Team needs for next year

[witesoxfan]

Thought I may as well start this topic, just to see what everyone thinks.

 

For starters, it is quite obvious that we probably need a starting pitcher. We may or may not need a reliever or two. We will probably need to shake the lineup up.

 

But I'm not necessarily talking so much about personnel...we all know about what we need personnel wise...I'm more or less referring to other things this team needs. Like how they need to figure out a way to pull their collective heads out of their collective asses when they get in a huge slump. You'll never see the Twins get in a huge slump like we get in, simply because they don't allow themselves to. They actually play fundamental baseball.

 

We also need guys who will pick up other guys when times get hard. When the pitchers struggle, the offense needs to score more runs. When the offense struggles, the pitchers need to allow fewer runs.

 

Anyways, I just hit on a few ideas. What are some of your guys'/gals' ideas of team needs? As in, changes this team needs to make to improve themself, not changes KW needs to make

[greg775]

I think Guzman at ss and Johnny Damon and

re-signing Maggs would cure our ills.

 

And try to tinker finding a Gordon like reliever.

 

Seriously, this is all it'd take.

Guzman and Damon, plus a reliable reliever as

long as we re-up Maggs.

Dat's my take.

[YASNY]

Sometimes the thinking part of baseball is so simple that it amazes me that they can't seem to grasp it. When you are in a slump, take your BP and plate appearances and work on hitting the ball hard up the middle. Make the pitchers forehead "a target". If you are focused on that, you are not trying to jerk the ball out of the park. You are focused on the baseball and trying to "center" your swing.

[redandwhite]

Johnny Damon will not be traded.

[GASHWOUND]

Thought I may as well start this topic, just to see what everyone thinks.

 

For starters, it is quite obvious that we probably need a starting pitcher.  We may or may not need a reliever or two.  We will probably need to shake the lineup up.

 

But I'm not necessarily talking so much about personnel...we all know about what we need personnel wise...I'm more or less referring to other things this team needs.  Like how they need to figure out a way to pull their collective heads out of their collective asses when they get in a huge slump.  You'll never see the Twins get in a huge slump like we get in, simply because they don't allow themselves to.  They actually play fundamental baseball.

 

We also need guys who will pick up other guys when times get hard.  When the pitchers struggle, the offense needs to score more runs.  When the offense struggles, the pitchers need to allow fewer runs.

 

Anyways, I just hit on a few ideas.  What are some of your guys'/gals' ideas of team needs?  As in, changes this team needs to make to improve themself, not changes KW needs to make

What we need is a f***ing miracle..I wonder how much that would be against the cap

[jackie hayes]

We also need guys who will pick up other guys when times get hard.  When the pitchers struggle, the offense needs to score more runs.  When the offense struggles, the pitchers need to allow fewer runs.

I'm not sure I agree with this. I always think that if a guy can pick it up when the team is down, he should have picked it up when the team was even or up.

 

Anyway, two things come to mind. First, Ozzie has to modulate himself better. He came into st fire and brimstone, and then is cool to Hunter-Burke, and then goes berserk on umps and on Showalter. The fire is good, but sometimes it seems misplaced. Second, the pitchers, more than the hitters, should adjust their philosophies. Garland and Contreras, especially, have to get over their fastball jitters, and the catchers and Cooper could help with that.

 

Past that, you hope Rowand and Frank approach the season the same way, and I think we'll be okay.

[3E8]

Here are some free agents the Sox should look to sign to help our needs.

 

Pride

Determination

Heart

Loyalty

Intelligence

[Yossarian]

Here are some free agents the Sox should look to sign to help our needs.

 

Pride

Determination

Heart

Loyalty

Intelligence

That's why we need a major overhaul. Many of our guys no longer have those qualities. As Leo Durocher used to say, it's time to "back up the truck."

[Yossarian]

just an FWI I didnt see on the board. Harlod aint coming back next season, it was in the Herald. I didnt think he DID ANYTHING on the bench this season.

 

I want Cooper and Baines gone. Not saying there why were getting killed by the Twins, I could go on forever why, but just throwing these 2 guys out there.

Why did they make him a bench coach in the first place? He's practically a mute.

[HighHeat45]

Johnny Damon will not be traded.

Just like nomar right

 

Nomar will not be traded

 

From the trading deadline thread

[winninguglyin83]

OUR NEEDS

 

1. Reinsdorf sells team.

 

2. Reinsdorf keeps team and spends more money

 

3. Reinsdorf fires Kenny Williams.

 

4. Reinsdorf cleans house in farm system.

[babybearhater]

Here are some free agents the Sox should look to sign to help our needs.

 

Pride

Determination

Heart

Loyalty

Intelligence

I'll add one more to that list. Since the sox are trying to be a pitching and fundamentals team, that will be focused on "Ozzie ball" lets move the damn fences back, and not 3 feet, lets move them way back. If we want to give our pitchers a chance to win games for us, and possibly win us into the playoffs, we need to give them a chance. Lets make the park bigger so that mis-hit flyballs dont soar over the left field fence, they stay in play, and they are out. Just a thought, but if we are going to change focus, so does this little league field.

[AngelasDaddy0427]

Honestly i'm a little sick of all of this total overhaul talk.

Lets be realistic here. Before Maggs and Frank got hurt we were in first place crusing to a division title. After Maggs and Frank get hurt we are screwed.

I'm not so sure we are in as desperate of a need as some of you make it out to be.

Willie Harris has exceeded expectations. Juan Uribe has exceeded expectations. Yet we dumb the teams problems on players like them even though they are doing better then we all thought they would in the first place.

This team only needs a few minor changes to get back to being a 1st place team.

1) Jose Valentin gone.

2) Sign another SP (Without getting rid of Garland, he has been very consistant at giving up 4 ER's or less a game, he keeps us in almost every game he pitches.)

3) Give Willie and Juan 2B and SS. When there guys were in the lineup everyday and they knew they'd be there everyday they were both hitting around .320. These kids have talent. Don't waste it.

4) Get a Power hitting, High Average RF. Mags isn't the answer as much as I hate to say it. There are plenty of guys out there that fit this.

5) Joe Crede needs to be given a shot to right the ship. He has at least shown flashes of talent and skill. He can put it together. Besides that he's our #8 hitter anyway.

[Guest JimH]

Lets be realistic here. Before Maggs and Frank got hurt we were in first place crusing to a division title. After Maggs and Frank get hurt we are screwed.

I'm not so sure we are in as desperate of a need as some of you make it out to be.

Willie Harris has exceeded expectations. Juan Uribe has exceeded expectations. Yet we dumb the teams problems on players like them even though they are doing better then we all thought they would in the first place.

This team only needs a few minor changes to get back to being a 1st place team.

1) Jose Valentin gone.

2) Sign another SP (Without getting rid of Garland, he has been very consistant at giving up 4 ER's or less a game, he keeps us in almost every game he pitches.)

3) Give Willie and Juan 2B and SS. When there guys were in the lineup everyday and they knew they'd be there everyday they were both hitting around .320. These kids have talent. Don't waste it.

4) Get a Power hitting, High Average RF. Mags isn't the answer as much as I hate to say it. There are plenty of guys out there that fit this.

5) Joe Crede needs to be given a shot to right the ship. He has at least shown flashes of talent and skill. He can put it together. Besides that he's our #8 hitter anyway.

"Lets be realistic here."

 

OK, good, let's.

 

 

"Before Maggs and Frank got hurt we were in first place crusing to a division title."

 

Cruising to a division title? Ummm, no. In the thick of the race, yes. Cruising to a title, no. Nor were the Sox cruising to a title in '03 when both were healthy.

 

"Willie Harris has exceeded expectations. Juan Uribe has exceeded expectations. Yet we dumb the teams problems on players like them even though they are doing better then we all thought they would in the first place."

 

Willie Harris has exceeded WHOSE expectations? Please don't include me, Ozzie Guillen, or Ken Williams in what "we all thought". Guillen has come out and stated at least 6-7 times that Harris has been nowhere near as consistent as they'd hoped. Yet you continually ignore Guillen has said this, and lump all Sox fans into a group that apparently thinks Harris doing just fine. Many people on this site, along with the White Sox manager, think he is NOT doing just fine, let alone exceeded expectations.

 

"Give Willie and Juan 2B and SS. When there guys were in the lineup everyday and they knew they'd be there everyday they were both hitting around .320."

 

This is a great idea ... if you want the Sox to finish in 3rd place in 2005. When Uribe was hitting .320 he was already cooling off from his fantastic start at the plate. What he's doing now is better than expected (.274, 19 hr's) but he's also struck out 80+ times. What part of "little ball" is a starting SS who, if playing in 150+ games, projects to strike out 110-120 times? Uribe should be the super sub guy, ready to fill in, get the occassional start, and be very good insurance if someone gets hurt. Don't aim so low. Aim higher. Williams is.

 

"Get a Power hitting, High Average RF. Mags isn't the answer as much as I hate to say it. There are plenty of guys out there that fit this."

 

I doubt Maggs will be back anyways, but I'm interested in who you think is 1). available and 2). fits the bill as a power hitting, high average RF

 

I do agree with you on Valentin though.

[babybearhater]

Honestly i'm a little sick of all of this total overhaul talk.

Lets be realistic here. Before Maggs and Frank got hurt we were in first place crusing to a division title. After Maggs and Frank get hurt we are screwed.

I'm not so sure we are in as desperate of a need as some of you make it out to be.

Willie Harris has exceeded expectations. Juan Uribe has exceeded expectations. Yet we dumb the teams problems on players like them even though they are doing better then we all thought they would in the first place.

This team only needs a few minor changes to get back to being a 1st place team.

1) Jose Valentin gone.

2) Sign another SP (Without getting rid of Garland, he has been very consistant at giving up 4 ER's or less a game, he keeps us in almost every game he pitches.)

3) Give Willie and Juan 2B and SS. When there guys were in the lineup everyday and they knew they'd be there everyday they were both hitting around .320. These kids have talent. Don't waste it.

4) Get a Power hitting, High Average RF. Mags isn't the answer as much as I hate to say it. There are plenty of guys out there that fit this.

5) Joe Crede needs to be given a shot to right the ship. He has at least shown flashes of talent and skill. He can put it together. Besides that he's our #8 hitter anyway.

BTW, cruising?? just like last year when we were cruising...and then got swept by the twins and finished 4 games out. Come on man, this team folds late in the season every year.

[israel4ever]

Honestly i'm a little sick of all of this total overhaul talk.

Lets be realistic here. Before Maggs and Frank got hurt we were in first place crusing to a division title. After Maggs and Frank get hurt we are screwed.

I'm not so sure we are in as desperate of a need as some of you make it out to be.

Willie Harris has exceeded expectations. Juan Uribe has exceeded expectations. Yet we dumb the teams problems on players like them even though they are doing better then we all thought they would in the first place.

This team only needs a few minor changes to get back to being a 1st place team.

1) Jose Valentin gone.

2) Sign another SP (Without getting rid of Garland, he has been very consistant at giving up 4 ER's or less a game, he keeps us in almost every game he pitches.)

3) Give Willie and Juan 2B and SS. When there guys were in the lineup everyday and they knew they'd be there everyday they were both hitting around .320. These kids have talent. Don't waste it.

4) Get a Power hitting, High Average RF. Mags isn't the answer as much as I hate to say it. There are plenty of guys out there that fit this.

5) Joe Crede needs to be given a shot to right the ship. He has at least shown flashes of talent and skill. He can put it together. Besides that he's our #8 hitter anyway.

 

What we need is a new catcher, 2B, SS, 3B, RF, two starters, a closer, and a bench!

Even IF we stayed healthy, and won our division, we wouldn't have had a chance in the playoffs. We were nowhere near as good as the Yankees, Redsox, A's, Angels, or even the Twins!

 

Competing for a division title is NOTHING!!! If we are not going to be in World Series contention, we might as well not even field a team!

[WilliamTell]

I do agree with Jeckle on this one. I want Harris and Uribe to start next year. I wish we could get Maggs back and I guess that's still a possibility. Unless we can get something for Crede that'll improve this team, I hope we keep him around.

[YASNY]

Get a Power hitting, High Average RF. Mags isn't the answer as much as I hate to say it. There are plenty of guys out there that fit this."

 

I would have thought that Magglio Orgonez would qualify as the definitive "power hitting, high average RF". What more could the guy do for the last 5 years?

[Gene Honda Civic]

I would have thought that Magglio Orgonez would qualify as the definitive "power hitting, high average RF".  What more could the guy do for the last 5 years?

He was, but I don't think the sox can take the $11.2MIL+ gamble that he will return to that form, or even play again.