fathom

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 02:55 PM) Yes, you are right, we have never had a 3,4,5 combo like this, ever. We are an elite team because Ozzie is our manager, and because he won the big one for us last year. We have had offense like this before, and ridiculously underachieving teams as well. We are in the toughest division in baseball, and still are in the playoff hunt. Weren't we usually in the playoff hunt still when we had our great 3-4-5 hitters in the past? As of right now, this year's team is far too similar to previous Sox teams where their 200+ homer hitting teams just can't manufacture runs when the power is gone.

The ironic thing was that there was a rumor going around the University of Illinois campus in 2000 that he was killed in an animal accident.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 02:40 PM) We are lucky to have Ozzie as our manager, without him we would never be considered one of the elite teams in the league like we are now. The reason we're close to being an elite team is due to our 3-4-5 this season. You put those guys on any team in baseball, and they're going to be strong. As for the injuries, it's not surprising. Even if a player says he's feeling ok, I think the human eye can see that some of these guys aren't even close to 100 pct (Garcia, Contreras, Thome, Pods?).

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 01:09 PM) Why not, everyone seems to want to flip out after a bad preformance by a player, I see nothing wrong with giving someone their due when they deserve it. Vazquez went out and gave up one run on three hits against the full strength Boston squad, while getting 11 strikeouts. To me that saids it all. It look like he relied on his fastball more, and got the 4 seamer up above the letters, and he was able to command the 2 seamer on the corner. I was very impressed with him last night, and it does nothing but help his confidence (and if we're actually interested in trading him, it boosts his trade value).

I hate Ozzie as much as anyone, but I'm not going to blame him for being the main culprit if this team doen't make the playoffs. There are too many guys underachieving, and just too many aspects of the game where we're mediocre. We've turned into just a slow, power hitting team that can't run the bases or prevent the opposition from running the bases. That's not a recipe for success.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 04:31 AM) Ahh yes, an Ozzie defender. Lemme guess, it's not Ozzie's fault the pitching sucked the last 2 nights and you want Rowand back since he was blue collar, whereas Thome k's too much. Right? I actually agree that Anderson's defense is a little overrated on this board. He's a very, very good defensive player, but he still has a lot of improvements to be made to turn into a complete CF. I'd really like to see him work on his throwing, as he doesn't seem to be overly accurate with his arm right now.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:29 AM) Actually I see fun bad as being more like the Cubs right now, runs are scored horrible defense is played and they find a new way to lose every night. The Sox don't score any runs, they don't make horrific defensive or baserunning mistakes all that often and they basically lose one of 2 ways each night. I mean I love "fun bad" as much as the next guy but it's just not fun at all to watch this team and in order to qualify as "fun bad" the product on the field must be fun to watch in a sadistic sort of way. The Cubs are a perfect example of fun bad lately.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:28 AM) Yep, somebody might kidnap me, piss on me, and kill me. Then Ozzie will ask KW to sign him for the bullpen. And people on this site will say that the attempted murder wasn't a big deal and not a good representation of Urbina's character.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:27 AM) It's not fun AT ALL, Dan would agree with me and you on that one. However fun bad is way different, it's not fun, but it's just so bad that you can't explain it and you in a sense can't even get mad at it anymore. That's fun bad, and is also where this team is at right now IMO. I will say that I fully expect our offense to mess up every golden opportunity that they have. The exciting thing is that almost everyone has been guilty of blowing a huge chance during this pathetic stretch.

QUOTE(beautox @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:24 AM) Shame on you SSI, you ditch prancer and you'll have the team in "panic" mode. I love how the game article on chicagosports says that Ozzie sounded the alarm after tonight's game that we have to start winning NOW before it's too late. This might have been useful about a month ago. QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:25 AM) Oh Lord, did Ozzie actually say Twinkle toes is just "trying too hard"?? What is Freddy doing then Ozzie?? Oh wait, can't be dissing family right, they don't do that in Venezuela do they?? VIVA HUGO CHAVEZ!! Be careful, if you mess with Garcia, someone might have to "take you out".

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:23 AM) If Ozzie was worried about offense we would of ditched prancer in left about 2 months ago. I love how Ozzie says "Pods is just trying too hard". Has anyone ever seen Ozzie and the PFB in the same place at the same time?

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:23 AM) I just wish it was in LF, with a healthy Dye in RF sandwiching our fine defensive CFer. That would be a nice change to have the best defensive alignment we could muster, and an arm in LF that stops runners from running at will. He'll be in CF batting 9th, I'm sure.

BTW, Konerko now has hit into 17 double plays with RISP this season. That's awful.

I'm familiar with the "fun" terminology, but this isn't fun at all. Not only are the Sox losing, but the games are boring as hell. We haven't been scoring enough recently to lose games in different, "fun" fashion.

Sweeney will be starting on Wednesday night.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:17 AM) Please don't call the team lucky because of the AJ play. You know as well as I do baseball is a game of inches and breaks. C'mon. You aren't calling our Sox lucky champs. If we didn't win it all, I guess I wouldn't be as high on Oz, though I'd like to think just making the Series would have made me think he was a pretty damn good manager. We could all write essays on why we think Oz is great or sucks. If you want me to answer any specific reasons I think he's good, fire away. I want to know if the majority of Sox fans think Oz sucks or just the majority on here. Ozzie's the first person to say 2005 is over. He's even said that if we don't make the playoffs, he deserves the blame. From what we've all seen lately, this team is going nowhere. I know you don't see many of the games, so I think you don't get as good of an illustration about just how fundamentally bad this team is and how awful the intensity is.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 05:15 AM) Please don't call the team lucky because of the AJ play. You know as well as I do baseball is a game of inches and breaks. C'mon. You aren't calling our Sox lucky champs. If we didn't win it all, I guess I wouldn't be as high on Oz, though I'd like to think just making the Series would have made me think he was a pretty damn good manager. Here's my thought: Dear Ozzie....thanks for the 2005 WS ring. Now please follow-up on your promise, and quit this offseason. This way, KW won't have to give up anymore of our few remaining big prospects in order to acquire your golf buddies (unless it's Miguel Cabrera). Also, our young players will get more experience, which might allow us to have a 100 million dollar payroll more spread out across the roster instead of half in our pitching staff and 1/5 at the 1b/DH position.

QUOTE(beautox @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 04:45 AM) I guess thats just ozzie being ozzie, tearing down young talent for no reason and not calling out those that need to be called out. oh ozzie your the greatest. you even have an award to say so. Yep, he has no problems bashing Anderson and McCarthy. Meanwhile, veterans like Garcia and Podsednik get every excuse in the book from Ozzie for their struggles.

I figured this thread would cause a lot of pro-Ozzie comments.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that Ozzie wants to see Juan Pierre leading off in CF for the Sox next year.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 01:50 AM) I think everybody knows that when you say quit, you mean they have given up. No need to try to spin it any other way. You've said as much at other times, no need to try and spin it. If you are gonna say it every other post, at least stand by it. Yep...I'm actually one of the few who hasn't proclaimed "season's over".

How many double plays in the last month?

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 01:46 AM) So quit doesn't ACTUALLY mean quit now huh? It means exactly what I said. If it literally meant they quit, then that would mean they "to cease normal, expected, or necessary action". It's just like when we discussed choking last season. I think every person in this thread knows exactly what the term quit means in regards to sports.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 01:44 AM) LOLOLOLOLOL Comment? I didn't know I was instant messaging with a 16 year old girl.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 01:43 AM) Shockingly it seems that the Twins have figured out how to beat the juggernaut Devil Rays at home. I dont know how they figured that one out, but they did. My hats off to them for going into the hornets nest and coming out with a W. I thought I heard that they've won 14 straight vs the DRays.