fathom

QUOTE(infohawk @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 06:29 PM) Guys, I'm going to suggest a contrary view of today's line-up. If the Sox were fighting for their playoff lives, every starter would probably be playing. Of course Ozzie hopes to win this game, but he may also recognize that a 5-5 road trip that included Minnesota and a good-hitting Ranger team is pretty good. All you can hope for is to play .500 on the road. As a former player who has been through the grind of many a season, Ozzie knows what the stretch run is like. Resting his players like this may be an expression of confidence and that he believes the most important thing is to make sure everyone is rested and ready to go come October. Teams like the Indians, Yankees, A's and Angels probably don't have the luxury of resting players because of the tight wild card race. Lack of rest may cause them to stumble a bit down the stretch. Ozzie expected more than a .500 road trip. After going 4-1 in the first 5 games of this trip, I guarantee you he would have been disappointed to know they'd possibly lose 4 of the next 5 games. There's no excuse not to win this series against the Rangers, as they have bad pitching to start, and we missed their two best starters.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 06:22 PM) Farmio is talking about getting a new teamate tomorrow for the sox that can help them win. And he isnt talking about the september callups. Walker Really, what did he have to say?

This is one of those games, like the Yankees games at the Cell, where you look at the lineups and ask "how the hell are the Sox supposed to win the game?" And before anyone tells me to stop following the game if I think they'll lose, I still always hold out hope that we can pull out the victory. I just think that on August 31st with a 7 game lead, you don't field an absolute B lineup like this. I understand benching Pods or Everett, but not both of them along with Iguchi.

Shades of his last start vs the Rangers.

The big problem I have with this awful lineup today is that we're likely going to use an awful lineup next Monday in Boston. I'm just not a fan of giving less than your best in terms of talent twice in six games. Also, if I remember correctly, Ozzie used a pretty poor lineup on Sunday in Seattle also.

QUOTE(CYGarland @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 06:06 PM) If we blow this lead down the stretch, I think you can point to games like this where we seem to rest 1/2 the lineup at the same time. What are we going to do, bench Iguchi every other day if he continues to struggle? Even Iguchi on his worst days is a bigger offensive contributor than Willie is. Please.....will the Todd Walker rumors be true!

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 06:02 PM) fathom... Willie is this teams MVP. Seriously... I think we'll be OK today. Willie hasn't done a thing to deserve being on this team this season. I hate to sound like others, but this is the type of game where it would have been better to have Gload on the team, and put him at 1b, and Blum at 3b...with Ozuna at 2b. That gives you a much better offensive player in that spot.

This is a brutal lineup. Why Willie why? The last thing our offense needs is someone who's even less productive than anyone else we've been putting on the field. The sad thing is I complimented Ozzie on the lineup he used for the 2nd game last night. Then, he goes out and puts up basically the equivalent of a 2nd game of the DH lineup. How come no other team sits out 3 starters on such a weekly basis?

QUOTE(YASNY @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 04:38 PM) That 7 game losing streak was something we all knew was going to happen. It happens to just about every team during the course of a season. That was our 'bump in the road'. Since it ended we are playing .600 ball. The slump is over. We aren't choking. Didn't we just play 3 of our worst games all season before the 2nd game of the DH last night? It's good that we've won like 6 of our last 10 games....but there's still a lot to be concerned about with how we're playing. We need to start hitting at home again. It's great we're hitting against the Rangers, but we're going to have to consistently score at the Cell during this long home stretch.

Back on subject: please update those at work about any trade musings during the course of the day. Thanks!

QUOTE(YASNY @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 04:23 PM) They aren't choking. Would fading be a better term? Any team that loses about 7 games from their divisional lead in one month will get classified as choking in baseball. The good news is that there's still plenty of time left to regroup and play better baseball. The bad news it that there's still plenty of time left to lose more games from our lead. This isn't even me being pessimist....just a realist (I think!).

QUOTE(AirScott @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 04:17 PM) don't you actually have to lose to have choked? if a team is favored in a 7 game series, wins the first 3, loses 2, then wins the next and wins the series 4-2, is that considered a choke? no, so neither is losing half of the lead in the division when the other team is surging and one team is struggling, playing mostly without Pods, and before he was on the DL, he was hurt. I said they're choking...not that they choked. I was going to say they're collapsing, but with all the struggles going on with the hurricane, I thought I'd use a different word.

Levine has been wrong way too often the last year or so. After a while, the guy's credibility has to be severely questioned.

Last night, I was going to post something that I guarantee Levine comes up with some juicy rumor to get our hopes up today about a trade.

For those listening: was this just a little blurb by Mr. Zero, or has he talked about it a few times?

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:42 PM) Wouldn't it actually be 11 o'clock here since everything on Earth revolves around EST? Yes

QUOTE(JimH @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:38 PM) One of the papers said today there is a mutual option between Walker and the Cubs for something like $2.5M for 2006. I don't know the in's and out's, but say the two teams cut a deal today. The White Sox would be unlikely to pick up any option, and it might free Walker to turn right around and go back to the Cubs. A true rental player situation. Personally I don't think the two teams are eager to help one another, there has been some history of trades between the two teams though and Hendry and KW get along. I agree with Yas, if it makes sense for the Cubs, they'll do it. But I don't think they'll be heartbroken if they can't move Walker today. Walker isn't going back to the Cubs. Their plan, as of now, is to play Furcal at SS, and Cedeno at 2nd base. If they don't get Furcal, they'd go after A. Soriano at 2nd base.

QUOTE(Jimbo's Drinker @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:34 PM) That is a very realistic possibilty. It's almost a guarantee. I'm still waiting for Levine to get something right this year. I know it's fun to make projected lineups with Walker in it....but it doesn't sound like anything is close.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:25 PM) 2. Do you really think the cubs, after having an extremely dissapointing season, would trade their starting 2B to their crosstown rival for their playoff run? Cubs fans don't want Walker back next year. I honestly think Cubs fans could care less where he was traded to, as long as it's not the Cardinals.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:22 PM) If we are looking at Walker, KW's given up on Griffey. As well he should

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:19 PM) Yes he did. Which means nothing. True, but Walker is the other Cubs player besides Lawton and H'worth who we know cleared waivers. If Levine should ever know about a story, it would be one with two Chicago teams involved.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:19 PM) Walker could DH against RHP. Everett has been horrid from the left side of the plate. Don't forget that Walker is having a great year against LHP also. He'd easily be one of our top 3 hitters. Something about Walker I've always respected is he's a tough out at the plate. He's not someone who will just give up an out by swinging wildly at a first pitch slider, etc.

Did Levine specifically state the Sox were interested in Walker?

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2005 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 02:54 PM) I'd love to have Walker. But as a back-up? He'd get a lot of playing time. With Iguchi struggling, I'd love to have Walker instead of Willie as the back-up. Also, Walker could get some time at DH if Everett is in the field or needs a rest. FWIW, I've heard the Cubs didn't even put Nomar on waivers.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 05:52 AM) And I don't really like Michael Kay, either. Talk about being on Jeter's knob... Did you hear about the Juan Rivera debacle with M. Kay this season?