macsandz

QUOTE (3E8 @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 10:12 PM) Not all hitters swing on the plane as the pitch. A slight upswing at the same angle which the pitch is oppositely going down gives you a better chance at contact, which Ted Williams advocated so strongly in his book 'The Science of Hitting' (recommended btw). On outside pitches, Beckham has shown ability to take a slightly downward swing until point of contact then quickly roll his right wrist over, creating tremendous backspin on the ball. This video is a great example, clear to see around the 36 second mark. http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/media/vide...tent_id=6466723 The backspin is what causes the ball to carry and fool Ellsbury. Stone comments about the ball "slicing away" and "just taking off". The opposite effect occurs when you swing at an angle steeper than that which the ball is coming down at and put topspin on the ball, or a humpback line drive as Hawk would call it There are two approaches, rotational (current players) and linear (Williams and most from earlier eras). If you watch the MLB Network you can see the old approach is so obviously different from what we see today. There is a pronounced forward "linear"movement into the pitch. This is where the upswing would be utilized. Today the hitters stay stationary once that stride heel drops and "rotate" around an axis. This is where that downward-outward approach comes in. They must must track the plane and share it to make quality contact. The oppo hit that to me most represents Beckham's ability was the one that started his his acention,, the walk-off against the Cubs.

QUOTE (3E8 @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 08:22 PM) I pointed out the similarities between ARod's and Beckham's swings' awhile ago without knowledge of this article. But they miss the main point which is that both hitters put backspin on the ball. ARod is the best I have seen at this and Beckham is the only White Sox I can remember to do this. Gordon is especially good at putting backspin on pitches away, which allows the ball to carry more and gives him the opposite field gap power we've seen. A hitter who implements a swing with a slightly downward plane requires better timing because the pitch is always coming in on a downward plane as well Beckham's hands start lower now than they were in college. All MLB hitters swing on the same plane as the pitch. The better ones stay on that plane longer which allows them to square it more often.

QUOTE (shakes @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 03:33 PM) You don't seem to be able to see past this Thome or DH thing. Thome is exactly the type of guy who is falling off from injuries and decline, due to age. Of all the areas of Sox management to trust, I trust their training staff. It was made clear when Jim was traded last year, Thome wouldn't be back, because they didn't think he could do it anymore. I don't know why people were surprised when he wasn't brought back. I thought it was obvious by the second half last year that Dye and Thome were sliding fast and hard. Not to mention, every other GM seems to agree with that assesment. It was time to move on. People act like their production can't be replaced. The Sox currently have a poor replacement for the DH spot, unless they are really planning on using it to improve the defense and keep guys like Q and Konerko fresh. Keep in mind the easiest 'position' to improve would be the DH. You can't say that about past weaknesses of this team, when we were dying for a CF or SP. My Lord. Finally somebody that gets it.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 03:10 PM) This argument again? The one that applies to every single team in baseball? You cannot argue how good or bad a team is saying there are no guarantees, when that applies to all teams. Just the same way you cannot argue any team is guaranteed good. Its about likelihoods. See my earlier post. Show me, down the line, how the likely scenarios show this team to be worse for 2010 than they were in 2009. Because as far as I can see, there are a lot more likely positive changes than likely negative ones. Great posts in this thread. Nicely done.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 12:59 PM) Over the last 5 years Juan Pierre has an OBP of .334 and a .289 BA. The context the poster was working in was based on last season's results. I'd like to quote this for emphasis. The opposing team will play on the very same field the Twins will. Will the cold weather affect the Twins? Definitely. Will the cold weather affect their opponents as well? Definitely. Yeah, the point if all of this is that the playing field is finally even. The Twins have just lost the greatest home field advantage in baseball. The Twins played .541 baseball in the Metrodome since 1982 and .441 baseball elsewhere, a 27 percent greater home/road split than the major league average in those years.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 12:41 PM) You're asking us to pick which was the worst problem, the defense with the 2nd most errors in the AL or the offense with the 3rd fewest runs scored in the AL. The only realistic choice there is death. Low runs can be managed with good pitching. Giving the opposition runs with terrible defense just murders a season.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 12:09 PM) Once again, the Sox had one of the better rotations in baseball last year, we still finished in third place. The problem was our offense. Of which, Jim Thome was our best player, and Dye was likely in the top 5 even despite a miserable second half. We have replaced players like Thome and Dye with Juan Pierre an OBP-challenged lead-off man who will maintain a better defensive advanatage then Pods, but struggle to get on-base. Next we will be counting on Alexis Rios to bounce back, Beckham not to have a a sophmore slump, Teahen to turn into the guy Billy Beane projected him to be, Konerko to fight off decline for another year, Kotsay to repeat a three week hot streak from last year, Jones to become the player he was 4 years ago, and Ramirez to stop being a space cadet and shape up for the first month of the season. If all these work out, we might have a better team. Right now, I'm smelling a whole lot of if coming off this plan. Please tell us how a .365 OBP is OBP-challenged and a .308 AVG is struggling to get on base.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Feb 9, 2010 -> 12:09 PM) Once again, the Sox had one of the better rotations in baseball last year, we still finished in third place. The problem was our offense. Of which, Jim Thome was our best player, and Dye was likely in the top 5 even despite a miserable second half. We have replaced players like Thome and Dye with Juan Pierre an OBP-challenged lead-off man who will maintain a better defensive advanatage then Pods, but struggle to get on-base. Next we will be counting on Alexis Rios to bounce back, Beckham not to have a a sophmore slump, Teahen to turn into the guy Billy Beane projected him to be, Konerko to fight off decline for another year, Kotsay to repeat a three week hot streak from last year, Jones to become the player he was 4 years ago, and Ramirez to stop being a space cadet and shape up for the first month of the season. If all these work out, we might have a better team. Right now, I'm smelling a whole lot of if coming off this plan. The biggest problem for the 2009 White Sox was terrible DEFENSE.

QUOTE (scenario @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 08:59 PM) The Twins have enough power to play outdoors. But I will be VERY interested to see how the they play outside in April. There won't be a colder ballpark in MLB in the first month of the season. Three of the Sox series in April will be played indoors. (TB,SEA,TOR). NONE of the Twins will.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 07:00 PM) I agree it will be interesting to see how they adjust to their new park. I think both of you guys are making valid points, one of which is they will be unfamiliar with the park; the other is that they have steadily been changing their roster to favor more of a slugging approach. The Yankees struggled a bit in the first year in their new park, before going on a tear there and winning 36 of their last 42 or something (IIRC). It'll be interesting to see how much remains of the Twins' fundamental approach now that more members of their lineup will be in "slugging mode." \ Moving across the street in NY is a lot easier than leaving a Dome and adjusting your approach to a totally different outdoor environment.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 06:46 PM) We love a team that appears to be going with an Andruw Jones/Mark Kotsay tandem DH. Giving another roster grief for depending on declining players would be like Cub fans laughing at guys in pink polos with their collars up. The Sox will play Kotsay/Jones interchangeably one a time. The Twins are counting on Hudson as a starting 2B and Pavano as a starting pitcher. Big difference.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 06:40 PM) You said they were a horrible road team. They won more road games than any other AL Central team last year. As a matter of fact, over the past 4 years only the Tigers have won more road games in the AL Central than Minnesota. As long as you have Mauer and Morneau in their primes, you have a pretty decent shot, especially considering they have other talent. If the Sox had another legit starter who could hit, I would give them a slight nod. As for Minneapolis being like Canada, its really not much different from Chicago from April through October, and if it is an ice box, like you suggest, wouldn't playing in it regularly give you an advantage over those who don't? I live in Chicago, but work out of Minnesota several weeks a year. If you think a city that is 410 miles north is not a lot more frigid, you are seriously crazy. I think the Twins will suffer the adjustment of losing their home advantage. I also think that the fact that they are a poor road team will also factor into a weak record next season. MIN no longer has an extreme home field advantage with the turf, the blind ceiling and the noise factor. A team whose home indoor stadium that gave them that edge will suffer an adjustment period to both the outdoor climate and the new stadium itself. How the Sox and Tigers played on the road has nothing to do with the fact that the Twins consistently struggled away from the advantages of the Dome they no longer have. They no longer have the comfort of home that other teams have to offset the road struggles the way they have in the past. Not having at least 20 games with a controlled a climate when other rivals couldn't in April/May also should factor into a slow start.

"BTW they were better on the road than the White Sox in 2006,2007 and 2009. They were 1/2 game worse than the White Sox in 2008." So?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 06:26 PM) But that doesn't mean Target Field is a road game for them. Most teams are more successful at home. Its not always the park. I think adding seasoned pros and limiting playing time for guys like Punto will only help them on the road and in their new park. You have GOT to admit moving out of a dome and into an open ball park in what is the climate of Canada is gonna have an effect on a team. "Seasoned Pros" is another name for old and declining which Thome, Hudson and Pavano are. Nick Punto is the starting 3B. If it's not him it's Harris, who is even worse.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 06:16 PM) I disagree. They have changed their team. It isn't Nick Punto beating you with a bunt that somehow plates 2 and gets him to third anymore. There isn't one game in the Metrodome last year you could say the reason the Sox lost was because of the strangeness of the stadium. You probably could say they were defeated before the game started several times, hopefully that will change. Who knows what will happen with Target Field. They seem to be stacking up LH power hitters, so they probably know something. The Sox don't have many of those. It may be a disadvantage. You can't disagree with fact. The Twins have been a terrible road team for years. The Twins dome advantage is obvious and well established. Ask Detroit about that Game 163.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 04:35 PM) I'll have to see the Twins completely suck on grass to believe that too. I know we always got killed there, but everybody seems to have this point of view that the Metrodome was this magic place that only helped the Twins and hurt their opponents. The Twins have been a terrible road team the past few years. Their new park is essentially gonna be a road park for them for at least next season or two. That is a huge factor not enough people are considering here...

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 11:14 AM) I'm sick of being angry about our DH situation, so I'm just going to live with it and hope either Jones and Kotsay step up big time or KW can make a move midseason to fill that hole. Kenny will upgrade the DH you can count on that. He's either waiting for Damon to drop, waiting for ST to inform him further, or waiting for the trade deadline.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 8, 2010 -> 01:03 PM) I had no idea that the defensive numbers of either Hudson or Young were nearly that bad. Hardy is not nearly the defensive SS he used to be and Hudson has been awful recently as well. Look at the other metrics... If you are going to measure a team's defense you have to include the bench, of course. The Sox have like 23 Gold Gloves available as replacements between Jones/Vizquel/Kotsay.

QUOTE (Ranger @ Feb 5, 2010 -> 08:24 PM) What do you mean by "break down"? You mean give him whatever he wants just so they can sign him? Doubtful. Boras is really dying out there. Have you followed his full court press on DET to sign Damon? He's feeding Damon what to say publicly and it's playing out so desperate. Kenny and Rick are just standing by rolling their eyes. I'm not saying Damon wouldn't be a nice addition. I think he'd be a great one, but Boras is just such a snake, that he's making it impossible for the Sox to even consider sign Damon. The Sox just simply don't play those games. The worst part is, who cares what the agent was doing over the winter, when in September when you're running the best possible lineup out there in the heat of a pennant race...?!

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ Jan 30, 2010 -> 09:36 PM) The guys on MLB Network's Hotstove show also predicted Detroit. Rodgers is an idiot. The Tigers GM has stated repeatedly that the Tigers are NOT interested in signing Damon.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 31, 2010 -> 01:13 PM) As I said a moment ago, Damon turned down a 1/$6 offer less than a week ago. And that deal dropped off the table when they signed Winn. Just because Damon foolishly rejected a $6M offer doesn't mean he's gonna get another at that cost.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 31, 2010 -> 12:37 PM) I think it's somewhat unlikely that; ATL or DET will meet whatever price Damon eventaully comes down to, or that Damon will come down to a level that the Sox would even consider him at without someone else grabbing him first. He's already at a $5M market level. The question is will JR approve that cost or hold it for a mid-season upgrade? The latter is most likely. I'm not saying Damon will sign here, I'm just seeing that he's on the radar now. The thing that complicated this is the tug-of-war BS that Ozzie and Kenny are in about this DH/playing time garbage. It will take them until mid-May until Kenny intervenes and upgrades the options, but he's probably not gonna do it soon.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 30, 2010 -> 09:47 PM) I know the Sox don't deal with Boras, but it wouldn't hurt just to put in an offer to Damon. 1 year, $5 million, and see if he takes it. If he's going to a place to try to win, he can do a lot worse than the White Sox, especially with the pitching staff pretty loaded this year. The Sox are hanging around the Damon dealings right now and have an offer in mind. Damon is out of a job, 3 weeks before Spring Training. His camp is still delusional looking for $7M right now from either ATL or DET but that likely isn't gonna happen. In the next couple weeks he may become a very real possibility for the Sox if they want to pursue it.

QUOTE (chunk23 @ Jan 30, 2010 -> 10:25 PM) I think we'd be better off with Sweeney than Pierre though, hands down. Hands down? Yeah those impressive 6 steals in 134 games for OAK last season really sets him apart and would fit perfectly into the 2010 philosophy. The Sox self-scout their own prospects VERY well. They knew what they had in Sweeney and they dumped him.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 26, 2010 -> 12:46 AM) Seriously? Do you realize the irony of arguing about skills on the basepaths for players whose talent for reaching base is questionable? Thome would have clogged the paths. Who is arguing about skills?