fathom

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 08:00 PM) The Royals offense isn't as bad as the numbers suggest. They've got some pretty good hitters. They're just all in a mega-slump right now. Yeah, I like some of the changes the Royals made. With that in mind, their hitters were awful this series. Some of the guys that give us trouble, like Berroa, simply had no clue at the plate. I'm not taking anything away from our pitchers though, they did what they had to do in order to get people out.

Gathright might be the most overrated "prospect" in baseball.

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 06:54 PM) The last three pitching performances for instance. WOW! cough Royals cough

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 07:02 PM) And like I said, with the lack of quality left handed #1 starters who never get hurt in MLB, someone else will throw more money at Mark Buehrle than he could ever imagine. It will be significantly more than STL or CWS will offer him, based on the Sox and Cards recent history with FAs. I honestly think Buehrle cares more about where he pitches then the money he would earn. He's definitely not one of these "whores" who will sign with whoever offers the most money.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 06:53 PM) I don't think he would. I see it as he just wants to pitch for them and doesn't want to wait until after 2007. It's not like we're the Marlins, and he's playing on a team with a bunch of guys he can't stand. Pitching for the Cards has supposedly been his dream all of his life, and he's finally going to get the chance if he becomes a Free Agent after the 2007 season. I don't get the sense that he has one foot out the door yet. I think some people are getting a little too worried about something that likely won't matter for another 310+ games.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 06:49 PM) If Mark makes it even to start free agency, its obvious money is the reason why. If he is willing to take a lower salary he will stay here, or he will request a trade to St Louis. He might get traded to STL, but there is no way that someone won't throw a boatload more money at him than STL or us are willing to spend, out on the open market. Imagine The Boss getting a chance at a guy like MB in the front of the Yankees rotation, or the Red Sox trying to outbid the Yankees to keep him away from New York. There is no way he would end up in St Louis. It's a lot easier for Buehrle to just sign with the Cards via free agency than it is to demand a trade to the Cards. If he demands a trade, then he's turning his back on the Sox fans a lot more than he would if he just signed with them when he's a FA.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 06:44 PM) The Marlins are planning to build their team around Cabrera and the D-Train. They'll know by 2007 if they relocate or get a new stadium, so they won't be on the market until then Every rumor from legitimate baseball sources state that the Marlins have let teams known that these guys will likely be on the market either at the trade deadline or in the offseason. Even if they were to get a stadium deal in 2007, many baseball people think that Cabrera will force a trade out of Florida. I'm not concerned about his attitude at all, as I think he'd get along great with Ozzie. I'm a firm believer that our outfield is the position with the greatest need for upgrade in the next few years (I like Cabrera in LF more than at 3b).

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 06:40 PM) St Louis also has a history of not offering players top dollar contracts, instead working trades and trying to get exsisting players to take hometown discounts, much like the Sox do. In fact I would be willing to bet today, that if Mark hits free agency he signs with neither the White Sox nor the Cardinals. I would be willing to bet that Buehrle won't sign with any other team besides the White Sox or Cardinals.

Here's my opinion on Buehrle. If KW can tell that Mark won't be able to be brought back when he becomes a FA, then trade him to the Cards in the offseason. St. Louis is going to be in the market for pitchers this offseason, and we could try and get a lot of prospects for Buehrle. Then, you take one or two of those prospects, and you trade them along with Fields and Sweeney for Miguel Cabrera. With the saved money on the non-Buehrle deal, you can lock up Joe Crede to a multi-year deal.

QUOTE(Felix @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 04:53 PM) Do you know how much they got cut off? I'd hate to see short hair Joe again For Joe, it was only enough so that his hair wouldn't show under his hat. He still has a lot of hair, according to the radio.

QUOTE(UC76 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 04:45 PM) Did this go down today? Anyone hear it? I thought they were getting cuts on the air, but have not heard a radio today. Yeah, it was on the Mike North show from about 9 to 10. It was AJP and Crede getting it done. AJP was his typical "asshole" self (I mean that in a good way).

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".