posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:55 PM
by
Jim
Questionable quote day
First quote: Kenny Williams, via Scott Merkin:"We are looking for guys who can add that edge," Williams said. "That's
one of the things I felt was missing last year. Each one of my targets
has that edge to them, that go-getter attitude. We need it. We will
embrace it."
"We will love it," Williams continued, "and we will call him George."
Three things:
No. 1: Here's what else was missing last year:
- Offense, by and large.
- Six-sevenths of the bullpen.
- Speed.
- Direction.
- Help from the farm system.
No. 2: I think this quote only serves to further infuriate me when thinking of the Darin Erstad era, since we were told to overlook his declining numbers because of the edge he would bring. And I like to think I have a pretty long fuse for a White Sox fan.
No. 3: Why can't the emphasis be on go-getters who make baseball look easy?
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Second quote: Scott Linebrink, via the Sun-Times:"We talked to some other teams and researched where these teams were
headed, and it seemed like Chicago had some pieces in place and were
heading in a good place for this season.’’ [...]
"When it came right down to it, there were really only three teams that were being aggressive in making an offer,’’ Linebrink said. ‘‘There are a lot of middle-market teams that weren’t willing to spend money on the bullpen, other than a closer.’’
I'm pretty sure the latter statement effectively nullifies the former here, but if Linebrink is
ready to grow a crooked mustache, who are we to stop him?
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Third quote: Aaron Rowand, via Merkin:Leaving behind Greg Walker, a man Rowand refers to as "not only the best hitting coach in baseball, hands down, but also one of my best friends," Rowand was forced to rely more on his own knowledge to make corrections with his swing. This bit of personal growth should help answer critics who point to 2007 as a spectacular anomaly compared to his past solid seasons.
"During the last couple of years, I learned a lot about myself and my swing," said Rowand, who hit .309 in 2007, with 27 home runs, 45 doubles, 89 RBIs and 105 runs scored. "[In Chicago] I depended on [Walker] to watch and break down every one of my swings, and I leaned on him and depended on him too much, instead of learning a feel.
"Milt Thompson is Philadelphia's hitting coach, and I have nothing bad to say about Milt whatsoever. But he doesn't break down your swing mechanically the way that Walker does. He's more of a feel guy than about mechanics with the swing.
"So it's almost like I became my own hitting coach and had to make adjustments myself," Rowand added. "I'm already out swinging right now. Two months have gone by, and normally when I start hitting, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. This year, I feel like I'm right there still."
He just blew my mind (
my mind has been blown!)!
Is it possible Walker has changed his approach greatly in two years? Based on quotes from everybody around the White Sox organization last year, "hands-on" would probably be pretty far down the list. I was under the impression he spent April emptying aerosol cans in a double-barreled fashion in a fervent attempt to accelerate global warming and the rest of the season shrugging. When
I asked a question about the subject to somebody who'd know better than I would, he didn't have an answer, either.
Still, Rowand's reasoning could be understandable had he not completely regressed as a hitter with the White Sox. By the end of 2005, any
pitcher with a good slider could put him away easily, because he
couldn't handle breaking balls low and away.
Maybe Rowand is equating "best" with "most active," or maybe he has a severely delayed case of Stockholm Syndrome, because it's bizarre that he's reached nirvana with his swing away from Walker, and is only lukewarm about Thompson. If this is the case, I'd love to be his mechanic. As long as you're ripping parts out and shoving parts in, it means you're doing your job.
At any rate, I'm betting dollars to donuts that Roy Deam Bream has already been reminded of how Walker tinkered with Danny Richar's swing. I just hope he hasn't popped a blood vessel yet.