Neal Focking Cotts

[Rowand44]

hahaha holy crap you have got to be kidding me

Nope, no joke. Just watch.

[T R U]

Nope, no joke.  Just watch.

 

if you mean under 4 X 2 then maybe ide agree, but there is no chance Neal has an ERA under 4 this season

[Rowand44]

if you mean under 4 X 2 then maybe ide agree, but there is no chance Neal has an ERA under 4 this season

We'll see.

[flippedoutpunk]

if you mean under 4 X 2 then maybe ide agree, but there is no chance Neal has an ERA under 4 this season

 

Why you hatin on my boy Neal "I got two fastballs" Cotts?!?!?

[quickman]

I guess one thing I don't understand is how someone can't like Gload. I am not sure I have ever seen him even talk to the media, let alone complain, he has produced everywhere he's been, he is clutch, and he plays 1B quite well.  Reminds me a little of John Olerud or Mark Grace all around...and what is wrong with having a player like that?

 

He's not the best guy out there, but he is a very solid player all around.

 

I also do not see why someone puts out faceless bashing without even considering the numbers of certain players, yet then brings up how Dye has a .130 average against Piniero...if you are going to avoid numbers like Gload's, avoid all numbers period.

 

 

I do not think Ross is olerud or Grace, Gload will always be a back up, even if Konerko leaves. We will not resolve anything today. Lets let the season play itself out. He may play again sunday. If the sox win the first two games, then Ozzie usually seals a loss with sending in his scrubs to play on the third day. Nothing like being satisfied winning two of three.

[quickman]

This is due to a phenomenon known as Quickus Crabbyum.  It is a fairly common occurance, usually like a dreary rainy day or even 2 or 3.

 

It is also sometimes called "Mule-like Subjectivity", a stubborness trait which accounts for why numbers mean something in one example, but not another.

 

Under normal circumstances, this phenomenon ends when either a Pabst Blue Ribbon is placed in front of the afflicted individual, or if I am suddenly sucked off the face of the earth.

 

 

 

 

stop it you hate gload too.

[witesoxfan]

Also quick, to answer a question you asked earlier about Gload potentially starting at 1B next year...I personally would be perfectly happy with it, so long as you get another backup 1Bman in here who can be a good bat off the bench.

 

If Gload can prove to be a .270/.350/.450 hitter over a full year, there is nothing wrong with it, especially for around $1 mill, considering you would end up paying $9 mill more for 100 more points of OPS out of Konerko, who is also slower and worse defensively. What would be even better is if Gload could prove to be like a .300/.380/.500 hitter, but I won't count on that ever.

[IlliniKrush]

The problem though witesoxfan is that you are getting that production at a very big power position in MLB, and the rest of your lineup is now lacking in power. You have to somehow replace Konerko's power, or Gload is really a glaring weakness, no matter if he puts up "respectable" numbers or not.

[CWSGuy406]

Also quick, to answer a question you asked earlier about Gload potentially starting at 1B next year...I personally would be perfectly happy with it, so long as you get another backup 1Bman in here who can be a good bat off the bench.

 

If Gload can prove to be a .270/.350/.450 hitter over a full year, there is nothing wrong with it, especially for around $1 mill, considering you would end up paying $9 mill more for 100 more points of OPS out of Konerko, who is also slower and worse defensively.  What would be even better is if Gload could prove to be like a .300/.380/.500 hitter, but I won't count on that ever.

 

I tend to agree with ya. If Gload does the same as he did last year, or close to it -- I don't see a great reason to give Konerko $9-10 million, which is what he might (and realistically could, based on contracts signed this offseason) ask for.

 

Same with the Magglio situation last year -- neither, even when healthy, are at the top five in their respective positions, so they shouldn't (IMHO) be payed like one.

Edited April 15, 2005 by CWSGuy406

[quickman]

Also quick, to answer a question you asked earlier about Gload potentially starting at 1B next year...I personally would be perfectly happy with it, so long as you get another backup 1Bman in here who can be a good bat off the bench.

 

If Gload can prove to be a .270/.350/.450 hitter over a full year, there is nothing wrong with it, especially for around $1 mill, considering you would end up paying $9 mill more for 100 more points of OPS out of Konerko, who is also slower and worse defensively.  What would be even better is if Gload could prove to be like a .300/.380/.500 hitter, but I won't count on that ever.

 

 

Wow we will really be turning into a punch and judy team. I was not a fan of konerko's I personally feel he singlehandedly costs us the 2003 season, but that aside we need his pop, we still need to hit HR's. Now that lee is gone, Everett is in his last year, thomas is in his last year, and dye is worth 25 homers healthy we cannot afford to lose the HR's that Konerko brings. Not saying we need to go back to the way we were but we do need to hit homers.

[qwerty]

Gload is basically a clone to mark grace in my opinion so how does that make gload a back up when grace started for all those years?

 

Btw, free agents all around blow next year.

[IlliniKrush]

How the hell does Gload=Grace?

[qwerty]

Wow we will really be turning into a punch and judy team. I was not a fan of konerko's I personally feel he singlehandedly costs us the 2003 season, but that aside we need his pop, we still need to hit HR's. Now that lee is gone, Everett is in his last year, thomas is in his last year, and dye is worth 25 homers healthy we cannot afford to lose the HR's that Konerko brings. Not saying we need to go back to the way we were but we do need to hit homers.

 

Just curious, who are you a fan of on the team?

[quickman]

The problem though witesoxfan is that you are getting that production at a very big power position in MLB, and the rest of your lineup is now lacking in power. You have to somehow replace Konerko's power, or Gload is really a glaring weakness, no matter if he puts up "respectable" numbers or not.

 

 

exactly.

[CWSGuy406]

Gload is basically a clone to mark grace in my opinion so how does that make gload a back up when grace started for all those years?

 

Btw, free agents all around blow next year.

 

Meaning we'll have to make a deal.

 

Ideally, Contreras and Garland both have spectacular seasons this year, and you can pawn off one of them for a real good bat, and have McCarthy fill the fifth spot.

 

I haven't quite looked yet, but from the looks of it, we'll be set at C, 2B, SS, and all of the OF spots (Rowand, Dye, and Pods/Anderson) -- meaning we'll have to make a big splash by grabbing a real good reliever or two, or a big time third baseman.

[witesoxfan]

The problem though witesoxfan is that you are getting that production at a very big power position in MLB, and the rest of your lineup is now lacking in power. You have to somehow replace Konerko's power, or Gload is really a glaring weakness, no matter if he puts up "respectable" numbers or not.

 

I have, quite honestly, always thought power was extremely overrated, or that people have entirely overlooked doubles and triples as power, because it is not going out the ballpark.

 

And, not that Gload will ever hit a lot of homers, but I could see him putting up .270 20 80 .800, perhaps being a very similar player statistically to Brian Daubach of 01 and 02. It is not great production, but if you spend that extra $9 mill wisely elsewhere, I really do not see a ton wrong with it.

 

It would be pretty easy to replace the power lost by Konerko. Perhaps you ship Crede and someone else out in a trade for some power elsewhere...maybe Crede and Dye along with a prospect for a RFer who is fairly solid, and you then sign a 3Bman with the left over money, and perhaps have Fields come up as a 1Bman for the first year or so, or have the incoming 3Bman know that he may end up moving to 1B at some point down the road. There are a lot of possibilities out there.

[CWSGuy406]

Wow we will really be turning into a punch and judy team. I was not a fan of konerko's I personally feel he singlehandedly costs us the 2003 season, but that aside we need his pop, we still need to hit HR's. Now that lee is gone, Everett is in his last year, thomas is in his last year, and dye is worth 25 homers healthy we cannot afford to lose the HR's that Konerko brings. Not saying we need to go back to the way we were but we do need to hit homers.

 

We can afford to the lose the homers if we upgrade elsewhere.

 

I'd venture to say that Gload would put up a better AVG than Konerko, and an OBP close to Konerko's, with a drop in OPS. We'd also be improved on defense.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I don't give a damn where you get the power from, as long as you get it somewhere.

[3E8]

How the hell does Gload=Grace?

Gload won't take as many walks as Grace did but otherwise they could be seen as similar offensive 1B's.

[IlliniKrush]

That's a whole lof of ifs right there, and some trades i don't think are possible.

 

Anyway...while i'm not obsessed with the HR, like quickman said, you still need to hit some. Take Konerko away from this team and you really have no power for all intents and purposes. "ozzieball" can only do so much for a team.

 

All i'm saying is, if you are going to under-produce at 1B, you have to make up for that somewhere else in the lineup, and by a big margin. With our current roster, we don't have that, and it's not going to be easy to acquire that either. The only position "available" for that updgrade is 3B.

[CWSGuy406]

That's a whole lof of ifs right there, and some trades i don't think are possible.

 

Anyway...while i'm not obsessed with the HR, like quickman said, you still need to hit some. Take Konerko away from this team and you really have no power for all intents and purposes. "ozzieball" can only do so much for a team.

 

All i'm saying is, if you are going to under-produce at 1B, you have to make up for that somewhere else in the lineup, and by a big margin. With our current roster, we don't have that, and it's not going to be easy to acquire that either. The only position "available" for that updgrade is 3B.

 

I know I'm doing a lot of speculating here, but Aubrey Huff is going to get real pricey, real soon -- too pricey for Tampa. I know he isn't great defensively, but he'd be someone to look at as far as a trade.

[qwerty]

How the hell does Gload=Grace?

 

Look at their stats. Sure, grace did it for a much longer time but you can see gload can become a mark grace type player. Both have below average power for a first baseman. You have to remember grace never hit 20 in a season. Grace is a .300 hitter and gload definitely has the potential for that. He is a .301 hitter in the majors and grace was a .303 hitter. Both are lefties with really good gloves. I can see gload being a .300/ 15-20/ .360/ .450 type player which would be very similar to grace. The lowest i see gload hitting is .270-275 in all honesty.

[3E8]

I was in favor of trading Pauly this offseason and starting Gload at first as long as the money/trade made our pitching staff better. The Twins haven't hit more than 200 home runs in any of the last three years, as low as 155 in '03.

 

If we went to a contact over power offensive team which I'd like to see, we probably should move the fences.

[IlliniKrush]

Look at their stats. Sure, grace did it for a much longer time but you can see gload can become a mark grace type player. Both have below average power for a first baseman. You have to remember grace never hit 20 in a season. Grace is a .300 hitter and gload definitely has the potential for that. He is a .301 hitter in the majors and grace was a .303 hitter. Both are lefties with really good gloves. I can see gload being a .300/ 15-20/ .360/ .450 type player which would be very similar to grace. The lowest i see gload hitting is .270-275 in all honesty.

 

Will Gload lead the majors in doubles for an entire decade?

 

I just wouldn't bank on Gload becoming Grace, even if they are 'similar.'

[CWSGuy406]

I was in favor of trading Pauly this offseason and starting Gload at first as long as the money/trade made our pitching staff better.  The Twins haven't hit more than 200 home runs in any of the last three years, as low as 155 in '03.

 

If we went to a contact over power offensive team which I'd like to see, we probably should move the fences.

 

The key is making up what you lost in power in different areas. Grab a few more guys with higher OBP's, improve defensively, and improve your pitching staff (grab a stud reliever).

 

And, back to what I said about Aubrey Huff -- put me on the "If Crede doesn't pick it up by Mid-June, make a trade for Aubrey Huff" bandwagon.

 

Err -- did I just hear a couple days ago that Huff is hurt?

[3E8]

Will Gload lead the majors in doubles for an entire decade?

 

I just wouldn't bank on Gload becoming Grace, even if they are 'similar.'

If you extrapolate last years numbers, Gload would've been right at Grace's average season 2B total.