I like this team.

[BigEdWalsh]

I've been at spring training and have seen every game but one. It's been a blast. Maybe seeing these guys day in and day out has clouded my mind but I'm feeling way better about the team than I did before spring training started. I'm not worried about Dunn. He should be pretty much back to his old self. He won't hit for a great average and he will strike out a lot, no doubt. Until late, he was making great contact and not striking out at all. But he'll do the Adam Dunn things we expected last year. At spring training you can get pretty close to the players. I like Adam Dunn. He's a nice guy. He has fun. He seems to love the game. I'm pulling for him more than ever.

Gordon Beckham is very serious and seems to be very determined to improve and hit the way he thinks he should. His work ethic is something else. To watch him at 2B day in and day out has been a joy. He makes those occasional outstanding plays that just have you going "Wow!". Often when he's not in there and a ball gets past Saladino or Garcia or whomever, I always think, "Beckham would have had that". I look for him to have a good year.

Konerko started out so bad and I was a little worried. But the hits started coming and he has been tearing it up, though still homerless. Not worried though. The homers will come.

Escobar was a surprise. He has hit so consistently well and has displayed a little power even. His fielding has been decent.

The pitching has been good, even great at times.The guys who matter anyway. Each of the starters have had impressive starts, especially Sale, Humber and Peavy. No worries at all about Sale as a starter. Brian Bruney surprised me. He's been good all spring. He's in great shape and not that it means anything, but he's too a real nice guy. I like him.

Young guys who have impressed besides Escobar have been Jordan Danks (well, not exactly young) and Trayce Thompson. Thompson has made much better contact than I expected to see. He's smooth in the field and has a good arm. Seeing him homer yesterday was awesome!

As for Ventura as a manager, it's tough to say from seeing spring training games. I'm not worried though. I feel good about him. I like this team.

[Cali]

I'm extremely worried about Viciedo's future, because he tends to be a slow starter anyway, and this team has an annoying history of rapidly turning people who start off struggling into platoon players because the veteran on the bench needs his at-bats.

 

I really hope that was strictly an Ozzie thing. Respecting veterans (and Latin veterans like Omar) too much and seemingly having issues with Rookies. As a rookie manager I would HOPE Robin would have sympathy. Especially with his slow start from his past....

[Balta1701]

I really hope that was strictly an Ozzie thing. Respecting veterans (and Latin veterans like Omar) too much and seemingly having issues with Rookies. As a rookie manager I would HOPE Robin would have sympathy. Especially with his slow start from his past....

The real worry here is that Fukudome is a classic fast starter. .979 OPS in April, career for him, and then .750's and below the rest of the year. He comes out on fire every year and consistently forced Cubs like Colvin to the bench because how can you not play a bat that hot? Then suddenly he cools off, becomes an average/below average hitter again, but then it takes another month before he starts losing playing time, and the guy that got benched for him is now completely out of rhythm.

[caulfield12]

I've been at spring training and have seen every game but one. It's been a blast. Maybe seeing these guys day in and day out has clouded my mind but I'm feeling way better about the team than I did before spring training started. I'm not worried about Dunn. He should be pretty much back to his old self. He won't hit for a great average and he will strike out a lot, no doubt. Until late, he was making great contact and not striking out at all. But he'll do the Adam Dunn things we expected last year. At spring training you can get pretty close to the players. I like Adam Dunn. He's a nice guy. He has fun. He seems to love the game. I'm pulling for him more than ever.

Gordon Beckham is very serious and seems to be very determined to improve and hit the way he thinks he should. His work ethic is something else. To watch him at 2B day in and day out has been a joy. He makes those occasional outstanding plays that just have you going "Wow!". Often when he's not in there and a ball gets past Saladino or Garcia or whomever, I always think, "Beckham would have had that". I look for him to have a good year.

Konerko started out so bad and I was a little worried. But the hits started coming and he has been tearing it up, though still homerless. Not worried though. The homers will come.

Escobar was a surprise. He has hit so consistently well and has displayed a little power even. His fielding has been decent.

The pitching has been good, even great at times.The guys who matter anyway. Each of the starters have had impressive starts, especially Sale, Humber and Peavy. No worries at all about Sale as a starter. Brian Bruney surprised me. He's been good all spring. He's in great shape and not that it means anything, but he's too a real nice guy. I like him.

Young guys who have impressed besides Escobar have been Jordan Danks (well, not exactly young) and Trayce Thompson. Thompson has made much better contact than I expected to see. He's smooth in the field and has a good arm. Seeing him homer yesterday was awesome!

As for Ventura as a manager, it's tough to say from seeing spring training games. I'm not worried though. I feel good about him. I like this team.

 

 

For me, Saladino, Thompson and Hector Santiago this spring.

 

Looking for ANY reasons to be excited about our young players. Heck, might as well be enthralled with Jose Martinez being 4/7.

 

 

[caulfield12]

I could see KW being quick to trade Viciedo this year, in all honesty.

 

The only replacements we have are Fukudome, Lilly and Jordan Danks. It's not like we have Roberto Clemente being blocked in AA. Trayce Thompson is about the closest we have to a legit RF prospect, and Mitchell belongs in LF, and he's at LEAST a year away, still.

 

Doesn't make any sense to sell a 23 year old we control for so long at a low valley, he will spike back up.

 

KW's legacy as a GM rests with Viciedo as much as Molina.

Edited March 30, 2012 by caulfield12

[Ross]

It's White Sox baseball, so I'll be watching. Simple as that.

 

Since I have no expectations, it should be a pretty enjoyable season no matter what. Sort of strange.

 

Completely agree.

[iamshack]

I've been at spring training and have seen every game but one. It's been a blast. Maybe seeing these guys day in and day out has clouded my mind but I'm feeling way better about the team than I did before spring training started. I'm not worried about Dunn. He should be pretty much back to his old self. He won't hit for a great average and he will strike out a lot, no doubt. Until late, he was making great contact and not striking out at all. But he'll do the Adam Dunn things we expected last year. At spring training you can get pretty close to the players. I like Adam Dunn. He's a nice guy. He has fun. He seems to love the game. I'm pulling for him more than ever.

Gordon Beckham is very serious and seems to be very determined to improve and hit the way he thinks he should. His work ethic is something else. To watch him at 2B day in and day out has been a joy. He makes those occasional outstanding plays that just have you going "Wow!". Often when he's not in there and a ball gets past Saladino or Garcia or whomever, I always think, "Beckham would have had that". I look for him to have a good year.

Konerko started out so bad and I was a little worried. But the hits started coming and he has been tearing it up, though still homerless. Not worried though. The homers will come.

Escobar was a surprise. He has hit so consistently well and has displayed a little power even. His fielding has been decent.

The pitching has been good, even great at times.The guys who matter anyway. Each of the starters have had impressive starts, especially Sale, Humber and Peavy. No worries at all about Sale as a starter. Brian Bruney surprised me. He's been good all spring. He's in great shape and not that it means anything, but he's too a real nice guy. I like him.

Young guys who have impressed besides Escobar have been Jordan Danks (well, not exactly young) and Trayce Thompson. Thompson has made much better contact than I expected to see. He's smooth in the field and has a good arm. Seeing him homer yesterday was awesome!

As for Ventura as a manager, it's tough to say from seeing spring training games. I'm not worried though. I feel good about him. I like this team.

Thanks for the report, BigEd!