Jake

Rip taking control!

Looking better, Philly not playing over their heads anymore. Ball movement getting better on offense.

You don't like walk-offs? Guess who's coming:

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 4, 2012 -> 09:05 PM) I still don't see how this is a rebuild year with so many veterans on the team. Contributing veterans. It's a rebuild in the sense that you're going to have to hold out for some unlikely things to happen. Some have -- Dunn, Peavy, Rios, maybe Gordon But some more have to happen -- 5th starter, closer (I guess we took care of that), Morel/magically appearing third baseman The predictable things of contributing Paulie, AJ, de Aza being serviceable, Humber-Gavin being good have happened. Maybe Danks will turn it around. And then you need Thornton to be a great setup man like he has been, Danks to be at least an above average SP, Alexei to have his warm weather recovery, things we expected to go right have to go right

QUOTE (fathom @ May 4, 2012 -> 09:04 PM) This is a good post, but if they're so intent on rebuilding, then Flowers should be getting a hell of a lot more at bats Is AJ too important in the development of the pitching staff to do that?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 4, 2012 -> 09:03 PM) 3, Baltimore at home, at Oak, at DET It really doesn't matter really, we don't have a chance to be competitive anyway without Sale in the starting rotation. I'm ready for Axelrod to channel some late-career Greg Maddux

It is clear that Ventura is willing to lose games to develop his young players. He was willing to throw Hector into the fire to the detriment of the team's record and he is staying true to the plan of keeping Reed out of the closer's role indefinitely. He's willing to sacrifice wins for the long term health of Sale. He was willing to sacrifice wins to see if we have anything in Beckham, Morel, Viciedo. Random s*** has to go right to win in a "rebuild" year like this. So far all the predictable things have gone wrong.

Shame on Kenny for not starting Chris Sale in the minors when we're all in. Shame on Kenny for not bringing in a bonafide closer to a rebuilding team so that we would not be a rebuilding team. If we were going to win this year, someone who hadn't been a closer was going to have to close. That's just how it goes sometimes, the Rays do it every year.

On the bright side, we outplayed these p*****s tonight. Let's get 'em tomorrow and we'll know who to pitch in the 9th

This is why I don't like one pitch pitchers closing games

If this doesn't inspire us, I don't know what will!

Pesky son of a b****

I can't believe he can walk on it if it's a big injury. I also can't believe it could bend that much and not be a catastrophic injury. We'll see what happens, but we have no depth to lose a player on the frontline

hey hey Thornton!

oh no. that hurt a lot to see. I'll be shocked if he's okay. unbelievable that he's walking!!

no. no no. no.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 4, 2012 -> 08:47 PM) Weird when I'm more optimistic than you are about his chances. I don't feel hopeless about him, but his swing plane just doesn't seem conducive to consistent, line drive kind of contact.

I still feel like Gordon is on the verge of a case of the pop 'em up's

QUOTE (fathom @ May 4, 2012 -> 08:41 PM) Fukudome's had decent ABs with minimal results. I agree. Bench isn't that bad.

GORDON BECKHAM WILL NOT BE STOPPED and by gordon beckham, I meant Brent Lillibridge

oops x2

Valverde sucks, but this means they feel pretty confident about the back end of our bullpen.

Need to see a crisper offense in the second half. I wish they'd start Lucas, honestly. Maybe CJ can get his s*** together.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 4, 2012 -> 08:34 PM) I can't believe you guys preferred a reliever to Peavy there. You can't believe it? I don't mind the call, but the default coaching move there is obviously not the starter with 120 pitches and a recently repaired right arm.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ May 4, 2012 -> 08:33 PM) would've liked to have seen him throw another changeup with the count in his favor like that. oh well. That was supposed to come after the up and out of the zone fastball.