spiderman

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 11, 2007 -> 06:53 PM) Fontenot is a nice, scrappy little hitter. He's the exact type of middle infielder we've lacked in our system that can come up and hit a little if needed. I'm pretty sure he's the last remaining piece of the Sosa deal. And yes I watched the game, and my love for Willie Harris grows more and more. Willie Harris played really well in that series.

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Jun 11, 2007 -> 06:48 PM) It's looking pretty certain that tonight's game is gonna be homer ball. Whoever hits the most solo bombs wins and we need to get at least 2, perferably 4 or 5. What makes you say that ? We're going to the 4th, and the White Sox have yet to score a run.

It's apparent that unless the White Sox are hitting Home runs, they can't scratch out runs. Unfortunately, the don't go on home run hitting spree's anymore so it looks like the crappy Adam Eaton is on his way to a dominating performance over the beloved White Sox. QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jun 11, 2007 -> 06:29 PM) I like how the ESPN guys mention Fields played SS in Charlotte like it's relevant to anything. Yeah, he played there for 1 game because of an emergency....that's just reading the media information they make available. QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 11, 2007 -> 06:45 PM) Anyone get the feeling that it doesn't matter if a pitcher has a 2 ERA coming into the game vs the Sox or a 22 ERA? This team just makes getting runners and scoring runs seem very difficult. If the Sox can't start playing better and actually winning more games than they lose after the next two weeks, then the fire sale needs to begin. Yep....that sums it up pretty well.

QUOTE(briguy27 @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 10:00 PM) 1 bad game for fields in 2007 and the criticizing starts already Um....no. Perhaps this is too big picture for you, but it looks fairly obvious that the future of this team is going to involve Josh Fields at 3B, Ryan Sweeney in the OF (along with Anderson/Owens possibly), and several young pitchers. Are you telling me that you believe all of our prosepcts are going to work out ????? I'm simply wondering if there's a younger player that you think is going to live up to the hype, and a player that won't.

QUOTE(quickman @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 09:57 PM) You kidding me? Do you believe all the hype that seems to come with a lot of our prospects ???? I thought it was a simple question.

Regarding Our Top Prospects - whether it be Gio Gonzalez, Lance Broadway, Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Josh Fields, or others - does our organization overrate them ? I'm thinking specifically about the OF's right now as a lot of our pitching prospects still haven't made its way to the majors, but is Ryan Sweeney going to be a complementary OF or a difference maker. Same for Brian Anderson. It's looking like quite a few of them could become key players in the next year or so for the MLB team. So, just wondering, which ones do you think will become successful difference makers (if any) as opposed to just journeymen who we shouldn't get excited about (I'm sure Brian Anderson's name will come up here).

I know I openly questioned John Denks, and he has proven me wrong. The rest of the rotation has been about as I expected. Buerhle has been Buerhle, Garland is a workhorse, Contrereas can be our best starter at times and other times he looks bad, and Vazquez is sort of like Contreras. The bullpen was full of potential, short on experience. It could be very good, but it hadn't done it, and it's been bad after the first few weeks. Nobody could have predicted the hitting would be this bad. I have been a critic of this offense going back to spring training because it's a HR or nothing offense, and too many times it would score 10 runs on Monday, but wouldn't score 10 runs the rest of the week combined. I think I nailed this team on the head - I still think they will get it going somewhat, but they are not a playoff team. I see them in the low/mid 80's, but that is beginning to look optimistic.

Yeah, but we got hard throwers!

How about a 5 inning game ?

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 3, 2007 -> 12:07 PM) Floyd's ERA is 4.29, giving up a batting average near .300, and his WHIP is about 1.50. OK - I would say that's not MLB material so cancel that idea. Still, I would hope for 2 moves after this game today.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 3, 2007 -> 11:43 AM) Gavin Floyd is awful. By the way, since when have teams only been able to make roster moves when they're at home? I keep hearing about how all of these changes are going to happen tomorrow. I thought the same thing about the roster moves waiting until after the road trip. Maybe I am wrong about Floyd's performance in the minors to this point. I thought he was in the mid 3's ????

We have an offense that is capable of scoring 10 runs on any given day, and they will do that as the season goes on. However, mixed in with those outbursts wll be 3 straight games where they struggle to score 10 runs over 3 games. It's an offense that needs to hit HR's because they can't manufacture runs on a consistent basis. When they hit HR's, they will score lots of runs. When they don't, we'll get a lot of those 2 or 3 run days.

I'd like to see Gavin Floyd get a shot right now. I don't care if he's been starting or is projected to be a starting pitcher. He's been fine in the minors, and we n eed help in the majors right now if we're planning on being anything more than a .500 team. I also would like to see Boone Logan face more than just lefties. Right now, our bullpen sucks, and if he's pitching good against lefties, then I'd rather give him a chance against other hitters than continue to bring out the same old garbage that continues to not produce. Also would like to see Nick Masset get an opportunity in the late innings. Ozzie said he's not experienced enough, but how did that work for Matt Thorton last season ? Please.. I'm not opposed to trying out other arms from the minors as well. Aardsma needs to go back to the minors, and MacDougle needs to go there or the DL, whatever works. So, 2 open spots right now. Floyd, and somebody else. Now.

For the record, I don't think the White Sox would sign Zambrano - so many reasons against it because of the new strategy of stocking up on younger arms, not to mention that they would be choosing Zambrano over Buerhle.

Absolutely, but I generally agree with the White Sox policy of not signing pitchers to long-term deals. It would have to be a 3 year deal - I think this offers flexibility in that we could offer more money per year over a 3 year period if they really wanted a particular player, with the obvious disadvantage being in the length of the deal, when compared to other teams.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 31, 2007 -> 08:40 PM) Who cares if signing Buehrle is a top priority....once he gets to the open market, we're f***ed. We desperately wanted to bring back Colon, but we couldn't match the Angels offer. If the White Sox make resigning him their top priority, I'd prefer to keep him. He's a top of the rotation starter, and they're hard to find.

QUOTE(SoxAce @ May 31, 2007 -> 08:40 PM) IMO, I would just let Sweeney finish out the year. I would LOVe BA, but I doubt that's going to happen but hopefully I'm wrong. If not, give Sweeney the chance even though he isn't ready. I think he's in the doghouse. I think Sweeney and Owens are both ahead of him right now. QUOTE(BearSox @ May 31, 2007 -> 08:52 PM) So, Owens in CF is not a good idea, IMO. Owens in LF and Terrero in CF? It's going to be Mackowiak (LF), Terrero (LF/CF), and whoever they bring up splitting some time out there as well in LF/CF. All three of those guys will see action as we have backups starting in LF/CF. Yep, we can compete with Cleveland/Detroit!

I'd be okey with Owens if I knew he'd be playing everyday for the next month in the leadoff spot so he can get a chance to get comfortable and show his skills. I don't expect that to happen though as Guillen will now add CF to his platoon list. That's why I prefer Anderson who has some experience, and plays good defense.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ May 31, 2007 -> 08:31 PM) He should -- if pitching well -- and I won't accept any excuses to the contrary. No Gavin Floyd's. No " or "former first rounders who have yet to reach their potential." Give me legitimate prospects. As much as I want Buerhle resigned, unless he agrees to a 3 year deal before the trade deadline, which isn't going to happen, and so a trade is going to have to be made, I'd prefer 2 major league ready prospects, and another mid-level guy. I'd want 2 pitchers, and one young offensive player who can step in, and it would really nice if he could play SS. The only way I could justify not trading him is if they move Dye, and Williams, who usually says what is on his mind, comes out and says that resigning Buerle would be at the top of our off-season priorites.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 31, 2007 -> 08:26 PM) Personally, I'd like to see him get the chance again. If he shows no improvement at all this year, then you move him during the offseason. I don't feel like seeing Sweeney break his bat and ground out 3 times a game right now. Anderson should be brought up and be given another chance. Just a year ago, he was our future CF. True, he struggled, but if we're not going to hit, we need to have defense on the field. He did hit well in the minors, and we'll see how far he's in the doghouse as he plays CF better than anyone else who could be brought up.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ May 31, 2007 -> 08:09 PM) You know, after his last year 2nd half collapse, I wondered if he'd ever have his stuff again. The one good thing about this season is we're seeing the Buehrle we know and love. Tonight was a perfect example. He should have had his #100, throwing a 2-hitter. But if nothing else I'm glad to see he's back on his game, and his no-hitter has been the best Sox moment since 2005, that's for sure. I'm hear to add some sombering thoughts. Enjoy his last 20 starts with the White Sox because chances are he'll pitching for a new team next season. Hell, he could be gone in 2 months if the White Sox can't get this going. He'd bring a boat load of prospects, and Kenny is going to have to think about that if the White Sox are buried by the Indians.

QUOTE(JDsDirtySox @ May 29, 2007 -> 08:45 PM) We are 50 games into the season and we are an average ball club. Something has to be done. Fire Greg Walker, Make a Desperate Deal, or start the sale... we have to get some sort of action out of our ballclub. And this is not an overreaction from these first two games in Minny... we are just average. I am tired of waiting for our bats to warm up, Vazquez to dominate, the pen to protect a lead, Joe Crede to actually look like half the player he was last year, Pods to get healthy, etc. We are just an average ball club. If we hold out hope too long for this season... it could cost us for many seasons to come. Please do something Kenny. I don't think there's much we can do to fix this mess. Let's examine our issues, and see how quickly we can do something. Offensive: Coming into the season, we knew that we had major offensive questions in LF with Podsednik, CF with Erstad, and SS with Uribe. To this point, that has been realized. We also have other positions that have been inconsistent - 3B with Crede's back issue, 2B with Iguchi, and C with AJ's .250ish batting average. Dye and Konerko have been below average, and that's being kind until recently. Thome has been fine, but he's missed time with the injuries. Darin Erstad is an overrated player - not by the league as a whole, but by Guillen, but he really has no other options. Yes, he does bring solid defensive play to the table, but offensively, there's just not much left in the tank. He's a stop-gap. Maybe we can get by with him if we were stronger in other spots, but we aren't. Even if we all agree that Erstad can be part of a winning team at this stage, he's not a leadoff hitter. He doesn't hit for a high average, and isn't a great base stealer anymore. At best, he's a #2 hitter, but I think he's really a 8 or 9 hitter in the AL. We don't have a LF. Podsednik may come back, but if he isn't 100% healthy, and isn't capable of stealing and leading off (as Guillen has already said he won't be), what's the point ? Mackowiak is a utility player, who once again, is being forced into one position, and eliminating his versitility. Ozuna is probably done for the year, and the Sox don't seem like they want to try Josh Fields out there - he'd be a defensive liability, but then again so our the other options. The problem with Fields is that he's just another power hitter. We need more balance in the lineup. Jerry Owens ? Maybe he'd work out, but if you're depending on rookies to make a big impact in a tough division, you are probably in trouble. How about Brian Anderson ? I'm not against this idea. We'd at least get good defense out there. RIght now, we don't seem capable of getting either from our current situation. The rest of the offense is HR or nothing. We can't steal bases, and we don't bunt well. If we hit HR's, this is a fun team to watch, but we're not going to hit 3 HR's per game with men on base. If we don't hit them, we're probably not going to score many runs. So, what to do ? Luis Castillo was brought up in the paper today. He could be a logical replacement for Iguchi. We do need more speed in this lineup. If Dye goes into free agency, chances are he's probably gone, and I don't see the team getting into a bidding war to replace him with somebody else, or to keep him. We could go into next season with a brand new OF as Pods will probably not be back, Erstad is probably back if he stays healthy and plays good defense, and Dye's future uncertain. If Joe Crede can't stay healthy for us, and/or his numbers are down this year, what choice do we have to keep him for another year as his trade value would be way down. Where does that leave Josh Fields ? Do they consider putting him in LF next season ? What about Ryan Sweeney ? Juan Uribe stinks. He's not a good player. Strong arm, yes, but he makes routine errors at times, and is just horrible at the plate. Yes, he gets hot from time to time, but 90% of the time, he's a liability. We are probably looking at AJ at catcher, Konerko at 1B, Thome at DH, Erstad in CF (still in question), and ????'s everywhere else. That's probably a good thing as hopefully Kenny will use that flexibilty to make changes. Only problem is how does he get some of the younger players (Owens, Anderson, Sweeney, Fields) in, and still keep us competitive at the same time. ** Pitching wise, I believe the Sox need to work out something with Mark Buerhle, and Jon Garland by the next off-season.. I wouldn't go beyond 4 years, but we need to keep the starting pitching strong. Contreras is one guy I'd like to move. I don't know how old he is, and he looks great at times, and possibly ready to break down at other times. He's under contract for a few more seasons, but, more than anything, I'd want to get from under the contract. I love Denks so far, and Vazquez will be here so I don't mind having the 5th spot open for a Gio Gonzalez or someone else. The bullpen is in dissaray, but I still believe there are enough arms/talent in there to straighten out. Williams will probably add a veteran to the mix if this continues, but the future here is with the younger arms. Overall, this team is going nowhere right now. They have good starting pitching, a bad bullpen (so far), and spotty offensive production. Not going to get it done, but Kenny Williams will soon have to decide on Dye and Buerhle's future as the trade season begins soon. Crede could be another guy to go. We do need an offensive overhaul to add some speed to the power that we have. The bullpen will need at least one more veteran arm if this continues. I don't think they need a complete overhaul, and I hope that Williams doesn't turn this into a youth movement. We can still turn this around for next season if we add some proven veterans, and continue to mix in a few younger players (#5 spot in the rotation, maybe a spot in the OF)....

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ May 29, 2007 -> 10:33 AM) Maybe she can go shack up with her good buddy Hugo. I heard Hugo gave her an autographed picture, and a gas card. See, it was all worth it! Now, she can go back to being irreelvent again, after all, she did so much to change US policy in Iraq.

It can't hurt to see if he can give us some production out of LF. Sad to say, it's not going to make much of a difference. White Sox are an average team. Cleveland and Detroit are better.....

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 25, 2007 -> 06:07 AM) He hasn't had a voting record to get beatdown with since he left the Senate. True, but when he makes comments downplaying a War on Terror, he sounds naive/idiotic.