9/9 Sox at A's game thread 2:37 first pitch

[The Mighty Mite]

34 minutes ago, fathom said:

I’ve seen nothing in the second half of the season to suggest this is a title contender.  

Agree, about a .500 team since the break but very well rested.

Edited September 9, 2021 by The Mighty Mite

[maxjusttyped]

3 minutes ago, chw42 said:

What's funny is that the Rays are first in runs but like 6th in OPS and wRC+. 

It just seems like this team is really bad at situational hitting. Especially recently. Need a fly ball with a guy on third? We always get strikeouts and ground balls right at people. We really like making it hard on ourselves when we have a high probability of scoring runs. I know the sample of guys on third and less than 2 outs is real small, but I fear that our inability to get the job done in those situations is because we're such a high % ground ball hitting team. It's almost burned into our hitting philosophy. 

The Rays have the 5th highest strikeout rate in baseball! The Sox are 19th! I guarantee anything that projects forward would have the Sox hitting as well or better than the Rays in RISP situations. I don't see anything in the Sox profile (aside from Vaughn squeezing the saw dust out of his bat and pressing) to suggest they're likely to keep struggling to this extent. It's frustrating to watch, but aside from the Rays, it seems like most of the AL's best teams are all going through a funk right now.

The offense definitely has me concerned, though. So I decided to sort through leaderboard (based on the past 2 weeks) on fangraphs. The Sox are 1st in team wRC+ and runs per game!! I am really at a loss to know what to make of this team. Everything in the numbers says they're good/great then you see this inconsistency on a day to day basis. But a lot of those guys who are causing the inconsistency won't be in the playoff lineup....

As a team, the White Sox draw a lot of walks. They hit for a good average. They strike out at a lower than average clip. They hit a lot of balls hard. To me, that seems like the characteristics you would look for in a lineup to excel in RISP situations, right? But obviously that hasn't been the case lately.

[South Side Hit Men]

1 minute ago, chw42 said:

I don't think they'll go to 16 teams. At most I think they go to 14. 

There's not much of a difference, at least for me. 3 divisions and 4 wild cards. If they whittled the four wild cards in single elimination games down to 1 team, it wouldn't be too far of a departure, and I'd have the same level of interest as now (only if the Sox are in).

However, they will likely have the top record with a bye, and the other two division winners are thrown in the slop with the four wild card teams in a best of three or five, I like that the best team is rewarded in that scenario, but division winners shouldn't get mere home field (either 1 game or all) against a 75 win wild card.

There is still no legitimate competitive reason to expand the playoffs beyond the current set up, whether they go four divisions (there should be no wild cards) or keep the three. My preference would be keep the current six five team divisions. Top record in each league gets a bye, the second best division winner hosts the third in a best of three, the winner playing a best of seven. Division champions competing for a championship.

[CentralChamps21]

12 minutes ago, chw42 said:

I don't think they'll go to 16 teams. At most I think they go to 14. 

I don't think they can make anything between 10 and 16 work. If you have byes, you have to have the first round be a single game or you have the bye teams sitting too long. This isn't like football where a week off helps. Guys need to keep their rhythm. Go to 12 or 14 teams and you have division winners playing a winner-take-all game.

[chw42]

1 minute ago, South Side Hit Men said:

There's not much of a difference, at least for me. 3 divisions and 4 wild cards. If they whittled the four wild cards in single elimination games down to 1 team, it wouldn't be too far of a departure, and I'd have the same level of interest as now (only if the Sox are in).

However, they will likely have the top record with a bye, and the other two division winners are thrown in the slop with the four wild card teams in a best of three or five, I like that the best team is rewarded in that scenario, but division winners shouldn't get mere home field (either 1 game or all) against a 75 win wild card.

There is still no legitimate competitive reason to expand the playoffs beyond the current set up, whether they go four divisions (there should be no wild cards) or keep the three. My preference would be keep the current six five team divisions. Top record in each league gets a bye, the second best division winner hosts the third in a best of three, the winner playing a best of seven. Division champions competing for a championship.

Their proposal last year before the pandemic season was 7 teams make the playoffs in each league. Top team in each league gets a bye from the wild card round. Wild card round ends up as 6 teams, 2 division winner and 4 wild cards. The top 2 division winners get to pick who they play and the top wild card team plays the team the 2 division winners didn't pick. 

[The Mighty Mite]

42 minutes ago, WhiteSoxFan1993 said:

I don't think they can make anything between 10 and 16 work. If you have byes, you have to have the first round be a single game or you have the bye teams sitting too long. This isn't like football where a week off helps. Guys need to keep their rhythm. Go to 12 or 14 teams and you have division winners playing a winner-take-all game.

Eventually we will see 32 teams with each league having 4 divisions with 4 teams in each division. Could have anywhere from 8 to 16 teams making the playoffs. We could also see each league with 2 divisions of 8 teams each.

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by The Mighty Mite

[chw42]

4 minutes ago, WhiteSoxFan1993 said:

I don't think they can make anything between 10 and 16 work. If you have byes, you have to have the first round be a single game or you have the bye teams sitting too long. This isn't like football where a week off helps. Guys need to keep their rhythm. Go to 12 or 14 teams and you have division winners playing a winner-take-all game.

I agree, that bye really isn't beneficial in baseball. You get to skip a round, but you also risk coming out really flat in the 2nd round. 

[ShoeLessRob]

30 minutes ago, maxjusttyped said:

getting the 2 seed is very, very important

They won’t 

[hankchifan]

9 minutes ago, maxjusttyped said:

The Rays have the 5th highest strikeout rate in baseball! The Sox are 19th! I guarantee anything that projects forward would have the Sox hitting as well or better than the Rays in RISP situations. I don't see anything in the Sox profile (aside from Vaughn squeezing the saw dust out of his bat and pressing) to suggest they're likely to keep struggling to this extent. It's frustrating to watch, but aside from the Rays, it seems like most of the AL's best teams are all going through a funk right now.

The offense definitely has me concerned, though. So I decided to sort through leaderboard (based on the past 2 weeks) on fangraphs. The Sox are 1st in team wRC+ and runs per game!! I am really at a loss to know what to make of this team. Everything in the numbers says they're good/great then you see this inconsistency on a day to day basis. But a lot of those guys who are causing the inconsistency won't be in the playoff lineup....

As a team, the White Sox draw a lot of walks. They hit for a good average. They strike out at a lower than average clip. They hit a lot of balls hard. To me, that seems like the characteristics you would look for in a lineup to excel in RISP situations, right? But obviously that hasn't been the case lately.

TLR needs to help this ground ball hitting team by putting runners in motion, put pressure on the opposing defense, open holes in the defense with hit and run plays, and manufacture more runs.  Can’t just play station to station waiting fora 3 run homer.

[hankchifan]

39 minutes ago, Tnetennba said:

 

5-9 was a Charlotte lineup.  Crap in crap out.

[pcq]

4 hours ago, Capn12 said:

Burn on Gordon, dang.

People might ask why a FAILED PROSPECT reading from an off-topic script is being shoved in our faces. The answer is a two-bit horse shot organization. Just imagine the celebrity of GORDON BECKHAM as your major media rep. How White Sox. Couldn't get anyone better. 

[southsider2k5]

26 minutes ago, pcq said:

People might ask why a FAILED PROSPECT reading from an off-topic script is being shoved in our faces. The answer is a two-bit horse shot organization. Just imagine the celebrity of GORDON BECKHAM as your major media rep. How White Sox. Couldn't get anyone better. 

Have you paid attention to the radio and TV broadcasts of any other sports team?  The sports world is filled with guys like Gordon Beckham in booths everywhere.  I am curious why you think someone's ability to hit is directly related to their ability to call a game. And if that is the case, how does a guy like Jason Benetti call a game?

[pcq]

7 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Have you paid attention to the radio and TV broadcasts of any other sports team?  The sports world is filled with guys like Gordon Beckham in booths everywhere.  I am curious why you think someone's ability to hit is directly related to their ability to call a game. And if that is the case, how does a guy like Jason Benetti call a game?

I'm curious why they keep hyping Gordon Beckham because he is a flop. He's been hyped ever since he came up. Zero. Next. 

[southsider2k5]

1 minute ago, pcq said:

I'm curious why they keep hyping Gordon Beckham because he is a flop. He's been hyped ever since he came up. Zero. Next. 

I am curious why you connect the two things.

[CentralChamps21]

10 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Have you paid attention to the radio and TV broadcasts of any other sports team?  The sports world is filled with guys like Gordon Beckham in booths everywhere.  I am curious why you think someone's ability to hit is directly related to their ability to call a game. And if that is the case, how does a guy like Jason Benetti call a game?

Play-by-play and analysis are different skills, so the Benetti comparison is irrelevant. Some level of success is very helpful in the analyst role, and while Beckham was disappointing compared to his expectations, he managed to last long enough to rack up over 3700 PA. I just think he talks too much

[southsider2k5]

1 minute ago, WhiteSoxFan1993 said:

Play-by-play and analysis are different skills, so the Benetti comparison is irrelevant. Some level of success is very helpful in the analyst role, and while Beckham was disappointing compared to his expectations, he managed to last long enough to rack up over 3700 PA. I just think he talks too much

Why?  What is the transfer of skills required between the two that is so relevant?

[South Side Hit Men]

Just now, pcq said:

I'm curious why they keep hyping Gordon Beckham because he is a flop. He's been hyped ever since he came up. Zero. Next. 

How many games does he even announce, 10-20? Can always mute the game, not sure why TV viewers even need announcers? It's not like he is their everyday announcer.

I don't like when they pull Len from radio to cover for their TV absences, but Connor McKnight is decent. Makes much more of a difference on radio. I watch the MLB game recaps afterward to see the key plays, works out fine and Jerry/Rob et al don't get a penny.

[poppysox]

The good news is Lopez looks like he has found himself....another solid outing.  The bad news is we can't seem to get the big hit when needed.  Very anxious to have the whole team on the field at the same time.

[ron883]

Beckham getting these gigs is attractive privilege. Same with Pods. These guys are sexy so they keep getting gigs. They suck at it, though. 

[wegner]

I think Beckham is good on pre and post game broadcasts.  I just don't think he is very good in the booth, especially for as many games as he has done this season.  I honestly have been muting the broadcasts with Bacon most of the time.  When I have had the sound on, my wife (who is a casual observer) has wondered more than once "why is that guy on again?"

[CentralChamps21]

9 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Why?  What is the transfer of skills required between the two that is so relevant?

To be an analyst? Playing the game gives you insight on why and how players do what they do. The higher the level at which you played, the better. But that's only part of it. Being in rhythm with the game and your PBP guy are also important. Steve Stone qualifies at a high level on both criteria.

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, WhiteSoxFan1993 said:

To be an analyst? Playing the game gives you insight on why and how players do what they do. The higher the level at which you played, the better. But that's only part of it. Being in rhythm with the game and your PBP guy are also important. Steve Stone qualifies at a high level on both criteria.

Plus, Steve Stone had 20 years of broadcasting experience on his first day. Gordon Beckham will never have that much experience, not unless he works in broadcasting for 20 years.

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

If everyone is active come playoffs I am not the least bit worried.  We clearly rested a ton of guys the past month. If everyone is healthy, we are the most talented team in the AL

[ThatBallHitDeep_WAYBack]

Gordon Beckham is best friends with Getz and is pretty well respected in the Org as a person. 

 

He ain't going anywhere.

[southsider2k5]

3 hours ago, WhiteSoxFan1993 said:

To be an analyst? Playing the game gives you insight on why and how players do what they do. The higher the level at which you played, the better. But that's only part of it. Being in rhythm with the game and your PBP guy are also important. Steve Stone qualifies at a high level on both criteria.

Why though?  What would make Gordon Beckham a better analyst if he hit .270 for his career instead of .237?  He played 11 years on major league rosters.   What is he getting with 15 extra hits a season that he doesn't have now?