South Side Fireworks Man

Actually, Ozzie is handling this with as much class as anyone could.

QUOTE(JDsDirtySox @ Jun 19, 2007 -> 10:47 PM) something tells me he is going to go after the hitters inability to get the bunt down. Iguchi should be the first one traded. He has regressed in all aspects of his game.

QUOTE(Brian @ Jun 19, 2007 -> 09:32 PM) Too bad Gooch can't bunt. "Gooch" has got to go.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jun 19, 2007 -> 04:52 PM) I still think he may do both. Sell some guys for prospects he thinks can help now or in the near future, as well as sell some prospects that he isn't as high on for major league position players that can help us now and in the future. Yep.

Tonight's Lineup Gonzalez, LF; Iguchi, 2B; PK, 1B; Dye, RF; Fields, 3B; Terrero, CF; Uribe, SS; Cintron, DH; Hall, C. Danks pitching No Thome.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jun 19, 2007 -> 05:42 AM) Well said. Having Paulie in the meeting--who will be around for the next few years and has a stake in the sox future, as well as its present--was a good touch. Kw got the players perspective. That's good management, having input from its employees and listening to them. We all want to be included in major decisions. As far as not trading away players--this meeting never dismisses that possibility. KW has over a month to give the players more time to play better. And the price for players usually goes up closest to the deadline. Few people give them a chance. Yet it's a chance KW is giving the players that doesn't tie his hands. He still can and should trade guys if they play .500 ball from now until the deadline. That kind of faith, though--even if it's blind faith--will serve KW well as he tries to add free agents in the future. Thome, PK, Dye, Buehrle, Iguchi--these are all professionals and seemingly good guys---guys you'd want to sign with your team via free agency, and the type of players you want to attract to come play with you--deserve to treated with a measure of respect. Kw is treating them with respect by giving them the month to right the ship. If they don't no big deal. But if KW had decided to sell off players this weekend and the sox went on a tear and were only a few games back by the deadline--now that kind of move could really hurt the kind of relationships with these professional good guys--and the kind of players the sox want to play here in the future, such as Ichiro. I say no harm no foul. And KW should and will no doubt be looking to make deals for the future if the players are closer to last than first come the end of July. Thanks for bringing some sanity to the discussion. Good post. What do people expect KW to say??? Of course he's going to try to make a few deals to improve the team. But when he does trade a veteran for some younger players, he's not going to say he's conceding the season and rebuilding for the future. He'll spin it as injecting new life into this year's team. I don't expect Kenny to sell off guys for A and AA prospects. But I do think he will trade for near major-league ready younger players. Just for example, and this is purely hypothetical, say he were to trade a Dye for a Billingsley. Although the move would be mainly focused on the future, he will spin it as adding Billingsley to help out a struggling bullpen to increase their chances of making a run at the wildcard this year.

First thing the Sox should try to do is extend Mark's contract with a legitimate fair offer. I agree with the policy of not offering long term contracts to pitchers, but there are exceptions to every rule and I think in Buehrle's case this is an exception. Of course there is risk involved but the way Mark throws it seems reasonable to risk that he won't come down with serious arm trouble for the next five years. This guy just may be another Greg Maddox. If Mark refuses a reasonable five year contract, they'll have to trade him. The second thing the Sox should do, in fact they should be working on this already, is extend Jon Garland's contract. They can build a rotation around Buehrle, Garland and Danks and get whatever they can for Javy and Jose.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 10:51 PM) IHe got injured and needs to get back to dropping and driving instead of sidearming everything. He gets ontop of that fastball and gets it back to 93-94 and he will dominate again. That's exactly what I was telling my daughter early in tonights game.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 10:14 PM) .....a rocket scientist like Erstad to figure that out. I was talking to Dick Williams about this, and he said that Al Kaline was a tremendous base runner. I remember sitting down with Yaz when we were talking about Catfish Hunter, and he told me that this was the greatest assembly of talent he's ever seen to struggle this long. Everything is self-induced.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 10:07 PM) Brewers up 1, top of 9th, and Giants had them loaded with one out. Cordero K'd Winn, and then with Bonds on deck, Klesko grounded out on a 3-2 pitch. Go Brew Crew!

C'mon Bukvich, just throw strikes--no walks.

QUOTE(klaus kinski @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 10:05 PM) The base running has gone downhill since Tim Raines has left the coaches box I noticed that too.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 10:04 PM) Very exciting ending to the Brewers game. What happened?

Owens with a rookie mistake.

Fields with a rookie mistake.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 09:33 PM) That's just fantastic. Things continue to get better this season. Slight strain of right quad per Hawk.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 09:32 PM) Great swing by PK there.....he hasn't done that enough this year. I liked that whole sequence of events--the SB by Iguchi followed by that swing and flair hit by Paulie. And the way things have been going, that's a nice run to pick up and may yet prove to be big in this game.

That was nice.

QUOTE(Nokona @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 09:18 PM) I still can't figure out what posessed JD to actually run for once Those injections in his knee(s) are supposed to lubricate the joint. Maybe he's feeling better than he has all season. Two amazing catches by "old cement shoes."

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jun 17, 2007 -> 11:51 PM) Bottom line, reup with Buehrle, extend Garland....sign a few free agents but also use the money to re-up guys you do like and obviously spend some of it on scouting, etc. Thank you.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Jun 14, 2007 -> 06:37 PM) That is hilarious that you mention the combined winning percentage of .442, since it is actually higher than the Sox at .435. Based on those facts the Sox will split these 20 games and be 37-45 in 20 games. At most I see them winning about 12 and being 39-43. The way they've been playing, they'll split if they're lucky! QUOTE(RME JICO @ Jun 14, 2007 -> 06:37 PM) Is the Sox are going to become sellers, I really hope they do it early and get more value for the trades with a smaller market. Also, teams should be willing to pay more if they are going to get more time out of that player/trade. I thought the conventional wisdom was they can get more by waiting until the deadline nears because teams become desperate. I guess the real trick is to get the contenders in a bidding war for your guy so maybe we'll begin to see a lot of planted rumors in the papers involving Sox players. KW usually likes to fly under the radar, but in this case it may serve him well to do the opposite.

If they can win 15 out of the 20 that would put them just over .500. Going into the season if you were to tell me the Sox would be a .500 team at the All_Star break I would have been disappointed. Now, I'd be ecstatic. So, just for the sake of discussion, if they were to win say 15 out of the next twenty, should/would they then be buyers or sellers?

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 14, 2007 -> 12:26 PM) I would've loved Figgins two years ago, but I'm not so sure now. I know he got off to a terrible start, but I think I saw he was hitting around .260 recently. I haven't seen how he's playing defensively or how many stolen bases he has. I'd consider him as a possible replacement for Iguchi, and his versatility makes him a good guy to have around. I'm not advocating making him the centerpiece of a trade, but I would go after him as a smaller piece of a bigger trade.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jun 13, 2007 -> 11:16 PM) I think the perfect scenario is getting Thome to agree to a deal, getting some two upper echelon prospects for him, plus one good prospect (all being guys that are on the cusp to major league ready) and than building a team around younger position players, Konerko, AJP (possibly), a FA outfielder (plus likely a trade pickup via the OF) and a rotation of Vazquez/Garland/Buehrle/Danks (plus one guy and that is still a pretty damn good rotation, imo). Moving Dye and Iguchi as well and maybe even Uribe. And I'm not overly concerned with losing Thome, simply because I think this team could find some solid bats (no one near as good as Thome) but I'll take quality bats throughout the lineup, extra speed, and an improved defense (plus the idea of having a legit top of the order, hoepfully a bullpen laced with youngsters and vets and a strong rotation). That is the thing, would Jim be willing to just stay in Chicago and no he may not ever make the playoffs again or would he be okay with a move as long as it took him to a place he'd be happy (and I think you should be careful and at least try). Thome is going to continue to get hurt yet he still has amazing value...I say do it. We're on the same page. I'd like to see the Sox re-sign Buehrle even though it goes against their philosophy of not giving long-term contracts to pitchers. I think it is a good philosophy, but I also think an exception should be made in Buerhle's case because he's still young and has proven to be very durable over the years and appears to be the type of pitcher that isn't prone to arm trouble. That being said, if they can get a great haul for him, they'd have to consider it. That's th problem with not negotiating during the season. How can the Sox be sure Mark will re-sign next year? Even if they are willing to offer him say $18M for five years, what guarantee do they have that the Yankees or someone else won't offer him $20M for seven years? Maybe KW can work out terms of a trade for Mark and then before pulling the trigger approach him and tell him, "I have a trade in place that would send you to The (insert team). We'd rather keep you around however, so if you're willing to sign right now for (insert salary and years) we'll call off the trade and give you a full no-trade clause for the rest of '07 and all of '08. If not, the trade will be made tomorrow." As for Thome, I highly doubt he would waive his no-trade clause and I wouldn't mind having him along with Konerko anchor the offense next year. But if he would be willing to consent to a trade, I would gladly see him go if he can bring back some top young talent in return. As for the rest of the roster, A.J. stays and every other position player is on the bubble. In the bullpen Jenks and Logan stay, Massett stays either as a reliever or possible future starter, and everyone else is also on the bubble.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 13, 2007 -> 11:00 PM) All I know is that if we're in a situation where we have to give up Buehrle, Garland, Thome, etc., and we keep Vazquez and Contreras, then KW better be fired. Right now one of the last guys the Sox should give up is Garland, although no one is untouchable.