nitetrain8601

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 06:50 PM) Part of 2006's problem was that KW didn't spend any money on the bullpen, and counted on guys 10 years olds could tell you not to count on. It was obvious Politte would step back. Hermanson mentioned retirement, didn't throw at all, and was suddenly being counted on. Vizcaino was gone. Marte was gone. A lot of cheap minor league free agents were signed hoping 1 would work out. Most did the Charlotte Knights proud. Which is why I rather have Marte than Mack. Marte at least was still a decent mopup reliever who still had potential. Vizcaino was given too much crap for just 1 bad month. I also think he shouldn't have been included in that Vazquez deal. I have no problem with Young and Duque going, but relievers are hard to find, and KW took that for granted, as well as some of the people around here. Anyone know when is the first day we could actually make moves?

QUOTE(AirScott @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 06:24 PM) word. why get someone like Figgins or Pierre to lead off when we already have Pods? give him a few months to rest, I bet he comes back strong in 2007. Thing is we did, last year. He hasn't been the same since his groin injury last year prior to the ASG.

I like Baldelli as much as you Balta, but from what I've seen, he would be much better suited as a #2 hitter. I also don't like the fact he's injury proned. Not only 05, but he missed time in 04 or 03 IIRC.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 12:49 PM) Why are you so confident he couldn't turn it around? Just wondering. I'd never be against acquiring a good young arm like Ervin. I think there's a reason that Anaheim wouldn't give him up for Carl Crawford. I thought Anaheim offered him up for Crawford, but TB wanted more.

QUOTE(knightni @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 01:09 PM) When's Hendry gone? Never. McDonough talked about it and basically said he and Hendry are going to hammer out a plan for next year.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 12:39 PM) I'm sure he'd be fine pitching on the Southside. I'd surely take him. Debateable. Who's spot would he take though? You'd have to trade two of the starters away if you want Ervin and the Messiah to both be apart of the rotation.

I'm watching it on CSN. They canned him and they're talking about his career as a manager with the Cubs.

Say it ain't so. I want Crede back dammit! It would suck that we spent so much time developing him, and then when he finally breaks out, we decide to let him go. Only way I accept such is if we get A-Rod to play SS and a stud 3B. I don't consider Uribe a stud 3B.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 10:52 AM) KW is definitely not going to show his hand. I found this one be interesting: Boone Logan perhaps? Well he did let Jeff Bajanaru go in ST.

QUOTE(TaylorStSox @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 09:03 PM) IMO, this directly coincides with Thome's power decline. When Thome was the dominant LH power presence in the line up, AJ wasn't trying to pull everything. Do you think Walker told him to pull everything? Ultimately players are responsible for their own performance. Anyway, generally, the only problem I had with our offense was a lack of speed. I don't have a problem with the hitter's approach. Actually I don't think it coincides with anything that has to do with Thome. AJ did this last year as well.

QUOTE(fathom @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 08:53 PM) His pull baseball approach in the 2nd half killed our offense. He was around .260 for most of the 2nd half with very few walks. And he told Uribe to stop using the leg kick because he thought it really didn't matter.

QUOTE(TaylorStSox @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 08:32 PM) Well said. A hitting coach can only maximize a hitter's strengths. We have a bunch of pull hitters. I don't want a hitting coach that's trying to change everyone's approach to fit their idea of what a good hitter should be. BS, AJ's greatest strength was hitting for a high average and spraying the ball all over the place. Now all he does is pull and lift like he's trying to golf the ball.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 06:15 AM) Walker isn't the problem. He doesn't try to change hitters like Hriniak does. It's the hitters. If they have weaknesses to their game--a lot of K's, inability to hit to the opposite field, poor bunters--etc a hitting coach isn't going to change a pro who has been playing that way for yrs. The twins draft those type of players/ hitters to begin with and they come up through the system. The Twins don't change the way their young players hit once they get the bigs. The sox should draft or trade for the type of hitters they need that compliment their big hitters. You don't think Walker is the problem? All he has the players doing is pulling and lifting which is why we have hard times hitting the ball the opposite way. Greg Walker is a huge problem. He changes hitters which is why this team since he's been here has a hardass time hitting pitches low and away. If I'm making a move to the offense, the first thing I do is fire Greg, Homerun Happy, Walker. Hriniak has a great philosophy. Don't worry about homeruns, just key in on the ball, and hit it where it's pitched. Sure, we may not hit 200 HR's, but we'd be alot more consistant and we'd go way more in line with what Ozzie wants.

I select none of the above. I'll stick with Sweeney and Gload.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 11:16 PM) Actually it was Buehrle for Crisp Which is a huge difference in asking price.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 08:17 PM) Yes, Studes is a respected enough man in the saber community (and, if you've been lucky enough to meet him, a real nice guy too) to deserve acknowledgement, seeing as he also went off of John Dewan's Fielding Bible along with ZR (among other things). And, I'm not sure if I'm reading the chart correctly, but even there, Uribe's DER ranks higher and he has close to 90 more actual outs (albeit in more chances). Like you said, also has 655 more chances. Think if AGonz played for CWS in 05 and Uribe played for FLA, the numbers would be the same? I don't.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 07:50 PM) Read here: http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition...ny-sports-print You mean, in your opinioin AGonz>Uribe. Because Uribe ranks better than Gonz in zone rating, and was rated the best defensive shortstop in the AL by David Studes at The Hardball Times. So, in your unproven, non-fact based opinion, AGonz is better than Uribe defensively. David Studes. You say something about me stating my opinion and use ZR and an article in which some guy gives his opinion to prove your point? Give me these stats for this year: http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:8NuEKh...lient=firefox-a

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 12:31 PM) Self did not recruit anything like he has at KU at Illinois. Our top 6 guys on the final 4 team were Brown, Williams, Head, Powell, Augustine, and Ingram. Ingram was a walkon. Powell actually committed to Kruger. Head was not a top 100 recruit. Augustine was ranked around 75. Deron around 50. Dee was around 20. Not exactly can't miss stud talent there. Ingram was actually recruited by Self, but Self then went to Illinois, and Ingram followed him.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 07:04 PM) Don't listen to what you read in the press....there's a zero percent chance that Podsednik is brought back. My answer to this question would be either Juan Pierre or C. Crisp. Okay, who does Boston have to replace Crisp in CF? No one. They're in the same position as us. Prospects mean nothing, they're trying to win now because that's the window. Juan Pierre may be here, but my money is that he'll be in CF because that's where Ozzie would use him. Podsednik will probably be back with this team IMO.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 07:06 PM) He was a guy who I was thinking we should try and get at the deadline this year, as he could help us against LHP in LF. Uribe is much more dangerous on offense though...and doesn't have the attitude issues that AGon has. This lineup already has dangerous hitters, it needs more consistancy. A consistant hitter is better than some guy who's going to have a crazy 3 weeks of the season. Also AGon > Uribe defensively. Uribe only has the arm and he gets very wild with it.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 12:11 PM) For Ozzie, it's guys who can make contact/ situational hit/ create their own offense rather than swing for the fences and hit into DP's. Which is why Walt Hriniak would make much much more sense than Greg Walker as hitting coach.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 01:53 AM) So what does AGon bring to the table that Uribe doesn't? Low OBP? Check Good Glove? Check Power? disappearing... wonder why? How is he an upgrade? Uribe had a terrible year, and he's still arguably better than AGon. I fail to see how an OLDER player with a lower career OBP and less power and a less range than Uribe is an upgrade. Spin this season's numbers anyway you want, but Uribe is better bet to be a more effective offensive and defensive player than Gonzalez in '07. A Gon is defiantely more consistant than Uribe, both offensively and defensively

Hell no. You could easily get guys who are decent hitters with no power. The key is getting guys who can get on base. With that, everything else comes. We need to surround our big boppers with guys who can get on base, not subtract one of them.

Podsednik or Pierre. I think I'm going to say Podsednik though.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Sep 30, 2006 -> 03:52 AM) McCarthy had good enough stuff coming out of the minor leagues to be a middle of the rotation starter. Guess what, he listened to what you want him to do about however long ago, and he has started to develop a 2-seamer. Pitchers can get by with a straight fastball so long as their complementary pitches are good enough. From what I have seen of Santana, his fastball is straight as hell, but he keeps hitters off-balance unbelievably well with his change and curve. That's just plain and simply having good command of his pitches. That's what McCarthy possesses too...adding a 2-seamer to that, and having good command and control of that is only going to make him better. (fwiw, Santana's changeup is the best in the league, and his slider is nothing to scoff at either...if you can throw a 75 MPH changeup with a 96 MPH fastball, and then mix in an 89 MPH slider too, while having good command and control, the other team is done almost every time. McCarthy could potentially at some point down the line develop into a pitcher like that, but it's not next year) I thought Santana clocked in at 97-98. Anyway, McCarthy doesn't have a fastball like that and probably never will. There's a big difference. That's why I was saying, he doesn't have enough velocity to get away with his fastball. Like you said, a 75 MPH changeup with an at least 96MPH fastball is devastating because we're talking a good 21MPH difference with pinpoint location, control, and coming from the leftside.