Too many whiffs and too many issued walks. Both speak to a lack of fundamental discipline.
2023 Chicago White Sox
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Texted my best friend I'm going to Cards/Sox next month with and told him that with the way both teams are playing right now, it figures to be a $hit show from both teams.
Cardinals vs. White Sox...
And so, a weekend series that could have provided some real hardball meaning and excitement will instead be a exercise in fan frustration and futility and players going through the motions. Two teams having a really bad year going at it for little reason other than players earning a paycheck.
Two great baseball cities. Two legacy franchises with great history. Two cities hungry for success. What could have been a special baseball series. But not right now. Not this year. But when?
It’s pretty sad when a weekend series in early July is played between two teams with no hope of making the playoffs and so much baseball yet to be played for a couple months. Lots of getting on planes and hotel rooms and looking in the mirror and wondering what has happened to our ball club and how do we ever find our way back.
It’s a sad time for Cardinals and White Sox fans. The Cardinals are used to having success. For the Sox, success is usually a rare occasion. But the fans of both franchises are top-rate. If only the ball clubs were as special and caring as the fans.
And from somewhere up in the Sky, Harry Caray looks down with a scowl and shakes his head. Two ball clubs he used to broadcast both soiling great traditions.
And instead of saying, ‘HOLY COW!’... he mutters a different kind of ‘Holy XXXX!’ while he watches this spectacle from the really High Seats.
And so, a weekend series that could have provided some real hardball meaning and excitement will instead be a exercise in fan frustration and futility and players going through the motions. Two teams having a really bad year going at it for little reason other than players earning a paycheck.
Two great baseball cities. Two legacy franchises with great history. Two cities hungry for success. What could have been a special baseball series. But not right now. Not this year. But when?
It’s pretty sad when a weekend series in early July is played between two teams with no hope of making the playoffs and so much baseball yet to be played for a couple months. Lots of getting on planes and hotel rooms and looking in the mirror and wondering what has happened to our ball club and how do we ever find our way back.
It’s a sad time for Cardinals and White Sox fans. The Cardinals are used to having success. For the Sox, success is usually a rare occasion. But the fans of both franchises are top-rate. If only the ball clubs were as special and caring as the fans.
And from somewhere up in the Sky, Harry Caray looks down with a scowl and shakes his head. Two ball clubs he used to broadcast both soiling great traditions.
And instead of saying, ‘HOLY COW!’... he mutters a different kind of ‘Holy XXXX!’ while he watches this spectacle from the really High Seats.
So eloquent, yet … so sad
Tim Anderson looks nothing like the player he used to be. Someone in the Sox organization must know what’s going on with him.
Today... No hits in five ABs. Five runners left on base. For the season now down to batting .223. And while on the field he looks like he’s off miles away somewhere.
Sox likely wouldn’t get much if they tried to move him right now. They should send him to Charlotte to try to get his game and mind right. It’s not fair to him or the team to keep putting him out on the field.
Today... No hits in five ABs. Five runners left on base. For the season now down to batting .223. And while on the field he looks like he’s off miles away somewhere.
Sox likely wouldn’t get much if they tried to move him right now. They should send him to Charlotte to try to get his game and mind right. It’s not fair to him or the team to keep putting him out on the field.
Should finally be open for business.
Just wish they could sell the owner off too.
Just wish they could sell the owner off too.
No sports franchise – in fact, no business or operation of any kind – can prosper and be successful when it suffers from bad ownership. The Sox have been stuck in this situation for 50 years since Bill Veeck (who loved baseball) had to sell his interest in the team for lack of having decent working capital under his control.
The current Sox ownership then came in and except for the one great (lucky?) Season of 2005 – when everything just came together – the franchise has been stuck in range of under performance to downright pathetic.
And Sox fans deserve far better than this. Generations of fans have been patient and put up with a lot of frustrating baseball with the knowledge that things can’t get better until the franchise has better leadership from the top.
And I wonder how much Sox players recognize this and this gets reflected in their on-field performance... even without realizing it.
A few years ago, the White Sox made some major trades and got highly-rated prospects in return. This began what Sox fans know as, ‘The Rebuild’.
Well... time has moved on. And the results of ‘The Rebuild’ are in. And the looks of it are not pretty. At all. Except for the Royals and the lame-duck Oakland A’s... the Sox have the worst record in the American League. And when you add in the National League record... only Washington and Colorado there have a worse records than the Sox.
Is this what Sox fans were promised? Is this the reward that Sox fans get for staying loyal and supporting the team all these years?
In short... it’s time for a Rebuild-of-the-Rebuild. The Sox have two or three young players that are worthy keeping and building around. The rest? Need to start following other teams because they will soon be playing for one of them... if not exiting the field and leaving their gloves and bats behind forever.
Some people try to succeed and they succeed. Some people don’t try to succeed but they succeed anyway. Some people try to succeed and they fail.
And some people run a baseball franchise and all they seem to know how to do is to fail... whether they try to succeed or not.
Sox Nation... we deserve better than this.
Well... time has moved on. And the results of ‘The Rebuild’ are in. And the looks of it are not pretty. At all. Except for the Royals and the lame-duck Oakland A’s... the Sox have the worst record in the American League. And when you add in the National League record... only Washington and Colorado there have a worse records than the Sox.
Is this what Sox fans were promised? Is this the reward that Sox fans get for staying loyal and supporting the team all these years?
In short... it’s time for a Rebuild-of-the-Rebuild. The Sox have two or three young players that are worthy keeping and building around. The rest? Need to start following other teams because they will soon be playing for one of them... if not exiting the field and leaving their gloves and bats behind forever.
Some people try to succeed and they succeed. Some people don’t try to succeed but they succeed anyway. Some people try to succeed and they fail.
And some people run a baseball franchise and all they seem to know how to do is to fail... whether they try to succeed or not.
Sox Nation... we deserve better than this.
chiefini
- Rockford, Illinois
Totally agree, Sage!
“... Reinsdorf sells the team...”
These words are almost universally sung by Sox Nation. But beware.
Does anybody trust the judgment of this man? Is there any guarantee that he will have any loyalty to Sox fans and to the City of Chicago? Or will he (or his heirs) sell the team to some high bidder that will move the franchise out of Chicago?
We’ve seen his judgment in how he operates his sports properties. He has allowed the Sox to languish for two generations. And we saw how he broke up the Bulls Dynasty before their time... amd they are still nowhere close to being a good basketball team again.
So yes, he (or his reps) may sell the team one day. But that just might not be the answer (or the utopia) that Sox Nation was hoping for.
Portland... Nashville... Austin... San Antonio... Montreal... Monterrey... etc. They're all watching and waiting. With big bucks in hand.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
yea, but baseball is uniquely different from other sports in that they are a congressionally blessed and exempt from anti trust laws and therefore moving a team without MLB approval is not allowed. The Sox arent in the same predicament as the A's and Rays
there is no guarantee the Sox are in Chicago forever , but its going to take quite a bit for MLB to bless that move
there is no guarantee the Sox are in Chicago forever , but its going to take quite a bit for MLB to bless that move
Heard a great comment from one of the hosts on the Score today. They said that this might be the first crosstown series where Sox fans hate the Sox more than the Cubs do.
Tim Anderson. He could have owned the City of Chicago...
Young, flashy, talented. Another in a long-line of great White Sox players at short over the generations.
He’s been a batting champ. He knows how to sting the ball. He has an arm and speed of foot. He brings a swagger to the field like many roundballers bring to the basketball court.
And then... 2023 happened. The Sox were desperate for a new team leader to emerge after the departure of the great Jose Abreu. If anyone looked ready to step up and be that leader there was no one better on the team for that than Anderson.
So what happens? He disappears. He stops being the player he used to be. He does not emerge as a leader but begins to mope and look disinterested.
Sox fans have wondered all year about what is wrong with Anderson. Is he physically not right? Is he having problems off the field big enough to affect his on-field play? Has he simply lost interest in playing the game of baseball?
Whatever it is... Sox Nation hopes he can get things personally together. And that is more important than whether he remains a member of the White Sox or not.
But it sure looks like either way, the Sox need to move on. And this is coming at a bad time for franchise because the team now has so many other big holes to fill.
But keeping someone around who now seems to be a bad fit isn’t the answer for the team or the player.
Good luck Tim whatever happens next. And he and Sox Nation can think about how things could have worked out so much differently.
Young, flashy, talented. Another in a long-line of great White Sox players at short over the generations.
He’s been a batting champ. He knows how to sting the ball. He has an arm and speed of foot. He brings a swagger to the field like many roundballers bring to the basketball court.
And then... 2023 happened. The Sox were desperate for a new team leader to emerge after the departure of the great Jose Abreu. If anyone looked ready to step up and be that leader there was no one better on the team for that than Anderson.
So what happens? He disappears. He stops being the player he used to be. He does not emerge as a leader but begins to mope and look disinterested.
Sox fans have wondered all year about what is wrong with Anderson. Is he physically not right? Is he having problems off the field big enough to affect his on-field play? Has he simply lost interest in playing the game of baseball?
Whatever it is... Sox Nation hopes he can get things personally together. And that is more important than whether he remains a member of the White Sox or not.
But it sure looks like either way, the Sox need to move on. And this is coming at a bad time for franchise because the team now has so many other big holes to fill.
But keeping someone around who now seems to be a bad fit isn’t the answer for the team or the player.
Good luck Tim whatever happens next. And he and Sox Nation can think about how things could have worked out so much differently.
Giolito and Lopez traded to the Angels.
So it begins.
So it begins.
Lynn and half of the pen to follow, I hope. Wouldn’t break my heart to see Kopech, Zavala, Grandal, Moncada (among others), the hitting and pitching coaches go, either.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
I believe Lynn and some other bullpen pieces are guaranteed to be gone by trade deadline (Joe Kelly in particular if anyone wants him). Grandal is also very likely to get moved, as he is another rental with some history of success. The other three you mention would be very unlikely to get moved, at least in my opinion (they would draw such little return at this point).
The 5th inning last night was a microcosm of the season: self implosion with the opposition doing very little to earn it (and maybe close pitches/calls going other way...but that happens when Kelly's pitches were all over the place). How often does a team score 6 runs on 3 very weak hits in one inning? That is what makes last night's game so frustrating. I am fine with getting beat, but this team has consistently beat itself for over 100 games. At least this team played itself into a clear selling position compared to prior seasons.
This next week will be very telling of where the Sox management team plan to go long term. There is still enough "talent" to compete in the weak AL Central next year, with some necessary upgrades at middle infield and catcher (the trade last night is trying to address this part in 2025 and beyond), in particular. For the rest of the season, I would love to see what Burger can do at 2nd base, and I would be completely be ok with trading or outrighting Elvis to allow this to happen. This team is very reliant on being able to stay healthy, and three players in particular need to stay healthy in 2024 (TA, Moncada, and Jimenez) -- they seem to always be getting injured. At this point, I am very pessimistic in that regard. I expect the team to attempt to retool for next season, but I would not be surprised to see a near full tear down by this time next year. I hope I am wrong...
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
can Reinsdorf fire himself?
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Yes, and it would include a buyout option to the highest bidder...one can only hope.
If you take away 2005, as an outlier, and the Bulls dynasty pre-mega contracts, Reinsdorf has been a complete failure as an owner.
I expect more from both the Sox and Bulls.
Sure he can. But he's 'The Owner!' also-known-as The Smartest Man in the Room. So why would he fire the smartest man in the room?
Like the old saying in sports goes... you are what your record says you are. And guess what? That applies to Ownership, too. So if he's 'The Smartest Man in the Room!' that will tell you what kind of people he has in The Room.
Fact is, though... this team does still have talent and with the right tweaks they could get into the Playoffs next year. That is... if the Owner is no longer the Smartest Man in the Room for a change.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
The crazy thing is that the Sox might actually play better after the trade deadline selloff, considering those that are being traded have severely underperformed this year. I will be happy if the Lynn/Kelly deal to LA Dodgers goes through - both have been terrible this year.
The White Sox this season have been a team with no heart... no identity (other than losing)... and suffering from absolutely no leadership on the field (and not much off the field, either).
Regardless of who stays and who is coming in... the first order of business is to develop a team personality that prioritizes playing together as a group and being dedicated to getting better and developing a winning culture. You won’t find any of those things on a guy’s baseball card. He’s got to have it inside... in his heart and in his mind and personality.
Jose Abreu was clearly the heart and soul of the White Sox for the last many years. And when he took his leadership to Houston... a void was created on the South Side that is as wide and empty as the parking lots on 35th Street when there is no game that day. Jose got tired of getting no help or support in his role and looked for another organization that knew how to win baseball games with a team personality.
Of the many holes on the field for the Sox – the biggest hole they need to fill is in Their Heart.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Agree with everything you said, with exception of the bolded. The Sox made no real effort to bring him back. If they did, I am sure Jose would still be in a Sox uniform. It was a real mistake thinking that Andrew Vaughn or Gavin Sheets were the internal options to elevate at 1st base and letting Jose walk. The other key to Jose being the heart of the team was that he stayed virtually healthy for a long time, which enabled him to be that clubhouse leader. So many so called leaders to be for the Sox have spent considerable portions of the year injured or on rehab assignments.
But for me, the most important person in the clubhouse starts with the manager, and I do not think Grifol is up for the job. The pendulum completely swung to opposite personality of TLR. The sad thing is that I think the roster was constructed well enough to compete for years, but a poor conditioning program and ineffective management after firing Renteria have led us to this reality of a nearly failed rebuild. Pieces are still there for next year to compete in the AL Central, and I think Hahn knows this, which is why there is likely to not be a complete teardown until at least the trade deadline next year. If next year is a disaster, then Hahn will be the scapegoat, even though the real problem lies with those above him.
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