Andruw Jones

[soreal35]

I know that Ozzie just said he is going to use a strict righty/lefty lineup, but if he doesn't give this guy at least two weeks in the lineup to see what he can do on a day to day basis he has rocks in his head......

Edited April 21, 2010 by soreal35

[caulfield12]

Yeah, there's no way you can play Kotsay over Jones for now...it wouldn't even be remotely in the proximity of stupid/foolhardy.

[balfanman]

Yeah, there's no way you can play Kotsay over Jones for now...it wouldn't even be remotely in the proximity of stupid/foolhardy.

I'm not one to jump on Ozzie; I try to give him the benefit of a doubt. My thinking is that Ozzie surely knows more about running a baseball team than I do. But if Kotsay is in the lineup over Jones tomorrow Ozzie will have definitely lost a few notches in the intelligence chart in my book. And I don't think that Kotsay is that bad of a player if used properly.

[bmags]

I think Jones should get one day a week off, with 2 games off in a week every four weeks, to give him rest since he's had injuries, but yeah, he should be playing a lot.

[soreal35]

I think Jones should get one day a week off, with 2 games off in a week every four weeks, to give him rest since he's had injuries, but yeah, he should be playing a lot.

I personally think it is foolish to worry about a guy who makes $500,000 getting injured....I think it is even more foolish that the Sox brought in a player making five hundo a year to carry an offense, but if he's hot ride him till he's cold. This is a pro sport and Andruw is a guy who is making peanuts...He wants to play well just as much as the Sox want him to play well. There really is no "losing" situation with a guy like this.

[witesoxfan]

The only games I would even consider using Kotsay in now are against tough right handers, and even then I'd be wary of doing it. Jones is real good right now.

[greg775]

Considering just today he said he was going to stick with one lineup against righties and one vs. lefties, we are stuck with Kotsay against righties.

I agree it will be pretty dumb. Jones is proving me wrong by hitting the long ball at a nice clip. Oz is gonna get hammered if we get shut out with Kotsay in instead of Jones.

[soreal35]

Considering just today he said he was going to stick with one lineup against righties and one vs. lefties, we are stuck with Kotsay against righties.

I agree it will be pretty dumb. Jones is proving me wrong by hitting the long ball at a nice clip. Oz is gonna get hammered if we get shut out with Kotsay in instead of Jones.

gonna be interesting to see what ozzie does tomorrow...I bet he will be stubborn and go with Kotsay tomorrow. You hear all this garbage about it being a long season, but a win in April means the same thing as a win in September when it comes down to it

[bmags]

I personally think it is foolish to worry about a guy who makes $500,000 getting injured....I think it is even more foolish that the Sox brought in a player making five hundo a year to carry an offense, but if he's hot ride him till he's cold. This is a pro sport and Andruw is a guy who is making peanuts...He wants to play well just as much as the Sox want him to play well. There really is no "losing" situation with a guy like this.

 

If he is a productive hitter and he goes down that is a losing situation, no matter how much he makes. He's an old 33 having been up so long, playing so many innings. He started off hot last year too.

[greg775]

The one problem with Oz's lineup switcheroo thing he's planning is Jones has four home runs and Paulie five. I'm assuming Kotsay has none.

Kotsay better produce, cause he's going to play a heck of a lot more than Andruw with Andruw only going against lefties.

 

[justBLAZE]

The one problem with Oz's lineup switcheroo thing he's planning is Jones has four home runs and Paulie five. I'm assuming Kotsay has none.

Kotsay better produce, cause he's going to play a heck of a lot more than Andruw with Andruw only going against lefties.

 

Kotsay has 1, but nothing else other than that.

 

Spot starter, PH.

[Quin]

The one problem with Oz's lineup switcheroo thing he's planning is Jones has four home runs and Paulie five. I'm assuming Kotsay has none.

Kotsay better produce, cause he's going to play a heck of a lot more than Andruw with Andruw only going against lefties.

 

Kotsay has 1.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I personally think it is foolish to worry about a guy who makes $500,000 getting injured....I think it is even more foolish that the Sox brought in a player making five hundo a year to carry an offense, but if he's hot ride him till he's cold. This is a pro sport and Andruw is a guy who is making peanuts...He wants to play well just as much as the Sox want him to play well. There really is no "losing" situation with a guy like this.

 

It's not foolish when you're as thin on offensive talent as the White Sox. I hate to say it. But the Sox NEED Andruw Jones. It's not like whatever he gives you on the + side is a bonus. It's a necessity.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Where does Ozzie get in his head that Jones can't hit right-handed pitching???

 

2009:

LHP: 119 AB, .218 AVG, 4 HR (29.7 AB)

RHP: 162 AB, .210 AVG, 13 HR (12.4 AB)

 

2008:

LHP: 73 AB, .178 AVG, 2 HR (36.5 AB)

RHP: 136 AB,.137 AVG, 1 HR (136 AB)

 

2007:

LHP: 182 AB, .225 AVG, 10 HR (18.2 AB)

RPH: 390 AB,.221 AVG, 16 HR (24.3 AB)

 

2006:

LHP: 127 AB, .260 AVG, 10 HR (12.7 AB)

RHP: 428 AB, .261 AVG, 31 HR (13.8 AB)

 

2005:

LHP: 125 AB, .256 AVG, 9 HR (13.8 AB)

RHP: 461 AB, .265 AVG, 42 HR (10.9 AB)

 

2004:

LHP: 151 AB, .265 AVG, 7 HR (21.6 AB)

RHP: 419 AB, .260 AVG, 22 HR (19 AB)

 

2003:

LHP: 131 AB, .260 AVG, 11 HR (11.9 AB)

RHP: 464 AB, .282 AVG, 25 HR (18.5 AB)

 

2002:

LHP: 79 AB, .229 AVG, 2 HR (40 AB)

RHP: 481 AB, .270 AVG, 33 HR (14.5 AB)

 

 

 

Clearly he has been pretty consistent from LHP to RHP, or at least has never shown a reason to say "Wow, this guy can't hit righties". He has maintained similar averages while keeping the power up. So why is Ozzie so stuck on Andruw never seeing a RHP?

 

 

[greg775]

It seems he'd at least ride Jones while he's hot. What if he got hot this whole home stand and hit four homers and suddenly had 8? We'd think we've really got something here.

[hogan873]

Playing Kotsay over Jones right now is ridiculous. Jones can hit, and it may be just a hot start but that doesn't matter when the offense is in need of a good bat. Jones needs to be playing as much as possible right now, and Kotsay should be a PH and occasional starter.

 

I admit that I was one of the fools who was for Kotsay playing more based on his ST numbers. Well, now I can see the error of my ways and say his numbers didn't translate.

[caulfield12]

Wilson Betemit after ST 2009 was the perfect example of not translating results into reality of the regular season.

 

His defensive shortcomings had a lot to do with that, too.

 

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Playing Kotsay over Jones 2/3 of the time (which is what happens with R/L) makes zero sense at this time. I think at times people on the board get overzealous with the Ozzie bashing, but in this case, if he does this, he is just dead wrong.

 

[hogan873]

Playing Kotsay over Jones 2/3 of the time (which is what happens with R/L) makes zero sense at this time. I think at times people on the board get overzealous with the Ozzie bashing, but in this case, if he does this, he is just dead wrong.

Could not agree more.

[BigSqwert]

I didn't watch the game. Did Kotsay get any Wise-like boos?

[NorthSideSox72]

I didn't watch the game. Did Kotsay get any Wise-like boos?

Kotsay didn't play. We're talking about the fact that Ozzie says he has a set lineup now against RH and LH, which seems to mean that Kotsay will be starting 70% of the time.

 

[BigSqwert]

Kotsay didn't play. We're talking about the fact that Ozzie says he has a set lineup now against RH and LH, which seems to mean that Kotsay will be starting 70% of the time.

How can anyone possibly defend that decision? Kotsay would be DFA'd on most teams by now.

[Balta1701]

Kotsay would be DFA'd on most teams by now.

No, he wouldn't.

 

He'd be stuck at the end of the bench, but you don't DFA a backup being paid $1 million to be your backup 1b because he has a bad first 25 at bats.

[Harry Chappas]

Somebody needs to explain to Ozzie that right handed hitters can hit right handed pitching. If they could not they would have been out of baseball by age 12.

 

Left handed hitters struggle against left handed pitching.

[southsider2k5]

If he is a productive hitter and he goes down that is a losing situation, no matter how much he makes. He's an old 33 having been up so long, playing so many innings. He started off hot last year too.

 

Exactly. People need to make the realization that if we ride Andruw like a starter, the odds look pretty good that his body will break down and we will have Kotsay full time. Ozzie has to make the choice between playing Jones 4 to 5 days a week tops to try to make him last the season, or starting him all of the time until the wheels fall off and you see Kotsay play as long as it takes. Also realize that once Jones gets injured, even when he comes back, he doesn't seem to maintain his form using recent seasons as a guide.

 

This isn't about a Kotsay man-crush, its about protecting Jones, and you aren't going to hear anyone on this team actually say that.