man.  TLR might not be the sharpest tool in the shed anymore but so far these guys are producing for him.  IMO the managers main job is man management: getting his guys ready to play 162 games from day one of camp to the start of the year to the dog days of August to the stretch run and for this club playoffs.  TLR will be tested in the fall.  Until then he gets a pass fail grade and so far it's a pass.

This is the same poster who ripped renteria endlessly for every move he made. Meanwhile there was no mutiny or bad words spoken about him by players. This is exactly why you can't take these "positive" larussa posters seriously. 

And I've been as positive about the roster as anyone. Doesn't mean I have to be blind when discussing the idiocy that is Tony larussa. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

13 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

Well, that’s definitely the anger I’m talking about.  Anyway, seems like the poster was choosing to comment generally on what he sees as a trend of over-the-top criticism of TLR rather than the specific rule screwup, which is...not really that unusual, even if I disagree with it (which I do as someone who has increasing levels of concern about TLR, though also a generous dose of humility that will allow me to reconsider if the results are sufficiently good). My point is also addressed to general trends on this board rather than a specific incident or argument. 

I think this has been stated ad nauseum but the results of this group of players will not change how bad Larussa is. Bad managers can win baseball games and World Series. This teams results will be in spite of their manager not because of him.

[caulfield12]

8 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Also, for those of you who don’t like the board picking on poor Tony, then go ahead and post some positive things he has done.  Provide some actual substance rather than just award him a free pass simply because he’s been a manager and the rest of haven’t.  Overall he had a better series this weekend and yet none of the truthers even pointed that out.  Instead they’d rather attack their fellow Sox fans for being upset with some blatantly bad in-game decision-making.

After his experience/s the last two weeks of 2020, as well as Game 3 (not even sure RR got to pick the starter)...I'd honestly take Renteria, because he'd keep the team lose/more relaxed.   Of course, there's a downside of that "friendliness" in terms of discipline and holding players accountable, being the Bad Cop suddenly isn't so easy when you have established a certain tenor.

And it's not like Joe Maddon is suddenly looking like the second coming anymore.

[caulfield12]

3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I think this has been stated ad nauseum but the results of this group of players will not change how bad Larussa is. Bad managers can win baseball games and World Series. This teams results will be in spite of their manager not because of him.

This is otherwise known as the NED YOST THEORY...

[Tony]

37 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Let it go man.  TLR might not be the sharpest tool in the shed anymore but so far these guys are producing for him.  IMO the managers main job is man management: getting his guys ready to play 162 games from day one of camp to the start of the year to the dog days of August to the stretch run and for this club playoffs.  TLR will be tested in the fall.  Until then he gets a pass fail grade and so far it's a pass.

No. 

You can’t have it both ways. 5 posts up, you’re jerking off the roster for being like an “OTTP roster that has been building for 3-4 years after you keeping winning lopsided trades.” But then you’re going to come over the top and say “Well Tony might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but these guys are playing for him!” Which is it? Is the roster amazing or is Tony getting the most out of these guys? Sorry, but I believe the reports from Passan, Rosenthal and Jesse that multiple players don’t feel like Tony is on top of his game over....you. This isn’t a complicated roster to handle. 

Furthermore, I have a lot faith in this roster. What I don’t have faith in is the soon to be 77 year old in the dugout who may make a costly mistake when it matters the most. That’s not who I want to go into battle with. Sorry, my expectations are a little higher than that. 

[tray]

LOL about the NL nuance of the foolish ghost runner rule, the hyperbole, and the lack of perspective by those who still rail about Tony not knowing who could be the ghost and not choosing the speedy Jose Abreu instead.

The fact is that Tony has done an amazing job with a team  that has a starting catcher hitting .113 and a starting outfield  that now features the vaunted Vaughn hitting .262 with no home runs, Leury, who is hitting .212, and Mendick just up from the Minors. 

LaRussa will win Manager of the Year if he keeps this ship sailing with all the holes it has in the hull. 

First place  but I get it...rats only jump off sinking ships but now I know what they do in the meantime. 

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by tray

[caulfield12]

28 minutes ago, tray said:

LOL about the NL nuance of the foolish ghost runner rule, the hyperbole, and the lack of perspective by those who still rail about Tony not knowing who could be the ghost and not choosing the speedy Jose Abreu instead.

The fact is that Tony has done an amazing job with a team  that has a starting catcher hitting .113 and a starting outfield  that now features the vaunted Vaughn hitting .262 with no home runs, Leury, who is hitting .212, and Mendick just up from the Minors. 

LaRussa will win Manager of the Year if he keeps this ship sailing with all the holes it has in the hull. 

First place  but I get it...rats only jump off sinking ships but now I know what they do in the meantime. 

 

 

 

Gabe Kapler, SFG

 

Not sure TLR can deserve it over Francona when the Indians dumped Hand, Lindor, Carrasco, Carlos Santana, etc.

Shaved $40 million off payroll to get down to under $50 million, lowest in the entire majors.

White Sox are at roughly $130 million.

Just 1/2 game separates them.

[greg775]

On 5/6/2021 at 5:39 PM, Dominikk85 said:

I wonder if Jerry and TLR could save face by giving Tony a young, sabermetrically leaning bench coach who reminds tony to pull a tired starter or pinch hit for billy hamilton. We all know jerry calls the shots and not Hahn so Hahn basically has to carefully talk Jerry into such an idea so Tony can finish the season, Jerry and Tony save face and then Tony retires in the off season and the young guy takes over.

I think Tony knows what he's doing. Call me stupid, but I'm satisfied with this record so far. Big picture, baby. Team has been banged up and is doing just fine record wise.

[Tony]

8 hours ago, greg775 said:

I think Tony knows what he's doing. Call me stupid, but I'm satisfied with this record so far. Big picture, baby. Team has been banged up and is doing just fine record wise.

This is Cody Parkey all over again. 

Dude missed 4 FG's in a 34-22 win over Detroit. "Ah he might suck, but the Bears still won! It's all good!" 

You knew you couldn't really count on him, but the talent on the rest of the team was overcoming his mistakes.

When crunch time came in the playoffs......guess who cost the team? 

["The Kids Can Play"]

8 hours ago, greg775 said:

I think Tony knows what he's doing. Call me stupid, but I'm satisfied with this record so far. Big picture, baby. Team has been banged up and is doing just fine record wise.

Based on all the dumb TRL moves, it's obvious either Miguel Cairo is also clueless or more probable, TLR doesn't listen to him or the other coaches. Bottom line is, unless Jerry R makes Tony listen to his coaches, nothing will matter or change. 

I do agree though and said it before on in this forum, The Sox will win this year not because of TRL, but in spite of him.

[southsider2k5]

11 hours ago, tray said:

LOL about the NL nuance of the foolish ghost runner rule, the hyperbole, and the lack of perspective by those who still rail about Tony not knowing who could be the ghost and not choosing the speedy Jose Abreu instead.

The fact is that Tony has done an amazing job with a team  that has a starting catcher hitting .113 and a starting outfield  that now features the vaunted Vaughn hitting .262 with no home runs, Leury, who is hitting .212, and Mendick just up from the Minors. 

LaRussa will win Manager of the Year if he keeps this ship sailing with all the holes it has in the hull. 

First place  but I get it...rats only jump off sinking ships but now I know what they do in the meantime. 

 

 

 

We are leading baseball in run differential and yet we are only 4th in overall winning percentage.  We are 2 games behind our pythagorean number.  We could have been putting away teams with this hot streak, yet we are only a half a game ahead of a team that has $100,000,000 less in payroll than us.  While you point to downside flukes, you didn't mention that guys like Yermin, Rodon, and Cease aren't likely to keep up their fluke seasons either.  These things will balance out.  If we have a manager giving away games with his ignorance of the game in 2021, the team needs to be all of the more better to make up those extra games.

Look the whole idea behind Tony is that he would come in here and be a motivator, and he wouldn't make stupid mistakes.  Even if you don't believe Soxtalk on this topic, when you have NATIONAL writers mocking Tony's abilities AND reporting that the players themselves are wondering WTF their manager is doing, you SHOULD be able to open up your eyes and see that this team is winning in spite of their manager, and they could be doing even better with a capable MLB manager.