BaseballNick

Wise 0-4, 2Ks, 1BB Anderson 1-1, 3BBs I don't think Wise will make it out of April as the leadoff hitter or full-time CF.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 3, 2009 -> 10:49 PM) they can spint anyway they want (and they have), but Linebrink does not look ready He's just concerned the defense hasn't had enough practice.

If you're saying that Cowley predicts Alexei to win the GG at short this season based on his write-up in today's Sun-Times, I think you're looking too deeply into this. He assigned all of the major awards to Sox players including the MVP to Josh Fields. I'm pretty sure this was based entirely on the players' ST performances. It was just some filler to hold us over until Monday.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 2, 2009 -> 07:00 PM) CW profiles as a poor RT. Pace would probably fit there significantly better than Williams. How is this?

Let's trade our remaining draft picks for Anquan Boldin and call it an offseason.

Of all the present day options, I think I'd be happiest with Jordan Danks - and I admit to knowing very little about JD2.

I won an autographed glossy photo of Ross one year at Soxfest. It currently hangs on my wall and I have no intention of ever taking it down

In our last nine games, the offense is averaging 2.55 runs per game. Good thing these games don't count. I just don't want to see this offense when they do count.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 11:34 AM) He used that slow curve on the Sox more than a few times last year. Especially those few home starts where he dominated In somewhat related news:

Suddenly, Alexei in CF and Beckham at SS sounds 1000X better than it did just a couple of weeks ago. I want to know what it was that Anderson did to Ozzie because it really seems like he's not getting a fair shake.

How is this not a platoon situation at the very least? BA is the better player today, and the player with the higher ceiling. I can't imagine this will last - although, they had the entire spring to see what an awful idea it was a still stuck with it.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Mar 30, 2009 -> 07:36 AM) Please name all of these pitchers off the top of your head. Off the top of my head I'll give you: Pedro Martinez Randy Johnson Greg Maddux John Smoltz Tom Glavine Roger Clemens and personally I like Mike Mussina over Schilling too

It's great to see Gavin snapping the curve today against some tough hitters. Listening to Hawk, DJ, and Farmio over the years, I always thought it was nearly impossible to throw a decent curve, slider, knuckler, etc. in the dry heat of AZ.

QUOTE (kane0730 @ Mar 27, 2009 -> 11:02 AM) Hopefully he's learned how to throw to first on a comebacker. It was hold your breath time last year on just about every throw. "It's amazing sometimes what a bunt will do." It has to be a mental thing with Clayton. He's Knoblauch-esque on throws to first.

A couple weeks ago at the Mirage the line was at 77.5. I think they can win 80-85 games, so I bet the over

QUOTE (beck72 @ Mar 27, 2009 -> 06:50 AM) I like the blend of LH [Getz, Allen, Jor. Danks] and RH hitters [beckham, Viciedo, Flowers, Shelby]. With Kenny talking about adding a leadoff type hitter in this year's draft [preferably a switch hitter for the OF], the sox should beef up their pitching. I know they added arms in last year's draft. But if they can't add a leadoff guy with their top pick, they should target arms with most of their remaining picks. Also, the sox could use another lefty power hitter or two, either from 1b or the OF. This is usually a good plan, but they haven't hit on much of anything lately as far as pitchers go (Kris Honel, Royce Ring, Lance Broadway, Kyle McCulloch, Nevin Griffith, and the jury is still out on Poreda). I want to see some high ceiling pitchers drafted, but their track record hasn't been too encouraging. Our scouting definitely has to step it up.

I'm on the Chris Getz bandwagon. I expect him to post some very solid numbers. Josh Fields was a close second for me. I think Josh will cut down on the Ks this year, but his defense will continue to frustrate us.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 25, 2009 -> 12:25 PM) Schilling and Johan are very easy to compare right now. One is 42, done with baseball, and he had a very accomplished career that spanned 20 years, 13 of which were very good, and 9 of those where he was outstanding. Johan has been one of the best pitchers in the league for 7 years, but that's it. That's nothing against Johan, and he could very well end up in the Hall, but he doesn't have the longevity nor the postseason dominance that Schilling does. Schilling also finished 2nd in Cy Young balloting three times, and it wasn't as if he wasn't a worthy candidate. In his two top 2 finishes in Arizona, Randy Johnson was freakishly good, and when he finished 2nd with Boston, Johan had a freakishly good year too. I personally don't think you can hold the Cy Young argument against Schilling. I don't think he's a first ballot Hall of Famer, but 4th-6th ballot seems about right, because he was absolutely one of the best pitchers of this generation. He was an All-Star 6 times in a 20 year career - that's very good, but not quite Hall of Fame worthy. The guys who beat him for the Cy Young in the years he finished second, Randy Johnson, and Johan Santana (if he keeps it up) are headed for the Hall. I simply don't think Schilling is the same class of player as a Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, or a Bob Gibson. That's how good you need to be, and Schilling just isn't, in my eyes. I think we agree to disagree on this one.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 25, 2009 -> 10:20 AM) You would put Johan Santana in front of Curt Schilling? Nothing against Santana, because he's been a dynamite pitcher, but he's been a front of the rotation starter for 6 years and only a full-time starting pitcher for 5 years. How does that even get close to comparing to 15 years of excellent starting pitching? Beyond that, even if there are 5 pitchers better (I'd question if Mussina was better...they appear quite similar to me at the very least, and Schilling was absolutely dominant in the postseason), why should that stop Schilling from getting in? Being one of the 10 best pitchers of his generation still puts him in probably the top 3% of the pitchers of this generation, and you would have to be in the top 2% to get in? I don't think so. Schilling and Johan are tough to compare right now because Johan is still in the prime of his career, but I originally threw him in the discussion because he's already so dominant. He's already won two Cy Young awards (compared to Schilling's zero). As for Mussina, I think he and Schilling are very comparable pitchers, and I personally see them as borderline HOF pitchers (probably on the outside looking in). The HOF is about about answering the question: is this player one of the best of all-time? I don't think Schilling is.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 24, 2009 -> 09:37 PM) Wite and lost pretty much summed it up. Curt Schilling is one of the best ever. I don't think so. I would put a lot of guys from his own era ahead of him. In no particular order: John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Johan Santana, and maybe Mike Mussina. Curt Schilling was very good, but certainly not one of the best ever - not even close.

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 24, 2009 -> 03:21 PM) Fields showing off a beautiful BUNT. Leadoff hitter material.

Who's pitching for the Injuns?

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 23, 2009 -> 11:30 AM) Seems like Kenny Williams is setting up some teams to call in favors later on. Sergio Santos, Sergio Miranda & Chris Stewart all for "future considerations." How does that work, exactly? Is it much different from PTBNL?

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 22, 2009 -> 04:10 PM) Words would not describe my anger if we got Juan Pierre and called that a solution. Am I missing something on Pierre? He reaches base far more often than any of our current CFs and can still run at will. His contract sucks, but if LA is to move him, they would have to eat a lot of that money. Pierre is far more valuable than Owens or Wise to this team (not to mention, it would signify the end of the Jerry Owens era). I would welcome a deal for Pierre.