Rex Hudler

Getting off topic here but...... Clujer you are right that Dave Sanders is still in Big League camp. The OF Anthony Sanders was the one sent down last week. That said, also keep in mind that often times clubs will pull players from minor league camp to play in a big league ST game. So you could see players from time to time play up for the Sox that have previously been sent down. Although, generally that happens less the later you get into ST unless they are trying to showcase a guy for a possible trade.

Rauch is not a breaking ball pitcher. He relies on the location of his fastball and has decent offspeed stuff to go with it, but his fastball is his key. I am not convinced Rauch will ever be what everyone expects him to be. He was great while in Birmingham, but there was always something in the back of my head that held me back from really jumping on the bandwagon at the time. His success in the Olympics further stifled those doubts. Unfortunately after the past few years, they are beginning to come back. It just semmed like there was something he didn't have that I could never put a finger on. The focus has always been on his height. My guess is that if everything to this point remained the same, but he was 6'2 or 6'3 he would almost be forgotten. Maybe that is going a bit overboard, but it is the feeling I get. All of that said, I think there is still a possiblity for him to be a solid if not great big league pitcher. I am just not 100% sold on him.

That just reminded me HSC ....... where is my list???

Why do you dislike him? Sounds like the challenge motivated KW (Kelly Wunsch) pretty damned well. You should applaud JM for challenging KW.

would a swift kick in the ass do ?????? From what I have heard, that and more have been tried to no avail.

JD is a nice guy, but I really think he still believes in his heart that he can be a SS in the big leagues hitting 20+ HR and be at an elite level. He can't (or won't) make adjustments and has been trying to pull everything for 3 years since he stopped switch-hitting. And he has consistently made easy outs as soon as teams adjusted. Sometimes he swings and missed by a foot. Think of it this way..... When you are a switch hitter, you bat LH 85-90% of the time because you are facing righties. JD did this for 3 years in the A ball and his first half year in AA. He finally started to get it and hit a solid .268 in half a season at Birmingham and then earned a promotion to Chicago in Sept. '99. Then, after finally getting to the Show, he comes to ST in 2000 and declares that he is no longer going to switch-hit (his decision). So now after having 85-90% of his AB's the previous three years left-handed, and watching breaking balls from righthanders come at him, he is at this point going to watch AA curveballs and sliders move away from him with no experience at hitting them. He thinks hitting HR's will get him to the Big Leagues for good, so he pulls off the ball everytime and can't hit a breaking ball any better than a bad little leaguer. In reality, he should have been back in Bristol in terms of the level of experience batting RH against righties. But he was way too good a SS for that. Unfortunately, JD never learned to go the other way and still, 3 seasons later, he is doing the same thing and pulling off the ball. He needs a whole new approach and a fresh start. Hopefully for him, he will get it, because he seems to be a good guy. Just not the smartest in terms of recognizing what he really needs to do to get back to the Majors.

JD screwed himself up by quitting being a switch-hitter and then by refusing to listen to coaching. He will never make it unless he gets a slap in the face and a fresh start with someone else. And then begins to listen....

you bet i got a few suggestions.. how long of a list do ya want??????? and does it have to be alphabetical or numerical order??????? Just pick out the top 10 and make sure they are creative!

Exactly right and exactly why Paul will never clear waivers. Those who say JP has contributed nothing are speaking with hyperbole; JP has not broken out as a star player by any reckoning, but he has played many games as a solid player on the team. He hasn't made the big mistakes. He has just failed to develop as we thought he would - his upward curve suddenly flattened at the point that we thought he would break out with increased development. cwsox, time to put your money where your mouth is........ What team would pick up JP? Who has a need for a catcher on their Major League roster? And don't say San Diego, because they already have two backups as good as JP. He is NOT a starting catching in the big leagues. SD needs a starting catcher. So let's hear scenarios of who would pick them up and why.

wow thats quite a list.. you really must have no life...... .....lol....... Unfortunately, you are right on that one...... Got any suggestions?

The Cubs have Paul Bako and Damian Miller on their 40-man. Why would they claim JP and keep 3 catchers unless they had an injury to one of the above? Makes no sense.....

Nothing but positive things, of course. LOL

I have pretty much said all I can on this subject before, so I won't get into all the details and reasons. JD will never play SS for the Sox and will ONLY play SS in the Majors if a hitting coach from another organization can get into his head. The Sox have him so screwed up mentally, he's toast with us. Actually, he has himself so screwed up mentally that he is toast.

?????

You are correct that Wiki only played 56 games last year. But my point is that they don't need a Josh Paul, they need a starter.

I don't expect many of them to interest you, but my point is I would bet they interest their own teams as much or more than JP would.

I know of one off the top of my head....... Frank Menechino was drafted by Oakland several years ago (from the Sox). He is still bouncing back and forth between AAA and Oakland, but he did contribute over 2 years or so.. Can't think of any others.....

Rex, do you think that the difference in ballparks has anything to do with the teams being so much different from AA to AAA record wise (When it is relatively the same cast the following year in AAA). From what I've read, Birmingham is more of a pitchers park while Charlotte is a hitters paradise. That could have somewhat of an effect. But Borchard hit better in Bham than in Charlotte. No one really put up huge numbers in Charlotte compared to what they did in Birmingham (hitters). I think it more has to do with the mix of players. Last year, there were a lot of free agents and the roster changed drastically from opening day to late in the season. How about this for a list of names that didn't play in Birmingham the year before? Justin Baughman, Jose Canseco, Damon Buford, D'Angelo Jiminez, Brooks Kieschnick, Scott Morgan, Anthony Sanders, Mike Zwyica, Carlos Chantres, Tom Jacquez, Ryan Kohlmeier, and Steve Schrenk. Much more player movement exists in AAA, both in new players and players going up and down to Chicago. Agendas are very different and the players don't always mix well. Veterans often resent prospects. I think you get the point......

Both of those links were the same KWF. And for what it is worth, you get the cookie of the day for pulling a link from nowhere out of your arse!

I don't believe there was another Sox player taken in the Major League portion of the draft. A Minor Leaguer perhaps, but those guys don't have to be kept on a certain roster so they aren't offered back.

As far as the Padres go, they have two backup type catchers already, in Wiki Gonzalez and Gary Bennett, not to mention perhaps the best "receiver" in baseball in Humberto Quintero on their AA roster. They need a starter, not a Josh Paul. If Gonzalez is the starter, Gary Bennett would be every bit as good or better than JP as a backup.

SF, you are absolutely right. Only because I have no life, shall I provide this list. Of course, all of you have probably already checked out all these names on MLB.com so this is not necessary, but I feel the need to print what you have already read. The following catchers all with Major League experience are in Spring Training with a club but are not on the 40-man roster of that club. Most of these guys will end up in AAA. This is not a complete list.... I merely tried to pick out the most reconizable names. Steve Lomasney Izzy Molina AJ Hinch Tim Laker Bill Haselman Matt Walbeck Mike DiFilece John Flaherty Adam Melhuse Pat Borders Jorge Fabregas Chad Krueter Raul Casanova Chris Tremie Eddie Perez Tony Eusebio Randy Knorr Marcus Jensen Kevin Brown (not the pitcher) This does not include situations like the Sox have where they have 3 catchers on their 40-man roster competing for 2 spots. You can debate who on this list is better than JP or is not better all you want, but that is quite a list of catchers with Big League experience. All of this and 50 cents will buy you a soda, but it does also give you an indication that veteran "backup" type catchers are a dime a dozen.

Jim Bullard: Here is one for you... I was looking at the Sox Minor League rosters tonight and found something kind of strange. On the Sox Great Falls roster, there is a player listed in the pitchers simply as Yofu. I wouldn't think much of it, but it lists his age as 29 years old. Does such a player exist? Surely they aren't thinking of sending a 29 yr old to Great Falls? Have you seen him at your level or is he working out with the lower levels? Help me out with the scoop, please.

I think the only team that would take him are the Padres. They could also use a power hitter, big time. power hitter...*cough* *cough*.. are we still talking about josh paul here??????? lol lol lol lol...i think that the power hitting they need is more likely found in a guy like magglio.......... Please tell me you meant that the Padres needed both a catcher and a power hitter?? Certainly you did not mean JP was both? Hell, we are barely sure he is a catcher.

Chisoxfn, as much as you were right on with Majewski and not being on the 40-man (other thread) you are just as far off on this one. Charlotte finished 55-88 and was 307 in their last 10 games. If you are finding any "improvement" in those numbers, then they must have been WAY down to get to there. Keep in mind that Miguel wasn't promoted to AAA last year for two reasons. One, the Barons were winning and the Sox threw them a bone. Two, they didn't want to expose any prospect to the atmosphere in Charlotte last year. It was so bad that apparently, both Chris Saunders and Eric Battersby were elated to be demoted to Birmingham. (Sit near the player's wives and you'll be amazed at what kind of info you can get). LOL HSC, you can't count on the Barons guys from last year moving up and continuing at Charlotte. Remember the Barons had made the playoffs the previous two years and Charlotte was disappointing the following year each time. There are always Minor League Free Agents that find the AAA roster. Those guys can make or break a ballclub. Charlotte, could and SHOULD be good, but there is no guarantee.