The Ginger Kid

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 27, 2009 -> 09:49 AM) Which is why I hope he is starting in AAA this season, to work those things out. We have no need to rush him into the bullpen, where we have plenty of talent available. Besides, at this point without the necessary good secondary pitches, he is basically Matt Thornton, which we already have. Is there any way to get udpates on this game, other than Cowley's irritating twits? I don't see a box score on MLB.com. better than nothing for a b game

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 26, 2009 -> 05:11 PM) Play the best song in the world or I'll eat your souls. nice - I miss the D

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 26, 2009 -> 02:59 PM) I can just imagine it catching on and having Hawk call him Slayer during a game having absolutely no clue where and how it originated. There would just be something so satisfying about the next star of the franchise being called a pussy slayer by crusty old baseball announcers. just tell Hawk he's a fan of dragon movies. He'll never know.

QUOTE (FranktheTank35 @ Feb 25, 2009 -> 01:18 PM) ah, okay. I was really hoping I could listen to Farmio and DJ.. oh well. not to sound pompous, but a few weeks ago i went to the notre dame vs. ucla game with my kid. Ed Farmer sat right in front of us so naturally i started hitting him up with questions. first thing he did is pull off his White Sox World Series ring and hand it to my kid to try on. A great guy, and a chatter box!

how does JO look?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 01:47 PM) Anyone going to AZ to see games in the next week or two? I am looking forward to reports on how folks look. I'll we've got right now is Joe Cowley's irritating bloviations, and I trust people here more than I do him. very few pics this year, what's up with that? I'll be there in a few weeks. Got great seats for the cubs game at the new stadium.

You see Cowley's twitter?

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 11:27 PM) Looks like the twins are also getting Juan Cruz. They are, once again, going to be very dangerous. If I were putting money on it, I'd take the twins to lead the division start to finish. if they get the bridge to nathan they will be deadly. they also need a lefty in the pen. but otherwise, they are just solid top to bottom, especially if Crede plays 140 injury free games or more. i hate them, but have deep respect for them. And speaking of Nathan, isn't that guy due for an off year??

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 01:05 PM) Yay! I've restarted the Anderson wars! I missed them - wouldn't be spring without it.

if they screw brian over by not giving him a job then he should be traded somewhere that he'll get the chance to play every day. I really don't give a s*** who has options left. How about you just put the best team out there?

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 12:01 PM) They're the people who are running baseball teams, the people who make millions just to hold the title of adviser or consultant. They're people like Dayton Moore, Theo Epstein or Jack Zduriencik, the sort of baseball minds that teams are hiring to construct their organizations these days. Despite not playing or managing at the major league level they're winning championships or like the Rays coming damn close and threatening to stick around for a while. It's the reason why teams are hiring 35 year old Harvard grads to run their organizations and moving away from the crusty old baseball guy. And don't forget DePodesta. One of those guys is playing fantasy baseball with monopoly money, while the jury is still out on the other two. (okay, maybe that's a little harsh on epstein. He does seem like a pretty savvy guy).

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 01:22 AM) Can you prove this? I'll take any form of statistical proof, any. I'll even take splits stats even if they are unreliable. It's funny because a lot of very smart baseball people are of the belief that there is no such thing as a "clutch" hitter, just good hitters who do good things in big situations because they're good but even when a Sabermetrician like Bill James or Nate Silver attempts to quantify "clutch hitting" Joe Crede's name NEVER comes up. I've seen Mike Sweeney (the perpetually injured) and Chipper Jones (the great) and even Geoff Jenkins (the average) but never Joe Crede. The only people who seem to believe that he's anything more than a mediocre offensive player are Sox fans and Hawk but none of these people ever bother to back up this belief, just perpetuate it as fact. I've mentioned this in the past and no one has ever bothered to acknowledge it, could it be that the man has just come through in a few very memorable "clutch" situations and this has berthed an undeserved reputation? (it would hardly be the first time) Oh and his 0.5 BB/K and .267/.325/.435/.760 career line against relief pitching hardly scares me, Linebrink and Dotel will handle him just fine. Yeah, I know it's blasphemy but I'm not fearing the crippled, pull hitting, popup machine. Just looking now, Bill James has him down for 302 AB, 14 HR, 0.5 BB/K, .255/.312/.447/.759 next year. Look out. I love this post. It's an excellent example of the presumption that there is a statistical value for every facet of the game; or even more important, that this value is definite and therefore its significance cannot be called into question. And I'm not asking this rhetorically, but who are these very smart baseball people who say there is no such thing as a "clutch" hitter? Are they former players/managers/scouts, people with an intuition for the game, people who don't rely solely on a mathematical figure to evaluate a player's worth? Is it really surprising that Sox fans and their circle are the only ones who truly appreciated Crede's value in crucial moments of a game, given the overall lack of scrutiny (both positive and negative) that the 2nd team in Chicago receives? I don't think there's any sort of distortion going on here, no myths are being perpetuated. In the last four years, in a key moment late in a game, who are the guys you want to see up at the plate? Crede and Dye are at the top of my list. I happen to agree with you that our bullpen should be able to handle Crede; I also dread having to face him late in the game in a key situation, say with runners in scoring position and the Sox clinging to a small lead. And I don't think I am deluding myself, or that this dread is unfounded.

thanks man. Four weeks until I get a look at the pimp in person, can't wait.

I wouldn't mind seeing them sign El Duque for long relief and the occasional spot start.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 10:49 AM) DIE-on Vee-cee-AY-doh edit: I know the question was for Cubano but Spanish is Spanish. cool! just to be clear, is it "Vee-see-AY-doh"?

QUOTE (Cubano @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 05:31 PM) It is quite a change from driving a chinese bicycle. Hey Cubano, how do you pronounce Dayan's name? is it..."DIE-yawn" "vi-SHEN-do"?

QUOTE (Melissa1334 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 01:53 PM) well at this point its not about what he want. if i were him id prefer to be a b/u than to sign a minor league deal. if u can get him for less than a mil , i dont c why u dont sign him. i guess bcuz about his supposed steriod use? if that were the case, then a LOT of guys are gonna be off the list.

didn't he also play some first base? might not be a bad option, esp. if Broussard doesn't pan out.

QUOTE (Melissa1334 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 11:50 AM) i saw how pudge might have no choice but to sign a minor league deal with the marlins. so theres no possibilty of him coming here? can't imagine him playing backup - but hey, he is friends with ozzie

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 10:34 AM) Sorry Ginger, but that title will always belong to Willie Harris. I would have to agree. But it seems Ozzie has deemed him the "Cuban" pimp. He showed up in an $80,000 car! Bet he really misses communism.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 10:09 AM) Thanks for the update, we should have a clipped area just for articles on spring training. VICIEDO "THE PIMP" IS IN THE HOUSE.

i do agree that minny has the best team on paper in the central. Their pitching is just plain better top to bottom.

he's playing the victim.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Feb 16, 2009 -> 11:02 AM) Hopefully. woo-hoo! open it up for BA to hit .200 again!

great pics, thanks! funny blurbs from Oz today...