Double your games, double your fun

by The Wizard on Mar 1, 2007 12:51 PM CST in Game Threads Comment 44 comments

Jon Garland on yesterday's game:

"It's February. You can't win a game until April."

*****

Here are the lineups for today's games against the D-Backs and the Rockies:

vs. Arizona (2:05p.m. WSCR): Owens, CF; Valido, SS; Thome, DH; Dye, RF; Mackowiak, LF; Fields, 3B; Hall, C; Rogowski, 1B; Lopez, 2B; Vazquez, RHP

at Colorado (2:05p.m.): Ozuna, LF; Sweeney, RF; Crede, 3B; E. Perez, 1B; Spivey, 2B; W. Gonzalez, C; Terrero, CF; A. Gonzalez, SS; Phillips, P

***** BTW, as shaftr pointed out, Baseball America's 2007 Top 100 prospects is out.
The Sox prospects on the list: #45. Josh Fields, #55. Ryan Sweeney, # 56. John Danks, #72. Gio Gonzalez.

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I feel dumb for asking, but...

Who's "A. Gonzalez"?

by The Jerry Royster Experience on Mar 1, 2007 1:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Andy Gonzalez

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/Andy-Gonzalez.shtml

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Mar 1, 2007 1:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks.

by The Jerry Royster Experience on Mar 1, 2007 1:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

np

I didn't know for sure who he was either, so I had to look it up as well.

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Mar 1, 2007 1:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Eduardo Perez

Whenever I see his name, I think about Eddie Murphy's Raw when he talks about bringing an African women home to marry and he uses that African accent to say "Eddie!"

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Mar 1, 2007 1:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

and we are trailing!

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Mar 1, 2007 2:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe Erstad is hurt?

Actually, reading those lineups reminds me of last year:
If I saw Mack in CF I almost didn't care if I saw the game or not. It was just too depressing.

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Mar 1, 2007 2:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

to be fair

I believe it's split squad.

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Mar 1, 2007 2:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

can ozzie squeeze pods, erstad and owens

in 1 lineup?

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Mar 1, 2007 2:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

don't tempt him.

by longdrive on Mar 1, 2007 2:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Just for shits and giggles

Over at Halo's Heaven they have Darin Erstad ranked as the 10th all-time best Angel ever while Vladimir Guerrero is 16th.

GO SOX!!!!

by marco054 on Mar 1, 2007 3:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Erstad isn't a terrible player

I'd rather have him on the roster over Podsednik. At least Erstad can play defense (I hope). It's just going to be a long season with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell seemingly guaranteed to get 450 ABs a piece.

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Mar 1, 2007 3:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

When healthy..

which is always iffy, he can play the field well.

But at the plate he can be stink piled on top of stench. Maybe he'll improve playing in a hitter's park, but it's more of a power hitter park. I just don't see what he brought to the team that was really needed. And nothing irks me more than making moves for the sake of making moves...or bringing in someone just to be a "grinder."

AIM: BrentBrookhouse http://www.badlefthook.com - a part of the SportsBlog Nation Family

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 1, 2007 4:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep...

The Cell is good for homerun hitter. I don't think it is a very good park to hit doubles and triples in. I don't see The Cell helping Erstad's linedrive swing much.

by SSH2005 on Mar 1, 2007 7:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Not just a grinder,

He brings "veteran presence". You know, like Sandy Alomar did.

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Mar 2, 2007 9:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ha

if I had posted that I would have been

a) roasted
b) ridiculed
c) buried in SABREMetricly derived stats which would conclude I'm an idiot
d) all of the above

and the answer is ... d) all of the above.

Comonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn You White Sox!

by zokmaad on Mar 1, 2007 6:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

so do you think he's good?

because he's not good.

There's a difference between "not terrible," "serviceable," and "good." Erstad - statistically - fits into the 1st category.

and whether you realize it or not, OPS really isn't a saber stat. It's simple a number that gives you an idea of how often a player gets on base, and on top of that, how often he gets extra base hits. It's really quite simple if you give it 12 seconds to break it down, and in both aspects of OPS - OBP and SLG% - Erstad really is not that good, plain and simply.

He's better than Podsednik, but I'd rather stick Ernie Young in LF simply because that'd give the Sox another $2.5 mill to spend on other parts or advertising.

by wite on Mar 2, 2007 6:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

sorry

I forgot to add stupid to the list.

Comonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn You White Sox!

by zokmaad on Mar 2, 2007 6:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly the problem...

Having one Podsednik is awful -- he can't hit, he can't steal at a decent success rate, and he can't field.

Having one Erstad isn't so bad -- he can't hit all that well either but he might be able to play decent defense in LF and CF.

Having both Podsednik and Erstad is disgustingly awful -- our manager values speed over OPS in the outfield and is obsessed with the idea of a true leadoff hitter meaning that both of these low OPS guys could be in the lineup at the same time.

by SSH2005 on Mar 1, 2007 7:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

BA's list

they compare Sweeney to Garrett Anderson (in a best case scenario) and Sean Burroughs (worst case) if you click that little risk factor thingy.

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Mar 1, 2007 2:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Another great start!

Only down 5-1 against the DBacks in the 3rd! Wouldn't it be something if Javy gets better after the 5th this year?

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Mar 1, 2007 3:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Broadway

I think he walked in 2.

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Mar 1, 2007 3:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Reds Sign Dustin Hermanson

mlbtraderumors.com

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Mar 1, 2007 3:14 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

encouraging update on jenks

http://blogs.dailysouthtown.com/whalen/2007/03/jenks_update_take_2.html

says it feels good.

by larry on Mar 1, 2007 8:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

the season is not cancelled!

more jenks:

[Scott Merkin]

"Coming into camp, I was a little tight back there. So, I've been working all spring on loosening the back of my shoulder because I had no internal rotation. The combination of that and just using bad mechanics, leaking a little bit and dropping my elbow ... those two things together are not good. It just caught the back of my shoulder and tightened it up a little bit. ... I was over-amped, and using bad mechanics was the biggest thing. I can only blame myself for that. I had Cave [bullpen coach Art Kusnyer] out there watching my mechanics, and I got out there in a game situation and pretty much forgot everything."

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Mar 1, 2007 9:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

A-Rod still gives KW a chubby.

see the story - the white sox asked about A-Rod more than any other team. A-Rod still gives KW a chubby.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/03/02/arod.yankees/index.html

by hugh on Mar 2, 2007 12:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

The story describes JR as

the one with the tentpole.

by winningugly on Mar 2, 2007 12:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

poll: which son of ex-chicago ballplayer is next?

now jerry hairson, jr.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/03/02/steroid.raid/index.html

or maybe a better poll is just which ex-cub or ex-ranger or ex-oriole is next. these clubs seem to have quite a large amount of players cited in these probes (along with the yankees and athletics, i guess).

by larry on Mar 2, 2007 1:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I now understand why Tigger

went off on a teen a couple years ago - 'roid rage!

I'll watch my back around the Kingdom. Orlando, where you never get old! (As long as the HGH keeps comin'.)

by winningugly on Mar 2, 2007 2:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

SUNDAY!!!! MUST-SEE TV:

2:00 CST, WGN-TV:
White Sox vs. Cubs

'Nuff said.

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Mar 2, 2007 1:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

AJ vs. Barrett

round two.

by larry on Mar 2, 2007 1:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Must be nice to know

everything.

(teehee)

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Mar 2, 2007 1:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

funny story

My first game of MLB2k7, I'm playing my friend Cubs vs Sox and there was a play at the plate with AJ and Barrett.

Barrett caught the ball and AJ bowled him over and he dropped the ball.

Safe. No punches thrown though.

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Mar 2, 2007 8:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

goes to show

how far video games still have to go before they truly reflect reality.

by larry on Mar 2, 2007 9:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

To ; It should be called Bill Veeck Park

if you never got a chance to meet bill, he was a very nice guy. he used to sit in the centerfield bleachers with us and drink beer and talk about the game.this could last for several innings and then he would visit somewhere else. sometimes he even bought the beer.here in kc lamar would walk the stands and if the crowds were small, he would visit also.lamar would be in a suit with another guy with him, bill would come out in slacks and shirt by himself.dont know if any owners do this anymore.

by 1960SOX on Mar 3, 2007 7:05 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

One of the highlights

of my life was 2 hour lunch with Bill at Miller's Pub. Bill Gleason, George Langford (then sports editor of the Trib), me, and Bill.
The conversation was wide-ranging, but I did get to complain about Tony L. being one of the worst things he ever gave the fans.
Anyway, Bill Veeck's Corner is still there; Adams and Wabash.

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Mar 3, 2007 8:23 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope our SABRE-masters

don't start feeling like B-Mac re: us "elder statesmen"/family guys (regaling us with Bill Veeck tales) and not being able to relate. I'm looking at his book (I have Mike's, too) sitting on my bookcase and smiling at the memory of how he ran his teams.

Keep peppering with your experiences - especially with an 0-4 start to ST, it deflects the focus from awful baseball - and remind us of old times.

Though the losing was never fun. It'd be OK with me to win a few games soon.

by winningugly on Mar 3, 2007 9:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I had a close encounter with Mr V.

in the empty upper deck in 76. My favorite memories of old Comiskey and the old days were Friday night fire works, Harry and Jimmy, and Andy the Clown. I get to say he pulled the rose gag on me. I pay homage to Andy every time I post.
He's an sadly forgotten piece of Sox lore.

Comonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn You White Sox!

by zokmaad on Mar 3, 2007 2:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely - Andy was the best

Was he really John Wayne Gacy?

I liked the shower in the CF bleachers and sitting with Harry Caray with a couple (cases of) Falstaff.

by winningugly on Mar 4, 2007 3:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

take it easy there

Andy was an old man by the time JWG was doing rope tricks.

How about the great corned beef sandwiches at the Dugout Cafe or the popcorn holders that you could turn into megaphones?

Comonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn You White Sox!

by zokmaad on Mar 4, 2007 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

LOL re: popcorn megaphones

I completely forgot about that - what a great remembrance. Thanks.

by winningugly on Mar 4, 2007 6:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

old times

is millers pub still there. are there still pictures of dick the bruiser and crusher in front.i remember the first time i got a greek salad there and wondered what the hairy bugger looking thing was in my salad. i had never seen an anchovie.remember the old drummer guy at the park and mexican day when the players wore sombreros.i remember trying to run the gauntlet up the ramps while kids tried to spit on you. are these great memories or what.

by 1960SOX on Mar 3, 2007 4:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I remember the drummer

Every time I saw him he had the same t-shirt advertising dental floss. I was at a game when the plate umpire told him to quit. He stood there and drummed at him for about 30 seconds and then stalked off.

Comonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn You White Sox!

by zokmaad on Mar 4, 2007 12:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs