fathom

A manager is only as good as his player's execution though. If your team can't get a hit with RISP to save their life, you're going to lose a lot of games. I'm not going to get started on his use of Vazquez though. I don't understand why our worst starter has the longest leash.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 02:06 AM) Nice 3-1 big fat "hit me" pitch by Cotts there. This is why Minnesota has been winning and the Sox haven't lately, they execute when they have opportunities. Sox don't, on either side of the ball ... either bad pitches or failure to come thru with the clutch hit. The Twins and Tigers are playing superior baseball to us. When Tyner and Punto are looking like Rod Carew at the plate, you know things are going right. It's real simple...either we start playing better, or we won't make the playoffs. The last thing we can afford to do is fall 3 or 4 games behind the Twins. As was shown in the past, it's very hard to make up games on a team where 2/5 of the rotation is nasty.

I think Vaz could actually resemble Shields if he was a 2 inning reliever, but I'm sure we won't do it.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:57 AM) I've never seen his 2 seamer look so crisp, he was blowing it right by hitters. Then he hit the 6th and it all went to spiff. Once I saw on yahoo that Punto led off the 6th with a single, it really was deja vu from the Tigers game all over again.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:56 AM) So what's worse, the Vazquez trade or the Todd Ritchie trade? Too early to tell. There's still some hope for Vazquez, and we don't know how good Young will become. The thing I don't get is that after focusing on getting winning, grinder type players, we brought in someone notorious for not being a "winner". Damn that golf tournament that Ozzie and Vazquez were at.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:54 AM) Can someone give Ozzie a brain transplant? Javy had no business finishing the 6th, much less starting the 7th. It was clear that he was done, as he was in his last start. And yet Ozzie lets him start a new fire in the 7th. Ozzie isn't a horrible manager, but this kind of decision (which is makes too often) is pure incomptence. Leaving him in after the Cuddyer homer goes against the way that Ozzie has managed his struggling guys in the past.

Terrible...simply terrible. According to good baseball people like jason, he had his good stuff again tonight. It's so disturbing that he's had great stuff the last two games, and still had his typical 3rd time thru problems.

How can Vazquez get the win if he's still not out there?

BTW, Vazquez has given up 33 ER in 30 innings this year after pitch 75.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:49 AM) Why is Gload in the lineup? Is Dye hurt? Isn't Makowiak a better corner OF option? Dye probably got the day off cause he looked bad against Padilla, even though Padilla has had his number all year. Dye had struggled against Radke in his career, but he's hit a couple of homers against him the last few times we've faced him. I have absolutely no clue why Mackowiak isn't playing in RF over Gload. He's better in every single aspect.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:45 AM) Ditto And where did our offense go? It's homer or nothing. In July, we're actually 2nd in all of baseball in homers hit. However, our offense has struggled the last few weeks. This is the last negative thing I'll say about the Vazquez debacle...no one makes a lead disappear quicker than Vazquez.

I just want to know why Ozzie had Cotts warming up if he didn't intend to use him?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:40 AM) He made the pitches, the only exceptoin was Morneu hit a semi hitable pitch (still a decent pitch in which Morneau hit ofut off the end of his bat). Cuddyer's pitch was a good pitch. 3 runs is not the worse thing in the world over 6 innings and his stuff looks fabulous. You can't expect shutouts every game and all you can ask is for a guy to make his pitches and keep a team in the game. Thus far Javy has done just that. And not to slam on ya, but considering your listening to the game (or thats my assumption since you talked about Singleton) I find it hard for you to comment on him choking if you haven't seened the pitches. Yeah, I'm following it online. See my last post...facing Cuddyer was fine. However, if you have Cotts up in the pen, there's not a chance in hell he should have been allowed to stay in. The 3rd time thru the lineup is murder on this guy, and Ozzie just gave him the chance to get the loss.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:39 AM) I dont know why people are upset with Ozzie... this guy is apposed to be a top of the line starter... a manager shouldnt have to pull him out after 5 scoreless innings. Because it's been a pattern in way too many of his starts. I don't mind him staying in to face Cuddyer. However, I don't have the slightest clue why he was left in to face Morneau. I don't freaking care if he's unable to get the win. The Sox getting the win is a lot more important.

So Ozzie doesn't bring in Cotts? Brilliant managing. It must be great to be friends with Ozzie.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:37 AM) See how open I am to changing things. I've seen a lot out of this kid to completely change my mind on him. It would just be great for him to actually not choke in the middle innings. The 3rd time thru the lineup really kills him.

The MM strikes again. Our inability to score a run without the use of a homer is killing us again tonight.

Outside of Iguchi's homer yesterday, I can't remember the last time we got a hit with RISP and 2 outs.

2-0 in the 6th....deja vu? BTW, was there any chance for Anderson to tag up on Iguchi's blooper? It's amazing how awful Singleton is doing PBP.

Gload continues to do little to contribute to this team actually winning.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 12:50 AM) The offensive juggernaut continues We need Anderson to start having good swings again.

We need to get our offense rolling again.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 24, 2006 -> 11:25 PM) Flash you couldn't possibly be overreacting more. I know this is a pet peeve of yours but saying the minor league pitching is completely destroyed because they traded Tyler Lumsden and Daniel Cortes is flat out wrong. All you have to do is go to Baseball America and look at all the affiliates and also their draft lists over the past 2-3 years. Now you may not see anything you personally are enamored of because apparantly anything less than Liriano will fit the bill for you, but that doesn't really matter now does it. What does matter is if Sox brass continues to either plug these guys in, or moves them for useful major league pieces. For me, the minor leagues aren't as important as they were a few years ago. Winning has led to more attendance, and we're now able to have our payroll help us fill holes more. As long as JR is spending money, I have no problem with KW trading prospects for major league ready players. Everyone in baseball knows that our window is 2005-2007.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jul 24, 2006 -> 11:18 PM) I just find it funny when people say they have sources but than one person's source goes against someone elses.... I have quite a few sources that I can get a tidbit of information from once in a while. The one thing I can promise is that I'm being 100 pct honest in what I hear. If the information ends up being false, then there's nothing I can do about it. I think some people would be surprised about where the wrong information ends up coming from or what really happened behind the scenes. I know people have jumped all over me for saying Ozzie said that Tracey would never pitch for his team again. Who knows what really happened between the conversation he had with a minor league coach and last week.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jul 24, 2006 -> 10:31 PM) Wow, sort of pissed I missed all the fun today. The only, only, only way I do this deal is this. 1. The package would be Mac and Pods for Soriano and a guy like Tony Armas or a guy that can step in as a 4th or 5th starter if need be 2. A deal needs to be worked out in the next 24 hours for a long term contract. Thats the only way I would want this to take place. My thoughts exactly. Unless you're sure you can re-sign Soriano, you don't trade McCarthy. I don't think KW would give away McCarthy for a 2 month rental, as doing so would give us no leverage this offseason in trying to trade a starting pitcher. If you do this trade, Uncle Jerry better be ready to have a payroll in the 110 million range.