Here's an exerpt from David Haugh's column. He praises Juan Pierre for leading us to victory the last 2 games:

 

"Pierre’s five errors this season created understandable scrutiny and criticism. Ideally, he also would have more steals than 11 and a higher batting average than .262. But on a Sox team with Dunn hitting .171 and Alex Rios having just 20 RBIs — two fewer than the Sox’s leadoff man — Pierre becoming so polarizing seems odd.

He doesn’t bring attention to himself or occasionally loaf like, say, his left-field counterpart with the Cubs, Alfonso Soriano. He arrives early and stays late. He epitomizes the type of athlete Chicago typically celebrates, not denigrates. Not that Pierre’s complaining.

“When you play in Chicago, that definitely comes with the territory,” said Pierre, a Cub in 2006. “I just continue to work and not let any of the outside distractions enter my head.”

It helps that Ozzie Guillen repeats his impassioned support for Pierre every time somebody asks about prospect Dayan Viciedo. To Guillen, Pierre is like a magic Juan who fits the mold of catalyst and leads by example. Before the game, Guillen said no other player he has managed regularly comes to work with the same steady attitude.

“Put it this way: I wish I had 25 Juan Pierres, with all the respect to Paul Konerko, (Alex) Rios, (Adam) Dunn,” Guillen said. “If he’s 0-for-4 or 4-for-4, he doesn’t change any day.”

With more days like Friday, maybe the perception of Pierre will."

 

 

What say you about this column?? Juan Pierre deserves praise, not scorn, these days. He's hard working like Haugh says, yet we blast him. Should we Sox fans be ashamed of ourselves?

If I played professional baseball, I would work just as hard as Juan Pierre. I'm quite clearly not as talented as any major leaguer, but through my hardwork, I would raise my batting average from .050 to .125. Would you cheer for me and want me to remain on the team?

 

Juan Pierre is a 4th outfielder who is starting in LF and getting the most plate appearances of anybody on the team.

"I wish I had 25 Juan Pierres"

 

I threw up in my mouth.

"I wish I had 25 Juan Pierres"

 

I threw up in my mouth.

Ozzie also said (to paraphrase) 'I don't care if he goes 0 for 100, he is still going out there' yesterday. I think it was in respect to pierre. I hope someone else can fill us in.

 

 

If I played professional baseball, I would work just as hard as Juan Pierre. I'm quite clearly not as talented as any major leaguer, but through my hardwork, I would raise my batting average from .050 to .125. Would you cheer for me and want me to remain on the team?

 

Juan Pierre is a 4th outfielder who is starting in LF and getting the most plate appearances of anybody on the team.

 

With all due respect, how do you know you would work as hard as Juan? Do you realize the grind of a pro baseball season? Now maybe you are a Robo-man superman. I don't know you. But plenty of baseball players each offseason THINK they are going to work hard and don't. I don't think it's a given you or anybody would play as hard as Pierre does.

I want Dayan in the lineup, period, but Chicago should probably be ashamed of himself hating on Juan as much as it does. I mean what other player has 2 days in a row led us to victory (besides Sergio and our excellent starters)??

Rios? Dunn? Gordon B? Lexi?

I have ZERO complaints about Juan's work ethic. He's the perfect model of a professional, IMO. That's never been my problem with him this year (last year, I defended him a lot). It's that, the last few days notwithstanding, he's looked like what Jerry Owens would look like if he couldn't steal bases. That's about as useless as you can get as a baseball player. And it's a valid question to ask whether his best days are behind him now.

With all due respect, how do you know you would work as hard as Juan? Do you realize the grind of a pro baseball season? Now maybe you are a Robo-man superman. I don't know you. But plenty of baseball players each offseason THINK they are going to work hard and don't. I don't think it's a given you or anybody would play as hard as Pierre does.

I want Dayan in the lineup, period, but Chicago should probably be ashamed of himself hating on Juan as much as it does. I mean what other player has 2 days in a row led us to victory (besides Sergio and our excellent starters)??

Rios? Dunn? Gordon B? Lexi?

 

It's a rhetorical idea. I have no idea if I would work as hard as Juan. I'd like to think so but I simply don't know. I bet Adam Dunn is working his ass off right now, but because he's been a great power hitter in the past and he isn't starting to come through and he isn't grindy nor a particularly likable character, people like you criticize the hell out of him. That's a double standard.

 

Oh, and as to Juan "leading" the Sox to victory...I don't think so. That is a combined team effort and him having the go ahead hit doesn't mean that he led the team to victory. If you want to play it like that, then I'd say that he's cost the Sox more games due to defensive lapses than he has won them with his bat. April and May weren't that long ago.

Edited July 2, 201114 yr by witesoxfan

It's a rhetorical idea. I have no idea if I would work as hard as Juan. I'd like to think so but I simply don't know. I bet Adam Dunn is working his ass off right now, but because he's been a great power hitter in the past and he isn't starting to come through and he isn't grindy nor a particularly likable character, people like you criticize the hell out of him. That's a double standard.

 

Oh, and as to Juan "leading" the Sox to victory...I don't think so. That is a combined team effort and him having the go ahead hit doesn't mean that he led the team to victory. If you want to play it like that, then I'd say that he's cost the Sox more games due to defensive lapses than he has won them with his bat. April and May weren't that long ago.

 

The article wasn't about Dunn's work ethic. Ozzie hasn't talked about Dunn's work ethic. If we see similar story/comments about Dunn, I'll comment on those.

I said I was in favor of Dayan coming up and I'm not all Juan. We need Viciedo and now. I wouldn't say Juan is a likeable character, not with the hate on him all season.

 

And I didn't mean to start any trouble. Sorry if i offended.

Edited July 2, 201114 yr by greg775

The title of this thread made me mildly excited, as I thought it perhaps implied that, like in the song "Ode to Billie Joe," the main character had jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

 

That, of course, was wrong of me, because as far as I know, Billie Joe McAllister never hit a game-winning, RBI triple in the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley Field.

I know he's getting some mild props, but this man has won us the last 3 games in a row!!

(Along with the pitching staff).

Juan baby!!! Show him the love, people. White Sox are back to .500. Juan's WAR has to be improving with 3 straight game winning ribbies!!!

I know he's getting some mild props, but this man has won us the last 3 games in a row!!

(Along with the pitching staff).

Juan baby!!! Show him the love, people. White Sox are back to .500. Juan's WAR has to be improving with 3 straight game winning ribbies!!!

That's not actually how the WAR stat works, but I'll take this version of JP any day of the week if he's going to keep this up.

That's not actually how the WAR stat works, but I'll take this version of JP any day of the week if he's going to keep this up.

High leverage situations should matter to that stat though, right?

High leverage situations should matter to that stat though, right?

dude ask me this when I'm sober. Right now my focus is entierly on maintaining correct splling and I'm not doign that great of a job.

Talking about hating Juan Pierre is misleading and misdirecting. No one has anything against Juan personally. I HATED it that Kenny acquired him and I HATE it that Ozzy plays him more than twice a week. Anyone who wants a team of 25 Juan Pierre's doesn't mind finishing in last place. I wouldn't hate that team, but I sure as hell wouldn't pay any money to watch it.

dude ask me this when I'm sober. Right now my focus is entierly on maintaining correct splling and I'm not doign that great of a job.

 

Isn't being drunk grand? What are you drinking by the way?

High leverage situations should matter to that stat though, right?

 

Do they not??? Don't question sabermetrics!

Isn't being drunk grand? What are you drinking by the way?

 

Coors Light on the golf course, vodka at home....not that you asked me

I thought maybe we were through hateing Juan Pierre by now

I love the B&B show, but I dont like the full blown hate like how Dan has or other fans towards JP.

 

we have to realize that ozzie always has and continues to love that lead off type of a player. and that's why JP is in the role he has. I think Juan should end up winning the AL player of the week award.

 

This week, and will see if ti continues, Ozzie has been smarter than all the haters.

I love the B&B show, but I dont like the full blown hate like how Dan has or other fans towards JP.

 

we have to realize that ozzie always has and continues to love that lead off type of a player. and that's why JP is in the role he has. I think Juan should end up winning the AL player of the week award.

 

This week, and will see if ti continues, Ozzie has been smarter than all the haters.

 

Why has Ozzie been smarter than the haters? Because Pierre has finally had a good week after 14 bad to mediocre ones?

Isn't being drunk grand? What are you drinking by the way?

I had this cheapass thing of Aftershock (I was broke last week), and I was at home by myself. Got a little carried away and had the whole thing.

That's not actually how the WAR stat works, but I'll take this version of JP any day of the week if he's going to keep this up.

 

 

dude ask me this when I'm sober. Right now my focus is entierly on maintaining correct splling and I'm not doign that great of a job.

Damn... I degenerated that far in 12 minutes. That was the beginning, I'd actually gotten significantly worse and had a neat chronicling of my steady degeneration into incoherence on Facebook.

I'll give Juan huge props for his AB in the 9th tonight. He might be only player on team that wouldn't have chased that 3-2 breaking ball, and he acted like he was in control that whole at bat.

High leverage situations should matter to that stat though, right?

 

No. High leverage only matters with regards to WPA.