Sympathy, action are in short supply

[aboz56]

Just another reason why I totally am not an Ozzie fan anymore. Thanks for the World Series pal, but if you're going to continue to act like this, go somewhere else.

[elrockinMT]

Esrtad talk the good talk. Everything is for the team, etc, and he plays hard and doesn't make excuses. Everything that Ozzie loves to hear he hears from Erstad. I may be wrong here, but I don't know of much Anderson has said in making excuses for his poor play. I think Anderson deserves better and I can already see a game or two where he should have been in for his defense if nothing else. But, it's so early in the season to be pointing fingers, changing line ups, etc. We have a good team and when we start hitting as a team things will look much better.

[Dick Allen]

incorrect. It just means he left the job wide open. Had BA played well last season he would've locked up the position this season. I don't feel sorry for him either. Hell, they handed it to him once already. And in my opinion he didn't win it back in spring like he was told he needed to do. And that was made harder going up against a guy who's proven himself at this level and won multiple gold gloves, not to mention his ability to handle the bat better than Brian.

First let me say I have no problem with Erstad being on the team. I liked the signing. But...........There's a reason why the replacement for Anderson was available for a 1 year $1 million guarantee. He hasn't done much recently. In fact, his 2006 was worse than Anderson's. Ozzie said at the beginning of last year that he did not care what Anderson hit. That turned out to be total BS. Obviously Anderson has to hit better than he did last season, but the guy was a rookie. Robin Ventura sucked when he was a rookie, why didn't they just replace him? Anderson was decent is spring training this year. I really don't think Erstad was much better. If its all about spring training performance, what is Boone Logan doing in Charlotte? There has to be something personal, and that's too bad. KW should send him to Charlotte or trade him away, but I'm sure he knows he'll never get fair value for him right now. Maybe the plan is to let him rot so he'll take even longer to develop and maybe not develop at all, then trade him away for nothing so the organization won't look as bad.

[Capn12]

First let me say I have no problem with Erstad being on the team. I liked the signing. But...........There's a reason why the replacement for Anderson was available for a 1 year $1 million guarantee. He hasn't done much recently. In fact, his 2006 was worse than Anderson's. Ozzie said at the beginning of last year that he did not care what Anderson hit. That turned out to be total BS. Obviously Anderson has to hit better than he did last season, but the guy was a rookie. Robin Ventura sucked when he was a rookie, why didn't they just replace him? Anderson was decent is spring training this year. I really don't think Erstad was much better. If its all about spring training performance, what is Boone Logan doing in Charlotte? There has to be something personal, and that's too bad. KW should send him to Charlotte or trade him away, but I'm sure he knows he'll never get fair value for him right now. Maybe the plan is to let him rot so he'll take even longer to develop and maybe not develop at all, then trade him away for nothing so the organization won't look as bad.

 

And whats more unreal is that we traded away our other CF options, and now we have BA, and no one else remotely close to being ready. Slick fielding CFers that can handle the bat well, young, and still cheap aren't exactly plentiful. I really hope Ozzie gets his head out of his ass and drops whatever beef he has against BA before we end up with no one to play CF except washed up veterans(see:Darin Erstad).

[StrangeSox]

And whats more unreal is that we traded away our other CF options, and now we have BA, and no one else remotely close to being ready. Slick fielding CFers that can handle the bat well, young, and still cheap aren't exactly plentiful. I really hope Ozzie gets his head out of his ass and drops whatever beef he has against BA before we end up with no one to play CF except washed up veterans(see:Darin Erstad).

 

Don't hold your breath.

[Gregory Pratt]

And whats more unreal is that we traded away our other CF options, and now we have BA, and no one else remotely close to being ready. Slick fielding CFers that can handle the bat well, young, and still cheap aren't exactly plentiful. I really hope Ozzie gets his head out of his ass and drops whatever beef he has against BA before we end up with no one to play CF except washed up veterans(see:Darin Erstad).

 

That's right, they aren't plentiful and we don't have that man on the roster. Sorry to tell you, and everyone, but Anderson's swing is terrible, he has a lousy approach. It was apparent in the spring, too, numbers aside.

 

We can argue that Anderson > Erstad, if you'd like, but let's not pretend that Anderson is good with the bat. And he probably never will be, IMO.

[StrangeSox]

Anderson is going to struggle at the plate this year, no doubt. If Erstad was hitting better than BA in 2006, I wouldn't mind him being out there as this offense needs all of the help it can get. But at this point, BA can produce just as well as Erstad isn't and play better defense to boot.

[Capn12]

I wasn't implying that BA was that player right now either. Fact is, we traded away that player to Arizona because we had full confidence as an organization, in the guy we kept(BA).

 

Now after 400 some odd ABs, we're ready to go with an aging vet who brings nothing more to the table. It sickens me, and confuses me as to where we're going with this team.

[Gregory Pratt]

Well, as long as it's understood that Anderson is not that guy.

 

I agree with everyone that I don't really think Erstad's an answer but I firmly believe he's better than Anderson. Which isn't saying much.

[SoxFanForever]

Well, as long as it's understood that Anderson is not that guy.

 

I agree with everyone that I don't really think Erstad's an answer but I firmly believe he's better than Anderson. Which isn't saying much.

What has Erstad done to make you believe he is a better palyer than Anderson? I'm curious.

[WilliamTell]

Erstad is more of a team leader and that's what Ozzie is looking for. I love Anderson's defense, but there are just some situations when you'd love to see Anderson hit the ball over to the right side of the field to move the runner over to third, or lay down a sac bunt, or lift a sac fly, and he doesn't get it done. I'm more confident with Erstad up there to do those things.

[Gregory Pratt]

What has Erstad done to make you believe he is a better palyer than Anderson? I'm curious.

 

He has a better swing. Better approach at the plate. He plays hard. Breaks up double plays. Plays equal or comparable D. Healed from injuries that have plagued him awhile.

 

Anderson's just a kid who needs some AAA time and a new hitting instructor.

[bmags]

he's a better player because he's healed from injuries?

[CWSGuy406]

He has a better swing. Better approach at the plate.

 

As proven by these numbers:

 

Player A -- .221/.281/.362

 

Player B -- .241/.291/.329

Answer: (Highlight)Player A = Anderson's career in a white sox uni. 403 ABs

Player B = Darrin Erstad's last 407 ABs.

 

He plays hard. Breaks up double plays.

 

So now Anderson doesn't play hard and doesn't break up DPs? Okay, I'll take note of that.

 

Plays equal or comparable D.

 

Anderson's closing speed is much better than Erstad's. But if you want to believe that they're equal -- maybe it makes you feel better -- go ahead and believe that.

 

Healed from injuries that have plagued him awhile.

 

Yup, he's healed and back to his 2000 ways. Err, wait, no he's not...

Edited April 15, 2007 by CWSGuy406

[hitlesswonder]

As proven by these numbers:

So now Anderson doesn't play hard and doesn't break up DPs? Okay, I'll take note of that.

Anderson's closing speed is much better than Erstad's. But if you want to believe that they're equal -- maybe it makes you feel better -- go ahead and believe that.

Yup, he's healed and back to his 2000 ways. Err, wait, no he's not...

 

In his last 3 injury-plagued years, Erstad's OPS is 50 points higher than Anderson. Anderson's defense is tremendously overrated -- every Sox beat writer I've heard has talked about how much trouble he has going back on the ball. Look at today's game and tell me who looks better at the plate. There's no way you can say Anderson is a better player than Erstad right now. the problem is that Erstad isn't actually any good and the Sox need to acquire a CF that can put up an OPS over .700.

[Rex Kickass]

I don't know how you expect a player with one year experience in the bigs to look at the plate with seven at bats over ten games.

[hitlesswonder]

I don't know how you expect a player with one year experience in the bigs to look at the plate with seven at bats over ten games.

 

I don't expect him to look good. Anderson should be playing everyday in AAA or preferably (for the sake of his career) for another organization. The Sox need a better CF than Erstad and Anderson isn't it. I do think Anderson still has a shot to be a productive major leaguer, but it won't happen with the Sox

[CWSGuy406]

In his last 3 injury-plagued years, Erstad's OPS is 50 points higher than Anderson. Anderson's defense is tremendously overrated -- every Sox beat writer I've heard has talked about how much trouble he has going back on the ball.

 

We've had this argument before. He rated above average in just about all metrics, and Sox fans on Tango's Scouting Report have rated his defense above average. Ditto most Sox fans on here. Ditto just about everyone else except those beat writers. You're just plain wrong here. Quoting "White Sox beat writers" is histerical, too. Those same beat writers thought that the reason we won in 2005 was because of Ozzieball.

 

Look at today's game and tell me who looks better at the plate. There's no way you can say Anderson is a better player than Erstad right now.

 

Anderson looked fine in Spring Training. He's coming off the bench and getting ABs once a week.

 

I don't know if Anderson is the answer in the future. He put up an .861 minor league OPS. I would think that, at the very least, he'd be able to eventually put up a .750 OPS in the majors if he wasn't jerked around like he's been for the first two years of his major league career. Maybe he falls on his face and never gets better than what he did last year. But I want to find out, and 4 ABs per week is not the way to find out.

 

What I do know, however, is that Erstad isn't the answer to any question, other than being a good bench player. He has no upside, and the downside is ruining the career (at least his Sox career) of a CFer who the Sox spent a first-round pick on and devoted another three (plus) years of development time to.

[Rowand44]

I like how Ozzie has wanted a team based around pitching and defense, yet all the sudden it doesn't matter that we had one of the best CF's in baseball out there for us. I guess having a great defensive player at one of the most important defensive positions isn't that important.

[Wealz]

The real problem is that neither Erstad or Anderson is an acceptable answer in center.

[Balta1701]

The real problem is that neither Erstad or Anderson is an acceptable answer in center.

I'd say a much bigger problem is that too many people are assuming that Brian Anderson will never improve beyond what he did last season.

[Wealz]

I'd say a much bigger problem is that too many people are assuming that Brian Anderson will never improve beyond what he did last season.

 

 

He may very well improve over what he did in 2006, but that still wouldn't necessarily make him an acceptable answer in center.

[StrangeSox]

He may very well improve over what he did in 2006, but that still wouldn't necessarily make him an acceptable answer in center.

A decent batting average and great defense from a young player isn't an acceptable answer?

[RockRaines]

What has Erstad done to make you believe he is a better palyer than Anderson? I'm curious.

What the f*** has Anderson done? Erstad looks better in the field, has an actual approach at the plate, and is able to do the small things. BA isnt up to snuff in any of those categories right now.

[Capn12]

What the f*** has Anderson done? Erstad looks better in the field, has an actual approach at the plate, and is able to do the small things. BA isnt up to snuff in any of those categories right now.

Does that approach include bouncing out to the second baseman over and over?