FS: Exclusive interview with Asst GM Buddy Bell

[NorthSideSox72]

Brian (raBBit) had a one-on-one interview with Buddy Bell yesterday. Bell is never at a loss for words, and Brian got him discussing a wide range of prospects including Anderson, Fulmer, Hayes, Hawkins, May and more.

 

Here's the interview, which has some interesting stuff.

 

[fathom]

Good stuff, thanks guys

[lostfan]

It will feel like a huge relief to have drafted and developed a standout positional player that wasn't acquired somewhere else. The Sox came close with Beckham but in hindsight he was probably rushed.

[caulfield12]

Would be much better if Anderson played like Jeter, unlike GordonBeckham, who said he wanted to be Jeter before he'd ever proven a thing in the major leagues. That kind of talk, about being the captain, face of the franchise and future of the organization, I think it took its toll and turned into a burden over time (I saw it happen with Alex Gordon when I lived in Kansas City as well, it was "this guy's going to be the next George Brett" from the day he was drafted out of Nebraska).

 

It also caused some friction because Ozzie didn't like the young/er guys getting too much attention before he felt they deserved it. Of course, lots of White Sox fans to this day blame the Sox for moving him from SS to 3B to 2B and attribute that as part of the reason for his eventual downfall.

 

I think someone else made a comment about Anderson bringing more and more African-American fans to the game...that he would be that kind of electric presence. Well, I hope it's true, but I also hope we don't put too many unrealistic expectations on him early. He sounds like a great kid who's confident but never forgets his roots and won't let being a big leaguer get to his head. Character issues have never come up in any discussion that I've seen about him online, and that's always an added plus.

[lostfan]

Would be much better if Anderson played like Jeter, unlike GordonBeckham, who said he wanted to be Jeter before he'd ever proven a thing in the major leagues. That kind of talk, about being the captain, face of the franchise and future of the organization, I think it took its toll and turned into a burden over time (I saw it happen with Alex Gordon when I lived in Kansas City as well, it was "this guy's going to be the next George Brett" from the day he was drafted out of Nebraska).

 

It also caused some friction because Ozzie didn't like the young/er guys getting too much attention before he felt they deserved it. Of course, lots of White Sox fans to this day blame the Sox for moving him from SS to 3B to 2B and attribute that as part of the reason for his eventual downfall.

 

I think someone else made a comment about Anderson bringing more and more African-American fans to the game...that he would be that kind of electric presence. Well, I hope it's true, but I also hope we don't put too many unrealistic expectations on him early. He sounds like a great kid who's confident but never forgets his roots and won't let being a big leaguer get to his head. Character issues have never come up in any discussion that I've seen about him online, and that's always an added plus.

Why's this bad? Pretty much all young athletes do some version of this. Who doesn't want to be the best?

[caulfield12]

Just shut up and play...then you can talk.

 

We heard so much talk out of Jake Peavy, but he never backed it up on the field.

 

Let your stats speak for you.

[NorthSideSox72]

Would be much better if Anderson played like Jeter, unlike GordonBeckham, who said he wanted to be Jeter before he'd ever proven a thing in the major leagues.

 

really?

 

 

[southsider2k5]

Why's this bad? Pretty much all young athletes do some version of this. Who doesn't want to be the best?

 

There needs to be some level of this in order for a player to believe they can be an elite player, and to push themselves to get to that level.

[caulfield12]

Once again...I'll take 1 Tim Anderson and you can have 50 Courtney Hawkinses or Gordon Beckhams.

 

 

[southsider2k5]

Just shut up and play...then you can talk.

 

We heard so much talk out of Jake Peavy, but he never backed it up on the field.

 

Let your stats speak for you.

 

Jake Peavy, the guy who was a Cy Young and 3 time all-star? The guy who came back from a historic first surgery for a pitcher to still put up some big years even as he has gotten into his mid 30's with greatly diminished stuff?

 

Yeah, I'd say he backed it up.

 

[lostfan]

Jake Peavy, the guy who was a Cy Young and 3 time all-star? The guy who came back from a historic first surgery for a pitcher to still put up some big years even as he has gotten into his mid 30's with greatly diminished stuff?

 

Yeah, I'd say he backed it up.

The only thing Peavy was guilty of was having s***ty luck while he was here.

[caulfield12]

Peavy didn't beat the Tigers once in his entire White Sox career. That's what we he was brought in to do...not beat the Cubs.

 

I still have nightmares about one game we were leading by 5 or 6 runs and collapsed.

[southsider2k5]

The only thing Peavy was guilty of was having s***ty luck while he was here.

 

A guy with lesser self=belief would have hung it up with the surgery he went through. The fact he is still a decent pitcher is somewhat amazing and unprecedented.

[Dick Allen]

Peavy didn't beat the Tigers once in his entire White Sox career.

Another lie.

[lostfan]

Listening to Bell talk about Anderson, it sounds like he is the kind of shortstop who will have exceptional range to make plays that would get into CF or LF with another shortstop, but he will also make more throwing errors because he's got more of a degree of difficulty on them. Alexei was really prone to that, but he would also have mental lapses because as 2K5 put it a few years ago he has the attention span of a hummingbird with ADHD. Anyway, that's actually a net positive for a shortstop, because increased range means a significant number more putouts than a shortstop with average range, which more than makes up for the errors (which would be base hits anyway).

[southsider2k5]

Listening to Bell talk about Anderson, it sounds like he is the kind of shortstop who will have exceptional range to make plays that would get into CF or LF with another shortstop, but he will also make more throwing errors because he's got more of a degree of difficulty on them. Alexei was really prone to that, but he would also have mental lapses because as 2K5 put it a few years ago he has the attention span of a hummingbird with ADHD. Anyway, that's actually a net positive for a shortstop, because increased range means a significant number more putouts than a shortstop with average range, which more than makes up for the errors (which would be base hits anyway).

 

The other guy who comes to mind listening to Buddy Bell talk about Anderson is Jose Valentin. SO MUCH natural ability and talent, but so many just infuriating plays, combined with amazing plays.

[fathom]

Another lie.

 

Didn't he destroy them in his first Sox start?

[shysocks]

Peavy was 4-4 against the Tigers as a White Sox.

[Dick Allen]

Peavy was 4-4 against the Tigers as a White Sox.

I apologize to Caulfield. He was correct. He didn't beat the Tigers once as a White Sox. He beat them 4 times.

[NorthSideSox72]

I apologize to Caulfield. He was correct. He didn't beat the Tigers once as a White Sox. He beat them 4 times.

Would be great if you didn't bring your irritating little feud into yet more threads. Thanks.

 

[Y2Jimmy0]

The other guy who comes to mind listening to Buddy Bell talk about Anderson is Jose Valentin. SO MUCH natural ability and talent, but so many just infuriating plays, combined with amazing plays.

 

 

Wasn't he compared to Shawon Dunston?

[SoxAce]

The other guy who comes to mind listening to Buddy Bell talk about Anderson is Jose Valentin. SO MUCH natural ability and talent, but so many just infuriating plays, combined with amazing plays.

 

If he grows out a mustache, wite will probably have his man crush reincarnated again.

[bmags]

Wasn't he compared to Shawon Dunston?

 

I think that was Keith Law's comparison due to high contact, lack of power? Can't remember.

 

Anderson has me super excited. His default seems to be to try to get to every ball and hit every ball because he largely can, but he has also shown (from reports) an ability to digest coaching and adjust.

 

Sky is the limit for him, especially if we see a power surge in charlotte (likely anyway due to stadium).

[caulfield12]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id...2012/jake-peavy

 

That August 31st game really sticks out.

 

And May 15th.

 

 

Peavy had four starts against the Tigers that season, and we lost all four of them. You change 0-4 to 1-3, we're probably looking at a playoff appearance.

 

So I should have said, in the year the White Sox DESPERATELY needed an ADDITIONAL victory against the Tigers, 2012, he didn't get it done. 2010, he didn't appear against DET and got hurt. Those were the two best Sox teams of his career here.

 

 

[caulfield12]

I think that was Keith Law's comparison due to high contact, lack of power? Can't remember.

 

Anderson has me super excited. His default seems to be to try to get to every ball and hit every ball because he largely can, but he has also shown (from reports) an ability to digest coaching and adjust.

 

Sky is the limit for him, especially if we see a power surge in charlotte (likely anyway due to stadium).

 

 

Dunston as a hitter, MAYBE, although I'm not sure that's a bar/standard you want to set for him (too low) except for the one season they instituted the Shawon-O-Meter at Wrigley that he was raking around .400 for a couple of months.

 

Dunston had one of the top five SS arms that I've ever seen live. Valentin and Uribe were close.