Mayday: Sox have batrophy
Memo to Kenny Williams:
See that crowd Tuesday night at Safeco Field? (It was announced as 20,739, but that's propped up by a still healthy, but declining, season ticket base. I'd guess that it was more like 14K in attendance.) That's what happens to a once proud franchise that continues to make stupid personnel decisions costing the team wins. Need me to spell it out further? That's what USCF will look like in June if you don't find multiple competent bats to replace the junk you've assembled in order to appease your manager.
If you can honestly tell me that you haven't felt nauseous every time you first see the lineup that Ozzie's been filling out the last couple of weeks, then you need to reevaluate your skills as a GM. Nevertheless, I still believe in you. You're smart enough to know that one major league outfielder isn't going to cut it. Fix it. Now.
I realize that finding a willing trade partner on May 1st is probably asking too much, so in the mean time it's time for somebody to take the fall. And since I'm assuming that you're not very eager to experience the joy of Seppuku, that person is Greg Walker. I realize that hitting coaches don't really do a whole heckuvalot, but Walker has taken the "don't do too much" job description to new lows. He doesn't do squat.
I'm sure one of your PR staff will blog about how hard the players prepare with Walker before each game. I don't care. Your fans don't care. We want results.
Here's a (partial) list to consider:
- This team can't hit lefties. (The couldn't hit lefties last year either. Perhaps a look in the mirror is in order?)
- This team can't hit the best pitchers in our division, and often looks like it doesn't have a plan against them.
- This team has the worst batting average in baseball.
- Chad Durbin.
- This team has the fewest non-HR extra-base hits in baseball.
- This team, as currently constructed, is headed for 72 wins.
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68 comments
Comments
Amen
by jimgstl on May 1, 2007 11:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Exactly.
Mistake #2 - Not bringing in a true fourth outfielder, or if Brian Anderson was supposed to be that guy, no communication between the manager and the GM. It was painfully clear that Guillen had no intention of using Anderson in any role, and Williams had a responsibility at that point of either (a) forcing the issue with Guillen and somehow making him play Anderson or (b) dealing Anderson to an organization that will use him and finding someone else who can do the job. Luis Terrero is not the answer to any question.
And that's ignoring obvious blunders, such as having seven relievers and nobody on the bench who can hit worth a tinker's damn.
by The Jerry Royster Experience on May 2, 2007 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Perfect.
by Tony82087 on May 1, 2007 11:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
emphasize Chad Durbin plz
2 GS
13 IP
2.77 ERA
0.77 WHIP
Against everyone else
3 GS
12.1 IP
10.22 ERA
2.27 WHIP
by wite on May 2, 2007 12:24 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Some fun Walker Quotes
April 15th
April 24th: on Konerko
by The Cheat on May 2, 2007 12:28 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Walkers replacement must not come from within
by southsideirish71 on May 2, 2007 12:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Who knows if Walker is the real problem
by illinikrush on May 2, 2007 12:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Unrelated
Edgardo Baez is the first guy I find with a b'day in '85. He's batting .261/.311/.435 with a K/BB ratio that pales in comparison to Cunningham.
That kid is really good, and I'm just now beginning to see how much he dominating the league at such a young age.
by The Cheat on May 2, 2007 12:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
OBP
If Williams does ever want to step down, I'd like to see what Hahn would do.
by hitlesswonder on May 2, 2007 12:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm stoked about Cunningham too, but ...
I'll give them credit where it's due in finding pitchers, but since Maggs and Carlos Lee, the system has come up with one decent hitter in Crede and not a single Latin free agent prospect. Did scouting personnel change post-Maggs/Caballo?
In terms of hitters, in the same period, Oakland produced Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez, Miguel Tejada, and Nick Swisher. The Mets obviously have David Wright and Jose Reyes. The Marlins system produced Derrek Lee, Edgar Renteria, Mike Lowell, Miguel Cabrera, and Luis Castillo. The Yankees came up with Posada, Jeter, Soriano, and Cano. The Twins have Mauer, Morneau, Hunter, and Cuddyer and are also responsible for David Ortiz. That's just off the top of my head so the exact debut dates of these guys may be a little off, but I think you get the gist. Obviously, I'm cherry picking the organizations with the most productive minor league systems over the last ten years, but shouldn't that be the standard we hold the Sox to?
by Ryno on May 2, 2007 1:24 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Other sundry criticisms
How can Molina be up with the Sox? If Anderson gets sent down for Terrero, clearly Molina and Gonzalez should switch as well. How much better would Gonzalez's .200 average vs LHP be than Molina's .000? Apparently not enough to get Gonzalez out of Charlotte. I just don't understand what the Sox are doing.
by hitlesswonder on May 2, 2007 1:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
look at wiki's career numbers in the minors
by larry on May 2, 2007 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It especially doesn't matter...
That's another thing the Sox need to do quickly - determine whether Hall will be ready to go by the end of May, and if not, find a suitable backup. At the rate Guillen's going, Pierzynski will break down by mid-July.
by The Jerry Royster Experience on May 2, 2007 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, but
But either way, Wiki/Molina, it doesn't matter. The Sox have much, MUCH bigger fish to fry these days.
Here's to really hoping Hall comes back. And soon.
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's bring
by tailgater on May 2, 2007 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
don't we already unequivocally know
by larry on May 2, 2007 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not until we see it, no.
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wiki, career against LHP:
He's also had one above-average season at the major-league level. Meanwhile, Molina posted a .614 OPS at Birmingham last year.
This is a drop in the bucket, but at the same time, this team needs offense wherever it can find it. And AJ's played in every single game this year, and we saw what the workload did to him last year in the second half.
by Sox Machine on May 2, 2007 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
We really have entered
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, but
by Sox Machine on May 2, 2007 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey, that's cool
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
he calls awful games
by larry on May 2, 2007 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Umm...
by CWSKeith on May 2, 2007 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
catcher's job
by larry on May 2, 2007 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This organization
by ballyb on May 2, 2007 6:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Just Wondering...
by terptime13 on May 2, 2007 7:16 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
The Sox...
But Walker knew the risks of the job as highlighted here in the press release when Walker was hired.
by rebstock on May 2, 2007 7:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Walker can see the writing on the wall
'It comes down to being a coach,'' Walker said of the offense. ''To be honest, I don't feel like I've done a good enough job following up when guys did have a good game.''
Asked to explain what he meant by that, Walker pointed out that Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede each had big games over the last week, and he should have taken time to pull them aside and emphasize the good they did in those games -- both mentally and mechanically.
''Mechanics aren't the problem,'' Walker said. ''We're dealing with anxiety and pressing. But these guys are professionals. You flip over most of their baseball cards and you'll see the numbers that back that up.''
Now Walker wants to see those numbers make a 2007 appearance.
''We're a team that's mentally beaten right now,'' Walker said. ''We need to get that swagger back.''
by southsideirish71 on May 2, 2007 8:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
so who does Ozzie replace Walker with?
by Gus on May 2, 2007 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
dead?
too bad. RIP Ivan
by Gus on May 2, 2007 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was shot in the head five times
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the visual, SS80!
;0
by winningugly on May 2, 2007 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hahaha!
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Matt Diaz?
by The Jerry Royster Experience on May 2, 2007 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Baines?
by thatshortkid on May 2, 2007 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why he's
by ballyb on May 2, 2007 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i could be the first base coach
by larry on May 2, 2007 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
last night's game
The good news is Vazquez pitched well.
by shaftr on May 2, 2007 9:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Pitched well, yes
by Brush Back on May 2, 2007 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You nailed it on the head
JOE CREDE AT DH? WTF?!
So this is what it feels like to be a Royals fan.
I only half paid attention after a few innings and listened on the radio for the last few innings. Did Hawk and DJ ever address (give an opinion about) Brian Anderson other than to say HE GONE?
As far as Walker is concerned, I love those guys from the 80s and 90s - who can forget immortals such as Miguel Dilone, Casey Parsons, Dave Stegman, Lorenzo Gray, Norberto Martin, Mike Huff and Warren Newson? Anyway, a fresh coaching approach might be in order, though I don't think Walker is in any way responsible for veteran players swinging ice-cold bats.
by tailgater on May 2, 2007 9:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
The pitiful state of the White Sox
by Florida Jim on May 2, 2007 11:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Wake me when this is over...
(This was going to be longer and more detailed, but something's come up here. I'll close (for now) by saying that other than pitching, this year's Sox look very much like this year's Cubs: a few good/great players/hitters and a box of spare parts.)
by Chiburb on May 2, 2007 11:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
You actually forgot a few points...
-Chad Durbin
-Chad f'n Durbin
(sorry, that should have been on there at least 3 more times)
I think the main thing with firing Walker is that you would be making a statement as an organization. "This level of play will not fly and players and coaches will be held accountable." Now I am one that doesn't think a hitting coach doesn't do a whole hell of a lot. But sometimes you need to shake things up. This would be a bit of a "wake up call."
by Brent Brookhouse on May 2, 2007 11:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Most agree
It's always the same discussion back and forth among fans when a coach's job security is under question. You'll hear how the "players effect the game," and "how much can someone do?" If such beliefs were to be taken under consideration, no coaches would EVER be fired.
Personally, without proof to substantiate my claim, if the White Sox return him next week and their offense hasn't shown signs of improvement, Walker shouldn't be on this ballclub.
Step 1 in ensuring job security for Walker is for the offense not to make Miguel "7.54ERA" Batista resemble the rocket armed assassin, Chad Durbin.
by TheKMan1 on May 2, 2007 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol
by Gus on May 2, 2007 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even Ozzie knows his lineups are crap.
Rather than worrying about adding through a deal, however, Guillen said the Sox have to learn how to win without Podsednik (strained right adductor) and Thome (strained rib cage).
"Yeah, we can't hit worth shit, and we're throwing guys out there who shouldn't even be major leaguers. But it's no big. They'll just have to learn 'how to win.'"
by Dongfang Hong on May 2, 2007 12:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
This laughing
by ballyb on May 2, 2007 12:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Its his way of self prophesying -
Superman in center
Love to watch the kid play
on, and on and on
If I'm on the team I'd be sick of how great everyone "else" is... no wonder the motivation isn't there. The clue was when he didn't show up at the White House with the team. (Regardless if you like who is in the office or not... this was your team!)
by Brush Back on May 2, 2007 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if i had a vacation planned
by larry on May 2, 2007 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I forgot...
If there was only a way he could have flown there and left the same day.
by Brush Back on May 2, 2007 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or perhaps...
Either way, I'm with Larry: no big deal, and who cares?
by Chiburb on May 2, 2007 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Any chance
Or was Anderson just a low-level sideshow of relatively little importance?
by ballyb on May 2, 2007 12:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
you get the feeling
by larry on May 2, 2007 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Again w/ the BFF, larry?
by winningugly on May 2, 2007 7:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
some ozzie quotes
by The Wizard on May 2, 2007 1:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Ozzie's right about one thing
by southsider80 on May 2, 2007 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
On a lighter note...
Over last weekend a guy told me that Eddie Einhorn purposely had those uniforms designed with a "C" that resembles an "E" so that his initial would be plastered on the uniforms.
Anyone ever hear of this rumor?
Will Grindstad be back in the line up this afternoon after that well-deserved night off? I didn't think grinders ever rested.
by tailgater on May 2, 2007 1:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
If I recall correctly...
by The Jerry Royster Experience on May 2, 2007 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
well, we got a new barber
[Tribune]
by The Wizard on May 2, 2007 1:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Even without Sweeney...
I'd like to witness Seattle's TV announcers go through this lineup before the game without busting out in laughter.
by TheKMan1 on May 2, 2007 1:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Dammit
by TheKMan1 on May 2, 2007 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Offense
The thing is, guys like Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko are professional hitters with lots of big league experience who should be able to handle lefties, especially being right-handed. Hopefully they will find a way because the Sox are going have to hit Sabathia, Santana, and the like to win this division...
by baseballshoes on May 2, 2007 3:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

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