29andPoplar

I could care less what number you are for starters. I went to my first game in 1966 and my favorite players were Pete Ward, Smokey Burgess, and Don Buford. I was going to games in 1969 and 1970, when you became a fan, as the guest of my father, who was a season ticket holder at the time. Anything else you'd like to know historically? I mentioned it has been noted, and posted, several times on this site that Fields was hurt. Yet you started a thread suggesting he be brought up. I responded by saying read more and start less threads. Pretty simple concept. Yes, I have a better solution. Don't bring up players who are performing mediocre in AAA, don't bring up what I consider to be "never were's" who are slugging HR's in bandbox minor league parks and who, by the way, have a .199 major league career batting average and oh, strike out 1 of 3 times at the plate in the minors. Then, the next part of my solution is to go out and get a catalyst, a leadoff hitter who can spark the team. This too has been posted countless times on this board recently. Again, maybe read a few threads before you are so quick to start a new one. Buehrle is still on the team by the way, he didn't get traded. How about those Nationals?

Maybe I'm missing something here. But let me take your 2nd point first. Lately pitchers have been throwing "right there" first pitch fastballs to guys like Swisher, Konerko especially. The hitters need to adjust and the hitting coach needs to tell them that's the tendancy. There is a fallacy that every at bat needs to be lengthy. Sometimes in the 5th and 6th inning if you've seen a pitcher 1-2 times, it's best to hack at a good first pitch fastball. These are the hitters we have and good or bad they need to play to their strengths. Our hitters like fastballs and they've shown in the past they hit fastballs. If the best one you're gonna get is 1st pitch, hack at it. Your first point, if I look at the starters, let's see here ... Konerko: has been with the Sox forever, so I wouldn't say he's regressed under this hitting coach. Thome: bad first two months no doubt, but were his '06 and '07 numbers a significant regression? Not sure. Ramirez: too new, doesn't count. Cabrera: your point is well taken on him, if we are to judge after two months. Crede: see Konerko. Quentin: he's doing well, so he wouldn't apply. Swisher: your point is well taken on him too. He had a good 1st couple of weeks then has slumped. Let's not forget that Swisher is a career .251 hitter and he has been up and down average wise in his career. Not defending anyone, just saying. Dye: I don't really think the point you made fits here. Pierzynski: Your point may apply in terms of average, but frankly I think Pierzynski changed his approach, particularly in 2007. It's no secret he was told by Guillen and Williams they wanted the guy who'd spray the ball to LF like he used to do in Minnesota. Pierzynski responded by losing weight which may help him. We'll see how it plays out. Let's add Uribe. Uribe is a dumb hitter plain and simple. Uribe does what Uribe wants to do at the plate, which is why you see him playing on a one year contract despite his excellent defensive skills. I won't add Brian Anderson here because the topic of Brian Anderson has been beaten to death. So I don't know if I'd agree that many have regressed and only a few have improved.

A few of the hitters (at least) are having mental issues. Konerko is well noted for analyzing everything to death and constantly tinkering with his mechanics. That approach doesn't help one relax and hit. The bad thumb only makes things worse for him and it's my belief we will see a very sub par year from Konerko vs. career standards. The best thing Walker and Gellinger can do with Konerko is to tell him, "Here's the video on this pitcher. Look for a pitch in your zone, don't overcomplicate things like you always do, and if you don't see a pitch you like, talk your walks." Whatever Crede is hitting right now, my guess is it's not too far off his career average. Just a guess on my part but I bet this pending free agency isn't helping him either. Thome, I actually see signs of him coming around. He has been over aggressive if anything and swinging at bad pitches. It looks like he is starting to calm down a bit and possibly he is getting into a groove. We'll see. Cabrera I see coming around a bit too. Swisher is a mental mess at the moment. This is a guy you bench for a few days. He needs to calm down. Maybe get him a few at bats if there's a blowout one way or the other. Play him sparingly this week and let him regroup. The rest of the guys are doing about what many people thought they'd do ... Pierzynski, Dye, Brian Anderson, Hall. The problem is, they are damn lucky to be in first place with these huge hitting slumps. They can't afford another one and these key players will have to pick it up. If it's determined that Greg Walker and the video guy are a big part of why the key guys aren't hitting, by all means launch the hitting coach and the video guy. My guess though, is we will see two things ... one, another revamped lineup. Two, Kenny Williams pushing even more aggressively for an addition of some sort. As to who, when, where will he play ... it will depend on what's available and at what cost.

No, the constant starting of threads without first reading all the other ones on similar topics. Plus the huge drama announcement about becoming a Nationals fan because Buehrle was getting traded.

Discretion? What's that?

More good info, thanks again. Hah ... Walker is probably as sick of the whole situation as many of the fans are of his presence. Would not shock me if he steps down and is reassigned.

I wouldn't want to put him or you on the spot. But if it comes up, I'm curious where Williams has him scouting over the next few weeks ... anything special ... or just normal assignments. If he's scouting AA games it sounds like normal scouting rotation. His specific take on the Walker situation would also be interesting but again, I don't want to put him or you on the spot.

Good info, thanks. Was he scouting a pro or minor league game when you spoke with him, or?

I remember him telling that story as well, and specifically that comment.

I think he is one of the pro scouts, one of KW's right hand men. Not positive though.

Josh Fields is in the starting lineup tonight at 3B for Charlotte. Richar is playing 2nd and Getz is starting at SS.

Agree. Get better players who aren't prone to this type of performance. Easy to say, harder to do. The good news is, if you can pick up a Carlos Quentin every year that's a start.

You may well be right on all this and quite possibly a change is needed simply for change's sake. However, isn't the equation ass backwards? The GM built this team of plodders and slow starters and apparently Guillen has a ton of personnel input. It is well known some of these guys: - start slow - are prone to long slumps - aren't selective at the plate - hit into lots of DP's - aren't the most gifted in baseball fundamentals - get power greedy It starts with the type of team that's built. How they have gone all this time without a legit leadoff hitter I'll never know. Nor do they have one knocking on the door in the minors, in fact the best they have will maybe hit Kannapolis this year. The recipe for success is not taking flawed guys and relying on your coaches to be miracle workers. Now ... by me saying the blame is higher up and certainly on the players as well doesn't mean Walker is absolved. He is not absolved, he is accountable because the numbers and execution aren't there. "Sorry we're trying" doesn't cut it. This is the big leagues. Regardless of what happens this year, they will have to examine their philosophy. Thankfully it appears there's been a shift because higher on base guys (selective hitters) have been brought in. When they sought out and acquired guys like Danks and Floyd, Williams said "we believe in their talent". They need to find some pure hitters and this Thursday is a fine time to start.

Uribe?

As others have said and has been posted on this site mulitple times in the past few days, Fields is hurting, has been out of the lineup for 4-5 games in a row, is hitting a less than robust .246 in AAA and is striking out a ton. How are those Nationals doing?

Meanwhile Ned Coletti out in LA is telling reporters he might be close to trading for a veteran infielder who can fill in for Furcal. Let the Uribe speculation begin anew.

Not according to Rowand. He was on Chicago radio a few months back and said they talked about a 4 year deal but Rowand and his agent wanted five. That was the sticking point. Sox wanted Rowand but on their terms. Whether that turns out to be right or wrong is another conversation.

That's misstated. It's not that they didn't want him, they didn't want to give him 5 years. They offered 4 and wouldn't budge.

Who cares about first place, umm yeah, ok.

Huh? Check your calendar there Mr. Rowand, 10/23/05 was during the World Series.

It went something like this: Donde esta the situational hitting?

Was wondering when you'd get to that. Don't take the viagra by mistake though, you know what I'm sayin'.

Good points. I have no idea if the guy is a good teacher and whether he'd be better or not and frankly, none of us do. There is a strong prevailing wind both here and from Ozzie Guillen that change for change's sake is necessary. So I presume something will change by tomorrow or else it's Guillen's roster roulette vs. the Royals which probably won't do much. I would bet that Guillen's day off isn't a relax by the pool day. It would be interesting to listen in on the phone call he has with Williams.

Exactly, and that's the point. While I agree a new voice is needed somewhere, what's the old saying, be careful what you wish for? I have no special affinity for Greg Walker but the next guy could be worse. Before anyone says that's not possible, there could be guys who actually regress. A hitting coach takes the blame when proven hitters with a track record go bad, and that's fair. Konerko, Thome, Swisher and a few more are all doing poorly. What about guys like Quentin and Alexei Ramirez, who had basically no major league track record but are now doing rather well? It goes both ways, it always has and it always will. Now I don't care one way or the other if Greg Walker gets launched. However, I do care about some of these veterans exhibiting the same tendancies year after year. I am convinced the blame lies there but again, if firing the hitting coach will help, great, I'm all for it. Thursday should see the beginning of a change in direction. More pure hitters, less power plodders. It looks like they will take an impact bat in the draft and it's about time.

The guy they hired out of the Pirates organization last winter, Jeff Mantos, has been observing the team the past few days. He is the organizational hitting guy I believe.