ThunderBolt

Assuming this Visquel thing is legit, we have three rosters spots left on the 40. We also have 3 holes to fill: Of, DH, and a LHP, we'll see how that works out.

QUOTE (Sec101Row1 @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 01:06 PM) Someone from the sox told me they've added 5 players to the roster today. They protected a handful of kids from the Rule 5 Draft.

I'm really suprised that we didn't protect Shelby. I thought this year was going to be a breaking point in terms of prospect-status for him, but the potential the Sox saw him with still exists. No way he doesn't get claimed.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 12:43 PM) Our former all star SS manager couldn't help Alexei improve his D so what exactly will Vizquel be able to do in that department? Ozzie was great, but he doesn't have nearly the pedigree that Omar does.

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 12:32 PM) Keith Law had Javier Vazquez #2 on his Cy Young ballot. It's logical statistically. Still a bit odd though.

God, i hope Nix sticks around. I've been tooting his horn for so long, i see so much potential left in him, i would of loved to of seen what he could have done off the bench for us this year.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 12:19 PM) I'll just say it, women have horrible taste in any kind of entertainment. Movies, television, books, and music. Also, they will not go out with me.

Not seeing the downside of signing Visquel. The only argument can be made is that it's not going to help, not sure how it hurts.

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 12:22 PM) Are you guys on the same page or am I crazy? A little bit of a column A and a little bit of column B.

Another factor in this is that KW thinks he's got a championship contender on his hand, this is like the Griffey move, he's putting a veteran in place to get a ring.

I also got the impression that Viciedo improved dramatically as the year went on. Hell, the reason his arm gave out was because of the extra effort he put on himself to make better throws.

I'll miss Nix, but it won't kill me. Hopefully, he sticks around in AAA, and learns to hit for average.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 11:59 AM) I am sure he will do his filling in, but to me, this is a great move as essentially another coach. That's the key here. Visquez literally tutored Elvis Andrus last year. This is pretty much like what Lindsay Hunter does for the Bulls, i wouldn't be suprised if this wasn't to help transition Beckham and Alexei into defensive roles.

Here's a pretty detailed scouting report on Chapman. http://www.baseball-intellect.com/aroldis-...u-need-to-know/

Here's an article with Coop's annual "all you bastards better get in shape" speech. There are some strong indicators here that this organization is more then open to the possibility that Jenksy is going to be here next year. Warning this is a Cowley article. Read at your own risk Here's some of the more enlightening passages from the Cowley opus: Don Cooper Tells Pitchers It's time to Raise the Bar "We're asking Bobby to raise the bar. Bobby is a big dude that sometimes may look like he's not in shape. He needs to raise the bar. I tell them all, 'I need you in the best shape of your life come spring training, physically and mentally.' We're challenging these guys." And later, "Reinsdorf let the players know his feelings on the topic, telling them in a team meeting late in the year that they had better show up in shape. "The players have to take some pride,'' Cooper said. "The best motivation for anyone ready to go in spring comes from inside. "We're asking Bobby to raise the bar. Bobby is a big dude that sometimes may look like he's not in shape. He needs to raise the bar. I tell them all, 'I need you in the best shape of your life come spring training, physically and mentally.' We're challenging these guys. "If we're not looking to improve, what are we doing? We're standing still then. We're raising the bar for everyone. We're not trying to hurt people. The words are 'Hey, we need you ready for the grind.' If one guy is behind the curve ... we need everybody. These words are not to bust chops or hurt you. We want this taken care of, no matter who it is. "Success, everyone has to pay a certain price - some higher than others because they aren't as physically gifted. I fill like the Sox pitching staff has represented itself well over the years, now we're asking them to raise the bar. Plus, you know you're prepared for the season because you pushed yourself to level that you never did before.'' Jenks had been the subject of trade rumors heading into the winter, especially because he stands to make $7-$8 million in arbitration. So he was already under a microscope. General manager Ken Williams has all but put a moratorium on any Jenks trade talk. So how exactly will this end? "When they all walk through those doors this spring,'' Cooper added, "we want everything behind them, everything. We want one focus, and that's winning the game that day.'' http://blogs.suntimes.com/whitesox/2009/11...its_time_t.html

God, i really thought Clint Everts had given up at this point. One of the bigger busts of the 2002 draft.

That's just an incredible line by Danksy. Certainly proving he's a bit more refined then the majority of us thought he was.

Brandon Allen isn't a sign, sealed, delivered superstar, i'll never think that Tony Pena was a worthy return, but frankly i'm over it. We've got bigger fish to fry at this point.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 05:49 PM) Hell, we could really use a lefty. That was my thought too if we find a kid with sustained velocity and even a lick of control out of left hand, he's going to be a "Coop can fix him" type of guy

The White Sox have room to gamble on a kid this year, though i doubt they will. If we want to invest in a kid from the Rule 5 draft we have an available bench spot and a spot in the pen. This is assuming of course that these holes aren't filled externally.

I'm very interested in seeing if Kyle McCulloch gets claimed. I think he will on 1st-round pedigree alone, but by whom?

This is well deserved for Tiny Tim. He's the most dominant pitcher in the game. He's got so little working for him, he looks like he's 12, smokes pot, and has a terrible offensive team behind him, but he's an elite K pitcher. There's no one like him who can shut a team like he does.

A lot of people are going to take what JR said he wrong way. He's not saying we're not going to make any moves, he's just saying we already made our biggest commitment to Peavy.

Happy to see Holmberg slip in to the top ten. While it's clear that this system needs an influx of high-upside LHP's sooner rather then later, Holmberg is a great start.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Nov 18, 2009 -> 06:17 PM) I was just comparing alomar's nose to other players noses around the league. I would have given the edge to a bunch of others first, truth be told. Fangraphs has nothing measurable on this subject. I suspect that's the biggest failing of the sabermetric world.