caulfield12

BIRM leading 6-0.... Morel with two singles (765 OPS), Kuhn and Marrero 2 for 2 with 2 RBI's each Lowe pitching well, even though season BAA of .274 isn't that stellar KANNAPOLIS was wiped out 17-4 Collop got dusted, gave up 10 earned runs (11 hits) in 3 IP (10.42 season ERA), others irrelevant in relief New acquisition VERA 4/5, Colligan 2/5 and RBI (15) and Tr. Thompson 1/4 with a nice to see 2 out RBI

QUOTE (Benchwarmerjim @ May 5, 2010 -> 09:17 AM) I guess I didnt follow it too closely, but why did the White Sox get rid of Jim Thome? It probably had something to do with age/bad back, but Im glad he's on the Twins now (not trying to sound like Im rubbing it in or anything) .263 /.391 /.596 /.988 slash line. 5 HR 15 RBI in 59 PA If you took O-Dog and Thome away and added them to the White Sox....Thome and Andruw Jones splitting time, with Jones obviously playing in the OF from time to time Beckham staying at 3B, Ramirez at SS and O-Dog at 2B...with no Juan Pierre (Hudson leading off), no Teahen, no Kotsay, then maybe the teams aren't separated by 7 games, we're only 2-3 GB, like the Tigers, or perhaps even, but with how bad we've played overall, it's hard to argue that the rest of the ballclub would be even but there's still a legit argument to be made

Are Sanchez and Kuhn even close to being on the radar in terms of being legit prospects who would be seriously considered to be blocking anyone?? Surely, the White Sox would address this issue if they thought those guys like Greene and Short were ready to move up a step. Probably nothing will happen until the All-Star breaks for Winston-Salem and BIRM.

Ozzie Guillen said he has a videotape from about 20 years ago in which he said his goal was to become the manager of the White Sox. "I'm lucky to do it," Guillen said Tuesday, hours before managing his 1,000th game for the Sox. How much longer Guillen will do so has been a source of speculation outside the organization in the wake of the Sox's sluggish start. Guillen said he would get fired before he would get tired of the job and quit. "I'm not going to quit," said Guillen, who surpassed Tony La Russa for third place on the Sox's all-time victory list with his 523rd Monday night. "I'm not a quitter. When I want to quit, I'll do a lot of stupid things and make sure they fire me and get paid." Guillen laughed before elaborating on why getting fired was better than quitting. "Because when you quit, it's hard for you to find another job," Guillen said. "Because when you quit, a lot of teams out there call you a quitter or say you can't handle yourself or can't handle the heat or you can't handle losing. "And that's tough to get a job. But everyone gets fired. I remember in 2004, my first day on the job, I say managers get hired to get fired. I'm lucky enough. I work my tail off to get a job and I'm lucky enough to still have a good club and good guys to manage." chicagotribune.com/sports (gonzales)

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ May 4, 2010 -> 06:18 PM) Yeah...caulfield isn't right. He just had a two-homer game the other night, so "what have you done for me lately" I guess. Of all those guys like Pedro, Manny Ramirez, etc., I think Ortiz was (and still is to an extent) arguably the most popular...although some would counter-argue Schilling. I don''t think the Red Sox are the point where they unconditionally designate him for assignment and waste all those contract dollars, but who would possibly trade for him? Maybe some team would give the Red Sox $1-3 million (like the Pierre trade, where the Dodgers ate 70% of the deal), but they're not going to give up any kind of legit player or especially a prospect. Mike Lowell's also another interesting case for the FO. HECK, maybe KW will take on Ortiz, with how the offseason went, it would be the perfect culmination to all of his moves...to replace Kotsay.

I would have preferred we traded for Willie Tavares instead, with Dye playing 1B.

When we have defenders like Teahen and Alexei's attention span, we need all the defensive help we can get by keeping the fielders alert and into the game 100% instead of daydreaming like they would when Jose or Vazquez were out there. Floyd could definitely get a little more of that into his system as well...and he does pitch faster, it's when he has no rhythm and command of his pitches and he struggles with pitch counts that games go 3+ hours with him. Peavy, same thing, never will be a fast worker with his pitch count numbers.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ May 4, 2010 -> 05:24 PM) I always argue vehemently for Mark. I do the same for AJ, but trading Mark will always be the #1 hot-button topic for me as long as he's here. It's just amazing to me why anyone would 1) want to trade him in the first place, and 2) think the payoff would be worth it. It's always borderline delusional to trade a player of that caliber and expect an equal or better replacement because it's such a rarity (Haren/Mulder example), and most often those trades turn out really bad (Johan Santana, the best in the game, nets the Twins an arb-eligible JJ Hardy). And I agree with everything you wrote there. The love is because I remember back when you posted on WSI and IIRC I think I left there not a long while after you did, and was happy to see you here. I think they banned you or something, I just remember thinking that was BS because you posted articles and stuff all the time. So I've been a Caulfield supporter ever since, you're a good poster and you always add something. Agree on JD and Thome. Sox fans will always love them, and if it comes to the point with Mark where he's not at the level he should be, then I think as a unit Sox fans will be able to let go much easier. But Mark is in his prime still and now is not the time for that. I can deal with the guys at WSI. What made me really upset was that I asked my best friend to join that site specifically to talk about White Sox baseball...he hates to use sites like Facebook and myspace, so it was kind of a big deal and he was looking forward to it. Very quickly, I can't even remember what caused it, I think it had something to do with music...he was quickly "ambushed" and circled by vultures who kept attacking him. The silly thing is that there was no sound reason behind attacking someone, it's just that group-think mentality over there that anyone with an independent opinion should be crushed, the "rebellion/insurrection" against their norms and standards put down quickly and efficiently. I really got into the middle of it trying to defend my friend (I was the only one he knew on that board when he joined)...and that experience alone was enough to cause me to sour on it. There are some good posters there, just like here, but we have "freer" more opinionated and "open" discussions that are encouraged as long as they stay within the realm of "reasonableness." Over there, reason is defined as parroting the viewpoints of the mods about any given subject. I won't go as far as to use words like Gestapo (which diminishes real life historical suffering), but there's absolutely no reason to make so many people who join a message board to talk about something they love miserable or unhappy. Why? It just doesn't make sense to me. We should be encouraging (especially to younger and "less Sox-educated") to posters, and I had the feeling we were really turning quite a few teenagers and 20 somethings away from being Sox fans. Some where obviously fair-weather variety, but many had earnest questions and they were jumped on to the point where they simply disappeared. And I can't say I would blame them, when you're treated that way and made to feel you've done something so egregious or harmful, it's a MESSAGE BOARD for God's sake. But I am proud to be "banned for life" at WSI. I don't think it goes on my epitaph or tombstone, however.

All very good counterpoints WCSOX. I can't argue with any of them, he's very very streaky and goes through long funks (like now) even though the overall numbers in the end look pretty darned nice. Arguing sentimentality versus cold/hard "baseball is a game, it's nothing personal" reality and facts (your response), it's easy to see the conflicting sides of the debate and also to see how hard it will be on the White Sox organization (particularly JR, Ozzie, KW and Cooper) to let him walk or to trade him to another team, particularly one in the American League. Everyone loves the idea of players like Yount/Whitaker/Trammell/Gwynn/Ripken/Puckett/Mattingly playing and finishing their careers with one organization. It'd be great to see with Mark, but I'm not counting on it. And maybe my 90% of the fanbase being on KHP's side is a little hyperbolic, but I think it's very easy to say a majority would be a solid 60-75%...the only way they'd be okay is if the team played so well without him and made it to the playoffs. Seeing Danks and Buehrle both leave will be hard for many Sox fans to deal with.

Wow, thanks for the love KHP, haha...I'm more acclimated to the opposite. Actually, I was suprised to see you arguing so vehemently here...and you're right about Buehrle, and 90% of the fanbase would agree with your general sentiments in this particular case. Notice I said "sentiments," that's part of the key, just like the post-2005 WS signing of Konerko (after handing the ball pridefully to JR), there's just something about watching the way Buehrle is with the ceremonial first pitch, the way he mentors the younger pitchers like Danks and Floyd, the constant smile on his face, the "rain delay/tarp" antics...he's just White Sox baseball, he represents that "blue collar" or underdog element all fans appreciate, being taken for granted, drafted so low, having to prove the scouts and doubters (who preferred Garland, Kip Wells, Danny Wright, Ginter, even Josh Fogg or Jim Parque) wrong every step of the way and seeming to do it with a smirk on his face the whole time. His bulldog mentality...holding the Astros down enough in freezing cold game to let us rally back, and, most specifically, the willingness to come in and try to save that extra inning game in HOU. I know those Master Card commercials are a cliche, but the White Sox really should do one for Mark specifically where they throw together a montage of his highlights and put "priceless" at the end. Maybe the Sox won't do it, but his agent should. Not that Mark would ever try to extort JR, it's not his style. We all felt in our "heart of hearts" that it was time to cut the cord with JD because of his deteriorating defense and unwillingness to DH and the fact we couldn't easily move him to 1B with Paulie already esconced there. Thome...not going to touch that one again, but TMK at-bats are almost becoming comical for their ineptitude these days. To the point where you don't even get upset anymore when he does something either non-productive, or, as is usually the case, counter-productive.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 4, 2010 -> 11:28 AM) Labrum, he's in extended spring training. Don't say that word. Always reminds me of what could have been with Jon Rauch had he developed with the Sox and not another organization.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ May 4, 2010 -> 04:24 PM) in the class of potential free agent 1B for next season, where does Paulie rank? First Basemen This is probably the biggest collection of big names with Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Derrek Lee and Carlos Pena. Lance Berkman HOU * Wes Helms FLA Jason Giambi COL Ross Gload FLA Paul Konerko CWS Derrek Lee CHC David Ortiz BOS * Lyle Overbay TOR Carlos Pena TB Albert Pujols STL * Garrett Atkins COL Read more at Suite101: 2011 MLB Free Agents: Baseball Players With Expiring Contracts After 2010 Season http://major-league-baseball.suite101.com/...s#ixzz0mzx1DNwi So he's actually in pretty good shape. Along with Berkman and Lee, maybe he's perceived as "tier 2-B" with those two at 2A and Carlos Pena (crazy that any team in baseball could have had him and super-happy he's not doing those things in a Tigres uniform) as the most sought after 1B. Boston really is in a PR hole with David Ortiz...in terms of biting the bullet and releasing him (talk about upsetting the fanbase, he's more beloved by Red Sox fans than the relationship between a city and a team outside of Albert Pujols) or hoping for him to get one more hot streak from that bat. Fans have quickly turned against Epstein, much moreso than we have in Chicago against KW, and he gave them TWO WS rings.

Lots of good points. I was thinking back to former Sox players and their circumstances when leaving the organization, and looking for parallels. There aren't really any. The closest people would be in "angry/upsetedness" level would have to be with the way Fisk was treated on the way out the door. Baines was the face of the franchise for 10 years, and might end up closer to the HOF than Mark (clearly the case if Mark left the game sooner rather than later), but never quite as beloved, and missing some of the 2005/WS glory, and he only played on one playoff team for the Sox as a prominent hitter, 1983, correct? Ventura in 1997/1998, walking to the Mets? Lance Johnson leaving? Nope. McDowell, admired by a lot, but not beloved. Durham/Ordonez/C-Lee/Valentin/Thomas....Thomas is the greatest hitter (along with KG Jr.) of his generation, a lot of people were PO'ed with KW for the treatment they perceived that Big Hurt was receiving from our FO, but that blew over quickly with the WS win. Then you have the current generation of Sox heroes, Rowand and Crede...we somehow survived their departures, but, once again, neither was the face of the franchise like Buehrle and Konerko for a generation. In the end, Sox fans understand the game of baseball...and they'll understand losing Konerko, AJ and Jenks is mostly about business and nothing personal directed towards those three guys. I think Mark continuing to pitch depends on how his arm/shoulder feels, what happens with Ozzie and KW over the next two seasons (Mark genuinely seems to like everyone in our front office, coaching staff and organization), and how competitive the ballclub is...my gut says there's a 75-80% chance he's here with the Sox in 2012. That said, I too would allocate money to Danks OVER Buehrle if I had to choose which one to keep...and which one is deserving of a long-term, multi-year deal at $13-17 million per year based on expected/predicted performance going forward.

Juan Pierre and Mark Kotsay must also weigh heavily on that BABIP number...yes?

Whatever happened to Omogrosso? I thought he looked really good in ST 2009, and then he's kind of fallen off the map.... I'm guessing it's either injury/ies or non-performance? Sorry, haven't been following the minors as close as some of you on a daily and weekly basis, trying to catch back up to speed these days after the offseason of kind of "tuning out."

Some other positives. We are something like 2nd in the AL in homers, and first in all of MLB in stolen bases for the first time in at least two decades...if not longer.

What's his upside? I've seen comparisons with Ely and Sean Tracey, so hopefully better than that? Stuff? Who here has seen him pitch in the last couple of seasons in-person? Impressions?

Brandon Short and Andy Garcia have 21 RBI's each now on the young season. N. Griffith was pretty shaky, Remenowsky continues to pitch well (although I'll never forget the time someone called the post-game last year and wanted him promoted immediately from A ball like he was Scott Radinsky, Boone Logan or Dwight Gooden). Gilmore, Lewis and J. Greene continue to hit well into the mid 300's. Trayce Thompson with .963 OPS, that's wonderful for a player one year removed from HS playing in the SAL... http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...&pid=572204

I think maybe just the "overall" combination of offensive and defensive tools. That he would never make the HOF or even come close, but that he would be a very solid major leaguer who would end up making 3-5 All-Star teams, potentially. I think the Royals would be tickled pink if he could end up somewhere between Crede and Ventura. But that's a lot lot harder for him to do from a corner outfield spot, his value (and bat) depreciates significantly up against the Dunns of the game who can mash the ball with extremely limited fielding ability. Josh Fields tried to do the same thing to very limited success...so did Teahen.

Beckham firmly supported Walker, a target for the Sox's hitting woes. "We'll set the record straight," Beckham said. "Anybody who thinks it's Greg Walker's fault that we haven't hit well is wrong." Beckham worked on flip drills on the field four hours before the game and employed the same wide stance that he and Walker worked on last Wednesday. "That's something I tinkered with," Beckham said. "I'm going to continue some form of that, but it doesn't have to be as wide. Once again, it's small adjustments that will get me in the right spot because my swing is the same, no matter if I'm swinging good or bad. It's the same swing." www.chicagotribune.com/sports

They'll ask for more than CJ Retherford...that would get up a hang-up of the phone with curse words if that was the "centerpiece" of the deal. CHICAGO | Alex Gordon isn’t just heading to Class AAA Omaha to regain his hitting form. The Royals also want him to concentrate on learning to play left field while also logging time at first base. “We’re not completely taking third base away from him,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said, “but we really want him to work on playing left field. He’ll also see some time at first base but, mainly, I think it will be left field.” The Royals optioned Gordon to Omaha after Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Tampa Bay. He departed with a .194 average through 12 games following his return from the disabled list after recovering from a broken right thumb. Plans call for outfield specialist Rusty Kuntz, a special assistant to general manager Dayton Moore, to be in Omaha to ease Gordon’s transition to the outfield. Gordon is expected to join Omaha in time for tonight’s game against Oklahoma City. “The first thing we told Alex is he needs to play,” Hillman said. “We just want him to relax and get the weight off his shoulders. He’ll play some first, but we want him to concentrate on left field.” Gordon appeared buried on the big-league bench after second baseman Chris Getz returned last Friday from the disabled list. That moved Alberto Callaspo back to third base, which left no spot in the lineup for Gordon. Callaspo’s emergence as a reliable offensive contributor solidifies his spot in the lineup, and third base appears to be his best defensive position. Hillman believes Getz solidifies the infield defense. The emphasis in having Gordon learn to play left field suggests first base also might not be a preferred long-term option even if Billy Butler shifts to designated hitter after the anticipated departure of José Guillen after this season. Club officials appear to be taking another look at Omaha first baseman Kila Ka’aihue, who is batting .299 with a .455 on-base percentage, seven homers and 20 RBIs in 22 games. They also see the possibility of Eric Hosmer, the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, making a quick move through the system after undergoing Lasik surgery to improve his vision. Hosmer is batting .415 with a .505 OBP, 10 extra-base hits and 15 RBIs in 23 games at Class A Wilmington. Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/03/19218...l#ixzz0mwQduoWm Gordon and Aviles are the two men trading baseball places in one of the most talked-about roster moves in recent Royals memory. The early return from fans is loudly opposed, though the Royals long ago earned their way to a place where what they do is assumed to be wrong until proved otherwise. The ramifications for this stretch years into the future for a broken franchise that needs something to go right. Forget what they say publicly. The Royals no longer view Gordon as a cornerstone. Those faint hopes are now dead, and everyone now sees the expectations were just too high. As one baseball man puts it, Gordon never was George Brett or Mike Schmidt, so now the Royals are hoping he can become Robin Ventura. Even giving the benefit of the doubt with a string of injuries, the Ventura comparison is a long way up from where Gordon is now, having batted just .226 with 14 extra-base hits and 14 errors in 61 games since the beginning of last year. The definitive opinion can’t be made quite yet, but this is leaning more bust than boom, Gordon coming out of a draft that had Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki also going in the top 10. Gordon arrived in the big leagues by displacing the Royals’ reigning player of the year at third base. He leaves the big leagues in part so he can be eventually displaced at third base by Mike Moustakas — who, by the way, is now hitting .395 at Class AA Northwest Arkansas. This is a franchise-shifting move and one backed by a rival scout who says of Gordon, “Nobody I know is excited about him or thinks he’s above getting sent down.” This is a future-centric move, but one that only works if Gordon regains his mojo in Omaha or — big if — the Royals don’t make Aviles rot on the bench. Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/03/19218...l#ixzz0mwSMjnUS

Linebrink still able to throw 95 MPH. I guess we have to give him some opportunities from time to time, shouldn't have been quite so reactionary. BUT it would have been a good chance to let Santos "try on" closing a game....I guess Ozzie and KW are being careful with overusing or abusing Putz coming off surgery, and probably that's the right call.

The fans are really going to be raining down boos on Ozzie if 1) Linebrink gives up another hit/run OR 2) we blow this game. Jenks now warming up. Should have used Putz all along...we can't lose any more games to the Twins.

Chris Young now with 24 RBI's, good BA, 4 homers, roughly an 850 OPS.

Now I'd love to see Josh Rupe but I'm not even sure if he's on their roster anymore....that bullpen is like the "ancient airplane" wasteland in Arizona that was featured in Transformers II. Farnsworth is no Juan Cruz...and Juan Cruz has fallen off the face of the earth. (COOP COULD FIX HIM)