fathom

QUOTE(EvilMonkey @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 01:13 PM) Maybe we should change this to a fire Harold Baines thread. What the hell is a bench coach for if not to tell the manager when he has left his brain in the clubhouse, or to remind him that Marte sucks with runners on base? How about hiring a bench coach with some managerial experience, so Oz can stop listening to his gut all the time and managing like a ROOKIE. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but he needs someone who has done it to bounce ideas off of once in a while. BTW, Walker and Baines talked Ozzie in to letting AJP bat on Monday. Ozzie wanted to have Ozuna bat, but those two guys told them that AJP had had success against Walker in the past.

QUOTE(JimH @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 12:57 PM) I think you're reading way too much into it. I agree that's likely very true. I just found it interesting that in two different articles I read, it seemed like the manager and general manager had different goals. And as for the favoritism by Ozzie for certain players....I think that's something that's just better off not being discussed.

Konerko is a much better value for 10 million than Thome would. Konerko is better in the field, and he's so much more dependable than Thome.

QUOTE(knightni @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 05:35 AM) If the Sox take his entire monster contract, he can be had for less probably. Not a chance in hell they'll take that full contract.

What in the hell is going on with this organization? Someone needs to give these guys a course in public relations, because besides for choking on the field, they're sure saying all the wrong things off the field also. Just shut up and win!

QUOTE(knightni @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 05:32 AM) Jim Thome anyone? He will be healthier next year most likely and can be had cheaply, I bet. Phillies will pay 1/3 of his contract, but want big time talent in return.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 05:29 AM) Pods is 6 for 20 since july 23rd. He sucks. It's like 6 for 24 if you inclue pick offs.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 05:24 AM) Yeah I as talking about how they've played in the 2nd half, you wouldn't expect them to do it for a full season, but it's not suprising what they've done in the 2nd half with their schedule, and the way their offense and pitching has been going. I'm just thankful they totally underachieved during the first part of the season. Who knows how far out we'd be if they played anywhere close to their abilities. I don't think there's any argument about which team has more talent.

I feel bad for every GM in baseball that had to deal with bad contracts from the 2004 to the 2005 season.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:52 AM) Funny how it all starts with the Batting Coach with you lol. He's been on Walker's ass all season, and he's been dead on with a lot of what he says. This team has done an awful job of making adjustments. Hell, Borchard made an adjustment during his AB tonight. That's something I rarely see from any of our starters. When so many hitters are having subpar seasons, you have to realize that you start with the person who's supposed to help them.

To add to the theory that KW and Ozzie don't get along now: In the paper tomorrow, Ozzie has given the ok to have the champagne celebration if the Sox clinch a Wild Card spot. However, KW basically said he wouldn't celebrate that, and still wants the AL Central.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:46 AM) Please, we werw ALL was talkign about how great a job Pods does at taking pitches and disrupting pitchers on the basepaths and how he effects the pitches Gooch gets and how tought he was vs leftys.... It's a 162 game season. What the hell happened to him then? I'm not talking about just on the bases. He never works the pitcher anymore at the plate.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:43 AM) What does Pods do that's awfully special then if it doesn't show up on the stats? Since all the girls love to see his face, he decides to just strike out looking a ton so the bat doesn't get in the way of the view that they get at the game?

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:42 AM) Scott Podsednik OBP in 2005 - .353 Willie Harris OBP in 2004 - .343 Pods lack of power, BA/RISP, OPS in a corner position, where power is VITAL, doesn't make up for his stolen base ability. Don't forget just awful defense. He's as lazy as Carlos Lee was in the outfield. As someone mentioned the other day, he never charges the ball in an effort to throw the runner out.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:41 AM) Groin injuries are nagging as all hell and for someone who runs that's about as bad of an injury as you can get. Go back about two months ago, and you'll see this same exact statement from me. I was saying that anyone expecting him to come back and jump start this offense again was setting themselves up for disappointment. Nothing's worse than a groin injury for a porn star or a base runner. I just always had some doubt about whether or not the injury was serious enough for him to go on the DL.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:39 AM) Cmon now, Pods had the great obp's of Juan and Crede hitting ahead of him all year long. His slugging percentage is less than .300 with RISP.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:39 AM) I fear you underestimate the grind of 162 games on a body. 1st off, no one, NO ONE, is 100%. 2nd, the fact of the matter is that the team as a whole is slacking. Look at how it was clicking in the 1st half. The team lost that mentality and it has hampered everyones play. He had his two week DL trip to recover (for an injury that I'm not quite sure was ever too serious). All along, the Sox organization talked about resting his legs for the stretch run. Well, the stretch run has been going on, and Pods has been basically mediocre all around.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:37 AM) We'll see what happens to the bosox offense if Damon doesn't resign. I bet Boston will find a guy not necessarily with speed, but a guy that can get on base. Screw it, lets get Durazo and make him our leadoff hitter. At least we could have a leadoff hitter that could knock in more than 30 runs in a full season.

Guys....it's this simple. JPHAT told us that Pods is a better leadoff hitter than Grady Sizemore. Can we stop arguing now?

QUOTE(YahtzeeSox @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:34 AM) Who the hell cares about that. Not all players are about power, dude. I really would have expected someone with your knowledge to know this. I don't know if you watch Sox gams through the internet or whatever, but Pods was freakin' amazing in the first half and there is a reason he bats #1, so he can get on base and steal bases which he did perfectly for a half a season until his injury! Does it matter if he plays OF, IF, C? Not really, you can get power players for any position nowadays. I think what he's trying to say is that on a team with quite a few defense-first players, you can't have another LF that isn't a big offensive producer. For as great as Pods supposedly was, he never scored a ton of runs. Also, since when did an injured groin make you unable to draw a walk? I'm getting tired of hearing the excuse from some Sox people that the Pods injury has caused this slide. He's had plenty of time to get his groove back.

Unless you have a great number 3 hitter, like Vlad, the leadoff hitter is rather overrated. Pods has hurt us a lot this year when he comes up in clutch situations with RISP. I know people are sick of seeing this stat, but he's one of the worst in baseball in OBP in Late Inning Pressure Situations.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:25 AM) You don't keep Pods just because he's cheap. He's not good enough to play CF defensively, yet he doesn't hit for enough power in a corner position in an offense that desperately need upgrades. I can tell you right now, there'd be about a 70-30 ratio for Sox fans in favor of trading Pods before Rowand. I would love to trade Pods to a team desperate for a leadoff hitter. Sure, he's great at stealing bases, but he's extremely mediocre at quite a few skills. I would much rather keep Rowand in CF, and find some power in LF. If you do that, you could keep Uribe and Crede on the left side.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:25 AM) No, I'm just saying that the fact that you even considered putting those 2 on the list is just....horrible. But if washed up NL players is what the Sox are looking for, go for it. KW has had no problem trading for those type of guys in the past.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:24 AM) This site needs a cross reference feature. Anyone who was criticizing Ozzie yesterday for not PHing for Pierzynski is a hypocrite for lynching him today for playing Blum. We all wanted a ph today...but why Blum? He was our 4th best option off of the bench.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:21 AM) Was it Oz's fault that Crede couldn't attend the game for family matters and KW got him Ozuna and fricking Blum and Widger and Timo and stiffs like that as his bench? Oz is not god to me but I agree I'm sick of fathom's blaming him for everything. The fact we have been consistently getting beat by Det's and KC's and all the teams that have been beating our ass the past 7 weeks makes me think we miss Frank and Maggs and played over our heads. Garland has sucked also and Fred and Mark haven't been as good. Is Oz to blame for all that????? These pitchers would have had a lot better numbers for their starts if Ozzie would have just refrained from letting them start that one extra inning, etc. These guys have all thrown a ton of pitches this season, and most of them have been "stressful" pitches due to all the close games. And NO ONE forced Ozzie to make those guys his permanent bench players. Why has he chosen Timo over Gload? Why has he chosen Marte over Cotts for late game situations? Why did he choose Duque over McCarthy for about 3 starts too long?