nitetrain8601

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 05:53 PM) I'm sure they will consider that. Esspecially with Viciedo waiting in the wings if it wouldn't work out. I honestly wouldn't mind Pods as long as they brought in another power hitting OF like Dunn. Who else would be available?

QUOTE (b-Rye @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 04:58 PM) Thats why he needs to be fired.... the vets haven't hit since 05. This team hits more lazy popouts in one game than any other team does in a week. They need to make adjustments because pitchers get scouting reports and hitters have to make adjustments so they're not getting pounded with a pitch they can't or in there redzone. There ABs are crap for being so talented.. I think that falls on either the scouts and/or Walker, probably a combination of both. QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 05:09 PM) The thing is the vets have hit. Dye has played above his career levels, Paulie has been relatively consistent while healthy, Thome has been what he is for an aging slugger. AJ is having a career year and had always played up to his career levels. Vets hit really well in '06. In '07, we hit an injury bug. In '08, a lot of our guys slumped. AJ didn't even hit as good as he has this year. Dye was probably the most consistent even though you could tell his bat speed had slowed down. Overall though, this year, minus PK and AJ, our guys have seen regression.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 04:51 PM) Vets need to be in pretty long slumps before they tend to go to the hitting coach. I just mean with approaches. "Hey Jim, they have the shift on, get the barrel of the bat closer to your chess and try to go the other way. Hey JD, loosen up on that swing. Don't swing for power, just swing. Hey PK, don't be such a mental midget, take your approach and don't start trying to overthink yourself. It's not like I'm asking him to tell them to change the batting stance, though it worked with Uribe when Hriniak helped him.

QUOTE (Pumpkin Escobar @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 03:22 PM) I'm glad you touched back on the Jenks thing. I've been for dealing him but we missed our boat. We could've sold high on him. Didnt. Now closers are less valuable in trades, teams are reluctant to deal prospects, Jenks stands to make a lot of money and the teams will have health concerns and now guys like Papelbon are potentially available too. Jenks value will be moderate this offseason. If you can get a Bourn for him, or package up something for a Crawford - please do it. One thing I doubt but that could be appealing is making a package around him for Melky or Cano. With Rivera getting up there - why not? I think the Sox are better off with Getz or Beckham or Alexei at 2B. Cano will get expensive soon. I think we also need to deal Jenks. I say PK as well because he is getting older, he has the hip thing going on, and to me, and to me he hates when people talk about the club (OC last year, Swisher goofing off, Pods irritated him yesterday)

I'd take Brees over Rivers if it was just for one year, but if we're talking about what QB would I start a franchise with excluding any potential rookies, it's going to be Rivers everytime. He is a douche though. I'll still take him over Romo and I'm a Cowboys fan.

Apparently, an article I think it was, came out and stated Walker doesn't handle the vets, just the new guys coming up. So with guys like AJ, Thome, Dye, PK, it's all on them. Walker handles guys like Getz, Alexei, Fields, Beckham(though I wouldn't tinker with him at all), Quentin, and god knows about Rios. I'd say, although I'd like to see Walker fired, he's done somewhat decent. I think there is better out there though. And I want a hitting coach who isn't afraid to coach older guys. Bring back Hriniak.

Kots don't got the speed!

The only thing I don't like about Ozzie is he plays the Righty/Lefty Lefty/Righty matchup too much and does not let stats get in his way of telling a story, even if it tells him flat out he's putting a player in a position to succeed, be it pitcher or hitter. Other than that, he's a great manager, great at taking the blame, great at making sure his players don't get manhandled by the media. Honestly, there's not much better out there.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 02:10 PM) Ideally I'd like some fresh blood at DH and send them both packing. I agree. It may be time to move both.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 02:06 PM) Why do people keep mentioning PK being gone? He's under contract. Trade. He's getting up there and his value would probably be best after this season. Maybe he'll retire a White Sox, but I honestly can see KW being pissed and trading him too.

QUOTE (Pumpkin Escobar @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 10:58 AM) I hate to be down on this team because theyre so good on paper and I still have that hope they run off 9 in a row and then sweep the Tigers to take the thing but there is no way they bounce back from what happened this week. The teams we lost to last week and how we've lost the games this week by just blowing up is going to be too much to overcome. I think KW and AJ are right. I was one of the people who openly supported a firesale 2 years ago after 2006 when we won 90 and didnt make the playoffs. I figured Detroit and Minnesota would both hover around 90 wins+ and we'd finish third with our fading bunch of veterans and needed to sell them for youth because of the shape of our farm at that time. We lucked out and finished way worse than third - netting us Beckham. Danks and Floyd have obviously emerged to become very good players. Quentin, if he is healthy, can hopefully join that mix. Last season was a blast. The new acquisitions this year of Peavy and Rios have backed me off Kenny for being a blithering idiot and not getting youth for our veterans because he managed to do it without dealing them and I didnt think it was possible. But at this point. It's sink or swim for our vets. I dont care what Thome's OPS, I don't care that Jermaine Dye was hitting close to .300 until the All-Star break and I certainly don't give two flying tummy tucks about Jenks or anyone in that bullpen (minus Matty). If this team doesn't take this thing - then their run has ended. They no longer need or want to be here. Their is no passion out of these guys. Say what you want about Ozzie or young players but you needthat fire. Dye, Kong, Thome are too professional, too emotionless, and just seem dead right now. Maybe they don't care, maybe theyre worn down because theyre old, I don't know. I will say this. I watched David Ortiz, a guy who gets the same treatment as Thome with the shift, try to bunt the ball away from that shift last night. Maybe I am wrong again but I don't think I've ever seen Jim Thome try and even present that he was thinking about doing it. Not Jim Thome - I'm going to hit 600 homers. I don't show bunt so that it festers in the back of someones mind. And same goes for Dye. It's like this Rios thing has made him even worse because he feels like he deserves better. Play for you life - like a guy like Podsednik is doin. If you told me one of those two are coming back next season then I want Podsednik. Dye is playing like Carlos Lee did here when he refused to play for the team. Last night he pulled his head out on every swing trying to hit a homer. Put the damn ball in play. Sorry for the rant. Needed to be said. Get rid of these bums if they dont step up. Plain and simple. Agreed. These guys are waaaaaaaaaay too passive, especially PK who basically called Scotty Pods out for saying they need more intensity. Ozzie agreed with Pods, but said, "Don't say, do it". PK basically said intensity gets you no where, they need to execute and play their game and everything will take care of itself. I don't like that line of thinking. Sometimes you have to make things happen with a simple base hit, maybe lay down a bunt. Anything. And I think guys like Thome, Dye, and PK are the reason why a guy like Orlando Cabrera was an outcast for the team. They didn't like the fact that he tried to be a leader and talk about playing with fire. Hate Cabera all you want, but everything he said in the second half of the season was correct. Dye, Konerko, and Thome, IMHO need to all be gone. I like Thome alot as well as Dye and PK, but it's clear they have their own agendas. An Adam Dunn, I think would do wonders as he would probably love to finally have a realistic shot at the playoffs. As long as we get rid of some of the "don't shake the boat, we'll be fine. Passion - we don't need passion" type guys on this squad.

I think AJ will be back for sure. I don't think Tyler will be ready by next year. AJ has also been ultra productive. He's the last guy who deserves to go. Honestly, I think we would see the bullpen blown up again, Dye, Thome, maybe PK, and Alexei gone if we don't make the playoffs. That's just my speculation though.

I see Rios as two completely different entities. Rios at the time of the trade, more meant the end of Thome as at worst, the Sox would've extended JD to play DH and probably spell a breather for Quentin or a new RF. Rios is in CF and that's the only spot he should be taking with his excellent glove and crappy bat.

I don't think it matters as our hitting has been much more of a problem along with our bullpen in the second half of the season. We've been just plain bad with RISP.

Agreed as well. Dotel has been much better than last year IMHO. Jenks, not so much.

Am I in? Yes, but I don't think they can get the job done.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Aug 25, 2009 -> 08:50 PM) glad we took paulie out - the one guy whose stroke is coming around To be honest, we had to. Too bad the guys at the plate never gave the Sox a chance. AJ gets a pass because he is probably the most underrated player this year to the average fan.

Rios proving me wrong. Gets key hit and gives Sox lead, solidifying his great value over inferior Brian Anderson.

If Rios scores a run here, consider me surprised.

Dye should Die.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Aug 25, 2009 -> 08:27 PM) bring in contreras! Hocus Pocus!

QUOTE (Wise Master Buehrle @ Aug 25, 2009 -> 08:26 PM) Hawk with the brutal truth. It has to be Linebrink. What he say?

Even the surest bullpen arm can't save us. Sigh.

QUOTE (Wise Master Buehrle @ Aug 25, 2009 -> 08:14 PM) Contract or not, Rios is going to be ten times the player for us that Brian Anderson was. So if Rios breaks his leg and suffers a career ending injury, he'll still be 10 ten times the player? There's no guarantees in any game like that, else we would talk about how Tim Thomas is the greatest high schooler ever and Doc Gooden is the greatest pitcher ever. Rios is not even ten times the player BA is now, Rios is probably just one notch ahead of BA at best, and Rios gets paid a lot more to suck.

Sox should just give Gordon a day off.