Kalapse

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 1, 2009 -> 11:50 AM) There's a bit of actual logic that could argue for him leading off...specifically, he can take a walk and work a pitcher as well as anyone on this team other than Thome. Right now, Fields is struggling in the 2 hole, we want Getz up there, you can put Getz and Pods in there, esp. against a righty, and you work a pitcher fairly hard for the first inning. Pods probably can still give you a .320-.330 OBP, which is at least a big upgrade from what we're getting from Lilli and company, and he's going to put the ball in play more than Fields is doing right now. That's fine, solid logic. But the offensive spark and reverting back to his '05 form s*** is just silliness. This whole ordeal still makes me sick, the fact that we're forced to turn back to Scott f***ing Podsednik who Ozzie wanted nothing to do with after '07, should never have been retained after '06 and really isn't capable of playing the position is just sad. Just get well Brian.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 1, 2009 -> 11:15 AM) brilliant! Skanberg is just incredible. He almost never lets me down.

QUOTE (Reddy @ May 1, 2009 -> 10:29 AM) triumphant return my ass. there's nothing that should move Getz from his leadoff spot. stupid. Yeah but what if he reverts back to his 2005 form? Just pretend for a second that the last 3 years never happened, Scott Podsednik is coming off a season in which he hit .290 with a .351, 50+ stolen bases and led his team to a World Series Championship! Why wouldn't you hit him leadoff? Ugh, nostalgia can make people wacky.

This is starting to feel like the Darin Erstad situation only this time there's a sentimental attachment fueling the fan's optimism and not KW's irrational love for all things grindy.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Apr 30, 2009 -> 04:10 PM) He already made too big of a deal about it, so there goes that. "I might bring it up to him but it's not a big deal either way, doesn't really matter what number is on my back, I'm just happy to be back in Chicago." Was that so hard?

I don't know why but something about our starting 3B possibly giving up his number to a guy who was just signed to a minor league contract 2 weeks ago and hasn't done anything of note in the big leagues since 2005 rubs me the wrong way. I'm sure Josh will give up his number, I don't think he has much of a choice, that's a tough position to be in for a young ballplayer.

Podsednik was terrible in his role as a pinch hitter last season BTW. He really struggled adjusting to his role as a bench player.

Podsednik is supposed to be on ESPN 1000 sometime in the next few minutes.

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ Apr 30, 2009 -> 12:00 PM) I didn't think that Lillibridge deserved to make the team out of Spring Training, but now that we're down three CFs (Wise, BA, and Owens) and we didn't trust Pods to play CF in 2005, I don't know why we'd trust him to play CF in 2009. I really don't think anyone is fascinated with Brent Lillibridge, but he's probably the lesser of all the other evils until BA comes back. Then start Lillibridge in CF and put Betemit at DH. There's no reason to have 2 awful hitters at the bottom of the lineup in Lilli and Pods especially when one of them is a terrible defender. With Thome's big lefty bat out of the lineup we need someone to replace him even partially and Betemit is the man for the job.

So what Chris Getz has done in his first 12 games this season doesn't have you excited in the slightest? Brian Anderson hitting screaming line drives back up the middle and putting together good AB after good AB?

QUOTE (chisox2334 @ Apr 30, 2009 -> 10:42 AM) Just remember if thome cant go I wonder they put dye at dh and pods in right That would be a joke. If Jim Thome can't go then Wilson Betemit is your DH.

So apparently Scott Podsednik's agent (Ken Felder, I believe) has been telling media outlets that Scott will join the Sox in Arlington. Well, lets just hope his abysmal play over the past 3 seasons is behind him and he catches fire right away. Plays in the right center field gap should be rather interesting this weekend.

The Ballpark in Arlington has a pretty spacious outfield, if Podsednik does get the call his defense will be put to the test right away. This is what scares me.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 11:37 PM) Hopefully this move means Getz will bat 2nd. The Fields experiment in the 2nd spot isn't working. He's now a slap hitting 3rd baseman with little power. Wilson Betemit needs to get more playing time against RHP, and I'm so pumped he performed as he did today. That was the story of the game IMO. He was working counts and hitting the ball down the lines, if he gets consistent ABs he's going to do this regularly.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 11:17 PM) I understand...but if you say he's not a good option...you're insinuating there are better ones which there really isn't. I'm just trying to look at this as the glass half full and hope he'll come up and really provide an offensive spark...that's really all you can do at this point I think. No I'm not. Being the only option doesn't automatically make you a good one, with Chris Getz hurt Ozzie was pretty much forced to bat Brent Lillibridge leadoff. He was a TERRIBLE option but there was really no other recourse until Chris healed up. You can look at it half full all you want, in my world Scott Podsednik starting in CF for a contender is a glass half full of piss. Nothing Scott Podsednik has done since 2006 leads me to believe he's a major league quality ballplayer, he could play well for a short period of time much like any ballplayer (bad players get hot) but I don't see that as a realistic outcome making him bad option for the CF job especially considering he's incapable of playing the position. I'm hoping Kenny Williams pulls off a surprise move here, acquiring a real big league center fielder. He's the major league general manager so he knows what's available, wish I had those connections so I could list a couple realistic options but alas, I do not.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 11:07 PM) Johan Santana is the best pitcher in the league. /debate f***er

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 10:46 PM) Any arguement about Lincecum and Greinke being the best pitchers in their respective league's? Johan Santana was the best pitcher in the the game last year and still is as of today. His bullpen also blew another win for him for him today. J.J. Penis with the honors this time.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 11:03 PM) OK...so what's your option Kalapse? Sorry if you posted it before and I missed it...I just want to hear what options are out there from people posting "this is a terrible option". You're stuck with Podsednik. He's the only option, doesn't make him a good one.

Swisher's April in '09 is looking a lot like his June in '08.

QUOTE (chisox2334 @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 08:21 PM) there's no quick fix here and sorry to say Pods is good option with Anderson hurt and Everyone knows Owens dosen't deserve a chance. Let's just hope Anderson dosen't go to DL. Podsednik is not a good option, he's a bad option, a last resort or sorts.

Let the Scott Podsednik/Brent Lillibridge center field era begin. This is a disaster.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 12:54 PM) Jim Thome may be the least appreciated White Sox vs. what he has accomplished by Soxtalk of all-time. In fact, I don't think there is a close second. You know, it really does bother me. It's a shame but year's from now the 4 years Thome spent on the South Side won't be nearly as appreciated as they should be, I guess that's the price you pay when you're the type of hitter that Thome is especially when you're 35+ years old. And it's not just Soxtalk, it's the fandom as a whole.

Thome was seen in the dugout today with a helmet on taking swings, which means he was likely available to pinch hit. Also according to Bruce Levine Thome has told Ozzie today that he was ready to play. I guess the drills Thome runs tomorrow will decide his fate. He last played on the 26th so if he hits the DL he'd be available to play again on May 12th if I'm not mistaken

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 07:06 PM) I love when Jimmy hits those somewhat rare homers into left center bleachers. They happen once in a while and are pretty to see. As big as he is, I'm surprised he doesn't take the ball over the fence that way more. -- Our slumbering offense woke up in the nick of time late in today's game. Thank goodness. Nice win. That's funny because Thome's 34 HR from last year break down like this: LF/LF-CF = 11 CF = 4 RF/RF-CF = 19 So he hit 32% of his HR last season to either left or left center field. As for this season he's gone the other way with 3 out of 4. Also, 11 of his 35 from '07 were sent the other way, 7 were to center and 18 were pulled.

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 03:52 PM) I never suggested that Jim start bunting for singles, but I do want to see him cut down on the Ks and the GiDP. He set a new career high in GiDP last season and he's got a good chance to be the all-time leader in Ks when his career ends. Jim is a terrific hitter and I think he's got the talent to be a more productive player. I will always believe that it's each player's job to help the team win more than anything else. I don't know how you got: "Jim Thome should bunt for singles" from that statement, DA. So those DP numbers don't look like an anomaly to you? He reaches double digits in DPs for the 5th time in his career last season and all of a sudden it's a problem that he needs to correct? He's in the top 10 all time in not hitting into double plays, his 17 last season don't worry me in the least. Thome is going to do what he's going to do. HR, BB, K, base hits into left center, HR all over the damn place and ground balls to the right side. He's not going to cut his Ks in half and become a singles hitter in his 19th big league season. Somehow I doubt he's worried about his place on the all time K list and I'm sure the same went for Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell and Mike Schmidt.