caulfield12

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Apk0...o&type=lgns Good article on Ludwick. With the seasons Quentin and Hamilton are having, he's kind of getting lost in the conversation a bit. One of those late-bloomers who finally flourishes (at age 29/30) when given a shot AND injury-free.

QUOTE (Jim Spencer @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 08:28 PM) Haeger is 9-12 with a 4.63 ERA this year. I'd rather see Egbert or Whistler before Haeger. I forgot to mention Whisler. I guess that's because he's something like the Josh Stewart of the group, although hopefully better. Josh seemed like a nice kid, it was a shame what happened to him with the injuries and lack of confidence that resulted.

2003 and 2006 were the only years the White Sox and Twins were close...this myth of the Twins owning the White Sox in the latter stages of the season is almost 100% due to the Twins winning the last five head-to-head match-ups with the Sox down the stretch that year. Realistically, in 2006, we were dying a slow death in August already and fading with Liriano's ascendance. That danged guy has won 14 games in a row now, between Rochester and the big league level. Unless they skip a turn in the TOR rotation, the Twins should see Halladay and Marcum, or at least Marcum and Burnett.

Haeger and Broadway as the candidates for Tuesday's start??? Has anyone seen Charlie pitch recently? We've been hearing Carrasco, Porcello, Broadway and even Egbert's name from time to time this year, but I don't think I've seen many piling on the Haeger bandwagon...does everyone think it will still be Richard? Or will they flip-flop back to Broadway. I think KW must have been thinking in the back of his head watch Dickey get crushed by the Sox that there's nothing worse than an ineffective knuckleballer...not to mention all the stolen bases surrendered. Well, if nothing else, these last six weeks will give us something of a "proving ground" with the 5th starter's spot. Going into ST next year, if KW doesn't make a move, we'll have Clayton, Broadway, Haeger, Egbert, Carrasco and probably Horacio Ramirez all in the mix. The question is whether any one of those guys can do better on a consistent basis than what we got out of that role from 2001-2004? One move that seems obvious is switching Richard and Horacio Ramirez next spring. Seeing Thornton's wear and tear and results when he goes 2-3 innings and sees the order twice, I don't think we'll ever see him in a starting role.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 05:05 PM) Yeah, but imagine where the Tigers would be without him! When you look at it, it still wasn't a bad trade for the Tigers, becasuse it's essentially Cameron Maybin for Cabrera. I never believed all the hype about Andrew Miller...he seemed very overhyped, and his stuff wasn't what everyone said it was. He looked more like Boone Logan than Matt Thornton out there. Thankfully, the Tigers also traded Jurrgens away to the Braves. That leaves Porcello (who has been solid but far from dominant in the FSL). We have our own version of Porcello in Poreda, although most scouts thought Porcello, especially for his age/experience, was much more advanced with his secondary pitches...we shall see. If Bonderman is able to get healthy and Porcello matures, they have a very solid 1-3 with Verlander. Miner has shown flashes, I think Robertson's time is up too, although look what happened with Cliff Lee from last year to this one. The problem is they have so many bad contracts now with Sheffield, Renteria, Willis and Pudge, etc., they may have no choice but to unload Ordonez...which would set them back another year in competing in the AL Central.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 05:05 PM) Yeah, but imagine where the Tigers would be without him! When you look at it, it still wasn't a bad trade for the Tigers, becasuse it's essentially Cameron Maybin for Cabrera. I never believed all the hype about Andrew Miller...he seemed very overhyped, and his stuff wasn't what everyone said it was. He looked more like Boone Logan than Matt Thornton out there. Thankfully, the Tigers also traded Jurrgens away to the Braves. That leaves Porcello (who has been solid but far from dominant in the FSL). We have our own version of Porcello in Poreda, although most scouts thought Porcello, especially for his age/experience, was much more advanced with his secondary pitches...we shall see. If Bonderman is able to get healthy and Porcello matures, they have a very solid 1-3 with Verlander. Miner has shown flashes, I think Robertson's time is up too, although look what happened with Cliff Lee from last year to this one. The problem is they have so many bad contracts now with Sheffield and Willis and Pudge, etc., they may have no choice but to unload Ordonez...which would set them back another year in competing in the AL Central.

Beckham 2 for 4 with a double and run scored (.526) Danks 1 for 4 with an RBI, K

Thanks...well, the way TB and Cleveland have played against the Angels, taking away their best record in the majors (etc.), I think there will now be some stronger motivation for the Angels to show up...not to mention they're playing at home.

What's wrong with Thome? Sorry, I just woke up (it's 310 am in the morning here) and noticed he was pulled from the line-up. Haven't had the time to read through the whole game thread.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 20, 2008 -> 02:55 AM) It depends on what you mean by "Moneyball." If you mean OBP, SLG, OPS, then you are absolutely wrong; you would be suggesting that baseball has become more sabermetric than anything, and those are just the very basic sabermetric statistics. Moneyball is all about finding what teams do not value and loading your team up with that. The A's have had a good pitching staff for a number of years now and it hasn't had everything to do with the quality of their pitcher, as, instead, they've started to focus their game around defense and building the best defensive team they can. If you were wondering, the 2005 White Sox team was a "Moneyball" team in that it wasn't a big spender and instead focused it's financial resources on the entire team itself, rather than one or two players, and found what was being overlooked by the market - defense. The White Sox and A's were the 2 best defensive teams in the entire majors in 2005, and it's no wonder why both teams were in the top 4 in the AL in team ERA. The Twins also take a Moneyball approach and do have good scouting but also have fantastic coaching and a top 2 manager in all of baseball. That doesn't hurt. Rick Anderson is also one of the most underrated pitching coaches in the entire majors. Not only defense, but they found needed "cheap" speed in Pods (which allowed them to manufacture runs for the first time since the late 90's), leadership from Pierzynski, a player who was willing to do the overlooked "little things" in Iguchi...then they really got lucky with Hermanson for 4-5 months, and Jenks the last 6-8 weeks....as we went through 3 closers in one year. El Duque was a great mentor for Contreras as well that season, to get him back on track. But that's the gist.....Carlos Lee/Ordonez/Valentin The trade for Pods was never about talent...it was about getting rid of Lee's salary and changing (at the time, we've now reverted again) the fundamental composition and approach of the team.

He reminds me in many ways of Buchholz from the Red Sox. Lots of potential, very good stuff (93-94 MPH), a very good frame for a pitcher...but something's just not quite clicking yet. On-the-job-training so far for him, just like Zach Greinke. To tell the truth, I was quite surprised to see Zach make it back from the brink with his social anxiety disorder. It really looked like his baseball career might be over before it started.

Are you sure they might not prefer to stick with Lowrie and Pedroia staying together in the middle of the infield? Granted, Lowrie still has a long ways to go, but he's quickly becoming a fan favorite and his OPS is .858. I don't know when the last time Uribe came close to that...probably the first two months of the 2004 season? That year, his OPS was .833, but it has been slowly/steadily downhill ever since that season, for a number of reasons. Has anyone seen enough of Lowrie at SS to say that he can't play the position long-term? Range? Arm? Since I've been overseas all year, I haven't seen him play at all.

Chicago White Sox records after 125 games.... 2003 (64-61) thought it would have been a little higher, losing those last five games in a row to MIN was the death blow to that team 2006 (73-52) had already begun to sink after being 26 games over .500 at the ASB 2007 (56-69) 2000 (74-51) 2005 (78-47)

Valido has simply become an "organizational" player that will soon no longer be a part of our system. It's time to let the better and younger prospects take his place. Sounds like a good move to get some valuable playoff experience for another player in the org. Final line for Poreda...6 IP, 6 H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's, 3.17 ERA now (didn't get win due to a blown save by Link) Beckham, 1 for 4 (single), .533 AVG.

Well...we shall see how they (Broadway/Richard/Poreda/Egbert, etc.) do against the better teams down the stretch. That will be the key. Luckily, we're 2-0 in our last two starts out of the fifth spot. From 2001-2004, the winning percentage from that position was pretty abysmal, something like only 15-20% of the those starts. I think KW simply made a calculation that it wasn't worth trading someone like Poreda for a pretty minimal return of 6-7 starts down the stretch. If they didn't have those conveniently placed off-days, I think there would have been really no choice but to make a move...as giving up (possibly) four more games would have been a bigger difference in the final standings. He also knew that he had Carrasco as a last/final resort, and the September roster call-ups/reinforcements. All things considered, a very positive start. Like Alexei and his baserunning, Cooper needs to work with Richard on his throws to first base before they really come back to bite us in the butt.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 10:13 AM) That's a great observation and one that I wholeheartedly agree with. Maybe Crede and Orlando are both leery of getting injured/re-injured or lots of contact in light of their pending Free Agency? If that was the case, I think I would designate OC for assigment right now if not for the fact that Ramirez, Uribe or Getz would be hitting leadoff and we'd lose the draft picks.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 10:55 AM) Since it is BP, they will probably use their VORP rating as a discriminator: 1. ARod - 56.3 2. Kinsler - 54.8 3. Sizemore - 51.4 4. Huff - 49.2 5. Quentin - 48.1 6. Bradley - 47.4 7. Youkilis - 46.3 8. Hamilton - 45.5 9. Mauer - 42.3 10. Roberts - 41.6 With Texas, Cleveland, and Baltimore out of the running, it looks like it would be between ARod, CQ, and Youkilis. Sam, Mike or Aubrey Huff? You've got to be kidding. By this theory, Baltimore should actually be good, they have two of the top ten players in baseball. It's one tool, but certainly not the be-all, end-all by any stretch of the imagination. If Huff even finishes in the top 10, or Roberts, I will be completely shocked. The one thing I do like it is seems to value catchers, middle infielders and CF's more highly. And I'm not exactly sure how Milton Bradley, who's basically a DH, is more difficult to replace than Josh Hamilton, who is a very solid defender with a strong arm? Morneau is fading, but he will definitely be in the Top 5 if the Twins win the division.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 09:22 AM) I hope you mean "especially Octavio", because he's been the man, while Linebrink's been on the shelf. No, I meant Linebrink. He was the glue the first half that held everything together in the pen...like Pods, in a very different and less visible way, in 2005. We wouldn't have been able to get to the 10-15 games above .500 mark without him, there's not a doubt in my mind. Since he went down on July 22nd, the White Sox have been treading water until this recent string of games against lower competition (KC, Seattle, Oakland).

QUOTE (Texsox @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 10:26 AM) Crank up the way back machine Mr. Peabody and replace Crede with Maggs inj all thos esentences with; no one will take a chance, he hasn't run, age, health issues, Boras client, etc. etc. Somebody will take a chance It will be a big payday, with incentives for games played. He may or may not be a MLB starter for the next 10 years. I wish him the best, no matter where he winds up. What about Sherman??? Everyone always forgets him!

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 10:13 AM) I have always been a Juan Uribe supporter, but he is not the replacement for Joe Crede when Jow is healthy. I do hope the Sox consider keeping him on the team in 2009. He is a super defender and brings what you want to the clubhouse. He is a team player. In the same vein I hope Joe Crede is back also. I think after what we saw from Josh Fields that he is not the answer at third. There is not much available next year that I can see as far as availabler thirdbasemen are concerned. Some have suggested KW going after Chone Figgins, but why the LA part with him? Maybe just cause we hope they will? KW doesn't have many bargaining chips left to deal...don't see who we could send to the Angels that they would want (besides the obvious, like CQ!). I would be shocked if he dealt Poreda for Figgins, and Fields packaged with other prospects simply won't get it done either (I'm thinking Broadway/Richard/Getz). Konerko? Thome (would he even accept a trade to the West Coast)? Swisher? Those are big assumptions to make. I'm not sure they would accept Konerko's contract, shaky injury status (without a thorough doctor's exam) and then give us their most versatile player to boot. Fields has lost a lot of his luster, and they still have the internal option of Brandon Wood still rating higher than Fields I would think...they made the interesting decision to hold onto both McPherson and Kotchman until they lost most of their value, same thing with Kendry Morales I suspect.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 07:21 AM) Uribe will be on the Sox in 2009, probably at SS with Ramirez staying at 2B and Fields/Crede at 3B. There is not going to be a lot of demand for a 3B who has only played in 137 games over the last 2 years, is 30 with a bad back, who has a lifetime OPS of .750, with declining defensive skills. Never underestimate Boras... I would prefer Ramirez at SS, his natural position, unless Juanie really comes into Spring Training in great shape. Eventually, Ramirez is going to be your everyday shortstop, and Juan will be gone, so why not start the transition ASAP? And no, I don't see Beckham at shortstop...my preference would be for him to be 1) 2B and 2) 3B. I also don't think we will go into ST with both Fields and Crede on the roster. I think KW needs to pick one, keeping in mind we will still have Getz around as a back-up around the infield. I think KW might try to find a leadoff hitter from the 2B postion, not sure who it is yet and how he'll do it.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 18, 2008 -> 11:42 PM) I don't know about the Royals. I'm still not convinced. They have some pitching in the minors I guess and Greinke is damn good. Aside from Soria do they have any stars in the making? Butler and Gordon ... jury still out. Like somebody said they've been saying a long time KC will be improved. The bottom line is the owner is a joke and allegedly Moore is an up coming GM with some ability. We shall see. I wouldn't bet on them excelling like the Rays next year. Hochevar, Gordon, Moustakas and this year's first round draft pick are all expected to be big-time, impact players. Then they have Greinke and Soria. Those six players are really the key to the future of the franchise....they have finally transitioned from the Mike Sweeney Era into the closest thing to a true youth movement in KC for the past 5-6 years. For the immediate future, they have some pieces like Meche, DeJesus, Teahen and Bannister that have value and could be traded for even better players, if Moore and his Braves-trained staff can identify the right prospects.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 07:16 AM) There's a lot of time left, obviously, but if the season ended today, CQ would be your 2008 MVP, and the league would somehow find a way to not award Kenny as Executive of the Year again like they did in 2005. Alexei CQ Those two moves alone would merit it. I'm sure they will give it to the Rays' GM or Shapiro. Actually, one of the biggest trades of the off-season was Bartlett/Garza for D. Young. If the Twins had kept Bartlett and Garza, I think they would now be 3-5 games ahead of us. A lot of Twins fans are really getting aggravated with Young's lack of speed, hustle, defensive ineptitude and complete lack of plate patience and bad habit of swinging at either first pitches or every single ball out of the strike zone or in the dirt with 2 strikes. Harris isn't a very good fundamental player, either. The irony is that bringing in position players from other organizations doesn't work so well for the Twins usually. I think you have to add Linebrink and Dotel to that list too...they both have played (especially Scott) huge roles in bridging the way from the starters to Jenks. Danks and Floyd weren't such bad moves either, :-). Neither happened in this past off-season, but you have to consider them part of the total body of work in putting together this year's team and recovering from 2007.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 19, 2008 -> 07:05 AM) This is the quickest surrender I have ever seen that didn't involve the French... You're forgetting the First Gulf War/Desert Storm, whatever historians are referring to it as...

PLAYOFFS ODDS REPORT AccuScore ran 10,000 simulations of the remainder of the 2008 baseball season – and so few of them showed scenarios in which the Angels didn’t make they playoffs, they simply rounded up to 100 percent. The rest of the AL playoff race has three spots for four teams, with the Blue Jays – currently in fourth place in the AL East – actually a better longshot than the Yankees. Aside from the Cubs, who have the NL Central locked up, the race is wide open. Milwaukee, likely the wild-card team, is actually in the second-best position, according to AccuScore, and the Mets and Diamondbacks (actually, not true, Dodgers are favored 57/43% over AZ) are favorites in the East and West. American League Los Angeles Angels 100 percent Tampa Bay Rays 94.9 percent Boston Red Sox* 69.9 percent Chicago White Sox 67.6 percent Minnesota Twins 57.0 percent New York Yankees 5.4 percent Toronto Blue Jays 3.8 percent More reasons to be nervous...from yahoo.com/sports (Passan)