SoxFan1

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 04:40 PM) beckham's crappy fresh/soph stats worry me. He led his team in most categories both seasons and has been hitting 3rd for UGa since the 2nd half of his Freshman season. He's shown steady improvement year by year.

2008: A future White Sox All-Star is selected in the MLB Draft.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:48 PM) You gotta take college stats with a grain of salt. Beckham might have had close to identical stats, but there is no doubt that Smoak is the better hitter of the two. Based on your own opinion and only your own. You've been hugging Smoak's junk for months now.

You're Gordon Beckham haven... http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65302

3B Fields - SS Ramirez - 2B Beckham - 1B Swisher I approve.

With their 1st top 10 draft pick since 1990, the White Sox select Georgia SS Gordon Beckham as their top draft pick (8th overall) in 2008. Name: Gordon Beckham Position: Shortstop College: Georgia Bats: Right Throws: Right 2008 Junior Statistics: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, 19 2B, 47 BB, 17/18 SB, .781 SLG, .505 OBP (SEC Player of the Year) 2007 (Sophomore): # Started all 56 games at shortstop and led the team with 13 home runs, 51 RBI, 23 multiple-hit games # Batted .307-13-51 with a .943 FLDG% in 280 total chances (16 errors) # Ranked among SEC leaders with 19 doubles and 130 total bases # Hit .322 in SEC action including team-high seven HRs and 22 RBI # Batted .571 (4-for-7) with the bases loaded including a grand slam versus Furman on March 28 that won a Bulldog fan $5,000 # Seven three-hit games including one over Furman with a career-high 7 RBI too # Went 2-for-5, 2 HRs and 4 RBI in season-opener versus #15 Oregon State # Hit .417 (5-for-12) with 5 runs scored and 6 RBI in series at Kentucky in April # Batted .500 (6-for-12) with 5 RBI in series at #7 South Carolina in May 2006 (Freshman): # Named Freshman All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball # Started all 70 games at shortstop in helping lead Georgia to the College World Series # Batted .280-12-54 with a .937 FLD%; Batted .273-5-16 in SEC action # Tied for second on the team in RBI (54) plus was second in Runs Scored (61) and third in Home Runs (12) # Had 22 multiple hit games including 11 three-hit games # Ranked second in the SEC with 219 assists # Moved up to the third spot in the order for the final 30 games and batted .297 with 22 RBI and 30 Runs Scored # Hit first career home run (3-run) vs. #8 San Diego on Feb. 26 # Smacked a two-run home run in the top of the ninth at #11 Arkansas to win 8-7 and clinch the series # Batted .600 (6-for-10) with six RBI and four runs in series sweep of Louisville # In the sweep of #12 South Carolina, he batted .584 (7-for-12) with five runs scored and perfect fielding in 12 chances # Batted .727 (8-for-11) with seven RBI and four runs in three games vs. Georgia Tech including scoring the game-winning run in the 11-inning thriller at Turner Field in front of a crowd of 19,119 # Career-long eight game hitting streak from May 14-26 when he batted .429 (15-for-35) with 12 RBI and 11 Runs Scored # A member of the SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll High School: # A graduate of Westminster and two-sport standout # Played baseball for Jim Jefferson and football for Gerry Romberg # A four-year starter in baseball and three-year starter in football # Senior year led the team with a .456 batting average as well as in runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, total bases and walks # Named team captain and earned the MVP Award # Named All-City first team and the Braves 400 Club All-Star team # Hit .323-1-16 and .359-1-17 in his first two years as the Wildcats advanced to the final four of the state playoffs # Batted .340-3-21 with 10 SBs as a junior # Earned the F. White Kenan Award and was the captain of the team plus named All-City first team # Member of East Cobb Yankees and Astros summer league teams # Helped Yankees win the 2005 Connie Mack World Series and the Astros to the 2003 AAU Junior Olympics title # Named MVP and won Golden Glove and Top Hitter Awards # Named AAA All-State his junior season as a FS, and as a QB as a senior by the GACA, Associated Press and Atlanta Journal # Threw for 1,829 yards and 25 TDs as a senior # Also rushed for 7 TDs as a senior Personal: # Born Sept. 16, 1986 # Son of Gordon and Sully Beckham # Gordon's father was a QB for the Univ. of South Carolina # Major: Pre-Business

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:02 PM) Beckham AAP, anyone? I'll take it...

QUOTE (DBAH0 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 01:56 PM) Even if Beckham ends up at 2B, it's still not that bad of a scenario. He projects to be a mix b/w Khalil Greene and Michael Young offensively (Greene would be a .260 20HR hitter away from PETCO FWIW), and that's pretty good production from either a 2B or a SS. I guess with O-Cab unlikely to stay, and Uribe not a long - term option, the Sox needed somebody they could count on from 2010 onwards to be a part of that middle infield. You've got to like the potential of a Fields-Ramirez-Beckham-Swisher IF in a couple years.

I gotta say, with Smoak and Crow on the board, I wanted one of those 2.

I never really started this thread with intentions of comparing our 2005 team to this 2008 team. It was more so a clubhouse/personality comparison.

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:35 AM) imo we have the best pitching staff in baseball, in terms of ERA & least homeruns allowed (a stat that isn't weighed as much as I believe it should be) you could make a case for toronto and oakland but I think our staff is better, albeit slightly MLB Rankings... White Sox: ERA: 1st Hits: 1st R: T-1st BB: 3rd K: 10th WHIP: 2nd HR: 1st AVG: 2.7 Athletics: ERA: 3rd Hits: 3rd R: 3rd BB: 10th K: 8th WHIP: 4th HR: 2nd AVG: 4.7 Blue Jays: ERA: 2nd Hits: 6th R: T-1st BB: 8th K: 6th WHIP: 1st HR: T-3rd AVG: 3.9 The Sox have 4 of the top 14 SP in the AL in ERA. Top 3 in all major categories but strike outs is pretty ridiculous.

Mark Buehrle is the only pitcher on the White Sox pitching staff with an ERA over 4. Loaiza had a 5.62 ERA in LA though.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 12:39 AM) I guarantee you that if Ruth was playing in today's game, he'd lead the league with 100+ homers every year. I stopped reading there.

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 12:28 AM) I do not share that interpretation of Ruth's context, but I welcome your expanded thoughts on the subject. Ruth + 2008 = Not one of the best ever.

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 12:04 AM) I did leave off McGwire, and I apologize for that. You're right. However, his homeruns are steroid-inflated, but still: that sort of power does not come just with steroids, and Mac deserves some recognition. What IS interesting is that Jenkinson puts a gold star by every homerun that has ever been hit that went over 450 feet, because anything over 450 is significant and powerful. McGwire had about 90, and Ruth? Nearly 200. Ruth also swung a 40+ ounce bat against inferior pitching.

The main thing that stands out from that 2005 season was the camaraderie in the clubhouse and the loosey-goosey attitude the team had. Watching tonight's celebration at home plate reminded me so much of that 2005 team. I have the end of that 15th inning Tivo'd and it is just something else to watch. A few things to note...the 1st man to greet Paulie down that 3rd base line was Ozzie. He gave the big ole' high five and everything. Next in line was Swisher. Waving the towel around and being the personality we all know he is. Then you've got guys like OCab, Alexei, and Quentin jumping in the the middle of the pile. Quentin throwing punches at Paulie's ribs was hilarious as well. Ozuna then treating Paulie like a horse giving him multiple ass-slaps. JD and AJ then attack him outside the batters box and in the dugout, telling him something and pointing to the scoreboard (would love to know what they were talking about there). Then you see Brian and Burls doing something on the side, laughing and pushing eachother. That reminded me a lot of Rowand and BA in the dugout when Pods hit the walk-off. "No way! NO WAY!" Then Thome caps it off with the hug coming down the steps into the clubhouse. Hell, even Gavin was all over PK. And then of course, Toby comes in with the shaving cream pie to the face. This season has been very fun to watch, even with all of our offensive struggles. This is a very fun team to be a fan of, and I'm hoping we can keep it up en route to a 2005 Part Two. I think Tony said it best in the game thread...this looks like a very fun clubhouse to be around.

Ozzie looks like a very stressed and beaten man in that post-game press conference.

That home plate celebration was awesome. JD/PK/AJ were talking about something. OCab and Swish were being incredibly googy and I love ho CQ was throwing some punches at PK in the middle. AWESOME!

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 4, 2008 -> 11:20 PM) I would be more entertained if there was a walkoff, a home plate sandwitch, fireworks, and a shaving creme pie in the face after the game. You got it!

Paulie looks like he just ran a marathon.

PAULIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lead-off walk.

3-1...do it CQ.

Negative Nancies is an understatement right now. This bullpen has done nothing but pitch amazingly and we're still b****ing. Complain about the offense. I don't think any other fan base in the world has smelled more doubles and home runs against the Royals.