Isn't Kenny Williams still the GM? Some would say that is the problem.

Who gives a damn about the White Sox ?

Maybe because this is a major league team folder not related to the Indians ?!?!?!?!

Once again, who cares about the White Sox ? Oh yeah they were that bad..... Only Joe Z would blame the manager.....

civ ollilavad wrote:Too bad. We all liked Ventura's inability to make the team a winner.

For me, I think the Chisox and Tigers underachieve every year. Hate to see Ventura go, and hope Tigers keep Ausmus.

The Orioles play the Jays even through 10.5 innings, then put in Ubaldo?!?

Well, that didn't take long!

Talk about poor managing!

How could Zach Britton not be used? Whoa!!

Speaking of managers, yay!!!!


Brad Ausmus - C - Tigers

Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports the Tigers will exercise their option on manager Brad Ausmus.

Detroit remained in the American League Wild Card hunt all year despite multiple setbacks and frustrations, finishing with a record of 86-75. 2017 will be the fourth year at the helm for Ausmus, who carries a 250-234 managerial record through three his first three seasons on the job. There should be an official announcement by the end of this week.

Buck Showalter's epic failure costs Orioles

http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post ... ts-orioles

story notes another vital Oriole pickup who didn't help out either:

Michael Bourn failed to run down's Pillar liner in the fifth -- he appeared to just miss it -- and that led to the tying run.

Chicago's secret weapon

Manny Ramirez is the one responsible for the success of Javier Baez.

After hitting 37 and 23 home runs in 2013 and 2014, Javier Báez was promoted to the majors. And while he dazzled with his hits, he confronted serious problems with strikeouts.

Among the first two seasons in the majors, Báez had 58 hits and struck out 119 times.

The problem of strikeouts and frustration set in but then Chicago used their secret weapon.

Ex Major League outfielder, Dominican, Manny Ramirez was assigned to work with the case of Báez and the results shoed during the 2016 campaign in which Báez accumulated a .273 average with 115 hits, including 14 homers, 19 doubles and 59 RBIs.

"When I arrived with Chicago, I took hard swings at the ball ever since I signed and that was one of the big things where Manny Ramirez has helped me a lot ," Baez said by telephone from Chicago.

"I talked with him and learned a lot. We mostly talked. There was nothing wrong mechanically or physically, "Baez said of his relationship with the 12-time All-Star and one of the most prodigious of the Dominican baseball players.

Ramirez during his 19-year career won nine Silver Sluggers and surpassed 500 home runs, had his best years with the Red Sox, whose general ex-manager Theo Epstein is now manager of baseball operations for the Cubs.

In addition, at the end of his career he was with Tampa Bay, where he met manager Joe Maddon.

Hired as a batting consultant , Ramirez has not only helped aa Báez, but also much of the young stars that are producing for the organization such as Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant and Starlin Castro (now with the Yankees).

"The work was all mental. I made my adjustments, took the advice he gave me to the field, and he made me shine, as you have seen. "

The Cubs have been shut out 2 games in a row. The only other time that has happened:

The 1919 black sox in the world series against the Reds in Games 4 and 5.

I thought that was an interesting piece of trivia.

4 October 4 Cincinnati Reds – 2, Chicago White Sox – 0
5 October 6 Cincinnati Reds – 5, Chicago White Sox – 0

I don't care Cubs, Dodgers, it doesn't make any difference to me.

I'm going Cubs. The futility of both teams deserve the opportunity to perform on the biggest baseball stage. Beside, that could be a fun series to watch. A ton of exciting, young ball player on each side.

Check out this fan's amazing hand-written box score from Game 1 of the 1908 World Series

The last time the Cubs won the World Series, there was no TV, internet or even an Interstate highway system. Fortunately there was still pen and paper. Thanks to one intrepid fan that decided to hand-write and then bind his or her 1908 World Series linescores, we can marvel at Frank Chance's two runs and two stolen bases, or that 10,812 people were in attendance for something that people would still be thinking about 108 years later: