beck72

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 21, 2005 -> 02:48 PM) With Brandon McCarthy now breaking camp and coming north with the Sox, if BMac can be successful, should the Sox look at moving Jose Contreras to the pen and turning him into a closer? Remember the Sox originally wanted to trade Schoenweis to the Yankees for Contreras and then turn Jose into a closer. We all know Jose has electric stuff, and might be better served going all out for one inning at a time. The question is do we chance this with Shingo as a closer already? Could Shingo be more valuable in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings matching up in critical junctions of the game? Thoughts? If BMac is doing well when MB is ready, I could see Contreras moved in a deal like the Mets made for with TB for Carlos Zambrano. A team looking to make the playoffs [like Boston] could part with a top tier pitching prospect who wouldn't be expected to help the sox right away, but is close. Boston has two decent young arms who could be near ready for the bigs in RHP Anibel Sanchez and LHP Abe Alvarez.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 09:56 PM) I still think that a lot of us are taking way, way too much out of a couple of ST appearances... Walker can barely cut it in the minors. The spot is, and should be, Neal's. The only opinion that matter are Ozzie and the coaches. So far Ozzie is impressed with Walker. From the Daily Herald: On a roll: In addition to Brandon McCarthy, left-hander Kevin Walker also has stepped up this spring and is making an unexpected push for a roster spot. After pitching 1º scoreless innings Sunday, the 28-year-old Walker is still unscored upon in 6 Cactus League relief appearances, covering 7º innings. “He’s opened a lot of people’s eyes,’’ Guillen said. “He’s the talk of the day right now. He impressed me a lot. He throws strikes and is never behind the hitters. We are going to keep looking.’’

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 05:09 PM) It just seemed strange to me that one of the "Horses" has only 2 A games thus far in ST. Maybe its nothing of nothing. Garland has also seen a lot of work in B games. But by all accounts, there don't seem to be any problems with either. The only concern would be health, which doesn't seem the case, with everyone going 4,5 innings

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 06:48 PM) I'm not endorsing one over the other. I want the best pitcher to be with the club. If all things are equal, I'd give the nod to Walker in order to allow Cotts to get that experience as a starter. Still, I don't think KevHead gave Cotts enough credit. I agree. People see Neal's high ERA and often use it say he wasn't very good. His keeping inherited runners from scoring was over 70%. Where his ERA soared was when others gave up his inherited runners [though Neal like to get runners on base to start on inning--I kept hoping the Sox would only use him when there were runners on. Yet the Sox didn't have many options in the pen]. Neal's ERA should definitely be lower this year.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 06:18 PM) Mike Jackson attlowing Cotts' runeers to score had a direct impact on his ERA. If Jackson would have been as effective in that situation as Cotts was, Cotts ERA would be substantially lower. One thing Neal did have a problem with was his HR's allowed [like 13]. He had always been able to keep the ball in the park where ever he pitched prior to last yr. If Neal keep the ball down, he has a great future. One thing Walker has to do is beat out Cotts. If they pitch the same, the incumbent should win.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 05:12 PM) I know a lot of us like Neal. He seems to be a pretty good young arm that is one pitch away from cracking the rotation, or at least obtaining a moer important role out of the pen. I come from the camp that thinks, if you acquire a player, you should use him. If Ozzie, Kenny and co. think it would better serve both Neal and the team to send Neal down to AAA to learn that new pitch, I'm all for it. Worst case scenario, Walker flops and you simply call Neal up again. Well put. I think Ozzie could, in good conscience, tell Neal it's not a demotion if he's sent back to AAA to be a starter. The Sox know what he can do in the bullpen. Yet the big unknown is how canhe handle the rotation after some success in the bigs. Neal knows what it takes to be a big league pitcher. Now its a matter of it being in the bullpen or in the rotation. The worst case/ best case scenarios should play a part in the decision making process. Worst case, Neal comes back w/ some experience in the rotation, working on all his pitches. Best case, Walker does great, and Neal is unhittable as a SP. The sox would then have two great SP options in B-Mac and Neal as insurance for the big league rotation. Walker will be given opportunities to prove himself this spring--he might start today. If he is lights out vs all sorts of competition, which he has up until now, he'll have earned it. If he makes the team and not Neal, it's a low risk, high reward move. The sox have a very capable LHP in Cotts to come back up if Walker bombs. Yet the high reward of having a great 2nd SP option behind B-Mac in Neal is almost too good to pass up.

From the sox website: "A closer look: After retiring 17 of the first 18 hitters he has faced working late in the games this spring, the White Sox are thinking about stepping up the challenge for Walker against the Angels. Cooper said Saturday that he might start the reliever against the Angels' everyday players, and then work McCarthy for six innings in relief." Sounds like Ozzie is going to give Walker a real chance to make the club. Better to see what he's got now.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 10:31 AM) I haven't heard that, but do the Knights still have Kelly Dransfeldt as well or did he leave along with the likes of Ryan Hankins? Even if Kelly was w/ the sox, they'd still need a AAA SS. If the sox traded some of their pitching/borchard/ harris, that should be one of the first spots they fill.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 06:15 AM) It seems inevitable now, Valdez will be back in AAA for sure, with Ozuna as the bench guy. The only thing to watch now it seems is will Ben Davis be moved to get Jamie Burke onto the 25 man roster? I've read that Valdez is out of options so the sox would lose him. So somewhere the sox will need to trade for a AAA SS.

QUOTE(qwerty @ Mar 18, 2005 -> 09:09 PM) Neither cotts or walker should be the left handed setup man. Are we forgetting marte? The 2nd LH set up man

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Mar 18, 2005 -> 06:19 PM) I'm not sold yet the 6th pen guy will be a LH. vs RH: Politte, Herm, Shingo vs LH: Marte, Vizc, Shingo It's pretty balance in that respect. I would say Cotts & Walker have the edge because Marte is showing signs of getting more RH's out this year. If he can regain his 2003 form he's going to own the setup role all by himself. Except Ozzie publicly said a few days ago he'd like to have 3 LHP's in the 'pen with so many LH hitters in the AL Central. That he'd only go with 1 doesn't make sense, even if Luis has thrown better vs LH hitters. But if either Adkins or Cotts has to go back to AAA, they should be in the rotation

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Mar 18, 2005 -> 04:38 PM) Check this out Beck, 2004: Bases Empty: 2.54 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, .239 BA Runners on: 9.98 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, .276 BA I can't recall seeing any other pitchers with stats like that. http://bigleaguers.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/7043/situational He certainly had a problem w/ runners on in 04. Yet in 2003 his splits were pretty even. I'm thinking his "problems" aren't nearly as bad as most of us probably think they are.

Contreras' splits: 2004: none on--.239/.309/.440 runners on--.276/.391/.453 2003: none on---.189/.286/.297 runners on--.220/.312/.303 I didn't know how well Conteras pitched in 2003. He had some great, el Duque type numbers. In 71 ip, 52 h, 30 BB's, 72 k's, only 4 hr's allowed, 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA. He also had a 1.71 GB/ FB ratio. When he pitched in NY the first half of 04, the rate was way down near 1.0. If Contreras can get back to inducing GB's, he should help the sox a lot. Maybe he's not so far off than a lot of people think

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 18, 2005 -> 04:19 PM) Contract details Oz has made overtures about wanted to use Neal as a starter later on. He seems intent to me on bringing him north as a starter through the comments he has made. It might be different if Neal were getting hammered, but he is holding his own so far. Thanks for the contract info. I think it would be hard for Ozzie to send both neal and jon back to AAA, even they both were going to be in the rotation. I can't see the Sox keeping Jon and sending neal and Walker back though, as the sox need another LHP in the 'pen. More than likely, Adkins will be in the AAA rotation, and Neal on the 25 man, w/ Walker in AAA. But walker and Neal are different pitchers. Walker is a junk ball guy who can throw strikes, and won't beat himself. Neal is sometimes is own worst enemy, by walking guys.

That the Sox have seen Contreras do something differently while pitching from the stretch, bodes well for Jose getting his act together. If he pitched like s*** when no one was on, and when runners were on base, then I'd be worried. It sounds like the Sox have found something to work on w/ Contreras to help him get out of jams. I'd be interested in seeing what his stats have been w/ runners on and w/o anyone on.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 18, 2005 -> 02:22 PM) I am going to guess Neal goes north. Cotts has a few things going for him. The biggest one is that Ozzie loves the kid. And Ozzie has seemed to get his way with the last couple roster spots usually. Also Walker gets $500,000 if he goes north, Neal gets nothing extra. One thing about the Ozzie love--having Neal as the next SP option after B-Mac would only enhance that affection. If think if Walker shows he can pitch in tough situations like Cotts has, and go more than an inning at a time, Kevin would go north. Having multiple options for SP's in the minors ready in case of injury is a necessity. The sox didn't have that last yr. Ozzie won't let it happen this yr. My reasoning is I don't think Adkins is cut out to be a SP, even though he'll likely go to AAA and be a SP. Jon has had a few yrs as a SP that haven't gone too well BTW-Isn't Walker being paid a decent salary, even if he goes to AAA [like $500k]? I thought the salary might bump up to $750 K total if he made the sox.

I'm going with Kevin Walker as the LH setup man making the team. Even though both Walker and Cotts have had strong springs, this move would be about making the sox a better and deeper team in the near future, more than anything. And Walker has showed that he can help this team now. In no way am I down on Neal Cotts--I think he'll improve a lot with stronger guys in the bullpen around him. Yet the sox would be better served with Neal getting stretched out in the starting rotation in AAA, along with B-Mac, Jon Adkins, and possibly Bobby Jenks. The Sox will already have a strong bullpen in Charlotte without Neal. Yet the rotation wouldn't be that strong besides B-Mac. With the added depth of starting pitchers, the sox would be better prepared in case a few SP's went down. Everyone knows what Cotts and Adkins can do in the bullpen. Yet they are unproven in the rotation.

According to the Baseball Cube, widger played 55 games in the Independent league in 2004 with Camden. In 202 ab's, he hit .267/.336/.574 with 16 hr's and 43 rbi's. So he just wasn't sitting at home watching Jerry springer

Seeing how the sox need a C who can hit LHP well [to give AJ some days off] and Davis doesn't hit that well from the right side, Widger and Burke would seem to have an edge over Davis. Widger has looked great for not playing in a year. If Widger is liked by the pitching staff, and can play solid defense, he could be the guy coming north, with Burke in AAA.

QUOTE(marsh @ Mar 17, 2005 -> 04:03 PM) also she must not have read canseco's book or she would know he implicated I-Rod, who last time I checked was a member of the tigers. good call. She must think it's normal for a guy in his 30's to lose 22 pounds of muscle in one year.

the R- rep from MI/ Tigers fan said she was "glad no one from the Tigers was on any of the panels". Is she an idiot or didn't she get a memo that Frank and Schilling have never been involved in taking steriods?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 17, 2005 -> 01:45 PM) Jeremy Reed will be a starter very soon, if not on openning day. And that is fine by me, as we got a #2 pitcher in the deal. I did say Reed would probably make an impact. I'm mostly talking about are the "prospects" the sox have traded [rauch, majewski, ginter, guerrier, miles, etc] for guys on the sox 25 man roster [timo, Marte, Uribe, Everett]

With Steve Traschel out, the Mets will be looking for Matt Ginter as a possible 5th starter. Jon Adkins would have to be a good pick for them, as bullpen insurance and could challenge for the 5th spot as well. Of course, the Mets would have to overpay for Adkins [like AA SP Yusmero Petit]. With no decent 5th Starter types out there. the Mets are in a position where they'll likely have to overpay. The Mets need guys who could eat innings, either in the pen or the rotation http://www.nypost.com/sports/mets/42720.htm

I put Joe B. But seeing how Diaz is being showcased as today's SP vs the Royals, he won't be long for the sox. He could at least be a decent bullpen arm, and possible 5th starter. He could at least bring a decent prospect who could start in AA, ala Jerry Owens for Escobar. Escobar had less value than Diaz does, and Owens has some talent

It's very interesting that almost all the Sox minor leaguers they've traded over the last few years are fringe, last man on the roster types. Only Frankie Fransisco has made an impact [and Reed probably will too]. For all the media talk about the Sox thinning out their farm system, the Sox still have plenty of talent left.