Flash Tizzle

QUOTE(SoxAce @ Sep 1, 2007 -> 09:12 PM) Here is our Clay Buchholz. He better be. We're going to need it.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Sep 1, 2007 -> 09:07 PM) Where's our Clay Buchholz? Man does his stuff look nasty That's what I want to know. It's rather sad that Boston drafted both Buchholz and Pedroia in the 1st round in 2005, yet we're still dealing with Lance Broadway's crap in AAA.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Sep 1, 2007 -> 08:45 PM) Buchholz with a no-hitter for Boston through 8... I really hope he doesn't get this. If he does get this, all you will hear on ESPN for the next year is how Clay Buccholz is the best pitcher in baseball and should win the cy young award this season. It'll be sickening, but what can you do? I'd love to have someone comparable to him. His success proves stud pitchers outside the first round can be obtained with proper scouting. Oddly enough, this is his second major league start; Wilson Alvarez had a no-hitter for his second start as well.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Sep 1, 2007 -> 07:42 PM) Now Hawk and DJ are turning on each other What? Explain.

Byrd vs. Vazquez. Game currently scoreless in the second. Tampa Bay lost earlier as well. Have to keep pace with them.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Sep 1, 2007 -> 04:25 PM) Ian Kennedy called up to take Mussina's spot in the rotation and he goes 7 innings giving up 1 ER and picking up a W. That is two pitchers from last years draft already called up and contributing for the Yankees. Must be nice. We're lucky if ANY of our draft picks contribute, yet alone one year after being drafted. And these selections from the Yankees weren't done within the Top 10, either. I guess when scouting works and management doesn't fears the menacing wrath of major league baseball and their slot recommendations, talent can be found. I'm already setting the bar of whomever is our first round draft selection for next season, they'll be up here contributing (ie, immediate results) by 2010. There should be no excuse from anyone to the contrary. I expect success, and quite frankly, we're going to desperately need it within the upcoming seasons.

I came upon this website yesterday and have spent several hours browing through it. Very interesting. Some are quite funny. Here are my favorites: -Gamma Ray Burst -Our entire existence is a computer simulation -Grey Goo Problem -World is overtaken by grain -Men are extinct

QUOTE(103 mph screwball @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 06:54 PM) I'll speculate. Eckstein will be playing 2nd. ARod will be at short. 2b Eckstein Lf Fields DH Thome SS Arod Rf Dye 1b Konerko C AJ 3b Crede Cf Owens I'm trying to think like KW. Who could the Sox be trying to get that Buehrle would think would be a stretch? KW will try to make big moves. 1. He always does. 2. Doesn't want this pathetic season to erode the season ticket base. 3. KW rumored to be after ARod before. Eckstein also has a good relationship with the Sox new manager, Tony LaRussa. I'll play along -- IF we're willing to spend over 20 million for Rodriguez, there are going to be quite a few changes within the rotation and lineup. Cheap alternatives need to be scattered around the diamond to offset Rodriguez' salary. For one, I don't believe we'd sign Eckstein; Richar would be the option. It'd have to be almost necessary for Williams to acquire someone cheap AND talented for LF, because Fields would undoubtedly play 3B. Contreras and Garland would be gone as well. Likely to be replaced by two of Floyd, Egbert, Gonzalez, Broadway. Is a lineup of.. FA/Prospect in LF Owens Dye Fields Rodriguez Richar Konerko Thome Pierzynski and rotation of Buehrle Danks Gonzalez Egbert Vazquez capable of reaching the playoffs? Depending upon the LFer, the progression of Richar and Fields, and whatever we receive from Egbert and Gonzalez, it'd atleast be an interesting ballclub. I doubt they'd reach the playoffs, but attention would certaintly be on the ballclub with Rodriguez. You'd just have to ignore Boras as his agent, or the likelihood New York retains him. Which are fairly important items and just about render the enter scenario unlikely.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 09:52 PM) I hope Lucy can do well. The only guy I'm marginally interested in seeing is Broadway, but he got his s*** stuffed tonite. You know he wont.

QUOTE(Jeremy @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 09:58 PM) I know that there are some 40 man roster issues (though is it really that important to keep Pods around or to make sure we don't lose Paulino Reynoso?) but I think these purported call ups are a joke since: - I'm not convinced that if we fill CF internally next season Owens is a better option than Sweeney. - I'm not convinced that Gio and/or Egbert aren't the most capable of making major contributions to the team next season. It'd be useless for Gonzalez or Egbert to be promoted and, if their lucky, have one start each in September. I know I'm not interested in watching them pitch out of the bullpen. That includes next season. I'd hate for either to be successfull and Williams and Guillen to enter the whole "letting starting pitchers pitch out of the bullpen for a season because it worked for Buehrle and Garland" phase. There's a number of people on this website who seem to support that idea, and I'd hate for that crowd to have ammunition.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 07:18 PM) Any? Yes. Although I should add, and this is quite significant to the argument, his salary is a deciding factor. I'm not judging him compared to our starters in a everything-being-equal type scenario; just within the present. It underscores a point that having production from someone such as Carmona out of the rotation is invaluable. Compare their statistics. For a difference in 9 million, who would you take?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 07:00 PM) Carmona is nasty. I'd take him over any of our starters. It's funny, though, how Williams approach to drafting pitchers has seemingly concentrated on those who can induce groundballs, and here is Carmona -- a perfect representation of that -- pitching for Cleveland. It must be mocking him.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 01:52 PM) Pedro Alvarez. Just need to keep losing, which shouldn't be very difficult.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 01:15 PM) I don't give a s*** about OPS when I'm talking about a SS, especially when I'm talking about a guy that has proven to be a solid leadoff hitter (despite my absolute hate of Eckstein). IF we were talking about a middle of the order shortstop, fine, ops matters, but not when the Sox have a drastic need for a leadoff hitter. Cmon, Jason. We're dead last in producing much of anything resembling an offense. Since 2005, when his OBP reached a respectable .363, he's steadily taken less and less walks per season. His stolen base totals are nothing to admire, either. When coupled with a complete absence of power, what good is he? These aren't facts which support anything resembling a solid leadoff hitter. I agree he's an improvement over Uribe. But ultimately, how much do the White Sox improve over this season due to this signing? Does this make us a playoff contender now? Honestly, i'd rather trade any of Thome, Konerko, Garland -- acquire (among other pieces) several promising MIF prospects -- and go through their problems for 300K than deal with another walking grinder. It's just another no-nothing move. Since we're probably not going to be winning anything for quite awhile, while not set our sights towards acquiring young talent for SS rather than waste resources on Eckstein? Completely pointless, imo. Only purpose it serves is to give the illusion of improvements. A feeling of "anything is better than Uribe." Sure, for one or two seasons. Then who replaces Eckstein?

Pitiful. We're once again left searching through the free-agent bin to compensate for an embarrassing lack of talent within the minor league system. I don't want Eckstein on this ballclub, but neither do I want Juan Uribe. I guess, similar to Anderson and Erstad earlier this season, we're left selecting the lesser of two piles of suck. Whatever offensive advantage Eckstein holds over Uribe (80OPS+ to 63OPS+) is offset by the clear advantage Uribe holds over Eckstein defensively. Defensive metrics aside, has anyone witnessed Eckstein throw a baseball from deep short? It may be not pretty with our pitching staff, who'll need every out these next few seasons. Why can't Williams just tear this team apart, instead of convincing everyone Eckstein is the answer to anything other than a 4th place finsh? Who in their right mind, aside from Hawk, could POSSIBLY be enthusiastic about Eckstein using his limited range and limp throwing arm in the field? Or his complete lack of power in a lineup already void of it. It's only getting to get uglier in the upcoming years when players such as Thome and Pierzynski reach the end of their contracts. We'll be forced to devote more money to these two because, as the story continues to be, we just can't produce replacements for any position. Except for Josh Fields, who'll have to be in LF to fill one less hole.

QUOTE(winninguglyin83 @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 09:50 AM) So many problems, so few options. Koneerko may have to go. he's one of the few guys with value. He's reached a point in his career where his numbers will probably decline. You can find a stop gap first baseman for a lot less. Who else can we trade that has value? AJ? Not unless the Giants take another dumb pill. Fields? Our farm system is killing us. Which, in part, is why it's infuriating to even think about the possibility of putting a cost to improving our farm system. We should take every advantage of our poor record. If additional funds are necessary to sign players next June, fine; take away from potential FA's. This is so important for our future, I can't even imagine the outrage on Soxtalk if they blow it.

QUOTE(Vance Law @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 01:56 AM) I did an interesting unscientific analysis/look-see into the careers of players based on where they were drafted. Looked at position players drafted in the 1st round, picks 1 through 10. Looked solely at whether or not the player got 3000 at bats in his career, 1977 - 2003 (for young players drafted in the 2000s, I gave the benefit of the doubt on my own judgement for players like Delmon Young, Alex Gordon, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez that they would reach 3000). The major outlier was the 1st overall pick in the draft. Since 1977 18 position players drafted, only 2 did not reach 3000 at bats, and none since Shawn Abner in 1984. Like 11%. Picks 2 and 3 were around 41% that did not reach 3000 at bats. After that, on down to pick 10, they were all between 50% and 70% not reaching 3000 at bats. The vast majority of those that did not reach 3000 at bats in the big leagues, did not even reach 1000 at bats. Just found that interesting. Redskins quarterback Jay Schroeder was drafted 3rd by the Blue Jays in 1979. Goodnight. Therefore, based upon your limited research, our best bet of obtaining a player capable of providing 3000 ABs is to have the first overall selection. Only one way to do that....

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 01:02 AM) Let's hope he's not as scared to have a high pick in the draft as some of the people on this site seem to be. It's far and away the most exciting aspect of our season right now, and I'd guess you'd agree with that 100 pct. I'm excited about the possibility of drafting high and selecting a franchise player, but I'm afraid of whether the opportunity will be wasted because of our obendiece to slot recommendations. Or an avoidance of Boras. I hope it isn't an issue at all. It would be terrible knowing someone such as Alvarez was available, but because he's commanding two million more than we're willing to pay another less talented player is selected.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 12:46 AM) Just blow the whole freaking thing up. We're too proud for that. Williams is honestly setting himself up to be on the hot seat. What excuse is there next season when he's aggressive, perhaps making a few trades involving what's left of our minor leauge system, and the team still finishes fourth/fifth in the division? He'll have to do quite a lot to turn this team into a playoff contender. I just don't believe it's possible.

Another ugly game. One loss closer to Alvarez. It'll be interesting to hear Guillen's post game comments. Especially after yesterday's rant.

Tampa Bay already won. They're now three games behind us in the standings.

Solid outing from Danks. Best one he's had since early August. Now it's time for Bukvich to do what he does and let inherited runners score.

Every time DJ says "it is what it is," I hate him a little bit more. It's a weak phrase, void of any criticism, which perfectly fits his commentating ability.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 30, 2007 -> 09:03 PM)

This may become hilarious if Guillen continues to leave Gonzalez at 3B. They're going to bunt down the line every opportunity. And while I still believe Gonzalez is our best option for 3B while Fields develops, tonight just isn't his night. For nothing else, save him the embarrassmet.