The White Sox won 78 games this year and 76 last year. On July 31 of this year, they were 10.5 games out of the division and below .500. I suppose that was a modest improvement on being 11.5 games out of the division at the same time the previous year. Despite being so situated, […]
Tag: Brett Lawrie
White Sox Year in Review: Brett Lawrie & Tyler Saladino
In Brett Lawrie the White Sox got exactly what they ordered off the menu. Brett Lawrie in 2016: 94 games, .248/.310/.413, 12 HRs, .253 TAv, 1.3 WARP Brett Lawrie career averages: 98 games, .261/.315/.419, 11.8 HRs, .266 TAv, 2.2 WARP Lawrie did just about everything one might have expected when the Sox acquired him from Oakland last […]
The Perils of a Rebuild
As a general matter, I become extremely suspicious when the White Sox are, inevitably, compared to the Cubs. More often than not, it is done to force a narrative rather than to provide any meaningful analysis as to what is occurring on the field. Of late, the comparisons have proliferated but, mercifully, they have at least […]
South Side Morning 5: A.J. On The Way Out
1. A.J. Pierzynski at least deked much of the baseball world into thinking he was retiring Saturday night; passing around cigars, having the ball from his final hit of the night authenticated, gave some cryptic quotes about being satisfied with his career. Then he promptly went back on the disabled list in early mid-September, only […]
End of August Gallimaufry
Tomorrow is September 1st and the White Sox have 31 games left to play, and it seems like a good time to step back and take stock. 1. Miguel Gonzalez is in the process of beginning his rehab outings. While Austin Jackson and Brett Lawrie initially had modest timetables for their absence that morphed into […]
First or second move
The first acquisition of last year’s White Sox offseason was Steve Lombardozzi. The second was selecting Jacob Turner off waivers. Since moving to the bullpen, Turner does not look great, but has resembled a major leaguer in a way he certainly did not in his disastrous spot starts, allowing two earned runs, striking out seven […]
South Side Morning 5: The joy of Sale and Quintana
With the Sox season having gone from one of their best starts in memory to dead by July, and with nearly all of their rosterable rookies maimed beyond reason, the 2016 season has lost a lot of the traditional reasons to watch it. That Chris Sale and Jose Quintana are saddled with this group is […]
South Side Morning 5: Crosstown Cup Afterglow
1. As illuminating as Chris Sale‘s statements to Scott Merkin were on Monday, about how discontent in leadership from the franchise player could indicate a larger loss in confidence and stability in Robin Ventura’s leadership, Tuesday was more of a customary circling the wagons. Ventura assured he was capable of working with Sale just fine, […]
South Side Morning 5: The Prodigal Son Returns
1. Atlanta coming to town means our beautiful prodigal son is returning home to his kingdom. Gordon Beckham is back off the disabled list this week after absence due to a hamstring strain that persisted so long it would make Alex Avila blush. Missing five weeks means he hasn’t had the time nor the opportunity to […]
Blue Jays 10, White Sox 8: Seven home runs somehow not enough
It’s hard to fathom a scenario where the White Sox could hit seven home runs in a game. It’s even harder to imagine they could hit seven in a single game and lose. Somehow, that’s what happened on Saturday as the Sox took a host of Toronto pitchers deep seven times — all of the solo variety — […]