Buehrlesque

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Aug 10, 2010 -> 12:46 PM) Well not necessarily... he's owed 5.5 mil this year and 18.5 (wow) mil next year, and the Mets wanna get rid of him. Maybe they'll take Linebrink and/or Teahen back in a trade or just eat a lot of next years salary owed to him. The guy was phenomenal a few years ago. And he is a switch hitter. Maybe he needs a change of scenery and an off season to get back to 100% healthy? Maybe he'll have something to prove? An outfield with Pierre in left, Rios in center and a rejuvinated Beltran in right would be outstanding... DH Quentin and there you go. I've been thinking about this very topic for a week or so now, and with each passing day it seems like the perfect storm is brewing. I think it's a good fit, and I'm sure KW, who leaves no stone unturned, is looking into it. I hope it has legs!

So many good ideas in this thread. I'd like to shorten the season to 150 games, maybe throw in some scheduled weekend doubleheaders, expand the first round to 7 games, and then I'm even semi-interested in going best of 9 for the LCS and WS. I hate to be so cynical, but I don't think the powers that be in baseball care AT ALL about these kinds competitive changes to MLB. 0%. They only consider things about money- making more of it, or not losing what they already have. Thus the 7-game first round playoffs is a possibility, but anything that would mean "shrinking the pie" for better baseball is a non-starter. Such a shame that it is the ONLY driving force in baseball.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jul 21, 2010 -> 07:00 PM) 2003- Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett on the same day! I remember this one very clearly. I got the news on my way to the Red Line after a game at the Cell. There was so much excitement among the fans that night. I even remember watching their first game with the Sox at a bar/restaurant in Evanston, anxious to see their first at bats. It felt like the signaling of a whole new era in White Sox baseball. Sometimes I still wish that team had come through down the stretch. Darn Paniagua!!

QUOTE (pktmotion @ Jun 21, 2010 -> 12:35 AM) I'll throw Brad Hawpe's name out there, .281/.367/.467/.834. Won't really cost much, talent-wise. I think I'd rather have LaRoche than Scott. Both are nice players, but I'd be reluctant with Scott by how he fell off last year after the ASB. His Pre-ASB OPS was .976 and post was .667. While on the other hand, it's almost a sure thing LaRoche will have two amazing months in the second half of the season. Watching the Sox play in National Park(how the ball just seemed to hang up in the outfield) it's incredible to think Dunn hit 38 homers last year. And beyond comprehension on what he'd hit at US Cellular. If the White Sox are buyers: Dunn, LaRoche, Hawpe; seem like the three names that would come up, maybe an improbable chance of a Fielder trade. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Let's see if we can continue this after interleague play. I love Hawpe, and would be very happy if the Sox acquired him. But the Rockies are only 4 games out in the NL West, and they typically make their big playoff push down the stretch toward the end of the season, so I'm not sure if they'd deal him away.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Jun 18, 2010 -> 09:52 AM) Ozzie for Fredi? I know you were (at least half-) joking, but I would be all over this idea. It would benefit both sides. I wonder if the two teams would ever consider something like this in the off season.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 8, 2010 -> 02:43 PM) People really need to stop mentioning Votto as a possibility to be traded. Dude's a career .310/.391/.538/.929 hitter, which I would say qualifies him as atleast a top 8 1Bman in the game. On top of that, Yonder Alonso has never showed any type of power ability whatsoever at the minor league level, and I strongly doubt his .248/.339/.376/.715 overall minor league line and .228/.284/.347/.631 line at AAA is instilling confidence within Jocketty and company that he is going to be a keeper. If anything, Alonso will be available, and with that kind of line in the minors, I wouldn't touch him. Joey Votto is not just a long shot, he IS an impossibility. I don't even know if you could trade Danks for him, and obviously the Sox wouldn't want to do that. If the Reds are as down on Alonso as you are, I'd take him in a buy low deal in a heartbeat. The guy still has massive upside.

QUOTE (pktmotion @ Jun 8, 2010 -> 12:57 PM) Would Love Votto as well. Kinda like a second coming of a young LH Konerko. If I remember correctly we got him from Cincy. Yup. For Mike Cameron. Maybe we could sell the Reds on Jordan Danks being the 2010 version of Cameron: good speed, great D, tons of Ks!!!

Joey Votto of the Reds. It's a long shot, but not an impossibility. The Reds have stud 1B prospect Yonder Alonso just about ready to be called up- so they'll have to either move one of these guys to LF or trade one. It wouldn't be cheap, but there's at least some logic behind it.

QUOTE (docsox24 @ Jun 7, 2010 -> 10:39 PM) i dont want him gone at all. he is my favorite sox pitcher of all time Ditto.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jun 7, 2010 -> 01:17 PM) I'd like to believe this, but I just don't see it. With payroll constricting and nobody in the minors ready yet, they're not going to be able to add enough via free agency to make this team significantly better next year. Unless we see 2008 CQ and Alexei and 2009 Beckham, it's difficult to see this team doing anything significant next season. We said the same thing in 2007. While underachieving, this '10 team is more talented than the hapless 2007 team, and the '08 team, while not great, won the division. I absolutely think the Sox can win the division in 2011 with a couple strong trades and FA signings*. You know KW wouldn't settle for anything less anyway. (*Shedding Konerko, Pierzynski and Jenks would net the team more than $20 million to work with, although KW's M.O. is to make a trade not sign a FA.)

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 6, 2010 -> 01:04 PM) What I'm saying is that since 2001, I have liked the rosters KW has put together. They have been very good teams on paper. Unfortunately, it seems as though they have all, outside of maybe 2005 and until the ASB of 2006, underperformed. Even when they were given chance after chance to get back into the thick of things because of a weak division, they laid down like lame dogs and went quietly into the night. They have lost to inferior competition year after year, despite having different rosters, different leaders, different managers, different coaching staffs. What you are stating is that all losing teams look this way - you're making a correlation between losing and looking listless - but I'm saying I think there is something else at play here. Almost as though Kenny puts together teams with a certain character to them that seems to be unable to respond to challenges or to rally the troops or to pounce on an opportunity. This is so soooo true. KW's teams, for whatever reasons, rarely live up to expectations. When there are no (national) expectations, like '05 and '08, they seem to play better with the pressure off. When big things are expected, they just don't produce. The talent on the '03, '06, and '09 (second half) rosters should have produced much better results. What could the X factor be that causes that underachievement? KW/OG? Leadership/attitude of Konerko? Is there even any common factor that contributes to it?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 6, 2010 -> 12:55 PM) What would be better for the franchise is that they win today and go on a 15 game winning streak. That's not going to happen, but losing for draft position in June rarely can be seen as good for the franchise. It's not about draft position, it's about a call to action for the major league team and prospective changes. The best thing for this team would be a 15 game winning streak. But winning today and using that as an excuse to accept the status quo of mediocrity is not good.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 6, 2010 -> 01:13 PM) Wow Buehrle...keep throwing batting practice. Booing starting already, and Stone is just ripping Buehrle and AJP. FIRE EVERYONE! What did Stone say?

QUOTE (DBAHO @ May 19, 2010 -> 12:48 AM) With what is happening in Florida with Fredi Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez, I wonder if Ozzie is going to be their manager in 2011. Think it would be the best fit for him in terms of his manging style being more suited to the NL obviously. How about trading Ozzie straight up for Fredi as a swap of managers? Loria doesn't seem to be a huge Fredi fan and, besides, if it turns into a "It's Him or Me" situation, the Marlins are obviously going to choose Hanley. Fredi, meanwhile, is still a darn good manager.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ May 4, 2010 -> 12:27 PM) This post sums up exactly why I think it's an interesting debate. I don't know how you can be angry with Paulie essentially missing 30 games over 4+ years of the deal due to injury, when his BA, OBA and OPS are right in line with his career stats. Essentially, he gave you what you expected him to, on average. And yet, it does seem like he's overpaid, for some reason. Actually, Paulie performed better over the life of the contract than I expected he would. When he signed, I cringed a little at thought of what he would be like by the end of it. He's overpaid, but that was a given. They had just won the WS. However, the contract never became an albatross. Remember how much of an albatross his deal was in 2003? The Sox were trying to dump him off on anyone, and no one would take him. Who knew we'd be here 7 years later with a WS title and a good performing 1B!! I've never been a big Konerko fan in general, and I don't buy any of he clubhouse/captain/leader intangible stuff. But he's performed better than I though over the past 4+ years and the contract was nowhere near a disaster.

QUOTE (WCSox @ May 2, 2010 -> 02:57 PM) This is why the Sox will most likely not trade for/re-sign AGon. They just don't invest that kind of money into one contract. They've never ponied up $70M in a single deal, and $100M+ seems like a pipe dream. And I don't think they should either. As it was pointed out in this thread, 1B is one of the easiest positions in MLB, in relative terms, to get relatively inexpensive production. Crippling the payroll with such a huge contract probably isn't the best way to go. On top of that, you have to trade just about literally ALL your useful young talent just for the opportunity to negotiate with Gonzalez (plus 1.5 years, obviously). ...And the Sox, at this point, aren't one bat away from catching the Twins anyway. No thanks. I'd rather see KW get creative somewhere else.

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ May 1, 2010 -> 05:56 PM) Teahan looks to be a below average (not horrible) 3rd baseman defensively. If he can hit the way the Sox seem to think he can, he'll be alright as the Sox starting 3rd baseman. If he hits to his career averages, he will be a liability as the starting 3B. I guess maybe I could/should have made this a poll: A. His glove is fine. B. Teahen's bat carries his so-so glove. C. Neither his bat nor his glove is good enough. He has to be moved.

Today it looked like a few balls ate him up, and he made some bad decisions on others, especially the run-scoring ground out by Jeter. In general he has looked relatively uncomfortable there so far this season- tentative on charging balls, playing in between hops, double clutching on throws to first. (I will say he has looked better than I expected on fielding bunts.) Do you think his glove is good enough to play at 3B all year? He'll never be a gold glover, obviously, but can he get by? Or, with a so so bat and so so to below average glove, will he eventually need to be moved?

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Apr 26, 2010 -> 08:49 AM) I watched Yonder Alonso play left field...the Reds better trade him ASAP if they think he's their left fielder of the future. Between Alonso and Votto, the Reds may end up having to trade one of them. I would be all for the Sox making a play for either.

QUOTE (JohnCangelosi @ Apr 24, 2010 -> 10:54 AM) Question. Why the hell is AJ in the 5 spot with how HORRIBLE he has looked at the plate thus far this year?!?!!??!?! Oh, I forgot, the LRLR is so important :-P Gotta agree, this is getting completely ridiculous. Even when AJ's right he isn't a great 5-hole hitter. The way he's swinging right now it's even worse.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Apr 17, 2010 -> 01:59 PM) Nope, but at this point pipedreams seem better then the sad reality. What's Berkman's contract status?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 17, 2010 -> 12:18 PM) That the whole line-up was inconsistent...that Jones would be starting instead of Kotsay....maybe moving up Teahen and/or AJ in the line-up. Really wacky idea: how about trying Teahen at the leadoff spot? In the early going he's shown a willingness to take a walk and, though a .400+ OBP probably isn't sustainable, it sure looks nice for now. Move everyone down a slot- putting Pierre into the 2-hole where he can bunt to his heart's delight and Beckham to 3 where he can actually swing.

Haha, this thread is funny because I was sarcastically thinking the same thing. A little satire, if you have a chance please read it! Sox Irk Manager With High-Scoring, Blow Out Win

Rios should be in CF everyday period. There is no sense in moving him around for a very marginal improvement in Jones (and that improvement is debatable- I personally think Rios is better anyway). If youwere going to move them around, Quentin is the one who should move to left. But really, do we need to jockey Rios around everyday?

QUOTE (docsox24 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 03:09 PM) I guess Jones is going to play a lot of CF with Rios in RF and Pierre/Carlos as LF/DH. The sox believe that Jones is the best defensive CF on the team. I keep hearing this. Can someone tell me why the Sox prefer Jones in CF over Rios?