January 26, 201214 yr http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/white...ent?oid=5478286 The reason I'm posting this is because some of it is LOL funny, when it's not so depressing. His remarks about plenty of seats being available (just like last year!) are spot-on, as is his have-you-ever-been-less-excited-for-a-season sentiments that are popular here (yours truly included). What he points out that I hadn't really thought about is that while we shipped out Buehrle, Santos and Quentin... we really sort of replaced them "with air." Understandable, since Jerry's closed the purse due to "All In" becoming "All... What, Again?" and when you're saddled with the contracts of A.D., Peavy and Rios just what big acquisitions are you going to make? Answer: zero. Add to that the fact that KW brought in a never-managed-before Ventura and the Sox season should... begin in April. Oh well. Hey at least I love the 1972 jersey idea (damn I guess I'll just have to buy yet ANOTHER Sox jersey... sniff). Edited January 26, 201214 yr by LVSoxFan
January 26, 201214 yr Buehrle - Sale Santos - Reed Quentin - Viciedo Air? Oddly enough our farm system actually fulfilled it's purpose this offseason. Don't know how they'll produce but we replaced those 3 players with REAL damn major league ready prospects.
January 26, 201214 yr Author It remains to be seen if Sale's going to be okay taking over the starter role once those innings start piling up. Reed is still pretty young to get excited about. Viciedo, though--you're right that guy is somebody to get excited about.
January 26, 201214 yr Wouldn't you truly have to say... Buehrle - Sale Santos - Reed Quentin - Viciedo Sale- ? If Sale replaces Buehrle, who replaces Sale?
January 26, 201214 yr Author While Reed may turn out a pleasant surprise, what's scaring me is the idea of Thornton As Closer: Redux. Gulp. Please God no.
January 26, 201214 yr Also.. why does the Robin Ventura hiring, remind me so much of the Bill Cartwright hiring?
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 04:23 PM) Wouldn't you truly have to say... Buehrle - Sale Santos - Reed Quentin - Viciedo Sale- ? If Sale replaces Buehrle, who replaces Sale? That's the argument to be made. The Sox have seemingly failed to replace their best lefty reliever though they still have the previously great Thornton and the adequate Ohman down there assuming, of course, that Thornton doesn't hold the closer's role long. I'd categorize a host of minor league free agent lefties vying for the 2nd/3rd lefty role as "air".
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (LVSoxFan @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 04:11 PM) It remains to be seen if Sale's going to be okay taking over the starter role once those innings start piling up.Reed is still pretty young to get excited about. Viciedo, though--you're right that guy is somebody to get excited about. In all fairness though, and I'm a big fan of Mark Buehrle, some of Marks performances after piling up all those innings the last few seasons have been less than spectacular. I would take everything that Chris Sale has to offer this season, and if he runs out of gas in August and September, hopefully one of the minor league guys will be ready for an audition.
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (balfanman @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 05:49 PM) In all fairness though, and I'm a big fan of Mark Buehrle, some of Marks performances after piling up all those innings the last few seasons have been less than spectacular. I would take everything that Chris Sale has to offer this season, and if he runs out of gas in August and September, hopefully one of the minor league guys will be ready for an audition. Really, I gotta disagree, I think Mark's level of consistency over the last 4 years has just been astounding. He's basically doing exactly what he did in 2008.
January 26, 201214 yr Author LOL at the line in the article: "On the other hand, the Sox will have other hands..." I think I like this guy. Put him in the Sun-Times instead of Cowley.
January 26, 201214 yr Buehrle, Santos and Quentin were replaced by 3 top tier prospects. Sox fans have a lot to be angry about but the replacements for those 3 certainly isn't one of them.
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 05:23 PM) Wouldn't you truly have to say... Buehrle - Sale Santos - Reed Quentin - Viciedo Sale- ? If Sale replaces Buehrle, who replaces Sale? True, but of those 4 positions (SP, Closer, RF, MR), the middle reliever spot is the least important, and the most easily filled. So while no one may immediately fill Sale's spot, it wasn't a terribly significant role compared to the others.
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 04:52 PM) Really, I gotta disagree, I think Mark's level of consistency over the last 4 years has just been astounding. He's basically doing exactly what he did in 2008. Mark was used cautiously at several points over the last couple of seasons to preserve his arm. The coaching staff even talked about this, trying to take it easy on him so he would be stronger for the pennant race, which subsequentily didn't matter. This was due to his wearing down in past seasons. Late season Mark Buehrle has really not been much more than average in recent seasons, if I recall correctly.
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 05:04 PM) Buehrle, Santos and Quentin were replaced by 3 top tier prospects. Sox fans have a lot to be angry about but the replacements for those 3 certainly isn't one of them. Wait a minute our awful farm system cannot possbily produce two MLB products to help this year. The sysem is the worst in baseball.
January 26, 201214 yr QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 05:52 PM) Wait a minute our awful farm system cannot possbily produce two MLB products to help this year. The sysem is the worst in baseball. It is the worst. There's really no debating that.
January 27, 201214 yr QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 10:08 PM) Buehrle - Sale Santos - Reed Quentin - Viciedo Air? Oddly enough our farm system actually fulfilled it's purpose this offseason. Don't know how they'll produce but we replaced those 3 players with REAL damn major league ready prospects. We need to see them produce first. But, isn't that always the case with prospects or replacements in baseball? Edited January 27, 201214 yr by elrockinMT
January 27, 201214 yr QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 06:13 PM) We need to see them produce first. But, isn't that always the case with prospects or replacements in baseball? Um, he kinda insinuated that? Viciedo, Reed and Sale are as major league ready as it gets. It's on them from this point.
January 27, 201214 yr QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 06:56 PM) It is the worst. There's really no debating that. And one is partially the reason for the other. Because of our rapid promotions, we rarely have a really solid prospect "develop" in the minors. As soon as they show any signs of brilliance, they are sent to Chicago. It's not that we never produce major league talent, it's that they are never in the minors long enough to factor in to those rankings. Not saying we have a good farm system nonetheless, but if you put Sale, Reed, Viciedo, and Morel back in the minors where other teams might have them, we are talking 4 no-doubt top 100 prospects, and our system would probably rank around 23-26, not 30. But of course, you don't win based on your pre-season minor league rankings, you win based on your MLB talent, so to harp on it too much is time wasted.
January 27, 201214 yr QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 06:52 PM) And one is partially the reason for the other. Because of our rapid promotions, we rarely have a really solid prospect "develop" in the minors. As soon as they show any signs of brilliance, they are sent to Chicago. It's not that we never produce major league talent, it's that they are never in the minors long enough to factor in to those rankings. Not saying we have a good farm system nonetheless, but if you put Sale, Reed, Viciedo, and Morel back in the minors where other teams might have them, we are talking 4 no-doubt top 100 prospects, and our system would probably rank around 23-26, not 30. But of course, you don't win based on your pre-season minor league rankings, you win based on your MLB talent, so to harp on it too much is time wasted. This isn't said often enough. Sale would probably be a top 20 prospect in baseball if he were still in the minors, and he was putting up the numbers at AA that he already has at the major league level.
January 27, 201214 yr QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 05:52 PM) Wait a minute our awful farm system cannot possbily produce two MLB products to help this year. The sysem is the worst in baseball. It is one of the worst. May have been THE worst before this offseason, though I'd contend it is slightly above that level at this point (among 5 worst now, if that is an improvement). But that is about depth of talent. Even a lousy system has some talent in it, and as K pointed out, the Sox did a good job filling the biggest needs with major league ready talent.
January 27, 201214 yr QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 05:34 PM) LOL @ If Dunn sucks again this year, I may have to take this to One Hour Tees and get it printed on a t-shirt.
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