whitesox61382

Time to get the bullpen up. Buehrle just doesn't have it today and is getting hammered. The Sox can't let this game slip away and with Buehrle throwing BP to the Philly hitters it will. What is with Buehrle? He seems to have a couple of starts were he just gets hammered. I realize that you aren't always going to have your best stuff, but you shouldn't get hammered like this.

Don't stop scoring runs, because Buehrle is pitching like s*** and the Sox are probably going to need about 10 runs to win this game. Come on Buehrle pull your head out of your ass and start pitching.

Buehrle getting beat like he stole something...feel free to get an out at your convenience. Great way to start a homestand after a terrible road trip.

I just noticed that Birmingham pitcher Josh Fields is putting together quite a season. Bajenaru has gotten a lot of attention with his great season(and rightfully so), but Fields has flown under the radar. I know that Bajenaru is equiped with mid-90's fastball, but what does Fields throw? I think it is worth noting that Fields is also 2 year younger than Bajenaru. There numbers are almost identical. Bajenaru has given up fewer hits and has more strikeouts, but Fields is no slouch in either catagory and appears to have better control. Rex, you are down in Birmingham, so what can you tell me about the other Fields? Anyone is welcome to answer of course, so don't be shy.

I asked about Larish in the draft thread. I had seen him play a couple times in person and wondered where he went in the draft. I can't believe that he didn't go till the 13th round. That is amazing. If he could have declared last year he would have easily been a top 10 pick. His 2003 season was one of the best in college history. He hit .372/18/95 18 2B 78 BB 42 SO. The most amazing stat is the 78 BB. His 2004 season wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either: .308/7/49 17 2B 35 BB 50 SO. His stock shouldn't have dropped all the way to the 13th round. I am surprised that some team didn't take a waiver on this kid and spend a high pick on him. I am also surprised that someone like Beane or Richardi who are high on OBA, OPS, ect didn't take him after his .528 OBP and 1.225 OPS in 2003. Hell, I would have much rather seen Larish with the Sox 2nd round pick instead of Whistler. Oh well.

I would give the Sox draft a B. They did a good job of addressing weaknesses, added players that could contribute in 2-3 years(lot of college kids), took safe picks with Fields, Lucy, and Lumsden, and added one of the sleepers in the draft in Gonzalez. They don't get a A in my book because they took a lot of reaches and high risk picks. Whistler had me scratching my head. This guy has been far from impressive as both a hitter and pitcher at UCLA, and was a huge reach in the 2nd round. Liotta has a decent arm, but he didn't even pitch in 2004. Allen's lack of contact is not a good sign for a high schooler. Lemon can't hit the ocean from the beach. These picks were all reaches and prevented me from giving the Sox an A. Overall it was a solid draft though. Signing Gonzalez will be one of the keys for this draft. If the Sox don't sign Gonzalez, than the grade will probably drop to the C+ range.

You need to learn one important rule: past results DO NOT predict future outcomes. That is very important to remember because it applies to everything in life. What does the performance of past draft picks have to do with Fields? Answer...nothing. What if the Sox had the 1st pick a couple of years back and drafted Prior? With your theory, that all the Sox 1st round picks are busts, Prior would have never been a good pitcher. Furthermore, you really can't make judgements on guys drafted within the past 5 years. The sample size is too small and most of them are still in the minors. I understand that you wanted the Sox to draft a pitcher, and it is the Sox biggest weakness, but you have to understand that most of the pitchers that the Sox were targeting with their 1st round pick were off the table and they would have had to reach for a pitcher. Furthermore, drafting a pitcher in the 1st round is the most unpredictable thing. I mean look at the Sox past 1st round picks(busts as you call them), 7 out of the 12 were pitchers. The fact is that position players are a little easier to predict. The Sox did use their 2 supplemental picks on pitchers including 1 on a kid named Gonzalez who could be this years Sweeney(big sleeper). I have read multiple scouting reports on this kid and they are all the same. A big lefty, with a fastball consistantly in the low 90's, Zito-like curve(some even thought it was the best breaking ball in the draft), and good control. I don't know about you, but that sounds like the recipe for sucess. The only question marks about this kid is his signability and attitute. If the Sox can sign him, than keep on eye on him. He could turn out to be one of the top pitchers in this years draft(a lot of scouts had him going in the 1st round). They also got a decent arm in Russel and a couple of high risk high reward type arms. Overall I think the Sox addressed their needs very well. They got a 3B, C, middle infielder, and a dozen pitcher(give or take a few) in the first 10 rounds. I am not a fan of a couple of their picks, but I did think they did a good job of address weaknesses.

Yes, but how many 5-tool 3B are there in the majors/minors/college/ect? Fields might be one of the closest things to a 5-tool 3B. He has shown the ability to hit for average, has very good power potential, runs well compared to most 3B(looks like the 2nd coming of Michael Johnson compared to Crede from what I have seen of his running ability on the football field), has good plate disipline and has shown improvement(some people consider arm strength as a tool, but I classify that under defense and include plate disipline as a tool), and his D is considered average(the weakest of the 5 tools). I would say that he is pretty close to being a 5-tool player compared to other 3B. The point that I am trying to make is to give this kid a chance. He doesn't have 1 AB in the Sox organization, and yet you are already calling him a bust. You are a knowledgible guy, but I think that is stupid on your behalf to pass judgement on a guy that you have probably never seen play.

Its funny that your bring up Anderson. While I can't speak of behalf of Fields; being a U of A student and seeing Anderson play on an everyday basis for 2 years(and almost walking onto the team) I can speak on behalf of Anderson. Its funny that you say that the "Sox knew what they were getting" with Anderson, considering that Anderson only had 1 good year at the U of A. Anderson's soph. year was less than impressive .275/5/30 6 SB .773 OPS. The Sox drafted Anderson on potential and 1 good year, so he was far from a sure thing(word of advice, don' pretend to know something that you have no clue about). In fact, if you compare Fields soph and junior year to Anderson's junior year(his breakout season) you will see that they are very similar Fields soph - 229 AB .358/12/55 10 2B 4 SB 24 BB 46 SO Fields junior - 243 AB .362/10/47 21 2B 2 SB 47 BB 45 SO Anderson junior - 232 AB .366/14/62 12 2B 17 SB 24 BB 42 SO It is remarkable how similar their stats are, and I think it is a far comparison considering that both played and top D1 teams and in top D1 conferences. The differences are that Fields was far more consistant(Anderson's soph stats are posted in the 1st paragraph), and maybe the most important difference is that Fields showed significant improvement from a plate disipline standpoint in his junior season. Anderson does have more speed(expected from a CF), although Fields runs pretty well(only grounded into 8 DP's combined in his soph and junior seasons in 472 AB's). Anderson also has a little more defensive potential, but Fields is a decent defensive 3B according to the scouting reports that I have read. Most scouts love Fields production and potential and thought that he was a good pick for the Sox. I think Fields compares favorable to Anderson, and I am pretty high on Anderson. Furthermore, some people don't have the confidence in Crede that you do. It is remarkable how similar Clayton and Crede have been over the past year plus. If you remember correctly Clayton got off to terrible starts and rebounded to put up decent numbers(similar to Crede last year and hopefully this year). Crede has a little more power than Clayton, but besides that they are almost identical(similar average, terrible plate disipline, solid D, ect). Just something to think about.

aboz and ugly, whats your problem? I am guessing that neither of you have seen him play on a regular basis, yet you are calling him a bust before he even takes 1 AB with the Sox. You are 2 of the better posters on this board, but your overly negative comments on a player that you haven't seen consistantly makes the two of your look stupid. You will notice the majority of former 2 sport athletes were drafted almost solely on potential. Fields on the other has a consistant track record of sucess at a big time college baseball school in a big time college baseball conference. Thats what seperates him from most of the previous 2 sport athletes. Might I suggest that you give him a chance before you post all this negative crap, because you 2 look like the "busts" when you do that.

I would give the Sox draft a B at this point. They took a couple of solid safe picks in Fields and Lumsden. They than took one of the biggest sleepers in the draft in Gonzalez, who could be this years Sweeney. A high school lefty that is consistantly in the low 90's, with a Zito-like curve, and good control is a recipe for sucess. The reason that he slipped a little is signability and attitude. If the Sox can get him signed, than they could end up with a gem. After Gonzalez, the Sox draft has been average at best. I like the catcher from Stanford, Lucy, although I would have rather seen them take OSU catcher Jarmillo. I also like Russel, but after that the Sox draft is questionable. They took a lot of high ceiling low chance of making it picks. I have no problem taking a few high school projects, but college projects are another thing. These guys are 21-22 and have little time to turn it around. Because the Sox had a large quantity of picks and address some major weakness, I gave them a high grade, but that grade was lowered a little because of some questionable mid-round picks

I love the pick of Fields. The Sox minor league system has almost no depth at 3B and questions about Crede's future are being brought up. His stats were very consistant from 2002 to 2003. 2003 - .358/12/55 solid .968 fielding percentage 2004 - .362/10/47 .949 fielding percentage The thing that I like most about Fields 2004 season is the drastic improvement in plate disipline. He had a so-so strikeout to walk ratio in 2003(46:24), but showed drastic improvement in 2004(45:47). He could climb the system very fast. Lumsden seems like a safe pick with limited upside potential. His stats don't jump out at you, but he has decent stuff. Maybe a bit of a reach. Gonzalez seems like he could have the most upside potential of any of the Sox picks. The scouting report I read on this kid is very impressive. Whistler has me scratching my head. He had a great 2002 season, but his numbers have regressed both in 2003 and 2004. He only hit .279/7/44 in 2004 after hitting .328/18/46 in 2002. He is a local kid from Indiana and does provide a lefty bat. Does anyone know if ASU 1B Jeff Larish has been selected? I have seen this kid play a dozen times and he is an absolute stud. He would have been a much better pick than Whistler if avaliable. On a side note, OSU catcher Jason Jaramillo would be a great pick if he is still avaliable. He is solid defensively and a great hitter.

How do I apply for Koch's job? That has to be the easiest 6M in the world. I would have no problem blowing games for 6M. Not that I would do it on purpose, but my 75 mph fastball would probably get hit just as hard as Koch's garbage that he throws up there. Koch doesn't understand how lucky he is. If he was working a REAL job and screwed up so often he would have been fired a long time ago. You said it best when you said that Koch is stealing 6M a year.

I am starting a fund to "put Koch out of his misery " if anyone is interested.

I hate when people say things like this because it simple isn't(shouldn't be the case). You have to pay the guy 6M no matter role he plays, so put him in the role that hurts the team the least.

I figured out how I can make a million dollars. Make Koch punching bags. Those would sell out in two minutes.

with this confidence in Koch. It is great that he has been given a chance, but enough is enough. He is not getting the job done and he isn't the Sox best reliever. Your best reliever needs to be your closer. Give Takatsu a chance to save. He has the mentality being the Japanese save leader, and he certainly has the stuff and stats. Please don't say, but he is 8 for 10 in saves. Those numbers are very deceiving and he has been lucky. Sooner or later his luck is going to run out. I am sick of this guy.

I agree that the atmosphere he creates has been great, but that doesn't mean you can simple ignore the managing mistakes that he makes or that it necessarily makes up for them. He will make some rookie mistakes, but he needs to learn quickly from them and by the 2nd half he shouldn't be making the same mistakes twice. I have been pleasantly surprised with Guillen so far, but I am going to wait a year or two before I start drawing solid conclusions about his managing abilities. Lets not forget that almost the exact same things that are being said about Guillen were said about Manuel in his 1st year. It is remarkable how similar the comparison is so far. I realize that they are completely different people and personalities, but people were saying that Manuel's laid back attitude brought a great atmosphere. The Sox also got off to a great start and the managing mistakes that Manuel made were sort of pushed aside and ignored. It took a couple of years of underachieving to realize that Manuel was not a good manager. Just something to keep in mind for all those Guillen lovers.

As the season goes on I am beginning to see more flaws in Guillen's managing. He ran the Sox out of the game on Saturday. Today, despite the fact that Loaiza was around 110 pitches(after 6), struggled the past couple of innings, and had 3 lefties(1 switch hitter) coming up he left Loaiza in, and to no surprise he gives up a HR. Lets hope this error in Guillen's managing doesn't come back to bite the Sox, and does not continue as the season goes on. It would be sickening if the Sox lose 4 out of 5 games on this road trip, when they could easily be 5-0. I truely believe that 1 run loses are harder to take than blowouts.

He will cool off because he has no where to go but down, however, I still think he will end the season with very good stats and he is more than capable of being a consistant player putting up the following stats: .270-.280/10-15/60-70 25-30 2B 60+ BB .750+ OPS Those are some respectable stats. As you mentioned, he is a solid baserunner, plays solid D, and is relatively cheap. Seattle was practically asking for a bag of balls for him this offseason, so it would have been nice to snag him. If he was still with Seattle, than I could see the Sox pulling a deal off for Garcia and Guillen that would involve Crede and maybe Borchard. That way the Sox get the starter they need and an upgrade at 3rd, and thats the only reason I mentioned him. Oh well. I have faith in KW that he will improve this team for the stretch run.

I am beginning to think that he isn't the answer at 3rd. I have always been a Crede supporter, and I understand that it is extremely hard to find a good 3rd baseman in this day of age, but I am starting to have my doubts. Its not only his awful overall numbers, but the way that he looks at the plate. He looks lost and overmatched. His bat speed looks terrible, he can't lay of breaking balls in the dirt, and he has no plate disipline what so ever. I am hoping that he can turn it around and put together a solid 2nd half like last year, but how much more of this can the Sox take? He is starting to remind he of Clayton with the way that he is getting off to slow starts. I would have laughed at a possible Crede for Garcia trade earlier in the season, but now I am beginning to think that it would be a good move. Toss in a so-so prospect and have them toss in Spiezio to be a utility infielder and possible short-term solution at 3rd, and I think I might do that deal. To bad that Seattle doesn't have Guillen any more. I told you guys this offseason that the Sox should try and get this guy, especially for the extremely low asking price that Seattle would take. It is amazing the season that this guy is having. Oh well. Fill it under the would have, could have, should have section. I also think that the Sox need to spend either their 1st round pick or one of their supplementary picks on a 3rd baseman. That kid Fields for OSU would be a solid pick.

had the bases loaded in the past week and haven' been able to get a clutch hit? I really don't like the way this team is playing right now. They lost 2 games in Oakland that they could have(should have) won, and it seems like they are finding ways to lose games that they were winning earlier in the season. With Maggs out the offense just doesn't look that dangerous. I truely believe that the Sox need to add someone like Finley to make up for the loss of Maggs(and get another starter) if this team truely wants to take a shot this year.

I have to argee. Why is this guy starting 2 games in a row with better offensive and defensive options like Rowand and Gload on the bench? There is no reason why he should have been forced out on that play earlier in the game. He was going back to the base on the pitch, and got a terrible jump when the ball was put into play. It also appeared that he wasn't running that hard, and possible cost the Sox a big inning. On a different note, I don't like the way that Guillen has managed this game. He has run the Sox out of a couple of (potentially)big innings. Why attempt to steal, with an average base runner like Lee, with a runner at 3rd and less than 2 outs, with a pitcher that is really struggling, and a hitter that is prone to swinging and missing? That is poor fundamental baseball and a lack of common sense on Guillen's behalf. It cost the Sox a run and an out. There is a big difference between being aggressive and being smart when you are aggressive. Ozzie needs to learn the difference, because he is being aggressive just for the sake of aggressive(which isn't smart). I also don't like Harris running with Uribe struggling at the plate. It turned out to be a DP(strikeout-throwout). Ozzie has to know that Franklin is one of the quickest pitchers to the plate and has a solid move to 1st, which doesn't allow runners to get good jumps. Poor managing on Ozzie's behalf IMO. Why doesn't someone throw at Boone? He is lucky that I am not on the mound, because if he did that bat toss with me on the mound the next time he comes to the plate I would throw the hardest that I can right at his head(maybe not at his head, but you get the point). I hate cockiness and Boone needs to be taught a lesson. A few bruised ribs and he might think twice about showing up the pitchers with that bat toss that he does. It would also prevent him from driving out over the plate, since the majority of his HR's are up the middle or other way. Its nice that the Sox offense makes another mediocre(at best) pitcher look like a CY Young canidate. I really think the Sox need to get a player like Finley to help make up for the lose of Maggs. On the other hand, Schoeneweis looked like the Schoeneweis of old. He dodged a lot of bullets and was lucky to not give up more runs than he did. He was constantly falling behind hitters and he can't be effective that way. Hopefully he can rebound. All together it hasn't been a good game. Hopefully the Sox can come back.

Or a .275 BA, with 12 extra base hits, 5 SB, solid D, and decent plate disipline for one of the youngest players in high A ball. Not to mention the fact that he hit .367 this ST and opened the eyes of scouts around the league. We shouldn't overrate him and save him a spot in he HOF just yet, but he has shown a ton of potential, at a very young age, at a realatively high level(for his age). Lets also not forget that Puljos and Cabrera are freaks of nature, and certainly not the norm. Who knows, maybe in 2 years Sweeney will be making his mark in the majors(although there is no reason to rush him).

I know that his name has been mentioned before, but I think the Sox should go after him, especially if Maggs opts for the surgury. I think it is the perfect fit. Arizona appears to be out of contension at 12 games under .500, and Sexson done for the season, so the 39 year old FA to be Finley should be available. Finley is quietly having himself a great season: .285 BA 16 HR 31 RBI 26 BB 25 SO 7 SB 2 CS .919 OPS He has also been extremely consistant over the past couple of years despite being in his upper 30's. .275+ BA(4 straight seasons); 20+ HR(4 out of 5 seasons); 70+ RBI(5 straight seasons); 45+ BB(6 straight seasons); 100- SO(5 straight seasons); 10+ SB(4 straight seasons); .850+ OPS(4 out of 5 seasons) The thing I like about Finley is that he isn't one dimensional. He can hit, but he also plays solid D in CF, still runs very well, has very good plate disipline, and he is a lefty bat. The question is what would it take to get Finley? After taking a quick glance at the D-Backs organization, it appears that they would probably want outfield prospects(with Finley gone, Gonzalez being 36, and no top outfield prospects in the upper minors) and pitching prospects. Because of Finley's great start and consistancy, his value is at a high, but his value is hurt a little by his age(39), salary(7M), and looming FA. My guess is that a package of Borchard and Rauch might be enough to pry him away. Add Finley and get a decent 5th starter, and the Sox become the instant favorites for the AL Central and have a decent shot of going deep in the playoffs if they are playing well at the end of the season. The sleeper 5th starter that the Sox should look at(IMO) is Armas. I know that he has been mentioned before, but if he is healthy and looks good in his 1st couple of starts, than I think the Sox should take a chance on this guy. He has great stuff, is still young, is relatively cheap, won't cost a lot in return, and won't be a FA for a few more years.