Gload in left?

[chaerulez]

Didn't Gload have some sort of shoulder operation and pretty much limited his arm strength?

[witesoxfan]

So would that involve planting one on Ozzie?

 

You f'in betcha

[Kalapse]

DBAH0, come on man...Pods is horrible out there too. The upgrade Gload would provide offensively would be worth any loss on defense.

This isn't about the rest of '06, it's about a fulltime replacement next year. There's no way I want to go into 2007 with another s***ty fielder with no arm in LF. I WANT SOME DEFENSE DAMNIT!

[witesoxfan]

This isn't about the rest of '06, it's about a fulltime replacement next year. There's no way I want to go into 2007 with another s***ty fielder with no arm in LF. I WANT SOME DEFENSE DAMNIT!

 

See, I was just thinking this year

 

Next year, that is a completely different story all together.

[shipps]

Gload would be a great pick-up by a small market team.There is a handful of teams that he could start on and probably produce very good numbers.hes a poormans Sean Casey.

[3E8]

hes a poormans Sean Casey.

Maybe he should get a skater cut to market himself as such.

[DBAHO]

DBAH0, come on man...Pods is horrible out there too. The upgrade Gload would provide offensively would be worth any loss on defense.

I know man, but the issue is this.

 

If you play Gload over Pods in LF against RHP, who's going to lead off? You'd have to play Sweeney over Anderson in CF, and let Sweeney leadoff, when he's probably not ready to do so, as most people would know.

 

Gload's never going to leadoff or Mack, even though they have good numbers, because they don't have speed, and that's what Ozzie wants for the top of the lineup.

[YASNY]

I know man, but the issue is this.

 

If you play Gload over Pods in LF against RHP, who's going to lead off? You'd have to play Sweeney over Anderson in CF, and let Sweeney leadoff, when he's probably not ready to do so, as most people would know.

 

Gload's never going to leadoff or Mack, even though they have good numbers, because they don't have speed, and that's what Ozzie wants for the top of the lineup.

 

Speed doesn't mean much when it's in the dugout 70% of the time.

[NorthSideSox72]

Gload's never going to leadoff or Mack, even though they have good numbers, because they don't have speed, and that's what Ozzie wants for the top of the lineup.

I'm sorry but this is just 100% incorrect. Mack is just a step slower than Pods to 1B, and Gload has better speed than two thirds of the team.

 

Mind you, I do not think Gload is a leadoff hitter. But to say they don't have speed is just false.

[Gregory Pratt]

I'm sorry but this is just 100% incorrect. Mack is just a step slower than Pods to 1B, and Gload has better speed than two thirds of the team.

 

Mind you, I do not think Gload is a leadoff hitter. But to say they don't have speed is just false.

 

Ross gets no respect. No respect at all!

[Harry Chappas]

scott podsednik gets thrown on balls he should be beating out. He gets no infield or bunt hits. He also is not stealing bases very well. He does not run down balls in the outfield at all. He looks at more called third strikes than an 8 year old.

 

What he used to do was get a good jump and steal a base. I have never liked him except for one at-bat but could handle him when they won.

 

are Gload or Makowiak the answer at lead-off....for the remainder of this season, yes. They both appear to play harder and want it much more then mr. dergan. Getting thrown out on the steal attempt was the last straw.

[Balta1701]

I know man, but the issue is this.

 

If you play Gload over Pods in LF against RHP, who's going to lead off? You'd have to play Sweeney over Anderson in CF, and let Sweeney leadoff, when he's probably not ready to do so, as most people would know.

 

Gload's never going to leadoff or Mack, even though they have good numbers, because they don't have speed, and that's what Ozzie wants for the top of the lineup.

Let's put it this way:

 

If Ross Gload could come out and hit around .300 in regular playing time with at least non-trivial amounts of power, which is exactly what we've seen from him off the bench and in 2004 and in the minors last year...

 

Scott Podsednik putting up a .255 average, stealing bases at a 70% clip, playing a poor defensive LF, and only getting on base about 32% of the time is a significant downgrade from Gload putting up a .300+ average, stealing fewer bases, having a higher OBP, still being weak in LF defensively, but maybe finding a little bit more power.

 

Having fewer stolen bases at the top of our order would not cause our lineup or the universe to implode. If we had Kevin Youkilis leading off in front of Dye, Thome, Konerko, our lineup would be absolutely killer, and we'd have even fewer SB's. There is something to be said for getting on base and getting hits.

[Kalapse]

I'm sorry but this is just 100% incorrect. Mack is just a step slower than Pods to 1B, and Gload has better speed than two thirds of the team.

 

Mind you, I do not think Gload is a leadoff hitter. But to say they don't have speed is just false.

It doesn't matter if you think both have speed or if we all see the obvious lack of speed from Podsednik, all that matters is what Ozzie Guillen sees and he's made his feelings pretty clear this year as to the leadoff hitter. He thinks Podsednik and Ozuna are the only players on this team that can leadoff for whatever reason and it's highly likely that these are the only 2 who are going to see any time in the 1 spot.

[Balta1701]

It doesn't matter if you think both have speed or if we all see the obvious lack of speed from Podsednik, all that matters is what Ozzie Guillen sees and he's made his feelings pretty clear this year as to the leadoff hitter. He thinks Podsednik and Ozuna are the only players on this team that can leadoff for whatever reason and it's highly likely that these are the only 2 who are going to see any time in the 1 spot.

Which of course, is why we all sit here and b*tch on a message board. (Not a personal attack on you, just pointing out that 3/4 of the fun of being on a message board is complaining about the decisions made by a manager)

Edited September 15, 2006 by Balta1701

[elrockinMT]

I don't see Gload as the answer in LF. He is a good role player, but we are going to be looking at a right hand hitter with speed. Plus you want defense to back up the pitchers.

Edited September 15, 2006 by elrockinMT

[qwerty]

I don't see Gload as the answer in LF. He is a good role player, but we are going to be looking at a right hand hitter with speed. Plus you want defense to back up the pitchers.

 

Why exactly will the sox be looking for a right handed hitter with speed? I am guessing because podsednik is left handed and sucks which in turn means all left handed lead-off hitters will with us too.

Edited September 15, 2006 by qwerty

[NorthSideSox72]

Why exactly will the sox be looking for a right handed hitter with speed? I am guessing because podsednik is left handed and sucks which in turn means all left handed lead-off hitters will with us too.

Hey Qwerty - what are your thoughts on Gload? Just curious.

[qwerty]

Hey Qwerty - what are your thoughts on Gload? Just curious.

 

I have been one of gload's main backers. He showed what he is capable of in 2004. In 2005 they favored timo perez over him. The same timo perez who made the team because of his ''clutchness'' factor. Timo perez would be the worst starter in all of baseball... hands done. For such a great pinch hitter he hit .167 with a .450 ops in his 24 at-bats. Supposedly he was playing the year hurt... well if he can why couldn't ross gload? He was still playing every day in charlotte and putting up numbers that trumped timo's and anyone on the bench for that matter.

 

Everyone wants to know why gload has not has an oppurtunity as a starter. Simple answer to that is he has been stuck behind grace, helton, thomas, konerko, and thome. Very rarely will a player in his situation (28 when he first got over 200 at-bats) ever get the chance. Teams just cannot get into a season relying on someone to be their starting first basemen/left fielder when he is the age he is...and never produced for a full season. I do not see any reason for him to not be out in left for at least three games a week. The sox should have been working him hard out there in left... all throughout spring training. Then they should have followed it up with extra fielding before each game in the regular season. He needs work, no one is denying it. Gload's arm is stronger than podsednik's while he no longer has the arm strength he once had. I just believe he needs a chance before people can say he is a butcher/sucks... out in left. There have been worse athletes/players than ross gload roaming the outfield.

 

In a full season i am gonna say he would hit in the .270-.290 range with good gap power. I could see him hovering around the .800 ops range.

Edited September 15, 2006 by qwerty

[witesoxfan]

I have been one of gload's main backers. He showed what he is capable of in 2004. In 2005 they favored timo perez over him. The same timo perez who made the team because of his ''clutchness'' factor. Timo perez would be the worst starter in all of baseball... hands done. For such a great pinch hitter he hit .167 with a .450 ops in his 24 at-bats. Supposedly he was playing the year hurt... well if he can why couldn't ross gload? He was still playing every day in charlotte and putting up numbers that trumped timo's and anyone on the bench for that matter.

 

Everyone wants to know why gload has not has an oppurtunity as a starter. Simple answer to that is he has been stuck behind grace, helton, thomas, konerko, and thome. Very rarely will a player in his situation (28 when he first got over 200 at-bats) ever get the chance. Teams just cannot get into a season relying on someone to be their starting first basemen/left fielder when he is the age he is...and never produced for a full season. I do not see any reason for him to not be out in left for at least three games a week. The sox should have been working him hard out there in left... all throughout spring training. Then they should have followed it up with extra fielding before each game in the regular season. He needs work, no one is denying it. Gload's arm is stronger than podsednik's while he no longer has the arm strength he once had. I just believe he needs a chance before people can say he is a butcher/sucks... out in left. There have been worse athletes/players than ross gload roaming the outfield.

 

In a full season i am gonna say he would hit in the .270-.290 range with good gap power. I could see him hovering around the .800 ops range.

 

I know enough about you to know you wouldn't answer what I wanted answered. You know me well enough that I'm gonna ask it anyways

 

How many steals would Ross be capable of, and at what percentage, if he were starting everyday?

[Balta1701]

I know enough about you to know you wouldn't answer what I wanted answered. You know me well enough that I'm gonna ask it anyways

 

How many steals would Ross be capable of, and at what percentage, if he were starting everyday?

He is 4/7 career in stolen bases. 4/4 this year and 0/3 in 2004. In other words, probably not many, IMO. He could probably get a high percentage because he'd only be running if a pitcher was ignoring him.

 

The only 2 guys on the White Sox who you put at the leadoff spot for steals are Podsednik and Pablo. The problem of course is Podsednik has been a disaster on the basepaths this season...lots of steals, but lots of CS as well. You put Ross Gload in the leadoff spot to get the extra 30-40 points of average and 100 or so points of OPS over Podsednik, sacrificing the spead for it.

[witesoxfan]

He is 4/7 career in stolen bases. 4/4 this year and 0/3 in 2004. In other words, probably not many, IMO. He could probably get a high percentage because he'd only be running if a pitcher was ignoring him.

 

The only 2 guys on the White Sox who you put at the leadoff spot for steals are Podsednik and Pablo. The problem of course is Podsednik has been a disaster on the basepaths this season...lots of steals, but lots of CS as well. You put Ross Gload in the leadoff spot to get the extra 30-40 points of average and 100 or so points of OPS over Podsednik, sacrificing the spead for it.

 

I kind of knew that...I was mainly just wondering what qwerty, or the rest of the board in general too, thought.

 

Gload should so be leading off for this team right now. It'd be kind of like Jeremy Giambi leading off for the A's a couple years back, but dammit would he improve this lineup so much.

[NorthSideSox72]

I kind of knew that...I was mainly just wondering what qwerty, or the rest of the board in general too, thought.

 

Gload should so be leading off for this team right now. It'd be kind of like Jeremy Giambi leading off for the A's a couple years back, but dammit would he improve this lineup so much.

I'd love to see Gload platooning in left with Pablo. But I still don't know if he is a leadoff hitter. Better than Pods right now, though. I do however think that Ross would be a really good 2-hole hitter: high average, puts the ball in play, can put the ball on the right side well, a little speed, and knows how to bunt.

 

I'll take a stab. I'd bet Gload would have similar steal numbers to Gooch if he played full time. High percentage, low attempts... maybe 7 to 10 steals at 70 to 80% on a full year. If he put an emphasis on it, learned to read pitchers, maybe a little more. I said 15 SB before, but I think 10 is more realistic.

Edited September 16, 2006 by NorthSideSox72

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Thought this post needs to get bumped up again.

 

Gload is not in the line up every day because he shows up the other players by getting to many hits. The nerve of Ross Gload!!! I, for one, think Ozzie is justified in benching Gload.

[fathom]

I don't understand why we didn't give Gload a chance to win the LF spot about 2 months ago. The Twins season turned around when they stopped settling for mediocrity, and they removed Lohse from their rotation and released Batista.

[witesoxfan]

I'd love to see Gload platooning in left with Pablo. But I still don't know if he is a leadoff hitter. Better than Pods right now, though. I do however think that Ross would be a really good 2-hole hitter: high average, puts the ball in play, can put the ball on the right side well, a little speed, and knows how to bunt.

 

I'll take a stab. I'd bet Gload would have similar steal numbers to Gooch if he played full time. High percentage, low attempts... maybe 7 to 10 steals at 70 to 80% on a full year. If he put an emphasis on it, learned to read pitchers, maybe a little more. I said 15 SB before, but I think 10 is more realistic.

 

That seems like a reasonable number to me. It would be a hell of a lot better than Podsednik looking at strike 3 all goddamn day.

 

And fathom...duh, that would mean Ozzie's in panic mode. He doesn't want his players to think he is panicking.

 

Of course, the flip side of that argument is that the players are sucking and a change or two need to be made. Anyone think Nick Punto was the Twins starting 3Bman going into the year? Of course, now he is, he's playing a ridiculously good 3B while also producing very well.