Jake

Yes, damn Buehrle for preparing KC hitters for all those fat pitches they were going to see today! If only we could have pitched a true ace at them first to get them looking for good pitches.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 3, 2008 -> 10:09 PM) I don't see how anybody could argue with Fathom on that sentiment. They are taking care of business while we are continuing our sometimes good, sometimes bad ways. Like he said, hopefully it'll change. In the past week, absolutely they have played better. For I'm not sure what time period, they arguably have played better. However, as for the entire season they are a mere half game better than us and to argue that they are absolutely head and shoulders better than us is a total discredit to all of our accomplishments thus far this season. We have been hampered by a few injuries and big time slumps, not to mention played I believe 10 more road games than the Twins. Despite all this, our records are almost identical. The bottom line is that we are far more talented than the Twins. If we play like we are able to and they do the same, we will win this division easily. Edit: greg775 this post is not aimed directly at you but rather the whole of soxtalkers jumping ship. Can we lose this thing? Suer can. I just hope our players don't feel the same way as all of you, or we indeed are in serious trouble. However, since they are athletes and are naturally competitive, I trust they haven't laid down because they know as I do that we can win this thing because it is ours to win with the tools that we have on our team.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 3, 2008 -> 10:38 PM) Here's the problem with how we handled Fields this year. AAA is full of pitchers with mediocre fastballs. Hell, if you want a guy to see good fastballs in the minors, AA is the league to go to. My brother recently saw 6 straight games started by pitchers who threw slower than 88 mph against the Durham Bulls. It is strange, not only lots of mediocre fastballs, but veterans throwing them. You don't see nearly the amount of soft-tossing journeymen in AA.

I do not think Richard is a lost cause at all, and even though developmentally it would be best for him to go work on what hurt him up here down in AAA, he can absolutely get out Major League hitters. As a matter of fact, I think some coaching could potentially fix his problems. Today he couldn't locate, leaving lots of pitches over the plate. For some reason, many young pitchers start throwing only fastballs when they start to get hit. I have experienced this personally, there is no sound thought process to this happening but you could see it he becomes a one pitch pitcher, sometimes even when he is doing well. An emphasis on locating and changing up pitch sequences could go a long way for Clayton, no need to give up on him in the long term. As far as Poreda, it would be very interesting to see him get a start with the big league club while the Count tries to solve AAA hitters. He certainly has the fastball and I'm curious to see how his other offerings have progressed. If he succeeds, he could become an asset in the pen as the long man and perhaps a fill-in if Jose completely implodes or another starter goes down for some reason. However, I would not let him take multiple shellackings like we have with Richard, because sending him to the big club could very well cripple his development if not handled delicately.

The more I see Fields play this season and see his AAA numbers, the more I feel like last year was a fluke. Watching last year, it was amazing to see Fields put up the numbers he did with what seemed to be an inability to hit a decent fastball.

Big Jim and Gavin. Would have considered Carrasco if he could fight better than my grandmother.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Aug 3, 2008 -> 09:49 PM) There are Sox fans on this board, and there are self absorb posters who are fans of themselves. They would rather be right then have the team win. I'm with you Tex, and even though they may never realize it or admit it, there are many posters who will take great pleasure in telling us "I told you so!"

I think Carrasco was simply missing high and in. No one in their right mind would throw three pitches so near a guy's face on purpose. If he really wanted to hit him, he would have done more than smack the top of his head during the brawl.

There's no reason to give up on this team. A short stay in second place may be a nice wake up call for these guys, not to mention the beatings they took the past 2 days.

I think Clayton Richard will be with the big club eating innings successfully before long. He absolutely can do it, but just like Buehrle and everyone else, he can't throw pitches right over the middle of the plate. As mentioned in the broadcast, he definitely wasn't throwing so many fat pitches in the minors or his fate would have been similar.

I hope my new avvy makes CQ have a good day.

QUOTE (JFields27 @ Aug 3, 2008 -> 12:54 PM) I still think Fields should be out there. Yeah Uribe's glove is "fantastic" and what ever else, but it was just pointless in calling up Josh if he was just gonna keep Uribes buffet seat warm. I think Josh's play may have screwed him out of a starting spot next year.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Aug 3, 2008 -> 10:12 AM) Its a running joke. One Mod locks it for his distaste in the thread, the other unlocks it to piss the other mod off Seems like a nice thread to me.

Why is this thread almost always locked?

QUOTE (Karko's Throat Skin @ Aug 3, 2008 -> 08:55 AM) So after this year, who won't be returning to the Sox? Crede, Thome, Griffey Jr, Cabrera? Others? Thome's option vests with about 30 more games.

Hopefully Clayton gets both good defense and good luck this time out. He has pitched a lot better than the stats say. I'd like to see him get his first win and then help us in the pen from here on out. If he does well today, management will really shorten the leash on Contreras's 3-inning beatings.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 10:12 PM) One of the Sox articles on chicagosports. I'm pretty sure PK has sucked against Greinke in his career. So since PK has sucked against Greinke in his career and in general this season, we bench Thome and play PK?

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 11:04 PM) Looks like no Thome on Sunday, with Griffey Jr. at DH. per?

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 10:15 PM) I find it sort of funny the talk about how the Sox "don't deserve" to be in first right now. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Sox are currently on one of their longest road trips of the season right now, while Minny has been getting comfortable at home. They lost today, on the road, to a team better than the Indians. The Twins, already seeing the Sox had lost today, blew a huge game, AT HOME, against the worst team in the Central. However, they apparently are the ones that belong in first. Interesting. ^^^^ People acting like we don't deserve to have won more games than Minnesota. Edit: Lost less.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 08:58 PM) Sox dodged a bullet there....thanks Indians It's nice to stay in first place, but a day out of first place in not the end of our season, contrary to the feeling of some posters on this board. As a matter of fact, the harsh reality of second place could be a nice motivator to get our game in gear.

QUOTE (JFields27 @ Jul 29, 2008 -> 09:33 PM) yeah apparently the only way to compete in the league now is getting 3 big pieces to put on the court KG-Allen-Pierce Yao-Artest-McGrady Noah-Deng-Rose ..... eh eh? That makes me feel worse than I already thought we were.

Some players may have been affected but aren't on super close injury watch like Griffey and simply played through a lingering cramp.

QUOTE (Winning Ugly @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 05:51 PM) GREAT F'ING COACHING OZZIE! I can see why Griff and OC had to leave, but why Quentin?? As far as that goes, Quentin's replacement started the rally with a HR.

QUOTE (robin23 @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 04:35 PM) juan was a fighter that at bad but we needed him to get it done This post showed up at least 30 seconds before he struck out on my tv.

QUOTE (Winning Ugly @ Aug 2, 2008 -> 04:33 PM) STAY IN THERE URINE!!! Maybe you should try Flomax.