caulfield12

That was over quickly. Depending on how Abreu looks the next time up, Ventura might want to give Konerko some more at-bats.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 9, 2014 -> 07:23 PM) If the Sox keep hitting like this some smart team is going to offer Severson a managing job this winter. Why would you take a manager away from his core area of competency and make him a generalist when he's a hitting specialist? I don't think Cooper, despite his ego/hubris believing him capable, would make a good manager at all...simply because the media would eat him alive eventually, too prickly and defensive.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 9, 2014 -> 07:19 PM) Sierra has been pretty decent with the bat He looked Viciedo-esque in RF, but all is forgiven since he's been hitting well for us. Wow. 9 hits. Crazy. Only one out, 7 runs. Haven't seen that in a long time.

Two balls that shouldn't have been cut off by Goldschmidt and Owings that might have resulted in outs. Trevor Cahill warming up already.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 9, 2014 -> 06:12 PM) Rienzo throwing kind of hard tonite. I have seen a few 92s and 93s I think that gun's off. Because McCarthy's not a consistent 95-96 MPH fastball thrower, either. 2008 for Alexei.

The best possible ending to this game would be Eaton getting the game-winning RBI off Addison Reed in the bottom of the 9th, but that scenario's not going to happen. The worst would be a McCarthy CG/Reed save or anything involving Cody Ross coming up with a big hit (see 2012 nightmares).

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ May 9, 2014 -> 05:38 PM) Did you just start following baseball this year? Saying that the Sox are not huge spenders in this division can only mean you haven't paid any attention to the last 10 seasons. I think the frustration is watching the Tigers/Illitch spend so much money on Cabrera/Verlander/Fielder...of course, eventually that will catch up to them, but it might not happen for another 3-5 years. Illitch is an owner that all fans love, in the sense that he's willing to throw money at nearly every problem (except for the bullpen, so far). And it's likely he caught a lucky break with Scherzer turning down that long-term extension. As far as the NAV of Comcast, that's not the same thing as profits, and it's still just money on paper that's more or less illiquid.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 9, 2014 -> 05:39 PM) They got rid of Santiago just in time. But can't you say the same for Eaton, if you're a GM and you're concerned he can't stay healthy (see Quentin, Carlos)? Or Davidson, if you're concerned he's going to strike out too much at the upper levels of the minors/AAAA/MLB?

from thegoodphight.com Kolek is in High School and is already bigger than many Major League Pitchers. He's roughly 6'5" and 250 lbs. He's strong and it's not bad weight. In either of the last 2 drafts a player with Kolek's profile would have been an extremely strong contender for the first overall pick (same can be said of Rodon, Beede, Hoffmann, Aiken and maybe even Jackson). The fact that this draft is so deep makes it possible that one of these guys could easily slide to the Phillies, so it's best to cover them all. Now, Kolek is already capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun (though he typically works mid-90's), and given his age and the fact that he hasn't gotten professional strength training or coaching it's reasonable to think there might be more to project in terms of velocity. Kolek works on his Parent's ranch and he's very much so country strong (in order to get to travel for tournaments, it seems, his Father makes him earn it by baling extra hay). He has a big build and I've read comps to Joba Chamberlain (in terms of build, not stuff or ceiling). Scouting reports note that while big and with a strong arm, Kolek isn't very athletic. This can be a concern in terms of repeating mechanics. All that said, Kolek went about a month this season before giving up his first hit as a High School Senior. He's still hitting upper 90's and 100 on Radar guns this Spring, though as noted by our excellent sister blog, Crawfish Boxes (article here), Kolek had a few control issues when seen in person last week. As a Pitcher, Kolek relies heavily on his Fastball (as do most HS Pitchers), but he also has a Slider that flashes Plus, a developing Curveball and reports of a Changeup he throws in warm ups, but I haven't seen any game reports of it. For his mechanics, Kolek is a max effort, across the body Pitcher.In the video below (courtesy Steve Fiorindino) I can't help but think he looks like Roger Clemens. He works low in the zone a lot and gets good plane though Control seems a little shakier than I'd like. This may be a case of Kolek trying to get high heat and sacrificing some control. He throws from a 3/4 slot and you can see his stride towards third affecting him as he leaves a lot of Fastballs to that side of the plate and when he does miss, it's to that side. His mechanics do have some consistency issues you'll see him sometimes look very clean and balanced through his delivery and other times he stumbles a bit to the first base side after release (and once on a pitch that gets away from him the other way he stumbles off towards Third Base). http://www.thegoodphight.com/2014/4/7/5586...tyler-kolek-rhp http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2014/4/4/5482...s-pitcher-tyler I scanned the field for Tyler Kolek, and his 6-foot-5 frame stuck out like a sore thumb. By high level pitching standards he was big, but nothing out of the ordinary.On the field in Shepherd, though, he was nothing short of hulking. He looked collected, calmly stretching and jogging the outfield before pulling on his jersey and warming up. His demeanor was different from the assassin-like intensity that I saw on Kohl Stewart's game tape- when he took the mound he looked like he felt like the only player on the field. I overheard two scouts chatter next to me, making guesses on what his first warm up pitch would come in at. The man sitting directly next to me guessed 96 initially before backing off just before Kolek took the hill and changing his estimate to 93. Kolek nonchalantly went into his rapid-fire windup, and in the blink of an eye the ball popped into the catcher's mitt. I peeked at one of the radar guns that surrounded me on all sides- it read 94. He showed little emotion, even as he rared back and shotgunned fastballs that continued to register in the mid 90s on scouts' guns. Even before the bullets were live in the game between Shepherd and Tarkington, I was thoroughly impressed by the young man who had become the pride of his town with his major league-quality performance on the mound. Right on schedule, the game started officially at 6:30 p.m. After peppering the catcher with pitches in the low-to-mid 90s in warmups, Kolek turned up the heat in the top of the first. My eyes darted back and forth from the mound to the sea of radar guns, and the hype surrounding Kolek was completely validated. The Tarkington hitters stood in tough but could not touch the 6-5 right-hander's heat. The guns were registering pitches at 97 and 98 repeatedly, with one fireball coming in at a round 100 mph. The triple-digit heater led to a chorus of hushed wows and I saw one scout rush to send a text to document the event. The first two hitters for Tarkington went down on strikes, and I began to wonder if anyone would put the ball in play against Kolek as he continued to hang in the high 90s. That question was quickly answered by Tarkington's No. 3 hitter, who managed to smack a routine grounder to second base that was handled with ease to end the inning. In the second and third innings, Kolek continued to look utterly dominant. He rarely strayed from his fastball, and struck out all six batters that came to the plate in the two frames. His mammoth fastball continued to hang between 95 and 97, with few pitches coming in at less than 94 mph. He worked quickly and confidently, pounding the zone relentlessly with heat like an 18-year-old Jonathan Gray. As the game wore on he had some slight command wobbles and ended up hitting three batters, the first drilling a wiry infielder on the arm at a scorching 96 mph. The other two plunks came on offspeed pitches that seemed to get away from Tyler, but he managed smiles as he met with the catcher in attempts to settle down. He did just that, and by the end of his outing he had racked up a ridiculous thirteen punchouts in just five innings, allowing no baserunners outside of the players hit by pitches. Not a single ball left the infield. Tyler had put on an absolute show, and when he left the mound, the scouts funneled out of the ballpark, no doubt thoroughly impressed with the young fireballer's performance- I certainly was. I came in to the game viewing Kolek as the second best prospect in the 2014 class, and I left with that feeling solidified. Though he's just 18 years old, his 6-5 muscle-bound frame is one that most big league pitchers would envy. His fastball is one of the best you will ever see. He hangs in the mid-90s with ease and pounds the zone when he's in a rhythm. His mechanics are quick, but not violent. Though he rarely strayed from his heater against Tarkington, his slider has shown significant promise, and in the low 80s it has the potential to make hitters look silly in contrast to his high-90s fastball. His secondary stuff is raw, but no weaker than Jonathan Gray's was last year, and his frame and delivery appeal more to me than Gray's did. While Gray carried bad weight and relied on lightning fast arm speed, Kolek uses sheer strength and extension to propel his formidable fastball. Though I can't see him surpassing Carlos Rodon on draft boards, he's a hell of a consolation prize for the clubs picking after the Astros, and he could soften the blow to Houston if Rodon blows out his arm. He's just on the same level that Kohl Stewart was last year, and has the potential to be even better if he rounds out his arsenal.

Eaton has been injury-prone and Davidson's causing alarm bells to go up. Garcia's on the shelf. It's not like we're really winning ANYTHING right now, except for the Abreu Lottery.

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=47746&a=1 You can track the Rodon start here, for those interested. Rodon picking it up now, 4 K's through first 8 outs. How is he 4-7? (Answer, like Chris Sale in 2013, despite the presence of Trea Turner). Tyler Kolek is the top power arm in the 2014 prep class. He's 6'5" or better, weighing in around 250. He's country strong. Literally. I'm not just saying that because he's a big guy, he lives and works on a cattle ranch. Looking at him, I don't know that he has spent a lot of time in the weight room. He's not a toned individual but he isn't fat. He could really take off with professional weight training and conditioning. He's a very good athlete that has even drawn interest from Texas A & M as a defensive end but he dropped football and basketball to concentrate on baseball. In a draft class filled with power arms, Kolek leads the pack. His fastball has hit triple digits in the past, occasionally touched 99 but sits in the 91-96 range. His 75-77 MPH curve ball isn't the most consistent pitch but it flashes plus. He throws a slider that is in the 80-83 range that has a sharper break. He has a low 80's change but hasn't had to use it at any point to dominate prep competition. Mechanically, he isn't perfect. He's big so there are a lot of moving parts but he maintains it well. He should be able to work out any minor issues he has easily in pro ball. His throws from a ¾ slot that gives him good downhill plane and makes his fastball heavy. Looking at him, it's easy to think of Jonathan Gray or Stephen Strasburg. Pitchers who have went to college and blossomed into arms that can throw 100 after being less polished in high school and adding velocity in college. Well, Kolek already has the elite velocity. He has very good command and solid pitchability. He can hit 100 and he can improve conditioning that may add more. The sky truly is the limit with Kolek. His velocity is new and it may regress in spring. I don't know but it will be fun to watch him progress and if I were a scouting director of one of the top 5 teams, I would watch him multiple times this spring. from minorleagueball.com

I hear Kolek and immediately think Colt Griffin/David Clyde, but that's because he's from Texas and a high schooler.

Elias wouldn’t name names, but the Houston Chronicle reported that the Astros’ group consists of three college pitchers, Jeff Hoffman, Aaron Nola and Carlos Rodon; two San Diego preps, lefthander Brady Aiken and catcher/outfielder Alex Jackson; San Francisco outfielder Bradley Zimmer; and Texas prep righthander Tyler Kolek. Rodon has given up 2 hits and a walk through the first 6 outs. Pitching in the 2nd inning now against Wake Forest. On the season, 9 doubles, a triple and 2 HR's, but I would expect far better than 74 hits in 88+ innings pitched for an ace. Not as dominating as his start two outings ago.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/anthon...p;vkey=news_mlb The costs of throwing at high velocity at an early age...and the rash of TJ surgeries popping up all over MLB.

QUOTE (flavum @ May 8, 2014 -> 09:15 PM) http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/...at-second-base/ I know somebody that has a couple ties to that team that might fit the bill. Except they're going to want to dump Uggla back on the White Sox in return. In order for us to take on that salary commitment, we'd have to get a huge prospect in return...because 2B is really the last position we need a veteran, with Beckham/Semien/Garcia/Keppinger/Carlos Sanchez/Micah Johnson all capable of playing there.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ May 8, 2014 -> 08:57 PM) Bet he ends up 14-10, 3.98 ERA, just a standard Buehrle year. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto...3--fantasy.html You must have read this article on the predicted Buehrle regression, haha.

They're not going to just eat 1 2/3rd's contract years, in the same way they weren't willing to do it with Teahen, either, going as far as packaging him with Edwin Jackson to get him off the payroll. You might see something similar this year, if/when they do trade Alexei/Dunn/Lindstrom, with Keppinger being shipped together. We actually need another veteran on this team with so many young hitters, and Keppinger's a patient/contact guy, so he should be another steadying influence if he's healthy. Leury Garcia and Semien should both be playing everyday in Charlotte, along with Carlos Sanchez. That's not going to hurt any of them developmentally. Micah Johnson can stay at 2B at BIRM. Converting him to LF at this point would be short-sighted, at best, just to fit him into the Charlotte everyday playing rotation.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 8, 2014 -> 09:06 PM) I don't mind Hawk being a homer at all. What has irritated me the last few years was yelling "stretch" on fly balls that didn't make the warning track, as well as the number of silly errors he's made when announcing the game this year. I'm not sure what's going on, but I've never heard him make more mistakes relating to the score/outs/etc. I don't mind Hawk being upset when the Sox are losing, as almost all of us on here take the losses hard as well. Especially when he has his favorites like Beckham or Konerko, and they hit a medium depth fly ball OR it's "dadgum it, just missed it...missed it by 1/32nd of an inch, etc." Or the opposite, when he really gets down on a player, or frustrated with them, like DeAza. He's seeing the game more and more with his heart and not his brain. Farmer and DJ, while not nearly as excitable, you can count on them being a lot less emotional and even-tempered in their description of things.

QUOTE (ptatc @ May 8, 2014 -> 09:25 PM) I think it will be earlier than that. Saturday will be his 3rd bullpen and I'm sure they have been slowly increasing the number and intensity. He should then be ready for a rehab start. He shouldn't be limited to much. So 4 days later would be the next rehab or MLB depending on the how he feels. Right now, they're saying two rehab starts because Ventura doesn't want him to go out at the MLB level and be limited to 4-5 innings the first time out....says it wouldn't be fair to him.

QUOTE (beautox @ May 8, 2014 -> 11:30 PM) That would be living the dream. Casey being an advanced college bat should be able to move quickly through the system with only Ravelo ahead of him and Reetz adds a great looking back stop in a system sorely lacking anything outside of second tier back up catchers. Kevan Smith still has an outside shot, but largely agree with you. As an aside, it's interesting that Salty has performed much better than McCann (so far). One of our big off-debates. Ruiz has been good, too. A lot of people were ridiculing the idea of him for catcher, but he has been solid again.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 8, 2014 -> 06:07 PM) oug Padilla ‏@ESPNChiSox 2h After a crowd of 21K last nite, Sox expecting 30K tonite. Maybe more with a big walk-up on a warm day. 26,332. Too optimistic.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ May 8, 2014 -> 08:24 AM) Carroll continues his march to the Cy Young award. And the next Walt Disney movie, starring Kurt Warner's wife as Carroll's mom.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ May 8, 2014 -> 08:18 AM) Hoping for this scenario. Good point by Manuel, the Cuban-American Rodon in Miami makes a lot of sense. Kind of screws us if Aiken goes #1 though. My preference, in wake of the Hoffman injury, 1. Aiken 2. Rodon 3. Kolek 4. NO...la for 1 million. Well, the best MLB pitcher the last couple of months/post-season was Wacha, and he went 13th, I think. The question is which 8-22 collegiate pitcher is the next Wacha, lol?

QUOTE (DirtySox @ May 8, 2014 -> 08:07 AM) John Manuel's first mock is up. He still thinks Astros go with Rodon. Miami takes Kolek . Sox go with Aiken. http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/201...top-first-mock/ This bit is very much worth noting though. Kind of what I alluded to before. Underslotting a Nola/Freeland/Fedde/Finnegan? Flexibility to grab a signability guy with pick 44 or later. Isn't Fedde ranked in the mid to late 20's? That would be a HUGE reach. Even Beede would be ahead of him on the majority of lists.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ May 8, 2014 -> 08:07 AM) John Manuel's first mock is up. He still thinks Astros go with Rodon. Miami takes Kolek . Sox go with Aiken. http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/201...top-first-mock/ This bit is very much worth noting though. Kind of what I alluded to before. Underslotting a Nola/Freeland/Fedde/Finnegan? Flexibility to grab a signability guy with pick 44 or later. There’s some talk of the White Sox shying away from Kolek, potentially in favor of a college arm, if Aiken and Rodon are off the board. Was that before or after Hoffman officially went down to TJ?