Señor Ding-Dong

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Apr 11, 2015 -> 11:04 AM) Jacob Morris was a position player last year. Another one of those guys trying to be the next Sergio Santos. I just realized that Mike Blanke, who last year converted from catcher to pitcher, is no longer in the organization.

QUOTE (LDF @ Apr 13, 2015 -> 09:01 AM) really??? i didn't know that. i know the 10 mph difference, but i thought it was meant for the pitch to be in the high 70's - 80's mph,., i was just wondering, me and my thinking again. thanks If you know that the difference between most fastballs and change-ups is roughly 10 MPH, then why would you think Montas' change-up would be in the high 70s/low 80s if his fastball is sitting high 90s and touching 100? Sorry if that comes across as dickish, that's not my intention, I'm just wondering. I never played any level of organized baseball (not even Little League ), but I'd have to think the speed differential from a 100 MPH fastball and a 90 MPH change-up would be pretty drastic for a batter despite both pitches being considered "fast." A change-up isn't necessarily a "slow" pitch. From my understanding, it's meant to deceive the batter into believing it's a fastball when it's not, which will hopefully lead him to swing earlier than he should have. Given the ~10 MPH difference in speed, most change-ups are in the low 80s because most pitchers fastballs sit in the low 90s. I suppose if a pitcher were able to throw a fastball at 110 MPH, a change-up at 100 MPH (both pitches considered fast by anyone's standards) would still be effective, seeing as how it's all about the speed differential between the two pitches.

I was considering not wearing any Sox gear to my classes today so as to not get told the outcome by some random Sox fan whose path I cross in the hallway, but I couldn't resist wearing my hat. I'm DVR'ing it and I just pray no one spoils the outcome for me.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 3, 2015 -> 07:40 PM) http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=m...tching/2014/ALL Do we have the wrong Guerra on the MLB roster? Venezuelan "Junior" Guerra, who apparently didn't pitch ANYWHERE from 2008-2012, then was in Mexico in 2012 and disappeared again pitched two innings with no hits/walks and 2 K's. http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=m...tching/2014/ALL According to Baseball Reference, he was in the Mets organization for most of 2008, pitching in 18 games across four levels. Between 2009 and 2013 he played in the Venezuelan Winter League, the independent American Association, and the Mexican League. He was only completely out of baseball in 2014.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Apr 3, 2015 -> 01:22 PM) conor, as long as he is protected against LHP, is a completely cromulent 3B. If he can hit around 15 HRs then that'll certainly embiggen our offensive firepower.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 3, 2015 -> 01:54 PM) @jonmorosi: Matt Lindstrom has signed with the #WhiteSox, source says. Please tell me this is a minor league deal...

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Apr 2, 2015 -> 04:02 PM) In my first disastrous play (thanks injuries!) of the '15 Sox in OOTP 16 I had BOTH Brian Anderson and Mitchell on my 2016 roster thanks to a devastating run of injuries and bad AI. I really want to like OOTP 16 but when you hit "auto fill roster" because half your lineup is out and guys like Mitchell and Anderson come up it really makes me dislike the game's AI. I really wish there was just an option to "never call up anyone over _____" and more s*** like that. /rant Why don't you make those decisions your self? I mean, that is the point of the game.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 09:55 PM) All the personality in the world doesn't mean you have what it takes. I like the guy, mostly because of what he overcame to get to the majors, but the Sox have better options at their disposal. Better options for what? It's not like we're counting on him for anything. We're talking about a guy in AAA who we can call-up for a spot start or to be an extra bullpen arm if the need arises. I guess I don't even know what's being discussed at this point. I could understand the frustration if we had him penciled in the rotation, but that's not the case. This is a lot of consternation for a guy who will likely spend most of the season in Charlotte.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 07:30 PM) Why do people hate Scott Carroll? Not only is he a decent emergency starter, but he seems like a really likeable and fun guy. Weird hatred. I don't understand it. I know he's not the most talented guy in the world, but with his story and personality it's impossible not to root for him. I'm definitely a fan of his. He's not nearly as bad as he's been made out to be either. He had his moments as a starter last season and he was good in his limited appearances out of the bullpen. I can see him sticking in this league as a longman and spot starter.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 03:59 PM) Bill Mitchell ‏@billazbbphotog 4m4 minutes ago Micker Adolfo just hit a BOMB to right center in White Sox High-A game. Nice.

QUOTE (Baron @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 03:27 PM) The day Scott Carroll is off the team will be a good day He's nowhere near as bad as you're making him out to be. Get real. QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 03:35 PM) Yep, Carroll is fine for what he is. If your team is relying on him to start 30 games, it's probably in trouble. But as a long man/emergency starter, you could do a lot worse. He also seems like a great clubhouse guy. This.

I'm glad Sanchez made the roster. Might as well keep him until his spot is needed for Sale/Petricka.

Any viewing options?

QUOTE (LDF @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 10:31 AM) now if they can find a prospect who could hit the ball a mile ..... that extra power hitter who will make it as a mlb power hitter. That's Micker Adolfo. His raw tools, like his power, is the reason he's been showing up on our top prospects lists pretty much since the moment we signed him.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 10:21 AM) Who is Danny Hayes? 1B prospect who played in Kannapolis last year and probably headed to Winston-Salem if Barnum goes to Birmingham. He got in a few games this spring.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 09:32 AM) Fry was the first name out of Buddy Bell's mouth when I asked him about a "breakout" player. He is being overshadowed by Rodon and Adams but a good one to keep your eye on. Also I think we will see a few of the Latin guys emerge onto prospects lists in 2015 and 2016. Luis Martinez, Micker Adolfo, Amado Nunez, Jhoandro Alfaro, and Felix Mercedes to name a few. Jace Fry was extremely impressive in his spring training appearance the other day. I dont't know if he projects as a starter or reliever, but if that performance was any indication I see him getting on the fast track. As for the Latin players, I don't think most of them have even made a DSL or rookie league appearance yet, so while it will be interesting to track their development, I don't know if they'll impact the prospect lists in the immediate future.

Nice try, but I didn't fall for it.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 30, 2015 -> 11:11 AM) Quoting the original post with the stats in them, I don't consider them close, but if the front office did, I think Johnson's speed is a huge tiebreaker. I think their skills and line up construction are bigger factors then any non-awful stats. I definitely agree, I was just basing my post off of an article on SSS to use as a talking point about something important (2B competition). Johnson has the advantage with his speed and his bat, but what about defense? Sanchez has the advantage there, and an argument could be made that we need Sanchez's defense more than Johnson's bat/speed at this current time.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 30, 2015 -> 10:12 AM) I know it won't be popular to say, but I see Sanchez ending up as basically Gordon Beckham, with a bit less power. I think that's a fair comparison, but at the same time I see Sanchez hitting better than Beckham's career .245 BA. I'm thinking more like .260-.270, if that means anything given his non-existent power and lack of XBH.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Mar 30, 2015 -> 09:39 AM) See, that is where I disagree about Sanchez and his future. I think he will max out as a solid utility player, nothing more. But if you believe he can be more than that, then you are definitely right he should be playing every day in the minors. I just don't see much from Sanchez. He is not a great SS, passable, but not great. Has no power whatsoever. He's not particularly fast. He has a decent eye at the plate and his best position is 2B. If you replace Sanchez with Saladino with what you just said then I would definitely agree with you. Saladino's ceiling is a solid utility player and I'd much rather see him on the roster than Beckham. Sacrificing Saladino's development for the good of the team wouldn't be a big deal to me; like I said, his ceiling is a utility player and he would bring more to the team than Beckham IMO. Who cares if Saladino isn't playing everyday at AAA if he's helping the team right now in a role that is his ML ceiling? Basically, he'd be doing what Leury Garcia did last year, only a lot better and more qualified at it. Saladino's already been sent down though, so it's all moot. Anyway, on Sanchez, I agree that his most likely outcome is that of a solid backup/utility infielder, but I also think there's a decent chance that Sanchez can be an average or so starting 2B. The defense is there and he hits a lot of singles. He's still very young, so I could see him developing some gap power down the line. He did hit more HRs in AAA last year than his entire minor league career up to that point. On a team like this, built the way we are, I think Sanchez is the better option at 2B over Johnson at this current time. Outside of Ramirez and Eaton, our starters are pretty weak defensively, so we could use all the help we can get on defense. We may be sacrificing Johnson's bat and speed, but he'll be the eventual starter anyway. I would just prefer that he continue working on his defense in AAA, and a few more at bats there wouldn't hurt either. Despite what I just said, I'm fine with Johnson as the starter. As a fan, it'll be a lot more exciting seeing Johnson out there everyday as opposed to Sanchez, even if it may not be in the best interest of the team at this time (I understand that's debatable). However, Sanchez probably isn't going to win the 2B job, so with the normal thought process on prospects, I think it's much more important that he is playing everyday at AAA because his ceiling is higher than Saladino's. Even with that, I'd totally be okay with keeping Sanchez over Beckham for the utility IF role even if it hinders his development. We're in win-now mode and our roster should consist of the best players available, and it's not like we're talking about two can't-miss prospects here who's development is critically important. Sorry for the long post.

southsidesox.com brought up a good point; where do we stand with the 2B battle? Micah Johnson and Carlos Sanchez's numbers up to this point: Johnson- .333/.388/.467 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3/4 SB, 3 errors Sanchez- .355/.429/.355 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1/1 SB, 1 error One thing in Sanchez's favor is that he's already on the 40-man roster while room would have to be created for Johnson. Johnson brings game changing speed and more of an impact with his bat, though his defense can be shaky at times. Sanchez provides good defense and is solid all-around, though he doesn't stand out in any area.

QUOTE (Mike F. @ Mar 27, 2015 -> 11:40 AM) I know Carroll isn't a veteran, but I'd much rather have him be the swingman or spot-starter than Penny at this point in their careers. I agree.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 27, 2015 -> 11:53 AM) and with the other prospect coming up, its going to even get better. Yep. You mentioned Spencer Adams earlier in this thread. If he reaches his ceiling then, wow. Then there's guys like Montas and Danish, who may or may not be starters at the ML level. With a rotation of Sale, Rodon, Quintana, and Samardzija, all you need is for your fifth guy to not be terrible. But if our fifth guy is someone like Adams, then, yeesh... that's scary good.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Mar 26, 2015 -> 04:17 PM) Next three years of Sale-Q-Rodon, with the possible addition of Shark is going to make things so much easier to work with for this front office. Very good spot to be in. I hope we can lock up Shark. That's a nasty, nasty rotation.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 26, 2015 -> 06:34 PM) Carroll is terrible. Ehh, he was pretty good out of the pen in a limited sample size and he had his moments as a starter. I think he could be a decent swingman. A guy who can give us long relief and the occasional spot start would be nice.