joeynach

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 10:28 AM) I hate when we face someone that we've never seen. We tend to look awful at the plate. Here is ESPN.com profile for Gaudin. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5627 The only thing you can take are his career stats because this guy has mainly pitched out of the pen for a few teams over his career. Here they are along with ESPN's projections. The only real interesting thing I can take is that in 164 career ML innings he has given up 19 hrs, 80 walks, and 104 K's. It equates to about 2 BB, 1.55 K's. and 1 HR per 9 Innings. So hes not dominating, but hes not awful. Hes got good control and doesn't strike out a ton of guys. Seems to be a guy who puts the ball in play but probably wont go deep into the game. Im not sure if hes a sinker ball guy or not but they key here seems to be get into the A's pen. Dont let help this guy Guadin out, make him prove he can beat you and beat you deep into ballgames since it looks like hes not a guy that naturally goes deep and throws a lot of pitches. Thats my scouting report. Can anyone help me out and draw a comparison to another pitcher we know?

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Apr 10, 2007 -> 10:28 AM) I hate when we face someone that we've never seen. We tend to look awful at the plate. Well thats not just the sox. Id say at least the first time through the order facing a pitcher you have never seen and have no scouting report on is difficult. Most good hitters will adjust and get him by the 2nd or 3rd time through the order.

This guy Gaudin of the A's that we are facing tonite does anyone know anything about him or have access to some sort of scouting report. Maybe from ESPN insider or Baseball Prospectus. Just wondering what we are going to be up against tonight since we have never seen this guy before.

Sucks I was looking forward to going to the bar tonight and be able to watch both the bulls and sox. Damn.

QUOTE(ScottyDo @ Apr 5, 2007 -> 11:58 PM) I'm not sure what you're getting at. His pitch runs inside to righties, but it'll only run into their "power zone" if you throw it middle or outside. If you pound it inside, it'll run right into their fists and he'll get a lot of players out. Too much motion on a fastball is never a problem, you just have to locate according to the way it breaks. If what you're really saying is that he doesn't jam righties inside enough, I could agree with that, although his numbers don't really bear that hypothesis out. Yeah what Im saying is that I think his two seamer is great its got a ton of movement but he was throwing it inside to righties, as just an inside fastball. At that point the ball is running from outside or middle to middle in, which is into the hitters swing plane. IMO throwing that 2 seamer in should come after a few outside pitches; changes, slider, 4 seamer. That way he can throw a 2 seamer fastball in to righties and it wall start outside (which is what they just saw) and run in on their hands and they will jam themselves thinking they are seeing another outside pitch. My point is that I dont like throwing a "naked" inside 2 seam fastball, because a good hitter will just yank his hands and crush it, ala Micheals. I think the pitch, albeit a very good one, needs to be set up in a contingent of speeds and movements that Massett features.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Apr 5, 2007 -> 03:36 PM) 2,3,4 due up. This is the situation we want. Although I HATE bobby going into another inning when its freezing outside. I like the fact we sandwhich PK in between Erstad (Lefty) and Thome (Lefty) so they can just bring in a LOOGY and get 3 quick easy outs. At least PK hits lefties very well.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 5, 2007 -> 03:33 PM) Just like in game 3 last year (good memory Nach), Jenks should have been in to face Michaels (or Nixon). Yes sir I remember cuz we threw a fit on the board cuz we knew the numbers and knew Michaels dominated LHP and Ozzie said he didn't know that until after we lost the game and it was brought to his attention.

QUOTE(southsideirish @ Apr 5, 2007 -> 03:29 PM) Thorton>>>>Cotts Michaels against any LHP = bad matchup, period!

Deja vu from last year game 2 of the year. Ozzie left Cotts in to face Jason Micheals who hits LF pitching at something like .400. Micheals hits a gapper into RCF off Cotts late in the game for the tribe to take the lead. Today, Ozzie lets Thornton, a lefty, face Michaels who again dominates against LHP. He hits a double in the RCF gap again for the tying run to score in the 8th. Shocker, sorry Ozzie history repeats itself when ignore it.

Something I noticed about Massett's fastball is that it tends to run a lot, but it tends to run right into a right handed hitters swing place or hot zone. Im pretty sure its a two seamer with a lot of zip and movement, which I like, but I dont like it being thrown to RH hitters and being a pitch that runs to middle in to in. That is indeed the power spot for most RH hitters and so far it has seem to hurt him. I think a little location adjustment would fit him well starting the ball much further away and letting it run to be an outside fastball or throwing a strait 4 seamer to RH hitters when he wants to throw in. Anyone else notice the same.

So this is actually what the new pattern looked like. I like its not so bland and has some feel to it.

QUOTE(ScottyDo @ Apr 3, 2007 -> 10:29 AM) Okay, I know patience is not a virtue here, but Iguchi has played exactly one game this season. How about we let him play at LEAST a week before we decide he's even slumping, and then 3-4 to decide there's an actual problem. His mechanics might not look great, but he's Iguchi, not some rookie scrub. He did the same thing in spring training this year batting low in the order and hitting .230, he did the same thing in spring training last year when they experimented with him hitting down in the order. So this should really come as no surprise. I dont expect great results from him hitting down in the order if every time he has done so he has struggled, spring training or not. Hence why Ozzie scrapped the Iguchi hitting 7th plan last year before the season started I dont know why he was back on that bandwagon again.

Guys i understand how this has become a whole convo about Walker which is fine becuase he is mainly in charge of our hitters approach at the plate. But my point was that I didn't really see this swing and approach from Iguchi where he was forced to hit more fundamentally in the 2 hole vs free swining in the 7th hole. Which is why then the blame falls on Ozzie for either not recognizing this as tendancy of one of his players or being stubborn and not making a change when its probably beneficial for the team (and the player). Or Iguchi could just not be the 2nd coming of Jose Valentin which is what he looks like now. Hes gonna hit .230 with 25 hrs.....great.

Something Stoney was saying today during the broadcast on the radio caught my interest. Stoney was saying Iguchi's form looked pretty bad as he was in between speeds and not adjusting his swing to the pitch. Meaning Iguchi was bailing his left leg like a power hitter trying to the pull the ball and wrapping the bat in a round like motion to make contact with off speed pitches and pitches on the outer half. This is exactly what I remember Iguchi doing when he slumped, when he stopped making an effort in hitting the ball to the right side, and what I saw of him this year in spring training. Obviously this is bad thing. My question or concern is the fact that I think having in the 2 hole kind of forced him to be a better hitter. The day to day situations forced him to stay on the ball longer, see it longer, and try to hit the ball to right field, which for a RH hitter is the best approach. I think having him hit 7th or whatever negatively enforces the fact that it is no longer REQUIRED for hit to try and hit the ball to the right side. So couple that with him being a free agent he would perhaps try and hit for gaudy #'s in HR and RBI production, ala the constant big time pull swings. Seems like a situation set up for failure IMO, anyone else have an opinion on the matter.

QUOTE(Hanger @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 04:27 PM) Yup heard that on the Score...they also said if Toby wasn't injured that A.J. would have been on the pine for the opener... Not trying to bring anything up, but perhaps a a good indication that we won't see much of Scotty tryin to hit lefties....ahhh off to a good start... While I love Thome I would also like to see some protection in our lineup for him against LHP. I mean his splits were awful last year, .236/6/24 against LHP. That is just awful for your 3rd hitter in the lineup. Thome CAN NOT be the 3rd hitter in our lineup against lefties period. The best thing to do would be to sandwhich him between Konerko and Dye, 2 good LHP hitters, to protect him and also minimize the effect of a LOOGY at some point late in the game. Please Ozzie learn from last year Pods and Thome = bad vs. LHP.

QUOTE(max power @ Apr 1, 2007 -> 10:29 PM) How am I going to fill the vast void in my life that is the lack of a new grass pattern? Alcohol? Drugs? Sexually deviant behavior? Yes to all of the above.

My friend who works for ticket sales with the sox said they cut a new pattern in the grass this year. He said its like the Kauffman Stadium pattern where the lines are angled out from like a vertex point. Kind of like a V pattern in the grass. I think it will be really cool, and that its neat to see them (Roger Bossard) change the cut pattern. It gives a different feel and I like it, its not so bland anymore. Here is a pic of what I think it looks like.

Why we cant score and need to change our lineup against lefties. Not only did average lefty Mark Redman make us look silly AGAIN. With Pods and Thome goin 1 then 3 in the order its almost to easy to stifle us with a lefty out there (they both hit .225 against LHP in 06). Thome and Pods cant hit lefties well plain and simple and need to be further broken up in the lineup. There should be 2 rigties between the two at least. Pods, Iguchi,Konerko,Thome,Dye,Crede,AJ. We had this problem last year where we couldn't beat the Mark Redmans, Nate Robertsons, Cliff Lee, Jarrod Washburns of the world due to Ozzies lineup. We just will not be the same team against LHP with Pods and Thome goin 1 then 3 in the lineup. That is not a lineup for success I dont understand the stuborness to change the starters or theur spot in the lineup based on the matchup. It is becoming very frustrating, those guys are like different players with a lefty on the mound, and so is our lineup.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 08:57 AM) I am more concerned about the final grades in October. But right now, the grades look like Chris Farley's in Tommy Boy. You mean "D+.....I PASSED......"

Thanks Ozzie good call keeping him out there in the 9th in a meaningless game.

93-69, could be the division winner could be the wildcard.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Mar 24, 2007 -> 01:26 PM) Haeger hasn't done anything either to earn the spot. Right now, it seems to be between Floyd, Haeger, Aardsma, and Sisco for the final spot in the pen, and none of those guys really deserve it, but if I was a gambling man, I'd bet Floyd would make the team. What exactly are you basing that on, performance?

Problem is everyone has outpitched Floyd so far so technically he doesn't even deserve a roster spot, but I believe hes out options and cant get to the Minors without being put on waivers. If the rotation is MB/Count/Gar/Javy/Danks and the pen is Jenks/Mac/Thorton/Aardsma/Sisco/Logan or Masset then where does Floyd go. Do the sox just give him the last pen spot where he didn't beat our the other two guys just by default cuz he is out of options. That would be awful, holding our team and pen back not to mention the other guys becuase of that, but if he cant go to AAA then what do you do? Cut him, waivers, trade?

Is it not obvious to everyone that Mr. two (average) pitch pitcher Gavin Floyd just sucks. Can someone please tell me his positives. His stuff isn't that good neither is his command or control. Yuck send this guy to the minors and dont let him come near US Cellular Field until he can prove he not a 6+ ERA guy. As for Danks I like him a lot. As a rookie im not expecting that much from him, but if his ERA is under 5 Ill be happy. I think hes got way better stuff and a nasty breaking ball. He too could use the development of more than just Fastball, breaking ball, but for the time being he should be our guy. There is no way Floyd should be in the pen and I really hope it goes to Masset as well. And thats purely based on stuff. Like I said I dont know what the sox or KW saw in Floyd but after watching him he doesn't really have or do anything that well. Im excited about Danks though.

QUOTE(J-MAN @ Mar 21, 2007 -> 12:49 PM) What the heck is the Home Plate Club? Guess I gotta start reading all the propoganda they send. Its a new premium seating area where the press box used to be, which was relocated. The club looks awesome with indoor and outdoor seating and the best view in the house.