NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 02:32 PM) July 6th Twi-night doubleheader. whitesox.com says not yet rescheduled. Source?

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 01:11 PM) We won a championship during that timeframe, so whatever our scouts did must've worked... How many offensive players on the 2005 team did we develop in our system? Let's list them... --Rowand --Crede I believe that's it - 2 out of the 14 position players. And Rowand is not exactly an offensive powerhouse. So that's 1 player from the 2005 team that fits the criteria discussed - strong hitters that we developed internally. Now, if you are talking about major league scouts, that is another discussion entirely.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 12:59 PM) Reed, Young, Anderson and Webster still fit that cycle you just delineated. That's the point, Reed was a reach in the second round (a great collegiate player without "projectable" tools or even a position, he also played 1B in college)....he became the minor league player on the year and was overrated by the Mariners. He's always been a fourth outfielder or spare part, I even thought the same of Rowand too. Morse never had a position and couldn't hit for enough power at 3B or LF, not enough range for SS. Olivo, it will take too long to go into why trading him was the right move. He did okay in Florida last year, but he's never going to be an All-Star either. I wonder if A's would rather have Chad Bradford, or a World Series title, because Neal Cotts was one of the many contributors (along with Garcia, through Olivo) to that World Series win. Not only that, but Beane traded Bonderman and Teahen away, let Jermaine Dye go (not to mention Tejada and Giambi) and got stuck watching an overvalued Loiaza pitch poorly after KW picked him up for nothing in the preseason of 2003. Do you always have this much trouble reading before responding? I included Anderson in the first place. I specifically said players we developed and are still IN OUR SYSTEM. I left Webster off because I see nothing in his career thus far that shows him being a high end prospect and he hasn't been in our system since 2003, which is 4 years ago. And why do you keep bringing up unrelated topics like pitchers and Billy Beane? I'm not saying KW is a bad GM. I'm saying our system doesn't produce a lot of strong HITTERS, which is what the thread title indicates. So in the last FEW years, we have the following HITTERS that we have "raised" in our system who have put up more than one year of gaudy offensive numbers in the minors... --Anderson --Reed --Young That's pretty much it, and Reed and Anderson seem to have only proven they aren't great hitters thus far (though BA really had just one half a lousy offensive season). Go further back and you get a bunch of course, including Crede, Lee, Ordonez, etc. But unless I am missing something, I don't see many great offensive talents coming out of the system in the last 3 to 4 years. If I am missing someone who fits that description, please point them out.

Of the big name free agent OF's that aren't already on the team (like Dye), the only one I see us making a serious run at is Ichiro. The Sox seem to be confident in Anderson**, Sweeney, and maybe later Owens then Cunningham, are going to be solid OF's for the big team eventually. So it seems unlikely to me we sign 2 free agent OF's. Even the idea of re-signing Dye and signing Ichiro seems a huge stretch for this organization. Plus a lot of how the Sox' outfield looks in 2008 is dependent on this year's performance by Erstad, Anderson, and in the minors Sweeney and Owens, before we even get to the whole free agent thing.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 10:43 AM) Glad I didn't buy northside72's tickets. So am I - maybe now the game will be played on a night I can attend.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 12:47 PM) I think you're forgetting Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee. Oh, well. Sweeney is still considered a top-tier hitting prospect, along with Fields. Our drafting hasn't been great, but we've used a lot of our best minor league talent to get players for our major league roster, and it's hard to argue with the results, because we won a World Series using that philosophy. Long term, you, of course, need to develop 1-3 caliber starting pitchers in your own system, and that's been the big weakness of the Schueler/KW years, along with catching prospects. We produced Jeremy Reed, Anthony Webster, Anderson, Chris Young and Aaron Rowand....that's five center fielders alone in the past 5-7 years. We're somewhere between the #14-18 minor league organization in baseball right now, and we can really stockpile a ton of young talent if we trade away the core of our team...that's when KW will really earn his money and possibly lose his job 2-3 years from now. Note that I said "last few years". We developed Lee, Ordonez, Rowand and others in that group about a decade ago, under some different leadership. Of the names you just mentioned, only Young and Reed were developed in the "last few years", and so far Reed isn't showing much. We're talking about the organization at present, no? I was thinking 3 or 4 year time frame - typical development cycle for high end prospects.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 11:21 AM) His skillset probably projects to the two hole or somewhere like 6th/7th with what he's got now. He's shown, well, not a whole lot in the bandbox in Charlotte. I'm not on high on Sweeney as most, because while he can hit for average, we need him in a power position as he projects right now to right field. Probably why they have him in CF.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 11:55 AM) I'm not sure when I first noticed this and started to be bothered by it, but it really started to grate on me these last few days. I was at the game yesterday and I was talking to the person I was with and I said, "Damn, it has been a long time since we drafted someone like that -- or any impact player, at all," and I think it was in response to Sizemore homering. I said, "Since Frank Thomas. Actually, it might've been Chris Young, come to think of it," and he said, "Oh I hope not!" But I was thinking about it and here's our lineup. Podsednik -- Not ours. Besides that, his hitting isn't something to be particularly proud of. I do wish he'd swing the bat more because he makes fair contact when he is swinging. If he looked to foul off close pitches and drive some more often he'd do so much better for himself, I think. All the same, we can't take much credit for his development. Erstad -- Not ours. He came here knowing how to play. Thome -- Not ours. Konerko -- Not ours. I know we think of him as ours but he doesn't come from our system and I'm not sure we can take too much credit for successfully developing him. Dye -- Not ours. Crede -- Ours, but a. I think his year last year is something he'll be hard-pressed to match and b. he's not that great even with his year last year. I know we all appreciate Crede, but as fathom points out (or Kalapse), he'd be the fourth best third baseman in the NL East, and it took him, what, four years to get to this level? Iguchi -- Not ours. Uribe -- We can't take credit for his development. He has become more pull-happy than before, I think. Pierzynski -- He isn't ours, either, but I think there's a real case to be made for us having changed him for the worse with our softball approach to hitting when he used to be a pesky linedrive hitter. It goes to our pitching, too, but to a much lesser extent. When your organization's best success at developing a player is Joe Crede, there's something seriously wrong unless you have the Yankees money, which we don't. Good points, though I disagree on Uribe (who this year looks a lot better than last at the plate) and Konerko (who really did do a lot of his growing here). Its been said by multiple people here, our system doesn't seem to develop a lot of great hitters. If you look at the guys who put up gaudy averages in our minors over the last few years, there aren't many, few have stayed in our system to the majors (Crede and BA), others came in already trained (Gload), and there aren't many down there now doing it (maybe Sweeney or Rogo, but neither are considered top tier hitting prospects). Question is, is it the coaches that are bad, or does the team not draft/sign the right talent? Or both?

QUOTE(Scwible @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 11:33 AM) They're saying on the score, Javy goes tomorrow and Jose on sunday. Interesting. I suppose they don't want Contreras out of rhythm. Question is, will Minny do the same with Johan?

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 6, 2007 -> 11:08 AM) We'll get Santana. Where are you seeing this? Is it official, or your best guess?

I wouldn't worry about our lack of success against Sowers. I was at the game, and I can't remember seeing so many hard-hit balls get caught or go just foul (as stated in the game thread). The Sox hit him a lot harder than the box score shows.

Just got back from the game. I can't recall being at a game where the Sox had so many hard-hit balls that didn't amount to anything. The Cleveland outfield is where our extra base hits go to die, apparently. And that 9th inning was friggin' sweet. So was Masset.

QUOTE(retro1983hat @ Apr 5, 2007 -> 10:39 AM) We sucked these first two games. Sucked! Sucked! Sucked! But are we really backing up the truck on day 3? "we" are not backing up the truck. TROLL WITH A CAPITAL T is backing up his truck, and we all have to listen to the incessant beep-beep-beep.

So, let's say Podz suckz all month and they make this move, with Erstad in LF and Anderson in CF. What's the best lineup? Because I'm not sure who to put in the 2-slot. Would it be BA? Uribe's K rate is actually lower than Anderson's, he seems to be taking more pitches this year, and I think he can bunt, but he is a dead pull hitter especially on the infield and has low OBP's. I can't see anyone who fits the 2-slot profile (good contact hitter, low K rate, can bunt, can hit the ball consistently to the right side). Putting Gooch back there seems a shame now, given he was upset about it for 2 years and he seems OK down there now. So here is a name to consider - AJ. He can put the ball to the right side, his K rate is lower than Gooch, BA or Uribe, and his OBP last year was .333. The lineup then looks like this... Erstad LF Pierzynski C Thome DH Konerko 1B Dye RF Crede 3B Gooch 2B Uribe SS Anderson CF Now one obvious problem with this lineup is that its 3 straight lefties followed by 6 straight righties. But that seems a smallish price to pay compared the benefit. AJ did hit .270 vs LHP last year which isn't horrible, and if you sit him, you can move BA or Gooch up to the 2-hole. Also, AJ isn't exactly a burner on the basepaths, but he's not Konerko either. Thoughts? Alternatives?

I know its just two games, but so far, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with Erstad (as is everyone else, I assume), in pretty much all aspects of the game. I am more in favor every day of the idea of Erstad taking over LF full-time and Anderson moving into CF, especially if Pods fails to get it moving (though I do think you can't make that move for at least a month, to give Pods a real shot).

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 5, 2007 -> 12:38 AM) Mary Ann Akers of the Washington Post explains why President Bush’s recess appointment of Sam Fox as ambassador to Belgium may break the law: I hope they nail the executive's ass to the wall on this one. This kind of underhanded B.S. is embarrasing, even compared to the rest of the political system. Further, it would be nice (if even possible) if Congress passed a law to prohibit these recess appointments ad infinitum. This is the kind of thing that even some Republicans would probably sign onto, given how subversive their actions are, so a veto-proof majority could probably be accomplished.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 4, 2007 -> 05:15 PM) Cost effective is about the only reason I can see. It is costly for our government to offer that level of customer service to citizens. Businesses have a profit motive to welcome non English speakers. This is all about what level of service that the Government should offer to the people that are paying the bill. So you don't see the ability to communicate with your peers as a valid reason for having a language that everyone speaks?

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Apr 4, 2007 -> 12:17 PM) This is the exact quote from a Yahoo news article: LINK: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_...r/obama_money_7 Wow. I must say, if that's true, then $25M is that much more impressive. I think this is going to be a very interesting primary season for both parties.

I wouldn't think that "periods of scattered snow flurries", as they are calling for, would be enough to cancel the game.

What the heck is a Starbury? I assume its some sort of shoe, but I don't know where you'd find good shoes for $16.

Iran to release the 15 hostages, per speech by Ahmadinejad.

From Roto... Mark Buehrle-S- White Sox Apr. 4 - 9:00 am et Mark Buehrle has reportedly told the White Sox that he'll let them match any offer he receives on the free-agent market following the season. Buehrle wasn't able to work out a long-term deal prior to Opening Day and further talks have ceased, but his leaving Chicago may not be quite the done deal many expect. The Cardinals have long been rumored to be his team of choice. Source: Chicago Sun-Times

MLB Preview Westbrook v Garland

A small update/enhancement about Zell's Sox stake.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Apr 3, 2007 -> 06:38 PM) I wanted to ping you guys and see if anyone around chicago is an avid bicycle rider in the summer. I have been doing mountain biking for years and am now focusing on riding some distance and try to possibly ride in the AIDS ride this summer. I thought maybe if there were enough people we could form a group that goes out on rides on the weekends or such. Let me know. I'll be riding every weekend from mid-April through the end of July, training for RAGBRAI (which is in the last week of July). I'll mostly be doing road rides out past the last suburbs west (Elburn), where there is a lot of open pavement and little traffic. But I'd be happy to do other rides in the city or burbs as well. I mountain biking, but since moving back to Chicago in 2004, my MTB has been gathering dust. There are no decent trails any closer than Palos Heights, or Kettle Morraine, that I know of. I'm game if you or anyone knows some good spots.