Offensive Offense

[southsideirish71]

Kudos to our pitching staff for pitching their asses off night in and night out. The offense needs to be a bit more consistant. Pods and Gooch have been getting on for the thumpers. However the middle of the lineup has barely been clutch this year. Watching a few stat padder solo homers at the end of the game when down 5-0 is easy instead of in the 2nd inning with men on and two outs.

 

I hear interviews with Greg Walker and he says the right things. However our team constantly pulls the ball. We tinker with stances, we thinker with everything. Its one thing to tinker with a crede who has had nothing but problems, but why is Konerko using a new stance after he had a good year. Yes raising your hands gives you a better power stroke. But its hard to square up the ball when you have a dip in your swing.

 

Pull Baseball Son!!!!

 

This is our motto. If you want to shut down the sox for the last few years its a simple formula. Spot the fastball on the outside corner about 80% of the time. Every so often toss a cutter in to keep them off ballance. Our hitters dive over the plate and try to extend their arms to pull the outside pitch. This is why we make soft tossing 6+ ERA pitchers look like Cy Young. Our hitting approach in itself is a problem. If they have a pitcher that has the propensity to throw outside lthen the hitters who have better scouting than we should go up there trying to hit the ball up the middle and the other way. If they start to make solid contact with that approach the pitcher will try to get them to back off the plate and will go in. The minute they go in its time to turn on the pitch and launch it. Pauly and Dye are pulling the ball over and over. Pauly last year hit a bunch of pitches to right field especially with men on. This year I see a ton of strikeouts and a lot of grounds and lineouts to the 3rd basemen. If we want to play smartball then we need to commit the whole way. There is a time to launch a pitch into the stands. Its not with men on in the early part of the game. Its not when the count insnt in your favor.

 

These guys can hit, these guys can succeed. Its time for them to approach this by trying to hit to all fields and to stop being one dimensional. If we do this our offense will start to click and make everyone a lot less nervous.

Edited May 16, 2005 by southsideirish71

[nitetrain8601]

My solution. Bench Paul Konerko. Everett's at least getting his RBI's each game. PK gets them one game of the week in a bunch and you don't hear about him til the following week. Bench his ass and have Widger play 1st.

[CanOfCorn]

Kudos to our pitching staff for pitching their asses off night in and night out.  The offense needs to be a bit more consistant.  Pods and Gooch have been getting on for the thumpers.  However the middle of the lineup has barely been clutch this year.  Watching a few stat padder solo homers at the end of the game when down 5-0 is easy instead of in the 2nd inning with men on and two outs. 

 

I hear interviews with Greg Walker and he says the right things.  However our team constantly pulls the ball.  We tinker with stances, we thinker with everything.  Its one thing to tinker with a crede who has had nothing but problems, but why is Konerko using a new stance after he had a good year.  Yes raising your hands gives you a better power stroke.  But its hard to square up the ball when you have a dip in your swing. 

 

Pull Baseball Son!!!!

 

This is our motto.  If you want to shut down the sox for the last few years its a simple formula.  Spot the fastball on the outside corner about 80% of the time.  Every so often toss a cutter in to keep them off ballance.  Our hitters dive over the plate and try to extend their arms to pull the outside pitch.  This is why we make soft tossing 6+ ERA pitchers look like Cy Young.  Our hitting approach in itself is a problem.    If they have a pitcher that has the propensity to throw outside lthen the hitters who have better scouting than we should go up there trying to hit the ball up the middle and the other way.  If they start to make solid contact with that approach the pitcher will try to get them to back off the plate and will go in.  The minute they go in its time to turn on the pitch and launch it.  Pauly and Dye are pulling the ball over and over.  Pauly last year hit a bunch of pitches to right field especially with men on.  This year I see a ton of strikeouts and a lot of grounds and lineouts to the 3rd basemen.  If we want to play smartball then we need to commit the whole way.  There is a time to launch a pitch into the stands.  Its not with men on in the early part of the game.  Its not when the count insnt in your favor. 

 

These guys can hit, these guys can succeed.  Its time for them to approach this by trying to hit to all fields and to stop being one dimensional.  If we do this our offense will start to click and make everyone a lot less nervous.

 

When ballplayers press, they are trying to hit the snot out of the ball. And that usually means they are pulling it. Hopefully, Ozzie giving Kong the "I'm not goin to bench this kid," routine, Pauly will relax. Dye too, although i think he's is on a very thin rope right now.

[Chisoxrd5]

My solution. Bench Paul Konerko. Everett's at least getting his RBI's each game. PK gets them one game of the week in a bunch and you don't hear about him til the following week. Bench his ass and have Widger play 1st.

 

Here let me fix that for you:

 

My solution. Bench Paul Konerko. Everett's at least getting his RBI's each game. PK gets them one game of the week in a bunch and you don't hear about him til the following week. Bench his ass and have Widger play 1st.

 

Ok carry on

[RockRaines]

I dont know why you put that in Green. I have just about had enough of Pauly and his "new" stance and the plate. He is in a contract year, and cannot make contact with the ball. Something is wrong with him, and if I was KW, I would be either shopping him around, or definately NOT working on signing him. Paul's approach at the plate is not only worrisome, but lacks true commitment to the way this team is trying to play baseball. K's and dp's do not fit into our offensive approach. I would be fine if he did not see the field in the next few games.

[Hatchetman]

last time konerko went into a slump like this it lasted a year and a half.

[Chisoxrd5]

I dont know why you put that in Green.  I have just about had enough of Pauly and his "new" stance and the plate.  He is in a contract year, and cannot make contact with the ball.  Something is wrong with him, and if I was KW, I would be either shopping him around, or definately NOT working on signing him.  Paul's approach at the plate is not only worrisome, but lacks true commitment to the way this team is trying to play baseball.  K's and dp's do not fit into our offensive approach.  I would be fine if he did not see the field in the next few games.

 

I think it would be fine to bench him for a game...but Chris Widger as our everyday first baseman? Thats comical

[LosMediasBlancas]

Paul is very streaky and the streaks can be long, that's not a secret. It doesn't help that he and Death hit back to back. If Ozzie absolutely refuses to bench them, then at leats split them up somehow in the order.

[southsideirish71]

I think it would be fine to bench him for a game...but Chris Widger as our everyday first baseman? Thats comical

 

 

To bad Gload is hurt or we could bench Konerko here and there.

[Chisoxrd5]

To bad Gload is hurt or we could bench Konerko here and there.

 

I agree..Gload at least is a more viable alternative.

 

However, his injury sounds very odd...Inflamed Shoulder, unable to throw and barely able to swing a bat, he could be on the shelf for a long time.

 

We really dont have any insurance policies at first base right now so Paulie has no choice but to step it up.

[southsideirish71]

I agree..Gload at least is a more viable alternative.

 

However, his injury sounds very odd...Inflamed Shoulder, unable to throw and barely able to swing a bat, he could be on the shelf for a long time.

 

We really dont have any insurance policies at first base right now so Paulie has no choice but to step it up.

 

I also miss Gload coming off the bench to pinch hit. The idea of having a free swinger like timo coming off the bench in tight games scares me.

[Steff]

I had a dream the other night that Sweeney was on first base.. in a Sox uni..

[103 mph screwball]

I kind of feel bad for the pitchers sometimes. I like moving Rowand to 3rd in the lineup for now. It might be time to move Konerko to 5th and Carl to 4th. Maybe until they start hitting Konerko and Dye can hit 8th and 9th. I hope Big Frank has a successful and quick rehab. Then I think this lineup can do some damage.

 

Podsednik

Iguchi

Thomas

Konerko

Everett (wherever he can play in the outfield)

Rowand

AJ

Crede

Uribe

[southsideirish71]

I had a dream the other night that Sweeney was on first base.. in a Sox uni.. 

 

 

I wish KW would have that same dream. Heavenly.

[CanOfCorn]

I wish KW would have that same dream.  Heavenly.

 

And that's what it would be...a dream.

[Gene Honda Civic]

         AVG   OBP   SLG  OPS(rank)

April   .255  .316  .375     25th

May     .260  .344  .440      9th

 

Yeah, I just wish that offense would wake up or something.

Edited May 16, 2005 by Gene Honda Civic

[Queen Prawn]

I dont know why you put that in Green.  I have just about had enough of Pauly and his "new" stance and the plate.  He is in a contract year, and cannot make contact with the ball.  Something is wrong with him, and if I was KW, I would be either shopping him around, or definately NOT working on signing him.  Paul's approach at the plate is not only worrisome, but lacks true commitment to the way this team is trying to play baseball.  K's and dp's do not fit into our offensive approach.  I would be fine if he did not see the field in the next few games.

 

I agree with this 110% (keeping in mind that I am a huge PK fan when I say I agree that he needs to be benched for a little while at least).

[southsider2k5]

I agree with this 110% (keeping in mind that I am a huge PK fan when I say I agree that he needs to be benched for a little while at least).

 

The problem is that we have no first basemen on this roster. Pauly is our 1B until Gload gets back.

[Queen Prawn]

The problem is that we have no first basemen on this roster.  Pauly is our 1B until Gload gets back.

 

That sucks - I thought he was back already (oops lol).

[Hatchetman]

The problem is that we have no first basemen on this roster.  Pauly is our 1B until Gload gets back.

 

which sort of seems like it could be never.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

The problem is that we have no first basemen on this roster.  Pauly is our 1B until Gload gets back.

 

 

When G-Load does get back he needs to play the 1st day. Kong clearly needs a day or 2 on the bench.

[BobDylan]

A good start was batting Rowand 3rd. I would keep Rowand third and drop Everett to fifth in an effort to split Dye and Konerko up and in an effort to get both of them better pitches. I might also consider putting Uribe before Dye in the order. Perhaps even 4th if you're feeling saucy enough.

 

Right now the best hitters in our line-up are obvious, and they aren't the players they should be. Mix the line-up. Konerko doesn't really deserve to be fourth, Dye doesn't deserve to be fifth.

 

I could also try out Rowand 3rd, Uribe 4th/5th, Everett 4th/5th and see if Dye and Konerko can get anything going at the bottom of the order.

Edited May 16, 2005 by BobDylan

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

A good start was batting Rowand 3rd.  I would keep Rowand third and drop Everett to fifth in an effort to split Dye and Konerko up and in an effort to get both of them better pitches. I might also consider putting Uribe before Dye in the order. Perhaps even 4th if you're feeling saucy enough.

 

Right now the best hitters in our line-up are obvious, and they aren't the players they should be. Mix the line-up. Konerko doesn't really deserve to be fourth, Dye doesn't deserve to be fifth.

 

I could also try out Rowand 3rd, Uribe 4th/5th, Everett 4th/5th and see if Dye and Konerko can get anything going at the bottom of the order.

 

 

I don't know about making Uribe cleanup hitter but I could see the following happening.........

 

3: AROW

4: Carl

5: Kong

6: Uribe

7: AJ

8: Dead

 

........at least until Thomas comes back then change that up based on how much rust he has coming back off his injury.