South Side Fireworks Man

I'd only want Dunn if somehow we could guarantee that Ozzie would only play him on defense in an emergency...something I doubt we could trust Ozzie to do. At any rate, if Dunn isn't serious about not wanting to be a DH, he'd fit in nicely on the Sox and I wouldn't mind if KW can get him for a package of Flowers, Torres and Rodriguez.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 27, 2010 -> 04:18 PM) the best part of the loss is we dont lose any ground in the division. Sox lost ground to the Tigers. Anyway, the umpiring was terrible today and Gary Darling can kiss my ass. Of course Carlos Marmol is unhittable when the umpires call his pitches 8 inches out of the zone strikes.

QUOTE (chisoxfan09 @ Jun 27, 2010 -> 12:40 PM) I really think Larouche could be an interesting candidate. Lyndon? Maybe the Sox will be the first team to colonize Mars.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Jun 19, 2010 -> 06:40 PM) put Dayan at 3rd and omar at 2b...I'm loving Omar in the 2 hole Defense is important. Put Dayan at DH, leave Vizquel at 3B and put Lillibridge at 2B while Beckham gets his s*** together in Charlotte. Should've kept Nix at 2B and sent Beckham down for a couple of weeks but that ship has sailed.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2010 -> 05:54 PM) Nix was just awful and it didn't matter where they were playing him. Nix made Beckham's bat not look as bad. The problem with Nix is/was he's really just a second baseman, actually a pretty good defensive second baseman, but he is not a good utility infielder as he sucks at SS and 3B. He's a pretty good hitter against LHP with some good pop. He really didn't get a chance to play enough to get his hitting on track but I'm certain that if he played 2B regularly he'd hit similar to the way he hit last season which is much better than what Beckham has been doing this season. Beckham just plain stinks at the plate right now and is hurting this already weak offense. He should have been sent down for just a couple/few weeks to get his hitting straightened out so he could contribute as expected for the second half of the season. I just hope his entire season isn't "ruined" by all this.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 19, 2010 -> 04:53 PM) That was a horrible, horrible swing on a 3-1 fastball by Beckham. His mechanics at the plate are freaking terrible. I wish they would have sent Beckham down to AAA for a couple of weeks and let Nix start at 2B instead.

QUOTE (SoxPride56 @ Jun 19, 2010 -> 11:43 AM) MDGonzales Sox lineup (no Viciedo): Pierre lf, Vizquel 3b, Kotsay 1b, Jones cf, Quentin rf, AJ c, Ramirez ss, Beckham 2b, Peavy p Fire Ozzie

QUOTE (T R U @ Jun 14, 2010 -> 03:17 AM) He hits the ball hard though.. Nevermind the Cubs didn't want him and the A's didn't want him either, but he would fit perfect starting somewhere for us.. Again, for "next to nothing" and see my previous post just above this one about where he would fit. But in reference to you first comment, I've seen Fox hit the ball hard against major league, well National League, pitching numerous times. I've never seen Flowers hit major league pitching well. That may change, of course, but right now I'd take a flyer on a guy like Fox if he could be obtained for little cost.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 10:37 PM) Did you really just spend an entire thread bashing Tyler Flowers and then preceded to say that Jake Fox would be a viable option for this team? If they could get him for "next to nothing" as I wrote, yes. Fox wouldn't be taking AJ's place. And they wouldn't have to get rid of anyone to get him. Just send Quentin down to AAA for a while until he gets his swing back (maybe he could take hitting lessons from Tyler Flowers, LOL) and let Fox DH and fill in a little bit in the field if needed in a pinch. IF/when Quentin gets his act together you bring him back up and if Fox has been hitting you keep him on the bench and get rid of one of the current bench guys. If he's not hitting, you DFA him. What's the problem with that?

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 14, 2010 -> 03:03 PM) If this is true our GM is virtually powerless and the inmate is running the asylum. That’s a cheerful thought. If anything KW stepping down (or up) and Hahn taking over will just be an extension of this puppet show. I refuse to believe that Jerry is loyal to the point of destruction. I agree with you 100% on this. If the GM can't fire the manager it undermines his authority and he can lose the respect of the manager and the coaching staff. And not allowing the GM to travel with the team so as not to upset Ozzie is asinine. A couple of years ago when Ozzie made that comment about changes maybe needing to be made, "..it could be the players, it could be me, it could be Greg Walker...", Walker went crying directly to JR bypassing the chain of command thus undermining both Ozzie's and Kenny's authority. JR allowing things like this to happen out of some misguided sense of loyalty is the main cause of the disarray this organization is in.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 10:35 PM) Flowers has 5 homeruns in his last six games, and apart rom one bad month has ripped apart the minors. You know how I feel about Flowers needing more time in AAA, but if the Sox sent Quentin down and brought up Flowers to be the regular DH and catch maybe once a week I wouldn't have a problem with it at this point.

QUOTE (SoxPride56 @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 10:27 PM) If Beckham needs to be sent down, Quentin better be on the same plane going to Charlotte then! I agree.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 10:20 PM) I saw that Jake Fox was DFA'd by the A's. I was a huge fan of his last years. Could be a good bat to acquire for nothing if we go young. I'm with you on that one. Talk about a guy who seemed to hit the ball hard... I only saw him now and then when I'd turn on the Cubs games, but everytime I saw him bat it seemed as if he hit the ball very hard. If he can be had for next to nothing, I'd rather see him on the team than Kotsay or even Quentin at this point.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 10:21 PM) It's really strange how every season, some one seems to underachieve in the hitting department. If an aspect of a business underachieves annually, changes are made. I don't understand how the White Sox continue to employ Greg Walker when the results continue to be poor. Carlos Quentin, Gordon Beckham, Josh Fields, etc. all came to the White Sox and played well immediately; however, after prolonged exposure to the team, they began to underachieve. How one whose job is to help the hitters achieve production has remained a staple on the coaching staff is beyond me. A couple of years ago when Ozzie suggested Walker might have some responsibility along with the players and Ozzie himself for the Sox' poor offense, Walker went crying to JR and he's never been criticized again. If Cowley's recent report isn't BS, JR won't even let his GM travel with the club because Ozzie might not like it. It seems the Sox' problems start right at the top.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 09:38 PM) If this was AJP's last game, I want to say that his pitch calling this series was absolutely phenomenal. He did a pretty good job throwing out runners as well.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 09:32 PM) He has possesses a tool? Could have fooled me. Quentin is a tool.

Quentin and Beckham have been killing this team. And Alexei is maddening at times too.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 01:14 PM) By your logic we should never ever callup someone from AAA because even if they are having success its only against minor league pitchers...... Flowers is currently hitting .230 with 68 strikeouts in 202 plate appearances - against AAA pitching. By my logic he hasn't shown he's quite ready to be promoted to the major leagues at the expense of dumping AJ.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 12:36 PM) He did homer off of Stammen yesterday, who's been in the majors all season. That's why they sent him down!

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 12:28 PM) Here are the dimensions for Knight Stadium in Charlotte: Left Field — 326 feet Center Field — 400 feet Right Field — 325 feet Here are the ones for the CELL: Left Field - 330 feet (101 m) Left-Center - 375 feet (114 m) Center Field - 400 feet (122 m) Right-Center - 375 feet (114 m) Right Field - 335 feet (102 m) Backstop - 60 feet (18 m) Outfield Wall Height - 8 feet (2 m) That combined 14 feet from all sides of the field, is not going to kill his power. But major league pitching might.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 12:27 PM) I do remember that quote as well. Flowers is also a home run hitter, while Gload is a line drive hitter. I don't think the dimensions will hurt Flowers as much. I hope all you Flowers boosters are right. I'd love to eat crow on this one and see Flowers excell at Catcher for the Sox for many years to come. But I don't see any sense in getting rid of AJ just to save a few million bucks just because Flowers has been hot for a couple of weeks in Charlotte after struggling for the first couple of months. Gordon Beckham was supposed to be the savior and we've watched him struggle to adjust in the big leagues. And we've seen Brian Anderson, Joe Borchard, Josh Fields, etc., fall flat on their faces in the majors after tearing up the minor leagues. I'm not too anxious on seeing AJ dumped just to go through that again.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 12:17 PM) Well, it's too bad the Cell plays big then. LOL! That reminds me of the time in I think 2006 when Ross Gload was finally recalled after publicly stating his disappointment of being left in AAA even though he was hitting well down there. He comes in as a pinch hitter and on the first pitch hits a ball deep to the opposite field which was caught on the warning track in LF. Hawk announcing the game comments, "Well, I guess that's a home run in Charlotte." Anyway, hitting in a band box in Charlotte against AAA pitching is not quite the same as hitting at the Cell against Major League pitching.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 11:57 AM) agreed! Flowers is hitting for huge power this season...a HR every 14.5 ABs .....In Charlotte.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 11:46 AM) Have you been following Tyler Flowers at all, or did you just take some of the scouting concerns from when we first traded for him, and used that to form your opinion? Because since the trade he was awarded a best defensive catcher award, has lit up the minors and has gotten praise for how he calls games. I don't get a chance to watch any minor league games, but I'm basing my opinion on a combination of the scouting reports from when we first got him, the little bit I saw of him on televised spring training games and the few appearances he made with the Sox last year, the reports of him struggling mightily for the first couple of months at AAA this season, the opinion on his defensive abilities of a guy who posts on another Sox forum who was a former catcher and puts a heavy priority on defense in general and the track record of other Sox top prospects of recent years. Even the great Gordon Beckham, who by all accounts is a far superior prospect than Flowers has been struggling in the big leagues after being brought up quickly. I can't see getting rid of AJ for some mid tier or less prospect just to watch another Brian Anderson, Joe Borchard, Josh Fields, etc. struggle to learn at the big league level. Either trade Flowers while his value is so high (if other scouts really have the same opinion of him as some here), or let him prove himself ready in AAA (not just a hot couple of weeks after a s***ty two months) before handing him AJ's job as starting catcher in the Major Leagues.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 11:44 AM) So if we're looking at Flowers and don't think his future production will be good enough for him to stick as an everday catcher the Orioles are suppose to deal one of their most valuable pieces for him hoping that he's able to stick at 1B or DH? I don't think there's a chance the Orioles would trade Scott for Flowers. Read what I posted in response to Caulfield more carefully. After I posted in teal that the Orioles might be interested in the "great" (sarcasm) Tyler Flowers, he suggested that KW wouldn't trade Flowers for Scott because KW wouldn't want to "cut bait" on Flowers after being the centerpiece of the Vazquez deal. My response was that although I don't think the Orioles would be interested, if they did make that trade, hypothetically speaking, KW would not be seen as "cutting bait" on Flowers but as using him to get a great return in value. Clear now?