Rowand44

QUOTE(doUrememberwhen @ May 8, 2005 -> 11:42 PM) Thx...I think they had a graphic that said it was 3 during the game anyone else see that?? Ya, they did. They realized their mistake though and changed the graphic next time they showed it.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ May 8, 2005 -> 10:52 PM) I will settle this idiotic argument once and for all. Neal Cotts has shaky control, yes. He's always had shaky control. When he was great in Birmingham a few years ago he walked a ton of guys. At times he struggles mightily with his command, but he can also be lights out. He may need another season to work on his control in Charlotte, but right now he is our 2nd lefty out of the pen and is our long man. He is most certainly better than Jon Adkins or anyone else on Charlotte besides Brandon McCarthy. Kevin Walker got the call, whoopty freaking doo. He'll hardly pitch. And when he does, it'll be when we are either getting blown out or winning by several runs. In fact I am glad some of our younger arms, like Bajenaru and Munoz, stayed in Charlotte where they will get regular work and not rot in the pen. If Walker does get to pitch and doesn't perform, he'll be sent packing. Right now it just so happens we don't have an off day for 10 more days so we needed an extra arm. And on Marte's struggles, it's mighty early in the year to trash a guy who has been our best reliever over the past few years. Don't sit here and give us stats ala Juggernaut. The bottom line is Marte is a go to guy out of the pen and a month where he struggles will not prove otherwise. Marte's struggled a bit with his control but I mean his era is in the low 2's somewhere, the guys been getting the job done, period.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ May 8, 2005 -> 10:42 PM) everyone should just stop responding and let this fall off the front page...starting now! Starting...now

QUOTE(aboz56 @ May 8, 2005 -> 10:24 PM) Thanks for that, captain obvious. I was sure they got 4 outs. By the way, 4 out of neal's 7 walks this year have come when he's had 6+ days off, that's not a coincidence.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ May 8, 2005 -> 10:18 PM) Agreed, right now he's a 2 pitch pitcher with very little control. I honestly wonder the percentage of his walks that have come to the first batter he's faced. He seems to get behind the first batter, then after that his control is perfectly fine. Some stat wizzard has to help me out with this one but Neal's control really isn't awful.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ May 8, 2005 -> 10:05 PM) Cotts was awful in 2003 (albeit, in very limited IP) and bad in 2004 (in a full season of IP). Why does everyone here feel the need to defend every single one of our players. Do you guys really think that every player on our roster is good? $75 million payroll teams don't have a great player at every position. Almost every team has its mediocre players. Cotts got thrown to the wolves in 03 so that shouldn't even count. Once again last year was his first full season in the major leagues, he has a very good track record in the minor leagues and you give up on him after 1 year. Some players take longer to develop, what don't you understand?? You give up on players after 1 year, Rowand is on another club, think the rockies are happy they gave up on juan? Maybe we should have traded Garland, maybe the Tigers should have let Bonderman go. Just watch Neal pitch, the hitters can't pick him up at all, that alone should be enough to keep him around, Neal's a very good pitcher and he's going to keep getting better.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ May 8, 2005 -> 09:58 PM) Instead we should judge by Cotts' 9.0 IP in the season over almost 100 innings of data? Good lord... Here's what I love, everyone that you dislike on this team are the guys who had their first years starting in the major leagues, all were pretty darn good in the minors, had a bad 1st year, now are doing good and you refuse to acknowledge it. Ever heard of development?

QUOTE(Jabroni @ May 8, 2005 -> 09:34 PM) But Walker has a better K rate and ERA than Cotts in the MAJORS. Isn't that whats counts/matters more? I've got a question for you, will you ever like Neal, Willie, or Joe?? Or do you just hate these guys no matter what they do because it really seems this way. Everyone you hate has been pretty darn good so far this year and it seems like they won't get out of your dog house, ever.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ May 8, 2005 -> 09:01 PM) I'd have to think -- just by observation, not that Buehrle or Wells said this -- but, the two have similar curveballs. Slow, pitches with big breaks. Not sharp, but just big and loopy. Nah, that's not it, Wells helped Mark with his diet.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ May 8, 2005 -> 08:44 PM) Don't you love when our biggest concern in Kevin Walker and carrying 7 Relief pitchers? Ha good point. Just something to talk about when there is really nothing else to argue about.

QUOTE(3E8 @ May 8, 2005 -> 08:18 PM) I thought DJ did a lot better this series without Hawk. Save for the home run calls, of course. I think he's done very well so far as the pbp man.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ May 8, 2005 -> 08:37 PM) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-handed_specialist He's basically another Kelly Wunsch for us. Hopefully, he shows half the talent. I know what he's supposed to be and why he's up here but it still makes no sense to me. I highly doubt walker gets into any games unless the sox are up a ton and that's Neal's job. I just don't see ozzie throwing him into a game with the sox up by a run in the 8th inning, lefty or not at the plate.

QUOTE(backman @ May 8, 2005 -> 08:26 PM) who ever wins pistons, pacers is headed to the finals! So the pistons are going then?? They mine as well just skip these conference semi's and put Detroit and Miami in the conference finals.

QUOTE(JimH @ May 8, 2005 -> 08:14 PM) I don't see why this is a stupid move. 1. They have 20 games in a row coming up. 2. The primary LH reliever is being used in selected closing situations. The 2nd lefty reliever appears to be the designated long man. 3. Given #1 and #2, they don't have a situational lefty. Walker fits the role. 4. Both Tampa and Baltimore have some very good lefthanded hitters. 5. Harris is back and Ozuna is presumably healthy, so there's no need for Lopez, who needs more experience anyway, and no pressing need for Burke. 6. As for the added cost of $400K, that's a drop in the bucket. 7. 3 lefties in the pen gives Guillen more flexibility. Based on how he's handled the bullpen thus far, he wants and needs that flexibility. 8. If Walker is brutal, they launch him and either trade for a guy or bring up another situational lefty on the 40 man ... Munoz or Reynoso. Walker has more experience than both of those two, so it makes sense he gets the call. 9. Ozzie got a good look at Walker in Tucson and he also knows what Baj or Josh Fields or Munoz can do, he saw something in Walker he likes. 10. The last few spots on the 25 man roster will change again, giving the board another chance to, IMO, overreact to a minor depth move to strengthen the bullpen. Jim, you raise some very good points. My point is that I just don't think Walker is going to get any use. Neal, Cliff, Viz, Shingo are all low on innings it seems and I don't think Walker is going to get a lot if any use up here. I know I liked what I saw of Walker in Spring Training and I've said that before to me the move just doesn't make any sense because there are enough guys in the pen already pressing for innings, jmo.

By the way I mean calling up another reliever to the big club not bringing up baj for people who were confused like wharris

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ May 8, 2005 -> 07:34 PM) 189 IP -- 3.61 BB/9, 10.96 K/9. 8 IP -- 6 BB/8.1, 8.64 K/9. Which line am I going to look at? Easy. QUOTE(WHarris1 @ May 8, 2005 -> 07:34 PM) 2 walks, 3 hits, and 3 earned runs in 1.2 innings pithced must just be bad luck, right? Guys, am I missing something what's the point of bringing up another reliever anyways??

QUOTE(Jabroni @ May 8, 2005 -> 07:27 PM) 6 walks, 15 hits, and 10 earned runs in 8.1 innings pitched is just dumb luck? :headshake Unbelievable, honestly. Just throw f***in stats out there without watching the damn game. Baj was not hit hard at all and yes he was getting unlucky as hell, there were tons of seeing eye singles and little duck snorts.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 8, 2005 -> 04:08 PM) He was ahead in the count to Sweeney 1-2 and threw 3 straight balls. That's just missing your spots not pitching around a guy. It was pitching careful to him because you can't let Mike beat you, period. Shingo's been pretty damn good as of late, the thing is most closers make things interesting before they shut the door. Shingo's 8 for 9 in save opps and he's been fine as of late, I have no problem with Hermey or shingo closing, it just bothers me when ozzie uses more then 1 pitcher in the 9th, however in saying that it has seemed to work every time so I have nothing to complain about as of right now.

QUOTE(3E8 @ May 8, 2005 -> 07:03 PM) Does anyone else remember Bajenaru's brief stint for us last year? It was ugly. It wasn't ugly at all. His era was high but nothing was hit hard, Baj knows how to pitch, period. I just think it's dumb period to bring up another reliever we can't find enough innings as it is for these guys.

Get better Greg, that was scary.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ May 8, 2005 -> 07:16 PM) Neal is always going to walk guys. Afterall, in the minors, he walked about five guys per nine. But he's always been able to fool hitters and strikeout hitters. Over 11 per nine. Which is (somewhat) able to negate his erratic control. Walks or no walks, he's better than anything we have at Charlotte. I've stated this before about Neal, the guy needs to start his own inning. The first hitter he faces he always has trouble throwing strikes, after that first hitter he's absolutely lights out.

This makes 0 sense to me. We already can't find enough innings for the pitchers we have, why the hell bring Walker up?? I'm stumped.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ May 8, 2005 -> 10:32 AM) Pedro gets another chance, giving Iguchi a much needed day off. I like it. He certainly deserves it.

QUOTE(Jeckle2000 @ May 8, 2005 -> 07:53 AM) Well I disagree... He didn't trust Pods enough to play CF when Mr No Range was there friday and he was still sitting in LF. That's just completely wrong. Ozzie has kept his subs in the same spots instead of moving guys around this whole year, that's just how he's doing things.

QUOTE(Al Lopez's Ghost @ May 8, 2005 -> 09:00 AM) Then he defended Ozzie, saying the media didn't report the circumstances of the Magglio rant, that Ozzie just responded to what reporters had brought to him. That's what has been bothering me about the whole situation. The media has failed to mention how this whole thing started, it was Mags, not ozzie. People who don't know the whole situation like we do are only getting half the story and that's not right.