chitownsportsfan

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 18, 2015 -> 12:22 AM) there were other options avail. options that were and will be backup next yr. as i said, i do want to bash the owners nor beckham, but this loyalty things the owner has to a little too much sometimes. oh I agree in my world Paulie would have retired after a symbolic first AB last year or something like that. It's annoying. I'm a bulls fan as well, yea it's annoying.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 09:11 PM) let me also say, i am not trying to ugly here and bash Gordo or the owners group. but sometime i am wondering if the owners group are fully aware how fragile this team is without full backup options. i mean not playing favorites or looking for the right deal. this team is so freaking close. Of course they are but what are you going to do? Nobody that's talented enough to be a starter is going to sign to be a backup, and a s***ty backup like Beckham costs 2 million. Other than the Dodgers and Nationals and maybe the Mariners or Red Sox there isn't a single team that could survive injuries to say 2 of their top 5 players. Yea the Sox need Sale and Jose and Eaton and so on to say healthy -- but so do the vast majority of teams. Nobody really has a great bench, otherwise those guys wouldn't be on the bench. Occasionally you get super teams but not very often anymore. I'd be shocked if anyone in the AL won over 95 games and I think 88 will take the 2nd wildcard. edit: they should have signed rickie weeks instead of Gordo, but Gordo has a history here and the Sox are loyal beyond belief.

I'm going to go ahead and throw this out there: would the team be better served with a purely defensive 4th OF -- aka Thompson? Yea you'd like to get him more AB in AAA and see if a breakthrough happens but on the other hand -- he's clearly the best defensive CF outside of Eaton in camp.

Hell let Thompson stick around another couple weeks and see what happens. Let him battle for a spot. His defense is an asset now at MLB level.

hang whifff'em for Garcia. another bullet, this time right at Miller however.

LaRoche looking good. Anderson running for Jose scores easily.

Jesus ackley showing serious oppo power. Not a bad pitch from Montas.

Montas in throwing gas.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 04:35 PM) Surkamp isn't making this team Thank god they have more options this year.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 04:28 PM) I think the better pitching attacks him realizing he has a tough time with fastballs. I don't think it is a lack of patience, I think they are comimg after him and he can't do much about it for the most part. I doubt when he was successful in the minors, the pitchers had the same plan. Yea no doubt. Why nibble? Yea he's got some power, he also has a long ass swing.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 04:18 PM) I think he did lol he'd be the perfect Brady Andersen type, someone slip him some juice.

Conor hit the weight room bro.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 04:09 PM) "At best" he's better than a 1 WAR catcher since he just eclipsed that and has done it before without the high BABIP. What about his .261 BABIP in 2013 when he played hurt all year? That was the only major league season where he really wasn't worth anything. ZiPS likes him the most at a 95 wRC+ and 1.5 WAR, Steamer likes him the least with a 75 wRC+ and 0.7 WAR, and everything else is in between. I'd say "most likely" he's a 1 WAR catcher and we can live with that. Fair enough. Good catchers are hard to find. Having a guy that is proven 1 WAR catcher isn't the end of the world but I just feel Flowers has zero margin for error. If he doesn't have a BABIP of .300 or higher he's going to slash 190/230/340. Plus, aesthetically, like Rock said, the guy is hard to watch.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 04:03 PM) He had a pitch his first at bat he should have crushed too. 20 days Yep you'll see I mentioned it his last AB as well. Oh well, fake games.

wow I thought Jose was going to hit that a mile. Hanging breaking ball popped up, too bad.

Micah continues to rake. Little splitter from Kuma didn't do much, sat up nicely Micah takes it into LF solid single.

Shuck is getting a long look this spring. Lots of PA. Little baltimore chopper over the mound for an infield hit. Kuma's splitter is deadly today.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 03:52 PM) I just hate everything about Flowers game. Bad swing, mediocre defensively. Ugh I agree, I'm starting to think catcher is the weakest spot. It took a .350 BABIP for him to be worth anything. Somehow I don't think that's going to happen again. At best he's a 1 WAR catcher.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 04:43 PM) I thought that Gillaspie liner was going further than that. Yea it died. Must have gotten it off the end of the bat some.

Jeff looks pretty good is he going to go like 5 today?

nice job by Garcia he looks good. Got his pitch, waited nicely, and ripped it into left.

Ha, if you felt a breeze a minute ago that was Jose swinging on 2-0, massive cut. Tremendous plate coverage to foul off a splitter a foot ouside and low on 2-2. Kuma makes a good pitch on teh inside corner and Jose gets jammed for the double play. Jose fouled off a couple hittable pitches before that.

Not a chance Eaton ever bats anywhere other than leadoff. Sox have been looking for a high OBP, speedy leadoff guy for a decade. Not that they have one they aren't going to mess with that. Especially with a hitter as talented as Melky to slot into the 2 hole. Great AB from Melky. Kuma looks nasty but Melky hung around with 2 strikes and stroked one for a single.

lol at that pic! I was just about to say "Eminor doing work!" when I saw it. ROFL... Dick, man, this guy is good listen to the man.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 16, 2015 -> 04:26 PM) Nice 2nd and 3rd innings for Rodon. Also, I know a lot of people are worried about the 2nd base spot, but I honestly feel like the catching position is the weakest position on the team. wouldn't suprise me to see flowers have a below replacement first half and sox make a desparate move around the deadline. His line last year was awful even with all the smoke and mirrors. Take that BABIP luck away from the first half and it's ugly.