heirdog

From TCQ to CQ to just plain Quentin. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I refuse to think that his 2008 season was an anomaly. Clearly its the injuries and the fact he is still recovering from them. Yes, injuries are part of the game too but he definitely needs a pass here...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 19, 2010 -> 12:49 PM) The deal with Houston was turned down by Kenny because he wanted Hunter Pence, and then spun Garland for OCab instead. 'Tis true, he wanted a Pence but alas he could only offer a Garland and not a Schilling...

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 13, 2010 -> 12:27 AM) Nobody said that Frasor was better, because he's probably not. I was just making the point because you mentioned Jenks walked Bautista and Alex Gonzalez. Well Gonzalez would be our top hitter right now with his .350 avg and 4 homers. He's been on a tear and like you or someone else later said, if he's locked in (the near homer), the walk isn't the worst thing. A closer, even the best, will make it interesting from time to time and you are basing Bobby sucking from today's game alone. He hasn't blown a save and looked good in his previous save so it may be too early to write him off. That's all I am saying. You have said that it doesn't matter how nasty Bobby's stuff is if he let's base runners on he will pay the price. Well, if his stuff is nasty, the odds are he won't allow as many base runners on most nights. I would worry less about the walks and worry more if his stuff looked awful. It doesn't.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 13, 2010 -> 12:28 AM) A poster over at SouthSideSox did a little research into this. Quentin goes up to the plate and generally looks to hit the 1st or 2nd pitch he sees. Also, his high OBP is inflated quite a bit by his HBP, which isn't a terrible thing; it's just a bit scary because those HBP can occasionally hit small bones, and those break pretty easily. That's interesting. It seems intuitive given his personality that he would be a little less patient than what I thought.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 13, 2010 -> 12:12 AM) Bobby's not going to get away with allowing multiple baserunners everytime out. No matter how nasty you think his stuff is. If his stuff is nasty, I believe he will get away with allowing multiple baserunners to post around a 90% save rate, which is what is expected out of good closers having a good year. I would be more worried if his stuff wasn't nasty. Yes, it would be nice to get his velocity up a bit but Bobby has always had lower velocity in April and a part of May before he gets it going. He looks fine.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 13, 2010 -> 12:09 AM) The two walks is really bad, especially when you consider that he walked Alex freaking Gonzalez and Jose Bautista. How about giving up an oppo homer with 2 strikes on a guy who was batting .067 coming into the game to blow a save instead of walking two guys and then getting a K on the other team's 3rd hitter and DH to notch the save. Jenks would then definitely rank ahead of Frasor from Toronto.

In Toronto on business and was at the game tonight...a few rows behind the White Sox dugout (I was 3rd row on the Bulls baseline for yesterday's big win over the Raptors too) so I guess I had a pretty great two days in Toronto. Some of my observations during the game: Rios getting booed. I asked a few people around me why Toronto boos this guy when he was waived by them and didn't leave voluntarily and people really had no idea but thought it was fun. I heard a dad telling his kids, "He used to play for Toronto" and kid asks "Why did he leave?" and dad says "More money, why else?" No clue! A crazy fan that looked like Mark Buehrle with glasses (would easily pass for his brother). He started his loud rant as soon as Konerko stepped up to the plate for the first time. He started going off about Konerko being a geriatric and kept asking "what was invented first...time or him" meaning Konerko, which I thought was stupid and not funny whatsoever. People were laughing at first so then he started commenting on everyone and people grew tired by the second inning. He then decided to save his heckling for Konerko only except once he went off on Juan Pierre as the ugliest man alive and kept calling him Otis Nixon...even though Juan looks nothing like Otis Nixon, I did find that a little funny. Actual game: Peavy looked uncomfortable from the time he came off the mound in the first inning (in which he looked dominant). He was adjusting his jock (as all players seem to do) but it seemed to me that he was walking gingerly. I can't say that I've really watched Peavy that much so I'm not sure if that's what he always looks like but he definitely didn't have it the rest of the way...the Jays were really squaring up the ball as were the White Sox off Tallet. Beckham is incredible with the bat in his hands...how he drops the barrel on the ball so consistently. It never seems like he's cheated. Pierzynski and Quentin both seem so frenetic up there and seemed to be in a rush to swing the bat as early in the count as possible. It's expected with AJ but it's odd for a high OBP guy like Quentin. Thornton is unbelievably smooth out there. He just worked so effortlessly and efficiently. He had one pitch which looked to be a K but wasn't called...instead of staring down the ump, it's the only time he went behind the rubber, picked up the rosin and then promptly came back and got the guy out. Ozzie definitely seemed at ease for those two innings. Santos looked nervous in his first true test with the bases loaded and Alexei made that web gem which really saved the game. Santos then K'd two the next inning but he still seemed to have butterflies coming off the mound and he kept taking deep breaths as though he was hyperventilating. The ball doesn't seem to fly off Andruw Jones' bat as he hits high, looping homers as opposed to the velocity that Alexei creates when he connects. But Jones can muscle those out and Alexei seemed to have warning track power today. The first one that Wells caught on the track seemed like a no-doubter when it left the bat. And that Jays closer, Jason Frasor, looks like a little league pitcher. I was thinking if Craig Grebeck were a pitcher that's what he would look like and then he started popping the leather at 92/93. Peavy's fastball was 89-91 today and his stuff did seem to be moving but there was very little tilt on his slider. Santos hit 96 but mostly around 94. Putz was low 90s and Thornton was consistently 94-96 with one hitting 97. Jenks was 92-93.

Ok, enough meterology. Anyone know the line-up today? Is this the day Andruw starts and never relinquishes his spot in the line-up?

Here is how I remember Maggs over time: 1) Hit well in the minors for several years before coming to the big leagues (a bitter Ozzie, having just left the Sox, said something to the effect of "The White Sox don't bring him up because he is Venezuelan...") 2) A consistent statistical force in the middle of the line-up: .300, 30, 100 given each season. Met him once and he was very nice, though very quiet. Seemed to be a humble guy that just went about his business 3) Felt like the Sox weren't being loyal to a guy after he got hurt as I felt they should have stuck by him a little more with at least an incentive-laden deal (seems like the truth is different that what I perceived). 4) When he left, I felt like he was done as a top-end guy any way with the knee injury so didn't care much from a performance perspective but felt he was disrespected by the Sox 5) Found his comment after we won the World Series to be interesting and made me re-think my anger at how mgmt treated him. If I remember correctly, he said "If I knew they were going to win the World Series, I never would have left." Hmmm, so it was he who left and not the Sox who showed him the door. 6) Very happy he didn't win Series with Detroit in '06 7) Canseco story came out and immediately, I thought he was guilty. Perhaps due to feeling duped by him and also the numbers he was putting up, which were unexpected. He seemed to come out of nowhere to start hitting in the minors and then put up some incredible numbers in the majors and then he recovered quickly from some "Austrian" knee surgery. Canseco is a douche but he's been pretty much dead-on with all the players he has named as he likely is in the know from the baseball inside circle. Today, I don't think I really care or have even followed what Maggs has been doing since he was being benched the last couple years so that Detroit could avoid some plate appearance incentives. I am not sure if I hate Maggs or ever really hated him. I was always more vengeful of him meaning that I didn't want him to succeed once he left the Sox.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Mar 18, 2010 -> 11:39 AM) Hands down rios has the best arm out of our outfielders. He has been terrific in that aspect since he established himself in the league. Arm strength? Yes. Accuracy? Not sure. Jordan Danks...he of the outfield assist to home plate a couple times this spring should also vie for the Spring Training Pyrite award.

Nix. 1) Plays IF and OF 2) Decent pop and most importantly: 3) Out of options 4) Outplaying the Lillipution at this point Of course, he might be traded for a C-level 'spect before ST is up and then I think DeAza will get the nod (vizquel backing up all 3 non-1B spots, Kotsay backing up 1B and OF and Andruw Jones primary DH with DeAza backing up OF).

I don't understand how the idea of trading Beckham even comes into the equation. Isn't an elite middle infielder of Beckham's ability (at least what we've seen so far) harder to find than an elite 1B with pop (albeit a gold glover). Don't get me wrong, I would package the whole lot of our prospects to get Adrian...just not Beckham. I would trade John Danks or Floyd (if we believe in Hudson) before trading Beckham and having Nix, Lillibridge or Retherford fill that hole. Hudson, Flowers, Mitchell, Morel and Santos or Torres should get this done. If they like Red Sox offer better, fine but we don't need to fill one hole by creating a gaping hole in another area.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 24, 2010 -> 09:50 PM) All it takes is one. A lot of people thought the same thing about transplants and transfusions at one point in time. Anything "can" happen. But you're more likely to see a meteor hit the Yucatan (since its happened before) than contracting HIV from a professionally run blood test. I don't think people though transfusions and transplants were complelely safe. Its just the risk benefit trade-off. Die without a transplant or transfusion or potentially die from the chance you acquire HIV, then full blown AIDS, then develop an infection....

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Feb 24, 2010 -> 11:41 AM) Konerko averages one triple every 984 at bats. Then at most he should have 1. Unless you think his hip will cause him to skip out on the rest of his HR trot and settle for a 3B instead.

Avg: Beckham, .326 HR: Andruw Jones, 34 RBI: Quentin, 113 Hits: Beckham, 192 2B: Beckham, 41 3B: Rios, 4 SB: Pierre, 48 Wins: Peavy, 19 ERA: Peavy, 2.98 K: Peavy, 208 Saves: Putz, 26

Pierre may not be the reason Alexei sees breaking balls but because Alexei sees breaking balls, Pierre will have an easier time stealing bases at a higher clip. So Alexei should bat second.

Joe Borchard has light-tower power. When I play in my soft-ball league, I generate a lot of power by throwing my hips at the ball. I'm fishing for "lostfan" to go all BearSox two-sport athlete on me.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Feb 5, 2010 -> 09:11 AM) I used to include Viciedo in all of my Gonzalez trade hypothetical’s, but lately all I’m hearing is the three names. And if that’s the case, and it really is a standing offer, I’m not sure what the holdup is, I think the Sox would be willing to make the trade but San Diego isn't ready yet. There are also other teams (Boston) trying to get him. SD can wait for teams to up the ante. They are likely playing the "so and so team is willing to go this high..." to make teams add in players to their proposals, etc. IMHO, from the Sox perspective, they are likely willing to give up the package but like Flowers the most out of the group. They will bite the bullet if needed and thus brought in the insurance of Castro in case the deal does go down. If not, you put Flowers in AAA and plug him in next year. Teahen signed 3 years so Morel would be playing the role of Fields to Crede and if they can get value...insane value in Gonzalez for 2 years (potentially longer since the Konerko, Buerhle deals will be coming off the books), you do it. Viciedo can be the power from the right side that Flowers would have offered. AJ still has good years left and as hard as it is to find a Catcher that can hit at a decent clip and handle a staff, AJ might be perfect for our rotation for the next few years (vs. a young player like Flowers). Hudson has a mid-rotation starter ceiling and Morel or DanksII may be serviceable MLBers not stars. Mitchell might be who SD really wants but hopefully we can keep him out. His time table falls more in line with the potential contract expiry of Pierre. Flowers, Hudson, D2, Morel for AGon...that's as high as I would go. I would try and keep D2 just to entice D1 to sign here for the next few years when the time is right. He might be less inclined if his bro wasn't here.

QUOTE (Springfield SoxFan @ Feb 1, 2010 -> 07:24 PM) I wonder if Tavares is coming now that that A's have cut him. Why did Beane bring in Tavares and then cut him so fast? The A's are on the hook for the salary. Is this the Moneyball theory of leveraging inefficiencies in the game, in this case frivolous spending? Or is there some onus that all teams that don't pay the tax must spend money, like Stern dictates in the NBA?

QUOTE (joeynach @ Jan 26, 2010 -> 08:59 PM) I believe in the same theory, this is a process. A strategic shift from penicling in a lift and pull baseclogger from the DH position to one that can say do some more. A good stopgap that meets both parties halfway would be Damon or Blalock becuase they provide 20+ HR pop from the left side, can play the field, and arent ur typical basecloggers. I also thought Tejada or Atkins wouldnt have been bad either. Though I do believe the white sox would love develop or acquire a player that can be a rotational DH and play the field well too. Im thinking along the lines of a better Mark Tehean type. My gut tells me this could be Alex Rios if Jordan Danks develops into an everyday OF or say the sox go after Carl Crawford next year. If Danks develops, it won't be Rios who currently is our best OF defender that goes to DH. Rios could shift to RF or Danks in RF with Quentin at DH or Pierre to *cringe* DH if Crawford were on the club in LF.

This analysis was flawed from the start. You can't say Konerko won't have a career avg year and at the same time say Thome will. One has a hip issue, the other a back issue...one is still significantly younger than the other. One still played pretty much the whole year last year and put up better numbers...that one is Konerko, not Thome. And the final nail in the coffin is when someone noted that only 5 teams scored over 800 runs and only the Yanks over 900. As soon as we see that, we can throw out the 939 twinkie number and go back to the drawing board.

I recently saw a "Playing Lessons from the Pros" on golf channel with Johnny Damon and Bubba Watson (pro golfer). Watson is a super long hitter and said he would love to be on a major league team as a DH. Johnny replied that when he came back from a shoulder injury, he strictly DHed for awhile and it was awesome. So he would likely be open to keeping his noodle arm on the bench and just whacking away at the plate. Imagine Pierre leading off and hitting a punch and judy single and Damon coming up and smacking a homer to right. The high-5 at the plate would be so weak with their weak arm strengths! Jones could platoon at DH and fill in the OF/1B to give the guys days off and we would not have a need for Kotsay. We could reunite Kotsay and his OBP with Beane in Oakland and throw in Jayson Nix as a utility infielder and try and pry Chris Carter as our future 1B/DH to go along with Viciedo. Fast reply...can't make last statement green but that was sarcasm.

I still can't believe we got Peavy for 0 A-list prospects. Perhaps Poreda was closest but not after it seemed obvious he was a reliever with one plus pitch.

Based off what I project to see in Spring Training, it should be Retherford...but it will be Nix (he has no options left). I still think there will be a trade but I can't say that said trade will be for the "25th man." That player will be more substantial so the 25th man will come down to your usual suspects.

KW looks a little light in the loafers throwing that wiffle ball....not that there's anything wrong with that.