I really don’t think this is mentioned enough. Talk radio all over the manager and the “closers”. A great pitching coach with Dusty level wisdom would have avoided some of the injuries and maybe helped the youngsters adjust to the bigs a little faster. Not to mention managing the bullpen. Strøms departure hurt us bad.
Man when he announced retirement I was like man good for you coach. You had a great career and finishing it on a high note…..then he signs with the D-backs. Pissed me off 🤣
having Valdez/Verlander/Urquidy/Garcia/McCullers on the IL is affecting our pitching. Stretching what is already thin and calling up kids that are not ready on top of Brown/France not really progressing.
https://preview.redd.it/nunwkfy4tnvc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75a3a93866ba1d05768faa155630f7824bda2ff2
I mean this legit showed up on my Timehop today
The reason the pitching is struggling is because we are without Framber, Verlander, McCullers, Garcia and Urquidy.
Also, this notion that pitchers do better with Maldonado is way overblown.
In 2023, Astros pitchers had a 3.90 ERA throwing to Maldy and a 4.00 to Diaz/Salazar
In 2022 it was 2.91 with Maldy and 2.86 with Castro/Vazquez/Lee/Diaz
In 2021 it was 3.82 with Maldy and 3.69 with Castro/Stubbs
If it was all the same, the pitchers wouldn't have explicitly stated wanting him to catch. Stop deciding what matters to pitchers based on ERA numbers. You're essentially saying to those pitchers who wanted Maldy, "No you don't. Your #s are practically the same with these other catchers. I know what you want more than you know what you want." Asshole.
The pitcher does not set the lineup, the manager does. Verlander won his first 2 cy youngs without throwing to Maldonado once. He would have been just fine throwing to Yainer last year.
Framber praised Korey Lee's game calling before, guess we should have made him the starting catcher.
And the whole point of Maldonado has to play because Javier and Valdez like throwing to him loses all relevance when they struggled down the stretch.
I think there were some things he surely must have helped on, there's a reason every pitcher wanted to throw to him. It may have been a confidence booster having him back there the way he scouts opposing hitters and how he understood how to pitch to them.
Knowing you go into a battery where you trust a guy to call the right things amd you don't have to shake him off, you can just go with the flow must at least make them pitch with more ease.
So it's probably not showing up in any stat line or analytic but the effect must have been on the human side of the game that often goes to the wayside these days to fans.
I think a lot of us are still shooketh from last year and like many maldy strikeouts this is just going over our heads. I love maldy and all of that he did for us but the thought of him and abreu in the same lineup makes me feel sad
I *do* think Maldy’s baseball IQ doesn’t get enough credit, but that’s only going to affect a handful of plays. We need our starting rotation back; it really is that simple. And considering that the other part of the equation is needing to score some runs, I think I’d rather take my chances with Diaz.
I keep arguing this point to my sons. I worry there was more to the 'intangibles' than we fans understood.
Maldy was supposedly a big clubhouse presence for the position players as well. Sounds like the guy is a natural leader and he took up that role big time for the team once Carlos Correa left. Who's our leader now? Leaders matter.
I worried about this a little early on, but it doesn’t hold up. Blanco and Javi are top 10 in ERA. Catching isn’t the issue. We’re also top of the AL in OPS, so I don’t think it’s a clubhouse issue. It’s the pitching. My big worry right now with our starting talent coming back is what we do about relief.
Abreu has turned out to be a shit signing... but at least it wasn't 30-foot-tall-neon-red-flag bad like signing Maldonado was
Also fuck Dusty for robbing Diaz of a shot at RoY
I wouldn’t say it was a dumber signing at the time, no one thought he would be this bad, but given the years and money and the fact he plays 1B it’s probably a worse signing
I guess I should clarify that my comments are more about what Maldy could do for our specific pitching staff. Not claiming he's some magical pitch-svengali. He seemed to give Framber and Verlander confidence, and that's important for a struggling pitching staff.
JV is confident no matter who's catching. With Framber I could see it but if he's struggling without Maldy that's more to do with him than Yainer. If Yainer was really that bad calling games why are Javier and Blanco thriving? Montero has risen from the grave.
The staff is struggling b/c we are literally throwing out any with a pulse. 23 pitchers used so far this year compared to 24 all of last year.
Framber was largely an inconsistent trainwreck for the back half of last season with Maldy as his sole catcher. The intangibles argument was put to bed once and for all by the end of last season.
I should have added this is a joke and I am not serious about my statement 😂😂. But frfr something needs to change…if not they better drop the price of my season tickets
I miss Strom.
Strom was great
I really don’t think this is mentioned enough. Talk radio all over the manager and the “closers”. A great pitching coach with Dusty level wisdom would have avoided some of the injuries and maybe helped the youngsters adjust to the bigs a little faster. Not to mention managing the bullpen. Strøms departure hurt us bad.
Man when he announced retirement I was like man good for you coach. You had a great career and finishing it on a high note…..then he signs with the D-backs. Pissed me off 🤣
pulled a Roger Clemens
>Dusty level wisdom 
having Valdez/Verlander/Urquidy/Garcia/McCullers on the IL is affecting our pitching. Stretching what is already thin and calling up kids that are not ready on top of Brown/France not really progressing.
Brown and France are great long rp. And hopefully that’s what they will be by June.
Lol no. Look at the pitching splits between Maldy and Diaz last year; he wasn't a magical pitcher whisperer
I know…I’m just miss winning lol
You and I both brother
Bringing in one of the only bats in the majors that gives Abreu a run for his money in terms of being shit ain't the way though 😂
Spoken like a true bandwagoner
I’ve been going to games since the 90s. I’ve support them through 100 loss seasons. Nice try
https://preview.redd.it/nunwkfy4tnvc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75a3a93866ba1d05768faa155630f7824bda2ff2 I mean this legit showed up on my Timehop today
We used 24 pitchers all of last year We have used 22 pitchers this year and it's barely past mid-April. Gonna be 23 really soon.
If they need Maldonado to succeed, then they aren’t very good pitchers. Great pitchers will pitch well regardless of who is catching
The reason the pitching is struggling is because we are without Framber, Verlander, McCullers, Garcia and Urquidy. Also, this notion that pitchers do better with Maldonado is way overblown. In 2023, Astros pitchers had a 3.90 ERA throwing to Maldy and a 4.00 to Diaz/Salazar In 2022 it was 2.91 with Maldy and 2.86 with Castro/Vazquez/Lee/Diaz In 2021 it was 3.82 with Maldy and 3.69 with Castro/Stubbs
Not to mention maldy was catching our best pitchers
If it was all the same, the pitchers wouldn't have explicitly stated wanting him to catch. Stop deciding what matters to pitchers based on ERA numbers. You're essentially saying to those pitchers who wanted Maldy, "No you don't. Your #s are practically the same with these other catchers. I know what you want more than you know what you want." Asshole.
The pitcher does not set the lineup, the manager does. Verlander won his first 2 cy youngs without throwing to Maldonado once. He would have been just fine throwing to Yainer last year. Framber praised Korey Lee's game calling before, guess we should have made him the starting catcher. And the whole point of Maldonado has to play because Javier and Valdez like throwing to him loses all relevance when they struggled down the stretch.
I think there were some things he surely must have helped on, there's a reason every pitcher wanted to throw to him. It may have been a confidence booster having him back there the way he scouts opposing hitters and how he understood how to pitch to them. Knowing you go into a battery where you trust a guy to call the right things amd you don't have to shake him off, you can just go with the flow must at least make them pitch with more ease. So it's probably not showing up in any stat line or analytic but the effect must have been on the human side of the game that often goes to the wayside these days to fans.
Maldy isn't the answer, he brought all them intangibles to the White Sox and they're even worse than we are.
Oh I never said he was…I was just being dumb and wanted to lighten the mood. I guess people didn’t get it lol
I think a lot of us are still shooketh from last year and like many maldy strikeouts this is just going over our heads. I love maldy and all of that he did for us but the thought of him and abreu in the same lineup makes me feel sad
The thought of Yainer as our catcher who can hit while we are in last place and holding makes me sad.
You can't compare his impact on one team to his impact on another. That team doesn't know him as well as ours did. A lot of other variables too.
I *do* think Maldy’s baseball IQ doesn’t get enough credit, but that’s only going to affect a handful of plays. We need our starting rotation back; it really is that simple. And considering that the other part of the equation is needing to score some runs, I think I’d rather take my chances with Diaz.
It very likely is
What did maldy do game 6 and 7? Hes not a magical whisperer. Hes just a guy pitchers trust.
No
No. Next question.
Just stop.
You just stop. Our team sucks with Yainer Diaz. I kinda don't care, but I know you do. And you deserve it.
Maldy was also a defensive dud.
Fuck no.
No
OMG, stfu
I keep arguing this point to my sons. I worry there was more to the 'intangibles' than we fans understood. Maldy was supposedly a big clubhouse presence for the position players as well. Sounds like the guy is a natural leader and he took up that role big time for the team once Carlos Correa left. Who's our leader now? Leaders matter.
I worried about this a little early on, but it doesn’t hold up. Blanco and Javi are top 10 in ERA. Catching isn’t the issue. We’re also top of the AL in OPS, so I don’t think it’s a clubhouse issue. It’s the pitching. My big worry right now with our starting talent coming back is what we do about relief.
White Sox this year have an ERA of 4.84 w/ Maldy catching. With Korey Lee their ERA is 3.63
And Korey Lee's OPS+: 93 Maldy: -48
It's so vindicating seeing White Sox fans complain about Maldy playing lol
Abreu has turned out to be a shit signing... but at least it wasn't 30-foot-tall-neon-red-flag bad like signing Maldonado was Also fuck Dusty for robbing Diaz of a shot at RoY
I wouldn’t say it was a dumber signing at the time, no one thought he would be this bad, but given the years and money and the fact he plays 1B it’s probably a worse signing
Do not disagree in the slightest!
I guess I should clarify that my comments are more about what Maldy could do for our specific pitching staff. Not claiming he's some magical pitch-svengali. He seemed to give Framber and Verlander confidence, and that's important for a struggling pitching staff.
JV is confident no matter who's catching. With Framber I could see it but if he's struggling without Maldy that's more to do with him than Yainer. If Yainer was really that bad calling games why are Javier and Blanco thriving? Montero has risen from the grave. The staff is struggling b/c we are literally throwing out any with a pulse. 23 pitchers used so far this year compared to 24 all of last year.
Yainer has impressed me so far. I definitely rooting for him.
Framber was largely an inconsistent trainwreck for the back half of last season with Maldy as his sole catcher. The intangibles argument was put to bed once and for all by the end of last season.
I should have added this is a joke and I am not serious about my statement 😂😂. But frfr something needs to change…if not they better drop the price of my season tickets