fathom

As I said the other day, this KC series had the lowest amount of pre-sales tickets for any series this season.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 04:09 PM) Why not? Thome can play 1B. That might also be a good way to give Paulie a day of rest. Having either Thome or Paulie available to pinch-hit isn't exactly a negative, either. Ozzie said that Thome isn't going to play in the field all season.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:58 PM) Like I said in the other BA thread, I see a hitch in his hitting approach. He strides, plants the front foot, then hesitates there for just a fraction of a second. Then, he starts moving again into his swing. This puts him behind the pitches, and diminishes his power. Anyone else noticed that hesitation? Its like he is trying to get a better read on the pitch or something. Yep, it's quite ugly. He can't pull the ball without rolling over, and he's not getting his arms extended on his swing. Instead, he's just punching at the ball, and he's not hitting with any authority. When you couple that with his poor ability to judge what's a strike and what isn't......you get yourself a struggling hitter. BTW...let it be known that I'm not giving up on Anderson. I think he has the potential to be better than Rowand. It's just discouraging to see someone so clueless at the plate right now.

QUOTE(Steff @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:57 PM) Well... yes. Catch 22 though. Like others have said, he could break out of this and hit the s*** out of the ball. I don't think playing with AAA pitching is going to bring that to the surface. All I do know is I'm glad this is the main concern right now. Of course, this whole discussion will be void if he starts producing at the plate. My biggest concern right now is that I don't see how he can ever start getting hits. His swing is awful....and sadly reminds me of an NL pitcher trying to hit. The main reason that a stint in the minors might do him well would be to get his confidence up again. There's a lot of ABs to go before that becomes a realistic option though. And for anyone saying that going to the minors can't help someone....I'd like to use McCarthy from last season as a great example of finding your confidence and form in the minors.

QUOTE(Steff @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:53 PM) I definitely agree with you. I just think that they will work a bit more with him as long as they are winning. If we're 40-20 after 60 games and Anderson is still struggling, then I'm sure we'll stick with him. However, our schedule's going to get a little harder coming up, and playing .667 baseball with absolutely no offensive production by our CF doesn't seem realistic.

QUOTE(Steff @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:52 PM) The Sox were very tolerant of Crede in his first few years. Steff....wouldn't you say that we have more of a sense of urgency now compared to back then? Also, it's easier to find a serviceable center fielder for a few months than it is a starting third baseman.

QUOTE(Steff @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:49 PM) If he's not hurting them and they are still winning I think they will be a lot more tolerable of his time frame to "get it". Several other teams would LOVE to have this problem. Of course.....but we have a GM, Manager, and Owner who have one goal in mind this season. If we didn't have our hopes set on repeating, then I'd say they'd be nuts to not let Anderson develop in the majors.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:48 PM) If the team is winning and he's playing defense well, I don't see why they wouldn't wait several months, especially if he's working hard and genuinely trying to learn. I just think by reading Ozzie's comments that he doesn't want to have to deal with no production from his CF position for an extended period. I honestly believe that the combo of Anderson and Mack will get another full month to prove they can handle the position.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:45 PM) You know what I can't figure out? Why Podsednik is so damn bad at stealing bases against K.C. In the last 2 years, he's been caught 8 times by K.C. catchers, out of 25 total times he was caught. Something I've noticed about Pods is that he really feasts off of teams with bad throwing catchers. I'm not saying this is bad of him, as it's called taking advantage of what the other team gives you. He would run at will last season against teams like the Indians and Orioles, who couldn't throw out any runners. However, he really struggled against teams with good throwing catchers.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 01:56 PM) Should be a fun sweep there as their lousy pitching will get rocked by PK, Thome, Jermaine and Co. It's going to suck when we can't play Thome on the road in the NL.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:36 PM) Excatly. I think he would have agreed to a ring ceremony at the Cell in front of all the fans. I think he was treated like dirt throughout the whole thing. Dirt? You mean the same guy who said he would have never thrown out the first pitch of the ALDS if he knew that the Sox wouldn't have brought him back? The same guy who said that he wouldn't have been in the dugout cheering on his teammates? Franks' a selfish person, and I couldn't be happier that we replaced him with one of the nicest guys in the history of baseball.

QUOTE(GoSox05 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:35 PM) You say this like Cabrera is 30 yrs old. I think hes only 22 or 23. He is the "youth movement". that's a lot of players to give up. If we could give up those 3 players for Cabrera, it would be a STEAL of epic proportions.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:30 PM) I was dissapointed when Frank couldn't be at the ring ceremony, and when they delievered the ring to him. They definitly should've waited until Oakland came to the Cell to give him his ring. I don't think he'd b**** about it. IMO, his problems were with the media and teammates Frank's problem is that he always felt disrespected by management. He really didn't have any significant issues with his teammates from last season.

Anderson won't have until the All-Star Break if he keeps struggling. If he's still struggling to make contact and not producing by the end of May, we'll be seeing a new CF with the White Sox. KW and Ozzie aren't going to sit around this season waiting for a rookie to try and "get it".

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:20 PM) Well I heard on ESPN radio that owning the Cubs has been his life-long dream Well, I guarantee you that the report was wrong then.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 01:23 PM) I heard on ESPN that Mark Cuban is interested in buying the Cubs and owning them has been a dream of his for a long time. Cuban's a Pirates fan, and that's the team he wants to buy.

This is the Twins of 2002-2004, not the 2005 Twins.

It's embarrassing how much KRod's in love with his offspeed pitch.

Todd Ritchie could shut down the Dodgers right now.

It's amazing to think that this team could EASILY be 14-1. That's the sign of a team with great talent.

How about we avoid Sweeney batting this game as the tying run? I think we can all agree we'd rather not see that.

QUOTE(watchtower41 @ Apr 19, 2006 -> 08:17 PM) Atlanta has done just fine over recent years without any sort of pen, including closer. Yep....it allowed them to go really far in the playoffs. When you allow a game-tying grand slam to Brad Ausmus....your bullpen sucks.

QUOTE(watchtower41 @ Apr 19, 2006 -> 08:13 PM) I know we are in the minority here, but I'd like to see the first CG of the seasno as well. He deserves it. How dare you insult Garcia's masterpiece on Sunday!

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Apr 19, 2006 -> 08:12 PM) And the tying run came to the plate with the bases loaded, which is why I want us to get a run here before I'd start messing with the pen. I agree with you. I'd either like to see Vazquez try to finish the game, or bring in Cotts.

Last time we were up 4 runs going into the 9th, Thornton came in.