False Alarm

i don't. it was just off-the-top-of-my-head speculation about why they're buying so many players all of a sudden the last two years. could be that a coupla their ridiculous contracts expired and freed up money too i dunno. could be that domino's breadsticks went thru the roof. the hell do i know? just making conversation. maybe the topic blew up before and i missed it or something; my bad.

also, i'm pretty sure the owner's also the owner of the red wings. since he doesn't need to pour anything into his normal cash cow, he can spend it on reviving the tigers.

doh! sorry.

i imagine it's the agents leaking info more than anyone else. they stand to gain the most by it, driving up competing teams' bids at the last minute. BA has wright as a type A FA. i remember their list was wrong on a coupla guys last year and they subsequently changed it, but as of now they have him as a type A.

i think griffin's velocity has tailed off some in an attempt to improve his control. dude couldn't find the plate for his life when he first started in pro ball. i remember reading a thing about how baird told him he wanted him to let the batters hit the ball, just in the hope that griffin'd be around the strike zone a little more. i ain't looked at his numbers in a while though i have no idea what he looks like these days.

here you go. didn't know b-mac had changed his name. 1. BRIAN ANDERSON, of Age: 23 Ht: 6-3 Wt: 200 B-T: R-R Drafted: Arizona, 2003 (1st round) Signed by: John Kazanas Background: Anderson had a roller-coaster career at Arizona, where he earned Freshman All-America honors as a two-way star in 2001. But he tailed off as a sophomore, in part because of knee and wrist injuries. When he gave up pitching and was fully healthy in 2003, his stock soared and the White Sox made him the 15th overall pick in the draft. After signing for $1.6 million, he launched his pro career by hitting .388 at Rookie-level Great Falls, only to have his pro debut end after 13 games when a recurrence of the wrist injury required minor surgery. He bounced back so strongly in 2004 that the White Sox had enough confidence to include outfielder Jeremy Reed—who preceded Anderson as the No. 1 prospect in the organization a year ago—in a midseason trade for Freddy Garcia. Anderson played a strong center field at high Class A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, hitting well at the lower level and holding his own while making adjustments following his promotion. He missed the last two weeks of the season with a groin strain. Strengths: Anderson is a good athlete who knows how to use his tools. He uses the entire field, showing both the ability to launch balls to left field and the willingness to go to right. He came out of college with solid plate discipline and has had no difficulty making consistent contact as a pro. If he has to move to an outfield corner, he projects to hit with enough power to be an asset at that position. Anderson runs well and has enough speed to play center field. He has enough arm to play anywhere in the outfield, as he threw in the low-90s as a reliever at Arizona. He thrives on competition and was not intimidated by the stiffer competition when he moved up to Double-A. Weaknesses: Minor injuries have continually bothered Anderson, who was limited at the end of the regular season and in the AFL by a groin strain. He appears to have a high-maintenance body. He needs to get more at-bats so he can continue to lock in the swing changes he started to incorporate as a junior under the guidance of Wildcats coach Andy Lopez. Anderson may not be more than adequate in center field, a position where adequate usually isn’t good enough. Some scouts actually rate him as a below-average runner, and he needs to improve routes to balls. The Future: Anderson could get to the big leagues in the second half of 2005 if the White Sox have an outfield opening. But they’d prefer for him to spend a full season at Triple-A Charlotte and prepare to become a regular at U.S. Cellular Field in 2006. Having seen $5.3 million man Joe Borchard struggle to establish himself, Chicago might take it a little slower with Anderson in hopes that he can stick around when he gets his first taste of the big leagues. Whether he plays in center or right field likely will depend on whether Aaron Rowand can maintain the offensive and defensive productivity he showed in 2004. 2004 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Winston-Salem (Hi A) .319 .394 .531 254 43 81 22 4 8 46 29 44 10 Birmingham (AA) .270 .346 .416 185 26 50 9 3 4 27 19 30 3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. RYAN SWEENEY, of Age: 20 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-5 Wt.: 205 Drafted: HS—Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2003 (2nd round) Signed by: Nathan Durst Background: The White Sox stole Sweeney in 2003’s second round after a lackluster showcase performance on the eve of the draft hurt his stock. When injuries created a need for an outfielder in big league camp last spring, they summoned Sweeney—who responded by batting .367. Sox executive adviser Roland Hemond says he gets the same goosebumps watching Sweeney that he once did watching a young Harold Baines. Strengths: Sweeney is athletic as well as a natural hitter with a textbook swing. He has few holes and uses the entire field. He has gap power and should add pop as he climbs toward Chicago. He also has a plus right-field arm. Weaknesses: Some scouts in the high Class A Carolina League questioned Sweeney’s bat speed. He opened the season slowly and made matters worse by pressing, causing concerns about his patience. He’s still improving as a right fielder. The Future: Sweeney should advance to Double-A after holding his own as one of the youngest players in the Carolina League. He could get to Chicago quickly because manager Ozzie Guillen and hitting coach Greg Walker are absolutely in love with his potential. 2004 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Winston-Salem (Hi A) .283 .342 .379 515 71 146 22 3 7 66 40 65 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. BRENDAN McCARTHY, rhp Age: 21 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-7 Wt: 190 Drafted: Lamar (Colo.) CC, 2002 (17th round) Signed by: Joe Butler/John Kazanas Background: Scouts John Kazanas and Joe Butler did an excellent job when they locked onto McCarthy after he had gone 12-0 and struck out 14 per nine innings in junior college in 2002. He led the Rookie-level Arizona and Pioneer leagues in strikeouts in his first two pro seasons, then topped the entire minors with 202 whiffs in 2004. Strengths: McCarthy’s best pitch is a two-seam fastball that generally parks around 90 mph, and he has a four-seamer that hits 92-93. He also has a plus curveball. His height allows him to deliver pitches on a steep downward plane, and he throws strikes at will with an easily repeatable delivery. Weaknesses: McCarthy has sailed to Double-A without a hitch. He can get better with his changeup, and he has started to make progress and use it more often. The Future: Chicago couldn’t find a fifth starter in 2004, and McCarthy could jump into consideration with a strong spring. He’ll probably return to Double-A but won’t stay long if he picks up where he left off. 2004 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H HR BB SO AVG Kannapolis (Lo A) 8 5 3.64 15 15 3 0 94 80 10 21 113 .232 Winston-Salem (Hi A) 6 0 2.08 8 8 0 0 52 31 3 3 60 .168 Birmingham (AA) 3 1 3.46 4 4 0 0 26 23 2 6 29 .235 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. JOSH FIELDS, 3b Age: 22 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-2 Wt: 210 Drafted: Oklahoma State, 2004 (1st round) Signed by: Alex Slattery/Nathan Durst Background: A two-sport star at Oklahoma State, Fields set a school record for career passing touchdowns (55) and a Cotton Bowl mark for passing yards (307). He comes from athletic stock as his mother Rhonda was the first female athlete to earn a full scholarship to Oklahoma State. He gave up football to sign for $1.55 million as the 18th overall pick in the 2004 draft. He made a smooth transition to pro ball, helping Winston-Salem recover from a poor first half to reach the playoffs. Strengths: Fields is a potentially dynamic hitter, combining strength and bat speed to generate power. He drives the ball to all fields and should hit for average as well as extra bases. He has a hard-nosed approach and strong work ethic. He has a plus arm at third base. Weaknesses: Fields spent just two seasons as a third baseman in college and needs work on his fielding, especially his footwork and his release. He can get impatient at the plate and pile up strikeouts. He’s a below-average runner. The Future: He likely will spend 2005 in Double-A. The White Sox are growing increasingly disappointed with Joe Crede and are looking to Fields to provide an alternative—the sooner the better. 2004 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Winston-Salem (Hi A) .285 .333 .445 256 36 73 12 4 7 39 18 74 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. SEAN TRACEY, rhp Age: 24 B-T: L-R Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210 Drafted: UC Irvine, 2002 (8th round) Signed by: Joe Butler/Matt Hattabaugh Background: No one in the system has a better arm than Tracey, considered something of a project coming out of UC Irvine. He flashed his potential in his first two seasons but also had control problems. He turned a corner in 2004, thanks largely to his work with Winston-Salem pitching coach J.R. Perdew. Strengths: Though Tracey can run his 93-94 mph fastball up to 97, his biggest asset may be his competitiveness. Winston-Salem manager Nick Leyva calls him an animal, saying he’d pitch “every night if I let him.’’ He has the basic Kevin Brown package: a hard sinker that gets grounders and a four-seam fastball that gets strikeouts up in the zone. He also uses a hard slider. Tracey smoothed out his mechanics and gained confidence as the season went on. Weaknesses: Tracey led the Carolina League in walks and hit batters (23) but showed improvement over 2003. His mechanics require attention and make it difficult for him to throw a consistent slider or changeup. A better changeup would complement his power stuff. The Future: A full season at Double-A is the next step for Tracey. He has the arm strength to become an impact starter or power closer. 2004 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H HR BB SO AVG Winston-Salem (Hi A) 9 8 2.73 27 27 0 0 148 105 5 69 130 .210 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. CHRIS YOUNG, of Age: 21 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-2 Wt: 180 Drafted: HS—Bellaire, Texas, 2001 (16th round) Signed by: Joe Butler/Paul Provas Background: A star at national high school power Bellaire, Young lasted until the 16th round of the 2001 draft because he was rail-thin. He signed late that summer and spent two years in Rookie ball before making his full-season debut in 2004. He was inconsistent but his final numbers were proof he’s worth the effort that will be required to smooth out his rough edges. Strengths: While Young still hasn’t bulked up, he’s extremely strong and has nearly as much raw power as anyone in the system. He uses his top-of-the-line speed to turn singles into doubles and to put pressure on pitchers. Some White Sox officials already consider him a major league-caliber center fielder. Weaknesses: Young often gets overly aggressive at the plate, exacerbating his difficulties at making contact. He has struck out in 27 percent of his pro at-bats and must reduce that number to make better use of his speed and power. His arm strength is below average. The Future: Ticketed for high Class A, Young is somewhat reminiscent of former White Sox farmhand Mike Cameron. Chicago would love to see him reach the majors in 2007. 2004 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Kannapolis (Lo A) .262 .365 .505 465 83 122 31 5 24 56 66 145 31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. GIO GONZALEZ, lhp Age: 19 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-0 Wt: 170 Drafted: HS—Miami, 2004 (1st round supplemental) Signed by: Jose Ortega Background: A top pitching prospect since he won Florida 6-A state title games at Miami’s Hialeah High as a freshman and sophomore, Gonzalez transferred to private Monsignor Pace High for his senior season. The White Sox might not have been able to grab him with the No. 38 pick had he not been dismissed from the team following a dispute between his mother and the coach over his brother’s lack of playing time. He signed for $850,000. Strengths: Gonzalez has an advanced feel for pitching for someone so young, with good command of a nice collection of pitches. His 87-90 mph fastball peaks at 94, but his out pitch is a tight curveball he throws in any count. He also has a decent changeup. Weaknesses: Because he does not have a powerful build, some scouts wonder about Gonzalez’ durability. He carries himself with an air of cockiness that could get tiresome, especially if he struggles. The Future: Gonzalez handled low Class A in his pro debut but probably will begin 2005 back in Kannapolis. He should move faster than most high school pitchers. 2004 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H HR BB SO AVG Bristol ® 1 2 2.25 7 6 0 0 24 17 0 8 36 .198 Kannapolis (Lo A) 1 1 3.03 6 6 0 0 33 30 1 13 27 .244 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ, c Age: 19 B-T: B-R Ht: 5-9 Wt: 160 Signed: Dominican Republic, 2002 Signed by: Denny Gonzalez/Miguel Ibarra Background: After Hernandez batted .297 with six homers in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2003, he was rewarded with a visa. He flashed tremendous potential in his first season in the United States, ranking second in the Rookie-level Appalachian League in batting and throwing out basestealers (33 percent). Strengths: Though he’s slightly built, Hernandez is a skilled switch-hitter with a strong arm. He’s solid from both sides of the plate and has surprising power for his size. He has the ability to make adjustments, which should keep him out of slumps. His receiving, blocking and game-calling also earn praise. Weaknesses: Hernandez needs polish behind the plate. Chicago is trying to get him to quicken his release. He sometimes chases bad pitches, something more advanced pitchers can exploit more easily. The Future: The White Sox believe Hernandez can be an all-star catcher, something they haven’t had since 1991 (Carlton Fisk) and something they’ve never developed on their own. He’s ready for a full season in low Class A. 2004 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Bristol ® .326 .372 .492 181 32 59 13 1 5 30 13 32 0 Kannapolis (Lo A) .333 .333 .417 12 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. PEDRO LOPEZ, ss Age: 20 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-1 Wt: 160 Signed: Dominican Republic, 2000 Signed by: Denny Gonzalez Background: Because he always played alongside Andy Gonzalez, Lopez spent much of his first three pro seasons as a second baseman. Farm director Dave Wilder decided it was time to separate the two in 2004, allowing them both to play shortstop. Lopez made the most of that chance, flashing plus fielding skills while continuing to show promise as a hitter. Strengths: Lopez’ advanced bat control had been his calling card, but now his fielding skills draw him more attention. He has plus range and reliable hands. He has shown the ability to hit for average, make contact and use the whole field, and he started to drive more pitches during instructional league. Weaknesses: He won’t impress anyone with his arm strength, but Lopez’ quick release allows him to make plays. While he has decent speed, he doesn’t have much basestealing aptitude. He rarely swings and misses, but his walks and extra-base hits are infrequent as well. The Future: Birmingham’s leading hitter (.357) during the Southern League playoffs, Lopez will return to Double-A. He should get lots of big league attention in spring training, and possibly in September. 2004 Club (Class) AVG OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Winston-Salem (Hi A) .288 .328 .347 430 62 124 13 0 4 35 23 35 12 Birmingham (AA) .217 .379 .304 23 3 5 0 1 0 0 5 2 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. KRIS HONEL, rhp Age: 22 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-5 Wt: 180 Drafted: HS—New Lenox, Ill., 2001 (1st round) Signed by: Ken Stauffer/Nathan Durst Background: The organization’s top pitching prospect a year ago, Honel took the mound just three more times after an Opening Day start in Double-A. Initially expected to miss about a week, he struggled with shoulder tendinitis all season. Strengths: Honel’s knuckle-curve made him the 16th overall pick in 2001, the earliest an Illinois high school pitcher was drafted since Bob Kipper went eighth 19 years earlier. It has a sharp break and he generally can throw it for strikes in any count. He has good command and challenges hitters. Weaknesses: Velocity seems to be a constant struggle for Honel. He pitched in the high 80s in 2002 before climbing to the low 90s in 2003. Chicago thinks his shoulder problems stemmed from bulking up and overthrowing. He developed bad habits that put stress on his shoulder. His changeup is a clear third pitch. The Future: The White Sox are crossing their fingers that Honel comes to spring training healthy and ready to pitch in Double-A. They’ve lowered their expectations for him, counting on him being no more than an end-of-the-rotation starter, no earlier than mid-2006. 2004 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H HR BB SO AVG Birmingham (AA) 0 1 9.00 3 1 0 0 6 4 1 5 7 .200 Bristol ® 0 0 108.00 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 0 .500

i've seen him lurking, dunno if he posts, but i thought Ross f***ing Gload was a pretty funny name. i'd especially love it if it really were ross gload.

my wife is pro-life and i'm pro-choice. she's also generally more conservative while i lean liberal. and we're doing fine. really, though peeps often get emotional over political disagreements, i'm not sure it's clear what exactly your political stance says about you. it's ultimately an intellectual disagreement over how best to go about the process of government in a way that best benefits humans. to disagree over the particulars of that process doesn't necessarily make you morally or emotionally incompatible. and granted that not everyone would accept how i characterize politics here, but i think peeps' intentions do usually fall somewhere under that umbrella.

i bet there'd be buyers. i'd like to start a rare-book collection someday. doubt i'll ever have the money, though. i'd believe the figure, provided everything's authentic and depending on condition and how big of a press run your edition had. for comparison, i looked at the manhattan rare book club's site and pieces from fiction writers of comparable stature. they had a signed first from faulkner on sale at $8-9,000 and a signed first edition of a hemingway for > $16,000. and they had a limited first edition (unsigned!) from joyce at $60,000. twain came well before all of them. in other words, steff, i'm jealous.

1) agreed. 2) true, i suppose, but if someone really wanted to pick a spokesman, KRS, for a long time, would've had to be a part of any conversation about who said spokesman would be. 3) it's not just predicated on musical taste. if anything, someone considering himself or herself part of the hip-hop community would be basing it on what they perceive as a lifestyle. hip-hop's usually considered to have four main elements--DJing, MCing, breaking, graffitti; obviously, not all of those things are just music. does a group of people with like lifestyle constitute a community? i dunno. but it's not quite as simple as you make it either. 4) agreed, but it saddens me. i like some of KRS-1's stuff quite a bit and used to respect him some. but this does smack of a cheap headline-grab, even if it was terribly distorted by the daily news.

hmmm, dunno, peeps' tastes'll vary widely on this subject. i ain't read russo, but the sense i get from reading about him is that he's kind of a traditional lit fiction type of writer. michael chabon might be a good choice if that's your bag. the amazing adventures of kavalier & clay is his book i read. it's about the golden age of comic books and WWII and the holocaust and escapism. another book i enjoyed and recommend, especially for video-game addicts like me, is lucky wander boy by DB weiss. it's about old-school gaming and neuroses.

ain't heard the new one, but i love mos def on the black star album. supposedly talib kweli's new album is excellent as well.

marlins had a better '03 record than we did. we'll pick 15th--and won't have to give up our 1st-round pick if we sign a big-ticket free agent. not that that'll happen.

is jaque jones a FA? i thought he was. anyway, my thought was to trade lee for pitching help (like, maybe a really good bullpen arm + a prospect), sign jones to play RF, and let gload and everett compete for LF. it'd balance the lineup a little bit while adding a great fielder with more speed than, well, timo or maggs. plus jones always kills us (except for buerhle); it'd be nice to not have to deal with playing against him for a while. then we'd still have plenty of money left over to go after starting pitching.

i like them both, but i think because of our minor-league OF depth and the fact that we have to keep everett, trading lee is the better option between the two.

ruddy probably qualifies as an outstanding pick. only one pro bowl (alternate, actually), but he started for a decade or so and was always solid. i'm not saying i'm going up in a belltower if the dolphins draft an OL. if this winston dude's available and as good as y'alls say (i don't follow college ball closely enough to have an opinion), i might be fine with the pick. what i'm really saying is that it's week 2, and it's likely the line'll improve (if for no other reason than that it can't get worse). if it's still this bad throughout the season and at the end of the season, i'll be a lot more receptive to drafting OL first round. but DL is something i know we're gonna need. now please stop putting up past dolphins drafts before i kill myself. :fyou john avery.

just bumping this to add some sox stuff from the chat. apparently banks and lucy just missed their top 20. from alan matthews:

i kinda agree with manofsteel. the O line's bad, but i think it's more a matter of crappy coaching, inexperience, and the fact they haven't worked together much than a matter of talent. they might wanna add a new face or two to the O line, but i think DT's gonna be the real need position, even moreso than RB. tim bowens and jeff zgonina are both old (and timbo has back problems), larry chester blew out his knee, and bryan robinson is bryan robinson. we need someone to step in. barring that, i say best player available.

the sad thing is, they have a whole new offensive line. mcintosh starting this week = 5 new starters from last year's line. 3/5 of the 2003 line are out of football entirely, and the 2004 version might still be worse. unbelievable. i'm withholding judgment on gordon for now, but the early returns aren't encouraging.

trudat shuf. i believe pappadeaux is a chain, btw. good stuff though.

wiener's circle diner grill

no, you're saying, "so you're saying the 50 at bats with RISP this year matters, but the 1200 other career at bats don't? ok." if dude was really sayin what you say he's sayin, you could just use the quote function, not paraphrase poorly. anyway, rowand's point, which is pretty commonsense, is that stats aren't necessarily definitive. that we've led the central in run differential for three consecutive years and gone to the playoffs 0.0 times illustrates said point. after all, run differential is generally considered the best measure of a winning team.

because peeps with a hard-on for sabermetrics don't care about any of those things. to them, there's no such thing as a clutch hitter and bunting and stealing are almost always counterproductive.

on nomar--he hasn't had enough at bats to really put much stock in this year's numbers. sample size too small. but if you look at his splits from 2001 thru 2003, he's hitting .266 with an underwhelming .773 OPS on the road (fenway OPS = 970). he's definitely not what he once was.

rawk on.