southsideirish71

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Apr 16, 2007 -> 12:27 PM) I for one, am glad that BMAC ended up in the doghouse. Danks/Masset will help us much more. Aint that the truth. I liked Brandon as much as anyone, probably because he reminded me of one of my favorite sox pitchers in build and all, Blackjack. But Danks has stones, and Masset has been good.

Well the weather should be fine this weak, and we are going up against the 28th ranked pitching in baseball. If they get shut down this series, its time to come up with another excuse because cold weather, and other associated poo wont work.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Apr 16, 2007 -> 11:12 AM) Saw those numbers this morning. Great work as always by Cheat. I know the "Quality Start" can kinda be bulls***, but be that as it may, 20 out the last 21 starts from the Santana -Sabathia combo have been Quality Starts. Incredible. Cheat did a great job putting that together. Someone in that thread also added some of Rodgers numbers from last year, which were in line with the Johan/CC production. Johan is a great pitcher, CC is a good pitcher. They are not as unbeatable as we make them out to be. We basically throw up our hands, bend over, and then talk about how great they are and how no one can hit them. Then I watch the Orioles and Drays scrap some hits and runs against Johan. And I am sure that other teams will do the same against CC. We need to man up, and attempt to get something going against these lefties. Their hands should hurt from tipping their cap so much.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Apr 16, 2007 -> 10:44 AM) The Sox now have the worst team batting average in baseball at .222 and are 13th out of 14 AL teams in scoring runs with 38 (25th overall). Doing the right thing? Okay I can give you, that driving the ball is going to be hard with the weather. But you can put the wooden bat on the ball. Watching our team strike out at such a good clip, even against Paul Bryd doesn't look like doing things right. It must be cold all the time when we face lefties. We cant hit lefties ever.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 05:02 PM) I agree, good post. How ironic that last year our offense 1st half was killin but our pitchers were letting us down. Now the situation is reversed. That said, I'll TAKE THAT any day over the former; you HAVE to think that Dye, Crede, Konerko, A.J. can't be in this slump forever. Just bad timing. But it is indeed a marathon and not a sprint and only nine games in, so I am not about to panic. In fact, the pitching thing makes me more optimistic than not. The thing that I get a kick out of the post game call in shows and the calls in shows during the week. Everyone that calls talks about bunting, we need a bunt, why are we not bunting more. Bunting to move a runner into a scoring position, I can agree one that. But what has hurt this team for a while is situational hitting. To me, when you talk about the Minnesota Twins and what a grinder is about. Its getting the runner over, by hitting the ball and puting it in play. And by being a tough out. When you get 2 strikes, you should shorten your swing, and get the bat on the ball. A strikeout gains nothing. But we saw late last year and now this year. Long looping home run cuts in situational hitting times. Its like they want to be on sportscenter or the hero. Give yourself up, hit the line drive, hit the single. Dont fall over trying to hit the ball to mars. I thought we got rid of this mentality when Valentin and Lee were let go. Yet we are here, and I see long looping home run cuts. This is what I wanted our team to work on over the ST. Not bunting. This by far comes up more during the season than the bunt does. Can you hit the ball to right side. Can you hit the ball back up the middle. Can you put the ball in play on a hit and run. Can you be a tought out, fouling off pitches. Working the pitch count. Can you hit a sac fly. These are what I consider the grinder mentality that KW talked about when he wanted to Emulate the twins. Not the popups, not the suicide shrug on the "ooh I almost got into one", not the fall over K on 2 strikes with a man on 2nd and 1 out. And not the damn bunting.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 04:46 PM) Yeah I'm not sure what Ozzie did that was so wrong when his team can't score one run--he's not the one at the plate. And he obviously managed the pitchers well. I agree, and how many times have we said this in the past two weeks: ENOUGH with the home run swings? We've all been saying it since ST, yet it continues. Hell I'd rather see bunt attempts then another deep fly to... the right fielder. Or another pop-up to end the inning. How about some opposite field hitting? Crede was the real dog of the day> His defense contributed to the loss. And then this temper setup Mack having to face CC late in the game> Our team needs to figure out how to shorten their swings. The inability to recognize the pattern of low and away and to let the ball get back more in the zone and to drive it up the middle or oppo is making for some disgusting swings. We usually have this issue in August when we try to win via the dong. This is an organizational problem for a while now. We have drafted athletic types who kill the ball. So we preach a fly open, and drive mentality instead of a line drive approach. There are a few of our hitters, the Thome's of the world that just need to let loose. You cant have Thome hitting line drives, he never really has. But the rest of them need to work on line drives. They are currently dragging their bats throught the zone and are getting beat on some bad pitching, and of course good pitching that is hittable. When you see them go to right more, is when you will see them get back on track. When Konerko hits the ball to right center he is dangerous. Sounds a lot like when Thomas was dangerous he would drive the ball to right center. We need a better overall approach to developing our prospects. I would rather see a line drive swing that makes contact, and then you can develop power. Right now look at Anderson as just another guy who comes up unprepared to hit with a big hole low and away. If he starts to shorten that swing, and go oppo more he will be better off. The pitching is fabulous. We should have only maybe 3 losses now. Our offense needs to figure out how to get its head out of its ass soon, or we will bury this team. Now before anyone quotes Minny's slow start. Is this team capable of playing 700 ball for a good part of the season, if it buries itself to catch up. Thats what Minny did last year. Wake up offense, and start to support your team.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 04:18 PM) Pay heed to these voices of reason. Here's hoping sanity will prevail sooner or later. Our guys need to go back to shortening their swings up,and concentrating on contact and line drives. They are still in long looping swing for the fence mode right now.

Ozzie is now contemplating putting Gooch in the 2 hole next week, and putting Grinderstad back down in the order. Next week we face Texas who's pitchng staff has been near the last in the league in AL in ERA. If they shut us down, then something needs to be done.

The best hit of the game is a ball driven into right as a line drive. The rest of our goofs after that are trying to pull the outside pitch. Its like one guy has no clue what the next guy is doing.

Crede's AB Low and away fastball taken for a strike Low and away changeup swung on and missed. He stepped into the bucket. High and away pitch. CC goes in. His long swing fouls it back. He goes low and away with the change. 2-2 now He takes a pitch in. Strike 3. Crede gets tossed. Nice Dont blame blue Crede, just swing the wooden thing on 2 strikes.

Holy s***, an away pitch hit into right field. We score.

Notice were Captain Cheeseburger is throwing the ball the majority of the time. Low and away, low and away, low and away. He probably saw how a crappy pitcher like Byrd shut us down, and said well I am actually a good pitcher. I may get double digit strikeouts, and maybe a no no.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 01:28 PM) Hawk making f***ing excuses for our errors. Its cold for our team only I guess.

Wasnt their a quote on whitesox.com on how they think the bats are close and they were happy with our progress. If that is the case, then they need to stop nipping at the rubbing alcohol between innings.

3 strikeouts in the inning. Just walk off the field and board the plane.

So how much longer will this comedy of offense go on before we make a coaching change for hitting. Every pitch is going away, knowing our team cant hit the outside pitch. Even DJ is talking about it now. If he can see it then what is walker doing.

Alright Crede time to f***ing hit now. If you are going to kick the ball all over you might as well pick the team up and hit the ball.

QUOTE(Felix @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 01:07 PM) Reading these posts would lead one to believe the score was 25-0 Indians. Guys, its 1-0. I know the offense hasn't looked good (well, I know they haven't sounded good), but the game is still incredibly early and we are down only one run. We are 29th in all of baseball in hitting. We just came off getitng destroyed by Byrd and his 85 mph fastballs. So yes a 2-0 lead sounds a bit difficult.

We cant put Josh Fields in at third because he commits too many errors, because we have GG Crede. That sounds funny now.

Our pitching staff must want to kick our hitters in the nuts right about now.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 12:43 PM) BA from April/May 2006 is back. Has he EVER taken an outside curveball, stayed with it and lined it over the 2B? Seriously. He tries to pull everything. You would think he would learn something from watching Rowand and Crede come through the system and have the same exact problems adjusting. This is how the entire team hits. So singling out BA for a fault that everyone has on this team is silly. Does he have a problem with low and away, sure. But so does Crede, Konerko, Dye, and the rest of the no hit bunch. They are all swinging for the concourse right now. Its time for Papa Jack or someone outside of our organization to take our hitting instruction over. They need something from outside the system, someone who teaches line drive hitting and OBP. Not swinging at everything. Firing Greg and then promoting some other lift and pull specialist from the system isnt going to work.

If they really want to build around speed and small ball you get the best in the business in contact and sign Irchiro. I would let Dye go, put Ichiro in RF. Sign Gooch. And hit them one and two.

This team would be better served with Anderson in AAA getting abs until someone gets hurt. And Eduardo Perez on the team to pound lefties and help break up the LOOGY strikeout sweep at the end of the game.

Sympathy, action are in short supply Guillen planning to give Anderson just his 2nd start Sunday By Mark Gonzales Tribune staff reporter April 14, 2007, 7:45 PM CDT CLEVELAND -- Center fielder Brian Anderson is scheduled to make his second start of the season Sunday, weather permitting. But manager Ozzie Guillen isn't feeling sorry for Anderson because his playing time has decreased with the arrival of Darin Erstad. "What happened to B.A., that's his fault," Guillen said. "We gave him the opportunity last year." Anderson lost his starting job after batting .225 last season, but the Sox believe he's still their best option as a fourth outfielder. "We went through meeting after meeting after meeting about what we had to do, and [general manager] Kenny Williams and myself said if we have to give someone a day off, Anderson is the best guy we have for that," Guillen said. "It was between Brian and the 12th [pitcher]." Guillen wasn't opposed to sending Anderson back to Triple-A Charlotte, where he could play every day. But he remains the White Sox's best defensive outfielder, and Guillen said he'll try to get him more at-bats against left-handed pitchers. "Then my question coming back again is does he have to go back to play winter ball?" Guillen said. "He needs to get some at-bats. But I don't put my nose in anymore in winter league." Anderson reluctantly went to play for LaGuaira in the Venezuelan Winter League and got sick, lost 20 pounds in less than a month and returned to the United States. "You can't make people do what they don't want to do," Guillen said. "You want to go, this is the guy you want to talk to."

QUOTE(Hawkfan @ Apr 14, 2007 -> 04:27 PM) i don't think a pinch hit would have one the game for us today, but if you're talkin about that first and third situation, you gotta believe that a veteran like erstad can come through with at least a sac fly. i'm slowly starting to not believe it though We had a control pitcher, throwing low and away. You will have a hell of a time gettin around on a low and away pitch, getting under it and lifting it for a homer to the pull side. To attack this is how the Indians hit today, how the Royals with Mike Sweeney hit Buerhle. You let the ball get deep into the zone and drive it to right center. Its about line drives. Hell we made a pitcher throwing 85 mph fastballs look like Johan today. Sad. I would like to see someone show a line drive approach when we have men on and 1 out. They were supposed to work on situational hitting, and I havent seen anything yet.