White Sox close on Vizquel. One year deal to be backup.
Per Rosenthal.
about 5 hours ago
larry
94 comments
0 recs
Don Cooper is ready for spring training: "Lack of conditioning, lack of preparation makes cowards of us all. We're going to make sure that conditioning and preparation is getting done.''
"We signed our free agent already," Reinsdorf says. "His name is Jake Peavy."
1 day ago
The Cheat
276 comments
0 recs
Pass the Orgullo: A Hirsute Stroll Through the 2009 SSS Archives
The season is long gone.
The Twins have won the World Series twice since the last time you saw the Sox take the field.
Jerry Owens is still dead.
God didn't come through, like Josh Fields promised He would.
The cold winds are whipping off the lakefront (or in my case, the Sound), foreshadowing the lonely, gray, baseball-less days ahead. Like any respectable armchair GM, you're on your 4th draft of potential 2010 rosters - 3 of which lead off with a guy you may or may not call "Chode" because you like that word and crave the context to use it. The word; not a chode... you don't have much use for those.
Anyway, the Sox didn't exceed our expectations this year, but for most of the season, they put on a good show.
We've already reflected on the games that made us proud to be Good Guys, but for this particular stroll down memory lane, I'm going no further than the SSS Archives.
We all know that humor and friendships emerge from the pain and adversity of watching your beloved team collectively crap themselves, so here is an unrefined, uncensored, unclothed (you need to take your pants off for this) recap of some of the finer moments for SSS in 2009.
Since I am only one woman and know I've overlooked countless mentionable comments and moments, please add to this with your own favorites (links, please! - ones that open in new windows!) in the comments section.
287 comments | 9 recs |
BP's Top 15 White Sox Prospects
Four-Star Prospects
1. Daniel Hudson, RHP
2. Jared Mitchell, OF
3. Tyler Flowers, C
Three-Star Prospects
4. Jordan Danks, CF
5. Dayan Viciedo, 3B
6. Brent Morel, 3B
7. Clevelan Santeliz, RHP
8. Trayce Thompson, OF
Two-Star Prospects
9. Santos Rodriguez, LHP
10. David Holmberg, LHP
11. C.J. Retherford, 2B
Four More:
12. Jhonny Nunez, RHP: Nunez has a 93-95 mph fastball and a very good slider, both of which should fit in a big-league bullpen, though he falls short of being the late-inning type.
13. Josh Phegley, C: The 2009 draftee is the rare college catcher with power and patience, but there are way too many questions about his defensive prowess.
14. John Ely, RHP: Ely has consistently gotten minor league hitters out, but on a pure scouting level, he has merely average stuff and command.
15. Nathan Jones, RHP: Standing 6-foot-5, he's projectable as all get out and dialed up heat clocked up to 97 mph this year; he'll also be 24 in January while having yet to get out of A-ball.
...
The Sleeper: While the White Sox are rarely big players on the international scene, they might have found something in 18-year-old Venezuelan catcher Miguel Gonzalez, who combines a good bat with power potential and impressive catch-and-throw skills.
3 days ago
larry
178 comments
0 recs
Ozzie Guillen Is Becoming Less Extreme
Last off-season, prompted by a game in which I perceived the outcome to be effected by Ozzie Guillen's quick hook, I examined the evolution of Guillen's hook. I thought about taking it a step further in the dead time around Christmas again, but in flipping through the 2010 Bill James Handbook, I found they've done the work for me, though using a different methodology.
I was given an an advanced copy of the Handbook in exchange for a review and a few links (full disclosure -- Suck on it, FTC!). Unfortunately, a review isn't forthcoming anytime soon. I'm just too damn busy. But I thought I demonstrate its usefulness by simply presenting Ozzie Guillen's capsule from the managers section.
Click to enlarge, and less blurify
Thanks to e-Gus for supplying a more readable image. Still missing the last columns, but that's just W-L percentage. I think you can live.
Ozzie has become a boring manager. He doesn't seem to have any extreme tendencies anymore. Bold (extra blurry) indicates league leader. Gone are the Slow Hooks, the Long Outings, Relievers used on Consecutive Days, and all those Sacrifices Attempted. The only area where Ozzie stands out now, having intentional walks blow up in his face, isn't directly under his control (unless he stops ordering walks altogether, which, hey, I'm not against). With a rotation of Peavy, Buehrle, Danks and Floyd, and a bullpen that features only two members you can reasonably count on heading into the season, I'd love to see Ozzie fall back into his '04-'06 pattern of letting the starters work deep into games.
Key (after the jump)
85 comments | 0 recs |
More Magic from Dave Cameron
Owens has been the focus of scorn and derision from White Sox fans who had to endure Ozzie Guillen’s attempts to make him an everyday player, which he simply isn’t cut out for. However, as a fourth outfielder, Owens is actually a useful player. His defense is a real positive at all three spots and he’s a very good base stealer. He doesn’t have any power, but he’s an excellent contact hitter who is willing to draw a walk from time to time, so he won’t kill you at the plate.
For a team with a lumbering corner outfielder who could use a pinch runner/defensive caddy, Owens is a good use of a roster spot.
3 days ago
larry
37 comments
0 recs
It's ROY Day! - And Beckham Gets 5th Place.
- The Rookie of the Year Awards are announced today, so use this thread to celebrate, or, alternately, plot your murders of those other undeserving rookies and the BWAA members who voted for them. Edit: Gordon Beckham gets 5th place. Andrew Bailey wins.
- Kenny Williams thinks the National League sucks.
"A guy going from the American League to the National League, no disrespect, but. ... "
"There are guys in the American League who go to the National League and don’t do well," Williams conceded, "but there are not too many of them that I can think of."
-
And Phil Rogers declares Brent Morel the White Sox third baseman of the future. I can't say I agree, but 18 months ago when he was drafted, I did like his swing better than Beckham's from their scouting videos. I still like Morel, probably more than most prospect experts, yet I wouldn't go so far as to call him the future of anything. He was blocked this year, when he probably should have received a mid-season promotion. He's still on the utility player track, though his ceiling seems like a Mark Teahen type, albeit with better defense.
300 comments | 0 recs |































