Podcast: Mind the Gap(s)

Guest: Paul Seiler, Executive Director, USA Baseball

Josh and Jim recap the weekend series against Oakland. Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito were good, but the offense wasn’t and is now the worst offense in MLB during the second half. Is help coming to improve these numbers? 

[45:00] Our guest this week is Paul Seiler, Executive Director of USA Baseball who recently just hired Joe Girardi to manage Team USA in Olympic qualifying. Could we see any White Sox prospects play for Team USA? 

[61:00] Plus, your questions in P.O. Sox. Yes, we address Rick Hahn’s comments. 

Presented by SeatGeek and Wix.com.

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As Cirensica

Enjoyed your quick answers Jim…those “I don’t knows” appeared to have all the answers in it than what it looked.

I was disappointed J&J (Josh and Jim) didn’t cover this gem Hahn stated:

“whether that’s next year, in 2021, or whenever that may be”

Which I found very troublesome that a GM of a baseball team states nonchalantly that he has not clue when this team will be competitive.

Worst GM the White Sox have had?… The win-loss record seems to support that.

Seriously, this team was at least more entertaining when Kenny and Ozzie were here making big decisions. Hahn has not idea how to run a baseball team, but he does not need to. He just need to be smart enough to surround himself with smart people in baseball. Like Josh said, with a troupe of analytics, and scouts to help Hahn to make better decisions. But I think Hahn is just too proud. He appears to want to be the guy where ideas come from. He just does not know his ideas are generally bad ones.

roke1960

How does he still have his job? As long as he keeps pushing the competitive window back, he takes pressure off himself. Or, more likely, is Jerry calling all the shots and Hahn is just his mouthpiece. They are so clueless, cheap, lying, or all three. I think it’s all 3. Get ready for another winter of inaction.

As Cirensica

I don’t believe Jerry is making all the calls (or any calls). Reinsdorf just approve budgetary decisions, not talent wise.

Hahn and Kenny are just treading water, so they can last until they can retire comfortably.

roke1960

You’re right, that’s why all 3 are to blame. Yes, Jerry puts extreme budgetary restrictions on Hahn, but then Hahn makes such bad decisions under those restrictions.

PauliePaulie

Jerry must OK every $ spent on every player.
Dealing with the White Sox is unlike any other org, because of Jerry.
I’d also seriously question how much ability Hahn has to hire/fire personnel.

As Cirensica

If that’s so, he does have very low self – esteem (or maybe he does not care because he is getting paid big to do something nobody is expecting anything from)

karkovice squad

The “Rick dosesn’t know when the window opens” angle is the least problematic thing about the statement. It’s easily explained as his typical MBA-style misdirection and vaguespeak.

The reason it’s a problem isn’t the ignorance, it’s the passive construction. They decide when they’re going to actively try to win baseball games. Denying their own agency and washing away their responsibility for success and failure with Calvinistic predestination is 100% bullshit. The Astros aren’t visiting the Oracle or reading tea leaves to figure out how to get good.

It’s the exact same problem with “development isn’t linear.”

MrStealYoBase

“Development isn’t linear.”

Correct. It’s parabolic in this organization with a peak in high-A ball.

lil jimmy

” Calvinistic predestination” those are the bastards that I left France to avoid!

MrTopaz

“Development isn’t linear.”

 A-ha! But it is supposed to exist, right?

karkovice squad

Pascal’s Wager 2.0

PauliePaulie

The issue with attempting to follow successful models used by other teams is the Sox have not shown the ability to turn potential into performance.

There is zero reason to believe the Sox could have turned Marcus Semien into a 4 fWAR SS, Tatis Jr into a 20 yo phenom or gotten max value from former AAAA types and veteran retreads the way the Rays, Yankees and Dodgers can.

Amar

Even if Semien was a 2 win player that would be more in return than what we received

GoGoSoxFan

“institutional rot”–JM
This, in my opinion, is the real problem. I’m afraid the best case scenario is a return to alternating 88 win teams and 70 win teams, and nothing much will change until there is new ownership.

asinwreck

The Pirates fired Syd Thrift during their playoff run (at, roughly, the same time Reinsdorf fired Larry Himes). The terrible Pirates GM who followed him was Larry Doughty, followed by Ted Simmons (who had a heart attack), and then the great Jim Bowden.

asinwreck

And then Cam Bonifay presided over much of the 90s before giving way to Dave Littlefield.

Thrift and Simmons are the two who arguably did a good job; Doughty dealt away a lot of prospects for short term gains (Moises Alou for Zane Smith) during the Bonds years.

Remarkably, the ineffective GMs spanned three ownership groups.

Edited: Bowden was an assistant GM for the Pirates, who then went to the Reds.

asinwreck

Few people willingly think of Cam Bonifay. Fewer think of him fondly. I remember how optimistic Pirates fans were when Littlefield replaced him.

As Cirensica

The Bluejays released (on waivers) Freddy Galvis, so Bo Bichette can fully play at SS. I like what the Jays are doing.
They are getting rid off all the players they know won’t be part of the future Jays team. And they are playing a lot of young unproven talent.

Bichette,
Vladdy
Cavan Biggio
Jensen
Newly acquired Fisher
A bunch of young arms

The Jays are trying to play as lean as possible. In the meantime the White Sox still plays Castillo, Jon Jay, Yolmer, Goins (who the Jays let go), Cordell and Engel while some potential future players burn time in the minors.

MrStealYoBase

Really appreciated the podcast this week and you guys voicing very reasonable frustrations. I too fear that this is not going to change unless there is a new owner.

soxfan4life

good podcast but sox need to show some kind of winning in 2020&beyond its been way too long as me being a sox fan that we had watched other teams in the postseason while our team get ready for vacations plans in september.And hahn not stupid hes feeling the heat from us as fans and he just bouncing it off to buy more time but my patience is at an end,i also agree why the hell is castillo is still on the roster instead of collins/mercedes.i go further to say that cordell/skole is wasted spots as well. need to see robert&maybe nick or mendick.i can rant on this team for hours but i digress lol hope they can win at least 1 against HOU GO SOX!!!!