max power

QUOTE (lostfan @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 11:16 AM) This team was 72-90 last year and has been playing well for about 2 weeks. If they put us at 14th and we are still playing this way 2 months from now, then I think we have a right to b****. But not now. This team won 90 games in 06 and was ranked far too highly at the start of 07. Basing things off of last year doesn't make much sense when so much changes.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 03:29 AM) Right; Uribe is still the best player for the job right now, and the defense is helping out. It's hard to even consider benching him in favor of really anyone at this point in time. I hope you mean anyone on this team.

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 12:45 AM) lol this is a great thread. Honestly I'd put him on the decades 25 man roster though as of now. With all the other players that have come and gone? Carlos Lee Scott Podsednik Nick Swisher Magglio Ordonez Jermain Dye Frank Thomas Jim Thome Paul Konerko Joe Crede Orlando Cabrera Ray Durham AJ Pierzynski Sandy Alomar Tadahito Iguchi Crap maybe I would take him as a backup short stop. Its either him or uribe and since I took cabrera it has to be Jose. That's just f***ing sad.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 02:06 AM) Defense isn't a major concern, which is why I've said atleast once in this thread and a couple other places that once Richar is healthy and he starts hitting again, they should platoon. If Richar is significantly better, he will start over Uribe. It's pretty reasonable to think about it, honestly. I also think you overrate Richar's defense and underrate Uribe's, but that's merely an opinion. Yeah a platoon is reasonable. It sounds like some people are against him even doing that and it doesn't make much sense to me. If I do its because uribe is playing second now, not short where offensive suckiness is commonly accepted around the league in exchange for good defense.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 01:34 AM) Personally, I'm in the boat of not touching Uribe till our offense cools down. At the moment, we can eat a bad batter in exchange for stellar defense. Pretty much every team has a mediocre bat hitting somewhere towards the end of their order, and we're no different (Tigers excluded). I've seen Uribe save a few runs himself, and pretty directly. I don't recall against whom, but the game where he pegged out the runner going to third as the cutoff man, that saved a run. He did something else in that game, too, though I can't remember what now, so feel free to hack away at my argument. I firmly believe that Richar doesn't make either of those plays, so his defense is not negligible. I also generally disagree with the sentiment that 2B defense doesn't matter. Does SS defense matter? He's the SS on the other side of the field. Against left handed batters and slap-hitting righties, 2B defense is more important than SS defense. The proportion of lefties to righties isn't split evenly, but it's not of negligible impact either. This is not to mention his services as a cutoff man, which could be huge in close run-scoring situations which is exactly when you need good defense. Someone previously stated that we'd be all over Uribe once the bats started slowing down, so why not start now? Well, I agree. I'll be back all over his crappy approach (though he does appear to be TRYING to be patient and hit what he's given, so give him an ounce of credit) once we need a better bat in the lineup. The thing is, who knows how long our offensive wave will last? Why interrupt our game-changing defense before we need to? It's like taking a starting pitcher out after an inning of hitless ball just because they have a history of poor performance. You gotta wait till they need to be taken out. Just my two cents. By the way, I'm no big Uribe fan. Long term, Richar all the way! I never said it doesn't matter. I said its not as important as other positions. Its the 3rd easiest spot to play. You should be able to get some offensive production out of that spot. I also said that richar, who is a good defensive second basemen, is not that big of a drop off from uribe. The best thing about uribe was his arm, though he is good in other defensive areas, and he doesn't need to use his arm as much at second, which is why I said richar is only a notch below juan. If they were playing short it would be a different story.

Idiotic. "In baseball" Not worth a response. You could try to make a point with out patronizing.

Greg Maddux disgusts me- the way he slobbers all over his hand.

QUOTE (Cali @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 08:50 PM) Is Richar even off the DL yet and rehabbing in Charlotte? Either way, I would assume the Sox brass will keep Uribe out there at least through Mid-May and if he's still barely hitting .200 and Richar is hitting well for the Knights then they make the switch. Either making a trade with some team whose GM has a severe lack of judgement or just cutting him and eating the 4.5 million. No, which is why I said "when Richar is healthy."

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 08:52 PM) The defense helps though, and I don't think Richar is just a step below Uribe. I think Uribe is a bit more fluid in his movements and he has better range too. I think if Uribe is still performing like piss when Richar gets healthy and performing well, then you'll see him come up and get a few ABs at 2B...they'll definitely platoon a bit. If Richar takes the job from Uribe, so be it. If not, so be it. I think Richar gets the job done just as well. I don't care who is more fluid. Richars arm is only a notch below uribe's, his range is as good if not better. Uribe has a better glove. More importantly, its 2nd base. Its not a position where defense is a major concern.

I agree but it sounds like some people would rather just keep uribe there when Richar is healthy because were winning. Right now we are winning in spite of uribe's awful batting not because of his defense.

I have a feeling that as soon as we lose a couple games due to slumping hitting you people will all be on uribe's case. Why wait until that happens? Its going to happen.

I want to break it up because there is little drop off in defense from uribe to richar, and richar has the potential to have a much better bat. 2nd base defense isn't that important, but Richar is a good defender there. He has a strong arm and can turn the double play well.

I don't see much of a difference in defense between richar and uribe at second base. Richar was solid last year, and at times spectacular at 2nd. People seem to forget how well he was turning double plays. Did anyone else's WCIU go crazy and almost give them a seizure during the 7th or 8th inning? That was s***.

Thome doubles.

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 05:08 PM) Thome goes yard. 3-0 and that swing was kinda ugly. Looks short and sweet to me. Watched the replay a few times.

Count looks good.

Anderson isn't going to get much of a chance on this team being a righty with quentin, dye and the switch hitting swisher ahead of him. So what is more important, a lefty bat in the outfield who can steal or a guy who is pretty much only used as defense sub? I am not sure. I can tell you who I'd rather have out there if someone got injured, that is definitely anderson.

QUOTE (DBAH0 @ Apr 15, 2008 -> 09:21 PM) Fields' needs to be playing everyday. So does alexei but they don't seem to care about that.

Some nerdlinger editor who doesn't watch baseball probably put that there.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ Apr 15, 2008 -> 08:07 PM) 516 + 595 = 1111. Well over 1100? That is well over if you are supposed to be a journalist or an editor. Its a large error to call it almost 1100 when its ten+ past 1100. Its a stat I knew off the top of my head. That's pretty sad and I have no idea why you are defending this guy. Poor research, poor editing, poor general baseball knowledge. Its like he didn't care at all that frank has hit many home runs since eclipsing 500. He had to know that griffey is chasing 600, its all over the place.

Actually its well over 1100.

GPA lol. You may want to edit that.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 14, 2008 -> 10:50 PM) Because Brian Anderson improved significantly after getting his first full season of at-bats. When did he bat since his first full season?

So anderson in center, Swish at 1st, Paulie DH?

This doesn't surprise me. These finesse pitchers own us on the regular.