scenario

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 05:18 PM) Understand, but it seemed like you guys tried to say a decent 2B will only make a worse SS, we can't be sure of that. My concern is that we've been fed the company line that he is a natural shortstop whose struggles at 2B were do to a lack of experience at the position. And that we were supposed to be relatively impressed at how well he adjusted to this new position... which as it turns out he's played before. And now it seems possible he has even more experience at 2B than he does at SS? IMO, athleticism is great. And if he plays SS for us, I really truly hope that he is great there. He seems to have the tools. But experience matters, especially in a position as important as SS. So, I just want to know the truth. Does he have experience at SS or not? And, if so, how much?

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 04:28 PM) I must have missed something about why this has become an issue now?! I'm surprised there isn't more concern about this. Is there a more important position on the field (besides pitching of course) than SS? No. Alexei is a very good athlete. But I think we've been lead to believe he has alot of experience at the position. And now I get the impression he really hasn't played it very much and we could be watching him learn on the job. Think about it. He played a year of 2B in the Cuban League just before coming to the U.S. And how much learning on the job at 2B did we watch take place in 2008? Missed cutoffs, etc.? And we assumed it was because he hadn't played it before... which it turns out wasn't really true. So, what are we supposed to expect when we hand him the MOST important position on the field... where he might actually have less experience? Again... I'd love for someone to come along... tell me I'm wrong... and show me how much experience he has at SS. Please. But right now, I'm scratching my head, wondering why exactly we've all bought into the idea that he's moving from 2B to his 'natural position'... and that he's going to be as good or better defensively than he was last year. And meanwhile, the position he has the MOST experience at is CF, where we obviously need help. Help me.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 04:05 PM) Ozzie seems to think he can play shortstop. I think he might have some inkling of what it takes to be a ML shortstop. I'm not challenging Alexei's athletic skills or Ozzie's judgement of what it takes to play SS... I'm just curious to know how much SS he's actually played... anywhere.

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) Why on numerous occasions does Alexei himself say, SS is his natural position? I remember reading a lot of articles from official White Sox website, and him saying that. That's what I'm trying to find out. Here's a quote from Peter Bjarkman's blog in September 2007 soon after Alexei left Cuba for the DR. "The departure of 2007 Cuban League home run champion Alexei Ramirez from his home island, rumored for more than a week, has now been confirmed with the announcement of a Thursday (September 20) press conference scheduled for Santo Domingo... An outfielder for Pinar del Rio during most of his first seven Cuban League seasons, Ramirez (pictured here celebrating a homer versus Panama in the 2006 Olympic Qualifier tournament) was only recently relocated to second base in the national team starting lineup for this past summer's Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero. The switch came in part as a result of the suspension last March of national team third baseman Michel Enriquez (Isla de la Juventud) and the consequent shifting of Yulieski Gourriel from second to third."

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 02:53 PM) From Baseball America when the Sox signed him: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=698 Yeah... that's what they 'say'... but when you look into the background of where he actually played (instead of what his agent said)... it looks like he was primarily an outfielder. Because SS is a premier position, it makes perfect sense his agent would play that position up because it adds to his value. So, I'm trying to filter out fact from fiction... because it seems pretty relevant to the Sox situation. Why are we committing SS to a guy who, it seems, has never been a full-time shortstop? I mean... let's put this in perspective. Is it possible that Chris Getz has played more games at SS in his career than Alexei? Again, I may be wrong... and if so somebody straighten me out on the facts.

Looking for a little help/conversation on the subject of Alexei at shortstop. I think we've all been influenced by the stories in the media that SS is Alexei's natural position, that he is most comfortable there, etc. But how much time has he actually logged at short? (I was motivated by one of Kalapse's posts suggesting moving Alexei to CF to do a little digging (not alot) regarding the positions Alexei actually played in Cuba... and how much at each position.) Maybe I'm wrong or missed something, but I couldn't find anything that clearly showed that he had EVER played SS. It appears he was primarily an outfielder and later moved to 2B. The implications are obvious. If he has minimal ACTUAL experience as a shortstop, why is the organization penciling him in there, instead of CF where it's clear he has prior experience? So... Cubano, or anybody else with info on this, what's the real story? And feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about where he's played, etc. Cause "I gots to know!"

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Mar 10, 2009 -> 02:04 PM) I'm really curious to see how A-Rod comes back on defense. If he's limited and they have Jeter, who is a terrible defensive SS, out there with him, that left side of the infield could be terrible Maybe they'd want Betemit back.

Yeah, you're right. I wasn't thinking clearly. It's this years draft, so it's last years records that matter. Duh. (Not enough caffeine this morning.) The Nats get the #1 pick due to their pathetic 2008 record and the #10 (I think) pick as compensation for not signing Aaron Crow. Playing for the Nationals. Yikes. If the choice was between that and death, death looks pretty good.

So... if the new owners of the Padres are really smart... should they should dump Jake Peavy now, guarantee themselves last place in MLB, and save a little coin in the process, so they can afford to sign the local wonderboy?

The Sox released him in late October. I didn't notice it when it happened. Just found it by looking through minor league transactions from late fall.

While Owens was squandering his opportunity to nail down the CF job... Wise was hitting a triple and homerun in the B-game today.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 05:09 PM) Alright, did Chris Getz have a knee injury because Melton is getting pretty specific here. Talking about scopes and rehab, he can't be THAT wrong can he? Can Melton be that wrong? Yes. The injury Getz suffered in 2007 at Birmingham was to his ankle, not his knee. And the only injury he had in 2008 was due to a fastball that hit him in the wrist. Sounds like Melton was mixing up Getz and Fields' injuries. Not a big shock. Just more proof that he is freakin' clueless.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 05:00 PM) Seriously, is this the white sox that put him on the air? I need to write an email to someone. Free broadcasts... they had to cut costs somewhere.

Melton explaining how the Tribe traded Casey Blake because of Andy Marte... unreal. I can feel my IQ dropping just listening to him. He would have made a good character in the movie "Idiocracy".

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 04:33 PM) He has more sink, but he def needs some time in the minors. He only has one pitch. He's actually got two now. Fastball and slider. Needs a changeup to work his way out of the pen at the major league level. I'd send him to Charlotte... and keep him as a starter there to get enough innings to work on it.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 04:26 PM) melton is arguably the worst announcer i've ever heard He's horrible. But he sounds like a Rhodes Scholar next to Ron Santo.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 04:23 PM) Except half a foot shorter. "Little Hurt"?

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 04:08 PM) konerko is hard to watch anymore. You do realize he's having a good spring so far, right? .389 BA; .450 OBP; 2 homeruns; and 2nd on the team in total bases.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 04:00 PM) Getz leading off gives us another year of no Owens... I can live with that. I like it. Getz isn't flashy but he's got good fundamental skills. He makes contact. He's got a good batting eye. He can bunt. And he can run. I really don't see any advantage to Owens leading off over Getz.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 03:54 PM) It's like Owens is using a wiffle bat. A nerf bat That's about how far the ball travels too.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 02:57 PM) I thought the Jose thing was bad news about his throwing session. Thank the Aussies for the K rate....are those stats in there? The exhibition stats don't count. If they did, we'd really be looking good.

A few interesting notes from the mlb.com press-pass notes today... Jose Contreras left the team after his session this morning to go to Florida and be sworn in as a US citizen on Wednesday. He'll be back with the team on Thursday. Josh Kroeger has 7 hits in his last 12 at-bats. The Sox are 6-2 against the NL so far this spring... and 0-4 against the AL. Sox pitchers have the 2nd most strikeouts of all MLB teams in spring training so far.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 01:56 PM) Where do you find the link to these webcasts?! Whitesox.com But I don't see it up there yet.

I'd like to see Viciedo do something special against the Tribe and give them a little glimpse of the future.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Mar 8, 2009 -> 08:41 PM) What's the scouting report on Kroeger? There some stuff in a Kroeger thread in the FutureSox forum.