Chisoxfn

Alright Jenks...earn this save!!!

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 07:44 PM) That's gotta be Howell right? I would assume so. Howell's hook is going to be tough on Thome. But hopefully Jimmy can deliver!!!

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 07:44 PM) Beckham and Ramirez look like a consistent 20/20 club waiting to happen up the middle with steals and homers each season. 30/30 would be amazing, and Ramirez is the more likely one there....but we'll easily settle for 20/20 every year. Who got sent down to make way for Quentin, BTW? BA

One more strike Thorty.

s***

Come on Paulie!!!

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 07:11 PM) What I was saying is that many people were adamant about Danks not being ready. The point is, if "analysis" was always correct, we'd always know who would win and who would be good/bad, wouldn't we? It's just common sense. Couldn't beat out DeWayne Wise? WTF are you talking about? He's a FAR superior fielder and Wise can't get on base either. How is that a valid argument??? Than why is Brian in AAA and Wise in the majors? Brian is the superior athlete, that doesn't make him the better baseball player. Note, I actually think Anderson is better because of his defense but regardless neither has any business being on an American league roster. The fact is Anderson couldn't beat out Wise. Tell me how that isn't a fact? One's in AAA ones in the bigs.

QUOTE (tommy @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:52 PM) I didn't know Longoria was a SS made 3B. Longoria played 3B in college. Tulowiski was at SS part of his time at LBState, IIRC.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 07:04 PM) I don't think I even need to explain MY logic to a guy who brings up "losing his job" to Wise as an argument as to why Anderson will never be a good hitter. And I could be wrong here (not that it matters), but wasn't Crede basically the same before he broke out? Why? Anderson lost his job to Wise. You can tell me all you want that Ozzie hates him but the reality is he couldn't beat out Dwayne Wise and is now in Charlotte. Thats a pretty valid argument. And Wise is bad at baseball.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 07:02 PM) Whoa, whoa! Where did I ever use the term "All-Star hitter?" And man, if everyone here was always correct with their "analysis," BMac would be pitching for us (well, I might add), Floyd would have been released on waivers by the Sox a WHILE ago, Danks wouldn't have pitched last year (well, anyway), and OH so many more examples. So forgive me for not thinking your analysis is ultimately worth a damn. Your talking to the wrong guy on that. I've backed Floyd from the get-go, including his struggles early this season. No idea who was saying Danks shouldn't have pitched and well Bmac would have been pitching here had the Sox not gottne offered Danks (which was a great idea).

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:52 PM) Yeah, I'm serious. It's amazing that in a long, thought out paragraph there really was nothing to argue to actual point, just a wall of text disguised as insight. BA has been mismanaged like hell. Not to say he's been solid or he would have been, but BA was NOT "given every opportunity," and Wise is an even WORSE player, so PLEASE stop with the "he lost his job to Wise" BS because I laughed so hard at that statement. He "lost his job" to a worse player and THAT'S grounds for making a childish assumption that BA will never be a good hitter? Where did you learn logic from? I've written about the Sox and put my opinions out there for years and you won't find anyone in the public eye whose been more accurate than I have been in regards to Sox prospects. The top prospects I've bashed have tended to fail, most of the ones I've hyped have produced to an extent (although Chris young, who was one of my boys clearly hasn't lived up to his hype either). So there is this thing called scouting and evaluating and well quite frankly it is a large reason why you don't see teams banging on the Sox door for Anderson. Someone will take him, but they aren't going to give up much for him thats for sure.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:52 PM) Yeah, I'm serious. It's amazing that in a long, thought out paragraph there really was nothing to argue to actual point, just a wall of text disguised as insight. BA has been mismanaged like hell. Not to say he's been solid or he would have been, but BA was NOT "given every opportunity," and Wise is an even WORSE player, so PLEASE stop with the "he lost his job to Wise" BS because I laughed so hard at that statement. He "lost his job" to a worse player and THAT'S grounds for making a childish assumption that BA will never be a good hitter? Where did you learn logic from? His major league numbers and poor swing are good enough for me. And my track record on this things is also good enough for me. So why don't you tell me why you think BA can do something? I'm curious, what is your logic? I'd really like to see it. BA got relatively all of the starts in June (25 games played) and hit .203 and than in July got in 10 games and hit .200. In 2008 he hit .232 with 45k's in 181 ab's. Assuming 600 ab's that would have been 149K's. 2007 was .118 in limited ab's (spend the year in the minors). 2006, .225. And in 334 games, albeit broken up, he's hit .225 with 203K's and just 176Hits and 20 HR's. And there has been very little progress throughout his major league career which would indicate that he's consistently getting better.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:44 PM) Your well thought out insight can be negated by a simple fact of life: things can change. I stopped right there because that's simply not true. And they can. I didn't use these terms with Gavin Floyd. So don't act as if I live in this make believe world. But some guys can't do things. Buehrle is never going to throw 95 and BA is never going to turn into an all star hitter. Same with Josh Fields. If I was going to rate the odds I'd give Fields a better shot simply because he has produced at the big league level. And if you want to look back at my scouting analysis I've said Anderson was going to have trouble hitting big league pitching dating back to my scouting write-ups at FutureSox when he was one of the SOx top prospects.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:44 PM) I stopped right there because that's simply not true. Are you serious? Look, if he was good enough he'd have made an opportunity sometime in the various shots he has gotten. The reality is he didn't. He got a very extended look this season and lost his job to Wise. I know all of us hate Wise and its true the guy isn't a good baseball player but it says a lot when a team keeps Wise over Anderson. I'd understnad a team keeping the less talented guy if it was because the other guy was young and needed everyday ab's but that wasn't the case this time. He's had years to bust out and earn a job and never did. THe reality is the Sox are trying to win and compete every year so you can't sit around and put crap out on the field. Wise and Anderson sucked, Pods got a shot and earned the gig. BA has had opportunties to win starting jobs at least 3 times to enter the season (and that includes this season). The Sox even traded Rowand partly because of Anderson so it isn't as if the organization didn't like him. I realize the stereo-type about Ozzie but bottom line is Brian's gotten shot after shot. I love BA, funny guy, great defender, but he isn't a starter and if people don't realize it by now they never will. And even if people say he needs a change of scenery that would point out to the fact that he'd never be a starter here.

Dang...Longoria damn near K'd on the earlier pitch. Phew..almost back to back. 3 hits and 3 hr's for the Rays. Uggh. Oh well, its okay Gavy!!! Time for the Sox to put up some more runs.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:41 PM) But who's to say a fresh point of view with a new hitting coach won't help him with that hitch? He's had numerous hitting coaches in the Sox system. It isn't just Walker. In fact, his swing is a lot better now than it was 3 years ago. That should say enough. He clearly has the athletic ability but people act as if the Sox weren't patient. The guy got every chance in the world.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:39 PM) Amazing how so many people love to make assumptions. That all this post is. And with Fields, why don't you watch and see how many league average fastballs down the middle he'll swing through. And again, look at the pitch tracking and you'll see he can't hit the FB. You won't have major league success if you can't hit a FB but you can make a career if you can only hit a FB (and are good enough to lay off of the breaking stuff).

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:39 PM) Amazing how so many people love to make assumptions. That all this post is. My ass, his numbers back up my argument. At some point you have to realize a guy can't hit, no matter what the talent. Look at Jeff Francouer. He was just a version of BA who got hot for a season but had significant swing flaws and those came out with the advanced scouting and now he can't hit either. BA was a guy that relied heavily on his athletism and pure ability to hit, not a guy that had a good text-book swing and in the end it caught up to him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:39 PM) To my eyes, there have been times where it has looked like he has had a very solid swing. Coming in to 2007, for example, before he was hurt. Coming in to camp in 2008 as well. I could be wrong, but both of those times he seemed to be a lot more under control and balanced and was putting together a much shorter swing. In 07, he was benched and by the time Erstad was hurt he was back standing up straight and grounding out again, then he hurt his wrist. In 08, ditto, benched, and all those bad habits came back. BA has had every opportunity but he has a major hitch in his swing that prevents him from ever making consistent hard contact on a breaking pitch. It hinders him from having a good swing plane and thus he'll always have trouble, despite his pitch recognition improving in each of his professional seasons.

I was going to add that the other thing is that the Sox like Getz and he fits this club very nicely (great role playing starter to have). So currently we have Getz and zero 3rd baseman (Fields blows, Viciedo is still a year away with defensive issues, so yeah, Beckham is the guy considering we have Ramirez and Getz who are capable of being league average to above average at there respected positions).

That was a good pitch by Price. I really got to say though, Paulie, thank you...this might be your best season ever!!!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:35 PM) I think if he gets a legit hitting coach who can find a way to get through to him, he'll have a solid career, but he's just not a match with this staff at all. The stories we're going to hear whenever they do move him... Thats the biggest bunch of garbage I've ever seen. The guy has one of the worse swings in baseball and will never be able to hit enough to start. Same with Fields (who doesn't have the bat speed to make it).

He might end up at 2B, but right now he's most important at 3B.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:33 PM) On whom do you think Coop did his best work, Thornton, or Floyd? I'd have to say Floyd considering, he got great results whike keeping him a starter. I think Floyd made a lot of adjustments in Charlotte as well. It was an combination of an organizational effort and a Gavin Floyd effort. Regardless Coop has helped him continue to develop. Same with Danks (although Buehrle has also been an asset there). Thorty was a complete ML effort so I got to give a lot more credit to Thorty. Therefor I'm going to say Coop's best job is on Thorty. Floyd is the better reclamation project though, but both were stellar pickups.

And that is 3 times Pods has been on base...BA would have been on zero times.