Princess Dye

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Mar 18, 2014 -> 01:07 PM) I'll simplify it so you can understand. Flowers struck out more than any catcher in baseball last year based on number /AB. 6 out of 26 is a small sampling and it is only the mid-point of Spring training, but it is also against a range of ML to Class A pitchers. On a team that needs offense, he may be headed for a worst season this year. In the 315 PAs before last year he had a 700 OPS. So by your metric we're to only consider his 275 PAs last year? Is that fair to him? Take his successes and failures into account. Offensively he's subpar and defensively he's well-rounded enough. That doesnt equal league-worst anything. If he takes his career 650 OPS up this year, by having say a 700 OPS again-- with a little more health now -- you can do a lot worse for what he makes. He makes peanuts. My guess is this year we will have a guy who will be out a TON and also hit 15,17 bombs. And be just fine defensively, good not great. You get what you pay for and someone who does that stuff for less than $1M can be on my team. Catcher is wrongly looked at here as The Only Hole.

I met someone named Wegner recently and had to do all possible to keep from laughing..but my eyes may have bulged momentarily i partially wanted him to do something that i'd have to question. loudly

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 10:11 AM) For what catchers were going for in the off-season, it didn't make sense to spend 10-20 times what the Phegley would make, for a season that isn't really going anywhere. A guy who fit into your long term plans? Sure. The one guy the Sox liked, they were outbid for by the Yankees. Other than that, there were some really bad catchers and/or contracts out there. Agreed. If we end up being surprise-good, we can acquire something. No sense in paying someone now when the expectation is not...that we're going to be good right now. Spend on catcher when the time is right. In the meantime, see if you can raise a little value in one of the current guys or just lose games while trying, which is likely on the menu either way. Saltalamacchia wasnt making us catch DET this year obviously.

Flowers' first 317 PAs in the bigs were .205/.307/.388. Then last year happened..he was hurt and things were awful. But if you get that first guy again, then basically you have garden variety defensive catcher and garden variety catcher on offense. Making low salary. That is fine by me. We'd have other places to improve if that .700 OPS guy comes back. Other teams tend to pay guys a whole lot more money to get, what, .730 OPS with garden variety catching? Leaguewide someone point me to the stockpiles of fantastic catchers.

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Mar 15, 2014 -> 08:00 PM) First game for me this season! Hyped and two Shiner Bocks deep! Holla. Is Shiner Holiday Cheer any good? Had it once. But cant remember.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 14, 2014 -> 01:20 PM) What do you guys think of the 3-4-5 spots for the regular season. I think going Dunn-Abreu-Garcia is the best option. Dunn 3rd will have pitchers giving him better pitches with Abreu protecting him. Garcia 5th will break up the potential group of slow guys in Abreu-Dunn-Viciedo-Gillaspie. I like CF Eaton 2B Beckham DH Dunn 1B Abreu RF Garcia LF Viciedo 3B Gillaspie C Flowers SS Ramirez I think we'll see CF Eaton SS Ramirez RF Garcia 1B Abreu DH Dunn LF Viciedo 3B Gillaspie 2B Beckham C Flowers We're identical. Well I tend to just assume Flowers last in all situations but i guess maybe i see the AR last philosophy as a little ..bunching of speed

Dunn saying he isnt what he used to be reminds me of my dad saying he isnt what he used to be. In both cases I am sympathetic. Humanity and excellence eventually get drained. Time,she's undefeated

Dumping Dunn with absolutely nothing in return as far as money or players makes zero sense and that is impossible to question. Obviously at that point you stick with him and hope for a 2012 replay, which is not insane considering that year he had actual live bodies in the lineup in front and behind him. A guy like Dunn needs people on base necessitating a decent pitch come his way. Or of course something following him that's of a threatening nature. 2013 was not that. As a hitter, Last-Few-Years-Dunn takes the shape of whatever receptacle he's in.

micah johnson is the only vocal pacers fan i'll Follow

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 13, 2014 -> 02:18 PM) De Aza and Abreu singles were sandwiched around an Alexei DP. i think you just confused the bread n' the meat

QUOTE (GallonsOfSemien @ Mar 13, 2014 -> 11:18 AM) Carlos Lee's thighs remind me of David Viciendo's thighs... Thick, muscular, good for hours of "laborous" endeavors... It's possible you'll be an asset here but it'll be an uphill climb from this

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Mar 13, 2014 -> 07:24 AM) Boy that's one big cookie of encouragement for all you Dunn lovers who believe some team is going to swoop in and pick up part of this guy's contract. The other 29 see those stats, too. They also see this mindset, from the guy who was more or less dumped in his free agent year and who famously for a year or two had his desire for playing the game of baseball constantly questioned. And if he replays his 2012 season then these quotes and perceived mindset go out the window and teams will come calling. Put up some stats and memories become short. Don't, and they won't. That's where we're at with him. Plus his 2013 was just down some from 2012, nothing insurmountable. As you say, it will be about losing PART of the contract midyear. That isnt that difficult to accomplish if he has a regular Sox-Dunn year, as opposed to '11.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 02:15 PM) Paulino struggling early again Ooh, gonna have to crank back up my old Rienzo thread

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 02:46 PM) I think we're looking at JefCon9 (translated as Gillaspinger platoon, batting 9th) to start the season. Get hot Matty. Wow, lots of awesome in this post

This is a tough one because Viciedo with a good year would suddenly have some real serious trade value. The organizational-health move is to give him another shot at this thing. Meanwhile De Aza is more of an all-around player. I think the mental mistakes are something that can be focused on...we saw Rios improve in that department. If we want to pile some wins early this coming year and take our best shot at this thing, then ADA is playing more than Viciedo If we want to try and take a shot at the Grand Prize, and take a chance in hopes of getting something substantial for our troubles..then Viciedo plays.

I was letting myself get excited about Nieto, but offensively it kind of brings me back to earth to realize.....he has basically been Kevan Smith, but with switch hitting as a feature. Kevan Smith was actually (far better) at the lowest levels too. Age difference is a year, and both guys have kind of been that intriguing-but-not-able-to-rise-through-the-ranks guy.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Mar 4, 2014 -> 03:09 PM) Glad to see Abreu and Viciedo taking walks Hawk's going to have to change his well-worn "Latins leaving the island" phrase. Who knows, his brain may actually fall backwards into progress...

so he didnt bat second, then oi.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Feb 19, 2014 -> 03:31 PM) I really dont understand the Peter Bourjos dicksuck fest. I get he is a great defender, but come on. thats a rare kind of fest, but it may be the best fest

Kind of surprised the Sox would declare this so early. Just in the sense of..what's the benefit, really? I guess to light a fire under AR, see what happens?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 09:22 AM) This changes literally nothing with Nieto, which is not a good or bad thing. The Nats did not think enough of him to put him on the 40 man roster. They do not value him highly. They will likely give him away for a song. I'd prefer Rock-a-bye Baby, but will part with Happy Birthday. This could be true, but it also happened because the Nats have several catchers they like. It's not solely b/c Nieto is what he is. I'm reading whatever I can on him...myy take on him is...early levels were a disappointment, but has played very well recently for long stretches (albeit not at a level fitting of his age) We had no young talent a year ago. Have to get creative (and we have). If he sticks on the roster he accomplishes the magical feat of defeating (just one of) these 2013 OPSes: .603, .522. That's what he'd be competing with in camp, as things stand. Plus he's said to have the defense (and of course the switch hit aspect)

Recent Sox seasons have clued me in: we may not have a breakout player Breakout players are not something we're owed, even though that's naturally the fan mindset.

I get this whole vibe from Hawk that he doesnt want to talk about Hahn that much. He mentions him, but soxfest was the first time he seemed to willingly be positive about him in a public way Sees him as a changing of the guard, suits-over-jocks in front offices?

Slow these days so... Chris Cotillo ‏@ChrisCotillo 1m RHP Chaz Roe has a minor league deal with the #Marlins, as @mlbtraderumors said. #WhiteSox also had strong interest.

The problem with signing Santana is you'd rather have that $-flexibility when you are close. Hold on to that dough right now, and take this year to see the new cast, and see how realistically close you are to contention for '15.