Negative Catch All ~ House of Blues

[G&T]

Thinking heads tell me to only focus on on base % so I will ignore all other offensive stats.

 

Even when this team was getting on base at what seemed like a good clip, it was only like .335. Basically, after all we heard about getting on base, this team basically went from being totally abysmal to average...and is now falling back to the abyss.

[mr_genius]

Thinking heads tell me to only focus on on base % so I will ignore all other offensive stats.

 

OBP and slugging are important stats. but BA and RBI is something that seems to get overlooked a lot around here.

[whitesoxfan101]

Walks are VERY important because if you draw a lot of them, it usually means you're seeing the ball well and thus will hit pitches that catch too much of the plate. This team, however, defies that logic and is now starting to also struggle drawing walks. This is starting to look like 2007 all over again, and if that turns out to be accurate, Ozzie and ESPECIALLY KW better start feeling the heat.

Edited May 3, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[stretchstretch]

Watching our offense makes me mad at our GM again. Didn't take me all that long for this inevitable development, although I can't blame Ozzie for anything right now. His hands are tied with this roster offensively, and the pitching has been fine.

 

 

I just can no longer buy that the players are to blame, there's been too many roster changes with the same result for two full seasons now. The coaching staff is the common denomintor on the field day in and day out. I'm not a coaching expert but there's something there that this staff, be it Ozzie, Walker or other, can't get done.

 

Living here in SoCal, I watch a lot of the Angels and it's no coincidence that that've been in the playoffs 6 of the past 8 years, with an UNBELIEVABLE amount of roster changes, both from trades and young vulnerable kids coming up from the farm system. They come up with disciplined at bats, all know how to go opposite field and bunt, and are speedy at every single position. They have occasional slumps but Soscia somehow finds away to break them out of it, and NEVER EVER EVER throws players under the bus.

 

For whatever reason, players develop under his watch, have fundamental, hustle every game, and work their way out of tough stretches, all unlike the Sox of the past two seasons.

 

 

[witesoxfan]

OBP and slugging are important stats. but BA and RBI is something that seems to get overlooked a lot around here.

 

OBP and SLG are by and large the independent statistics. If you have a good OBP and you have a good SLG, your BA, RBI, and runs will be higher.

 

RBI also isn't as important as just raw runs scored. I honestly don't care one iota about RBI.

[joejoesox]

Living here in SoCal, I watch a lot of the Angels and it's no coincidence that that've been in the playoffs 6 of the past 8 years, with an UNBELIEVABLE amount of roster changes, both from trades and young vulnerable kids coming up from the farm system. They come up with disciplined at bats, all know how to go opposite field and bunt, and are speedy at every single position. They have occasional slumps but Soscia somehow finds away to break them out of it, and NEVER EVER EVER throws players under the bus.

 

The Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Oakland A's all say Hello! Not saying that's the only reason, but it's a huge reason. Those 3 teams are never contenders except for 2006 when Oakland made the playoffs

[witesoxfan]

Mike Scoscia is also the best manager in the majors...regardless of who their GM is or what team he puts on the field, Scoscia takes it and makes it work every year.

[joejoesox]

Mike Scoscia is also the best manager in the majors...regardless of who their GM is or what team he puts on the field, Scoscia takes it and makes it work every year.

 

i can't disagree with this

[fathom]

Is Ozzie even trying to manage anymore? Substituting Ozuna for Uribe doesn't count as shaking things up. In all three games of the Jays series, he's had our pitchers pitch to a tough hitter when 1st base was open and men on base.

[fathom]

Does OC have a horseshoe up his ass or what with the official scoring this year? He's had a few gift hits, and the official scoring has sure gone easy on him defensively. Maybe his agent has a deal with them to get a portion of his new deal after this season

[greg775]

Since this is the negative catch all file, aside from bashing the usual suspects who haven't delivered in this slump ... to me, Swisher doesn't seem like the kind of guy you want locked up contract wise for a long time.

Swish is rapidly falling down close to .200. If Pods was doing this, everybody would want him sent on the first train to Oshkosh.

I know ... he draws walks.

[Kalapse]

Since this is the negative catch all file, aside from bashing the usual suspects who haven't delivered in this slump ... to me, Swisher doesn't seem like the kind of guy you want locked up contract wise for a long time.

Swish is rapidly falling down close to .200. If Pods was doing this, everybody would want him sent on the first train to Oshkosh.

I know ... he draws walks.

1.) Scott Podsednik does not have Nick Swisher's track record of success. Nick's past production insists at some point in time he's going to get red hot and up his OPS to somewhere around .850.

2.) To make up (in part) for his unacceptable offensive production Nick has been playing outstanding defense in centerfeld, Podsednik -- on his best days -- plays a terrible left field.

3.) At least Swisher's OBP is still above .350, if Pods were getting on base 35% of the time and not getting thrown out on the basepaths he wouldn't catch too much s***.

4.) Nick is also healthy and capable of playing everyday, if Pods had played every game but 1 this season he'd be hobbling around grabbing at his groin.

 

You may brush off the fact that he's drawing walks but that's what a leadoff hitter is supposed to do, eventually he'll start to hit for a better average and more power but in the meantime at least he's getting on base at a decent clip.

[BearSox]

I wouldn't say Swisher's played outstanding D in center, but he hasn't f***ed up either. Pretty mediocre out there if you ask me.

[kjshoe04]

I wouldn't say Swisher's played outstanding D in center, but he hasn't f***ed up either. Pretty mediocre out there if you ask me.

Id say Swishers D is definitely not tops on my lists of complaints about this team. It's actually probably somewhere around the 100th biggest issue. This team is depressing me.

[BearSox]

Id say Swishers D is definitely not tops on my lists of complaints about this team. It's actually probably somewhere around the 100th biggest issue. This team is depressing me.

Oh, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying it's a little far out there to say he's played outstanding D.

[kjshoe04]

Oh, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying it's a little far out there to say he's played outstanding D.

He definitely has not played outstanding D. I would rate it about average for CF'ers and have really been pleasantly surprised with him in center.

[103 mph screwball]

KW needs to call Ozzie into his office and tell him to choose from a short list of new hitting coaches. This is starting to smell like last year. Stubborn loyalty failed already last year. Even if it hitting coaches don't do squat, then the shake up will send a message. Why Walker? Because you can't fire Konerko. Time to try a spark with Owens. Konerko, Thome, Swish, and Dye can rotate between 3 positions. Tell them they are old and need to be kept fresh. Ramirez needs to go to AAA and there needs to be a new 2nd baseman. I know none of this crap will probably work, but for goodness sake, DO SOMETHING! I can't watch another year like last year. The Sox are wasting solid starting pitching.

[ChWRoCk2]

KW needs to call Ozzie into his office and tell him to choose from a short list of new hitting coaches.

To me hitting coaches and pitching coaches are overrated.

 

The players are the ones performing not Greg Walker or Don Cooper.

 

 

[Buehrle>Wood]

To me hitting coaches and pitching coaches are overrated.

 

The players are the ones performing not Greg Walker or Don Cooper.

These are the coaches who pretty much decide a player's mechanics and approach. They are certainly not overrated.

[Gregory Pratt]

Some would argue that those are decided at a much younger age.

But your point is well-taken.

[greg775]

Why isn't Harold Baines a big league hitting coach?

He had a sweet swing and approach and was amazing except when he went into those 0-for-25s.

How bout Chet Lemon? Is he available?

[lostfan]

2.) To make up (in part) for his unacceptable offensive production Nick has been playing outstanding defense in centerfeld, Podsednik -- on his best days -- plays a terrible left field.

This has already been said but yeah I definitely would not call Swisher's D out there outstanding. Above average, better than expected maybe, but not outstanding. For an analogy to the Bears fans on here it's like John Tait playing out of position at LT... serviceable, but not special.

[StrangeSox]

How many losses-with-a-quality-start does this team have? I would guess that they're leading the majors in that stat.

[lostfan]

How many losses-with-a-quality-start does this team have? I would guess that they're leading the majors in that stat.

Another argument for why wins for a pitcher are by far the most useless and unimportant stat in baseball.

 

With a couple of notable exceptions the starting pitching has been stellar.

[shipps]

Another argument for why wins for a pitcher are by far the most useless and unimportant stat in baseball.

I agree that at times it can be decieving but it is going way to far to say it is useless and unimportant.