chitownsportsfan

I think this signals the death knell for Gload or Borchard, if it wasn't ringing already, it's loud and clear now.

King Felix Starts Hot This guy was the youngest player to play in MLB during 2005, and only posted an ERA+ of 165. His K/9 was 8.22. His K/W was 3.34. His WHIP was .996. Granted he only pitched 84.3 innings--but this guy is a stud, at 19--those numbers? Unreal. At age 21, Pedro Martinez was signifanctly worse in every statistical category except K/9, and it wasn't be that much. What Pedro has done in the "live player" ERA is also unreal, and he has to be one of the top 5 greatest pichers of all time, with longevity the only thing holding him back from possibly being the best of all time. Felix is already better than Pedro, with more pitches, at an age two years younger. Look at Dwight Gooden's age 20 season, and look at his K/9, K/B, and WHIP stacks up to Felix's. Felix could win the Cy Young this year, he's that good. He's a once in a generation prospect. The only thing stopping him from becoming an all time great would be arm trouble or drugs. It could happen, pitching is a violent motion on the arm and mind, as we all know. However, if it doesn't, Felix is on his way to Cooperstown. There is not one 19 year old in baseball in 2006 that even looks like a potential GOAT, which is why people like myself get a bit excited about his prospects. He could be the "Lebron James" of baseball. Another comparison: Roger Clemens didn't post a WHIP even close to under 1.00 until he was 23. Felix just did it at age 19.

I wonder if any other ex-player GM's head to weight room during games...The KW/Beane similarities keep coming.

Exactly. KW and BB are two of the most similiar GM's in the game today. They have differences sure, but they have very similiar philosophies on team construction. Good post Kevhead. Does KW use sabermetrics? Yes. Does KW consider other things like leadership and and attitude: Yes. Is sabermetrics perfect: No. The article is a series of "straw man" arguments about "Moneyball". It's stupid and a child could see through the logic. I wonder if the author has even read "Moneyball". It's like he got the cliff's notes version from Joe Morgan: Billy Beane only cares about OBP. No he doesn't. Nobody in sabermetrics does. It's a useful stat sure, more useful than average, but it's not the holy grail of how Beane or sabermetricians judge a player and build a team. I guarantee you Beane cares more about OPS or the many other offensive formulas that more accuractly judge a players worth.

What a terrible argument. The whole premise is that "Moneyball" doesn't work and that the Sox won because they didn't use "Moneyball". "Moneyball" isn't sabermetrics, I really wish writers would realize that. "Moneyball" is about maximizing market inefficiencies--and sabermetrics is just one component of that stragegy. Like Kennie said about Frank, "look it up"--ok, I will: Average Wins Last 4 Seasons for A's and Sox (Kenny Williams "Era"): Sox: 86.4 A's: 96 How does this guy even have a job? Maybe it's just insanely possible that both Kenny Williams and Billy Beane are good GM's. Maybe by one objective measure (w/l) you could say Beane is better. Maybe be another one you could say (rings) that KW is the better GM. This is crap and the Washington Post should fire this guy for ignorance.

Arod and King Felix, in that order. Felix is focking amazing, I'd be surprised if he doesn't have a Dwight Gooden like season. For a 19 year old, he's got nasty stuff and control. If the Mariner are smart, they'll ride him for 200+ every year until he hits arbitration. Arod because he's good for 600 PA's every year and because he hits focking unreal for a + defensive SS, cya Uribe.

Yea, Perry clearly didn't do much research for this preview piece, and although I agree with his sabermetric analysis often, it's clear that he's a lazy writer who is focusing more on book signings than being informed. He thinks Ben Grieve is going to make the team out of spring training? As GOB would say: COME ON!

I'll bust out the inevitable "brokeback school of scouting" comment.

I love Firefox. I also couldn't get in until I tried this evening around 8pm EST. Good to see that some of our fellow Soxtalkers use the 'Fox.

That pretty much sums up the difference in browers. Firefox is the better browser, I'm sure you IE people are hard headed, hell I was too before switching. Firefox and tabs and it's mundo pop-up blocker will have you hooked in 3 days--give it 3 days I swear you'll love it. Admins: Any chance of getting the page views broken down by broswer? I hope Firefox and Opera are up into the 30% range as a whole. IE is such a POS, IMO at least--and I used IE forever.

Obviously the metaphor wasn't meant to be taken literally, like a 50/50 chance of Thome staying healthy, or 49.5/49.5/1, whatever the exact roulette odds are. My larger point is that saying an offense's sucess rests solely on one player is foolish and worse--lazy. Jordan: could you explain further why you thought the article was "very good"? I guess I'm just confused why you think that, but am willing to listen to reasons.

I swear half the board could write more informative previews than ESPN's staff: That's like saying, "Concerned about your finances, hello roulette table!" I mean, Thome's a gamble to stay healthy, and finances is so much more than just betting on ONE SINGLE THING to go right. Another "blah" preview piece I I guess.

Crazy carl? He said some stupid s*** about the Mariners being as good as the Sox...can't remember the exact quote though. I'd scratch him off the list.

Alright, lets make a fair analogy. If BA had said, "no, I don't garden, thats black folk work"--would you be so quick to write it off as "joking around"? I don't believe so. Why the double standard? Why is it OK to stereotype one historically opressed group but not the other? Like I said, I don't think it's that harmful to women that he said that, however I don't believe it's appropriate to "joke around" when issues of sexism, racism, etc or involved.

Good work, looks like that site will now be at the top of many lists for Sox related info. Amazing the trickle down effects from a World Series victory. I'm glad that Soxtalk is expanding in content and popularity.

I think it's an ignorant statement by BA and I certainly think less of him now, however, on a scale of 100 on "things that hurt women" I'd say that statement ranks about a 2. I'll save my bile for wife beaters, child abusers, and rapists. To conclude: ignorant thing to say, but not that hurtful, so I don't really care.

Screw him, some of you guys need to get over the hatred. He's always been a prick, he was just a prick that was on the Sox and could be counted on for a 310/470/530 line in his prime. Has he disrespected the organization? Yes. Is he delusional about things? Yes. Was he the best White Sox hitter of all team? Easily. All this wishing him injury and embarassment is just rolling in the mud with a pig. I hope Frank finishes his career strong and shuts his mouth. It's unlikely to happen, but I'm over caring strongly either way. I'm focused on the 2006 White Sox, and Frank isn't in those plans.

Well, the homer is really irrelevent to me. That Ozzie comments however seem to suggest that it's Borchard's job to lose, as clearly he is the better OF option over Gload. It might not be "fair" to Gload, but on this team his position of skill (1B) just isn't in as high of demand as outfield depth.

Thats such a bad comparison. I mean, one is out of baseball, another is 25, one is...ah screw it, I'm tired of trying to defend the value of Borchard. At least until he OPS' 900 in spring training--or 600. Hello Timo II!

Perry is a bleeping idiot and I won't defend him. However: That raises my ire a bit. CS is a wasted out, and a SB doesn't bring up the expected runs that much. However, a guy that is successful at stealing more than 75% is generaly considered an asset by the SABR community. Until his injury, PODS was over that mark. SABR guys don't like PODS because he plays a position low on the defensive spectrum and hits for a crap OPS, not because he steals bases.

I love being the IT guy, it's so empowering.

Yea, if Frank comes back in August last year he's probably still healthy and still on the team. I'm not saying the Sox staff did a bad job rushing him back, but extreme caution is what Frank needs now. That and milk. Hell, with his weight, maybe some calcium fortified soy milk should be his milk beverage of choice--low cal and high in protein! That a way to sell non-dairy milk in Frank Thomas post...

Hmm, I don't think Frank is "done" by any means. I think that he just needs to realize that he isn't 27 anymore. And if he can't or won't, well I'm damn sure Billy Beane will make him realize it by platooning him at DH with Swisher or whoever. I agree with you Balta, I think Frank should be limited to around 300 AB's in the regular season to make sure he's healthy for the post-season. The A's are stacked, and only injuries (IMO) will prevent them from making the postseason. With that in mind, they should save Frank for the postseason when the will need him the most. I'm no Frank apoligist, but I think he has one or two more limited seasons in him. It's a shame his ego is as big as his frame though. He's not a bad clubhouse guy, but his attitude otherwise is complete s***.

This roster spot between Gload/Borchard is going to be seeing the OF 2/3 times a week? God, I hope not. I hear your point on the injury risk with Thome playing 1B Jordan. I don't think it's enough of a concern to give much merit to though, in light of the other roster needs. It is something to be taken into consideration though for sure.

I'm glad the distinction between Gload's value to a team that needs a backup 1B and his value to the Sox is being made. Like others have said, it isn't that Gload isn't a useful player to have on the bench for only $350,000, it's that he isn't useful to a team as deep at 1B as the Sox are. IMO, the utility in keeping Borchard around is much greater than the utility in keeping Gload around.