Season 6 of the Gordon Beckham Era

[bjm676]

Doesn't Garcia play OF? Send down Jordan Danks if that's the case.

[Dick Allen]

Why does it always have to come to these ridiculous comparisons? Marcus Semien Josh Fields. Two completely different with completely different skill-sets.

 

Semien displayed elite plate discipline last year in AA. Yes, he is struggling in that department right now like most rookies do initially against major league pitching. However, he's still finding ways to be productive (working up pitch counts, good power, clutch hits) and help the team win games. Also, despite these growing pains, he's only 20 points below Gordon's career OPS of .694. The upside with Semien is legit and we are seeing it in flashes. Beckham has shown over the course of nearly 2,500 plate appearances that he's not very good with the bat. This is a transitional year and we're better off giving playing time to the guy who is expected to be part of the long-term core than the guy who may deliver us a C prospect if all goes well.

I didn't compare them as players, but if you want to, Fields got off to a better start and was ranked much higher as a prospect. I compared their situations. Fans are usually wrong.

 

The fact is, Semien has a .280 OBP and is on pace for an Adam Dunn-like 206 strikeouts. Call it what you want, but it's not very good.

[TaylorStSox]

He's a baseball player. It really isn't that hard. It is amazing people think something as complicated as hitting is easily solved by coaching, but something fairly simple, like being an average OF if you have the tools is way too much to think about.

 

Just keep in mind, Hawk mentioned Tony Phillips last night. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

You don't move real prospects around to make room for Gordon Beckham. Creepy avatar guy, Beckham sucks. He just does.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Doesn't Garcia play OF? Send down Jordan Danks if that's the case.

But Danks is better and more deserving of a roster spot.

[Dick Allen]

You don't move real prospects around to make room for Gordon Beckham. Creepy avatar guy, Beckham sucks. He just does.

What is it about his .280 OBP and 206 strikeout pace that has you so excited? That is a lower OBP and more strikeouts than Adam Dunn had in 2011. Playing the OF can make him more valuable. It isn't like he's a top 5 in baseball prospect.

 

For a guy who complains about redundancy, you sure do post the exact same thing a lot.

[TaylorStSox]

But Danks is better and more deserving of a roster spot.

Jesus.

 

[Dick Allen]

But Danks is better and more deserving of a roster spot.

Danks will go down before Leury.

[TaylorStSox]

What is it about his .280 OBP and 206 strikeout pace that has you so excited? That is a lower OBP and more strikeouts than Adam Dunn had in 2011. Playing the OF can make him more valuable. It isn't like he's a top 5 in baseball prospect.

 

For a guy who complains about redundancy, you sure do post the exact same thing a lot.

What about anything in Beckham's career makes him deserve it? What about his .160 BA in AA makes him deserve it?

[ScottyDo]

I mean, you can't really cite a guy's rehab stint at AA when he's got a track record of better (but not good) performance in the majors over several years. The fact is, Semien has hit in a timely but overall crappy manner. Beckham's going to continue to get his last shot.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Jesus.

What's so funny? Garcia terribad. Can't hit worth a lick and Danks is better in the field. His one asset is his speed but is prone to some De Aza moments.

 

Danks will go down before Leury.

You are right about that.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Buehrle>Wood

[Dick Allen]

What about anything in Beckham's career makes him deserve it? What about his .160 BA in AA makes him deserve it?

His numbers in AA this year mean nothing. He was rehabbing. It's like spring training numbers. How has that translated for Jordan Danks?

 

Besides, Beckham has better career numbers than Semien. So if Beckham doesn't "deserve" it, why would Semien?

 

Have Semien start taking some fungos in the OF. It's not a big deal having an infielder play some OF. Having an OF move to the infield is a bit more complicated.

 

Many forget, Alexei Ramirez debuted as a CF for the White Sox.

 

Gillaspie said he probably will miss a few more days. I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up DL'd.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Dick Allen

[TaylorStSox]

What's so funny? Garcia terribad. Can't hit worth a lick and Danks is better in the field. His one asset is his speed but is prone to some De Aza moments.

 

 

You are right about that.

Garcia plays 5 positions. He's an elite IF. He steals bases. Versatility.

[TaylorStSox]

His numbers in AA this year mean nothing. He was rehabbing. It's like spring training numbers. How has that translated for Jordan Danks?

 

Besides, Beckham has better career numbers than Semien. So if Beckham doesn't "deserve" it, why would Semien?

 

Have Semien start taking some fungos in the OF. It's not a big deal having an infielder play some OF. Having an OF move to the infield is a bit more complicated.

 

Many forget, Alexei Ramirez debuted as a CF for the White Sox.

 

Gillaspie said he probably will miss a few more days. I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up DL'd.

 

First, you say certain numbers are meaningless, then say Semien numbers mean something despite the sample size. God this is obtuse. You'll say anything to argue. Are you Marty's uncle?

[southsider2k5]

Garcia plays 5 positions. He's an elite IF. He steals bases. Versatility.

 

He plays 5 positions, none of them particularly well. Using your favorite eye test, I have not seen a plus defender at all. He has botched a lot of plays this year for the time he has been on the field.

 

He has fast. That is about it so far.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Garcia plays 5 positions. He's an elite IF. He steals bases. Versatility.

Someone should probably tell him that then. We have too many infielders as is. We need OF depth. We have an elite fielder in Danks so he certainly makes more sense for us.

[witesoxfan]

I'm not even gonna touch this one. It's gonna turn on the E Minor bat signal. I don't want to get dude out of bed.

 

Me? I've been up since 8

 

If anything, Beckham is average to slightly above average defensively, but that's primarily because he has good hands and has a quick flip at 2. I've never been overly impressed with his range (with my eyes, and UZR backs this). Highly overrated.

[caulfield12]

His numbers in AA this year mean nothing. He was rehabbing. It's like spring training numbers. How has that translated for Jordan Danks?

 

Besides, Beckham has better career numbers than Semien. So if Beckham doesn't "deserve" it, why would Semien?

 

Have Semien start taking some fungos in the OF. It's not a big deal having an infielder play some OF. Having an OF move to the infield is a bit more complicated.

 

Many forget, Alexei Ramirez debuted as a CF for the White Sox.

 

Gillaspie said he probably will miss a few more days. I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up DL'd.

 

Ramirez played a ton of CF in Cuba and was scouted at that position (in tryouts), along with SS/2B/util infielder.

 

Semien hasn't played LF or CF in the minors at all. If he did at CAL, I'm not aware of it, but would have to look up his collegiate numbers to verify.

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone expect Beckham to resemble anything close to hot offensively after that rehab stint? 220's average with minimal power is what we're all pretty much expecting with that oblique.

[caulfield12]

Someone should probably tell him that then. We have too many infielders as is. We need OF depth. We have an elite fielder in Danks so he certainly makes more sense for us.

 

Danks is very good. Elite, no.

 

Brian Anderson was a better CFer, and he wasn't quite elite either. Stretches of elite...yes. Better than Rowand, Eaton and Danks, for sure.

[ScottyDo]

Ramirez played a ton of CF in Cuba and was scouted at that position (in tryouts), along with SS/2B/util infielder.

 

Semien hasn't played LF or CF in the minors at all. If he did at CAL, I'm not aware of it, but would have to look up his collegiate numbers to verify.

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone expect Beckham to resemble anything close to hot offensively after that rehab stint? 220's average with minimal power is what we're all pretty much expecting with that oblique.

There's no reason for anyone to suspect anything after a rehab stint. There's just no link between rehab stint performance and ML performance for anyone. Good players have terrible rehab stints all the time. I'm assuming since Beckham is back that his oblique is no longer bothering him, because obviously there was no rush to bring him back. He might perform well, he might not. Something seemed to have clicked towards the end of last year and that may continue. Or it might not. Who knows? Just give him his last shot and ship him out of town if he fails. Semien could definitely benefit from playing in AAA still. His performance so far has been far from good, despite timeliness.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Semien playing the OF would be f***ing stupid. He may be a long term answer at either SS or 2B for the White Sox and is at minimum a very good utility player. There is only one solution to this jam: Semien goes to Charlotte and plays SS, Leury and Danks stay on the White Sox bench while Beckham starts at 2B. These are the decisions that have to me made when an owner chooses to use a 25 man roster spot on a mascot.

[TaylorStSox]

He plays 5 positions, none of them particularly well. Using your favorite eye test, I have not seen a plus defender at all. He has botched a lot of plays this year for the time he has been on the field.

 

He has fast. That is about it so far.

Garcia does things the vast majority of infielders can only dream of. Bobbling a few balls doesn't change his tools.

 

I've never seen anything like the Beckham apologists among Sox fans. You guys make Team Brian Anderson look like cynics.

[ScottyDo]

Garcia does things the vast majority of infielders can only dream of. Bobbling a few balls doesn't change his tools.

 

I've never seen anything like the Beckham apologists among Sox fans. You guys make Team Brian Anderson look like cynics.

Yeah, re-read the thread and look for anything close to a glowing review of Beckham.

[caulfield12]

There's no reason for anyone to suspect anything after a rehab stint. There's just no link between rehab stint performance and ML performance for anyone. Good players have terrible rehab stints all the time. I'm assuming since Beckham is back that his oblique is no longer bothering him, because obviously there was no rush to bring him back. He might perform well, he might not. Something seemed to have clicked towards the end of last year and that may continue. Or it might not. Who knows? Just give him his last shot and ship him out of town if he fails. Semien could definitely benefit from playing in AAA still. His performance so far has been far from good, despite timeliness.

 

 

 

He's 18th/25th in OPS, for qualified 2B.

 

WAR, he's 9th at 2B for the majors, albeit small sample size.

 

Clutch wise, he's hit three huge game winning homers (if we had a bullpen to lock those wins down).

 

How many game winning hits does Gordon Beckham have from 2009-2013? 10-12?

[TaylorStSox]

Yeah, re-read the thread and look for anything close to a glowing review of Beckham.

You're pretending that he actually has earned 1 more shot. He hasn't. He f***ing sucks...hard.

[ScottyDo]

He's 18th/25th in OPS, for qualified 2B.

 

WAR, he's 9th at 2B for the majors, albeit small sample size.

 

Clutch wise, he's hit three huge game winning homers (if we had a bullpen to lock those wins down).

 

How many game winning hits does Gordon Beckham have from 2009-2013? 10-12?

Luck. You know that.

 

Furthermore, way to cherry pick. Beckham had game-winning hits his first season, too.

 

Semien's OPS is sub-.700. He's done nothing to hold down the spot. If his offensive performance was even Leury Garcia level, you'd have a point. The old maxim "you don't lose your position due to injury" is overplayed and overrated, but Semien hasn't performed well enough to combat it at all.

Edited April 24, 2014 by ScottyDo