Baseball Nation: All Posts by Ken Neadly

Angels 12, White Sox 9: Sox lose an ugly slugfest

2013-05-19T00:50:52Z

The Los Angeles Angels ended the White Sox's four-game winning streak on Saturday afternoon with a 12-9 victory in an extremely ugly game that featured some words exchanged, two passed balls, 21 men left on base and a Terry Bevington-esque moment in bullpen management.

The White Sox offense failed to capitalize on the struggles of Joe Blanton early, as they had two men on in each of the first three innings, but came away with nothing.

In the first, Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios had one-out singles, but Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko struck out to end the frame.

In the second, Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Greene singled, but Dewayne Wise grounded out to the pitcher to stop the threat.

In the third, Ramirez and Konerko each singled, but Conor Gillaspie struck out to continue the trend.

The fourth was a little different. Viciedo walked to get things started and Hector Gimenez singled to right. After Greene struck out and Wise popped up, Ramirez was drilled with a pitch squarely in the back. Alexei for some reason thought this was retribution for Mike Trout getting hit the inning before and stared down Blanton for a few seconds. They barked at each other before Ramirez took first and Alex Rios followed with a high chopper over Alberto Callaspo's head to finally push across a couple of runs. Adam Dunn then lined a sharp single to right to bring home two more. Paul Konerko followed with another single before Gillaspie flew out to end the inning.

Hector Santiago, who had been pitching well up until this point, didn't know what to do with this new-found offense he just received. Mark Trumbo led off with a long homer to left. With one out, Callaspo singled. Then Santiago did his best Ricky Vaughn impersonation and walked the next three hitters, which brought in a run to cut the Sox lead in half. Ventura had seen enough and brought in Nate Jones after 3⅔ innings from Santiago. Jones did a decent job of limiting the damage as Erick Aybar hit a sac fly to cut the lead to 4-3 and Trout struck out to end the inning.

The Sox had another chance to extend the lead in the fifth. Viciedo was plunked to lead off, Gimenez singled and after a Greene pop out, Wise walked to load the bases. That ended Blanton's day and new pitcher Robert Coello struck out Ramirez and Rios to strand the bases loaded.

The Angels would take the lead in the fifth when Pujols lead off with a double down the right field line. Trumbo followed with one of his own to tie the game. After Howie Kendrick grounded to the right side to move Trumbo to third, Callaspo hit a sac fly to give the Angels the lead.

The bullpens settled down until the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Trumbo walked and Kendrick singled which ended Jones' day. In came the newly recalled Donnie Veal and out went the pitch to Callaspo over the left field wall to give the Angels an 8-4 lead. A Josh Hamilton single and a Chris Iannetta walk brought up J.B. Shuck, and he doubled home the two runners to make it 10-4. Brendan Harris grounded out to finally get the Sox and Veal out of the inning.

Garrett Richards came into the game for the Angels and the Sox decided that this day wasn't over yet. Ramirez singled. With one out, Jeff Keppinger also singled. Paul Konerko would bring home Ramirez with a hit of his own. After Gillaspie struck out, Viciedo smashed a single to bring in Keppinger. The Angels brought in closer Ernesto Frieri to put out the fire, but Hector Gimenez sprayed some fire accelerant all over that plan when he smashed a three-run homer to pull the Sox within one.

Then the ghost of Terry Bevington took over. With Trout and Albert Pujols due up, Veal ran out to the mound as Matt Lindstrom was running in from the bullpen. Veal would remain in the game to face Trout and he hit him with a pitch. Then Lindstrom came on to face Pujols. With Trout running, Pujols executed the hit-and-run perfectly with a single to right. Kendrick followed with a double to bring in Trout and Callaspo added another run with a sac fly before the inning ended to give the Angels a 12-9 lead.

That is where the game would end as Fieri struck out the side in the ninth.

Bullet points:

Dunn was removed from the game in the fifth inning with back spasms. Keppinger took over at first.
Gordon Beckham is slated to begin his rehab tonight.
Dayan Viciedo was 2-3 with a walk and a HBP. He is now hitting .303.
Gimenez proved that the catcher is not an automatic out as he went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. He also gunned down Trout trying to steal second. Unfortunately, he also had two passed balls charged to him.
Rios had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. He was pulled in favor of Casper Wells when Ventura thought the game got out of hand.

Record: 19-22 | Box score | Play-by-play | Highlights

Twins 2, White Sox 1: Twins win battle of futility

2013-04-20T23:14:20Z

I proclaimed today's lineup to be the worst I have ever seen in my 30 years of watching White Sox baseball. I was wrong... for one batter. Alejandro De Aza led off the bottom of the first with a line shot home run to give the White Sox the quick 1-0 lead.

And that was all of the offensive highlights that will be featured in today's game recap, because it was the only one.

Jake Peavy looked very sharp through the first couple of innings, at one point throwing 18 strikes in a row. In the third though, Brian Dozier hit a one-out single and moved to second when Joe Mauer drew a walk. Josh Willingham followed with a grounder just out of the reach of a diving Alexei Ramirez to score Dozier and tie the game at one.

That is where the two terrible offenses took over. Some people might say that the chilly weather played a factor and others might say that umpire CB Bucknor's wide strike zone held back the offenses. Personally, I don't think it mattered if it was a 90-degree day with an umpire that never called a strike. These two teams can't hit the ball.

The White Sox allowed the Twins to threaten in the eighth when Matt Lindstrom walked Chris Parmelee, Donnie Veal walked Ryan Doumit and Nate Jones walked Aaron Hicks to load the bases with one out. The White Sox gloves came through in a big way when Wilkin Ramirez hit a shot down the line that looked like a sure double. Conor Gillaspie had other ideas as he dove, gloved and threw from one knee to home to get the force out. Dozier followed with a pop up down the right field line that Paul Konerko made a beautiful running over the shoulder catch on.

With the score tied at one in the bottom of the ninth, Konerko hit a one-out single and was removed for pinch-runner Tyler Greene. Greene never moved from first, but the move still made an impact in the game.

In the top of 10th, Ryan Doumit led off with a double off of Hector Santiago. Hicks was unable to move him along, as he popped up the bunt attempt. Eduardo Escobar came up and hit a slow roller to Ramirez who threw low to first. Keppinger was unable to dig the ball out of the dirt and Doumit rounded third and scored as the ball trickled away.

Glen Perkins worked around a one-out walk to Tyler Flowers to record the save.

Adam Dunn was 0-4 with three pathetic strikeouts and now sports a nifty .098 batting average.
De Aza had the only big hit of the day for the Sox, but he also struck out in his other four plate appearances and left three on base.
Keppinger was 0-5 and is now hitting .159.
The Sox recorded six hits on the day off of Vance Worley and company.
Our friends at Fox interrupted the broadcast during the game to show us Neil Diamond belt out "Sweet Caroline" to the Boston faithful. At first, I was disgusted that they didn't even keep a split-screen up to show us the action. But really, they probably did us a favor.

Record: 7-10 | Box

Nationals 7, White Sox 4: Sox, Axelrod vetoed in DC

2013-04-12T03:59:03Z

After the first road series of the year, the White Sox are still looking for their first road victory. The Nationals knocked around Dylan Axelrod on Thursday night to complete the sweep. Axelrod tossed 3 2/3 innings, and gave up seven hits, four walks and six runs against a team that can swing the bat.

The big hit for the Nationals was a two-out, two-run double to right field by Ryan Zimmerman. The double made it a 6-3 game after the Sox pulled even at three the half-inning before.

The Sox did their best to try to keep pace, but in the end they just don't have enough thunder to out-slug the Nationals. The Good Guys had 10 hits against Nationals starter Dan Haren in his five innings of work, but could only push across three runs.

Alex Rios and Connor Gillaspie continued their hot hitting. Rios smashed two more doubles on the night and Gillaspie added one of his own. Alejandro De Aza added in two hits and now has his batting average up to .270.

Unfortunately, Adam Dunn left five men on base as he went 1-5. Alexei Ramirez joined in on the struggles as he went 1-5 with five left on and Tyler Flowers was 0-4 with three left on base.

Hector Santiago was a bright spot for the Sox as he came in and threw 2 1/3 hitless innings in relief of Axelrod.

The Sox will try to right the ship tomorrow evening as they face the Indians in Cleveland. Jose Quintana will be on the bump for the Sox and Justin Masterson will throw for the Tribe.

* Gordon Beckham was placed on the Disabled List prior to the game and will undergo surgery on his wrist. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

* Dylan Axelrod struggled on the mound, but did record the first hit of his Major League career, when he pushed a bunt just out of the reach of a diving Adam LaRoche.

* Rafael Soriano worked the ninth and earned his fifth save. He earned the save in all three games of the series.

* Alex Rios now has a 15-game hitting streak dating back to last season.

* Denard Span, Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman were 7-13 with six runs scored and four RBI's at the top of the Nationals lineup.

Record: 4-5 | Box

Nationals 8, White Sox 7: First frustrating game of the year

2013-04-10T03:00:58Z

The White Sox had chances early in the game against Gio Gonzalez to put up a crooked number but let the opportunities fall by the wayside. In the first inning, Jeff Keppinger and Alex Rios had one out singles and Paul Konerko drew a walk to load the bases, but could only manage one run in the inning courtesy of a Gonzalez balk. Dayan Viciedo struck out and Alexei Ramirez flew out to center to end the threat.

In the third inning, Alejandro De Aza hit a lead off double but Keppinger struck out, Rios bounced out and after a walk to Konerko, Viciedo struck out.

In the fifth, De Aza smoked a one-out double over the head of left fielder Bryce Harper, but got doubled up on an infield pop up to shortstop Ian Desmond.

Jake Peay faced the minimum through the first three innings, thanks in part to two outfield assists by Alex Rios who gunned down Harper and Gonzalez trying to turn singles into doubles. In the fourth though, Denard Span did what he does against the White Sox. He led off with a single, and after a Jayson Werth fly out to the deepest part of the ballpark, went to third on a Harper single and scored on a Ryan Zimmerman sac fly.

The Nationals took the lead in the fifth with a leadoff homer by Desmond. The lead was short lived though as Alex Rios led off with a single, stole second and took third when Wilson Ramos' throw hit Rios in the helmet and bounced into right-center field. Konerko hit a sac fly to center to even things up at two. Viciedo followed with a single and moved to second when Ramirez hit a chopper that Desmond couldn't pick up, but a Tyler Flowers line out and an Angel Sanchez ground out ended the inning.

In the sixth, Span led off with a double and Werth followed with a rocket into the left field seats to make it 4-2. After a Harper strikeout, Zimmerman drew a walk and Adam LaRoche picked a bad (for us) spot for his first hit of 2013, as he launched a homer over the center field wall to make it 6-2.

The Sox battled back in the seventh. With one out, De Aza drew a walk and Keppinger followed with a single. Rios popped up to first, but Konerko picked a good (for us) spot for his first homer of 2013, which made the score 6-5.

Unfortunately, the Nationals weren't done. Steve Lombardozzi drew a one-out walk. Donnie Veal was brought in to face Span, but threw a pick-off attempt down the line moving Lombardozzi to third. He then walked Span, which sent Matt Lindstrom in from the bullpen. Werth singled to left to make it 7-5.

In the bottom of the eighth, LaRoche was at it again as he took Matt Thornton deep.

With the Sox down three in the ninth, Rafael Soriano was brought in to close the game. De Aza came through with a one-out single and after a Jeff Keppinger fly out, Rios connected for a two-run shot into the bullpen to bring the Sox within one, but Konerko flew out to end the game.

Gordon Beckham started the game, but was removed early in the game because of an apparent wrist injury on a swing in the second inning. He was replaced by Angel Sanchez, who went 0-2 in his White Sox debut.
Don Cooper was hospitalized prior to the game with a bout of diverticulitis. I have heard much of this condition until recently and from what I've seen and heard, it isn't fun and can be very serious.
De Aza, Keppinger and Rios had eight hits and six runs scored at the top of the lineup, but the 5-9 spots were 2-20 on the day.
Tomorrow, Gavin Floyd takes the mound against Jordan Zimmermann as the Sox look to even up the series.

Record: 4-3 | Box

Wishing you were a White Sox

2013-02-23T12:00:10Z

I was having a baseball discussion the other day about what former player in my lifetime would I have liked to have seen with the White Sox. Even if it was at the end of that player's career. And he was a shell of his former self.

I thought about it for a few minutes until I found my answer. Out of all of the players I've seen in my lifetime, the one guy that I wish was at any time a member of the White Sox was Rickey Henderson.

It was a tough call. Reggie Jackson? Cecil Fielder? Doc Gooden? Darryl Strawberry? Barry Bonds? All would be wonderful choices. I picked Rickey, though. Imagine if he appeared at a SoxFest! What a great seminar he would put on. He bounced around a whole bunch at the end of his career, but never found his way to the South Side. It would have been amazing if he did.

The White Sox have signed a bunch of former All-Star players in my time. Here are some of my favorites:

Aug. 12, 1986: The White Sox signed 41-year-old Steve Carlton, who was released by the Giants earlier in the week. "Lefty," who was one of the best pitchers of all time, actually performed pretty well for the White Sox, going 4-3 with a 3.69 ERA in his 10 starts. Carlton would pitch two more seasons, but we got to see the last of the bullets he had left in his arm.

Aug. 15, 1986: The White Sox signed George Foster, who was released by the Mets a week earlier. Foster, who led the National League in homers in 1977 and 1978 and was the National League MVP in '77, was now 37 years old. He went on to hit .216/.259/.353 in 54 plate appearances before the Sox released him on Sept. 7. Foster never played in the majors again.

Jan. 22, 1996: The White Sox sent Charles Poe and Andrew Lorraine to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Danny Tartabull. Tartabull had some big seasons for the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees in the late '80s and early '90s. He even earned himself an appearance on "Seinfeld." In 1995, though, he struggled. Tartabull was injured and spent the season between the Yankees and A's where he combined to hit .236/.335/.379. The White Sox, who were looking to get back in the thick of things after a rough 1995, traded for the veteran. Tartabull went on to have his final season in the sun, giving the Sox a .254/.340/.487 line with 27 home runs. He moved on to the Phillies after the White Sox signed Albert Belle for 1997, and only appeared in three games, going 0-for-7. He never played again.

Jan. 9, 1998: The White Sox signed Ruben Sierra. There was a time when Sierra was one of the best players in the game in the late '80s and early '90s. The four-time All-Star was bouncing around the league in the mid 1990s and found his way to the South Side in 1998. He hit .216/.247/.459 in 77 plate appearances for the Sox. The coolest part about it, though, was that he appeared at SoxFest that year and I snagged his autograph. Sierra eventually found a bit of his former success, as he hit .291/.322/.561 for Texas in 2001. His last season came in 2006 at the age of 40 as a member of the Minnesota Twins.

June 21, 2001: The White Sox purchased Jose Canseco from Newark of the International League. With Frank Thomas out for the season, the defending AL Central champs were hoping the Bash Brother would help fill the hole left by Thomas. Canseco did pretty well as he hit .258/.366/.477 with 16 home runs in 306 plate appearances. The Sox ultimately fell out of the race and Canseco's at-bats were unfortunately given to Jeff Liefer, but it was cool to see Jose blast a few moonshots in a White Sox jersey. On a side note, this signing caused me to break up with a girlfriend. We had plans to go to a Sox game, but when I picked her up she didn't want to go and instead wanted to go to eat and watch a movie. I remember watching "Planet of the Apes" while being highly irked that I missed the Sox game. When we got out to the car, I heard that Canseco hit two homers that night. That was the final straw. She was history.

July 31, 2008: The White Sox traded Danny Richar and Nick Masset to the Reds for Ken Griffey Jr. I know he wasn't the same when he was with the Sox ... but holy hell was it cool to see him in a Sox jersey. The fact that one of the highlights of the season was Griffey throwing out Michael Cuddyer at home plate to preserve the lead in the Blackout Game, made it even cooler. I still rock my No. 17 Griffey jersey.

Aug. 30, 2010: The White Sox claimed Manny Ramirez off of waivers. Trying to make a push for the postseason, the Sox claimed Manny. He hit .261/.420/.319 with only one homer in 88 at-bats.

Some of these moves worked out better than others, but in each case it was neat seeing those players in a White Sox jersey.

I know some people may think it is either a publicity stunt or trying to catch lightning in a bottle five years too late, but I always enjoyed when the White Sox acquired a former star, even if it is at the tail end of their career. It saddens me that Frank Thomas had to hold out hope that a team would offer him a deal before he officially retired a year later. I think Jermaine Dye can still go, yet has been retired for a few years now. I was happy when Miguel Tejada got one final shot this winter when the Royals gave him a minor-league deal. I wish Vladimir Guerrero can get that shot. Jim Thome is still trying to catch on. I'm not suggesting the White Sox go after him, but it saddens me he can't score a deal somewhere. He was passable last year.

So let me hear it. Who is a now retired player that you saw in your lifetime that you wish would have worn a Sox jersey at one point in his career? How about a current player that you hope may one day play for the Sox?

Top 10 MLB shortstops in 2013

2013-02-09T12:00:03Z

Last week, I ranked the Top 10 first basemen entering the 2013 season. This week, we are going to move from the least important defensive position to the most important.

The league is pretty deep with shortstops right now. The position is lacking the big-time superstars like we've been spoiled with the past 30 years. There is no Cal Ripken, Barry Larkin, Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada, Nomar Garciaparra or young Derek Jeter among them.

The guys who dominated the list for years are starting to drop down the rankings due to their age. However, there are plenty of shortstops who can make a pretty good case to be on this list. It was a hard cut, as I had to leave off five guys that could easily have been named at the back of the list.

Here are my Top 10 shortstops right now:

Tulowitzki takes the top spot this season even after only playing in 47 games in 2012. He suffered from groin injuries all season long last year, but still was hitting .287/.360/.486 with eight home runs over 203 plate appearances. If there is one guy on the shortstop list that could put up huge numbers (30+ homers, 100 RBI, .900 OPS) it is Tulo. He is only 28 years old and hit 89 home runs between 2009 and 2011. If I had my pick of anyone to play shortstop for the White Sox, it would be Tulowitzki.

In the second spot, I'm going with Andrus. Elvis isn't a big power guy, but hits well enough, as he put up a .286/.349/.378 line with 31 doubles and 21 stolen bases in a big-time Rangers lineup. He also plays very solid defense and is still only 24 years old.

I'm going with Reyes in the third spot. He was able to play in 160 games last season for the Marlins and hit .287/.347/.433 with 60 extra-base hits, with 40 stolen bases to boot. He is moving to the top of a powerful Blue Jay lineup and will play in an extremely friendly hitters' park. If I was confident that he would stay healthy again, he would be ranked above Andrus. However, Reyes hasn't shown that he can do that outside of last season. He will turn 30 in June.

I'm going to the North Side for my fourth pick, Starlin Castro. Castro, who will be 23 in March, hit .283/.323/.430 last season with 55 extra-base hits, including 14 home runs. While he does make some silly mistakes on the field, he is quickly becoming one of the best shortstops with the lumber. He finished with a -0.9 in UZR/150 last year, which ranked him 14th of the 21 eligible shortstops. The kid can hit though, and he isn't close to hitting his prime yet.

Ian Desmond was my breakout shortstop two seasons ago. I was a year too early. Desmond ranked first out of the shortstops I considered for my list this season (I will be ranking Ben Zobrist with the second basemen), with a 5.4 WAR. Desmond, 27, slugged 25 homers, stole 21 bases and had 60 extra-base hits last year, while putting up a slash line of .292/.335/.511 in 547 plate appearances. Another season like that and he might be the head of the class next year.

In the sixth spot, I'm going with Jimmy Rollins. The 34-year-old hit .250/.316/.427 with 23 home runs, 30 stolen bases in 35 attempts and 61 extra-base hits over 699 plate appearances. The 2007 NL MVP played in 156 games. He doesn't kill you defensively and is in line for another good season in 2013. If he has a couple of more good seasons, Rollins becomes a borderline Hall of Fame candidate.

I'm going with the face of Major League Baseball over the last 15 years in the seventh spot. Derek Jeter doesn't play adequate defense anymore, but you can't argue with the stick. He led the American League in hits in 2012 with 216. He hit .316/.362/.429 with 15 home runs and 32 doubles. He did suffer a broken ankle in the ALCS last October, but is on schedule to play on Opening Day. You can expect another season with a lot of hits, some power and some even worse defense, but Jeter still ranks in the Top 10 shortstops.

Hanley Ramirez hit .257/.322/.437 with 24 homers, 57 extra-base hits and 92 RBI last season with the Marlins and the Dodgers. He opened the season as Miami's third baseman, but after being traded to the Dodgers, spent most of his time back at shortstop. He hit better after joining Los Angeles as he hit .271/.324/.450 with the Dodgers. This season, he will benefit from a stacked lineup and could be lined up for a monster campaign. He is still only 29 years old.

Asdrubal Cabrera is the only guy representing the AL Central on the list, as he checks in at No. 9. He hit .270/.338/.423 last year, with 16 home runs and 52 extra-base hits for the Tribe last season. He will never be confused as a slick-fielding shortstop, but his hitting more than makes up for what he can't do with the glove.

Erick Aybar had his second consecutive above-average season with the bat in 2012. He hit .290/.324/.416 with 44 extra-base hits and 20 steals in 24 attempts last season for the Angels. The 29-year-old isn't a sexy pick, but has proved to be a steady force on both offense and defense for the Angels. He will be hitting in a stacked lineup that includes Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton this season, so the opportunity will be there for Aybar to put up some huge numbers.

I really wanted to put Alexei Ramirez on the list, but couldn't find room for him. He could easily jump back on with a good season here in 2013, but after last season I am a bit skeptical. Others that missed the cut were J.J. Hardy, who hit 22 home runs for the Orioles, Alcides Escobar who hit .293 for the Royals and Jhonny Peralta, who was an All-Star in 2011 but fell off with the bat in 2012. Rafael Furcal can't stay on the field long enough to be considered.

Brendan Ryan, Clint Barmes and Brandon Crawford were the best defensive shortstops last year, but none of them can swing the bat. The closest would be Crawford if he can continue to improve at the plate.

Poll

Is Alexei Ramirez a Top 10 shortstop right now?

Yes

90 votes

No

117 votes

207 votes | Poll has closed

Top 10 first basemen: Konerko makes the list

2013-02-02T19:06:04Z

Part of this article was born out of preliminary preparations for the fantasy baseball season and part of it was because of our discussion last week about the MLB Network show "Top 10 Right Now."

I decided to take a look at the first basemen in the majors and rank them. First base has always been a strong position as far as numbers go and it is usually pretty easy to predict. This season, things are different. Some of the old guard is falling by the wayside and the younger players haven't proven themselves as superstars just yet.

Other than the top couple of guys, it really becomes a crap shoot. You have guys like Edwin Encarnacion and Adam LaRoche that had big years in 2012, but haven't always been very successful with the bat. You have guys like Chris Davis and Garrett Jones that can take it deep, but don't provide much else. You have guys like Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo and Allen Craig, all of whom did pretty well last year, but if they take the next step or not is anybody's guess. Then you have Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau, Ryan Howard and Paul Konerko, the aging veterans coming off a down year overall, or at least a significant dropoff in the second half. Surely, a couple of them will come back to life or continue to be solid ballplayers, but some will fall even further.

Here are my top 10 first basemen right now:

Joey Votto
Prince Fielder
Albert Pujols
Mark Teixeira
Edwin Encarnacion
Adrian Gonzalez
Paul Goldschmidt
Allen Craig
Paul Konerko
Adam LaRoche

Votto checks in with the top spot. He led all first basemen in WAR, even though he missed most of July and all of August with a knee injury. He returned for the final month of the season and put up a .926 OPS. Votto led the National League in walks even though he only played in 111 games, and his .474 OBP also topped the league. He only hit 14 home runs last year, but his .337 batting average and 44 doubles more than made up for the lack of round-trippers.

Fielder is one of the most consistent players in all of baseball. He has missed 10 games since 2006. He's hit 30 home runs in each of the last six seasons. He is only 29 years old and he plays for a team that has an explosive lineup. He also was the WAR leader for first basemen who had 500 at-bats last year.

Pujols hit .285/.343/.516 with 30 homers in his first season as an Angel. He started out terribly in April, but then regrouped to post good months in May, June, July and August, only to struggle in September. He has been on a downward trend the last couple of seasons, but it wouldn't surprise me if the 33-year-old jumps to the top of the list next year.

I'm going with Teixeira here because I think he can bounce back a little bit after his disappointing 2012 season. He hit .251/.332/.475 with 24 homers in 123 games last year. He has been in a downward spiral since 2009, but out of all of the first basemen who have been declining, I have my money on him to come back to life.

Encarnacion is a curious case. He has shown some power in the past, but nothing near to what he accomplished in 2012. Last year, he hit .280/.354/.557 with 42 homers and even threw in 13 stolen bases for good measure. He is still poor with the glove, but when a guy mashes all year like E-5 did last season, you can look past it. This season he will have even more opportunities with Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera in the Blue Jay lineup, as well as a healthy Jose Bautista. I think the 30-year-old will have another real strong season for a team that seems to bring journeymen to superstars.

Gonzalez still hit .299 last season, but the power was lacking. He managed just 18 home runs, only three of which came in a Dodger uniform last year. His OPS also fell about 150 points. He has shown in the past that it doesn't matter what park he plays in -- he can still hit the ball out (remember when he hit 40 homers as a member of the Padres in cavernous Petco Park?). I wouldn't expect that much power, but a return to his 2011 numbers wouldn't surprise me in a stacked Dodger lineup.

Goldschmidt is my pick to bust through the glass ceiling and join the upper echelon of first basemen. Last season, he hit .286/.359/.490 with 20 home runs and 43 doubles. He also threw in 18 stolen bases. He is just 25 years old and plays in a nice ballpark to hit in. I think some of those doubles will turn into home runs in 2013.

Craig, 28, finally got an opportunity to play everyday and didn't disappoint as he hit .307/.354/.522 with 22 home runs and 35 doubles in 514 plate appearances. He seems poised to have a big season. I'm not sure if you will see many more home runs, but the average will be there.

Konerko is next up. He hit .298/.371/.486 last season with 26 home runs. Most of those numbers came in the first two months of the season. He struggled in the second half, but did hit five home runs in September and October, showing he can still find the seats. The wrist procedure he had might make things better, but he is 37 years old, so the end of the line is near. I still think you can probably count on him to hit .285 with 20 homers, so if you are looking for a sure bet, Konerko is your guy.

LaRoche makes my list at 10. Last season he had a great year as he hit .271/.343/.510 with 33 homers and 100 RBI. He also chipped in 35 doubles and plays for one of the best teams in baseball. He has hit at least 25 home runs five times, and at least 20 three more seasons. He is quietly a consistent slugger who plays decent defense.

I left Morneau and Howard off of my list. I think their time as a top threat at the first base position is up. Anthony Rizzo, and Freddie Freeman also fall just short for me. Eric Hosmer confuses me. Last season I would have had him on the list, but after his dreadful 2012, he falls well short. I also didn't count guys like Billy Butler, Adam Dunn and David Ortiz who don't play first all that often.

Who are your guys at first base?

A review of SoxFest 2013 (by one of SoxFest's biggest fans)

2013-01-29T12:00:10Z

My dad and I have been going to SoxFest since I was in junior high, and somewhere along the way, my brother joined in as well. Every year in late January, we head down to the Palmer House (previously the Hyatt Regency Chicago) and embark on a weekend of White Sox fun.

This year was no different. We arrived on Friday and proceeded to the check-in counter. I always have an eye out for the first White Sox sighting of the year, and this year was a good one as Ron Kittle strolled through the lobby. After checking in, they presented me with a Greg Luzinski bobble head, which looks amazing with the rest of my collection.

For autographs, my main plan was to hit up the Tony La Russa and Greg Luzinski lines to get my 1983 yearbook signed. I already have a bunch of signatures in it, but those two were glaring omissions. So I chose to go to LaRussa's line to kick off the SoxFest. After being a bit annoyed that they didn't have the wristbands ready to go, they finally passed them out in time to make it upstairs for the opening ceremonies.

As they introduced the players, I noticed a few things. For one, that worrisome picture of Paul Konerko I found a while back just happened to be an unflattering one. He looks to be in very good shape. I don't know if it's the best he's ever been in his life, but it is probably pretty close. I also noticed that Gordon Beckham still receives one of the biggest crowd pops out of all of the White Sox. I'm not sure why, but this guy is still a huge fan favorite. He's got a good PR person. Alexei Ramirez has some interesting new tattoos on his forearm. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be flames or what. Not my thing, but whatever.

I missed the opening video, but was glad to find it online. Obviously, my favorite part was the 1983 stuff. Those are my first memories of baseball, so the whole weekend was special to me because there was plenty of talk about it. After the ceremony, I jumped back downstairs and got my Tony La Russa autograph. He was wearing all three of his championship rings, and when I told him he had nice jewelry, he said, "The only time you can wear that stuff is at an event like this. I like to show them off." I also met Roland Hemond, whom I've met before. He's possibly the nicest man in baseball history.

After that, I went and got a wristband to meet Jermaine Dye later in the evening, then proceeded to the seminar room just in time to hear Rick Hahn, Robin Ventura and Hawk Harrelson talk about 2013. After hearing their thoughts on the offseason and plans for the season, Larry gave me some ribbing that I should go up and confront Hahn. So I did.

I asked if they really think they can compete with the Tigers. Mid-sentence, the entire crowd starting laughing. Was my zipper undone? It all threw me off. Here I was, asking a serious question, and everyone in the room was laughing. The girl who held the microphone whispered to me, "Look behind you." I turned to find that Kenny Williams was in line, in a plot to steal my thunder. Well played, Williams. Watch it here:

After that, I met up quickly with 67WMAQ and Larry and settled in to hear some tales from 1983. I have to say, I've been going to SoxFest every year, and there is nobody as good on the panel as Tom Paciorek. He had no trouble ripping on himself, Kittle, Luzinski and pretty much anyone else. Here were some of my favorite lines from the '83 seminars (I went to three of them so I'm not sure which days match with which comments):

Someone asked about Mike Squires being sent up on the roof on a windy day to raise the AL West flag. Tony LaRussa said, "We were hoping he fell off to free up a roster spot."
Paciorek commented that the 1983 White Sox could outdrink anyone in the league. He pointed at Luzinski and said, "There is our leader."
Luzinski and Kittle were razzing LaRussa about how Harold was his favorite and he wouldn't retaliate if they got hit, but if they hit Harold, the best hitter on the opposite team was going down. La Russa responded, "You guys were replaceable. He wasn't."
The entire panel said that 1983 was their favorite season in their careers. La Russa said it was always nice to win, but 1983 was his first time, so it remains special. Luzinski said even though his Phillies team won the World Series, he never had as much fun as he did that season.
Paciorek said that Kittle was so cocky at the time, that they used to say he'd yell out his own name during sex. Kittle responded with "I still do!"
Kittle joked they may make a bobblehead of Fisk in a cornfield. Wimpy said "I didn't even know he liked vodka? Kittle responded, "He likes anything if it's free."
Paciorek said in 1984, Daryl Boston had a strong resemblance to Stevie Wonder. In an airport, they put sunglasses on him and Carlton Fisk and Tom Seaver each grabbed an arm and walked him through. Everyone was convinced it was Stevie walking through the airport and nobody noticed the two Hall of Famers walking with him. Boston later confirmed the story.

I got Jermaine Dye to sign my picture, listened to another seminar on the bullpen, and was on my way for the evening. We stopped up at Miller's Pub. I had the pulled pork sandwich. It was great.

I woke up at about 6:30 AM and headed downstairs at 7. Got in line for Luzinski, Kittle and Paciorek and was thrilled when Luzinski signed my '83 yearbook. Now I just need Fisk, Greg Walker, Britt Burns and Richard Dotson and I will have gotten all of the major players of the season. What a glorious day that will be.

I also had the opportunity to meet Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede Saturday. Rowand was always my wifes' favorite. I told him "my wife liked you so much it was hard for me to cheer for you", which was met by laughs from the table. I snapped a picture for her, and she was somewhat disappointed in it since Rowand was sporting a mohawk type thing. That made it even better. I got Crede to sign a picture of him hitting the game-winning double in Game 2 of the ALCS. I thanked him for that and said it was one of my favorite games to attend.

I also hit up a seminar featuring Konerko, Dye, Rowand and Crede. Here were some of the highlights from that:

Aaron Rowand described himself as "devastated" when he found out he was traded to Philly.
Jermaine Dye still has the car he was given when he won the MVP of the World Series. He said it is silver and black and has 10,000 miles on it. He starts it up every week.
Joe Crede said his back is back at stage one and that he will never swing a bat again. Said he had no regrets.
Dye confirmed that he wasn't hit by the pitch that set up Konerko's grand slam in Game 2.
Konerko said a Houston player, he wouldn't name who, commented on how cool the pregame ceremonies were. He knew right then that the Astros were just happy to be there and the Sox were going to win if they just played the games hard.
Rowand called Dye the whitest black guy you'll ever meet.
Rowand said when they got AJ, everyone said "uh oh".

Frank Thomas

Harold Baines

Thomas also razzed Ed Farmer. Farmer, who was part of the Orioles scouting staff when Frank came out of college, chose Ben McDonald over Frank in the draft. Paciorek said, "Well, I would have taken you Frank".

Saturday night, we went to Exchequer Pub, which is about a block farther down Wabash from Miller's Pub. It's a good place to go if you are looking to avoid a wait at Miller's. I ordered the Greek pork chops. They were also awesome. Saturday night, Addison Reed, Alexei Ramirez and Roland Hemond were hanging out in the hotel lobby bar area. ElGonzo4Sox introduced himself to me. It is nice meeting SSSers.

On Sunday morning, I decided I was going to sleep in a little bit. Instead of fighting for a Chris Sale autograph, I thought I'd go meet Hector Santiago. I like him. I think he is a good pitcher, and while I'm not sold on him being a starter, he could help out in 2013 and beyond. I am also impressed with his off-the-field work. When I got on stage, I told him as a former teacher that I appreciate the time he took to go to visit the kids in Newtown, Connecticut.

After that, I went into the line next door where Nate Jones and Matt Lindstrom were signing. They also had a short line so it was a quick get. I didn't tell Jones that I wrongly claimed he was the worst pitcher I've ever seen and instead wished him well and to have another good season. Matt Lindstrom seems like a nice guy, I welcomed him to Chicago and was on my way.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the seminar room, where I gave Larry a Donny Lucy rookie card I received in a case of random White Sox cards I bought that day. It will no doubt find a spot in the Lucy shrine Larry has built in his home. Here are some highlights from the seminars on Sunday:

Tyler Flowers is a fan of "The Real Housewives of Miami." When he said this, John Danks moved his chair away from Flowers.
Danks brings candles and house shoes on road trips. When hearing this, Flowers moved his chair away from Danks.
Danks said he is the fan that he hates when the University of Texas is playing. Nate Jones said the same thing about the University of Kentucky.
Robin Ventura mentioned that he might bat Jeff Keppinger third. I almost threw up.
Buddy Bell really likes Jared Mitchell.
Daryl Boston says that the White Sox have the best stock of minor league outfielders in baseball with Mitchell, Trayce Thompson, Courtney Hawkins and Keenyn Walker. He couldn't remember Walker's name, though.
Bobby Thigpen thinks the Sox could have one of the best bullpens in baseball.
Jack McDowell went in depth on how the strike zone has shrunk. He thinks that the hitters being able to complain about calls and the pitchers not being able to complain about calls has a lot to do with it.
Pete Ward said he met Frank Thomas for the first time this weekend, and said "it was like meeting three guys".

SoxFest came to an end, and on the way out the door we ran into Roland Hemond again. My dad said that we love having him come to the fest, Hemond responded "I love you too". And that was it.

SoxFest is a really good weekend. I enjoy it every year. Most of my time was spent in seasons past this year, with a bunch of members of 1983 and 2005 in attendance. While nothing changed my thoughts on the upcoming season, SoxFest makes you want baseball to get here that much more.

SoxFest 2014 will be at the Palmer House next year from Jan. 24-26. Come on down for some great seminars, get your random White Sox stuff signed, buy some new merchandise from the garage sale area and join me for some baseball fun.