Balta1701

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 05:20 PM) Maybe the worst thing to ever happen to us fans with regards to him is his strong finish last year. Not even close to reading this thread.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 05:14 PM) I'd just like to see us produce one All-Star caliber position player who's enjoyable to watching hitting. So would all the teams with the exciting young players you're talking about. Seriously...who is that for the A's? Has no one paid any attention to the incredible line of 1st base failures they've had for the last 5 years?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 05:02 PM) If Alex Gordon was picked in the top 3 by the White Sox, I'd be willing to be a LOT more patient with all the money invested into him. Morel was never a "can't miss prospect" by any stretch of the imagination. Nobody ever claimed he was a franchise player or that you could build your team around him....there was always a question whether he'd hit for enough power to play regularly at 3rd. Some felt yes, with the OPS numbers coming down in the post-OPS years. I'm not saying he's as bad as Chris Snopek, but he's closer to that now than Ventura or Crede. And how long did we give Josh Fields? He actually put up a nearly great 2007 season and he was in the minors the next year. Josh Fields had until June, on a team that was trying to "Win now".

Carl Crawford to see Dr. James Andrews about his sore elbow.

QUOTE (jeffro2525 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:57 PM) I hate bunting there with Alexei. Guy is already in scoring position and we are giving them an out for a guy(Dunn) who we all know strikes out a ton. Would have let Alexei swing the bat. Alexei's been almost Morel bad so far this season (not totally unexpected, it is April).

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:55 PM) Haven't you, for the last week or so, been adamant that this season is a developmental season and that this team is rebuilding? I don't get it. You can't have both. (reread and search for sarcasm).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:51 PM) You mean the Alex Gordon who didn't break out until his fifth season? That's different, the Royals were rebuilding. They'd do things like trade away players to clear salary and bring in AA level players in exchange. That kind of stuff wouldn't be tolerated here.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:50 PM) And we at least have options for Morel. We can play/try Lillibridge there for a couple of weeks. It doesn't work, we go back to Morel after he's had a chance to take a deep breath, relax and approach the opportunity to play again everyday from a fresh perspective instead of being caught up in a downward spiral day-after-day. And that could of course break whatever they're working with Morel on completely.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:48 PM) You're seriously comparing the best player in the history of the modern game of baseball with a guaranteed contract for $250 million and BRENT MOREL? C'mon, you're better than that. Alex Gordon at least has the pedigree and the huge (for him) season offensively last year. It wasn't six weeks (Morel), 2-3 months (Mark Teahen)...it was a legitimate full season of play. You guys are the ones saying that the #8 offense in the AL, the definition of middle of the pack, can't possibly succeed with those black holes in the lineup and that changes somehow need to be made after 3 weeks.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:45 PM) Anyone else think that if AJP leaves after this year, KW will bring in Suzuki? Considering he's under contract through 2013, no. (with a $9 million vesting option I should add)

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:12 PM) I think he is reflecting on how many said that the Bulls would be unable to replicate the success they had last season. There was a lot of talk about regression and that they played over their heads last season, that is could not continue. Of course they need to beat the heat in order to validate their #1 seed, but there didn't seem to be much if any regression, especially considering the injury issues that were simply non-existant last season. I'd say that Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah strongly disagree that the Bulls injury issues were non-existent last season, but anyway. I get what is being said, I just can't find reason to brag until the conference finals are won. Really, that's the only focus I've got. I mean, otherwise, this team could lose to the 76ers in the first or the Celtics in the 2nd and then people would still say "See, they were a fluke, just doing it in the regular season but they can't hang with the big boys".

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:41 PM) http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/lea.../qualified/true For eligible players in the AL, OPS-wise, Morel would be last if not for Miguel Olivo. Beckham's 5th from the bottom. Sounds familiar. At least it's not a list also including Dunn and Rios. That's the main plus. I'm a big fan of seeing Hosmer, Pujols, Alex Gordon, and a number of other names on there. Clearly you can't sustain a team with people like Pujols hitting in your key RBI spot. Things need to change and that guy needs to go back to the minors.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:37 PM) When Brent Morel's looking for a 94-95 MPH fastball and doesn't have a chance to hit it, what are you going to do/teach/instruct/develop? I'm actually thankfully that Dayan's not taking another 0 for 3 or 0 for 4 with a couple of K's or GIDP. At a certain point, it becomes counterproductive. And, with our starting pitching, the Angeles struggling migtily, the logjam in the AL East and the Twins/Royals in the toilet, there's a legit opportunity to compete this year, whether we want to be drawn into it or not...it's not KW's nature to be patient. It's not like Morel was a Brandon Wood-level talent, Josh Fields or even Andy Marte coming up...nobody projected him as a future All-Star. Perhaps our expectations were inflated due the fact he was a higher prospect in our system than he would have been in other organizations, as well as the fact we had about ZERO position prospects, there's that, too. QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 04:39 PM) Fantastic post Then either these guys should have been replaced coming in to the season to give us a chance at competing or the Sox should have taken additional steps to convince you that they're committed to rebuilding, because selling off what they sold off wasn't enough.

I see that the game thread is right back to calling for people benching and saying that it's totally unsustainable to try to develop these guys at the major league level.

I'd say the real story buried in part 2 is how little the regulators actually were allowed to know about the system after the "modernization act" discussed in part 1. Prior to this, the fact that they were making decisions midnight on Sunday seemed reasonable, but that shouldn't have been the case at all...there shouldn't be a way to operate a system so in the dark that the only way you find out how bad things could be is Sunday night before everything collapses on Monday. And also, the McCain/White House gambit discussion was just a little amazing.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 03:31 PM) What does that have to do with what I said? Last year their REGULAR season was called a fluke. They then went out and did it again. I dunno, I only raise a Q because I sorta wonder whether the definition of a Fluke includes "unable to win your own conference". I guess you could say it doesn't, but since a title is the goal...either way it'd be a disappointment.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 03:27 PM) I can't see it happening during the year. I saw someone mentioned the Dodgers, but they're more likely to wait until the offseason to either extend Ethier or go after Hamilton, Hamels, etc. We might be in the game of hoping someone is desperate for an OF at the deadline, but people have been desperate for OF's with money to spend before.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 03:21 PM) Thing is, even if he plays well and we don't win and he doesn't get traded, it's a heck of a lot better to have someone the next few years who's just not an absolute non-factor on the roster. I see a lot of people asking for him to get traded ASAP, and as much as that could help the franchise, it's just not likely to happen with the amount of money he has left on his deal. ASAP means "As soon as possible". Which means...as soon as possible. It's not currently possible and it won't be for a while...but hopefully it might be at some point.

We're facing a Sox fan today.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 11:07 AM) Hopefully the rains holds off and we get this one in.

QUOTE (Special K @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 02:00 PM) I think this Board's expectations of Rios are just way too high to begin with. The guy has never had an OBP over .354 in his entire career, has never hit over .305 in his career, has never driven in 90 runs in a season. He is what he is, a solid player. He's not going to be a perennial all star, and I think the fact that he gets paid like one makes us think he should be. The fact of the matter is, it was a terrible move for KW to pick him up off waivers. But the odds are overwhelmingly in favor he will have a season much like his career line of .270, .320, and 15-20 bombs. I think last year was just an aberration for the worst, unfortunately. If Rios did all of that every year while playing the level of defense he's capable of, then he'd be more than earning his contract and picking him up would have been a great move.

QUOTE (SoxFanForever @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 01:14 PM) Some day he is going to piss off the wrong person and get wrecked for it. Whether that happens in or out of the nba it is bound to happen eventually. No chance that "Removing him for the whole season" might "Piss off hte wrong person" (meaning, Lakers ownership?)

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 11:14 AM) Safe to say all the comments about the Bulls having the best record and #1 seed being a fluke are disproved? We're in the NBA Finals already?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 02:01 PM) Newt is finally dropping out. I wonder if he got offered a job with the Secret Service? Is this a: 1. Womanizing/cheating/prostitute joke? 2. Money wasting joke? 3. Corrupt Obama bribing him to get out of the way joke? It works on so many levels...

Stephen A says Dwight Howard will again request a trade after the postseason. In other news, Kerry Wood is hurt.