Interview with the Chairman

[Thad Bosley]

6.5 seasons to be ten games over .500. Realistically, we could say six since it's impossible to turn around a season for a losing organization with no resources committed when you're hired in the middle of the year. Interesting math system there.

 

7.5 seasons for the WC and World Series.

 

8.5 seasons for the division and World Series.

 

Best record in the AL from 2013-2015 and two consecutive playoff and World Series appearances, something the White Sox have never done in franchise history.

 

All this coming from MLB's smallest media market and with a very limited payroll until Glass approved adding James Shields.

 

By the end of the World Series, more playoff/postseason games in two years than the White Sox have had in the past 55.

 

The White Sox had 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16...which is 8 years MAYBE getting back to .500 in Year Eight (and Year 2 of some plan or another) but right now even that's highly unlikely to most.

 

If the White Sox made it to the World Series in both 2017 and 2018 they'd still be behind schedule. I don't think anyone will take that bet, though.

 

Last year it was luck or a fluke in the WC game...this year it was the umpiring. What will it be next season as the excuse? If Ned Yost is worse than Ventura and Moore isn't that good either, why haven't the White Sox with exponentially more resources been able to pull off the same seemingly easy feat?

Ha ha! You've done it now! Dick Allen's gonna be by real soon and you'll be labeled a "complainer", a "whiner" and/or a "moaner" faster than Grant took Richmond for laying out these facts here. You know he doesn't like that, and Hell hath no fury like a Dick Allen scorned at Soxtalk!!

[Lip Man 1]

Last year it was luck or a fluke in the WC game...this year it was the umpiring. What will it be next season as the excuse? If Ned Yost is worse than Ventura and Moore isn't that good either, why haven't the White Sox with exponentially more resources been able to pull off the same seemingly easy feat?

 

Good question. I'll wait to see how someone decides to try to answer it.

 

Mark

[Jerksticks]

6.5 seasons to be ten games over .500. Realistically, we could say six since it's impossible to turn around a season for a losing organization with no resources committed when you're hired in the middle of the year. Interesting math system there.

 

7.5 seasons for the WC and World Series.

 

8.5 seasons for the division and World Series.

 

Best record in the AL from 2013-2015 and two consecutive playoff and World Series appearances, something the White Sox have never done in franchise history.

 

All this coming from MLB's smallest media market and with a very limited payroll until Glass approved adding James Shields.

 

By the end of the World Series, more playoff/postseason games in two years than the White Sox have had in the past 55.

 

The White Sox had 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16...which is 8 years MAYBE getting back to .500 in Year Eight (and Year 2 of some plan or another) but right now even that's highly unlikely to most.

 

If the White Sox made it to the World Series in both 2017 and 2018 they'd still be behind schedule. I don't think anyone will take that bet, though.

 

Last year it was luck or a fluke in the WC game...this year it was the umpiring. What will it be next season as the excuse? If Ned Yost is worse than Ventura and Moore isn't that good either, why haven't the White Sox with exponentially more resources been able to pull off the same seemingly easy feat?

 

I get the results-based analysis. 0 playoffs. I get that. Seems incomplete to analyze the sox that way though. We've arguably been WS contenders on paper before almost evey one of those seasons started. The Royals, never, not even these last 2 years.

 

[Dick Allen]

Ha ha! You've done it now! Dick Allen's gonna be by real soon and you'll be labeled a "complainer", a "whiner" and/or a "moaner" faster than Grant took Richmond for laying out these facts here. You know he doesn't like that, and Hell hath no fury like a Dick Allen scorned at Soxtalk!!

How many games over .500 were the White Sox in 2010? The goal posts moved to 10 games over in 6.5 years, KW did that in 2003, 2005,2006, 2008, and 2010, and you were miserable.

 

It is interesting that the key for KC from the Royals fan was hiring a Braves guy. The guy he supposedly learned everything from was a KC guy.

 

But, if you think Moore is a genius, I am sure you would have no problem with JR hiring someone like him, and 9 years later win your first division.

 

The fact is the guy you are referencing is a moaner and a KC fan. He mentioned in another thread how he hated when the White Sox used to beat up on the Royals.

[greg775]

The fact is the guy you are referencing is a moaner and a KC fan. He mentioned in another thread how he hated when the White Sox used to beat up on the Royals.

He said that? Caufield? He does appear to like KC but did he say that? Wow. I didn't see that.

[Dick Allen]

He said that? Caufield? He does appear to like KC but did he say that? Wow. I didn't see that.

Nah. He either edited it or I misread it, but he certainly is a Royals fan, something he has denied many times.

[caulfield12]

He said that? Caufield? He does appear to like KC but did he say that? Wow. I didn't see that.

 

There are two ways of getting a point across about the current state of the White Sox.

 

One is to follow in the wake of Thad Bosley (including the 35 years line repetitively about JR), or to mirror Lip, Balta (preseason/preparation, etc.,) Flash Tizzle...which gets kind of boring and redundant since that leads to endless nobody can prove quantifiably that Robin Ventura isn't a good manager OR the lack of loyalty from White Sox fans (and not the ineptitude and lack of a clear vision from the front office) endless black holes.

 

So at least I can praise teams that are doing things right because, in and of itself, that's inherently more positive and optimistic (hoping your favorite team will eventually wake up) than endlessly whining. Blind faith, hope and loyalty doesn't cut it for 98% of White Sox fans. Trust has to be earned.

 

If I wouldn't have lived in KC for a decade, it wouldn't have mattered. The whole time I resided there, the White Sox just ran over the Royals, like the Globetrotters and the Washington Generals. So I suppose if it was the 90s Indians, the 2002-2010 Twins or the 2011-2014 Tigers, I rooted against those teams because I hated them for beating the White Sox so consistently and bringing out every frustration possible as a fan. Because the Royals were so terrible, it almost forced you to empathize with them when the Yankees or Red Sox would come to town. KC was flyover territory, irrelevant to everyone on the East and West Coast. As a native Midwesterner, this mentality of pity, disdain and ridicule from afar (pretty much any reference in the movies to Iowa or Kansas is poking fun at you) almost forced one to pull for the underdog against the big, bad bullies.

 

This post has been edited by caulfield12: Yesterday, 08:44 PM

 

This is where I professed my eternal hatred for the White Sox, lol...and somehow what was written has been bent, but what else would one expect?

[caulfield12]

In the final summary, Schuerholz did have a world of resources behind him when Ewing Kauffman was running the Royals. They had the first or second highest payroll for many of those years from 1976-1985, along with the Yankees of course under Steinbrenner. With the smallest media market in MLB...but they also worked harder than any other team in the majors (along with the Cardinals) to expand their radio and tv networks.

 

Imagine an owner who loved his team and city so much he was willing to do and spend whatever it took to provide fans the best team every year no matter what the cost. The results speak for themselves. Yeah, you can say they were lucky to get the Denkinger call in 1985, but they didn't force the Cards to implode any more than AJ's play running to first against former Sox catcher Josh Paul did.

 

So Schuerholz left for the Braves, Dayton Moore learned everything about talent evaluation and especially the intersection of talent WITH character, Moore learned under him (and also what KC used to be like as a great baseball city) and was recruited to bring that back to KC again after it was lost for so many years.

 

 

 

I sincerely hope the four seasons Nick Hostetler spent with the Braves made more of an impression than his time with the White Sox...

 

Schools University of Akron, Youngstown State University

 

Nick Hostetler has been a scout for the Chicago White Sox (2001-2004, 2007- ) and Atlanta Braves (2004-2007). He signed Gordon Beckham, Daniel Hudson, Tyler Lumsden and Jeff Lyman.

 

Hostetler's roots are in the Braves organization, where he learned the methodology that built a 90s juggernaut. While there he also worked closely with Dayton Moore, now the man in charge of the Kansas City Royals.

 

Hostetler values analytics, especially when they prove something that had been just a hunch. "I believe we should incorporate them more and more with what our eyes see." While of course valuing the "best player available," he admits a past proclivity for high school players, an area where the Sox have not had success. He uses social media discreetly to keep up with college rotations, and to check out potential personality issues of prospective picks.

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2015080...orts/150809304/

Edited October 25, 2015 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

You can search at chisox.com, wsi.com and any Royals' site in the universe.

 

You won't ever find caulfield12 there. I will bet Greg's house on it.

[Vance Law]

Kansas City's "plan for success" was simply to suck for a decade and a half. The reason they're in the World Series and the extent to which we talk about them as a success is due to a handful of players. When you suck, you get really high draft picks. In the 15 years between 1999 and 2013 they had a top 9 draft pick 13 times. They had a top 5 draft pick 9 times.

 

Looking at the 10 picks from 1999 through 2010 (the more recent picks' value not yet determined), 6 were total busts or rather insignificant. So they hit on 40% of their 1st round top 10 picks. Among that group of "busts", the most useful player is Luke Hochevar, a #1 overall pick who has amassed 2.8 bWAR in about 900 major league innings. Jake Petricka, by way of example, has amassed 3.4 bWAR in 144 major league innings.

 

The picks that panned out for them were:

 

Zack Greinke #6 in 2002. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner factors into this team because they were able to trade him to get Lorenzo Cain.

Alex Gordon #2 in 2005

Mike Moustakas #2 in 2007

Eric Hosmer #3 in 2008

 

As you see, 3 of those are even top 3 picks.

 

And those 4 players are the reason the Royals are so good. Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer. 16.7 fWAR this year. 4 guys who are young and cheap and hit and play defense. You just need to suck so bad you get a lot of top 3 picks. Anyone who wants to throw Sal Perez in here should note he was worth 1.6 WAR this year. Their starting pitching is nothing special at all. They have a great reliever in Wade Davis and a couple more good ones in Holland and Herrera, but neither of those guys were as good at keeping runs off the board as, say, Matt Albers.

 

I really think this year is KC's last great hope. Gordon will be the first of those guys to leave after this season. They'll lose Zobrist and Cueto as well. I think they're a playoff team but not as good next year. And Cain, Hosmer, and Moustakas are all free agents after 2017. They won't trade those guys to restock with new young talent until their run has ended. It took them 15 years of sucking to wrangle the talent required to make this run, but I don't see how it can last very long.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Vance Law

[greg775]

Kansas City's "plan for success" was simply to suck for a decade and a half. The reason they're in the World Series and the extent to which we talk about them as a success is due to a handful of players. When you suck, you get really high draft picks. In the 15 years between 1999 and 2013 they had a top 9 draft pick 13 times. They had a top 5 draft pick 9 times.

 

Looking at the 10 picks from 1999 through 2010 (the more recent picks' value not yet determined), 6 were total busts or rather insignificant. So they hit on 40% of their 1st round top 10 picks. Among that group of "busts", the most useful player is Luke Hochevar, a #1 overall pick who has amassed 2.8 bWAR in about 900 major league innings. Jake Petricka, by way of example, has amassed 3.4 bWAR in 144 major league innings.

 

The picks that panned out for them were:

 

Zack Greinke #6 in 2002. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner factors into this team because they were able to trade him to get Lorenzo Cain.

Alex Gordon #2 in 2005

Mike Moustakas #2 in 2007

Eric Hosmer #3 in 2008

 

As you see, 3 of those are even top 3 picks.

 

And those 4 players are the reason the Royals are so good. Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer. 16.7 fWAR this year. 4 guys who are young and cheap and hit and play defense. You just need to suck so bad you get a lot of top 3 picks. Anyone who wants to throw Sal Perez in here should note he was worth 1.6 WAR this year. Their starting pitching is nothing special at all. They have a great reliever in Wade Davis and a couple more good ones in Holland and Herrera, but neither of those guys were as good at keeping runs off the board as, say, Matt Albers.

 

I really think this year is KC's last great hope. Gordon will be the first of those guys to leave after this season. They'll lose Zobrist and Cueto as well. I think they're a playoff team but not as good next year. And Cain, Hosmer, and Moustakas are all free agents after 2017. They won't trade those guys to restock with new young talent until their run has ended. It took them 15 years of sucking to wrangle the talent required to make this run, but I don't see how it can last very long.

 

I will say this: If KC offered Gordon 15 million a year for 4 years he should take it. He has a chance to be the third kingpin in this town behind Brett and Len Dawson. I mean, first of all, KC can probably stomach giving him 15 million a year. I would think they could afford that. This isn't like letting Butler go; this is a key cog in two WS teams. At the same time, like Ned Yost said on a pregame show this year, "when Alex is going bad; he really goes bad." He gets in MASSIVe slumps. Now I'm saying he's the best fielder in left in the game and he's a fine player. But seriously will somebody give him 22 million a year?? Alex Gordon?? He's over 30. At what point do you actually give a Konerko discount?? Never??

Again ... if Alex Gordon is dumb enough to go to the Yankees or Red Sox or Dodgers for 25 million a year, I guess the team really wants him by overpaying that much. Odds are very good he'll wind up being booed out of that big market town unless he remains a stud well into his 30s.

 

But again, this is not like letting Billy Butler walk. This is Alex Gordon and I would think 15 million a year for 4 years with a team option for fifth year would be very fair. If I am mistaken, if Alex is gonna get 19-30 million a year for those 'good' offensive numbers he produces, then my bad.

I mean Alex Gordon??? At what point does the 20 million dollar club not include Alex Gordon??

Edited October 26, 2015 by greg775

[Y2Jimmy0]

I will say this: If KC offered Gordon 15 million a year for 4 years he should take it. He has a chance to be the third kingpin in this town behind Brett and Len Dawson. I mean, first of all, KC can probably stomach giving him 15 million a year. I would think they could afford that. This isn't like letting Butler go; this is a key cog in two WS teams. At the same time, like Ned Yost said on a pregame show this year, "when Alex is going bad; he really goes bad." He gets in MASSIVe slumps. Now I'm saying he's the best fielder in left in the game and he's a fine player. But seriously will somebody give him 22 million a year?? Alex Gordon?? He's over 30. At what point do you actually give a Konerko discount?? Never??

Again ... if Alex Gordon is dumb enough to go to the Yankees or Red Sox or Dodgers for 25 million a year, I guess the team really wants him by overpaying that much. Odds are very good he'll wind up being booed out of that big market town unless he remains a stud well into his 30s.

 

But again, this is not like letting Billy Butler walk. This is Alex Gordon and I would think 15 million a year for 4 years with a team option for fifth year would be very fair. If I am mistaken, if Alex is gonna get 19-30 million a year for those 'good' offensive numbers he produces, then my bad.

I mean Alex Gordon??? At what point does the 20 million dollar club not include Alex Gordon??

 

 

Alex Gordon should not take $15 million on a 4 year deal. That doesn't make sense. I'd bet he gets $90 million over 5.

[Dick Allen]

Kansas City's "plan for success" was simply to suck for a decade and a half. The reason they're in the World Series and the extent to which we talk about them as a success is due to a handful of players. When you suck, you get really high draft picks. In the 15 years between 1999 and 2013 they had a top 9 draft pick 13 times. They had a top 5 draft pick 9 times.

 

Looking at the 10 picks from 1999 through 2010 (the more recent picks' value not yet determined), 6 were total busts or rather insignificant. So they hit on 40% of their 1st round top 10 picks. Among that group of "busts", the most useful player is Luke Hochevar, a #1 overall pick who has amassed 2.8 bWAR in about 900 major league innings. Jake Petricka, by way of example, has amassed 3.4 bWAR in 144 major league innings.

 

The picks that panned out for them were:

 

Zack Greinke #6 in 2002. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner factors into this team because they were able to trade him to get Lorenzo Cain.

Alex Gordon #2 in 2005

Mike Moustakas #2 in 2007

Eric Hosmer #3 in 2008

 

As you see, 3 of those are even top 3 picks.

 

And those 4 players are the reason the Royals are so good. Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer. 16.7 fWAR this year. 4 guys who are young and cheap and hit and play defense. You just need to suck so bad you get a lot of top 3 picks. Anyone who wants to throw Sal Perez in here should note he was worth 1.6 WAR this year. Their starting pitching is nothing special at all. They have a great reliever in Wade Davis and a couple more good ones in Holland and Herrera, but neither of those guys were as good at keeping runs off the board as, say, Matt Albers.

 

I really think this year is KC's last great hope. Gordon will be the first of those guys to leave after this season. They'll lose Zobrist and Cueto as well. I think they're a playoff team but not as good next year. And Cain, Hosmer, and Moustakas are all free agents after 2017. They won't trade those guys to restock with new young talent until their run has ended. It took them 15 years of sucking to wrangle the talent required to make this run, but I don't see how it can last very long.

Since KW was named GM, here is KC's draft position:

 

2001 9

2002 6

2003 5

2004 14

2005 2

2006 1

2007 2

2008 3

2009 12

2010 4

2011 5

2012 5

2013 8

2014 17

 

It is amazing how awful they have been. They took the Houston route, 4 years in a row of having top 3 picks, skipped a year and 3 years in a row of top 5. Dayton Moore's "genius" is 6 top 8 picks, and 5 top 5.

 

I wonder where the accountability was in 2012.

 

This year was an awful year for the White Sox. They are drafting 10th. KC has had 11 years worse than this since KW was given the White Sox reigns.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Dick Allen

[Hatchetman]

I did not know Hostetler was originally a Sox scout. Now I am depressed. Thanks a lot guys.

[caulfield12]

I did not know Hostetler was originally a Sox scout. Now I am depressed. Thanks a lot guys.

 

 

Haha, you're welcome.

 

By the way, the Twins were basically able to cycle through two waves of players from 2001-2010 and remain competitive in the AL Central for nearly a decade.

 

No guarantees it will happen with KC. The Tigers really just had four years, the Royals will probably have a good chance next year to repeat and 50/50 at best in 2017 depending on the eventual fate/s of Ventura, Duffy and Zimmer, to name just three.

 

As far as the Royals go, talking about the 1990s decade of wasted draft picks well before Dayton Moore arrived on the scene is pretty pointless since 1986-2002 has absolutely nothing to do with his regime at all.

 

It's like talking about 1960-1986 when discussing the White Sox and connecting it to KW somehow. Now sure, 1995-1999...okay.

 

 

From 2004-2007 the Royals were terrible, worst or second worst in the majors. Moore wasn't involved in the draft until 2007 with KC, it was Allard Baird. So he personally was responsible for six Top Eight picks.

 

Including Gordon Beckham, the White Sox will have had four Top Ten picks and are still least two years from the playoffs. Not to mention Courtney Hawkins at 13 and not realistically close to a major league promotion after four seasons. For a high schooler in the top half of the first round, you should be knocking on the door in year five at least.

Edited October 26, 2015 by caulfield12

[spiderman]

Yeah, I stopped reading after that title, that's just silly JR.

 

Lots of ridiculous, borderline insane comments made.

[LDF]

Unfortunate that he didn't address one single issue that Sox fans are concerned about today regarding the state of his franchise (of course he may have agreed to the interview only under certain conditions, he has done so in the past...)

Basically a fluff piece.

 

Mark

 

i totally agree for 2 reasons. i know posters know how i feel on the owners.

 

1. it was a shot of letting all know of the sox winning the WS 10 yrs ago and the decade celebration.

2. at the same time trying to give the sox's faithful something to think about, and trying to take away from the northside team making the playoff, have an excellent farm system and adding to the system with another potential gem signing from the int't signing.