Lemon_44

Who do you think is in for the Sox come the All-star game? Here's a list of the guys that should be considered and what i think there chances are: Carlos Quentin-should be 100% in Jermain Dye- he should make the team but i could see Francona bypassing him. i say 80% in. Joe Crede-his errors will hurt him but he has top be in the mix for backup 3b. In the end,i say Francona will go with his own Mike Lowell. Longoria should also be in the mix. Chances are 20% Crede gets in. Scott Linebrink- no question he should be in,but you never know-95% Bobby Jenks- same as Linebrink AJ- Francona will probably screw over AJ and go with his .220 hitting team captain,Jason Varitek. 50% Danks and Floyd-will probably get talked about but i can't see either getting named. If Danks had some more run support then he'd be a lock. I'll give each about 5% chance. Ramirez-too many good 2b for him to be looked at even though over the last 6 weeks he's probably been about as good as anyone. That's 5 guys(CQ,JD,AJ,BJ,SL) that i think should be in the game for sure but you know they won't get 5 because they have to take their required number of Yankees and Red Sox. After all is said and done, i say 3 guys get in(Quentin, Linebrink,Jenks) and Dye, AJ get hosed, which is OK because they could probably use the time off anyway.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jun 17, 2008 -> 10:20 PM) Well, probably because we just lost 2/3 against one of the worst teams in the league, and the Cubs are going to throw Lilly (who's ERA is dropping steadily), Marquis (who has been pitching well as of late), and Dempster (who is lights out) at us, which calls for about a 5 run total for 3 games. I don't care how well they've been pitching, i don't think those 3 guys would scare any team. The Sox may score only 5 runs in 3 games but they could just as easily score 25 runs as well. While Lilly is pitching better, a relapse to normal form for Dempster and Marquis is likely too.

It's going to cost too much for just about anyone to get Roberts and,frankly, that's probably a good thing for the Sox. I like him but he's not nearly worth the asking price. Danks, Floyd, Ramiirez +????? That's not vene a deal any GM would consider. No wonder B'more is always at the bottom. I would offer Anderson, Broadway, and Getz. That's be about it. If the O's don't like it,then so be it. The guy who i think can be had on the cheap,once' he's healthy, is Ryan Freel. Broadway and another mid prospect would probably be enough to get him. They've traded for young pirching and Jocketty will likely continue that trend. They could have a very nice younger rotation amongst Harang,Volquez,Arroyo, Cuerto, Bailey, and Broadway.Heck, you could even expand the trade to inlcude an Arroyo or Harang.

I like the call up of Russell. He gets MLB experience in as stress free role as you can get. That's assuming they use him in the role slated for Loiaza of blowout inning eater. He gets acclimated and then can become a force down the stretch,if needed.

QUOTE (BobDylan @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 08:48 PM) I can. If the Cubs can resign Sabathia, they're trading pitching for pitching. Sabathia is a Cy-Young winner. Galagher is not. I agree. Sabathia and Zambrano would be a pretty lethal 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Plus, no matter what their regular season record is, i can't see Piniella being confident going into the post season and having to rely on the likes of Dempster, Marquis,and Lilly.

So,if i read this right, the Giants get Konerko, Gonzales, and Duncan for Ray Durham . Heck, why don't we just give them Contreras's contract as well.

I know the trade deadline is about 7 weeks away but it looks like the Sox should be very quiet throught the process. Usually the rumors start popping up around this time of year but, barring any injuries, i can't see why the Sox would be active players. Crede was the main guy speculated to be traded but he's going nowhere. The position players seem pretty set and the rotation/bullpen all have their roles filled perfectly. The team chemistry seems good but it always does when they're winning. The newspaper had a list of 5 guys that the Sox/Cubs may be intererested in but,unless Cleveland gives us Sabathia for next to nothing,i don't see why the Sox would make any big name deals. Other than a veteran SP that can fill in for some spot starts, and they may think Loaiza is that guy,the roster is pretty set. Even if a ridiculous offer was made for,say Crede, i don't think i'd risk shaking up the roster until the off season.

Another good thing Williams seems to take into account is that he gets guys that are pretty good in the clubhouse. He doesn't go after the talented jackholes like Jose Guillen or Milton Bradley. About the most controversial guys he's brought in are AJ and Everett but both those guys are more about hard nosed winning than being utter clowns like JG or MB.

I've seen him blasted on here repeatedly by some people and there are some who would love for him to be replaced. I don't get why that is the case. Other than last year, the Sox have had a top level team. It seems every trade he has made has worked out pretty well. People like to criticize trading Chris Young but Javy is one of the better pitchers in the AL and pitching is alot more of a premium. That trade,to me, is a win for the Sox. What's Young hitting, about .235? He's could turn out to be very good but he's not in Javy's class yet. McCarthy for Danks and Masset, that was a pure fleecing . Garcia for Floyd,great looking trade so far. Carter for Quentin, just look at all the avatars and sigs and that gives you the answer on that trade. Garland for Cabrera is probably going to be a wash. Both guys will probably only play 1 year with their playoff bound teams. Gio,DLS, and Sweeney for Swisher is still incomplete but,in the long run, i think it favors the Sox because Swisher can help win a WS this year and is proven at MLB level. You never know if the two pitchers will even make it.Even the trade for Geoff Blum worked out with a couple of big hits down the stretch. Also,Alexei Ramirez looks like a great signing. Also, Williams has one of the best coaching staffs in baseball. The one area that he can be criticized is the minor league system but he is currently trying to right that and will need a few years. But those guys he's traded have had little impact while the Sox have,what looks like, a division winning club. I've questioned his moves before but it seems like everything he's done has turned into the Sox's favor. I'm sure there's a trade,or two, i forgot that haven't worked out but no GM is 100%.

I've been to a Nat'l championship football game(OSU/Mia),a final 4 (OSU/Fl), a OSU/Mich football game, and none of them compare to game 2 of the World Series in 2005. It will be the greatest game i will go to probably in my entire life. I still remember telling my cousin that ,no matter what, Konerko shouldn't swing at the first pitch . Then, the atmosphere after the game was unbelievable. My girlfriend got me 4 free tickets to that game. She's now my wife.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2008 -> 08:10 AM) Fields is hitting .246 in AAA with a ton of strikeouts. He also hasn't played in at least 4 days. How exactly is inserting him into the line-up going to make things better? it gets some new blood into the mix. I wouldn't put too much stock in his AAA numbers. He showed he has the ability to hit MLB pitching. Plus, wouldn't it be nice for Konerkoe to be hitting .246? Let ma ask this, has Konerko had a timely/big hit the entire year? I'm sure he's had to have at least one but i can't remember him coming through at all. I know he hasn't in the last month or so. Most of his few hits have come in non-meaningful situatons.

I'll bet that was fun plane ride home. In reality they can't/won't blow up a roster that is in 1st place no matter how bleak things are at the moment. Firing Walker is obviously the likely move. The quote that bothers me most in this whole thing is by Konerko.It seems like he's saying as long as we try,we should be left alone. It's not only about effort,it's about results.Hell, put me in the lineup and i'll try as hard as i can.That doesn't mean i can get it done. Swisher's an absolute mess,Konerko's hurt,and you can just see guys pressing when there are guys in scoring position. Caling up Fields and DL'ing Konerko may be the thing to do. Maybe Fields can inject some life into the lineup the way Jay Bruce has for Cincy. Another move i would strongly consider is just getting rid of Cabrera. I think his negative persona has had a very bad impact on this team. Cut your losses and move on. Every GM has made a mistake,or two, in the past. I would like just as much as playing Uribe at SS as i would OC. At least Uribe seems to be well liked and has a fun, postive attitude that the team needs. You could even play Ramirez at SS and trade for an energy guy, like Freel, and use Uribe as a platoon guy. Cincy needs a SS. I would do OC for Freel straight up. You could have a lineup of: Freel-2B Ramirez-SS Quentin-LF Dye-RF Thome-DH Fields(Konerko to DL)-1b AJ-C Crede-3B Swisher-CF Once Swisher starts hitting, and he will, you can move him up to the 2 hole if needed. You could also get rid of Ozuna and call Owens up. With Freel and Uribe, you would have enough vesatility that Ozuna is useless and Owens can spot start and steal a base when needed.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ May 21, 2008 -> 08:09 PM) As far as I'm concerned, the only hole on the team right now is the bench. 2B can be upgraded, but it has a competent starter in Alexei, and every other position is filled with a solid player. I don't know if i'd call Alexei competent yet. He may well turn out to be but i would rather see him in more of a utility type role this year while he breaks into the big leagues. The way the Sox are playing now,they don't need anything but,when the streak is over, a guy like Sanchez can be the type of guy that can get them over the top. You'd be looking at an everyday lineup of: 2B-Sanchez SS-Cabrera LF-Quentin RF-Dye DH-Thome 1B-Konerko C- AJ 3B-Crede CF-Swisher On the bench you have Ramirez,Anderson, Uribe,Hall that's a pretty strong team on paper and there's really not a weak spot out there.

Go get Freddy Sanchez instead. I would think he'd come cheaper than either Figgins or what the Orioles want for Roberts.

This isn't really bench insurance.It's trade for a guy who starts but can be played at different positions in the infield. I would like to see the Sox make a run at Freddy Sanchez from Pittsburgh. He's playing 2B right now because of a sore shoulder lingering from surgery. When healthy,he can play 3B occasionally while Ramirez/ Richar can play 2B.Dr. Andrews said there is no structural damage to his shoulder and Sanchez says it's getting stronger every day. Sanchez is also leading off for Pitt so that's a role he could fill with the Sox as well. His value is probably at a low right now and Pitt is dropping out of the race. He's making 4+mill this year so they may look to move him. I don't know what the Bucs asking price would be but with Broadway lighting it up, maybe him and another top prospect may get it done. Plus,the Sox had pretty decent luck when trading for another guy coming off a repaired shoulder in CQ.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ May 21, 2008 -> 08:17 AM) Deion Sanders, I don't think anybody had to tell Rickey to run. That's right. I knew it was a fast leadoff hitter. Rickey was probably a little better than Deion though .

My favorite Fisk moment was when he yelled at the batter(Rickey Henderson????) for not running out an infield pop fly. Pudge was all over him,right in his ear.

Maybe a "new" set of eyes could help out the hitters. Last year the Dodgers removed Eddie Murray as their hitting coach when the team was hitting .261 in the middle of June. They finished up the year with a .275 team BA and that was 2nd in the league. Now,the year before, with Murray as the hitting coach, they led the league in BA(and runs scored i believe). So either the players just hit up to their levels after Murray was canned or a new, fresh approach was needed to get the players back on track. Walker has been around for how many years now? Maybe something new would help the club out.

i don't know the Sox farm system all that great but, other than Richar, is there a legit ML level 2b prospect around. I've seen Getz's named around. Is he a legit,long term alternative? I know the farm system is down right now but it's kind of hard to believe that all the eggs are pretty in the Richar basket.If Uribe wasn't guaranteed 4.5 mill and Richar hurt, i doubt he would've been on the 25 man roster. Ramirez is a project at 2B since he'd being converted. You would think there would have to be a minor league alternative. I mean, what minor leaguer can't hit .160? Why not try someone to give the team a spark. Ramirez will likely get his shot but who knows if he'll be any better than Uribe. If he's not, then who's next(assuming Richar is still out for awhile) ?

Russell is down,which has been reported,and i think they'll also release Uribe. Not scoring last night may have been the last straw because Ozzie has complained about his mental lapses in the past. Then i wouldn't be surprised if they gave the 2b job to Ramirez to see what he can do while getting regular AB's at the ML level. He'll get his chance to show what he can do at least until Richar is ready.What can it hurt at this point? To take Ramirez's spot in the OF, they call up Owens and he gets his AB's while other guys get days off. Ozzie won't get rid of Ozuna because he's too versatile and there is no one to fill his role right now.Plus, Ozzie seems to love him.

Logan has been struggling a bit lately. Any chance he goes down because he's only a left handed specialist and it's only 4 games?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 1, 2008 -> 07:52 PM) Until Joe Crede is resigned...absolutely not. Not with the Boras factor. With Boras involved, it's always possible the Sox could make him a dynamite offer, more money than Konerko got, etc., and then Joe would muddle around for a few days until some other team came in and offered him Torii Hunter money and suddenly we'd be left with, I dunno, Bourgeois or Ozuna as our #1 3b next year. I agree 100%. You can't trade Fields until Crede is signed. Especailly if you're talking about in a deal for Roberts. Roberts would be nice for this year but not at the expense of Fields. Now ,if you could get Roberts for BA and a pitching prospect, then i'd do it. BUt B'more isn't going to go for any deal like that.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 29, 2008 -> 04:42 PM) Probably true, but BA's ceiling is much higher than Owens, and he showed flashes of it this spring. If he hits like he showed he can hit, he's much more valuable to the team. i agree that BA probably has a higher ceiling. But they've both had about 3/4 a year worth of playing time at the ML level and,to me, Owens has shown more. Plus, Owens showed improvement when he got his second chance. Anderson still looks pretty much like the same guy as when he first came up. He's a bit better but still looks overmatched most of the time while Owens looked way overmatched then ,i thought, looked respectable and could continue to develop into a solid contributor.

In my opinion,Owens can do alot more for this team than Brian Anderson can. He can lead off when someone needs a day off, he can steal a base, he can BUNT,and he can hit for a higher average. Anderson brings a better arm and more power. If Owens wouldn't have gotten hurt he would've made the 25 man roster. I don't see what Anderson has done, and why all the sudden admiration for him,to keep Owens down and himself up. The Sox may just be waiting for Owens to show he's going to be 100% for the long haul. You don't want to call him up and then he gets dinged again right away.

What's the status of those guys and their injuries? I would like to see them added to the roster if healthy. Richar up and Ramirez down to minors so he can get some AB's and get better adjusted. He hit well in ST but seems to be having trouble now that it counts. Uribe can stick around,play defense and spot start. Also, i would rather have Owens in the lineup with Dye out. I'm not complaining about Anderson but i would have rather Owens leading off and drop Swisher into Dye's spot while he's out. Plus, Owens and Richar give the team the added speed element. The team is winning ,so you don't want to mess around too much but i think those 2 transctions would help out the team in the long run.