greg775

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 9, 2014 -> 10:24 PM) On paper it didn't seem that bad coming into the season. Jones being injured/ineffective really hurt, as he was the most dynamic reliever in the bullpen. I never loved Nate Jones. Call me a hater. Blast away. I know most people love him on here. QUOTE (Bigsoxhurt35 @ Apr 10, 2014 -> 02:14 AM) It's so nice having a good hitting coach with a plan. Love seeing this team at bat. I'll take this team over our no hitting, wasting good pitching teams the past couple years. Love seeing the patience and long at bats. The bullpen will get straightened out eventually. I have nothing against our new hitting coach, but I think praising him may be off base. Do we now blast Coop because our relievers have sucked and some of our starters have stunk? I just don't know if you can praise/blame a coach all the time based on how their players perform.

Viciedo

Kudos to Semien for getting back up near .250 after that horrendous start. Folks, it will be major buzzkill for that guy to be sent down when Beckham comes back. He's ready to be a big leaguer. He obviously has the mentality not giving up after that 1 for 19 or whatever it was. Just trade Beckham now for a bag of balls. It's Semien time. It'll be a gross misjustice shipping him back to the minors. And what a buttkicking tonight. Man, we didn't have many blowouts at all last year. Maybe the Sox offense will be fine. Please, Tyler Flowers, keep hitting like this. Please use this as your ticket to being a big league catcher for a long time. You've worked hard to get this far. Relax and play baseball.

QUOTE (The Mighty Mite @ Apr 7, 2014 -> 08:30 PM) They tried like hell to leave 35th and Shields but got turned down by Addison, the deal the state gave them included staying at 35th and Shields. I for one will always believe that the best move was to the burbs. I forgot. My bad. Thanx for reminding me.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 8, 2014 -> 02:35 AM) This board loved Paulino....for reasons unknown to anyone. Not me. Yuk.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 7, 2014 -> 05:51 PM) I would LOVE to see them in the south loop with the stadium opening to the Chicago skyline. They really blew it last time in not leaving the 35th and Shields location. Time to get out of that neighborhood and move someplace else.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Apr 7, 2014 -> 05:07 PM) Good looking. Just threw some money at the over to make the game a little bit more fun. You are a lock to win that bet unless it's something like 7-2 final.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Apr 7, 2014 -> 03:39 AM) Its a bold statement but I am basing this just off of the first week. Our bullpen has been bad but I think it will get better. Relievers are always so up and down, it isn't unthinkable for 3 or 4 guys have a great run in the bullpen. Lindstrom, Belisario, and Downs are all veterans who have had solid careers, Jones has been solid when healthy, and we all have high hopes for Webb, and Cleto has shown that he can be a good bullpen arm as well. The bullpen will come together as the season goes on and if they struggle they will find replacements.. The defense is the biggest issue I would say this team has, hope that comes along and I just don't think it will cost the team too much. The starting rotation has 3 strong lefties IMO, a rookie in Johnson who I think as the season comes along will get better (unless he has an injury), and Paulino is a serviceable #5 and if he struggles we have other options as well. The hitting is what has intrigued me. We can score without hitting home runs, we have a lot of speed, and they don't give up when down like last year. These young guys give a lot of energy to the team and I just think they will surprise everyone. I am probably completely wrong but if I am right I will sound like a genius. On the glass half empty side ... I don't like Paulino and I love Quintana but he still has a lot to prove. Same with Danks. That Johnson guy could go either way is how I see it. I hope you are right about the bullpen. I just don't see it, especially with no closer. I just don't see us closing out many games. For instance, I'm glad the boys got four insurance runs today because no way our closer would have held KC in the ninth. Now Sale ... he might have come out in the ninth and he coulda finished off KC, but not our closer. The defense is just going to kill this team as well as the bullpen. That's how I see it. I really wish we'd get rid of Dunn, make Abreu DH and let Paulie finish his last year as everyday first baseman. It would help the defense a tad.

I'll have to go with A. Garcia for some reason.

How do we find out who won?

I firmly believe we have a better team on paper than Minnesota. So that's saying something this season. Sox are making progress?

College baseball is great, but there's nobody at the University of Kansas level who can hit home runs anymore. There's no long ball.

PTATC ... from your knowledge, how long before Sale has a serious arm injury? Royals announcer Jeff Montgomery said his pitching motion is a total recipe for disaster.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Apr 7, 2014 -> 01:58 AM) I think we will be in the playoff race until mid September. Book it. I think u are crazy Big Hurt. Our team shows all the signs of being worse than last year, quite frankly. Abysmal defense with a worse bullpen than a year ago. The starting pitching sans Sale (and hopefully Danks) isn't anything to write home about, either.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 10:36 PM) Don't forget, IIRC, we also got to .500 on May 26th of last year after our sweep of Miami. Don't get too excited. I think it's safe to say nobody on this board (cept for El Rockin; yu know I love your enthusiasm El Rockin) is going to get "too excited" unless we're somehow .500 or better at the all star break. I'm just happy we won one of the three games in KC thanks to Sale. And I have to give my props to our lineup for getting 5 runs. That's not too shabby on a Sunday in KC. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 11:42 PM) #1, it is a play a first baseman should make in his sleep. #2, it was one of many plays he hasn't been able to dig out, and cost the team outs. Can't we all agree Abreu is a disaster defensively but hopefully will be a stellar DH?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 11:41 PM) My wonder is if he aggravated what was bothering him in the spring. Put him on the DL then. He's got to be the worst Sox closer (on paper) since Hector, right? One of our worst closer candidates in history. If he's ailing, that makes it even worse. Is Webb any good???

QUOTE (Bigsoxhurt35 @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 10:05 PM) I'll take 3-3 after one week. Robin on track to be a manager of the year candidate if he can keep the team at .500. QUOTE (Marty34 @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 10:22 PM) We're talking about catching throws as a first baseman. At 27, if he needs to work on that, I doubt very much that DH isn't in his future. My gosh I wish we'd some how just cut Dunn so Abreu could start his DH career. Let Paulie play first the rest of his farewell season and get on with it. There's absolutely no reason to not have Abreu DH right now. He's a hitter, not a fielder. That said, tip of the cap to A. Garcia for playing better in right field today. Maybe he can improve and become a grade of C defensively.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 08:09 PM) Cain/Escobar/Infante next inning. FWIW, Valencia had the highest average against LHP at .371 last year. When a pitcher does come in (if it's the 8th), do you go with Belisario or Webb? Aren't Webb and Downs our only two relievers who can get anybody out at this level?

Should be interesting to see if the bullpen can close a win against a good team.

Here comes the ejection/fight. Shields will throw at somebody.

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 07:47 PM) Do away with this instant replay bulls*** already. It's awful the way the manager strolls out of the dugout while the team gets to look at the replay first and relay the information to the manager. Ridiculous.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 07:43 PM) I don't know why you throw at the lead off guy in a 0 0 gane with the middle of the order coming up. Glad we got the out. Sox had no choice but to respond immediately. Royals are setting the tone of making us their patsies, doing whatever they want to us.

Too many errors. Bad baseball means the losses will start piling up. Shields may be dumb enough to hit another Sox and he'll be ejected and there will be a fight if all that happens.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Apr 6, 2014 -> 08:09 PM) did you watch the replay? Hosmer got in Abreu's way so Abreu covered his head because he thought the ball was coming at him and didn't see Hosmer's foot. He didn't do it on purpose but I would place blame on Hosmer before Abreu I did and I disagree. I saw a lot of white on the viewer's left side of that base. Hosmer was way over stumbling by the right side. All he had to do was stick his foot to the left side of the base. Great catch by Garcia. Glad to see he's improving out in the pasture of right field.

Glad Hosmer and Abreu both didn't get hurt. Don't really know what Abreu was doing in stepping on his foot.