Sox Machine: Self-destruction an increasingly common act of Pods

Podsednik, for the second time in four days, ran senselessly into a double play to kill the first rally of the game. This time, it happened against a superior pitcher in Jon Lester, and the Sox never created another scoring opportunity against him.

At the same time, Podsednik also accounted for three of the Sox’s four hits off Lester. That raised his average to an even .300 (including an incredible .344 against lefties), and his OBP to a very acceptable .352. In fact, it’s just one tick off the league average, which, relative to the White Sox’s recent success in that department, is like having a white, left-handed Rickey Henderson at the top of the order.

And therein lies the rub during this most uneven of seasons.

over 2 years ago larry 41 comments 0 recs |

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I'd rather see

D Weezie or Kotsay. Pods makes me puke. What an assclown.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Sep 7, 2009 9:31 AM CDT reply actions

There's a non-zero chance that DWise starts in CF next season and Pods starts at DH

Jim mentioned retaining Dye, but that’s not happening. I think the plan right now is to start Pods at DH based on both Ozzie and Williams saying that someone that can play in the field there. That leaves an OF slot fill, and filling it with Wise is a lot more likely than someone like Figgins ending up there.

by hitlesswonder on Sep 7, 2009 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions

I want the Sox to go after Abreu

Not Dye. But they extended him to my surprise before, so I’m not going to rule it out.

EVERYBODY PICK US FOR 3RD OR 4TH SO I DINK WE DOIN POOTY GOO
Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Sep 7, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions

I'd like to see the Sox scrape one more year out of Dye.

Besides, Abreu will likely command a multiyear deal since he’s reassuring teams that he’ll avoid the drop-off nexus. The Angels will probably try hard to re-sign him. Since there’s Rios for better or for worse, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an outfield/1B/DH rotation of Rios/Pods/JD/Konerko/Quentin with Kotsay filtering in, and see what sticks by mid-season. There is a lot of offensive talent in a set like that, and it’s probably the best option as of now considering how far away the next wave of prospects is; I don’t think Dye’s slump is too age related but I think that if he settles for a market price 1-year deal and agrees to DH the majority of the time, he should have at least one more good stat line left in him. Guys older and in worse shape than JD have had a resurgence as DHs. I mean, think of how long he’s been a DH playing the outfield, basically his career as a White Sox. I think it would do him a lot of good.

by Daniel Berlyn on Sep 7, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions

seems to me abreu is declining like one would expect.

perhaps he’ll get a multi year deal because of the vagaries of the market but i don’t think it would have much to do with his performance this season.

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions

He didn't sign until mid February this year, and he's done some things better than last year

He’s kind of had an odd progression in my opinion. He’s sacrificing power to get on base and he’s stealing better than he has in years. He has, however, avoided a significant drop-off at any one point, unlike someone like Guerrero, but I’m sure he can attribute some of that to his calm and cautious style of play. But I think there are a couple key differences. One, he’s on good terms with the Angels whereas the Yankees were just done with him and two, I think teams are going to be a little looser with money this offseason than last.

by Daniel Berlyn on Sep 7, 2009 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Apart from KW's moves I don't see much easing up unless its the Yankees.

Market might be slightly better than last year but not by much, and again once the top few guys go (Holliday and Bay come to mind) its liable to die out once more.

by Carbiner on Sep 7, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions

I just thought it was really fishy about Abreu in particular

I thought he was pretty underpaid compared to guys like Giambi, he was worth a lot more than 5 mil in recent years, but I guess teams were really concerned about his defense. He has been better in the outfield supposedly, and he has actually boosted his stealing to a bit better than it has been in years, so I’m thinking he could get at least an option for ’11. He will earn about .75m in incentives on top of his 5m salary, though.

by Daniel Berlyn on Sep 7, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions

i don't know.

i’m not going to try to predict what teams spend but i’m not currently thinking it’s going to be that much different than last year.

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions

Abreu's been productive but not alluring

Same issue he had with the Yankees. The Angels probably value him more than most of the rest of the league.

by Carbiner on Sep 7, 2009 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions

abreu's been really, really inconsistent this year.

when he’s been good he’s been really good, but i doubt he’ll sustain it given the fluctuation.

by Craig Grebeck on Sep 7, 2009 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions

Never before has there been a better person to be called an enigma.

we are gonna skullfuck this guy - thecip

by BoeJouma on Sep 7, 2009 9:50 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

When Pods leads all of your team's outfielders in WAR,

you have a big problem. Pods sucks less this year than Quentin, Dye, Wise, Rios and Kotsay.

by mick10 on Sep 7, 2009 10:01 AM CDT reply actions

I'm sure Pods will repeat his performance at the plate in 2010

Right? What could go wrong?

by hitlesswonder on Sep 7, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions

getting tired of quentin's lazy pop flies

cant help but think that some of those would be home runs if not for his broken wrist last year

by The Scoper on Sep 7, 2009 10:05 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Occam's razor says "blame the current injury."

EVERYBODY PICK US FOR 3RD OR 4TH SO I DINK WE DOIN POOTY GOO
Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Sep 7, 2009 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions

no credit for my pods pic?

Good use of it by the way. Excellent font choice.
However, there should have been some sort of disclaimer:
Pods picture taken by my old buddy Gus capturing the image with the power of tivo off his dated television set.

Asked about his thoughts on the weekend, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said simply, "Well, we came to New York and visited the new Yankee Stadium. It is a very nice ballpark. We also stayed at a very nice hotel. That's all I can really say about these past three days."

by e-gus on Sep 7, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I did not know that was yours

I will add a credit line.

EVERYBODY PICK US FOR 3RD OR 4TH SO I DINK WE DOIN POOTY GOO
Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Sep 7, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

yeah.

don’t be one of those sites that takes images from other sites and doesn’t credit.

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions

thanks!

first sss, now sox machine, tomorrow, the world!

by e-gus on Sep 7, 2009 11:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I guess this means I have update your new address on my bookmarks.

by e-gus on Sep 7, 2009 11:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Whiffle ball

Rios should receive a special mention for pulling two potential walks out of the fire, converting 3-0 counts into Ks.

Not sure I’ve ever seen that, at least not from a guy who makes more than the all the others you mentioned combined.

by EddyStanky'sGhost on Sep 7, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions

math gives you trouble, huh.

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions

more too-lazy-to-look-it-up gives me trouble

so impressed with his performance was I.

my bad.

by EddyStanky'sGhost on Sep 7, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions

you should be sorry. we don't like lazy opinions around here anymore than we like lazy baseball.

10 lashes with the cat o’ nine tails.

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Yer right

Rios really had to work to strike out on 3-0 counts twice in a game. Nothing lazy there.

by EddyStanky'sGhost on Sep 7, 2009 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions

in yesterday's game thread

i stated that i wanted to see him immediately released after that blunder and didn’t care if he went 4-4. (i also said if i lived in chicago i would key his car)
his OBP does not mean anything if you don’t factor in the number of outs he has made on the bases. those outs should have extra weight because they are so demoralizing.

hey rios, you need to cinch it up, hunker down, bow your neck, bristle up, and be any kind of hitter. you're making me look like an idiot.

by BuehrleMan on Sep 7, 2009 10:06 AM CDT reply actions

Podsednik lf

Ramirez ss

Pierzynski c

Dye rf

Kotsay 1b

Quentin dh

Getz 2b

Rios cf

Nix 3b

Buehrle p

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 10:10 AM CDT reply actions

Why are they playing Rios more than once a week?

Madness.

by Carbiner on Sep 7, 2009 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions

I miss Bacon

by e-gus on Sep 7, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions

There are a lot of keys next year....

but right at the top are Quentin and Rios. The other outfield spot is a distant second, not to minimize its importance, though. Those two have to get their heads on straight and lead this club offensively. Right now, their heads are messed up.

by dantesox on Sep 7, 2009 10:15 AM CDT reply actions

cliff lee has pitched 200 innings.

you lose.

tdogg, ballyb, now dantesox – who is the next sucker to test me?

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions

it's a free board. do whatever you want.

we had a bet. you lost. whether you win bets over your grandma is irrelevant to me.

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Despite receiving few in-game reps, the opportunity to be around Major League teammates has proven invaluable, according the Flowers.

“We don’t experience anything like this in the Minor Leagues,” Flowers said. "There’s so much stuff that goes on here that no one has any idea that goes on. Even us in the Minor Leagues, we have no idea that some of this stuff goes on. So I think you definitely need to be around it for a little bit.

“This is a good way to kind of ease young players into it, because they don’t have to worry about playing every day and that kind of stuff. You just get used to the atmosphere and enjoy your time and learn as much as you can.”
…
Flowers made it clear that his goal was to make the White Sox 25-man roster out of the 2010 Spring Training to back up Pierzynski.

“Whether or not that’s a possibility, I don’t know,” Flowers said. “I think it is. I think if I come out and show how much work I’ve done in the offseason and continue to progress, I think there’s no reason why I can’t be A.J.‘s backup. I think I can fill that role for them, and I’m just going to prepare myself to be ready for that.”

Flowers said he was still learning as this season progressed, both offensively and behind the plate, catching pitchers during bullpen sessions. Flowers caught Jake Peavy’s session on Sunday.

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090906&content_id=6823594&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

by larry on Sep 7, 2009 10:26 AM CDT reply actions