OilCan

Happy days are indeed here again.

Amazing. Javier Vazquez >>> Jose Contreras this year. WTF?

QUOTE(southsida86 @ Jul 4, 2007 -> 02:52 PM) So do you guys think that maybe Griffith won't sign? I'm beginning to think that he wants more $$$ to sign than the FO is willing to pay. Nothing new yet on the net about him....just waiting on some news.

Nice, astute pickup by DT. Here's my lines..... Samsonov - Lang - Havlat Ruutu - Toews - Williams Borque - Perrault - Lapointe Kane - Sharp - Vrbata (IMO Troy Brouwer should be here, Vrbata may be traded)

Yet another magnificent outing by our stellar bullpen tonight!

How fast was Bobby's fastball last night? And can someone theorize how/why Bobby's fastball is in the low 90s when in 2005 it was consistently in the top 90s????

Her pretty lid?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?? If that's pretty.......(insert your own joke here).

Charlotte won 4-1. Birmingham got spanked 9-4 by Montgomery. Wing: 3.2 IP, 7H, 6ER, 2Ks, 1HR allowed. Honel: 1.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 2BBs, 2Ks, 1HR allowed; still struggling. WS beat Kinston 10-5. McCullouch with the loss, now 7-6, 3.65 ERA Kannapolis whipped Greensboro 11-4. Miranda, Carter and Gartrell, each went 2-5. Miranda w/2 runs scored, Gartrell 3 RBIs. Brandon Allen: 3-5, 2Rs, 2HRs, 4RBIs, 1K (struggling!!! ) Gilbert: 1-4, 1HR, 1 SB (his 26th of the season) Edwards: 6 IP, 10H, 4ER, 2BB, 7Ks, 1 Pickoff. (4.22 ERA for the season) Texeira, 1IP, 3Ks!!!! Elizabethton whipped Bristol 13-1. Onarkys Paniagua - 5IP, 8 H, 9 R, 7ER, 2BB, 1K. Ouch.

NSSOX, thanks for the info, hope this kid will make it. Good to see that Sergio has some promise with the glove, given his accolades. Wonder how his bat will translate to MLB success, but still, good to see the Sox pick an IF.

Question: If we compare "stuff", how comparable is Matt Garza to Gavin Floyd? Thanks.......

Newspaper article from the St. Petersberg Times' website: Middleton star nears contract with White Sox Not even two months have passed since Nevin Griffith played his final game in a Middleton uniform, but the standout pitcher already is getting antsy. By Keith Niebuhr, Times Correspondent Published June 26, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVERTISEMENT Sports News Video TAMPA - Not even two months have passed since Nevin Griffith played his final game in a Middleton uniform, but the standout pitcher already is getting antsy. "I'm ready to get out and start playing again, " he said. Very soon, Griffith may get his wish. The Chicago White Sox, who selected Griffith with the 89th pick in the recent Major League Baseball amateur draft, extended a formal contract offer to Griffith late last week. Griffith said he expects to chose between the White Sox and a scholarship to Florida International by week's end. "Me and my parents are thinking it over, " Griffith said. All along, Griffith has leaned toward turning pro. "I don't think it's going to be a tough (decision), " Griffith said. "I really want to sign. It's my parents. They want to look out for me. They want what's best for me and to make sure everything is right before I sign on the dotted line." If the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Griffith, a first-team Times All-Hillsborough County selection, does sign with the White Sox, he can expect to receive a nice chunk of change. According to Baseball America, the average signing bonus over the past four years for a player taken 89th in the draft is $381, 333. [Last modified June 25, 2007, 21:19:46] Just my two cents, the Sox may look into getting Nevin some college correspondence courses as part of the deal........

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/news/264338.html It's official.

Adrian Aucoin

First, YouTube Videos: Second, some interesting tidbits, such as http://www.perfectgame.org/stories/06_10_2...a_championship/ Review #16 - wonder if Chet gave the Sox some first hand scounting on the kid! Third, the bio: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/ev...jsp?mc=griffith Nevin Griffith was one of the most sought after HS pitchers in the 2007 First Year Draft. Here is some more tidbits from Minor League Baseball's website: Focus Area Comments Fastball: Griffith throws his fastball in the 91-93 mph range and pitched consistently at 91 mph. FB Movement: When he keeps his fastball at around 91 mph, it has some nice tail and dive and it runs well. When he ups the velocity, it flattens out a little. Curve: Griffith is working on a hard curve in the 86-88 mph range, but doesn't have confidence in it yet. Changeup: He has a changeup, at around 81 mph, but he doesn't throw it much. It can be an effective pitch, but he doesn't believe in it yet. Slider: Griffith throws a good sharp slider, 79-83 mph that he commands well when he's on. Control: Command of his secondary pitches is not great. In this particular outing, he wasn't as sharp due to a layoff of almost two weeks. Poise: Griffith is extremely even-keeled and handles adversity extremely well. Even though he allowed two runs in the first inning of this start, and didn't get help from his defense, he never lost his cool and tried to pick his teammates up. Physical Description: Griffith has a good projectable body, with long arms and legs and big hands. Medical Update: Healthy. Strengths: Demeanor beyond his years, Griffith is smooth and quiet on the mound, always under control and methodical. He rises to challenges well, such as facing top hitting prospect Michael Burgess for the third time in this outing and handling him well. Weaknesses: He doesn't command his secondary pitches consistently and needs to improve his changeup and curve. He wasn't particularly sharp in this specific outing. The flip side of his cool demeanor is that sometimes scouts wish they saw a little more fire in him out there. Summary: Griffith is a projectable right-hander with two average or above-average pitches right now in his fastball and slider. If he can improve his curve and changeup, he has the chance to have four usable pitches. He stays very even-keeled on the mound and shows maturity beyond his years when adversity comes his way. *This has already been reported throughout soxtalk.com. *As of 6/21/07, Nevin Griffith has not been signed yet, however: http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/14/Sports/L...ranks_not.shtml Posted 6/14/07: QUOTE: No contracts have been signed and no decisions have been made, but all definitely is not quiet on the area baseball front. A week after being taken in the Major League Baseball amateur draft, one local talent is leaning toward turning pro and three others say they are giving professional baseball a serious look. The leaner? That would be Middleton pitcher Nevin Griffith, who was taken by the Chicago White Sox with the 89th pick. Griffith met with the team the day after the draft. "We went to dinner and (the team representative) introduced me to the White Sox, " Griffith said. "I'm really happy that's the team I went to." No formal offer has been made, but one could be coming soon. Once that happens, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Florida International signee soon might be on his way to the minor leagues. "I want to sign, " Griffith said. "When (the offer) happens, I'll go from there."

Fearless forecast....Sox 5-0, Garland with the CG SO.

...and death is not an option? How about Sweeney, Owens and Dye for what's been going on?

White Sox Baseball, where 10 years later, history will repeat itself!

Chicago Tribune (chicagosports.com) is reporting today that the Sox and Poreda are close to agreeing to terms.

It's very encouraging to see Ryan Sweeney near .300 in AAA. Does anyone see him turning up his HR swing, or will he be a Mark Grace/Jeff Abbott type player?

Hopefully more focus will be placed now on IF/1b/C; however as we get further along in the draft it'll be the "BPA".

Just got caught up with this thread this morning. Some thoughts: * Getting Poreda isn't the end of the world....a power throwing lefty with projectibility and some polishing could equal quite a draft pick. Yep, Porcello was also available at a price that maybe Jerry and KW just couldn't justify with. Some say you gotta have the cajunas to draft a guy like Porcello; I'll say that sometimes you have to have the cajunas for NOT drafting Porcello for that same reason. The Sox, after all that in the first round, still got a first round talent with upside; WHICH IS WHAT EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FOR. *Nice to see the Sox drafting players like Griffith and Ely - hopefully they can sign Griffith but from what I've read from FS, this should not be too much of a concern....Ely looks like a future closer, however IMO if he ever polishes his secondary pitches, he might just have enough stamina to make a back-of-the rotation starter. *Will the Sox EVER draft a position player in the 6th - 10th rounds??? *Who is left on the big draft board, position or pitcher wise, that would make the Sox look like geniouses??? Thx.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 07:41 AM) It's going to be like having my heart ripped out when I see Mark in another uniform. Just like when Frank started wearing an A's jersey. Just like Blackjack and that damn Yankees jersey. True.

QUOTE(winninguglyin83 @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 08:00 PM) To remember that we once had a four-year streak of: Jack McDowell robin Ventura Frank Thomas Alex Fernandez is to understand how badly we have drafted in recent years., True, but didn't the Sox finish near the cellar in order to pick the fab 4 high in the first round? I remember that Alex was the 4th overall pick in 90, and Frank the 8th pick in 91. Forgot the number of McD and Robin.

Like I said, Ladies and Gentlemen, our Latin version of James Baldwin. Javier F-in Vasquez. How the hell did he ever succeed in Montreal?

Javier Vazquez = James Baldwin, King of the Big Inning. UGH.