Nick Swisher

[Dick Allen]

Nick Swisher's free pass as others continued to get slammed is beyond ridiculous. Consider this:

Last year Juan Uribe hit .234 with 20 homers and 68 rbi in 513 AB as a SS with a 112 K , not considered an offensive position. This year Nick Swisher is hitting .226 and at his current pace will have 20 homers and 72 rbi with 132 ks with 513 official AB. He plays CF an offensive position and most want him to play 1B and even more offensive position. Offensively,he basically is Juan Uribe last year, a guy everyone wanted non-tendered or released, with more walks, and a few more k's and more beard styles. Defensively, at least in CF, he leaves a lot to be desired. As Steve Stone said, he is not a centerfielder. That's not his fault but offensively c'mon. If Paulie is killing the team as I read over and over, what is this guy doing?

Its time he gets scrutunized a bit, especially considering this is supposedly the biggest roadtrip of the season so far, and Dirty Thirty is still looking for his first hit.

 

[The Ginger Kid]

he gets on base

[Felix]

Juan Uribe: .234/.284/.394

Nick Swisher: .226/.347/.395

 

HUGE difference.

[Dick Allen]

he gets on base

Then how do you explain the Thome hate when his OBP was about at Swisher's level or above? He was hitting with more power, but was washed up, the worst hitter in baseball, blah, blah, blah. I'd rather see Swisher actually not strike out with runners on and maybe get a hit, than get a walk with 2 out and nobody on. The thread when the Sox got him was gushing about how he'd hit close to 40 homers, get on at about a .400 clip, hit .275. He's not close.

[Dick Allen]

Juan Uribe: .234/.284/.394

Nick Swisher: .226/.347/.395

 

HUGE difference.

Not really. Its some walks. Swisher has 6 career steals and bats 7th. Walks with your 8th and 9th batters coming up aren't as valuable as walks with the best hitters coming up, plus he plays an offensive position. His slugging pct. is virtually identical to Uribe's last year. His average is about the same. He strikes out even more. The board wanted Uribe released. The board obviously loves walks and wants Swisher to play 1B.

[joejoesox]

Not really. Its some walks. Swisher has 6 career steals and bats 7th. Walks with your 8th and 9th batters coming up aren't as valuable as walks with the best hitters coming up, plus he plays an offensive position. His slugging pct. is virtually identical to Uribe's last year. His average is about the same. He strikes out even more. The board wanted Uribe released. The board obviously loves walks and wants Swisher to play 1B.

 

he's drawn walks regardless of his spot in the order this year

[StrangeSox]

Not really. Its some walks. Swisher has 6 career steals and bats 7th. Walks with your 8th and 9th batters coming up aren't as valuable as walks with the best hitters coming up, plus he plays an offensive position. His slugging pct. is virtually identical to Uribe's last year. His average is about the same. He strikes out even more. The board wanted Uribe released. The board obviously loves walks and wants Swisher to play 1B.

 

Give it time. We haven't seen 3 or 4 years of Swisher sucking at baseball first-hand. Also, "some walks" is 64 for Swish vs. 12 for Uribe. That's a huge difference. Uribe has 35 steals and 31 CS, so he's pretty awful at that. Uribe is at least above-average with the glove. Swisher doesn't have that going for him, so if his current production continues into next season I guarantee you'll see some hate for him.

 

I think Konerko and Thome get criticized more because we expect them (and pay them) to produce at a higher level. Nobody should expect Swisher to be batting .300 with 40 HR's.

Edited July 29, 2008 by StrangeSox

[Jimbo's Drinker]

I think Swisher is out of position and its taking away from his batting. Put him at 1st base and good things may happen.

[The Ginger Kid]

I think Swisher is out of position and its taking away from his batting. Put him at 1st base and good things may happen.

i suspect that's what we'll see in August as PK grabs some pine and spells thome at DH.

[Kalapse]

Swisher has easily been the biggest disappointment on this team in my mind. He's been garbage for 3/4 of the year and when he has hit well it's really only been at home. He needs to get his f***ing ass out of his head because his crazy, loose, zany clubhouse guy routine is just annoying when he's not producing.

[maggsmaggs]

I think Swisher is out of position and its taking away from his batting. Put him at 1st base and good things may happen.

The difference between Paulie and Swish is that Swish at first base brings two tools to the game (defense and arm). Konerko nothing. Swish as a first baseman has great speed, Konerko still comes in last. Agree with Jimbo here that if Swish plays first, a position he is comfortable at and gold glove caliber, he is more valuable to the team. Konerko still sucks and Swish does not get a free pass, either, people rag him as well, but he can still field, walk and run.

Edited July 29, 2008 by maggsmaggs

[Frankensteiner]

He's been a huge bust. But with that said he has still hit better and fielded better than Konerko, so he's the team's best 1b by default, hence why people want him playing 1b right now. Plus he had a good month just one month ago. Konerko's last good month was sometime in 2007.

 

I don't really get your tactic of defending Konerko by slamming Swisher but whatever. They both suck right now, but it's pretty clear one doesn't nearly suck as hard.

 

And there's really not too many people defending Swisher from what I've read. The ones who are still probably think Vazquez is our best starter. I wouldn't really think too much of their opinions nor would I consider them a majority of the board.

 

 

[joejoesox]

Swisher has easily been the biggest disappointment on this team in my mind. He's been garbage for 3/4 of the year and when he has hit well it's really only been at home. He needs to get his f***ing ass out of his head because his crazy, loose, zany clubhouse guy routine is just annoying when he's not producing.

 

i'm not sure how it's possible to say Swisher has been a bigger disappointment than a guy he's currently outperforming (albeit, not all that much, but the numbers are there), that makes about 6 times as much money per year

 

something doesn't add up here.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Not really. Its some walks. Swisher has 6 career steals and bats 7th. Walks with your 8th and 9th batters coming up aren't as valuable as walks with the best hitters coming up, plus he plays an offensive position. His slugging pct. is virtually identical to Uribe's last year. His average is about the same. He strikes out even more. The board wanted Uribe released. The board obviously loves walks and wants Swisher to play 1B.

 

Why do you keep acting like the walks only mean something if you have speed? Swish is hardly ideal, but he's still 1000 times better than Konerko, and the difference is we only have a replacement for one of them. That's why all the hate is going towards Paulie now. Swish still does at least one thing well, unlike Paulie. That one thing is getting on base, which does mean a lot whether you like it or not. His walks have at least led him to score a pretty good 13 runs so far this month. And I believe he is borderline top 20 in the AL in runs scored. Simply getting on base will do wonders for you. That said he still needs to pick up his play elsewhere.

[StrangeSox]

Why do you keep acting like the walks only mean something if you have speed? Swish is hardly ideal, but he's still 1000 times better than Konerko, and the difference is we only have a replacement for one of them. That's why all the hate is going towards Paulie now. Swish still does at least one thing well, unlike Paulie. That one thing is getting on base, which does mean a lot whether you like it or not. His walks have at least led him to score a pretty good 13 runs so far this month. And I believe he is borderline top 20 in the AL in runs scored. Simply getting on base will do wonders for you. That said he still needs to pick up his play elsewhere.

 

Especially when ~50% of your runs come off of HR's. No need to steal 2nd in that case.

 

[Kalapse]

This season:

 

as 1B: .220/.341/.394/.735 in 133 PA

as CF: .243/.368/.416/.784 in 223 PA

 

2007:

 

as 1B: .261/.415/.455/.870 in 171 PA

as CF: .261/.370/.479/.849 in 255 PA

as RF: .254/.368/.393/.761 in 209 PA

 

2006:

 

as 1B: .238/.340/.416/.756 in 335 PA

as LF: .271/.401/.579/.980 in 331 PA

 

Where's the correlation? The numbers say it's bulls***, he played more games in CF than anywhere else last year and it didn't seem to f*** him up at the plate. His numbers are also better when playing CF than 1B this season and he was AWFUL as a 1B in 2006. I'm not buying the "out of position" argument one bit.

[Kalapse]

i'm not sure how it's possible to say Swisher has been a bigger disappointment than a guy he's currently outperforming (albeit, not all that much, but the numbers are there), that makes about 6 times as much money per year

 

something doesn't add up here.

I had higher expectations for Swisher than Konerko this season. It's all about your personally expectations.

[That funky motion]

I heard on the radio that Swish will be benched tonight.

[NorthSideSox72]

I heard on the radio that Swish will be benched tonight.

That should give him a chance to go find his glove in those CF seats.

 

[Dick Allen]

This wasn't meant to be a Konerko VS. Swisher thread, I just can't understand how this guy' s*** doesn't stink. At least Paulie has an injury excuse and the excuse some think he's old.

[NorthSideSox72]

This wasn't meant to be a Konerko VS. Swisher thread, I just can't understand how this guy' s*** doesn't stink. At least Paulie has an injury excuse and the excuse some think he's old.

Just curious, but, who says his s*** doesn't stink? The only real positives people have been saying for him are his ability to get on base, his defense at 1B, and the attitude he brings to the clubhouse. I think those are all true positives for him. I think everyone is disappointed in his hitting.

 

[lostfan]

This wasn't meant to be a Konerko VS. Swisher thread, I just can't understand how this guy' s*** doesn't stink. At least Paulie has an injury excuse and the excuse some think he's old.

It only seems that way to you because you insist on bringing Swisher up to bash him when someone is bashing Konerko or Uribe for their extended periods of sub .200 batting averages and refuse to ever give it a rest.

[Harry Chappas]

Funny thing is that Uribe is a GG caliber player at the most important position on the team. His third base defense would be GG without a doubt.

 

If you don't sing and dance and unnecessarily run into walls, forget about you.

 

Anderson and Uribe add more to a team but because the press isn't blowing them, they get no respect at all. If Anderson was given the opportunity that Swisher has this season, the Sox would be a better team but the commercials and dugout highlites wouldn't be all that entertaining. s*** Reed Johnson is a poor man's Brian Anderson and he is loved by the cubbie nation...I know the stats don't show this but given the opportunity, Anderson would be.

 

Christ, Jermaine needs to put MVP stats to get any type of recognition yet he has been one of the better hitting outfielders in the game while he has been here and possibly could be the most unappreciated Sox player in history or at least since Dick Allen or Albert Belle and no I am not joking.

 

Where is the Greg Walker / Jim Thome love in regard to a new appraoch to going the opposite way. In the 8th inning Sunday he adjusted his swing to go to left and drove in two runs because of it, yet no new thread praising this. Thome needed to adjust and he has, now Swisher and Konerko need to do something. Thome understands what he needs to do and appears to be doing it unfortuately there is nobody behind him until they get to Ramirez. Why and the hell he is still batting 9th is beyond me.

 

 

 

 

[Dick Allen]

It only seems that way to you because you insist on bringing Swisher up to bash him when someone is bashing Konerko or Uribe for their extended periods of sub .200 batting averages and refuse to ever give it a rest.

No. I just don't understand the inconsistency. Thome was still getting on base when he was struggling. Go back and see what was written about him. Paulie gets bashed. Uribe has been written about needing to be released for years. Crede has started to get lambasted lately. Swisher has 0 hits on this roadtrip and a few strikeouts with men on base.

[NorthSideSox72]

Funny thing is that Uribe is a GG caliber player at the most important position on the team. His third base defense would be GG without a doubt.

 

If you don't sing and dance and unnecessarily run into walls, forget about you.

 

Anderson and Uribe add more to a team but because the press isn't blowing them, they get no respect at all. If Anderson was given the opportunity that Swisher has this season, the Sox would be a better team but the commercials and dugout highlites wouldn't be all that entertaining. s*** Reed Johnson is a poor man's Brian Anderson and he is loved by the cubbie nation...I know the stats don't show this but given the opportunity, Anderson would be.

 

Christ, Jermaine needs to put MVP stats to get any type of recognition yet he has been one of the better hitting outfielders in the game while he has been here and possibly could be the most unappreciated Sox player in history or at least since Dick Allen or Albert Belle and no I am not joking.

 

Where is the Greg Walker / Jim Thome love in regard to a new appraoch to going the opposite way. In the 8th inning Sunday he adjusted his swing to go to left and drove in two runs because of it, yet no new thread praising this. Thome needed to adjust and he has, now Swisher and Konerko need to do something. Thome understands what he needs to do and appears to be doing it unfortuately there is nobody behind him until they get to Ramirez. Why and the hell he is still batting 9th is beyond me.

And this is now, officially, the rant thread.

 

Anyway, I think you are overstating Anderson's value a good bit.