Wanne

Better than most bunt attempts laid down this year.

I guess a lot would depend on the return. Personally...I'd HATE to see Joe go. But what if he and Freddy could net you say ARod since he's like the bastard stepchild in NY anymore. I think KW is gonna shoot big this off-season. I'd love to see names in the mix for coming here are: Bedard, Schmidt, ARod or Tejada. Pipedreams I know...but I think ARod and Tejada would be very getable...especially if ARod has a crap postseason again.

Like Jico said...the lineup changes got to the point of being ridiculous. I really didn't have problems losing games to the Yanks, Twins or Tigers for the most part. Some were very winnable games. The games that stick in my head where the Sox have blown it are losing games to the DRays, KC, Cleveland...teams like that. Just between those 3 teams....there's your difference in the standing right now.

QUOTE(3 BeWareTheNewSox 5 @ Sep 19, 2006 -> 12:40 PM) "So you're telling me there's a chance!" I know it's ova, but we have to make it fun for those who have tickets to this week's game. I was thinking about it as I couldn't sleep over Sox disappointment. The Wild Card is the target, 4.5 back of Minnesota. We have 9 games to make up at least 2 games on the Twins before we face them. Not impossible. Pitching is getting better, hitting sucks, but who knows. I'd at least like to see them go down with a fight Don't get too excited there Hoss.....remember....

QUOTE(greg775 @ Sep 19, 2006 -> 01:53 AM) The Sox are as done as a steak cooked by a 12 year on dad's grill. We should all make our own proclamations If the Sox make the playoffs I will .... -- donate 1,000 bucks to my favorite charity. We'll hold ya to that! Yer money's pretty safe though.

Anybody catch Eric Neel's rant. He calls the Sox Dead Team Walking. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...mp;lid=tab1pos2

What critic said! I'd like to be in...but ever since the All-Star break...this team has underachieved tremendously and just seemed to go through the motions with every series it seemed like. Every single person on here has waited for them to put some sort of streak together for the past 3 months and it just hasn't happened. From Ozzies ridiculous lineups and pen handling...to the disappearance of Thome...everything has gone wrong for this team. I agree 100% with Hawk...they just weren't hungry this year. My fear now is they'll fall back to a mediocre pretender for the next 5 years. They've missed a great opportunity to vault this franchise into a power.

This game pretty much typified the Sox second half of the season in a nutshell. Same s*** different day. To tell you the truth...what's sad is losing a game like this to a pretty decent team shouldn't be that bad. I'm still stewing on the fact of pissing away games in the past couple of weeks to teams like Tampa and KC...and in part Cleveland. Honestly...this team should be in first by about 3 or 4 games. It's going to be a very long off season. Thank god the Bears have started and basketball is right around the corner. Like fathom said too...looking forward to Pods last game as a Pale Hose as well. I'm still having a hard time figuring how people think Pierre would be an upgrade of Podsdergen?

One of the things the Count did tonight...and hopefully getting back into the routine of doing is sticking with the splitter. Last year, in the entire second half...his splitter was the out pitch...and for some reason after the all star break he seemed to get away from it. As Count's splitter goes...so does his success. He needs to stick with it.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Sep 10, 2006 -> 09:59 AM) We really need a Mike MacDougal Appreciation Thread. He's been awesome with holding down this bullpen. That's turning into a great move in hindsight by KW. Big Time addition. Thank god he's finally getting some quality time now...especially now when he's needed. Seems he wasn't given too many chances earlier. That was the only second guess I had the other night when AJs walkoff...was Mac finishing. He dominated the eighth. Great pick up!

I don't think it'd be halarious if the Tigers flop. Me personally...I hate ALL THINGS MINNESOTA....Twins and Viqueens. Plus...the Sox match up better with Detroit. For you guys pulling for Minnesota...I'd think again.

This is the guy that everybody clamors for being in the rotation next year?!? Wow! Tell ya what...I'll gladly include him in a package for Crawford.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 08:39 PM) Yaz, Catfish, Jim Rice, and Freddie Lynn were in WWII? Please don't make this game interesting Boone. A slight exaggeration obviously. We've heard Hawk's stories forever. Not that they're bad...just nice to get some more up to date ones.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 08:28 PM) Am I the only one who enjoys the stories Black Jack tells more than Hawk, as they stories are about more recently players that we might actually care about? You can also tell that DJ has a definite friendship with McDowell. If Iguchi can get on, then Dye can get his try at the cycle w/o going back on the field. Very refreshing....as opposed to grandpa tellin WWII stories.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 07:36 PM) Some excellent swings by the Sox tonight. Love the goin' the other way! One quick observation about Gooch on the bases. I noticed he carries his gloves in his left hand when on base. Wouldn't you want to carry them in your right hand so you don't jam you right fingers.

Great approach at the plate by Gooch tonight!

Nice play Gooch!

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 05:36 PM) Obviously the bat flip. Cmon' now, be objective -- if a hated opposing player hit a game-winning HR, then proceeded to watch it, slowly trot towards first base, then flip his bat 10 feet in the air, don't you think our team would be upset? I realize how important the moment was. It could potentially be the game which we look back on and cite as our turnaround. Any other player and I guarantee reaction would be different. It's like pouring sulfuric acid on an open wound. AJ's reputation precedes him; and when events such as yesterdays occur, players on a losing ballclub can't be too happy. It's as simple as that. When retaliation occurs, no one should be shocked. Like I said...AJ can't fart without being blamed for something. Great moment...great reaction from an emotional player. Any of these teams that b**** about AJ would take him on their squad in a heartbeat...kind of like what it was around here. I still don't see the flip as being such a slap in the face. Especially when you get people like Manny that hits a dinger...flips his bat and stands there like an asswipe watchin' it for 5 seconds...and that's on almost every dinger he hits. I just don't think AJ was showing anybody up...and didn't stand there watchin' it. I still think it's gonna be on tonight. QUOTE(SoxAce @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 05:40 PM) ^^^^^^^^^ I was actually happy that the Twins did it basically because AJ came out of their their organization and was basically taught better than that. They play the game the right way. Is that you Ozzie?

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 05:30 PM) That's true, but since he hit it towards center field, you had to know it wasn't one of his big swings that he gets off the end of the bat. Ever notice on a lot of HRs by AJ (the ones he does hit anyway)...or even solid line drives...he really doesn't have much of a follow through on his swings after contact. btw...on Hawk's call...took him a while to get goin' on it...but best "MERCY" of the year!

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 04:56 PM) He deserves to get drilled. I love him for what he did, but won't be pissed when it happens. Who knows how Guillen, or the umpires, will act. The worst situation would be for Pierzynski to be drilled, and immediately umpires warn both benches -- thus removing the inside plate from Garland. Regardless, I wouldn't mind extra baserunners early. Maybe it'll unravel Carmona. What did he do in your mind?...for hitting the HR or the bat flip? I read a few Cleveland boards that were pissin and moanin about it. I honestly don't see what he did that was wrong. I'm personally sick of all these crybabies using any excuse they can to hate AJ. The dude can't fart without being blamed for it being in somebody's general direction. You are exactly right though...AJ gets drilled and the umps will warn Ozzie. Hopefully will have no effect on whether Jon pitches inside or not. I hope if this is how it plays out...Ozzie makes the point to let the umps know his pitcher still has the right to pitch inside.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 04:24 PM) And thank the baseball gods that AJP didn't get the bunt down. That's a nice way to put it fathom. Very true...but I probably would have said..."thank the baseball gods AJP can't but worth a crap....". Still blows me away he went down and got not that bad of an 0-2 pitch.

I have a feeling today's game could get ugly...and say there's probably a 95% chance that AJ gets drilled in his first at bat. I wonder how Ozzie will deal with that.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 01:47 PM) After every game the game thread is moved to the Archives: 2006 Season in Review so you can go back and find any game thread from the '06 season in there. Thanks man!

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Sep 9, 2006 -> 11:53 AM) You know what, if you want to discuss it then do so, just knock this s*** off. If you truely believe any of this s*** to be the case then you didn't read the game thread in the top of the 9th last night. Which poses a question for me Kalapse. I was watching but to disgusted to get back on line but went on after the game to see what everybody was saying. Where do the game threads go so quick? Overall...though to second guess the 9th IMO. I think my only second guess would have been to send Mac back out there after mowin em down in the eighth. He was loose...in a rythm and looked good. I was a little nervous knowing Bobby hadn't pitched in a while coming off a hip tweak.

I'll give Ozzie his due for maintaning the chemistry portion of the team...which was very important last year. But this year...how can you not see he's made some really boneheaded moves at times...maybe just out of shear stubborness or like someone said...his dumb as a fox mentality. Between sticking with Pods too long...handling of the bullpen...and sticking Mack in CF...geez-us...theorectically it's probably cost us at least 6 or 7 games.