Just what BA wanted to hear...

[CanOfCorn]

Anyone think this is a good thing? I mean, we have 7 viable candidates for the OF. Any one of them could make or not make the final roster. Dye is a given. But, Pods, Erstand, BA, Terrero, Mack and Perez in a pinch. This is a good thing. And I'm not even including Sweeney and Owens.

 

THIS is a good position to be in. Better to have too much talent, and yes, there is talent, than scraping by with whoever can hit the damn ball twice every ten times.

[Balta1701]

Anyone think this is a good thing? I mean, we have 7 viable candidates for the OF. Any one of them could make or not make the final roster. Dye is a given. But, Pods, Erstand, BA, Terrero, Mack and Perez in a pinch. This is a good thing. And I'm not even including Sweeney and Owens.

 

THIS is a good position to be in. Better to have too much talent, and yes, there is talent, than scraping by with whoever can hit the damn ball twice every ten times.

If I thought that we'd actually wind up taking the best guys for the OF, then I'd agree with you. I'm really starting to think the best options might be Posdednik, Terrero, Anderson, and Dye for those 4 roster spots, with Erstad just left out in the cold, and there seems to be zero chance of that actually happening, despite the fact that I think we have a much bigger need for a backup right handed hitting OF who can come in for Podsednik than we do a left-handed hitting OF who can play CF (not to mention the fact that I think Terrero will be better defensively than Erstad).

 

But we must have our pepper mill grinder, so what else is there?

[CanOfCorn]

If I thought that we'd actually wind up taking the best guys for the OF, then I'd agree with you. I'm really starting to think the best options might be Posdednik, Terrero, Anderson, and Dye for those 4 roster spots, with Erstad just left out in the cold, and there seems to be zero chance of that actually happening, despite the fact that I think we have a much bigger need for a backup right handed hitting OF who can come in for Podsednik than we do a left-handed hitting OF who can play CF (not to mention the fact that I think Terrero will be better defensively than Erstad).

 

But we must have our pepper mill grinder, so what else is there?

 

Erstad is coming for two reasons...OF and 1B. If anyone is left out, it's going to be Perez, IMO.

 

Remember, Ozzie loves players that can play multiple positions. And Erstad is better than Perez defensively.

[Balta1701]

Erstad is coming for two reasons...OF and 1B. If anyone is left out, it's going to be Perez, IMO.

 

Remember, Ozzie loves players that can play multiple positions. And Erstad is better than Perez defensively.

Exactly my point. Erstad is coming for OF play - Mackowiak can probably cover backup duties at 1b for the 10 or so games per year where we actually need a backup 1b, and is almost certainly better with the bat than Erstad. If we're just picking who would be the best backup OF given our needs and supplies, right now, I'd go with Terrero. But there seems to be no chance of that happening, because we need our "Grinder" and backup 1b and so on.

Edited March 16, 2007 by Balta1701

[Y2HH]

Or it's possible, that because Erstad isn't actually doing all that bad this spring -- that THIS could be the reason?!

 

Clowns. Open your biased eyes already.

 

Anderson is doing well thus far in spring -- now if he can carry it into the regular season, I'll be very happy. And this is coming from an avid Anderson basher, I hope he prooves me wrong.

 

Same goes for Erstad.

[supernuke]

100% agree.

 

I think Ozzie actually want this guy to succed and not handing him the starting job is probably the best thing for him. If BA actually is a lazy primadonna he needs a kick in the ass to realize that he needs to work to get the starting job and I think that is what Ozzie is doing.

 

 

So, the guy goes to winterball despite not wanting to because the team asks him to, loses 20 pounds when he contracts a digestive illness, spends the rest of the winter working with Konerko to fix the holes in his swing and regain all the weight he lost, and we're still calling him a "Lazy primadonna"?

 

Whether he is or isn't I don't know, I've never met him. Just offering up another theory based on some of the rumors and inuendo that are out there.

Edited March 16, 2007 by supernuke

[shoota]

If he's lazy, it's absolutly unacceptable. I'm not sure what kind of team you'd like to see us build -- but a CF who has NEVER prooven himself in the majors has ZERO room to be lazy, EVER.

 

There is no excuse or arguement you can counter that on, either...so please, do not bother.

 

If you'd like to build a team of lazy stars...move north.

 

Herb Brooks, the coach of the amazing 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team said it best, "I'm not looking for the best players, I'm lookin' for the right ones." If Brian Anderson is going to be lazy, and not take his job seriously -- no matter how good he CAN be or IS defensivly -- he doesn't belong on this team.

 

You're basing your evaluation of Anderson on an assumption--that he is lazy--and I'm basing my evaluation on fact: that Anderson is the team's best center fielder.

[ptatc]

It's acceptable for person X to error because persons Y and Z errored also?

 

It's not an error because what the coach says goes. You from the outside looking in may disagree with him but a coach is in charge of the team, period. Players and fans do not run the team. If you don't do what the caoch expects you deserve to be in the doghouse.

[witesoxfan]

By all accounts, it seems as though Anderson hasn't been lazy at all this year. How can anybody still use that argument?

[Balta1701]

By all accounts, it seems as though Anderson hasn't been lazy at all this year. How can anybody still use that argument?

Because we need some excuse to put our best CF in AAA this year, and that's the only one left.

[The Ginger Kid]

good news for Sox fans, bad news for members of the Brian Anderson's a God fan club:

 

Depth might not be a concern to the Sox after Scott Podsednik looked sharp in his first Cactus League appearance in left since his Jan. 23 surgery to repair a sports hernia. Podsednik made a sliding catch in the third and slapped a single past Ryan Theriot at third in the first.

 

"The way he is right now, he's going to be on the 25-man roster," Guillen said. "I don't think he's going to be on the DL. If everything stays the same, he should be on the team."

 

As for Erstad...

 

Guillen still needs to figure out how his final roster is going to break down, but he already has plans for Erstad and his grinder-style of play to be out on the field as much as possible.

 

"I don't know how we are going to play him, but he will play," said Guillen of Erstad, prior to Friday's contest against the Cubs in which Erstad finished 0-for-4, dropping his spring average to .317. "We are going to find a place to play him.

 

"Erstad will get his at-bats, and I will try to play him as an everyday player," Guillen added.

Edited March 17, 2007 by The Ginger Kid

[Kalapse]

He was also caught stealing and looked insanely slow but yeah outside of that he was outstanding today. The members of the Scott Podsednik is god fan club might want to overlook these minute details.

 

I love how Ozzie attempts to be vague while at the same time he totally shows his hand. Just a week ago Ozzie says Scott Podsednik is his starting LF on Opening Day as long as he is healthy and today he says he'll be using Darin Erstad as an everyday player. So Erstad plays 5 positions tops, DH, 1B, LF, CF and RF. RF is Dye's, 1B is Kong's, DH is Thome's and LF is Pods' while CF is completely up for grabs. Hmm I wonder what the hell position Erstad will be starting at come opening day.

 

Ozzie seriously needs to learn the nuances of subtlety.

[jackie hayes]

good news for Sox fans, bad news for members of the Brian Anderson's a God fan club:

Don't be so modest! It's not just bad news for them, it's bad news for all those in the I-want-the-White-Sox-to-win-more fan club. For myself, I am a Sox fan. I want to see bad bunts, caught stealings, feeble pop-ups, and s***ty defense. I'm not even gonna worry if I offend anyone!, I'll say it! -- I want to see the game played the right way.

 

Change your name to The Grinder Kid, for you have earned that name, sir!

[Jordan4life_2007]

He was also caught stealing and looked insanely slow but yeah outside of that he was outstanding today. The members of the Scott Podsednik is god fan club might want to overlook these minute details.

 

I love how Ozzie attempts to be vague while at the same time he totally shows his hand. Just a week ago Ozzie says Scott Podsednik is his starting LF on Opening Day as long as he is healthy and today he says he'll be using Darin Erstad as an everyday player. So Erstad plays 5 positions tops, DH, 1B, LF, CF and RF. RF is Dye's, 1B is Kong's, DH is Thome's and LF is Pods' while CF is completely up for grabs. Hmm I wonder what the hell position Erstad will be starting at come opening day.

 

Ozzie seriously needs to learn the nuances of subtlety.

 

Pods has a fan club? Me and? lol

[Kalapse]

Pods has a fan club? Me and? lol

If Brian Anderson can have some ridiculous hyperbolic fan club then why can't Podsednik?

[beck72]

If Pods comes north with the sox opening day, Anderson will start the yr in AAA. That way, Anderson can continue working on his new hitting approach, the sox can give him a little smackdown/ reality check, and still be only a phone call away in case Erstad or Pods get hurt again [which the odds say one of the two will be at some point in the season]. BA should help the sox before this yr's out, even if he starts in AAA.

 

How BA accepts a demotion will be very telling to his future with the Sox. Will he work harder and keep quiet about his situation? Or will he whine and pout? If he pouts and complains in AAA he won't be around the sox after this year.

 

Of course, BA in AAA will mean Luis Terrero makes the club, to hit vs LHP and as a late inning replacement for Erstad in CF.

[Y2HH]

Pods has a fan club? Me and? lol

 

Me.

[alk3kevin]

I like BA, but I by no means think he's the greatest player ever. it's just it is absolutely ridiculous to have a player like Darin Erstad playing everyday. he has been so bad the last six years and now he is getting in the lineup because he's a grinder.

 

one more ridiculous comment from ozzie/kw about grinders and my baseball allegiance may be up for grabs until they're both gone.

[Y2HH]

I like BA, but I by no means think he's the greatest player ever. it's just it is absolutely ridiculous to have a player like Darin Erstad playing everyday. he has been so bad the last six years and now he is getting in the lineup because he's a grinder.

 

one more ridiculous comment from ozzie/kw about grinders and my baseball allegiance may be up for grabs until they're both gone.

 

I hear there is a great team to the north you can cheer for.

 

Even if you are named after the "little hurt".

Edited March 17, 2007 by Y2HH

[Capn12]

I still don't understand how some of the masses can blindly follow and truly think that Pods/Erstad/Dye in the outfield gives this team its best chance to win. Maybe after they see that AWESOME positioning Pods uses...aka play on the track for every hitter, his limp noodle throwing prowess, and running in mud speed he possesses now, perhaps the truth will ring in?

 

No, probably not...'tis more fun to blindly follow and believe in the ability of a guy who had one good season ever in LF, and a guy who hasn't played CF in years for CF..

 

WTG Oz! Shoulda just reassigned BA the first day of ST, we all knew it was going to happen anyways. No reason to put the best defensive players on the field or anything. Oh, thats right, as you said yesterday, with Uribe and Erstad up the middle, we're "alot better defensively". Yeah, ok.

[shoota]

I like BA, but I by no means think he's the greatest player ever. it's just it is absolutely ridiculous to have a player like Darin Erstad playing everyday. he has been so bad the last six years and now he is getting in the lineup because he's a grinder.

 

one more ridiculous comment from ozzie/kw about grinders and my baseball allegiance may be up for grabs until they're both gone.

 

Why do you believe grinder-type play has no value? I agree with you that the superior baseball player--Brian Anderson--should be starting over the inferior--Darrin Erstad--but Erstad does have value as a bench player.

[Balta1701]

Why do you believe grinder-type play has no value? I agree with you that the superior baseball player--Brian Anderson--should be starting over the inferior--Darrin Erstad--but Erstad does have value as a bench player.

I don't think anyone here is going to say that having a guy like an Erstad, the "Grinder" who does go all out on every play and inspires other people to work harder, is a bad thing.

 

I think what a lot of people here are getting sick of though is having the fact that a player is a "Grinder" treated like it's the only thing in the world that matters by the team and some of its fans...to the point of sacrificing what we feel is the good of the team in the process. That's what's pissing some of us off...this team seems poised to ignore some of its best talent to put a constantly injured, poor offensive guy in the OF because he's a grinder over a guy who's in his mid-20's, has shown improvement with the bat, has done everything we could hav easked of him this offseason, and who is stunningly good on defense.

 

The logic being followed here suggests that the best OF we could possibly put together is Podsednik, Erstad, Rowand. They'll grind us to a world series! We'd clearly be better off if we just gave JD his outright release, because he's not a grinder.

[CWSGuy406]

Me.

 

I never noticed this, but it's ironic that you have that Earl Weaver quote in your sig yet are a Podsednik lover, seeing that Pods contributes to absolutely none of those.

[shoota]

I don't think anyone here is going to say that having a guy like an Erstad, the "Grinder" who does go all out on every play and inspires other people to work harder, is a bad thing.

 

I think what a lot of people here are getting sick of though is having the fact that a player is a "Grinder" treated like it's the only thing in the world that matters by the team and some of its fans...to the point of sacrificing what we feel is the good of the team in the process. That's what's pissing some of us off...this team seems poised to ignore some of its best talent to put a constantly injured, poor offensive guy in the OF because he's a grinder over a guy who's in his mid-20's, has shown improvement with the bat, has done everything we could hav easked of him this offseason, and who is stunningly good on defense.

 

The logic being followed here suggests that the best OF we could possibly put together is Podsednik, Erstad, Rowand. They'll grind us to a world series! We'd clearly be better off if we just gave JD his outright release, because he's not a grinder.

 

Fair enough, I don't disagree with that. I think Craig Grebeck should be criticizing Guillen for poor judgement instead of posters of the same opinion. After all, Guillen is the one with the power to start Erstad instead of Anderson, not fans.

[Y2HH]

I am reading "Weaver on Strategy" right now, and I noticed that quote in his sig last night.

 

Pods would be the Anti-Christ to Weaver.

 

I actually use/like Weavers quote in a cynical way. I think it's beyond stupid.