I doubt that you could hit major league pitching consistant enough to have a good batting average.

 

I kick 4ss at ESPNZone!

I kick 4ss at ESPNZone!

0 n0, u di'n't!

 

Though it's in tomorrow's paper, I thought I'd relay Kenny's comments on Walk early since it appears to be such a polarizing issue.

 

"I'm confident in all those coaches. It's not as though one guy, yes he is responsible for his particular area, but the way our relationships are and have been over the years, we all sit around and talk about the hitters as a group, we talk about the pitching as a group. It's not uncommon for Walk on an airplane or Coop on an airplane or at home, lounging around, for them to come to me and ask me about certain things.

 

"My point is, we have a dialogue as such that everybody knows what's going on, everybody knows the effort being put into the job at hand. So I am as confident as I've ever been with any group of coaches and the manager in terms of laying everything out on the table for the players and making them as good as they can possibly be. Beyond that, Coop's not taking the ball to the mound with the pitchers and Greg's not taking the bat up there. The culture of sports, I guess, is such that people want a reaction to a lack of performance in a certain area. But I'm not interested in that.

 

"We're interested in a stable franchise that allows us to compete on a yearly basis and in order to do that, you'd better keep your people around. That's the long answer. The short answer is, I haven't even thought about it. And the only person that could change my mind in terms of me even getting to the point to think about it is the guy they work directly for, and that's Ozzie. And he hasn't even brought it up to me."

 

It seems to me he's not the one out there striking out or failing in clutch situations. So, why blame him first? (Also, in regards to which of the fans or newspapers started the talk first, I saw it on message boards before the newspapers.)

 

I honestly think they'll turn it around and the same people who wanted Walk fired will be singing his praises.

 

Really, what I want to know is: What do you think a hitting coach actually does?

Hi Kenny!

Source?

Whalen

Whalen

Smithers wrote that? Burns is going to have him fired!

You know, this isn't a particularly good organization. There are a couple of things we excel at but on the whole, it's not even top fifteen, IMO, or if it is it's barely.

You know, this isn't a particularly good organization. There are a couple of things we excel at but on the whole, it's not even top fifteen, IMO, or if it is it's barely.

I disagree. I'd say the opposite. The White Sox as an entire organization do most things well, but suck at a few specific things.

I disagree. I'd say the opposite. The White Sox as an entire organization do most things well, but suck at a few specific things.

It'd be really, really tough for a bad organization to be competitive in its division every single year and to stay that way without falling back and rebuilding for a while. What were the rankings for wins since 2000? I could have swore we're near the top of that chart, behind like the Yankees and Braves or something like that.

We're terrible at drafting and developing.

And have been successful at winning baseball games.

 

You made the claim you don't beleive this is a Top 15 Organization. That obvious means there are 15+ teams that are better than the Chicago White Sox. I am having a hard time finding 15+ organizations that wouldn't trade in their success with the success the Sox have had the last 5+ years.

 

Can you?

 

The White Sox haven't been particularly good outside of 05.

The White Sox haven't been particularly good outside of 05.

What? The Sox are one of the most winning ballclubs in baseball this decade.

What? The Sox are one of the most winning ballclubs in baseball this decade.

 

I know.

 

They've been good as a team. But not particularly good as an organization.

 

It's hard to explain.

Please, try.

 

Tony, I was counting on you to start up another negative thread since I could not do so.

 

FIRESALE~! or WE RIOT.

Sorry, I am off my game.

 

You'll get another chance tomorrow as I'll be watching the Bulls game. So, don't let me or Mr. Pessimism down.

I understand what Pratt is getting at here, and it's not drafting and scouting, because the team has put up an average of 88 wins, a .544 winning percentage in this decade, and never a season below .500. However, this team has only 2 playoff appearances to back it up. The Sox bring a culture of winning, for sure, but not a culture of postseason births.

 

The absolute only reason I will disagree with what Pratt is saying is 2005, because I can think of about 23 teams that wish they could have that, and one in particular that's been in the playoffs 6 times this decade and they don't have anything to show for it. Luck, magic, skill, playing well, a brilliantly put together team - I don't really care how you dice it or explain it; the Sox won a World Series, and that's the envy of 80% of the league, and it defines the Sox as one of the elite teams of this decade thus far.

 

However, with perhaps better managing - say 2003 when Manuel had Neal Cotts start in Yankee Stadium for like his 3rd career start ever over Buehrle, and there's always Ozzie last year with Podsednik remaining in the leadoff spot and Mackowiak in CF half the team from June 1 on - or development - Brian Anderson in 2006, with no need to say more - the Sox may have 2 more playoff appearances. Those are areas the Sox need to work on. KW wants this franchise to become a dynasty, but every dynasty has 3 qualities: coaching, scouting, and development. The Sox scouting department, though mediocre with amateur talent up to this point, has been very good at the high minor and major league levels. The coaching and development are the two major problems right now, as neither are good at all, especially the development. If those two areas improve over the next five years to the point where the Sox are among the best in the league in all 3 - and with as much income that's coming in, it damn well should be - then the Sox won't have to worry about having sustained success, because they'll have it.

Hitting coach Greg Walker has a message for his pitchers: just hold on.

 

"I tell you, and I really believe this, if we can just hang in there, stay with the pack, it might not be pretty ... I think when you get off to a slow start and get it going, you become so mean, 'Hey I'm not going to lose this, I'm going to run it out and I see that happening here as long as I can,' " Walker said.

Walker is still on my s*** list, thank god for pitching.

What is Walker talking about?

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ May 7, 2007 -> 05:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But the Rangers are hitting .241 as a team. If you were a Ranger fan, you would be calling for his head.

Still waiting for a response on this one. SSI71, how come Texas' coach is getting praise when he team is having bad results just like the Sox? Is it because of Sosa's turn around?

When will he be fired......if the Royals shut us out 3 times in a row will it be enough? Everyday we keep Walker, I become more concerned about just how smart Kenny Williams is. It's borderline embarassing Walker still has a job.

Still waiting for a response on this one. SSI71, how come Texas' coach is getting praise when he team is having bad results just like the Sox? Is it because of Sosa's turn around?

 

The Texas Rangers are hitting as bad as we are. Are you watching the same thing.

 

Lets see the whitesox had a horrible April and their May is worse.

 

The Rangers had a bad April, and have picked it up in May. One team shows no sign of life, while the other team has started to pick up showing that one month was the odd ball.

 

One team has an entire team hitting rotten, while the other team has key players hitting well, and others showing signs of life in May.

 

Texas Rangers April/May Team BA April .235 May .262

 

Key Contributors to the Rangers team. Notice their sluggers are starting to heat up as a group.

 

Kinsler .298 1.042OPS In May .091 He has gotten worse.

Sosa .244 .855 OPS In May .364 .948 OPS

Texeria .231 .868 OPS In May .409 1.230OPS

Blalock .247 .678 OPS In May .333 .959 OPS

The Texas Rangers are hitting as bad as we are. Are you watching the same thing.

 

Lets see the whitesox had a horrible April and their May is worse.

 

The Rangers had a bad April, and have picked it up in May. One team shows no sign of life, while the other team has started to pick up showing that one month was the odd ball.

 

One team has an entire team hitting rotten, while the other team has key players hitting well, and others showing signs of life in May.

 

Texas Rangers April/May Team BA April .235 May .262

 

Key Contributors to the Rangers team. Notice their sluggers are starting to heat up as a group.

 

Kinsler .298 1.042OPS In May .091 He has gotten worse.

Sosa .244 .855 OPS In May .364 .948 OPS

Texeria .231 .868 OPS In May .409 1.230OPS

Blalock .247 .678 OPS In May .333 .959 OPS

 

You're right. The Rangers are hitting .244, while we are hitting .220.

 

We are last in the American League, we're so bad it's almost comical.

 

For christ's sake Kenny, end this already.

Greg Walker still needs to lose his job.