swisher to lead off to start the season and play center

[jackie hayes]

Fwiw, the article states that either Anderson or Ramirez will start in cf on opening day, and it doesn't mention Quentin at all.

 

Also says that Ramirez may lead off some, and with Ozuna leading off the opener, I'm not sure how often Swisher will be leading off, really.

 

I think I'm more confused now than before I read that.

[fathom]

I'd be thrilled if Swisher hits first all season.

[SoxFan562004]

I'd be thrilled if Swisher hits first all season.

me too. Unless Owens has shown the ability to raise his OBP I like swisher leading off. This team is zombie like slow, having a fast leadoff hitter who has no commitment to getting on base more often shouldn't make any difference

[Harry Chappas]

Why does this team even have spring training? As KW and ozzie said at Soxfest you can not judge outfield play, infield play and pitching because of the conditions.

 

First off, why hold spring training there than but more importantly I think they build their team in February and spring training is irrelevant for 23 of the 25 guys that are going to make the team.

 

If Jerry Owens hits .090 with an OBP of .125 they would say it is only spring training.

 

RIGHT NOW due to Quintin's health and the inexperienced pitching staff Swisher LF / Anderson CF is to obvious as compared to Quintin LF / Swisher CF.

 

Swisher should lead-off everyday and Ozzie should put his best team out there. Baseball is a game of unpredictable averages the only given is Ichiro will go 2 for 3 off of Mark Buerhle. Yet Guillen insists on changing the line-up daily and moving everyone around. In 2005, the line-up when Pods was healthy

 

Pods-Iguchi-Everett/Thomas-Konerko-Dye-AJ/Widger-Rowand-Crede-Uribe

 

It rarely ever changed. Now this season we will again have the revolvoing door line-up based on who is pitching. Yet they still can not hit LHP with all of these new fangaled line-ups.

[Leonard Zelig]

Why does this team even have spring training? As KW and ozzie said at Soxfest you can not judge outfield play, infield play and pitching because of the conditions.

 

First off, why hold spring training there than but more importantly I think they build their team in February and spring training is irrelevant for 23 of the 25 guys that are going to make the team.

 

If Jerry Owens hits .090 with an OBP of .125 they would say it is only spring training.

 

RIGHT NOW due to Quintin's health and the inexperienced pitching staff Swisher LF / Anderson CF is to obvious as compared to Quintin LF / Swisher CF.

 

Swisher should lead-off everyday and Ozzie should put his best team out there. Baseball is a game of unpredictable averages the only given is Ichiro will go 2 for 3 off of Mark Buerhle. Yet Guillen insists on changing the line-up daily and moving everyone around. In 2005, the line-up when Pods was healthy

 

Pods-Iguchi-Everett/Thomas-Konerko-Dye-AJ/Widger-Rowand-Crede-Uribe

 

It rarely ever changed. Now this season we will again have the revolvoing door line-up based on who is pitching. Yet they still can not hit LHP with all of these new fangaled line-ups.

 

It's difficult to set your lineup before you know who is going to make the team. Now that is settled, hopefully it won't take long to figure out what works with who we have. And in 2005, they changed the lineup at the end of the season and it worked out OK.

[BearSox]

Owens does not play better defense. The only think Owens does on defense better is that he is very good coming in on the ball, as evident by all those very good driving catches he makes coming in. However, Owens does not know how to go back nor does he know how to actually read flyballs. Plus, his arm makes Pods arm look like a canon. Pods on the other hand was actually able to read flyballs and get the ball in much faster then Owens. Owens is not an OF, he is just someone who was fast, so he got stuck in CF.

 

As well as that, Owens has proven to me he doesn't have a clue what he's doing up there at bat. First off, he has a horrible stance and swing that makes it impossible for him to hit for any power what-so-ever. Pods actually knew what he was doing up there.

 

If Owens could match Pods 06 numbers, I'd be shocked. In my mind, it's no question, Pods >>>>>>>>>>>>> Owens.

[BearSox]

I'd be thrilled if Swisher hits first all season.

I think vs. Lefties, Swisher is better of at the 3 spot with Ozuna leading off. Vs. righties though, Swish should lead off.

[RockRaines]

Do you know what strikes me as funny?

 

A month ago nobody would have been surprised if Ozzie chose Swisher to play CF. In fact, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion. KW and Ozzie have been saying it since they acquired him.

 

And a month ago, 99% of posters would have volunteered to drive Brian to the airport to ship his *** out of town.

 

But Brian had a good month in spring training and all of a sudden, Swisher in CF is a horrible idea; and Brian not being handed CF is a travesty.

 

Interesting.

Even better when you look back at 06 and people clamoring for Jerry Owens to get a shot in CF, now he's the anti-christ

[Pants Rowland]

I think you hit the nail on the head here. I think Anderson is going to be the 4th OF so they want to make Swisher as comfortable as possible by playing him everyday. Because Anderson is going to be the fill in, they want him playing all of the positions. I think they envision Swisher as the CF with either Owens or Quinten in LF, so why keep jerking around Swisher based on who is the sub of the day? Keep him comfortable since he is your #1 guy out there. Let him learn the position and the field as much as possible.

 

As much as Ozzie frustrates me at times, there is a lot to be said for this strategy. Besides, am I oversimplifying to think that shading BA toward CF and Swish toward RF would minimize the difference between swapping their positions? I know the winds will be different, but they should be able to cover comparable ground, shouldn't they?

[Balta1701]

As much as Ozzie frustrates me at times, there is a lot to be said for this strategy. Besides, am I oversimplifying to think that shading BA toward CF and Swish toward RF would minimize the difference between swapping their positions? I know the winds will be different, but they should be able to cover comparable ground, shouldn't they?

Honestly...based on Anderson's performance in 06 in CF...no they won't be able to cover comparable ground. Only because Anderson was just THAT GOOD. From what I saw, if you put Brian Anderson in CF, you have hands down the CF with the best range in baseball right now unless he's lost a step or something.

[Lemon_44]

i don't get it.Before ST started no one wanted BA even sniffing around the Sox. It was, i hope he hits well at Charlotte so he raises his trade value. Now, it doesn't look like he's a starter and Ozzie should be roasted for it. Anderson has earned a spot on the team but i'm pretty sure Ozzie is going to put what he thinks is the best lineup out there. Until BA hits consistently at the major league level, i like an OF of Dye, Swisher, Quentin with Anderson a late inning defensive replacement. If Quentin struggles then Anderson will get more chances. Whoever is playing better will probably remain once Owens returns from the DL. Let's face it,when Owens returns, he's going to be the CF and leadoff. Ozzie likes speed and Owens has it. I'm not ready to write him off like alot of people. I thik he has shown a gradual improvement against major league pitching and am willing to give him a chance. I think he deserves as much a chance as BA had,and that was a whole year of batting .200,before writing him off.

[YASNY]

i don't get it.Before ST started no one wanted BA even sniffing around the Sox. It was, i hope he hits well at Charlotte so he raises his trade value. Now, it doesn't look like he's a starter and Ozzie should be roasted for it. Anderson has earned a spot on the team but i'm pretty sure Ozzie is going to put what he thinks is the best lineup out there. Until BA hits consistently at the major league level, i like an OF of Dye, Swisher, Quentin with Anderson a late inning defensive replacement. If Quentin struggles then Anderson will get more chances. Whoever is playing better will probably remain once Owens returns from the DL. Let's face it,when Owens returns, he's going to be the CF and leadoff. Ozzie likes speed and Owens has it. I'm not ready to write him off like alot of people. I thik he has shown a gradual improvement against major league pitching and am willing to give him a chance. I think he deserves as much a chance as BA had,and that was a whole year of batting .200,before writing him off.

 

I'm more ready to write off Owens than Anderson.

[RockRaines]

Honestly...based on Anderson's performance in 06 in CF...no they won't be able to cover comparable ground. Only because Anderson was just THAT GOOD. From what I saw, if you put Brian Anderson in CF, you have hands down the CF with the best range in baseball right now unless he's lost a step or something.

Best range in baseball? Thats a bit of a stretch, does he even have the best range in his own division?

[Balta1701]

Best range in baseball? Thats a bit of a stretch, does he even have the best range in his own division?

Unfortunately it doesn't appear the highlight is on MLB.com's video...but if I could post Anderson's catch of a Hafner ball from back in June, 2006, you wouldn't even have to ask that question.

 

The ground he covered out there was simply incredible.

[lostfan]

Best range in baseball? Thats a bit of a stretch, does he even have the best range in his own division?

Well coincidentally we have 2 top 5 CFs in baseball on other teams in the division, and they are some of the more well-rounded offensive players to boot. But it's not that much of a stretch to talk about his range in such superlatives because it's all true. It's only a shame that his offense sucked SO damn bad the first half of the year.

[Vance Law]

Well coincidentally we have 2 top 5 CFs in baseball on other teams in the division, and they are some of the more well-rounded offensive players to boot. But it's not that much of a stretch to talk about his range in such superlatives because it's all true. It's only a shame that his offense sucked SO damn bad the first half of the year.

Grady Sizemore is handsome and an excellent hitter, but he's no Brian Anderson on defense (though he's not bad).

[lostfan]

Grady Sizemore is handsome and an excellent hitter, but he's no Brian Anderson on defense (though he's not bad).

Well, yeah, that's sort of my point. But both him and Granderson (and Hunter, who used to be in our division) are flashier and you'll see them in highlight reels a lot more. Anderson, the only time I remember seeing him in highlights is when he made his first MLB error like 3/4 of the way thru the season.

[Balta1701]

Well, yeah, that's sort of my point. But both him and Granderson (and Hunter, who used to be in our division) are flashier and you'll see them in highlight reels a lot more. Anderson, the only time I remember seeing him in highlights is when he made his first MLB error like 3/4 of the way thru the season.

That's because the plays that Sizemore and Granderson made while diving Anderson got to while standing up.

 

The only thing missing from his repertoire out there was the climbing the wall home run robbing catch.

[ptatc]

If Ozuna starts at 2b on opening day and Quentin plays LF, the 3 hottest hitters in spring training, Uribe, Anderson and Ramirez all will be riding pine. That's pretty strange, but not as strange as seeing Nick Swisher in CF and BA in LF on occassion. That's just ridiculous. I am glad Swisher is leading off though. The more guys on base for Thome and Konerko and Dye, the better.

Since Swisher's main quality for getting on base is walking and he doesn't run real well, there will be a lot of double plays from those three. Other than the 30-40 times out of 600 they hit the ball out of the park.

[iamshack]

That's because the plays that Sizemore and Granderson made while diving Anderson got to while standing up.

 

The only thing missing from his repertoire out there was the climbing the wall home run robbing catch.

 

+1

 

I have actually seen an article (I think it was written by Rob Neyer) that claimed Sizemore wasn't even that particularly good in center.

[Dick Allen]

Since Swisher's main quality for getting on base is walking and he doesn't run real well, there will be a lot of double plays from those three. Other than the 30-40 times out of 600 they hit the ball out of the park.

Not if "Cabrera does his job.

[lostfan]

That's because the plays that Sizemore and Granderson made while diving Anderson got to while standing up.

 

The only thing missing from his repertoire out there was the climbing the wall home run robbing catch.

which takes us back to the original point - his ridiculous range

[witesoxfan]

Even better when you look back at 06 and people clamoring for Jerry Owens to get a shot in CF, now he's the anti-christ

 

When you hear that a particular outfielder in AAA is very fast, you assume he's a CF with decent range. And when your other options are Rob Mackowiak, who had pitiful range, and Brian Anderson, who was pitiful with the bat, any player who could hit .260 with decent range and the potential to steal a few bases would have been nice.

 

Now, when the Sox have arguably 3 better options in CF, Jerry Owens is the anti-christ. It's amazing what 2 years can do. Of course, 2 years ago Jose Contreras was in high demand and people felt Brandon McCarthy was going to be a cog in the rotation for 5 years.

[BearSox]

what makes Brian Anderson so good on defense is that he makes excellent reads. Some of the best defenders were able to tell where the ball will be just by the swing and crack of the bat. He is able to do that, which allows him to put his head down, run to the area of where the ball will be, regain his barrings, look up and catch the ball.

[TheBigHurt]

I'm finally starting to really get fed up with this entire organization. With all the talent we managed to grab this year, you think we'd have more to cheer about. Instead I still see failed moves, terrible use of resources, etc. I like Ozzie and all, but I still am and always will be against him still being our manager. BA should be in CF. And IMO, Swisher being a lead-off is a waste, but I guess I can live with it.

 

I'm finally beginning to think that '05 was our organization just getting lucky. The more time goes on, the more I feel the people in charge of the organization just suck.