The Ultimate Champion

Boy that's one big cookie of encouragement for all you Dunn lovers who believe some team is going to swoop in and pick up part of this guy's contract. The other 29 see those stats, too. They also see this mindset, from the guy who was more or less dumped in his free agent year and who famously for a year or two had his desire for playing the game of baseball constantly questioned.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/cws/white-...p;vkey=news_cws His offensive game has become one-dimensional, power-based as he enters the 2014 campaign. The always frank Dunn doesn't totally understand how he arrived at this point, and won't try to cop to anything more. "No, I don't, I'm going to be honest," the 34-year-old Dunn told MLB.com when asked if he sees himself as more than a power hitter. "I used to, and I don't know what I've transformed into. I don't know what this guy that I've been the last five or six years, I don't know where it came from, but it is what it is now. "I don't know. I really don't. I don't know if it's … I don't know. You can't, obviously you have to look yourself in the mirror and blame yourself. That's kind of the only excuse that I got. "Have I got bad advice in the past? Sure, who hasn't," Dunn said. "Everyone has. But apparently I couldn't weed it out." Since arriving to the White Sox with much fanfare on a four-year, $56 million free-agent deal before the 2011 season, Dunn has been one of the most polarizing figures in franchise history. Polarizing among the fan base, that is, as the always upbeat 6-foot-6, 285-pounder has been the consummate teammate. He also has handled adversity better than one person could be expected in taking on such a fairly constant burden. The bottom line is that Dunn has not performed near expectations with the White Sox, and more so his own lofty expectations than anyone else's. He has a .197 average over the past three years, with a .317 on-base percentage and .405 slugging. Those numbers pale to a career slash line of .238/.366/.495.

QUOTE (glangon @ Mar 13, 2014 -> 06:12 AM) Dear Seattle, Please will you trade James Paxton for Dayan Viciedo. If you need more outfielders, we can throw in Keenyn Walker, Jared Mitchell and Trayce Thompson. If you need more pitchers, we can throw in Deunte Heath, Nestor Molina and Dylan Axelrod. yours hopingly Rick Hahn Funny thing is, if you actually play the guy this year and he turns things around you can realistically get a very large return should you (Hahn) still believe his game/style/approach/agent/arb situation/whatever doesn't quite fit into the long-term picture. Dunn OTOH brings back nothing at any point, so if you don't get a solid deal for DeAza and if you don't get a very good deal for Viciedo then assuming you (Hahn) are not a completely incompetent fool, you dump Dunn and keep the guys who could actually bring some worthwhile players back. Pitt still needs a LH bat complement, they can have Dunn at $1M for a relief spect and an international bonus slot. Otherwise per MLBTR the Marlins according to a source might consider trading Jacob Turner for the right fit. Not sure Tank is that fit but he is a Cuban, and a deal involving pieces like that should be the type of deal you look for when considering dumping Tank. Unless of course all your best guys (Steverson more so than Bell hopefully) believe Tank is what he is and no improvements are coming. But I doubt that.

Unfortunately these are sadly becoming more realistic.

I'm also partial to gardening and stuff, I think it would be cool to help set up community gardens and stuff.

If you were going to start a charity tomorrow, what would you want to do? Who/what cause would you want to help? Just wondering what Soxtalk's opinion on this is, I'm not really sure myself but personally I think the homeless would probably be it for me.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 04:16 PM) Thank you, lol. Going up there hacking at the first pitch and not getting a hit is a fail. Regardless of your hypothetical, having a pitcher throw a three pitch inning on you is an abomination in baseball. My little league coaching staff? Asking Leury Garcia to be fundamentally sound hitter is not the same as asking him to hit 20 HR. If Leury gets a first pitch fastball in the strikezone and in a spot where he can get the bat on it then there is zero reason for him to take it. Why would he? Why is it easier to hit 0-1 than 0-0? A fastball is the only thing this kid is going to be able to hit outside of a hanger, and what pitcher is going to try to throw a breaking ball over the plate to such a weak hitter? If Leury goes up there taking first pitch fastball then he's 0-1, after that comes 0-2, now the pitcher can go out of the zone if he wants while Leury is in protect mode. Fundamentally sound? If Leury had even one iota of ability to be a well-rounded hitter at the MLB level either one of 2 things would have happened: 1) Alexei is gone, Leury is the starter at SS everyday, OR Leury is guaranteed the starting SS gig at Charlotte with zero possibility of anyone taking PT from him. There's almost no way this organization believes he's a starting caliber player otherwise the GM wouldn't be calling him a pinch runner when the guy rates toward the top end of the scale both as a defender and in speed. Garcia has option years to burn, no way do you have him already pegged for a bench role taking up pre-arb servicetime in January unless you think he is what he is. If Leury is going to become a regular player at the MLB level he is going to have to handle the fastball within the strikezone. If he shows he can hit it then pitchers will adjust, and he'll have to adjust back. If he doesn't swing at the fastball in the zone then he's never going to do anything because no MLB pitcher is going to want to walk the guy.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 03:49 PM) Conor Gillaspie is an avid storm chaser, ala Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt in Twister. Grew up in Omaha. Didn't know that. Surprised they didn't write something into his contract to prevent him from engaging in what is pretty risky behavior. If you grow up in Nebraska tornadoes are like angry racist drunken uncles and cars in your front lawn, it makes sense you'd know lots about them and should you ever escape such a place that knowledge and interest could lead to the prevention of such things reoccurring in the future.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 03:02 PM) None of this matters. Did you play baseball? Part of the game is working the pitcher. Allowing your teammates to get looks at his secondary offerings. Let your pitcher get some rest period. If you're Leury Garcia, and the first two guys get out in two pitches, you don't go to the plate thinking about what Rick Hahn said about you at SoxFest. You go up there and plan on taking the first pitch and working the pitcher. To (somewhat) paraphrase the Hawkaroo, you find out what your hitters can't do and then you don't ask them to do it. Asking Leury Garcia to take pitches and "work" the pitcher is like asking Leury Garcia to hit 20 HRs. Any pitcher on the mound who wouldn't look to start Garcia off 0-1 with the fastball immediately doesn't belong in the Major Leagues. And you can tell that to your Little League coaching staff too. Aggression within the strikezone and hitters knowing their strengths, such is the philosophy of Master Stevenson and in He I trust.

Are there any rules at all re: how many players you can keep in Arizona at the training facilities? Because if not then no reason to rush anything. If the Sox are fine paying out all these MiLB salaries and the nonprospects receiving them are fine continuing on playing baseball and attempting to live off them, no harm no foul. Just send the prospects to Charlotte and the others to extended ST.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 02:47 PM) How does Luery Garcia go up there swinging after two 1 pitch at bats. I know it's ST but you practice good habits. You'd get benched on my high school team for that type of stuff. Were they fastballs? If so, good job. Swing at those or try to bunt, assuming the Sox feel he's just a bench guy. And given the way Hahn spoke of him during his interview on the Score over Soxfest, I think they view him as a bench guy/PR only. I mean really, you're a Major League pitcher and you're facing Leury Garcia. Are you going to throw him *anything* outside of the zone at all? Why would you? Go right after him, the last thing you want to do is walk or give a hitters count to one of the weakest hitters on the 40-man roster.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 02:45 PM) Paulino is the finance equivalent of a pump and dump. You try and build his value and sell him to anyone who will listen. If not, it was a million dollars (really you are paying anyone half a million to be on the roster, so you can't even really count that). They're trying to buy a spect which is a good thing for them to be doing. And going back to my mantra re: the dumping of Dunn which I believe bears repeating, in theory if another team would give up even a decent RP prospect for the guy then might as well do the same thing there and use Viciedo/DeAza (if the org is really down on both) similarly as Paulino. Pump and dump, sounds inviting, sounds like something you'd do with a hooker and maybe Gordon Beckham as well.

Paulino is only owed $1.5M this year and the 2015 buyout is just $250K so if the velocity doesn't return by late May/early June you just outright release him and use Rienzo until Beck is ready. The old Paulino is worth throwing out there because if he does well he'll bring back a spect, but a lesser Paulino is only fodder & no reason to run out veteran fodder when you have Rienzo and Surkamp around who are at least young and controllable.

One thing that I noticed typing up some of these names is that I forgot some good prospects & didn't feel it necessary to include much in the way of fringe types or specialist/MR prospects. Other years guys like Bassit, Veal, and Leesman would immediately come to mind when thinking of this system, but things are developing to the point where we have some more interesting names to watch. Maybe we even have a few players like May, Beck and Danish turn into premium prospects while guys like Snodgress move up. We seem to be pretty thin in pitching though. Not many names to consider it seems when it comes to truly interesting SP without immediately dipping into Montas/Olacio territory. I think we need to focus on big arms probably with our 3-4 of first 5 picks this year if possible, get some more SP in here. Beck, Johnson, and Danish are all that excite me & the rest are just kind of interesting.

I think it is a positive sign that Thompson and Mitchell were optioned to AA striaght away rather than Charlotte. Make them earn the promotion there and if they hit Chicago this year make it be the result of high performance at 2 different levels. No more Buddy Bell Challenge Promotions please. They are incredibly stupid.

I also am very optimistic re: the effect that Steverson, Paulie, and Abreu could have on the Sox young hitters this year. And yes I'm including Abreu as a leader in that group because by all accounts he is the Cuban Paulie with regard to preparation and mindset. And Steverson seems like a keeper for sure to me. I love everything that man has said.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 09:14 AM) ...and at age 24, gave us a clinic on how 20% HR/FB is not sustainable. Here is the list of players since 2000 that maintained a HR/FB rate of 20% or greater, min 600 PA: Barry Bonds Manny Ramirez I'm going to go out on a limb and bet you one hundred gazillion dollars that he never reaches that HR/FB rate again over a full season (500+ PA) -- which means that if he's going to get to 25 HR again, he will have to learn how to hit first. Which, consequently, also explains how he was able to hit 25 HR in this offensive environment and still manage a below-league average offensive year overall at 98 wRC+. By the way, I sincerely hope Viciedo has an offensive Renaissance and you guys feed me s*** all season. Saunders and Ackley and probably a thousand other players do a lot more on a baseball field than Tank ever will. With that said, we need a serious masher aside from Abreu. I don't care how he runs, what he clocks in at, whether he's at all coordinated playing defensively etc. as long as he's young, controllable, and he absolutely f***ing mashes. Viciedo has a much better chance of doing that stuff than those other guys, even though admittedly Tank took a big step backwards and the clock is ticking on him. AND he's getting paid in spite of his lack of production. I see Viciedo as either a DH with us or else he's not on the team. And I think the main points in all this stuff has to be that 1) if you are trading a player you had better be making that move with an eye toward the future, and 2) that whatever moves you make need to be made based on considerations of your young talent ONLY, i.e. you don't make any decisions because of salary or veteran status etc. Meaning Keppinger and Dunn specifically shouldn't be reasons to trade anyone, and if you're going to trade Tank it should be because the FO believes in him the same way EMinor believes in him, i.e. just cash in your chips and go home, start fresh with someone else. And if THAT is the course of action I say let's target prospects, not arb-eligible players and so forth.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 09:31 AM) It's hard to believe one team may have the two worst announcers in all of baseball. One is Melty, the other is........? Certainly NOT Hawk. BTW a Melty-DJ tandem might be the funniest s*** to ever exist. No way DJ could go even 3 minutes without saying something. I LUUUUV DJ. Miss you already DJ.

Melty the brain surgeon. Nurse comes in, patient is lying there on the table with half his skull off sitting in an ashtray on the counter, brain is sitting there looking like a canteloupe, nurse's like "Where's the doctor?!" Meanwhile Melty's in the break room kicking the s*** out of the vending machine trying to get his extra quarter back. Little does he know that he didn't put in enough money in the first place, and the object sitting in the dispenser actually isn't a bag of pretzels, it's an empty styrofoam cup which Melty himself placed there for god knows what reason.

Melty the pilot "Goddamnit the goddamn autopilot won't shut off! Gimme a screwdriver!"

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 09:22 AM) I'll be OK if he does, but 5 years from now he will be 32 and headed into decline. To me he is the quintessential fourth OF, LH bat, solid defense, but not really the skillset to be an everyday guy. He has value to a team in a role, but if he is a starter something went terribly wrong. I agree. But I hope he does well & he has turned himself at least into a potential 4th OF on a quality team where for a while he didn't look like he'd get that far at all. He has a chance to make some money in the game now IMO.

OOOOh I forgot about Danish, I'll put him at a 7, he's my favorite spect in this system. Forgot Hawkins too but won't predict that guy. Boom or bust & not any info yet on how his new attitude is going to translate in game. The fact that the Sox on multiple occasions basically came right out and said the kid was a headcase is concerning, but maybe last year really was what he needed. This season should give a pretty good clue as to his future path.

All this Melty hate has me thinking what a great thing it is that Melty calls Sox webcasts and hosts postgame shows for a living instead of pretty much any other line up work. Because at the end of the day, this is just a game, the results don't really matter, all the fans are going to be drunk and/or are children, and all the players and managers and coaches and owners are making money. But just think of how bad things would be if Melton had just about any another career. Here's an example, Bill Melton the 911 operator. Caller: I think my husband's having another heart attack! Please help! Melty: What? A hemrrhoid attack? Put some cream on that... Caller: A heart attack! Send an ambulance! Melty (calls the fire department, tells them the guy is choking): Go ahead and give him the heimlich manuever. Just one example, but imagine an armed robbery in progress. NO CHANCE Melty gets the house number right, probably not even the street name. Or let's say Melty works as a waste water engineer. Or a pilot. Or s***, even mopping up the floors at YOUR grocery store. Manager: WTF is that smell? What did you put in that bucket? Melty: Whatever it was you told me to put in there, Chlorex or Cervix or whatever that was. Manager: Chlorox? That doesn't smell like bleach... Melty: Ketchup, that's what I put in there, just like you said. Etc. There are a million other things this guy could be doing that could potentially harm you, your family or friends, or any otherwise innocent person or animal. Good God imagine Melty as a veternarian. That would be a pet cemetary. Thankfully he only does baseball. Maybe you guys shouldn't be so hateful and should instead be grateful.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Mar 12, 2014 -> 08:11 AM) No, that was an accident, I thought it was John, didn't expect Jordan to be someone we would be talking about 5 years from now. Jordan is more in the 3-4 range, he has value in spots but is not going to be an everyday guy. Oh. Well for your sake I hope Jordan Danks never makes it because if we check this thread 5 years from now & Jordan is coming off his first All-Star appearance then you sir are going to feel like a genuine butt hole.

I like the really high opinion of Jordan Danks. One of these guys is going to pull a Quintana and rise well above expectations, and JorDanks might be the one with the work ethic to do it. He still K's a ton but if he can bring those walks and HRs up a little bit more and make a little more contact, his D will keep him a starting player, and then he'll have a shot.