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AND THIS BASEBALL SEASON IS OVA!!!


southsider2k5

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QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Oct 4, 2009 -> 05:17 PM)
Oh the Josh Field experiment. This is what bothers me about the Sox farm system. They try to grow a person into a position where a player should know how to catch a ball before they even enter the lowest level of professional baseball. The only thing it accomplishes is creating DH/below average Lamar Johnson type 1st basemen.

Fields' problem is his swing. His lack of sterling defense is really unimportant if he's not going to be the power hitter the Sox envisioned, because even if he played a lock-down 3B he still wouldn't be getting playing time as a .220-.230 hitter with almost no power. If you get a guy who can hit .250+ while cranking out 30+ HR every year then you can make a spot where he does the least amount of damage to your team defensively.

 

In hindsight, we should have traded Fields after the 2007 season, and had we done that, we would have gotten a major haul. Supposedly Fields was a centerpiece in the failed Miguel Cabrera trade where we finished as the runner-up to Detroit. Looking back on it now, we should have just shopped him elsewhere after that, but we didn't make a mistake in drafting him because he accumulated enough value to help the MLB team considerably if traded. And had we held him back because of his defensive issues then he probably would have flamed out before he even had a chance to impress in 2007.

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QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Oct 4, 2009 -> 03:42 PM)

 

DETROIT -- There's has been little doubt left by Scott Podsednik in regard to his strong desire to return to the White Sox for the 2010 season and possibly beyond.

 

On the other hand, with Podsednik entering free agency in the best position of his career, the outfielder doesn't intend to simply take Chicago's first offer and run with it.

 

"No, we are going to wait it out and see what happens," Podsednik said concerning his foray into free agency. "If they want to try to bring me back, then we will entertain that idea and go from there. But this is all kind of a new process to me. I'm going to seek counsel from my representation and do what we feel is best.

 

"I really don't know what to expect and what kind of market there's going to be for me, but I'm going into it open-minded. I'm going to learn as much about the process as I possibly can."

 

Podsednik, 33, has been a revelation on offense for the White Sox during the 2009 season. He carried a .306 average, seven home runs, 48 RBIs and 30 stolen bases into the season finale Sunday at Comerica Park, although he didn't play his first game with the South Siders this year until May 1.

 

There have been a few baserunning and defensive hiccups along the way, but in looking over his entire body of work, Podsednik ranks as the team's most pleasant surprise if not its Most Valuable Player with the bat. The question now for Podsednik and his current employer is whether he has done enough to be brought back into the 2010 fold.

 

The name of Chone Figgins already has been thrown out in the rumor mill as the top leadoff man available on the open market, and the White Sox have been linked to that rumor. While Figgins provides an interesting option for just about any team in need of a quality presence at the top, his eventual asking price in terms of years and salary could make the ultimate difference for various teams.

 

"Would we like to have players like him? Everybody does," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Figgins. "But this kid is going to cost you a lot of money. If we figure out this guy is going to solve our problem, then [White Sox chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] will take a shot, because Jerry wants to win.

 

"Jerry wants to win. [White Sox general manager] Kenny [Williams] wants to win. I want to win. Everybody wants to win. In the meanwhile, Kenny is going to go see the market and we are going to see how ... I would love to have Podsednik back, but that's not my call. It's between Podsednik's agent and Kenny and the White Sox, but we just need someone. That was our problem this year. Our center-field problem was pretty deep."

 

A deep problem, that is, until Podsednik arrived through a Minor League deal to help alleviate some of the stress. Alex Rios will take care of the center-field issue for the 2010 season, and a healthy Carlos Quentin will flank Rios in either left or right. That pairing leaves one outfield spot open, a spot Podsednik would like to fill.

 

When asked to analyze what might be the major knock against him, Podsednik pointed to his ability to stay healthy as a perceived negative. But Podsednik also feels as if he's turned the corner in that area through a new workout regimen that had him ready for 2009 success.

 

"I've put in hard work to counter things I was having problems with in the past," Podsednik said. "I haven't felt any muscle strains, aches, pulls, anything close to some of the stuff in the past. I feel I have a good working program and can keep my body healthy for a full season.

 

"I don't know what those guys are planning here. To be honest, I don't know if they know at this point. We will have to wait and see. Go home and relax, watch the postseason and see how things carry out from there.

 

"I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be fun, an exciting time," Podsednik said. "I just hope that after all is said and done, I find myself in someone's starting lineup to start the 2010 season."

 

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My hat goes off to Scott Podsednik. What he did in the 2009 season was truly incredible. For him to be pretty much down and out, signing late in the season, and getting thrown into a lineup with so many holes, he has been one of my favorite free agent signings in a while. I was against it at first but he definitely changed my mind. So, Scotty Pods, thank you!

 

BECKHAM WOO!

 

Edit: Pods D was awful, this is mainly just from the offensive prospective.

Edited by TitoMB345
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Another season off the books. True it was disappointing.

 

Resign Kotsay and Pods and fill in the holes in the bullpen. I don't see a repeat of this year. Quentin is rehabbing this winter and I don't see Rios having the same performance.

 

Now, I can root for Contreras and Thome in the post-season.

Edited by robinventura23
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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 4, 2009 -> 07:47 PM)
:crying

 

Even after a bad season I hate the last day of the baseball season. It means the arctic winter starts... six months of no White Sox.

 

 

Think Spring Training and it cuts it down to about 5 to 5 1/2 months

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Don't be sad, homies.

 

The AFL starts in only a couple of days. I REALLY hope the MLB network is planning on televising some of these contests, but I don't know because I haven't checked. But we'll still be able to follow some of our prospects, and we'll be able to see who Kenny's next trade targets are since he loves the AFL players.

 

Through the AFL, and through October, we still get to watch playoff baseball (albeit from home as sore losers). But we'll still get to watch the Twinkies/Tigers get obliterated, and that will be fun. Personally I'm also looking forward to the Angels or Yankees beating the Red Sox. I hate those guys.

 

The day after the WS concludes, which should be about 3 weeks from now because the AL is going to trounce the NL once again, is when players file for free agency and trading season officially begins. The Sox will have likely held some organizational meetings by then because Kenny is ready to get to work.

 

After the short negotiation window between teams and their future free agents, free agency opens. November will be full of Sox articles. In between those the Bears and Bulls are on, so that's good. Some people like hockey too. I imagine sports like golf and tennis run year 'round, but I don't know since the last time I sat on the toilet thinking about one of those sports I still couldn't give a s***. But some people like them so that can be a type of replacement.

 

The Winter Meetings go from December 4th-7th this year, so that's only 2 months from now. Two months is the same amount of time Josh Fields was the starting 3B, so that's not a very long time. Kenny will make a deal then and we'll get to fight each other over it.

 

The Rule-5 draft also happens during the Winter Meetings. We probably won't pick up anyone as per usual, but we can discuss all the players we let go. I enjoy blaming the organization for things around this time of year and I'm sure others do too.

 

About a month after the Winter Meetings are over, in early January, we'll be able to look at our 2010 team and dream about how good they're going to be. That will be fun. Plus if we still have any prospects left, and maybe we'll have new ones, we can talk about them, and rank them, and try to project them into future lineups, and all that stuff. Even more fun.

 

A month after that, in early February, the earliest arrivals to ST will be out playing catch. Then a couple weeks later games will start, and we'll have baseball again, if only Spring Training baseball.

 

Then, just less than 2 months before pitchers and catchers begin to report, we open at home against Cleveland. Cleveland is going to run out Carmona for game 1 (if they don't trade him, he's like 26 or something, he's probably too old to play in the pony leagues) and we all know he gets the ball up early. We'll crush him. They'll start some other crap in games 2-3, and because of our new dynamic lineup and excellent pitching staff, we'll start the season off 3-0 and in first place.

 

So there are steps here, and it's really not that long. It's easily worth the wait, too, because we're taking this division in 2010, and not only that, but we won't even be tested until the ALCS.

 

 

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QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Oct 4, 2009 -> 08:48 PM)
You want an instant smile after a disappointing season? Well just think of a full season with Jake Peavy in the rotation :) KW has a few holes to fill, but we are MUCH closer today than we were at the end of the 2008 playoffs.

:gosox1: :gosox1: :gosox1: :gosox1: :gosox1: :gosox1: :gosox1:

 

^If only there weren't a limit to those things...

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QUOTE (rangercal @ Oct 4, 2009 -> 08:39 PM)
pierzynski?

 

He hit .300 for the year and only has 45 RBIs. You can infer what that means.

 

(But if you can't that means he hit .250 with runners in scoring position. That's pretty amazing to hit so well with people not on base or on first, and so poorly with guys on 2nd and 3rd.)

 

It's pretty difficult to hit .300 for the year and only hit .250 with RISP in 100+ ABs. That means you are doing some major sucking with ducks on the pond.

 

Granted we didnt have a ton of people on base but we were 9th in the league in ABs with RISP. One of the more annoying parts of the year to me. Not necessarily bad, just annoying.

 

Well, that and RIos hitting .159 in 89 ABs with RISP. That was pretty annoying too.

 

Wow. Josh Fields had 82 ABs with RISP.

 

Ok, now I'm rambling.

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He hit .300 for the year and only has 45 RBIs. You can infer what that means.

 

(But if you can't that means he hit .250 with runners in scoring position. That's pretty amazing to hit so well with people not on base or on first, and so poorly with guys on 2nd and 3rd.)

 

It's pretty difficult to hit .300 for the year and only hit .250 with RISP in 100+ ABs. That means you are doing some major sucking with ducks on the pond.

 

Granted we didnt have a ton of people on base but we were 9th in the league in ABs with RISP. One of the more annoying parts of the year to me. Not necessarily bad, just annoying.

 

Well, that and RIos hitting .159 in 89 ABs with RISP. That was pretty annoying too.

 

Wow. Josh Fields had 82 ABs with RISP.

 

Ok, now I'm rambling.

It's funny because i knew you were going to trash talk Rios or Nix before I even read your post.

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QUOTE (son of a rude @ Oct 4, 2009 -> 09:34 PM)
It's funny because i knew you were going to trash talk Rios or Nix before I even read your post.

 

I was thinking about throwing Nix' embarrassing .229 with RISP in there, but I thought, hey, it's a long offseason...

 

But seriously, I'll give them both a clean slate next year. I'm fine with that. We'll likely need them both.

 

But the bottom line is that they were both pretty brutal this year, and that's what I had an issue with. I'll be rooting for them both like heck next April.

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It's just now hitting me they'll be no White Sox baseball to watch for a while now. Sure, I'll follow Thome and Contreras and Swisher and B.A. and O. Cab if only for one night. I'll be rooting for the N.L. former Sox, not so much the former CF platoonees in the AL East or a Twink who thinks he's tough. I don't even like Football that much. Winters not as fun.

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