Spare Parts: Lip-reading, base-stealing and streaming

(Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)

Lance Lynn chose not to elaborate on his spat in the dugout with Joe McEwing during his start on Monday against the Tigers. He chose to say it was about steak, which 1) brought to mind A.J. Pierzynski and Jake Peavy’s “college football argument” from 11 years ago, and 2) didn’t hold water, because McEwing said he’s a pescatarian.

The reaction of both suggested that it was far less personal than, say, the beef that Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor originally said was about whether they saw a rat or a raccoon, but given that infield positioning has hampered the White Sox at various points over the years (particularly in last year’s ALDS), I was curious whether this revealed any deeper frustration with the White Sox’s defensive inefficiency.

Jomboy’s lip-reading exercise suggests that the discontent was shallow-seated.

Whether Lynn was upset about positioning or merely frustrated with himself, this interpretation indicates that McEwing let him know what it looked like, and Lynn seemed to take umbrage at the idea that he showed up teammates. And I really hope he said “pack a lunch.”

Spare Parts

Back when Liam Hendriks signed with the White Sox, he expressed an excitement for charitable endeavors and community outreach. He’s front and center with the White Sox’s Pride Month-related activities, telling James Fegan that he wants to do what he can to make everybody feel accepted, because the response he’s received suggests there’s still a long way to go.

Hendriks laments the lack of openly queer athletes in MLB, but views his role in improving that as creating a better environment for it to one day take place, and showing that LGBTQIA+ people will be valued and supported in a sports setting. It seems that what small sliver of blowback his actions in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community generates, compared to what an athlete actually coming out might experience, says plenty about how difficult that still would be, and why a professional sports setting stills contains attitudes that can seem unwelcoming for queer fans as well.

“I raised the Pride flag on Pride Night here last year, and some of the DMs and comments I got were just horrendous,” Hendriks said. “I can only imagine someone doing it and actually having to go through it themselves with already feeling slightly ostracized in a clubhouse where you don’t know where people’s allegiances lie. That’s a scary thought and it’s a scary world.”

I like that Defector has resumed having a White Sox beat, and it’s refreshing when the topic isn’t “Blight Sox.” Here, Kathryn Xu takes a moment to marvel at the White Sox’s incredible stolen-base efficiency.

NBC Sports Chicago exists as an entity until October 2024, and Jeff Agrest says it would’ve already turned into something else if NBCUniversal could find a buyer, because regional sports networks struggle to draw ratings outside of live games. Based on what Rob Manfred said about creating MLB streaming bundles in a model different from the cable-oriented system, it might be a fool’s errand trying to plot what the next White Sox network could look like.

Tucked into Jay Jaffe’s dissection into everything plaguing the Tigers is a note that the team is considering optioning Spencer Torkelson to the minors, which serves as a reminder to not take what Andrew Vaughn is doing in his second full season for granted.

The Cleveland Guardians have established a path for the ownership of Paul Dolan to give way to David Blitzer, which has the potential for the Guardians to shed their penny-pinching ways, even if they don’t turn into some sort of monster. That said, previous Cleveland minority owner John Sherman hasn’t transformed the Royals since taking controlling ownership from David Glass, so any transformation may not be immediate.

One consequence of the analytics movement is the tendency to overthink everything, resulting in a game that limits action, or at least delays it. Here’s one case where overthinking the simple two-out force play results in more action. Nolan Gorman ran through second base in order to avoid an inning-ending out while a runner from third tried to score, and it confused the Pirates into pursuing him, rather than throwing to first and recording the other force option that would’ve negated the runner at third. A run scored as a result.

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FishSox

My son was pitching against #1 ranked Florida when his best friend, LF, lost a ball in the lights and misplayed it (Army doesn’t play many games under lights). It was about the third bad luck thing that went wrong so far that game and my son did a Lance Lynn and put his hands on his knees and muttered, “Crap”. The HC at the time, hollered from the dugout that my son should stop showing up his teammates. Besides being an idiotic idea to holler at a pitcher while he’s working on the mound, it was enough that the TV announcers for the game caught it and started talking about it. My son hollered back at the coach, something like, I’m not showing anyone up, now leave me alone, I have an inning to finish. The coach came out of the dugout and went nose to nose with my son on the mound. Son got out of the inning and the coach pulled him after the inning, while it was still a very competitive game and Army wound up losing big. The coach put his ideals/feelings/whatever, in front of the good of the team. He was a world class douchenozzle.

My point is, pitchers are allowed frustrations without characterizing it as showing up other players. When you read Lynn’s lips, he was mad about the pitches, and I’m sure there was some WTF are we doing, shifting on a player who has no history, when the GB went right to the vacated 2b.

GrinnellSteve

I always told my son that sometimes those fielders who left their mitts and brains in the dugout are the same ones who bail you out with dazzling plays or score 8 runs to cover the 6 you gave up. It’s frustrating in the moment, but you’ve got to make the next pitch and remember it’s a team game.

As Cirensica

Jomboy’s lip-reading exercise suggests that the discontent was shallow-seated.

In the context of Jim’s sentence above, what would shallow-seated means? I’ve never seen that expression before and I am unsure how to interpret it. Thanks

soxfan

If Jim didn’t coin the term, it’s certainly one of the first times I’ve ever seen it. I take it to be an antonym of “deep-seated”. A deep seated hatred is one that is fundamental and core to who you are or your perception of your relationship with the person you hate. So a shallow seated discontent would be fleeting and not at all affect the underlying friendship, trust, and wishes of well being that Lynn and McEwing presumably have for each other as colleagues and maybe friends.

As Cirensica

That’s sort of the way I interpreted, but wasn’t sure. BTW, I never heard of the dee-seated expression either. I always learn by coming here. Thanks

As Cirensica

I like it. You writing style engages me. I love reading intelligent & creative people.

calcetinesblancos

Why the hell is McEwing getting in Lynn’s face? Is literally anything about this team normal? I will always error on the side of someone like Lynn who doesn’t like to lose and actually gives a shit.

soxfan

“getting in Lynn’s face”? The coach put his hand on his shoulder in an almost fatherly way and put his hands up, palms out when Lynn turned toward him in the universal sign of, “look man, no offense, I don’t have a weapon and I’m not here to hurt you.” I ain’t mad at Lynn being mad at himself (or showing emotion in general) but to suggest that McEwing is acting inappropriately or aggressively by using the phrase “in his face” is hyperbolic.

As Cirensica

Unless you are Josh Donaldson.

dongutteridge

You definitely have to allow some room for expression of frustration as long as it’s within reason.

FishSox

It’s tough to fault competitiveness, although as recent events show us, normal concepts taken to extremes have negative consequences.

HallofFrank

I’m seeing some Jazz Chisolm buzz. I doubt it’ll amount to anything real, but wow: he’d be a perfect add for the Sox. Young, affordable, controllable, lefty, 2B, who mashes RHP (164 wRC+). I’m not sure what the nature of the “off-field issue” is but it sounds mild. If there’s anyone worth emptying the farm for, it may be him.

As Cirensica

He is fired up like TA7 and that rubs the wrong way to certain type of fans.

soxfan

I don’t think that’s getting us much of a discount in terms of return. Even if Miami is in a hurry to move on, I imagine there are a couple dozen teams that could use a LHH 2B with his kind of power who’s under team control for four more years. And more than a few of those teams have the types of prospects that could be immediately valuable to Miami unless they’re trying to set up a wave of talent that’s 2-3 years away.

All that said, I’m certain we’ll position ourselves to have the second most attractive trade offer.

HallofFrank

Yeah. I think this is right. As soon as I posted this, I thought, “who am I kidding? No chance.”

But I think you’d be hard pressed to find a team that could use Chisholm more than the Sox. Aside from gaudy superstars, he may be the player the Sox could use more than any other in all of baseball. And he might be available via trade.

Joliet Orange Sox

Is there any basis for this “rumor” other than he would be a good fit and some old-school baseball types with the Marlins apparently think he’s not old-school enough?

All I could find when I googled was a post on SoxOn35th from a young man who I think has no more inside sources than I do.

upnorthsox

It’s in the Heyman article:

https://nypost.com/2022/06/09/red-hot-marlins-keeping-jazz-chisholm-in-check/

I don’t see the comp to TA at all. TA is a baseball gym rat who’s only spoken up in a leadership sense because Jose is reluctant too. TA has more in common with Vaughn who’s another baseball gym rat.

And people who say “They’re just jealous” are usually speaking out their ass and don’t know shit.

Joliet Orange Sox

I’ll take your word for it that there is a Heyman article about discussions of a possible Chisholm to the Sox trade but the article you provided a link to does not mention it or even trading Chisholm.

a-t

This smoke seems to be entirely Sox side, even with a clubhouse dustup Chisholm is far too valuable (and cheap and controllable) to be on the move.

HallofFrank

There’s no Chisholm-to-Sox rumor. The rumors I’ve seen are “Marlins are unhappy with him” and speculations that they’d move him. But nothing links him to the Sox — other than the fact that he’d be a perfect fit.

upnorthsox

The fact that he’s being floated around as available already makes him cheaper than you’d think. Probably pipedream stuff anyway.

Greg Nix

Wasn’t that Baez play where he ran back towards home from first base also against the Pirates? They’re like the Washington Generals of MLB.

Torpedo Jones

Just because a guy is a pescatarian doesn’t mean he can’t have an opinion about which type of steak is better, Jim!!!