OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - "Oh No! We Suck Again!" -- Reviving the White Sox in 2025

jksander · 03-13-2025, 05:00 PM

April 11, 2025: Jonathan Cannon (0-1, 5.00 ERA, 9.0 IP, 3 K’s, 1.67 WHIP) pitched against Walker Buehler (1-0, 6.10 ERA, 10.1 IP, 14 K’s, 1.16 WHIP) in our first of three against Boston here at Rate Field, with an 11 mph wind blowing out of center, suggesting it might not be a great day for pitching. Boston took the lead in the top of the fourth with an RBI single by Connor Wong, Justin Dunn came out in the top of the fifth trailing 1-0, and a sac-fly by Alex Bregman (who’s been fighting off an abdominal strain) added a run for the visitors. Justin Anderson took over with one out and men on first and second in the top of the sixth, and we went into the bottom of the inning trailing 3-0 after another run scored. Lenyn Sosa got us on the board in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double that scored Vargas, but Boston had our number, Bregman hitting an RBI double to get the run back quickly in the top of the seventh, giving them a 4-1 lead as we went into the stretch. Penn Murfee took over in the top of the eighth and kept them from scoring the rest of the night, but we went down quietly offensively, losing this one 4-1. Cannon took the loss, falling to 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA, lasting four innings with five hits, five strikeouts and one earned run. Murfee was impressive, striking out two without allowng a baserunner in his two innings .... he now has a 4.15 ERA through 8.2 innings over eight appearances. We outhit them 9-8 but did very little with the ones we got, led by Lenyn Sosa with two hits, a walk and an RBI. Sadly, he leads the team with just six runs batted in.

The draft pool has been revealed officially, and we wish we’d been able to benefit from the draft lottery this year, but instead have to settle for the #10 pick thanks to being a payor club under the current revenue sharing agreements ... so we weren’t allowed to have back-to-back lottery picks. This year’s draft doesn’t look particularly deep, but there are a lot of college-aged players we’re intrigued by, particularly among pitchers. We’re looking forward to the Draft Combine which starts June 6th, a month ahead of the official draft on July 11th.

April 12, 2025: Ryan Weber (0-2, 2.31 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 K’s, 0.94 WHIP) pitched against Garrett Crochet (2-0, 1.83 ERA, 19.2 IP, 20 K’s, 0.81 WHIP), and the fans present were clearly conflicted, frustrated that our team traded him to the Red Sox during the offseason, leaving our roster more bereft than ever ... and yet he remains very popular here on the Southside ... but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to destroy him in this one. The game got going under low clouds and threats of rain, with the wind blowing in hard and temperatures in the low 50s, and Boston took an early lead in the top of the first when Rafael Devers hit a sac-fly that scored Alex Bregman from third. But Starling Marte hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to tie it up. They got the lead back in the top of the third with an RBI single by Rob Refsnyder, but the wind helped us keep things close going into the bottom of the fourth, thanks to several hard-hit balls blowing back in for outfielders to catch. Unfortunately they added on again in the top of the fifth with a solo homer by Triston Casas, and Kimbrel took over in the top of the sixth trailing 3-1. Justin Dunn came out in the seventh, and in the bottom of the inning our bats came to life ... Michael A. Taylor hit an RBI double that scored two runs to tie the score, and Cadyn Grenier hit a line drive drouble that drove Taylor home to score the go-ahead! Shane Smith took the ball to start the top of the eighth, getting two strikeouts and a pop-out to protect the lead, and Tauchman bought us insurance in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double that made it a two-run advantage! Smith stayed out and got us through the top of the ninth, and we held the Red Sox off to win 5-3! Dunn got the win out of the pen, walking one batter but completing his inning without a score, improving to 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA, and Smith earned his first save, pitching two innings with one hit, one walk and three strikeouts as his ERA improved to 0.77 through 11.2 innings! They outhit us 9-7, but Tauchman was clutch all night, hitting twice with a run and an RBI, while Taylor had a hit, a walk, a run and two RBIs.

Craig Kimbrel told reporters after the game that he’s decided this will be his last year playing ball ... the 36-year-old will retire after the completion of this season with our White Sox.

April 13, 2005: It’s our last game against the White Sox, and we’ve won two of our last three games, so it would be wild to get ourselves a series win out of this one, with the off day tomorrow to rest ahead of the Angels series. Martin Perez (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 8.0 IP, 4 K’s, 1.88 WHIP) pitched against Garrett Whitlock (1-2, 2.60 ERA, 20.0 IP, 18 K’s, 0.75 WHIP). Perez got out of a bases-loaded-on-one-out jam in the top of the third to keep the game scoreless, and Michael A. Taylor led off with a solo bomb out of right in the bottom of the inning to put us up 1-0! They tied it up in the top of the fourth with two outs, Ceddanne Rafaela hitting an RBI single to drive in the tying run. Perez got through the fifth with it still tied, and Chase Meidroth hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to give us a 2-1 lead. Kimbrel came out of the pen to start the sixth inning, and he pitched around runners on the corners to hold that lead, striking out Nathan Hickey to end their half of the inning. We brought out Mike Clevinger in the seventh, and he got six straight outs to keep us in control! Brandon Eisert came out to pitch in the top of the ninth, still leading by a run, and he got three quick outs to shut them down as we won 2-1, taking the series two games to one! Perez got the win, improving to 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA, allowing seven hits and a run without a walk or a strikeout through five innings. Kimbrel got his ERA under 10 with two hits and a strikeout in his inning, and Clevinger held his second game with two innings without a baserunner, improving his ERA to 0.60 through 15 innings. Eisert then saved his second game of the year, keeping his ERA perfect through 4.1 innings. They outhit us 9-6, but Taylor was in fine form with two hits, two runs and an RBI thanks to his second homer of the season. He now leads the team with eight RBIs.

Next up, after a day off tomorrow, we’ll host the 8-8 Angels for three games as we ride our first winning streak of the year.

- - - - -

CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/14/25 ... p.B1
Desperation Move? Sox Sign Bauer in “Shocking” Development

CHICAGO, Ill. - In a move that shocked the baseball establishment nationwide, the White Sox have signed Trevor Bauer out of baseball pariahdom, giving the controversial pitcher a one year contract at the league minimum, $740,000. Bauer, who was released by the Dodgers back in 2023 following MLB’s investigation into sexual assault allegations that eventually led to a record suspension, has spent the last two years playing for the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars and the Diablos Rojos del Mexico and has been available for any team to sign on a league minimum contract since December 22, 2022 when a league arbitor reduced his suspension from 324 games to 194 games, reinstating his eligibility to play. But after two years without a bite, no one in the league’s upper echelons thought he’d ever play again.

The signing has shocked fans of Chicago baseball to their core. Some fans have expressed excitement that having Bauer in the rotation might help them keep this season somewhat competitive as the team develops its young prospects for the future. But others, including womens’ rights groups frustrated by the fact that Bauer was never actually prosecuted based on the allegations, suggest Reinsdorf and GM David Harrison are only interested in a quick pop of interest based off controversy.

In the clubhouse, there’s concern about Bauer’s penchant for causing disruptions both on the field and off, though no one has gone on the record officially since the signing. One club staffer speaking under the condition of anonymity suggested most of the players are taking a “wait and see” attitude, though “it’s hard to imagine this move won’t have serious clubhouse repercussions if Bauer doesn’t come in pitching lights-out to shut up his detractors.”

To make room for Bauer on their 26-man roster, Justin Anderson (0-1, 13.50 ERA) was demoted to AAA Charlotte, and Martin Perez will move into a long relief role out of the bullpen, with Bauer stepping into the #2 spot in the rotation between Sean Burke and Noah Syndergaard. He is expected to start on Wednesday in game two of the team’s series against the Angels.

03-13-2025, 05:00 PM	#16
jksander All Star Starter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Indianapolis IN Posts: 1,626	April 11, 2025: Jonathan Cannon (0-1, 5.00 ERA, 9.0 IP, 3 K’s, 1.67 WHIP) pitched against Walker Buehler (1-0, 6.10 ERA, 10.1 IP, 14 K’s, 1.16 WHIP) in our first of three against Boston here at Rate Field, with an 11 mph wind blowing out of center, suggesting it might not be a great day for pitching. Boston took the lead in the top of the fourth with an RBI single by Connor Wong, Justin Dunn came out in the top of the fifth trailing 1-0, and a sac-fly by Alex Bregman (who’s been fighting off an abdominal strain) added a run for the visitors. Justin Anderson took over with one out and men on first and second in the top of the sixth, and we went into the bottom of the inning trailing 3-0 after another run scored. Lenyn Sosa got us on the board in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double that scored Vargas, but Boston had our number, Bregman hitting an RBI double to get the run back quickly in the top of the seventh, giving them a 4-1 lead as we went into the stretch. Penn Murfee took over in the top of the eighth and kept them from scoring the rest of the night, but we went down quietly offensively, losing this one 4-1. Cannon took the loss, falling to 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA, lasting four innings with five hits, five strikeouts and one earned run. Murfee was impressive, striking out two without allowng a baserunner in his two innings .... he now has a 4.15 ERA through 8.2 innings over eight appearances. We outhit them 9-8 but did very little with the ones we got, led by Lenyn Sosa with two hits, a walk and an RBI. Sadly, he leads the team with just six runs batted in. The draft pool has been revealed officially, and we wish we’d been able to benefit from the draft lottery this year, but instead have to settle for the #10 pick thanks to being a payor club under the current revenue sharing agreements ... so we weren’t allowed to have back-to-back lottery picks. This year’s draft doesn’t look particularly deep, but there are a lot of college-aged players we’re intrigued by, particularly among pitchers. We’re looking forward to the Draft Combine which starts June 6th, a month ahead of the official draft on July 11th. April 12, 2025: Ryan Weber (0-2, 2.31 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 K’s, 0.94 WHIP) pitched against Garrett Crochet (2-0, 1.83 ERA, 19.2 IP, 20 K’s, 0.81 WHIP), and the fans present were clearly conflicted, frustrated that our team traded him to the Red Sox during the offseason, leaving our roster more bereft than ever ... and yet he remains very popular here on the Southside ... but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to destroy him in this one. The game got going under low clouds and threats of rain, with the wind blowing in hard and temperatures in the low 50s, and Boston took an early lead in the top of the first when Rafael Devers hit a sac-fly that scored Alex Bregman from third. But Starling Marte hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to tie it up. They got the lead back in the top of the third with an RBI single by Rob Refsnyder, but the wind helped us keep things close going into the bottom of the fourth, thanks to several hard-hit balls blowing back in for outfielders to catch. Unfortunately they added on again in the top of the fifth with a solo homer by Triston Casas, and Kimbrel took over in the top of the sixth trailing 3-1. Justin Dunn came out in the seventh, and in the bottom of the inning our bats came to life ... Michael A. Taylor hit an RBI double that scored two runs to tie the score, and Cadyn Grenier hit a line drive drouble that drove Taylor home to score the go-ahead! Shane Smith took the ball to start the top of the eighth, getting two strikeouts and a pop-out to protect the lead, and Tauchman bought us insurance in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double that made it a two-run advantage! Smith stayed out and got us through the top of the ninth, and we held the Red Sox off to win 5-3! Dunn got the win out of the pen, walking one batter but completing his inning without a score, improving to 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA, and Smith earned his first save, pitching two innings with one hit, one walk and three strikeouts as his ERA improved to 0.77 through 11.2 innings! They outhit us 9-7, but Tauchman was clutch all night, hitting twice with a run and an RBI, while Taylor had a hit, a walk, a run and two RBIs. Craig Kimbrel told reporters after the game that he’s decided this will be his last year playing ball ... the 36-year-old will retire after the completion of this season with our White Sox. April 13, 2005: It’s our last game against the White Sox, and we’ve won two of our last three games, so it would be wild to get ourselves a series win out of this one, with the off day tomorrow to rest ahead of the Angels series. Martin Perez (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 8.0 IP, 4 K’s, 1.88 WHIP) pitched against Garrett Whitlock (1-2, 2.60 ERA, 20.0 IP, 18 K’s, 0.75 WHIP). Perez got out of a bases-loaded-on-one-out jam in the top of the third to keep the game scoreless, and Michael A. Taylor led off with a solo bomb out of right in the bottom of the inning to put us up 1-0! They tied it up in the top of the fourth with two outs, Ceddanne Rafaela hitting an RBI single to drive in the tying run. Perez got through the fifth with it still tied, and Chase Meidroth hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to give us a 2-1 lead. Kimbrel came out of the pen to start the sixth inning, and he pitched around runners on the corners to hold that lead, striking out Nathan Hickey to end their half of the inning. We brought out Mike Clevinger in the seventh, and he got six straight outs to keep us in control! Brandon Eisert came out to pitch in the top of the ninth, still leading by a run, and he got three quick outs to shut them down as we won 2-1, taking the series two games to one! Perez got the win, improving to 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA, allowing seven hits and a run without a walk or a strikeout through five innings. Kimbrel got his ERA under 10 with two hits and a strikeout in his inning, and Clevinger held his second game with two innings without a baserunner, improving his ERA to 0.60 through 15 innings. Eisert then saved his second game of the year, keeping his ERA perfect through 4.1 innings. They outhit us 9-6, but Taylor was in fine form with two hits, two runs and an RBI thanks to his second homer of the season. He now leads the team with eight RBIs. Next up, after a day off tomorrow, we’ll host the 8-8 Angels for three games as we ride our first winning streak of the year. - - - - - CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/14/25 ... p.B1 Desperation Move? Sox Sign Bauer in “Shocking” Development CHICAGO, Ill. - In a move that shocked the baseball establishment nationwide, the White Sox have signed Trevor Bauer out of baseball pariahdom, giving the controversial pitcher a one year contract at the league minimum, $740,000. Bauer, who was released by the Dodgers back in 2023 following MLB’s investigation into sexual assault allegations that eventually led to a record suspension, has spent the last two years playing for the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars and the Diablos Rojos del Mexico and has been available for any team to sign on a league minimum contract since December 22, 2022 when a league arbitor reduced his suspension from 324 games to 194 games, reinstating his eligibility to play. But after two years without a bite, no one in the league’s upper echelons thought he’d ever play again. The signing has shocked fans of Chicago baseball to their core. Some fans have expressed excitement that having Bauer in the rotation might help them keep this season somewhat competitive as the team develops its young prospects for the future. But others, including womens’ rights groups frustrated by the fact that Bauer was never actually prosecuted based on the allegations, suggest Reinsdorf and GM David Harrison are only interested in a quick pop of interest based off controversy. In the clubhouse, there’s concern about Bauer’s penchant for causing disruptions both on the field and off, though no one has gone on the record officially since the signing. One club staffer speaking under the condition of anonymity suggested most of the players are taking a “wait and see” attitude, though “it’s hard to imagine this move won’t have serious clubhouse repercussions if Bauer doesn’t come in pitching lights-out to shut up his detractors.” To make room for Bauer on their 26-man roster, Justin Anderson (0-1, 13.50 ERA) was demoted to AAA Charlotte, and Martin Perez will move into a long relief role out of the bullpen, with Bauer stepping into the #2 spot in the rotation between Sean Burke and Noah Syndergaard. He is expected to start on Wednesday in game two of the team’s series against the Angels. __________________ A Fledgling “Free Agency” Movement in the Post-War World -- An OOTP 26 Dynasty Online Leagues Modern Baseball (Chicago White Sox) Daily Double Baseball (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) Championship Baseball League (Winnipeg Goldeye) WPORBL 55 (Chicago Cubs) WPORBL 74 (Oakland A's) WPORBL 94 (Montreal Expos) WPOBL (Cincinnati Reds) Last edited by jksander; 03-13-2025 at 05:03 PM.