BamaDoc

using data from espn, the sox are 18th of 30 in home attendance. (1,668,220) avg 27.4k A bigger surprise to me is that only Toronto and Kansas City are worse road draws than we are. Do road teams get half the gate? KW mentioned better walk up. Since the begining of Aug, 7 of 8 crowds were greater than 30k so maybe he was right. There were good teams to draw so this week vs KC and Balt should show if it continues. I bring this up since the Sox claim to operate on a budget. Better crowds and winning may mean better toys!

I will chip in with the typical retrospective analysis that since we did not score, it was absolutely totally incomprehensible not to do a suicide squeeze in that situation because since we didn't try it I know it would have worked..........green

I wish pride was enough to motivate all players. I hope playing games in the second half that matter, instead of knowing you have no playoff chance, will bring out his best.

Or is it his job to execute?

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 07:16 PM) The new edition of JPNese is in, I'll continue to take requests here for next week's blog. Great to meet you in Birmingham. Nice article on CJ. He looks thick for a secondbaseman, like a Glen Hubbard. Not saying fat just thick. Seemed to move decent. Did I notice some kind of knee brace on the left?

A Club and can of whoopa##. No they are good people. I think they are going to try to get Sandberg to sign a ball. I just wish all our players from the begining of the year were hear to put a beating on the baby scrubs.

My son and a friend are at the Birmingham baseball showcase this weekend and we plan on catching the game Sat. Anyone going, I may need help his friend and dad are Cub fans!

QUOTE (Springfield SoxFan @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 04:12 PM) Hi all, I'm driving the family to Disney next weekend and convinced my wife that we should go through Birmingham so we can see the Barons, I'll be there on Saturday night. If anyone has any interesting tips of has any idea as to whom might be pitching, it would be appreciated. I was born in Springfield way back in 1962. Now live in Alabama and may be going to the game that night. What is your story?

At the break I had a thread stating our performance this month would indicate where we are as contenders. I am neither a sunshine pumper or doom and gloomer but this is not a world series caliber team. We might win a weak division but I don't want to mortgage the future for a playoff birth. If you truly want to win it all, I think you sell veterans who don't fit beyond the next two years like Pods, Dotel, Contreras, Thome possibly Dye and Konerko and Jenks for any decent prospect package or payroll savings and sign our last couple over slot draft picks.

Does anyone have stats on Clayton Richard the first time thru the lineup. That would give some idea of his relief ability. Our pen has been less than stellar of late.

Totally agree just saying he has done his job.... now thru six. It does bother me how the ESPN announcer were creaming over Porcello while he was hit early and Richard was hitting 94 and hardly getting talked about and much more effective.

First off congrats to the young man for now pitching well twice in a row after struggling. (Only 1 run thru five vs eight righthanded tigers). Also as much grief as we have been giving, congrats to Ozzie and Coop for helping/sticking with him. I know I would have had him in the pen. He still looks great first time or two thru the lineup. If he goes to the pen, he should help. ESPN is postulating that Colon stays in rotation.

I have gone back and forth as to wether we should be buyers or sellers. I struggle with a make the playoffs and hope vs clear cut world series contender. I think many understand there can be a difference. My greatest fear was treading water and getting nothing done. No playoff run and no addition of promising youngsters. I really looked at our schedule until the trading deadline. 16 games in 15 days before the 31st is up with the last sets of 4 home Tampa Bay 4 in 3 days at Detroit 3 at Minnesota 2 home Yankees(third post July 31st) I think that schedule will show what we are and may explain why we added a reliever already in a trade.

Looks like Marquez tired. No runs first three innings. 37 of 58 pitches were strikes. Hopefully improves.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jun 13, 2009 -> 07:25 PM) The Sox have 3 options with Dye. Option 1- Trade him to a contender for minor league prospects. The question with this option is, with Dye's age and his mutual option, would we get much back for him? Option 2- Take the option at 12 million. This is something i just can't see happening in the current state of the Sox and in the economy in general. We saw a big decrease in pay for free agents this year. Option 3- Decline his option and sign him to a new restructered deal. He could very well be our new DH. I actually see option 3 the most likely. Why trade Dye for crappy prospects? I could see Dye re-signed for a 3 year 21 million deal. Dye could easily be the new DH going forward. SO far, he is showing no signs of decline offensively which is encouraging. I agree to an extent. If his contract is bought out can you still offer him arbitration to gain draft picks? Also, the link in the arbitration post indicates you can cut a free agent >80%. I agree that he could still have a future here as DH. This would be good as I think he would be a good mentor for young players(as would Thome Konerko I just don't see all three here next year). In a trade he could impact not only by prospects which would depend on if any salary picked up, but also if cash saved is applied to signing some of the tough draft choices. The sox actually seem to follow a budget so perhaps savings in one area could be applied in another.

QUOTE (TLAK @ Jun 13, 2009 -> 04:44 PM) (3) The club's salary offer to a player under its control may not be less than 80% of the player's total compensation from the prior year, and may not be less than 70% of his compensation from 2 years earlier. These rules, however, do not apply to free agents who are offered arbitration. Read more: http://baseball.suite101.com/article.cfm/h...0IKFp4wJS&C So in this case the sox could offer someone such as Thome more than a 20 percent cut. This gets to my second part, if the arbitrator ruled in the players favor can the club just cut the player? It wouldn't quite seem fair but I am wondering. Edit sorry I see this is addressed later in the link. You could cut him owing 30-45 days pay depending on when cut. Thanks for link.

How does the mutual option for 12 million in 2010 work? I assume both sides(mutual) must agree but if not does he become a free agent or can the sox offer arbitration and keep draft pick compensation in the equation?

I can't find the rules on arbitration. I am interested in how much can a salary be cut and if a team is unhappy with the arbitration result can they release the player or are they obligated for that ammount.

Thats what I was looking for guys. Thanks

On some sports site I found a link to a Jack Mcdowell blog but I can't find it now. He was commenting on the baseball album and Yankee Flipper and secondly on pitching philosophy which I am trying to find for a friend. Someone please help. Thanks in advance

My understanding is that he is a free agent to be after this year. He is valued by Seatle like a one yet has never pitched 200 innings in a season. It looks like he missed a turn recently. What would it take, what would you give? What would his rank as a free agent be ie draft compensation or with his history what would it take to sign?

QUOTE (beck72 @ May 24, 2009 -> 01:53 PM) It's pretty clear that Fields can't keep hitting the way he is and start for the sox. The question then becomes "who's next to play 3b"? Betemit's Uribe without the power or glove. . That would mean he is fat?

I am also getting multiple levels at once. 1) Denial our offense can't suck this much! it is injuries/slumps wait till it warms up! 2) Anger It does suck this much! 3) Bargaining it could still be entertaining with vet dump and shiny prospects acquisition, prospect callups 4) Depression no trades, no life, vets numbers drop, potential prospects acquired dull, prospects up struggle 5) Acceptance ugh, ten months to spring training where I move back to step one

So happy to be wrong!

I think Betemit for Thome here