TaylorStSox

The team knows more about pitching than me. I've got no opinion. I'll enjoy following him in the minors or watching him in the majors.

Yay, another Tatis thread. I'm almost rooting against the kid just so I don't have to read his name for the next 10 years. I'm not a big enough asshole to root against a 19 year old kid though.

Didn't he once golf a HR that bounced in front of home plate? I'm pretty sure Vlad did too. Frank and LTP hit the longest homers I've ever seen at comiskey. Hell, Borchard hit the hardest ball I've ever seen in the Skydome. It bounced off the baggie in CF, but was still rising. I'll never forget the sound it made off the bat.

There isn't a bad thing you can say about the guy. He was a true pleasure to watch, and unquestionably, a first ballot HOF'er.

Can somebody rate them 1-5 defensively? I'm intrigued by Rutherford. Even if the pop never develops, he has really good bat control and looks like he can work the ball around the field (i'm basing this off the video available online. never seen him in person). If he's a plus defender, his bat will play, especially if we can make up for the lack of power in other spots around the field.

I'd put Polo higher just because there's no way a guy named Tito Polo doesn't make it.

The telekinetic dude that was one of Thanos henchmen was a fantastic villain. I couldn't take Thanos seriously though. He looks a little too ridiculous for me.

I still think it's the Twins. The Cubs aren't our rivals. We play in different leagues. Fans on both sides of town seem to obsess over it, but I personally could care less except when we play each other.

Maybe they thought it would be more beneficial to get reps in the big leagues and coached there. Major league fields play way better.

I really think Anderson is gonna end up being a plus SS. He's got all the tools you can ask for and I actually think he's a quick learner considering the circumstances.

Hey man, you guys do what you want, but when it comes to admonishing black players for their low sports IQ's I'm gonna go ahead and kindly bow out. Have at it. ?

Also, no athlete has ever been as protected as MJ, from the league down.

You're comparing different sports and different cultures. Basketball has always had a more liberal culture. I sat in the stands as a kid and couldn't believe the things I heard Sox fans saying about Frank. At the time, I thought he was a God and couldn't understand why people treated him that way. Again, I witnessed it with my own eyes and ears and it left a lasting impression.

Given the history of racial tension in Bridgeport and the treatment of Frank Thomas, which is one of the most shameful things I've personally witnessed in sports, it might behoove us as Sox fans to err on the side of caution and be a little more sensitive. That's all.

Nobody took exception to the move to CF. People took exception to saying he had a low baseball IQ. Obviously it's a touchy subject when talking about black players.

I don't think people are often intentionally racist, but it is present and inherent. Ramirez/Beckham and Thomas/Ventura are both good examples. If Anderson continues to play with an edge and anger some people, it'll be interesting to see how he's treated in comparison to a guy like AJ.

I always laughed at the contrast in how Ramirez and Beckham were treated. Not only was Ramirez a much better player, he was also a smarter player, though you would never know it by listening to fans. I don't even think it's intentional, it's just inherent in our culture, or rather the culture of sports.

I think he just needs reps. The tools are obvious. Regardless, it's way too early to move him or even worry about it. I guess people need something to talk about though.

There was a definite racist tilt to the criticism of Ramirez and I suspect the same with Anderson. It's not a lot different than when black QB's make mental errors.

Anderson has fantastic defensive tools, Marcus Semien doesn't. It's pretty simple. Washington invested time in Semien because his bat has fantastic potential. If you can get him to be a serviceable SS, it's a net plus. Semien's defensive ceiling is average. Andersons defensive ceiling is GG.

Personally, I find defensive stats dubious at best, but nevertheless, counting stats are probably all that matters this early. If I saw a Stat that said Semien was even an average defender, I'd ignore it. He's not going to suddenly become good because he doesn't possess the tools to be good at SS.

Yeah, I assumed it was a sample size issue. I just found it odd that Caulfield would even reference it, but it is Caulfield, so it probably wouldn't make much sense. Semien's defense will put him out of the league. Not only is he limited, he's also developed the "yips."

I just can't take any stat seriously that ranks Semien among the best defenders. I love the kid, but even a good defender, he ain't.

The kid's going to be an absolute monster.