Y2HH

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:46 PM) What is this I don't even Turn that frown upside down! That rape was a blessing from God! Religion poisons everything.

Look, I didn't mean to cause a firestorm in here...and I know, for some reason I seem to have a tendency to cause a ruckas...but I maintain my opinion that Beckham is a detriment to this team with this .644 OPS (which is up from last years dismal .633 OPS). He's statistically one of the worst 2B in all of baseball. I didn't mean to cause fights by stating that opinion. All of you are free to continue loving your blessed "Bacon".

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:29 PM) Totally disagree and have very little respect for people who agree, and will be happy to overwhelm them with numbers about why they're wrong. See how that works? I've been so overwhelmed with this total lack of numbers you've provided me. So far, I've posted his OPS from the last 2 years showing it's WAY below what the average 2B has posted...and you've ignored them. You should pick better opinions to scoff at from now on.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:37 PM) Like I said before...Gordon Beckham is perfectly adequate at doing what he needs to do...which is not be awful, fill the 2b hole, play some decent defense, and be cheap. He won't be able to do that 2 years from now, but for some reason, adequate = sucks in your guys eyes. ...and this year Beckham's ops is .644.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:36 PM) The average 2b in major league baseball this year has posted a .696 OPS. Gordon Beckham's numbers over that stretch would make him basically an average offensive 2b in baseball this year. Last year the average 2b put up a .708 OPS. And last year Beckham posted a .633 ops.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:34 PM) His OPS hasn't even approached .700 the last three seasons, so your numbers can't be right. Wait, you're right...thanks for pointing that out. That 3 year span is 2009-2011...that's not 2010-2012...he's even worse now.

I feel so overwhelmed with your total lack of numbers.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:31 PM) Why does "it's ridiculous to say he sucks" = "He's awesome". Saying he's awesome is just as ridiculous as saying he sucks. I'd be happy to dump a boatload of numbers on anyone who spouts that also. Of course, we only have 1 side represented here. Ok, you got me there...point made. He doesn't have to be awesome. He's not even good. No, he's not even average. In the last THREE years, he's posted this : .249avg .318obp .386slb .704ops. These numbers included his rookie season from 2009-2011...they're incorrect. He's not even posted .700 in any of he last three seasons. 2010: .695ops 2011: .633ops 2012: .644ops I know it's just my opinion...but that SUCKS.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:29 PM) Totally disagree and have very little respect for people who agree, and will be happy to overwhelm them with numbers about why they're wrong. See how that works? Yes, I see how that works, only unlike you, I'm ok with it! Now...do it. Give me numbers as to why Beckham is awesome.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:25 PM) Then perhaps you shouldn't end your "opinion" statements with absolutes like this: Or this: Or this: You will get much better discussion if you treat your opinions as... opinions. Seems you are frustrated by your own posting style. Um...those are opinions, and if I feel like stating my opinions as absolutes, I'm free to do so. The point is they're opinions, and you don't have to agree with them, even if I ask. Let's give it a try. Gordon Beckham sucks...do you agree? It's a yes or no question. It's ok if you say no. See how that works?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:23 PM) And this is why we scoff at your opinion. We got a .420 OPS out of Morel and a .516 OPS out of Hudson. With crap for defense on top of that. You literally can upgrade that by just grabbing anyone who's available and seeing what they can do. Gordon Beckham would have been a huge upgrade on what we got from those 2. Taking two guys worse than Beckham doen't make Beckham suddenly good. Scoff at my opinion? Why, because Morel was worse? No s***. That still doesn't make Beckham good. This is why I scoff at your opinion, because it's baseless. You take really stinky s*** and compare it to slightly less stinky s*** in order to make a point? Seriously? Try harder.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:20 PM) Great. So let me in on Medicare. They will...when you're 98.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:18 PM) really, no it coudln't have been. Kevin Youkilis was coming in to replace some of the worst production in the big leagues. This counts both offense and defense. Morel couldn't hit or field with his back problems, Hudson was marginally better with the bat but was costing games in the field even more than Morel. Beckham is also some of the worst production in the bigs.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:16 PM) Beckham's so bad if you added 70 points to his BA, he probably still wouldn't be an All Star. Don't use sarcasm here...they're going to add up his current average with the .70, and tell you he'd be hitting 310. You can't exaggerate here, even if it's pretty obvious that's what you're doing.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:12 PM) The problem isn't you stating you think Beckham should be replaced. The problem is the way you say it. If Beckham doesn't improve a lot the rest of this year and first half next year, you will likely see one Carlos Sanchez promoted to take his job and make Gordo a utility IF. Sanchez was just promoted to AAA, by the way, at age 20. The problem is, since around 2006 on Soxtalk, when it comes to baseball discussion, nobodies opinions are accepted as mere opinions...they're accepted as correct OR incorrect.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:41 PM) Well, a big chunk is also from ending Medicare Advantage, which pays private insurers to do the same thing Medicare does, which certainly could be classified as fraud also. Of course, the problem with calling it that is that "turning Medicare into Medicare Advantage" is a pretty decent summary of one of Paul Ryan's Medicare Overhaul plans...taking the guaranteed single payer system and replacing it with vouchers to purchase private insurance. Medicare is also partially responsible for why you pay 3x as much. Private insurers are what hospitals use to make up for what they lose to Medicare negotiations.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 02:06 PM) You'd have predidcted that a 32 year old journeyman who put up a .677 OPS part time for the Astros and Giants last year could come up and put together an .800+ OPS as a part time fill in for the Rays, and then you want to put that guy as a full time 2b option? I applaud you. The same thing could have been said about Youk at 3B. Things like this happen. I know, it's crazy to have opinions about baseball players on a baseball forum and all...but just because we're stuck with Beckham doesn't mean I can't say I think he sucks. That seems to be a huge problem around here...and I don't really understand why.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:38 PM) Since Y2HH is passing and just blaming KW anyway...can someone else help him out here? I'm looking for a 2b or middle infielder who has moved this year who would be a substantial upgrade from Beckham and come with limited or no cost. Heck, you can add 2011 onto that list also. The only starting 2b in the league who I can recognize that moved anywhere this year was Infante, and the Tigers gave up a top pitching prospect for him and Anibal Sanchez. The Shortstops I can see who moved were Stephen Drew and Hanley Ramirez. Drew was cheap but has been hurt and is pretty much regarded as a bust himself, HanRam has a very high price. Here's the list of free agents last offseason. Guys signing for close to the minimum include Theriot, Jeff Keppinger, Omar Vizquel, Jack Wilson, Drew Sutton, Aaron Miles, Will Rhymes, Jose Lopez (already got him), Adam Kennedy, Bill Hall, Carlos Guillen, Brooks Conrad, Andres Blanco. Guys who signed at $3-4 million a year, "goodbye AJ" money, include Mark Ellis and Jamey Carroll. Please, enlighten me where this magical upgrade you envision would come from. I'd sooner use a minor leaguer in our system to replace Beckham at this point...and I hope we do come September. I only wish the person was elegible to play in the post season if they happen to catch fire. I just don't see Beckham turning it on when we need him. I realize this is merely b****ing for the sake of b****ing, as there probably is no viable way to fix this in the short term...but why does that mean it cannot be talked about? That's sports talk...welcome too it. Beckham is bad, and he's become a drag on this team. If it's just an opinion, as people seem to feel to needlessly point out because most sports talk is opinion based, why can't people say what they feel? I feel Beckham sucks so badly offensively that ANYONE would be better option. Oh, and I'm not blaming Kenny. KW is a great GM IMO...this year he's 5/5 on the moves he's made and deserves credit for them all. So he did nothing to fix the Beckham situation...I'm not blaming him for that. I wish the Beckham situation was fixed, but just because it wasn't doesn't mean I'm going to say KW sucks...because he doesn't.

While I should be happy about this possible sweep...why does it annoy me every so slightly to know we just got swept by the Royals, only to turn around and near (and I believe we will), sweep one of the best teams in baseball? Anyway, here's to moving past that damnedable Royal series and taking down the bombers...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:11 PM) So you're exaggerating 70 points. So why don't we exaggerate 70 points the other way and call him an All Star? My point was that I'm exaggerating how bad Beckham is offensively, but not by a lot. I wasn't speaking purely on the math/numbers of 70 points this way or that. All of that garbage aside, here is what I'm saying: he's bad offensively. Are you saying he's not? It's a yes or no question. Oh, and Rush rules.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:19 PM) Who? Where are you getting this person? What are we giving up to get it? Would you rather have spent our 2010 first round pick on another middle infielder? Should we have traded off Pierzynski or Konerko last offseason to free up the money to sign one? You can't just magically pretend that a 2b will appear because we want one. This is the weakest non-question you could possibly ask, and I hate when people pose it when it comes to pro-sports. From the get go, it's an unfair question to even ask, as I'm not the Sox GM, so how could I possibly answer this? There are a LOT of teams out there with a lot of players that could have been had. KW traded, or picked up 5 of them so far this year alone, and ALL of them were upgrades over what we had. It's not a reach to say a good replacement for Beckham couldn't have been found.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:09 PM) And I didn't call you one, I called how you were acting one. Nice job reading though. So, we're allowed to call people names via the use of simple semantics/word games on this board now? Good to know. For the record, calling someone a prick and saying someone is acting like a prick...is the same thing.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:11 PM) Right now, the average #9 hitter in the AL has an OPS of .640. Beckham has been better than that. He's among the worst hitters in baseball if you're compiling the 100 or so worst position playing hitters in baseball and excluding pitchers. This thread exists in the first place because Gordon was supposed to be better than this. He was supposed to be the golden boy. He was supposed to be hitting .300 with 25 HR ever year. He's not. So, rather than focus on what he actually is doing, which is filling a hole cheaply, it's much more fun to say things like "He sucks!". Well, it is more fun, which is why I did it. But you basically highlighted my entire point. People are defending his poor play because of what he was supposed to be...but at this point, it's clear he's never going to become that. We've all been damn patient waiting for him to come around, and it's been three years now...he's not coming around. He was picked and place on this team early because he was a future star...and he's been anything but. In the three years we've wasted waiting for him to blossom, we could have had a much better replacement. Nobody wanted that, including me...we saw something in Beckham and were hoping for the best. The best hasn't arrived, and won't be...IMO, we cut our losses with this sooner than later. I don't think he's filling a hole, so much as he is helping to create one.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 01:00 PM) Nice. I'm sorry that others are looking at things differently than you. Continuing whining and acting like a prick though, it's what everyone wants to hear. Good job! Others are looking at what differently than me? Are you saying Beckham is good offensively without having the balls to say it? Nice job calling me a prick, too.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 22, 2012 -> 12:58 PM) So the first bolded would mean his batting average would be between .000 and .200 The second bolded would mean his batting average would be between .000 and .167 But wait, you proved it isn't. Thanks. Oh, just shut up. Beckham sucks. Yes, I'm exaggerating a bit...but not a lot. Stop defending his s***ty offensive play.