Alexei to stay at SS

[fathom]

Not to go all Caulfield on the site and start 2 new threads tonight, but looks like Ozzie went against Cora's decision to possibly move Alexei to CF for a game. I don't get the notion that Alexei can't play CF, as Getz is showing he can be a MLB 2nd baseman and Beckham's on the fast track to the majors. Someone on the Sox organization (possibly Ozzie) must see Alexei as a GG caliber SS or something.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,3824302.story

[SoxFan1]

The best thing to do right now is probably go completely radical.

 

C Pierzynski

1B Konerko

2B Getz

SS Beckham

3B Nix

LF Fields

CF Ramirez

RF Quentin

DH Dye

[caulfield12]

My main goal in life is to become an ubiquitous part of the vernacular around here...and, one day, even be used as a verb.

 

"Go all Caulfield" I like that. Thanks for advancing my cause of becoming part of the lexicon.

[Balta1701]

Alexei needs to start hitting again and quick. People are starting to beat down the door behind him.

[ThunderBolt]

Ozzie's being a bit too stubborn here. (suprise!) The Missle has played center before, he's been fine out there, if Nix deserves to start then you find a way to start him, the same goes to Alexei.

[caulfield12]

We've scored 0 or 1 run in 10 out of our 28 games. It's beyond pathetic. The weather's no longer an excuse.

 

This offense needs more benchings than just Alexei Ramirez.

[greg775]

Beckham's not coming up, so it's dumb to talk about him IMO. Like you said it might be best, but it isn't going to happen, just like firing Walker isn't an option. He got extended in the offseason and that means he's staying until Oz gets fired and that will happen someday. All managers get fired.

[fathom]

Beckham's not coming up, so it's dumb to talk about him IMO. Like you said it might be best, but it isn't going to happen, just like firing Walker isn't an option. He got extended in the offseason and that means he's staying until Oz gets fired and that will happen someday. All managers get fired.

 

Yes, he's not coming up in the next month or so, but why not try Alexei in CF so that when Beckham is coming up, you don't have to move one of them to 3rd base, etc? I would agree with Ozzie 100 percent if we didn't have anyone in our organization in the minors who could play SS (basically like the last 20 years before we drafted Beckham). BTW, Walker's extension hasn't been finalized.

Edited May 9, 2009 by fathom

[greg775]

I wouldn't be against Alexei in center, but BA is coming back soon anyway. I wouldn't mind what you say, though, since Beckham will play ss next year. What's the grand plan for Lexi anyway if he returned to the Lexi of old? Was he going to move back to second or ? when Beckham is here next year?

 

Lexi in 96 plate appearances has sucked big dog. 6 walks; 19 hits.

Edited May 9, 2009 by greg775

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

The best thing to do right now is probably go completely radical.

 

C Pierzynski

1B Konerko

2B Getz

SS Beckham

3B Nix

LF Fields

CF Ramirez

RF Quentin

DH Dye

We have to play Alexei somewhere simply off what he did last year, but if Nix and Getz both keep playing like they are we can hardly take them out of the lineup. But then again, as a BA fan I really liked the way he was playing before he got hurt, and I think it would be wise to keep him out there to see if he's for real and capable of becoming a .265-.270 hitter with an OBP at .330+. If he can do that then at the very least he'll become a nice trade chip if nothing else.

 

The only way I see us being able to accomplish those things is by trading Dye.

 

L Getz 2B

R Nix LF

R Quentin RF

L Thome DH

R Konerko 1B

R Fields 3B

L AJ C

R Ramirez SS

R Anderson CF

 

That's not too bad of a lineup and no matter what, that lineup would answer a lot of questions about young players in our lineup. I wouldn't imagine Nix as a LF long term, but putting him out there could help us decide who it is we trade in order to make room for Slayer.

[caulfield12]

With that line-up, we'd be hard-pressed to win 75 games.

 

So we might as well go all out and substitute Betemit for Thome, since Jim won't be around after next year, either.

[Heads22]

Teach Alexei how to play LF. When Thome is gone at the end of this year, move Dye to DH, CQ to RF, Alexei to LF (provided Anderson keeps it up in CF) and then you've got a spot open at Short for Beckham.

[Wanne]

Biggest thing that sticks out in my mind with this current lineup...FIELDS DOESN'T BELONG IN THE 2 HOLE!!! Goddamn....too much pressure on him.

[Heads22]

If we insist on playing Nix, it makes too much sense to have him and Getz at the top.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

If we insist on playing Nix, it makes too much sense to have him and Getz at the top.

 

 

Ideal lineup is so easy

 

getz

Nix/Ramirez when ready

TCQ

Thome

Dye

Kong

AJ

Fields

Centerielder flavor of the week.

[qwerty]

We've scored 0 or 1 run in 10 out of our 28 games. It's beyond pathetic. The weather's no longer an excuse.

 

This offense needs more benchings than just Alexei Ramirez.

 

I believe you mean 8 out of 28 games.

 

Please start getting your s*** right.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-ind...amp;team_id=CHW

 

With that line-up, we'd be hard-pressed to win 75 games.

 

So we might as well go all out and substitute Betemit for Thome, since Jim won't be around after next year, either.

 

Yes, because he suggested anything like that.

 

 

If dye gets moved the outfield will simply be ugly no matter who is run out there the remainder of the season.

 

Though i do not agree with him on nix in left, as he will be a much greater assest in the infield.

 

Nix has always been touted as a plus fielder, always.

 

Fields would of course be the logical choice to move to left.

 

He was far from bad out in left contrary to the 2 errors you will likely mention.

 

Historically third baseman are great to transit to a corner outfield due to there arm strength.

Edited May 9, 2009 by qwerty

[caulfield12]

Yes, next time I won't give a stat that one of your own Sox announcers/personnel gave, because obviously they are incorrect, too. Someone mentioned that statistic and I didn't take the time to look it up, so please have me shot. I am pretty sure nobody else has EVER said anything that's incorrect around here, too, as we are highly-compensated to be professional SoxTalk posters and aren't allowed to make any mistakes.

 

Half the things Bill Melton says are wrong, I hope you call up Beltin' Bill Melton as well....I'm sure you do. Of course, the overarching point is totally lost upon you.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/aggreg...amp;season=2009

Yay, we're now 12th in the AL in runs scored per game. Our offense thanks you for defending it.

 

Sure as hell the White Sox fans aren't defending it, because only 21,000 came out to see a Friday night home game against one of the most exciting teams in the majors in the Rangers, a team that came into the night with 50 homers to our 30. We'll be lucky to get 2,000,000 in attendance this year if the team continues to play like this, giving KW further reason (and Dick Allen more ammunition) to cut payroll again next season down to the 2005 level of $65 million.

 

 

 

Fields would of course be the logical choice to move to left.

 

He was far from bad out in left contrary to the 2 errors you will likely mention.

 

Historically third baseman are great to transit to a corner outfield due to there arm strength.

 

 

Fields was really, really, really bad in LF. It's not always about errors, because Pods is horrible too, and when you take atrocious "Great Circle" routes to the ball and miss it completely or it bounces off your head, many times the official scorekeeper will give a hit....or when he goes in and it goes over his head, or vice versa, like Lonnie Skates Smith. (By the way, Josh is now on pace to make 29 errors at 3B...not to mention the balls he doesn't get to).

 

Unfortunately, unlike our last OSU 3B, Josh Fields hasn't shown signs of developing into a GG 3B.

 

Obviously, the error last night on Josh was big, but it didn't really matter because our offense just sucks right now. The even bigger problem with Fields is that he can't even hit an average major league fastball with authority at a spot in the line-up where he's inundated with them. The only reason he was in that hole in the first place was because of his high OBP, but he's slowing losing that point in his favor, too. Fields should be a 6-8 hitter in our line-up. Bottom line, when you strike out 30-35% of the time and are an opposite field singles hitter and only have 2 homers, you're not going to last very long as a major league hitter. Eventually, he might start hitting the ball with authority again...he did actually hit one ball well, right at Vizquel last night. Basically, Josh has a very, very long swing like Anderson and Crede when he first came up, and it was so much better in ST when he was short and quick. He's almost as lost up there at the plate as Thome and Ramirez.

 

To summarize, there's no way that Josh Fields will be our LF in the future. It will be either Viciedo, Shelby or someone we've never even thought about (trade, FA acquisition).

 

Almost every 3B who has been moved to LF was moved because they were even more horrible at 3B, like Carlos Lee...Fields has "average" arm strength for the position, and you don't need to have as good an arm in LF as RF.

 

Actually, Carlos Quentin is playing much better defensively in LF than he did last year. It's not so clear-cut that they will automatically move him to RF, and Viciedo has the best arm of anyone in the organization, he might be just as good in RF (or better) if he lost a little more weight, as he can run better than most people think, although not quite as well as Brandon Allen.

Edited May 9, 2009 by caulfield12

[lostfan]

Biggest thing that sticks out in my mind with this current lineup...FIELDS DOESN'T BELONG IN THE 2 HOLE!!! Goddamn....too much pressure on him.

I generally don't buy the "pressure" argument, but it's safe to say that in no way does Fields even vaguely profile a 2 hitter, and it's messing up his approach.

[Harry Chappas]

From what I have seen of Nix, granted it is a small sample size, he appears to be a better SS than Ramirez. He also appears to be a better number 2 hitter than any other option in this organization. Put Ramirez in center and be done with it until Nix gets hurt which could be any moment.

[caulfield12]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fieldi...lumn=zoneRating

 

Ramirez has only made two errors...I think everyone is just down on him because of his offensive struggles. He certainly, with the exception of one game, hasn't hurt the White Sox at that position.

 

He's in the top half in fielding percentage and #2 in zone rating. I'll just say he has been at least average for the position and maybe above average for an MLB SS. The one thing I've noticed is that he has a hesitation about diving for balls that's alarming.

 

I'll also add that defensive ratings don't mean much to me until they're bettered, but to move someone who has played 40 games there 8 years ago....I need to see a lot more, because Nix was very rough the other night at 3B.

Edited May 9, 2009 by caulfield12

[Cubano]

We've scored 0 or 1 run in 10 out of our 28 games. It's beyond pathetic. The weather's no longer an excuse.

 

This offense needs more benchings than just Alexei Ramirez.

 

 

Amen!

 

 

He should be tried in CF if Nix hits.

[Cubano]

I generally don't buy the "pressure" argument, but it's safe to say that in no way does Fields even vaguely profile a 2 hitter, and it's messing up his approach.

 

 

What is his strikeout rate?

 

No way he should be there.

 

 

[caulfield12]

Fields is pretty close to a 35% strikeout ratio, which is WAY too high for the kind of power he's shown so far.

 

And about the same as 2007 when he hit 23 homers in 300+ AB's.

[BearSox]

Biggest thing that sticks out in my mind with this current lineup...FIELDS DOESN'T BELONG IN THE 2 HOLE!!! Goddamn....too much pressure on him.

It's not too much pressure on him... he just can't hit a fastball.

[BearSox]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fieldi...lumn=zoneRating

 

Ramirez has only made two errors...I think everyone is just down on him because of his offensive struggles. He certainly, with the exception of one game, hasn't hurt the White Sox at that position.

 

He's in the top half in fielding percentage and #2 in zone rating. I'll just say he has been at least average for the position and maybe above average for an MLB SS. The one thing I've noticed is that he has a hesitation about diving for balls that's alarming.

 

I'll also add that defensive ratings don't mean much to me until they're bettered, but to move someone who has played 40 games there 8 years ago....I need to see a lot more, because Nix was very rough the other night at 3B.

I agree. Outside of one game, Ramirez has been at above average at SS, and he's made several very good plays.

 

Nix looks like he could be a good backup, better than Lillibridge, but I wouldn't say he's already an above average MLB SS.