caulfield12

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0...,0,570375.story You would think this was even more important than Beckham's first homer at the new ballpark or the Sox comeback. Of course, they still have the 13-0 score from the Cubs/Sox game the previous day. I'm sure that would have conveniently disappeared had the scores been reversed.

Forget Snider. He's not going anywhere... We could possibly get Van Snider, but not Travis. Or even Snideley Whiplash.

1) I think they might have to take Lillibridge as the back-up (even if he's not starting in CF or 2B) because it's obvious Betemit can't be trusted at SS. 2) Nix has really come to play...maybe it will work out like Quentin (change of scenery/outlook), he's about the same age, even though he's been around forever seemingly because he was a draftee out of HS. 3) Was nice to see/hear Corky gun down a runner...when's the last time that happened? He also had a double. This whole race with Corky, Stewart and Armstrong will have lots of twists and turns, and I wouldn't rule out KW picking up someone that's been cut the last 7-10 days either. 4) Seems like Owens or Wise will be the one to go...DJ was arguing that Owens should put a .375.-385 OBP to be effective, but the reality is that the most we can realistically hope for is .270-.280 with a .350 OBP. One of many major concerns with Owens is he just doesn't get on base consistently...he's super streaky, at least he was in 2007. He's not the sort of player who seems like he has the ability to get on base 15 games in a row at this point in his career. 5) Beckham and Viciedo have impressed enough so far to make themselves part of the conversation for Opening Day, but it's still a long ways to go and Viciedo will need to prove he can field bunts and make that running, sidearmed, off-balance throw coming in towards the plate. He has the arm, but does he have the athleticism as a fielder? We'll soon find out. I'm sure Cora is working on that with Fields and Viciedo everyday. He apparently needs to work even more with Betemit, who almost made 3 errors.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 01:08 PM) It's very possible that John Shelby will find a place on the team. If I'm not forgetting anyone, here's how the team might look 2 years down the line: c: flowers or AJ 1b: Viciedo 2b: Beckham SS: Alexei 3B: Fields rf: Quentin cf: jordan Danks lf: Shelby DH: Konerko or Dye That's the type of team I hope to see 2 years from now, and most importantly I hope Brian Anderson is nowhere near this team in 2 years from now. So you're not going to fit Brandon Allen in there at 1B or DH? Do you really think either Dye OR Konerko will be here in two years? I guess it's possible, but not very likely, unless the "recession" becomes a fullblown depression and the economy of baseball worsens even more.

I watched Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman. Too funny. Saw Zack & Miri Make a Porno and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. The second one reminded me of High Fidelity, but not nearly as good...more of a 15-25 year old audience for that movie, although good soundtrack. I'm really starting to like Elizabeth Banks. Jason Mewes was strange to watch in that one too, after seeing his normal Jay/Silent Bob routine. Seth Rogen should ride his moment in the limelight and milk it for all it's worth for as long as he can, lol. I do like him more than say, John C. Reilly, as a leading man...but still prefer him as a supporting actor. I guess Knocked Up had its moments as well, but I was never convinced SuperBad was the greatest teen movie in the history of the world. I'm not even convinced SuperBad is much better than Can't Hardly Wait.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-sox01.article Pretty decent, in-depth Cowley article on Lillibridge and his struggles from last season and perceived role coming into ST.

That's a great line....ask if you can get a 25-50% discount (50 to 75 cents on the dollar) because you could barely afford to pay for your White Sox season tickets AND eat at KW's restaurant. Somehow I have a feeling it won't be cheap. Or if there's a smaller crowd of people, offer to turn off the lights to save on their electricity bill.

I wouldn't mind Ramirez in the 2 hole, getting a steady diet of fastballs, especially if Owens is actually leading off. I would rather see Getz/Lillibridge/Anderson at the bottom of the order, if possible. With that said, he'll probably be 6th or 7th most nights. I just don't want AJ back there again...he did the best job he could, but he just doesn't move well enough on the basepaths to be a 2 hitter. I think in the long run, we might see Beckham at the top of the order, 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,594677.column With all the attention on these four guys, it's quite easy to overlook Fields, Lillibridge, Getz, Shelby and Jordan Danks. Nice problem to have...too many young sluggers to fit into one article. It's kind of becoming the inverse of the 1999-2000 rise of all the stud (alleged) pitchers, when we really only had Crede and Rowand on the horizon at that time. This current crop of youngsters is overloaded on the hitting side instead. Hopefully they will pan out much better than that group of young pitchers.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Feb 28, 2009 -> 01:05 PM) This one Cardinals fan told me St Louis has bigger sports fans than Chicago b/c the Ozzie Smith restaurant thrives whereas Jordan's restaurant comparatively didnt last long. Ha. Supply & demand much? I know Mike Shannon (broadcaster) had a restaurant (or still has) in St. Louis downtown...not sure if the Bucks were a partner or not. Does Ozzie Guillen have one? He's about the only Sox player I think who could compete with Ozzie Smith in terms of popularity. MAYBE Willie McGee or Joe McEwing. If never seemed to the be the kind of thing someone like McDowell, Ventura (I know they spend most of their time in Cali now), Fisk, Baines, etc., would have much of an interest in...and opening it in the teeth of a recession doesn't seem like wise timing for new bars and restaurants.

Well, that's exactly the problem that Cooper pointed out with Sisco and Aardsma. By the way, that Cooper ST article didn't highlight probably what was Don and Ozzie's biggest success, Jon Garland... We know Russell has the size, but you can't get by with just one pitch...not when you're competing against 10 other guys for probably just one spot. Up until this point, even when he's throwing 94-98, he has gotten hammered at times in the big leagues. Of course we're not going to give up on him yet or release him, but he's been around Cooper for at least 3 years now at different points, you would think some of it might start to sink it. Maybe it's just our dearth of prospects over a 2-3 year period that elevated him to higher status than he deserved. Yes, yes, I know it's just spring training. But I would be willing to bet anyone on this message board that Adam Russell doesn't make this team on April 6th. Not to mention the fact that Nunez went out there and got 3 K's and you know that KW always has a way of putting the players he traded for on the roster if there's a way he can justify it...like Julio Ramirez. Now if they don't perform, there's no fear to send them back down or release them (like D. Jimenez), but I would be almost shocked if Russell makes it. Ozzie loves Carrasco, and there are a lot of young pitchers with live arms and multiple pitches and the ability to be starters/swing men for Russell or Wasserman to have much of a chance IMO.

Well, yes, anything is possible...but I really get a sense that with so much competition around those 1-2 spots in the bullpen, it will take a Herculean efforts to recover from the ditch that Russell has already dug himself. Seems to be a mental issue with him, he has the size and the stuff to be effective. It's not like Dotel where you can afford to overlook his early outings and use the excuse he's just working on stuff....he doesn't have that luxury at this point in his career yet. Wasserman, you know what you get with him...Russell seems a lot more like an Aardsma, Sisco or Politte, someone that could put it all together one year and have a 2.25 ERA and then be horrible again. I don't think we have even seen Jimenez (Blue Jays pick-up), unless he pitched against the Dodgers yesterday in the B game. I agree, the record means next to nothing, neither does the score. Actually, to be .500 after four games is a surprise!!! However, don't kid yourself that Ozzie and KW don't look at the individual performances, even as early as the first week...and we can't say it means nothing, because ST allowed Logan to basically jump from A ball to the majors because he pitched so well. It's hard to ignore giving up 7-8 runs in 2 innings. I mean, in 2005, some of our relievers didn't do that for half-season stretches. Gordon Beckham finally makes an appearance, PHing for Thome. GO to 1B. now 1 for 4 (2B) on the season.

Wise must be playing on the warning track if that last one landed where it shows it on Gameday and was only a single. Thank god this game isn't being telecasted! I'm sure the Tribune will make it into a headline sports story though. This game has turned into Little Big Horn for the White Sox. And to think, once upon a time, Russell and Wasserman looked like future contributors to our bullpen.

I guess that might be the end of the Adam Russell era. At least in the two games we've gotten pounded, the starting pitchers (Marquez/Richard) have both looked very good. Russell sporting the 36 ERA, Dotel at 22.50 and Wasserman's is "down" to 9.00. LHP Randy Williams (ex-Marlins) has pitched two scoreless outings now. Don't get too excited yet, he's a 33 or 34 year old veteran. On the hitting front, Quentin doesn't have a hit yet, Josh Kroeger has cooled down after a hot start, same with Lilli. DeWayne Wise has been the hitting "star," two for three today to get him up to .667. Is is just me or is it lot more exciting when Viciedo and Beckham play in the same line-up? Hopefull that will happen in one of the webcasted games soon...would love to see how they look. At least Sunday's game is on MLB.TV and radio. Russell's 36 ERA replaced by Salmon's 81. He's really getting filleted and sauteed out there!!!! Russell quickly gives up five hits, a walk, 4 ER (so far) and leaves the bases loaded WITH NO OUTS for Salmon to give up a GS here probably.

Here's what NIX looked like a LONG time ago in a scouting report, a five year-old detailed one from John Sickels. He would be challenged to play anywhere else on the field (unlike Lillibridge, who's a natural SS, and Getz can play 3B or SS if he has to, probably even better than Betemit)...but he's also our best 2B defensively right now, from all reports. Jayson Nix is the brother of Texas Rangers outfielder Laynce Nix. Someone in their family must like the letter "Y." The Rockies drafted Jayson in 2001, out of high school in Midland, Texas, as a supplemental first-round pick, compensation for the failure to sign '00 pick Matt Harrington. A pitcher/shortstop as a prep, Nix moved to second base after signing due to questions about his range. He has good pop for a middle infielder and is one of the better "sleeper" prospects around. Scouting report Nix is a good athlete, with surprising strength for his size. He has quick wrists, and like his brother he shows good baseball instincts, with a natural feel for the game. Offensively, he will hammer most fastballs and will usually hold in well against breaking balls. He strikes out too much when he tries too hard to hit for power. That's the main thing he'll need to correct at higher levels. He'll hit for plenty of pop if he just stays within himself and makes contact. Nix has decent speed and shows a knack for stealing bases. Defensively, he has a very strong arm for second base, being a former shortstop. His range is adequate. He made 21 errors last year at Visalia, but his reliability should improve with more experience. Scouts praise his work ethic, and say he is a baseball rat. Performance Statistically, the most notable thing in his record is his unusual power for a second baseman. He knocked 21 homers last year, but his 46 doubles were equally as impressive. The doubles tied for the minor league lead. That's a sign of further power development to come. His batting averages and on-base percentages aren't terrific, and he projects as a .260-.270 hitter up the ladder. But with enough power production, that's fine, and the thin air in Coors Field will likely boost those numbers. His strikeout rate is high enough to worry me, and it will be extremely interesting to see how well he adjusts to Double-A pitching. He steals bases at a sound percentage and should remain a speed threat at higher levels. Health record Nix has had no major health concerns. What to expect Nix has major breakthrough potential. His power makes him an attractive fantasy investment as a middle infielder and playing in Coors will boost his numbers even further. The main concern is his plate discipline: are the strikeouts a warning that he won't make contact at higher levels or is it a correctable problem that will ease with experience? At this point, we don't know. Personally, I'm inclined to be optimistic about Nix, and I think he's one of the most promising middle infield prospects in the game. He should reach Colorado in late '04 or early '05. We will track his performance in Double-A very closely and will alter his timetable as needed.

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ Feb 27, 2009 -> 08:27 AM) I live in the NW Suburbs, aka Cubby heaven. I still dont hate the Cubs like everyone else does, I actually enjoy watching them sometimes. The two teams that I do not care for at all are the Yankees/Redsox. I also root for AL Central teams especially in the playoffs if the Whitesox are not affected by it. Although the Twins do annoy me sometimes, it helps Brad Radke, Torri Hunter, and AJ Pierynzski arent playing for them anymore. AJ and Hunter were definitely their leaders you hated...Santana you just respected the heck out of, and I never came close to anything but admiration for Radke, because he went through almost a decade of being on a rebuilding team, and his final season, it was amazing his arm/shoulder/elbow didn't completely fall apart, he was pitching in so much pain but still gutting it out. I guess you can hate Nathan for being so good and sort of cocky, but the players I disliked even more: Denny Hocking Lew Ford Jason Tyner Jason Bartlett Nick Punto Doug Mietkiewicz Matt LeCroy Henry Blanco or Mike Redmond Just because they alway found annoying ways to beat the White Sox somehow, and they are/were mostly role/utility or "complementary" players.

My dad always told me you should pick a pin number that was the year of your birthday multiplied by 3. Now I have a new idea, haha. And whoever said the Twins don't have a LH reliever, they have Breslow and Mijares, who were probably their best relievers down the stretch. It was Nathan, Crain, Guerrier and Guardado that were the shakiest. The Twins will have an interesting battle for the outfield (right now Delmon Young, who is their most talent player, is ticket for the bench) and at SS (Punto vs. Brendan Harris). Their long relief is still unsettled too. Bonser's out for the year. Maybe Humber or Mulvey, RA Dickey, someone like that. Just glad they didn't get Juan Cruz. I agree, though, that if Liriano is close to his 2006 form, then the Twins are the team to beat. By the way, who said that Crede isn't the best defender in the AL Central? CHW=Fields/Viciedo/Betemit CLE=DeRosa or Peralta DET=Brandon Inge KC=Alex Gordon Inge and Gordon are good athletes, but there's no way they are obviously better than a closer to healthy Crede. The White Sox and Indians might have even more of a train wreck on their hands.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Feb 28, 2009 -> 09:23 AM) I hope the kid just comes in all guns blazing so we can stop reading stuff like "It would have taken a Crede-esque dive at the ball to get it" This is going to be a year that will be annoying with Comparisons on this site. "Crede would have made that play", "Its too bad we dont still have Vazquez in the 5th starter spot", "Uribe's defense would be nice off the bench" It won't be easy for Fields/Viciedo/Betemit at 3B, being compared to Crede...Ramirez being compared to Cabrera...or Betemit to Uribe. The only one I will be shocked to hear is missing Swisher's defense. Not matter who we go with at 2B, they should be pretty solid, but the left side of the infield will definitely be under the microscope...and what will make it more annoying is the players will be compared to the 2005 and not 2008 versions of Crede and Cabrera.

White Sox GM Williams to open restaurant/bar in West Loop By Mark Gonzales GLENDALE, Ariz. - White Sox general manager Ken Williams is part owner of a new restaurant and sports bar set to open in April. Market, the name of Williams' business venture, is located at 1113 W. Randolph St. in the West Loop.The establishment features a 4,500-square foot bar and dining area with 20 flat screen televisions, a 2,500-square-foot outdoor beer garden, a 1,200-square foot sidewalk cafe and a 4,000-square foot rooftop lounge. chicagotribune.com/sports

Trying to drive up his trade value I'm sure...the results on the field will have a lot more to do with that than any PR hype attached to his appearances. They also had to scratch Bonderman already.

Dayan Viciedo hit a home run off Jon Garland in his second pro game, and 2008 first-round pick Gordon Beckham cracked an RBI double to lead the Sox to a 10-1 victory over Arizona at Tucson Electric Park. "You see Beckham swinging the bat, and it's like he has been here before," Guillen told reporters. "I think the Cuban Tank (Viciedo) has looked very good, and he played even better third base. It will take a little time to get him better." "As long as [pitchers] don't know him, I think it makes it easier," Guillen said. "To me, he has more confidence than his countryman ( Alexei Ramirez)." Paul Konerko, who homered, also was impressed with Viciedo. "He has that same Alexei mind-set — if it's coming at me, I'm hitting," Konerko said. "But he's good and can hit everything. I'm envious of those guys. They are pretty mindless up there." chicagotribune.com/sports

QUOTE (knightni @ Feb 27, 2009 -> 08:05 PM) Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Napoleon Lajoie, Bob Boone, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Robin Roberts, Dick Allen, Greg Luzinski, Richie Ashburn, Ron Reed, Tug McGraw, Chuck Klein, Curt Schilling, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels. Bob Boone? Ron Reed? No Bake McBride, Garry Maddox or Ivan DeJesus? I was just laughing with Boone's name stuck in there between two HOFers. Schilling bounced around a little bit to be most closely identified as a Phillie. Kind of like Fisk, I think he'll be remembered more as a Red Sox. You can also add Bob Abreu, he's probably been their best player over the last decade on a consistent basis.

Utility Sox Rushmore Craig Grebeck, Pablo Ozuna, Norberto Paco Martin, Warren "The Deacon" Newson or Rodney McCray twincity sox, those are all good choices...

Merkin is usually not so effusive in his commentary, so high praise indeed. We seem to have a plethora of players that could end up at any one of 3-4 positions. Ramirez=SS, 2B, CF and possibly 3B Fields=3B, 1B, DH, LF Beckham=SS, 2B, 3B, LF, RF, DH Viciedo=3B, 1B, LF, RF, DH Lillibridge=SS, 2B, CF That gives KW a lot of versatility building the roster moving forward. Add in Flowers, Allen, Shelby (who can also play infield and outfield) and Jor. Danks and you have some interesting combinations. Based on all of that, I think Nix and/or Getz might end up being the loser (one of the two) as they are both less versatile. Getz could play 3B and maybe SS if he had to, but he doesn't have the type of bat for the corners and the arm/range for SS. The outfield fight with Owens, Anderson, Wise and possibly Kroeger will be very interesting and could down down to the last week of ST. I'll reserve my praise for Don Cooper at this point, but if Van Benschoten makes the club, that would be a pretty amazing turnaround for him.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 12:43 AM) I spoke to a frien of mine that has some contacts in the Dominican R. today. He said that SS/2B Jose "Candelita" Iglesias may be drawing attention from the Tigers. Supposely, the Tigers are offering 3.5 millions. He defected in 2008 along side LHP Noel Arguelles and another pitcher in Canada while in the World Junior tournament. It is just a rumor. I do not think the Chi Sox will go after him bacause it does not make sense for them to do so. It makes sense for the Tigers, because Adam Everett is a stopgap for now with Guillen moving to LF and Polanco is getting up there in years, too. I guess it depends on the number of years to say $3.5 million is a lot in this depressed market...if it's modelled on the Ramirez deal, it would be better...or the average or one year salary was $3.5 million, you would wonder why they didn't just go out and get Orlando Hudson, Cabrera, etc. I would be pretty surprised if DET sank that money into a playing heading into the perfect economic storm for the city that has been portended.