For what seems like reasonable argument:
Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune
If you love baseball, you really love playoff baseball. I remember racing home from school to watch in the early '70s, the vision still clear in my head that I was at Brian Briscoe's house, in his family's sunken living room, when Campy Campaneris fired the bat at Lerrin LaGrow in 1972.The current postseason format is working well, but this being America, more must be better. So I've bought into the idea of adding two more wild-card teams, creating a best-of-three first round. I'd be 100 percent in favor of shortening the regular season, but does anyone think owners are going to open the gates 120 fewer times as a group?So shorten spring training by a week, open the regular season earlier and let teams have bigger rosters the first two weeks, protecting pitchers.
Gotta give him something sometimes, or else I'm just a big bully.
Case Closed.
Showing posts with label Phil Rogers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Rogers. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
It's Been A Long Time
I know. Things have been hectic here at the Bronson Courthouse. I've tried to keep my eye out, but you get involved in a civil dispute involving 2 cats and a stamp collection, it's going to eat into your time. Anyway, here's a little Phil Rogers to keep the fires burning:
Baseball whispers: Who's Nick Markakis?
Nick Markakis remains one of the best hitters no one notices.
Um, people have noticed him. A lot of people. A lot of people who like baseball. And to be honest, we're not all that impressed. He's a good hitter, good OBP, decent SLG, a little speed. I have no idea about his defense though because I'm too lazy to scroll down to the bottom of the page.
He entered the weekend with 43 doubles, making him only the third player in history to have four consecutive seasons of at least 43 doubles. The other two were Joe Medwick and Tris Speaker.
Oh yeah, he's frickin Tris Speaker because he has a randomly selected number of doubles for a random amount of consecutive seasons. So next year if he accomplishes this feat again you can tell your friends that Nick Markakis is better than HOFer Tris Speaker. Go on. I dare you to tell them that.
Case Closed.
Baseball whispers: Who's Nick Markakis?
Nick Markakis remains one of the best hitters no one notices.
Um, people have noticed him. A lot of people. A lot of people who like baseball. And to be honest, we're not all that impressed. He's a good hitter, good OBP, decent SLG, a little speed. I have no idea about his defense though because I'm too lazy to scroll down to the bottom of the page.
He entered the weekend with 43 doubles, making him only the third player in history to have four consecutive seasons of at least 43 doubles. The other two were Joe Medwick and Tris Speaker.
Oh yeah, he's frickin Tris Speaker because he has a randomly selected number of doubles for a random amount of consecutive seasons. So next year if he accomplishes this feat again you can tell your friends that Nick Markakis is better than HOFer Tris Speaker. Go on. I dare you to tell them that.
Case Closed.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Phil Never Lets Me Down
And I thank him for that. I really do, or I would have gone a full week without any post:
Sandberg deserves shot at managing Cubs
A pretty easy premise to work with. You just have to list a few reasons why Ryno should manage the Cubs.
Ryne Sandberg's Iowa Cubs just ended the year with the most victories in the Pacific Coast League, yet are home watching four other teams in the playoffs. Can you think of a feat that would better qualify someone to manage the Cubs?
Someone who has a track record of winning in the Majors? (Oh yeah, they tried that.) Someone who has a solid philosophy on strategy and game management? Someone who has experience managing in a big city and dealing with the media and the pressure that every former manager talks about? (Tried that too) But hey, winning the PCL isn't a bad start I guess.
Having said a polite no thanks to Ernie Banks 39 years ago and a jarring no-thanks to Billy Williams at least a few times, the Cubs again are deciding whether they want to turn their team over to one of their all-time great players. No matter what general manager Jim Hendry and Chairman Tom Ricketts ultimately tell Sandberg, it won't be as smooth as the kiss-off P.K. Wrigley gave Banks when Mr. Cub's career ended in 1971.
And here is where we get off-track.
Wrigley loved Banks. He would invite him up to his office for visits and almost always paid him above the scale for starting shortstops (albeit requiring Banks to pose for pictures signing the documents). Once or twice he vetoed trades that Leo Durocher or someone in his front office had worked out with another team, like the 6-for-1 deal that would have allowed Banks to hit alongside Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews in Milwaukee.
Has nothing to do with Sandburg.
Banks was made a player-coach in '67, the thinking being that he was almost ready to become a coach. But by the time Banks finally was finished as a player, Wrigley couldn't bring himself even to consider him as a possible successor to Durocher. He said he was "too fond of Ernie to make him manager of anything,'' including a baseball team."Managing is a dirty job,'' Wrigley said. "It doesn't last long and it certainly isn't anything I would wish on Banks.''Lots of old friends feel that way about Sandberg."
There's one school of thought that holds Sandberg should be eliminated from consideration to replace Lou Piniella because these things always end badly, and that Sandberg is too nice of a guy to handle such a failure.
They don't want him to manage because his feelings might get hurt? Oh sure, that is a solid hiring policy. Only hire people you hate because eventually they'll get hurt.
Some compare Sandberg to Alan Trammell, the Cubs' bench coach. He played 20 years as a shortstop for the Tigers before accepting a chance to manage them in 2003, seven years after he had played his last game. His first team lost 119 games and the next two 90 and 91 before he was sacked in favor of Jim Leyland, who was given Magglio Ordonez and Kenny Rogers, and the chance to manage in the World Series.Trammell hasn't exactly been besieged with offers to manage elsewhere, including a snub from the Cubs after 3 1/2 seasons as Piniella's top assistant.Is this the fate that awaits Sandberg?Hardly.
Why not? By all accounts the Cubs are heading anywhere but up so a couple 90-loss seasons aren't out of the question. Any reason he'll avoid this fate?
None of these anecdotes tell us anything about what the Cubs could expect to get if they hired the power-hitting second baseman who twice got them to the threshold of the World Series.
Then why share them, other than to hit your word count?
There's no way to predict how it would go for Sandberg.Maybe he would flame out spectacularly. Maybe he would turn into a North Side version of Ozzie Guillen, without so many expletives having to be deleted.It's a roll of the dice.
Those are the only two options? Either fail so badly you end up drinking yourself to death or become a crazy Venezuelan...and end up drinking yourself to death? Why would anyone want this job?
I say put the bones in his hands and stand back, hoping that this time next year — or the year after that, two years after that, even three years after that — Cub Nation rings with cries of "hot shooter, hot shooter.''
Ugh. Why would anyone say that? Because it works with the metaphor. Because running a baseball team is all luck, like dice.
There's no question it is tempting to see if Joe Girardi really wants to leave the Yankees to come home to the Midwest. He has proven himself as a solid big-league manager and is in almost every way a safer bet than Sandberg.
Great argument for NOT SANDBURG. That's the point of the article right?
But will he really leave the Yankees?If he does, how much of a price will you pay for that move — both now, in terms of the size and length of his contract, and over the course of time in him being able to say he sacrificed for the good of his hometown franchise?
I don't understand the last part of that run-on sentence. How much will the Cubs pay for Girardi to say he sacrificed for the good...? Why would they have to pay for that? I really don't understand.
Why not start fresh with a guy who was a great player ...
Cause God knows great players make great managers. That's why Banks worked out so wel...oh right.
...and has spent the last four years adding to his base of knowledge by managing in the minors?
Hey a solid point. Way to go Phil.
Hendry dared Sandberg to do that, and Sandberg called him on it.
Like coaching a minor league team is a game of chicken. I dare you to live in Iowa for 4 years!
It's time for Hendry to give Sandberg his dream job, no matter how badly anyone fears for Sandberg.It would be one thing if Sandberg's teams had treaded water, but they haven't. He has had three winning seasons in four years — how would Cub fans have liked to have that ratio the last 60 or so years? — and took a team that was only two games above .500 to the championship series of the Southern League in 2009.Sandberg seemed poised for another playoff run this year but his team faded late (in part because the undermanned Cubs grabbed players like Darwin Barney, Casey Coleman, Andrew Cashner and Scott Maine) and wound up tied with Memphis for the division title. Their matching 82-62 records were better than the other three division leaders but the Redbirds advanced on a tie-breaker while the I-Cubs went home.Given that it's going to be at least a year or two before the Cubs regain the flexibility to be major players in the free-agent market, it's an advantage for Sandberg that he knows the organization's young players.
All excellent points. I'll give him this part.
Case Closed.
Sandberg deserves shot at managing Cubs
A pretty easy premise to work with. You just have to list a few reasons why Ryno should manage the Cubs.
Ryne Sandberg's Iowa Cubs just ended the year with the most victories in the Pacific Coast League, yet are home watching four other teams in the playoffs. Can you think of a feat that would better qualify someone to manage the Cubs?
Someone who has a track record of winning in the Majors? (Oh yeah, they tried that.) Someone who has a solid philosophy on strategy and game management? Someone who has experience managing in a big city and dealing with the media and the pressure that every former manager talks about? (Tried that too) But hey, winning the PCL isn't a bad start I guess.
Having said a polite no thanks to Ernie Banks 39 years ago and a jarring no-thanks to Billy Williams at least a few times, the Cubs again are deciding whether they want to turn their team over to one of their all-time great players. No matter what general manager Jim Hendry and Chairman Tom Ricketts ultimately tell Sandberg, it won't be as smooth as the kiss-off P.K. Wrigley gave Banks when Mr. Cub's career ended in 1971.
And here is where we get off-track.
Wrigley loved Banks. He would invite him up to his office for visits and almost always paid him above the scale for starting shortstops (albeit requiring Banks to pose for pictures signing the documents). Once or twice he vetoed trades that Leo Durocher or someone in his front office had worked out with another team, like the 6-for-1 deal that would have allowed Banks to hit alongside Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews in Milwaukee.
Has nothing to do with Sandburg.
Banks was made a player-coach in '67, the thinking being that he was almost ready to become a coach. But by the time Banks finally was finished as a player, Wrigley couldn't bring himself even to consider him as a possible successor to Durocher. He said he was "too fond of Ernie to make him manager of anything,'' including a baseball team."Managing is a dirty job,'' Wrigley said. "It doesn't last long and it certainly isn't anything I would wish on Banks.''Lots of old friends feel that way about Sandberg."
There's one school of thought that holds Sandberg should be eliminated from consideration to replace Lou Piniella because these things always end badly, and that Sandberg is too nice of a guy to handle such a failure.
They don't want him to manage because his feelings might get hurt? Oh sure, that is a solid hiring policy. Only hire people you hate because eventually they'll get hurt.
Some compare Sandberg to Alan Trammell, the Cubs' bench coach. He played 20 years as a shortstop for the Tigers before accepting a chance to manage them in 2003, seven years after he had played his last game. His first team lost 119 games and the next two 90 and 91 before he was sacked in favor of Jim Leyland, who was given Magglio Ordonez and Kenny Rogers, and the chance to manage in the World Series.Trammell hasn't exactly been besieged with offers to manage elsewhere, including a snub from the Cubs after 3 1/2 seasons as Piniella's top assistant.Is this the fate that awaits Sandberg?Hardly.
Why not? By all accounts the Cubs are heading anywhere but up so a couple 90-loss seasons aren't out of the question. Any reason he'll avoid this fate?
None of these anecdotes tell us anything about what the Cubs could expect to get if they hired the power-hitting second baseman who twice got them to the threshold of the World Series.
Then why share them, other than to hit your word count?
There's no way to predict how it would go for Sandberg.Maybe he would flame out spectacularly. Maybe he would turn into a North Side version of Ozzie Guillen, without so many expletives having to be deleted.It's a roll of the dice.
Those are the only two options? Either fail so badly you end up drinking yourself to death or become a crazy Venezuelan...and end up drinking yourself to death? Why would anyone want this job?
I say put the bones in his hands and stand back, hoping that this time next year — or the year after that, two years after that, even three years after that — Cub Nation rings with cries of "hot shooter, hot shooter.''
Ugh. Why would anyone say that? Because it works with the metaphor. Because running a baseball team is all luck, like dice.
There's no question it is tempting to see if Joe Girardi really wants to leave the Yankees to come home to the Midwest. He has proven himself as a solid big-league manager and is in almost every way a safer bet than Sandberg.
Great argument for NOT SANDBURG. That's the point of the article right?
But will he really leave the Yankees?If he does, how much of a price will you pay for that move — both now, in terms of the size and length of his contract, and over the course of time in him being able to say he sacrificed for the good of his hometown franchise?
I don't understand the last part of that run-on sentence. How much will the Cubs pay for Girardi to say he sacrificed for the good...? Why would they have to pay for that? I really don't understand.
Why not start fresh with a guy who was a great player ...
Cause God knows great players make great managers. That's why Banks worked out so wel...oh right.
...and has spent the last four years adding to his base of knowledge by managing in the minors?
Hey a solid point. Way to go Phil.
Hendry dared Sandberg to do that, and Sandberg called him on it.
Like coaching a minor league team is a game of chicken. I dare you to live in Iowa for 4 years!
It's time for Hendry to give Sandberg his dream job, no matter how badly anyone fears for Sandberg.It would be one thing if Sandberg's teams had treaded water, but they haven't. He has had three winning seasons in four years — how would Cub fans have liked to have that ratio the last 60 or so years? — and took a team that was only two games above .500 to the championship series of the Southern League in 2009.Sandberg seemed poised for another playoff run this year but his team faded late (in part because the undermanned Cubs grabbed players like Darwin Barney, Casey Coleman, Andrew Cashner and Scott Maine) and wound up tied with Memphis for the division title. Their matching 82-62 records were better than the other three division leaders but the Redbirds advanced on a tie-breaker while the I-Cubs went home.Given that it's going to be at least a year or two before the Cubs regain the flexibility to be major players in the free-agent market, it's an advantage for Sandberg that he knows the organization's young players.
All excellent points. I'll give him this part.
Case Closed.
Monday, August 30, 2010
What Would I Do Without You Phil?
Risk of adding Ramirez may be rewarding for Sox
I don't want to get too excited, but the unsure nature of that headline makes me suspicious that my boy Sky Andrecheck is writing headlines for the Tribune. Wow, the combined powers of Phil Rogers and Sky would be unstoppable! Well lets get to the good stuff (me in regular/Phil in italics).
Williams already has traded Daniel Hudson and entry-level lefty David Holmberg for Edwin Jackson, and the Sox have lost six games in the standings with Jackson (at an additional $1.4 million) on the payroll. Here's hoping Williams doesn't add to the body count to lessen the financial burden of acquiring Ramirez.
In 4 starts Edwin has not given up over 1 ER and has a .96 ERA. He also has 2 wins if you care about that sort of thing. My point is, I do not think it's Jackson's fault that the Sox are free falling from the playoff picture.
Considering the Sox are getting such a diminished version of Ramirez that the Dodgers have been starting Scott Podsednik instead of him, the risk seems extreme. But their lineup isn't the greatest either, even if they have averaged 6.2 runs over the last two weeks.
I can't believe Phil is going to make me look up Manny Ramirez's numbers and compare them to Podsednik. Manny OPS .915. Pods .708. The reason they have been starting Pods recently is so Manny doesn't get hurt before the Dodgers could deal him. At 38, Manny is injury prone. That would have been a much more valid argument. I don't see why he didn't mention it.
Ramirez, ejected during a pinch-hit at-bat Sunday in Colorado, has 40 RBIs and a .915 OPS in 66 games this season, which has been interrupted by three stints on the disabled list. Paul Konerko is the only Sox regular who has been as productive with performance prorated by availability.
Oh he did. Way to make me seem like a jerk Phil.
Don't worry too much about Ramirez's dreadlocks and what he does or doesn't do in the clubhouse. He has historically been a non-factor off the field — although, sure, it would be nice if he kept his uniform on until the end of games, something he might not have always done in Los Angeles.
Here's the snap. Go deep. The Sox are so desperate, they're calling the hail-Manny play.
Looks like someone was just as desperate for a joke to end him column with.
Case Closed.
I don't want to get too excited, but the unsure nature of that headline makes me suspicious that my boy Sky Andrecheck is writing headlines for the Tribune. Wow, the combined powers of Phil Rogers and Sky would be unstoppable! Well lets get to the good stuff (me in regular/Phil in italics).
Williams already has traded Daniel Hudson and entry-level lefty David Holmberg for Edwin Jackson, and the Sox have lost six games in the standings with Jackson (at an additional $1.4 million) on the payroll. Here's hoping Williams doesn't add to the body count to lessen the financial burden of acquiring Ramirez.
In 4 starts Edwin has not given up over 1 ER and has a .96 ERA. He also has 2 wins if you care about that sort of thing. My point is, I do not think it's Jackson's fault that the Sox are free falling from the playoff picture.
Considering the Sox are getting such a diminished version of Ramirez that the Dodgers have been starting Scott Podsednik instead of him, the risk seems extreme. But their lineup isn't the greatest either, even if they have averaged 6.2 runs over the last two weeks.
I can't believe Phil is going to make me look up Manny Ramirez's numbers and compare them to Podsednik. Manny OPS .915. Pods .708. The reason they have been starting Pods recently is so Manny doesn't get hurt before the Dodgers could deal him. At 38, Manny is injury prone. That would have been a much more valid argument. I don't see why he didn't mention it.
Ramirez, ejected during a pinch-hit at-bat Sunday in Colorado, has 40 RBIs and a .915 OPS in 66 games this season, which has been interrupted by three stints on the disabled list. Paul Konerko is the only Sox regular who has been as productive with performance prorated by availability.
Oh he did. Way to make me seem like a jerk Phil.
Don't worry too much about Ramirez's dreadlocks and what he does or doesn't do in the clubhouse. He has historically been a non-factor off the field — although, sure, it would be nice if he kept his uniform on until the end of games, something he might not have always done in Los Angeles.
Here's the snap. Go deep. The Sox are so desperate, they're calling the hail-Manny play.
Looks like someone was just as desperate for a joke to end him column with.
Case Closed.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Phil Rogers is the Worst Reporter Ever
I know people hated Mariotti, but at least he's no longer employed at a major newspaper. Marrioti was just a stuff-stirrer. He wanted to get everyone riled up under the theory of "any reaction from the reader is a good reaction." Phil Rogers just doesn't seem to understand baseball. At all. And he's been covering it for like 5000 years or so. I don' even know what number of article this is about him. But he's turning this blog into his own personal showcase. Here's the newest entry (Phil in italics, me in regular typeface):
Standing pat at deadline right move for Sox
This is a continuation of his theory that adding good players hurts you team. Why? Cause change kills unicorns.
No Adam Dunn, no worries.
Well no worries except every time Juan Pierre and his 72 OPS+ come to the plate to pop out to the shortstop. (Though thanks to his fielding his WAR is .7, gotta give him that.)
And, hey, Kenny Williams, way to go. Way to say no.As constructed during the 26-5 stretch that carried them from 9 1/2 games back into the American League Central lead, there was really nothing wrong with the White Sox.
Team OPS+ 98, slightly below the league average.
That's why Paul Konerko took some time at the All-Star Game to talk about how he hoped Williams wouldn't do what's so easy to do in this age of short attention spans and ceaseless public pressure to do something, anything!
And this is how you write a run on sentence by just throwing in word after word and confusing everyone who is reading and trying to enjoy what you wrote the night before when you were watching the game with a can of Milwaukee's Beast and you had to get an article in before deadline and you might as well congratulate the GM on failing to get land any offensive help because obviously if the White Sox were playing .800+ ball for a month that will continue for eternity as long as you don't mess with the "gosh dang it" chemistry of the ball club.
That is, to try to fix something that wasn't broken.
Team OPS+ 98. Black holes of offense include:
A.J. Pierzynski: OPS+ 65
Gordon Beckham: OPS+ 74 (Though definitely hot as of late.)
Juan Pierre: OPS+ 71
Mark Kotsay: OPS+ 72
Konerko prodded Williams to believe in the role players who have meant so much to this point.
If by "role players" he meant the best bullpen in the MLB, then yes, he should believe in them. If he meant "role players" as in Mark Kotsay...then no.
This shouldn't have been too tough of a sales job, as it was Williams who brought all those guys to Chicago.But the temptation to add a fourth run-producer to the middle of an order Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin and Konerko anchor was great.
Yes. The temptation to improve the frickin team was great. Good thing Williams recognized the only thing that could come from that is winning a lot more games. Phew...close one there.
That's why Williams even called Dodgers GM Ned Colletti at one point to discuss Manny Ramirez.Williams' nature is to be hyperactive. But this time Williams did the right thing. He refused to consider trading Gordon Beckham and says he let it be known he valued Dayan Viciedo so highly teams didn't even ask about him.
Yes...that's why they didn't ask about him....You know in 66 plate appearances he has walked a grand total of.......................ZERO TIMES!!!! Not even hit by a pitch. That's actually hard to do. You have to have a real dedication to swinging the bat at everything to accomplish that one. (Yes small sample size I know. But 66 times and no walks...geez.)
Williams might have been able to say no Saturday because he had scratched his trading Jones
At first I thought he was talking about Andruw Jones...
...on Friday, dealing Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson. For those counting — OK, I may be the only one in America doing this — they were the 52nd and 53rd ranked prospects (Sox's top 30, Baseball America) that Williams has traded in his decade as a GM........
It's a good sign that Williams wouldn't mortgage the future once again by trading Beckham for Dunn or Jose Bautista. He hoped Nationals GM Mike Rizzo would give him a way to add Dunn without having Beckham in the package, but the counteroffer never arrived."I was not trading Gordon Beckham,'' Williams said.It's an even better sign that teams did not even ask about Viciedo, who the Sox project as a game-changing power hitter at either third base or (post-Konerko) first base. He's in the second year of a four-year, $10 million contract and is valued higher than it might have seemed heading into the weekend of the trade deadline."People know how we feel,'' Williams said, explaining why no teams asked for him. "He's 21 years old. A talent like that will be a major force in the league. I'd like you to find one or two (prospects) at his level who can do the things he can do, are as explosive. The ball comes off his bat. People understood we weren't going to (consider trading him)."
Here is a list of the top 50 prospects in the Minors at the beginning of the year one MLB.com. Use Edit->Find to look for Viciedo's name. See what happens. Go on. Try it.
Williams said he understands why some analysts have said the Sox are only "marginally better'' after adding Jackson in Jake Peavy's rotation spot, where Hudson had been. But he remembers being criticized for not making major moves at the deadline in 2005.
Past results may not predict future returns.
Names aren't known but it appears he would have added Nos. 54 and 55 to the list of those he traded away if Lance Berkman had been willing to come to Chicago.Berkman vetoed a deal with the White Sox so he could join old Astros teammate Andy Pettitte with the Yankees. This could be a blessing in disguise, as his batting average has been in steady decline (from .312 in 2008 to .274 in '09 to .245 this year) and he never has had to deal with the adjustments that come from being traded.
Wow. Still using batting average huh? Berkman's OPS+ 114. Beats the chum the White Sox are throwing out at DH right now doesn't it? Also the whole "dealing with the adjustments that come from being traded" thing. My suggestion? Remember to set your watch ahead a couple hours. There's, you've adjusted. Heck, your cell should do it automatically.
Nothing sometimes can be the right thing to do.Given the price tag placed on the available run-producers like Dunn and Bautista, this was one of those times.
I don't know the exact terms of the agreement for Beckham and Dunn and everyone else. All I know is Dunn hits like a mythological beast and would have a fun time hitting in US Cellular. (Park Factor 104. Favorable to hitters.) Beckham may be the future, but Dunn is the present.
Case Closed.
Standing pat at deadline right move for Sox
This is a continuation of his theory that adding good players hurts you team. Why? Cause change kills unicorns.
No Adam Dunn, no worries.
Well no worries except every time Juan Pierre and his 72 OPS+ come to the plate to pop out to the shortstop. (Though thanks to his fielding his WAR is .7, gotta give him that.)
And, hey, Kenny Williams, way to go. Way to say no.As constructed during the 26-5 stretch that carried them from 9 1/2 games back into the American League Central lead, there was really nothing wrong with the White Sox.
Team OPS+ 98, slightly below the league average.
That's why Paul Konerko took some time at the All-Star Game to talk about how he hoped Williams wouldn't do what's so easy to do in this age of short attention spans and ceaseless public pressure to do something, anything!
And this is how you write a run on sentence by just throwing in word after word and confusing everyone who is reading and trying to enjoy what you wrote the night before when you were watching the game with a can of Milwaukee's Beast and you had to get an article in before deadline and you might as well congratulate the GM on failing to get land any offensive help because obviously if the White Sox were playing .800+ ball for a month that will continue for eternity as long as you don't mess with the "gosh dang it" chemistry of the ball club.
That is, to try to fix something that wasn't broken.
Team OPS+ 98. Black holes of offense include:
A.J. Pierzynski: OPS+ 65
Gordon Beckham: OPS+ 74 (Though definitely hot as of late.)
Juan Pierre: OPS+ 71
Mark Kotsay: OPS+ 72
Konerko prodded Williams to believe in the role players who have meant so much to this point.
If by "role players" he meant the best bullpen in the MLB, then yes, he should believe in them. If he meant "role players" as in Mark Kotsay...then no.
This shouldn't have been too tough of a sales job, as it was Williams who brought all those guys to Chicago.But the temptation to add a fourth run-producer to the middle of an order Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin and Konerko anchor was great.
Yes. The temptation to improve the frickin team was great. Good thing Williams recognized the only thing that could come from that is winning a lot more games. Phew...close one there.
That's why Williams even called Dodgers GM Ned Colletti at one point to discuss Manny Ramirez.Williams' nature is to be hyperactive. But this time Williams did the right thing. He refused to consider trading Gordon Beckham and says he let it be known he valued Dayan Viciedo so highly teams didn't even ask about him.
Yes...that's why they didn't ask about him....You know in 66 plate appearances he has walked a grand total of.......................ZERO TIMES!!!! Not even hit by a pitch. That's actually hard to do. You have to have a real dedication to swinging the bat at everything to accomplish that one. (Yes small sample size I know. But 66 times and no walks...geez.)
Williams might have been able to say no Saturday because he had scratched his trading Jones
At first I thought he was talking about Andruw Jones...
...on Friday, dealing Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson. For those counting — OK, I may be the only one in America doing this — they were the 52nd and 53rd ranked prospects (Sox's top 30, Baseball America) that Williams has traded in his decade as a GM........
It's a good sign that Williams wouldn't mortgage the future once again by trading Beckham for Dunn or Jose Bautista. He hoped Nationals GM Mike Rizzo would give him a way to add Dunn without having Beckham in the package, but the counteroffer never arrived."I was not trading Gordon Beckham,'' Williams said.It's an even better sign that teams did not even ask about Viciedo, who the Sox project as a game-changing power hitter at either third base or (post-Konerko) first base. He's in the second year of a four-year, $10 million contract and is valued higher than it might have seemed heading into the weekend of the trade deadline."People know how we feel,'' Williams said, explaining why no teams asked for him. "He's 21 years old. A talent like that will be a major force in the league. I'd like you to find one or two (prospects) at his level who can do the things he can do, are as explosive. The ball comes off his bat. People understood we weren't going to (consider trading him)."
Here is a list of the top 50 prospects in the Minors at the beginning of the year one MLB.com. Use Edit->Find to look for Viciedo's name. See what happens. Go on. Try it.
Williams said he understands why some analysts have said the Sox are only "marginally better'' after adding Jackson in Jake Peavy's rotation spot, where Hudson had been. But he remembers being criticized for not making major moves at the deadline in 2005.
Past results may not predict future returns.
Names aren't known but it appears he would have added Nos. 54 and 55 to the list of those he traded away if Lance Berkman had been willing to come to Chicago.Berkman vetoed a deal with the White Sox so he could join old Astros teammate Andy Pettitte with the Yankees. This could be a blessing in disguise, as his batting average has been in steady decline (from .312 in 2008 to .274 in '09 to .245 this year) and he never has had to deal with the adjustments that come from being traded.
Wow. Still using batting average huh? Berkman's OPS+ 114. Beats the chum the White Sox are throwing out at DH right now doesn't it? Also the whole "dealing with the adjustments that come from being traded" thing. My suggestion? Remember to set your watch ahead a couple hours. There's, you've adjusted. Heck, your cell should do it automatically.
Nothing sometimes can be the right thing to do.Given the price tag placed on the available run-producers like Dunn and Bautista, this was one of those times.
I don't know the exact terms of the agreement for Beckham and Dunn and everyone else. All I know is Dunn hits like a mythological beast and would have a fun time hitting in US Cellular. (Park Factor 104. Favorable to hitters.) Beckham may be the future, but Dunn is the present.
Case Closed.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Standing up for the Old Man
"Hey Phil"
"Can't talk now."
"Why not? It's the all-star break, I'm sure you have some time on your hands."
"I'm a professional, I never have time on my hands. And someone has to let the world know how valuable Paul Konerko is."
"You mean like this article right here?"
"That's right, people need to be reminded of what a veteran brings to the table."
"You mean a bunch of antiquated values that never really existed in the first place?"
"Damn straight!"
It would be a shame if Sox let Konerko go
Not the catchiest headline I've ever read, but it gets to the point.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As good as it gets.That's Paul Konerko in his 12 seasons with the White Sox.
Eh...He's a solid first baseman and all, but "as good as it gets" is a bit of a stretch. He's arguably the second best first baseman in his own town. Actually, looking at the numbers it's inarguable, he is the second best behind Lee.
He's everything you'd ever want in a baseball player, both on the field and off.
Sorry, but that distinction remains with Andre Dawson my friend. (Though I know nothing about the hall of famer outside of baseball.)
Yet when I bounced his name off a longtime reporter from another town the other day, he said Konerko had never impressed him. Struck me as odd.
Why? He's an above average first baseman in a day when first baseman are a dime a dozen.
So, too, does the Sox's willingness to envision a future without Konerko in the middle of the lineup. He's 34, sure,
YES! He's 34! That's old in baseball years.
...but he's just as consistent of a run producer now as he was five years ago, when he batted cleanup for a championship team and was rewarded with a five-year, $60 million contract.
Actually this year he's doing better, which is an argument against my stance, but is still true.
Why should the Sox make him sweat out his future?
It's called negotiating.
I asked Konerko, and he broke into a smile. "I wish you were handing out the checks,'' he said.
Konerko is the kind of ballplayer who was celebrated in the decades before ESPN and the other agents of the 24-hour news cycle turned baseball into yet another enterprise where style can trump substance.
Really? They used to make a habit of celebrating mediocre first baseman? Cause if so, that was dumb. And the whole style trumping substance thing. I'm pretty sure Mantle and Ruth and Dimaggio and Williams and Jenkins were also celebrated. Also, you alone Phil, who writes for a major newspaper in Chicago have written two articles this year (that's I've caught) celebrating Konerko.
It was a very good thing he was at his fourth All-Star Game, and it will be no surprise if he comes through in the clutch, as he did when the AL rallied to win in 2006. Konerko wasn't added to the American League All-Stars until last weekend — as a replacement for the Twins' Justin Morneau, whose back is a major concern.
I'm sure Konerko is a nice gut, but that is a heck of drop off in production.
"It would have been a real shame if Paul wasn't an All-Star,'' Sox left-hander Matt Thornton said. "He's had a great season. When we weren't playing well early in the year, it seemed like every time we won he hit a home run or got a big hit.''
Oh well then, let's give him another 5 years at $15 mil a year because Matt Thorton has selective memory. Good enough.
Konerko won't admit that he wanted to be here.
Gotcha!
But he did.
WHA!?!?!?!? I know what Phil actually means, but that just reads weird to me. As if Paul won't admit it, but he did.
"There are too many other letdowns over the course of a season to get caught up in if you go or you don't go,'' he said. "There's too much other stuff in the game that will get you down on a daily basis. … The smart players don't go looking for extra ones.''
Konerko has quietly had a terrific first half, projecting to 39 home runs and 122 RBIs if he maintains that pace after the break.
Reporters love to talk about how players are having "quietly great years." What that is based on I have no idea. Again, Phil Rogers writes for one of the biggest newspapers in America. He's not keeping it a secret. And Paul got picked for the all-star game, so someone noticed.
Assuming he can do that, he will have given Jerry Reinsdorf's ownership group 155 home runs and 475 RBIs over the life of his five-year contract.He delivered 158 home runs and 485 RBIs from 2001 through '05, the five-year period that produced the most recent contract. But even though the numbers are almost identical, Konerko understands why his future looks different this time around than when he reached free agency after the '05 World Series.
Yes, because he's 5 years older!
Believe it or not, Konerko revealed on Monday that he went into 2010 prepared for it to possibly be his last season in baseball — not because he would want to quit but because he'd seen Jermaine Dye and other friends find themselves without jobs at the end of big contracts.
That's actually kinda sad, though Dye had back to back years where he was a poor player and can't play the field in any capacity anymore.
He was asked if he would consider quitting if the Sox were able to win another Series. He was momentarily stumped."I never even thought about that,'' said Konerko
HAHAHAHA! There you go Chicago, even in the midst of the best run of baseball in years, one of you top players can't even conceive of making it to the World Series again.
...And the rest of this is about leadership and how they got back into first place...boring. It's good to know that we have Phil Rogers out there fighting to get attention for multi-time all-star players who have ALCS MVP awards.
Case Closed!
"Can't talk now."
"Why not? It's the all-star break, I'm sure you have some time on your hands."
"I'm a professional, I never have time on my hands. And someone has to let the world know how valuable Paul Konerko is."
"You mean like this article right here?"
"That's right, people need to be reminded of what a veteran brings to the table."
"You mean a bunch of antiquated values that never really existed in the first place?"
"Damn straight!"
It would be a shame if Sox let Konerko go
Not the catchiest headline I've ever read, but it gets to the point.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As good as it gets.That's Paul Konerko in his 12 seasons with the White Sox.
Eh...He's a solid first baseman and all, but "as good as it gets" is a bit of a stretch. He's arguably the second best first baseman in his own town. Actually, looking at the numbers it's inarguable, he is the second best behind Lee.
He's everything you'd ever want in a baseball player, both on the field and off.
Sorry, but that distinction remains with Andre Dawson my friend. (Though I know nothing about the hall of famer outside of baseball.)
Yet when I bounced his name off a longtime reporter from another town the other day, he said Konerko had never impressed him. Struck me as odd.
Why? He's an above average first baseman in a day when first baseman are a dime a dozen.
So, too, does the Sox's willingness to envision a future without Konerko in the middle of the lineup. He's 34, sure,
YES! He's 34! That's old in baseball years.
...but he's just as consistent of a run producer now as he was five years ago, when he batted cleanup for a championship team and was rewarded with a five-year, $60 million contract.
Actually this year he's doing better, which is an argument against my stance, but is still true.
Why should the Sox make him sweat out his future?
It's called negotiating.
I asked Konerko, and he broke into a smile. "I wish you were handing out the checks,'' he said.
Konerko is the kind of ballplayer who was celebrated in the decades before ESPN and the other agents of the 24-hour news cycle turned baseball into yet another enterprise where style can trump substance.
Really? They used to make a habit of celebrating mediocre first baseman? Cause if so, that was dumb. And the whole style trumping substance thing. I'm pretty sure Mantle and Ruth and Dimaggio and Williams and Jenkins were also celebrated. Also, you alone Phil, who writes for a major newspaper in Chicago have written two articles this year (that's I've caught) celebrating Konerko.
It was a very good thing he was at his fourth All-Star Game, and it will be no surprise if he comes through in the clutch, as he did when the AL rallied to win in 2006. Konerko wasn't added to the American League All-Stars until last weekend — as a replacement for the Twins' Justin Morneau, whose back is a major concern.
I'm sure Konerko is a nice gut, but that is a heck of drop off in production.
"It would have been a real shame if Paul wasn't an All-Star,'' Sox left-hander Matt Thornton said. "He's had a great season. When we weren't playing well early in the year, it seemed like every time we won he hit a home run or got a big hit.''
Oh well then, let's give him another 5 years at $15 mil a year because Matt Thorton has selective memory. Good enough.
Konerko won't admit that he wanted to be here.
Gotcha!
But he did.
WHA!?!?!?!? I know what Phil actually means, but that just reads weird to me. As if Paul won't admit it, but he did.
"There are too many other letdowns over the course of a season to get caught up in if you go or you don't go,'' he said. "There's too much other stuff in the game that will get you down on a daily basis. … The smart players don't go looking for extra ones.''
Konerko has quietly had a terrific first half, projecting to 39 home runs and 122 RBIs if he maintains that pace after the break.
Reporters love to talk about how players are having "quietly great years." What that is based on I have no idea. Again, Phil Rogers writes for one of the biggest newspapers in America. He's not keeping it a secret. And Paul got picked for the all-star game, so someone noticed.
Assuming he can do that, he will have given Jerry Reinsdorf's ownership group 155 home runs and 475 RBIs over the life of his five-year contract.He delivered 158 home runs and 485 RBIs from 2001 through '05, the five-year period that produced the most recent contract. But even though the numbers are almost identical, Konerko understands why his future looks different this time around than when he reached free agency after the '05 World Series.
Yes, because he's 5 years older!
Believe it or not, Konerko revealed on Monday that he went into 2010 prepared for it to possibly be his last season in baseball — not because he would want to quit but because he'd seen Jermaine Dye and other friends find themselves without jobs at the end of big contracts.
That's actually kinda sad, though Dye had back to back years where he was a poor player and can't play the field in any capacity anymore.
He was asked if he would consider quitting if the Sox were able to win another Series. He was momentarily stumped."I never even thought about that,'' said Konerko
HAHAHAHA! There you go Chicago, even in the midst of the best run of baseball in years, one of you top players can't even conceive of making it to the World Series again.
...And the rest of this is about leadership and how they got back into first place...boring. It's good to know that we have Phil Rogers out there fighting to get attention for multi-time all-star players who have ALCS MVP awards.
Case Closed!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
There is no God!
I'm not positive, but I think Sky Andrecheck lost his job writing for SI.com. Look here. No articles since April 22nd. This is horrible news for me who built this blog off ripping apart his articles. At least I still have Phil Rogers.
Monday, June 28, 2010
That's a Strong Looking Philly You Got There...
My dear old friend Phil Rogers decided to write about the hottest team in baseball. You know, the one that lost to the Cubs who are 9 games under .500. Just one game though right? Of course. Sadly, Phil chooses to list the 10 reasons the White Sox have turned it around, and none of them consist of Buttafuoco:
1. Pitching: Nothing does more to keep you in a playoff chase than starting pitching. The Sox's rotation has done an about-face since June 8, when it had a 5.22 earned-run average. Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle & Co. have hung up a 2.33 mark in the last 17 games. That's not going to continue forever, but split the difference between the good number and the bad number and you've got a 3.78 ERA. Only five teams are getting better work from their starters, with the Rays the only one in the AL.
That is NOT how statistics work. You choose two stretches of games then average out the averages to see how well a team's pitching will perform, that's completely ludicrous. The Sox have a team era over this year of 4.26 putting them in 8th place in the AL. Not great. But what's this? The White Sox LEAD the league in FIP and xFIP. Also they lead the league in K/9. 4th in BB/9. 3rd in HR/9. So that whole team ERA thing is a bit misleading and shows that while they probably over-peformed the last couple weeks, Phil is right that they are a better pitching team then they've shown.
As for the last sentence, where he pulls that conclusion from I have no idea. The White Sox starters are again, end of the pack in ERA. But if Phil is just going on the last couple weeks they're the best by far. Where the Rays come in I have no idea, unless he's just going on a random guess of potential. The Rays don't lead the league in any category that's of any significance. The Mariners however...
2. Rios: Thank you, Blue Jays. Ken Williams took a huge risk by claiming Rios on waivers last summer, when the $62 million left on his deal represented the biggest financial commitment in franchise history. He's a two-way stud, positioned for a 30/50 season while playing a great center field.
Rios has been playing very well for the White Sox. But nowhere does he project to go 30/50. Zips U(pdated) has him going 24/36. He is playing a good center field, which he has done consistently.
3. Alexei Ramirez: The third-year big-leaguer has quietly developed into one of the best shortstops in the AL, rewarding Guillen's confidence in him. The Sox have allowed 15 unearned runs, the seventh-lowest figure in the majors.
Alexei has played great defense and continues to develop year after year. However he is not the sole reason the Sox have only allowed 15 unearned runs. And really, being 7th in the Majors is fine, it's really not a reason to throw out there for a team's success.
There's nothing else particularly egregious about this article, but some of the poor choices for stats Phil used deserved to be called out.
Case Closed.
1. Pitching: Nothing does more to keep you in a playoff chase than starting pitching. The Sox's rotation has done an about-face since June 8, when it had a 5.22 earned-run average. Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle & Co. have hung up a 2.33 mark in the last 17 games. That's not going to continue forever, but split the difference between the good number and the bad number and you've got a 3.78 ERA. Only five teams are getting better work from their starters, with the Rays the only one in the AL.
That is NOT how statistics work. You choose two stretches of games then average out the averages to see how well a team's pitching will perform, that's completely ludicrous. The Sox have a team era over this year of 4.26 putting them in 8th place in the AL. Not great. But what's this? The White Sox LEAD the league in FIP and xFIP. Also they lead the league in K/9. 4th in BB/9. 3rd in HR/9. So that whole team ERA thing is a bit misleading and shows that while they probably over-peformed the last couple weeks, Phil is right that they are a better pitching team then they've shown.
As for the last sentence, where he pulls that conclusion from I have no idea. The White Sox starters are again, end of the pack in ERA. But if Phil is just going on the last couple weeks they're the best by far. Where the Rays come in I have no idea, unless he's just going on a random guess of potential. The Rays don't lead the league in any category that's of any significance. The Mariners however...
2. Rios: Thank you, Blue Jays. Ken Williams took a huge risk by claiming Rios on waivers last summer, when the $62 million left on his deal represented the biggest financial commitment in franchise history. He's a two-way stud, positioned for a 30/50 season while playing a great center field.
Rios has been playing very well for the White Sox. But nowhere does he project to go 30/50. Zips U(pdated) has him going 24/36. He is playing a good center field, which he has done consistently.
3. Alexei Ramirez: The third-year big-leaguer has quietly developed into one of the best shortstops in the AL, rewarding Guillen's confidence in him. The Sox have allowed 15 unearned runs, the seventh-lowest figure in the majors.
Alexei has played great defense and continues to develop year after year. However he is not the sole reason the Sox have only allowed 15 unearned runs. And really, being 7th in the Majors is fine, it's really not a reason to throw out there for a team's success.
There's nothing else particularly egregious about this article, but some of the poor choices for stats Phil used deserved to be called out.
Case Closed.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Five Star Radio Show
On the Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Daily website, they have an extensive audio archive of a show called Five Star Radio. It's not my favorite, but it's something to listen to while playing hour upon hour of competitive chutes and ladders. Now Five Star radio does not solely deal with MMA/Wrestling. It branches out into...well other sports which I guess isn't really branching out so much as spreading roots, but in any case. I was listening to one episode when, right after the guy I was playing rolled three 6's in a row, the host claimed that Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune was the worst columnist out there. His reasoning was that every year, Phil proposed trades involving players that were completely unrealistic and would never happen in a million years. Like:
Milwaukee Brewers: Look for Prince Fielder to be on market
As opposed to "at the market". HA! Cause he's fat.
Gulp.That was the sound emanating from Milwaukee on Tuesday, when the Phillies announced they are stinking rich. The twice-defending National League champs made the proclamation by signing first baseman Ryan Howard to a five-year, $125 million contract extension, moving quickly so Albert Pujols wouldn't set the bar.
I'm not going to weigh in on the Howard debate. Probably too long to to sign him for, but he is the face of the franchise, that's worth something extra.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Doug Melvin must want to vomit.
That would be a bit of an over reaction.
That's because the shrewd deal they put together for Prince Fielder two years ago ends after this season. He can't go to free agency until after 2011, but the Brewers can't wait that long to decide what they're going to do with him.
He doesn't give a reason why they can't wait, he just leaves it there. The worst that can happen is you get another year of great production from a premier young player. Well the WORST that can happen is they get AIDS. But that has nothing to do with Prince.
Don't be surprised if the homer-hitting first baseman is playing for the Red Sox or someone else by the end of July, maybe even the White Sox. Attanasio would love to keep Fielder long term, but assuming he keeps hitting the way he did from 2007 to 2009 (an average of .286-33-123 with 95 walks),
Still using RBI's and batting average huh Phil? Did you use your 56K modem to look those stats up while you were back in 1995?
...he will be in line for a bigger deal than Howard. At 26 in May, he's 4 1/2 years younger and as a five-plus arbitration guy he can compare numbers with anyone in the game next winter, including Pujols, Mark Teixeira and Howard. Then he can demand his own supersized long-term deal as a free agent. Does it make sense for the Brewers to pay $25 million-plus a year to keep him? Probably not, considering three factors — they are 25th in the majors in revenue, according to Forbes; they have the equally productive Ryan Braun signed through 2014;
That's kinda true. Braun and Fielder. Where Braun is a god-awful fielder, Prince is just awful.
...and they have been only a .500 team the last couple of years thanks to a pitching shortage.
Well, in '09 they were a .500 club. In '08 they won 90 games with a .550 winning percentage. You can definitely blame their pitching for last year though with an 84 ERA+.
The Padres' Adrian Gonzalez, yet another run-producing first baseman, has generated a ton of trade talk over the last year, most of it coming out of Boston.
My friend in Chicago has talked about Gonzalez. He said Peavy has encouraged the idea of trading for his former teammate. Considering the Sox have more pitching than hitting, I wonder if Peavy would support BEING TRADED for Gonzalez.
But unlike Fielder, he's signed to a team-friendly contract through 2011. It seems more likely Fielder, not Gonzalez, will be the biggest name available before the July 31 deadline.
Like the Red Sox, the White Sox have the parts to do a deal if they decide they're not going to re-sign Paul Konerko. What about Fielder to the White Sox for a package built around pitching and Triple-A first baseman Dayan Viciedo?
They might be willing to do that, unless they read this.
John Danks certainly would get Melvin's attention.
Yes, for being a mediocre prospect that he would never trade Prince Fielder for. This is like one of those fantasy baseball trades where someone offers you Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Kaz Matsui, and Peralta for...well...Prince Fielder. "Look, I'm giving you Huff to replace him, plus 4 other guys! Why won't you do this?"
Gavin Floyd might to a lesser degree, and both Daniel Hudson and Sergio Santos have a ton of value.
Hudson looks like a good prospect, K's a lot of people and doesn't give up HR's. Sergio is having a great start to the season.
Hudson gives the Sox the flexibility to deal a big-league starter, assuming he doesn't have to be in the package himself.It's hard to see the Sox having the will to keep Fielder long term, however, which makes it a huge risk to give up young talent for 1 1/2 seasons of his mashing. But what if the Brewers are interested in Alex Rios, who is signed through 2014 at a level just beyond what they have paid Fielder?
Why on EARTH would they take a player whose OBP last year was under .300. Yeah, you read that right.
Trading for a veteran is easier than signing a proven player through free agency.
It's cheaper. I don't know if it's easier. You have more people involved in a trade.
If Rios went to the Brewers in the deal, the Sox might be able to sign Fielder to a Teixeira/Howard contract long term.
Yes, I'm sure the Brewers are dying to take on his overpriced contract as he descends into Cory Patterson-level production. Just what they need.
Case Closed.
Milwaukee Brewers: Look for Prince Fielder to be on market
As opposed to "at the market". HA! Cause he's fat.
Gulp.That was the sound emanating from Milwaukee on Tuesday, when the Phillies announced they are stinking rich. The twice-defending National League champs made the proclamation by signing first baseman Ryan Howard to a five-year, $125 million contract extension, moving quickly so Albert Pujols wouldn't set the bar.
I'm not going to weigh in on the Howard debate. Probably too long to to sign him for, but he is the face of the franchise, that's worth something extra.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Doug Melvin must want to vomit.
That would be a bit of an over reaction.
That's because the shrewd deal they put together for Prince Fielder two years ago ends after this season. He can't go to free agency until after 2011, but the Brewers can't wait that long to decide what they're going to do with him.
He doesn't give a reason why they can't wait, he just leaves it there. The worst that can happen is you get another year of great production from a premier young player. Well the WORST that can happen is they get AIDS. But that has nothing to do with Prince.
Don't be surprised if the homer-hitting first baseman is playing for the Red Sox or someone else by the end of July, maybe even the White Sox. Attanasio would love to keep Fielder long term, but assuming he keeps hitting the way he did from 2007 to 2009 (an average of .286-33-123 with 95 walks),
Still using RBI's and batting average huh Phil? Did you use your 56K modem to look those stats up while you were back in 1995?
...he will be in line for a bigger deal than Howard. At 26 in May, he's 4 1/2 years younger and as a five-plus arbitration guy he can compare numbers with anyone in the game next winter, including Pujols, Mark Teixeira and Howard. Then he can demand his own supersized long-term deal as a free agent. Does it make sense for the Brewers to pay $25 million-plus a year to keep him? Probably not, considering three factors — they are 25th in the majors in revenue, according to Forbes; they have the equally productive Ryan Braun signed through 2014;
That's kinda true. Braun and Fielder. Where Braun is a god-awful fielder, Prince is just awful.
...and they have been only a .500 team the last couple of years thanks to a pitching shortage.
Well, in '09 they were a .500 club. In '08 they won 90 games with a .550 winning percentage. You can definitely blame their pitching for last year though with an 84 ERA+.
The Padres' Adrian Gonzalez, yet another run-producing first baseman, has generated a ton of trade talk over the last year, most of it coming out of Boston.
My friend in Chicago has talked about Gonzalez. He said Peavy has encouraged the idea of trading for his former teammate. Considering the Sox have more pitching than hitting, I wonder if Peavy would support BEING TRADED for Gonzalez.
But unlike Fielder, he's signed to a team-friendly contract through 2011. It seems more likely Fielder, not Gonzalez, will be the biggest name available before the July 31 deadline.
Like the Red Sox, the White Sox have the parts to do a deal if they decide they're not going to re-sign Paul Konerko. What about Fielder to the White Sox for a package built around pitching and Triple-A first baseman Dayan Viciedo?
They might be willing to do that, unless they read this.
John Danks certainly would get Melvin's attention.
Yes, for being a mediocre prospect that he would never trade Prince Fielder for. This is like one of those fantasy baseball trades where someone offers you Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Kaz Matsui, and Peralta for...well...Prince Fielder. "Look, I'm giving you Huff to replace him, plus 4 other guys! Why won't you do this?"
Gavin Floyd might to a lesser degree, and both Daniel Hudson and Sergio Santos have a ton of value.
Hudson looks like a good prospect, K's a lot of people and doesn't give up HR's. Sergio is having a great start to the season.
Hudson gives the Sox the flexibility to deal a big-league starter, assuming he doesn't have to be in the package himself.It's hard to see the Sox having the will to keep Fielder long term, however, which makes it a huge risk to give up young talent for 1 1/2 seasons of his mashing. But what if the Brewers are interested in Alex Rios, who is signed through 2014 at a level just beyond what they have paid Fielder?
Why on EARTH would they take a player whose OBP last year was under .300. Yeah, you read that right.
Trading for a veteran is easier than signing a proven player through free agency.
It's cheaper. I don't know if it's easier. You have more people involved in a trade.
If Rios went to the Brewers in the deal, the Sox might be able to sign Fielder to a Teixeira/Howard contract long term.
Yes, I'm sure the Brewers are dying to take on his overpriced contract as he descends into Cory Patterson-level production. Just what they need.
Case Closed.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Phil 'er up
Take a look at this. Pitchers and catchers report in 4 days. 4 days until we get to see shots of Ron Baker playing long toss with Anibal Sanchez. It's a time of excitement for baseball fans all over the country. Unfortunately, thanks to the economy (or common sense in some cases) experienced/slightly used players are still looking for jobs. Phil Rogers has the story. Phil?
(His words in italics/mine in regular face type)
Potential difference-makers still on market
• Johnny Damon, who last was seen helping the Yankees win the World Series.
I already covered Damon on the blog but Phil demonstrates a lack of context here. I mean yeah, he 'helped', but A-rod helped a little bit more. Just because Damon happened to be one of a hundred players who went to the Yankees and grabbed a ring does not mean the Cubs should run out and sign him.
• Jermaine Dye, whose disappointing second half in 2009 has caused talent evaluators to act as if his rock-solid 2008 totals (.292-34-96) were put up in 1998.
I'm just going to link to this article here by Matt Carruth and leave it at that. Needless to say, Dye is not a good signing.
•Russell Branyan, who should have been more receptive to re-signing with the Mariners, whose general manager, Jack Zduriencik, gave him a chance to increase his at-bats.
Eh, lots of home runs with a low OBP. I am not enthused.
Annnnnd.....apparently that's it.
K so I'm going to help Phil out here and link to this page where you can view a list of the 52 other free agents and 'potential difference-makers' which is a term so generic you can apply it to Peter Gammons as a player.
(His words in italics/mine in regular face type)
Potential difference-makers still on market
• Johnny Damon, who last was seen helping the Yankees win the World Series.
I already covered Damon on the blog but Phil demonstrates a lack of context here. I mean yeah, he 'helped', but A-rod helped a little bit more. Just because Damon happened to be one of a hundred players who went to the Yankees and grabbed a ring does not mean the Cubs should run out and sign him.
• Jermaine Dye, whose disappointing second half in 2009 has caused talent evaluators to act as if his rock-solid 2008 totals (.292-34-96) were put up in 1998.
I'm just going to link to this article here by Matt Carruth and leave it at that. Needless to say, Dye is not a good signing.
•Russell Branyan, who should have been more receptive to re-signing with the Mariners, whose general manager, Jack Zduriencik, gave him a chance to increase his at-bats.
Eh, lots of home runs with a low OBP. I am not enthused.
Annnnnd.....apparently that's it.
K so I'm going to help Phil out here and link to this page where you can view a list of the 52 other free agents and 'potential difference-makers' which is a term so generic you can apply it to Peter Gammons as a player.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Is Phil Roger's mind on the way out?
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune wrote this article regarding the futures of two Chicago baseball stars. Paul Konerko and Derrek Lee have become faces of their respective franchises through...well Phil will go into all of that. What he will not get into the a solid reason why these two aging stars should be given million dollar contracts as they move past their primes. How about you "Phil(PUN!!!)" us in:
In many ways, Paul Konerko and Derrek Lee have been the glue holding together Chicago's two Major League Baseball teams for a combined 17 seasons.
You know, fans have this way of looking at players like Lee and Konerko as though the franchise would stop if they left. I'm afraid Phil has fallen into that trap here. All this paragraph shows is that they are both getting close to retirement and probably on the downsides of their careers. Personally I think it short changes both of them, they weren't just good personalities, they were both really great players.
They are consummate pros and reliable run producers...
Oh, OK he covered it, thanks for making me look like a jerk Phil.
Yet neither is signed beyond 2010, and there has not been a clamor from either fan base for the White Sox or Cubs to assure their continued presence. At 33 and 34 respectively, Konerko and Lee have moved beyond their actuarial peaks.
Looks like the fan base is being more sensible than you are Phil. They respect what these players have done, but realize you have to move towards the future at some point.
They pose difficult decisions and theoretically huge risks for general managers Ken Williams and Jim Hendry, who aren't likely to give them three- or four-year deals at another $12 million or $13 million per year.
Let's hope not, as you just pointed out, they have moved past their peaks.
But you don't let players like these just walk away, not when there's a reasonable chance of playing high-stakes games in September and October. The White Sox and Cubs would be smart to approach Konerko and Lee with contract extensions — one-year deals at existing levels for 2011, possibly with vesting options that could trigger a second year at the same level in '12.
Assuming they would take such offers, how much would they be for Phil? I mean it's really easy to say, "you should give a player a contract" without saying how much they're worth. Also, as you yourself point out later in the article:
The White Sox have first base options in the high minors in Dayan Viciedo and left-handed-hitting Christian Marrero, who is poised for a breakout year. They also believe third baseman Brent Morel could get to the big leagues sometime in 2011, freeing up recently acquired Mark Teahen for a move to first base.
That makes it seem like it's a good opportunity to thank Konerko and send him on his way. Not hand him an extension and hold back two young players who are ready to shine.
When Konerko reached free agency four years ago, Reinsdorf didn't seem inclined to give him five years but realized the value when Konerko's quiet leadership and power hitting played a huge role in an 11-1 postseason run to the World Series crown.
Well, Reinsdorf was on a World Series high at that point and handed out contracts like they were...well White Sox tickets. Also, I'm pretty sure his power hitting had much more to do with that contract than his "quiet leadership."
Wear and tear, especially a series of hand injuries, has taken a toll on the White Sox captain in recent years. But on a team that ranked 12th in the American League in scoring, Konerko drove in 88 runs last year.
I would like to point out that in another section of this column, one that has nothing to do with this section, Phil talks about win shares. So I would expect someone who references win shares to realize that the counting stat "runs" is pretty much meaningless in this day and age. Also, the mentioning of wear and tear is another reason why the White Sox SHOULDN'T give him an extension.
The Cubs don't have as much depth behind Lee after trading Jake Fox to the A's in a deal that seemed as much about dumping Aaron Miles as adding reliever Jeff Gray.
That is an actual good reason to keep Lee. Way to go, 2nd to last paragraph and you've finally made a good point.
But you better believe Hendry knows all about the free-agent possibilities at first base the next two seasons: Adam Dunn and Carlos Pena after next year; possibly Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Adrian Gonzalez and Lance Berkman after 2011.
That's a whole list of reasons to be saving you money and not spending it on players past their primes.
Konerko and Lee aren't likely to try to use their sterling reputations to pressure their teams into extensions. They aren't the game-playing types. But both enjoy Chicago and their standing in their organizations.
Great. They can come back and coach one day if they enjoy Chicago and their organizations so much.
In many ways, Paul Konerko and Derrek Lee have been the glue holding together Chicago's two Major League Baseball teams for a combined 17 seasons.
You know, fans have this way of looking at players like Lee and Konerko as though the franchise would stop if they left. I'm afraid Phil has fallen into that trap here. All this paragraph shows is that they are both getting close to retirement and probably on the downsides of their careers. Personally I think it short changes both of them, they weren't just good personalities, they were both really great players.
They are consummate pros and reliable run producers...
Oh, OK he covered it, thanks for making me look like a jerk Phil.
Yet neither is signed beyond 2010, and there has not been a clamor from either fan base for the White Sox or Cubs to assure their continued presence. At 33 and 34 respectively, Konerko and Lee have moved beyond their actuarial peaks.
Looks like the fan base is being more sensible than you are Phil. They respect what these players have done, but realize you have to move towards the future at some point.
They pose difficult decisions and theoretically huge risks for general managers Ken Williams and Jim Hendry, who aren't likely to give them three- or four-year deals at another $12 million or $13 million per year.
Let's hope not, as you just pointed out, they have moved past their peaks.
But you don't let players like these just walk away, not when there's a reasonable chance of playing high-stakes games in September and October. The White Sox and Cubs would be smart to approach Konerko and Lee with contract extensions — one-year deals at existing levels for 2011, possibly with vesting options that could trigger a second year at the same level in '12.
Assuming they would take such offers, how much would they be for Phil? I mean it's really easy to say, "you should give a player a contract" without saying how much they're worth. Also, as you yourself point out later in the article:
The White Sox have first base options in the high minors in Dayan Viciedo and left-handed-hitting Christian Marrero, who is poised for a breakout year. They also believe third baseman Brent Morel could get to the big leagues sometime in 2011, freeing up recently acquired Mark Teahen for a move to first base.
That makes it seem like it's a good opportunity to thank Konerko and send him on his way. Not hand him an extension and hold back two young players who are ready to shine.
When Konerko reached free agency four years ago, Reinsdorf didn't seem inclined to give him five years but realized the value when Konerko's quiet leadership and power hitting played a huge role in an 11-1 postseason run to the World Series crown.
Well, Reinsdorf was on a World Series high at that point and handed out contracts like they were...well White Sox tickets. Also, I'm pretty sure his power hitting had much more to do with that contract than his "quiet leadership."
Wear and tear, especially a series of hand injuries, has taken a toll on the White Sox captain in recent years. But on a team that ranked 12th in the American League in scoring, Konerko drove in 88 runs last year.
I would like to point out that in another section of this column, one that has nothing to do with this section, Phil talks about win shares. So I would expect someone who references win shares to realize that the counting stat "runs" is pretty much meaningless in this day and age. Also, the mentioning of wear and tear is another reason why the White Sox SHOULDN'T give him an extension.
The Cubs don't have as much depth behind Lee after trading Jake Fox to the A's in a deal that seemed as much about dumping Aaron Miles as adding reliever Jeff Gray.
That is an actual good reason to keep Lee. Way to go, 2nd to last paragraph and you've finally made a good point.
But you better believe Hendry knows all about the free-agent possibilities at first base the next two seasons: Adam Dunn and Carlos Pena after next year; possibly Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Adrian Gonzalez and Lance Berkman after 2011.
That's a whole list of reasons to be saving you money and not spending it on players past their primes.
Konerko and Lee aren't likely to try to use their sterling reputations to pressure their teams into extensions. They aren't the game-playing types. But both enjoy Chicago and their standing in their organizations.
Great. They can come back and coach one day if they enjoy Chicago and their organizations so much.
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