ThunderBolt

I like that Heyman still has us as players in this. It's a spot of encouraging news after Merkin and Robothal tried to downplay this.

QUOTE (shakes @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 03:28 PM) The Sox horrendous defense and base running was a huge part of the problem last year. This is a pitching first team, so if the rotating DH can help to improve that, I'm good with it. I would also like another bat, but there were a lot of areas on this team that needed to be shored up, and the Sox do not have unlimited resources. What areas need to be shored up? Which ones are more important then a left-handed power hitting bat for the middle of the order? How else should we spend our limited resources?

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 02:56 PM) It's amazing to me that some people are actually buying into the rotating DH philosophy. The thing is: rotating a DH could work. Earl Weaver (the best manager in the history of the game in my estimation) used to platoon the DH all the time, but he had the proper players to do it with. You exploit matchups by rotating consistent, proven hitters. You don’t gamble on people who moved past their prime in the mid 2000’s.

Also, laying down a bunt is not exploiting a matchup. If anything it avoids it.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:45 PM) No, I mean the guy that led the league in getting thrown off the team. I love how your Sox DH rotation never includes Konerko, Quentin, Nix or AJ. It really builds your case. Yes, silly me for not having our starting Catcher, 1B, and RF as our DH. Also, it's a damn shame that our 3rd best defender (Nix, behind Vizquel and Rios), a guy who isn't going to make the team if we get another player on the roster is not included in my concept of a DH.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:35 PM) That is a pretty shallow definition of DH. BTW, the Sox have a guy who put up 21 Hrs in less than 100 games last season and a guy who put up an .842 OPS, in the spot as well. Designated Hitter. It’s in the damn name. It’s not a position reserved for people who can’t hit. It’s not shallow by definition.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:38 PM) Griffey is the DH and he's a worse hitter than Andruw Jones. The fact that you are lauding Milton Bradley is beyond hilarious. You mean the guy who led the league in OPS a year ago? You must have been one of the people who assumed Nick Swisher was an awful player given his one year on the Sox. People are allowed to have off-years, you know. Bradley is increasingly erratic as a player and a human being, but he is a far better option at DH then Jones, Vizquel, and Kotsay.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:34 PM) So you would say the best 13 AL hitters are the 13 DHs on the other ballclubs? No. By no means would I say that. I think I spoke in too absolute of terms in my previous post. I just happen to think that the DH position should be reserved as a primarily offensive position. I don't mean to say the premier offensive talent cannot be found around the field that would be an impossibly ignorant opinion to hold. Instead, the White Sox, given the circumstances of their current makeup as a ballclub and the ballpark in which they play should have a focus on finding guaranteed offensive production for an offensive position.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:30 PM) Take a look at the Mariners DH for 2010. You mean the one with Milton Bradley in the running for it? Yeah, i'll take it. Oh, and they have the best defense in all of baseball. They can afford to gamble anyway.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:26 PM) That's highly debatable. It's "Designated Hitter" the entire position was made for a guy whose really good on the offensive end and really bad on the defensive one. Right now, we have three former gold glove defenders with questionable offensive abilty in the spot.

QUOTE (Special K @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 12:12 PM) That comment doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Why would Kenny be on the hot seat? Because he wouldn't outbid the Tigers for Damon? Williams' has had a pretty solid offseason thus far with the acquisitions of Pierre and Putz, not to mention Peavy at the end of last season. Obviously i'd like to have another Left-handed hitter like Damon, but not getting him or Thome won't put him on the hot seat. Also, I realize this may be a little out there, but at one point in his career, Jones was a very solid player, so who knows, maybe he'll recapture some of that. We have a glarding hole in our offense that Stevie Wonder could see. This is unacceptable to have a "maybe" in the most important offensive position on the team.

I'd rather have Branyan then Delgado.

QUOTE (greasywheels121 @ Feb 11, 2010 -> 10:34 PM) http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=4907072 Reading the update on ESPN.com, there's speculation that #35 will officially be put on the outfield wall on August 2nd---which would mark the 20 year anniversary of his White Sox/MLB debut. They were going to retire Frank's number. But Omar Vizquel expressed interest in wearing #35 this season.

Sounds like we're going to have to keep the faith for the night. Regardless, i'm very encouraged to see Kenny throw his hat in the ring.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Feb 11, 2010 -> 04:45 PM) How the hell wouldn't Damon fit Guillen's lineup. He does a lot of things that Ozzie wants from his hitters. Keep in mind that Ozzie Jr was Jerry Owens' biggest champion for a while. He's not the greatest talent evaluator in the world.

Ozzie Guillen JR is his father's son. He's also about as good at spelling as i am. "Johny Damon? Don't see him fitting in our lineup. I hope these are just rumors on the internet." http://twitter.com/oguillenjr/status/8978312448

QUOTE (shakes @ Feb 11, 2010 -> 04:10 PM) Most Tigers fans think the Granderson and Jackson trades were a baseball decision and not financially motivated. It looks like they are right after Valverde and Damon. It's shockingly illogical if that's the case. Come on KW, bring it home. i want to be optimistic again.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 11, 2010 -> 03:44 PM) Again, it's an issue of certain teams misjudging the marketplace. They did not forsee certain players being available at some of these numbers, and so now they are re-evaluating their positions. It's one thing to make a mistake and misjudge the market. It's quite another to be so stubborn about it that you then miss out on another opportunity. It another issue to trade your best, young player claiming financial inflexibility and then sign Jose Valverde and Damon to deals \ during the offseason.

MLB Trade Rumors has translation as "Oswaldo Guillen told me that he believes in me and that he will give me the opportunity."

I don't buy the Tigers. It just makes no sense to me with how the Granderson deal would look in retrospect. I hope like hell Kenny can bring Damon in on a reasonable price, and not let the Boras pontificating sessions drive up the deal.

Dye needs to get over himself and realize that Rios was brought in for the good of the team. Maybe if he concerned himself with his own performance, he'd still be a factor here in Chicago.

I have no idea what Damon and Boras are playing at. They're making fools of themselves with their continued efforts to land a two year deal while publically whoring themselves to the media.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 10, 2010 -> 11:06 AM) He should have at least popped his shirt off. Maybe even karate chopped across the screen while wearing cat eyes. That might be too frightening for the kids in the audience though.

The Cubs should have looked into getting an actual 2b and some serviceable innings eaters to replace Harden and Lilly (for the moment), instead, i'll just sit back and enjoy the inevitable debacle that's sure to follow.

Lost was just awful yesterday. Never a good sign when the best part is Mac from Always Sunny showing up.