Sox on Plan D in CF

[southsider2k5]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-sox24.article

 

Sox looking at Plan D in CF

 

March 24, 2009

BY JOE COWLEY [email protected]

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The goal for each of the White Sox' three center-field candidates was simple: Come into camp and force the team to take notice.

 

General manager Ken Williams has taken notice. He has noticed there might not be a center fielder or leadoff hitter in the organization, so he left camp for a few days last week on a scouting venture to look for a leadoff prospect the Sox could draft in June.

 

White Sox's Brian Anderson has been hitting .261 with three home runs. Could the team pick him to be at center-field.

(AP)

 

 

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Three men out

Here's a look at the White Sox' three center-field candidates:

BRIAN ANDERSON

 

Age: 27.

 

Bats/throws: Right.

 

A recent surge by the former first-round pick has Anderson hitting .261 with three home runs. While he is the best defensive option, if Anderson wins the job, that won't answer the leadoff problem. He could platoon against left-handed pitchers.

JERRY OWENS

 

Age: 28.

 

Bats/throws: Left.

 

Owens has the most speed of the three, but that doesn't mean he's the best base stealer. He has had better at-bats in the last five games, but is hitting .208. That he is out of options works in his favor. The Sox likely would lose him if he doesn't make the 25-man roster.

DEWAYNE WISE

 

Age: 31.

 

Bats/throws: Left.

 

Ozzie Guillen turned to Wise in crunch time last fall, and he delivered. Wise has speed and an ability to drive the ball, and his spring numbers (.282, one homer) are the most impressive of the three. He's the slight leader in this race.

 

Manager Ozzie Guillen has taken notice, too. He has noticed that with less than two weeks left until Opening Day, the center-field job is up for grabs and the competition has been nothing short of ''disappointing.''

 

That's not exactly the kind of notice Jerry Owens, Dewayne Wise and Brian Anderson were hoping to serve.

 

''It's been real disappointing so far,'' Guillen said. ''Because I think we have the talent in center field. We are all sitting in the meetings, asking the same questions: When is someone going to step it up and make it easy for us? Make it easy for the organization, make it easy for Kenny, make it easy for the ballclub.

 

''Right now, I don't think anyone out there ... they have played better the last few weeks, but I expect more from them.''

 

Not only have the three left a gaping hole in Guillen's lineup card, but they also have forced Williams to start exploring the trade route. The problem is the Sox are about at the ceiling of their self-imposed salary cap.

 

The Dodgers' Juan Pierre is available, but even if the Sox thought he could help -- which they don't -- Los Angeles would have to eat a good portion of his salary. The Chone Figgins dream came and went in the offseason, as did attempts at Brian Roberts and Coco Crisp.

 

The other scenario is looking through the heap of veteran free agents who peaked when MTV still played music videos. That means you, Kenny Lofton.

 

Williams has told Guillen there is no one available better than what the Sox already have. Not yet, at least.

 

''I want more from them,'' Guillen said. ''I want somebody to make this organization open [its] eyes and not have to think about that position for at least a couple of years.''

 

For someone to do that, he will have to put on quite a show with 12 Cactus League games remaining.

 

Wise was the leader about 10 days ago, then hit a wall. He finally reappeared in a victory over Oakland on Sunday, when he came off the bench and got a hit, stole two bases and scored after forcing a bad throw while stealing third.

 

Maybe Guillen saying last week that third baseman Josh Fields would get a look in the leadoff spot, then starting Anderson there in back-to-back games was a wake-up call.

 

''To a certain extent, yeah,'' Wise said, ''but the three of us, we're not having what you would call a great spring. There were times that I've been hot. B.A. has been swinging a hot bat lately, and same with J.O., but no one has done it consistently enough to ease their minds. We have to keep fighting, playing hard and change that.''

 

Of the three, Anderson is in the best position. Guillen said Sunday that Anderson is on the Opening Day roster as of now, but that doesn't mean he's a starter. He's the best defensive player of the three and bats right-handed, but he doesn't appear to answer the leadoff problem.

 

Owens would, and he re-emphasized why Sunday. The speedster drew three walks, scored three times and had two stolen bases. But hitting .208 in Cactus League play isn't anything to get excited about.

 

''I don't blame them for saying what they've been saying,'' Owens said. ''They came into this camp looking for someone to grab that job, and I know that I haven't done enough.

 

''I've been working hard every day, working on a few things with my swing. I'm trying to do enough to get back in the discussion. We have two weeks left in spring, and I'm looking to change minds.''

 

Wise and Owens realize that if Anderson has all but made the team, one of them will be out of luck.

 

''The players have to understand how hard it is on us when we make plans, all of a sudden those plans don't go and then we have to try and go to Plan B or Plan C,'' Guillen said. ''Right now, they're playing a little better, but I'm not crazy about it. Hopefully, with the two weeks we have left, someone changes my mind.''

[JorgeFabregas]

Not that spring training stats should be given the amount of weight that they are getting in this race, but saying that Dewayne Wise has better spring numbers is questionable at best:

http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_s...amp;compare.y=1

Edited March 24, 2009 by JorgeFabregas

[lostfan]

Ok, another obligatory comment since Cowley keeps repeating this non-fact over and over again: Wise did not deliver last fall. Unless one home run in a game the Sox lost in the playoffs abrogates the entire month of September.

[daa84]

1.) god I hope KW isnt really looking to draft a leadoff hitter because we don't currently have one...take the best player available

2.) this article really pisses me off. The organization, specifically ozzie, seems upset that "nobody is making the organization open its eyes." This whole f***ing problem is the fault of the organization from the GM down to the manager. The manager ran a capable CF out of town for who knows why, and the GM didn't address the gaping hole that has been there all offseason. We've thrown s*** out there in CF and have expected something better. Doesn't happen like that. I still love KW and ozzie, but im just really sour about the CF spot, because we ran a guy off without having a reasonable in house replacement or going out to get a new one. at 3rd and 2nd we at least had options. The more I think about it, the more I really think the white sox thought Jerry Owens was going to come out and win the CF job, which is just mindblowingly stupid. Now i just pray to god that Ozzie doesn't make a bad situation worse by playing Owens or Wise instead of Anderson. For KW to just now be noticing that "there might not be a center fielder or leadoff hitter in the organization" is inexcusable, and i hope to god hes not letting that problem cloud his draft decisions.

 

''The players have to understand how hard it is on us when we make plans, all of a sudden those plans don't go and then we have to try and go to Plan B or Plan C,''

boo f***ing hoo ozzie....nobody is going to feel bad for how hard it is on you when you make s***ty plans in the first place. I dont blame the players who haven't performed, in this case I blame the people who actually expected those players to preform, when it has become abundantly clear (at least in the case of Wise and Owens...i still have the smallest bit of hope for brian) that those players aren't the answer.

 

end rant

Edited March 24, 2009 by daa84

[jphat007]

Swisher sucks - hehe

[NorthSideSox72]

This desperation makes me ask, again, if Kroeger has played some CF (which he has, in the minors), and they are so desperate for something... why not give him a couple games out there? And why the hell was Cook not even invited to camp, when he has played a lot out there as well?

 

Confuses me.

 

 

 

[ThunderBolt]

Isn't Jordan Danks our CF playing, leadoff hitting prospect? Unproven, yes, but so will be the next guy we draft.

[Steve9347]

General manager Ken Williams has taken notice. He has noticed there might not be a center fielder or leadoff hitter in the organization, so he left camp for a few days last week on a scouting venture to look for a leadoff prospect the Sox could draft in June.

 

Because that helps us SO MUCH right now!

 

Seriously, I love Kenny, and he's done a lot, but going this long without answering CF/leadoff is inexcusable.

[ThunderBolt]

This desperation makes me ask, again, if Kroeger has played some CF (which he has, in the minors), and they are so desperate for something... why not give him a couple games out there? And why the hell was Cook not even invited to camp, when he has played a lot out there as well?

 

Confuses me.

Absolutely. Kroeger can hit and can play a good Center Field. It’s ludicrous that we haven’t tested him out there.

[NorthSideSox72]

It amazes me how much the leadoff thing has been overblown as an issue. This player will hit first once a game, and after that its all random. And if you dictate your roster by hitting slot, you artificially limit your ability to get the best players all over the field.

 

Put together a roster of the best talent you can get, then order your lineup.

 

The problem is not leadoff - its the actual position on the field, which they call CENTER FIELD. The guy who anchors the outfield, and who hits 3 or 4 or 5 times a game. Just put in the best overall guy, then put together your order.

 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

What's not impressive about BA's 5 assists already ? You can pick apart the AB's because of the pitchers they face but you can't do that when you throw out runners trying to take extra bases. Not only that but I'm pretty sure three of the assists were outs at home. The Sox may very well have close to the worst defense in the AL. They need BA in CF more than they need a half-assed leadoff hitter.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Just see what the Braves want for Josh Anderson and dump Wise and Owens. Platoon both Andersons and you have 2 + defenders and Josh Anderson has more speed than Owens and Wise and is a way better fielder than either.

[RockRaines]

This desperation makes me ask, again, if Kroeger has played some CF (which he has, in the minors), and they are so desperate for something... why not give him a couple games out there? And why the hell was Cook not even invited to camp, when he has played a lot out there as well?

 

Confuses me.

He's not good on D apparently. The kid is good enough to his consistently over several seasons, but hasnt made the jump because he has no position.

[daa84]

Because that helps us SO MUCH right now!

 

Seriously, I love Kenny, and he's done a lot, but going this long without answering CF/leadoff is inexcusable.

i have to assume that KW went to look at a player in the draft that would be a CF/leadoff hitter, and that Cowley took some journalistic liberties and spun that to make it sound as if KW is going in search of this kid because of the problem we have there now. I hope (and frankly believe) that KW is smart enough to look at the two independently of one another.

[ThunderBolt]

I'd love to have Josh Anderson on this team. Barring him, we could have a guy like Cody Ross hit 265 with 25-30 homeruns and play a decent center.

Edited March 24, 2009 by Thunderbolt

[RockRaines]

What's not impressive about BA's 5 assists already ? You can pick apart the AB's because of the pitchers they face but you can't do that when you throw out runners trying to take extra bases. Not only that but I'm pretty sure three of the assists were outs at home. The Sox may very well have close to the worst defense in the AL. They need BA in CF more than they need a half-assed leadoff hitter.

Its pretty easy if they would just slide Alexei and Getz up to the top and plug in BA in the 9-hole for defense, speed and occassional power. THATS the best team we could put on the field right now.

 

And I hate this myself because I like him producing RBI's but its for the good of the team IMO.

 

VS LHP

 

1. Alexei SS

2. Getz 2B

3. Quentin LF

4. Thome DH

5. Dye RF

6. Konerko 1B

7. AJP C

8. Fields 3B

9. BA CF

 

Vs RHP

1. Getz 2B

2. Alexei SS

3. Thome DH

4. Quentin LF

5. Dye RF

6. Konerko 1B

7. AJP C

8. Fields 3B

9. BA CF

Edited March 24, 2009 by RockRaines

[Wanne]

Pretty much in full agreement with NorthSide and Cali. It's gotta be BA's job to lose IMO. Bat Getz leadoff and let's move on and put this thing to rest. BA is obviously the superior defender out there...plus...when has the guy HONESTLY been given a shot with consistant innings and abs since he was pretty much tossed to the wolves after Rowand was dealt his rookie year?

[NorthSideSox72]

He's not good on D apparently. The kid is good enough to his consistently over several seasons, but hasnt made the jump because he has no position.

I'm willing to believe that, but, I have seen nothing so far about his defense other than the games this spring. He looked competent in corner OF to me (VERY small sample size), and 1B isn't his natural position so I don't care much what he does there. He has played all three OF positions in the minors, so, someone thought he could man the position.

 

Does anyone have any good info on Kroeger's defensive abilities?

 

[RockRaines]

Pretty much in full agreement with NorthSide and Cali. It's gotta be BA's job to lose IMO. Bat Getz leadoff and let's move on and put this thing to rest. BA is obviously the superior defender out there...plus...when has the guy HONESTLY been given a shot with consistant innings and abs since he was pretty much tossed to the wolves after Rowand was dealt his rookie year?

BA is the best player now and has the highest ceiling. It should be a no-brainer. Bat the kid 9th and play him everyday.

[daa84]

I'm willing to believe that, but, I have seen nothing so far about his defense other than the games this spring. He looked competent in corner OF to me (VERY small sample size), and 1B isn't his natural position so I don't care much what he does there. He has played all three OF positions in the minors, so, someone thought he could man the position.

 

Does anyone have any good info on Kroeger's defensive abilities?

kroeger hasn't played CF with any consistency since 2005....in 05 he played 50 games in CF and since then he played 0 games there in 06, 4 games in 07 and 2 games in 08...

 

like you, i was hopeful he could play CF, but judging by the fact that he hasn't played there in 4 years, and the fact that he hasnt played there this spring, despite the team having a glaring hole, while he was hitting well...i doubt he actually can play CF

[Dick Allen]

It amazes me how much the leadoff thing has been overblown as an issue. This player will hit first once a game, and after that its all random. And if you dictate your roster by hitting slot, you artificially limit your ability to get the best players all over the field.

 

Put together a roster of the best talent you can get, then order your lineup.

 

The problem is not leadoff - its the actual position on the field, which they call CENTER FIELD. The guy who anchors the outfield, and who hits 3 or 4 or 5 times a game. Just put in the best overall guy, then put together your order.

I want the guy guaranteed to come up to the plate the most, to be a guy who can get on base at a high clip and get himself in scoring position for the power. A leadoff hitter is very important for those 2 reasons, at the very least.

[RockRaines]

I want the guy guaranteed to come up to the plate the most, to be a guy who can get on base at a high clip and get himself in scoring position for the power. A leadoff hitter is very important for those 2 reasons, at the very least.

I'm willing to sacrafice OBP for a hitter who can see alot of pitches and have a little power to be dangerous to start off a game.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Pretty much in full agreement with NorthSide and Cali. It's gotta be BA's job to lose IMO. Bat Getz leadoff and let's move on and put this thing to rest. BA is obviously the superior defender out there...plus...when has the guy HONESTLY been given a shot with consistant innings and abs since he was pretty much tossed to the wolves after Rowand was dealt his rookie year?

If you compare Josh Anderson and Brian Anderson since they've been drafted you will see Josh has more than 2000 more AB's than Brian because he's been playing every day in the minors. That's a lot of AB's for Brian to lose over the course of 4/5 years. Being a good defender possibly has hindered Brian's maturation as a hitter just because his D is good enough to be a reserve in the majors but he didn't get the AB's he would've had he been in the minors. Brian could've used those extra 2000 AB's to develop as a hitter.

[NorthSideSox72]

I want the guy guaranteed to come up to the plate the most, to be a guy who can get on base at a high clip and get himself in scoring position for the power. A leadoff hitter is very important for those 2 reasons, at the very least.

Sure, and you should arrange your lineup accordingly. I'm saying, don't take the qualities you think make a leadoff hitter (which should be OBP at the least, but speed is big for these guys apparently), and limit yourself that way. Its artificially narrowing your choices. Go out and get the best overall guys at all positions, then arrange your lineup with high OBP guys (ideally with some speed) at the front, big boppers in the middle, the rest in the back.

 

I just think that this search for a leadoff guy who happens to play CF is logically backwards and likely to get bad results.

 

[ThunderBolt]

The reason Kroeger has yet to play CF in the major leagues is because ever team he was on previously had a log-jam there. The D-Backs had Steve Finley, Danny Bautista then Chris Young, the Cubs had Jacque Jones, Felix Pie and Fukudome.