Chisoxfn

This is a solid move for their offense, but I still wonder when they are going to get a front line starter. If I were their gm, I'd be finding a way to get John Thompson from the Rangers. He's on the market, has a very little payroll and is the best pitcher in the American League since the All Star Break.

Well in the Sox case all their affiliates are within an hour to three hours of eachother except the Barons who are in Birmingham and the Great Falls ® team which is in Montana. The teams bunched together are on the east coast, so that wouldn't be too close to Detroit (Which is where the Sox will be when Koch is up). I think the big thing is they want Koch to get out there. Fact is he's still facing minor leaguers that have flaws and I'm sure he could help out Charlotte when he's there. Remember the Barons and Warthogs are also in a race. So you'd have to send him all the way to Kannapolis and I really don't know how having him pitch there would really be of help to him, cause he'd still have to go up to AAA before he'd really know if he had proven anything caus at least there you have more veteran players and hitters that will make you pay for your mistakes. Seeing flyball Koch pitch in the bandbox known as Charlotte has to be ugly though cause it don't take much to send one out.

Dang, I hope the game gets in. I'm all excited to see the Sox play the Yanks.

Makes some sense to me. He's had numerous arm problems this year and I think he had some in the past. Since he came back off the DL, his velocity was never there, nor was his performance. That usually says a guy isn't healthy.

I'd say Hummel is a good prospect. Take away last year and most people would be calling for him to be the 2nd baseman of the future. Lets remember that it was two years ago when everyone was talking how he was raking through the minors and was going to replace Durham. Not Harris...not Jimenez (Neither were in the system at the time of the talk, then Harris came and later on Jimenez). Last year he struggled early on, surged late, and exploded in the AFL. He's been very good all year this year so other then his first year in AAA, he's been a hitter wherever he's been. Sullivan is a proven reliever that is awesome. The Sox gave up someone at a position of weakness and added something at a position of weakness at the major league level. I'd make the trade in a heartbeat, but I do think Hummel will make it to the majors. I do agree with your assesment that he'll likely become a utility man, but he is patient, has a nice stroke and can play 3 different positions. The guy will get a lot of playing time during his career, imo. As far as the good prospects the Sox have given up this year. I'd rate Rupe and Ring as the best ones given up and then Hummel/Webster in a solid prospect class. Rupe and Ring are high ceiling guys, as is Webster (Without the Power) and Hummel is a productive type guy. I'd say getting Everett, Alomar, Colon, and Sullivan was worth that. Especially when you consider that the Sox, if they lost these guys would get draft pick compensation for Alomar/Colon (I'm confident in that) and their is a good chance they could get it for Everett (If he keeps hitting the way he has been) and Sullivan. Of course this depends on whether the Sox are willing to offer arbitration. Now I don't think the Sox will lose all these guys, but sure, some of them were only playoff run fixes. But if anyone can tell me that renting these guys going for it all and taking the chance isn't worth losing one or two prospects (Considering Sox have the shot to get a couple studs with the draft picks) then I wouldn't want that person as the GM. A GM has to put his team (When it has the Shot) in the position to win it all and I can confidently say that this year Ken Williams did his job.

The major league team does care. Yes they care more about player production, but they want their affiliate happy. I'm sure the Sox felt that Koch would be semi sucessful there or they hope for him to be. The Sox are also in a playoff chase and their concerns are definately #1 priority. But the reason some prospects don't get called up late in a season (From like Kann to Winston Salem) is because if Kann were in a playoff race, they wouldn't want to hurt that teams chances. Now if the Sox needed a player, then they'd do it in a heartbeat.

Damn, 6 K's.

Heads was doing some work and one of the things caused that problem due to wrong executions. He got it solved though

Hope you had a blast and Welcome Back.

Yanks typically beat up on young pitchers, especially ones that don't throw strikes so I won't expect anything too much. But I know if Cotts is on, he'll shut em down.

If they weren't good players you couldn't be dissapointed. I think that statement says it all: They have to be good players. If a nobody from the minors comes up and sucks, your like oh well, he's a nobody. But when COlon or Koch does it your like damn, they are a good pitcher and they don't have it. In regards to Colon, I don't have stats on me, but I'd guess over his last 20 starts he's been pretty damn good overall. He hasn't been as good as he was last year, but he's still been pretty damn good.

I'd say it would be a big way, simply because it means Willie Harris can't be on the playoff roster. If the Sox sent him down and activated Koch then Koch would be on the playoff roster and Harris wouldn't, unless Billy was once again put on the disabled list. If the Sox waited till September 1st, then Koch would still be eligible for the playoff roster as would Willie Harris and they could play things out and see exactly how things folded. Or I think thats how it works. If it isn't like that, then I see the sense in bringing Koch up now. Now if the Sox are confident and his fastball is lighting up the radar guns in Charlotte, then it may be the thing to do. I did love the quotes from Billy. He has always came off as a great guy to me.

Agreed. Jas, I seem to agree with many of your thoughts and opinions. So do you agree with me that hands down, if this team lives up to its potential then it should be competing for the World Series? I sure believe that they got all the talent they need. The question is whether that talent shows up on a consistent basis. Kenny has done a hell of a job putting this years club together.

But he won't, because he won't come up until September 1st when rosters expand so no one has to go anywhere and the Sox can see whether he has it back. If he does, he wll definately be in the pen and he should be in the pen. If he doesn't, then they will shut him down for the rest of the season. Seems like a no brainer to me (Placing him on the DL and giving him a shot). I think we all know what kind of pen the Sox could have with a healthy, last year Billy Koch.

If it were up to me, yes...simply because I don't see much value in having so many DH's.

I don't know, simply because the Twins play some pretty easy teams down the strecth. If you ask me the Sox just need to play good baseball at the level they are capable of. If they do that, no team in the central will stop them. The problem is they've yet to show they can do that on a consistent basis. Hopefully they will show that they can plya good baseball at home and on the road, against good teams and bad.

Feedback Taken. Scrap that idea

Test

Damn, .25 cent hotdogs. Yummm...too bad its gonna cost me like 3.50 tonight to get a Dodger dog

Kannapolis didn't look to draw too much. They were probably 200 people for one of the games I saw. The 2nd was rained out and they looked to get more like 2000 that night. There is a big variation in crowd size depending on whether there is a giveaway and what day of the week it is. The Knights have drawn pretty well at times this year, but they are dead last in the IL or at least they were a while ago in attendance. Still they get around 5000 a game. Warthogs drew very good the two games i was at. Both games were around 3000 people and the fans were in the games.

Did You Know...that this is the first time two 300 LB plus pitchers faced eachother Either way, I don't care as long as the Sox keep on WINNING

It's definately time for me to head to the Dodger game Hopefully I'll see a nohitter

Definately a sweet homestand. Now its time to have a sweet roadtrip.

Correction, Alex (SoxHeads) is the man. He also just added a cool new feature to the Private Messages where the number turns RED when you have a message. Hopefully it will make it more noticeable. He's working on a few more cool new features Although you can still call me the man Rex

Its for box scores. Awesome work Alex