Random Thoughts 2.1

[Mingo]

Who can blame Mercedes for NOT LOOKING for a sign in the situation where he homered?

I don't defend Tony La Russa for his apparent dumbassary in the Minnesota series, but intended by La Russa or not - no White Sox player got suspended - The White Sox left Minnesota even more united as a team of players than when they arrived. The Sox took the series and Jose Abreu got some good rest. Now the White Sox come into NY - not with the press buzzing about how well the Sox are doing - or whether the Sox are indeed as good as their record, but they come into NY with scrutiny on doddering old Tony La Russa and his old school ideas. These are good things.

 

[Bearsfan81]

Who can blame Mercedes for NOT LOOKING for a sign in the situation where he homered?

I don't defend Tony La Russa for his apparent dumbassary in the Minnesota series, but intended by La Russa or not - no White Sox player got suspended - The White Sox left Minnesota even more united as a team of players than when they arrived. The Sox took the series and Jose Abreu got some good rest. Now the White Sox come into NY - not with the press buzzing about how well the Sox are doing - or whether the Sox are indeed as good as their record, but they come into NY with scrutiny on doddering old Tony La Russa and his old school ideas. These are good things.

I don’t believe they legitimately had a sign in a game where they had a 10 run lead in the 9th.

It’s crazy that the Sox are looked at as the favorites going into the series with the Yankees. I would not have predicted that in March, even with my homer glasses on.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I don’t believe they legitimately had a sign in a game where they had a 10 run lead in the 9th.

It’s crazy that the Sox are looked at as the favorites going into the series with the Yankees. I would not have predicted that in March, even with my homer glasses on.

Agreed and as I brought up in an earlier post the other day, what if Mercedes took the pitch and it was a ball - or the next pitch. Wouldn't there be just as much shit about taking a walk when the game is already long out of hand?

 

[Mingo]

I suspect there is an untold part of this story that involves a Dominican rivalry between the players or even their families.

 

[Bearsfan81]

Agreed and as I brought up in an earlier post the other day, what if Mercedes took the pitch and it was a ball - or the next pitch. Wouldn't there be just as much shit about taking a walk when the game is already long out of hand?

Anything Yermin did would have been a complete non-story. LaRussa’s tantrum and doubling-down is what caused all of this.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Anything Yermin did would have been a complete non-story. LaRussa’s tantrum and doubling-down is what caused all of this.

Oh I definitely agree, but I'm referring to the 'unwritten rules' of the game the point being that taking a walk when the game is well out of hand can be just as "in-your-face" as swinging on a 3-0 pitch. But you're right, the real garbage in all this is TLR taking Mercedes to the public woodshed, then doubling down afterward by saying he didn't think the Twins purposely threw at Mercedes as payback.

 

[Mingo]

Anything Yermin did would have been a complete non-story. LaRussa’s tantrum and doubling-down is what caused all of this.

Agreed - so the question is - Is Tony La Russa an overmatched nutcase - or, does he have another objective for calling attention to himself when he takes his undermanned team into Yankee Stadium? If he did all this as performative - he qualifies as a Machiavellian wannabe. The team arrives in NY - very loose, Jose is supposed to be coming back and all the pressure is on the manager. I think Tony threw his own Doofus pitch into the mix.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Our top hitting prospect?????

The 30 best hitting prospects, 1 for each club

The best pure hitter in the Minor Leagues should need no introduction. Rays middle infielder Wander Franco ranks No. 1 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list and has earned one of just two 80 hit grades (on the 20-80 scouting scale) we've ever bestowed on a prospect. The other

www.mlb.com

If you don't feel like perusing the entire article, here's the one that matters:

White Sox: Jose Rodriguez, SS/2B (No. 15)
A bargain $50,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Rodriguez has an aggressive approach but makes a lot of hard contact and features some deceptive strength. He's off to a good start in his full-season debut, batting .293/.359/.431 in Low-A.

I suspect Gavin Sheets or Jake Burger might have an opinion or two on this.

 

[Mingo]

Our top hitting prospect?????

The 30 best hitting prospects, 1 for each club

The best pure hitter in the Minor Leagues should need no introduction. Rays middle infielder Wander Franco ranks No. 1 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list and has earned one of just two 80 hit grades (on the 20-80 scouting scale) we've ever bestowed on a prospect. The other

www.mlb.com

If you don't feel like perusing the entire article, here's the one that matters:

White Sox: Jose Rodriguez, SS/2B (No. 15)
A bargain $50,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Rodriguez has an aggressive approach but makes a lot of hard contact and features some deceptive strength. He's off to a good start in his full-season debut, batting .293/.359/.431 in Low-A.

I suspect Gavin Sheets or Jake Burger might have an opinion or two on this.

It's a head scratcher...

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

It's a head scratcher...

Hey, the kid might be good....might be real good. But to label him as our top hitting prospect to me is a bit of a stretch, at least at this point.

 

[Mingo]

Hey, the kid might be good....might be real good. But to label him as our top hitting prospect to me is a bit of a stretch, at least at this point.

People get paid for content - I don't think it matters to the content providers - what you think - just what can they provoke in you. I'm sure they were basing their designation for Rodriguez based on talent ceiling instead of current level of talent.

 

[idseer]

Agreed - so the question is - Is Tony La Russa an overmatched nutcase - or, does he have another objective for calling attention to himself when he takes his undermanned team into Yankee Stadium? If he did all this as performative - he qualifies as a Machiavellian wannabe. The team arrives in NY - very loose, Jose is supposed to be coming back and all the pressure is on the manager. I think Tony threw his own Doofus pitch into the mix.

"doofus pitch" lol ... good one.

 

[Mingo]

@Jiddy has given me a certain sense of guilt every time I think to mention evidence of something good happening with these White Sox that can't be counted on as a quantifiable metric.

After the first two frightful weeks of this season the White Sox - have since played exceptionally well in making the right baseball decision during the execution of a live ball. White Sox defenders in the infield and the outfield almost always throw the ball to the appropriate base or cutoff man. Moncada, Anderson and Abreu have been fielding and throwing in obvious golden glove contention. Random players thrown out to the OF - like Vaughn and Mendick have played above average defense and thrown to the correct bases. The White Sox have nailed way more outs at plays at the plate than runs scored from plays at the plate. This is the kind of play on defense that gives White Sox pitchers less anxiety over someone hitting the ball against them. From my point of view - this kind of baseball is fun to watch and worthy of mention.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

 

[Jiddy]

 

[ChiSoxFan]

 

[Jiddy]

I will never miss Renteria after game 3 vs. Oakland. Dude is dead to me. TLR is not ideal the way things are panning out, but that doesn't mean a change didn't have to be made. It just means Reinsdorf used the ideal opportunity to hook his homeboy up.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

I will never miss Renteria after game 3 vs. Oakland. Dude is dead to me. TLR is not ideal the way things are panning out, but that doesn't mean a change didn't have to be made. It just means Reinsdorf used the ideal opportunity to hook his homeboy up.

lolz dead to you

 

[Jiddy]

lolz dead to you

Damn right...I'm 42 years old and the White Sox have only won three playoff series' in my lifetime...All 3 being in the same year in 2005. Your franchise gives me 26 and 16 year bookended droughts, you better be damn sure as the manager you doesn't do THAT in a playoff series deciding game. I won't even rehash it...Just...That. One of the worst managing performances I've ever seen in a game.

 

[Mingo]

The thought struck me that I can't wait for the inside story on this year's Sox season.

Some trickle out story - along the lines of the Sox player leadership deciding it was better management of Tony La Russa's mental health to continue to humor him that he is still the skipper. It would be like VEEP only inside a winning baseball team.