MLB Hot Stove 2019-20

[Pakuni]

#donedeal

[Dish]

Unreal. No other words.

[Pakuni]

Unreal. No other words.

I mean, I hate it, but it's not like they're bringing back Terry Bevington. He has been an all-time manager. 
Whether he still is/still can be an effective manager is very questionable and all of our doubts are well founded.

[shoothoops]

If anyone is interested if Dave Duncan will join.....

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/if-la-russa-goes-to-white-sox-sidekick-duncan-will-not-be-along-for-the/article_162f7227-9cdd-5dd1-9434-ecfa9d5c704f.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true

[Dish]

I can't wrap my head around this. Their friggin marketing slogan is "Change the game". The face of their franchise is Tim Anderson for crying out loud.

They have a young and exciting team. They have to fight for relevance in their own market and nationally. Hahn took years to put a plan in place to put a team together that is now on the brink. They just blow that all up today.

Hahn's press conference in announcing the dismissal of Ricky...everything said there goes against what they did today.

LaRussa is 76 years old, he's been away from the day to day portion of the game for over a decade, where the game has changed significantly. Covid is still going on, I mean the guy is going to be travelling and exposed. If nothing else, that's insane.

They didn't interview anyone else. No. One. Else.

This absolutely sucks. I don't know how to process this as a fan at all. This is like saving up for some fancy 30 year old Corvette, finally getting a chance to buy it, and then deciding not to insure it and buying tires from 30 years ago that worked on the car back then.

I don't know guys. Someone talk me off the ledge.

[wadesworld]

I can't wrap my head around this. Their friggin marketing slogan is "Change the game". The face of their franchise is Tim Anderson for crying out loud.

They have a young and exciting team. They have to fight for relevance in their own market and nationally. Hahn took years to put a plan in place to put a team together that is now on the brink. They just blow that all up today.

Hahn's press conference in announcing the dismissal of Ricky...everything said there goes against what they did today.

LaRussa is 76 years old, he's been away from the day to day portion of the game for over a decade, where the game has changed significantly. Covid is still going on, I mean the guy is going to be travelling and exposed. If nothing else, that's insane.

They didn't interview anyone else. No. One. Else.

This absolutely sucks. I don't know how to process this as a fan at all. This is like saving up for some fancy 30 year old Corvette, finally getting a chance to buy it, and then deciding not to insure it and buying tires from 30 years ago that worked on the car back then.

I don't know guys. Someone talk me off the ledge.

At least the Chicago Bears are 5-2!  **Ducks**

[Pakuni]

I don't know guys. Someone talk me off the ledge.

I'm not sure I can talk you off the ledge. Every criticism you offer is spot on.

The only glimmer of hope here is this: Tony LaRussa is a great baseball manager. He's won everywhere he's been, consistently getting the most out of his teams, and he's done it usually by being the smartest guy on the field.
There's plenty of reason to question whether he can still be that guy. That's my concern.
But they didn't hire a complete a--clown here (well, maybe personality wise, but not baseball wise). They hired a guy with a tremendous record of success.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

I can't wrap my head around this. Their friggin marketing slogan is "Change the game". The face of their franchise is Tim Anderson for crying out loud.

LaRussa is going to have some explaining to do to Anderson regarding his thoughts about Kapernick and kneeling.

I get it, those comments were made in 2016, back when LaRussa was a young 72 year-old, and there's no doubt he has evolved as he's grown older, but still....

[Hards Alumni]

I can't wrap my head around this. Their friggin marketing slogan is "Change the game". The face of their franchise is Tim Anderson for crying out loud.

They have a young and exciting team. They have to fight for relevance in their own market and nationally. Hahn took years to put a plan in place to put a team together that is now on the brink. They just blow that all up today.

Hahn's press conference in announcing the dismissal of Ricky...everything said there goes against what they did today.

LaRussa is 76 years old, he's been away from the day to day portion of the game for over a decade, where the game has changed significantly. Covid is still going on, I mean the guy is going to be travelling and exposed. If nothing else, that's insane.

They didn't interview anyone else. No. One. Else.

This absolutely sucks. I don't know how to process this as a fan at all. This is like saving up for some fancy 30 year old Corvette, finally getting a chance to buy it, and then deciding not to insure it and buying tires from 30 years ago that worked on the car back then.

I don't know guys. Someone talk me off the ledge.

Throw a couple of bucks at Just For Men stocks... you'll feel better.

[MU82]

La Russa and Crean are buddies. Seriously.

If that doesn't make you feel better, Dish, nothing will!

[Dish]

"I was surprised when the White Sox called" - LaRussa a minute ago in his introductory presser.

That's not good.

[buckchuckler]

How about this dish...

And I'm trying to be positive...

He has managed teams to 90 wins or more 12 times.  6 pennants.  3 WS titles. 

He managed Ricky Henderson.  I think he can manage Tim. 

The last 2 managers have been Robin Ventura and Ricky Renteria.  We know for a fact Tony LaRussa is a good MLB level manager.  Can't say that about a manager the Sox have had in a decade.

He was one of the first guys to hit his best hitter 2nd, and his P 8th.  I think the "he's old and doesn't get analytics" crap is over blown.

And I doubt he would have pulled Blake Snell, so there's that.

[shoothoops]

I can't wrap my head around this. Their friggin marketing slogan is "Change the game". The face of their franchise is Tim Anderson for crying out loud.

They have a young and exciting team. They have to fight for relevance in their own market and nationally. Hahn took years to put a plan in place to put a team together that is now on the brink. They just blow that all up today.

Hahn's press conference in announcing the dismissal of Ricky...everything said there goes against what they did today.

LaRussa is 76 years old, he's been away from the day to day portion of the game for over a decade, where the game has changed significantly. Covid is still going on, I mean the guy is going to be travelling and exposed. If nothing else, that's insane.

They didn't interview anyone else. No. One. Else.

This absolutely sucks. I don't know how to process this as a fan at all. This is like saving up for some fancy 30 year old Corvette, finally getting a chance to buy it, and then deciding not to insure it and buying tires from 30 years ago that worked on the car back then.

I don't know guys. Someone talk me off the ledge.

You could always just make it fun and embrace Tony Lingo:

Hard 9
Damage (He bats 2nd)
FOT's These are efff ohhh tees, (Friends of Tony) and they are eclectic.
ARF (he's done a lot of good here)
Music Tony
Edge

Maybe just embrace the fun. At 76, we'll see if he has anything left.

One place I recommend to start, is Martin Kilcoyne. Martin, (great guy and MU Rah Rah alum) does an amazing TLR impression. He used to do a radio segment called #AskTony and he never broke character. Eventually, over time, Tony and Martin became good friends. More recently, these past few years, they have done several podcasts together called (Tony Talk) with Danny McGlaughlin. That's not a bad place to start to get a feel. Maybe also check out some old Joe Strauss. They sparred often.

Often, Tony wasn't an old
school manager when it came to game strategy. He was often ahead of others at various times. Old school maybe when it comes to some other parts of the game. As Dunc said. he knows pitching is less about sinkers and sliders and more about high fast balls curves and changeups and the way the game transitions over time.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Tom Fornelli writes a Fantasy column for CBS Sports and is a big White Sox fan. I am not a Sox fan, but agree with everything he said:

"I never believed it to be possible. I always thought that it was just team owner Jerry Reinsdorf being an idiot and that he'd get his interview, and then the team would hire somebody else.

Now the White Sox, a team on the cusp of possibly being something special, has decided to hire a 76-year old manager who hasn't ran a team in nine years. A manager who has experienced plenty of success but retired the first time due in part to a game that was changing and moving in a different direction than the one he was accustomed to.

I'm not knocking anything La Russa has done in his career. He's one of the greatest managers in baseball history, but that doesn't make him the right choice for a team right now. It just makes him the choice of the team's owner, who wants to spend some more time around one of his oldest and dearest friends. And if the White Sox win or lose because of it, at least they'll be able to talk about The Good Ol' Days while doing it."

[The Sultan]

I can't wrap my head around this. Their friggin marketing slogan is "Change the game". The face of their franchise is Tim Anderson for crying out loud.

They have a young and exciting team. They have to fight for relevance in their own market and nationally. Hahn took years to put a plan in place to put a team together that is now on the brink. They just blow that all up today.

Hahn's press conference in announcing the dismissal of Ricky...everything said there goes against what they did today.

LaRussa is 76 years old, he's been away from the day to day portion of the game for over a decade, where the game has changed significantly. Covid is still going on, I mean the guy is going to be travelling and exposed. If nothing else, that's insane.

They didn't interview anyone else. No. One. Else.

This absolutely sucks. I don't know how to process this as a fan at all. This is like saving up for some fancy 30 year old Corvette, finally getting a chance to buy it, and then deciding not to insure it and buying tires from 30 years ago that worked on the car back then.

I don't know guys. Someone talk me off the ledge.

He's younger than one of the Presidential candidates.

[Pakuni]

He's younger than one of the Presidential candidates.

Joe Paterno was still coaching at 84!
Eh ... maybe that's not the best example.

[Jockey]

At least the Sox will play the game the "right way" now.

Larussa will be ready to trade Anderson, Jimenez, and Robert a week into training camp.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

LaRussa spoke out against Tatis' 3-0 grand slam in August. Excellent.

[Pakuni]

At least the Sox will play the game the "right way" now.

Larussa will be ready to trade Anderson, Jimenez, and Robert a week into training camp.

As has already been pointed out, LaRussa managed Rickey Henderson, not to mention Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. I don't think TA, Eloy or Luis Robert (who's in this conversation why?) compare to that trifecta.

[Lennys Tap]

Breaking news!! White Sox just signed Harold Baines to a 3 year, 90 million dollar contract.

Jerry R: "Last year, right field was a problem for us, basically a black hole. Now we've got a Hall of Famer out there and we've locked him up long term. Tony sees him hitting 4th, between Abreu and Jiminez."

[Lennys Tap]

At least the Chicago Bears are 5-2!  **Ducks**

Yep. Almost everyone agrees that they're way better than the Falcons!

[WI inferiority Complexes]

As has already been pointed out, LaRussa managed Rickey Henderson, not to mention Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. I don't think TA, Eloy or Luis Robert (who's in this conversation why?) compare to that trifecta.

https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Steamed-La-Russa-rips-Rickey-3133858.php

Again, this was 25 years ago, but let's not pretend like Rickey and Tony always got along.

Rickey wanted "mental health days" during his third, and final, stint with the A's.  "The most accurate way to describe it is, he's "mentally unavailable,' though he's physically fine," said La Russa.

"I believe he's got special talents, he's done some great things in baseball . . . but he's not a great player.

"To be a great player in a team game, you've got to be as interested in the team as you are in yourself . . . and that piece is missing with Rickey."

"He's got a couple of years left, maybe be can change it. But right now, he's not a great player."

"The longer I get into the day, the angrier I get," he said. "Here's Cal (Ripken) playing 2,125 and we've got "unavailable.' "

"I'm trying to separate Rickey from the other 24 guys . . . He's putting himself in a position where he's embarrassing himself and his team and he's put me in a position where I'm going to have to embarrass him.

[Dish]

I'm going to leave the President age issue aside (I believe it is an issue, but I'll digress), but my dad is 70. He just had his knees replaced and falls asleep at like 7:30 every night. I love my dad, but it's good that he is retired.

Jack McKeon was old and won a title, but I just can't grasp how a 76 year old is going to have the physical and mental energy to do this job. I remember in LaRussa's last managerial season in the playoffs when he mistakenly called in Lance Lynn, got to the mound and asked Lynn "what are you doing out here?".

[Pakuni]

https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Steamed-La-Russa-rips-Rickey-3133858.php

Again, this was 25 years ago, but let's not pretend like Rickey and Tony always got along.

Who said anything about always getting along? Or needing to, for that matter. Since when have players and coaches being besties become an essential ingredient to success?

What scares me about LaRussa is that he's been away from the game for so long that he doesn't know the players, and that, at his age, he doesn't have the stamina to put in the work necessary to manage a team for 162 games (hopefully) and the playoffs (hopefully).

What doesn't scare me at all is how "he relates today's players." That's sports talk radio nonsense that has somewhere between zero and almost zero impact on the game. If LaRussa is making good decisions that are putting his players in position to succeed, they'll relate to him just fine. If he's making bad decisions that cost the team games, they won't want to play for him, no matter how chummy he is in the clubhouse.

The fact is, LaRussa has dealt with outsized personalities and hugely inflated egos on a scale far greater than he will with the White Sox, and he won a lot of games with those guys. The idea that Tim Anderson flipping his bat or Eloy Jiminez admiring his shot is going to be an issue, much less fracture the clubhouse and bring the season crashing down, is just plain dumb.

[wadesworld]

Yep. Almost everyone agrees that they're way better than the Falcons!

Their record is way better.  They are certainly not a way better football team.