He still has a shot. To wit...

Why would the starter be pushing a guy in AAA? The answer is he wouldn't. It seems clear from the quote that Ozzie still thinks BA has a shot. Erstad isn't a given just yet.

 

Also...

He is referring to Erstad as security.

 

If Oz is stupid and puts Erstad as the starting CF, then I'll be just as upset as you are right now. But that article actually reaffirms my belief that Ozzie is being Ozzie - he thinks BA has an attitude, and he's giving him the 3rd degree by saying Erstad is solid out there. I think some people might be surprised come April 1st or so.

 

ETA: Check out the quote at the end of the article...

Combine that with him saying Anderson won't be a backup, and I think its pretty clear Anderson is still in the picture for starting in CF.

 

Yes, my hope is still that this talk is all an elaborate campaign to push Anderson to work his butt off.

 

or

Despite being a stupid move by the Sox, Erstad actually a really good year.

or

When Erstad is no good, Anderson takes over

Personally I don't think its possible for pods, erstad and dye to remain healthy all year. One of them will most likely miss significant playing time and Brian will get the call up to play center. If dye goes down we have the worst outfield in baseball. People seem to be forgetting that he isn't the most durable outfielder either. Pods seems to be made of glass of late. I don't know if sports hernias are like other hernias but after surgery, a regular hernia is easier to injure than it was to begin with. Everyone knows erstads situation.

 

The sox outfield is shaky at best and not likely to remain a constant all season. To me, it doesn't really matter who starts on opening day because it will more than likely change.

Why is Ozzie so worried about the right handed matchups, considering we did very well against righties last year. It was the lefties, and the loogy's that just worked us over last year. Maybe he should worry about that.

 

Here is rotoworld on the subject.

Jesus f***ing christ.

 

Anderson has no f***ing shot

 

No doubt that those three lefties can probably perform very well against a RH starter, but what happens when its a tie game in the 8th or 9th and we have the top of lineup coming in. They take the starter out and just bring in a LOOGY, Jamie Walker or Dennys Reyes and boom out go the sox 1,2,3 in order. It happened all the time last year. Its not all about just matching up against the starter its about having the most consistent and productive lineup out there that gives you the best chance to win every day. And going lefty, lefty, lefty at the top even against a RH starter jsut ensures that you are screwed when the LOOGY comes in for a close game in relief. Its just dumb to stack the LH like that, thats why no other mananger does it. You dont see the yankees, go Damon, Cano, Giambi do you?

Is it wrong of me to root for an Erstad injury?

Is it wrong of me to root for an Erstad injury?

 

It will happen anyway, with him in the outfield. Don't worry.

Haha, sounds bad, but I understand where you're coming from. As it stands, I can't stand the situation going on right now with the OF and the top of the order. I just don't understand it. With that said, Podsednik and Erstad look to play a huge role in the success of the White Sox this year, and because of that, I have to root for both of them to do well. Podsednik is the only really White Sox I really dislike, but I still have to root for him because he can dictate the success or failures of this team.

 

As president of my own presonal, private, Prancer fanclub, it's my duty to inform you that Pods and the millions and millions of Pods fans dislike you, too.

Haha, sounds bad, but I understand where you're coming from. As it stands, I can't stand the situation going on right now with the OF and the top of the order. I just don't understand it. With that said, Podsednik and Erstad look to play a huge role in the success of the White Sox this year, and because of that, I have to root for both of them to do well. Podsednik is the only really White Sox I really dislike, but I still have to root for him because he can dictate the success or failures of this team.

 

What has he done to make you dislike him? Or do you dislike his numbers.

What has he done to make you dislike him? Or do you dislike his numbers.

 

Probably his defense, his numbers and the amount of times he was caught stealing...

 

I still like Pods...he signified the end of the all-or-nothing approach we had been taking up until his aquisition. Besides, anyone on the 05' team gets a free pass from me.

His pure lack of baseball skills. He simply is not a good baseball player. He doesn't hit for power. He plays below average defense. He has trouble getting on base. The only way Scott Podsednik is effective is with his speed. He was a step slower in 2006, and is coming off groin surgery. Groin surgery with a speed player=Bad News.

There really isn't much to like.

Plus he's making about $2M too much and is the only real leadoff option on the club in the manager's eyes. They put way too much faith in him.

His pure lack of baseball skills. He simply is not a good baseball player. He doesn't hit for power. He plays below average defense. He has trouble getting on base. The only way Scott Podsednik is effective is with his speed. He was a step slower in 2006, and is coming off groin surgery. Groin surgery with a speed player=Bad News.

There really isn't much to like.

 

ok. Just wondering. Disliking him because he isn't good is different than disliking him because he's an asshole, as an example.

Edited March 20, 200719 yr by jphat007

Plus he's making about $2M too much and is the only real leadoff option on the club in the manager's eyes. They put way too much faith in him.

 

I think its much closer to 3 million. 2.9?

I think its much closer to 3 million. 2.9?

Well considering his service time he'd be making about $900k on most any major league club despite being terrible. I'm sure someone could have use for a $900K pinch runner, so I'll give him that.

I agree. I really have never heard anything bad about Podsednik, although the stories about him "beating himself up" over tough stretches doesn't sit too well with me. Grow up, and start to hit better. I got really sick of the constant stories in 2006 about Pods and Walker-Guillen-Williams discussing Podsednik and his mental state during tough stretches.

 

Yea, I agree those excuses don't fly with me. These are supposedly professionals, they should be able to get through these things without "beating themselves up".

Well considering his service time he'd be making about $900k on most any major league club despite being terrible. I'm sure someone could have use for a $900K pinch runner, so I'll give him that.

 

Yeah, I saw what you were saying after I posted that.

ok. Just wondering. Disliking him because he isn't good is different than disliking him because he's an asshole, as an example.

 

I am sure that Pods is a sweatheart as a guy. However he is a major league baseball player, and there are a few basic standards for his position. Get on base at about a .360 to .390 level, get into scoring position and run like hell when our thumpers crush the ball.

 

 

I dislike our leadoff hitter and sparkplug for our offense having a .241BA with a less than 300OBP for half the year. I dislike the same player playing really crap defense.

 

His job is a few things. Get on base, try to get into scoring position for big thumpers. When your sub 700 OPS hitting LF cant get onbase, cant hit and is playing poor LF with no arm. I dont see why this guy is our starting LF.

No doubt that those three lefties can probably perform very well against a RH starter, but what happens when its a tie game in the 8th or 9th and we have the top of lineup coming in. They take the starter out and just bring in a LOOGY, Jamie Walker or Dennys Reyes and boom out go the sox 1,2,3 in order. It happened all the time last year. Its not all about just matching up against the starter its about having the most consistent and productive lineup out there that gives you the best chance to win every day. And going lefty, lefty, lefty at the top even against a RH starter jsut ensures that you are screwed when the LOOGY comes in for a close game in relief. Its just dumb to stack the LH like that, thats why no other mananger does it. You dont see the yankees, go Damon, Cano, Giambi do you?

 

If Ozzie has his heart set on Pods leading off and Erstad batting second, he better bat Thome fifth. But he won't...

When we signed Erstad I liked the move because I figured he would be a guy who could back up in the outfield and play a little first, I would have been completely against the move if I would have known he had a good chance of starting. If it's Pods and Erstad 1-2, we may very well have the worst 1-2 in all of baseball.

When we signed Erstad I liked the move because I figured he would be a guy who could back up in the outfield and play a little first, I would have been completely against the move if I would have known he had a good chance of starting. If it's Pods and Erstad 1-2, we may very well have the worst 1-2 in all of baseball.

HA! You should go back to the original 'Erstad Signs' thread and check out some of the posts in there. It was what 2 months ago and I had it as a foregone conclusion even then that he would be taking over for Anderson as the starting CF to start the season. This isn't exactly coming as a surprise to me.

 

There was no way Ozzie Guillen was going to use the Greatest Grinder In Grinding History as a bench player, it goes against everything he's done over his 3 years as the White Sox' Manager.

If you are going to bat prancer first and then Erstad 2nd you might as well just ditch that, have Thome lead off and have Kong follow. At least that way you would get our top 3 hitters as man ABs as possible. Because with prancer and erstad you really cant be serious that you want baserunners. Check their OBP. Thome will be batting a bunch of times with 2 outs and no one on base.

HA! You should go back to the original 'Erstad Signs' thread and check out some of the posts in there. It was what 2 months ago and I had it as a foregone conclusion even then that he would be taking over for Anderson as the starting CF to start the season. This isn't exactly coming as a surprise to me.

 

There was no way Ozzie Guillen was going to use the Greatest Grinder In Grinding History as a bench player, it goes against everything he's done over his 3 years as the White Sox' Manager.

 

we definitely called this

I just re-read that thread. It makes me sad that I was right....

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=56432

Ha I called for Eduardo Perez to be signed in post #33.

HA! You should go back to the original 'Erstad Signs' thread and check out some of the posts in there. It was what 2 months ago and I had it as a foregone conclusion even then that he would be taking over for Anderson as the starting CF to start the season. This isn't exactly coming as a surprise to me.

 

There was no way Ozzie Guillen was going to use the Greatest Grinder In Grinding History as a bench player, it goes against everything he's done over his 3 years as the White Sox' Manager.

 

I figured there would be a chance of that-if BA had an awful spring. Yet he's hitting .300 and it's still gonna happen. There is no way in hell someone can justify starting Erstad in center. Even if BA hits .250 (which, given the amount of playing time he should get, I see him hitting at least .250) he is more valuable than Erstad. I guess we have to remember this is the guy who thought of batting Uribe #2 last year.

Edited March 21, 200719 yr by WhiteSoxfan1986

Toss Up...

 

What's more likely to happen first?

 

Erstad gets injured or Ozzie realizes what a friggin failure his idea was and Iguchi returns to hitting 2nd

What is with all the Podsednik hate? I don't like him or anything, but he wasn't 100% last year. Would I rather have Dave Roberts in LF and leading off? Hell yes. But then again, Podsednik can return to that 05 and 03 form, and hit .300, with a .350+ OBP, and steal 60 bags and have a 80% completion rate of doing so.

 

And I can kinda understand the Erstad hate, but can we please wait until the season is two months through the season and see the results before we crucify the whole team? For all we know Pods reverts back to '05, and Erstad repeats 2000.

What is with all the Podsednik hate? I don't like him or anything, but he wasn't 100% last year. Would I rather have Dave Roberts in LF and leading off? Hell yes. But then again, Podsednik can return to that 05 and 03 form, and hit .300, with a .350+ OBP, and steal 60 bags and have a 80% completion rate of doing so.

 

And I can kinda understand the Erstad hate, but can we please wait until the season is two months through the season and see the results before we crucify the whole team? For all we know Pods reverts back to '05, and Erstad repeats 2000.

 

Neither have the might to hack their way out of a paper bag.