Kalapse

That was pretty cool.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 08:18 PM) more to do with his bat than his glove, which by all accounts rate him very high. Yeah, after leaving A ball in 2003 he put up mid .600 OPSs in each of the next 3 seasons. He finally showed some life in '07 which earned him a spot on the major league roster coming out of spring training in '08, he of course bombed at the plate in April and was demoted back to AAA. He's just never hit well enough to get anyone excited.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 07:59 PM) Owens is by far one of the worst defensive outfielders I have seen. He's got an arm worse than both Pierre and Dammon, he gets worse reads than both Soriano and Ramirez, he takes TERRIBLE angles, and most importantly, I am pretty sure he doesn't have a clue as to what he is doing out there. You don't need to be good defensively to be better than Owens. And from what I have seen so far, Kroeger has at least some speed and his arm is better, and from watching him the corners, you can tell he gets much better reads. Small sample size, but he'd be a helluva lot better than Owens. That doesn't mean he'd be good though. Yeah, there's no way Owens has the worst arm in baseball. And from a few televised spring innings (maybe 4 to 6 putouts) you've managed to grade Josh Kroeger's reads? You're a savant.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 08:00 PM) Nix is a plus-plus defender by all accounts, not AVERAGE. Alexei was hit and miss at second but still solid average, in his first year in the MLB and at a non-native position, so I'd be surprised if he was below average at SS (where he played in Cuba) for a full season. Fields is not bad, he's just not Crede, he's average out there. You have no idea what Kroeger is out there. And AJ is lousy at throwing out runners but is otherwise a serviceable defensive catcher. Other than that, right on. If you read the thread Scenario started I don't think any of this is true.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 07:39 PM) If Kroeger keeps hitting like this and he can at least be an adequate CF I'm game. Agreed. There has to be a reason why this guy hasn't even been given an inning out there. It's not like the other morons are lighting it up. His recent time in the minors has been spent with some legitimate centerfield prospects like Felix Pie and Michael Bourn so I'm not sure his lack of CF playing time in the minors is a great indicator of his defensive prowess. I haven't heard Ozzie or anyone else in the organization say a word about him. From Phil Rogers:

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 07:13 PM) Well I think both Anderson and Owens should go to AAA. I think we'd be better off looking into having Kroeger as our everyday CF and Wise as our 4th outfielder. I just hate Anderson as much as other people hate Owens, if not more. I'd still rather have Wise in the 25-man roster over Anderson, he brings the speed and base-stealing ability this team needs, which Owens can't provide. Plus it seems to me that Anderson wouldn't be getting as much love by White Sox fans he's getting if he wasn't white. When it comes to having a "defensive replacement" on the team, I'd rather have Juan Uribe, and that's saying a lot. That's just f***ing ignorant. Can Josh Kroeger play CF? Because he's yet to play even an inning out there this spring. It seems to me that the Sox would want to get him some looks out there if he were capable given how great he's looked at the plate.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 06:53 PM) Because I don't want to see a repeat of 2006 with Anderson getting another shot at being on the everyday lineup in 2009. His bat's a joke, and his defense alone is not enough for me to like the idea of him being on the lineup everyday, even if it's batting 9th. You know who else's bat is a joke? Dewayne Wise and Jerry Owens. At least Brian can play elite defense unlike the other 2.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 06:42 PM) I think, no matter who ends up playing at 2B, that Brian Anderson should be sent to AAA. I don't want Anderson anywhere near the team. And why is that? Because he's the only one of the 3 players competing for the CF job with at least 1 major league quality tool? Or is because you just don't like him and keep repeating yourself without giving any good reasoning?

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 06:41 PM) Alexei wants to play SS if he can choose a position. He has said. Which could easily be influenced by money. A competent SS with Alexei's offensive production is going to make more than a competent CF. I can't say that I blame him for this.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 06:39 PM) How does he look like so far this ST? Haven't seen enough of him to make a judgment either way.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 06:22 PM) Thank you Kalapse. I like to correct myself. I already did in another post while back. I have the 2001 Cuban Baseball Guide. This was Alexei's second season. I do not have the 2000 guide. He played 2B/SS for the first two season as a bench player. He only played 56.2 innings with 949 fielding ave in 2001. Onel Olivera was the regular. Keep in mind that in Cuba, many players play different positions. Olivera was good defensively and probably Pinar del Rio did not have a good CF at the time and they saw Alexei as the best suited for it within the team. That year, Olivera played 600 innings in SS. Alexei played super utility for the Cuban National team but later in his cuban career but he never played SS for Cuba. He played CF and 2B. I already posted once. Be patience with Alexei in SS. He will have the same lapsus probaly while playing 2B. It is not his fault. He is 27 playing everyday positions he is not accostumed to play. He is a super athlete for sure. So would you say he's better suited to play CF or SS based on his experience and ability at the 2 positions?

QUOTE (scenario @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 06:13 PM) If I were playing shortstop, I would just shade toward the hole and handle balls hit up the middle backhand. IMO, on balls hit up the middle a lefty has an advantage at SS, because you don't have to throw across your body like a righty does. So there would be fewer steps and a more natural quicker throw. Again, harder I'm sure for a righty to picture, because it's the opposite of what they would do. But no reason a good athlete who positioned himself properly should be at a disadvantage because of angles. They would just be different. So you'd have to shade towards the hole in order catch anything hit that way in front you? What about on players where you have to shade up the middle like holding a runner on 2nd w/ a lefty at the plate or when in double play position? Anything hit into the hole is going to be caught with all your moment taking you towards 3rd wouldn't the angle then become a problem? And the awkward throw for a righty from a ball hit up the middle is shorter than the peg from the hole by a lefty, generally a righty should be able to employ a quick spin and still get the runner at first. There's a lot less time to waste for the lefty in the hole.

QUOTE (scenario @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 05:55 PM) Funny thing is... I think it's more of a perception than it is a real problem. I'm left-handed and played alot of baseball growing up, including 3B. The positioning is different than it is for a right-hander, but I don't think it's more difficult. Seems like, IMO, all the people who think it is... are right-handed. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that perception causes many young players to get moved into 'lefty positions' at a young age and that the lack of lefties in infield positions is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than it is a real problem. Could be, as a righty I can't say for sure. I know in theory it should be a problem for a lefty and that's always been principle but I have no first hand experience to back it up. No lefties I've ever known even bothered with middle infield positions, they assumed they couldn't handle it and stuck to the outfield.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 05:45 PM) what id like to see, and im surprised this hasnt been mentioned yet, assuming one of getz, niks, or lillibridge can play short what about plugging them in at second and short respectively then throw ramirez back out in center? Because Chris Getz is not a major league shortstop and Nix hasn't played anywhere but 2B since 2001.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 05:32 PM) Does it matter which hand he is? Isn't it easier for a right hander to play ss than 2b? Just curious, I honestly think it should be, but don't know... There are no left handed middle infielders anymore (not a single regular at either position last season). It's nearly impossible for a lefty to play 2B so only righties play second. It's incredibly difficult for a left handed fielder to play middle infield, the angles are all wrong so most get moved to the outfield or 1B (with the LARGE majority becoming pitchers). SS is still a more difficult position for a righty, the long throw to first and amount of balls hit in the hole make it much more demanding. Imagine being a lefty and fielding a ball hit in the hole at short, that throw to first in insanely awkward you either have to turn your whole body back to the left or spin around to your right. It's very inefficient.

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 05:18 PM) Understand, but it seemed like you guys tried to say a decent 2B will only make a worse SS, we can't be sure of that. It's a much harder defensive position so logic and history (not a lot of bad 2B make good SS, can't think of any) would say a player isn't going to magically improve with the move to a more demanding position.

QUOTE (Jimmywins1 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 04:58 PM) According to UZR, Alexei had some serious range issues at 2B last year, his ability to play SS adequately has been concerning me all off-season. 14th out of 16 qualified 2B in UZR 14th out of 16 qualified 2B in RZR 15th out of 16 qualified 2B in RngR He wouldn't be the first player in big league history to mystify people with his occasional spectacular play (glove flips), hiding the fact that he's really not getting to as many balls as he should.

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 04:43 PM) We can't really say Alexei would be a good CF. For all we know he's a decent 2B and that doesn't solve our leadoff situation, how do we know if Getz can bat leadoff? He was good enough in CF last spring to win the starting job out there. We can't really say he's a good SS either but as of right now it certainly looks like that's where he's going to start the season. I don't KNOW Getz can leadoff, I just know I'd rather see his high contact approach, moderate BB rate, low K rate at the top of the lineup than the atrocious Jerry Owens.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 04:40 PM) Jenks lost similar. What's your point? Is Jenks' average fastball 89.8 MPH? Because that's what Duaner is sitting at these days, that's my point. Going from 100 to 97 MPH is one thing. 93.2 to 89.8 is another. I'd offer him an MLC but that's about it.

Remember, he was our starting CF on opening day last year. That's before he struggled at the plate allowing Quentin to steal his starting job with Swisher moving to CF. Once Uribe's struggles at the plate became an issue in May Alexei took his job at 2B. Alexei wasn't even supposed to be the starting 2B, he was the starting CF.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Jun 2, 2008 -> 02:23 PM) Alexei is a finish product. He did not play 2B in Cuba except in emergency basis with the Cuban National team as a super utility. He played SS in his rookie season with his hometown team, the Pinar del Rio Green Sox. This is the same team as Jose Contreras, Danys Baez and Pedro Lazo who came in relief to shutdown the Dominican team in the WBC # 1. After his first season with the Green Sox, he moved to CF where he played must of the time. It is understandable that his has some learning to do in 2B and SS especially because in MLB runners try to break double play harder than in Japan and Cuba. We have a more courteous way of playing the game. That does not mean our way is wrong.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 04:18 PM) Why move Beckham though, who has played SS for quite a while and likely could develop into a great SS, and move Alexei, whom has seemingly played outfield before for quite a while? Is Alexei's highest value to the team at SS? 2B - Getz SS - Beckham CF - Ramirez Beckham and Getz play their natural positions and Alexei moves to a position he has handled in the past. With this configuration you limit the number of bad players you're plugging into these positions. If Alexei plays short there will be a bad player in center, if he plays center there will be a green but talented young player at SS. That's all. It's harder to find an excellent offensive player who can handle SS than it is to find one who can handle center. So for Alexei playing short would likely make him the most money and on most teams he'd be most valuable at short. However this team has another young player who looks like he's going to be a very good offensive player who can handle short. So to the Sox Alexei would be most valuable filling one of the other holes in the lineup (CF) while the other young shortstop takes his position.

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) Why on numerous occasions does Alexei himself say, SS is his natural position? I remember reading a lot of articles from official White Sox website, and him saying that. Because that's where the most money can be made?

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 03:31 PM) right, I'm just saying we shouldn't move him to CF, he's more valuable as is. I think Alexei should move a bit north. Yeah, his personal value is at its highest when he's playing short (assuming of course that he doesn't suck defensively) but his highest value to the team would be in CF since we actually have some good, young middle infielders and really nothing of value in CF.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 03:25 PM) Naw, for as difficult a time as we have had, CF's are easier to find that great hitting short stops. Except it just so happens our #1 prospect who could be major league ready RIGHT NOW is a shortstop.