Position battles according the ST

[SouthsideDon48]

DISCLAIMER: I know it's only been a week and things will change but lets play manager for a minute.

 

So far this spring I'm impressed by Nix and Lillibridge, shot at making this team, Beckham and Vieciedo probably won't but equally impressive.

 

Lineups as I see them right now:

 

Starters:

 

Owens CF

Nix 2B

Quentin LF

Dye RF

Thome DH

Paulie 1B

AJP C

Alexei SS

Fields 3B

 

Bench:

Betemit - 1B/3B Utility man

Lillibridge - 2B/SS PR/Utility man

Miller/Stewart/Armstrong - didn't see enough of them to make a choice for a backup catcher

Anderson - OF

 

OR:

 

Lillibridge 2B

AJP C

Quentin LF

Dye RF

Thome DH

Paulie 1B

Alexei SS

Fields 3B

Anderson CF

 

Bench:

Betemit - 1B/3B Utility Man

Nix - 2B

Owens - OF

Miller/Stewart/Armstrong - see above

 

Either way I hope Getz can turn it around and battle it out with Nix for the place on the 25man roster. I really want Lillibridge in the majors, I don't want Owens near the team but probably not gonna happen.

 

Beckham and Viciedo to the minors, learn 2B and 1B respectively and have a shot at next years starting lineup.

 

Let me see what you guys have in mind so far.

 

I'll play

 

Here's what I kinda see... and what I would do if I was Ozzie...

 

CF: Owens (someone's gotta be lead-off)

2B: Getz

LF: Quentin

RF: Dye

DH: Thome

1B: Konerko

SS: Alexei

C: AJ

3B: Fields

 

Bench:

Wilson Betemit: 3B, SS, 2B, 1B

Dewayne Wise: LF, CF, RF

Jayson Nix: 2B

Backup Catcher: leaning towards Corky Miller or Stewart.

 

 

I'd send Brian Anderson and Brent Lillibridge to Triple-A. I think Lillibridge needs to work on improving that .200 average. And I'd send Anderson back down because he had his chance in 2006 and all he's really good for is as a late-inning defensive replacement, I'd rather have more late-inning pinch-hit home runs by Wise. If the Sox can't score late in the game, then I'd rather see them switch out Owens for Wise instead of Owens for Anderson. Plus, I don't think Anderson and Owens should be on the same team together, that's too much of a bad thing, and since Owens can lead-off, despite being mediocre, Anderson should go to AAA.

 

I'd also keep a close eye on Viciedo, and if he RAKES in the minors, then he's gonna be on the major league club no matter what.

 

Starters:

1. MB

2. Floyd

3. Danks

4. Colon

5. Contreras

 

Bullpen:

Closer: Bobby Jenks

Set-up 1 (9th): Linebrink

Set-up 2 (8th): Thornton

Set-up 3 (7th): Dotel

Middle-Relief: Carrasco

Middle-Relief: ????????????

Long-Relief/Spot-Starter: Richard

 

I'm still not sure who I'd put in that last bullpen spot. I would rather see Aaron Poreda and Jeff Marquez start the year in AAA because I think Poreda should work on his secondary pitches and that Marquez should get regular playing time as a starter so he'd be ready to jump in the rotation in 2010. If I had to scramble to put someone in the bullpen in that last spot, then I would probably take a risk on either Link or Jimenez.

[caulfield12]

I'll play

 

Here's what I kinda see... and what I would do if I was Ozzie...

 

CF: Owens (someone's gotta be lead-off)

2B: Getz

LF: Quentin

RF: Dye

DH: Thome

1B: Konerko

SS: Alexei

C: AJ

3B: Fields

 

Bench:

Wilson Betemit: 3B, SS, 2B, 1B

Dewayne Wise: LF, CF, RF

Jayson Nix: 2B

Backup Catcher: leaning towards Corky Miller or Stewart.

 

 

I'd send Brian Anderson and Brent Lillibridge to Triple-A. I think Lillibridge needs to work on improving that .200 average. And I'd send Anderson back down because he had his chance in 2006 and all he's really good for is as a late-inning defensive replacement, I'd rather have more late-inning pinch-hit home runs by Wise. If the Sox can't score late in the game, then I'd rather see them switch out Owens for Wise instead of Owens for Anderson. Plus, I don't think Anderson and Owens should be on the same team together, that's too much of a bad thing, and since Owens can lead-off, despite being mediocre, Anderson should go to AAA.

 

I'd also keep a close eye on Viciedo, and if he RAKES in the minors, then he's gonna be on the major league club no matter what.

 

Starters:

1. MB

2. Floyd

3. Danks

4. Colon

5. Contreras

 

Bullpen:

Closer: Bobby Jenks

Set-up 1 (9th): Linebrink

Set-up 2 (8th): Thornton

Set-up 3 (7th): Dotel

Middle-Relief: Carrasco

Middle-Relief: ????????????

Long-Relief/Spot-Starter: Richard

 

I'm still not sure who I'd put in that last bullpen spot. I would rather see Aaron Poreda and Jeff Marquez start the year in AAA because I think Poreda should work on his secondary pitches and that Marquez should get regular playing time as a starter so he'd be ready to jump in the rotation in 2010. If I had to scramble to put someone in the bullpen in that last spot, then I would probably take a risk on either Link or Jimenez.

 

That's fine, but I wonder how many games we're going to be on the plus side in this equation with Wise playing in late innings defensively in CF? Sure, it's possible he would have more of an offensive impact than BA, but it's also probably we'd have some balls falling in out there with Jenks giving up more contact than previously...

 

We all remember some of Wise's bit hits in the 2nd half and his series in TB (like Clayton Richard), but I think if you look at his age and minor league numbers, you're going to be hard-pressed to argue he's really going to be tremendously better than BA. Yeah, I know he's more likely to get a stolen base or a "clutch" homer, but we already have Wise's speed on bench with Lillibridge making the team. Some think Wise might be turning some type of corner in his career, but he's 31 or 32 years old, it would be pretty amazing if he became a regular contributor at his age, but stranger things have happened.

 

[Kalapse]

I'll play

 

Here's what I kinda see... and what I would do if I was Ozzie...

 

CF: Owens (someone's gotta be lead-off)

2B: Getz

LF: Quentin

RF: Dye

DH: Thome

1B: Konerko

SS: Alexei

C: AJ

3B: Fields

 

Bench:

Wilson Betemit: 3B, SS, 2B, 1B

Dewayne Wise: LF, CF, RF

Jayson Nix: 2B

Backup Catcher: leaning towards Corky Miller or Stewart.

 

 

I'd send Brian Anderson and Brent Lillibridge to Triple-A. I think Lillibridge needs to work on improving that .200 average. And I'd send Anderson back down because he had his chance in 2006 and all he's really good for is as a late-inning defensive replacement, I'd rather have more late-inning pinch-hit home runs by Wise. If the Sox can't score late in the game, then I'd rather see them switch out Owens for Wise instead of Owens for Anderson. Plus, I don't think Anderson and Owens should be on the same team together, that's too much of a bad thing, and since Owens can lead-off, despite being mediocre, Anderson should go to AAA.

 

I'd also keep a close eye on Viciedo, and if he RAKES in the minors, then he's gonna be on the major league club no matter what.

 

Starters:

1. MB

2. Floyd

3. Danks

4. Colon

5. Contreras

 

Bullpen:

Closer: Bobby Jenks

Set-up 1 (9th): Linebrink

Set-up 2 (8th): Thornton

Set-up 3 (7th): Dotel

Middle-Relief: Carrasco

Middle-Relief: ????????????

Long-Relief/Spot-Starter: Richard

 

I'm still not sure who I'd put in that last bullpen spot. I would rather see Aaron Poreda and Jeff Marquez start the year in AAA because I think Poreda should work on his secondary pitches and that Marquez should get regular playing time as a starter so he'd be ready to jump in the rotation in 2010. If I had to scramble to put someone in the bullpen in that last spot, then I would probably take a risk on either Link or Jimenez.

None of the bolded portion makes sense. Dewayne Wise hit 1 pinch hit homerun last season and had nearly identical PH numbers to Brian (same OPS, same PA). So Dewayne Wise turns on a first pitch fastball from Kyle Farnsworth in the 8th inning of a tied September game against a last place team and it totally makes up for the fact that he's truly incapable of doing anything well on the ballfield? Yeah, that makes sense. Anderson has a disappointing season as a 24 year old and he's out of chances yet Dewayne Wise builds up a 12 year resume of failure and that counts for nothing. Aside from maybe being slightly faster (maybe) I can't think of a single thing Dewayne Wise does better than Brian Anderson, at least one of them can play competent defense. I'm befuddled I can't think of a single thing Wise does well and yet it looks like he has a decent shot at a major league starting job this season. He's 31 years old, he's sort of hit his peak.

 

Owens apparently possesses the necessary skills to be the leadoff hitter and beneficiary of the most PA on a contending American League club yet having him on the same roster as the AAA bound Anderson is "too much of a bad thing." I'm wondering what these skills that you and Bill Melton see in Owens that make him the most qualified leadoff hitter on the roster. I assume it's his volume SB ability. I say volume because I'm not convinced he's a skilled baserunner, when he somehow manages to get on base he's likely going to take off for 2nd but he's done nothing in the past that makes me believe he's going to make it to second more often than 75% of the time. Oh I know, he's the closest thing to a "prototypical leadoff hitter" that the Sox have, unfortunately the prototype blows. Sure he's a bad baseball player but he's fast and someone fast has to hit at the top of the order so lets give this s***ty baseball player an obscene number of plate appearances so he can lead the league in outs.

 

Oh if only Chris Getz could get hot and start tearing the cover off the ball during these meaningless March games and win himself a starting job. Stick him in the leadoff spot, hope he reaches a .350 OBP and fill centerfield with an above average defender. Centerfield is one of the most important defensive positions on the field, put 2 s***ty defenders in left and right (I'm looking at you Dye and Quentin) and suddenly it becomes even more important. The Sox aren't exactly littered with strikeout pitchers, they're going to rely on the defense behind them. They were already one of the worst defensive teams in baseball last season, now they've removed the only true strikeout pitcher from the rotation so that defense that looks to be even worse this year than it was last is going to get even more opportunities. Perhaps using the 2B position to fill the leadoff spot and plugging a great defensive player in the middle of the outfield could help make up for the 4 or 6 below average defenders the Sox are going to have to run out there this year. Sticking the puss armed bantam track star or the career minor league butcher in centerfield and adding another below average defender to the mix just because of a perceived need for a speedy douchebag in the leadoff spot is just epically retarded in my mind but what do I know, I'm a raving lunatic.

[ThunderBolt]

Lillibridge 2B

AJP C

Quentin LF

Dye RF

Thome DH

Paulie 1B

Alexei SS

Fields 3B

Anderson CF

You switch AJ and Alexei and that's my ideal lineup

[JPN366]

Getz can play more than second base. He played SS, 3B, 2B & LF in Charlotte last year. Cook can lead off. He has a patient enough approach at the plate to lead off.

[Milkman delivers]

None of the bolded portion makes sense. Dewayne Wise hit 1 pinch hit homerun last season and had nearly identical PH numbers to Brian (same OPS, same PA). So Dewayne Wise turns on a first pitch fastball from Kyle Farnsworth in the 8th inning of a tied September game against a last place team and it totally makes up for the fact that he's truly incapable of doing anything well on the ballfield? Yeah, that makes sense. Anderson has a disappointing season as a 24 year old and he's out of chances yet Dewayne Wise builds up a 12 year resume of failure and that counts for nothing. Aside from maybe being slightly faster (maybe) I can't think of a single thing Dewayne Wise does better than Brian Anderson, at least one of them can play competent defense. I'm befuddled I can't think of a single thing Wise does well and yet it looks like he has a decent shot at a major league starting job this season. He's 31 years old, he's sort of hit his peak.

 

Owens apparently possesses the necessary skills to be the leadoff hitter and beneficiary of the most PA on a contending American League club yet having him on the same roster as the AAA bound Anderson is "too much of a bad thing." I'm wondering what these skills that you and Bill Melton see in Owens that make him the most qualified leadoff hitter on the roster. I assume it's his volume SB ability. I say volume because I'm not convinced he's a skilled baserunner, when he somehow manages to get on base he's likely going to take off for 2nd but he's done nothing in the past that makes me believe he's going to make it to second more often than 75% of the time. Oh I know, he's the closest thing to a "prototypical leadoff hitter" that the Sox have, unfortunately the prototype blows. Sure he's a bad baseball player but he's fast and someone fast has to hit at the top of the order so lets give this s***ty baseball player and obscene number of plate appearances so he can lead the league in outs.

 

Oh if only Chris Getz could get hot and start tearing the cover off the ball during these meaningless March games and win himself a starting job. Stick him in the leadoff spot, hope he reaches a .350 OBP and fill centerfield with an above average defender. Centerfield is one of the most important defensive positions on the field, put 2 s***ty defenders in left and right (I'm looking at you Dye and Quentin) and suddenly it becomes even more important. The Sox aren't exactly littered with strikeout pitchers, they're going to rely on the defense behind them. The Sox were one of the worst defensive teams in baseball last season, now they've removed the only true strikeout pitcher from the rotation so that defense is going to get even more opportunities and the defense looks to be even worse than it was last year. Perhaps using the 2B position to fill the leadoff spot and plugging a great defensive player right in the middle of the outfield could help make up for the 4 or 6 below average defenders the Sox are going to have to run out there this year. Sticking the puss armed bantam track star or the career minor league butcher in centerfield and adding another below average defender to the mix just because of a perceived need for a speedy douchebag in the leadoff spot is just epically retarded in my mind but what do I know, I'm a raving lunatic.

 

Thank God you said all of this so I didn't have to. I honestly got mad reading the paragraph that you put in bold.