103 mph screwball

QUOTE (GordoTheGreat @ Aug 12, 2009 -> 12:27 PM) I see Rios going 7-7 hitting for the cycle, and 2 grand slams. I hope so. Not only because that would give the Sox a good chance of winning, but it would do wonders for my fantasy baseball team.

I wonder how Griffey would do as a hitting coach someday?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 7, 2009 -> 07:09 PM) Straight from Rick Hahn even. Same with Ramirez. Wow, that changes my opinion of the value of those two. Nice.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 03:04 AM) Hmm, I don't like it. I get why he's using that (15 backwards), but that's too high for a position player. He needs to be a number in the teens or twenties. Pitchers are the only ones who should be using a number that a LB would where. Don't worry when number 27 came from Boston, he switched to 72 and continued his hall of fame career. He has a statue on the concourse now. Not that Rios seems to be a hall of fame player, but I don't think reversing your number will be bad luck when coming to the Sox.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Mr. Kenny Williams is the most exciting general manager in baseball. He is amongst the best. Another BOLD move that can really improve the Sox for years. Could it fail? Sure. Who Dares, Wins! This is better than signing him as a free agent since he didn't even have to lose a single draft pick. KW is ahead of the curve. Welcome to the Sox Alex Rios! Thank you KW! Thank you Mr. Reinsdorf!

I think the Sox are the team and they can probably get him for nothing. KW won't take that chance and will trade them something to make sure he gets Rios and to help the Blue Jays not look like they are giving him away. Rios will fill the void at CF. KW is as sick of our lack of a CF as we are and will help the team be strong up the middle. I'm sure he can be worked into the lineup somehow this year as other posters have mentioned. However, this is a move made to make the team better for years to come. Adding Kotsay, Castro, Peavy, and potentially Rios to the Sox in place of Corky, Wise, Anderson, and Colon is amazing. Now, the Sox have not been known for the big free agent pick ups, but if they pull off Peavy and Rios, that is like signing two big free agents without dealing with the bidding war. This move would have me nearly as excited as the Peavy move because we will give up much less to get him.

QUOTE (SockMe @ Aug 5, 2009 -> 04:35 PM) If the Sox had cheap bleachers like most teams, I would be at the stadium so much more The Sox should do some sort of an upper deck deal that provides a ticket and a parking pass at a bargain price. An unfilled seat and an empty parking spot does nobody any good. People will spend what they can afford. The good seats will sell themselves with the team playing so well. They need to make the upper deck somehow special so that even though the view of the game may not be as good as the expensive seats, there is an incentive or gimmick. What about a single people section or a kids/family area with stroller places and diaper changing areas. Even when the team is playing really well, there are just seats that rarely sell on normal weekday games.

Someone go to today's game for me. I really wish I could go. Family obligations. It is going to be a great day for a game. Plus, the price is reduced to maybe afford a nice lunch at the park. The Sox are kicking butt. I wish I could be there to show my support for the team and the Peavy acquisition.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 09:02 PM) I would rather play Nix than Ramirez. Ramirez is just not that good to me. Nix at the bottom of the order has some pop, takes pitches, and can hit and run. Ramirez pulls everything. I actually agree with Jimbo. Sure Nix has made 4 errors at a position he hasn't played until this year right? Nix will be better than Ramirez defensively. When Ramirez refuses to get in front of a AJ throw, it doesn't count as an error for him, but it is not good defense. When he doesn't turn a double play because he is avoiding runner contact that doesn't count as an error either. You can show me whatever number's you want, Nix is going to be a better SS. Beckham would be too. Nix hitting may be a problem against righties. But what has THE TEAM done without Ramirez this week. They look better. I'm sorry, but I think the Sox would be better trading Ramirez while his value is high or have him prance around CF next year. Ramirez does not seem like a focused or smart baseball player who slumps badly. I don't like his body language and I doubt he will be a leader you hope your SS to be. He is Soriano light. Believe me, I hope I am wrong and I'll root for the guy every time he puts on a Sox uniform. I'm just calling it how I see it. Trade him before he gets in Ozzie's doghouse and his value drops.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Aug 5, 2009 -> 05:30 PM) I can promise you I will refrain from starting threads in the future. Good thread. You got to play the devil's advocate and choose the Beckham might not be good side. It gave a lot of us a chance to talk about our favorite subject. Beckhamania! BigSqwert, isn't it refreshing for a mostly pessimistic board to be optimistic about something. Please do not make a Gordon Beckham Forum like Trade Winds. Pale Hose Talk will be a ghost town.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Aug 5, 2009 -> 01:43 PM) wow, tough crowd delete thread, I guess? I was about to pile on too, but you do have a point about getting too carried away because of a few months of baseball. The league could adjust somehow. Beckham sure seems like the real deal the way at such a young age, he is hitting everything thrown at him to all fields. We can hope/guess that he is not chemically enhanced because he really isn't that big and hasn't grown into his "man body". The Sox really do seem to have added a player to definitely get excited about an looks to have true superstar potential. The national media might even showcase him and his modest smile. He's clutch, his defense will improve wherever he ends up, he will develop more power, and learn the pitchers. Beckhamaina! can not be stopped.

I heard that after a Beckham homerun, he donates $200 to White Sox Charities AND to Alex Snelius! Beckhamania! has begun.

Great work JPN. It's nice to get your up close and personal perspective on these guys. I wish one of the Sox minor league teams was located in the Rockford area.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 01:47 PM) beckham at 3b is average to above average, at 2b or ss he's elite. I don't understand keeping him at third for the long haul. I see your point, but it's not about who is elite and where. I think the Sox are trying to find a way to get their best players on the field where they can succeed. I'm sure he can move to second if circumstances change.

I liked his style and hope he succeeds. I'll always root for him whenever the Sox are not playing against him.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 11:37 AM) On the Score just now Rick Hahn mentioned Dan Hudson's name as a possible option to make one of those 3 starts in August required out of the 5th starter. So I guess he's an option for this year. That's one way to find out what Hudson has for next year. Please don't rush and hurt our new 50 million plus pitcher by rushing him back too early. If he alters his delivery at all due to a weak leg, that can cause an arm injury. I wonder what the Padres are thinking about this.

Peavy will most likely take a step back in the AL and pitching at the Cell, but going into his prime with Hermie and Coop should help him maintain his high level of success. BOLD move from the most exciting GM in baseball MR. KENNY WILLIAMS. The Sox have a solid rotation for the next 3 years. Bold moves like this may energize the team and the fan base. That alone can help them win this year even if Peavy doesn't pitch until September.

That was WRONG to bump this thread. I thought today's trade was off SHAME!

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 12:00 AM) A small part of me hopes that O-Cab gets traded to the Twins just so we could see how far Joe Cowley's vendetta will go. Did anyone read some of his tweets about Swish during the game? Like this one? Swish is probably digging himself so much right now he doesn't know what to do. Maybe he could put more gel in his faux hawk.about 1 hour ago from txthttp://twitter.com/cst_sox Is this really necessary? Is this anything more then petty and vindictive? Cowley's been doing this s*** for years, and he's yet to be called on it. Not liking two players who had a difficult time here is perfectly logical. But continuing to harp on them even after they leave the team, offering nothing conducive to intelligent conversation is ridiculous for a guy who wants to be respected in his profession. I had to stop following Crowley on the twitter. Gonzalez gives the news without the Crowley's "sense of humor". The post where he mentioned the Metrodome standing ovation for Mark and then had some comment about the Ligues throwing up in their cells was my last straw. We should have a thread for Crowley tweets without his commentary.

If there are family issues, I hope everything is works out for Bobby. It is a weird coincidence that the night before the trade deadline, a player has to leave for "family issues". Odd. If there is a trade brewing, I hope KW gets a big haul to justify moving him.

Thank God! Soxtalk might have drank the purple coolaid and committed mass cyber suicide if the Sox had lost this one. Props to Wise with a huge clutch hit!

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 30, 2009 -> 06:07 AM) Philadelphia is still upset about acquiring an injured Freddy Garcia too then I assume? your statement is absolutely ludicrous I don't think it is ludicrous. Philly was sent Tadahito Iguchi when he still had a little value almost as a gift.

I actually think this could end up improving the Sox D. I do not think Alexei will be the future SS of the Sox. Gut feeling. I don't wish the guy to be hurt or fail. But I think he was about to be traded before this injury. If he stays, he needs to move back to 2nd or play CF next year.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jul 29, 2009 -> 10:40 AM) But Kotsay can't really play there anymore. He could in a pinch, of course, but Wise is a superior defensive player right now. Kotsay could spell people at the corner spots but he's really down to primarily a 1B now. With Fields only backing up PK at 1B and Beckham getting 90% of the PT at 3B (as he should be), Fields wasn't going to get at bats. Wise isn't a good player, but there wasn't really a "competition" between Wise and Fields b/c of where they play and where Kotsay can play. We need an OF who can play a decent CF if (when?) Pods or CQ get hurt or as a late inning replacement. Kotsay apppeared in 4 games in CF this year. Are we sure he is done in CF? Does he at least have better D than Pods and and as good as Griffey last year? He's not the CF of the future, but let's see what he can do in a backup role.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 04:07 PM) I actually would like the Alexei 2B, Beckham SS, Nix 3B configuration. I was thinking about it earlier. Getz is not playing his way to the bench but it's worth considering whether reshuffling the team that way makes it better. YES! Alexei goes back to the position we know he can play from last year. Beckham plays the position he's played his whole life. Nix should cover 3b adequately because he seems talented defensively. Getz gets the super sub role. Another option would be to trade for Aubrey Huff or Rolen to play 3b and put Nix and Getz on the bench with Wise the odd man out. C AJ 1b Konerko 2b Ramirez 3b Huff SS Beckham LF Q CF Pods RF Dye DH Thome Nix SS,3b,2b,LF Getz 2b,SS Kotsay CF,RF,LF,1b Castro C