"Japanese 2B Iguchi quick to join Sox"

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-sox25.html

 

Best excerpts:

General manager Ken Williams declined to comment on the signing until the official announcement, tentatively scheduled for Thursday. Iguchi, 30, is expected to take over at second base and likely will bat No. 2 in the order.

And because of the way the fans treated Takatsu, the Sox also might have received a discount on Iguchi.

The signing continues the Sox' overhaul by adding more speed. They likely have become the fastest team in the major leagues.

The Sox still are looking for somebody to back up Juan Uribe at shortstop, though Iguchi started his career at short before a shoulder injury moved him to second.

One thing the Sox aren't likely to worry about is a lack of confidence from their new infielder. A baseball Web site in Japan earlier this offseason showed that Iguchi is ready for his new challenge.

 

"I got the feeling that the move [to the major leagues] will work out,'' he said.

 

2005 PROJECTED LINEUP

 

The addition of Tadahito Iguchi should give the Sox the fastest 1-2 punch in the major leagues.

 

1. Scott Podsednik LF or CF

2. Tadahito Iguchi 2B

3. Jermaine Dye RF

4. Paul Konerko 1B

5. Carl Everett DH *

6. Aaron Rowand CF or LF

7. A.J. Pierzynski C

8. Joe Crede 3B

9. Juan Uribe SS

 

* Everett will handle DH duties until Frank Thomas returns from an ankle injury.

 

2005 STARTING ROTATION

1. Mark Buehrle LH

2. Jose Contreras RH

3. Freddy Garcia RH

4. Orlando Hernandez RH

5. Jon Garland RH

What is with the rotation?

What is with the rotation?

 

 

What does the order matter?

What does the order matter? 

 

Way i take it is they think contreras will start the second game of the year. That is why it matters.

What does the order matter? 

 

1. MB

2. Freddy

3. Contreras

4. Garland

5. El Duque

 

thats how I see it

Way i take it is they think contreras will start the second game of the year. That is why it matters.

 

 

Who cares what they think?

What is with the rotation?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe it's so teams don't see the same type of pitcher back-to-back.

 

1.) They go from Buehrle who is a location pitcher...

2.) To Contreras who has the nasty stuff...

3.) To Garcia who has the power stuff...

4.) To El Duque who throws the junk...

5.) To Garland who is best served as the 5th starter.

Who cares what they think?

 

Line-up looks correct why not do the same with the rotation?

Line-up looks correct why not do the same with the rotation?

 

I just don't think it's worth b****ing about. After April 15th, it won't matter. There is so much emphasis on who's number 2 .. or 3 .. or 4 .... and it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

I just don't think it's worth b****ing about.  After April 15th, it won't matter.  There is so much emphasis on who's number 2 .. or 3 .. or 4 .... and it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

 

I agree, i was just wondering their reasoning for order of the rotation.

I agree, i was just wondering their reasoning for order of the rotation.

 

Cool.

I love the quote about being the fastest team in the majors... It's wrong on so many levels.

 

'27 Yankees -- I hear they were a bunch of speedsters. :rolly

 

Replacing the fastest returning player with a player who's not slow, but one who I doubt is any faster than Willie makes us faster than say the D-Rays with Baldelli, Crawford, Gathright, Lugo, and Cruz??? How does that work?

I love the quote about being the fastest team in the majors... It's wrong on so many levels.

 

'27 Yankees -- I hear they were a bunch of speedsters.  :rolly

 

Replacing the fastest returning player with a player who's not slow, but one who I doubt is any faster than Willie makes us faster than say the D-Rays with Baldelli, Crawford, Gathright, Lugo, and Cruz??? How does that work?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think he meant "the fastest good team in the majors."

I love the quote about being the fastest team in the majors... It's wrong on so many levels.

 

'27 Yankees -- I hear they were a bunch of speedsters.  :rolly

 

Replacing the fastest returning player with a player who's not slow, but one who I doubt is any faster than Willie makes us faster than say the D-Rays with Baldelli, Crawford, Gathright, Lugo, and Cruz??? How does that work?

 

I don't know, it was sure a dumb thing to say. I do know that it will be pretty fun to watch the devil rays this year though. Just if they were not in the division they are in. They will never have a chance of beating both the yankee$ and red sox.

The article confirms the Sox have a 3rd yr option. The article does not mention the incentives. It's incentives that will likely pay Iggy 6M/2yr which would suggest to me the 3rd yr is a 4M base + incentives.

 

So in the end it might turn out to be 15M/3yr. Which still is still good.

The only way Iggy makes that kind of $ is with top performance.

I just don't think it's worth b****ing about.  After April 15th, it won't matter.  There is so much emphasis on who's number 2 .. or 3 .. or 4 .... and it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

 

Really, all that matters is who is in the 5th starter spot If they plan on taking advantage of off days and skiping the spotto keep other guys on 4 days' rest. I thought there was an earlier suggestion that El Duque would take the 5th spot for exactly that reason, since he's only pitched 130 or so innings the last few years while we regularly get 200+ from Garland. That and the fact that he is probably more of an injury risk than Jon made him a logical 5th starter choice, but I must not be up to speed on what the club has been thinking on this.

There's no way El Duque pitches 5th. When healthy, he's a way better and more proven starting pitcher than Contreras and Garland.

The article confirms the Sox have a 3rd yr option.  The article does not mention the incentives.  It's incentives that will likely pay Iggy 6M/2yr which would suggest to me the 3rd yr is a 4M base + incentives.

 

So in the end it might turn out to be 15M/3yr.  Which still is still good.

The only way Iggy makes that kind of $ is with top performance.

I thought I heard on 1000 yesterday that it was a 5 mil base. We'll find out soon enough.

There's no way El Duque pitches 5th.  When healthy, he's a way better and more proven starting pitcher than Contreras and Garland.

The Sox already said they'll be limiting his starts this season by using offdays as a way of skipping El Duque in the rotation, thus protecting his arm, so technicaly he is the 5th starter.

I thought I heard on 1000 yesterday that it was a 5 mil base.    We'll find out soon enough.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard it was a 2-year, $4.7 million base contract with incentives and a team option for 2007.

The Sox already said they'll be limiting his starts this season by using offdays as a way of skipping El Duque in the rotation, thus protecting his arm, so technicaly he is the 5th starter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I don't know how many times I need to repeat this. Cooper agrees with me. Use the off-days to extend EL-D's rest periods & skip some of his starts. This can be done while still for the most part keeping him #3 in the rotation following Garcia.

 

Ozzie doesn't agree with us. He takes the position that 1-5 is so strong individually there is no need to skip starts. So he has a straight 1-5 every 5th day schedule in mind. Off days would just extend rest to the pitcher who happened to be next in line to pitch after that off day.

 

Ozzie's plan will most likely give EL-D 5 more starts than Cooper's throughout the season. Pushing him into the 30+ start range. It will also drop Marky B & Freddy G down to the 210-220 ip range. So I guess you could say they are protecting their longest & most expensive pitching investments at the expense of their cheapest.

 

My hope is that Cooper can persuade Ozzie to rest EL-D more often than the rest.

What is the reasoning for letting Rowand play center over Pod.?

What is the argument for letting Rowand play center over Pod.?

 

 

Because he's a better centerfielder.

 

Pod may be faster but supposedly has poor judgement and a much weaker arm than Rowand.

I heard it was a 2-year, $4.7 million base contract with incentives and a team option for 2007.

I meant the option year base. Sorry.

there is no reason aaron rowand should be batting 6th. he is more proven than iguchi and is still pretty fast. i would even put him over dye.