Eminor3rd

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ May 29, 2013 -> 04:17 PM) Are we reading the same Soxtalk ? There's a current thread about a rebuild. But that thread is assuming the there is a rebuild already underway, or a "retool" and is commenting on the progress of the players. Admittedly, I haven't checked the thread in the past couple days, so I;m not sure if the conversation has evolved.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ May 29, 2013 -> 04:09 PM) Judge a team off one game. Yeah, things aren't going great, but you don't sell the f***ing team off on May 29th. We have two months to figure that out. We are literally less than 2 games from the high point of this season. And no one has cried rebuild since the offseason. So not sure what you're referring to about May 29th.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 29, 2013 -> 04:03 PM) Can they please send down Omogrosso and try someone else? Running out of options. Half the board seems to want to send Jones down, too.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ May 29, 2013 -> 03:58 PM) Ackley was the second pick in the draft. Everyone on this board wants us to blow up the team so we can draft a guy like him. Are you watching this game? How is this team going to get you to the playoffs?

QUOTE (fathom @ May 29, 2013 -> 03:55 PM) I'd love to see them shake it up and move ADA down so he can continue to swing as aggressive as he has without his poor OBP hurting the team. I'd love to see them not swing at every pitch like Little Leaguers. Lineup order means nothing now.

Well, so much for THAT

QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 28, 2013 -> 03:40 PM) I didn't think he was all that great last year, serviceable, but not someone I'd trust in game that needed to be won. Too many inherited runners scored on his watch for my liking. That is simply not true though. He had an 85% strand rate, which was the 11th best strand rate in the Majors of pitchers that threw at least 50 innings. EDIT: for context, here are the only ten pitchers who stranded a higher percentage of runners than Nate Jones last year -- Kimbrel, Romo, Hanrahan, Rodney, Soriano, Frieri, Gregerson, Howell, Chapman, and Hector Santiago.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 28, 2013 -> 02:43 PM) What's the stat for straight fastball? And since you asked, Pitch F/X records movement for every pitch. In 2012, his fastball averaged 6.8 inches of horizontal movement and 7.8 inches of vertical movement. In 2013, his fastball is averaging 6.8 inches of horizontal movement and 7.4 inches of vertical movement. His fastball is practically exactly the same. http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfx.aspx?play...&position=P

QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 28, 2013 -> 02:43 PM) What's the stat for straight fastball? Marty -- the gist of what I'm saying is that regardless of how straight you think his fastball is, he is striking out nearly the same amount of guys, walking nearly the same amount of guys, giving up nearly the same amount of homeruns, and giving up nearly the same amount of hits on balls in play. The ONLY difference is his strand rate, which is currently freakishly low, as in no one EVER has a strand rate that low over an extended sample, and so that will likely regress with no change at all to his performance or approach. Basically, if his stuff has changed, it isn't showing up in how well batters are hitting him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 28, 2013 -> 01:58 PM) The contrast between the 2 previous posts could not possibly be more stark. lol

Check this page out: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...&position=P When comparing this year's line and last year's line, I conclude that he's just fine and will be better going forward. Here's why: 1) 48.3% strand rate vs. 85.8% League average strand rate is around 70%. There are instances of pitchers that are who are worse consistently either because they can't focus on the batter with runners on or because their stuff diminishes from the stretch. Typically, however, RPs are NOT among them, given that most of them always pitch from the stretch and come in with runners on base most of the time. Given Jones' success last year, I have no reason to believe he is below average. To me, it's a safe bet that this number will regress toward 70% going forward. 2) 7.01 ERA vs. 3.55 FIP DIPS theory is not infallible by any stretch, but this difference is absolutely stark. Furthermore, his component rates (BB%, K%, HR/FB) are all very similar to last year's rates. The K's are down a touch, but the homeruns are better, resulting in a FIP that is very close to last year's 3.39. This is absolutely ripe for regression. 3) 11.9% walk rate vs. 10.6% If Nate was really having major control issues (as compared to last year), this rate would be much higher. Overall, I think this is a case of some bad luck in sequencing for Nate. I don't ever expect him to put up the same baseball card numbers as last year, but the peripherals are showing him to be essentially the same pitcher in terms of process and stuff. I think he's fine.

I think that because Cubs fans have embraced their rebuild, they don't care if they lose anymore. This won't be interesting again until there's at least SOMETHING at stake.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ May 27, 2013 -> 03:03 PM) Nobody outside of Rios has been hitting consistently well enough to say that it matters that much where they hit in the order. This ^

Read somewhere a week or so ago that the Sox were scouting Chi Chi heavily. Sounds like he may be our guy if he gets to us.

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ May 23, 2013 -> 04:01 PM) He never reminded me of Norberto Martin or D'Angelo Jimenez (still playing for Newark Bears allegedly) or Tony Graffanino. Paco Martin!

From a Law blog today: http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/...aw-on-southland

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ May 21, 2013 -> 11:37 AM) Manaea was scratched from his start today. s***ty timing for the kid. You have to figure there's a very real chance he falls to us now. I wonder if it'd be worth gambling on that upside at 17 considering that this is such a weak draft anyway.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ May 22, 2013 -> 02:30 PM) Santiago not in a position to succeed . Starting on short rest between starts and throwing bullpen session yesterday. If he fails it makes putting him in the bullpen easier. Would love to see him make it a hard decision for the Sox by pitching at least 5-6 good innings. Unfortunately the Sox need 7 after taxing the bullpen the last few days. Seems like a throw away game so a win to complete the sweep would be huge. Yeah I'd honestly rather start a AAA scrub on full rest.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ May 22, 2013 -> 10:24 AM) Christ, it's tendonitis. MILD tendonitis. He probably f***ing slept on it wrong. DOESN'T MATTER! SHOULDER!

SHOULDER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ May 21, 2013 -> 03:18 PM) Then you missed my point then. =) Perhaps I did. We need to get other guys in the lineup to hit too, was mine.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ May 21, 2013 -> 03:14 PM) Not batting with two black holes on either side of him he won't. Exactly my point.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ May 21, 2013 -> 03:04 PM) Match up smatch up... he's been one of the better hitters on the team and playing decent defense too. Kepp does not deserve to start with how atrocious and lackadasical he's been. Keppinger needs at-bats against good match-ups in order to get going. It's not a Little League team -- if we're going to have a shot to win we need more guys to find a way to produce. I like Gillaspie, but he's not carrying us into the postseason on his back.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ May 21, 2013 -> 09:39 AM) Axelrod as a starter at the MLB level: 19 games, 108.1 IP, 4.32 ERA, 75 K, 35 BB, 1.33 WHIP, 14 HR Personally, that looks like a 4th starter to me. It's not a large sample size by any means (which his minor league numbers are, and those are phenomenal), but there's enough there for some stabilization. The Sox have a lot of talent in their rotation, but Axelrod really should be in a rotation somewhere in the majors. The jury is still out for me until he gets at least 30-40 starts. Remember how good Phil Humber looks for 15-20 starts?

QUOTE (ChiSoxJon @ May 18, 2013 -> 03:56 PM) My Top 8 2013 MLB Mock Draft: 1. Houston Astros- Appel 2. Chicago Cubs- Gray 3. Colorado Rockies- Bryant 4. Minnesota Twins- Stewart 5. Cleveland Indians- Shipley 6. Miami Marlins- Moran 7. Boston Red Sox- Manaea 8. Kansas City Royals- Stanek Top 3 Mock ChiSox Picks: R1. Dominic Smith, 1B, CA HS(most agreeable between KW, Hahn, and Co.)/ J.P. Crawford, SS, CA HS/ Austin Wilson, OF, Stanford/ Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts(confirmed scouted)/ Phil Bickford, RHP, CA HS R2. Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts / Michael Wagner, RHP, San Diego/ Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Scottsdale CC/ Stephen Gonsalvez, LHP, CA HS R3. Ryan McMahon, 3B, CA HS/ Christopher Rivera, SS, CA HS/ Jeremy Martinez, C, CA HS Mayo is saying Smith won't get past the Mets, and consensus seems to be that Manaea will fall further. I wonder if Hunter Renfroe may be available at 17, which I think would be nice. Also, I've been all about Aaron Judge, but I saw some video and I don't like his swing now. He somehow looks off-balance and like he doesn't swing very hard at the same time.