ottawa_sox

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Apr 18, 2005 -> 10:04 PM) Some nag named David Cassidey (sp?) who threw out the first pitch. No clue who he is. A 70's teenie bopper heartthrob. I think he was a member of the Partridge Family. :puke God the mindless banter during this game is excrutiating. :headshake

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 18, 2005 -> 09:58 PM) This is the last I'll say about it: If you're going to bring Vizcaino in after one batter, he should have started the inning. Especially with the batter being a righty, I have no f'n clue why Ozzie let Cotts start the inning. Somewhere, somehow, sometime he has to pitch like a major leaguer. I don't mind giving him the chance. Leadoff walk - get him out!

Let's see how Neal handles the pressure of a tie game. I hope the plate widens by a few inches. Throw strikes Neal!

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 18, 2005 -> 09:39 PM) A.J. has played just as bad as Dye has the last week. He's been terrible behind the plate and offensively. Ah look, another game in which Ozzie is a batter too late in pulling the pitcher. Nothing new! His pitcher's brains fell outa his earhole. Not Ozzie's fault.

Wow. Nothing like makin 'em earn it.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Apr 18, 2005 -> 08:51 PM) Annoying PR lady on the radio. :sleep I heard enough of her at Soxfest the past few years. Get her off. I'm ready to start crying. :headshake

Dye is toast Buehrle's the biz I wonder where the Big Hurt is?

QUOTE(Allsox @ Apr 17, 2005 -> 07:46 PM) I say switch Dye with Rowand....At least Aaron's putting the ball into play and Dye isn't doing much of anything right now....If Dye's still hitting below .200 when Frank's ready, drop Dye outta the lineup and put Carl out in RF....I know Jermaine's hit a couple of clutch HRs but the 5 hitter can't keep going 0 - 4....Whatcha guys think? I suggested something like this in spring training. I envisioned Carl having too good of a bat to simply share with Frank. I thought the most likely way he would get into the lineup more often would be IF Jermaine was struggling. They could share right depending on the righty-lefty matchup. I wouldn't keep him out of the outfield because of the danger of injury. If that were the case, Rowand would have to lifted as well. The more he plays, the more fine tuned he will be to get good jumps and reads on flyballs. I don't think his skillset is quite up to Dye's in a defensive sense, but it could still make sense depending on the pitching matchup.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Apr 16, 2005 -> 12:30 AM) I agree he did pitch a quick 8th (10 pitches) but he had faced 3 batters in doing so. It's true he's actually more effective vs LHers than RHers. But he's got history that if you use him more than an inning you're going to pay. Ozzie left him in there after Ichiro singled, & then after Reed singled. That's inexcusable. When Thomas returns maybe we should look to make a trade for another solid reliever. It won't be easy because every team wants solid relievers but the SOX just might have more to offer than most teams. You can argue that Ozzie has misued the pen in 2 of our 3 losses but that doesn't excuse the fact that the pen is looking shaky. I think this is one of those instances where a manager has to be given some leeway on gut feel. I wouldn't be surprised if his ineffective second innings occur when he gets a pitch count in excess of 10 in the first inning. An Ichiro ground single is no reason to be alarmed and Reed didn't look good until a broken bat bloop. Beltre barely hung in with him for 8 pitches before finally succumbing. He still looked strong. Everyone complains about Ozzie playing all his cards one game and yet when he retains a bullet the next he still is questioned. I like the overall talent of the bullpen. It's difficult to witness 2 or 3 of them implode during the same game, but it's bound to happen now and then. Over the long haul I would take this bullpen over last year's. (Not that another Hermanson clone wouldn't be appreciated).

The other thing about Vizcaino, is that he used just 10 pitches (by my count) while striking out 2 and dominating the side in the 8th. And he appears to be equally effective against righties and lefties. Seems to me Ozzie was just trying to ride a hot hand for another batter or 2.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 11:27 PM) What really bothered me in this game is that I believe it's a completely different game if Marte is allowed to relieve Viz at the start of the inning. Opp are hitting .125 vs him w NON, & .227 in 04. There's just no way he could accrue those numbers & suck. He used Marte for 2 pitches! It's a small sample size but look at how Marte matched up in the 9th: Ichiro .167 vs Marte Reed never faced Marte Ibanez .267 vs Marte (533 OPS) Boone .000 vs Marte Winn .750 vs Marte Spiezo .600 vs Marte Dobbs never faced Marte It's just like last night. If Politte/Hermanson relieve El Duque it's a differen t ball game. Maybe the SOX squeak out a win. If he uses Marte correctly tonight maybe he saves Hermanson for the next game. When you mess up the pen it cascades & it gets real dicey when you go a long stretch without an off day. I love Marte's stuff and usually expect him to come through. But sometimes, statistics aside, he just does not seem focused. He can occasionally look like a disaster waiting to happen. I swear, before he hit that guy, when it was paramount that the Mariners earned there way on, I thought to myself, "if he hits this hitter, get him out toute suite - it's one of those days". I was very relieved Ozzie took him out.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 11:04 PM) http://baseball.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/pitc...Type=2&type=std This isn't rocket science. Vizcaino is a 1 inning / 15 pitch guy. He's not a 2 inning guy. There is nothing this year or last year to suggest he is. Yet Ozzie continues to try & use him in that role. It's moronic. Politte, Marte, & Hermanson are your best guys in the pen right now. These are the guys who have the numbers to back them up as being 2 inning guys. Politte the least of the 3. Shingo has never been anything more than a 1 inning / 15 pitch guy. His numbers make him one of the best 15 pitch guys in the game. But he's clearly having control problems this year & that's probably why where not seeing much of the frisbee. You have to be able to throw it for strikes. Cotts is the guy you don't use unless he's mopping up for a short bad start, or the SOX are blowing someone out. When Ozzie learns this & starts managing wrt it we might start getting more fans as the surgeon general would downgrade the risk of heart attack. Vizciano gave up a ground ball single to Ichiro. He is hardly the first. And the second hit was a broken bat bloop. Politte has been good of late. I figure there is a good chance that if he is brought in in that last inning, he could easily be converted into the bug eyed, scared reliever for the next month, like we have seen so many times before. They tried Marte and he blew it. Completely agree with you on the Cotts issue. I cling to hope that he will develop into being better.

QUOTE(qwerty @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 11:04 PM) Marte is not a damn left handed specialist. Cotts is a mop up reliever nothing more at this point. Some days, Marte is the guy to throw it away. I was glad he got lifted after hitting someone. It just happened to be his first hitter. I totally agree with the Cotts assessment. Although I still think he is growing and before the season is out, he may be given more responsibility. But I hear you. I did not like the situation he was brought into last game, especially after not pitching for a week.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 10:53 PM) Did Ozzie learn anything this week? 1) Never ever pitch Vizcaino more than 1 inning. (He's had this lesson twice) 2) Stop using Marte for just 1 batter with RON or RISP. 3) Stop using Cotts to relieve starters. 4) Use Shingo to start 9th, or finish 9th but not in a RISP sit. 5) Use Hermanson whenever the game is on the line but try to save him to close. I dunno. 1) He looked sharp. To me, 2 lessons is statistically insignificant. 2) How many times have we seen an all or nothing Marte. As soon as he does the unthinkable and allows a runner without the guy earning it, I am happy he's lifted. 3) So is he supposed to only relieve himself? (Excuse the conjured up images). 4) It just seemed it was one of those nothing Shingo days. I don't think it would have mattered who he faced, beginning or end. 5) Just clone the guy! He doesn't care what situation he comes into. Early. Late. Lefty or righty.

Holy friggin heart attack! Only 152 games to go. I still hold the ball players more responsible than Ozzie. Let's take the series tomorrow.

I still see this as a collective bullpen choke. Ozzie is not throwing the ball.

C'mon Oz, jesus bring in Hermy!.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 10:34 PM) Hermanson deserves to be our closer right now. Unfortunately, nobody is warming up. :headshake

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 10:32 PM) Shingo has nothing. His pitches are right over the plate to get drilled. He's missing his location on everything. Holy crap, where is Hermy!

I had this ugly feeling he was gonna hit em. Geesh. :headshake

Twins were outhit 7-3 by Cleveland, yet still won. 3-2. :headshake

QUOTE(Molto @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 09:26 PM) I'm gonna take a guess and say as soon as Garland gives up a hit or a walk, there are going to be a select few idiots who are going to put it on him being a "girl" and having no heart. He's looking really good right now. Here's hoping that Ichiro's next at bat is his last.

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 09:19 PM) I see GIRLand seems to have found his nuts. I see Buehrle talking to him in the dugout, I thought that was a no-no during a NH. This is better than a NH. I'm getting a little tingly!!

QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 09:03 PM) JUAN WITH A BOMB!!!! 3-0 SOX! If Jon is starting to think about what he is doing, maybe this will help him relax.

About 10 years ago I was going out with a woman, who although sweet, was not exactly the sharpest pencil in the box. For my birthday she got me personalized license plates for my car. It read CHICSX. I asked her about CHISOX and she said someone else in the province of Ontario had them. I never checked up on her claim, but I suspected she just blew it. During the ensuing year I had about 10 curious and somewhat irate women approach me in parking lots wondering if I was advertising for CHIC SEX. At first I found the response kinda funny. My next girl friend did not see the humour. The license plates now reside in the bottom of a closet somewhere.