Harry Chappas

I have not really seen this discussion and while I'd hate to come up with anything positive I have gotten to thinking about a couple of things. Ozzie Guillen loathes spring training and puts absolutely no stock in it what so ever. He is going to take the 25 guys that he feels will have the most positive impact on the current season. He works on some fundamental things and puts on this facade that they are working really hard on the things to make the team better. This team goes through the motions kicks the tires a little breaks a sweat and bides their time until spring training is over. I would venture to say that the veteran players choose when and for long they play on a given afternoon. I also think the previous season and the history of the player wheather veteran or rookie plays a greater impact in the status of player as oppossed what they accomplish in 10 innings of work or 50 plate appearances. I am not sure I disagree with this. The Sun-Times wrote that Guillen, Dye, Konerko, and Thome sat down to discuss what the line-up should be. Why not do this during spring training......because Ozzie Guillen puts little stock in translating spring training to the regular season. What would be written if Guillen said in twenty plus years of baseball I have come to realize that spring training is a nice place for minor leagues to get to hang out with veterans but over all, it is a waste of time. We have heard that Cooper and Guillen put not stock in pitching performances as the climate/weather is a tremendous detriment. Do you think that this is the reason why a pitcher that uses deception (Logan) would be more successful than a power pitcher that may take a while longer to get the strength back up in their 20ish youthful arms (Jenks, Aardesma, Sisco). I am not making excuses and trying to sugar coat anything but for the last month all this site has become is doom and gloom because Toby Hall dove for a ball, Eduardo Perez wasn't brought on to platoon with Jim Thome, and Boone Logan is the second coming of Billy Wagner. Well I am leaving for the weekend and my not be back on this site until Tuesday after enjoying Opening Day. I gotta tell it is much better to have a positive outlook for the team you root for than to piss and moan. There is enough s*** in this work to b**** about, as my man Hawk likes to say, "Sit back relax and strap it down." This is suppossed to be fun. Sometimes rose colored glasses and Kool-aid are a good thing. These are the things that keep cub fans from going postal annually round mid-July. Enjoy your team and the grand game of ball. Summer is coming and itis a good time had by all blood clots included. Later.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Mar 30, 2007 -> 01:23 PM) He's a little more than banged up now. http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...57562&st=15 Ya but we released Eduardo Perez.

Anyone wonder why Guillen even goes to spring training. The Sun-Times had a story about how he, Dye, Konerko and Thome were trying to determine the line-up as they are not sure it is a good idea to bat three lefties in succession. What is going on, that is what spring training is for.....

If Tucson is so bad why are they staying in AZ? Why not move to Florida does it make sense to stay there if the conditions are not conducive to a successful spring training?

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 04:47 PM) I despise the idea of combining Haeger and Boone for anything involving a backup catcher -- great or not. But if it were to occur, with Colorado -- for example -- I'd include the following: Franklin Morales Chris Ianneta Additional piece Begins and ends there. Period. Because it involves a back-upcatcher I would think the players that we add that are close to Major League ready helps get some better ceiling guys. Logan and Haegar are good pitchers the back-up catcher would be more of throw in to a deal. How is Toronto's catching situation, they need an arm or two.....

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 27, 2007 -> 03:03 PM) Was listening to the Reds game and Brantley (who I hate) was saying how Hermy has more life on his stuff than he had during the World Series year with the Sox. Apparently Dustin is really feeling good and while some of that may have been Brantley-KoolAid, its still nice to hear and I'll be pulling for Dustin. Seeing as Brantley didn't see anything until October he probably wasn't aware that he threw about 20 scoreless innings to start the season. The guy was automatic and filthy until the back kicked up. Good/Great for him a pure class guy that groomed Jenks and got him comfortable to do what he did at the end of the season.

I get the feeling he and Boone are going to be packaged for a nice deal somewhere. I think they added Aardesma and Sisco to the roster with the intention of making a move before the start of the season and not optioning them due to this. A back-up catcher and good young arm in return.

The thing that I didn't get was Paulo had some pretty importatnt informatin and didn't tell anyone. The radio may come in handy as well. Why didn't he jsut say that he found the gum in a different bag, that was really stupid. Sawyer was pretty helpful as well that was odd. I think the diamonds may have a purpose at a future point. Episode was ok. Have we ever seen the science teacher before?

What are the ages of Sisco and Logan? I really think the veteran for youth line is idiodic. Aardesma isn't a verteran either. Sisco was choosen over Logan because Logan is unable to provide more than an inning of relief and has mediocore stuff. Logan was given a shot last year and failed miserably. Sisco and Aardesma have better stuff and that is what the Sox are thinking. They are not wanting to put guys who throw 91 and may or may not have a breaking or offspeed pitch out there. I believe Logan is trade bait right now. The memory of Hafner just destroying a pitch from Logan remains fresh in my mind. Kind of rambling here but I just don't see how this is that big of an issue. Logan pitched well and may get a shot if Sisco fails.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 04:39 PM) They never fouled off tough pitches last year. We'd take so many called third strikes. I'll have my Pods called 3rd strike counter going this year. Someone should keep track of how many times Thome takes a called third strike on a full count, and starts running towards first to try and sell it. Spring training is a carbon copy of the second half of last season. I don't give a s*** that it is only spring training this is what this team did last spring.

Why is that this team simply refuses to make a pitcher work by fouling off good pitches or letting them go rather than swinging at everything.

Another caught stealing.

Danks is killing himself today with walks and bombs and fielding mishaps.

Can Tony Clark catch?

Farmer said Sabathia left the facility in an aircast.......

The benefit of a pitch out to the hitter is he gets a ball in the count. If the hitter can not use this to his favor pitchers will pitch out more often and throw the basestealer out. You can fall behind erstad 1-0 and pitch out as he will not work the count anyway and will swing away on 2-0, 2-1, 3-1 and not look for a given pitch to drive.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 03:21 PM) Prancer to lead things off. Good thing there is tight zone. Prancer needs to get a silent K in his name.

Nice job getting out of it.

QUOTE(HeGone33 @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 03:09 PM) Ok, I should have known better, I admit by source was Ed Farmer. Either way, I hope he isn't around on Monday. Jake Westbrook and CC Sabathia are average pitchers except when thye face the Sox. Danks not working quickly and know has two walks in the first and falls behind Clark Is the 5th starter thing set??????

Farmer is all fired up; Ripping on Bonds Not sure how you could pick Clev with that bullpen Danks struggling to locate but come back

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 12:22 PM) Angelo's five first-round picks: Colombo Haynes Grossman Harris Benson Right now, you'd have to say two bombed (Colombo and Haynes). I don't think Colombo was a bad pick. If he hadn't been injured, I expect he would have been a mild disappointment, still, but not a bust. I never liked the Haynes pick, but then, the guy I preferred (McDougle, who went next) hasn't done much, either. And before Jauron was fired, you don't know whose pick it really was (as Jauron had a lot to say about personnel). Grossman is a qb, it's boom or bust with such picks, and right now it's still up in the air. He hit a home run on Harris, and Benson is still something of a question mark. Angelo's found some great players in lower rounds, sure. But his track record doesn't show bomb after bomb on first-round picks, like Jenks was suggesting with that list. If anything, he looks like a huge improvement over what we were doing before. And you mind telling me which of these is not an impact player?: Quinn, Russell, Johnson, Thomas, Peterson, Landry I think Angelo is a great GM. I also think that he would rather trade out of the first round and use that money to extend proven players than pick an unknown player and risk losing money (last year). Didn't he also trade a high pick to move down when he got Haynes and Grossman. Compare that to guys he has taken in later rounds and there is no comparison as to when he does his best work. The guys that I pointed out were more to show that just because you have a high first round pick, you are not going to get a proven commodity in return. If they draft number 6, you have to give up a nice chunck of money for a player that may or may not pan out. I do not really see this as a benefit. I am not sold on Benson as he has not shown the ability to be durable. Has Angelo ever traded up in a draft? I almost would rather have him have the 31 pick and the extra money. Of the six players you have listed as impact three of them serve no purpose to the Bears (Quinn, Russell and Peterson). You are trading Jones, Briggs and your number one for the 6th pick in the draft and the 2nd round flip of picks. Sounds like a-lot to give up to me.

The problem with the number 6 pick would be Angelo is better at drafting later rather than early. Would you trade Lance Briggs for Michael Haynes, Curtis Enis, Rashan Salam, Cade McNown, Marc Columbo, yada, yada, yada. I do not see the Bears making this move by the way unless there is experienced talent involved.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 27, 2007 -> 04:06 PM) 1. Spring training feel, stats, etc. dont matter 2. White Sox lead the AL in runs scored during the spring. Yep and have scored 3 runs or less 11 times. The pop-outs and GIDP's have been a problem for a while and looks like an issue for this season as well. If Spring Training is so irrelevat how did Danks become the number 5? I understad there is a credability issue with looking too deep into the numbers but it is showing a pattern of reouccurence with the same porponents.

I am getting the sinking feeling that the offense this year is going to get really ugly. They are just not generating run production and haven't most of the spring. The GIDP's and pop-outs are out of control.

Izturis HR 1-0 Halos. Oh Gavin.