caulfield12

It would be nice if Gilmore and Santos Rodriguez are for real. Death of a Salesman promotion, anyone? All salesmen/account reps get in free to see Loman play...haha. It would also be nice if Escobar wasn't at least three years away from replacing Ramirez and could put up a 775 OPS. But, from all reports, he's a special or "plus" defender, right?

I thought of Quentin. Those two breakout games are masking a pretty horrible overall offensive performance and approach at the plate. He has certainly been far from consistent, like Paulie was last season, relatively speaking.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 22, 2010 -> 06:08 AM) The Cubs hired Rudy Jaramillo. Boy are they whacking the ball around. The bottom line is you have to have the personnel to do the things you are asking. The White Sox roster in the past wasn't capable or it would have been silly to ask some of their sluggers to go the other way. This year's team, most will admit, is short offensively. They still score via the homer, but they just don't hit as many. I don't think there is one person on this board that would have thought the Sox wouldn't go through a stretch of 15 games when they only won 5. Everyone always uses 2005 as a measuring stick. That team lost 14 games in the standings at one point. That said, I think there is plenty of reason to be concerned. The pitching staff isn't going to have a 2.98 ERA. KW better get some offense somewhere, somehow. This is a team that has had Kotsay hit 3rd and Omar Vizquel lead off. Blame the hitting coach all you want, but the blame is misdirected. This is the American League, not the American Association. The sooner White Sox brass realizes they need more offensive talent the better. Which offensive performance do you think is the most disappointing/surprising/unexpected to KW? A) Kotsay B) AJ C) Ramirez D) Beckham E) Quentin F) Pierre I guess I'll go with AJ and Pierre in a tie. With Beckham pulling in at a close 3rd place.

2001 6-9=6 GB 14-29-15.5 GB (low water mark) 82-74=7.5 GB (high water mark) this year will be cited a lot, that we can comeback and get into the division race, although the Indians/Twins were just too far ahead by that point 1997 (AKA WHITE FLAG SEASON) 4-11=5.5 GB 47-42=2.5 GB (high water mark) another bad start that got them back above .500 and within striking distance 69-74=9 GB (low water mark) 1984 6-9=3 GB 67-81/70-84=9/10 GB (low water marks) 44-40=1 GAME UP (high water mark) 1983 7-8=2.5 GB 16-24=7 GB (low water mark...this is the year that will be quoted by comeback believers) 99-63=UP 20 games (high water mark...one of few Sox teams that peaked at end of the season) 1968 3-12=8.5 GB 62-88=33.5 GB (low water mark) 15-17=6 GB (high water mark) 1967 8-7=1 GB 89-68=1 GB (high water mark) 1960 9-6=tied for first 30-29=5.5 GB (low water mark) 85-62=4.5 GB (high water mark) 1959 9-6=1.5 GB 11-11=4.5 GB (low water mark) 87-52=4.5 GAMES UP (high water mark) 1993 8-7 start 1994 9-6 start 2000 9-6 start/37-23 2005 11-4 start/41-19 2006 10-5 start/37-23 2007 8-7 start/27-33 (9 GB) 2008 9-6 start/33-27 Seems pretty obvious we have to stay no more than 7-9 games back or it really is close to being over before it started.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 11:22 PM) I would've over-paid for Damon, rather than give up Hudson or Flowers/Danks for Crawford. It's too bad that the Sox don't appear to have an in-house solution to the lead-off spot for the foreseeable future. They'll probably have to over-pay for a veteran, as Kenny did to solve the CF situation last summer. The Mitchell setback really doesn't help matters, either. That puts him a full 2 and probably 3 years away now, at best.

The amazing thing is the Cardinals are worth only $2 million USD more than the White Sox. 2 franchises (and fanbases) that seem like they're worlds apart right now.

John Gibbons was politicking on the pre-game show for another chance. The announcers had nothing but glowing praise for him, despite the Hillenbrand fiasco.

CLEVELAND INDIANS BASEBALL WE"RE BETTER THAN THE WHITE SOX WHILE SPENDING A LOT LESS MONEY AND BUILDING OUR FARM SYSTEM SIIMULTANEOUSLY (5-1) THE REST OF BASEBALL...NOT SO GOOD (1-7) I think that's the most telling early statistic so far about our team's chances...TRADEMARK, "but it's early," 2006 Cardinals, 1983 Chicago White Sox, 2005 Houston Astros, we can be one of the 4 anomalous teams in the history of baseball. Not great odds, especially with our franchise history in these situations. We all know how 1997 started out...that was an even more talented team than this one, for sure.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 07:33 PM) Agreed, but I don't know of any other cheap corner OFs with a .350+ OBP who were available this winter. Crawford is the closest....but God knows what we would have had to give up, not as much as A-Gon, but then it's the same issue....keeping him in the fold long-term. Might have been worth it though, at this point it might be a moot point anyway.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 07:37 PM) Given that Swisher is a mental midget, this is definitely a possibility. Except I think he was answering my ? about Uribe... But I guess it's applicable to Swisher as well...theoretically.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 07:48 PM) Why, it's not like we'd spend it to outbid others for free agents? Haven't done it in over a decade, they're not likely to start now. Let PK, Jenks and AJP go, and free up some money for trades. And try to sell off Linebrink, even if they have to subsidize $2-4 million...I know, not KW's and JR's style. They did it once that I can think of, with Ray Durham going to the A's for Adkins.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 07:42 PM) Tampa has a pretty damn good pen with Soriano anchoring them. They're the best team in the AL, IMO. And Soriano's fastball has really been down this year. Only 91-92. He used to throw REALLY hard when he first came up with the M's, not unlike Sweaty Freddy.

There's a snowball's chance in hell they permanently move Thompson up to High A before the All-Star break, no matter what he does. He's just too raw.

I'm not trying to argue/fight...just want someone to answer with their honest opinion. Why did Uribe completely regress offensively after his first season with us? Did he tune out those who tried to talk to him and get him to change his approach/swing? That doesn't sound like Uribe, it's more Nick Swisher-esque.

I wasn't attempting to say that's where they'll finish, that's just the up-to-date number for that stretch. Although plus or minus 4 wouldn't be a very bad guess if you're a gambling man. You do have to admit that 2006 second half and 2007 really took the wind out of the sails for those fans who fair-weathered into WHITE SOX NATION after 2005...

Okay....rephrase: Who has the best potential to be still holding a roster spot with the White Sox in 2015 of our AA/AAA pitchers?

Is it fair to say that Shirek and Santeliz have the best "potential" to make contributions to the Sox this season? Along with Threets as the LHR?

Josh Kroeger leading Kotsay in jacks 2-1. Eventually, he might be the replacement. Danks with a strange line, R, RBI, BB. That'll work. Gartrell 3/3, threatening to replace Juan Pierre. Joking again...and Brent Lillibridge sporting 765 OPS so far.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 01:00 PM) How does Beckham lose a ton of RBI opportunities if he's moved up 1 spot in the lineup (Rios on the other hand might lose a few)? It's the same guys hitting in front of him, the only difference is he'll have no one on in front of him in the first inning as opposed to the 20% he's gotten thus far this year. Last year our top 2 #2 hitters (Alexei and Gordon) knocked in someone other than themselves only 4 times in the first inning. No one would have to change their game if moved to the top of the lineup, this is the American League, just go up there and do what you do best, whatever that may be and enjoy the increase in plate appearances. Not always true. Moving to leadoff seemed to really get to Swisher and throw his game off totally. Rios is a pro, but not sure I want to mess with either him or Beckham by putting that kind of pressure on them. O-Cab managed to adjust as well and was a much better hitter in the 2nd half of 2008. It really ate up Wise, Owens, Lillibridge, etc. Of course, they were never very good to begin with, slight problem with that strategy.

1/2 with a walk. Still in mid 450 range. 7 SB. Amazing, the announcers noticed he had a "one way" lead that wasn't balanced. Recalled the infamous Manny Lee of Blue Jays fame, how he drew a ton of throws without being a big stolen base threat because of his exaggerated lead. Wonder why that was so hard to correct...that seemed to lead to many of his CS, overcommitting too quickly...maybe he is losing a bit of speed and adjusted to compensate and get an extra jump or head start and buy a split advantage on the catcher. Just thrown out stealing...that's the guy we all remember. Don't want to get gunned down with how hot Guillen has been....single.....would have scored Pods, but alas, Juan Pierred.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 12:08 PM) Sanchez has certainly gotten hot over the last few games. Wonder why Shelby isn't playing today. He has been promoted to take Kotsay's spot? Joking.. This just in, Mabee sucks. Trying to jeopardize Shirek's win with multiple walks. Tied 2-2, three walks in one inning trying to hold the one run lead. Miguel Asencio-esque.

Shirek has been pitching very well. 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's. Gave up his first earned run of the season, 0.47 ERA and .169 BAA. Sanchez? Maybe he's this year's Maurice Gartrell? Psuedo-prospect who never really gets a shot with the White Sox...2/3, RBI, .393 BA. Turns 25 at the end of the season....didn't Ozzie say something positive about him before? I think he had a homer in one of the ST games I followed, but maybe I was imagining things!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 21, 2010 -> 08:41 AM) Who exactly? I really don't have any idea at this point in the season, to tell the truth. Someone like Jack Cust, Aubrey Huff, Branyan, Dellucci, Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Delgado...I think the realization will set in (when/if Jones tails off) that they're going to need a bit more pop in the middle of the line-up when the weather heats up and balls start flying out of USCF at an alarming rate. Sugar Ray Durham, lol? Elijah Dukes?

Yeah, I guess, in retrospect, that was uncalled for... You can argue all you want about our "fair weather" fanbase, but we've always had a pretty dedicated core of both season ticket holders and corporate box/ticket holders through thick and thin. Ozzie, in 2005/06, the White Sox owned this town....there were articles about paradigm shifts in the fanbases with young fans who saw the championship being swayed to the South Side. Pitching dynasties (second time we heard that, first was when all the young pitchers were coming up together 1999-2001), etc. Now the only way to sustain that 2006 season ticket base was a run of division championships, and 2007 simply killed that, along with the disheartening collapse in the second half of 2006. Mariotti always used to do this...but: 2006 2nd half=-8 2007 -18 2008 +15 (-2 for playoffs) 2009 -4 2010 -4 That's 19-21 games under .500 over a 3 1/2 year stretch. With a $100 million plus bloated payroll. So if you want to blame anyone, blame yourself and KW for giving us mostly boring, underachieving and very mediocre (sometimes unwatchable) teams that were better individual pieces than they were cohesive units with the proper "mix."

Which is why they had no choice but to dump Granderson and Edwin Jackson. And which is why it was curious they went out and acquired Valverde instead of going with Perry or Zumaya as closer, as well as shelling out money to Johnny Damon. The thing is, the Tigers were somehow able to get out from under the Robertson deal....but they have big contracts still for Willis, Inge, Carlos Guillen, Ordonez, Cabrera, Bonderman, now Valverde....before that, Sheffield and Renteria, to name a couple more. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/121409-...randerson-trade