balfanman

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 21, 2012 -> 07:47 AM) And if he was legitimately that good, 29 other GMs wouldn't be leaving him languish in Albuquerque NM. I have no doubt that Josh Fields is not that good. the question is, Is he an upgrade to what we have now? I do not pretend to know the answer to this, I am just speculating that if he has matured even slightly from 2007 and is making even slightly more contact than he used to, than he would be an improvement over the sub 200 hitting, below average defensive 3rd baseman that we currently run out there every day. If he is not then forget about it, if he is then maybe we need to look into it if he is available. I would have hoped that K.W. and crew have already done this.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 21, 2012 -> 07:24 AM) Brewers switched up their rotation: Fri: Greinke vs Sale Sat: Wolf vs Humber Sun: Fiers vs Quintana I hope the word "salvage" isn't being used on Sunday. I do.....by the Brewers!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 21, 2012 -> 07:04 AM) Matt Spiegel ‏@MattSpiegel670 1 hit, 1 BB, 2 runs, a sparkling play! Viva la Escobar! RT @scottmerkin Robin said Hudson will be back at 3B for Friday's opener vs. Brewers It's stuff like this that drives me nuts in regards to baseball and I'm sure that there are very good reasons why I'm not a baseball manager. The Hudson experiment looked slightly promising in the beginning, but he has gone back to his normal "sucky" hitting. It seems obvious to most everyone that something has to be done about the 3rd base situation. You insert a guy who plays better defense than the incumbant, has a game where he gets on base a couple of times and scores a run, and you promptly put the incumbant back in. It just does not make any sense to me. Why is it so tough to make this decision?

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jun 21, 2012 -> 05:00 AM) I suppose Ventura made the right decision by not retaliating in the 9th. But, what the hell? Why would Corpus throw at De Aza? Because a broken bat hit their pitcher? I'm sure Escobar planned that, right? Otherwise, great win over a bad team. It's about time Floyd pitched well. Beckham...good stuff there. I don't know, I may be way off base here, so flail away if you wish. I have never met Dale Svuem, nor do I know much about him and just slightly remember him as a player. But......he seems like kind of a punk to me, like most other teams fans think of A.J. It seems that as many times as the Sox have been hit in the 2 Cubs series this year that most, if not all of those came from the manager. I don't follow the Cubs much and have no idea if they are doing this to other teams as well, but it sure looks like the times they plunked the Sox this were not accidental. Maybe it's Svuems idea of instilling the "we're tough and will not take crap from anybody" attitude that a team that has not won anything in over a century may need.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 01:27 PM) I am going Friday night because Chris Sale is pitching. I bet the fact that Humber and Quintana go on Saturday and Sunday has something to do with that. The $14 seats are pretty high up but if you purchase them you can always move up to empty seats. I really have no idea how much who the starting pitcher is effects attendance. I would think that unless that starter is really good, or really bad that it would not effect it very much. In my case, I go to watch the Sox and usually do not put much thought towards who the starter might be for that particular game. That being said, while I think Phil Humber appears to be a great guy, if it looks like he is going to be the starter for a particular game that I might want to go to, I will definitely choose another game. I know that teams have to give guys plenty of opportunity to come out of their funk, but Humber is to the point where you almost have to give someone else a start (Axlerod ?) to get a few more people in the ballpark. Not that I would make it a point to see someone like an Axlerod pitch, but i would not waste my hard earned money to go see what will most likely be a Sox loss if Humber starts.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 05:51 PM) This is exactly why my seats were in the club level. You can actually watch a game there most of the time. Its amazing. Baseball is at least 95% dead time, but the guy in front of you or the guy with the cotton candy always seem to be up and in your way as the pitch is headed towards home and Dunn is at the plate. If you can get a premium club level seat, they are pretty reasonable on stubhub usually, its the ticket to none of that. Thank you DA, I'll look into that. My daughter hasn't decided yet exactly when she's coming home so I don't know what game we're headed to yet.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 10:31 PM) That's a great great column http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...,2585309.column Way to go, Trib! But the Sox deserve some responsibility for keeping fans away during the most optimum week of the season. Thanks to dynamic pricing, City Series bleacher seats went for an outrageous $90 — hard for many families to justify in this economy. "I wasn't comfortable taking the prices for this series lower,'' Boyer said. "But, when all is said and done, we can look at it and learn from this.'' "I love that pressure,'' Boyer said. "There is a sense in our organization that none of us can throw, hit or run but we know we're contributing to the team on a daily basis.'' When Brooks came on board several years ago he did some great things to help attendance, and was he ever a breath of fresh air compared to the likes of Rob Gallas (ewww); but man these statements from him really reeks of stupidity and lack of foresight to me. I guess that the marketing department has been "playing" like the team in recent weeks.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 01:26 PM) Escobar is at 3B tonight. I'd like to see what he can do with two weeks of regular play. I agree, and if he fails give Lillibridge 2 weeks of steady play.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 02:39 PM) Hudson's defense so far has been about on par with Fields/Teahen, though Hudson seems to clearly be more talented while also more airheaded. My statement was in regards to this year. It looks REALLY bad if you make multiple moves for a third baseman and every single one is a sub .200 hitter, especially if we keep grabbing them out of nowhere. While Hudson not playing well is embarrassing, there aren't press releases about him every day. When you announce there's a new player, you get new (high) expectations that will be dashed if he doesn't play well. You don't want to set up a pattern of having every new player acquisition play like s***, especially when they are brought in as a starter. I'd rather take our time and find the right 3B than getting desperate and having another schmuck over there. In the meantime, pump Hudson full of all the HGH or whatever fountain of youth elixir you've got and hope he starts hitting. Well.... I agree, short of a least a minor acquisition, that appears to be our best bet right now. I just wish that we could find even a ~225 hitting schmuck right now.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 11:01 AM) Fields is not a sure bet to hit better and is another hopeless defensive 3B. On one hand I'm all for buying low, but our franchise can't keep running bench level third basemen out there. Hudson was worth a shot, but don't take another equally long shot. Get someone that you know for sure will do at least offense or defense better than Orlando Hudson. When was the last time we ran a bench level 3rd baseman out there? Probably the very 2 we're talking about (Fields & Teahen). I wish we had a bench level 3rd baseman to play there. What we are playing there now are emergency grade 3rd basemen at best. As I recall, why he was not a Gold Glover, Fields defense was not his biggest problem.

QUOTE (TitoMB @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 12:41 PM) The weirdos are the ones who think the opposite! The upper deck behind home plate is my favorite spot to sit at the Cell. Perfect view, cheap, and fun. I could not possibly agree with you more Brotha! It's been several years (I think Maggs was in right), but I could not believe what a lousy experience I had the last time I sat in the lower level. I think my company at the time bought the tickets. When I go to a game, I for some unknown reason, want to actually watch a game. We were about 10 - 12 rows from the field along the right field line, slightly behind 1st base. People were constantly getting up and down, in and out of their seats, even during pitches. I don't know why people have such rude baseball, or any public event, behavior. I'm a very mild mannered man, and it takes a lot to get me angry; but boy was I pissed. I bet you I missed half of the game because someone was standing up to get in and out in front of me, usually right when the pitcher was starting his wind up. At that time I swore I would never sit in the lower level again and have not since.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 12:40 PM) IMO, going is better, but not $100+ better. I agree 100%

QUOTE (WHarris1 @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 08:16 AM) Given that we have gotten an OPS of .460 from our starting 3B this year I would say that Mark Teahen would qualify as a pretty significant upgrade to our current situation. Where is Teahen at these days anyway? Does anyone think that K.W. would seriously think about reaquiring him or Fields?

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 08:32 AM) Aramis Ramirez? Would the Brewers be looking to trade? Would they trade him? Is he any good anymore? Not when the pressure is on.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 07:59 AM) It would be awesome if Gavin Floyd didn't give up 5 or more runs tonight. It would also be of help if the offense could score more than 3 runs.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 06:50 AM) The only game I'm planning on going to is July 4th. And that's only because we got "free" tickets when we signed our son up for the Sox/Bulls summer camp. I would love to go to more games, but it's so damn expensive. Then add parking, beer, and some food? Same here. I'm planning on going to one game this year, and that is only because my daughter is coming home for a visit and wants to go to a game. I live 2 hours (one way) from the park and by the time I buy gas, parking, tickets, at least a small food/drink item, you're in the $200.00 range. Fortunately, I happen to be one of the weirdos who believes that the first few rows of the upper deck are the best seats in the house.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 07:44 AM) So quickly we forget how awful these two players were. I am not ready to replace pretty bad with merely bad. If there is an upgrade out there, please make it, but these are lateral moves Having not seen Fields recently, someone please correct me if I'm wrong. How do we know that he hasn't matured at least a little and become a better, more selective hitter. Maybe he hasn't IDK, but without seeing him I wouldn't rule him out as an option. Teahen, well...I personally think that he would be more than a slight upgrade over what we've seen the last couple of years (barring one month). The point is I think that we have to do something and beggars don't have many options. Even someone who plays an average to slightly below average defense and could hit ~225, with even a small amount of power would be a huge upgrade.

QUOTE (SoIL @ Jun 20, 2012 -> 07:36 AM) So I see this thread has slipped to page 4. That makes me wonder, is Jeff "Mickey" Manto still the BEST. HITTING. COACH. EVER? Is Greg Walker available?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 09:09 AM) Houston: 28-39 Cubs: 23-44 Also, this is their current record. I believe that Houston was about as bad when that series started.

QUOTE (sunofgold @ Jun 19, 2012 -> 09:17 AM) DA is Dylan Axelrose or Axelfoley ..Axel or Excel something. Sorry; I didn't think that teal would be necessary for that one.

QUOTE (sunofgold @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 11:09 PM) C'mon Da GM.. get us another starter to play with. 3rd base can wait. And I agree that Stewart should be replaced on this roster. I say with DA. You want to replace Stewart with Dick Allen?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 11:56 PM) Sad, but this is the Crede thing all over again. He's done. "I think he's finished". Greg, I'm not quite sure if you were aware of what an absolute statement is. Your first statement is an absolute, your second one is an opinion. I'm not necessarily picking on you because you're most definitely not the only one who does this, but it drives me, and apparently others, nuts when someone presents something as an absolute when it is only their opinion. This is how a person gets percieved as a "know it all".

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 09:27 AM) Old Style tastes like piss! Um, this begs the obvious question. How would you know what piss tastes like?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 18, 2012 -> 10:25 AM) He leads the majors in homeruns and doesn't make 20 million. Someone would take him. Which, one could also argue, is the very reason that we need to keep hom.