TLAK
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I would rather see Lee in the two spot over Olivo, even though Olivo looks a lot better this year so far. I don't mind Jose in the two spot, he's going to come around, and the guy can bunt, which we'll be seeing soon enough I'm sure.
Happy Easter everyone!
Thank you and Happy Easter to you too.
I think Carlos Lee has to stay in the 5 hole to protect Frank, who in turn is protecting Maglio. Moving Lee up probably puts Paul Konerko at 5, unless Paul gets hot for an extended period of time, long enough to change the book on him, everybody will pitch around Thomas and take their chances getting a GDIP.
CLee at 5 is a big key to the offense this year.
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Agents seize drug-test samples
From todays Sun-Times:
Federal authorities probing an alleged steroid distribution ring have seized the results and samples of drug tests on selected major league baseball players from a drug-testing lab, a spokesman for the lab said Friday.
Internal Revenue Service agents served a search warrant to obtain ''documentation and specimens'' from a Quest Diagnostics lab in Las Vegas, Quest spokesman Gary Samuels said.
Samuels would not say whether IRS agents took the drug-test results or specimen of Barry Bonds, but said the agents took materials consistent with a federal subpoena that had sought test results and specimens from the San Francisco Giants' slugger and fewer than a dozen other players. Among them were New York Yankees Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi.
The raid occurred Thursday, shortly after the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a motion in a San Francisco court seeking to quash that subpoena.
IRS spokesman Mark Lessler and U.S. Attorney's spokeswoman Ji-Yon Yi both said Friday they could not comment.
--- I'm no fan of Barry Bonds* but I wish the Federal law enforcement people would show the same vigor and relentlessness in pursuing Bin-Laden. Perhaps if Barry's family had been business partners with George Bush we would not be hearing about this.
Jerry Reinsdorf
From the Washington Post, Mar 19:
Deputy Mayor Eric Price held up a chart of MLB's last 11 stadium mega-deals, and suggested to the committee that the proper mix had settled at about two-thirds public funding to one-third private -- a deal that would cost the District more than $250 million but also would cost MLB more than $100 million.
The reply came with a smile from the committee chairman, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, but it was not taken as a joke.
"Two-thirds/one-third is fine," Reinsdorf said, according to two people present. "But three thirds/no thirds is more of what we had in mind."
From todays Sun-Times:
NOTES: Washington D.C. officials have prepared a new plan they say offers Major League Baseball exactly what it has requested -- 100 percent public financing for a new ballpark if the Expos are moved to the nation's capital.
--- A new twist on owners extorting deals from the taxpayers, rather than build it or I'll move its build it or I won't move.
Leon Lee hit by exposure charge
From todays Sun-Times:
Leon Lee, father of Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, resigned as manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York Mets' Class A affiliate, after being arrested on two counts of indecent exposure.
According to Deputy Debra Wesley of the St. Lucie County (Fla.) sheriff's department, Lee turned himself in Wednesday after posting a $1,000 bond for each count of exposing a sexual organ.
The incidents allegedly took place in Port St. Lucie, though it is not known when they happened, the New York Post reported.
Leon Lee was the Cubs' Pacific Rim scout from 1998-2002 and signed Hee Seop Choi.
Lee, who managed the Orix Blue Wave last season in the Japanese League, was hired by the Mets last month. The team declined to comment.
--- Has to be a big shock and distraction to the Grubs latest savior.
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CWSGuy406 is right about the pitch count.
What the hell is Ozzie trying to prove with Garland's first start of the year? The season lasts 6 months, he's got a guy who hasn't pitched all year in the pen (takatsu) and another one who could use a tune up (Marte) after a disaster. Adkins and Cotts are ready too.
After all those early walks Garland wasn't going the distance anyway. I would have pulled him after 6 complete, or about 100 pitches. We need Jon to beat KC! Next week and in August.
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Just listen to JR next time. His descriptions are bloody awful. His only saving grace is that he is not afraid to chide a Sox player making an error or rag on the umpire.
I disagree with you.
I have MLB audio and listen to many other teams during the year. Rooney is excellent! I like Scully and Ross from the Dodgers (forget Rick Monday), and Joe Buck from the Cards but the rest are all the same bland stuff.
I sense Rooney is trying to bring a little more energy into his broadcasts this year and I have no problem with it. I applauded the additional energy he brought to the ALDS for ESPN.
Farmer is Farmer, he knows much more about baseball than the sainted idiot Steve Stone (who just chalked up Furcal flubing a routine grounder to youth, the guy is 28 years old). But Ed does get out of whack sometimes, maybe Father Giovinetti from St Rita hit him a couple too many times. I went to Rita too, so I'm prejudiced. Campbell from ESPN is better though.
But neither one of these guys will build up a bum to please the office, they pretty much let the game decide. They are my summer companions, I spend many hot evenings with them on the patio listening to and scoring the games.
Try scoring a game from Hughes and Santo some time! You can't even tell what inning it is!
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I'd like to see someone better then Juan Uribe behind Joe Crede myself. But Uribe is the only guy on the team behind Jose Valentin that can play short. If you trade Kelly for a utiilty then either Juan goes down, or he takes 2B and Harris goes down. I haven't seen enough of either to decide.
I think a situational lefty of Wunsch's quality will prove to be a strength in the long run, I'd be escared to go with Marte as the only good lefty in the pen. The next question is when Kelly is ready what pitcher goes down? Is Cotts doing well enough to make Kelly irrevelent and just let Kelly go and plug him in?
My take is to let them play a couple weeks and the players themselves will tell you who should be up and who should go down.
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Its on now, top of the first.
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I don't know what the statue will look like but my choice for a representation would be if old Chas was depicted hanging from a lamp post. This is the guy who drove the 1919 team into accepting bribes to throw the series. The guys were guilty but the motivation was real.
He and his family then presided over 40 years of perhaps the worst francise management baseball has ever seen. I would be pleased never to hear the name Comisky again.
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Quite a group of guys, we have Bullard teaching his friend Portuguese and Baj teaching little kids everything else. Sounds like a fine circle of friends to be a part of and I wish all of them success.
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Perhaps he'll hit number 660* tonight.
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The last time we started with a tough stetch like this, was inthe 2000 season, we opened with 10 games on the road, travelled all over the US, and had to play 7 games vs. the AL West, who we were terrible against....
The sox lost the first two games that year, The first game losing to Ismeal Valdes
,...... They ended up winning 6 of the next 8 and returned home with loads of confidence that they road throughout the entire season...I say Bring it on,
Thank you Cheat.
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Which shows you the flaws in FLDG% and RNGF.
None of the guys we're arguing over really played enough last year for FP and range to be definitive. Corey was tops at 82 games, Aaron started only 39 and Everett 63. I also didn't mention that RF in the National League is always a little lower because they only use 8 Major League hitters, so a CF will get less balls. Further the Grub pitchers got a lot of K's last year which again reduces balls to a CF. But mitigating that, Corey played between two bad corner men, which should have got him more chances. We can go around and around in circles.
I didn't see any Grub games except the Sox series (he hit .174 with 5K) and the playoff collapse when he didn't play. So if there is a hidden Corey Patterson, the emerging SuperStar who impresses you so, I may have missed him. Perhaps he plays in the alternate reality that Grub fans live in.
All I can go by is the Major Leagues where they write down what you actually did. 4 errors in 156 chances for Corey, 0 in 101 for Aaron and 1 in 138 for Everett.
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I love you guys, but you are incredible.
Maybe I missunderstood you, a long stretch is less than a month. My bad.See, but that's the thing. I don't have to waste my time and look up what Magglio did from month to month. I watch these games. He performed poorly over long stretches of time last year.
You may have had to bench him too. We'll never know. Play him all year this year and let me know how it works out.Now there's a bold prediction, based on jack s***. Go find some evidence to support that statement, and then try to tell me that I need to go "look things up" before I post what I witness on a daily basis during the regular season. I had Patterson on my fantasy squad last year. I know damn well how valuable he was through the first two months. As I stated before, .320/11HR/42RBI through the end of May. We're talking about a player who has yet to peak.
If Carlos Beltran didn't have the gold glove defense and high stolen base percentage rate he wouldn't be Carlos Beltran, would he? He'd be a Corey Patterson type.Just like witesoxfan said, he's a Carlos Beltran type, minus the gold glove defense and high stolen base percentage rate. And witesoxfan is almost always on point. So there you go.
Everett fielded .988 with a range of 2.52 in CF (which shocked me, I thought he would be a disaster). I agree Corey's .975 and 1.96 is not equivelent to Carl Everett.You make him out to be a dead beat on defense. He ain't no Andruw Jones, but he's not exactly Carl Everett, either. Give him more credit than that. -
True, but Patterson in 2002 struck out 142 times and hit 14 HRs. Different ratio.As explained by UNS, K's are overrated. Jim Thome strikes out 180 times a year, but he also hits 50 homers a year. You going to tell me you are not going to take him because he strikes out a lot?
Again, you are right, but it's also nice to get a jump on a ball, run a direct route, catch the freaking thing and throw the ball to one one your team-mates instead of the stands.Regarding speed, Patterson can fly, Rowand can not. End of story.
I see Patterson turning into Caudell Washington in drag, the drag part provided by the C on his hat.I could very easily see Corey Patterson turning into a Carlos Beltran type player, and I would guess that at the very least a left-handed version of Reggie Sanders(who is valuable if you have them).
I respectfully disagree.I still take Patterson over Rowand in a second. -
He had a bad month in June. Big f***ing deal. Magglio Ordonez had a couple bad months last year. Everyone has bad months.
I have a problem with Cubs fans, but not with the actual players on their team. If Patterson was on the Sox and Rowand was on the Cubs, you'd be arguing against Rowand right now. I don't know about you, but that doesn't make much sense from where I'm sitting.
Hammer, my friend, you got to start looking things up before you make some of these statements. I guess Magg's .281 in June is one of his couple of bad months. Or perhaps July when he hit freakin .429. While we're at it Maggs had 73 Ks in 606 AB. Corey had 77 in 323 AB.
I'll grant you that if Rowand and Patterson switched places I'd try to argue against Aaron, but since I wouldn't have a leg to stand on (no santo pun) I'd keep my mouth shut.
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Patterson is clearly a superstar in the making. Wasn't he hitting like .330 through the all star break last year, before he got hurt?
I'm just saying, don't be surprised when he hits .300+ with 30 HR and 30 SB this year.
No wonder you guys are in love with the Gubs, you remember everybody hitting 30 points higher than they really did. He hit .298, not .330. He had a hot start but was was going down the tubes and only saved his numbers by getting hurt.
Lets talk about his fielding, FP .975 vs the league average of .988. Range f was 1.96 vs 2.50 for the league. Compare to Aaron Rowands 1.000 and 2.54 as a late inning replacement.
Superstar in the making? Maybe in Iowa.
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Who ever is playing the cubs.
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Grilli disappointed with decision
Rule 5 pitcher wants to stay, but will think about future
By Scott Merkin
Jason Grilli appears to be the odd man off the roster despite a solid spring. (Lenny Ignelzi/AP)
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Jason Grilli has run the full gamut of emotions since the White Sox made him a Rule 5 selection from Florida at December's Winter Meetings in New Orleans.
For openers, Grilli was excited to get an opportunity to pitch for a team that apparently wanted his services. Then, the big right-hander was encouraged by the praise coming from manager Ozzie Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper regarding his early Spring Training efforts.
That feeling quickly became cautious optimism when talk began to surface that Grilli had all but made the team. But it ended up in great disappointment and confusion Sunday night, when Grilli was informed that the White Sox will be carrying 11 pitchers to start the season and he would not be one of them.
"I'm very disappointed, but like I said, the bottom line is who did it? It's my doing," Grilli said of the news that he won't make the White Sox roster, which has not yet become official. "I'm a pawn on a chess table, and the White Sox are positioning the best team they can go with to win. I respect that.
"They all talked to me. They would like me to stay here with the organization, but things happen. It's a marathon and not a sprint. If you take away that one bad outing, things would be a lot different I think."
Grilli is referring to his start in Peoria against Seattle on March 21, during which he was tagged for nine runs on 14 hits in three-plus innings. As for what it would take for Grilli to stay with the White Sox?
Well, even world-renowned mathematicians might have trouble with that one. But the most interesting aspect of what Grilli said is that the team would be taking 11 pitchers as it broke camp for Kansas City.
That particular assertion is not one that Guillen or Cooper seem to agree with at this point.
"It's coming down to, do we feel like we need the extra pitcher or the extra position player?" Cooper said of his 11- or 12-person pitching staff. "There are some feelings on both sides, so we will let it play out."
"We have a tough decision to make and it's between a couple of guys," Guillen added. "The way (Jamie) Burke is playing in Spring Training, we may need an extra catcher and he's making it tough on us. We're going to bring the best (group of) players that are going to make us win games."
With Monday's latest round of cuts, the White Sox remain three away from the 25-man roster limit. Figuring in Grilli's departure, that leaves pitchers Jon Adkins, Mike Jackson and Neal Cotts, as well as catcher/infielder Jamie Burke, fighting for two spots.
The 24-year-old Cotts made a jumbled situation even more confusing, in a good way, throwing three scoreless innings against Kansas City on Monday. The young left-hander seems to have harnessed the control problems that plagued him throughout the 2003 season in both the minor leagues and during four starts with the White Sox.
One school of thought is that Cotts would be better off in the minors, stretching himself out as part of Triple-A Charlotte's rotation if he wasn't going to start. But with a 2.70 earned run average and two walks given up in 10 spring innings, Cotts is fighting to be included in any role.
"He can resolve a problem," said Guillen of Cotts. "He can pitch three innings, he can pitch one inning, he can pitch to one lefty or he can go into the starting rotation. As long as he throws strikes, he has great stuff."
"If I can help the team up here in middle relief, I would love to be here with the team," Cotts added. "I think I can handle the bullpen. It's a little different situation, but there are some veteran guys down there that I'm sure I can ask some questions."
With the 10 Cactus League innings and eight more during intrasquad and "B" games, Cotts feels stretched out enough if he had to step into the starting rotation. But he won't be taking the job away from Scott Schoeneweis, at least, not in the immediate future.
Despite a very rough Spring Training and the team wanting to see better results in his next start against Milwaukee on Friday, Schoeneweis received a vote of confidence from Guillen and Cooper. They both believe Schoeneweis is thinking too much on the mound, trying too hard to make the perfect pitch.
They talked to him before Monday's game and explained more of what they want in his next start. The left-hander, penciled in to start the Yankees' home opener on April 8, might focus primarily on his cutter, sinker and slider and de-emphasize the changeup against the Brewers.
"I'm not thinking the next (start) is make-or-break by any means," Cooper said of Schoeneweis. "It's going to be somebody else to tell me this is his last chance. That's the farthest thing from my mind."
About two weeks back, the farthest thing from Grilli's mind was no longer being part of the White Sox. As a Rule 5 selection, Grilli first had to clear waivers after the team didn"t put him on the 25-man roster. Grilli cleared, mainly because of his horrific Seattle start, the young hurler believes, and the fact that he had to be placed on the active roster.
Florida has the chance to reclaim Grilli and pay the White Sox $25,000, half of what they paid to select him, or they could denounce his rights. At that point, the White Sox could work out a trade with Florida to keep Grilli in the organization.
With Grilli now being out of options, the rare and unusual catch in this situation is that Grilli can become a free agent at any step along the way. It wouldn't make sense for the White Sox to trade for him, only to have Grilli up and leave. Both sides were trying to figure something out by Wednesday or Thursday, at the latest.
The best that can happen for the former first-round pick, who is battling back from Tommy John surgery, is to start the season in Triple-A Charlotte. Sound complicated? It was for Grilli by Monday afternoon.
"I've got some things to contemplate," said Grilli, who had an 8.36 ERA over four starts with the White Sox. "I would love to stay in the organization, but I have to do what's in the best interest of my career. Is it here? I don't know. That has yet to be determined.
"It was a very unsettling thing, and it was a shocker to take in. All the great things that were said about me right up to the end, and then the rug is swept out from underneath your feet.
"I won't hang my career on one bad outing, but I respect their decision and have to go by that," Grilli added. "I know they still want me, and nobody here wants to see me go. I know I can help this ball club win."
ChiSoxfn had it right.
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Grilli may be headed to Charlotte; Bullpen Situation
By Jason Gage
March 29, 2004
FutureSox.com
There are reports that the White Sox are talking with the Marlins in an effort to reach some sort of compensation agreement for Jason Grilli. As it stands now, Grilli must be on the 25 man roster all season (or the disabled list) otherwise the Sox must offer him back to the Marlins for $25,000 (Marlins would give that money to the Sox). If the Marlins decline to buy Grilli back, then Grilli is placed on waivers.
If a trade can be worked out, then the Sox would likely send Grilli to Charlotte (AAA) where he would be able to get a little more time. Grilli would likely be part of the Knights starting rotation. If this is the case, then Mike Jackson, Jon Adkins, and LHP Neal Cotts would be fighting for what looks to be 2 bullpen spots, as all signs point to the Sox breaking camp with 12 pitchers.
Adkins and Cotts have had impressive springs, but Jackson is a veteran and Guillen seems to like the idea of another veteran reliever in the pen. Cotts, a starter, could be an insurance plan if Schoeneweis or Wright struggle in the rotation.
Jackson spent last spring with the Diamondbacks before getting cut. He took the rest of the season off, while Jon Adkins spent most of the year with the Charlotte Knights, while making a few appearances in Chicago. Neal Cotts spend the majority of the season in Birmingham, but did collect his first major league win last season.
That's the most lucid and informative baseball article I have read since Dave Nightengale (sp?) covered the White Sox.
Great job, I wish the papers and comercial sites would write as well as you. I really mean it.
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I noticed in the box score:
HBP--M Rivera by B Kieschnick, B Clark by K Wunsch.Can't tell from the box which happened first but I've noticed the Sox pitchers seem to be protecting our side this year. Remember in Grub game when Jackson tried to take out Harris on an inning ending force, then Cotts plunked him next time up.
And tuesday AZ hit Rowand, Crede and Gload. I listened to that game and am sure none were intentional but Atkins took out Kata anyway.
On the spring the Sox have hit 13 guys and have been hit 11.
Last season the Sox got hit 58 times and plunked 53 themselves.
Can't read anyone's mind but it seems that Sox pitchers are protecting our own. Wait until we play the Twins.
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From mlb.com
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The worst-kept secret during the past two weeks of Spring Training for the White Sox was finally revealed Friday. Dan Wright will start 2004 as the team's fifth starter.
It's not that the White Sox had made the decision weeks ago and were trying to keep the move under wraps. Manager Ozzie Guillen wanted to give careful deliberation to the important call during his first year in charge and first time handling a pitching staff.
But Wright made it almost unnecessary for Guillen and pitching coach Dan Cooper to explore the other options. With injuries to his pitching elbow and right knee fully healed and armed with a delivery that had its mechanics debugged in the offseason, Wright has been dominant since arriving in Arizona.
The 26-year-old right-hander cinched the rotation spot with his six-inning effort against the Rockies at Hi Corbett Field, allowing seven hits and two earned runs in a 5-4 victory. Guillen and Cooper told Wright after he left the game that he had earned the fifth starter's job.
"Like I said all along, it doesn't really matter," said Wright, who has a 2.87 ERA over 15 2/3 innings this spring. "I just want to be on the team and healthy. I feel like starting is when I'm at my best, but whatever can help the team.
"It was their decision and I felt like I've thrown the ball pretty well this spring. I feel good about my mechanics and the way my pitches are working."
Wright will make his first start during the second series of the season in New York. He beat out Jason Grilli, Neal Cotts, Jon Rauch and Felix Diaz among the group of contenders who opened Spring Training.
Along with this position comes periods of inactivity, with a fifth starter sometimes being skipped due to an off day or rainout. But Wright isn't worried about losing his effectiveness.
"You don't always have to get your work in on the mound in a game situation," Wright said. "That's one area where I failed. I didn't do enough work in the bullpen and staying on top of my mechanics (last season).
"I have no idea how (Guillen) is going to work that, and to be honest it doesn't really matter. I feel like if I'm in a situation like I was last year, I'll be able to take care of what I need to take care of -- stay in shape and stay with my mechanics and have a good season."
Late adjustment: Wright gave up six of his seven hits to Colorado during the first three innings. But he found his changeup in the final three and immediately settled down.
"I wasn't getting anything off-speed over for strikes during the first few innings, just my fastball," Wright said. "The guys kind of realized that. But Sandy [Alomar] did a good job calling the game again, as he always does."
Alomar, 37, caught all nine innings Friday in 86-degree heat.
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I'm trying to help a rabid grub fan pal of mine cope with poor Mark Prior's injury. I thought some information I pulled from the internet would help.
Achilles tendinitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon.Achilles tendinitis can be caused by:
Overpronation during excercise.
Wearing high heels often and changing between high heels all day and flat shoes or low running shoes in the evening.
Continuing to stress an inflamed Achilles tendon can cause rupture of the tendon —it snaps, often with a distinctive popping sound. A ruptured Achilles tendon makes it virtually impossible to walk. An Achilles tendon rupture is usually treated with surgical repair or wearing a cast.
Does anybody know what overpronation means? If its like banging off, this guy's a goner.
I see high heels can contribute, perhaps Mark should get together with Kerry and pick out some sensible shoes.
I hope this comforts by bro.
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Cotts is intriguing. From what little we've seen of him, he surely has major league stuff. All that seems to be holding him back is the confidence to use it. In our little snap shot of him he really has never been hit consistently until he quits throwing strikes and is forced to lay it in there deep in the count.
So, from a development standpoint, would it be better to have him with the big club, pitching a couple innings a week but exposed to and eating dinner with Major Leaguers like Buerhle etc everyday? Or go to AAA and try to find it on his own?
Success in AAA would never convince him he could handle the show. Experiencing the show, taking your victories and lumps and finding that the sun still rises the next morning, might just inure him to the demons and let him just hang it all out. I think if he just throws strikes he will be fine.
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Armando just doesn't have good luck. He looked good in spring training for us last year didn't he? I know he was a casualty of the mid-season trades last year.
This didn't help.
Year G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG 2003 49 104 4 22 3 0 2 11 0 1 5 13 .212 .245 .298
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Sox win 5-4, Koch pitches like s***:
He got the save. Hope he pitches as poorly all year long.
Rotoworld's take on Felix Diaz & Jon Rauch:
in Pale Hose Talk
Posted
I don't think Cotts has anything more to learn in the minors. A period, months or a year, of living in the bigs exposed to guys who get big baseball stars out with less talent than he has, and some good outings like today mixed in can do his development a lot of good. After last year's Yankee melt down, and the Anahiem one before, I wouldn't rush him into the rotation.
Reminds of a story from years ago, I was in a bunch of meetings with senior VP's who terrified me. During a break I went to the can and the room smelled like a cattle barn. Then one of the most senior VP's emerged from a stall. I realized that their s*** stinks too, and have never been intimidated by big reputations since.