Bernie Pleskoff ‏@BerniePleskoff 42m

 

Hear it in the press box: #WhiteSox Jose Abreu brings back memories of a young Frank Thomas. That's some praise. Nothing too wild.

Bernie Pleskoff ‏@BerniePleskoff 42m

 

Hear it in the press box: #WhiteSox Jose Abreu brings back memories of a young Frank Thomas. That's some praise. Nothing too wild.

 

Well damn.

 

Here's hoping.

Bernie Pleskoff ‏@BerniePleskoff 42m

 

Hear it in the press box: #WhiteSox Jose Abreu brings back memories of a young Frank Thomas. That's some praise. Nothing too wild.

 

Spring Training is the worst.

Guess we got Gordon's built in excuse for this season.

Guess we got Gordon's built in excuse for this season.

I'm ready to move on from beckham and the excuses.

I think Semien has a chance to make you forget all about Gordon.

Micah Johnson has been doing a compelling impersonation of a major league ballplayer

https://twitter.com/DanHayesCSN/status/445955041656967169

 

Beck impressing. It would be great if they can get him in the rotation going into next year, like they did with Johnson this year. And then whoever they draft in June by OD, 2016.

https://twitter.com/DanHayesCSN/status/445955041656967169

 

Beck impressing. It would be great if they can get him in the rotation going into next year, like they did with Johnson this year. And then whoever they draft in June by OD, 2016.

 

Any word on where his velocity has sat?

Micah Johnson has been doing a compelling impersonation of a major league ballplayer

Yeah, I'm much more excited about him now than I was at the beginning of spring. Of course, Spring Training is often a mirage. But he's definitely exciting to watch, and I'm hoping he destroys AAA (he'll be there, right? or AA?) for a while so we can see him in Chicago towards the end of the year.

I think Semien has a chance to make you forget all about Gordon.

In all fairness, so does anyone else capable of about 2 1/2 weeks of consistent baseball out of the 2B position.

 

The nice thing about Semien is he can't break your heart. If he's garbage he was never rated that highly anyway; if he's a bench player you've got at least something, nothing to be upset about; if he's average he's probably what you're expecting and you are happy about that. And if he overachieves? You're thrilled. The Sox aren't going to be more or less forced to sit around for 4 1/2 years with their thumbs up their asses waiting to see whether or not they need to make an upgrade.

In all fairness, so does anyone else capable of about 2 1/2 weeks of consistent baseball out of the 2B position.

True, it's not a very high bar at 2B right now, but Semien has made strides at every level and flashed some surprising pop in his bat. For that reason I feel like he's been a bit under the radar and could be more of a surprise than people expect.

True, it's not a very high bar at 2B right now, but Semien has made strides at every level and flashed some surprising pop in his bat. For that reason I feel like he's been a bit under the radar and could be more of a surprise than people expect.

 

I know spring training means squat but even before bacon became injured and was supposedly "just starting to feel his swing" he just looks like his plain ol below average self. I just wish we could break camp with eaton,semien,abreu,and garcia anchoring the top of the lineup. I know it's not going to happen right now but would that be awesome or what?

I'm ready to move on from beckham and the excuses.

This is the year where we no longer have to deal with it, it can just go away.

Just cut ties with Beckham already and put Semien in there

L Eaton CF

R Semien 2B

R Garcia RF

R Abreu 1B

L DeAza LF

R Ramirez SS

L Gillaspie 3B

R Viciedo DH

R Flowers C

 

In a more sane world, this would be our everyday lineup to open the season. Not a lot of offense but there's at least youth and control, some speed and a little balance, and the guys who are trade candidates are in RBI spots.

Just cut ties with Beckham already and put Semien in there

 

At this point, that's not going to happen.

Joey Nowak ‏@joeynowak 16m

 

Bo Jackson thought Avisail Garcia was Miguel Cabrera. Common mistake. Said he just "oozes talent."

Bo on Garcia: "He looks more like an NFL defensive end than a right fielder."

At this point, that's not going to happen.

You mean we just arent "cutting guys?"

 

The problem with Beckham getting hurt is he actually could have been dealt. Now he is off pretty much everyone's board.

Joey Nowak ‏@joeynowak 16m

 

Bo Jackson thought Avisail Garcia was Miguel Cabrera. Common mistake. Said he just "oozes talent."

Bo on Garcia: "He looks more like an NFL defensive end than a right fielder."

 

Whatever talent he's oozing, it isn't hitting or fielding a baseball.

 

I get it, he's a physical specimen. Someone teach him how to play. He may look like Cabrera, but he sure as hell doesn't hit like him.

He may look like Cabrera, but he sure as hell doesn't hit like him.

 

Not fitting the bill on this puts him in company shared by, oh, all but 2 or 3 people in the history of Earth

Edited March 18, 201411 yr by Jose Paniagua

Whatever talent he's oozing, it isn't hitting or fielding a baseball.

 

I get it, he's a physical specimen. Someone teach him how to play. He may look like Cabrera, but he sure as hell doesn't hit like him.

1. So he doesnt hit like probably one of the best hitters EVER? Thats CRAZY!!!!!!!

 

2. The guy put up a .775 OPS with us last year at age 22, and has tremendous upside. So yes, he has great talent.

1. So he doesnt hit like probably one of the best hitters EVER? Thats CRAZY!!!!!!!

 

2. The guy put up a .775 OPS with us last year at age 22, and has tremendous upside. So yes, he has great talent.

 

Come on, Rock, don't ignore context. You're not like these other guys.

 

He put up a .775 OPS on the strength of a .370 BABIP, over 42 games. Players ride .370 BABIPs all the way to MVP awards. A .775 OPS on that BABIP is somewhere between disappointing and very disappointing. Furthermore, he did it with a league average LD% somehow, which is numerical corroboration to what we all already observed -- a whole bunch of seeing-eye grounders and shanked pop-up ducksnorts.

 

If he does everything that way he did last year, that BABIP is going to drop substantially. It may stay above .300 if he continues to hit 8-10% more GB than average, but take 50 or so points off of that BABIP and stay around 3.0% BB rate, and that average-ish RF OPS will very quickly become below average.

 

The dude needs to learn to take bad pitches and work a count. He's 22, so hopefully he does, but he has shown us nothing so far. He has shown remarkable tools, and no skills. It depends how you define talent, I guess, but I always think of it more toward the skill side of that spectrum.

 

EDIT: Also, I'm not expecting him to be one of the greatest hitters ever, and I'm not saying he has to be him to be successful -- but that's the comparison everyone is making that I'm criticizing in my post. I'm tired of people comparing him to Miguel Cabrera. As players, they are nothing alike.

 

EDIT 2: Oh, and he looks like Manny Ramirez in the OF. I really hope that changes fast

Edited March 18, 201411 yr by Eminor3rd

Whatever talent he's oozing, it isn't hitting or fielding a baseball.

 

I get it, he's a physical specimen. Someone teach him how to play. He may look like Cabrera, but he sure as hell doesn't hit like him.

 

 

Not fitting the bill on this puts him in company shared by, oh, all but 2 or 3 people in the history of Earth

 

 

1. So he doesnt hit like probably one of the best hitters EVER? Thats CRAZY!!!!!!!

 

2. The guy put up a .775 OPS with us last year at age 22, and has tremendous upside. So yes, he has great talent.

The talent is there...maybe not to be as good a hitter as Cabrera (there's not many players that are or will be). He has a very high ceiling, and with him being young, there's a chance he could be a great player and a cornerstone for the Sox for years. Most likely it's going to take a bit of time, but if he can hit in the .270 range with 20+ HRs this year, that would be a good start.

Come on, Rock, don't ignore context. You're not like these other guys.

 

He put up a .775 OPS on the strength of a .370 BABIP, over 42 games. Players ride .370 BABIPs all the way to MVP awards. A .775 OPS on that BABIP is somewhere between disappointing and very disappointing. Furthermore, he did it with a league average LD% somehow, which is numerical corroboration to what we all already observed -- a whole bunch of seeing-eye grounders and shanked pop-up ducksnorts.

 

If he does everything that way he did last year, that BABIP is going to drop substantially. It may stay above .300 if he continues to hit 8-10% more GB than average, but take 50 or so points off of that BABIP and stay around 3.0% BB rate, and that average-ish RF OPS will very quickly become below average.

 

The dude needs to learn to take bad pitches and work a count. He's 22, so hopefully he does, but he has shown us nothing so far. He has shown remarkable tools, and no skills. It depends how you define talent, I guess, but I always think of it more toward the skill side of that spectrum.

 

EDIT: Also, I'm not expecting him to be one of the greatest hitters ever, and I'm not saying he has to be him to be successful -- but that's the comparison everyone is making that I'm criticizing in my post. I'm tired of people comparing him to Miguel Cabrera. As players, they are nothing alike.

I view tools and skill to be pretty much the same thing. Different players are going to have different skills that are part of their overall toolset. It's the skill vs. will comparison that will set players apart. Granted, if a guy has little skill, all the will in the world won't help him at the MLB level. But, if you have two players with similar skills and one busts his ass day in and day out to get better, he's going to succeed over a guy who tries to fall back to his "god-given" skills.

 

Garcia is a guy with the skills to be a great player, but he's going to have to bust his ass.