BearSox

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 10:22 PM) Even as a person who wanted to see Fields get the job...the 6 k's in his first 8 AB's at AAA this season aren't anything to write home about yet. Maybe he does have some stuff to work on there, even if it's just brief. I wouldn't be surprised if it is something mental going on with him... After all, he had a very good rookie season, outpreforms Crede in ST, and yet he gets sent down.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Apr 5, 2008 -> 12:39 AM) Realistically the Sox didn't give up much at all for him. I know the guys were the Sox best prospects but given the contract he is signed to it was an absolute bargain. Thats not to say Gio/Sweeney/DSL won't have fine major league baseball careers its more that I don't think any of them will ever be the type of player that Swisher is and will become (as Swisher, imo, hasn't peaked yet) and the fact that they have him signed to a bargain of a deal is even better. Especially when I consider the alternative which is the funds that would have been tied to Hunter or Rowand (I do think Rowand's contract, given the market, was a good value). I think DLS has ace potential... And if he becomes a 1 or 2 and lights the world on fire when comes up, I'm going to be pissed.

QUOTE(lostfan @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 07:16 AM) He is pretty much a league-average CF. To say he is terrible out there is just plain hyperbole. His only real knock on him is his arm, and that's what keeps him from being able to separate himself from being average. League average? Have you ever seen him out there? He can't read flyballs, and has possibly the weakest arm in all of baseball. To say he's a league average CF is beyond asinine.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 08:39 PM) Harold finally gives his input. Such a great hitter, you figure that he could help some of our hitters become better. Harold said what I was saying for my whole life... hit the ball where it's pitched. That obviously doesn't mean that you automatically have to hit everything based on where its pitched, but don't try and pull (or push) everything either.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 08:10 PM) The 3 walks in 5 AB's for Swisher don't do anything for you? Yeah, they're a bit cold, but you could say that about our whole 1-4. I don't have a problem with Thome hitting .188 right now and you shouldn't have a problem with Swisher right now. Even if he's struggling with the bat, he's still going to get on base, which is a luxury we haven't had in recent years. Thome, he has put nothing but good swings on the ball, but the hits haven't really come yet... Swisher, while he has a great eye, has swung the bat pretty weak. I really have no gripe with Swisher as I do like him as a player, it's just the fact we gave up so much for him. I am thinking the move to leadoff has messed with Swish's mentality a bit, as he may be trying to swing for just contact instead of power. Swisher, IMO, is a guy who should be hitting for power, and be in the middle of the order. Who knows.

QUOTE(max power @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 08:06 PM) I agree that he wasn't good but with better defense Contreras could have allowed as little as 3 runs or with some bad luck, double digits too. The same goes for the tigers point of view, though more pessimistic. The tigers could have easily let up 15 runs today. Contreras threw so many hanging splitters and nothing pitches down the middle today... he is very lucky he wasn't knocked out in the 2nd like Buehrle was, IMO. But, we got lucky in the fact that right now, Detroit is terrible offensively.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 08:07 PM) How many times have we heard exactly the same thing about Bobby and Velocity to start a season now? And each time we hear it he seems to get better. He's throwing right where he was last year as far as I can tell, and from what I've seen his fastball seems to have a lot more bite/movement on it than it used to when he was throwing 102 and straight. I know, it's the same story year in and year out... but it always scares me. If Dye whiffs on that dive attempt, it could have been a completely different ball game. However, we still got the W, and there is no reason to argue this... for now at least.

Kanny got postponed, and according to milb.com, Birmingham got postponed as well... So, only Charlotte playing now, and they are tied 3-3 in the top of the 6th.

If getting Crisp would mean Owens would not be anywhere near the MLB roster, I'd be for it... as long as Crisp didn't cost us anything of value. Also, our offseason acquisitions of Swisher and Cabrera have yet to impress me. But, it's still early.

I am shocked that Contreras only allowed 5 runs. He was lucky they only scored 5, as they could have easily put up double digits against him. But right now, the Tigers suck. Plain and simple, Contreras was flat out bad today, and had nothing. Plus, that radar gun is wrong about Contreras' velocity. No way were some of his pitches 93-94. Pierzynski is on a tear right now, and I am loving. Our pen pitched great, for the most part. I am worried about the fact that Jenks could barely get up to 93 though. When his fastball is as straight as his, it better be really fast or you better have pinpoint accuracy with it. And I still can't stand the un-dynamic duo of Crede and Uribe being in the lineup. Good win though.

QUOTE(ScottyDo @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 12:01 AM) you really think so? i'm not saying owens plays stellar defense, but i don't see how someone who can play centerfield is worse than someone who can't serviceably play left field. i mean, i didn't see any fly balls bouncing off owens's head See, the funny thing about that is Owens CAN'T play CF.

QUOTE(daa84 @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 10:15 PM) wasnt there a cueto and votto for konerko rumor earlier this offseason...or maybe it was cueto and votto for buerhle...but there was a rumor or at least a rumbling of that iirc It was Buehrle, and I said back then I'd do that trade in a heartbeat.

QUOTE(lostfan @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 09:20 PM) If Uribe could hit his weight he'd be a MVP wouldn't he? It's been a long time since someone hit above .400...

not that I was around for this period, but that used to be a some-what common move.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 08:38 PM) I'm actually going to have to take you to task on this...yes, last year Fields had a decent year for a rookie. But Fields only played 2/3 of a season at 3rd, Joe Crede with a back injury played a good chunk of the season there. So while Fields may be a better hitter, simply saying that Fields is better than Crede and therefore we've downgraded at 3rd base offensively simply isn't correct. If Crede put up Crede Average numbers for a season, .260 BA, .750 or so OPS, over a full season, that's going to be an upgrade over Fields with a .785 OPS for 2/3 of a season and Crede with a .500 OPS for 1/3 of a season. well, over a full season, Crede from 05 might be better then the production we got out of 3B from last year. But even so, it's closer to equal then anything else... plus, there's the question as to whether he can actually hit his weight this season.

QUOTE(lostfan @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 08:53 PM) I'm not saying Rodriguez is a s***ty player by any means, but he has a really horrible OBP for a player of his caliber. well, he's been catching in the bigs for almost 20 years now... His bat has slowed down, and his legs are probably not feeling all that great these days.

Harrell went 5 strong, K'ing 4, walking 1, and allowing just 1 hit... I really like Harrell (and Cassell), and I am expecting big years from them.

Why is Eldred playing RF? He could barely get around first base... he probably make Dye look fast in RF. And boo that Liefy isn't playing.

QUOTE(lostfan @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 06:28 PM) If you guys think Uribe and Crede don't walk enough you should see Ivan Rodriguez these days. He walked a whopping 9 times last year and the difference in his average and OBP was 13 points. That's hilarious to me for some reason. It's not like he strikes out a ton like Thome or something either, it's just like he refuses to walk. yell, Rodriguez makes up for his low walk rate/OBP by being one of the best defensive catchers in the league, and still be a good hitter. Unlike Uribe, Rodriguez is able to actually hit as evident by his usally decent avg.

Swisher and Cabrera (and sometime Quentin) are upgrades over Erstad and Iguchi, but Uribe is still in the lineup and so is Crede, and both of them quite frankly suck at hitting. Crede gets a free pass by a lot because of his clutch 05 and career year in 06, but he's just not that good of a hitter. Also, Owens and Pods are pretty much a wash. In fact, I'd say Owens is a downgrade because he is even worse defensively (if that's possibly), and is just a terrible hitter. Lets compare last year's opening day lineup vs. this year's... 2007 ----- 2008 C: Pierzynski 1B: Konerko 2B: Iguchi > Uribe (even a bad Iguchi is better offensively then Uribe) 3B: Fields > Crede (There's no doubt that Fields is the better hitter) SS: Uribe LF: Podsednik = Owens (Owens, IMO, might actually be a downgrade. If he stays healthy for then a two month span however, he might have the edge) CF: Erstad RF: Dye = DH: Thome To me, yeah the 2008 lineup is better, but that difference isn't enough to balance out the fact that our rotation is pitiful. The thing that really irks me though is how much we downgraded our farm system, putting our future into jeopardy.

I think they're all bad-decent. None of them really made me laugh, but rather think to myself "Man, that's stupid."

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 01:48 AM) So then it becomes what do you do in May when Anderson/Quentin goes down to Charlotte and Richar is healthy? And I doubt Bourgeois will play a ton of 3B in Charlotte until/if (and I can't believe I'm typing 'if') Crede is moved. I think you gotta play Bourgeois due to the fact he is actually becomming a player of interest and someone who can contribute. Once Richar returns, we could probably move Getz to SS. It'd give us a chance to see how he handles the position and IIRC, he was once considered a possible UTL player. Once Anderson/Quentin get sent down for Owens (which is retarded), they'd probably just remove someone like Wise from the lineup.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 06:04 PM) there are a few on this squad to get excited about though... Aaron Poreda, P Francisco Hernandez, C Sergio Miranda, SS C.J. Retherford, 3B John Shelby, 2B Salvador Sanchez, OF I see some significant MLB potential among those folks, to varying degrees. Don't forget about John Ely...

well I still think Crede and Uribe shouldn't be anywhere near this roster, they came through today... I guess the law of averages states that if you get so many chances, you're bound to actually put good wood on the ball once in a while.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 03:20 PM) Javy had good stuff, he just didn't have his command and that was due to the cold. If Javy is healthy I wouldn't be shocked to see him win 20 games. Yep, I made that prediction and I'm sticking to it. He has a great arm, good command, and has really improved his mechanics/presence with runners on base (where he used to really struggle). I really believe the 3/4/5 will be the x-factors this year just as Contreras/Garland/El Duque were the X-Factors of 05. I've been saying the same thing for a while, and I also wouldn't be surprised to see him be in the running for Cy Young either. He should have had an exta 7-8 wins last year, at least, but thanks to either no offense or the horrible effort by our pen, he lost out on getting those W's. Plus, the Indians offense did a great job laying off of some pitchers pitches last night and making Javy work. But, once the weather warms up, and he can get a better grip on the ball, I expect him to get back to doing his usual and having great accuracy.