2023 Season | Series #36 | White Sox @ Guardians | Aug. 4-6, 2023

Ohio said:

What he should have done is throw a one-hopper off the grass

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Maybe. A reasonably good first baseman knows how to scoop a ball in the dirt. My uncle, who had a tryout with the Giants back when they were still in New York, taught me how to do it when I was 6 or 7 years old. It's really not that hard, but, like any short hop, you don't catch them all.

Out of the Rafters at the Q said:

Some people are balls deep in that pig and refuse to believe she isn't a natural 10.

No matter how hard you try, they refuse to step out of the mud--then get mad at anyone for suggesting it.

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Well, the other side is trying to sell a future pig as a 10 and it's the same pig that is playing right now, so....

Real Deal said:

I'll agree on this.

Tito needed to shift Arias to 1st and no questions asked. He's more trusted to finish out a win. Tough loss. Infuriating loss, because better decisions could've been made.

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Except without Fry being available (per Tito in post game presser) if Arias is moved to 1B your options are to play Tena at SS (doesn't solve what happened with Rocchio at 3B), play Tena at 3B (not done this year while Rocchio shifts over to SS) or bring in JRam to play 3B (shifting Rocchio to SS) for the 9th & lose the DH.

Like everyone I was surprised that Calhoun was still at 1B for the 9th but with Fry unavailable, any moves seem far fetched and Monday morning quarterbacking...

just back from the game.. our lucky # 13.... going into the day.. 9-3.. Did the club seem to be in a funk or lackadaisical on TV than in pe.. (err..nvrmnd..Peabrain Network has some nice gimmicks to "help the fans" how few actually bother them..).. A few notes that might engender some conversation...

@real_deal... Spongebob's defense is pretty bad.. non-instinctual.. the charge stop then throw play is just another example of a guy who lacks confidence that he's going to make the catch, at all, then get off a throw.. It's not due to lack of tools/ability, too..

Arias' Home Run.. what a sweet swing.. Quite the adjustment, imho, from the previous seven days.. Pitchers were getting him out with sliders off the outside of the plate.. so he adjusted to hitting the ball to the RF line... The pitch Arias crushed.. was inner half.. and he smoked it...

Hentges/DLS/Stephan.. ( and I'll throw Sandlin in there too ) This group is not a "full shut down & take no prisoners" group.. but they got through the Sox order after the puke hits off Big Sam..

Clase... seems to get more hyped as his outing goes on.. Sadly today, he was wild IN the strike zone.. A good battery mate like Gallagher needed to be in his face.. on his back.. in his shit to calm the fuck down.. Bounce a few even if it means giving up a base.. but sheesh.. That was disappointing, to say the very least..

Cole Calhoun.. IDK why he's playing a defensive position at the end of the game.. That decision just baffles me.. If Calhoun is going to contribute on defense.. it needs to be as a DH.. Put Josey in at 3B for an inning.. move Rocchio to his natural SS position.. Arias to 1B.. something.. Calhoun reminds me of Scott Hatteburg's character in Moneyball: "... first base is the Moon to Cole..."

Spongebob v Noel.. probably not yet.. but the buzz is clear.. the Guardians are going to lose the services of Jose Ramirez for a week if not longer.. Noel can replace his roster spot.. but PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE don't prevent Spongebob from hitting.. He (and Arias) has to keep getting into games where his potent bat can make a difference.. Noel @3B or 1B.. makes some sense.. might actually calm him some at the outset of his ML career..

Thoughts?

MadThinker88 said:

Except without Fry being available (per Tito in post game presser) if Arias is moved to 1B your options are to play Tena at SS (doesn't solve what happened with Rocchio at 3B), play Tena at 3B (not done this year while Rocchio shifts over to SS) or bring in JRam to play 3B (shifting Rocchio to SS) for the 9th & lose the DH.

Like everyone I was surprised that Calhoun was still at 1B for the 9th but with Fry unavailable, any moves seem far fetched and Monday morning quarterbacking...

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1 game in 10 years, vs a kid that plays SS in the minors, go make a play kid. We have a bench for a reason. According to Tito beforehand, they really needed a win today. He took things for granted instead of putting on a thinking cap.

(What solves Rocchio at 3rd) is maybe having the better athlete closing the position, which is Arias at 1B. Nothing far-fetched here unless you want to sugarcoat a disgraceful loss based on one managerial lack of button pressing. If Calhoun can't dig out back to back balls back in the 6th, we probably see a change in the 9th.

I can never blame the fielder for snagging a rope, and throwing a hopper, if it's within reach.

If you're trying to win one run games, eliminate a weakness somewhere.

BimboColesHair said:

Been saying it for a few years.

Rocchio is a terrific defensive player. Rangy, smooth, high IQ situational awareness. But he doesn’t have a big arm.

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Which is why, I wish we had a different person at 1B who knows how to field that...

Tondo said:

Well, the other side is trying to sell a future pig as a 10 and it's the same pig that is playing right now, so....

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Brother, pull out.

I know finishing feels good but the hog ain't worth it.

In two months you'll just be remembered as the guy who got caught fucking a pig.

sportscoach said:

Which is why, I wish we had a different person at 1B who knows how to field that...

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Lose/lose situation without Fry or Naylor.

You put Arias at 1B and Tena at 3B and shift Rocchio over I’m not even sure Tena stops the ball Remillard hits.

sportscoach said:

Which is why, I wish we had a different person at 1B who knows how to field that...

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Hey, we have Kahlil Watson for 2026 (maybe) and saved 6M we won't re-invest in the roster, so what's one game.

Bell is a bad 1B himself, but even he would have gotten one of the two throws

BimboColesHair said:

Lose/lose situation without Fry or Naylor.

You put Arias at 1B and Tena at 3B and shift Rocchio over I’m not even sure Tena stops the ball Remillard hits.

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I'd just play Tena at SS. He only has 74 games registered there this season, what do I know though. I just understand Calhoun isn't the answer.

Real Deal said:

I'd just play Tena at SS. He only has 74 games registered there this season, what do I know though. I just understand Calhoun isn't the answer.

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Calhoun definitely isn’t.

But I also get a lack of trust in a kid who has played in 1 game beyond AA ball as a professional being subbed on in the 9th of a close game you’re leading from the managers point of view.

Tough spot considering what was and wasn’t available.

Out of the Rafters at the Q said:

Brother, pull out.

I know finishing feels good but the hog ain't worth it.

In two months you'll just be remembered as the guy who got caught fucking a pig.

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Yeah, well sorry for calling out the obvious contradiction in your logic. You're calling the same team trash that we'll watch open 2024, the messianistic year. At least Bimbo is consistent here....

BimboColesHair said:

Calhoun definitely isn’t.

But I also get a lack of trust in a kid who has played in 1 game beyond AA ball as a professional being subbed on in the 9th of a close game you’re leading from the managers point of view.

Tough spot considering what was and wasn’t available.

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Yeah I get that, but in my mind, when you have a lead like that in the 9th, if possible, you gotta have your best defense possible and if that means a guy who has barely played above AA gets in, then so be it...

Now, I wouldn't have complained so much if I knew Fry was out, but it's not like Tena is bad with the glove, so an INF of Arias, Gimenez, Rocchio and Tena, on paper, is actually a hell of a defensive one...

sportscoach said:

Yeah I get that, but in my mind, when you have a lead like that in the 9th, if possible, you gotta have your best defense possible and if that means a guy who has barely played above AA gets in, then so be it...

Now, I wouldn't have complained so much if I knew Fry was out, but it's not like Tena is bad with the glove, so an INF of Arias, Gimenez, Rocchio and Tena, on paper, is actually a hell of a defensive one...

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Young players do some weird stuff fresh at the MLB level.

Take Rocchio today for example. I can’t think of a single game over the last few years where he’s made 2 poor throws in the same game, let alone back to back plays in the same inning.

Managers are always creatures of trust. There’s no way Tito trusts Tena in that situation. Calhoun, even without playing 1B for a long time, has played in 1200 MLB games on some really good teams. Not hard to see why Tito maybe trusted him a bit more.

Tondo said:

Yeah, well sorry for calling out the obvious contradiction in your logic. You're calling the same team trash that we'll watch open 2024, the messianistic year. At least Bimbo is consistent here....

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So I guess you skipped over that entire response earlier about how if you're putting a hard date on the process, you're doing it wrong.

We're hopeful that the youth starts to produce in 2024, and gives your core a boost, but nothing is a given.

This isn't a linear, hard-set thing. You need to put talent in place then hope that talent performs. If you do both of those things, then you've put yourself in a good spot and you hope for good fortunes in October.