Bubba Philips

How about Flowers making the team out of spring training as the backup catcher, 1st base and dh.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 04:22 PM) Are you kidding? The Sox won 89 games last year, despite losing their stud setup man and the would-be AL MVP. And they're supposed to drop to 72 wins? Based on what? I don't expect them to win the division again, but I see absolutely zero evidence for last place and 8 fewer wins than the Royals. It's difficult to make a prediction like this in mid-January, but I don't see how the Sox are going to fall that far below .500. I'll say 80-82 at this point. And speaking of ridiculous, LOL at this Yankee fanboy for predicing 102 wins for HIS team. I just hope for the best but if any of us would put all the variables into a computer we would end up with too many question marks. Start at first will Konerko have high numbers like in August and september Konerko or dreadful like in April, May, June and July. We have a lot of choices or question marks at second can getz, lillibridge or even Betemit handle 2nd> Can Alexei be a better shortstop than OC. Can Fields field well enough to handle 3rd will he have another year like o7 at the plate. Or will Betemit handle the position better or will their be a lot of platooning.. Will the platooning work.. I believe that TCQ will have another great year if Dye is not traded will he continue to handle the field and his bat. I love the idea of Anderson although a little better at the plate he still needs some improvement.. We have Aj at the plate he's pretty consitstent with the bat but I still get frightened when a runner gets on base knowing he has a very poor chance of throwing them out. I like the idea of flowers but they said he's not too good defensively.. Pitching we are going to throw two rookies into the 4th and fifth spots in the rotation while giving up a pitcher who we knew would give us at least 200 innings every year. Our relievers and closer had some injury problems last year and to cite one pitcher he is either lights out or horrible. I myself would be happy with a 500 season I think there is some talent developing that may need some on the field training to be fully appreciated.. Beckham, Flowers Marquez, Richard, Lillibridge, Fields, Betemit, Nunez all could be great ball players but their star might not shine this year. We got 4 shining stars last year Danks, Floyd, Alexei and TCQ so maybe 4 shining new stars will appear. I hope so.

With Colon being so rotund, he should be able to hide the ball longer than any other pitcher in mlb. His arms might not extend too much past his stomach. Viciedo and colon may lose weight with the Jenny Craig diet and appear together in ads like Kirsty Ally did before she got fat again. Perhaps this will be help bridge the difference between what Colon did make and what the market for his services presently dictate.

For one reason last year was so great nobody expected much from us.. Quentin who was said to have a high ceiling but less than stellar numbers the past 2 partial seasons excelled. Alexei who was signed but by most assumptions would start at 3A had a great rookie season.. I would like to think that KW doesn't like to sign great players they become great after he signs them.

QUOTE (jenks45monster @ Dec 29, 2008 -> 05:03 PM) The fact that he's Cuban makes me prefer him over who we have now. ......... sidenote there is some fact that Fidel Castro actually had major league ambitions.. I guess he wasn't good enough.. I guess he has been trying to get even ever since.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 29, 2008 -> 07:35 AM) Fields isn't a very good defensive 3B yet, but all indications are that he has improved quite a bit. And he wasn't exactly a butcher over there to begin with. If he can do that at 3B, there is a very good chance he could be more than decent at 1B. Certainly its not a guarantee, but, I think the chances are quite good. We all probably agree that Josh has a way to go from being gold glove material. Also, while Dye is still playing a decent RF, i don't think he qualifies as "very good" anymore. Too much loss of range (though he still reads the ball well and has a plus arm). Ozzie said about Fields, fractured quote at spring training he looked like a major league third basemen later after call ups he was awful.. I believe he was referring to Josh's knee. Surgery on Josh's knee may bring Josh closer to major league level of play.. My thought is that he will be platooning with Betemit. As for Dye I believe he does play a decent right field, hits for power but what I can't understand is why there is seemingly no other team jumping on the chance to trade for him.. I believe his numbers are good in the AL and believe his numbers may be a little better in the national league why a team hungry for a power hitter has not been more aggressive in making a trade with us.

QUOTE (AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Dec 19, 2008 -> 08:42 PM) Furcal's deal with the Dodgers is official.If furcal's deal with the dodgers becomes official would the sox have any interest in chin hung lu. What would we have that the dodgers would also covet.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Dec 13, 2008 -> 05:14 PM) Flowers should be ready to take over for AJ when he leaves after the 2010 season. Has Williams made any comments on where Flowers is going to start the season? AA looks to be the best bet, but I could see him getting a little time at A+ again before the bump. Either way, he is a few years away. Has Lucy recovered from his dislocated knee cap.

Our #2 hitter has been done with a lot of experimentation. Robin Ventura batted second in front of frank.. Joey Cora would foul off pitch after pitch until when they did whatever Joey would do frank got some great pitches to hit.. I think whoever bats second should be someone that runs up the count because TCQ is the #3 hitter and we all know what he can do with a good pitch. Getz bats left I would say if he can run up the pitch count he's our man........

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 7, 2008 -> 11:37 AM) Walker was released during spring training when he was really struggling. He then signed a minor league contract with Oakland and was released a couple months later. The Padres would be within their rights to release him if they felt his skills had diminished. His release by Oakland probably confirmed that. I think that's probably why it went away. So to release OC during spring training, he's going to have to show a loss of skill, and probably whoever picks him up will have to verify that loss is some way. IF the Sox released him and he signed a minor league contract somewhere else or even something for the minimum and he wound up doing what he's been doing the last several years at the major league level, the Sox would probably wind up having to pay him at least what he was out by the release. Unless OC simply has lost it, you are probably better off eating half the contract and giving him to someone else. The release has to be a baseball decision, not a financial one. OC has value maybe not 9 million this year. With arbitration I believe it is based on 08 salary and stats. THerefore from the sox he would get arb at about the same figures.. SOmeone mentioned it is not guaranteed so we could cut him for just cause.. Last year OC did contribute to the sox's success. We now can't trade him unless we can come to terms with him say he accepted 9.2 million we then could trade OC anytime we wished. Even giving our trading partner cash with the transaction like the angels gave us in 08. I think that his value will increase as the number of top ss like furcal have completed their 09 deals..

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 7, 2008 -> 09:50 AM) Except for when Jon Adkins, Felix Diaz, Nick Masset, Jon Rauch, Jim Parque, Lorenzo Barcelo, Danny Wright or Bobby Jenks are pitching, lol. Then the radar gun has some relevance. In the article he said he was a flyball pitcher. Javy may be more effective in Atlanta. that is ok. He gave us a lot of inning did a lot of starts struck out a lot of hitters. He's still young I say good luck to him. We were helped more than hindered by his presence on the mound...

does the white sox coaches work with VanBenschoten in the offseason. I'm sure it is too late for most winter leagues? Previously they said he was a hell of a hitter too.

Williams wants to go younger. I also see that with the possible shedding of big salaries I still think a bigger move is waiting to happen.. Williams seems to never give us what we expect but rather pleasant surprises.. Last year quentin, and Alexei. I can't wait to see who will be our 09 surprize. Could it be NIX, Marquez, Nunez, or somebody who has not yet been aquired.........

QUOTE (klaus kinski @ Nov 20, 2008 -> 07:29 PM) I've heard he's played some outfield and has a really good arm. This is great news-like a free agent signing-costs us ZERO players I read somehere that he can also throw a 90mph + fastball. The article that I read and cannot source;said that he gave up pitching at about 16. the 11 million dollar man. Wow. I think he can molded into anything we want except a middle infielder. I'm going to spring training for sure........ Glendale az. you can spot me I'll have his name on my jersey.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 19, 2008 -> 10:01 AM) I remember Crazy Carl junking it a few times, too. I loved crazy Carl's approach to hitting.. I know that he'd sometimes not switch hit against certain pitchers.. He'd change his approach, stance and swing with a 2 strike count. I wish Swish would have took a tip from Car. I think because of the adjustments that he willingly made his career lasted a few years longer than his talents. I liked him at the plate. He played smart. My question would be what player hit about the same from either side. Every switch hitter I've seen hit a little better from one side or the other.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Nov 15, 2008 -> 03:26 PM) That would be f***ing stupid. One of the reasons for picking him up was his Elias A ranking. I think woods will never get 10 million he's not a starter and not a proven closer.. What is he but he has in the past shown some promise.. I think he might have to relearn some mechanics. Instead of being put right back into the fire.. I myself would rather see the sox sign big unit I think we would see a better than a 500 pitcher which would allow Poreda, richard and Nunez to mature for another year.....

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Nov 14, 2008 -> 04:17 PM) Well he's not "sitting out" he'll just start the year in Charlotte making $2.65M (there's a 350k buyout for '09 bringing the guaranteed money to $3M). If he pitches well enough through the first few months of the season the Sox could elect to place him on the 40 man roster and call him up. No matter what he decides to do however, he's likely to start the season in AAA, no one's going to give him a major league contract.Why is everybody so down on MacDougal, I believe he pitched 2 or 3 good innnings in the last 2 or three years

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 14, 2008 -> 08:14 PM) Someone might want to try to get Phil Rogers or Mark Gonzalez to investigate this. I know the times in the past I've sent them e-mails, they've usually responded....I think Rogers' is "[email protected]" if I'm not mistaken. It would make a huge difference to the team to be getting an additional $5-6 million back on Contreras (assuming he doesn't make it back this season). Usually because of COntreras's age medicare pays first andI'm not sure if they'll pay.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 6, 2008 -> 11:01 AM) Why would the Oriole's have any interest in Javy?They coud use someone that cold give them a lot of innings and for that 12 million is a bargain he has pitched well but not in big games.. Javy record of 12 and 16 with 3.79 while pitching 218. 2 innings with 140 is close to trumping Guthrie 10 and 12 3.63 and 120 strikeouts Cabrera, and Olson the next 2have eras over 5 while only going 95 and 83 respectively.. Camden yard would be more pitcher friendly but that division is a little tougher. I would not be the one making that decision but the numbers, but may not have enough peripherals to pitch in the eastern al division.

Javy had an off year.. He is still a decent pitcher (Hawk praises him constantly) besides that he has consistently pitched 200 + innings and is among the leaders in strikeouts every year.. Baltimore needs pitching we need a second baseman and leadoff hitter so could a trade for Javy for their second baseman Roberts be a possibility . We'll have to obtain another starter somewhere or use someone from within like Poreda or Richards. Good trade or is it possible? we did it last year Garland for Cabrera.

QUOTE (HeGone33 @ Nov 6, 2008 -> 10:04 AM) This is a pretty dumb statement.........How do you know? Do you talk to all the players and have thier political opinions? That's like saying all hollywood celebrities are Republicans because of their tax bracket, which obviously isn't true based on them often sharing their opinions publically. I listened to Obama"s speech after winning the election but I heard that when he becomes president that Whitesox players will not have to pay any income taxes so many players will come to the whitesox sign for less because they won't have to pay income taxes. The whitesox will be known as "America" team" teal

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 10:34 AM) Theoretically, what would Konerko have to do to earn an F? He's got a lifetime free pass. Paulie in my book earned an F during the months of April, MAy, June and July. He finally began to pull up his grade in AUgust and September. August was a B but September was an A+ this will equal a C.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Oct 12, 2008 -> 07:57 PM) Swisher OBP = .332 Wise OBP = .293 BA OBP = .272 Dye OBP = .344 PK OBP = .344 He said he was unhappy with playing time, and Ozzie s*** over it. And now he may never leave the Oz House. GRanted we all had high hopes for Swish this past season.. He won a few games for us..I believe one of the main reasons so many of us wanted to see him gone was his inabilty to hit in key situations. I have to agree with other posters saying they won't trade Swish this offseason.. Presently, I believe he is at his lowest value. He scares me the way he plays first base and is certainly not a centerfielder.. We have dye and Carlos on the corners. I think during spring training Swisher will get his chance to show he can improve his hitting approach. I'm sure if we all see Nick taking his first 2 pitches in an at bat down 0 and2 and then eventually making an out swinging at bad pitches is also viewed by Ozzie and KW as unacceptable. Wise, BA, DYE and Paulie in the last 2 months actually hit more effectively in the clutch.

we are playing the twins tommorrow that means defense. BA has hit Blackburn well and is the better centerfielder. Wise does a lot of little things like running, laying down bunts and his speed keeps him from being double up and 9 for 9 in base stealing although Mauer has a good gun. I don't have to face these guys but I would give the nod to Griffey as DH and have Joey Cora tell THome that he is going to ride the pine. That leaves us a stronger bench. Swisher over Konerko, I would have to say no. Paulie sucked in APril, May, June, and July but is peaking now.. YOu can't bench "MR. September"