fathom

QUOTE(JimH @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 10:04 PM) Wow, this is about the 10th time today where you've basically patted yourself on the back saying you called it. Well, if everyone is going to b**** at me when I'm wrong, I might as well tip the scale back to achieve equilibrium. The sad thing is that I wasn't try to say I was wrong. Rather, just how predictable things have become during our slump.

Groin injuries with speed players isn't an equation for a healthy, productive return. Hopefully, Pods injury is about as serious as I think it is....which means not at all.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:57 PM) I wonder how much longer the losing will go on until Hawk will realize Ozzie really doesn't "have something up his sleeve". The only thing up Ozzie's sleeve is Timo's panties.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:53 PM) Really, what's he hitting. We need a middle of the line up bat. I was talking about in general. It's too bad we're not the Cubs and the Royals are the Pirates, or else they'd give us Sweeney for someone like Borchard and Honel. We need a number 3 hitter worse than we do a leadoff hitter.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:54 PM) I dunno, depends how you look at it. We are playing like the worst team in baseball this past week and we are still 9 up. The scary thing is one more week like this, and the lead will be like 4 or 5. What is disturbing is that we don't look close to breaking out of this, and the slump seemingly is getting worse. Thankfully, I have all the faith in the world that Ozzie and KW will recognize our problems, and do something to fix them.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:43 PM) Vista, CA beat Owensboro, KY today 7-2. It was a pretty ordinary LL game with the exception of the performance by the Vista, CA pitcher, Kalen Pimentel. His line was 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 18K Not only did he record every out in the game by strikeout, but he only threw 17 balls the whole game! Eight of them went to the two batters that walked, so he threw only 9 other balls to 23 other hitters in 6 innings. He was painting the corners with a regularity I have never seen from a 12-yr old kid. Especially one that was consistently throwing 73-75mph until the end of the game. That is equivalent to 95-98 on a MLB field. So what you're saying is since he throws hard, the Sox will never draft him?

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:51 PM) No, but his imminent return will give the organization, people on this board, and Hawk a reason to feel good about standing pat for the waiver deadline.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:50 PM) Don't forget to edit this to "8.5 game lead" in a few hours. Don't worry, I've been asking this same question since we were up 13 games a week ago.

I'm saying this in all seriousness, but has a 9 game lead ever seemed so small in baseball?

The best player on that list that wouldn't cost you a lot of money and massive prospects is Justin Speier. His numbers against righties this year have been amazing.

Another thing we need is another legit offensive hitter, and just put them into the rotation with guys like Everett. Hell, give me Dmitri Young now, he'd be our toughest out. I just don't know how Ozzie and KW think that the lineup we've put on the field this week can actually compete on a daily basis. The last 3 games, I honestly feel like the games were over before they started.

The last thing we need is another homer or nothing player. Because those are the type of players that go into big slumps.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:29 PM) Neal Cotts has an ERA under 2 He's the only one who can look in the mirror and know there's nothing more he can do.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:28 PM) Jim, with all due respect, he did hit .321 last year in a sizeable amount of at-bats. That's not to say he'd do the same this year, but he would be the best bat (by far) off the bench, and the way we're hitting right now (or, for that matter, not hitting), I see no reason for him to be at Charlotte. I'm not a Gload lover, but something he would provide this team is a line drive hitter. Right now, we have too many guys who are swinging for the fences on every pitch. Everett needs a rest, and we could put PK at DH.

QUOTE(Yossarian @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:26 PM) Well it will be bad, but not that bad. I think if they tank, KW will remember those big crowds of the summer of 05 and do his best to improve the team in the off season. KW is driven and has an ego. For all his early mistakes, and there were many he has worked hard to remold the team in a manner more suitable for Ozzie's style. I'm not going to rip him even if the team continues to tank, and I'm going to have faith that he'll be driven in the off season to pull a few rabbits out of the hat. Lord knows he has to with the boss he works for. Come on Jerry, you don't have to be like Steinbrenner, but open up the throttle a little. This is Chicago, not KC or Milw or Pgh. If we choke, KW won't have to worry about fielding a better team for the Sox.

BTW, according to Ozzie, the Timo botched play was just a hit-and-run, and had nothing to do with the butcher boy. Basically, Timo tried to get way too cute. I've never seen such a player with such minimal talent try to do so much. The sad thing is, if you go back in this gamethread, I was worried that he was going to try and do something cute and f*** up that situation.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:09 PM) Works both ways Greasy. Until just recently, every time someone said something negatiave, the responses would be the lame ass "best record in baseball" or "we're XX games up" or "look at our record vs the al central" or "nothing matters until the playoffs." ZERO of which are good reasons to make someone who thinks the team is done think differently. None of those facts do anything, and that's all i saw here for a while, as well as flaming those who said anything negative. Terrific post! However, I'm not going to start bashing someone like Greasy who's been optimistic. We're all Sox fans, but many of us display it differently. I think we can all agree that this team just has to win some f***ing games.

QUOTE(JimH @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 09:09 PM) Let's see ... Bench Crede, ok. That puts Ozuna in there, no, you don't want that. Ok then, that puts Blum in there. So Blum is your 3B. Blum has actually had some solid ABs lately, and it's not like Crede's defense has been so great that we're hurting ourselves by placing Blum at 3b. Without a doubt, I think Blum should be at 3b now. Crede is just flat out awful, and not even coming close to being a tough out at the plate.

QUOTE(JimH @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 08:59 PM) Without knowing all the factors involved, I would tend to agree with him. If guys are clearly not getting the job done (ie Joe Crede), either sit their ass down, or find someone who can play 3b for him. The approach that so many of these players have is awful. That aspect, right or wrong, should fall on the shoulders of Greg Walker.

Ozzie just said it's not his, Greg Walker or KW's fault they suck at the plate.

How many times will Hawk say how impressive it is that this is our first 7 game losing streak of the season?

QUOTE(JimH @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 08:49 PM) Even when they win a game there's still all kinds of negative stuff. Again, everyone's right to spew the negative stuff but then to tell someone they might as well shut it down until the Sox win a game? Ummm, no. It goes both ways. Some people will drown the board in negativity, others will call them on it. That's the way it goes, it indeed works both ways. Trust me, I don't want them to shut the board down. I was just saying that if anyone expects the mood to be otherwise, then they're definitely mistaken. I know this site isn't Soxcheerleading.com. I do find it funny how some of this people on the board who would get so upset with some of the pessimistic people on the site are now completely jumping off the bandwagon. I just hope they don't break their ankles on that long fall.

Tomorrow's lineup should be: Rowand, Iguchi, Everett, PK, Dye, Anderson, Uribe, Widger, Crede

Sounds like we're using the excuse that we're struggling cause Pods and PK are out. We've had two seperate slumps of at least 17 consecutive innings without scoring in the last 4 games. That's absolutely pathetic.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Aug 20, 2005 -> 08:36 PM) I'm just tired of seeing their posts. If they believe it, fine, say it once, but once is plenty. Broken-record syndrome is very contagious here of late. Yeah, but the scary thing is, every game has been a broken-record. It's like every night, we say how the offense will hopefully look better the next day. Then, it gets even worse the next day. I know I'm guilty of this also, but if you don't want negative posts on this board, you might as well shut it down until the Sox win a game.