fathom

Flowers might be our 3rd most dangerous hitter in the lineup tonight.

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Apr 8, 2012 -> 01:22 AM) I like De Aza Me too...gives himself a shot at the plate with a good approach. He was really damn good last year for the Sox.

I'm sure I'm jinxing it, but Peavy looks as good tonight as he did all last year.

QUOTE (jeffro2525 @ Apr 8, 2012 -> 01:19 AM) Rios...oye. He's by far the biggest lost cause on a team with a bunch of lost causes...He looked no better in spring, and he's looked no better in 5 AB's this year. Yep, Rios doesn't look like he has any clue how to stay back long enough to hit with consistent authority. I can't believe we're batting him so high up in the order. Smart teams will just stop pitching to Konerko.

Morel isn't being replaced this year, as even if he struggles all year, they'll point to his big finish last season as proof he can finish strong. You have to give Beckham, Morel and Viciedo the full season to prove their MLB ability. If Beckham stinks this year, then you absolutely don't bring him back.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 09:49 PM) When you have the luxury of using Addison Reed in the 7th inning, and it's the first game of the season, it's the right decision. And not just because it actually worked, but we have a deep bullpen for a reason. You can argue that Fukudome should have been PH for Rios, but it's a bit early to undermine the confidence of what has to be one of our most important players in Rios, whether we like it or not. The real question will be how much rope Ventura will give to an Alex Rios before he starts PHing for him. Great post!

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:43 PM) Is one game enough for a line-up change? Because Morel has no business at #2. I wonder if we'll see Lillibridge batting 2nd against LHP, with Ventura finding ways to get him in the lineup? He was batting 2nd a lot vs LHP in the spring.

Danks was real bad from the 76-90 pitch mark last year. No problem with taking him out so early in the season. It's also nice to get an inning in for two of your main bullpen guys.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:36 PM) Typical ending against Joe Nathan. Thanks Gordon and Brent for not giving us much confidence (again) that you'll ever be major league regulars because of your hitting woes. Well, on the bright side, maybe Adam Dunn can be productive again, and Lillibridge can cover for one of Rios/Morel/Beckham, but that just leaves this season as a developmental one. Hopefully, at least one of Beckham/Morel can have a good season offensively. IT IS! When did people get the idea that the Sox are actually trying to contend this year? KW doesn't make the trades that he did and then not bring in free agents to play a key role if he was trying to get this team into the 2012 postseason.

Seems like people are thinking about the bad too much and not focusing on the fact that Dunn looked great today. Dunn's ceiling to help this team is infinitely greater than our 2b and 3b.

Nice relief work today

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:22 PM) DJ said the same thing, and yet the guy had an OPS around 600 in spring training. I guess the "institutional" story is that he's taking a different approach and going up the middle more often, but he still hits more weak fly balls to RF than Frank Thomas and Joe Crede combined. Problem with that is Rios doesn't have enough power to hit the ball effectively to right field. Unless he stands as close to the plate as possible, I can't see anyway he can hit the ball consistently hard.

QUOTE (Capn12 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:15 PM) I'll always wonder how Alex Rios became such a below average to marginal baseball player. To me, the league realized he has no plate coverage and knows he can't do anything with a pitch on the outer half. Teams should never, ever throw a pitch on the inner half to him, as that's his only chance to be dangerous at the plate. Hawk kept talking during ST about how good he looked, but whenever I saw him bat, he was hitting pop ups off the end of the bat.

This would be a great spot to use Fukudome

QUOTE (Jake @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:09 PM) Crazy. Wouldn't have guessed that a month ago. Are we possibly trying to create a trading chip with the rookie closer? Honestly, I think the Sox don't believe Thornton is the closing type. Just my opinion though.

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:07 PM) I guess Thornton isn't the closer either..warming up in the 8th. It seemed pretty obvious it was going to be Santiago as the closer

can we call Morel the Anti-Tuffy?

QUOTE (Reddy @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 07:49 PM) reds can't pitch. Phillies 3 in my book I don't think people realize just how awesome Cueto's become. Him and Latos are one of the best 1-2 combos in all of baseball.

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 07:46 PM) Detroit 3? I think the Reds are fantastic this year, and Phillies should be real good. I'm just stunned at how awful so many teams look on paper. Where did all the talent go? To the Kentucky Wildcats or Miami Heat?

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 07:44 PM) Man Texas has a good lineup. The two best teams in all of baseball, IMO, are the Rangers and Angels.

Excellent job getting back in this. Everyone but one batter has produced at the plate, that's great for early in the season.

Just give him the Comeback Player of the Century award now

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 08:26 PM) Heart of the order. Let's go. Back-to-back from Dunn/Konerko would be nice

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 07:24 PM) Ideally, Beckham is the perfect #2 hitter, but ya..... Hopefully by May he's taken over that spot. It's definitely possible.

I really wish we had a better option for #2 hitter. It hurts to see that really all the options are so bad at getting on base for Dunn/Konerko. I feel like that's going to be a common theme all year. De Aza should do fine as a leadoff hitter.