Ranger

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 20, 2010 -> 08:27 PM) Alex Rios had 5 awful months last year. He had 2 awful months, 3 subpar months, and 1 pretty good one. And even if 5 of them were awful, it doesn't necessarily mean anything in terms of what is to come for him. Players will sometimes have anomalous poor seasons.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 20, 2010 -> 08:06 PM) Can't believe how much stock most are putting in 20 or so spring training at bats (good or bad). Andruw Jones is ready to relive 2005. People all of a sudden have faith in Alex Rios. And now because Teahen is struggling we've got people questioning the contract extension and clamoring for Chris Getz. It was important for Rios to have a good spring after the way he played last year. From a mental standpoint, it wouldn't have been a good thing to have him going into the season after a bad stint with the Sox last year followed by a bad spring training this year. It's good for any player that hasn't been consistent over recent seasons. It doesn't mean they're going to have good years, but it's better than struggling. It's important that they've been looking good in their approaches. Would've been nice for Teahen to have solid spring (and he can still finish strong) as it would also be nice if his elbow was healthy.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 20, 2010 -> 04:53 PM) I kind of wish the Sox didn't give Teahen that contract extension, I think they overpaid. :-/ QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Mar 20, 2010 -> 06:33 PM) Has already been known as pretty much one of the stupider decisions Pretty damn early to be making that call considering he hasn't played a single (relevant) game for the them yet.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 14, 2010 -> 02:12 PM) Decent article. Although the author obviously either has no clue about or chose to ignore our drafts from 2000-2006. What am I missing here?

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 12, 2010 -> 11:51 PM) Ugh.... Thing that pisses me off more is Cora had him in LF and Jared was playing CF the whole ST with Ozzie if I'm not mistaken. But you just can't control injuries and like I said.. it happens all the time especially to prospects reassigned. I'll say this.. I'd rather have a top prospect out than the Twins having Nathan out as far as current plans, not the future. Kid gave it his all/effort to make a spectacular catch in a ST game helping his pitcher/team. Anyone can ask him, and I'm sure he would say he would do the same thing again. It shouldn't piss you off because it has nothing to do with why he is injured. It was an unavoidable, freak accident. QUOTE (quickman @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 01:01 AM) so I get this is not good for the player, but he is easily two years away from playing in the majors, maybe three. so how does this effect this year again? I mean s*** happens, but lets not blow this thing out of proportion. QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 01:31 AM) There is some serious overreacting going on here. The kid's career is not over. He's tougher then most baseball players. He's a former LSU football player with off the charts athleticism. He's gonna have surgery and rehab and probably make it back for fall ball full strength. He was on a fast-track for sure with how well he was playing recently, but he's likely still on the 2-year MLB plan just as he was yesterday. He'll be patrolling CF at The Cell in a couple years. As someone already mentioned, the effect it has on this year's team is that it eliminates one of the Sox best trading chips if they were to be in the market for a big acquisition at some point. It doesn't prevent them from making any huge deals, but it makes it more difficult and lessens their negotiating power to an extent.

Not sure if anyone is listening to the broadcast, but Mitchell has a ligament tear in his ankle. Surgery next week.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 11, 2010 -> 11:20 PM) $4.5M? Try $10.5M. And no, no they will not. Santos is the only young arm who's out of options and there is 1 spot left in the pen (since a 2nd lefty is a lock for the other spot) so that's not an issue. This is why they signed Putz, he takes over the 8th inning righty role with Pena behind him and Linebrink working low leverage innings until he proves he has his s*** together. With Thornton, Putz and Pena in the fold and an open roster spot for your 1 promising young arm who's out of options there's no reason to panic and cut Linebrink, assuming he's not injured he should be able to give you a decent month or 2 in the first half and there's always the chance he has a flookish successful season given his talent and past production. But no, you don't eat $10.5M for no good reason. That's a pretty level-headed way to look at it, although I wouldn't call a good season out of him "flukish". Not with his track record. If he had 1 good season out of ten, now that would be a fluke. QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Mar 11, 2010 -> 11:49 PM) That's what I was going to say too. See if the Cubs want him, and pay half his salary or whatever. The only good thing Linebrink has ever done for this team is talked Peavy into coming here. Had a pretty nice '08 until he got hurt. The injury isn't his fault. QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 12, 2010 -> 01:34 AM) It's a business too Greg. You want to get whatever you can out of your investment. If you buy a hot stock that you are sure is going to explode, but instead implodes, you may as well hang onto it to try and earn some value. There's no point in cutting it at its lowest value when there may be some type of redeeming quality within it. Meanwhile, these guys like Daniel Cabrera and Erick Threets are junk bonds. If they suck, you can cut them and completely forget about it. And contracts are not guaranteed in the NFL. Comparing the NFL to any other major sport is comparing apples to oranges. The NFL has the luxury of no longer having to pay a player they decide to cut. The only money guaranteed is what is promised in a bonus.

QUOTE (chwhtsox @ Mar 10, 2010 -> 06:37 PM) Did Konerko and Viciedo get hurt? If Konerko has a good to decent year then they may extend him a year (or two). hopefully at that point the investment they made in Viciedo will pay off. The first half of this season is going to be huge as far as what direction this club will have to go in. Or we can pick up Agon at the deadline. Or we can be completly out of it and KDub blows up the team. I think there's more of a chance KW talks nomar out of retirement to play first for us before we get Davis or Smoak. Why did it take so long for someone to ask this question? I don't see the Sox currently "in need of" a first baseman. They have one. The desire to trade for Gonzalez does not mean the Sox need a 1B, it just measn that Gonzalez is a really good player and it seemed like a possiblity they could maybe work something out to get him.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 9, 2010 -> 11:04 AM) Losing Nathan allows them to shift a guy like Rauch or Guerrier into the closers spot, while letting another one of their 5th starter candidates to make the team. Rauch and Guerrier are by no means Nathan-esque, but they are pitchers who can be inserted into the role and trusted to produce at least league-average results out of the closers role. Their obligation will be to usually pitch one inning a performance, my understanding has always been that one inning shouldn't be too much to ask of any pitcher. Since his shift to the bullpen Nathan has averaged 63.375 innings per year, innings that can be assumed by other members of the pen. It’s unlikely the Twins will get equivalent production, but that’s not fatal. Nathan was a great pitcher, but greatness is not a requirement for the closer’s spot. Losing Nathan might cost them a couple solid performances in the 9th, but as a rule: a closer’s job varies in it’s important on a nightly basis, often with the more important innings falling to the set-up-man. The Twins will take a hit here, but that’s not enough to rule them out of the race. I hope that didn’t’ seem like a lecture, I just needed to put the case out their without leaving anything out. I doubt this was your intent, but it's almsot like you are saying they now have the "luxury" or have the "option" to make this shift. But let's be real: the Twins would obviously rather not lose Nathan. There is a chance this injury could be some sort of blessing in disguise, but I highly, highly doubt it. This is, in no way, a good thing for the Twins.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 9, 2010 -> 11:36 AM) Moving one person back in the pen is what kills pitching staffs. All of a sudden your weakest guy throws more innings and the pen gets overworked putting more pressure on the starting staff tiring it out as well. Not good. Yes. It's really not so much about the 9th inning itself. It's about having less-than-desirable options pitch in the late innings because everyone likely gets pushed back a spot. If it were to happen for the Sox, it would mean Linebrink gets closer to getting more regular work in the 7th or 8th. Now, there is no guarantee that Linebrink will struggle this year, but there is reason to be concerned about him, for sure. And at the moment, he is not the most desirable option to pitch in late inning situations.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 8, 2010 -> 04:26 PM) No it is early.. but it was a longshot he was gonna make the team, unless what I said about him pitching en fuego, and/or the others really sucking which I said before.. BTW.. this is his second or third outing I believe.. has givin up 2+ runs in each outing. And go back to the trade for Floyd. Some liked it.. some didn't. I was the few who liked it since I follow prospects. There were far more people against that trade then there were people for it. I remember vividly the "they didn't get enough for Freddy" comments. This is now his Cabrera's second appearance. I'll admit that we've been having some web issues at teh station today and I wasn't aware Cabrera was pitching while we were conversing. THe box score doesn't catch up quite fast enough either. With every poor outing, Cabrera will obviously push himself out of the mix, but after one outing, you cannot dismiss a guy that has his arm. Especially when he's 28 and coming to a new organization. Thornton was the same age as Cabrera (actually a little younger) when the Sox picked him up. There is a reason teams don't give up on pitchers like fans do. QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 8, 2010 -> 04:36 PM) It could be game 160 of the season, and certain people would say it's still too early to make a call on a person's ability. For a rookie, yeah, it would be too early.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 8, 2010 -> 04:02 PM) According to Ranger, it's still "early" to ride him out.. though many of us knew.. he was a long shot unless he pitched very well (1-2 era), or Santos, Hudson, Torres, etc.. all had 8 eras which I called a while back. So, you're saying it's not still early? It's March 8. I'm pretty sure they haven't decided after one spring outing that he has no chance. I know that you say everyone "knows" what his fate was going to be, but to be fair, people always seem to "know" something is going to happen that doesn't. Like people just "knew" that Gavin Floyd had missed his window of opportunity to be a major leaguer and "knew" that his curveball didn't curve anymore. Obviously, neither of those things was true.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 7, 2010 -> 09:12 PM) He's done it 3 times, and like I said, has not done it in about 5-6 years when he was in his prime. The word capable is stretching the reality of things (if he gets 600+ PA, with a smaller park.. he could but thats IF he gets the abs.. and if I were a betting man.. I don't think he will) Hell Gavin Floyd is "capable" of throwing a no hitter every time he takes the mound with his stuff. Doesn't mean he'll do it (or ever do it) ala Mark Buehrle, who anyone here can say.. noone ever thought he would throw a no hitter, nonetheless, a perfect game. True, he hasn't. But he also wasn't getting a starter's playing time, either. In the 6 seasons he played 130+ games, he hit: 11, 8, 12, 17, 15, and 15. And the cell plays like a small park for much of the year, too. I'm not sure he would hit 15 himself if he played everyday, but he along with Jones should easily hit that many...if that is, in fact, how the playing time is split up. The no-hitter comparison isn't really a good one in that it's a one-time, anomalous event. (The fact Buehrle did it twice is extraordinary). They happen maybe once a year and any starter could do it on any given day. There really isn't any indicator to suggest a guy is going to do it, like there are indications a player could easily hit 15 HRs in a season.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Mar 7, 2010 -> 12:49 AM) Yeah but there's plenty of good hitters to be dh'ing, they don't need to be 30+ homer guys but a decent hitter would sure be nice. For the first time in my life, I agree with quick, if Jones doesn't magically get back to what he was 4 years ago than the dh(or wherever the hell this extra player will be hitting) will be a miserable failure, I don't see how that's even arguable at this point. I don't see you you don't think it's arguable. You and soxfan101 are going to have to then define "miserable failure" for me. I'd like to know what your idea of that is. QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 7, 2010 -> 12:52 AM) Meh.. I dunno about Kotsay either even in a smaller park (which I wouldn't want him hitting homers anyway, more-so being the gap to gap hitter he's been in his career) perhaps if he gets 600+ PA, probably, though I doubt he will if he and Jones are sharing the duties. I don't think he's hit 15 in what 5-6 years.. Wouldn't want him to though like I said. You're looking at it the wrong way. The idea is that the DH spot in the order, along with the rest of the lineup, can produce 15+. I was talking about a rate of 15 HRs per 162 game season. Kotsay, by the way, is capable of that and has done that before quite a few times. QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 7, 2010 -> 07:26 AM) You're talking about all the other stuff they have to do. If anything, if you really want to rest your guys, you don't have them take swings in the cage then go take BP and then come to bat 4 times. Its hardly different than playing the field unless you're a catcher or maybe a SS. Its like if someone works out intensely for 2 hours everyday but gives himself the 5 jumping jacks he does at the end of the workout off on Sunday for rest. Its not rest. You're head still has to be in the game, and it may even be more stressful for guys who aren't used to DHing. I could see the point if its a sunny 95 degree day, but just about everyone here has played baseball. It doesn't take much out of you to play the field, especially a corner OF. Considering the type of condition most of these guys are in, its even less of a toll. But they'll sometimes take the day off from that other stuff, too. Beyond that, I don't know how you can't see that, especially at the professional level, it makes a difference to get a day off from the field even if they hit. I had a couple of conversations about it with Podsednik and he thought it was great when he got to do that. He considered to be a physical and a mental breather. Sure, if it only happens like twice a season, it may not have an effect. But over the course of a full 6 months when they're playing baseball just about every day, it would make a difference for individual players. It adds up. If they say that's true, I'll take their word for it.

QUOTE (quickman @ Mar 6, 2010 -> 09:10 PM) Ranger you maybe absolutley right about the coming trend, although I would say that if teams had players such as Thome (10 years ago) Thomas ( 10 years ago) both not associated with PEd's that they would go with them. Even today a guy like Dunn would be a perfect fit for a DH. I would argue Jermaine Dye with his head right could do a very good job as well, same with Prince Fielder in a few years. That slot is perfect for those power hitters who lack the ability to play defensively everyday. I for one like the DH, I also like Home runs especially in a ballpark like the Cell. Personally I think the DH spot this year will fail miserably unless Andrew Jones can somehow get his career back. I am not arguing I just think for this park you need a guy that is a pure homerun threat. Or you need the collective lineup to produce homeruns, you don't necessarily need just one guy to be the HR guy. Keep in mind that everyone in the lineup, except Pierre, is easily capable of 15+ homeruns apiece, while Beckham and Rios are capable of 20 each, Konerko 30 (though 25+ is more likely), and Quentin 30+. (I didn't even include Jones or Nix that each have plenty of power potential). Not a single player hit 30 HRs for the Sox last year, but they were 6th overall in the AL in that category. It helps, but they don't have to have one big HR producer, though it would obviously give them a better chance. It's not a foregone conclusion that they will be without power. Regardless, I think it's hyperbolic to say the DH will be a miserable failure. Obviously, if there were guys like Thome or Thomas from 10 years ago available to them, they would take it. But regardless of why there aren't that many of those types, the reality is that there just aren't many of those types anymore.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 6, 2010 -> 09:04 PM) You're helping make my point. Not having to go out to the OF and catch a couple of fly balls and throw a few balls back to the infield isn't exactly rest. Huh? How am I helping make your point by saying that it does, in fact, matter to get some time off from the field? If anything, that's the complete opposite of what you're saying.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 6, 2010 -> 07:33 AM) I laugh at the notion you are giving guys a "rest" when you are DHing them. Especially corner OFs. They may get 5 or 6 plays a game some days, some days even less. Most of these guys work with Allen Thomas and are pretty well conditioned specimens. A few innings in the field especially if its a night game and the sun isn't beating down on them in the middle of August, is nothing. Most guys will spend many times the energy they will spend playing the field working in the batting cage and during BP before the game, and a few guys exert more just swinging the weighted stuff while on deck. If "rest" is what you are after, keep them away from a bat for a day. That's not really true, just because you aren't invovled in a play doesn't mean they are just standing there doing nothing. There's definitely a difference between playing the field and not playing the field, especially when you play 130 games or more in 6 months. And all the cummulative pregame work they do is even more reason for them to catch a breather from the field every now and then. Not to mention that some guys just simply get "achy" as the weeks go on. Every little bit matters.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 10:32 PM) You know Ranger...I'm going to be surprised if this holds true for long. The big thing right now may be the shift away from the DH this offseason...I'll bet that by the middle of this season, a number of the teams that think they're going to rotate the DH position will have wound up settling into a nearly full-time DH. If you're saying that it could someday shift back to the days where the DH is a power hitter that puts up big numbers, that very well could happen. But this has been a trend over the last few years, and I wouldn't be surprised if it continues as you'll likely see fewer big power guys come into the game like we had during the last couple of decades. And, really, that's been the shift for most teams. Without the big guy as DH, teams are having to get more creative with their lineups. I mean, if you have David Ortiz (from a few years ago) on your team, there's no question he plays every day. Tough to take that bat out of a lineup for any reason, aside from injury or fatigue. Something else to consider, though I don't know how much of an effect it's really had, but baseball is now in a post-amphetamines era. What's potentially significant about that is those greenies used to help many of these guys get through a full season (before they were officially banned, there were estimates that as many as 80% of players used them). There were quite a few players at the time that said that particular banning would have a greater effect on the game then people would realize. I remember Chipper Jones saying something along the lines of he thought greenies were more important than steroids (take that for what it's worth). While I'm sure players can find something to help get them through, I would imagine that teams are having to find ways to get guys some rest here and there while the season goes on. If that means you get days off from the field because of a rotating DH, then that's one way.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 10:42 PM) I know that every team out there has question marks, but it seems like we have a ton, and it's hard to be optimistic about every player on this club. Kotsay and Jones appear to be the least likely of them all to produce the way an AL club needs it's DH to produce. Everybody always thinks their team has more question marks than every other team. In fact, I have a couple of friends that are Yankees fans that were furious with their pitching staff last year. All year, they were complaining about it. What's hilarious about it is that only two teams in the AL pitched better than they did in '09. The closer you are to a situation, the worse everything looks. Second, I know I've said this before, but the Frank Thomas/David Ortiz-type DH days are just about over. AL teams don't have to have a bopper in that slot like they used to and they don't need him to produce quite like you're thinking. They just aren't the best offensive players in the lineup anymore.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 08:23 PM) I'm just being a smelly butthole, like it says on the left. Still, I'd much rather hear real sports than people talking about sports, no offense to you or your homies over there at WSCR. Even if the baseball is essentially meaningless at least we're hearing real baseball sounds in the background while Farmer talks about golf. But I get what you're saying anyway. I just don't like it. Ha! This one made me laugh. The funny thing is that those interactive games are the one time golf won't be a topic....because I won't ask him about it. I don't play golf.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 07:59 PM) Most listeners are morons. I for one would rather listen to a live Brent Lillibridge groundout than listen to some turd call into the radio to harp on the same s*** over and over again. Real Sox fans are interested in all the players, 25-man roster or not. And actually, ST is one of my favorite times of the baseball year because you get to see some of the prospects play. I don't know if it makes a person a "real fan" just because they like to listen to all of the spring games. I think most people and fans (even real fans) only care about what happens with the big league club and what happens at the minor league level if it has a direct and imminent effect on the 25 man roster...kind of like how people felt about Beckham last year. Some people just like prospects and like to pay attention to prospects, but that doesn't make them better Sox fans than anyone else. I don't think it makes anyone a lesser fan for not knowing, or caring, who is wearing #89 in a game in March. Plus, it's one thing to see the no-name guys play as opposed to just hearing it. I had an email conversation with a guy last season that was pretty pissed about the interactive thing, and I tried explaining to him that the great majority of listeners and fans don't want to hear that many spring games. You like it, he likes it, and I like it, but that doesn't mean that most people do. Most people only really care about games that matter. And as we know, spring training outcomes don't necessarily mean anything about how the actual season is going to go. Therefore, most fans would rather talk about, and hear some discussion about, their team. QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 08:01 PM) ^And you also get to hear Farmio mispronounce the names of top prospects. I called Clayton Richard Clayton Re-charred for about a year thanks to Farmio. Wasn't that Danny Richar?

QUOTE (palehose23 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:54 PM) Saturday's game will be on the Score also, but it will be an interactive game. QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:58 PM) I shutter at the thought. No offense, Rongey. Thursday's game will also be shown on MLB Network at 10 pm obviously on tape delay and Friday's game will be broadcast live on whitesox.com. So we're only 23 hours away from seeing White Sox baseball. Damn you guys! Where's the support??? You're all being removed from my will. Actually, the reason they made the decision a couple of years ago to do this was because a lot of fans and listeners feel like this: QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 05:47 PM) Great, instead of hearing Who You Crappin, I get to listen for a Brent Lillibridge groundout or Daniel Cabrera walk. I do really miss White Sox baseball but I can only listen to a spring training game on the radio for a couple minutes before I have to change the channel. Especially when the regulars arent playing at all. A lot of people feel that way. I remember getting complaints in '06 because we aired 15 spring games, which was on the high end of what a lot of teams do. The fact is that most people tune out after the first few innings because, like Hurt said, most people don't really care to listen to a game when the announcers don't even know who's playing. I understand that. But since we were obligated to have 15 broadcasts because of the contract, they came up with the interactive idea (which a couple of other teams adopted. I can't remember who they were, off the top of my head). At least it gives people a chance to talk about the team, which seems to draw more interest this time of year. We also replaced some of the games with the White Sox Baseball Live shows which air from 6p to 10p. We do a few of those throught the month, too.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 04:11 PM) Wouldn't it make you feel better as well, as a fan? Well, of course I'd feel better if they had a better option in there, but that wasn't what he was saying. Which leads me to: QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 06:45 PM) Certainly it's not a sure thing, they might just leave the DH slot as it is right now. I'd say odds are high that (1) the current set of DH's will fail, leading to (2) an upgrade at DH because the pitching staff will carry the lineup and keep the team in the race though. It's not a sure thing that in order for them to be a World Series contender, they need to improve the DH. That position in the lineup may turn out to be just fine. And the offense, as a whole, could certainly be good enough for them to win the division, given the rest of the club. And winning the division is all it takes to become a WS contender. Definitely, I would feel better about the situation going in if they had somebody else, but I haven't predetermined that it is going to be a miserable failure. In fact, I don't think it is. It could probably be better, but I don't think it's going to be nearly as bad as some people think it's going to be.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 01:15 PM) Hello. Long-time Sox fanatic -- just over 50 years old, Chicago native, actually a fanatic about all things baseball, but of course reserve the true love for my favorite two teams, the White Sox and anybody who happens to be playing the Schlubbies. I've followed Soxtalk for many years, but have always preferred to read and be entertained, rather than posting myself. From talking to my friends and family, there are a lot of zealous Sox fans with a similar mindset. And kudos to Soxtalk, because almost all of these similarly inclined lurkers seem to greatly prefer Soxtalk to the competition. So, what brings me out of lurking? I suppose I'm increasingly bothered by many avid fans, and the media, mischaracterizing what the 2010 DH slot is all about. This mischaracterization or misunderstanding has been around since the very day the flexible DH approach became news. Some of the problem might have something to do with the continuing adventures with Ozzie-speak. We've all seen how some baseball subtleties sometime get lost in translating Ozzie-speak into everyday English. Without further windup, here's the gist of my issue -- I would be as worried about the 2010 DH Slot as anybody, IF I actually thought that DH at-bats for 2010 were going to be substantially divided just between Jones, Kotsay, and our new #11. We seem to be hearing so many Sox fans saying just this, including very intelligent fans who follow the Sox and baseball closely. The media regularly addresses this same supposed concern. Just today, in David Haugh's column advancing the position that the Sox should keep Beckham and not include him in any A-Gonzalez trade (couldn't agree with this more), Haugh lists other keys to 2010 success, including: "And the spotty DH trio of Mark Kotsay-Andruw Jones-Omar Vizquel has to justify Guillen's odd faith." DH trio? Nonsense. I'm not sure whether people just enjoy a good straw-man argument, or whether they just don't want to take a moment to consider the full picture before reacting. Never once have I heard Guillen, Williams, or anyone within the White Sox organization say that this "trio" is your 2010 DH by committee. In fact, all of the DH discussion, in tandem with the more general discussion of roster flexibility, fluidity, interchangeability (call it what you will), has said exactly the opposite -- that a large number of Sox players will see significant time at DH in the 2010 season, as players rotate through that position AND in the field. I fully expect that the trio of Jones, Kotsay, and Vizquel will see time at DH. Absolutely. However, and everyone can make their own guess, I'd imagine that we'll see Quentin as DH in somewhere between 25-30 games, Pierre for 25-30, Konerko for 15-20, AJ for 15-20, and Beckham, Ramirez, and Teahen for 5-10 each. So, do the math and for somewhere between 80-100 games, someone other than the "dreaded" Jones, Kotsay, Vizquel trio will man the DH slot. Yes, the remaining 60-80 games will feature one of the three as the DH, but not to open a different can o' worms, each of these players do bring certain talents to the table and using them periodically in this way also allows them to perform better when they are filling-in for a resting starter, pinch-hitting, or whatever. And this latter point is what this whole flexibility idea is all about. I'm pretty certain we get the best overall performance and stats out of players like Quentin, Pierre, Konerko, and AJ if we get them off the field from time-to-time and "rest" them by a couple of days R&R in the DH role. Granted, managing this will be a bit of a logistical headache, but I think the theory is sound. In fact, I like the theory a lot for this mix of players. I think the Sox are much better off maximizing the performance level of players like Quentin, Pierre, Konerko, and AJ (insuring the occasionally needed rest, minimizing injury risk, optimizing the skill set of each for when they are on the field), rather than plugging in plodders like the current-day versions of Thome and Dye (and I love both of these guys -- just not for THIS team). Would I rather we have Adrian Gonzalez or Adam Dunn as the needed LH power bat and thereby slide Konerko or Dunn to more or less full-time DH? Of course. But in a world of limited resources, we don't have these guys (at least not now), so our plan needs to be maximizing what we do have. And in that regard, having a 7-10 player DH rotation (including some darned fine offensive ballplayers in that mix for a majority of the games) is a decent enough plan. I understand how some might greatly prefer the one stud DH. We don't have that guy now, nor do I think we get him by trade without giving up more than I'd personally be willing to give up. But for all of those upset with the flexible DH alternative, it might ease your concerns a bit if you analyze it for what it is, rather than for what it isn't (and it isn't DH limited to the trio of Jones, Kotsay, and Vizquel). Ah, reason. QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 03:15 PM) The only sure thing about the 2010 DH spot is it will need to be improved upon if the Sox are serious about trying to win the World Series. I am confident the Sox will eventually realize this too though. That's nto a sure thing. The only sure thing is that it would make you feel better going into the season if they had someone else.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 01:10 PM) I'll be the first to say it.. I hope Hudson quietly out pitches Freddy to make this team. I think he's the better option going forward, plus I love prospects/young players. I've said this all winter though, so it's no secret. You should want the guy that's the best option for them right now. Hudson could very well be the future, but for now, 2010 is what matters when they decide on starter number 5. QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 01:29 PM) Meh... Cabrera was a long shot to make it anyway. Hopefully he has a good year in AAA for the Knights sake and his sake. Too early to dismiss him. QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 01:30 PM) Hudson rockin'. I am loving the pitching staff possibilities for this team in the next two seasons. Still early for him, too, though he looks promising. QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 01:46 PM) It'd be nice to actually draft, develop and keep some talent every now and then. I don't care if a player is home grown or not, if the Sox can get real players in a deal, that's all that matters. Not to exhaust this Gonzalez thing any more, but for a player like him, I'd happily say goodbye to Dan Hudson.