In Season Constructive Changes

[NorthSideSox72]

I can't tell you how much I wish Boone would join them.

Oh man, if he had that beard going again, and dyed it pink, that would be awesome.

 

[whitesoxfan101]

Tigers ahead of us this year by ~18 mil. They're number 2 in all of baseball.

 

I was referring to 2001-2005, before the payroll went way up, should have been more clear. Sorry for that, but anyways, we've had the highest payroll in the division and/or a very high payroll in general every year of KW's tenure is my point.

[Controlled Chaos]

Oh man, if he had that beard going again, and dyed it pink, that would be awesome.

Did he ever say why he shaved it?

[NorthSideSox72]

Did he ever say why he shaved it?

Yeah, he had a bad outing in a game in like mid-April, and he said he used that as an excuse to chop it off.

 

[Steve9347]

He's had the top or near-the-top payroll in the central division every year. In the 2001-2004 campaigns, this division was pretty weak.

Judging by records, this division is looking about as bad as the 2005 NL West or 2006 NL Central right now.

[Kalapse]

Thome seems like a great guy and has been one of the most prolific HR hitters of my generation, but it's just time for him to go. Watching him hit has become nauseating. Every time he swings it's like he's in the homerun derby. Why can't he hit a ball down the 3rd base line? Is he incapable? Or just unwilling? Either way, he should not be in our lineup. When both he and Paulie are on base (which is rare) - say 1st and 2nd base - it will literally take either 3 singles or a single and a double to score both of them. So the Sox need 4 or 5 baserunners in a row just to score 2 runs. That simply will not get it done. Either trade him for prospects or as some of you have suggested, sit him against lefties and let him play part-time and pinch-hit late in games.

 

The second thing is 2B. Uribe just has to go, it's that simple. His D has been very good, but I can't stand to watch him swing for the fences anymore. Him not scoring yesterday on that grounder by Cabrera is probably going to be the nail in his coffin. The Jays were conceding the run and he still didn't score. How does that happen?

 

Aside from Thome and Uribe, I think our club is fine. Just slumping right now.

Paul Konerko
 

2007:

PULLED: 51% of total hits | 59% of total doubles | 65% of total HR

MIDDLE: 43% of total hits | 32% of total doubles | 32% of total HR

OPPO  : 6% of total hits  | 9%  of total doubles | 3%  of total HR
 

2008:

PULLED: 41% of total hits | 50% of total doubles | 60% of total HR

MIDDLE: 46% of total hits | 25% of total doubles | 40% of total HR

OPPO  : 13% of total hits | 25% of total doubels | 0%  of total HR
 

Jim Thome
 

2007:

PULLED: 29% of total hits | 47% of total doubles | 34% of total HR

MIDDLE: 53% of total hits | 26% of total doubles | 54% of total HR

OPPO  : 18% of total hits | 26%  of total doubles | 14%  of total HR
 

2008:

PULLED: 30% of total hits | 33% of total doubles | 17% of total HR

MIDDLE: 56% of total hits | 50% of total doubles | 83% of total HR

OPPO  : 14% of total hits | 17% of total doubels | 0%  of total HR

 

Jim Thome is hardly the most pull happy hitter on this team. And I don't recommend looking at Dye's numbers either, he of the 7 opposite field hits in 2007 (he put ONE ball down the RF line last year) and 1 oppo hit this season.

 

In 2006 Konerko had 5 XBH to RF, Thome had 15 to LF.

 

If it were at all possible to use an extreme pull shift for a right handed hitter there would be no one anywhere near 1B when Paul Konerko and especially Jermaine Dye walk up to the plate.

 

The shift just makes Thome look bad because the fact of the matter is; since arriving in Chicago Jim has gone oppo a WHOLE lot more often than the other sluggers int this lineup.

[NorthSideSox72]

<!--quoteo(post=1631578:date=May 6, 2008 -> 02:03 PM:name=lvjeremylv)-->

<!--quotec-->Thome seems like a great guy and has been one of the most prolific HR hitters of my generation, but it's just time for him to go. Watching him hit has become nauseating. Every time he swings it's like he's in the homerun derby. Why can't he hit a ball down the 3rd base line? Is he incapable? Or just unwilling? Either way, he should not be in our lineup. When both he and Paulie are on base (which is rare) - say 1st and 2nd base - it will literally take either 3 singles or a single and a double to score both of them. So the Sox need 4 or 5 baserunners in a row just to score 2 runs. That simply will not get it done. Either trade him for prospects or as some of you have suggested, sit him against lefties and let him play part-time and pinch-hit late in games.

 

The second thing is 2B. Uribe just has to go, it's that simple. His D has been very good, but I can't stand to watch him swing for the fences anymore. Him not scoring yesterday on that grounder by Cabrera is probably going to be the nail in his coffin. The Jays were conceding the run and he still didn't score. How does that happen?

 

Aside from Thome and Uribe, I think our club is fine. Just slumping right now.

Paul Konerko
 

2007:

PULLED: 51% of total hits | 59% of total doubles | 65% of total HR

MIDDLE: 43% of total hits | 32% of total doubles | 32% of total HR

OPPO  : 6% of total hits  | 9%  of total doubles | 3%  of total HR
 

2008:

PULLED: 41% of total hits | 50% of total doubles | 60% of total HR

MIDDLE: 46% of total hits | 25% of total doubles | 40% of total HR

OPPO  : 13% of total hits | 25% of total doubels | 0%  of total HR
 

Jim Thome
 

2007:

PULLED: 29% of total hits | 47% of total doubles | 34% of total HR

MIDDLE: 53% of total hits | 26% of total doubles | 54% of total HR

OPPO  : 18% of total hits | 26%  of total doubles | 14%  of total HR
 

2008:

PULLED: 30% of total hits | 33% of total doubles | 17% of total HR

MIDDLE: 56% of total hits | 50% of total doubles | 83% of total HR

OPPO  : 14% of total hits | 17% of total doubels | 0%  of total HR

 

Jim Thome is hardly the most pull happy hitter on this team. And I don't recommend looking at Dye's numbers either, he of the 7 opposite field hits in 2007 (he put ONE ball down the RF line last year) and 1 oppo hit this season.

 

If it were at all possible to use an extreme pull shift for a right handed hitter there would be no one anywhere near 1B when Paul Konerko and especially Jermaine Dye walk up to the plate.

 

The shift just makes Thome look bad because the fact of the matter is; over the past 7 months he's gone oppo a WHOLE lot more often than the other sluggers int this lineup.

Good post. Its been clear the last few games, Thome is trying to adjust to the shift and go to center and left-center. Not always successful, but you can see him working on it.

 

 

[Kalapse]

Good post. Its been clear the last few games, Thome is trying to adjust to the shift and go to center and left-center. Not always successful, but you can see him working on it.

After his basehit to LF yesterday in the first I remember muttering: "What does it matter? Another 35 minutes and people will forget it ever happened."

[EvilMonkey]

Good post. Its been clear the last few games, Thome is trying to adjust to the shift and go to center and left-center. Not always successful, but you can see him working on it.

You can? Because honestly, every time I see him at bat, it seems like a ground ball to the short-right fielder. I haven't watched every game, but the only thing I have seen this year from him that went to the left side was a check swing infield single. He may be trying to go opposite, but I have a hard time seeing it.

[VAfan]

I think one of the problems is that players never pay any consequences for not hitting.

 

Thome has not hit lefties since we got him, yet he still hits 3rd against most lefties. And he's still hitting third into the second year of a "slump."

 

Konerko has also been in an extended "slump" of months yet he's our cleanup hitter.

 

I thought we traded for Cabrera so we could get Juan Uribe out of the lineup. Instead, there he sits killing the end of the order, just at a new position.

 

Dye helped us win the World Series when Ozzie moved him to third in the order. But how many times has Dye hit third since the 2005 Series? Has it even been 5 games in 2+ seasons?

 

At this point, the no-hitting culture has firmly taken hold of the Sox, and I'm not sure much can be done to shake them out of it. Certainly Greg Walker should be fired immediately. I'd be happy with Harold Baines there.

 

Then I'd demote Thome and Konerko and move up Quentin, Crede, and Dye. But you still need a lefty, so I'd probably go with:

 

Anderson 343 OBP

Swisher .341 OBP

Quentin 990 OPS

Crede 833 OPS

AJ 780 OPS

Dye 792 OPS

Thome/Konerko platoon at DH

Cabrera

Ramirez -- there's at least hope he might hit

 

If guys hit, they move up. If they don't, they move down. At least there would be consequences.

[NorthSideSox72]

You can? Because honestly, every time I see him at bat, it seems like a ground ball to the short-right fielder. I haven't watched every game, but the only thing I have seen this year from him that went to the left side was a check swing infield single. He may be trying to go opposite, but I have a hard time seeing it.

Its only been lately, and certainly not every at bat. But the last few games, yeah, I've definitely seen it. He's had some line drives (some for hits) to left-center and left, which I had not recalled seeing from him before. Usually, he only goes left center and left if its a fly ball.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Its only been lately, and certainly not every at bat. But the last few games, yeah, I've definitely seen it. He's had some line drives (some for hits) to left-center and left, which I had not recalled seeing from him before. Usually, he only goes left center and left if its a fly ball.

I FINALLY saw Jim hit to left field tonight in the 6th. Thanks Jim.

[Kalapse]

I FINALLY saw Jim hit to left field tonight in the 6th. Thanks Jim.

So you weren't watching in the first inning? Or the first inning on Monday?

[Kalapse]

After going 0-4 w/ BB, SB tonight, Jerry Owens in 90 AAA ABs this season is hitting .256/.343/.333/.676 w/ 1 HR, 4 2B, 17:12 K:BB and 9/12 in SB.

[Jeremy]

I think mostly you just have to be patient. I'm pretty positive that Konerko, Thome, Cabrera, and Swisher won't all hit below .225 this season. Anyone who plays fantasy baseball can tell you that if you cut your best hitters when they get off to a bad start, you'll live to regret it something like 8 times out of 10.

 

Firing Walker might not hurt. It's somewhat hard to see what we'd lose by firing him at this point.

 

As others have noted, the one obvious quick fix is to pull Uribe from the lineup and replace him with Ramirez, Ozuna, Getz, or someone off the scrap heap.

 

5) you sit Thome against LHP starters (putting Dye at DH, move Swisher to RF and start Anderson/Owens in CF) and PH him in later in the game if needed

 

Really there's just no reason to put Thome in the lineup against lefties. He can't hit them, the time off might actually help him at this age, and we can improve our defense with Paully or JD shifting over to DH.

 

Sure if you ignore the fact that you're sitting Thome, who is feeble against LHP, in favor of Anderson/Owens, who only hope to be feeble against LHP on their best days.

 

When you look at how badly Thome actually hits lefties, I really don't think that's accurate. His three year splits ('05 to '07) have him at .209/.325/.344. That's really, really bad. The fact that Anderson isn't half the hitter Thome is, that doesn't keep him from basically matching those numbers. Anderson's three year splits are a similar .224/.280/.388 and that assumes that he's still as awful at the plate as he was in '06. When you account for how much better our outfield defense is with Anderson in CF, it doesn't seem like a hard decision to me.

Edited May 8, 2008 by Jeremy

[EvilMonkey]

So you weren't watching in the first inning? Or the first inning on Monday?

No, I usually end up missing the first 2 or 3 innings by the time I get home. Note, I said that I finally saw it, not that he finally did it.