chitownsportsfan

Hit up three games, two the Sox played in. Compared to when I went in '14, Abreu was incredibly relaxed and loose. Was joking around with the guys pregame, donned a skullcap under his hat and just really appeared at ease. When not playing, Collins was working in the bullpen quite a bit with the pitchers and coaches, obviously the kid wants to stick at catcher and the sox are providing him that opportunity. Avi hit one of his patented two choppers to 2nd, then as he was going out to the field Steverson stopped him and they chatted for a minute, looked like from the hand motions Steverson was making it known he wanted avi to pull the damn ball. After this happened I yelled (was about 80 feet away): "todd, teach that guy to hit, and he looked at me and shrugged. I laughed out loud so did a couple sox fans around me. Renteria looked like a kid in a candy shop, he was chatting with the fans way more then robin, I think the job wore RV down, we'll see how Renteria handles it. Moncada was electric from what I saw. Built like Mike Trout and runs like him too. He came up 2nd to last in the top of the 9th in the game yesterday (sell out against the Dbacks, 13K in the house) and probably half the people left just wanted to see him hit, as soon as he popped out quite a few sox fans got up, including us, and left. Good overall showing from the Sox fans (didn't get to camelback this year) throughout the parks and Valley. So many damn Cubs fans. One local "the f***ing cubs fans have ruined spring training" As we walked out my buddy had on a Byrant shirt and the usher goes "104 more years!" Ha. Sox played nice crisp defense in the IF other than Davidson, who you just hope can not be butcher level bad. There was a wide throw on a double play ball from Anderson I saw but all the routine plays were made in both games I saw, at least when the starters were in. Jose looks a little lighter to me this year. Engel looked good in OF, May not so much. Lopez has a very smooth delivery and the D-Backs didn't hit him very hard. Wasn't blowing it by guys but was working ahead. probably some things I'm forgetting but we did a lot of drinking so forgive me. If I remember anything else interesting I'll add it.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Mar 5, 2017 -> 05:46 PM) How did Lopez look? His stats in the box score look good. He looked solid not blowing it by guys but worked ahead and not too much hard contact against a decent spring lineup for the diamond backs. Delmonico put s charge into one in the 9th, hit off the top of the wall in center for a triple.

At the game, may took an awful route on that ball, should have been an out. Game getting sloppy now, wild pitch offense for d backs.

Was at the game, Moncada looked explosive. Ball jumps off his bat and he is faster than advertised imo. He really is built like Trout, he is going to be fun.

ate the passport, crazy.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Mar 1, 2017 -> 01:58 AM) That's cool you say this. I agree. You are out on a limb here, though. My feeling reading the board is very few people want our prospects anywhere near the major league roster anytime soon. If Lopez and Moncada aren't on the MLB roster by July it's not a good sign. Giolito it would be nice to see a cameo from in late summer and September. Kopech? Kopech shouldn't sniff the bigs this year, perhaps even if he's the 2nd coming of Kerry Wood in AA. Fulmer? Hopefully he forces his way up by August. He's a 4th starter at best imo though. Not as exciting as the others mentioned.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 05:30 PM) If people freak out about a guy who is 20 pitching in an early spring training game, they are nuts. No one expects Kopech to be even close to the big league roster at this point. If anything, I'd think people should be excited that he flashed some plus curves and obviously demonstrated that his velocity is real. This guys aren't even really trying to get guys out. They are working on pitches. Your post is spot on.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 02:51 PM) Do you even know who you're talking about anymore? Wilson Alvarez?

QUOTE (steveno89 @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 03:10 PM) What does Alvarez do for us though? He is marginally better than replacement level with limited upside Our intention is to TANK the next 2 seasons, why bother making additions like him? bingo.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 01:37 PM) I think there is a good chance he sees more time at 1B this year with Abreu at DH. Especially if Moncada tears up AAA and needs a spot in the infield (if Lawrie/Frazier isn't gone yet, Lawrie plays 3B). I forgot what paper I was reading where the article mentioned the 2B battle being between Lawrie and Saladino. Say if Saladino were to win the starting job at 2B, would they cut Lawrie since they would be on the hook for like 1/4 his salary (similar to when they tendered Viciedo a contract)? I don't see much upside in Lawrie personally but maybe there's a chance he could regain some value and could be traded for a A ball lotto ticket or something in mid summer. Hope to see Sally get at least 400 PA this year wherever he plays. I think Sally could be a 3 WAR player, I really do. Anybody know the situation with Lawrie's contract?

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 01:34 PM) Even for just 1 year? It's not like they'd be trading for a guy with a bad contract and 4 years left and over 30. IMO it would be best to let him play at 1B 2-3 times a week. Heck, I'd suggest the Sox do it, seeing how Salidino can cover. I think it will help his bat.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 01:32 PM) Frazier makes sense for them as an option at 3B or 1B really. I think any team looking to trade for him has to consider that his time at 3B is limited.

QUOTE (shipps @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 01:25 PM) Do third baseman have rapid early breakdowns as often or more often than catchers? It sure as hell seems like it has cut a lot of careers short but thats probably just anecdotal because I have seen in on our club. I think it's the stress on the core with all the reaction based dives and pegs. It must take a tremendous toll after 1000 or so games in the bigs, plus all the ground balls you're taking in practice.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 28, 2017 -> 10:59 AM) I know Gordo had some hype, but never top of the heap. Beckham was rated #20 by BA, which was much than most other services FWIW. Frank was rated #29 by BA. RV was rated #15 by BA. So, no, the Sox have not had a even a top 10 position player prospect, let alone universally top #3 and in some lists #1. I looked briefly last night before posting that, and that was what the edit was. Initially I compared him to Frank, but Frank ascended once he got into MLB and hit the cover off the ball -- as a prospect he was merely "very good" not elite.

QUOTE (OnlyGillis @ Feb 27, 2017 -> 11:57 PM) He's picked right up where he left off in September. I'd love to know what he hit against curve balls in AA as a lefty since that is supposed to be his strong side.. What he have, a whopping 20 PA at age 21 in MLB? Just a protip for Sox fans: we haven't had a position player prospect this highly rated by every service since probably...well, ever. Relax. Let the kid develop. His bat is gonna play. If he can make more plays like he did today at 2B he's a star.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 27, 2017 -> 03:46 PM) I hope on 2/27 he isn't at max velocity Damn this might be the first post I agree with you. No reason to be going all out right now.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 27, 2017 -> 03:44 PM) Whoever owns the broadcast rights could try and stop them. I havent read a ticket in a while, but I assume that there is something that prohibits this. When I was at Camelback a couple years ago the ushers were very friendly and encouraged everyone to get as close as they liked regardless of what ticket you had, but one thing they were strict on was videotaping. There were notices behind the plate about it.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Feb 23, 2017 -> 09:37 PM) Even if he is on his game I don't expect him to go more than 4 or 5 innings. Hopefully. I have a love hate relationship with the WBC. On one hand I love any sort of international sporting competition, on the other hand, I hate seeing a Sox asset taxed unnecessarily early in the year. It was really cool though being in Sunset Park BK when that Mexican hat took off from the 2009 classic, it was like every dude on the street had on that hat for a few weeks, really showed that MLB can be a "cool" sport.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Feb 22, 2017 -> 10:19 PM) You are speaking as if bunting is a fundamental and working on footwork to turn a DP isn't . They both are fundamentals . No s***, one is vastly more important to winning games though.

QUOTE (BamaDoc @ Feb 22, 2017 -> 06:39 PM) With regards to fundamentals I will quote a fairly successful Alabama football coach: "We don't practice until we get it right. We practice until we can't get it wrong" That's great, except this is MLB , not CFB. Saban can teach his 5 star DT how to sink his pads and do a rip move, more power to him. if Renteria thinks teaching Moncada to bunt is a good use of his time, well, he's wrong. That said, RV blabbed non stop about how each year the team was going to do the little things and how they were stressing fundamentals and each year the team was a poor fundamental team: not taking the extra base, missing the cut off man, inability to get the bunt down, etc. So I'll believe it when I see it. And yea, don't ask guys like Moncada to spend time bunting. I'd much rather him him working on his double play pivot.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 22, 2017 -> 01:58 PM) People actually complain about the length of football games a lot, and especially the excessive commercial breaks. College football gets this even more, the recent NCAA championship ended after midnight east coast time. CFB is out of control. the title game was an absolute farce, all the way down to the ending where they put time back on the clock after a sustained delay. The B1G seems especially awful, but maybe that's just because that's mostly what I watch.

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Feb 22, 2017 -> 03:33 PM) Doesn't he have a history of coming in lighter? Sure hasn't made much of a difference before...still the same bad swing, and being lighter won't help him take better routes to fly balls... Right. Avi's always in great shape. Jesus Montero came into camp about 50lbs lighter in 2015 and '16 with the Mariners. It didn't help him hit curveballs and he eventually got cut. Usually for these guys on the margins it's not about working hard or showing up in shape it's about not having enough baseball skill. Avi is no different.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 22, 2017 -> 02:58 PM) Scot Gregor‏@scotgregor 59m59 minutes ago According to #WhiteSox VP Kenny Williams, Reynaldo Lopez has been most impressive young arm through first week of camp. Lopez going to break camp with the big club?

IMO it's pretty poor training to have this happen.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Feb 21, 2017 -> 11:09 PM) I don't like this, but for a different reason. There are very rare cases where a pitcher is attempting to intentionally walk a batter, but instead throws a wild pitch, or the hitter swings, or somebody (ex: Miguel Cabrera, 2006) gets an RBI knock off an attempted intentional walk. Sure, these cases happen very rarely, but they impact the games greatly when they do happen; eliminating the formality of throwing the four balls prevents them from ever happening, which, in my opinion, is wrong. it's a stupid change. Has no real benefit (ooh saves 30 seconds every other game, big whoop) and as you touched on -- that element is now gone from baseball. Stupid, Manfred sucks.