Balta1701

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:32 PM) All he has done thus far in 2007 is what should be demanded from any minor league player vying for a spot on the Major League roster. These are not insurmountable odds...quite the contrary. Ok, fine, so Anderson is playing for a roster spot. I'm more than willing to accept that this season he should have to earn the spot instead of having it handed to him. So, if Brian Anderson came out and was hitting .150 during the spring, or was putting up a .620 OPS, I'd be more than happy to say that he hadn't done what he needed to do and should be on his way back to AAA until Erstad gets hurt. But...so you're saying Brian Anderson should have to earn his spot. Why exactly should Darin Erstad NOT have to earn his spot? What about the .635 OPS Erstad has put up this spring in 50+ at bats says that he is has earned the starting spot and Anderson hasn't? I'm willing to say that Anderson should have to earn the starting spot. But I think Erstad should certainly have to earn it too. And the reason I'm making such a big stink about this is...every single thing we've heard so far suggests that Erstad is having it handed to him.

Piazza flies out to CF. QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:52 PM) If Podsednik cant run, then he should be a 4th OF. I'd say more like 6th, but that's just me. Dah well, what do I know, I don't grind hard enough.

Bradley flies out to Terrero on the CF track. 2 outs. QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:49 PM) Bunting has nothing to do with it. If you have a lead off double or a single and an SB in the first inning. Playing for the lead is VERY important, and just good baseball. Sitting back and waiting for the 3 run bomb in the first inning is not nearly as effective. The early lead not only helps your offense squeeze the opposing pitcher, but it allows a little breathing room for your SP to work a little looser. This is one of the things that made our 2005 team so dangerous is that we held an early lead in so many games making it easier on our offense as well as our pitching staff. Of course, if Podsednik could still run...there would be no reason to bunt there, as he could just, you know, run.

Charlie finally goes 0-2 on Kendall. Kendall grounds to Cintron. 1 down. Charlie gets ahead of Swisher, Swisher singles.

Konerko backwards k.

Cintron backwards k.

Ozuna grounds out to SS.

Goleski lines out to Terrero. Inning.

3-0 on Goleski, come on Charlie, throw a strike or two.

Perez flies out to Ozuna deep in LF. 2 down.

Merloni homers to Left Center. 3-1 A's.

Scutaro singles to RF. 2 on, 1 out.

I think Haeger has fallen behind every single hitter so far.

Fly out to LF. one out.

QUOTE(tealeafreaderii @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:22 PM) what are the anouncers saying about haegers knuckler? He's having trouble throwing anything for strikes. I think he threw 2 or 3 strikes...one was a fly-out by Kendall, one was a GIDP to Fields. Mack is out. Not sure how. Terrero forwards k. Uribe popup RF. 123 inning. LOL, commercial just pronounced Thome's name as, well, "thome", 1 syllable, kinda like thumb. Leadoff walk.

Bradley GIDP 543. Inning. QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:20 PM) I especially hate the idea of bunting before Thome in the 3 spot. Thome is good at a lot of things, but he's not exactly proficient at hitting sac flies. With him, you're just as likely to get a 2 run homer as you are a deep fly ball. Well, the one thing that putting a guy on 3rd, especially ozuna, does if Thome is coming up is it prevents the opponent from putting on the shift, because they have to keep someone at 3rd base otherwise Pablo will waltz home.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 12:48 PM) So, rather than place the blame on the organization--as so many loyal Soxtalkers/prospect-martyrs have--can we please start to place at least some of the blame on Anderson? Brian Anderson need not look any further than the mirror for a reason as to why he is being thrown to the way-side at the age of 24. This was a once-heralded top-prospect who is in serious threat of losing significant playing time to a very suspect, injury-prone, declining thirty-year-old center-fielder. Is this because the organization had it out for Brian Anderson? No...a resounding no. Brian Anderson finds himself in the position he is in today because of Brian Anderson--no one else. So, I'm willing to accept that all of the rumors about the Sox being unhappy with Anderson's work ethic and everything last season are true. Now I have to ask...what does Anderson have to do to redeem himself? As far as I can tell, Anderson went to winterball because the team wanted him to, left the team after losing 20 pounds with a stomach virus...then went straight to work. Spent the winter regaining those 20 pounds, supposedly spent most of the winter working with Konerko and Walker trying to improve his swing, and seems to have made some strides at fixing problems. So...if Anderson goes out and does everything we've asked over the offseason, comes back, and looks better in ST, seems to be saying all the right things, doesn't complain about having to earn his spot, doesn't bash anyone...what exactly does he have to do to make the team happy with him? Quit baseball?

Kendall flies out. Swisher walks on 4 pitches.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:12 PM) I know it's spring training, but what's with sac bunting in the first inning? I think I don't like Ozzieball...Grinderball...whatever it's called. Considering it's Cintron, he's still recovering from surgery, and it never hurts to try to practice bunting against the hardest type pitcher to bunt against (high fastball) can't say it's a bad choice. Job is to get ready for the season, not win ST games. Fields goes full, then strikes out swinging. Inning.

Pierzynski takes a walk. How often does that happen?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:09 PM) Balta - where are you seeing Gameday audio? http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/mediacente...ex.jsp#20070320 If you look to the right under the CWS/OAK line, under "home" there should be a webcast option available. Dye singles in Ozuna. 1-0 Sox.

Konerko strikes out swinging.

QUOTE(bmags @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 01:05 PM) i plan on balta somehow doing play by play fer me. Can't guarantee I'll be able to sit @ the computer for the whole game, but I'll contribute what I can. Gameday Audio I'm on, appears only the Oakland feed is available today. Ozuna goes 2-0 and doubles to teh wall in LF. Cintron can't get a bunt down, but grounds out to 2nd. Runner to 3rd.

So, we get the A's today in Phoenix. Charlie Haeger vs. Rich Harden...now there's a pair of contrasting pitching styles if I've ever seen one. Ozuna, LF Cintron, 2b Konerko, 1b Dye, RF Pierzynski, C Fields, 3B Mackowiak, DH Terrero, CF Uribe, SS Haeger, P Kendall, C Swisher, 1b Bradley, CF Piazza, DH Buck, RF Scutaro, SS Merloni, 3b Perez, A., 2B Goleski, LF Harden, P

QUOTE(longshot7 @ Mar 20, 2007 -> 11:53 AM) I think the whole carbon offsetting thing is rather ridiculous. Schwarzenegger does that out here. What guarantees that the carbon you emit will find the trees you've purchased for that purpose? Dude, it's actually a zero-sum game. Unless there's an isotopic tag, no one in the world can tell one molecule of CO2 from another. Because the atmosphere is so well mixed, if you release an amount of CO2 in the U.S. and you sequester the same amount of CO2 in Europe somewhere, then overall the atmosphere sees a zero change.