First Pitch: White Sox at Astros

(AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker on Flickr)

Watch: Apple TV+

Lineups:

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1537906639461752834
https://twitter.com/astros/status/1537880268484190209

Author

  • Jim Margalus

    Writing about the White Sox for a 16th season, first here, then at South Side Sox, and now here again. Let’s talk curling.

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soxfan

Maybe it’s operator error, but I’d really prefer to not need a CompSci degree to watch the game. On iMac app – doesn’t play. On iMac browser – plays without sound. On PC browser – doesn’t play. On iPhone – plays (with sound!) on 6″ screen. I long for the days of rabbit ears.

soxygen

Not having sound for these Apple TV games wouldn’t be the worst thing…

soxfan

Their editorial decisions are just so weird. There’s a perfectly good and commonly used stat called on based percentage that gets expressed as a decimal to the thousands that they decide to call “reach base probability” and report as a two digit percentage.

Then they take a second (or third) derivative stat like whiff rate and report it without adjustment or explanation as if everyone knows what it is.

Last edited 2 years ago by soxfan
soxygen

Sometimes I feel like the play-by-play is computer generated. For example, in the first inning today after Valdez got the first two outs she says that he is retiring the Sox in order. It was technically true, but only 2 Sox hitters had batted so that’s a really small sample and strangely premature observation.

Last edited 2 years ago by soxygen
tommytwonines

Did she “cancel the postgame show” after Robert’s hit?

soxfan

I’d listen to a computer generated game call preloaded with Hawk’s catchphrases on an occasional Friday night.

Foulkelore

I think Moncada hurt himself trying to beat that grounder.

soxfan

What’s your shortcut command for this post? Seems like it could save us all some time to program it in.

Foulkelore

Ctrl+Alt+Sad

Shingos Cheeseburgers

Ah right this is what happens when they don’t play the Tigers

ForsterFTOG

If you’re a fan of obvious uninteresting stats and betting lines, this is the broadcast for you.

soxfan

How does a guy hitting .272 have a 14% hit probability with a 0-0 count?

ForsterFTOG

It’s complicated.

a-t

Fangraphs did a piece on these Apple.TV stats– turns out they’re remarkably bad. Tech startup threw a bunch of machine learning (ie linear regressions) at baseball stats without understanding it at all, then Apple threw a bunch of money at them. Their model has performed worse than predictions based solely on count with no regard to hitter or pitcher lol

Malgar 12

The constant forced schilling for the gambling companies on every broadcast and in every stadium is tasteless and is going to cause a lot of problems (including turning a significant portion of fans away from the game), but as always MLB cares only about money.

metasox

I am not crazy about the crypto branding on the umpires

upnorthsox

Its a countdown as to which will be gone first

OldMMJ87

I am surprised they can still afford to pay for those ads at this point

metasox

pay in bitcoin

ForsterFTOG

Buy the dip.

soxfan

If those caught cheating can still play and keep their title, can we at least reinstate Shoeless Joe?

soxfan

I’d start the “Danny for 2B” campaign but I’m afraid we might need him at third.

Foulkelore

I like the thing where we get guys on base and then hit the ball over the wall. More of that, please.

Steve

“The White Sox rally starts with consecultive hits by…” checks notes… “Seby Zavala and Danny Mendick, followed by a homer by AJ Pollock.”

As Cirensica

So I turned on the game and the first thing I see is an AJ Pollock game tying run. I like it.

a-t

AJ is going to be an important part of the offense going forward. Slow start, which he’s apparently prone to, but that homer has him with a wRC+ over 100 for the first time since April.

soxygen

I heard them say he starts slow but he’s a career .270 hitter in April and career .296 hitter in May. Facts are stubborn things.

Last edited 2 years ago by soxygen
Trooper Galactus

The issue with Pollock is he isn’t usually around come June/July.

Trooper Galactus

To wit, career games played:
March/April: 192
May: 144
June: 87
July: 138
August: 181
September/October: 198

soxfan

When TA comes back and forgiving Seby’s incredibly SSS, we could field a lineup with eight above average hitters.

That’s a far cry from only having Vaughn and Anderson carry the team for a month.

Last edited 2 years ago by soxfan
soxfan

Super Joe needs to pack another lunch.

As Cirensica

How do we keep sending gyys to be out at home by 5 feet?

ForsterFTOG

Same 3rd base coach probably.

HallofFrank

I didn’t mind that send. Yordan in LF, Mendick coming up. He just threw a strike.

ForsterFTOG

200 ft throw.

FishSox

200 ft throw with the runner still 2 steps from getting to 3rd. Violates every rule of sending…Super Joes strength is his consistency, he keeps doing it, we keep getting thrown out.

As Cirensica

My feed keeps freezing but it is not my Internet. Anybody having same issue. I tate these Apple teansmissions. Right niw nobody has spoken in about 1 min. WTF

soxygen

Count your blessings – it is for the best

Last edited 2 years ago by soxygen
As Cirensica

So tired of TLR keeping the starter for way too long. This unraveled quickly. This team is terribly managed. Good night.

OldMMJ87

Josh pointed this out on Twitter but since Gio’s come back from COVID, he’s consistently run into problems after 75 pitches. You’d think that would be something Tony could have figured out by now and have someone getting ready in case he runs into trouble, but nope! Giolito not being able to throw more than 75 pitches is a problem but so is the manager who hasn’t yet realized that’s when his pitcher runs out of gas.

upnorthsox

That’s actually mostly on Katz, that’s his job to know and its his job to let his boss know.

upnorthsox

So if TLR pulled him quicker then we would have only given up 8 runs instead of 10.

metasox

That’s the question. How much is La Russa not comfortable in other options and hoping Giolito can make something happen vs how much is he not accepting what Giolito has been doing.

upnorthsox

Yep, that and I think we have to come to terms with the fact that this isn’t as good of a pitching staff as we’d like to think. The numbers say it’s below average in just about everything but SOs.

soxygen

Good grief.

Steve

I’m now eagerly awaiting the “<insert position player> pitched” wrap-up.

As Cirensica

LOL…this inning

King Joffrey

The Astros hit better than the Sox.
The Astros pitch better than the Sox.
The Astros field better than the Sox.
The Astros run the bases better than the Sox.
The only advantage the Sox have is that they have better fans.

ForsterFTOG

The Astros cheat to win the World Series.
The Sox cheat to lose the World Series.

Augusto Barojas

I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Sox have better fans. Maybe more loyal. But better fans might stop supporting this team and owner altogether until they fire the manager, and get a MLB level player at 2b.

tommytwonines

Not in 2005!

Augusto Barojas

And on top of the bad result tonight, Harrison gets a couple hits. Making it less likely they will DFA him. This team is cursed, except when they play the Tigers.