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Nice to see the Sox have a good pitcher's number. We beat him twice this season now. Nice.

I think the death spiral may be effect after 0-4 in Tampa. Tonight's matchup screams blowout.

Rays are minus 220. If you really feel we are gonna win, call you buddies in Vegas to bet this one for ya. You'll get good value.

Then change the rules. It's ridiculous to have a pitch just above the belt called a ball. It just is stupid. Why is it ridiculous thinking to want the rules enforced? I think hitters should be hacking at pitches just above the f***ing belt. But that's just me.

Four hits tonight? You got to be kidding me. What a trainwreck.

Why does it work to not call a pitch just above the belt a strike? Games take too long anyway. Hitters should be hacking.

Good for Jake. He hasn't lost his desire with his lousy start to the season. His attitude has been great.

You should speak up more often. This argument pretty much shuts up my point better than most that I've read. Is Joliet a nonconfrontational environment?

Then the question is who is the mandate coming from? I thought a few years back baseball demanded the umps call the strike zone. Quotes with umps indicated they'd call the correct strike zone and nothing changed. It's them flipping off the game. Higher than belt high it seems to be a ball.

Interesting. I still think a good controversial columnist would find some nice fodder in the Sox and Cubs. How many columns can you write on the NHL playoffs? As great as the Hawks are, I'd think it'd be a boring column topic, better for regular stories and profiles of players and matchups. I need to read the webpages more often. That would shock me if Chicago pulls off the LeBron thing. I guess if he has full authority to pick the coach it could happen, but WTF do guys like LeBron care who the coach is? He'll get to do whatever he wants anyway.

Geez, umps need to wake up then. Dropping your glove? f*** that. If it's at the Cell, he stays in the game I think. Some have mentioned this, but the ump situation has been out of control a long time. And it's impossible to correct it because of the umpire's power in baseball. You can't tell me umps did not reinvent the strike zone. They continue to squeeze and not call the letter high strike. It is a f***ing disgrace and I've been convinced for years it is an umpire conspiracy to screw the people they are supposed to be working for and serving. They are working for themselves and with their own strike zone have flipped off baseball for years. Nothing pisses me off more than seeing them squeeze pitchers game after game.

Pretty good assessment of the series me thinks.

Are the Suns gonna cover tonight? 7.5 points. I would think they will but Lakers might blow 'em out.

If this is so controversial, you've given the media something to harp about. Has anybody written that Oz needs to replace big Bobby with Thornton? Mariotti would have loved covering the Sox this year with columns. There's been fodder to fire the closer and the manager. I have stated I wouldn't be upset if they want to Thornton but I still have faith in Jenks. Most of you want Bobby out. If tons of fans feel this way, it should be a full blown controversy on the talk show circuit.

Those are reasonable points in backing your position. It seems Oz is going to wait until he blows a save again before replacing him, though. I don't know why closer by committee would be bad. Let Thornton try it next save situation or Putz. Give Bob a day off.

West would have never tossed Buehrle in a home game for that. That is what's sad. Fans would kill him the rest of the game. He should be disciplined. The tape shows nothing worth getting thrown out over. Correct?

That's sad. His save percentage is still OK. If the fans want Thornton, give them Thornton.

Not of late. Have caught parts of some games. I've never heard of a closer losing his job until he blows 2-3 saves in a row and the manager mercifully has to get him out of there to stop the booing, etc.

That's the way I would like to look at it. 3 losses in 4 games would be what I've grown to expect from the team. Sox "should" be as loose as they've been all year after playing decent of late.

Why does my argument freak you out? I didn't see the inning, true, but I know his track record and it's been good. I said I wouldn't mind going to Thornton if Oz and Coop, etc., feel that is better. Or a closer by committee thing. But to act like Bobby is Randy or Koch just isn't right IMO. Maybe if I watched it I'd feel differently, but people are saying he's throwing 95!?

Who cares about attitude issues? He's a veteran. Don't you want him to want the ball? To all you who want Bobby out? Sometimes what you ask for ain't the answer when it becomes reality.

I didn't see the game but somebody said he retired the last 2 batters. Who cares about his numbers until he starts blowing saves? This message board is a tough crowd.

I guess they could do this, but generally a guy needs to be hurt. If they feel he's about to blow the arm out, I guess, sure. Peavy's a pretty fierce competitor. I doubt he'll go for sitting out the rest of the year unless an MRI shows something bad.

Fine, if you want to go with Matt. I have no problem with that. But some want Putz. Cmon. Until Bobby costs the Sox a ton of games, no Putz as closer. I listed some guys from 05 I don't like in one thread BTW.