First Pitch: Blue Jays vs. White Sox

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1539014020052787200
https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1539014773819449346
https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1538983331605491713

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  • Josh Nelson

    Josh Nelson is the host and producer of the Sox Machine Podcast. For show suggestions, guest appearances, and sponsorship opportunities, you can reach him via email at josh@soxmachine.com.

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tommytwonines

Jeez, I hope Mendickโ€™s okay ๐Ÿ™„

I like Eloy occasionally (which is what we occasionally get) but this is the best defensive outfield no question.

Last edited 2 years ago by tommytwonines
soxygen

Rob Manfred must like all these dumb jerseys.

Hereโ€™s something that MLB could do next year: let the home team choose the visiting teamโ€™s jersey. I think most home teams would choose either the Motherโ€™s Day or City Connect jerseys for their opponents.

Adam

I hate just about everything Manfred has touched, but our city connects have grown on me so much. They are great

Adam

Engel one day late with that fly out. Yesterday itโ€™s in the Crawford boxes

a-t

Harrisonโ€™s hearing the DFA footsteps

Adam

Not Harrison though. Ride away sir!

Foulkelore

For Harrison vs. Mendick today, Tony has chosen … wisely.

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tommytwonines

Mendick would have hit that pitch a few rows farther.

More Harrison coming! Yeah!

And Robert, yeeeesss!

Yolmer

Harrison is now 4 for 7 against Berrios, so it was a good choice.

tommytwonines

Iโ€™m sure you were in TLRโ€™s corner when you saw the lineup this evening.

I didnโ€™t realize how large a sample size it was.

Last edited 2 years ago by tommytwonines
Yolmer

I’m not a huge fan, but it was a good time for a Josh Harrison start.

Last edited 2 years ago by Yolmer's gatorade
tommytwonines

Youโ€™re in the minority I think. Most people wanted a Mendick start at 2nd.

Yolmer

Mendick is 1-11 against Berrios. Easy call to give Josh Harrison the start.

tommytwonines

I want your easy Josh Harrison call before the game starts next time.

vince

Who’s this rando in the booth? I missed when they explained it.

Adam

They said itโ€™s a contest through Fanatics. Think itโ€™s a donation deal.

vince

He did a nice job for someone off the street.

Adam

Yeah thinking of someone that mellow getting tossed at a little league game gave me a chuckle

a-t

they always seem to play well in these slick city connects

upnorthsox

Uniforms worn should be part of the split stats

soxygen

Right. The split stats would help the home team pick the uniform of the road team.

upnorthsox

That shot by Robert, damn that left quick!

Adam

Really hope TA was just hanging his head for being picked off and not any bad feelings

vince

Josh Harrison really does not want to get DFA’d

Adam

Iโ€™m starting to believe his agent that was replying on Twitter knows exactly what heโ€™s talking about. On fire!

CaptainEuphemism

Theyโ€™re doing a nice job of not leaving empty frames tonight.

Foulkelore

Wow, horrible missed strike three by the ump. I hope that doesn’t hurt.

Adam

Sox mightโ€™ve been victimized by the worst two calls this year. Cease on the upper half and Lynn on the bottom

LuBob DuRob

Of course it does. Brutal miss, center cut.

Yolmer

I think Lance deserves an unearned run for shitty umpiring there.

Denman

With Hahn’s heavy off-season investment in the bullpen, one should feel totally secure with a 4 run lead in the sixth.

soxygen

I love what Lopez has been able to do lately. He is giving us exactly what we have needed this week.

Last edited 2 years ago by soxygen
Joliet Orange Sox

Is Burger still at third? He’s poor defensively and I hope he won’t come up again. I would put in Mendick at second and shift Harrison to third.

Last edited 2 years ago by Joliet Orange Sox
Adam

Larussa takes a lot from people, but that was the correct and forward thinking move with graveman in the 8th. Best weapon vs heart of the order, save be damned

ChiSoxND12

I donโ€™t want to be incorrectly inferring here, but by you prefacing that comment with โ€œLa Russa takes a lot from peopleโ€ I canโ€™t help but point out that 100% of that โ€˜itโ€™ that he takes from people is completely warranted. Heโ€™s been an abomination, unequivocally

Adam

See there I disagree sir. This team is flawed. Itโ€™s not like he can just show up like Boone and win.

Once leury is signed to 3/15, is he supposed to not play him? Yesterday 4/9 if the lineup was out. Earlier in the year it was 5 or 6. Take 5 of the 6 best hitters from any lineup then say ok work your magic and win. Why arenโ€™t these lineups any good? I gave you Engel and McGuire and Harrison so go.

Also the 1 starter is out. Also bullpen pieces drop like flies. Thereโ€™s only so much he can do. People say he overused the pen. Yeah well when he trotted out Sousa and Banks in high leverage people said this guys an idiot. Canโ€™t be both ways.

Iโ€™m gonna say it. Heโ€™s done a fine job. The team is united. Theyโ€™ve praised each other and theyโ€™re fighting. Look at San Diego last year as an example the other way.

Qubort

I think people understand Leury playing, but hitting 3rd? Pitching to Buxton with 1st open? Walking guys in 1-2 counts? The team is flawed and Hahn deserves more blame imo, but Tony is also a train wreck.

HallofFrank

You’re right that TLR has dealt with poor injury look and crappy FO moves (though it’s worth considering the extent to which TLR’s love of Leury influenced the signing). But no one here is blaming all of the Sox misfortune on TLR. What we are saying is that TLR has done more harm than good. I, for one, don’t think he’s been “an abomination, unequivocally.” But he hasn’t been good.

@Qubort lists just a few of the times he’s made tactical mistakes. They aren’t the only times. And like Jim and others have pointed out, these aren’t just tough calls that get 2nd guessed: they are getting first-guessed, and even leaving Sox loyalists and employees (Jason, Steve, Merkin) confounded. Plain and simple, he’s not been tactically sharp.

But, like you suggest, tactics aren’t the only thing that make a good manager. You also point to ways he influences attitudes or cohesion in the clubhouse. This is notoriously difficult to nail down, of course. But it seems like insofar as it’s is worth anything or worth noticing, it would be when a team is getting more out of the guys than you’d otherwise expect. You could argue that happened last season. But that’s manifestly not been the case this season. 75% of the team is underperforming relative to career norms or projections.

What exactly do you think TLR has brought to the table? Saying, “the team is united” or “they’ve praised each other” hardly commends TLR’s managing abilities.

upnorthsox

” (though itโ€™s worth considering the extent to which TLRโ€™s love of Leury influenced the signing)”

Leury was in the org for 8 years before TLR got here and in his first year here everyone gets hurt except the guy who plays everywhere, Leury Garcia. Is it surprising he got a lot of playing time? And even then, he got more playing time under Rickie than under Tony. And before anyone says, but this year, well this year he’s your primary 2nd baseman which was Hahn’s decision not TLR’s and the alternative Harrison was as bad if not worse.

Has TLR been slow/tentative in his decisions with an unhealthy amount of 2nd guessing this year? Yes, and that’s why he wont be back next year.

He’s also been poorly served by an organization that has failed to scout and teach fundamentals, a GM who has also been slow/tentative (2 1/2 mos to replace Eloy with Goodwin and 1 1/2 mos to replace Lynn with Cueto) or worse, (thinking he’s the smartest guy in the room (Kimbrel) and a staff he didn’t pick and haven’t don’t their job (prepare the team to play).

But I know, TLR is the worst ever, carry on….

ChiSoxND12

I think Tony chose Cairo as his bench coach and Iโ€™m guessing he was in favor of retaining McEwing as well. I think (donโ€™t know of course) that the only hire Jerry allowed Hahn to make was Katz.

upnorthsox

Cairo was an org choice to replace TLR not assist him, and even then he wouldn’t have been the choice if Omar Vizquel hadn’t f$@#$#d it all up. Honestly, he’s not even that good. When is the last time you’ve even seen him? Have you ever seen him even once talking to TLR even though the entire baseball world thinks TLR’s making horrible choices? Or talking to Katz about his pitchers throwing strikes or Menichinno about his (non)hitters? I know we were a little spoiled with Ozzie and Joey Cora but I’m thinking even Mark Parent was better than Cairo and that’s not even a low bar.

ChiSoxND12

I never stated an opinion on Cairo, only that I thought Tony chose him as bench coach based on their history and relationship

My intended point was I believe Tony has plenty of sway in the composition of the roster. Heโ€™s stated multiple times that Leury is a โ€œsuperstarโ€ and bristled at the idea of anyone daring to argue otherwise.

I really donโ€™t have an opinion of Cairo, he seems about as anonymous as a bench coach can be ~230 games into his tenure