Following up: Tony La Russa’s defense of right field options can be ignored

(Photo by Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports)

There are a number of valid ways to process Andrew Vaughn’s close call with a hip injury after a galumphing diving catch, but whether you think his lack of athleticism is the root cause or he merely crashed into some bad luck, everybody would agree that the White Sox have no truly sound options for right field, leaving Vaughn to be the best option — or at least possess the most upside — of a flawed bunch.

Unless you’re Tony La Russa.

Yermín Mercedes notwithstanding, La Russa is hardwired to defend the honor of his players, even if it requires him to go to lengths he doesn’t actually believe (see his about-face over Kendall Graveman’s HBP of José Abreu), so it doesn’t surprise me that he turned a blind eye to the deficiencies in that corner. That he went the No True Scotsman route shows the desperation required to advocate for the crop.

For just a few hot hours while Vaughn’s status was unknown, free-agent right fielder Michael Conforto’s name resurfaced in speculation about the Sox going outside the organization to fortify right field, but the Sox seem prepared to go with who they have.

“Those are probably the fans who are not White Sox fans,” La Russa said. “White Sox fans know there are guys in this camp who can handle it.”

It’s a dopey counter, but whether it actually holds water isn’t the point here. He’s merely looking to close ranks and advance past the issue of the day.

As we enter the second year of La Russa’s second tour with the White Sox, I’m mostly inclined to take insubstantial arguments to mean that La Russa doesn’t have a valid defense, but he’d rather say something laughable than acknowledge weakness. Therefore, there’s no reason to take what he says to heart during the times it’s so clearly coming out his butt.

Anyway, with Vaughn out of game action for one to two weeks with a hip pointer — here’s a first test for new strength trainer Goldy Simmons when it comes to seemingly minor lower-body injuries — the White Sox will juggle the other irregular candidates in hopes of a hot hand.


When the White Sox stage their delayed home opener, the landscape of Guaranteed Rate Field is going to look a little different, especially if you show up to the park hunting for beers.

News leaked earlier this week that the naming rights for special seating section in right field previously known as the Goose Island was bought by Miller Lite as part of a whole takeover. That means Revolution Brewing’s deal with the White Sox for the lounge over the seats near the left field corner also expired.

The White Sox made the news official at 5:00 this morning.

The new deal includes naming rights of multiple spaces, including Miller Lite Landing, the Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge and the Vizzy View Bar, plus signage throughout the ballpark, such as LED video boards, extensive in-game advertising and promotional features, multiple promotional giveaway experiences in 2022, as well as promotions in market.

Considering the transient nature of corporate names, it shouldn’t register as a shame, yet I can’t help but feel a small sense of loss. I didn’t like the development of the seating section due to my longstanding disdain for cordoned-off areas of a ballpark’s lower bowl, but by partnering with Goose Island and dividing it with water features, at least it had some semblance of local character, even if the beer is a national/global property. And by planting a big fiberglass goose head behind the seats, it gave the park’s landscape a sorely needed target for crushed home runs.

Nobody ever hit the goose. We didn’t get enough time to see it happen. And now there’s just a part of the park you can’t sit in even when nobody else is around.

Goose Island goose
“Goose is dead.” “I know.”

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asinwreck

I am impressed by La Russa’s ability to fan-bash like an attendance-lamenting Kenny Williams. Nice to see the old dog learning from the younger generation of Jerry Reinsdorf’s weird and insular workplace.

Last edited 1 year ago by asinwreck
andyfaust

Yeah, i realize as a manager it’s part of his job to give praise to players that are already in the organization and speak confidently of Sox’s depth , but i’m puzzled why he couldn’t have made this (bogus) point without sneaking in a jab at fans who are in favor of an FA acquisition. I’m not insulted by it, but I am disappointed in his lack of thought when choosing his words.

I am a real White Sox fan and I would be thrilled if they signed Conforto. And if anyone agrees with TLR when he says “White Sox fans know there are guys in this camp who can handle it.”, I would actually question if you are a Sox fan because you and I have not been watching the same club for the last 5 years.

dwjm3

All he had to say was: My job is to focus on making the players in camp better. I can’t focus on any guy that isn’t here.

He wanted to take that swipe because he is a prick.

jhomeslice

TLR has less cognitive ability, charisma, and common sense than most Sox fans.

calcetinesblancos

All joking aside, I genuinely think most people on this board could do a better job managing the team, especially the pitching and the bullpen.

calcetinesblancos

Yeah, imagine lecturing the fans because they want the team to win. This guy is beyond belief.

Augusto Barojas

Whenever I see TLR’s name, it’s really hard for me not to immediately think “douchebag”.

jhomeslice

When players say they like to play for him, I don’t believe them. At least, they can’t say relative to any other manager.

Players have to be very positive minded to get and stay where they are. They never look to scapegoat or complain, and generally try to say only positive things as much as possible. Especially publicly. That’s probably best, to make the best out of any situation. I do not believe that players in deep honesty would not prefer to play for Hinch, or just about any other competent manager. TLR does not add anything in terms of energy or acumen, we saw clearly last year. Hiring him was pretty much the worst choice possible.

calcetinesblancos

I called the Sox when they hired him because I thought it was a real slap in the face to TA. He’s too professional and positive to say anything bad, but that doesn’t mean I have to keep my mouth shut.

dwjm3

It is just bad business to shame your fanbase. This organization just has terrible instincts.

The smart business move probably was just to just sign Conforto and drain the angst balloon that continues to fill amongst the fanbase.

Last edited 1 year ago by dwjm3
mikeschach

Conforto truly seems like the perfect fit. Not signing him is mind-boggling. It just costs some money and a crapshoot draft pick.

Unless the rumors that he refuses to get vaccinated are true. A guy who plays a team sport that necessitates close contact with many other people and doesn’t care enough about them (and their families and friends) to help keep them safe, in the face of overwhelming evidence that vaccines save lives… can stay home, as far as I’m concerned. I’d sooner put a glove on a chair in right. Hiring him would be like, I don’t know, hiring someone with a recent, second DUI to coach a group of impressionable young millionaires who sometime lack good judgement in their personal lives – and then having to listen to him criticize the people who pay his salary.

a-t

the longer than conforto goes with no team signing him, the less annoyed i feel about the white sox not signing him

To Err is Herrmann

Wasn’t Angst Balloon a German New Wave band from the early 80s?

Willardmarshall

Are White Sox fans really so thin-skinned?

calcetinesblancos

I’m not following the logic.

asinwreck

Apparently, Rick Hahn is not a real White Sox fan.

asinwreck

Haseley hits left-handed and is 25. Not nearly the ceiling of Conforto, but as depth goes this is better than Nick Williams breaking camp last year.

Curious to learn if Philadelphia is getting more than cash.

rugbysox

I like this. Solid defender, hits righties. Draft pedigree and youth to age into a better player.

knoxfire30

Keeps blake rutherford further away from the mlb roster so I am all for it.

Depth guy for AAA with some pedigree upside…. why not.

knoxfire30

McKinley Moore going back

Weren’t the sox at 40 already on the 40 man? What’s the corresponding move?

metasox

Is Mercedes on the 60 day?

jhomeslice

Not nearly the ceiling of Conforto, a bit of an understatement there! The dude has a sub .700 career OPS. Barely played in MLB last year. In 40 games at AAA last year, his OPS was .577. I will put this move in the category of meaningless. Like another Rutherford basically.

How about getting an outfielder or hitter not named Adam? Sox track record not exactly good with that name… Eaton, Dunn, La Roche. Also Engel, who is way better than Haseley. I’d rather see Adolfo than this guy.

metasox

I wonder if this suggests anything about Engel’s health status. But otherwise, he has options and Adolfo doesn’t

jhomeslice

Engel has played a couple games including yesterday. Unless something happened to him that I’m not aware of, I assume he is ok.

andyfaust

Personally, I think the name Micker is pretty cool, but if he really wants to break camp, all he would need to do is change his name to Adam. Then it’s a done deal. Wouldn’t hurt Blake’s chances either.

WHITESOX_RIGHT_SOX

Oh my gosh, the clip of Heseley hitting had me rolling! When a random fan’s audio gets captured from the broadcast booth, “shut up fat ass.” 😂 😂😂

mikeschach

He also has experience pitching, so maybe this is all about more reliever depth.

calcetinesblancos

Absent the offseason we just witnessed, I would assume this was a joke.

asinwreck

RH reliever McKinley Moore is the player going back to Philadelphia. He was the MLB Pipeline #27 prospect in the Sox system this spring.

Last edited 1 year ago by asinwreck
jorgefabregas

I seem to remember Josh describing him as a boring draft pick. White Sox reached a bit (by most accounts) picking Jake Burger 3 picks later, but Burger has been fine all things considered.

Haseley was a very good hitter in AA, but hasn’t had much success beyond that, at least at the plate.

Last edited 1 year ago by jorgefabregas
metasox

What does this suggest? Tougher road for Adolfo… More concern about Engel’s timeline? I see he has options left so that makes it easier if he is just depth

Last edited 1 year ago by metasox
HallofFrank

I don’t think this is anything more than OF depth and making doubly sure Rutherford is never needed. I’d rather see Engel and Adolfo above Haseley.

jhomeslice

The master part of the Sox offseason plan revealed, making sure that Rutherford is not needed!

soxfan

Not exciting, but this could be a sneaky good move if everyone is used correctly. Jimenez and Robert will be starting fixtures in LF and CF, and Engel and Haseley can platoon as starters in RF with the one that doesn’t start being a defensive replacement for Jimenez or pinch hitter. It keeps Garcia is his super utility player role and gives La Russa some flexibility for the “Sunday lineups.” When Robert needs a break and a RHP is starting for the opponent you can try to sneak a game with Haseley in CF and Sheets in RF.

Not that any of this is as good as having three real-to-life outfielders that don’t need to be plugged and played based on situation, but if you’re not going to have three starters you might as well have guys that are LH and can play all three OF positions.

metasox

No Vaughn?

soxfan

Sure, Vaughn will still get some time in RF, but I would guess that this move will make him the primary DH and backup 1B.

HallofFrank

Frankly, I think I’d rather see the guys they have in camp handle RF than Haseley. He may be a better add than Nick Williams. But not much better. I’d rather see what Engel, and then Micker, can do. Hopefully, the Sox see something they like or can work with, but otherwise, Haseley has shown very little worth getting excited about and I suspect he’ll start in AAA and stay there unless there’s an injury (or two).

jhomeslice

We agree on something. 100 percent I see no reason Haseley should get any consideration for breaking camp with them. Nothing he has done at any level suggests he will have MLB success. His ceiling is probably lower than 2021 Adam Eaton or Jake Lamb.

andyfaust

You and Bennett Karoll have the same quick sense of humor, it seems. He tweeted the exact same thing. Very funny though.

670WMAQtheElder

Haseley signing tells me that payroll ceiling is made of Beskar. Hahn made a blunder in hindsight keeping Kimbrel because his $16MM is what the Sox can’t spend on Conforto.

As for Miller, it’s interesting to read Boyer’s veiled insults against Miller when he switched to Bud and affiliated products in 2017. You can look it up. 4 years later, the money talks as usual. I will miss the Goose. What other ballpark had one? Do we get a giant canoe paddle instead (Leinie)?

As for TLR’s comments. It was just an ad lib from a grouchy old man who hates the media and who is feeling some pressure because he knows RF should be manned differently.

calcetinesblancos

So let’s see…abandoned his daughters, multiple DUI’s, thinks he has the right to tell black people how to think and act, yeah this checks out.

I remain eminently proud to be on TLR’s shit list. What a demonstrably horrible human being.

a-t

i am going to mourn the Goose greatly. Hopefully this deal doesn’t also mean the rather excellent (for a ballpark) selection of beers are getting replaced with Miller Lite and related crap.

shaggy65

Hahaha, Jim–that caption!!

“Goose is Dead.” “I know.”

rstarre

I never liked LaRussa. He has been a jerk going back to his first time with the Sox and he has gotten worse with age. If the Sox were serious about winning a world series this year they would have signed a proven right fielder or a second baseman. Harrison is the Sox big free agent pickup??? Give me a break.

Last edited 1 year ago by rstarre