greg775

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.

Mental error and physical one by Alexei. Got to be smarter than that. Sale got out of it anyway.

Very dumb to run on Sal Perez. It's like erasing the runner on the basepaths. If it was a hit and run, fine, but no reason to run on Perez. Stupid.

I could say nobody cause we are definitely going to get swept, but I'll choose DeAza for some reason.

I think Wisconsin wins the game if the one guy hit the three free throws, do u? Wisky would have been up by three with :12 left and could have fouled. I think Wisky had it had he just made all 3. Unlucky for him there was a LONG delay before his first free throw. TOO MANY FRICKING DELAYS.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Apr 5, 2014 -> 10:42 PM) The highlight for me was Ramirez continuing to hit so that the Sox can trade him. Isn't this the last year of his contract? Nobody knows how old he really is? I wouldn't think the Sox can get much for him.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 5, 2014 -> 09:58 PM) You can't win games without a bullpen, Hahn. Go find one ASAP. Too late for this year unless they turn some starters into relievers. Just think when we do get a slim lead, who the hell is going to close it out? QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 5, 2014 -> 09:59 PM) The key was our bullpen would have blown it anyway. It doesn't help that Ventura: 1) Doesn't realize how badly Moustakas is hitting 2) That Cleto is a FB pitcher and Perez a FB killer 3) That he actually can walk Perez, the best catcher in baseball, to face Moustakas with the veteran Downs...it's not like Moustakas is now 0 for 15 or anything...or can hit sliders well...but maybe Ventura's going off spring training results, lol. Still, if DeAza just puts the ball in play we might have stole a game. The fans were restless and booing Wade at that point. Maybe we'd have stolen one. QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Apr 5, 2014 -> 10:21 PM) Man people living and dying with these games already? This team isn't going to be very good. Enjoy the youth and take the good times with the struggles otherwise it's going to be a long year. I'm looking forward to that Winston Salem game later. It's tough to "enjoy the youth" when you actually watch the entire game and your favorite team appears to have a chance to beat the heavily favored team and blows it. The highlight of that game from a Sox standpoint was the throw by Nieto to nail Dyson. Lot of lowlights.

QUOTE (maxjusttyped @ Apr 5, 2014 -> 10:18 PM) Abreu has 1 unintentional walk in 80ish PA's since Spring Training started. That's not concerning, right? Swinging at everything usually catches up to a hitter with a 1-for-30 in there somewhere. Then again, Dunn draws walks and isn't exactly a good MLB hitter. Maybe Abreu will be fine, but you need to draw some walks.