Joxer_Daly

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jan 12, 2013 -> 08:42 AM) Good job! But let me expand on it a bit. C - Field General. At a glance can make sure position players positioned correctly and alert. If not, he can ask for time and chat with the pitcher. Also usually relays defensive play signals to the fielders. 1B - Ability to scoop bad throws out of the dirt is important. Also, a tall, left handed player is preferable. Height make for a bigger target and longer stretch. Lefties apply tags a hair quicker on pickoff attempts. 2B/SS - Well said. 3B - Reflexes are crucial here, defensively. A quick reacting 3B can save several doubles down the line per season. To make my point, I give Brooks Robinson. He made the HOF basically because of his glove. No slouch with bat but was a GREAT 3B. LF - Generally a place to hide your lumbering ox with a good bat, along with 1B. Most good defensive corner OF's seem to end up in RF for some reason, and it goes beyond arm strength. To make the point, Rios is better defensively in RF than Viciedo, but does not have the better arm. CF - Calls for any ball he can get to. He's the general of the outfield. Usually the best all around defensive outfielder of the three starters. RF - See my comments on LF. Thanks for the added detail.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jan 12, 2013 -> 07:51 AM) I can only definitively speak for myself here, but I'd guess there are lot of Soxtalkers that would agree with me. Your questions are in no way an annoyance. While your questions may be basic, they are intelligent questions from someone that is trying to learn the game. We've had the benefit of being baseball fans from some point in our childhood on into adulthood. You have not had that opportunity which so many of us take for granted. As far as I am concerned, ask any question you want to ask. Someone will give you a good answer within a short amount of time, I'm certain. That said, I hope you enjoy learning the game and being a Sox fan more and more as time passes. I'm enjoying it greatly already.

A quiet sporting weekend for me. Going to a Dublin Gaelic football match on Sunday, but that's about it. What sporting events will you be attending or making a point to watch this weekend?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 11, 2013 -> 09:30 PM) J) For an added bonus, when you walk around Asian countries sporting a New Era Sox cap, girls think your cap actually says "SEX" and not SOX and it provides you the opportunity to explicate about White Sox baseball, haha[/b] A true martyr for the cause... turning a chance to get your rocks off into a Sox indoctrination session! I salute you, Sir.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jan 11, 2013 -> 07:44 PM) Doing this from mobile so sorry if some of these are incomplete C- Most unique position. Durability coveted. Sitting behind plate for 120 games takes its toll. Need a strong arm to throw out base stealers as well. Often the most intelligent players because, as they are seeing everything and may be calling what pitches are coming. That's why they make for the best managers later. 1B- Probably least important position. Need fast reactions for line drives. Lots of teams try to hide a defender here or use a player that fails at playing another position. 2B/SS- Need to be right handed. Need to be very quick as they are covering a lot of ground on fast groundballs. Throwing arm for 2B isn't important. It is for SS since they are making a much longer throw to 1B. SS gets a lot more plays than 2B because there are more Right handed hitters. 3B- Does not need to be as athletic as 2B/SS as they aren't covering nearly as much ground playing near the foul line, but they are getting more plays than 1Bmen. Arm is important since you're throwing across the infield. Do need the ability to quickly charge down the line and cover bunts. Look at Miguel Cabrera for someone who has no such ability, and teams do try and take advantage of this. RF- Arm is the most important thing here. Need to prevent a runner coming from first from taking an extra base to third. CF- Usually very athletic and fast. They cover the most ground of anyone in the field. LF- Arm isn't as important since no way are you throwing out anyone at 1B. If you watch baseball, you'll often hear about defense up the middle. This refers to 2B/SS/CF as they are considered the hardest to play and most important. As for your second question, yes, offensive performance expectations are often formed based on defensive positions. Look at it this way, a team is not very likely to have a SS or 2B who can hit a lot of home runs. They are usually smaller, quicker players. But the make up of a good offense still needs the power to come from somewhere. That's why if you play at the corner positions, you are expected to hit for power. Really appreciate the lengthy reply. Thanks. That helps me a lot.

Ok, here's another. Apologies if these questions are irritating for some of you. I'm just wondering about the various positions in the infield and outfield - can anyone point me in the direction of an article that can give me a good understanding of what are the various attributes required for each position? Prior to taking an interest in baseball, I would have just assumed that the skills would be fairly universal across the board; basically catching and throwing. However, particular players are assigned to particular positions and I read discussions about such-and-such a player being suited to such-and-such a position, 3B, 1B, LF, etc. I searched, but most breakdowns that I read were little more than just fairly basic explanations of where each position was. Why would someone be suited to one base over another, etc. This brings me on to the post below from the Youth Movement thread: QUOTE (floridafan @ Jan 11, 2013 -> 02:22 AM) How many homers do they need to put up for you to feel that you are happy with your 3rd baseman? It is odd how 2B has become a power position, but I still expect power out of 3rd. Is 20HR a substantive enough figure, with a BA of around .300? Why would a players defensive position have a bearing on how they should perform in offense? Why would a 3B be expected to hit more or less homers than someone playing another defensive position? Again, apologies if my line of questioning is of a basic level and annoying for some of you.

All this talk of food... And, what the hell am I still doing in work at this time? I'm outta here.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 06:33 PM) So the strategy is to wait until the have actually already won a division title? The season is over at that point. You and your logic. Pfffft! It'll never catch on.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 06:07 PM) What did they win? Games?

QUOTE (Lamar Johnson 23 @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 03:12 PM) The "Hawk" bashing was unnecessary! Read this earlier. I nearly fell off the toilet when it got to the Hawk bit...

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 04:46 PM) I've also read that it's important psychologically to focus on good diets and exercise for their own sake, not as part of some weight loss goal or ideal. Some people are going to be naturally heavier or skinnier than others at the exact same levels, and someone who's overweight can be perfectly healthy still. When you make diets and exercise tied to weight loss, if someone isn't losing as much as they'd like, they become discouraged and stop. Or they reach their goal weight and then start slipping back into unhealthy diets and reduced activity. Some studies have found that heavily promoting nutritional and exercise programs as weight loss programs can end up having the opposite effect and discouraging obese people from following them. As for the class split, I'd put my money on health care access, not diet or weight issues. Also, the types of jobs worked and the daily stress and struggle of life. That's a good post - exercise is a great way of tackling depression. I suppose the class split can also be relevant to the quality of food accessed.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 04:50 PM) I'll come to your beautiful country and share a pint with you any day my friend! Your welcome awaits you, pal. And, our kids will be practically the same age, an' all!!

The approach to healthcare was the one thing that occurred to me, even before I read the article. The 'quality of food in the U.S.' angle didn't spring to mind, so I'm interested to see the various comments that spring up here on that topic. (Of course, income can be a factor in the quality of food a person consumes) I suppose, it's the lifestyle choices where the individual has control, though. Not that I'm a model in terms of alcohol consumption or fitness, but as of this week I'm trying to improve on both fronts as well as paying more attention to what I eat.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 04:22 PM) Meh. I'd rather live shorter as an American than longer on the other side of the world. USA! Ask my arse, ya weirdo!

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 10, 2013 -> 01:06 AM) <!--quoteo(post=2746849:date=Jan 9, 2013 -> 04:28 AM:name=Joxer_Daly)-->QUOTE (Joxer_Daly @ Jan 9, 2013 -> 04:28 AM) <!--quotec-->Now, I can't stop thinking about extra fresh squid fried quickly, doused in lemon juice and lightly salted. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Jesus, I'm starving!!!! Thirty two minutes 'til lunch. This post made me think of this video... MAN from Steve Cutts on Vimeo. That's a brilliant video. We never did have squid* for lunch, in the end. *They never actually would have squid in here.

Hawk hilarious here talking about his wish to die whilst commentating (from 6:50): Hawk interview Granted, this doesn't help your daughter to meet him in the slightest...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2013 -> 05:26 PM) During the week it mostly depends on the sports news. Baseball talk during the off-season usually revolves around transactions (trades signings etc) or around Soxfest. During the winter sports talk is usually centered around Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, then Cubs and Sox. ESPN1000 also does a general baseball show on the weekends that is OK. Yeah, I didn't expect too much today, given the time of year. Just wondered if there were particular slots set aside other than the Saturday one. Thanks mate.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jan 8, 2013 -> 11:24 PM) The kicker is that he was supposedly a Cubs fan NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo....

So, another beginners question; media related this time: Listening to 670 The Score - are there particular time slots or presenters set aside to focus on baseball/the Sox? On the online schedule, I see there's a White Sox Weekly hour on Saturdays, but during the week it's just the presenters that are listed for each slot. Are there particular times or presenters given over to particular sports/teams during the week, or is it just a mish-mash of sports with it being the luck of the draw if you happen to hear something baseball related on weekdays?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 9, 2013 -> 12:35 PM) At least your lunch calamari cant kill you There is some merit in your point. All joking aside, though, it is amazing stuff. The size of them, and yet so elusive.

Now, I can't stop thinking about extra fresh squid fried quickly, doused in lemon juice and lightly salted. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Jesus, I'm starving!!!! Thirty two minutes 'til lunch.

QUOTE (Arno @ Jan 4, 2013 -> 07:30 PM) Been White Sox fan for 57 years. Most disgusting non deal Soxhave made.AJ was great handler of pitching staff and a good team player. Makes me want to quit being Sox fan. Why keep some of the worthless pitchers that cost them games last year and let AJ walk is beyond my comprehension. Makes you want to quit the team you've supported for 57 years? One trade?? Jaysus! That's an impressively mental knee-jerk reaction :lol: Welcome to Soxtalk, by the way. They're a decent shower o' feckwits around here.

Interesting stuff, though, all the same; the evolution of aspects of the game. What would the feeling on here be - does more homers equate to a more interesting spectacle? I find myself attracted to the idea of the focus being on skill and strategy. Maybe that's just because I'm reading about the victorious Hitless Wonders of 1906 at the moment.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 8, 2013 -> 09:09 PM) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead-ball_era Massive ballparks combined with a crappy baseball made for more line drives, more extra base hits, and less home runs. Wikipedia, eh? Hmmmm, I suppose i could have googled it instead of starting a thread... Are you trying to call me a lazy b@st@rd? :D

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 8, 2013 -> 08:51 PM) It also literally regards the actual baseball that was used. Somewhere in the 1910's they introduced the cork centered baseball which was able to be hit farther and harder. This combined with the arrival of Ruth completely changed the way the game was played. Instead of relying on speed and strategy, teams starting looking for sluggers who could hit the ball over the fence. Ok. That makes sense. I was wondering what the fundamental change in the game was from that era to those that followed. Thanks. Thank you ss2k5, also.