[3/30/07 Sox @ Braves 6:05 CT]

Im sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but doesnt a pickoff count as a caught stealing ?

 

In classic baseball stats all pick offs are scored as a caught stealing against the batter. Pick off is an unofficial pitcher's stat.

[BUMPED::::::Toby Hall Possibly out for the season]

I personally blame Kalapse for this entire situation. Had he not recommended Eduardo Perez to KW, KW would not have signed him, and Eduardo would not have been there to leave the game with a sore hammy and Guillen, having used his starting catcher and first baseman in the B game, wouldn't have moved Hall to 1B when Wiki Gonzalez came into the game so Hall could get ABs without wearing out and therefore the injury would not have ever happened. D**m Kalapse!

[White Sox. Vs. D-Backs 3/24/07]

That Orlando kid can RUN!

[Freddy Garcia Thread]

If the Phillies didn't examine Freddy, I would be willing to bet the White Sox didn't examine Gio or Floyd. Maybe if they did, they would have found out Floyd had no balls, and moved on.

[LaRussa busted for DUI]

Tony is 62 years old. I'm 5 or so behind him. When I was a young man, I could stay out all night and nothing bothered me. Now, and I'm not Tony Larussa, but after a long day and if I'm staying up late I find that even a couple beers can knock me out.

 

No excuse, but I can easily understand falling asleep at a stop light while everybody else at the party I just left thought I was sober. When the adrenilin from talking to your friends stops you just deflate. He did what he did, and he blew the number he blew, but it doesn't take a crazy bender when you are around 60. He's going to have to show up in court and take and his medicine, probably a first offense fine. Then do what I do, either bring the wife to drive, or don't go. Maybe he'll join SoxTalk -it's saved me a couple DUIs on the nights I don't go!

[If it goes Pods and Erstad 1 & 2...?]

It doesn't really matter how you line them up. If you have Pods and Erstad in the lineup, you are putting two REALLY BAD players in the field. I'm not a big WIN SHARES guy, but I bet both of these guys post negative numbers.

 

SO, OF COURSE, OZZIE GUILLEN WILL MAXIMIZE THE DAMAGE BY HITTING THEM FIRST AND SECOND.

 

Our best hope this year is that the Tigers will have a serious WS hangover and not perform nearly as well. Meanwhile, we have a 1-year window when Minnesota is missing Liriano. And, theoretically, Cleveland could continue to underachieve.

 

I don't think anyone is going to come close to 100 wins in the AL Central. Something in the low 90s will probably be enough, and as unhappy as I am about our offseason, I think we still have a possibility of making it there.

WIN SHARES: Last year Erstad had 0, the two previous years 15 and 15. Podsednik had 9 last year, 12 and 15 the previous years. Last year Brian Anderson was 5. All from The Hardball Times.

[Sox make 7 roster moves]

Well... Zambrano has the mental capacity of a cupcake. Is that kind of the same?

You should not insult cupcakes like that!

[Freddy Garcia Thread]

By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

 

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Hours after the Phillies announced that Jon Lieber would pitch out of the bullpen to start the season, starter Freddy Garcia left Wednesday night's game against the Blue Jays with tightness in his right bicep after throwing 32 pitches.

 

Garcia, who was scheduled to throw 85 pitches, was traveling back to Clearwater to be examined by trainer Scott Sheridan. The club doesn't expect to have the results until Thursday morning. Garcia allowed five hits and three runs in the first inning, including a two-run homer by Troy Glaus, and didn't come out for the second inning. The veteran right-hander was replaced by Fabio Castro. Garcia was acquired at the Winter Meetings for Minor League starters Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez and was expected to anchor the rotation. He's pitched at least 200 innings in seven of his eight seasons in the Major Leagues. Garcia has had velocity concerns since Spring Training began, topping out at 88 mph. He left the field with Triple-A Ottawa trainer Shawn Fcasni following the first inning.

Ouch! A tight bicep is really a labrum injury?

[The best pitched inning in Sox history/Your thoughts]

Check out Stan Bahnsen's line from 6/21/73. A 12 hit CG shut out, I didn't think that was possible!

[The best pitched inning in Sox history/Your thoughts]

El Duque.

 

Best game. Jack McDowell 1-0 against Seattle (I think it was Randy Johnson pitching for them).

 

Ok, I'm officially old. I searched and can't find the best pitched game I remember. Never happened? Was I looking at BlackJack through goatee colored Sox shades? Closest thing to what I remember was 2-1 Sox over RJ. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SE...199406250.shtml Guess that makes me a fan.

BlackJack never One-O'd the Big Unit. He had three with the White Sox.

 

6/29/1990 V Yankees at home over Jim Deshaies

 

9/13/1991 V Angels at home over Jim Abbott

 

8/22/1993 V Twins in Minny over Chuck Cary

 

The game you list is the only one I can find where they went head to head while Jack was on the Sox.

[Questec Is Coming Back]

From an interview about the 2007 rules changes with MLB umpire Charlie Reliford in the Cincinnatti Post:

 

Reliford also said MLB may have a new umpire-judging system - called ZE - to either replace or work with QuesTec, so that either system will be in every Major League stadium.

 

"Years and years ago we feared instant replay, but instant replay was our friend. It proved that we are the major league umpires we are," Reliford said. "QuesTec has done that too. Nobody in my uniform wanted it. But technology has given us a different way to grade ourselves. It's a tool to make ourselves better by making adjustments. We work with the league office to make adjustments, just like a pitcher with his arm angle. You change the head angle or feet."

 

One of the biggest complaints about the QuesTec system is that umpires call balls and strikes differently in the 13 stadiums that have QuesTec installed. (Great American Ball Park is one of the stadiums without QuesTec.) Reliford said every statistic has shown that isn't the case.

 

"I promise you, and I can only speak for myself, but it doesn't," Reliford said. "An umpire has technique like a hitter or a pitcher. I don't think a pitcher can say I throw this way in one ballpark and another way in another ballpark. Neither does an umpire. I work the plate the way I was taught to work the plate whether it's a QuesTec park or not a QuesTec park, I can just see the results graphically."

The ZE system sounds similar to Fox TV's f/x system (http://www.around-the-horn.com/?m=200702) where they track the ball's flight. They are gathering data on all teams and there is talk of using it for gaming purposes, like an X-boxer trying to hit an actual Joel Zumaya pitch. Since they will have the data anyway, there's no reason not to share it with the umps.

[Dont Like This Move Ozzie]

So, as of today, Darin Erstad is hitting this spring: .275, with an OBP of .302 and a slugging %age of .333. Yes, that's right, he's having such a great spring that his OPS is at .635. He's also leading the team in strikeouts. And he's leading the team in at-bats.

They want to see if he will break down or lose his effectiveness. When/if they decide he's their man they will back him off and just get him ready. He's still under the microscope for the present -just like Brian.

[Brian Anderson's Injury]

I was disappointed with Brian's AB in the 5th. After an Iguchi ground out, Cintron singled, bringing Brian to the plate. Called strike, called strike, swinging strike. Ouch.

 

Next inning Ozuna singles, Erstad grounds out 4-3 advancing the runner. They pitch around Thome and Ernie Young plates Ozuna with a single. Both Anderson and Erstad went 0 for the afternoon but the veteran player made a contribution. All this against Carrasco.

 

I know this is just a snap shot but I saw the same thing over and over and over with Brian last year. He's got wonderful tools; he's a superior athlete to Erstad, but needs to sharpen that apparently dull tool between his ears. The way he plays the game, he'd have to hit 50 points higher than the next guy to equal him in game winning value. If he could develop some moxie, combined with his defense, you could win with him hitting .220. He needs to learn how to do the appropriate baseball thing at the appropriate baseball time.

 

[Fifth Starter Field Narrows]

From MLB.Com

Shortstop Michael Young will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time after undergoing surgery to close a laceration on his left ear ... Young was hit in the left side of his helmet by a changeup thrown by White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd on Tuesday.

 

"I spent the night in the hospital and was discharged about 10:30 this morning," Young said. "I'm feeling a lot better this afternoon. I had what they called a traumatic laceration to my ear. The doctors said it was similar to if someone took scissors and cut my ear. There was some exposed tissue and cartilage and that's what they wanted to fix."

Legendary, Floyd cut a guy's ear off with a change up.

[Fifth Starter Field Narrows]

Erstad could be the top defensive 1B on the team.

He won the Gold Glove at 1B in 04.

[Jim Parque attempting a comeback]

He gawn.

 

From RotoWorld:

 

Mariners reassigned LHP Jim Parque, RHP Carlos Alvarado, RHP Jesse Foppert, RHP Juan Sandoval, C Luis Oliveros and 3B Matt Tuiasosopo to minor league camp; optioned LHP Travis Blackley and LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith to Triple-A Tacoma.

 

Parque surrendered nine runs in 3 2/3 innings to spoil his comeback bid this spring. Maybe he'll get a look if he can turn in a couple of strong months in Triple-A.

 

And the White Sox helped!

[Rowand to the Sox??]

I read on the internet that he hit .188 in Sept/Oct.

 

 

 

Must be a malicious lie planted by Guillen.

[Jim Parque attempting a comeback]

Wouldn't his stat like be...

 

ERA9.00 IP3 H6 R3 ER3 HR1 HB1 BB1 K3

Yep, typo

[Jim Parque attempting a comeback]

The Royals beat Jim up yesterday.

 

IP 1 H3 R3 ER3 BB1 K0 Non Roster invite Billy Butler took him long.

 

So after 2 outings:

 

ERA9.00 IP3 H6 R6 ER6 HR1 HB1 BB1 K3

[Levine reports Sox and Buehrle to talk]

Mark Mulder was hurt, and he didn't get NULL.

Adam Eaton was hurt, and he didn't get NULL.

This is so, but neither had a career ending injury, and yet both are very devalued from before they got hurt. Mulder got 2 years 13 million. Eaton got 3 years 24.5. This is less than Javy money. I'm just saying that the risk of a career ender like Barcelo or Alex Fernandez has to be considered from the players perspective too.

 

MB's track record indicates he is willing to run the risk and pitch out the year on his own hook, he's twice before turned down 'security' offers.

[Levine reports Sox and Buehrle to talk]

So would a 5 year deal, which is what teams will be lining up to give him if he has a normal "Buehrle" type year.

 

But if gets hurt this year he gets nothing, nada, null. They have to consider that ristk. Thats all I was saying.

[Levine reports Sox and Buehrle to talk]

Buerhle's agent today on whitesox.com:

 

"In terms of how we value Mark and where the market in general would value Mark ... I mean Gil Meche signed at five years [with Kansas City for $55 million], and Barry Zito signed for seven [with San Francisco for $126 million]. Mark has been one of the most durable pitchers in the last decade and that kind of speaks for itself. "

 

I think a 4 year contract wouldn't even be considered at this point, and if it was, they would have to really jack up the price.

 

 

 

A three year extension would set him and his family up for life no matter what happens this year, I mean his arm could fall off. And if he's healthy and productive then he gets another bite at the big money apple at age 31. When you factor in all the risks on both sides three years is not far fetched.

[What happened to Jerry Owens?]

Maybe I'm totally blind but I haven't seen Owens' name in the box score the past couple of games. I ask because Anderson continues to hit like crap and, while I'll probably get slammed for this, I truly believe Owens is the better long-term solution in CF.

 

I realize Anderson has only had one year and now a spring, and I'm not totally ready to give up on him, but I am just not that impressed. Yes he's a great glove but he's been a total liability at the plate. Owens looks like a guy who could hit for a good average by slapping the ball around and getting a bunch of hits on his speed alone. Besides that, he could be a leadoff hitter and basestealing threat a la Podsednick in '05 - and as a bonus could mean we don't have to rely on Scotty anymore (letting Erstad keep the seat warm for Sweeney in '08). Even if we want to put Erstad in CF and Jerry in LF, I'd love to see him win the roster spot over Brian.

 

Thoughts? (ducks)...

 

MLB.com said he's starting in LF tomorrow in the A game.

[Sox Lockup Vazquez to Contract Ext.]

I have never been a Vazquez fan, so I guess we're stuck with him.

 

I'm with you. Freddy Garcia was my favorite pitcher and they got rid of him. Then they sign my least favorite one.

[Sox Lockup Vazquez to Contract Ext.]

Yeah because it has nothing to do with 5-15 recrod as a rookie with the Expos.

 

In fact compare another pitcher who has played as many games with the Expos to Javy...

 

OK, 1998 Montreal Expos: Dustin Hermanson 14-11

 

Over the span of 1998 to 2003 Livian Herandez, Zach Day and Graeme Load were all over .500. Javier was -4.