The Stealth Elf does it again!

[greg775]

Admit it, self-appointed nickname guy, the Stealth Elf is exponentially better than The Bridge...

 

 

It gets under my skin that every time I call a player a name anything other than their birth name 3-4 people comment "Such a dumb name" "stop calling him that" "give it up". Yeah, THAT gets under my skin because it's annoying. Don't like any of the nicknames i say? Great, sounds like it's pretty easy thing to ignore. I ignore every time I see the "Klutchsay" nickname. I think it's pretty dumb, but you know what, if it makes that person happy to say it, then that's fine, I don't need to start a fight.

 

I do like the Stealth Elf cause he looks like an elf. That is kinda funny. Somebody send Hawk a note.

 

I support coolman. This place has a weird vibe lately. I don't know how to describe it, so I won't try at this time.

[balfanman]

Seriously, he and Viciedo have shown that they deserve to stay over Kotsay. Andruw Jones too, for his defense.

 

I am one who will generally give K.W. & Ozzie the benefit of the doubt when it comes to baseball decisions, I am quite sure that they know much more than I do. However, I may have to rethink that train of thought if anyone but Kotsay is gone when Teahen comes back.

[Balta1701]

I am one who will generally give K.W. & Ozzie the benefit of the doubt when it comes to baseball decisions, I am quite sure that they know much more than I do. However, I may have to rethink that train of thought if anyone but Kotsay is gone when Teahen comes back.

After January 22nd of this year, where they decided it was a good idea to call Mark Kotsay their DH and then let Jim Thome walk when there was open talk of Jim Thome winding up in Minnesota...I feel much, much more willing to question their baseball decisions.

 

They can know stuff behind the scenes, like Cooper salivating over Jackson or mental problems with someone else they trade...but that one, there really was zero possible excuse for it. It was just outright wrong.

[balfanman]

After January 22nd of this year, where they decided it was a good idea to call Mark Kotsay their DH and then let Jim Thome walk when there was open talk of Jim Thome winding up in Minnesota...I feel much, much more willing to question their baseball decisions.

 

They can know stuff behind the scenes, like Cooper salivating over Jackson or mental problems with someone else they trade...but that one, there really was zero possible excuse for it. It was just outright wrong.

 

I would tend to agree with you on the Thome thing, however, at the time Kotsay was coming off a fairly good last 2 - 3 months of the season and they might have seen something with Jones. I was still thinking that okay, let's give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they know something that I don't.

 

In this case though, Kotsays' numbers flat out suck. almost anyone in the majors, and most anyone on this team (dare I say pitchers included) would be a better choice than Kotsay at DH. Even in my mind, there would be no defending this decision.

[Balta1701]

I would tend to agree with you on the Thome thing, however, at the time Kotsay was coming off a fairly good last 2 - 3 months of the season and they might have seen something with Jones. I was still thinking that okay, let's give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they know something that I don't.

 

In this case though, Kotsays' numbers flat out suck. almost anyone in the majors, and most anyone on this team (dare I say pitchers included) would be a better choice than Kotsay at DH. Even in my mind, there would be no defending this decision.

I have zero problems with Jones. He's been better than expected at his role; backup OF/defensive replacement. He's given a low batting average but made up for it with power numbers that are right about where we'd hope, and that's pushed his OPS+ to right around 100 (he's an average player, basically). He's ideal for the role he's been given. Hell, he'd be an ideal guy to basically put in a platoon with Thome...every time there's a lefty starter on the mound, you put Jones in 1 of the OF positions, put Quentin/Pierre/Rios at DH, and your lineup is well setup.

 

Planning on Kotsay's career to ignore an 8 year trend for 2 months of high BABIP performance was just silly, and they should have known it at the time.

[elrockinMT]

What are you bringing to this team again Mark Kotsay?

 

FEAR THE LILLIPAD

 

 

I don't want to see Lilli go down, but Kotsay is most likely not going anywhere. He is the lefty bat and back up to Konerko

[BigSqwert]

I don't want to see Lilli go down, but Kotsay is most likely not going anywhere. He is the lefty bat and back up to Konerko

Something that Teahen can do for us while actually getting an occasional hit.

[Balta1701]

He is the lefty bat and back up to Konerko

Mark Teahen can do the first at a level Kotsay can't even dream about with a .330 BABIP, and he can do the 2nd adequately enough that it won't kill us.

[Harry Chappas]

Dayan will go down when Teahen comes back so he can play everyday in AAA. He will be back on Sept. 1 and never see AAA again.

 

On White Sox Weekly they talked about Lillibridge and Walker working all winter in California to get him to become the player Guillen wants. When he showed this in AAA he was called up. Interesting stuff.

[BigSqwert]

Dayan will go down when Teahen comes back so he can play everyday in AAA. He will be back on Sept. 1 and never see AAA again.

 

On White Sox Weekly they talked about Lillibridge and Walker working all winter in California to get him to become the player Guillen wants. When he showed this in AAA he was called up. Interesting stuff.

I still don't understand why it has to be that way. Kotsay provides absolutely nothing that we already have in Teahen other than marginally better defense at 1B. We are a more dynamic team with Teahen, Viciedo and Lillibridge on the roster.

[balfanman]

Dayan will go down when Teahen comes back so he can play everyday in AAA. He will be back on Sept. 1 and never see AAA again.

 

On White Sox Weekly they talked about Lillibridge and Walker working all winter in California to get him to become the player Guillen wants. When he showed this in AAA he was called up. Interesting stuff.

 

I can certainly understand the benefit of playing everyday in AAA and this may help him have a hot bat when he returns in September. A counter argument to that would be that even if Viciedo doesn't get 1 at bat in August, his sitting on the bench being available for pinch hit duty would do more to help the team by provoking an opposing manager into a pitching change than having Kotsay around.

[BigSqwert]

I can certainly understand the benefit of playing everyday in AAA and this may help him have a hot bat when he returns in September. A counter argument to that would be that even if Viciedo doesn't get 1 at bat in August, his sitting on the bench being available for pinch hit duty would do more to help the team by provoking an opposing manager into a pitching change than having Kotsay around.

And we can better utilize that flexible DH bull crap with Viciedo in the mix. He can alternate 3B duties with Omar based on pitching matchups as well as get into the DH rotation with Teahen and Jones. I just don't see any value in keeping Kotsay at this point.

[Balta1701]

And we can better utilize that flexible DH bull crap with Viciedo in the mix. He can alternate 3B duties with Omar based on pitching matchups as well as get into the DH rotation with Teahen and Jones. I just don't see any value in keeping Kotsay at this point.

You know the thing that strikes me as absolutely remarkable?

 

Right now, when Teahen gets back, we'll have exactly the setup for which a rotating DH makes sense.

 

You have a handful of older guys in the field, or guys who are injury-prone and could benefit from extra time off (Q, Konerko, Vizquel).

 

You have several guys on your bench who are flexible defensively (Jones, Teahen, the Stealth Elf) or who happen to play the same position as the guys you like giving extra rest to (Viciedo).

 

You have a young guy who clearly is benefiting from big league at bats but who might struggle a bit more than you'd like as an everyday player (Viciedo).

 

This is the situation that cries out for the rotating DH and a lineup set by matchups. You get Viciedo into the game every other day or so, but shield him from the toughest righties you face (i.e. he doesn't see Verlander).

 

You get Vizquel into the field every other day, or at most 2 out of 3 days, and you take advantage of his defense and what he's brought to the lineup.

 

You use Jones regularly to keep the guys in the OF rested and healthy, especially if there's a LHP on the mound.

 

You use Teahen as your lefty counterpart to Viciedo and Jones, giving Konerko extra rest.

 

It's almost as good of a "rotating DH" situation as you could want. But sadly, we're going to throw that away.

[BigSqwert]

You know the thing that strikes me as absolutely remarkable?

 

Right now, when Teahen gets back, we'll have exactly the setup for which a rotating DH makes sense.

 

You have a handful of older guys in the field, or guys who are injury-prone and could benefit from extra time off (Q, Konerko, Vizquel).

 

You have several guys on your bench who are flexible defensively (Jones, Teahen, the Stealth Elf) or who happen to play the same position as the guys you like giving extra rest to (Viciedo).

 

You have a young guy who clearly is benefiting from big league at bats but who might struggle a bit more than you'd like as an everyday player (Viciedo).

 

This is the situation that cries out for the rotating DH and a lineup set by matchups. You get Viciedo into the game every other day or so, but shield him from the toughest righties you face (i.e. he doesn't see Verlander).

 

You get Vizquel into the field every other day, or at most 2 out of 3 days, and you take advantage of his defense and what he's brought to the lineup.

 

You use Jones regularly to keep the guys in the OF rested and healthy, especially if there's a LHP on the mound.

 

You use Teahen as your lefty counterpart to Viciedo and Jones, giving Konerko extra rest.

 

It's almost as good of a "rotating DH" situation as you could want. But sadly, we're going to throw that away.

 

Can you just email this post to Kenny and Ozzie?

 

[Balta1701]

Can you just email this post to Kenny and Ozzie?

I can make it a Soxnet post.

[a21schizoidman]

[greg775]

Sending Viciedo down to minors weakens the Sox lineup potentially, IMO.

 

Sending Lillibridge down does not significantly hurt the team.

Getting rid of Kotsay does not hurt the team at all.

Dumping Teahen does not hurt the team at all.

Solution: Keep Viciedo please.

Edited August 2, 2010 by greg775

[Quin]

 

Welcome

[a21schizoidman]

Welcome

 

 

Thanks Quin.

Edited August 2, 2010 by a21schizoidman

[Pants Rowland]

Can you just email this post to Kenny and Ozzie?

 

Funny, before I saw your post, I thought the exact thing, "He should email that to KW!"

[Nyx81]

 

 

HaHaHa, thats pretty good!

[Ranger]

I am one who will generally give K.W. & Ozzie the benefit of the doubt when it comes to baseball decisions, I am quite sure that they know much more than I do. However, I may have to rethink that train of thought if anyone but Kotsay is gone when Teahen comes back.

 

Kotsay isn't going anywhere. I could be wrong, but my guess is Viciedo is back to Charlotte when Teahen is back. Konerko is getting quite a few off days from the field (he's already 3 games away from his single season high of games played at DH), and Kotsay is the only one that backs him up. If they decide to move Viciedo to first base, it won't be done at the ML level this year and they certainly won't want him playing there down the stretch in a playoff race.

 

I understand nobody likes Kotsy and he's everybody's favorite target, but he isn't killing them and he isn't going to cost them the division. If they lose the division, it'll be because the pitching failed.

[balfanman]

Kotsay isn't going anywhere. I could be wrong, but my guess is Viciedo is back to Charlotte when Teahen is back. Konerko is getting quite a few off days from the field (he's already 3 games away from his single season high of games played at DH), and Kotsay is the only one that backs him up. If they decide to move Viciedo to first base, it won't be done at the ML level this year and they certainly won't want him playing there down the stretch in a playoff race.

 

I understand nobody likes Kotsy and he's everybody's favorite target, but he isn't killing them and he isn't going to cost them the division. If they lose the division, it'll be because the pitching failed.

 

I really do appreciate all of your input Ranger, but why can't Teahen play 1st base.

[BigSqwert]

I really do appreciate all of your input Ranger, but why can't Teahen play 1st base.

Because we need at least one godawful player on the roster every single year that gets over-used for no apparent reason.

[Rowand44]

I understand nobody likes Kotsy and he's everybody's favorite target,

There's a reason for that, he sucks.