Thome to bat 3rd

[The Critic]

I loooooooooooooooooove the left-center HR by a lefty hitter!

My two favorite AJ homers were both L-C shots:

The walkoff vs. The Dahhhhjazz

and

The 1st inning bomb vs. The Red Cubs in the ALDS.

 

Nothing prettier than a bomb to left-center by a lefty hitter, I'd say.

[SSH2005]

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...t=.jsp&c_id=cws

Lined up for power:  When Jim Thome was healthy enough to hit 42 home runs and drive in 105 runs for the Phillies in 2004, 459 of his 508 at-bats came from the cleanup position. That particular spot in the order won't belong to Thome -- for the most part -- with the White Sox in 2006, but his approach certainly won't change.

 

According to manager Ozzie Guillen, Thome will hit third in the order in front of Paul Konerko. Guillen wants to take advantage of Thome's high on-base percentage in the three-hole, and he wants to alternate left-handed and right-handed hitters at the top of the order.

 

"Having him over there will give Paulie the chance to drive in more runs," Guillen said of Thome.

 

Thome had 272 at-bats hitting third for the Phillies in 2003, while he had 220 in the cleanup spot during that same season. His high level of production was almost even between the two locations, with 19 home runs hitting third and 22 hitting fourth. The powerful veteran certainly seemed unfazed by Guillen's planned switch.

 

"Like I said, I just want to stay healthy and be in a good lineup like this and do the best I can to help out," Thome said. "I don't care where I hit, as long as I'm in that lineup.

 

"I've hit anywhere from three, four or five, and early on, I hit sixth, seventh and eighth. At this stage and looking at our club, that's Ozzie's decision. I'll try to do the best I can and produce in whatever role."

[whitesoxfan101]

Holy cow!! Ozzie talking about OBP!! Great to see him making the 100 percent correct choice here.

[Felix]

i wouldnt they lost alot of players

 

all they really have is blalock tex and young, i wouldnt consider wilkerson an offensive type of player

You wouldn't consider Wilkerson an offensive type of player? Have you looked at his numbers besides the ones he put up last year?

2002: .266/.370/.469 20 HR

2003: .268/.380/.464 19 HR

2004: .255/.374/.498 32 HR

 

He never put up really high RBI totals, and I know his numbers look ugly because of the low average, but he's an incredibly productive player in terms of onbase percentage and provides some good slugging numbers. Now that he'll be playing in Texas, expect him to hit at least 30 homeruns, and post an OPS of at least .900, while hitting something like .270.

 

What I really don't understand is how you consider Blalock an offensive type of player, and Wilkerson not. Blalock's career OPS is .809, Wilkerson's is .817, and if you look closer, those numbers aren't all that telling of how good the player really is. Without looking closer though, Wilkerson is at least as good an offensive player as Blalock.

 

Then, take a look at Blalock's splits. Outside of TBIA, Blalock has hit .243/.300/.407 in the last three years, while at TBIA, he's hit .316/.382/.560. His numbers are home greatly affect his overall numbers and make it look as if he's really a good hitter, but from what I can tell, he just benefits greatly from hitting in a gigantic hitters park.

 

Wilkerson has also benefited from a hitters park in the last three years (although last year was in RFK, a pitchers heaven), hitting .262/.378/.476 at home and .251/.359/.438 on the road. Even though the difference is noticeable between these splits, they are more consistant than what Blalock puts up for 162 games a year (or however many he plays).

 

 

 

Also, how on earth can you consider Seattle a top offensive team? They are one of the worst in the American league..

Edited February 23, 2006 by Felix

[SSH2005]

Wilkerson is a good leadoff or #2 hitter for those who don't buy into bunting and speed at the top of the order. I would take him as a #2 hitter on my team any day. He has a better career OPS than Dye by the way.

Edited February 23, 2006 by SSH2005

[Soxfest]

Love it

[chitownsportsfan]

Ozzie was quoted in the Sun Times today saying that since Thome walks alot and has a good OBP, he should be in front of Kong and Dye.

 

Hey, has Ozzie been brushing up on his Bill James?

[SSH2005]

Ozzie was quoted in the Sun Times today saying that since Thome walks alot and has a good OBP, he should be in front of Kong and Dye.

 

Hey, has Ozzie been brushing up on his Bill James?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He actually used the term "high on-base percentage guy" when talking about Thome with reporters yesterday.

Edited February 23, 2006 by SSH2005

[chitownsportsfan]

He actually used the term "high on-base percentage guy" when talking about Thome with reporters yesterday. ohmy.gif

 

 

I can picture the offseason chats between Ozzie and KW:

 

"Oz, we were in the bottom half of the league in OBP last year, what do you think about bringing in a high OBP guy like Thome?"

 

"Kenny, I thought OBP was Uribespeak for well endowed Latino women"

Edited February 23, 2006 by chitownsportsfan

[SSH2005]

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/ds.../pro/231sd2.htm

TUCSON, Ariz. — Although White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had said on several occasions he wants Jim Thome to bat in the No. 3 spot in the order, Wednesday was the first Thome learned of that.

 

"I have not been told that, but whatever," Thome said. "Like I said, I just want to stay healthy and be in a good lineup like this and try and do the best I can to help out.

 

"I really don't care where I hit, as long as I'm in the lineup."

 

Guillen has his reasons for batting Thome behind Scott Podsednik and Juan Uribe and in front of Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye.

 

"If I had to make a lineup right now I would have Thome batting third," Guillen said. "The reason is, Thome, he strikes out a lot, but he walks a lot. Having him over there will give Paulie an opportunity to drive in more runs because (Thome) does have a good on-base percentage.

 

"And right now I want to have a lefty, righty, lefty, righty at the top of the lineup. Hopefully, we don't have to change the lineup in the course of the season. We will do that, but hopefully we don't have to do that."

 

Thome is no stranger to hitting third. Thome started 71 games in the No. 3 spot for Philadelphia in 2003, hitting 19 home runs with 53 RBI.

 

With Cleveland in 2002, Thome led the American League in walks with 122. One year later with the Phillies, he led the NL in strikeouts (182).

 

"I've hit anywhere from three, four, five," said Thome, who suffered through an injury-plagued 2005 campaign with the Phillies. "Early on I hit six, seven, eight. At this stage and where I'm at, that's Ozzie's decision."

 

The one point Thome stressed is no matter where he is in the order, that won't change his approach.

 

"When you're in the middle of the lineup your job is to drive in runs," Thome said.

[southsider2k5]

The guy just won a World Series, and everyone is shocked when he isn't a complete idiot. :headshake Wake up people.

[SSH2005]

The guy just won a World Series, and everyone is shocked when he isn't a complete idiot.  :headshake    Wake up people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just think it's interesting that Ozzie actually used the term. Some statheads dislike Ozzie because stolen bases are overrated, etc. but this shows that he isn't just an "old school" baseball mind.

[YASNY]

Ozzie's dumb like a fox.