Kalapse

Thome was seen in the dugout today with a helmet on taking swings, which means he was likely available to pinch hit. Also according to Bruce Levine Thome has told Ozzie today that he was ready to play. I guess the drills Thome runs tomorrow will decide his fate. He last played on the 26th so if he hits the DL he'd be available to play again on May 12th if I'm not mistaken

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 07:06 PM) I love when Jimmy hits those somewhat rare homers into left center bleachers. They happen once in a while and are pretty to see. As big as he is, I'm surprised he doesn't take the ball over the fence that way more. -- Our slumbering offense woke up in the nick of time late in today's game. Thank goodness. Nice win. That's funny because Thome's 34 HR from last year break down like this: LF/LF-CF = 11 CF = 4 RF/RF-CF = 19 So he hit 32% of his HR last season to either left or left center field. As for this season he's gone the other way with 3 out of 4. Also, 11 of his 35 from '07 were sent the other way, 7 were to center and 18 were pulled.

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 03:52 PM) I never suggested that Jim start bunting for singles, but I do want to see him cut down on the Ks and the GiDP. He set a new career high in GiDP last season and he's got a good chance to be the all-time leader in Ks when his career ends. Jim is a terrific hitter and I think he's got the talent to be a more productive player. I will always believe that it's each player's job to help the team win more than anything else. I don't know how you got: "Jim Thome should bunt for singles" from that statement, DA. So those DP numbers don't look like an anomaly to you? He reaches double digits in DPs for the 5th time in his career last season and all of a sudden it's a problem that he needs to correct? He's in the top 10 all time in not hitting into double plays, his 17 last season don't worry me in the least. Thome is going to do what he's going to do. HR, BB, K, base hits into left center, HR all over the damn place and ground balls to the right side. He's not going to cut his Ks in half and become a singles hitter in his 19th big league season. Somehow I doubt he's worried about his place on the all time K list and I'm sure the same went for Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell and Mike Schmidt.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 06:35 PM) Jordan Danks Maybe 2 years from now.

See what happens when Wilson Betemit gets ABs?

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 12:08 AM) I feel like Lillibridge is still going to get the majority of the starts against LHP. Ozzie was asked about Getz facing lefties the other day, and he said it's not something that's going to happen very often. Yeah because Getz's 7 major league ABs against left handed pitching (3 hits by the way) is proof enough to Ozzie that he can't f***ing handle them, right? That's just stupid.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 29, 2009 -> 12:05 AM) I said earlier...he'd be a great September call-up. As a 25 man roster player, it's an absolute joke. The problem is that we have 3 of these types right now (Lill, Owens, Broadway). The talent level on this team is pretty scary right now with Getz/Thome out. Well luckily it looks like Getz will be in the lineup tomorrow and Thome probably Friday.

Just to illustrate my point about Lillibridge I looked it up. Some times he just goes up to the plate hoping he gets walked, puts the bat on his shoulder and doesn't make himself at all dangerous, it's like he clicks it off. This isn't going to work when you're a terrible hitter, pitchers who are capable of throwing strikes are going to get the ball over and you're going to make an easy out. 8 walks this year: 4-0 Liriano 4-0 Humber 4-3 Perry (absolutely no control but Lillibridge did foul one pitch off) 4-0 Kazmir 4-2 Balfour (didn't swing) 4-1 Nelson (didn't swing) 4-1 Garza (didn't swing) 4-0 Hernandez

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 11:49 PM) Anorexei is looking a little better at the plate for sure. He's looking better but I wouldn't call that "heating up" I'd call it "not atrocious, begging to be benched".

QUOTE (BearSox @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 11:45 PM) Personally, I got no problem with Lillibridge as a bench player. He's got good speed, and plays solid D at 2B and can play SS as well as CF or LF. He's also walked at a decent rate this year. His problem at bat is that he's trying to act as some power hitter. If someone could convince him to go with the pitches more often and develop more of a line drive swing, he could be a some-what decent hitter, and not god awful as he is now. Like that one ball he hit tonight, he hit it well and it would have been a homer for Q, Dye, or PK, but Lillibridge just doesn't have the power to be taking swings like those. As for Owens... well, yeah, I think everyone knows how I feel about him. He was drawing walks because he wasn't trying to drive the ball, you can tell when he's looking for a walk and when he's trying to hit the ball out, rarely does he put together a good AB and end up with a walk. He's also employed the "don't swing until you get a strike approach" which has led to 3 or 4 4-0 walks which just isn't going to happen in the future.

Alexei is 2 for his last 10 and had one of the worst ABs of his career today, he has no business hitting second. With that said, Fields has no business hitting 2nd either and needs to be moved out of there tomorrow.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 08:05 PM) Is it any wonder that another game with AJP behind the plate, and another terrible performance by our pitcher? Corky Miller's CERA is 1.70 in his 37 innings behind the plate this season. As for AJ, well lets just say it's over 5.50.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 08:00 PM) This umpire is a f***ing joke....someone on Sox is going to get tossed. This is just terrible. Danks is in for a LONG night at this rate.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 07:41 PM) On the bench. Oh, my God. Anderson is leading off. Never thought this day would happen. When your other options are Brent Lillibridge and Jerry Owens, Brian starts to look damn good especially given his past success against Felix.

I like to come from a position of optimism but I see absolutely nothing in Jeff Marquez.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 07:12 PM) 7:11 Anderson leading off. PK DH, Betemit at 1B. Is it weird that I approve of this? Anderson is either going to hit a bomb or K vs Hernandez (2 for 5 w/ 2 HR & 3 K all time vs Felix), that's more than I can say for Lillibridge.

Edge James got cut today.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 06:33 PM) Very nice to win first game of DH. Not sure how we won with the one inning of getting a runner and Bettancourt/Balentien's near 3 run homers. We stole this one, for sure.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 06:16 PM) ? How do you define "A key home run"? I believe we're currently winless in homerless games. Yeah and that means what, exactly? Quentin hits a solo home run in the 7th inning of a 5-0 game. Those first 5 runs are negated by a solo job when the game was pretty much out of reach.

What a horrible AB for Alexei. Talk about looking clueless at the plate, that was just dreadful.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 06:14 PM) BUT WE HAVEN'T HOMERED!!!! The Sox have won more than a few games this year without a key home run, this is something that will be ignored by most.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Apr 28, 2009 -> 06:12 PM) Advanced scouting reports. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly Mike Gellinger brings to the table.

Wow, that was possibly the best pitch Thornton's thrown in his life. I'm not sure it gets any better than that.

I'd hit Brian 4th in game 2.

The Sox have 2 hits