Alexei

[Kyyle23]

i was pretty disappointed in the result of the dropped fly ball (Alexei getting hung up in a pickle), but I have to say that Jeff Cox ruined the chance to win that game. That was not a deep fly ball, and Quentin is not fast plus he has plantar fasciatis, you dont roll the dice there. That was unbelieveably irresponsible

[BigSqwert]

i was pretty disappointed in the result of the dropped fly ball (Alexei getting hung up in a pickle), but I have to say that Jeff Cox ruined the chance to win that game. That was not a deep fly ball, and Quentin is not fast plus he has plantar fasciatis, you dont roll the dice there. That was unbelieveably irresponsible

Especially with no outs at the time.

[greg775]

've defended Alexei all year, but when I saw that play where he got thrown out after the error I immediately said he should be benched

 

What did you say a couple nights earlier when he hit the bomb? And he won that other game recently with his bat.

He's still young.

Also most players round base on those pop ups that never get dropped.

The third base coach should have been the goat. Anybody with half a brain knows Quentin is dead out on that play. Carlos should have reamed him behind closed doors for throwing him out to dry. We need a third base coach with a brain some year. Harold maybe???

[beck72]

I'm not too down on Alexei for his getting caught when the ball dropped. That happens when no one expects the ball to fall. But I am down on him for having a very low baseball IQ. People can point to Alexei being clutch with a few home runs. But his defense has let the sox down far, far too many times this year, that hasn't always showed up as errors [ie not turning DP's due to his being out of position, not coming in hard on slow grounders, hurried throws, not stopping throws to 2b from AJ-which almost led to a fight]. It has led to the pitching staff throwing many extra pitches, unearned runs, and in some cases losses.

 

The question going forward is what do they do? Esp. if the "he's young" tag/ label doesn't work next year, and he doesn't improve his defense. If Gordon stays at 3b, his ability to play SS may suffer long term. There isn't an option at 3b, besides Gordon for 2010 [unless by some strange set of circumstances, the sox can get Figgins at a discount-which I don't see happening]. Yet I could see a scenario where the sox move Gordon to SS if Viciedo is ready for 2011.

 

[Chisoxfn]

I love him as much as you do, just think it's silly to throw one of the clutch players under the bus(Ramirez) when we have other problems.

Beckham has been the definition of clutch. Has an insane clip with runners on. Do people understand baseball is a long season and slumps happen. Its f***ing ridiculous to see how people talk about how this guy sucks and that guy sucks because they are in a slump, it happens, deal with it.

 

You want to complain, complain and b**** about brain farts or stupid plays.

[Chisoxfn]

Did he lose this game for us? It's debatable. I do know he WON 2 games last week for us.

Honestly, him doing that did not cost the Sox the game. It was early in the ball-game. You want to talk about what cost us the game, it was not getting in a run with runners on 1st and 3rd and 1 out. It was not holding a 3 run lead, etc, etc.

 

The Sox lost this game for a ton of reasons but Alexei not reaching on that error wasn't one of them. I'd say 95% of the players in the game do that on a flyball. Not saying its right but this was a pretty uncalled for drubbing. Most guys do that lackadaisical walk to 2nd and once a year a guy will drop a ball and you look like an ass.

[Chisoxfn]

The thing that I took notice of though in regards to Beckham was his facial expression when the first base umpire called him out on that check swing...he had a whiny, frustrated look on his face which made it quite clear he is tired. That is not something that is usually in his makeup. I think he needs a day off pretty badly.

 

Looks like we may need to call on Josh Fields yet again for a few games in September...

Beckham has that look a lot. He does it whenever he swings over a good breaking pitch cause he's frustrated he just made that bad of a swing.

[Chisoxfn]

I will agree with the Pods, Ramirez and Beckham talk in this thread but the reason the Sox are not winning more is because the abyss that is Dye, Konerko and Thome show up once a week and I am saying only one of them once a week or hit the random homerun.

 

It has become an annual rite of passage they stop playing for months at a time.

Those guys, specifically Dye/Konerko, were due for a slump. They had been pretty f***ing consistent all year. Name me a guy in baseball that doesn't slump and I'd say he's probably the greatest player in the league.

[Balta1701]

Those guys, specifically Dye/Konerko, were due for a slump. They had been pretty f***ing consistent all year. Name me a guy in baseball that doesn't slump and I'd say he's probably the greatest player in the league.

G_____ B______

 

He'll fill in the blanks by next season.

[BigSqwert]

G_____ B______

 

He'll fill in the blanks by next season.

Gary Busey?

[knightni]

Hmmm.. Greg Brock retired...

[Balta1701]

Gary Busey?

Wrong number of underscores.

[BigSqwert]

Wrong number of underscores.

Oh. You need to have spaces between the underscores.

[RockRaines]

I'm not too down on Alexei for his getting caught when the ball dropped. That happens when no one expects the ball to fall. But I am down on him for having a very low baseball IQ. People can point to Alexei being clutch with a few home runs. But his defense has let the sox down far, far too many times this year, that hasn't always showed up as errors [ie not turning DP's due to his being out of position, not coming in hard on slow grounders, hurried throws, not stopping throws to 2b from AJ-which almost led to a fight]. It has led to the pitching staff throwing many extra pitches, unearned runs, and in some cases losses.

 

The question going forward is what do they do? Esp. if the "he's young" tag/ label doesn't work next year, and he doesn't improve his defense. If Gordon stays at 3b, his ability to play SS may suffer long term. There isn't an option at 3b, besides Gordon for 2010 [unless by some strange set of circumstances, the sox can get Figgins at a discount-which I don't see happening]. Yet I could see a scenario where the sox move Gordon to SS if Viciedo is ready for 2011.

Gordon is our 3B for next year, and probably many after that. He's not going to play SS in the majors. Viciedo probably wont be playing too much of 3B for the Sox if any.

[knightni]

Viciedo is Konerko's heir apparent unless something happens to his development.

[greg775]

Those guys, specifically Dye/Konerko, were due for a slump. They had been pretty f***ing consistent all year.

 

That is true. AJP has been pretty consistent as well. It's easy to take our own for granted.

[RockRaines]

Viciedo is Konerko's heir apparent unless something happens to his development.

Or he's traded. But thats the way I feel as well. With Flowers starting to improve behind the plate, Viciedo is our next 1B.

[beck72]

Gordon is our 3B for next year, and probably many after that. He's not going to play SS in the majors. Viciedo probably wont be playing too much of 3B for the Sox if any.

It's way too early for that. No one here really knows what Gordon looks like at SS. Neither do the sox, as he's only played 3b and 2b here and in ST. While he probably doesn't have Alexei's range, he may have the brains and hands to make up for it. Whether Gordon is a Jeter [with whom the Yanks stick with at SS] or a Michael Young [who they move for the betterment of the team], it remains to be seen.

[Harry Chappas]

Ramirez needs to move to third and Beckham short. Ramirez has too much time to think at SS and Beckham could not be any worse.

 

I am waiting for a slow roller to stop and Ramirez to sit and watch it while the runner rounds the bases. He refuses to charge a ball now.

 

The play yesterday was abysmal.

Edited August 20, 2009 by Jenks Heat

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Ramirez needs to move to third and Beckham short. Ramirez has too much time to think at SS and Beckham could not be any worse.

 

I am waiting for a slow roller to stop and Ramirez to sit and watch it while the runner rounds the bases. He refuses to charge a ball now.

 

The play yesterday was abysmal.

 

A position he's never played before? If anything he should be moved back to 2B.

[Harry Chappas]

A position he's never played before? If anything he should be moved back to 2B.

 

Nix and getz are fine there who plays third?

 

Beckham never played third until this past May and he has adjusted well. Send Ramirez to winter ball and spring training and I think he will be fine. He looks like he has never played short before.

[greg775]

Alexei never should have been moved. He should have sat at second base the next 15 years.

[JorgeFabregas]

It's a fairly small sample size, but UZR suggests that Alexei is a below average second baseman and an average shortstop.

[WCSox]

It's a fairly small sample size, but UZR suggests that Alexei is a below average second baseman and an average shortstop.

 

This is one of the problems with sabermetrics. Based on simply watching him play, it's difficult to argue that Alexei was worse at 2B last season than he is at SS this year.

 

[greg775]

Lexi just doesn't seem right at ss in my opinion. Not good enough. Too volatile a player.