Balta1701

At the All-star break last year, I was calling Greg Walker one of the better (if not best) hitting coaches in the league. Last year, Juan Uribe came to the Sox, and his bat absolutely went wild the first half. On top of that, Paul Konerko managed to turn around his terrible 2003 season and was on fire in 2004. Thomas was hitting hard until he got hurt, and so was Ordonez, although I doubt Walker spent much time with them. Carlos Lee had a nearly 30 game hitting streak. Aaron Rowand suddenly found the bat everyone was saying he had. And even guys like Gload were hitting .300 off the bench. Last year I was ready to bow down and worship the job Greg Walker was doing as White Sox hitting coach. When guys turn around their entire career with a new hitting coach, I felt that was saying something. This year, my confidence in Walker is rapidly turning into concern, and I want to hear other opinions on it. This year, we started very hot with some of our key bats. Crede was hitting over .300 for a while. Konerko was on Fire. Everett came back from a terrible 2004 and was driving in runs left and right. Podsednik was improving from his dismal .240 average last year. But that only lasted a few weeks. Now what do we see? We see Jermaine Dye mired in a month and a half long slump that he can't seem to find his way out of, despite receiving help from Walker. We've seen the surge from Konerko completely disappear, and both his and Dye's averages have dropped below .200. We've seen Crede lose about 40 points from his batting average with a slump of his own. We've seen Aaron Rowand start off another season slowly, even though it seems he may be hitting his stride this week. We've seen Uribe have his own difficulties, and his average has dropped below .270. And Podsednik has been both up and down - his average was in the .250's a week ago. Not to say there haven't been successes this year. Tadahito Iguchi is clearly one, although I doubt Walker has much input there given the language barrier. My question then is this; how long does this go on before if nothing else, we start considering whether a new hitting coach might get through to these guys better? In 2003, we dumped our hitting coach after a few months of our hitters playing like they are now. I had a lot of confidence in the job Greg Walker was doing after last year. But this year, I'm really starting to wonder. With guys like Dye and Konerko seemingly unable to pull themselves out of slumps, and quite a few comment-writers here saying they have seen decent flaws in their hitting technique, how long should we let this continue before we start wondering what Walker is doing?

QUOTE(kane0730 @ May 17, 2005 -> 10:35 AM) At this point in the season the "#5 spot" doesn't mean anything. Everyone is a #1. I'd like to see someone (Jon or Mark) in between the Cuban Connection. I agree totally. I can't stand this "Starter number" junk that people seem to put some much time in. If your starter is a number "5" starter, half the time he'll probably end up facing the other team's number 1 starter, depending on how many rain-outs and double headers each team has. Paying attention to the "Number" of the starter after opening day just wastes my time. Garland probably should split up the Cubans for the bullpen's sake, because right now John is pulling in more innings than Garcia, Contreras, or El Duque. If Garland is going 7 or 8, he'll give the pen a day of rest in the middle. I think that's a good idea.

QUOTE(marsh @ May 17, 2005 -> 06:15 AM) I think it's safe to say that the pitching domination honeymoon is over. I think the staff will still be good but not 1 or 2 runs per game good. Also I'm not gonna be too quick to jump on the pitching because I think that they have been responsible for like 75% to 80% of our wins this year. It's the offense that needs to wake up. I'll grant you we're not going to have a team ERA of 1, but I still have a ton of confidence in this staff. There seems to be no one on this board questioning Buehrle, and that's how it should be. Freddie Garcia has his good and bad games, walks too many people, etc, but his numbers still seem like they're going to hover around where he has been for his whole career. His career ERA is 3.94, this year it's 4.03. He'll have games where he struggles, and he'll have games where he dominates. He'll usually end up winning you more games than he loses, even though he'll lose some. That's why he's not a number 1 starter. El Duque had 1 bad game. His ERA with the Yankees the last 2 years has hovered around 3. Right now, it's at 2.91. The guy's a veteran. He'll be fine. Last year he was 8-2 on a Yankees team desperate for pitching, coming right off of arm surgery. Without him, that club probably missed the playoffs entirely last year. Every pitcher is entitled to their bad outings. The goal is to get guys who have more good outings than bad. And honestly, I've seen more from Contreras the last few starts that has given me hope for him than It hought I would. Yeah, his start in Tampa was awful. But his start against Baltimore honestly wasn't that bad. He was making good pitches. Baltimore was just an awfully hot hitting club, and when guys are as hot as Brian Roberts, no matter what you do sometimes you can't stop them. On top of that, his start against the Royals was excellent, even if they are the Royals. The pitching hasn't gone very far down at all from where they were earlier this season, even if 3 guys have had bad starts in the last 2 weeks. We were due for a few. The problem on this team is still the hitting.

QUOTE(Controlled Chaos @ May 17, 2005 -> 08:49 AM) I like the lineup. It's similar to one I suggested back when we were playing the A's and I wanted the speed out there. Somebody suggested I was a wacko for having Willie DH, but he has the good speed we need to manufacture runs and we're not losing Everetts bat. I think Ozzie had Willie as DH in a game last week which made me grin with a 'I told you so' smile. I guess you choose your poison with either the Willie in center option or Everett in right and Willie DH. Either way I like that lineup for a few games. I can buy the Everett/Dye in right and Willie DHing more than I can Arow in right and Willie there. With Aaron's range, I just want him in CF, especially if we're tinkering with the lineup at all - he can help cover the gap created by sticking someone else in right.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ May 17, 2005 -> 08:26 AM) Willie in center is a terrible idea in my opinion. Why move A-row from his position to put a below average center fielder in that spot, it makes no sense. I agree. During the pre-season, there was a bit of a discussion between Aaron and Pods over who was going to get to play CF - they both wanted it because lots of guys think it's easier to get hurt playing one of the corners. Aaron won't want to give up CF now that he's got it.

QUOTE(DABearSoX @ May 16, 2005 -> 07:29 AM) Thats exactly what I am saying....but he isnt looking like a #2 right now....but just like the everyday players it shouldnt matter how much you are getting paid if your scrubbin it up you should get demoted and get your head straight Somehow, this guy has always kept his ERA as one of the top 10 best in the league, no matter how bad the team behind him was. His ERA still isn't that bad. Hopefully, he's due for a good start or two to get his numbers back where they should be.

QUOTE(shakes @ May 13, 2005 -> 01:27 PM) I have a feeling who most would pick, but I'm interested to know. Well, at least we won't have to worry about having people work on 3 days rest.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ May 13, 2005 -> 11:53 AM) Does anyone else think Roberts and Soriano should be the second-baseman respresentatives before Iguchi anyway? If Roberts keeps this up, he should be an all-star no question. He's putting up numbers like Uribe put up the first 2 months last year. I don't know about Soriano. I've never really liked him as a player, and a lot of other people don't either. He hits a lot of home runs, but has never been great on defense. Iguchi is hitting like 40 points better than him right now and plays much better defense - Soriano already has 6 errors. Iguchi has 1. Their OPS is almost the same, which means Iguchi's OBP is also much higher. I'd call it a toss-up between the two, barring a power surge by Iguchi, which could still happen.

QUOTE(TheDybber @ May 13, 2005 -> 11:00 AM) If they are going to have Paul and his Mendoza line batting average, then they should have Pods and his 17 steals. That is the most ridiculous projection I've ever seen. Paul Konerko is getting props because he's tied for the team lead in RBI's, has 9 home runs, and was BADLY screwed out of an all-star spot last year in favor of Giambi. Harold Reynolds was doing the same thing on BBTN the other night. I'd say that Francona probably won't pick him if he doesn't get his average up, but at least people are noticing how badly they screwed him last year.

If I was coming in from out of town and that was the only Sox game I'd get to see all year, I'd pay quite a bit. Probably $100 or more if that's what it took. On the other hand, if I was just going in order to go, at Wrigley in the upper deck, I'd say it's probably worth $30 or $40, depending on the exact seat, view, etc. Keep in mind, you do have a lot of time left before the actual games - quite a few weeks can pass where people will put seats up. Set a top price in your head, and see if any tickets fall below that price. Just because some seats are going for $150 doesn't mean they all will - that might just be how much that particular scalper things they're worth. And yes, I concur with my previous comment writer - if you have any choice at all, spend your hard earned at the Cell isntead of spending it at Wrigley. We've got a chance to build a real good team for a while, and every ticket sold helps us keep guys like Paulie and Frank.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ May 12, 2005 -> 11:51 AM) I think you misinterpreted what I said. I meant he was great out of the closer spot, as in a set-up man in Houston. Not he was great out of the closer spot, as in his performance in Oakland. Ok, I did misunderstand... Let me ask you this then...Latroy Hawkins was excellent out of the closer's spot in Minnesota. Would you consider trading for him now? I sure as all Hell wouldn't, and I wouldn't take Dotel either. When Billy Koch was struggling as a closer, did moving him back to a setup man suddenly make him a better pitcher? I just have trouble buying the whole "They're great as a setup man and terrible as a closer, if we put them back as a setup man they'll be great again" line of thinking. If a guy is struggling, he'll struggle whether or not it's the 8th or the 9th inning. He has to prove to me that he can still be a good setup man again before I'd even consider taking him. I understand if a guy is having problems because he has terrible setup men and he keeps coming in with 1 guy out and the bases loaded in the 8th, like Gagne was towards the end of last year, but with Dotel, the stuff he's throwing up there is genuinely bad and not smart. If you throw a guy bad pitches, he'll hit it out whether its' the 8th or the 9th, and right now, Dotel is not throwing good pitches. If you see highlights of the at-bats last night by Millar and Varitek, it's pretty obvious. It's more than just the whole "Closer mentality" thing. He's genuinely not pitching well at all.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ May 12, 2005 -> 11:47 AM) If the White Sox uniforms are so ugly then why are we at or near the top of merchandise sales in MLB? He didn't answer/post my statement defending our uniforms and the stadium upgrades (agreed with him on the name part, but that's the least of the 3 complaints)

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ May 12, 2005 -> 11:43 AM) He was great out of the closer spot. Man...you need to go to MLB.com and see if you can find highlights of the last 2 Oakland-Red Sox games. Seriously. What do people see in this guy? I can't figure it out, he's had an ERA about 4 over the last 2 seasons

I can't figure this guy out. He picks the White Sox in spring training to win the AL Central, then the White Sox get off to the best start in their history, and all of a sudden he sours on them. How can you turn your back on a preseason pick when they start off to the best record in baseball? Anyone else would be gloating that their preseason pick was doing so well. I like the guy, but that just blows my mind.

What are you people thinking saying that we want Dotel? Let the Cubs have him. We have our own bullpen problems. Did anyone actually pay attention to the last series between Oakland and Boston? Dotel gave up 2 walk-off home runs in the 9th inning to guys from Boston. If we want a guy who can come in and give up home runs...we've got Takatsu, and I at least have some confidence that he'll improve this season. I have never thought Dotel was that great of a closer, and I'd be extremely unhappy if KW decided to try to get him and gave up anything other than a nice song and dance. And to the one who said that Dotel is in their long-term plans in Oakland, I think you're wrong. They have that guy, I think his name is Street, who they just brought up from their minors who is slated to be handed the Oakland closer job in the near future. Dotel will be traded, but I hope to God it isn't to the Sox. He's no better than the guys we already have there, and he may be worse. He reminds me of Latroy Hawkins last year; he was excellent as the setup man in Houston, but he hasn't been able to handle the closer spot.

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ May 12, 2005 -> 09:05 AM) Is there a baseball game on ESPN tonight? It should have been this one. ESPN's got the NBA playoff games tonight.

Inning over, like 6 pitches for Jose, all strikes.

1 pitch, 1 out for Jose. Good start. 3 pitches, 2 outs. He may get the 3rd out before this posts.

QUOTE(rangercal @ May 10, 2005 -> 04:29 PM) Ok that dye support group s*** is not working 1 at bat.

QUOTE(orangekrush88 @ May 10, 2005 -> 12:37 PM) Jose needs to come up big tonight and dominate. I want Jose to do exactly what he did last time out; conserve pitches, work quickly, end up dominating. Last start, I was wondering if Buehrle was rubbing off on him. If he has another good start tonight, it's an excellent sign.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ May 10, 2005 -> 01:35 PM) Backing a young player who hasnt lived up to his potential is one thing, thinking that an aging veteran will bounce back to his year 2000 potential is another. As far as playing both sides of the ball, I believe he leads the team in errors. I'm not talking about him bouncing back to his 2000 numbers, where he was hitting like .330 or so. That'd be wonderful...but I didn't expect that from a guy KW paid $5 mil a year for. I'm talking about him bouncing back to his 2004 numbers, where he had like 25 home runs and hit .265, instead of .200. (he was also hitting like .280 before he busted his hand - after he got hurt he hit like he is hitting now). If nothing else, he could at least take a few more walks...he's got 4 this season.

As much as he tormented us last year when he was with Oakland, I'm still glad we don't have to play against him. He just has to be a better player than he's being right now. He has been for years. I can't believe he will stay this bad for much longer.

QUOTE(sox-r-us @ May 10, 2005 -> 12:34 PM) Not to mention we could BMac to the roster in the Bull pen too. I'm sorry, but taking a guy who literally looks to be the future of our starting rotation and screwing around by tossing him into the bullpen in a playoff atmosphere when he's barely faced any big-league hitters in the regular season and he's been a starter all year in the minors just doesn't make sense to me at all. B-Mac is my backup starter if someone gets hurt. No way he belongs in the bullpen.

When Frank Gets back, we're going to have the added luxury of another potential outfielder in Everett. I know people aren't high on Carl's defense, but Dye has already hurt us repeatedly this season with Errors. He can't be that much of a downgrade, especially given how poorly Dye is hitting right now. My advice is to not make any Rash moves and expect that we'll be able to fill holes even better when the big man returns. My advice on Anderson is to hold him at AAA until he's absolutely needed; either due to an injury or because 2006 has started. And I am ardently opposed to trading Anderson this year, as well as he is playing, no matter who we get back for him.

Last year, Frank deserved to be an all-star before he was hurt. If he's healthy enough to play every day, and he can contribute like he did last year, then there's no question he's an upgrade over Everett. That man can simply kill the ball and dominate a game. He was on pace for a 40 HR season last year before he was hurt. Personally, I like the idea of having Frank as the DH, and using Everett as a Ruben Sierra style pinch hitter. Of course, it's always possible that this will be rendered a moot point thanks to Franks' health issues. Either that, or maybe we use Everett to replace Dye for part of the year. (I know people complain about Everett's defense, but really, can he possibly be that much worse than what Dye is doing right now that his hitting won't make up the difference?)