Fields' HR

[WHITESOXRANDY]

If I'm the White Sox - NO EFFING WAY DO I KEEP JOE CREDE !

 

Play Joe at third all spring to show that he's healthy and trade him the first chance you get. If you don't get an offer in March then let him play into April and trade him as soon as you can.

 

Do not keep Joe Crede ! His back will be a problem again and there is no chance to re-sign him anyway with BORASS. Good bye Joe - adios !

[VAfan]

It's hard for me to believe all the Joe Crede hate on this board.

 

Fellas, does anyone remember 2005? We may not have hoisted the trophy without Joe Crede. He was the overall MVP of the postseason. Heck, without his game winning homer late in the year against Cleveland, we might have melted all the way down and missed the dance. Plus, though he's not always put up stellar offensive numbers, he's never failed in the field.

 

I understand Crede doesn't have a long-term future with the Sox given his back history and agent. But I'm never going to think anything but good thoughts about Joe Crede. He's one of the few guys we have developed internally in the last 10 years. Aaron Rowand was another, and as soon as we shipped him out we realized we lost something greater than Rowand's offensive numbers as a team.

 

THANKS, JOE CREDE.

[Steff]

Keep in mind that the Sox are giving Mark a $4.5 million raise next year. In addition, Jon will be making $2 million more. And JD is going to cost more than $6 million if they extend him. Unless they're able to unload Thome's salary, I can easily see them running into budget issues. Are they really going to field a $100 million payroll with declining season ticket sales?

 

The $$ cleared this year from ST holders will pay for next years salary. I would not expect the PR to fall back to the mid to high 80 mil mark until the '09 season.

[Steff]

It's hard for me to believe all the Joe Crede hate on this board.

 

Fellas, does anyone remember 2005? We may not have hoisted the trophy without Joe Crede. He was the overall MVP of the postseason. Heck, without his game winning homer late in the year against Cleveland, we might have melted all the way down and missed the dance. Plus, though he's not always put up stellar offensive numbers, he's never failed in the field.

 

I understand Crede doesn't have a long-term future with the Sox given his back history and agent. But I'm never going to think anything but good thoughts about Joe Crede. He's one of the few guys we have developed internally in the last 10 years. Aaron Rowand was another, and as soon as we shipped him out we realized we lost something greater than Rowand's offensive numbers as a team.

 

THANKS, JOE CREDE.

 

 

 

I think you misconstrue realistic thinking for hatred.

[29andPoplar]

It's hard for me to believe all the Joe Crede hate on this board.

 

Fellas, does anyone remember 2005? We may not have hoisted the trophy without Joe Crede. He was the overall MVP of the postseason. Heck, without his game winning homer late in the year against Cleveland, we might have melted all the way down and missed the dance. Plus, though he's not always put up stellar offensive numbers, he's never failed in the field.

 

I understand Crede doesn't have a long-term future with the Sox given his back history and agent. But I'm never going to think anything but good thoughts about Joe Crede. He's one of the few guys we have developed internally in the last 10 years. Aaron Rowand was another, and as soon as we shipped him out we realized we lost something greater than Rowand's offensive numbers as a team.

 

THANKS, JOE CREDE.

 

In a division this competitive, the Sox can't afford to be sentimental. Also, most fans prefer effective use of assets vs. sentimentality.

 

I agree with you about holding a warm spot in the heart for Crede, but time marches on.

[NorthSideSox72]

I'd really like to see them try Fields in LF. It just makes so much sense. Fields is a sub-par defensive 3B, whereas Crede is well above average. The team has an obvious need for outfielders. Fields is young, cheap and developing fairly well. If Crede isn't healthy or is traded, Fields can move back to 3B with no harm done. And maybe the Sox can get an OF out of a deal for Crede.

 

[WCSox]

The $$ cleared this year from ST holders will pay for next years salary. I would not expect the PR to fall back to the mid to high 80 mil mark until the '09 season.

 

I hope that you're right, as I'd hope that KW could find room for him. But they already have $79 million in payroll committed to next season. So we'll see what happens

 

I think you misconstrue realistic thinking for hatred.

 

+1

 

[ExpatNYC]

Isn't anyone worried about Fields's obvious difficulties with hitting 87mph fastballs down the middle of the plate? He made Mike Mussina look like Nolan Ryan.

[RockRaines]

I'd really like to see them try Fields in LF. It just makes so much sense. Fields is a sub-par defensive 3B, whereas Crede is well above average. The team has an obvious need for outfielders. Fields is young, cheap and developing fairly well. If Crede isn't healthy or is traded, Fields can move back to 3B with no harm done. And maybe the Sox can get an OF out of a deal for Crede.

I have no idea where you have gotten the impression that Josh is a sub-par 3B. Everything I have seen from him states otherwise. In fact I wouldnt be surprised if he isnt as good if not a bit better than Crede eventually.

[NorthSideSox72]

I have no idea where you have gotten the impression that Josh is a sub-par 3B. Everything I have seen from him states otherwise. In fact I wouldnt be surprised if he isnt as good if not a bit better than Crede eventually.

No chance. He isn't in the same territory. Heck, just look at last night's game. Fields is a below average defender. He may eventually get better - I hope he does. But even then, its unlikely he gets to Crede's level defensively.

 

I'd like to pull out some numbers, but with Fields only playing a small bit, his defensive numbers are probably not a good measure yet. D numbers usually need most or all of a season to become useful.

 

[RockRaines]

No chance. He isn't in the same territory. Heck, just look at last night's game. Fields is a below average defender. He may eventually get better - I hope he does. But even then, its unlikely he gets to Crede's level defensively.

 

I'd like to pull out some numbers, but with Fields only playing a small bit, his defensive numbers are probably not a good measure yet. D numbers usually need most or all of a season to become useful.

Yes, I looked at every game. Apparently Crede never made any bad decisions in the field? I seem to remember a deja vu moment against the Red Sox where he dropped an easy pop up just like Josh did yesterday. If you take Crede's first few months as a starting 3B and Josh's I think you would see a very fair comparison and to me since Josh is so athletic I feel that he will keep improving every day.

[Steve9347]

What's wrong with Fields' in left and an arbitration-signed, heatlhy Crede at 3B?

[badatbest]

I think Fields will be above average on defense with more experience. Crede is such a monster at 3rd base though, his defense has been one of my favorite aspects of the white sox for the past few years. He is(was) so rock solid in the field, anchors(ed) their infield defense.

[Kalapse]

Yes, I looked at every game. Apparently Crede never made any bad decisions in the field? I seem to remember a deja vu moment against the Red Sox where he dropped an easy pop up just like Josh did yesterday. If you take Crede's first few months as a starting 3B and Josh's I think you would see a very fair comparison and to me since Josh is so athletic I feel that he will keep improving every day.

I was at that game, Manny hit a game winning HR off Vizcaino on the very next pitch. The second Joe dropped that ball everyone in the stadium knew what was coming next. That sucked.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yes, I looked at every game. Apparently Crede never made any bad decisions in the field? I seem to remember a deja vu moment against the Red Sox where he dropped an easy pop up just like Josh did yesterday. If you take Crede's first few months as a starting 3B and Josh's I think you would see a very fair comparison and to me since Josh is so athletic I feel that he will keep improving every day.

The Crede I remember was well ahead of Fields around the same time in development. You are right that Fields is a terrific athlete, more so really than Joe probably is. So he should improve. But it seems unlikely he'd improve that much. I think if Fields is the starting 3B next year, they will start to miss Joe's D.

 

[kwolf68]

 

watch Fields play...He just looks like a pure 3rd baseman to me...a really good quick first step, good side to side movement, great movement when charging in, and what appear to be very good instincts. He has also shown the propensity to improve greatly from year to year. Because he did it in the minors, I fully expect him to be a far superior player next year than this year, and the year after that he'll be even better.

 

Fields is a terrific athlete with tremendous work ethic and the natural skill to be a terrific third basemen. He has all the natural skill you want in a third basemen and all he needs is experience. I really have to question anyone who think this kid is a bad defensive player. He's going to make some errors initially, but I see not only an average fielder potentially, but a well above average fielder.

[NorthSideSox72]

watch Fields play...He just looks like a pure 3rd baseman to me...a really good quick first step, good side to side movement, great movement when charging in, and what appear to be very good instincts. He has also shown the propensity to improve greatly from year to year. Because he did it in the minors, I fully expect him to be a far superior player next year than this year, and the year after that he'll be even better.

 

Fields is a terrific athlete with tremendous work ethic and the natural skill to be a terrific third basemen. He has all the natural skill you want in a third basemen and all he needs is experience. I really have to question anyone who think this kid is a bad defensive player. He's going to make some errors initially, but I see not only an average fielder potentially, but a well above average fielder.

 

Well above average? That means he is better than 15 or 20 current starting third basemen in the MLB. No way he is anything like that level. He might be eventually, but right now he is lucky to be better than 5 or 8 of them.

 

[Kalapse]

Well above average? That means he is better than 15 or 20 current starting third basemen in the MLB. No way he is anything like that level. He might be eventually, but right now he is lucky to be better than 5 or 8 of them.

That's probably why he used the word "potentially."

[RockRaines]

I honestly think Josh will have the range of a quick 3B like Inge and be able to get to alot of grounders that alot of other 3B couldnt get. Will he be as smooth as Joe? Probably not. But I think before its said and done Fields will not be just an average 3B

[NorthSideSox72]

That's probably why he used the word "potentially."

The grammar threw me off, I thought he was speaking present tense.

 

He certainly seems to have the potential to be above average in a few years. Hopefully he will be, since it looks like the chances of Crede being here beyond 2008 are pretty close to zero.

 

[Kyyle23]

Isn't anyone worried about Fields's obvious difficulties with hitting 87mph fastballs down the middle of the plate? He made Mike Mussina look like Nolan Ryan.

 

Mike Mussina is still one of the best pitchers in the game, he has done that to alot of players

[Hideaway Lights]

Fields has really impressed me this season. If he finishes the season with a .250 average and about 15-17 home runs (which is not that far at all from what his current pace is), I'm not sure you could ask for much more from a pure rookie. 15-17 over 105 or so games translates to high twenties over 160 games...

Edited August 6, 2007 by Hideaway Lights

[Gregory Pratt]

Mike Mussina is still one of the best pitchers in the game, he has done that to alot of players

 

The point still stands that Fields needs to work on hitting the fastball, though, and that Mussina doesn't throw much heat. Fields has issues with heat, period, but I imagine he'll get better.

[Kyyle23]

The point still stands that Fields needs to work on hitting the fastball, though, and that Mussina doesn't throw much heat. Fields has issues with heat, period, but I imagine he'll get better.

 

My point is that Mussina makes plenty of people look stupid and look like they are swinging at much faster pitches. Fields needs to work on hitting,yes, but to use Mussina as your example of why, I find that wrong. Mussina makes Konerko look bad plenty of the time, but that doesnt mean konerko cant hit an 87 MPH fastball

[CWSGuy406]

I honestly think Josh will have the range of a quick 3B like Inge

 

Inge is arguably the best third defensive third baseman in the AL -- Fields is going to have his range? I don't think so.

 

Fields doesn't have nearly the range that Crede had. It's not because of athleticism, that's for sure, so I'd guess it's about instincts and having a quick first step. He also doesn't have Crede's hands. The best thing I can say about Fields is when he's forced to come in and barehand a ball, say on a bunt -- he's done a spectacular job on those.

 

Fields reminds me of David Wright -- a pretty good athlete who still has some work to do. With that said, I still wouldn't move Fields from third -- besides maybe for next season, as dumping Crede would be pointless. Even if he becomes average (I'd say he's slightly below as of right now), his bat is more valuable there than in the OF.

Edited August 6, 2007 by CWSGuy406