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So, at the end of last week, fans were promised a statement about the “final” decisions being made regarding additional players making the jump to the Chicago White Sox in September.
Today, we got that statement. Here’s a little piece broken off, courtesy of the unwavering hand of Daryl Van Schouwen:
Hahn on Kopech yes, Jimenez no pic.twitter.com/y2rKY8gdwK
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) September 3, 2018
And, “some reaction from around baseball”:
About an hour or so until Rick Hahn's Service Time Manipulation Press Conference ...
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) September 3, 2018
Happy Labor Day, everybody!
I just keep getting surprised.
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) September 3, 2018
What is wrong with me?
Sigh.
Happy Labor Day, White Sox!
Hahn waited to make the official announcement until Labor Day just to twist the knife a little more. #union
— larry southsidesox (@SouthSidelarry) September 3, 2018
Gonna really be able to improve that D taking the rest of the season off https://t.co/ZpDOytpNyb
— larry southsidesox (@SouthSidelarry) September 3, 2018
This is a remarkable statement. Jaw-dropping. Delivered with a straight face.
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) September 3, 2018
"Eloy understands that" ... he can't even get a token final month in the majors for the supposed additional defensive instruction he apparently needs?
I bet he does. https://t.co/3dkc7F8unq
Eloy collaborating with the media next week on the follow-up to his "I'm Ready." article which is tentatively titled, "Stop Lying, Dick."
— Carmichael Doan (@OrbitalCannon22) September 3, 2018
God. Dammit. https://t.co/wnJWRHb4zN
— Tompromat (@TCMcG) September 3, 2018
— Kevin Nash (@kevinrnash) September 3, 2018
I, for one, am excited to see how Eloy Jiménez's defense improves after two more weeks of Triple-A ball next April.
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) September 3, 2018
☹️
— Pookie (@Yepp_Pookie) September 3, 2018
(Michael Kopech’s sister.)
Every White Sox fan/follower rn... pic.twitter.com/qJevf6Qs8V
— Laura Wolff (@laurawolffphoto) September 3, 2018
It did speak for itself. Not anymore. https://t.co/fgJa68C3hR
— larry southsidesox (@SouthSidelarry) September 3, 2018
Here’s the thing: I, for one, really, really, really, really hadn’t thought this was solely or significantly about service time. I believed, or wanted to believe, that there was some strange voodoo of earlier-season injury, evaluating current outfielders, or knowing once Eloy is up, he’s up for good that was delaying — not postponing — the promotion.
We’ve gotten ourselves worked up about Eloy not being in the majors since before the Double-A All-Star Game, when the reasoning was that the White Sox were throwing a bone to Birmingham by keeping Jiménez down for All-Star Game (the Barons hosted) attendance.
In June, we published a quickie throwaway comparing Eloy to Frank Thomas, the significant difference between the two at Birmingham (recall, Big Hurt was promoted to the White Sox directly from Birmingham at the start of August 1990) was strikeout and walk rate, which may have a lot more to say about the way the game has changed over 25 years than Eloy’s weaknesses. (In retrospect, I should have drilled deep into defensive comparisons. Such a fine line between stupid, and clever.)
Exactly one month later, larry wrote a forceful and passionate take on what was developing into an untruthful and manipulative situation regarding both Jiménez and Kopech.
And even as we kept the pressure on, both with larry’s breaking piece (handled with tweezers, from Jon Heyman) and a trademarked takedown on the absurd current state of affairs, there was still some sense that calmer and fairer heads would prevail by ... Labor Day.
They did not.
WSB 2018: Calmer and Fairer Heads Will Not Prevail