whitesoxfan101

I don't think stats can do us any good guys. This team has the talent to win, but the players themselves simply do not focus enough. If we learn to focus and play our ass off every game, we'll make the playoffs. If we do the inconsistent crap we have all year the last month and a half, we won't. It's that simple really. I think we make the playoffs, but we better get our act together mentally and play like we give a damn every night.

You know, after watching this team for 120 some odd games, it's just so obvious what they are. They ave VERY talented (best team on paper in baseball IMO), but they just don't care all the time. Now this isn't Ozzie's fault, I know I like to jump him, but he can't make players care. You watch the games against Detroit, and we cared BIG TIME. Our batters had an approach every time, our pitchers grinded out every pitch, our defense did the best it could, and hey, we won!! We play the Royals, and we are 9-6 against them. 9-6 against the Royals, 9-3 against the Tigers. That's not a matter of talent, or the manager, or whatever else, it's just a fact that we only think our effort is worth it against the top teams. Now will this team make the playoffs?? To be honest with you, I still think it will. I think we'll end up caring just enough to get that wild card spot and get in. And also, to be honest, this team is actually better than last years team. The difference is we seem fat and happy with just playing when we want to and doing just enough to try and get into the playoffs, and that is a PROBLEM. Even if we make the playoffs, we aren't going to do a damn thing once we get there, unless there is some sort of change of attitude in that clubhouse. And the scary part about that is Ozzie, nor Kenny, nor Jerry, nor any of us have a damn thing we can do. It's all up to the players, they can either give a damn or they can't, and I hope they choose the former, because there is enough time for us to be a World Series Champion team yet again. However time is simply running out here. It's not about talent, or schedules, or pitching matchups....because we're good enough. It's about showing up every day and giving everything possible in order to acheive greatness. I will watch every game, and root these guys on, and I think they are good enough....but I don't think they have the "it", the heart, the hunger to do it again. That's all I got for this rant, hopefully the boys pick up the effort and focus EVERY GAME....because to be honest, that is really all that's left for us to do, and if we can do it from here on out, we can repeat October glory. I just don't have faith we'll do it until next year, when we aren't the champs, and we have a chip on our shoulder. Maybe then things will click (after all, we have almost everybody back, and you know Kenny will do what he can to improve the team). But hey, I hope I'm wrong and that light clicks on THIS YEAR!! GO SOX!

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 16, 2006 -> 04:07 PM) Parent, maybe. Well I thought the mother did it, but she's dead, so I figured the only way there could be an arrest is if it was the dad, since I would be shocked to learn one of the parents didn't do it.

or

Simply awesome stuff. Hysterical, and makes Mel Gibson (an all timer on the fraud list) look horrible.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 16, 2006 -> 03:55 PM) Maybe if you read the case facts you wouldn't be so shocked. Haven't done that on this case unfortunately, thus all I know is what I've heard through the media. Obviously trusting them would be a mistake, however you'd swear there was everything but a smoking gun to prove the parents did it based on the way they've talked over the years.

Sounds like it would make a good song for his new album. Either that or he's looking for more street cred.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Aug 16, 2006 -> 03:52 PM) Krivsky's kollection of middle relievers kontinues. Reds trade for Shoeneweis I assume that move was to replace the lefty Mercker, who is out for the year and probably done for his career. I assume he made this pick up as a LOOGY, while looking at Shoeneweis' splits last year (only .188 BAA vs lefties in 2005).

The mother passed away earlier this year didn't she?? I'm shocked somebody was arrested and it wasn't the father.

Maybe the luckiest 8 innings of shutout ball ever. Finishes with 6 walks, 2 k's, and a ton of flyouts against a terrible offense though, and gets a 1-0 win. Pretty cool story though to see a 26 year old who wasn't even on the 40 man do that.

D'Backs win it, 2-1 in 18 innings, on a Luis Gonzalez RBI single. "Only" 15 pitchers were used in this one.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:45 PM) Miss Cleo, can't you read my mind? This trade isn't over with yet. What if Vazquez pitches great in the playoffs? Or the next two years we have him? Or what if we use him to land a guy like Tejada? Here's the problem with your hypothetical situation: Duque didn't want to be in the pen: If the Sox dump him just so he can be happy, they're going to lose out a lot on that $5.5 million salary Duque is making. I defended Viz all of the second half last season but most Sox weren't having it after the Shingo slaughter, and the 3-run homer he gave up to the Cubs. Here's the rotation: Buehrle Contreras Garcia (started off like s***) Garland (started off like s***) Bmac (Miss Cleo, please tell me how he would've done, and compare it to Javy's start to the season.) Pen:Politte (no way the Sox weren't bringing him back with that cheap option) Cotts Jenks Vizcaino Thornton Logan with El Duque and salary shipped out OR a Whiny El Duque I don't see that much of an improvement in our rotation, and our bullpen actually looks worse. You guys do realize Vaz is under our control for at least the next two years (not quite sure it if a good thing or a bad thing) correct? To make a long story short, we didn't have to trade El Duque as part of a huge, not needed deal for Vasquez, McCarthy (although not a lock to be great) would have been without question better than Javy, who has been a joke, and Javy will have to pitch great out of the pen to make a playoff impact, since he wouldn't be in our playoff rotation (Count and Garland would be of course, Garcia is better and Ozzie's boy, and Buehrle is the lefty changeup with playoff experience and success). And if you expect Javier Vasquez and his crappy history and crappier contract to get us anything resembling Miguel Tejada, then QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:29 PM) It's just too early to judge still IMHO. Doesn't this EXACTLY remind you of Contreras when we acquired him? No. Vasquez has 200 career decisions (of which he's split), doesn't have the stuff Contreras does, and the situation just isn't the same at all. Contreras had a very simple issue, which was he didn't trust his stuff (especially his fastball), thus he fell behind in the count, and either threw hitable pitches and/or walked people. He had a history of amazing success in Cuba, and once he figured out to trust his stuff, and throw the fastball to get ahead before putting people away with the off speed stuff, he became the Bronze Titan. Javier Vasquez does not have nearly the past success to go on that Contreras did, has bad control (I know he doesn't walk a ton of guys, but his control within the strike zone kills him, too many hangers) and has shown for nearly his entire career that he's an inconsistent .500 pitcher who will tease you with his stuff, but simply can't take that next step that Jose has, especially in pressure situations.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 11:38 PM) Im sorry, but what is the matter with you? I watch the games with an analytical eye. It's a curse.

The Cubs beat the Astros 8-6 in 18 innings in Houston tonight. The teams used 18 pitches combined (Cubs 10, Astros 8) and the Cubs actually ended up using all 25 of their players. To make things even more bizarre, Rockies/D'Backs is 1-1 in the 18th at Coors right now. Wonder if there has ever been a day with two 18 innings games before now.

This dude has one strange looking offensive season going 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 29 RBI's in only 200 at bats, and also an impressive 41 walks, but also 66 k's. So despite hitting a paltry .230 for average, he has a .374/.460/.834 split in the other categories. He's a 24 year old catcher for the Angels btw. I think Billy Beane might be on the phone right now.

QUOTE(Dan @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:20 PM) in no way am i saying this guy had a Cy Young winning outing tonight. i agree that the Sox batters helped him out A LOT tonight, however he did have some nice pitches working from what i saw, a la the JD strikeout late in the game when he used a very nice changeup to finish him off. If JD lays off that pitch out of the zone, we have 1st and 2nd 0 out for A.J. and Crede.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:22 PM) You clearly have never watch Vazquez before this year, or even look at his previous game logs or monthly splits. Man, the way your posting tonight makes me think Hawk is in our midst. Anyways, I've seen him pitch, and what he has done this year is what he's been doing for several years now. He's a .500 pitcher that teases scouts with his great stuff and occasional good outings, but for the most part is a mediocre pitcher who doesn't trust his stuff and has the intestinal fortitude of a chicken.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:21 PM) Anything else Miss Cleo? Did you call him hurting his wrists in Spring Training too? Vizcaino is pitching well in the NL. Duque sucks, and isn't even with the D'Backs anymore. So your saying that was a good trade? Young could be horrible and never do anything, and this trade still hurts us. All I can say is we gave up easily our best position prospect, a decent bullpen arm, and kept our best pitching prospect out of the rotation where he belongs.....all to get a overpaid loser whose 6th inning meltdowns will be the reason we miss the playoffs if we do. Now I think we'll make the playoffs, and KW is still a great GM, but this trade still will go down as the worst KW has ever made.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:06 PM) Ozzie just tipped his hat to Runnynose. Sad. Ozzie thinks that Cora did the right thing sending Gooch. Worse Javy threw the ball good according to Oz. Terrible Although Ozzie didn't do anything to lose us this game tonight, that set of comments shows yet again how afraid I am with him as our manager. He's not a very smart baseball guy at all. QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 10:03 PM) Win the next two with Count and Mark on the bump, everything is fine. This seemed more of the "letdown" game that every was dreading. A game that should have been won no doubt, but I see no reason to think we wont take the next 2 without much of a problem. At least I hope..... This is the AL. You don't get hardly ANY games against crappy teams, so when you do, at home, and are red hot, you need to win them all. That's right, you need to sweep, end of story. Now instead, we must win the next 2 games or we just wasted a 4 game period when the season only has 40 some odd games left (1/10 of the season). That won't work, we have to stack every win up that we can in this race. To be dominated by statistically, the worst SP in baseball is inexcuseable. We should score half a dozen runs on that loser when we have a letdown.

Well the good news about Javy is that by getting him, we kept McCarthy out of the rotation, got rid of a decent bullpen arm in Vizcaino, and gave up Chris Young, who oh by the way will be a really good everyday outfielder one day. Not like we lost that trade or anything.

2003 part 2. That year, the all time bad Tigers kept us out of the playoffs, and if we are sitting at home in October again, it will be because of the all time bad Royals. 9-5 against these guys is unacceptable, hell 14-5 for a year against them isn't good enough. I hope the boys are proud, that was the worst game I've seen us play since Ozzie took over. I am dumbfounded. Absoloutely have to win the next 2 games, no questions asked. QUOTE(klaus kinski @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 09:56 PM) Tigers win on a dropped fly ball If Pena catches it, it's still a sac fly and they still win 3-2, so that's not exactly accurate.

I'm embarassed. 6.5 games out now, only 2 up on Minnesota. They should be ashamed of themselves, this wasn't a loss, it was a game that HAD to have been fixed. We played that bad.

Nice AB AJ....at least you made him throw 3 pitches.

Swinging for the fences. Isn't JD aware a walk is worth as much as a homer right now (or a single).

Alright Cotts, nice inning (for once). Either we rally or tonight takes the throne for worst game we've played this season. We haven't executed a single play properly all night (and no, the Pods sac fly doesn't count....it was on a 3-1 pitch and a walk would have loaded the bases for Iguchi with us down 2).