So must of us have used the lineup analysis tool over at baseball musings in the past. With a lot of talk on here about who Ozzie will bat where, etc, I thought I'd try and find out if this tool supports any one lineup heavily over another.

Granted, this is just one tool, and it's the only one of its kind that I am aware of. If someone knows a better one, please share.

For those who have used this before, you know what I did. I put in 9 players in a specific order, 1-9, and plugged in there OBP and SLG as projected by Bill James for 2008.

The first lineup I put in was:

Owens, Cabrera, Thome, Konerko, Swisher, Dye, Fields, Uribe, Pierzynski. This lineup resulted in 5.339 runs per game.

The best lineup it gave was Swisher, Thome, Cabrera, Fields, Konerko, Dye, Pierzynski, Uribe, Owens. This resulted in 5.479 runs per game, and increase of .140.

The worst lineup it gave was Uribe, Cabrera, Fields, Owens, Pierzynski, Swisher, Konerko, Thome, and Dye. This resulted in 5.025 runs per game, a decrease of .314.

Now... I decided to swap some players and see what would happen with the Runs Per Game.

First, swap Uribe with Richar. The same lineup order as before produced 5.410 runs per game, an increase of .071. The best order for the Richar lineup produced 5.568 runs per game, an increase of .209 or so.

Next, I put Uribe back in the lineup and swapped Quentin for Owens. Again, some order, with Quentin now leading off inplace of Owens, and this lineup generated 5.449 runs per game. The best lineup generated 5.565 runs per game. There was in increase of .110 and .226 respectively.

Now, for what we all may hope and pray for... Quentin and Richar starting in place for Owens and Uribe. What would that lineup produce, if Quentin led off? 5.520 runs per game The best order of lineup would produce 5.649 runs per game

So... a recap.

Owens and Uribe in lineup: 5.339 (Ozzie lineup), 5.479 (best) 5.025 (worst)

Owens and Richar in lineup: 5.410 (Ozzie lineup), 5.568 (Best)

Quentin and Uribe in lineup: 5.449 (Ozzie lineup), 5.565 (Best)

Quentin and Richar in lineup: 5.520 (Ozzie lineup) 5.649 (Best)

What this would suggest is that if Owens and URibe were replaced with Quentin and Richar, and put in the most efficient order, our lineup could produce .210 more runs per game. What that means over the course of a full season... I don't know. I would like to believe that Richar and Quentin would have a greater impact than that.

That was a fun way to kill time while I ate my dinner. Thoughts?

My bud recently got the Show 2008 for PS2 and I've played about a half dozen games in the past two days. I played as the Sox, of course, and I have some thoughts...

1. The ball doesn't fly off Swisher's bat as much as I expected. I am not absolutely terrible at the game, but I got one hit with Swisher, and it was a blooping single. I went like 1-10 with him. I think his power is underrated in the game.
2. Dye is absolutely atrocious in RF. I actually subbed him out and replaced him with Jerry Owens. I immediately noticed an improvement when Francouer hit a slicer down the line and Jerry got to it no problem. I had someone (I forget who) score an in-the-park home run on a shot down the RF line. The guy was half-way to third by the time Dye got to the ball.
3. Small sample size, sure... but Juan Uribe is a God in the Show. I went 3-4 with a double shy of the cycle. Yes, you read that right... Juanny hit a triple. A legit triple. Another game Juanny went 2-4. I turned on a high fastball and sent it to the seats in dead center of Turner Field.
4. Quentin has some pop. For some reason the Show made him a retard on the basepaths though. The game is kinda annoying with its pickoff sequence... especially when the catcher throws to firstbase in an attempted pickoff. Quentin trotted casually back to 1B and got CS. I was like "WTF?! Get back!"
5. Fields got some serious pop. I caught a fastball down the middle and sent it flying. The homerun sequences are pretty cool, as you get to see an individual player's own Homerun strut. Fields just kinda stared at his as he walked down the line. Nothing special.
6. AJ cannot catch a curveball in the dirt or throw anyone out at 2nd base to save his life. I seriously had 4 passed balls on swung-on-and missed curveballs that were low. This always seemed to happen when someone speedy was at 3rd base. Runs insued.
7. Swisher is not awful in CF. He's a little slower, but he has a cannon of an arm that makes up for it.
8. Bobby Jenks' curveball is impossible to hit. It's so filthy it's not fair. Throw in some high heat at 96 MPH, and a decent slider, and you've got a lethal pitcher. Every now and then someone will catch up to the slider and knock it to the wall, so I don't mess with it. I stick with the filth.
9. Javy is pretty darned filthy, but he is far from unhittable. I had a typical Javy outing, striking out everyone I didn't allow hits to. Buehrle, I thought, is a little easier to succeed with because of his junk.
10. Wasserman is filthy too. His sidearm delivery is incredibly hard to follow and his stuff has some really awesome movement. Aside from Linebrink and Bobby, I think Wasserman has the best stuff in the bullpen. Logan ain't bad either. I didn't touch Dewon Day, and MacDougal and Thornton had less than spectacular stuff. MacDougal's slider is kinda filthy though if thrown outside the zone. Bottom line... I am really impressed with Wasserman in the game.
11. a) Some general thoughts on the game... I think it's glitchy in some parts. It freezes sometimes after you go to the menus, like say to the bullpen.

b) Your bud can scroll through your menus when you pause the game (like, say, to make a sub or warm someone up) You can see that when playing someone drunk how quickly this can get old. It makes no sense why they allowed this.

c) The guess pitch feature is kinda useful. If you're facing someone of limited pitches, like say a curve, and two fastballs, you can guess the curve. If the screen doesn't flash, you know you're getting a fastball. If it does flash, you know you're getting the curve. Pretty neat feature.

d) The pickoff ordeal is kinda tricky and favors the defense. Baserunners don't always get back as fast as they should and pickoffs ensue more than they do in real-life.

e) Don't pitch fastballs to power hitters. Ever. Like with Texiera. Ever. I sent him a high Bobby Jenks fastball, out of the zone, like at his face, and he hit a walk-off homer.

f) You can't argue calls, or get your manager tossed. When you visit the mound, you can't calm your pitcher down, or stall the game, etc. That sucks. The EA game was a bit superior in this regard. I kinda wish they still made the EA games.

Overall, the game is deserving of the 8.0 or so that IGN gave it. It is glitchy, and there are some issues, but I hear it's much better than 2K8. That's just from what I've read, as I haven't played 2K8. Maybe I will soon.

K. So you've all probably discussed this a bazillion times, and if there's already a poll up about this then I'll remove it, but I'm curious now that Torii is outta the picture.

Should Kenny shell out the cash to get Rowand? He'll likely cost less than what Torii got, and probably around what Kenny offered for Torii (5/75). Is that reasonable?

Would any of you take Rowand back for anything less than 15 million a year? What's your cutoff point? Do you guys want Rowand back at all? Or who would you rather want? Fukodome? Both Fukodome and Rowand?

So... the question remains... Rowand or no?

Just so we're clear, I want the Legend back here. Real bad. Like there's an itch that only Rowand can scratch.

Update [2007-11-28 10:28:21 by Shoeless In SC]: Well, apparently Rowand won't be coming here so this journal is basically useless. Blast it all to hell! Just when I was getting my hopes up again...

Rowand says no

Poll

Bring back the Legend?

13%

Nay - Give me Sweeney, Anderson, Owens

7 votes

0%

Nay - Bring back the Fairy Grinders

0 votes

28%

Yay

15 votes

57%

Nay - Give me Fukodome

30 votes

52 votes | Poll has closed

Thought this was interesting. He ranks them according to talks with agents, scouts, and execs.

FIRST BASEMEN

58. Tony Clark (35) - Not a good sign when the best of the bunch spent last season in a platoon.
68. Sean Casey (33) - Still can hit. Just not for power (four homers in 454 at-bats).
72. Doug Mientkiewicz (33) - Slugged .440 last year and is still a defensive whiz
81. Ryan Klesko (36) - Nice bat off the bench.
83. Mark Sweeney (38) - Needs 50 more pinch hits to pass Lenny Harris for first all-time.
90. Greg Norton (35) - After 17 homers in '06, hit just four last year.
108. Eric Hinske (30) - Pretty sure he won't be getting a $14.75 million deal this time around.
114. Robert Fick (34) - Could help in a utility role.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SECOND BASEMEN

25. Kazuo Matsui (32) - Big postseason means big payday.
30. Luis Castillo (32) SIGNED -  Completed deal with Mets for $25 million, four years.
31. Tadahito Iguchi (33) - Could be a bargain.
73. Mark Loretta (36) - Still gets on base and doesn't strike out.
82. Marcus Giles (29) - Two years ago, he'd have been in the top 20.
86. Jose Valentin (38) - Coming off an injury, he'll get a flyer somewhere.
96. Damion Easley (38) - SIGNED Re-signed with the Mets for $950,000 over one year.
98. Tony Graffanino (35) - Versatile, and a bat with some pop.
106. Miguel Cairo (33) - Intangible guy, not much more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHORTSTOPS

44. David Eckstein (33) - Could be substantially overpaid because of waif shortstop class.
103. Chris Gomez (36) - Repeat: Chris Gomez is the second-best free-agent shortstop.
127. Chris Woodward (31) - Somehow, entering his 10th season.
128. Royce Clayton (38) - Could sign with his 12th team.
137. Ramon Martinez (35) - Only 29 home runs in nearly 2,000 career at-bats.
143. Neifi Perez (34) - Officially the worst player in the class of '08, and he's still got time left on his amphetamine suspension. Could this be the end of the Neifi Index?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIRD BASEMEN

1. Alex Rodriguez (32) -  SIGNED One more record contract - this time $275 million - will take him to the end of his career in pinstripes.
7. Mike Lowell (34) - SIGNED Agrees to $37.5 million, three-year deal with Red Sox.
26. Mike Lamb (32) - Just watch. The most underrated player of the class could flourish with full-time at-bats.
28. Pedro Feliz (32) - Should have won NL Gold Glove and can hit homers. If only he knew how to take a walk.
91. Geoff Blum (34) -  SIGNED Versatile glove, clutch bat goes home to Astros in a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
95. Aaron Boone (35) - Yeah, he's still playing.
105. Abraham Nuñez (32) - Never could match breakout '05 season.
111. Russell Branyan (32) - Couldn't even crack the Mendoza Line last year.
129. Jeff Cirillo (38) - May just retire.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OUTFIELDERS

2. Andruw Jones (30) - One bad season does not a career make. He should pass 400-home run mark this year and - most important - has Scott Boras on his side.
3. Torii Hunter (32) -  SIGNED Signed a five-year deal worth $90 million with Angels.
4. Barry Bonds (43) - Love him or hate him, the old man can still rake. UPDATE: Don't think anyone's going to be signing him anytime soon.
6. Kosuke Fukudome (30) - Former Central League MVP will cash in big-time, as teams don't have to pay a posting fee for him.
10. Aaron Rowand (30) - Picked the right time to have a career year.
12. Mike Cameron (35) - Picked the wrong time to test positive for amphetamines.
15. Jose Guillen (31) - So, how much of it was the steroids?
17. Brad Wilkerson (30) - If he can remember how to walk, he's got all the talent to be a star.
29. Milton Bradley (29) - Would be higher if he hadn't blown out a knee acting like a tough guy to an umpire.
32. Corey Patterson (28) - Still doesn't get it, and probably never will. But some team will sign him long term.
42. Geoff Jenkins (33) - Never had fewer than 17 home runs in a full season.
49. Shannon Stewart (34) - Make-good year was just OK. Certainly not up to his 2003 season.
50. Kenny Lofton (40) - Aiming for team No. 12, too.
52. Luis Gonzalez (40) - Looked halfway decent before the Dodgers' youth movement.
57. Shawn Green (35) - Remember when he was a star?
62. Cliff Floyd (35) - Plays like someone five years older.
65. Bobby Kielty (31) - Never has lived up to potential.
76. Rob Mackowiak (31) - Super-utility guy can help any team.
87. Reggie Sanders (40) - In 17 seasons, has never played more than 140 games.
100. Rondell White (36) - Injuries wracked his promising career as well.
101. Preston Wilson (33) - Speaking of injuries, coming off a 64-at-bat season.
102. Darin Erstad (33) - And in that vein, Erstad likewise looked washed-up last year.
104. Trot Nixon (33) - While we're at it ... you get the picture.
107. Jeff DaVanon (34) - How is Jeff DaVanon older than Trot Nixon?
113. Orlando Palmeiro (39) - Old pro just keeps trucking, even with .613 OPS last year.
130. Jerry Hairston Jr. (31) - Two straight years of near-.200 batting average.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CATCHERS

5. Jorge Posada (36) - SIGNED Yankees paid him $52.4 million over four years on the eve of free agency. Story
38. Michael Barrett (31) - Perhaps someone can show him being a knucklehead isn't the way to go through life.
43. Paul Lo Duca (35) - Getting by more on reputation than talent these days.
56. Yorvit Torrealba (29) - So how much was that swing in the NLCS worth? At least $5 million.
75. Rod Barajas (32) - Hit 21 homers two years ago.
94. Ramon Castro (32) - SIGNED Re-signed with the Mets for $4.6 million over two years.
110. Jason Kendall (33) - SIGNED Signed a one-year deal with an option for 2009 with the Brewers.

.

117. Damian Miller (38) - And yet he's ahead of this guy, and a dozen (!) others.
119. Mike Lieberthal (35) - So, how do you rate backup catchers? This guy has hit double-digit homers seven times.
120. Raul Casanova (35) - And this one hit six in 79 at-bats last year.
123. Jose Molina (32) - His OPS was over .600 last year.
125. Gary Bennett (35) - So was his!
126. Doug Mirabelli (37) - And he can, uh, catch a knuckleball.
132. Paul Bako (35) - These are backup catchers. This is getting tough.
133. Mike DiFelice (38) - Actually, DiFelice was the backup to the backup to the backup for the Mets last season.
134. Josh Paul (32) - He hit .190. It is extremely difficult to be that bad.
135. Jason LaRue (34) - SIGNED The .148-hitting LaRue signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with the Cardinals.

.

136. Kelly Stinnett (38) - Don't forget him! A robust .159.
141. Sandy Alomar Jr. (41) - The best yet, with a .136 average!
142. Sal Fasano (36) - Super Mario - pulling up the rear at .178 - will always have a place in our heart

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DESIGNATED HITTERS

34. Sammy Sosa (39) - Wants $7 million to swing and miss at breaking balls.
37. Mike Piazza (39) - Coming off worst season of his career. Does he have one more in him?
59. Mike Sweeney (34) - If he stays healthy ... oh, who are we kidding?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STARTING PITCHERS

9. Andy Pettitte (35) - If he plays - and that's a big if.
13. Hiroki Kuroda (33) - Might be the most sought-after pitcher this offseason, even if his 1.85 ERA in Japan came two years ago.
14. Carlos Silva (28) - Impeccable control. Not $10 million-a-year control, but the market - and not talent - will dictate that.
16. Livan Hernandez (33, allegedly) - Nine of 10 years pitched at least 200 innings. The other year: 199 2/3.
19. Freddy Garcia (32) - Surgery, shmurgery. If he's healthy, he's a legit No. 2, and he can be had at a bargain for the risk-taking types.
20. Tom Glavine (42) -  SIGNED He returns to Atlanta for one-year, $8 million contract.
21. Kenny Rogers (43) - How much is left?
22. Kyle Lohse (29) - Were these rankings on potential salary instead of accomplishment, he'd be in the top 10.
23. Bartolo Colon (35) - Seems like more than two years since he won his Cy Young.
27. Jason Jennings (29) - Is he the magician who spun a 3.78 ERA in Colorado two years ago or the bum who couldn't keep his ERA under six in Houston?
35. Randy Wolf (31) - On his way to a solid season until injuries ended it. Heard that one before?
39. Jeff Weaver (31) - That one-year deal didn't work out so well.
41. Jon Lieber (37) - Innings-eater went on a hunger strike last year.
45. Josh Fogg (31) - Boston slew the The Dragon Slayer in the World Series.
51. Kip Wells (30) - Still hasn't found his LaFawnduh.
53. Kris Benson (33) - Coming off rotator cuff surgery.
54. Matt Clement (33) - About $1.39 million per win for the Red Sox.
71. Odalis Perez (30) - Decent stuff, poor work ethic.
77. Byung-Hyun Kim (29) - Please, just make him a reliever again.
78. Steve Trachsel (37) - If this baseball racket doesn't work out, he's got a ready-made TV show.
79. Brett Tomko (34) - Still never pitched a full season with a sub-4.00 ERA.
85. Eric Milton (32) - Last time he did this, received one of the worst contracts in the history of free agency.
89. Rodrigo Lopez (32) - On the off chance that he can come back from a ligament and flexor tendon tears.
92. Tony Armas (29) - Yeah, he's worse than a guy with a blown-out arm.
112. Russ Ortiz (33) - Incidentally, he pitches like a guy with a blown-out arm.
115. Mark Redman (34) - Will he get yet another bite?
116. Aaron Sele (37) - Ditto.
122. Jaret Wright (32) - Seems like the longest three-year deal ever.
140. John Thomson (34) - Pitched 188 innings over three seasons.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RELIEF PITCHERS

8. Mariano Rivera (38) - SIGNED Accepts Yankees' $45 million, three-year offer.
11. Francisco Cordero (32) - Faltered in the second half, but in a weak class, he could get close to B.J. Ryan money.
18. Masahide Kobayashi (33) - SIGNED Indians signed closer who had 20 saves seven straight years in Japan to a two-year, $6.25 million deal.
24. Eric Gagne (32) - Lost himself $30 million over the last two months.
33. David Riske (31) - Consistently one of baseball's best relievers, he posted a 2.45 ERA last year.
36. Scott Linebrink (31) - Workhorse will log quality innings, and in this market, that's worth $7 million a year.
40. Kerry Wood (30) - Doesn't hit 100 anymore. Sometimes doesn't even hit 90.
46. Troy Percival (38) - Long gone are the days of blowing hitters away. Now he just gets them out with the same dominating regularity.
47. Kazuo Fukumori (31) - He's a risk. Not because of the elbow surgery, but because any man who so enjoys emoticons is a little iffy.
48. Ron Mahay (36) - If J.C. Romero gets $12 million for three years, Mahay deserves at least that much.
55. Octavio Dotel (34) - Just stay healthy for one season.
60. Bob Wickman (39) - Probably will retire, but just in case, he still can get hitters out.
61. Matt Herges (38) - Reinvented himself and revitalized career in Colorado, of all places.
63. Mike Timlin (42) - Could retire, too.
64. LaTroy Hawkins (35) - How does a guy who throws 96 mph strike out only 29 in 55 1/3 innings?
66. Armando Benitez (35) - Just when you think Captain Meltdown is over the hill, he comes back and surprises.
67. Luis Vizcaino (33) - Been a reliable middle reliever four years running.
69. Jeremy Affeldt (28) - Production finally met potential last season.
70. Shawn Chacon (30) - On the every-other-year-he's-good plan, which is bad for whichever team signs him.
74. Doug Brocail (40) - Amazing comeback could end in retirement.
80. Trever Miller (34) - Lefties hit just .209 off him last season
84. Ray King (34) - Even better: .187 vs. left-handers. But righties were .311
88. Jorge Julio (29) - Million-dollar arm, bankrupt head.
93. Rudy Seanez (39) - Set career high by pitching in 73 games last season.
97. Arthur Rhodes (38) - If he comes back from elbow-ligament surgery.
99. Antonio Alfonseca (35) - Now we're getting to the dregs.
109. Mike Myers (38) - The quintessential one-out lefty.
118. Brian Moehler (36) - Wasn't half-bad last year. Wasn't half-good, either.
121. Ron Villone (38) - Never was all that great.
124. Jay Witasick (35) - Best performance of 2007 was here.
131. Jose Mesa (41) - Once was great. Now? Eek
138. Chris Reitsma (30) - Health problems always dogging him.
139. Elmer Dessens (37) - Hear hear, for Mr. Irrelevant!

------------------------
-----------------------

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-freeagentrankings111207&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Thoughts?

I was thinking about this last night in bed and I thought it would be a fun exercise to get our thoughts off of the Sox, so have fun with this.

Your task is to build a dream team that will compete for the World Series this year, and every year for the next 5 years.

Some ground rules:

1. The team needs to compete for a WS this year, so no players that are too far off to help you win this year.
2. This team is full of keepers, assume that the roster will be the same in 5 years. No trades, releases, extra players coming in, etc.
3. The team needs to be World Series worthy every year for the next 5 years.
4. Money is no object
5. The team is an AL team, so there is a DH (I thought it would be more fun this way)
6. And above all, have fun. If you disagree with someone, don't flame, offer up someone else and say why you'd like that person. You can certainly go wrong here and pick a player at the end of his prime, or someone who has major injury issues, but aside from all that, it's fairly open-ended.

I figured it'd be easiest to just do the field positions, a DH, 5 SP, and a closer. You can certainly do more if you like, but I'm just going to start with the basics. Here goes:

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Ryan Howard
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: Ryan Braun
LF/RF: Alex Rios
CF: Grady Sizemore
LF/RF: Matt Holliday
DH: Prince Fielder
SP: Cole Hamels Johan Santana
SP: Dan Haren
SP: Jake Peavy
SP: Carlos Zambrano
SP: Tim Lincecum
RP: Jonathan Papelbon

I could certainly replace almost any of those players with someone else equally qualified (D. Wright, M. Cabrera, H. Ramirez, K. Johnson, B. Hawpe, C. Crawford, BJ. Upton, R. Martin, J. Maine, J. Verlander, and so on...) but I think this team can compete for a WS right now.

So, what's your dream team?

My friend, the Cub fan, helps run this blog, along with a few other people, and I must say, it is pretty darn funny.

It's all Fake News, but spun in a way to make fun of the Cubs and their ongoing struggles.

I know, I know, what are ya doing visiting a Cubs blog. Well, like I just said, the "articles" are usually hilarious, and often poke fun at the Cubs organization. What's not to like here?

Other than the occasional AJ bashing, you won't find any Sox bashing, so feel free to peruse.

If you go over and view the articles and post, please, keep it civil and within bounds. Don't head over there and bash the Cubs or the posters, or the fans, etc. They really are nice, intelligent folk, so please, don't make me regret posting this here :)

The link is:

http://bricksandivyradio.com/pblog/index.php

I was looking at mlb4u.com, supplied by Larry, to see just what potential awaits the Sox next offseason.

White Sox Free Agents to be:

Mark Buehrle, Age 28
Jermaine Dye, Age 33
Darrin Erstad, Age 33
Tadahito Iguchi, Age 32
Rob Mackowiak, Age 30
Juan Uribe, Age 28
Craig Wilson, Age 30

It should be safe to say Mack and Wilson will be gone. If Erstad comes back healthy, he may stay, otherwise he is gone. Uribe likely will stay, and who knows what will happen to Gooch, Buehrle, and Dye. Might be say to say Dye is gone. So who could replace these guys through Free Agency?

2B:

Marcus Giles, Age 29. The youngest player in this group. Probably the best player in the 2B class.

Jerry Hairston, Jr, Age 31. Man, I hope not.

Jeff Kent, Age 39. Doubt he goes anywhere. And why sign him?

Luis Castillo, Age 31. If the Twins have another option than this Piranha, then they will likely not resign him. Not what the Sox have in mind, at least I hope not.

Ronnie Belliard, Age 32. This is possible, as he might not want to resign with the Nats, as they are not good, and won't be able to offer him a whole lot. He is a dark horse for the Sox in 2008.

SS:

Horse-Manure... Age 32 and up.

Includes: David Eckstein, Age 32. Neifi Perez, age 34, and Tomas Perez, Age 33.

Uribe stays, I think... not much going on at AAA or AA.

OF:

(LF:)

Adam Dunn, age 27.

Cliff Floyd, age 34.

Brad Wilkerson, age 30.

Preston Wilson, age 32.

Only person I'd put out there everyday is Dunn.

(CF:)

Eric Byrnes: age 31

Mike Cameron: age 34

Brady Clark: age 34

Torii Hunter: age 31

Andruw Jones: age 30

Corey Patterson: age 27

Aaron Rowand (drink!): age 29

.... Of these Rowand is my fav, then Hunter, then Byrnes, then Jones, then Patterson.

(RF:)

Very deep.

Bobby Abreu: Age 33

Milton BraDLey: Age 29

Kosuke Fokudome: Age 30 (Japan)

Jose Guillen: Age 31

Eric Hinske: Age 29

Geoff Jenkins: Age 32

Trot Nixon: Age 33

Reggie Sanders, Sammy Sosa, Matt Stairs, (Age: 39,38,39)

Ichiro Suzuki: Age 33

..... Of these I'd like to see Ichiro and Hinske. Know nothing about this dude from Japan.

Left-Handed Relief Pitchers:

Notables:
Joe Kennedy, Age 28.
J.C. Romero, age 31.

Right-Handed Relief Pitchers:

Notables:
Scott Williamson, age 31.
Scott Linebrink, age 30.
Jorge Julio, age 28.
Francisco Cordero, age 32.
Octavio Dotel, age 33.

Williamson and Linebrink are pretty solid. Julio and Cordero are closers, Julio struggled this year and Cordero has been lights out. Dotel is pitching well and closing games now that he's back for the Royals.

Left-Handed Starting Pitchers:

Notables:
Jeremy Affeldt, age 28.
Casey Fossum, age 29.
Andy Pettite, age 34.
Randy Wolf, age 30.

Affeldt and Fossum are intriguing. Wolf is having a great bounce back year after missing the past two years with surgery.

Right-Handed Starting Pitchers:

Notables:
Matt Clement, age 32.
Bartolo Colon, age 34.
Shawn Chacon, age 29.
Josh Fogg, age 30.
Livan Hernandez, age 32.
Jason Jennings, age 28.
Kyle Lohse, age 28.
Carlos Zambrano, age 26.
Several 31+ guys from Japan I've never heard of.

I'd like to see maybe Jason Jennings outta this group. He's a groundballer contact guy with decent stuff, like Garland.

So... there you have it. I figure C and 1B and 3B to be tied up for next year so I didn't list those.

....

Thoughts? Also check out the poll.

Poll

Of these players, who would you want to sign with the Sox through Free Agency?

7%

Adam Dunn, LF/1B

4 votes

19%

Aaron Rowand, CF

11 votes

50%

Ichiro Suzuki, RF

28 votes

3%

Torii Hunter, CF

2 votes

12%

Carlos Zambrano, SP

7 votes

3%

Jason Jennings, SP

2 votes

1%

Scott Linebrink, RP

1 votes

0%

Marcus Giles, 2B

0 votes

1%

David Eckstein, SS

1 votes

56 votes | Poll has closed

So there are apparent trade rumors circulating that Jermaine may go to either the Dodgers or the Padres for some players. With this in mind, I decided to look up the prospects for both teams that might be in play.

For now I'm just listing the Dodgers players... I will update some other time with the Padres players.

Los Angeles Dodgers: (35-28) 1.5 games behind SD

The Dodgers have lots of young talent.
--------------------
Tony Abreu: 22 yr old - 2B - R/R 5'9" 185lbs

Abreu was the 2005 Florida State League (A+) batting champ at age 20, posting a .327/.356/.452 line to include 4 HR, 15BB/56K and 14 SB in 421 PA. Scouts say he is somewhat raw but has been working on improving his BB/K ratio and had a .287/.323/.408 line with 6 HR, 33BB/69K ratio, and 8 SB in 509 PA in 2006 for AA Jax. He has average defense at his age.
...........
Wilson Betemit: 25 yr old - INF S/R 6'3" 200lbs

Betemit has good pop (he hit 13 HR in AAA Richmond at age 22 in only 391 PA) but has shown some problems with his plate discipline (about 1:3 BB/K over his career). He is compared to Carlos Guillen, whom we all know, is a stud. 2008 saw him hit 18 HR with a .263/.326/.469 line with 36BB/102K at age 24. He has decent defense and has played 3B/SS/2B for Atl and LAD.
...........
Blake DeWitt: 21 yr old - 3B/2B L/R 5'11" 175lbs

DeWitt was the 28th pick in the 2004 Draft. He was considered then to be the best high school hitter available at the time he was taken. In A+ ball in 2006 at the age of 20 he hit 18 HR, .268/.339/.442 in 478 PA, 45BB/79K. His defense is better at 3B than at 2B, but with LaRoche coming up at 3B, they moved him to 2B. Might be hard to get this kid.

............
Andy LaRoche: 23 yr old - 3B R/R 6'1" 215 lbs

The Dodgers #1 prospect. Likely untouchable, but maybe not if the price is right. In 2005 between high A ball and AA, he hit 30 HRs in 535 PA, 51BB/88K. with an AVG around .300/.375/.550. Studly. His defense at 3B is above average. How great it would be if this kid could be ours. Not likely to happen though. He is likely the Dodgers future at 3B.

...........
James Loney: 23 yr old - 1B/OF

The Dodgers #2 prospect. He is a good hitter, but doesn't quite have the power one likes at 1B. The 2002 First Rounder outta high school hasn't shown much power at 1B. He hit 12 HRs in 517 PA in 2006 between the majors and AAA. He is only 22, however, so he can just be a late bloomer. He had a great campaign at AAA in '06 with a .380/.426/.546 line, showing 32BB/34K in 406 PA. His defense is pretty decent, and he is compared to Adrian Gonzalez, Daryle Ward, and Justin Morneau.
.........
Andre Ethier: 25 yr old - OF L/L 6'1" 210lbs

Ethier is a contact hitter with some decent pop. He hit 18 HR in AA ball in '05 at age 23 in 572 PA. He also hit .319 that year. For AAA he had a .349/.447/.500 line, and last year in the Show he had a .308/.365/.477 line with 11 HR in 441 PA. His defense in LF and RF is pretty good. He looks like he could be a productive starter for the Sox right away. He has some patience, showing a 34BB/77K line last year, and a 48/93 line in '05. There hopes to be some improvement there.
.......
Matt Kemp: 22 yr old - CF R/R 6'2" 230 lbs

Stud. Plain and simple. This kid hits for power, some contact, and plays average + defense. At age 20 in A+ ball he hit 27 HRs in 454 PA. That's outstanding. He also hit .306/.349/.569 that year. In a mixxed AA/AAA/MLB campain in '06 he hit 17 HR, 47BB/120K with high average and OBP in the AA/AAA parks. He is comparable to Juan Encarnacion,  Sammy Sosa, and Ruben Mateo. He can't hit curveballs well, and he is a bit of a free-swinger, along the lines of Jeff Francoeur. Keep in mind this kid is only 22. Would love to see him in a Sox uni for 10 more years.

........
Other notables:

Jason Repko: 26 yr old CF R/R 5'10" 190 lbs
= Bottom line: 5th outfielder. Limited power, limited contact, limited on-base potential. Decent defender

Anthony Raglani: 24 yr old LF L/L 6'2" 215 lbs
= Bottom line: in AA last year, hit for decent power (10 HR in 450PA) but managed just .244 AVG. He can walk a lot, showing about 1:2 BB/K ratio. Could be something special, compared to Langerhans and Trot Nixon.

Delwyn Young: 25 yr old RF S/R 5'8" 210 lbs
= Bottom line: shows great power, but not much contact. Pretty much your hacker type. can take some walks, but not enough to be really productive (.326 OBP in AAA '06, .350 OBP in AA '05) He appears destined to be a situational hitter.

Chin-Lung Hu: 23 yr old SS 5'9" 150 lbs

Small guy, outstanding defense. He is considered the best fielding SS in all of the Minors, and a future Gold Glover. He has no power as can be expected from someone 150 lbs, but has shown he can walk (49/63 BB/K in '06) and hit over .300 in his 2 years of A ball.

........... Pitchers ..........

note-worthies:

Mark Alexander: 26 yr old R/R 5'10" 190 lbs

2006 AAA line: 3.21 ERA 1.50 WHIP 10BB/13K in 14IP 1SV
2006  AA line: 0.95 ERA 0.83 WHIP 13BB/72K in 47IP 26SV

Missouri's closer chosen in the 20th round in 2004. Has a great slider. Could be a real bargain.

Chad Billingsley: 22 yr old!!! R/R 6'0" 245 !! lbs

A big boy. The 24th overall pick in 2003 outta high school. Is being groomed to be a starter with 3 plus pitches (92-95 Fastball, curveball, slider). He has shown more than a K per IP in the minors, but was 90IP/60K last year in the Bigs. Showed a 3.90 ERA despite a 1.67 Whip. He also walked 58 batters to his 60 Ks. Not good. 58BB in 90IP is not quality, but keep in mind he is just 22 this year. He could contribute to someone's staff right away, and is currently DOMINATING out of the Dodger bullpen.

Jonathan Broxton 23 yr old - R/R 6'3" 290 lbs!!!

Huge. Bobby Jenks clone. Throws GAAAAAAS. His fastball shows anywhere from 93 to 99 MPH. Also noteworthy is that he did not tire last year in the Bigs. His K-rate was higher in the second half (12.2 per nine) compared to (10.7 per nine) in the first half. A future closer. His top comparison by PECOTA is Andrew Sisco, followed by Dennys Reyes. Not encouraging... but he has succeeded in the majors at a young age. He had a 2.60 ERA with 1.23 WHIP last year in 76IP, 97 K's, 33 BB's for a nice 3:1 K/BB ratio.

........

Scott Elbert: 21 yr old L/L 6'2" 190 lbs

17th overall pick in 2004, and is considered the top lefty prospect in all of the minors. True power lefty, with a 90-93 fastball, good changeup, and nasty, nasty slider. Remains a starter, and had some mechanical issues that are now solved, which should lower his poor walk rates and home run rates.

A+ 2006: 83IP 2.38 ERA 1.18 WHIP 41/97 BB/K 4HR 57H
AA 2006: 62IP 3.63 ERA 1.35 WHIP 44/76 BB/K 11HR 40H

Combined: 145IP 85BB 173K 97H 15HR

Notables:

Hong-Chih Kuo: 25 yr old L/L 6'0" 235 lbs
= Made rotation after last year's spring training. Has a 99MPH fastball. And yes, he's left-handed. He K's more than one per inning, and last year went:

59IP 1-5 W/L 4.22 ERA 1.46 WHIP 33/71 BB/K in 5 starts.
......
Clayton Kershaw 19 yr old L/L 6'3" 210 lbs

May remember him, seventh overall pick last year. Has a 92-94 MPH fastball and a + curveball. He destroyed Rk ball last year, in 37IP, he had 5BB/54K. (1:10 ratio) with a sloppy BABIP of .357 which is way above normal, showing that will likely come down. They project him to be able to step right into the bigs now and produce results. Heck, PECOTA's prediction for 2007 in the Bigs is 8-7 in 124IP, 30BB, 116K, 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP.

Probably untouchable.
.........
Jonathan Meloan: 22 yr old R/R 6'3" 226 lbs

5th round choice from 2005 outta Arizona.

Career Minor Resume: 91 IP, 34 BB, 145 K, 2.67 ERA. Very, very good stuff. Has a 92-94 MPH fastball that has hit 97, and a devastating curve ball. He is likely to remain in the bullpen because he has no third pitch, and some feel he has closer potential. His top comp? Francisco Liriano.
.....
Greg Miller: 22 yr old L/L 6'5" 220 lbs

Once considered the top lefty pitching prosepct in all of the minors, he has had two odd surgeries (removal of the bursa sac? and a shaving of the tip of the shoulder blade) and cost him all of 2004. He has since dropped to a 3/4 arm angle and moved to the bullpen where he struggled a bit last year in AAA, showing a 4.38 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 33/32 BB/K in 37IP. BP says it's too early to give up on him, but he sounds like a Kerry Wood.

............

That does it for the Dodgers. Hope this was informative, and I hope to see some of these players in a Sox uniform within a year or two!

If good reviews come, I'll go through the Padres list. Some decent prospects there.

This is my first diary. It is appropriate because I am drunk. I have no idea what intro copy and extended copy means, but here we go!

Saturday, June 10th:

Podsednik:

Pods looked good. Say what you will about his wheels, but Pods never lost his eye for the pitch. He walked twice, (I think, granted, I was kinda trashed). In the bottom of the fifth or so, Pods came off the field and it was almost dead quiet. For some reason me and my drunk buddy jumped up, and cheered for Pods, shouting "Scotty!" he responded with a smile and a fist pump. Hahaha...

Pods also didn't embarrass himself in the field. He is ready to come back.

Wilson: Craig Wilson SUCKS!!!

He blows. SSH2005, I think your name is, you were WRONG. Wilson BLOOOOOOOOOOOOWS. He sucks in every facet of the game. He can't field. He single-handedly cost the Knights 2 runs on a relatively easy play hit to him in right. He can't hit. He doesn't even know what a strike zone consists of. He has no clue what is going on at the plate. He sucks. Let's move on...

Sweeney:

Ryan Sweeney is a STUD. Read it. S T U D. He can field, he hit for two clutch hits tonight, he shows power, patience, and contact. He should be with the Sox RIGHT EFFING NOW!

Anderson:

BA showed some promise tonight. He made an outstanding grab tonight against the center field wall. He saved at least 2 runs. He also made a clutch (read, Joe Crede clutch circa 2005 Playoffs) hit in the bottom of the ninth to secure extra innings for the Knights. BA is awesome. He hit two curve balls for hits (something he showed he cannot do at the MLB level) he ran the bases well (stretching a single into a triple) and played great Defense. My thoughts of BA have changed. BA >>> Owens.

[editor's note, by Shoeless In SC] I believe now, that BA was subbed in to play CF, Sweeney was moved over to replace Pods who came out, and Rogowski was moved to DH, while Wilson moved to 1B, and some moved into RF. That's what I think happened, but granted I was kinda drunk.

Molina:

Gustavo can't hit for shit, lol. He is an above average fielder at 3B, but he is a liability at the plate. Cannot hit to save his life...

Heath Phillips:

Now this was my first time seeing Heath. He doesn't appear to throw to miss bats. He gave up two long jacks. If he can control those, I think he has a a future, but for now, he looks like a project.

Tomas Perez?

I think that was his name...

This kid came through tonite. Hit a 3 run jack when the Knights had runners ISP. Came through. This kid also came through in the bottom of the ninth. Maybe something is brewing here...

[editor's note, by Shoeless In SC] Now I realize that he is no kid, and is 33 years old. Oh well. He's still a ball player, as Hawk would say.

Macdougal:

Yes, he made an appearance, and for some reason, I believe he made a scoreless effort over 1 1/3 innings. IMPOSSIBLE!!! you say?! well... It appeared so.... maybe it was a Macdougal clone out there tonight (Cha Knights Announcers are horrendous at announcing relief pitchers)... for instance, I had no idea MacD was in until I got a good look at his profile and recognized his familiar herky jerky delivery... Somehow he pitched well tonight. Maybe he deserves a AAA contract...

Rogowski:

I can see why Charlotte's 1B is still in Cha at the age of 27 or whatever he is. He definitely struggled. Let's move on.

Pirates team:

Dan Kolb: this guy blows. Sorry to inform you Pirates fans, but Kolb is done. He sucks. Knights rallied against him for like 5 straight hits. He's no good. He's washed up. He looked like junk.

Starting Pitcher:

I don't remember his name, but however started for the Pirates tonight DOMINATED. Whomever he is deserves a callup.

..........

That's it for my post-Charlotte wrap-up. I apologize if it was incoherent due to drunkenness, but if I can have a bottom line it is thus:

Wilson: No. Never. Forget about him.
Podsedink: He will be back soon.
Anderson/Sweeney: Great things to come. Good stuff.
Heath Phillips: not so much. Control the gopher ball.
Molina: sucks. Forget him.

[editor's note, by Shoeless In SC] Wow, I was pretty dang trashed when I wrote this last night. I edited some typos and changed my language a little bit, to make it more coherent, and give a better reflection of what went on at the game. The castle is a very nice ballpark. The price of beer is ridiculous, but other than that it was good fun. I suggested to my buddy that they need a moat. Homer, the mascot, road around the warning track on a fourwheeler, doing tricks, between an inning. I also suggested that he should at least be riding a horse. I mean these are the Knights, not the Rednecks. If I were running the Knights, I'd have that place looking like a real castle. I'd hire wenches to go up and down the aisles selling gigantic turkey legs and would definitely charge less for beer. It'd be like Medieval Times. We'd have a jousting match. It'd be great fun.