News for Ozzie: Justin Morneau’s last game was July 7

Cowley:

“I don’t know about the organization,” Guillen responded on Wednesday, when asked if he was feeling the heat with that decision now. “Myself, I know he’s going to hit. Maybe the fans do. Maybe the media does. I really don’t put attention to that. I don’t. He had big hits for a lot of people. He had big hits for us. I don’t put any attention to that. I don’t.

“If it’s not Thome then it’s going to be [Justin] Morneau. Jim is playing just because Morneau is not there.”

If the Twinkies hadn’t acquired Thome due to your stupidity, they wouldn’t have the option of playing Thome after they lost Morneau.

About the guy Ozzie couldn’t find at-bats for

but magically found them for Mark Kotsay:

Jim Thome has continued to hit and hit and hit this year, and check out where he ranks now on the list of most plate appearances by a guy 39 or older, minimum 170 OPS+:

Rk	Player	PA	OPS+	Year	Age	Tm	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Barry Bonds	617	263	2004	39	SFG	147	373	129	135	27	3	45	101	232	120	41	.362	.609	.812	1.422	*7/D
2	Ted Williams	517	179	1958	39	BOS	129	411	81	135	23	2	26	85	98	12	49	.328	.458	.584	1.042	*7
3	Hank Aaron	465	177	1973	39	ATL	120	392	84	118	12	1	40	96	68	13	51	.301	.402	.643	1.045	*79
4	Ted Williams	390	190	1960	41	BOS	113	310	56	98	15	0	29	72	75	7	41	.316	.451	.645	1.096	*7
5	Jim Thome	293	173	2010	39	MIN	95	240	39	66	16	2	21	51	50	3	75	.275	.399	.621	1.020	*D
6	Barry Bonds	52	174	2005	40	SFG	14	42	8	12	1	0	5	10	9	3	6	.286	.404	.667	1.071	*7
7	Manny Mota	50	176	1977	39	LAD	49	38	5	15	1	0	1	4	10	3	0	.395	.521	.500	1.021	/7
8	Cy Williams	21	174	1930	42	PHI	21	17	1	8	2	0	0	2	4	0	3	.471	.571	.588	1.160	/879
9	Harry Davis	9	201	1914	40	PHA	5	7	0	3	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	.429	.556	.429	.984	/3

I’m telling you it’s magic…

THT on the 2010 White Sox’ ‘DH by committee’

Gross @ THT:

In a vacuum, a re-signing of Thome by the White Sox would give the South Siders a +3.0 WAR swing in the AL Central Standings. Note, however, that Thome has only 279 plate appearances this season while splitting DH duties with Jason Kubel. Of course, Thome’s been platooned, which may exaggerate his bottom line, but any potential non-platoon “regression” would surely be offset by the additional playing time he would have seen with the White Sox. Let’s just leave the WAR at +2.4 and call it even.

The White Sox do not play in a vacuum, however. Thome, in not re-signing with the White Sox, signed a deal with the Twins. Hence, in a Thome-on-the-Sox-over-Kotsay theoretical situation, you have to not only add +3.0 WAR to the White Sox 2010 win total, but also subtract 2.4 WAR from the Twins’ 2010 win total. That turns a 4.0 game lead by the Twins in the AL Central into a 1.5 game lead by the White Sox. …

Fangraphs looks on the White Sox’ ‘DH by committee’ plan

Pawlikowski:

Twenty times this year Paul Konerko has filled the DH spot and seven times he has taken a day off. In all 27 instances Mark Kotsay took his place at first base. In an additional 47 games Kotsay himself has served as the DH. This has been nothing but a detriment to the team. Kotsay is no longer a good hitter, and really hasn’t been one since 2004. He has a mere .304 wOBA this year after a .309 mark last year, and he hasn’t crossed the .320 mark since 2005. There was no reason to think he’d approach average production for a DH. Yet he has been their primary guy in that spot. It seems like it could have gone to a more worthy player. …

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/dont-punt-on-the-designated-hitter/

THT Fantasy on Jim Thome

Gross @ THT:

Here is a quick trivia question. Among all major league hitters with 250+ plate appearances not named Jose Bautista, who leads in ISO? No it is not Miguel Cabrera (.304), Albert Pujols (.276), Luke Scott (.278), Adam Dunn (.294) or a Rangers corner outfielder. It is none other than Old Man River himself, 40-year old Jim Thome (.316). The same Jim Thome who the White Sox passed up last offseason, despite a sub-$2 million dollar salary, because a rotating DH and the incorrigible Mark Kotsay seemed like a good idea at the time. The same Jim Thome who last year posted the second-lowest ISO of his career since 1994 (.232 versus a .155 MLB average) and walked “only” 15.9 percent of the time (8.9% MLB average). The very same Jim Thome who was nonetheless the fourth-most-valuable designated hitter in baseball, whom I ranted and raved about plenty in the offseason. …

SoxNet on Chris Sale

SoxNet:

[H]is stuff is legit. A 96 MPH fastball that comes from the side similar to Thornton’s so it’s tailing hard in on righties and hard away on lefties. Great starting pitch, going to be hard to hit. Sale snapped off a changeup in this game that had real good movement, and that curveball from his windup is the pitch we always dreamed Thornton would develop; sharp break, but you can’t pick it up from his windup. He keeps that arm healthy and this kid has few limits.

Sale’s Pitch-F/X summary.

BTW, Chris Sale impressed Big Jim.

Ozzie Guillen is insane

A few quotes from Ozzie Guillen’s latest rant:

How many games did we win against the National League? 15? Every time we had Jim Thome here, we couldn’t play him against the National League. Why won’t anybody give me credit for that one?

Can’t this dumbass understand that we aren’t a National League team and we played only 9 games in National League parks, while the rest of our 162 game schedule is against American League teams? And close to half of the 162 games are against divisional teams, and none of those are National League teams. Is that so difficult to understand? Jeez…

When I see him hit that s— out there all the way to the building out there at 98, I don’t see that for the last three years with us. Good for him. A lot of people talk about the home run from Jim Thome.

What? Jim Thome didn’t hit enough HRs for you Ozzie? I see 42 in 2006, 35 in 2007, 34 in 2008 and 23 in 2009.

Ozzie had some words for the White Sox fans who like Jim Thome too:

You want to have Jim Thome here? F— it. They’re a fan, a radio announcer or a newspaper. We don’t want him because we don’t need him. Right now we don’t. Is he playing good for them? Good for him. Anybody else anything about Jim Thome? All those f—— people in Chicago say something Jim Thome?

Go read all his comments (trib). The guy is totally insane.

Big Jim keeps going

B-R blog:

Jim Thome is raking so far this year. Here are the only players (1901-present) to post an OPS+ of at least 150 in age 39 season, minimum 80 games.

Rk		OPS+	G	Year	Age	Tm	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Barry Bonds	169	126	2007	42	SFG	477	340	75	94	14	0	28	66	132	54	5	.276	.480	.565	1.045	*7/D
2	Ted Williams	190	113	1960	41	BOS	390	310	56	98	15	0	29	72	75	41	1	.316	.451	.645	1.096	*7
3	Barry Bonds	156	130	2006	41	SFG	493	367	74	99	23	0	26	77	115	51	3	.270	.454	.545	.999	*7/D
4	Willie Mays	158	136	1971	40	SFG	537	417	82	113	24	5	18	61	112	123	23	.271	.425	.482	.907	*83
5	Ted Williams	179	129	1958	39	BOS	517	411	81	135	23	2	26	85	98	49	1	.328	.458	.584	1.042	*7
6	Babe Ruth	161	125	1934	39	NYY	471	365	78	105	17	4	22	84	104	63	1	.288	.448	.537	.985	*97
7	Barry Bonds	263	147	2004	39	SFG	617	373	129	135	27	3	45	101	232	41	6	.362	.609	.812	1.422	*7/D
8	Jim Thome	163	81	2010	39	MIN	253	209	31	57	14	1	17	44	42	62	0	.273	.391	.593	.985	*D
9	Hank Aaron	177	120	1973	39	ATL	465	392	84	118	12	1	40	96	68	51	1	.301	.402	.643	1.045	*79

Big Jim to Ozzie Guillen: you know where you can stick those ABs (videos)

Video: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11084089 (1:14), http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11087783 (1:36)

MY NAME IS JI

JIM THOME

White Sox could get Manny Ramirez as a straight waiver claim

Olney @ ESPN via DSD:

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, Ramirez is still owed $5 million this season and the Chicago White Sox could feasibly get Ramirez simply as a straight waiver claim and with no need to send prospects in return.

Olney also speculates that the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, or the Texas Rangers could all take a gamble on Ramirez. It’s also possible that Ramirez could go through the waiver wire unclaimed and then the Dodgers could trade him and, in doing so, agree to pick up a portion of his remaining salary.

Kenny shouldn’t have listened to Ozzie and his crazy DH theory, and keep Jim Thome. We’d have a proper DH, and not this Mark Kotsay nonsense, and for the entire season. Furthermore, Big Jim wouldn’t be contributing a .268/.387/.578/.966 hitting line to the Twinkies.

UPDATE: Rosenthal @ FOXS:

Left fielder Manny Ramirez…would be risky for a team to claim; the Dodgers likely would let him go, assuming that Ramirez was willing to waive his no-trade clause. The claiming club then would assume the pro-rated portion of his $20 million salary, which on Aug. 31 still would be more then $3 million.

The deferrals in Ramirez’s contract would make no difference in the amount his new club would pay; only the timetable might be affected. Ramirez’s contract stipulates a $5 million salary this season and deferred payments without interest of $3.33 million each on June 30, 2011 and ’12 and $8.33 million on June 30, 2013.

If Ramirez cleared waivers, he would be eligible to be traded to any team — and he would be wise to waive his no-trade clause for an American League club that would allow him to serve as a DH and build his value for free agency this off-season.

Ramirez, recovering from a right calf strain, could begin a rehabilitation assignment this week. The Dodgers cannot place him on waivers until after they activate him from the disabled list.

Tweet of the day

RobHartWGN:

Jim Thome is one dimensional….but Kotsay is 0 dimensional.

Ozzie Guillen doesn’t want to pay the price for a bat like Adam Dunn

Cowley:

In explaining what the Sox have been trying to get done, as well as the resistance they have come across in accomplishing that, Guillen revealed details that were assumed but never confirmed by the organization. Specifically, to acquire someone like Dunn comes at a heavy price, and it’s a price that at least Guillen doesn’t want to pay.

You mean Ozzie you would find enough ABs for a LHB like Dunn in the event he was acquired? I remember 6 months ago you couldn’t find ABs for another LHB and he ended up in Minnesota for $1.5 million and now has a 149 wRC+. Funny thing! I mean sad…

Why did you listen to Ozzie, Kenny? Why?

JJ looks at what it will take to land Adam Dunn:

Granted, getting Dunn would probably mean parting with one good prospect and another marginal one. Cowley points out that Brent Morel isn’t a fit with Washington thanks to Ryan Zimmerman, but I have to wonder if Dayan Viciedo would interest the Nats. Viciedo should ultimately will end up a first baseman, and while the Nationals do have a first base prospect in Double-A, Viciedo could provide a more immediate impact.

The elephant in the room is Dan Hudson, who I would hate to see the Sox trade for a half-year rental player. In fact, there really aren’t a whole lot of circumstances in which I’d be okay with the Sox trading Hudson.

Kenny, you screwed up. If you had not listen to Ozzie and signed Jim Thome in the off-season, you wouldn’t be in a situation where you have to give up 6 years of Dan Hudson (or Flowers) for 2-3 months of Adam Dunn. And what did Big Jim sign for? $1.5 million. You gave $1.5 million to Mark Kotsay. Hell, you gave $14 million to Mark Teahen. Losing Dan Hudson for $1.5 million. That would suck…

HardballTalk on the 2010 Sox

Calcaterra:

Ozzie Guillen is more or less immune from heat over his antics, his tweeting and his tendency to shoot off at the mouth from time to time, but he could be under some pressure this year all the same. Why? Because this seems more like the team he wanted than the team Kenny Williams wanted. Back at the Winter Meetings Ozzie was adamant that he not be tied down with a dedicated DH. Williams listened, passed on bringing back Thome or Dye and now there’s a decent chance that Mark Kotsay and Omar Vizquel will be getting at bats from the DH slot. Juan Pierre was clearly a Guillen priority. He’s moving Gordon Beckam to second base just as he was getting used to third (and after being drafted as a shortstop).  I don’t think Ozzie’s  job is in jeopardy or anything, but if the team doesn’t produce, Guillen is probably due a lot of the heat for it. How he reacts to the heat could put his job in jeopardy of course, because anything is possible with Ozzie. …

Chris Jaffe has 5 questions for the Sox

Jaffe @ THT:

4. What does the future hold for Gordon Beckham?

Good things – and lots of them. His performance with the Sox last year showed that the team was right to draft him with their No. 1 pick in 2008, and then move him out of the minors after only 59 games. The kid looks like the real deal and should have a terrific future in front of him.

… For a clearer picture what’s in store for him, I did a little digging for comps. Last year, the 22-year-old Beckham posted a 107 OPS+. So, I went to Baseball-Reference.com’s excellent Play Index and did a search for seasons by: 1) 22-year-olds since 1900, who 2) played an infield defensive position (short, third, or second), 3) posted an OPS+ between 97 and 117, and 4) either qualified for a batting title or had 400 PA.

Fifty-three names popped up. Two were in 2009 (Beckham himself and Everth Cabrera) – leaving the remaining 51 to serve as forecasting tools for Beckham. (I know B-ref has easily available sim scores, but I don’t really trust them because of the differences of era and park. Besides, I think it matters to account for defensive position.) I then dug into their careers to get an idea what the short- and long-term future could be for him (they’re all listed in references and resources at the end of this column if your curious). …