Ozzie's thoughts on Brian Anderson

[Kalapse]

I would love to seem him be a Grady Sizemore like hitter. I know he doesn't have Sizemore's speed, but I think his plate discipline could be very comparable.

Grady Sizemore is currently the best leadoff hitter in baseball, bar none and well on his way to having an amazing career. That's far too much to be asking of Sweeney.

[JDsDirtySox]

Grady Sizemore is currently the best leadoff hitter in baseball, bar none and well on his way to an amazing career. That's far too much to be asking of Anderson.

 

 

I wasn't talking about Anderson... my conversation with Fathom was about what type of hitter we see Ryan Sweeney as in the future.

[Kalapse]

I wasn't talking about Anderson... my conversation with Fathom was about what type of hitter we see Ryan Sweeney as in the future.

The wrong name came out when I was typing, I know who you were talking about.

[JDsDirtySox]

Eh, not happening. Grady Sizemore is just a special player.

 

 

I completely agree. But like I am saying... we were simply talking about what type of hitter we think Sweeney could become. I acknowledged that he doesn't have Grady's speed, and the defense isn't comparable either... I am simply talking about the approach at the plate. A high average Gap hitter with above average power.

[tealeafreaderii]

Yep, he has no problems bashing Anderson and McCarthy. Meanwhile, veterans like Garcia and Podsednik get every excuse in the book from Ozzie for their struggles.

 

This may have been addressed, but I don't feel like reading through 23 pages of venomous BS.

 

A huge part of leadership is understanding what it takes light a fire under someone’s ass. Some people react well to getting dressed down and chewed out. It pisses them off and that anger translates into intensity and hard work. Others need be coddled and positively reinforced or they get down on themselves and they start playing worse. Part of being a good leader is understanding which way to go.

 

Guys like Pods and Garcia aren't going to react well to being publicly "called out." For Christ's sake, Pods is still taking his at bats out to the field with him and Garcia already thinks management and the fans are trying to run them out of town. These guys are weak minded... its bad enough they have to hear what we fans are saying... You honestly believe Ozzie publicly calling them out would accomplish anything? Ozzie is doing the right thing: stay positive, if anything, get on them in private.

 

Anderson (and Garland) are made of stronger stuff. They react well to being dressed down. Jon didn't bat an eye when Ozzie blew up at him... When Ozzie started talking about sending BA down, BA stepped up, he started making much better contact and his offense improved tremendously while his defense remained stellar.

 

Ozzie isn't the best in game manager, but he makes up for it ten fold by getting the most out of his guys. Ozzie isn't going to settle for BA becoming a Loretta clone... He knows BA can be a dynamic player and I believe BA is going to meet those expectations.

[SoxAce]

Grady Sizemore is currently the best leadoff hitter in baseball, bar none

 

 

 

My bad kalapse, I'm a huge Jose Reyes fan.

[Kalapse]

 

My bad kalapse, I'm a huge Jose Reyes fan.

Once Reyes puts up a .910 OPS out of the leadoff spot come and talk to me. Sizemore is just an amazing talent, a .378 OBP, above average speed, nice pop (25+ HR), .300 hitter with stellar defense in CF? Yeesh.

[greg775]

After reading your post, fathom, I see the two different camps of people.

Those managerial decisions you commented on ... I don't remember any of them

nor do I care.

I don't put a lot of stock in what happens when he brings in pitcher a.) who fails

against batter b.

I believe most managers manage by the book and use the personnel provided them.

As such I blame the personnel more than the manager when it fails unless it is just

simply a horrific manager like Bevington. In that case I'd blame the manager more.

 

My camp is I see the intangibles in a manager. I like Oz's youth, enthusiasm and

ability to keep the entire team involved.

I feel without talent he fails like anybody else and I think our talent has failed him

a lot this year.

[SoxAce]

Once Reyes puts up a .910 OPS out of the leadoff spot come and talk to me. Sizemore is just an amazing talent, a .378 OBP, above average speed, nice pop (25+ HR), .300 hitter with stellar defense in CF? Yeesh.

 

Never said I disagreed with you. I'm just saying I'm a huge Jose Reyes fan.

[StrangeSox]

 

 

That explains all of the frustrations in arguing over this.

 

Don't forget your blinders!

[witesoxfan]

Grady Sizemore is currently the best leadoff hitter in baseball, bar none and well on his way to having an amazing career. That's far too much to be asking of Sweeney.

 

He'd be a better 3 hole hitter.

[3E8]

This power v. speed dilemma bugs the hell out of me. When Anderson goes to winter ball neither of these tools should be a focus of his. He flat out just needs to work on being a better hitter. He's made solid improvements as the season has progressed, but he has issues with adjusting to offspeed pitches as well as his overall plate discipline. These are the main and most beneficial skills Brian could work on. He already is fairly decent in recognizing the fastball.

 

Having him trying to become a better basestealer is just not worth the time/effort in my opinion and to have him focus on power-hitting could set him back offensively.

Edited September 7, 2006 by 3E8

[GoodAsGould]

Once Reyes puts up a .910 OPS out of the leadoff spot come and talk to me. Sizemore is just an amazing talent, a .378 OBP, above average speed, nice pop (25+ HR), .300 hitter with stellar defense in CF? Yeesh.

 

Yeah but those numbers are more typical of a guy you would want in the 3 hole not leading off. Reyes is more of an ideal leadoff hitter.

[Kalapse]

Yeah but those numbers are more typical of a guy you would want in the 3 hole not leading off. Reyes is more of an ideal leadoff hitter.

If you stick Bobby Abreu in the leadoff spot right now like the Phillies wanted to do he'd basically become the best leadoff hitter in the league, until Sizemore is moved out of the 1 spot he will remain the best at what he does which is leadoff. What he's doing right now is perfect for a leadoff man even if his talents could be better utilized in the 3 hole.

[drowninginflame]

I

[jackie hayes]

This power v. speed dilemma bugs the hell out of me. When Anderson goes to winter ball neither of these tools should be a focus of his. He flat out just needs to work on being a better hitter. He's made solid improvements as the season has progressed, but he has issues with adjusting to offspeed pitches as well as his overall plate discipline. These are the main and most beneficial skills Brian could work on. He already is fairly decent in recognizing the fastball.

 

Having him trying to become a better basestealer is just not worth the time/effort in my opinion and to have him focus on power-hitting could set him back offensively.

^^^^^^^^^^!!!!!!!!!

 

On the other hand, you gotta say, these kids these days think they're entitled to everything. Why didn't BA just agree to play winter ball weeks ago? Then this whole controversy could have been avoided.

[greg775]

So you all go by specific decisions of Oz in deciding you hate him

like who he had Marte go against???

His decisions would be the same as most all managers in baseball.

 

It's the intangibles, the leadership.

Can't you see that?

You who give Oz no credit fail to realize it his leadership that led us

to the title.

My god, we won one title in 60 years.

He brought us the title and you refuse to admit he was A BIG REASON!!!

Go ahead and blast me because I don't care if he put Marte in the game

and it backfired.

He uses the roster given him.

He is I repeat the best manager in White Sox history.

How do you live with yourselves turning on him so quickly.

To say he deserves no credit for our title and our being 1/2 game out

of the wild card this year IMO is stupid.

Edited September 7, 2006 by greg775

[chisoxdavid]

Whats with all this Ozzie hating? He could spit on my face and I would care, because he got us the title last year..........ok maybe not all that, but whats up with that?

[Rowand44]

So you all go by specific decisions of Oz in deciding you hate him

like who he had Marte go against???

His decisions would be the same as most all managers in baseball.

No, this isn't true at all. To keep it simple, he doesn't even come close to using the personnel given to him in the best possible situations. Marte was absolutely horrid down the stretch last year, everyone on this board could have told you what he was going to do that night and Boston and Ozzie almost blew the darn game by putting him in there.

[vandy125]

No, this isn't true at all. To keep it simple, he doesn't even come close to using the personnel given to him in the best possible situations. Marte was absolutely horrid down the stretch last year, everyone on this board could have told you what he was going to do that night and Boston and Ozzie almost blew the darn game by putting him in there.

 

And we still won the title. I'm not saying he's doing things perfect like some seem to think he needs to do, but I think he has a better handle of what is happening in that clubhouse than any of our armchair managers ever will.

 

He seems to be held up against an impossible standard. If we went 162-0 some people would still complain that he overused the starting pitchers or that he almost blew a game by making a stupid mistake in putting someone in (how dare he). We seem to have a lot of psychics here who know what will happen when certain pitchers or hitters get put in. Inevitably someone predicts doom and gloom on every move. When it does not happen, they do not say they were wrong, or they admit it quickly and move on. When it does happen, they point to it and say "See, we all predicted that would happen. Why would he do such a dumb move?" They then go on and keep pointing to it weeks, even a year later as an example where their doom and gloom actually came true (imagine that ever happening). The same thing does not happen with their other predictions where they "admitted" they were wrong.

[Heads22]

^^^^^^^^^^!!!!!!!!!

 

On the other hand, you gotta say, these kids these days think they're entitled to everything. Why didn't BA just agree to play winter ball weeks ago? Then this whole controversy could have been avoided.

 

 

I thought I recalled him agreeing to go to winter ball a few weeks ago.....

 

Ah yes, Brian had agreed by August 15th.

 

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune...prospect+status

 

It's not free, but if you do a Google news seaerch on "Brian Anderson" and "winter ball", you see near the bottom of the page that "Anderson said Tuesday he has consented to playing winter ball, which will ... " on August 15th.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(vandy125 @ Sep 7, 2006 -> 07:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And we still won the title. I'm not saying he's doing things perfect like some seem to think he needs to do, but I think he has a better handle of what is happening in that clubhouse than any of our armchair managers ever will.

 

He seems to be held up against an impossible standard. If we went 162-0 some people would still complain that he overused the starting pitchers or that he almost blew a game by making a stupid mistake in putting someone in (how dare he). We seem to have a lot of psychics here who know what will happen when certain pitchers or hitters get put in. Inevitably someone predicts doom and gloom on every move. When it does not happen, they do not say they were wrong, or they admit it quickly and move on. When it does happen, they point to it and say "See, we all predicted that would happen. Why would he do such a dumb move?" They then go on and keep pointing to it weeks, even a year later as an example where their doom and gloom actually came true (imagine that ever happening). The same thing does not happen with their other predictions where they "admitted" they were wrong.

 

Nah, if we went 162 and 0 and won the world series people wouldn't be complaining about the moves he made. They would be complaining about how he spoke harshly to Brandon McCarthy or Brian Anderson because these kids need to be treated more gently. WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!! BOO HOO!!! Don't yell at me! Don't talk about me in the papers or to reporters! I'm being thrown under the bus because I can't hit so good, WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!! Give me a freaking break.

 

And the thing is, I have not heard Brandon McCarthy, Jon Garland, or Brian Anderson saying anything bad about it at all. I don't see or hear them crying about it. The only people making it a big deal are the fans. Kind of strange if you ask me.

 

 

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Sep 7, 2006 -> 07:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought I recalled him agreeing to go to winter ball a few weeks ago.....

 

Ah yes, Brian had agreed by August 15th.

 

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune...prospect+status

 

It's not free, but if you do a Google news seaerch on "Brian Anderson" and "winter ball", you see near the bottom of the page that "Anderson said Tuesday he has consented to playing winter ball, which will ... " on August 15th.

 

He did, so my guess is that a reporter asked him what he thought about Brian Anderson not being so keen on the idea of winter ball or something to that effect. Then Ozzie gave his response. But wait, Ozzie probably shouldn't have said anything right? He should have just kept his mouth shut and kept everything in house right? Yeah, ok. Like all the great coaches do. Like Bill Parcells has done this year and in the past, right? Whatever.

Edited September 7, 2006 by southsideirish

[spawn]

Jeez...and here I thought pitching and defense win championships. Anderson is hiting like Crede when he first made it to the bigs. He's a freakin' rookie! His defense has been stellar, and offensively he's better than he was the first half of the season. Shouldn't he be expecting the same from Pods? Or maybe he's gonna ask Pods to play winter ball as well. Ozzie can be a real idiot sometimes.

Edited September 7, 2006 by spawn

[WCSox]

No, this isn't true at all. To keep it simple, he doesn't even come close to using the personnel given to him in the best possible situations. Marte was absolutely horrid down the stretch last year, everyone on this board could have told you what he was going to do that night and Boston and Ozzie almost blew the darn game by putting him in there.

 

LOL at all of the Internet geeks who think that they know how to manage a team better than Ozzie.