Paint it Black

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what hitting coach X could do to help this team that Greg Walker isn't.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2011 -> 09:24 PM) Rios, Beckham and Morel have mechanics that make it nearly impossible to make consistently solid contact. [citation needed]

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 23, 2011 -> 10:41 AM) The Sox are only in it every year because they have the most resources in the division (their payroll). It really has nothing to do with KW; it's actually the opposite. KW is the reason we have this ceiling where we are in it almost every year, but not winning it. For all the good trades KW has made, he and this organization has drafted horrendously and developed players horrifically. The Sox will never be a consistent winner with KW because the Sox don't draft and develop. Unless you can spend like the Yankees and Red Sox, you need to draft and develop well. And actually the Sawks and Yankees do draft and develop well. It's also boggles my mind that the Sox are willing to spend so much on payroll yet they consistently neglect spending on foreign free agents and the draft. I completely agree on the drafting and developing. HOWEVER, I'm not sure it's all the fault of KW. I mean, it's not his money he is spending. Rather, it's Reinsdorf money and he might not want to spend the money on the draft (they have not spent a lot of the draft for years). It's hard to bring in talent through the draft when you don't want to spend top dollar on it.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 23, 2011 -> 09:43 AM) This KW/Ozzie duo has lived off of 2005. Prior to that KW, never once made the playoffs in four years. And since then, he has only made the playoffs one year. So that's two playoff appearances in 10 years when on most years, two of the other five teams in the division are 70-win clubs. The Sox have had the highest payroll numerous years and been in the top two probably every year in the division. I have been on the fire KW/Ozzie bandwagon since 2007 and still am there. Screw loyalty, baseball is a business and KW/Ozzie are not doing their jobs. The flip side is that they have at least been in it pretty much every year of the Ozzie/KW team, except for 2007. Plus flags fly forever. When you prove that you can win, you get well deserved leeway. People love to forget how the won 90 games in 2006 after having a pitching staff throw a whole extra month which I think is pretty impressive. Plus KW has made some great trades to get this team where it is (McCarthy for Danks comes to mind right away) There are issues I have (stop playing small ball Ozzie; Draft better KW) but these kinds of "FIRE EVERYONE POSTS IT'S 17 GAMES!!!!!" have me questioning if people have been through an actual baseball season before.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 22, 2011 -> 08:46 PM) Or maybe it says something about how inept the Arizona front-office is? So does that mean they were stupid enough to think Dan Hudson could be a number one or just more cognitive dissonance? Allen isn't that good. Plus slow, power hitting corner guys are about as common as pot holes on Chicago streets currently.

QUOTE (Real @ Apr 22, 2011 -> 08:39 PM) This team will never be good until we cut the dead weight from the team, starting with f***ing Tony Pena. He is A BAD PITCHER. 3rd straight year of this bulls***, dude isn't any good! b****ing about bullpen long men/6th inning guys is pretty pointless. I'd pick getting rid of bunting all the f***ing time, running into outs on the bases (i.e. too many stolen base attempts), and intentional walks to like 7th place hitters.

QUOTE (Andrew @ Apr 22, 2011 -> 08:39 PM) Yeah, horrible. What's up with Brandon Allen? Anyone know? The DBacks have Russell Branyan hitting third and playing first. That says all you need to know about this silly obsession some sox fans have with Allen.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 22, 2011 -> 01:01 AM) Danks won't sign here because he already turned down a contract extension that similar pitchers accepted. Also, the Sox front office won't offer the years that other teams will. (which I don't disagree with) Just because Danks didn't sign the extension doesn't mean he wont. He's simply betting that he can get more money, and I don't really blame him. Ultimately I think he signs if the Sox pony up for 5 years which in this particular case I have no problem with. He has shown he can stay healthy and I think he has been the best pitcher on the team the past 3 years.

So the Sox hit tonight. I fully expect the "fire Greg Walker" crowd to take back their comments. Oh wait who am I kidding.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 21, 2011 -> 11:31 PM) I also think the big problem, too, with losing Hudson is when we lose E-Jax to free agency after 2011 and then Danks in 2012. Sadly, I have very little confidence in us retaining Danks. His brother sucking balls in the Sox system probably has endeared the family to the Sox, either, not that the Sox have anything to do with Danks' horrible contact rate, but they may contend that they didn't develop him well. So because his brother his bad at baseball...he won't sign here? What? Also on Hudson, if he continues to suck I don't care how cheap and controllable he was. Bad is bad.

Man I can't wait when all the people on the ledge say they believed in this team all year.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 11:15 PM) So Rios hasn't been horses*** since the break last year? We went through this last week in some thread and you promptly ignored me http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statisti....php?cid=138323 Carey over from season to season is a bunch of s*** and so is assuming someone sucks because he has started slow in 15 games.

I hate when I assume small sample sizes are the truth. He was the second best CF in the AL last year, but keep being delusional.

Because the season is only 18 games in Because its only roughly 10% of the season Because the Indians and Royals are not legit Because this team will hit Because the bullpen can't collectively suck for a whole season (unless it's some giant statistical aberration) Because the Sox played like s*** at the Trop last year (or they play like s*** in domes for whatever reason) Because every team go through slumps Because I think the Twins are not that good Because I think the Tigers are not that good

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 08:05 PM) Then what the hell do the Sox do? It's 7 in a row and counting in f***ing April. Nothing. I stopped reading there. It's April. It's 7 games. They were going to lose 7 this year, it was just a matter of when.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 08:04 PM) According to answers.com, Charlie Lau is best hitting coach of all time. Jaramillo and Milt Thompson are considered two of the best. And the Cubs are considered a light hitting team. Plus, many players seemed to find some extra life in their career when going to texas/working with Jaramillo if you follow my drift...

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 08:00 PM) and then you fire him and see if maybe someone else relates better. I hate the argument that hitting coaches don't matter. If that's true, then f***ing fire them all and hire Brooklyn Decker to be the hitting coach. Who is the best hitting coach of all time? I'm serious who is it? Drawing a blank? Though so. If they mattered you'd be able to tell me.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 07:57 PM) You know what, I normally would be the one to post something like you just posted. But this is just unacceptable. I guess it has to be Ozzie who should get the boot after today's game. He's the easiest one to can and make a statement to these rich players who are playing like s***. We're not even in these games. If not, I'd settle for Ozzie completely going ballistic in the locker room; throwing over the food table, calling out the veterans. Something. Or Jerry Reinsdorf publicly ripping into the team. How the hell is this happening with our payroll? Seven in a row?? Firing the manager doesn't do anything to a group of veterans who know the game. I would maybe buy it if this team was full of rookies but they're not. If it worked everyone would do it all the time. It doesn't.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 07:56 PM) Who knows if this is true. You said said it was! And this is another reason why b****ing about hitting coaches is stupid. Fans don't know or see the work they do. Hell it's very possible he's telling hitters everything he possibly can and they just don't want to listen.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 07:49 PM) Oh dear, the stats were living off of the first game. I've long believed that Walker's biggest weakness is helping young hitters adjust after the league adjusts to them. Yeah, Beckham never adjusted to the league and has continued to suck. Oh wait. In Walkers ChiSox career, they just have not had good young hitters come through the system (Beckham really is the first). Hitting coaches don't really matter. That's why b****ing about the current one is pointless exercise.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 07:49 PM) I think we've been saying this for 4 years now. And it's completely stupid.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2011 -> 07:40 PM) That Greg Walker does a fine job of helping players adjust to the league. I'm sure you were saying this the first week of the season.

And a week ago the Orioles had like 7 less losses. Some things correct themselves faster than others.

The minor leagues being so bad might not be a KW issue. The White Sox just don't spend money on the draft. It's that simple. That's an ownership thing, not a GM thing.

I wish the Mods would just make one gigantic sticky thread that the sane people could avoid. Something like "_________ Should be fired for (insert pants on head stupid reason here)" It would be so much better than seeing the same 9 awful threads.