Special thread dedicated to shots at Wise

[T R U]

I guess im gonna be the one to say give Wise a break.

 

He had a good spring and weve played ONE game. Yeah, he sucked ass, but he has been thrown into starting CFer and leadoff man and ide imagine its a lot of pressure on him.

 

If he is continually garbage (Which I know there is a 99% chance he will be.) then you know they are going to make a move anyways. But come on, there shouldn't be people calling for his head after one game.

[IlliniKrush]

I already feel bad for Wise. It's like Mackowiak all over again. It's not his fault he was put in CF, even though he couldn't play it. He did his best out there and played pretty much as well as expected.

 

If Wise performs essentially like he has in the past, at a minor league level of play, then you really can't get mad at him. What sense would that make?

 

Too many people will yell stupid s*** at Wise, but that's wrong.

 

Blame the GM (or manager for putting him leadoff), not the player.

Edited April 8, 2009 by IlliniKrush

[bmags]

Seriously, it's not like this guy is making millions.

 

edit: this reads somewhat sarcastic when it shouldn't. Wise is not an unlikeable character guy, the team likes him, he just is a s***ty player. This isn't royce clayton combo.

Edited April 8, 2009 by bmags

[DukeNukeEm]

Wise is going to go 4/4 with 2 2B a HR and a SB tomorrow. Book it.

[T R U]

Wise is going to go 4/4 with 2 2B a HR and a SB tomorrow. Book it.

 

If he does I am sure there will be a line of people ready to complain instead of praise

[dmbjeff]

If he does I am sure there will be a line of people ready to complain instead of praise

 

If they complain it would be for the sub par D and not getting to a gapper that BA could of gotten to. Resulting in a loss.

 

In all seriousness he shouldn't be on the roster, period. He should be AAA fodder at best like last season and come up to fill in at backup roles or in the event of injuries. BA should be the one given a shot due to his excellent D and his pedigree. Give him a chance to prove why he was a high draft pick. Let him breakout, let him become this years Ryan Ludwick. In time, Wise will be gone. And if he proves us all wrong and he can breakout and be a productive MAJOR LEAGUE player, not a minor league one, then great and I and everyone else here will eat crow.

[caulfield12]

WHITE SOX IN BRIEF: Ozzie being patient with Wise, but Getz looks up to the job

Recommend Comments

 

April 8, 2009

BY JOE COWLEY AND TONI GINNETTI [email protected] [email protected]

The White Sox' leadoff role goes to Dewayne Wise -- for now. In manager Ozzie Guillen's mind, Chris Getz is ready if a change is necessary.

 

''I don't want to put [Wise] on the spot where he's like, 'Wow, I've got to do [something] right away or I'm out,''' Guillen said. ''I want to see how good his at-bats are, what kind of at-bats he's going to give us.

 

RELATED STORIES

SURPRISE, SURPRISE: SAME OLD WHITE SOX

''But Getz can lead off anytime easily. In the meantime, I don't want to just throw that kid in that situation.''

 

Wise went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Tuesday and failed to get down a sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning with Josh Fields at first. That was corrected when Getz singled and Jim Thome homered.

 

''Your teammates pick you up,'' Wise said, adding he wasn't surprised by boos from the crowd. ''Fans want you to do good. You have a bad game, they'll boo. It's part of the game.

 

''I didn't have a good game, but we won. Tomorrow could be a better day, and the crowd will be back on my side.''

 

General manager Ken Williams called Wise ''a fighter'' who fits the mold of players he likes to nurture. But Williams admitted the job stayed in house because of the lack of prototypical leadoff men available in trade.

 

''The easiest thing in the world is to say you have to go out and get a leadoff hitter ... who can hit .300 and get on base, steal 50 bases,'' Williams said. ''But when people are pressed to say where are you going to get that guy, it's 'Don't worry -- you just go get him.'

 

''Rest assured we've been aggressive and tried to get those guys. That's no slap on Dewayne. It's not a matter of price. There is no price. [Teams] don't even want to talk about [trading] those guys.''

 

 

Better option? Not surprisingly, Sox general manager Kenny Williams said he has looked around for a more established leadoff man than Dewayne Wise.

 

Williams said there are none to be found.

 

"The easiest thing in the world is to say you have to go out and get a leadoff hitter, get the prototypical guy who can hit you .300 and get on base at .370, steal 50 bases," Williams said. "But when people are pressed to say where are you going to get that guy it's, 'Don't worry about it; you just go get him.'

 

"I have to go back in the lab and create that guy. Rest assured, we have been looking for one, and aggressively. We've asked about them and tried to get them, and that's no slight on Dewayne. You can't create something that's not there, so you make do."

 

Williams said the White Sox have no interest in two expensive leadoff hitters that are supposedly available - the Dodgers' Juan Pierre and the Angels' Gary Matthews Jr.

 

"We weren't on those particular players at any price," Williams said. "I wouldn't say any price. It wasn't something we thought was a fit."

dailyherald.com

 

 

Edited April 8, 2009 by caulfield12

[lostfan]

If they complain it would be for the sub par D and not getting to a gapper that BA could of gotten to. Resulting in a loss.

 

In all seriousness he shouldn't be on the roster, period. He should be AAA fodder at best like last season and come up to fill in at backup roles or in the event of injuries. BA should be the one given a shot due to his excellent D and his pedigree. Give him a chance to prove why he was a high draft pick. Let him breakout, let him become this years Ryan Ludwick. In time, Wise will be gone. And if he proves us all wrong and he can breakout and be a productive MAJOR LEAGUE player, not a minor league one, then great and I and everyone else here will eat crow.

I don't mind Wise being on the roster at all. I had no problems when he was coming off the bench last year. It's that he really is not supposed to be starting, let alone leading off.

[Jimmywins1]

Wise is going to go 4/4 with 2 2B a HR and a SB tomorrow. Book it.

They sent him to AAA?

[striker]

We won so stop whining. I'd rather have Wise go 0-4 and win then go 4-4 and we lose. Do you own his baseball card and that's why you are worried about his stats?

[NorthSideSox72]

We won so stop whining. I'd rather have Wise go 0-4 and win then go 4-4 and we lose. Do you own his baseball card and that's why you are worried about his stats?

People are whining and worried because we have a guy who can't even hit well in the minors, starting in CF and LEADING OFF on an otherwise playoff caliber team.

 

[daa84]

We won so stop whining. I'd rather have Wise go 0-4 and win then go 4-4 and we lose. Do you own his baseball card and that's why you are worried about his stats?

no we are worried about him affecting the team in a negative fashion in the future, and with good reason....he has a career .254 obp...he was pretty bad last year at the plate, and is a bad CFer. He is projected to have a negative VORP. I think someone said his OPS+ was projected in the 40s or 50s. The guy isn't a good ballplayer and there is absolutely 0 reason for him to be leading off, let alone starting for a team that has division title aspirations. The fans were right to boo, as its as much of a message to ozzie and KW as it is to wise.

Edited April 8, 2009 by daa84

[Steve9347]

Dewayne Wise couldn't hit the side of a barn with his bat!

[BaseballNick]

I guess im gonna be the one to say give Wise a break.

 

He had a good spring and weve played ONE game. Yeah, he sucked ass, but he has been thrown into starting CFer and leadoff man and ide imagine its a lot of pressure on him.

 

If he is continually garbage (Which I know there is a 99% chance he will be.) then you know they are going to make a move anyways. But come on, there shouldn't be people calling for his head after one game.

 

It's not just one game. It was all spring where he drew ZERO walks and proved he wasn't a capable leadoff hitter. When I booed yesterday, it wasn't directed at Wise, who I know was busting his butt, but instead it was directed at Kenny and Ozzie. Kenny for letting it get to this point, and Ozzie for being so blind in ST, yet still hitting Wise leadoff. Wise is a 4th or 5th OF, not a starter, and definitely not a leadoff hitter. It's baseball suicide to grant the most plate appearances to your worst offensive player.

[kapkomet]

It's not just one game. It was all spring where he drew ZERO walks and proved he wasn't a capable leadoff hitter. When I booed yesterday, it wasn't directed at Wise, who I know was busting his butt, but instead it was directed at Kenny and Ozzie. Kenny for letting it get to this point, and Ozzie for being so blind in ST, yet still hitting Wise leadoff. Wise is a 4th or 5th OF, not a starter, and definitely not a leadoff hitter. It's baseball suicide to grant the most plate appearances to your worst offensive player.

And that right there is the money quote of the season.

[caulfield12]

Here's the problem...let's say Ozzie and KW do decide to stick Getz in the leadoff role and he doesn't respond well (like Swisher, who was a veteran player) and he ends up having his whole season ruined. I mean, it's not like having AJ hit 2nd or Cabrera leading off last year were optimal choices, either.

 

Now it's not like Getz is our best prospect, but everyone would be calling for Ozzie's and KW's head if he ended up messed up like BA in 2006, right?

 

It's just as logical to say we should bring up Beckham (he of the most supreme confidence of any player in our organization, majors and minors) and stick him in the leadoff spot, right? I mean, how can one of the Top Ten prospects in all of baseball, and someone who claims he wants to be the "Derek Jeter of the White Sox," not be ready?

 

If anything, Ozzie is showing a willingness to sacrifice a pawn on the chessboard for the good of the team, just like he sacrificed Boone Logan last year.

 

I can just see the outrage if Getz (who has gone to Ozzie and volunteered to lead off) went into the tank...KW would get vilified even more.

 

 

 

[DABearSoX]

Quite honestly, I could give a crap about people booing...Kenny and Oz know it's on their shoulders....if you have to hurt a minor league baseball players feelings who is making more money than you so be it....i wont lose any sleep...

[103 mph screwball]

It bothers me to hear him booed on opening day. Give him a chance. I realize the fans are not booing him as much as they are booing the decision to start him and have him lead off. He should not be leading off. I think Anderson should start because of superior D. I have no problem with him off the bench and I think the Wise hate should be directed at Ozzie who I think is misusing him.

[caulfield12]

But if you say you are misusing Wise, then that means that the only way NOT to do that would be 1) to play Anderson everyday and bat him 9th and 2) to leadoff with Getz against righties and lefties.

 

So wouldn't, by definition, that be also "misusing" both of those guys as well?

 

What could Ozzie do that wouldn't be bad with the options he has? Do you really want him to move Ramirez to CF and bring up Beckham to play SS and lead off, today?

[Balta1701]

It bothers me to hear him booed on opening day. Give him a chance. I realize the fans are not booing him as much as they are booing the decision to start him and have him lead off.

He struck out 3 times and then couldn't get the bunt down in a key situation after the 9th place hitter got down a perfect bunt. If you're going to be one of those grinder types, you at least need to get the bunt down there.

[SoxFan562004]

It's not just one game. It was all spring where he drew ZERO walks and proved he wasn't a capable leadoff hitter. When I booed yesterday, it wasn't directed at Wise, who I know was busting his butt, but instead it was directed at Kenny and Ozzie. Kenny for letting it get to this point, and Ozzie for being so blind in ST, yet still hitting Wise leadoff. Wise is a 4th or 5th OF, not a starter, and definitely not a leadoff hitter. It's baseball suicide to grant the most plate appearances to your worst offensive player.

It's also many years of him being in pro ball and not being very good.

 

Someone compared it to Mack and how Wise has no control. I do understand that point of view, but as a fan I want KW and the org to know that it's not acceptable to have his caliber of player starting in CF and batting leadoff. Do I think KW is thrilled with the situation? No absolutely not, but he still needs to hear it from the fans.

[YASNY]

Here's the problem...let's say Ozzie and KW do decide to stick Getz in the leadoff role and he doesn't respond well (like Swisher, who was a veteran player) and he ends up having his whole season ruined. I mean, it's not like having AJ hit 2nd or Cabrera leading off last year were optimal choices, either.

 

Now it's not like Getz is our best prospect, but everyone would be calling for Ozzie's and KW's head if he ended up messed up like BA in 2006, right?

 

It's just as logical to say we should bring up Beckham (he of the most supreme confidence of any player in our organization, majors and minors) and stick him in the leadoff spot, right? I mean, how can one of the Top Ten prospects in all of baseball, and someone who claims he wants to be the "Derek Jeter of the White Sox," not be ready?

 

If anything, Ozzie is showing a willingness to sacrifice a pawn on the chessboard for the good of the team, just like he sacrificed Boone Logan last year.

 

I can just see the outrage if Getz (who has gone to Ozzie and volunteered to lead off) went into the tank...KW would get vilified even more.

 

Why would you want to risk messing up Beckham, whose had what all of what 20 pro games in his career? Getz has paid his dues in the minors and deserves his shot.

[caulfield12]

So if Getz were to flop in the leadoff spot and have to go back down to the minors, who would be blamed?

 

Everyone blames Ozzie and Walker for Anderson's 2006 season and not Brian himself...so I am just curious?

[kwolf68]

Getz is a PERFECT #2 hitter. Why move him? He would be a decent leadoff hitter, certainly better than Wise, but we have us a LEGIT #2 hitter...I don't see a #2 hitter on this team other than him.

 

If we move Getz to the 1hole, we have a fair upgrade at the 1 spot, but a downgrade at the 2 spot. LEAVE GETZ ALONE. If we need a leadoff hitter, then find one, but don't move Getz there.

[YASNY]

So if Getz were to flop in the leadoff spot and have to go back down to the minors, who would be blamed?

 

Everyone blames Ozzie and Walker for Anderson's 2006 season and not Brian himself...so I am just curious?

 

If we screw up the highest draft pick we've had in 15 plus years, who would be blamed? Getz has earned this shot. He was come through the system and as I said, paid his dues. He makes it or he doesn't. I think he makes it, he looks like a ballplayer to me.