Contreras

[SoxFan1]

This is his FIRST season above AA ball. At least give him a few seasons to see how he performs before completely writing him off. You don't think last year's numbers said he was not going to be successful some day?

I said earlier that I am NOT writing him off. I honestly hope he becomes a very successful pitcher for the Sox if he doesn't get traded. What I'm saying is that he is highly overrated by people here.

[JohnStamos]

So, what? He is a Spring Training pitcher? Can you guarantee me that he will be consistent in the future? He is highly overrated IMO. He has a great Spring Training and all of the sudden, he is the best Sox prospect ever!

 

Nothing is ever guarenteed. We have a sample of McCarthy's best and a sample of his worst, so noone knows what lies in store for him. All I know is he could be a great pitcher and thats enough to not through him into a trade that doesn't need to be made.

Edited July 20, 2005 by JohnStamos

[DBAHO]

I could care less about credibility, but right now, McCarthy is overrated.  Doesn't mean he'll always be overrated, but in his stint with the Sox this year, he underachieved.

Because he never should have been up with the Sox in the 1st place. Realistically they should have started him in AA this year, and then moved him up to Charlotte after this year's draft. If they did that, and McCarthy was putting up numbers like he did last season, don't you think Sox fans would be getting restless if he wasn't in our rotation when El Duque got injured?

[Kalapse]

I could care less about credibility, but right now, McCarthy is overrated.  Doesn't mean he'll always be overrated, but in his stint with the Sox this year, he underachieved.

He never should have pitched in the majors this year. He pitched lights out in spring training and was rushed along. They put his development on hold and tried to fill a spot in the rotation with a AA pitcher. He wasn't ready. He is NOT overrated.

[DBAHO]

I said earlier that I am NOT writing him off. I honestly hope he becomes a very successful pitcher for the Sox if he doesn't get traded. What I'm saying is that he is highly overrated by people here.

And that's just because of what he's done this season so far?

[fathom]

Because he never should have been up with the Sox in the 1st place. Realistically they should have started him in AA this year, and then moved him up to Charlotte after this year's draft. If they did that, and McCarthy was putting up numbers like he did last season, don't you think Sox fans would be getting restless if he wasn't in our rotation when El Duque got injured?

 

I'm not going to disagree that he shouldn't be up. But come on, you know as well as I do that many on here thought McCarthy was going to come up and have a 3.50 ERA while striking out 7 a game. 99pct of Sox fans had too high of expectations for McCarthy. In my book, that's called being overrated.

[SoxFan1]

Yes, go look at his numbers from 2003 and 2004 in the minors and tell me he's underrated. When you pitch that well and dominate like he did you deserve to be touted as a major prospect.

I never said he wasn't a major prospect. He IS the SOx top prospect but he is, like fathom said, very overrated. He got his shot and underachieved. I am not giving up on him whatsoever. Like I said, I wish him success with the Sox but he just hasn't shown me anything. BTW, the only stat that matters is Wins and Losses. 3-7 with Charlotte, 0-1 with the Sox. Besides, he has a 6.745 combined ERA in AAA/MLB.

[fathom]

He never should have pitched in the majors this year. He pitched lights out in spring training and was rushed along. They put his development on hold and tried to fill a spot in the rotation with a AA pitcher. He wasn't ready. He is NOT overrated.

 

I remember hearing Hawk and Ozzie saying how we had a great 6th starter in McCarthy if someone got hurt. Then, we called him up, and he was clearly not ready. That's a textbook example of being overrated.

[SoxFan1]

I'm not going to disagree that he shouldn't be up.  But come on, you know as well as I do that many on here thought McCarthy was going to come up and have a 3.50 ERA while striking out 7 a game.  99pct of Sox fans had too high of expectations for McCarthy.  In my book, that's called being overrated.

Agreed. And DBAH0, yes, I am basing it on what he has done when it counts. A combined 3-8 with a 6.745 ERA for a top prospect is overrated and underachieveing.

[fathom]

Yes, go look at his numbers from 2003 and 2004 in the minors and tell me he's underrated. When you pitch that well and dominate like he did you deserve to be touted as a major prospect.

 

Minor league numbers mean jacks***. The worst thing someone can do is get caught up in analyzing someone's minor league stats.

[Rowand44]

I remember hearing Hawk and Ozzie saying how we had a great 6th starter in McCarthy if someone got hurt.  Then, we called him up, and he was clearly not ready.  That's a textbook example of being overrated.

Or not being ready like you said. Not being ready and being overrated are completely different things.

Edited July 20, 2005 by Rowand44

[DBAHO]

I remember hearing Hawk and Ozzie saying how we had a great 6th starter in McCarthy if someone got hurt.  Then, we called him up, and he was clearly not ready.  That's a textbook example of being overrated.

I wouldn't call it overrated. I'd call it people pumping him up before he's ready.

[Kalapse]

I never said he wasn't a major prospect. He IS the SOx top prospect but he is, like fathom said, very overrated. He got his shot and underachieved. I am not giving up on him whatsoever. Like I said, I wish him success with the Sox but he just hasn't shown me anything. BTW, the only stat that matters is Wins and Losses. 3-7 with Charlotte, 0-1 with the Sox. Besides, he has a 6.745 combined ERA in AAA/MLB.

God damn it. He shouldn't even be in AAA right now. He should have started the year in AA. He has struggled at Charlotte which is a f***ing bandbox and he struggled in the majors because he shouldn't even be there.

 

We shouldn't even be having this discussion seeing how he should still be in B-Ham putting up sick numbers and dominating AA.

[SoxFan1]

I wouldn't call it overrated. I'd call it people pumping him up before he's ready. 

Wow

[fathom]

If McCarthy hasn't been overrated this season, then I don't want to know who is considered overrated.

[SoxFan1]

God damn it. He shouldn't even be in AAA right now. He should have started the year in AA. He has struggled at Charlotte which is a f***ing bandbox and he struggled in the majors because he shouldn't even be there.

 

We shouldn't even be having this discussion seeing how he should still be in B-Ham putting up sick numbers and dominating AA.

IT'S TOO f***ING LATE NOW HUH? You can't change that s***. He IS in AAA, he WAS brought up, he DIDN'T produce, and that is it. He hasn't done s*** in my book. Spring Training, like YOU said, is just Spring Training. His 2004, 2003, and 2002 stats mean jack s*** right now. Wow, Sammy Sosa had 60 home runs in 2003, he is awesome!

[Kalapse]

IT'S TOO f***ING LATE NOW HUH? You can't change that s***. He IS in AAA, he WAS brought up, he DIDN'T produce, and that is it. He hasn't done s*** in my book. Spring Training, like YOU said, is just Spring Training. His 2004, 2003, and 2002 stats mean jack s*** right now. Wow, Sammy Sosa had 60 home runs in 2003, he is awesome!

You just don't get it. I'm done.

[DBAHO]

Agreed. And DBAH0, yes, I am basing it on what he has done when it counts. A combined 3-8 with a 6.745 ERA for a top prospect is overrated and underachieveing.

Take away his MLB starts. To say he only has 3 wins is not a good argument when you see how bad Charlotte has been this season. He has a 86/20 K/BB ratio. All he has to do is cut down on the long balls. If he starts the year in AA, he would have an ERA of around 2, and people wouldn't call him overrated, in fact people would be putting him on a pedestal. It's not fair for you to base on what he's done when it counts, when he's only 21, and only has 1/2 a season of experience above AA ball. It's like take Gio Gonzalez out of Winston - Salem right now, promoting him to Chicago, he gives up 6 ER in a start, gets demoted, and people are saying he's overrated.

[SoxFan1]

You just don't get it. I'm done.

OK, I don't get it. Bye bye....

[DBAHO]

If McCarthy hasn't been overrated this season, then I don't want to know who is considered overrated.

Overrated are players that make more than they should, and players that get pumped up in the media when they don't deserve to. A lot of White Sox fans would tell you that Paul Konerko is overrated.

[fathom]

Take away his MLB starts. To say he only has 3 wins is not a good argument when you see how bad Charlotte has been this season. He has a 86/20 K/BB ratio. All he has to do is cut down on the long balls. If he starts the year in AA, he would have an ERA of around 2, and people wouldn't call him overrated, in fact people would be putting him on a pedestal. It's not fair for you to base on what he's done when it counts, when he's only 21, and only has 1/2 a season of experience above AA ball. It's like take Gio Gonzalez out of Winston - Salem right now, promoting him to Chicago, he gives up 6 ER in a start, gets demoted, and people are saying he's overrated.

 

The biggest concern I have about McCarthy is that he's going to either have to pick up another 2 mph on his fastball, or he's going to have to change the type of fastball he throws. Right now, he's throwing a pretty average fastball straighter than Hugh Heffner. Hopefully, he'll gain some velocity as his body fills out. However, he's going to have to get some movement on his fastball. It's not like his future MLB home stadium is a pitcher's park.

[DBAHO]

IT'S TOO f***ING LATE NOW HUH? You can't change that s***. He IS in AAA, he WAS brought up, he DIDN'T produce, and that is it. He hasn't done s*** in my book. Spring Training, like YOU said, is just Spring Training. His 2004, 2003, and 2002 stats mean jack s*** right now. Wow, Sammy Sosa had 60 home runs in 2003, he is awesome!

If you were KW after spring training, where would you have sent Brandon McCarthy?

[SoxFan1]

Take away his MLB starts. To say he only has 3 wins is not a good argument when you see how bad Charlotte has been this season. He has a 86/20 K/BB ratio. All he has to do is cut down on the long balls. If he starts the year in AA, he would have an ERA of around 2, and people wouldn't call him overrated, in fact people would be putting him on a pedestal. It's not fair for you to base on what he's done when it counts, when he's only 21, and only has 1/2 a season of experience above AA ball. It's like take Gio Gonzalez out of Winston - Salem right now, promoting him to Chicago, he gives up 6 ER in a start, gets demoted, and people are saying he's overrated.

Comparing him to Gio is totally different. Gio is rated as one of our top pitching prospects. He is succeding in A ball. Gio hasn't pitched in AA, AAA, or Spring Training.

[DBAHO]

The biggest concern I have about McCarthy is that he's going to either have to pick up another 2 mph on his fastball, or he's going to have to change the type of fastball he throws.  Right now, he's throwing a pretty average fastball straighter than Hugh Heffner.  Hopefully, he'll gain some velocity as his body fills out.  However, he's going to have to get some movement on his fastball.  It's not like his future MLB home stadium is a pitcher's park.

He's still only 190 pounds, he's going to bulk up in the next few years and probably add a few more MPH like you said he needs. It's like Neal Cotts. In SoxFan's books, he wouldn't have done anything 2 months ago. Now he's probably our most dominating lefty out of the pen. And that's because the Sox had PATIENCE with him at the major league level, even though the majority of Sox fans were calling for him to have his ass demoted to Charlotte ASAP. It takes TIME.

[fathom]

Overrated are players that make more than they should, and players that get pumped up in the media when they don't deserve to. A lot of White Sox fans would tell you that Paul Konerko is overrated.

 

Half of your response is what I was trying to say about McCarthy. The media made him out to be the second coming this season. Comparisons to Mark Prior and Jack McDowell were made.......instead, he looked like Felix Diaz's long-lost brother. Again, please don't lump me in with those who are giving up on him. I just have no issue trading him for an impact player for the franchise.

 

This whole overrated concept is funny, cause I actually think Iguchi and AJP are drastically overrated right now, while the contributions of Dye and Everett were incredibly underrated in the first half of the season.