South Side Fireworks Man

There's something seriously wrong with this organization (actually a lot of things). Rather than being able to develop players, it seems like players in this organization often regress.

let's keep playing first basemen in the OF. What can go wrong?

But he's been getting comfortable lately!

Good job by AJ. I wouldn't blame him if he swung at that after those two bad calls.

This ump is drunk.

It's funny we can't play Moncada who came up as a 2B at 2B to make room for Burger, but it's no big deal making Vaughn play OF.

And yet people will moan about Vaughn not getting to balls that should be caught.

So play him there so we can find out and so he can improve his play there if need be. How is he going to improve his defense at 1B by playing corner OF where he has no future anyway?

Well, same goes for Abreu. Let him DH for a while. Put Vaughn where he belongs. Play Pollock and Engel in the outfield corners. Improves the defense at all three positions.

He's not going to improve by not playing there either. They should quit screwing with one of their top prospects and let him settle in where he belongs already.

I would have had Burger at 3B, Moncada at 2B, Vaughn at 1B and Abreu at DH. Vaughn needs to start playing a lot of 1B for his development. He is the Sox future first baseman and his development is being stunted by playing him out of position in the OF or sitting him to get some weak LH bat in the lineup. He's got to get ABs against RH pitching and play 1B as much as possible.

Let him get his ABs while playing 2B. Allows Burger to be in the lineup at his natural position everyday and gets Leury and Josh out of the every day lineup. Kills two birds with one stone.

Jermaine Dye comes to mind, but he was getting old, not in his prime like Moncada is supposed to be.

But you're improving OF defense by allowing Vaughn and Abreu to play 1B/DH and playing Pollock and Engel in the corners. Overall I would say the team is better off with Pollock LF, Engel RF, Burger 3b and Moncada 2B over Vaughn LF, Sheets RF, Moncada 3B and Leury/Josh 2B. And if Moncada is such a big dropoff defensively at 2B and doesn't get his hitting turned around, just put Leury/Josh/Mendick back at 2B and let Moncada be the utility guy. His bat this year hasn't earned him a permanent starting position anymore.

Yes. But Burger isn't that bad at 3B and will probably get better with more experience. Moncada was supposed to be a 2B to begin with. And defense matters much more to me than it does to a team that plays 1B/DHs in the outfield and Catchers at 1B on a regular basis.

But don't we have a hole at 2B? And doesn't that "worst hitter in baseball" also play 2B? If they need to get the worst hitter in baseball in the lineup for some reason, why not use him to plug the hole at 2B?

Burger is pretty good. Tony should try to get him in the lineup every day. What's his best position again?

Then people shouldn't complain about the lineups. You can only play nine at a time.

Because LaRussa won't move Moncada back to 2B for even one game.

That's a satisfying win.

You are correct. I was just answering the hypothetical question posed.

If it were possible to get a bona fide good 2B for him, definitely.

That was one of the greatest plays I ever saw. I couldn't believe it when it first happened. If only Beckham and later Moncada could have given the Sox several years of '05/'06 Tadahito Iguchi production.

Nice DP.

Makes the most sense.