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Pedro actually made me laugh when I told him he was in over his head and he responded "hey find me when the game is over" with a wry smile. I wasn't sticking around for that s%*# but at least he had a sense of humor about it. Robert is done here. He warmed up by himself, was by himself in the dugout, and generally seemed displeased he was around this franchise. Deloach diving for that ball when he was 10 feet away is one of the funnier things I've seen live at a game. Sheets and the white guy pitchers are in a big clique in the dugout. After Vaughn hit his HR I was yelling "wow, he pulled it in the air, amazing how that works" and someone around the Sheets clique yelled back "wow we got a hitting coach in the stands" to which I replied "it's common fucking knowledge you hit for more power pulling the ball.". Didn't hear anything after that. Lee is super focused and engaged and also hit the piss out of the ball tonight. He's a keeper. He was on the railing all night and offering advice and trying to pick stuff up. Same with Colas. I told Colas the fans believe in him and want to see him out there and he nodded and gave me a thumbs up. He was watching video with coaches pre game. Martin warming up is hilarious. I've never seen a guy lob it around the IF like he does. He's clearly past it. Some stupid ass mariner fan gave me s%*# for heckling him. I told her dumbass I could go out and have a 225 OPS and you wouldn't have to pay me 3.7 million. She quieted down. Sosa doesn't have the tools to play a MLB 3B. Weak arm, average athlete. Some hard contact at the plate. His scouting report seems accurate as upside utility guy at best. Just not a good enough defender to carry his bat, but as a backup bat could play perhaps. Speaking of athletes, Lopez and Vaughn are two of the weakest, least athletic guys you'll find in pro sports. Lopez was also chatting with Pedro quite a bit. Like they were sitting next to each other most of the game. Lee is fast as shown on the SB. Vaugh has a crazy incongruitity in his bottom and top half that you can see on his side profile. His hands go in a loop and he's really fighting his lower half. He hits more weak opposite field fly balls than a guy with his talent should by then some. Hopefully he can figure it out it sure would be nice if he was a average regular. Katz wasn't really saying much to Thorpe. Thorpe in general seemed to have nobody in his ear or even patting him on the back (exception was Lee). The latter is strange imo. I think on a team like this guys are fearful and any decent new comer is a threat. Thorpe: solid. he's a pitcher, not a thrower, which alright, we can work with that if he can command his fastball more often than not. It's a little worrisome to sit around 90-91mph but coming from the left with his changeup as long as the results are there...His changeup was identical to his fb motion from what I could tell, really nice. Breaking ball wasn't there early or late. Fastball was there early but left late. But building blocks are there to work with. He had a lot of early contact (hat tip @Harold's Leg Lift) here for seeing the same thing on the broadcast on the raleigh gb. Even if guys were putting it in play, it was often weakly. Fastball got hit hard at times. Breaking ball just couldn't get over enough. Other random stuff: Jesus T-Mobile is a fucking rave now. Beers are more expensive in the good seats, sucks. 15 a pop up to 18 and auto 15% gratuity swung in your face. Nah sorry, zero tip at the ballpark, not if you only take plastic. Decent amount of Sox fans showed up. Guy in front of me was kinda a stiff but seemed to know a little bit about the team. Got a lot of nods when I held the "sell the team" sign up. Weather just brutal, again. There isn't a place in the US that gets more 54 degrees and chilly off the water days in summer. Even the Bay area and Chicago do better. Julio is an awkward player for the money they gave him. in person, Robert is smoother. Robert's ability in CF is insane. He seems to have a tracking beacon on every ball and then when he needs to he just glides. At the plate Julio and Robert are similar. Both guys tonight had no idea how the pitcher was going to attack them. The first AB 2-0 robert gets a fb down broadway from the lefty and just looks at it? Julio in his third AB just whiffing on changeups. I dunno, it's a hard sport and of those that have much, much is expected. As noted, Robert is an elite CF and maybe best in the game. If the Mariners did trade for him I'd imagine Julio moves to RF and then Robert DH 2-3 times a week otherwise. Julio was stupid fast down the line, his straight line speed is something but as noted he's kinda like a giraffe at times, especially on the bases.

The thing I like most about him is he's different and you don't see a lot of different in today's game. He's an out getter. His other pitches play up off that outstanding changeup. He left one ball out over the plate that was hit hard for a double and the Big Dumper was able to keep his hands back just long enough to somehow keep that ball fair but besides that it was just a bunch of weak contact. Weak grounders and lazy flyballs. He has a couple things he has to work on but once he learns what works and what doesn't at the big league level he's going to be carving fools up with that change.

Hahaha, I had a similar experience with Pedro on July 1st last year in Oakland, was sitting 2nd row behind Sox dugout, felt like 110 degrees on the field that day, not a cloud in the sky. Dylan was shaky all day and clearly exhausted by the end of the 5th, Pedro sends him back out there for the 6th so I started chirpin at him to get an arm up. Cease promptly gives up a triple followed by a double to cut the lead in half, gave him a little "what'd I tell ya!" Sox blew it in the 10th and I wasn't happy with Pedro's pen mgmt so I gave him a "THIS ONE'S ON YOU PEDRO! THIS ONE'S ON YOU!" I have a pretty booming voice anyway but from that close he actually jumped a bit, he turns around and stares right at me, gave him the most angry thumbs up I could muster and I turned for the concourse steps. I got to the top and turned around, dude was still staring daggers at me, he def wanted to take me to the wood shed. If only he had half the brains he does ego he might be able to hold down a job. Edit: Not my proudest moment, but it makes me laugh to think about him turning around and seeing my big dumb face giving him a thumbs up

Good. Hill sucks and he looks like a crackhead

Based on what Thorpe displayed last night, a right handed Mark Buehrle seems an appropriate analogy. Doesn’t even matter what Iriarte, Zavala, and Wilson do if Thorpe becomes Buehrle 2.0. Would be a massive win in the Cease trade.

Thoughts on Thorpe: Beckham didn't mention it until the 5th, but you could see his athleticism immediately, from the first play where he covered first base on a grounder to Vaughn. The last play he made was ridiculous. This also translates into one of the most simple and repeatable deliveries you will see. Every pitch slots exactly the same. He is fast and efficient to the plate, and his plus pickoff move is guided by very quick feet. I thought he actually gave Maldonaldo a chance to throw out Rodriguez both times, where there probably isn't even throw with 90% of pitchers on this roster. His weakness, obviously, is that fastball is 92 and doesn't move a ton. He's gotta be able to spot it consistently. If he can do that, I think he'll be very good. The change is obviously a weapon, and it seemed like his breaking balls were pretty meh last night, although it seems like he's several different ones. I'd like to see him develop a two seamer that runs a bit. Overall an exciting opening performance. he will take some lumps this year for sure if he stays up. But he is much more ready than the other rookie pitchers imo, and should have some successes along with struggles.

Haha, did Pedro actually think he was going to win and wanted to rub it in @chitownsportsfan’s face? What a ?.

That's one of my favorite posts ever. Very informative even only a one-game sample size. ... Alarming about nobody except Lee talking to our pitcher. Very very sad. Also funny that you talked to so many players. That's funny you heckled some of them. Very alarming about Robert having no friends on the team. Says a lot about our team's lousy culture. Sounds like a rude dugout if they yelled at you for your one comment on pulling the ball. Obviously they don't like fans much. Did u laugh when we blew the lead again?

Another day...another blown late lead. for the 14TH time this season...the Sox had a lead in the 7th inning or later...AND LOST THE GAME. But... Even more incredible, this is the 7TH TIME IN THE LAST 11 GAMES this has happened. Words fail me. This maybe the worst bullpen in franchise history, I do know that Brebbia appears to be another garbage signing wasting millions of dollars of JR's coveted money.

I think there is zero chance Fedde is here come August 2nd.

Another $1.8 million down the drain. The fact that we're $5 million ahead of Minnesota in payroll with one of the worst teams in history while the AL Central is well positioned for 2 post season spots tells you all that you need to know this year.

They did but I’m asking why not make the move tomorrow if you need a guy in CF today and Benintendi isn’t playing anyway?

Spent like $150 bucks total on that crap last night. That's about all my budget has in it for the Sox this year.

I feel like he was pretty amped up as he was overthrowing a decent amount of the game and was losing some movement, but man when he was right on the change up, it had almost a knuckleball drop off as it got to the plate, and no one recognized it when right. I do like he doesn't throw it super often, which keeps you honest.

Not surprised in the least to hear that Lopez and Grifol were chatting it up together and sitting side by side a lot. They obviously spent a time together with Royals. I covered Nick while he was at Naperville Central (2011-13) and spoke to him about Grifol shortly after the hiring, to try and get a little sense of what the team was getting. As the entire fan base now knows, it hasn’t been really good. I know the Royals are doing better this year under Quatraro, but it continues to baffle me that JR, Hahn and Getz are so enthralled with that organization.

Welp, on the positive side, Cannon looks like he figured it out. And, of course LUIS ROBERT!!!!!

I will say as someone who has ripped Beckham a ton, he has gotten better.

Beneintendi picking up right where he left off

Great trades by Getz!

As hawk would say Vaughn missed that by 1/16 of an inch

And yet he won’t get fired, it’s truly amazing. They might be the only team in pro sports that wouldn’t fire their head coach/manager if they were on pace for one of the worst seasons ever almost halfway through the season.

And Nugenix.

It's a half season after the longest season of his life. If it wasn't for the weird Sox civil war that happened here, we'd never think twice about it.

My advice is to get the 6 dollar dog on Occidental outside the stadium. It's better quality and cheaper. That's what I did. Went to the guy that had the "20 condiments" sign. In general Safeco (or T-Mobile) I guess has solid options but there is no way I'm paying those prices if I'm also drinking. Bad enough dropping 50 bucks on 3 beers.

His stink last year should be a non story at this point IMO

Those who can't, teach

We love playing a man down or playing a guy out of position.

At least none of it went to Jerry

Just gotta bring in someone like Bannister on the hitting side, then baby you got a stew going!

for anyone who didnt see the mariners broadcast, they thought he was 100% legit, had nothing but praise for him all night

With his stuff and control he shouldn't mess with the middle of the plate at all. He doesn't have blow you away stuff like that. But if he spends his career on the out edges and up/down, he will be just fine.

Great AA debut for Schweitzer in Thorpe's rotation spot: 7IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB, 8K. He was perfect in every inning other than the 2nd where he allowed a run on a pair of singles and a WP. No baserunners for the rest of the game. Gonzo has 2 RBI hits (a single and a double) and 2 SB so far. Barons up 4-1.

Thorpe was all around impressive, he has the goods

You don't have to be a flamethrower to be an effective pitcher. See Michael Kopech.

I can't wait to see this guy become a superstar with another team. Please trade him. The Sox don't deserve him anyway.

Don't tell @TaylorStSoxthat. I'm sure in their mind there's no cliques still and the clubhouse is all roses.

Bullpen ... historically bad. Starting pitcher: he did well. Next game will tell me more. He'll be relaxed. I'm surprised some of the stat people on the site aren't alarmed that he's not a flamethrower. I guess he has a good changeup at least that's what they showed on the mlb highlights.

Nobody ever gives the pitching coach any heat. Fire his useless ass also.

goes without saying but this is the worst baseball team i've ever seen in my whole life, they should all have to eat a plate of s%*# after every loss, f*** this team

Entering Tuesday, the bullpen was 1-8 over its previous 17 games with an 8.13 ERA, a .342 average against and nine blown saves. ? Absolute garbage from top to bottom. You talk about wasted money on Maldonado (which is completely true) but how much money has been wasted on this so-called bullpen by Getz? Again I keep going back to as "fiscally responsible" as JR is when it comes to starting pitcher deals and paying for premium talent how he's let his GM's waste literally millions and millions of dollars on stiffs, has-been's, injury prone guys and rejects yet that doesn't seem to bother him...it just doesn't make sense to me.

Bad defense, bad base running, bad clutch hitting, bad bullpen didn’t help Thorpe’s outcome. The team has been terrible, it’s painful to watch. Let’s just Be a spoiler the rest of the season. Need to shake the tree, fire Grifol first of all.

I really think if they keep this up on the road trip the club cans him.

Thorpe was getting a few inches off the plate early.

Can't imagine being a player as good as him and having to deal with all the losing, this roster, and guys making routine mistakes.

Thorpe is a hell of an athlete. Kopech looked like he wanted no part of that bunt last night. That play looked way harder than the bunt.

So we had our RF throw himself on the ground for no reason. Errors on simple plays at 2nd and 3rd. The only thing Thorpe has to remember, the people playing kick the baseball are not going to be here in the long run.

You want a kid with a 70 grade change up to change it?

need to get blue chip bats for robert

Burdi too. KW started that nonsense with Royce Ring and Aaron Poreda. Joins the crowd of numerous players we likely get nothing back in return for...or negative returns. Rodon Anderson Grandal Pollock/Kimbrel Hendriks etc. Almost every first rounder other than Burger/Sale. Likely Jimenez/Moncada. Cease due to the Sports Guy/Elias Curse.