2008 White Sox Catch-All Thread

[the People's Champ]

some real gems here

 

 

 

His name is Orlando Cabrera.

 

 

 

Look at their bullpen, their #1 starter, their top 3 starters, and the amount of good hitters in the middle of the lineup from those years. Tell me if something correlates between that and those 4 division titles.

 

In 2005, they lost the division - their offense was terrible. Matt LeCroy, Torii Hunter, and Joe Mauer were overall their best hitters...and that's Joe Mauer as essentially a rookie, for the first time feeling the rigors of a full season, not the Joe Mauer from 2006 when he led the league in hitting. Matt LeCroy. Let that sink in for a second.

 

Last season, they had 3 good hitters and 2 above average hitters, and pretty much everyone else was mediocre or worse (consider that Nick Punto got 536 plate appearances...he hit .210 and hit for no power at all, meaning he was one of the worst hitters in the entire major leagues and that a guy from, say, high-A ball could have outproduced him offensively) and, as a factor of such poor offensive production, they didn't score many runs.

 

You can't count on luck. You can generally count on fundamental baseball from fundamentally sound baseball players, but you can't count on luck or clutch. If you want "lucky" players, you'll find them on the bench. Timo Perez was a "lucky" player, and that's where he sat until his name was drawn. When he played full time in August of 2005, he was exposed and the Sox were absolutely terrible.

 

Someone like say.................oh I don't know.............BRIAN ANDERSON! There you go, I guess he isn't that bad after all.

Edited June 23, 2008 by the People's Champ

[witesoxfan]

Someone like say.................oh I don't know.............BRIAN ANDERSON! There you go, I guess he isn't that bad after all.

 

Brian Anderson was better than Nick Punto. Quite a bit better actually. Almost 100 points in OPS and 15 points in OPS+. He hit for power. Nick Punto didn't. That's a big enough difference.

[greg775]

greg, who is the best third baseman in Chicago?

 

Honestly?

The best is Ron Santo. Second best is Bill Melton. Third best is that guy on the current Cub team. Fourth is Joe Crede. Fifth is me. I played third base in Mt. Greenwood Little League and my manager can attest no balls got by me.

 

[witesoxfan]

Honestly?

The best is Ron Santo. Second best is Bill Melton. Third best is that guy on the current Cub team. Fourth is Joe Crede. Fifth is me. I played third base in Mt. Greenwood Little League and my manager can attest no balls got by me.

 

Robin Ventura was a far superior player to Aramis Ramirez. Bill Melton too. You shame one of the greatest 3Bmans in Chicago history.

[greg775]

Yes but Robin is not in chicago right now, he's managing in Peoria or somewhere. I think he wanted me to admit the Cubs third baseman was better than my Crede and I just rattled off some third basemen currently in Chicago.

Edited June 24, 2008 by greg775

[witesoxfan]

Yes but Robin is not in chicago right now, he's managing in Peoria or somewhere. I think he wanted me to admit the Cubs third baseman was better than my Crede and I just rattled off some third basemen currently in Chicago.

 

Uh, k

[Kyyle23]

The Twins proved one butt kicking doesn't have to put you in the tank.

You'd have thought we buried them for good; what do they do, but respond.

Hope we have the same spirit as the Twins after we kicked the s*** out of them.

 

buried them for good? Its June, the season is far from over. If you thought you could just kick your feet up and enjoy the rest of the next 3 months, you were completely wrong.

 

 

And Ron Santo as the best 3rd basemen in Chicago? LOLZ

[YASNY]

buried them for good? Its June, the season is far from over. If you thought you could just kick your feet up and enjoy the rest of the next 3 months, you were completely wrong.

 

 

And Ron Santo as the best 3rd basemen in Chicago? LOLZ

 

I'm sure his range is somewhat limited these days, but Santo was a damn good 3B.

[Pants Rowland]

I'm sure his range is somewhat limited these days, but Santo was a damn good 3B.

 

HOF?

[YASNY]

HOF?

 

Yes, I think he should be there.

[southsider2k5]

Yes, I think he should be there.

 

I agree. When you look at his numbers within his era, its hard to say no to him.

[YASNY]

I agree. When you look at his numbers within his era, its hard to say no to him.

 

He compares very favorably with Brooks Robinson. Same position, same era. Robinson's career OPS+ is 104, Santo's 125. And defensively, while he was no Brooks, in his own right Santo was damn good with the glove.

[daa84]

i cant believe we havent had trade winds open yet...mainly because there has been so little talk...i cant honestly remember a period of time during the last few years when there has been so little sox trade discussion as there has been the last 6 months....i guess thats what happens when you have absolutely no bullets left down on the farm

[witesoxfan]

i cant believe we havent had trade winds open yet...mainly because there has been so little talk...i cant honestly remember a period of time during the last few years when there has been so little sox trade discussion as there has been the last 6 months....i guess thats what happens when you have absolutely no bullets left down on the farm

 

along with no/limited bullets, what are you going to upgrade? Both those factors included, it's tough to do much of anything.

[Frankensteiner]

Was reading Mark Gonzalez's answers on the Trib site and found someone referencing a Pirates blog. The guy who posts on this Pirates blog is some sort of scout (supposedly), although I don't know that for sure.

 

Anyway, point is he the guy thought Vazquez was tipping his pitches while in the stretch. Here's an excerpt:

 

Now in the second inning, and I’m watching out of the corner of my eye and I notice Javier Vazquez is tipping every pitch in the stretch. Every one. The Pirates evidently picked up on it too and wailed him for 4 hits and 4 runs. He doesn’t do it in a windup - just in the stretch so we needed a runner at least at second to take advantage.

 

http://pittsburghpirates.buccoblog.com/emb...ss-as-expected/

Edited June 26, 2008 by Frankensteiner

[knightni]

I'm guessing that the tradewinds may re-open after July 1.

[SoxFan1]

I think any sane person whould choose the home run over the singles... however, find me a player that can hit 100+ homers in a season.

Babe Ruth.

[witesoxfan]

I think any sane person whould choose the home run over the singles... however, find me a player that can hit 100+ homers in a season.

 

I'd bet that 30 homers is certainly going to be more productive than 150 singles.

[greg775]

Wouldn't you love to see Thome have a multi homer game for once on Saturday?

A three homer game would just about assure us a victory.

Oh for one of those Thome games of the past.

He should be so well rested.

[BearSox]

I'd bet that 30 homers is certainly going to be more productive than 150 singles.

I seriously doubt that. If you are a decent power hitter, you'd have 20 homers, 25-30 doubles, and maybe 1 or 2 triples. Hell, lets say said player had 150 singles and only 30 extra base hits. That'd give him 180 base hits in lets 550 AB's, giving the player a batting average of .327.

 

I'm sorry, but I'd take the guy who bats .327 and is a hitting machine (This player surely could have gotten 200+ hits if he was a decent power hitter) over the guy who hits 30 homers but for a lower average.

[witesoxfan]

I seriously doubt that. If you are a decent power hitter, you'd have 20 homers, 25-30 doubles, and maybe 1 or 2 triples. Hell, lets say said player had 150 singles and only 30 extra base hits. That'd give him 180 base hits in lets 550 AB's, giving the player a batting average of .327.

 

I'm sorry, but I'd take the guy who bats .327 and is a hitting machine (This player surely could have gotten 200+ hits if he was a decent power hitter) over the guy who hits 30 homers but for a lower average.

 

I don't think I've ever argued against a .330 hitter. That's a bit extreme, seeing as how all of 5 players in the majors are hitting over .327 currently, while there are already 5 players with 20 homers in late June. You are basically saying you'd rather have Joe Mauer, not considering he's a catcher, over Joe Crede. Thanks, I had no idea.

 

To follow your guidelines, I'll take a 40 homer hitter that gets 170 hits a season. Would you rather have Ryan Braun DHing for you or Joe Mauer?

[BearSox]

I don't think I've ever argued against a .330 hitter. That's a bit extreme, seeing as how all of 5 players in the majors are hitting over .327 currently, while there are already 5 players with 20 homers in late June. You are basically saying you'd rather have Joe Mauer, not considering he's a catcher, over Joe Crede. Thanks, I had no idea.

 

To follow your guidelines, I'll take a 40 homer hitter that gets 170 hits a season. Would you rather have Ryan Braun DHing for you or Joe Mauer?

 

Well, you said you'd take a guy who can hit 30 homers over a guy who can hit 150 singles. Did you expect the guy with 150 singles not to have any extra base hits?

 

And as for a DH, who wouldn't take the guy who can hit 40 homers with a .290+ average?

Edited June 28, 2008 by BearSox

[StrangeSox]

I saw some interesting things up in the nosebleed seats yesterday (sect. 514). Drunkards everywhere, a girl throwing up all over some guy's back, and after the 5th inning or so, someone was being ejected every 5 minutes it seemed. The calamity in the stands was almost more entertaining than the game at that point (since it was a blow-out). Can't complain about the tickets, though. My boss stopped by at 9 yesterday morning and offered me one for free + paid day off!

[G&T]

He was hitting .232 and Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster got a couple of quick strikes on him.

 

That's when he cleared the Sox's sacks.

 

So to speak.

 

Downey

[Kyyle23]

Wouldn't you love to see Thome have a multi homer game for once on Saturday?

A three homer game would just about assure us a victory.

Oh for one of those Thome games of the past.

He should be so well rested.

 

Thome can do that in his sleep, no big deal. I think Pablo can do that too