Frank Menechino named White Sox hitting coach

Frank Menechino

Catching up on some news: The White Sox promoted Frank Menechino to be their new hitting coach last week.

The 48-year-old former Major League infielder joined the Sox organization for the 2019 season, when he served as the hitting coach for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.

Under Menechino's watch, the Knights scored 5.7 runs per game, better than the 5.16 league average. The Knights posted a team .270/.352/.472 slash line, with a 22.3% strikeout rate and a 10.5% percent walk rate.

If you're one of the fans hoping the Sox improve their walk rate next season, the Knights were above the 9.3% league average. Do keep in mind that Charlotte is the most hitter-friendly park in the International League, so the Knights probably *should* be above average in offensive categories.

In other words, do with this information what you will.

Menechino obviously worked with top prospects Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal this past season, and he inherits an offensive core than includes Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez.

For what it's worth, Menechino has previous experience as a hitting coach in the majors, and he has previous experience working with a young offensive core.

He was the hitting coach with the Miami Marlins in 2014 and 2015. He was then "demoted" to assistant hitting coach when the Marlins foolishly brought on Barry Bonds to be the hitting coach for the 2016 season. Bonds was a disaster and was replaced by Mike Pagliarulo, with Menechino serving as assistant hitting coach from 2016-18.

After the 2018 season, Menechino was one of four Marlins coaches fired as part of an offseason shakeup. He landed in the Sox organization, and now he's getting another chance to work with MLB hitters.

Of note, Menechino coached Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto during his time with the Marlins. All four of those guys are enjoying success now in places not named Miami. It's unclear how much credit Menechino deserves for those successes, but he obviously didn't screw any of them up, either.

As a player, Menechino played seven years in the majors with the Oakland A's and Toronto Blue Jays. He was mostly a utility player, posting a career .240/.358/.383 slash line in 1,510 plate appearances.

A .358 on-base percentage? Well, we can't say he didn't walk. I honestly have no idea if this is a good hire. I would have liked to have seen an outside search, but then again, it isn't as if Menechino is a longtime organization man. He's relatively new to the Sox, and all you can do is hope he's the right guy to help this young group of offensive players take the next steps in their careers.

Name That Slash Line answer key

J.D. Martinez

In our last blog, I gave out seven slash lines belonging to assorted players -- some play for the White Sox, some do not. Here are your answers:

Player 1: .315/.367/.548

This is Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada, who not only had a breakout season, but he also had the best offensive season I've seen from a Sox third baseman in my lifetime. Sure, Robin Ventura might have provided more overall value in the 1990s because he was an elite defender at the position, but it's hard to top the .915 OPS posted by Moncada in 2019.

One big key to this Moncada breakout: As a switch-hitter, he's no longer a pushover from the right side of the plate. In 2018, Moncada slashed .209/.287/.297 as a right-handed hitter. But this season, his right-handed line jumped all the way up to .299/.345/.500.

Now, I still expect opposing managers to bring in left-handed relievers to force Moncada to bat right-handed. After all, Moncada hit 21 of his 25 homers in 2019 as a left-handed hitter. And his left-handed slash line was a robust .322/.377/.569.

All that being said, Moncada is now the guy Sox fans want to see to the plate in late-and-clutch situations, and even from his weaker side, he's capable of doing damage to the opposition.

Player 2: .311/.372/.503

This slash line belongs to Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley. There's been a lot of talk about the Sox needing a productive left-handed bat to play a corner outfield position, and I can't help but think the team missed on that opportunity last season when Brantley was available.

The best left-handed corner outfield bats available in free agency this offseason are Corey Dickerson and Kole Calhoun. Neither of them is as good as Brantley. Perhaps the Sox should have been more aggressive in their pursuit of Brantley when he could have been had.

Now, it is possible Brantley wasn't interested in the Sox. Who would you rather sign with? The Astros or the Sox? One of the problems the Sox face is that they are not a destination for free agents, and that is the fault of ownership and the front office. They deserve criticism for not being able to "convert" on their targets, and that inability is about more than not being willing to spend money.

Player 3: .284/.330/.503

This is Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, who is a free agent this offseason. It is assumed he will be back with the club, but I have heard some fans express reservations about Abreu going forward, because he will be 33 years old when we reach Opening Day 2020.

The low on-base percentages over the past two seasons -- .325 and .330 -- are concerning. Abreu's career OBP is .349. However, Abreu led the Sox with 33 home runs and led the American League with 123 RBIs. This is a Sox team that ranked 13th in the league in home runs, and I don't think they are in position to be parting with *any* hitter who is capable of slugging .500 or better.

This doesn't mean give Abreu a five-year deal. That would be a mistake. I'd say two years, $30 million with an option for a third year gets it done.

Player 4: .335/.357/.508

Here is the slash line for Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. He walked 15 times all season and still won the batting title. I don't know if we'll ever see something like that again.

I'm guessing this was a career year for Anderson, but this was a significant step forward from the .240/.281/.406 line he posted in 2018. Regression is probably inevitable, but let's say Anderson finds a medium between his past two seasons and hits .290 with a .320 on-base percentage in 2020. If he does that, can we live it?

I think so, especially if he bats toward the bottom of the batting order and continues to supply some extra-base pop. Anderson had 18 home runs and 32 doubles this season, which is just fine for a shortstop.

Player 5: .256/.334/.462

This is San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, who decided to take San Diego's millions over the millions the Sox offered last offseason.

Some have pushed the narrative that the Sox are fortunate that they didn't sign Machado, because he had a down season in his first year with the Padres. I don't know. I think the Sox would have been a better team with Machado at third base and Moncada at second -- and light-hitting Yolmer Sanchez in the bench role where he belongs.

I don't subscribe to the theory that Moncada's offensive breakout has anything to do with his position change -- I think he was going to break out anyway. I will acknowledge that Moncada is better defensively at third base than he was at second.

The bottom line on the whole Machado saga is this: The Sox had a chance to prove that they are willing to spend in free agency last season, and they declined to do so. They have another chance this offseason. That doesn't mean they have to sign Gerrit Cole, but it does mean they have to spend the money this time. Finishing second for free agents isn't going to be acceptable anymore.

Player 6: .304/.383/.557

Speaking of free agents the Sox need to sign, the slash line above belongs to J.D. Martinez, who is likely to opt out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. Let me go on the record as saying Martinez is the free agent I most want the Sox to sign.

The numbers above are still pretty damn good, even in an age-32 season. And need I remind anybody that Sox DHs posted a .205/.286/.356 slash line in 2019? I think Martinez will age well, much like Nelson Cruz and Edwin Encarnacion. For years, the Sox have tried to force a square peg into a round hole at DH. They've signed National League hitters (Adam Dunn and Adam LaRoche) and watched them fail in the role, and it's clear Yonder Alonso had no idea how to adjust to the position.

So, why not bring in somebody who already has proven that he can DH? As we can see from these slash lines, Martinez will provide more offensive value than Machado, and he won't cost as much because of his lack of defensive value.

In fact, Martinez will have no National League suitors whatsoever. And the Astros, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels do not have an opening at DH. If Martinez opts out of Boston, where's he going to land? The way I see it, the most logical landing places are the Sox, Texas Rangers or Toronto Blue Jays.

I'm thinking four years, $100 million with a player opt-out after two years gets it done. Hey, that same contract lured Martinez to Boston, right?

Player 7: .260/.372/.510

This is Bryce Harper. He'd still look pretty good in right field for the Sox, you know. Much like Brantley, he was a lefty corner outfield bat that was available last offseason, and Sox brass just wasn't aggressive enough.

Granted, Harper was much more expensive than Brantley, and Brantley is arguably better, depending on what you value in a hitter. In that regard, a case can be made that Harper wasn't worth the money and years of commitment.

The main reason I'm putting him here, in fact, is to build my case for the Sox to sign Martinez. Martinez was a better hitter than Machado this past season. He was a better hitter than Harper, too. Just look at the slash lines.

If you sign Martinez, you've got the big bat you need for the center of your order, and you don't have to pay $330 million over 13 years. Then, if you want to sign a lesser hitter -- such as Dickerson -- as a secondary offseason free agent piece to fill right field, that suddenly becomes much more palatable.

You see, the Sox have multiple holes. As much as we'd all love to see a player such as Cole in the starting rotation, would you rather sign four or five good players to fill all these holes, or just sign one stud to play once every five days?

I'd like to sign the four or five good players. Depth and layers of depth looks far more appealing to me than a stars-and-scrubs approach.

It's time to play Name That Slash Line -- America's favorite game show

Well, you read the title. It's time to play Name That Slash Line!

I'll give you the 2019 slash lines for seven hitters. Some of them play for the White Sox. Some of them do not. The answers, and a few thoughts about each hitter, will appear in my next blog entry, which will be posted this weekend.

(I'm going to the Blackhawks' home opener Thursday night, and my sister's 40th birthday party is Friday night, so I'll be taking a little break from baseball.)

Without further adieu, name these slash lines!

Player 1: .315/.367/.548

Player 2: .311/.372/.503

Player 3: .284/.330/.503

Player 4: .335/.357/.508

Player 5: .256/.334/.462

Player 6: .304/.383/.557

Player 7: .260/.372/.510

Anybody? Anybody?

Two Game 5s coming in the National League on Wednesday

Jack Flaherty

Both National League Division Series will conclude Wednesday, with the Atlanta Braves hosting the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the Washington Nationals in a pair of winner-take-all Game 5s.

Who do you have winning?

Before the playoffs started, I picked the Cardinals and the Dodgers to win these series, so I guess there's no reason to backtrack now.

The series between Atlanta and St. Louis has been incredible. I really had no idea which team was going to win coming into the series, and I still don't have much of a clue.

Both clubs have one significant weakness. For the Cardinals, they have the weakest lineup of any team in the playoffs. Strong pitching staff, yes, but the offense is suspect. And that lack of offensive punch has hurt them in a 3-0 loss in Game 2 and a 3-1 loss in Game 3.

For the Braves, the significant weakness is in the bullpen, and that weakness has hurt them twice in this series. In Game 1, Atlanta led 3-1 after seven innings. The Braves lost, 7-6. In Game 4, Atlanta led 4-3 after seven innings. The Braves lost, 5-4, in 10 innings.

Game 5 will feature a matchup of perhaps the two best pitchers in the National League since the All-Star break. For St. Louis, Jack Flaherty went 7-2 with a 0.91 ERA in 14 second-half starts. His mound opponent, Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz, went 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA in 10 second-half starts.

This is also a rematch of Game 2, which was won by Atlanta and Foltynewicz, as cited above. Should be a great one.

Meanwhile, the Nationals will try to do the unthinkable and slay the heavily favored Dodgers, who have won the NL pennant in each of the past two seasons.

Los Angeles won 106 games this season and was an absurd +273 in run differential. The second-best team in the NL in that area was, well, the Nationals at +149.

When you think about it, Washington probably is the second-best team in the NL right at this moment. Sure, the Braves won the NL East fair and square, but when you look at the Nationals, they lost the division because of their pathetic 19-31 start. However, Washington went 74-38 over the last 112 games of the regular season -- that's not a small sample size, and perhaps we should have known they were the biggest threat to the Dodgers.

And, the Nationals will send Stephen Strasburg to the mound. So far in these playoffs, Strasburg has worked nine innings, allowing only one run on five hits. He has struck out 14 and walked nobody. He was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of this series against the Dodgers. Could he win this game Wednesday and help Washington shock the baseball world? You bet.

But he'll have to beat Walker Buehler, who is the Dodgers' ace, with all due respect to Clayton Kershaw. Buehler was the Game 1 winner in this series, when he tossed six innings of no-run, one-hit ball with eight strikeouts and three walks. It should be a great pitching matchup.

These days, they say fans love the long ball, and there are plenty of those in the modern game. Me personally, I like to see the top pitchers go head to head. I'm hoping to see that kind of baseball Wednesday.

Audit on bad White Sox starting pitching in 2019

Without looking it up, I was guessing the White Sox started a pitcher who didn't belong out there in about a quarter of their games. Turns out, my instinct was close to right.

Looking over the numbers, I identified 43 of 161 Sox games that were started by pitchers who probably will not be in the major leagues next season:

1. Ross Detwiler. 3-5 with a 5.84 ERA in 12 starts. The Sox went 6-6 in those games.
2. Dylan Covey. 1-7 with an 8.45 ERA in 12 starts. The Sox went 3-9 in those games.
3. Manny Banuelos. 2-4 with an 8.05 ERA in 8 starts. The Sox went 4-4 in those games.
4. Carson Fulmer. 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA in 2 starts. The Sox went 0-2 in those games.
5. Hector Santiago. 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 2 starts. The Sox went 0-2 in those games.
6. Ervin Santana. 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in 3 starts. The Sox went 1-2 in those games.
7. Odrisamer Despaigne. 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in 3 starts. The Sox went 0-3 in those games.

Add it all up, and the Sox went 15-28 in games started by these seven men. Considering the team was 17 games below .500 overall (72-89), we can see how the back end of the starting rotation was a major problem. This list above represents 13 games below .500 right there.

This needs to be fixed this offseason.

Yankees, Astros dominating American League playoffs

Justin Verlander

Who is Randy Dobnak anyway?

The Minnesota Twins play the White Sox 19 times a season, so I'd like to think I'm familiar with the Minnesota roster. But I was left scratching my head when I saw that Dobnak was starting Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Saturday against the New York Yankees.

I didn't recall Dobnak pitching for Minnesota at all this season against the Sox -- or against anyone. Turns out, he did appear in relief in a game against Chicago on Aug. 29. I must have missed that one.

Dobnak entered Saturday's game with nine career MLB appearances, and predictable results ensued against the Yankees. He allowed four earned runs on six hits with two walks and no strikeouts over two-plus innings, and New York rolled to an 8-2 victory.

The Yankees now possess a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, and they are continuing their decades-long mastery of the Twins. Minnesota's postseason losing streak now stands at 15 games -- a MLB record -- and 12 of those losses have come against the Yankees.

Obviously, the Twins don't have the pitching to get the job done in this series, despite their 101 wins in the regular season. Minnesota's starting rotation is in tatters. Jose Berrios lost Game 1. Manager Rocco Baldelli for some reason opted to save 15-game winner Jake Odorizzi for Game 3. Other than that, there are no good options for the Twins.

Michael Pineda is suspended because of performance-enhancing drug use. Kyle Gibson has been dealing with illness, and apparently doesn't have the stamina to pitch more than a couple of innings at a time. And Martin Perez has regressed into the below-average starter he's been for most of his career.

It's hard to see the Twins winning their next two games at home and forcing a Game 5 against the mighty Yankees. Heck, it's hard to see Minnesota winning Game 3 at this point.

Meanwhile, the Houston Astros are the other side of the coin with starting pitching. They have a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Honestly, it's easy to have sympathy for the Tampa Bay hitters, who have had to face the best two pitchers in baseball the first two games of that series.

Here's how Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole have fared:

Verlander in Game 1: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 Ks, 3 BBs
Cole in Game 2: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 15 Ks, 1 BB

Game 1 was a 6-2 win for Houston; Game 2 was a 3-1 win for the Astros.

Zack Greinke gets the ball in Game 3 for Houston, and while he's a slight downgrade from Verlander and Cole, he's still going to be tough on Tampa Bay hitters. Greinke is 18-5 with a 2.93 ERA this season. How's that for a No. 3 starter? Good luck, Rays.

For months, it's looked as though the 107-win Astros and 103-win Yankees were on a collision course to meet in the American League Championship Series. At this point, it would be a shock if that matchup does not take place.

And, a word to the wise for the White Sox and their brass: Neither the Astros nor the Yankees are going away in the American League. They are setting the bar, and the bar is much higher than mediocre 87-75 seasons.

Even if the Sox improve by 15 games next season to get to 87 wins, it's hard to see them matching up with the league powers. They need about a 30-game improvement. It's going to take more than just one good offseason, I dare say.

White Sox 'part ways' with hitting coaches Todd Steverson and Greg Sparks

Todd Steverson

The White Sox often are criticized for not firing underperforming front office executives, managers and coaches. And even when they do fire someone, they don't really fire them. They instead choose to "part ways."

Hitting coach Todd Steverson and assistant hitting coach Greg Sparks will not be back with the team in 2020, and the words used to make the announcement amused me.

The club said it will not extend the contract of Sparks, which means, of course, that his contract was up. No such thing was said about Steverson. No, the Sox are "parting ways" with him. In other words, he had a contract for next season, but the team decided to move on.

Where I come from, that's called a firing. But I guess we don't say that in a Jerry Reinsdorf-run organization.

The press release the Sox sent about these moves touted the improvements made by AL batting champion Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada, who is now the best player on the team. Steverson was given some props for that, but two talented hitters playing up to their potential under his watch wasn't enough to save his job.

And it's hard to argue with the move, considering the general underwhelming performance of the offense at large. The Sox were third from the bottom in the AL in runs scored. They ranked last in the league in walk rate and second-to-last in strikeout rates and isolated power. The team on-base percentage of .315 isn't nearly good enough.

So, yeah, see you later, Steverson and Sparks.

However, here's my question: If the hitting coaches are being relieved of their duties, why isn't Don Cooper's head on the chopping block? His pitching staff arguably sucked more than the offense. The Sox had only two starting pitchers with an ERA below 5, and one of them was Ivan Nova (4.72).

Over the past three seasons, the Sox have issued more walks than any team in the AL. You can say Cooper hasn't had much talent to work with, and you'd be correct. But Steverson and Sparks haven't had much talent to work with either -- once you get past the success stories of Anderson and Moncada.

Why are some Sox coaches being held accountable while others seem to have jobs in perpetuity? Asking for a friend.