balfanman

Looks like he's ahead of schedule. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,5027359.story

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 31, 2012 -> 02:19 PM) While i would like it, I think Moustakas is really the longest of long shots. If he comes to the Sox and reaches his offensive potential, it would make the Royals look really bad. I have said before I would really love Headley, but its hard to guage what the Padres want to do with him and their Minor league prospect. I think Wright would cost a boatload. Maybe there is someone out there that Haaaaaaaaahn is looking at that we arent aware of So, are there any top minor league 3rd basemen that are major league ready and blocked by another player? The major league team would want to have to part with the minor leaguer and keep the veteran.

QUOTE (Baron @ Oct 31, 2012 -> 01:46 PM) I think in the end after the front office explores other options we will resign Youk to a 1-2 year deal. I think that this option is probably the most likely scenario, however, while Youkilis can be more than servicable when healthy I think we will then need to make a trade at another position to find a bonafide hitter to help the lineup. My choice would be Rios since I just don't trust him to repeat 2012.

Now that our starting rotation has been solidified, at least until someone is traded, our next biggest need as I see it is 3rd base. I tend to be a defense first type of guy, but our offense is in a rather desperate need of a 3 hole hitter, or at least someone who can hit to all fields and take a walk once in a while. Since no one really has any idea about who other teams have made available I thought that it would be interesting to get some thoughts on the type of player you would like at 3rd base next season. In my opinion our offensive struggles kind of rules out an "all glove - no hit" type of player, but unless he hits like Miggy Cabrera I'm not sure that I want an "all hit - no glove" type either, although I'm leaning more towards the latter in this case. We would all love to have a 320 avg., 30 HR hitter that plays Gold Glove defense, but just who would that be? Realistically, I think that we need a higher average, hits to all fields (not necessarily HR's but a lot of doubles), not afraid to take a walk type, even if he is an average at best fielder. Kind of like who Youkilis was this season with a higher average. I think that it needs to be someone who opposing pitchers don't really want to face, someone who could at least provide a little protection in the lineup. We saw what happened to our offense when our most feared hitter was reduced to a singles hitter at best. I'm not really looking for names, although if you have one that appears available fine, but what type of player.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Oct 31, 2012 -> 10:02 AM) No way he would have gotten that much. I don't think that there's any doubt that Peavey would have been offered at least that much.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 25, 2012 -> 01:44 PM) Am I the only one who would be perfectly fine with zero entertainment between innings? I don't need dot races on the scoreboard, pop music blaring, or teenaged girls bouncing around on the dugout. Not all of us have ADHD. You're not the only one. I feel the same way. I'm not there for all the fluff, I go to watch the game and see the players. I love the being able to watch batting practice idea. I fondly remember going to old comiskey and being able to watch batting practice and then the game. I want to specify though that I want to see some actual practice. Not a bunch of roided up fools putting on a home run show.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 20, 2012 -> 06:53 PM) And everyone else is laughing that they have won one playoff series in 6 years and two playoff series in the last 20 years Which, and I hate to say this, is more than the Sox have done. Even with a payroll half the size on average, the A's always seem to be competitive and sometimes suprise. Other than 2005, the Sox really don't have much to be proud of.

QUOTE (Cali @ Oct 12, 2012 -> 12:25 AM) 122 pitches for Verlander in a 6-0 game. Leyland scared to use his pen that much? Hopefully this burns out Verlanders arm for the ALCS (sigh, I know it won't. It NEVER does) Just trying to find a silver lining. Ugh. f*** Detroit so much. I hate rooting for the Yankees but they're the only team that could stop them. They play Baltimore they get 4 at Comerica, and its lights out. I couldn't care less what this does to Verlanders arm for the rest of this season. I actually hope that the Tigers win it all now. I hope that this helps Verlander have a dead arm all of the 2013 season.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 12:57 PM) While I agree with this, I still think it would be far more significant pieces + Quintana in order to acquire Headley. That's why I suggested Olmeda.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 10:30 AM) In the real world, could a deal look something like Quintana for Headley? Personally I'd do that in a heartbeat. But what do I know?

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 07:15 AM) This is first click after google search, I will let the prospect gurus give us an insight if he's actually any good. I guess this makes Headly somehow expendable, could be reason why he wasn't signed to extension while guy like Quentin was. Didn't I read somewhere that the Padres had scouts at our last several games? Headley for Dan Johnson!.......okay, we can throw in Olmeda too.

I don't have the time to put a lot of thought into a full plan, but i just have one request for next years team. I like DeAza as a leadoff hitter playing LEFT field. Please, please, please, can we get a real centerfielder? I actully like Wise as a centerfielder, but I do realize that he is not a starting CF on a contending team.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 02:43 PM) Hudson 4 Wise 9 Konerko DH Viciedo 7 Johnson 3 Lopez 5 Gimenez 2 Danks 8 Olmedo 6 Floyd 1 Now that's one potent infield! Now watch them go 12 for 16 with a couple homers.

I really don't have one team that I'm pulling for because I like that team, so I'll root for the team that may help the White Sox long term. I guess that I'm pulling for the Tigers because it would at least make the AL Central a little more credible. If the Tigers lose in the first round, especially if they get swept, the AL Central would really lose credibility. I guess if the A's win it makes teams (White Sox) think that they don't really have to spend a lot of money to win it all. If the Tigers win the White Sox might think that thye have to spend money to compete with them. When that money is spent unwisely, as most big F. A. signings are, we'll then have several bad contracts to deal with. In summary, give me the A's or the Tigers, but I not really that concerned with who wins it all. .......except the Yankees, I hope that they lose quickly, badly, and painfully.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 09:46 AM) Read that paragraph again. Once every 4 years each. That is what I said. Okey Dokey, my bad.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 08:54 AM) Not as of 2010, which is what I stated. Point more generally is, the idea of Chicago being the city of Choke in sports is nothing more than drama. It isn't founded in reality. Think of it this way... baseball has 30 teams, and up until this coming post-season, there were 8 playoff teams per year. That means that a team ON AVERAGE will do to the playoffs about once every 4 years. So how has Chicago done since, say, 2000? Sox have gone three times in that twelve years, Cubs have also gone three times in twelve years - each averaging once every 4 years. Average average. Now, during that 12 seasons, there were 12 championships, which would mean Chicago would probably have slightly less than a 50/50 chance on average to have one of those. They have one. Also, people forget, the Sox have not really had a late-season near-miss like this in recent memory. In the post-strike and three-division era, the Sox have made the playoffs three times. And how many seasons were they within a couple or three games (either way) in late September, but lost? Once. People are upset because the team fell just short. They ran out of gas, they were hurt, they tried to do too much and couldn't get the big hit, they choked, whatever you want to call it... it was a very unusual event for the Sox. Anything else is just people venting their frustrations. You must cut that in half because Chicago has 2 teams. One of those teams should be in the playoffs every other year, not every four years.

QUOTE (flavum @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 11:52 AM) How about a rare laugher today? Score 7 runs in the first few innings, Liriano sails through 7 innings, nobody gets hurt. The problem with this is that it is not complete. If the Sox can score 7 runs the first few innings the offense will probably shut down for the rest of the game. Then, who pitches the 8th & 9th without letting the Indians come back and win. Sorry to be a downer, but that seems to be the "modus operandi" for most of this seasons losses.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 11:35 AM) How about 8 or so fewer infield flies? I've never seen so many godd*** pop ups in my life. JOE CREDE !

QUOTE (danman31 @ Sep 17, 2012 -> 04:30 PM) The Tigers have a nice schedule to close (6 against Minny, 7 against KC), but the Sox just have to go, say, 9-7 to close to put a ton of pressure on the Tigers. 9-7 by the Sox means the Tigers have to go a scorching 12-4 just to force a playoff. Barring a collapse, the Sox shouldn't need to do anything spectacular. Thank you; that's very comforting to realize!

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 17, 2012 -> 04:21 PM) Ok boys...now don't come out flat tomorrow! This is my fear. The way this division race has gone the last couple of months, Detroits probably going to at least tie us one more time.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 03:59 PM) Or he just doesn't like pitchers who don't throw strikes I know that it sure p***** me off.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 04:09 PM) OTOH, I've seen balls that De Aza has barely caught that would have been over Wise's head. Good point, but D.J. & Farmer sure seem disappointed at how deep DeAza plays. They keep mentioning it and it seems like they wish that he would play a few more steps in. D.J. says the DeAza is too scared of having a ball hit over his head. It just seems to me that there are far too many bloop singles falling in front of him that they think Wise would catch.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 03:45 PM) Wonder why ADA and Weezy swapped LF and CF? I think that this is for the best. I think that Wise plays shallower in CF, according to D.J., and can get to balls that DeAza plays too deep for. I believe that a ball fell in front of DeAza again last night.

Is it possible that all of those innings are starting to effect Verlander, much like it happened to almost all of the Sox staff towards the end of 2006.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Sep 6, 2012 -> 07:52 AM) Never heard someone describe Ivan Rodriguez as power hitting but he was definitely a roider, also It is highly likely Mike Piazza was a roider. The guy the Cubs just traded to Texas too...Giovanny Soto, is that his name?