Balta1701

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:37 PM) Hey at least he's no George Bell! I seriously never remembered him being that bad. Blasted memory.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:31 PM) I never thought I would see that on this board. I'll bet you never thought you'd agree with it.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:29 PM) because Kotsay, similarly to DeWayne Wise, Darin Erstad, and Rob Mackowiak, has value if he is used properly. And, as was the case with the 3 players before him, the Sox completely misused him and it has predictably resulted in failure. Really, I think I disagree with this. Mack had value as a corner OF or middle infield backup, I can grant you that. I'm not sure how exactly Kotsay has value. Kotsay has exactly 1 role on this team since we don't use him in the OF, and that's as a backup 1b. He hasn't performed with the bat well enough to justify putting him at DH, and he's clearly unable to play the OF since we refuse to play him there and put Q at DH. On top of that, Mark Kotsay has been worse than your average backup 1b would be. Ross Gload signed with the Phils for the same amount this year that Kotsay is getting and has put up an OPS 170 points higher. Mark Teahen might have done an adequate job there, etc. The sole thing he's capable of doing is being Konerko's backup, but even when he plays, we don't put Konerko at DH that often, and he's not very good with the glove when we do put him in there.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:23 PM) Has Beltre ever been connected to steroids? I'm drawing a blank there. That 49 HR, near MVP season he posted in 2004 seemingly out of nowhere, before falling back to earth the moment he signed his contract in Seattle certainly has raised some eyebrows.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:24 PM) Difference is Jones has some decent power and a pretty good glove in the OF. I really dont mind him on this team, especially his current role. Jones has been everything you could ask him to be. Average overall with the bat, above average against LHP, and solid defensively at multiple OF positions. He's actually been basically a perfect guy to fit into a rotating DH position scheme.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:10 PM) I just don't get it. He can't hit righties or lefties so why have him as a DH? Just plug in Frodo or the Tank. Hmm...that could be a good sitcom, Frodo and The Tank. And if he's playing...why isn't Konerko DHing? Or Quentin? That's sorta supposed to be the point. Not to put Kotsay at DH, but to put Kotsay in the field and rotate the DH.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 04:08 PM) f***ing Kotsay again. Unreal. *shakes head* The violent shaking of your head added a soft breeze and pushed Kotsay's fly ball another 0.37 inches. If we get enough people doing that, he'll finally get the ball over the fence!

Come back soon Espy.

QUOTE (Allsox @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:45 PM) If Inge plays, Jackson better be busting him inside. So that does what to their IF, moves Peralta to SS? He's been mostly below average there, according to UZR.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:52 PM) And he can always learn from his teammate Alexei who's hit quite a few GSs in his short career.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:34 PM) If I had to guess, I would say his agent will ask for a 4 year deal, and teams will offer 1-2 year deals for him. In the end, I think he'll sign a 2 year deal with an option for a 3rd, unless he is willing to sign for, say, $6-$7.5 mill per year over 3 years. One thing worth noting is that there are several options on the market this offseason for a team looking to bring in a 1b/DH. Dunn obviously at the top of the list, but beyond that you've got Konerko, Derek Lee, Berkman, probably Manram in some fashion if he doesn't retire, possibly Ortiz depending on whether the Red Sox pick up his option, Carlos Pena, LaRoche again, Cantu, and a few guys like Huff, Glaus, etc., who have had good years, along with guys like Matsui and Thome at the elder side. There's a lot of 1b types on the market this year.

QUOTE (soxfan-kwman @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:44 PM) "A thing or two", the guy is 2nd on the all-time grandslam list.(behind Lou Gehrig) However, I think Gherig is dramatically ahead of him on the "grand slams/needles" metric.

Prove me wrong Edwin, prove me wrong.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:25 PM) So if nobody that age is getting a multi year deal, the key for a player is, at 29, to sign a huge, six-year deal like they do in the NBA. Like the 5/$60 deal Konerko signed as a 29 year old?

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:28 PM) Don't you mean Thome ? Correct.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:19 PM) Was Thome willing to accept a platoon here? Everything Thome said suggested yes. The big motivation that we kept getting over the offseason was that Kotsay could also play in the field, while Jones couldn't, and thus that'd let the team rest Konerko and Quentin more.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 03:03 PM) You really think he can't get a three year deal at that kind of money per season? Just one year? I don't see why he wouldn't be able to land a multi-year deal. I have no reason to doubt you, I just think teams always find money for guys who produce. He won't be THAT old, either. Do guys his age still get multi-year deals from teams with cash? Adrian Beltre turned 31 this year and he only got 2 years from Boston. Looking through the list from last year, I can hardly think of any guys over 32 who got multi-year deals.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 02:48 PM) Is it a reasonable offer for someone having a career year and with the current economic situation? I think someone might offer him like $8-$9 million for a season...but no one's offering him a couple years.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 02:17 PM) Did he pull something making the pitch? I'm sure they took out an insurance policy on him prior to filming.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 02:09 PM) If anyone was willing to pick up his whole salary, there would have been a deadline deal between the Dodgers and that team. Not necessarily....not if the Dodgers think they're still in this thing. I would strongly bet that if the Dodgers had come back and said "well give you Manny for some A-baller if you pick up the $6 million he has left for this season", KW would have wound up taking it. Otherwise, there's no reason to even ask about Manny.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 01:57 PM) So apparently one of the reasons she called it off is because Levi is always looking for the spotlight. Man, she must completely despise her mother then. Wow. Something I care about less than Aroid's 600th HR.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 01:46 PM) They didn't try anything. Reid could have kept the Senate in session and could have removed any other business from the docket. I think if the Democrats actually forced the GOP to really filibuster everything, GOP resistance to getting things done would crumble pretty quickly. They might still vote no, but they would at least allow the vote. The Senate today actually successfully broke a filibuster on a bill that will save the jobs of about 150,000 teachers/police/firefighters.

From the "gotta retain top talent" file...

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Aug 4, 2010 -> 01:32 PM) The only thing I don't get about that, though, is why the odds of a DH are so much different than the odds of winning 2 consecutive games on different days. Same pitching matchups (theoretically), different results. Do teams pull up AAA pitchers for DH's way more often than I thought? If they don't, another thing that can be happening is people going on short rest. Teams could also be burning out their bullpens in an effort to make sure they win one game rather than being swept. You have a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning of game 1, your starter walks the bases loaded, suddenly you've won game 1 but you've blown through 5 pitchers.

Yawn.