maggsmaggs

OC be clutch.

When was the last time Toby hit one hard? Just curious. Come on, we need a big hit here Toby or a walk.

Fields = an RBI machine. May never have a great average, but dude knocks in runners.

Having one of the worst hitters in baseball right behind the guy getting on base most in your lineup is just not smart.

STUD!!

I would love to somehow get Sheets next off-season. Trade Vaz to some NL team for crap prospects. And give Contreras up if you can, if not, pitch him in the pen. But have Mark-Sheets-Danks-Floyd-Richard (or even Contreras). Sheets seems like the type who would come here. But he would be a hell of a sign.

Illinois will be back in FF contention very soon. But yeah this great news is overshadowed by Jamar's stupid decision. With Jamar-Legion-McCamey in the backcourt, Illinois would have probably been a tourney team and kept the positive vibe going with the Weber recruiting classes, now, another blackeye.

With Meyers Leonard joining the Orange and Blue, today could have been a great day for the Illini and now this with Jamar. Kid had potential to play in the NBA with his shot and he just flushed it down the drain. I hope he enjoys playing at some D-2 or D-3 college in the future. What an idiot. At least this will be the last year of this crap for Illinois basketball. After this 09 recruiting class comes in that should be a solid foundation, we lottery prospects the next year and hopefully in '11, '12, '13...

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Jul 29, 2008 -> 11:55 AM) I think Swisher is out of position and its taking away from his batting. Put him at 1st base and good things may happen. The difference between Paulie and Swish is that Swish at first base brings two tools to the game (defense and arm). Konerko nothing. Swish as a first baseman has great speed, Konerko still comes in last. Agree with Jimbo here that if Swish plays first, a position he is comfortable at and gold glove caliber, he is more valuable to the team. Konerko still sucks and Swish does not get a free pass, either, people rag him as well, but he can still field, walk and run.

The Sox lineup has three weak links right now (very very weak) and the Twins have 0. That's pretty tough to overcome with mediocre pitching and defense that the Sox have. Right now, it would be nice for Fields, Konerko, and Swisher to be out of the lineup, but only one is possible and the one that brings the least to the plate (pun intended) is Konerko. He is a 0 tool player, although I would argue negative tool player with how bad he is doing in various spots. At least Fields can run and is a homer threat, and Swish can walk and get hot hopefully as he once did. How long do we have to wait Paulie out? Till we are three games back of the Twins. Make a drastic measure now and annoint Wise the starter in CF who has been a stud since he's been here and Swisher at first. Ozzie is a loyal guy which is good, but he is too loyal and Konerko is the worst starter in the majors right now (and no that is not a overreaction or stretch, he is). Name me one player that is worse and I will tell you that player brings something that Konerko doesn't. Sit him, he is costing major. He cost us two games before the break and having him hit after Thome is horrible because Thome is on base so much now.

First game is the biggest game of the series. We have our ace going and a win will guarantee the Sox being in first place after the series. Plus, the first game sets the tone for the series. GET 'EM. Please have Juan in tonight, too, even though I like Fields O, Juan is a superior defender. I would also put Anderson in CF, too. I believe even with those two in as bad as they our offensively, a contact pitcher like Mark, we need the great D, especially against a Twins team that feasts on mistakes.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 27, 2008 -> 09:38 AM) Not to hijack the thread, but from what I understand, the Twins have let Liriano go back to the same arm slot he had when he injured himself, after originally forcing him to use a new arm slot when he first started rehabbing the arm. Since he has made the switch, he has begun dominating games again, and you can see a clear distinction in his numbers. His k's went way up, and his era and hits allowed came way down. His slider, as you referred to, which was once the most devastating pitch in baseball, is still being thrown, but they are trying to get him to work more off his fastball. Obviously this is a huge risk, both for the Twins and Liriano's career. But this is what he wants and this is what produces the dominant numbers he is capable of. It just remains to be seen whether he will blow out the arm again or not. Well there was an easy answer. If he pitches in the old armslot, he dominates and if he pitches in the new armslot, he sucks. Easy choice. And since both armslots result in a premature ending to his career, why not go to the dominant one and hope to last long enough to pick up a big paycheck.

Alexei looks so ghetto in those unis. And a very nice, quick inning for Danks. How many pitches? 7 or 8.

It has always amazed the Verlander never got a lot of K's. His stuff is so good. But I guess he would rather pitch to contact and last longer than try and strike everyone out.

This is pretty much my favorite lineup. We can afford to have Swish at first since we have so much power in the rest of the linup. We have three legitimate base stealing threats (Wise, OC, Alexei) with three big-time home run hitters (Thome, Q, Dye) and then guys that can hit with the best of them when they are on in AJ, Josh and Swish. We have a very balanced lineup tonight.

Bring on Liriano. He ain't the same pitcher he was before the injury and probably won't be cause his slider won't be near as wicked. Liriano ain't a slouch, he still probably will be a top of the rotation guy, but I don't think he will be as dominant as he was.

Biggest win of the year. Period.

J Dizzle!!

nice play, but Massett f***s us over.

F U Ozzie F U Massett There was no doubt that Massett was going to give up runs, he's been doing it the last month.

why is masset out there?

Let's hope Fields pulls a (Insert Twins minor leaguer here) and sucks in AAA, but hits well in the majors.

Well this probably kills any talk of Fields being traded now. There is no way you can trade him and have only Uribe as a 3rd baseman — unless KW goes out and get another one. But this probably kills many trade possibilities.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 02:05 PM) Gartrell has above above average speed, a plus arm, and average power. In general he was thought of as a very raw collegiate senior. The obvious concerns are his age and I'm not saying he's going to be a major leaguer, but he has the potential skill-set of a major leaguer (which is something you can't say about a lot of prospects). And very few Sox prospects. I get your point, he does have a nice skill set, so he may be one of those late bloomers. I hope so or at least get his trade value up to be shipped out.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 12:37 PM) Gartrell is a legit prospect. It must be true if Heads and I agree. I would call him a prospect, but not legit IMO. The word legit to me means that this player will likely play in the majors, and to me Gartrell is a journeyman at best. He doesn't have one plus tool and you really can't make the majors like that, especially as a corner outfielder who doesn't hit for a high average, have a ton of power or offer small ball and steal bases. Seems more like a DeWayne Wise type that will float around the minors and maybe one day see time as a fourth outfielder.