ScottyDo

QUOTE(greg775 @ Apr 3, 2007 -> 01:12 AM) A lot of their guys would start for the Sox cause we platoon so much everybody starts a lot. Sox need to suck it up and win this series. 1-2 or 0-3 will classify as a suck start considering we're playing a division rival at home. As far as I know we're only officially platooning CF and LF is mostly Podednik's. Yesterday was different because Pablo has such good numbers against Sabathia. I'd possibly concede LF as a platoon but other than that and OF, where are we platooning? And I'm not gonna panic if we don't win this series, it's the first series of the year. Even if we get swept, it would suck but if you can't dig out of an 0-3 hole you don't stand a chance anyway.

QUOTE(joeynach @ Apr 3, 2007 -> 12:26 PM) He did the same thing in spring training this year batting low in the order and hitting .230, he did the same thing in spring training last year when they experimented with him hitting down in the order. So this should really come as no surprise. I dont expect great results from him hitting down in the order if every time he has done so he has struggled, spring training or not. Hence why Ozzie scrapped the Iguchi hitting 7th plan last year before the season started I dont know why he was back on that bandwagon again. Okay but Iguchi clearly has the offensive talent to perform in the 7-hole, just look at his body of work. Two partial spring trainings and one regular season game aren't enough to determine that he just sucks there. He appears to be an adaptable player, so once he gets used to it I'm sure he'll be more than acceptable.

worst start EVER!!! Or, well, close to it. Might wake up our pitching staff, though. Who knows... worst start EVER!!! Or, well, close to it. Might wake up our pitching staff, though. Who knows...

Okay, I know patience is not a virtue here, but Iguchi has played exactly one game this season. How about we let him play at LEAST a week before we decide he's even slumping, and then 3-4 to decide there's an actual problem. His mechanics might not look great, but he's Iguchi, not some rookie scrub.

Oh God, now DJ is talking about us all living in space.......he's only making things worse!

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2007 -> 11:44 AM) Then why are you arguing that Podsednik is better than Dellucci? The only thing Podsednik has ever done that Dellucci really hasn't is steal bases, and Podsednik didn't steal bases at anywhere close to a good clip last year. How is it arguable? Stolen bases? Dellucci gets on at a better clip over his career, he has gotten on at a better clip recently, and he's in scoring position more often than Podsednik is. That's really all you can ask of a leadoff hitter, right? And I don't understand what you're getting at by suggesting Crede, but there's no doubt in my mind at all that he'd be a better leadoff hitter than Podsednik simply because he'll score more runs. That's all you want out of your leadoff hitter, right? Speed doesn't just get you from 1st to second on a stolen base, it gets you from first to third on a dribbler, it gets you from 2nd to home on a bouncer up the middle, and it gets you from first to home on a base hit...there are a lot of ways speed helps your ballclub, especially when the baseburners are on in front of people who hit for average and power. That said, I'm not Pods' biggest fan, and I'd much rather we get an improvement somehow. I just don't think Dellucci is much of an answer. Honestly, I'd like to see Iguchi there. QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2007 -> 11:44 AM) Then why are you arguing that Podsednik is better than Dellucci? The only thing Podsednik has ever done that Dellucci really hasn't is steal bases, and Podsednik didn't steal bases at anywhere close to a good clip last year. I'm confused, are you saying Dellucci = Rollins? All I'm saying is, as a leadoff hitter, Rollins > everybody but Ichiro > Pods > Dellucci

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2007 -> 11:37 AM) Iguchi Gotcha. I'd be cool with that.

and for good luck! OPENING DAAAY!!!!

QUOTE(Capn12 @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 10:12 PM) Pods all of a sudden has some lingering issues with that groin, eh Oz.. Just put Erstad in LF, BA in CF with the exception of vs. lefties already... That quote makes me laugh....like there is any contest as to who should be in left against C.C.....good grief Ozzie... Erstad leading off?

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 07:35 PM) WTF is a hall-of-fame leadoff guy? I know you're not talking about Pods. That would be ludicrous. There's really no such thing as a HOF leadoff guy, or at least there are zero modern representatives. The two best lead-off type guys of the last 25 years aren't in the Hall (Though they only become eligible in the next two years) Many don't think Raines is a deserving candidate. I'd say they're wrong, but nobody is dumb enough to suggest that Delucci would play over Raines... that is until you brought it up in a failed attempt to make a point. Ichiro QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 07:59 PM) Tim Raines: career 123 OPS+ Ricky Henderson: career 127 OPS+ (greatest leadoff hitter ever) Barry Larkin: career 116 OPS+ Even Kenny Lofton is a 107 and Jose Reyes was a 118 last season. All of the guys listed above also had numerous seasons with OPS+ numbers much higher than the career number. It appears some of the best leadoff hitters of the past couple 20 years have had some pretty impressive OPS+ numbers. Then wouldn't a leadoff hitter who could skip step 2 and already be in scoring position without having to steal a base be even more valuable? Hence someone with a more inflated SLG%. Singles and stolen bases are fun and all but someone who has a higher slugging percentage is in scoring position without having to go through all that crap and without risking outs like a speed guy with a s***ty SB% such as Podsednik would tend to do. I'll take a Jimmy Rollins over a Scott Podsednik every day of the week and like 6 more times on Sunday. Heh. That's a crappy comparison because I don't think anybody will ever argue that Pods is better than Rollins. As far as Dellucci, however, it's certainly arguable that Pods is better. By the OPS+ logic we should put Crede in the leadoff spot. There are other considerations that go into the effectiveness of a leadoff man.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 01:26 AM) Before anyone mentions his 2005 season, read this; He just loves facing the Royals My point exactly. He's the Don Quixote of major league pitchers. Wait, scratch that, he's no Josh Beckett.

QUOTE(TheBlackSox8 @ Mar 31, 2007 -> 06:09 PM) The Cardinals had a Cy young, an MVP, and a great closer....then the next year went to the World Series and won...granted they played in the NL and a weak division...but they won when it mattered. Twins are kind of similar to an extent this season, but they play in probably the hardest division. Nah, the Tigers blew it. Their pitchers are gonna have a loooot of fielding practice, I'm sure. Speaking of the Tigers, without Kenny Rogers the first half I see them stumbling hard. He's the veteran leadership for the pitching staff, and nobody can conceal pinetar like him. Bonderman will be out there with pinetar everywhere and get himself suspended without Rogers' guidance. But for serious, I honestly think the Sox will finish ahead of the Tigers and Twins. Tigers overachieved last year (Craig Monroe will never again hit 30ish HR's, nor will Brandon Inge), Twins minus Liriano and Radke and plus Ponson mean a non-scary rotation to me. They have a dominant closer but things don't translate like that. For instance, both the Jays and Orioles have had B.J. Ryan and how many division titles has that brought them? Incidentally, I don't believe Morneau is gonna put up MVP numbers again. He's simply not that type of player. I supposed I could be underselling the Twins a little, they do somehow manage to get impossible numbers out of their limited talent every year. Particularly their pitching staff. The Indians are a dark horse to me, but without a bullpen their perceived value is overinflated. Funny how no "analysts" EVER write extensively about the bullpen yet it usually parlays into victories. Possibly because it's too hard to predict a bullpen year-to-year but more likely because bullpens don't sell.

QUOTE(tealeafreaderii @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 12:49 AM) The allstar appearance was because Ozzie was the manager. The only guy less deserving of a spot was that cat from the royals. previous to june when the all-star roster was being decided, he had an ERA near 3. if that doesn't qualify you, what does?

why is everybody so high on lee? I can understand being low on buehrle but lee's never proven a thing.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 31, 2007 -> 11:10 PM) Im sure they do "no" everybody nose

QUOTE(BainesHOF @ Mar 31, 2007 -> 11:55 PM) I don't think he looked so hot. Yeah, he got hitters out in a meaningless game, but his velocity wasn't quite up to speed no matter what the radar said, his location was much too high too often and his breaking stuff was erratic with much of it guilty of being high. Buehrle's a smart pitcher with guts. I hope that's good enough for him to finish above .500. I believe his arm is not what it used to be, and isn't about to get any better with this being the second season of it being off its long-time peak. Let's not forget he made the all-star game last year for a reason. He had an excellent first third of the season, so it hasn't been THAT long since he's been a stud pitcher.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Mar 30, 2007 -> 08:55 AM) Just a couple of days ago, Ozzie was concerned talking about how you can't just flip on a switch. Now he says the pitchers have looked good the past 2 weeks. The other puzzling thing to me is Cooper says you can't evaluate pitchers in Arizona. If that's the case why were the White Sox holding auditions for the 5th starter slot there this year, and for the bullpen with all those minor league busts last season? And if its so tough to pitch there, why is a guy who went through the entire spring unscathed opening the season in Charlotte? I am looking forward to the White Sox being 0-0 again, but nothing KW or Ozzie say will get me to stop worrying about the pitching. Where else are they supposed to hold auditions? QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Mar 30, 2007 -> 10:30 AM) JR lives in the Phoenix area in the winter. They have great facilities and they have a better $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ situation in AZ. The have also won more championships training in AZ than they have training in FL. I just don't understand if they claim they really can't evaluate there, why they set themselves up to have to evaluate there. I'm sorry KW fell in love with Floyd based a lot on his performance in the ARIZONA Fall League. Now he uses Arizona as an excuse for Floyd's failing. If its because of AZ that he blew this spring, why isn't he with the team? Maybe KW is trying to show confidence in Floyd, but the fact that he's in Charlotte shows that not all of his problems are AZ-related, as much as KW would like you to believe it. Yeah, that's all fine but Floyd IS on the AAA team so clearly KW's biases didn't get in the way. If they made the right choice in the end, what's the problem?

QUOTE(soxfansince04 @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 11:31 PM) Hi there, this is my first post. I have been lurking here a few months, and it seems like a pretty good place for Sox commentary. I did not grow up a baseball fan, became one as an adult(hence the username), so I still have lots to learn. I do enjoy the commentary here though. I will be at opening day as well, I am a split STH. My buddy and I will be Keggin' and Eggin' pregame. We both really like food and grilling, so we have a lot of fun picking out tailgate food. We're doing steaks and breakfast burritos and homemade pork sausage for our first tailgate. Our seats are in the upper deck along the first base line, I can't wait to sit down in my "summer home" on Monday. Even if the Sox have a weak season, which I am prepared for at this point, I am still happy I can go and relax at 35th and Shields. Hey, welcome aboard!

I would say that's a fairly good analysis of what spring training is and how much the numbers mean. Our key hitters had good springs so offensively I'm not worried about much. I'm actually not that worried about most of our pitchers either, with the notable exception of Buehrle. He's shown next to no improvement, he's still keeping the ball up and over the middle of the plate every 4th pitch or so. You can do that if you're the Randy Johnson of old, but when your fastball barely tops off at 90, you're gonna get spanked every time. Keep it DOOOOWN Buehrle!

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 11:52 PM) August is really when the Sox need to bear down as a team, because it's been August the last 3 years where the team has just completely tanked. Coincidentally - or not - Ozzie's managed the White Sox 3 years. Think it may have something to do with him running the starting pitching out there for 7-9 innings every single night and not using his bullpen? Think it's maybe why the bullpen is rusty come August? Think Ozzie never giving the big guns consistent rest throughout the previous 4 months is why they start to slow down, and the bench players are mediocre? Yeah, I'd venture to guess it has something to do with that. well previous to ozzie's tenure, the sox were out of the running by june every year save one.

i'll be watching it on mlb.tv because MLB is a bunch of jerks who optioned the extra innings package to directTV. brassholes...

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 02:39 PM) yeah that's still pretty s***ty of you meh, i'm alright with it! gain some utilitarian non-values why don't you?

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 02:43 PM) Wrong forum. He does not play for the Sox. I think it's pretty relevant to our AL central success though

QUOTE(Y2HH @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 02:41 PM) I predicted more than half of their staff would run into similar issues. They've never pitched that much in their collective lives. Welcome to our 2006 world, boys. Arm fatigue in April is not a good sign for him. Glad I didn't pick him up in any of my fantasy drafts.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 01:46 PM) The teams that Eckstein are on nearly always are "winning" teams. Sure, Jose Guillen, Kevin Brown or Milton Bradley or Soriano have a lot more talent, but why do they never find a home? You need talent and "winning" players coming together to make a team, Carl Everett is another example. Yeah, he had a lot of talent when he first came up to the bigs with the Marlins and Yankees, but leadership isn't to be discounted either. Didn't he get a ring with someone? I forget who....