beck72 Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Hey, my first post here on Soxtalk... I stop by and read once in a while, but decided to join the fun on this one... With the loss of Maggs in RF, what do you guys think about that Korean guy maybe replacing him? Jong-Soo Shim i think? mlb.com said he batted about .330 with 50ish HR and 125+ RBIs last year... and he had a spring training with the Marlins were Ozzie saw his stuff (and seemed to impress him and the other coaches down there). I know this guys isnt the fix for the "speed" ozzie wants, dont know about how good he is defensivly or at small ball. But if we trade Pualie to fill some of the other holes, this guy could provide us with some lost power (especially since who knows how frank will do next year, he had a rough time coming back from injury last time). Anyways, since he already has experiance with ozzie maybe we will try and pursue him a little... Just wanted to see what everyone here thought. -Steve Welcome aboard This does sound like a Sox potential signing. Cheap, load a contract w/ incentives, his profile fits in what the Sox are trying to do [good d, OBP] and has some sox connections [ozzie, Raines, Man so Lee]. If he does sign with MLB, the sox will be right in there I bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USAF_11F4H Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 By 1997, Shim was a regular in the weight room, pumping iron before and after games and for up to 90 minutes every day in the offseason. He also eliminated fast foods and fried foods from his diet, and began a protein-focused approach that he took to the extreme. Within a year, Shim was to eggs what future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was to chicken, engulfing up to 20 hard-boiled eggs per day. By the 1998 season, Shim had added 20 pounds of muscle and was being referred to by his teammates simply as "Eggman." You gotta believe that he'd be lighting up the clubhouse for sure. Eggs farts - yikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 If the Sox were looking strictly for HR power I'd agree. Yet his defense and patience at the plate [over 100 pt difference between avg and OBP!] stand out more than just his HR's. Not that he'd be THE answer. But a guy like him sounds better for RF than a guy like Burnitz and other names that will come at a much higher price Obviously the 2 are correlated -- he gets pitched around b/c he's one of the best hitters in the KBO, which raises his obp. Is he's not as fearsome a hitter here (which would almost certainly be true in his first year), his obp would drop sharply. TLAK's right, you can't depend on his numbers. If the scouts think he'll translate, sign him. Even then, he'll probably be more like a prospect in his first year in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beck72 Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Obviously the 2 are correlated -- he gets pitched around b/c he's one of the best hitters in the KBO, which raises his obp. Is he's not as fearsome a hitter here (which would almost certainly be true in his first year), his obp would drop sharply. TLAK's right, you can't depend on his numbers. If the scouts think he'll translate, sign him. Even then, he'll probably be more like a prospect in his first year in the US. Who knows if he gets pitched around. But any guy who has a 130 pt difference between his avg and OBP shows he has patience. The article mentioned his great batting eye, and that he was a more disciplined hitter than the Korean Lee guy who also wanted to come play MLB. A guy who knows the strike zone, and plays great defense with a strong arm in RF could be a good pickup for the Sox. At worst, he goes to AAA. The sox had Wunsch there making $800,000. Why not sign someone like Shim who could be very valuable for the sox, and contribute in 2005. Borchard certainly isn't the answer. And spending $6 mill on a guy like Dye may not be either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Who knows if he gets pitched around. But any guy who has a 130 pt difference between his avg and OBP shows he has patience. The article mentioned his great batting eye, and that he was a more disciplined hitter than the Korean Lee guy who also wanted to come play MLB. A guy who knows the strike zone, and plays great defense with a strong arm in RF could be a good pickup for the Sox. At worst, he goes to AAA. The sox had Wunsch there making $800,000. Why not sign someone like Shim who could be very valuable for the sox, and contribute in 2005. Borchard certainly isn't the answer. And spending $6 mill on a guy like Dye may not be either Then (going off TLAK's example) you'll DEFINITELY want Cliff Brumbaugh on the Sox -- his obp this year was .608, which is .265 higher than his batting average. These numbers simply aren't in any way comparable to numbers we see in the US pro ranks. Again, I'm not saying the Sox should not sign him -- if the Sox scouts like him, I trust their judgement on that. But the stats tell us next to nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshPR Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 News to me never heard of him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimH Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 There are a few reasons why this might be possible: - Guillen and Raines know this guy and feel he's big league caliber - RF situation with the Sox is up for grabs - Sox have demonstrated the willingness to dip into the Asian market - Man Soo Lee connection ... Man Soo has done a bit of scouting for the Sox in Korea so it's certain he knows all about this guy - We're a big city - Sox need and want to make a PR splash - Shim is noted as being an excellent defensive player - He shouldn't be that expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshPR Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Could be worth a shot. Is he a lefty hitter? I'm kinda worried he could turn into So Taguchi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Welcome Aboard! I say, why not? This would be a good PR move and it may pan out into an alright major leauge signing. These Korean guys tend to be fan favorites as well (Hee Seop). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Welcome Aboard! I say, why not? This would be a good PR move and it may pan out into an alright major leauge signing. These Korean guys tend to be fan favorites as well (Hee Seop). Byung-Hyun Kim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimH Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Could be worth a shot. Is he a lefty hitter? I'm kinda worried he could turn into So Taguchi Hits and throws right handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Byung-Hyun Kim. Don't forget Jung-Kun Bong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Don't forget Jung-Kun Bong I meant that B-H Kim is not very popular. Jung Bong (a name I love almost as much as So Taguchi) hasn't been disappointing or arrogant enough to be unpopular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimH Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I guess I'm just grasping at straws. Shim may or may not make sense for the Sox. Yet, I see so many advantages off the get-go that I hope they're at least considering him. Not the least of which is the PR side of things. Shingo worked out so well, even if he totally flops in '05 (which he won't IMO) it was still a good move. This franchise desperately needs a jolt of positive PR, and this guy fits a couple of needs on the field, assuming Guillen and Raines are on target regarding his skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beck72 Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Then (going off TLAK's example) you'll DEFINITELY want Cliff Brumbaugh on the Sox -- his obp this year was .608, which is .265 higher than his batting average. These numbers simply aren't in any way comparable to numbers we see in the US pro ranks. Again, I'm not saying the Sox should not sign him -- if the Sox scouts like him, I trust their judgement on that. But the stats tell us next to nothing. I didn't just go by the stats [though they did show numerically what he was described as]. Few people do who make decent arguments. I mostly went by the words said about him, and how he was described [gold glove D, very disciplined hitter, solid work ethic. etc.] Is he the answer to the sox problems? No. Could he help a little, if he can play MLB like others think he can? Probably yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I didn't just go by the stats [though they did show numerically what he was described as]. Few people do who make decent arguments. I mostly went by the words said about him, and how he was described [gold glove D, very disciplined hitter, solid work ethic. etc.] Is he the answer to the sox problems? No. Could he help a little, if he can play MLB like others think he can? Probably yes. Even his agent implied that it would take time for him to adjust. The pitchers attesting to his plate discipline: Daniel Rios, ML experience of 9.2 innings, 9.31 era. Shane Bowers, ML experience of 19 ip, 8.05 era. What do they know? Maybe he will be a good ML player someday (even that is questionable -- he'll have to make a lot of adjustments at the age when he should be in his prime), but it's not going to be this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beck72 Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Even his agent implied that it would take time for him to adjust. The pitchers attesting to his plate discipline: Daniel Rios, ML experience of 9.2 innings, 9.31 era. Shane Bowers, ML experience of 19 ip, 8.05 era. What do they know? Maybe he will be a good ML player someday (even that is questionable -- he'll have to make a lot of adjustments at the age when he should be in his prime), but it's not going to be this year. Weren't you the one talking about how stats don't mean a thing, and you go throwing stats at me about how bum pitchers attesting to his talent lack credibility? All foreign players are "unproven" in MLB. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be given a shot. And it doesn't mean they can't play. Chances are, he'll sign w/ a MLB team. Then we'll both know won't we Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Weren't you the one talking about how stats don't mean a thing, and you go throwing stats at me about how bum pitchers attesting to his talent lack credibility? All foreign players are "unproven" in MLB. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be given a shot. And it doesn't mean they can't play. Chances are, he'll sign w/ a MLB team. Then we'll both know won't we Korean baseball stats mean precious little for MLB performance (probably not nothing, but almost) -- Brumbaugh is a good example. I cited the MLB stats of each pitcher. (Of course, the era isn't as telling as ip, the fact that noone had confidence enough to let either pitch more than 20 innings in a career.) I guarantee, you can comb through my posts here as fine as you want, you won't find me saying that stats in general are meaningless. As for his signing, yeah, we might find out, but I don't expect that'll be sooner than 2006, after a year in the minors (which has been my point all along -- I'm just saying, his ceiling is a total guess, but he probably won't be much in 2005). I never said he shouldn't get a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimH Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I wouldn't have mentioned Shim at all if it weren't for Guillen and Raines having stated he's a major league caliber player. It's strictly a guess regardless, but when two guys on your baseball staff state something like that, it raises the possibility they may want this guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Good catch their. There, too.. LMAO.. Jason I love catching your grammar errors.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimH Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 There, too.. LMAO.. Jason I love catching your grammar errors.. That's almost a full time job, is it not, If Jason can just get "there" and "their" down, the "you're" and "your" thing is a walk in the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beck72 Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I wouldn't have mentioned Shim at all if it weren't for Guillen and Raines having stated he's a major league caliber player. It's strictly a guess regardless, but when two guys on your baseball staff state something like that, it raises the possibility they may want this guy. No guessing around here. We want certainty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JimH Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 No guessing around here. We want certainty I guess I agree ... soitenly!! nyuk nyuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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