Gene Honda Civic

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 02:53 PM) Still, what does a cheap shot of the Sox have to do with how the Twins hitters will hit, or how their pitchers will respond to added pressure? What you think of the Sox organization has nothing to do with any of that whether it is the "truth" or not. It is a poor strawman arguement. Is there an argument which you will accept as valid, or does my well-reasoned pessimism with regards to the White Sox future automatically negate any valid view which I may express? I look at the potential Twins roster for next season, in the context of this thread, and I see a 1-5 of Bartlett, Mauer, Kemp, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel. All of whom are in their prime on the right side of 30, and carry a major and minor league track record of success Even with the theoretical subtraction of Johan, I see a pitching staff with Liriano and 4 of Baker, Bonser, Perkins, Garza, Slowey all of whom will be under the age 27. And again, all of whom carry a resume of major and/or minor league success. Those 12 players alone should be enough to prevent them from "falling past the royals." And if the Royals were to continue to improve more rapidly than expected, there is the perfectly acceptable argument that the White Sox will be there to cushion the the Twins perceived fall.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 09:57 AM) What does the state of the White Sox farm system have to do with how the Twins will play without two key players next year? That doesn't make much sense to me as an argument. I got it when you are arguing how players would preform, but you lost me in this post. Are you just taking another chance to rag on the Sox? You stated that the Twins were in danger "of falling past the Royals" I said you underestimated their pitching prospects... Then said I'd swap organizations because I believe the Twins are in a better position to be good in a shorter amount of time than the White Sox. The Sox are a bad singing or two away from ensuring the Royals are no longer perennial cellar dwellers. You consider it "ragging on the Sox," I call it the truth.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 11:32 PM) Deck chairs on titanic. Nah. Iowa state has one successful voyage per year. Iowa.

QUOTE(Dogfood22 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 10:55 PM) Why is that? Thome struck out in about 20% of his minor league PA's. In his age 23-27 seasons, he struck out in about 27% of his major league PA's... Fields struck out in about 29% of his minor league PA's. In his limited time at the big leagues, he's struck out in about 33% of his PA's. We he to get a full season worth of PAs, Fields would be challenging for the ML strikeout record. (Though Howard, Cust, and Dunn with fight him for that honor next season.) In the minors, Thome walked in a little under 15% of his PA's, but improved to draw them about an 18% clip in his first 4 full seasons. Fields walked in about 12% of his minor league PAs (though he improved to draw them at about a 16% clip in Charlotte this year) He's drawn them at about a 9% rate this year. Thome came up as a poor defensive 3B as well. Fields has Thome beat in the minor league HR and early ML HR categories, but it's a little premature to start thinking that he has "better than Thome offensive potential." He'll need to show he can hit a ML fastball before that happens, and even then, I'll defer to the guy with 500 HR until I see a high OBP 40 HR season or two.

QUOTE(Dogfood22 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 10:41 PM) Just wondering, but why would you put Sweeney ahead of Egbert? Hell, why even put him over Broadway? Neither look like world-beaters, but right now Broadway looks like he's a better bet to make it as a fifth starter than Sweeney is to make it as a RF. I guess you can justify it if you are looking at Sweeney as strictly a CF though. He could have the bat to fit there. Because I can look beyond April of '08? (No, I don't have a crystal ball) But Sweeney still has more potential that of Broadway or Egbert, and probably anyone else on that list. I don't really see Sweeney hitting for any power until his age 25 season. And his season was a setback, but he didn't take a step backwards in my eyes even though that's what the stats say. He improved his batting eye, and looked comfortable taking deep counts. IMO, that was the one aspect of his game that was holding him back. The power will eventually come. His rate stats were essentially the same as they were last season (swapping some SLG for OBP) when he suddenly went into a season-ending injury-induced slump. I'm not going to penalize him for that. I see a guy who, though he's not really able to really on the "he's young for his league" excuse anymore, improved his batting eye, has a major league swing, and a frame that projects to produce power in the future. I'm fine leaving him there over a guy with a near 1:1 K/BB ratio and a guy with great numbers, but little in the way of stuff that makes a scout salivate. He's a really weak #4 (or whatever I had him) But like I said, it says more about the system than it does about sweeney.

QUOTE(Dogfood22 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 10:31 PM) I don't think Josh is going to K as much as Thome, but basically Josh has better-than-Jim Thome-like offensive potential from 3B. And he's a rookie. That statement's not going to fly.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 06:15 PM) Sweeney's still young, but we're gonna have to see results to justify keeping him near the very top of the list. Career XBH% under 25%? :barfingsmiley Putting him 4th says more about our system than it does about sweeney

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 04:53 PM) Sweeney, imo, has a higher ceiling of any of those guys you indicated with the possible exception of Carter (who has such massive power potential). Sweeney is a tremendous athlete (capable of playing all 3 outfield positions), with a strong arm. He has a very fluid swing that generates good bat speed. The one thing he really has to do is stay healthy (the wrist) and learn to drive the inside pitch. If he can do that everything works out for him. Basically put I think Sweeney is a #5 prospect (behind Carter whose #4). However, Poreda's 99MPH fastball alone may get him into the top 5 as well. quick list.... Gio DLS Carter Sweeney Poreda Egbert Broadway McCulloch Shelby Miranda Haeger Martinez Hernandez Getz Perez Cassell/Harrell

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 03:55 PM) Poreda at 1? Or someone else? Ha... You need more than one pitch to be #1... He was rated the 4th best prospect in his league. DLS should take the SALly league #1, and if he doesn't it's at least a 16 team league stocked with real prospects, whereas the PIO was a 8 team league with 6-7 (including Miranda and Moustakas) major league prospects and a bunch of suspects. I'd rate Gio #1 on experience (being at AA) and his improvement from last season. DLS only had a handful of starts above lo-A, so while I think he's a great prospect with the highest ceiling of anyone in our minor leagues, the inexperience/unknowns at the higher levels have to knock him down a peg in my book.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 03:47 PM) Is he really the #1 prospect? I would think Gio or Eggy would be #1 Egbert's about 5 or 6, though some would consider that generous. I'd put DLS at 2, but he's got the most upside of anyone in our system.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 03:00 PM) Now even if you want to go out on a limb and say they find a guy to replace Hunter's bat, who the heck is going to replace his glove? You mean a guy like Kemp? his career .303/.337/.487 seems pretty Torii-like. And the guy hit 340/400/535 above A ball. Did I mention he turned 23 only a couple of days ago? Hunter's defense is vastly overstated anymore. Ever since his injury in '05, he's struggled. Last year he rated as a below average CFer to anyone who was watching objectively. (Remember the '06 playoffs?) And while he's regained some of his form, he's not the defender he once was. Above average, maybe, but a guy who going forward is going to become a corner outfielder rather quickly. You can keep predicting doom for the Twins, but I'd swap teams/farm systems with them in a heartbeat even with the financial constraints. They're upwardly mobile, while the White Sox have locked in contracts to guys like Contreras, Dye, Konerko, and Vazquez all on the wrong side of 30. One team is a few shrewd moves, and maybe a year of waiting for guys to develop, away from competing for division titles. The other is a dumb signing or two away from becoming the Orioles.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 02:00 PM) Imagine this... The 2008 Twins could be looking at going into a year with no Torii, no Johan, and no Nathan. They would be depending on a rebuilt Liriano to anchor their pitching staff, plus whoever they get in the trades. The Twins could be looking at falling past the Royals if they screw this up. Personally I have no doubt that Santana gets dealt this off season. The Twins aren't going to be able to afford him, they can't risk losing him for just draft picks, and with the absolute absence of decent pitchers in FA, his value will never be higher. You put him up to the highest bidder and get you what you can for him. I think you underestimate the readiness of their pitching prospects. Plus that theoretical lineup, (2-6 L/R/L/R/L) is gonna be good for a while. 2. Mauer 3. Kemp 4. Morneau 5. Cuddyer 6. Kubel .286/.351/.502 over his last 300 AB -- don't forget he was a guy who put up .320/390/500 over the course of his minor league career. Knee injuries killed his transition to the big leagues. But he's just 25, and has under 700 career at-bats in the majors. They'd be dangerous, even without Santana, if they were able to pick up a scrap heap guy like Joe Crede (were we to drop him) at 3B, a non-disasterous DH(nevermind, Kubel would DH), and a Geoff Jenkins type in LF. There hole would be 2B with Casilla spending another season in AAA and Punto, no doubt, making outs in the 9 hole.

"might be the top prospect in all of baseball" -- Not until he starts throwing more strikes. He's clearly the top LHP prospect in baseball, a guy I'd love to have on our farm, but he's still got work to do. He'd get eaten alive in the bigs next year if he doesn't improve that control.

QUOTE(SoxAce @ Sep 25, 2007 -> 11:19 PM) Phillies GM Pat Gillick to step down after this season Sorry KW, but your boy/one of your favorite trade buddies will be gone. Next season. NEXT season.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Sep 25, 2007 -> 10:37 PM) Here is the 2007 predictions thread: http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=56867 In the Toby Hall injury thread I had the White Sox at 81 wins, so even I -- as someone who's continually pessimistic-- couldn't have forseen such a dropoff. I'm pretty sure I"m not in that thread... But mine were Tigers & Indians -- I went back and forth on these two. 89-94 wins was my prediction for both, depending on when you asked. White Sox -- I had 'em for 84. Twins -- I had 'em for 83 (the reason I put them behind the Sox was the backend of the rotation. Would I have known that Ponson/Ortiz would be dispatch so quickly, I would have predicted higher. Still too high. Royals -- 63... oops.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 25, 2007 -> 03:37 PM) The big issue is that Griese just isn't good. I put a lot of blame on Turner for not going deep enough this year, especially to Hester. It seemed like the Bears excelled last year when they could get the deep pass going, and it never worked out well when they would try to run it twice and then convert on a pass on 3rd and 6. Now that Rex is done in Chicago, and Griese isn't special, I really hope we're not anticipating Orton being the starter in 2008. Mcnabb is the leading candidate as of right now, even though he's under contract for next year. Otherwise it's a stopgap (like Greise) with Brohm or Woodson penciled in for '09

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Sep 25, 2007 -> 02:36 PM) What channel? My Poli Sci professor talked about it a bit this morning, but I'm just now coherent enough to remember... MTV

First, I would like to say that I was wrong about how many the Sox would have on the list. Second, I don't think having six on this list should make us feel any better. Read those scouting reports. Ugh. I think this shows the relative weakness of the league, which was lacking in prospects (aside from the top 5 and a Moustakas visit) on Moreno, who I said would be down the list and labeled a command and control guy. You just aren't much of a prospect if you can't strike out guys in rookie ball. (Moreno was a little below league average in this category) In my mind he's still worth watching, as is Cheatham (who missed the list yesterday)..

If the Saints didn't trade Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome, their team would have a winning attitude.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 24, 2007 -> 05:56 PM) well, we did get lucky with Miranda in the 7th round. He should, I'd think, make the top prospect list for the SAL. 13th!

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Sep 24, 2007 -> 05:46 PM) I wouldn't have expected many players from Bristol to be placed on Baseball America's list. Depending upon their criteria for judging talent, and others players across the league, I imagine we'll have 3/4 from Great Falls (Poreda, Moreno, Sanchez -- at the least) make the Pioneer League Top 20 tomorrow. The consensus in the other thread seems to be that Sanchez won't make the list. Of the offensive players at GF, Marrero (2005 draft and follow) seems most likely to make the list. Sanchez was in the PIO two years ago and Kanny last year, and he still is demonstrating poor control of the strikezone. Marrero, a year younger, is repeating the level, but controlled the strike zone last year, and improved upon that this year with a big power spike.

College SS out of power conferences. Big 12, and SEC... Hicks was a 3rd rounder this year, promoted to the SALly league mid-season. He posted a 400+ OBP there. Fischer was a 6th rounder this year, promoted to High-A, where he struggled, but didn't fall on his face. I suspect he was pushed faster because he was older. It's really a mystery why the White Sox haven't drafted more SS over the years. Since the Daellero pick in '97 they haven't taken any SS higher than 4th round (Valido)... looking it up, that's wrong.. Morse was a 3rd rounder in '00, Andy Gonzalez and Stevie Daniels were 5th & 6th rounders in '01. Those 5 picks are the only SS drafted in the first 10 rounds of the draft the last 10 drafts. About 100 picks (more in reality) and only 5% of them are SS.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Sep 24, 2007 -> 02:59 PM) They'll get up for Texas. Always have. Oklahoma will likely skullf*** them. ISU has been in the same conference as OU for ages and has 5 wins to show for it. Do you think they'll win another game this season? At halftime of the Iowa game, in a fit of anger, I told my dad "those f***ers won't win another game all year." Looking at their schedule, and knowing how they play against teams without a Hawkeye on the side of their helmet, I don't see a sure W.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Sep 24, 2007 -> 02:53 PM) EDIT: Just saw Polar's post saying the same thing (I assume its just a typo by Gene though) I typed Pioneer, meant Appy. Listen to what I mean, not what I write, people

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Sep 24, 2007 -> 12:06 PM) I don't know what the problem is. It's already downloaded and everything and I clicked it but none of the pages load. I set google as my homepage and I get that "Looking up google.com..." message at the bottom left of the screen. It almost sounds like your computers security settings/firewall are blocking Mozilla from reaching the internet.