OT: Other Sports 81

[ChiHawks10]

TA moves like a guy who knows how to throw hands but man did he get glassed.

I mean, it was a wild, flailing, lucky shot. Prior to that TA landed a couple it looked like, and I think he would have had the better of him. JRam was busy staring at the ground and fighting like a grade school kid.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Fights can be weird. All it takes is one well-timed or luckily-placed shot to the head, and even a Mike Tyson could go down to a rando.

Even a jaw shot could rattle a brain to make you lose balance and fall.

 

[ndgt10]

JRam KO'd that punk with Kopech grabbing him from behind.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Cubs keep on winning.

 

[TLEH]

2 of 3 from the Braves is nice. Especially when Reds and Brewers lose.

 

[Sarava]

That call of this fight by Tom Hamilton is amazing.

 

[hawksrule]

That call of this fight by Tom Hamilton is amazing.

I was thinking the exact opposite. He doesn’t even mention Anderson getting KO’d, which was the climax of the story.

 

[Sarava]

I was thinking the exact opposite. He doesn’t even mention Anderson getting KO’d, which was the climax of the story.

Just making sure we're talking about the same call. Because 'Down goes Anderson!' sure does tell you he was ko'd. Obviously he worked off the famous 'Down goes Frazier' boxing call.

 

[hawksrule]

Just making sure we're talking about the same call. Because 'Down goes Anderson!' sure does tell you he was ko'd. Obviously he worked off the famous 'Down goes Frazier' boxing call.

Okay, that’s a different call than the one in the post you quoted.

 

[Sarava]

Okay, that’s a different call than the one in the post you quoted.

Ahh I'm sorry. I just replied to the post about it, but was thinking Tom Hamilton.

 

[SimpleJack]

With some time to reflect since the 2023 TDL…aka the day the (failed)rebuild attempt of the early 2020’s Chicago White Sox officially ended…I’ve been able to piece together my final opinion on what exactly it was that happened/went wrong(and when) with this monumental failure of a rebuild for the incredibly incompetent(and perhaps a bit unlucky) ChiSox:

Say what you want about 2020, it was still a solid step forward and a clear sign that the Sox had a bright future and were bound to contend in 2021.

If u REALLY look at the 2021 season, and I’ve thought a lot about this recently, that team should have competed for a World Series but bottom line pure and simple: injuries KILLED them. And I don’t mean the injuries most people associate with that season like the ones to Eloy and Robert who both missed most of the regular season…but the ones late in the season to Rodon, Lynn, and Cease(Rodon broke down over time largely because he was overworked early on and wasn’t properly ramped up throughout the season, Lynn’s knee needed surgery, and Cease suffered a freak arm injury right before the round 1 series and couldn’t recover in time on that big stage). Those 3 come playoff time weren’t close to being the same guys they were all throughout the majority of the season. And then they ran into the Astros of all teams with their once dominant starting pitching now a weakness. It changed everything. If you look back it was 100% what cost them that championship. Cuz after acquiring Kimbrel they had probably the best roster on paper in all MLB, and Vegas had them as favorites. But it was short lived.

Then the following offseason….when it was obvious they were on the doorstep and needed to make a couple big time moves to put themselves over the hump…they inexplicably let Rodon go and didn’t replace him at all(unless u call Vince Velazquez a replacement). And on top of that they SOMEHOW didn’t (legitimately)address the holes in the OF or at 2B. It was a pathetic and embarrassing offseason response to the playoff failure the season before, and anyone with half a brain could see the writing on the wall when AJ Pollock(to the surprise of literally zero human beings) got injured 2 games into the season and landed on the IL…

…then the rest is history. Of course Rodon goes on to have a Cy young worthy season for the Giants, the Sox slowly and methodically fade into mediocrity, miss the playoffs, and finally TLR is put out of his misery as the Sox would eventually move on to some guy named Pedro Grifol in yet another underwhelming addition to the club and another sign that the FO missed the mark entirely.

And just like that it was over. Far before this 2023 season ever started. That’s the harsh truth.

These runs at/towards the top don’t last forever for young and budding teams, or at least not nearly as long as you initially think. Just ask the Cubs who at one point thought 2016 might be just the beginning. And this Sox team never even got CLOSE to sniffing that kind of success.

Unlucky in 2021? Yes. No doubt. With the May/June versions of Rodon/Lynn that Sox team would have had a real shot at getting past HOU, and that arguably might have wound up being their overall toughest opponent. But we’ll never know.

What we do know? That 2022 was 100% on the front office. And it’s a joke that they’re all still here running the show.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

With some time to reflect since the 2023 TDL…aka the day the (failed)rebuild attempt of the early 2020’s Chicago White Sox officially ended…I’ve been able to piece together my final opinion on what exactly it was that happened/went wrong(and when) with this monumental failure of a rebuild for the incredibly incompetent(and perhaps a bit unlucky) ChiSox:

Say what you want about 2020, it was still a solid step forward and a clear sign that the Sox had a bright future and were bound to contend in 2021.

If u REALLY look at the 2021 season, and I’ve thought a lot about this recently, that team should have competed for a World Series but bottom line pure and simple: injuries KILLED them. And I don’t mean the injuries most people associate with that season like the ones to Eloy and Robert who both missed most of the regular season…but the ones late in the season to Rodon, Lynn, and Cease(Rodon broke down over time largely because he was overworked early on and wasn’t properly ramped up throughout the season, Lynn’s knee needed surgery, and Cease suffered a freak arm injury right before the round 1 series and couldn’t recover in time on that big stage). Those 3 come playoff time weren’t close to being the same guys they were all throughout the majority of the season. And then they ran into the Astros of all teams with their once dominant starting pitching now a weakness. It changed everything. If you look back it was 100% what cost them that championship. Cuz after acquiring Kimbrel they had probably the best roster on paper in all MLB, and Vegas had them as favorites. But it was short lived.

Then the following offseason….when it was obvious they were on the doorstep and needed to make a couple big time moves to put themselves over the hump…they inexplicably let Rodon go and didn’t replace him at all(unless u call Vince Velazquez a replacement). And on top of that they SOMEHOW didn’t (legitimately)address the holes in the OF or at 2B. It was a pathetic and embarrassing offseason response to the playoff failure the season before, and anyone with half a brain could see the writing on the wall when AJ Pollock(to the surprise of literally zero human beings) got injured 2 games into the season and landed on the IL…

…then the rest is history. Of course Rodon goes on to have a Cy young worthy season for the Giants, the Sox slowly and methodically fade into mediocrity, miss the playoffs, and finally TLR is put out of his misery as the Sox would eventually move on to some guy named Pedro Grifol in yet another underwhelming addition to the club and another sign that the FO missed the mark entirely.

And just like that it was over. Far before this 2023 season ever started. That’s the harsh truth.

These runs at/towards the top don’t last forever for young and budding teams, or at least not nearly as long as you initially think. Just ask the Cubs who at one point thought 2016 might be just the beginning. And this Sox team never even got CLOSE to sniffing that kind of success.

Unlucky in 2021? Yes. No doubt. With the May/June versions of Rodon/Lynn that Sox team would have had a real shot at getting past HOU, and that arguably might have wound up being their overall toughest opponent. But we’ll never know.

What we do know? That 2022 was 100% on the front office. And it’s a joke that they’re all still here running the show.

Rodon couldn't stay healthy and was awful to end 2021 including in playoffs

Moving on was right move since he wanted longterm deal (He was forced to settle when market didn't give him any offers longterm)

Yankees made mistake of being team to pay him with big longterm deal this past summer. How is that looking?

The concerns Sox had were right on Rodon, what they did to shore up the rotation is issue not moving on from him.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Gio has been awful for Angels and team has collapsed since going all in

Ohtani will walk away

Should have sold

 

[SimpleJack]

Rodon couldn't stay healthy and was awful to end 2021 including in playoffs

Moving on was right move since he wanted longterm deal (He was forced to settle when market didn't give him any offers longterm)

Yankees made mistake of being team to pay him with big longterm deal this past summer. How is that looking?

The concerns Sox had were right on Rodon, what they did to shore up the rotation is issue not moving on from him.

You’re conveniently ignoring how well he pitched in 2022, which is the specific season/year in question that the Sox squandered.

Yes he looks bad now but let’s see if he responds. Not looking hopeful though. That still doesn’t change the fact that they REALLY could have used him in 2022.

 

[SimpleJack]

Wow….Middleton’s comments. Just now making waves, it’s all over ESPN.com.

And I was just thinking about all this White Sox stuff….crazy timing.

None of it surprises me though tbh.

Hopefully this blows up and forces Grifol/TA/others to have to deal with questions, hopefully it becomes an embarrassing nightmare that keeps bringing further attention to how bad things are.

 

[Sarava]

Wow….Middleton’s comments. Just now making waves, it’s all over ESPN.com.

And I was just thinking about all this White Sox stuff….crazy timing.

None of it surprises me though tbh.

Hopefully this blows up and forces Grifol/TA/others to have to deal with questions, hopefully it becomes an embarrassing nightmare that keeps bringing further attention to how bad things are.

Makes me wonder if this blossomed under TLR and was basically an uncontrollable thing by the time Grifol arrived here. This crap needs to be blown to smithereens.

Here's a link to the story you referenced: 'No rules': Ex-White Sox pitcher rips club's culture

 

[SimpleJack]

Middletons comments are the reason why literally every time the Sox added someone with previous success elsewhere they ended up sucking/getting worse/not panning out. Cuz these professional athletes see how things are behind closed doors, experience the culture, and simply don’t put in the effort and lose interest in playing for the organization all together. Probably can’t wait to get out. That’s what they all end up thinking within weeks of arriving.

Makes me wonder if this blossomed under TLR and was basically an uncontrollable thing by the time Grifol arrived here. This crap needs to be blown to smithereens.

Here's a link to the story you referenced: 'No rules': Ex-White Sox pitcher rips club's culture

I think the problems go back to before TLR. They were in place with the ownership/stale FO. Hiring TLR in the first place only happens if the organization is poorly run. The in-house culture was probably there all along like everything else(including the poor decisions in managerial hires).

 

[Sarava]

Middletons comments are the reason why literally every time the Sox added someone with previous success elsewhere they ended up sucking/getting worse/not panning out. Cuz these professional athletes see how things are behind closed doors, experience the culture, and simply don’t put in the effort and lose interest in playing for the organization all together. Probably can’t wait to get out. That’s what they all end up thinking within weeks of arriving.



I think the problems go back to before TLR. They were in place with the ownership/stale FO. Hiring TLR in the first place only happens if the organization is poorly run. The in-house culture was probably there all along like everything else(including the poor decisions in managerial hires).

I don't disagree. There likely are many layers of problems here, from the front office, to the clubhouse, to the scouts, etc. I recall Abreu alluded to clubhouse problems in his first comments after signing with Houston.

I am starting to think the Sox might not pickup TA's option this winter. That will be interesting and its crazy to even think that given how good he was not very long ago. Moncada is probably one of the best guesses here for not being accountable...but they're on the hook for $29 mil to him after this season.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Nah its clear douchebags like Anderson and Moncada do whatever they want and face no accountability.

It is likely TLR was forced out to appease douchebags like them and others

LOL at people blaming TLR somehow for players being unlikeable douchbags

Reminds me of 04 Cubs who basically got Stone fired

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I don't mean to come off as a Sox hater, but is anything Middleton said come off as remotely surprising to anyone? Essentially all of that is stuff I could've guessed or assumed would be the case.

Sox are just pretty blatantly obviously dysfunctional. And again, I'm not trying to come off as a holier-than-thou Cubs fan here, but what Middleton said more or less lines up with everything I've come to expect from a Reinsdorf regime. He's comfy with his drinking buddies running shop and having social cred for owning the Sox and the Bulls, and beyond that whatever.

 

[Pez68]

Nah its clear douchebags like Anderson and Moncada do whatever they want and face no accountability.

It is likely TLR was forced out to appease douchebags like them and others

LOL at people blaming TLR somehow for players being unlikeable douchbags

Reminds me of 04 Cubs who basically got Stone fired

Yeah, I'm sure a manager who was falling asleep in the dugout was really holding players accountable..... That's probably where the bullpen guy got the idea it was OK from. If the manager can take a nap in the dugout, why can't I nap in the bullpen?

The entire team regressed into dogshit when they fired Renteria. TLR was absolutely a problem, because he was an old, drunken asshole, who nobody in that clubhouse respected. It was a f***ing joke he was hired at his age and mental capacity. He also famously told players not to run 100% to first, to avoid injury.

The entire organization is rotten, and that starts at the top with JR. It ABSOLUTELY includes TLR.

 

[Pez68]

Lance Lynn confirming what everyone knows, in regards to the Middleton comments.

This organization is an absolute joke, and that starts at the very top. Having no rules, having no penalties for not showing up for meetings, no punishment for not participating in workouts, etc., is a direct indictment on Hahn and his leadership team... They have no f***ing idea what they're doing. Zero structure. Zero leadership. A dogshit culture.

Grandal being a huge cancer is not at all surprising, either. I don't think I've ever heard a pitcher talk badly about a former catcher, but "Grandal being no friend to the pitchers" is a huge red flag. Asking management to leave for the break early, when your team still has a game to play, and then complaining about it when they tell you no? What the f***??

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Any pitcher speaking Ill of his former battery mate is straight cancer. That's baseball 101.

Either Grandal is that bad or Lynn is.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Honestly I’m just done with the Sox. All that’s gonna happen this offseason is Rick gets moved into a different spot and Chris getz becomes Gm. And still have Kenny. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Pez68]

Grandal says "The one thing I'm thinking about the game before the all-star break is my lake house and spending more time with my family."

......