caulfield12

But the scariest, and most telling numbers of all, are in the fielding. These numbers don’t lie. Before the season started, some argued that the Tigers couldn’t expect to win anything as long as they couldn’t catch and throw. The counter to that was that the starting rotatition and the starting lineup were so strong that they could overcome that deficiency. Right now, the Tigers are not good enough to overcome that fielding. There’s no stat that I’m aware of that tells you how many extra outs a defensive team gives its opponent. But watching the Tigers closely, it’s easy to assume that they’re giving the other teams three or four extra outs a game. And these just aren’t errors like the two committed by Omir Santos the other night in the lone win over the Yankees. The Tigers have committed the 11th most errors in baseball (37). But beyond those, the Tigers aren’t making the good plays. Beyond that, at times the Tigers lack the range to make even the most basic plays. In a loss to the Red Sox last week, the major story coming out of the game was the blown call on what should have been strike three to Mike Aviles in the second inning. Lost in the shuffle was the fact that the Tigers committed zero errors on the afternoon. Good game, right? But Prince Fielder missed two balls and Miguel Cabrera bobbled another that didn’t go down as errors but were clear miscues by both players. Those two are the biggest offenders, but players like Delmon Young, Brennan Boesch and even Jhonny Peralta lack the range that turn hits into outs. Good teams can overcome some of those plays. Struggling teams just struggle more. And perhaps the truest number of all is this: The Tigers have turned only 34 double plays this season, worst in the American League and better than only the Padres in all of baseball. When a team successfully records one out in a double play, the error doesn’t get recorded as such even if a player makes a miscue. But more than that, a double play is often the result of quickness and accuracy. And this infield defense is neither quick nor accurate. So instead of cutting down the number of outs that a struggling pitching staff needs to record, the Tigers are extending that number — to the detriment of the entire team. I was one of those who dismissed the fielding woes as a minor hiccup during spring training. And when Cabrera started the year playing a relatively strong third base, optimism soared. But this is a flawed way to play baseball. And when only three or four hitters are hitting and only one or two pitchers are throwing well, it becomes impossible to overcome. A lot of people are figuring that the Tigers will come around because the hitting will come around. The scary thing is that the hitting is actually performing pretty well, at least statistically. Will the pitching come around? Perhaps. Will the fielding come around? Nope. This is this way it is. And it’s proving to be the fatal flaw in this baseball team. http://www.freep.com/article/20120605/SPOR...ers-worst-enemy

Avengers > MIBIII Actually, all three Men in Black films, even the first. If anyone gets really bored and wants some gratuitious T&A fun, check out Hassel the Hoff and David (Anchorman) Koechner in Piranha 3DD. I want to say it was so bad it was funny, but it was just bad bad bad. Well, at least it was free to watch online. Still wondering why they made the last Piranha movie, let alone this one. With the proliferation of XXX movies on the internet, there's just no way to "shock" or interest teenagers anymore, like when I was growing up in the 80's, movies like Flashdance, The Blue Lagoon or Tarzan with Bo Derek were titillating entertainment. The Girls Gone Wild generation. Speaking of vicious fish, just watched JAWS II on HBO last night and that movie really doesn't stand the test of time at all. Give me a movie like DUEL or HIGH NOON any day of the week over most of those late 70's/early 80's flicks (not counting Star Wars, until you get to ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies).

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 11:40 PM) 7th Rd. - Jose Barraza - C - HS He is the 98th best prospect in California and the 472nd best prospect in America – per Baseball America. The only prospect in our top 10 picks I haven't seen much info about other than great power and arm. Beck and Johnson are good friends, played alot against each other. He just devalued my degree with his bad twitter grammar, haha. Guess I'm going to have to cheer for another rival of the Hawkeyes, not unlike Chris Getz. Definitely seems like they went with some players who slipped because of injury/non-performance, classic KW stealth mode there (picking Jeremy Reed would be the opposite, a player who peaked collegiately). Indiana junior second baseman Micah Johnson was taken with the 291st overall pick — the 13th in the ninth round — by the Chicago White Sox in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft. Johnson is coming off a season in which he hit .225 with one home run and 10 RBI, but he hit over .300 in each of his first two seasons and was a preseason All-American this season before surgery to repair an elbow injury. He played in just 24 games, starting 20.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 11:37 PM) I love our first three picks, and I really like the amount of projecable arms we've selected thus far, especially Hansen. It seems as though they went BPA in Hawkins at 13, then really focused on power arms and middle-infielders. Beck and Hansen could turn out to be steals. As a graduate of the Georgia Southern MS Sport Management program, go War Eagles!! Todd Greene and Joey Hamilton were legends, and the tradition lives on with Roache and Beck(s). And one of the two most famous I-AA football programs in history, along with Youngstown State and Marshall.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 10:32 PM) I'm actually stunned Ozzie has gotten as many votes as he did. Me thinks there are a lot of Ozzie fans out here who don't post a lot. Cmon guys, speak up like I do. I love Ozzie. Greg is like one of the Ron Paul supporters who can't believe his candidate didn't win a single caucus or primary. But now he's still trying to spin all the mounting losses and put them in a positive light. At some point, there's a line of demarcation between "loving the 2005 team, including its manager" and "loving Ozzie Guillen." Two separate things.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 10:33 PM) Starters need to step it up, Looking at Humber, Floyd, and somewhat Danks. ESPECIALLY DANKS. Earn that contract and be the 2/3 starter you're paid to be.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1198260...re-stephen-drew Looks like Drew has a mutual option for $10 million in 2012/13. $1.3 million buyout. Would be a one year rental, in all likelihood. I wouldn't give up Mitchell for him though, especially considering he would be going through a position change and moving from the NL to the AL, all in the heat of a pennant race. Still, probably the most interesting name (along with Youkilis) mentioned so far. But what's his status healthwise, anyone follow the DBacks?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 10:00 PM) Here's what I read. See the last paragraph. I could see where he would say he works for the White Sox. Its an insestual relationship. Legally I'm pretty sure he's not a White Sox employee. I do know he isn't on the White Sox payroll for his PBP job. Maybe the pay him something to consult. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,0,33900.story It's like Chris Rongey saying he's an employee of the White Sox. While Bob Grim works for the White Sox (Director of Broadcasting) and is his supervisor, he's not actually paid by the Sox. Incestuous, by the way. At any rate, I can see where Harrelson would definitely FEEL he works for the Sox, and less for WGN/Comcast. And technically, the other reason he can say that is the team is a minority shareholder in the broadcasting network that he is employed by, so it's like defining what "is" is.

Well, that was definitely the original plan after 2008. To shore up 3B with the departures of Crede and Uribe, and for Viciedo to be ready perhaps as early as the 2010 season. Didn't exactly go according to plan in BIRM. Throw in Tyler Flowers as the power-hitting catcher putting up 20-25 bombs, good defense and a .220ish average, definitely workable.

The lastest on Morel? He was 1/4 at Charlotte, hitting .320 and amazingly, recorded another walk. By the way, wonder if they'll abandon the Stewart as long man role and give Bruney another shot? He's been pitching awfully well for the Knights. Just don't see any upside at this point in having Zach on the major league roster.

QUOTE (GREEDY @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 09:50 PM) Seems like Stephen Drew might be available in the coming months. KW has at the very least a working relationship with both the Diamondbacks and Towers. Drew would be a very nice rental. The Sox really could use a left handed hitting third baseman. Drew is a slightly below average defensive shortstop. With how poorly 3B is being currently being defended, and even if there is a learning curve for Stephen, I would speculate that you would get at least average defense from him at third. Not to mention that if Alexei continues to struggle, or if Gordon relapses, it wouldn't hurt to have a solid lefty to platoon with any of the three underachieving (offensively) infielders. Between the three of them (Beckham, Ramirez, Morel), at least one of them is downright lost at the plate... at all times. Drew already plays in a hitter friendly park so there wouldn't be much of a bump by playing home games at the Cell, pretty much a neutral move. It does not appear that there will be much 3B help available at the deadline and I am of the opinion that Orlando Hudson is not the answer. Hudson couldn't cut the mustard as a platooned second basemen, in a pitchers park, in the national league; there is no way, shape, or form that he should be a corner infielder in the American league. The only real interesting name that I could even say has the slightest chance of being moved is Pedro Alvarez, but I am not sure the White Sox even have enough available to net Pedro. Other names that could become available Ian Stewart, Kevin Youkillis, Wilson Betemit, Omar Vizquel, Brandon Inge... none are even better than 50/50 to be dealt, nor are they that exciting. I am not sure what the asking price is or will be for Drew, but I feel he would be a very nice addition. I wonder if KW would have claimed Inge had he gotten past the A's all the way to the Sox? Of course, we already have ties with Betemit and Vizquel. BLECHHHH. When was the last trade between Epstein and KW? Javier Lopez for David Riske?

The shelf-life on the Orlando Hudson experiment doesn't appear to be a very long one. Only hitting .171 with the Sox. Morel at 75% health can do that, and probably play better defense. Try again, KW.

Usually players like Ravelo are moved after they've had an opportunity to get the reward of playing in their league's All-Star games. Caesar Saladino is more of a "heady" basestealer, that might fly in the minors, but it won't translate at the major league level to much more than 12-15 steals. Mitchell always bunches his K's and walks together, this time, 3 K's in one game.

Everyone seems to love the potential of Beck. Lots of "projectable" arms that, at worst, end up in the bullpen, but could get a couple of mid/back-end starters out of it if all goes well with their development from a mechanical standpoint. Barnum and Hawkins the definition of boom/bust or high risk/high reward guys, particularly Hawkins. Quite a few out there would have preferred to go with Stroman and Smoral over Hawkins/Barnum, but the White Sox are definitely taking more "high ceiling" guys, and younger players than they've ever selected before so early due to the new draft rules. Also picked up a bunch of middle infielders to build up our depth in that largely barren area of our farm system (Saladino and Carlos Sanchez, notwithstanding).

Just one of those games. Put it in the 54 games you lose column, although you could make some arguments that we could have been in this game, you don't ever expect to come from 7-1 down against Romero.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 08:23 PM) The day we make Stewart a starting pitcher is a day our franchise gets a little better. Would rather have Humber, Quintana or Castro. Maybe even Molina...

Well, we gave Rasmus one of his best career games today. 5/5? Really?

Even in games that seemed completely unwinnable, this team has seemed to fight back quite often and make things interesting. The team last year really didn't have that quality...

Anyone want to speculate on the possibility of AJ returning next year? You know nobody's going to give him a 2 year contract, at least it would be pretty shocking. How high do you go? Never thought this conversation would be happening...but it's still a LONG way to go.

Unless KW's got some "hidden money" and is going to add another starting pitcher and not a 3B, then you give Humber maybe 1-2 more starts. It all depends on how Quintana looks, Danks returning successfully to the rotation and/or how much confidence they have in Axelrod/Castro to pitch better than Phil. It's been a downward trend (with a few exceptions) ever since the All-Star break last season. ‘‘But No. 2, it is what it is,’’ he said of the Sox’ financial constraints. ‘‘Times being what they are, I can’t even have a conversation [about possible costly trades]. There’s no crying about it. Some want to posture about it that way, but all I’ve ever done is answer the question. I’ve never wanted to mislead our fans.’’suntimes.com/sports

Start the Great Zach Stewart debate again! Not the best day for a White Sox fan to have forked over hard-earned money to see a first place Sox team at home.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 08:45 PM) They arent unbeatable. We dont have a good record against them and are sucking right now. Two guys who are pitching like crap right now are Floyd and Humber. Humber pitched like garbage today. That and you just have no idea what you're going to get out of Quintana. On the plus side, the advantage in those match-ups (at least for the first couple of at-bats) usually goes to the pitcher. If Quintana was pitching against us over the last decade....no-name/minor league call-up, lefty, without great stuff but more of a control guy, we'd be chalking it up as a loss already.

Tiggers trying to mount a comeback, 2nd and 3rd, one out, still down by 3 against our old friend Mr. Perez.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 08:40 PM) Doesnt he still control over a 5 ERA? 4.96

QUOTE (Baron @ Jun 5, 2012 -> 08:37 PM) Hey maybe we can call up Nestor Molina. He seems to be lighting it up with the Barons. If lighting it up is a barely sub 5 ERA in a traditional pitcher's league, when you're playing 50% of your home games in a huge ballpark....haha.