chitownsportsfan

Good post and I hope you're right.

I agree that not all aspects of the team are "firing on all cylinders" at the same time, but: should we expect them too? Past Jenks, BMAC, and maybe Cotts this bullpen just isn't that good. I don't expect them to every really have a good stretch, it's just something this 2006 has to work around. The starting pitching was magical last year, but I think it will struggle at times this year. Garland is back to being league average, and Vasquez and Garcia (despite his W/L) are pretty near it as well. I expect Buehrle and Contreras to post great seasons, but the 3, 4, and 5 starters will have their ups and downs IMO. The story of this season is the offense so far. 2nd most runs in MLB, Thome with an OPS over .1100, Kong, Dye, AJ, Crede, and Iguchi putting up great numbers as well. Get this: Iguchi is 40th among eligible players in OPS. That is freaking wonderful. He is a great value. I just don't see all those guys--especially Crede and AJ--maintaining their hot starts. This team is fun to watch, and I hope they prove all of my more pessimistic predictions dead wrong.

This team is winning games at a .667 clip. The season is roughly 25% over. I think it's safe to say that the winning percentage will not stay .667 throughout 162 games. It will go down. This team is playing has played a great stretch of baseball--IMO--it will be their best stretch this season. If they play .500 ball from here on out, that will give them 89 wins--still a good season. I fully expect 90+, but to say this hasn't played their best ball is a bit of hyperbole. I'd like to see them have another 30-15 stretch, or better, but I don't expect it. I should state I don't think the team will only play .500 ball from here on out. And clearly 89 wins for most teams would be probably be considered a "good" season, but not for the talent of this bunch. It would be a rightful dissapointment. Like I said, I expect 90 as a bare min. I predicted 93 before the season, and I'm going to stick with it.

Yea, it's always best to make long term decisions using short term, "OMG Mack has a .500 BA his last 24 AB's" logic. Over the long run, Mack has proven himself to a) stink at the plate, and B) suck in CF. Mack has a career OPS+ of 93, which wouldn't be terrible if was even average in CF. But he's not at all. How much worse can BA do than Mack at the plate? The answer is not nearly as much worse as Mack can do in center. CF is damn important, especially when the LF and RF aren't exactly world beaters out there. At least BA is a) young and will likely improve and B) one of the best defensive CF in baseball.

I don't know how anyone can be happy with a transient vet, with a career of below average hitting and defense in CF, getting playing time over the highly touted rookie, who--wow--is struggling at the plate in his first full season. However, it has not carried over to his defense, from all accounts, personal and sabr, he's played one of the best CF's in all of baseball.

WTF happened to defense and pitching? It isn't like this is LF, RF, or 1B we are talking about, it's the most important position after C and SS, and we have the terrible Mackowiak out there now. The offense is fine with BA in there. I look at it this way: BA is clearly around 20 runs better than Mack defensively, and Mack is not 20 runs better than BA offensively--over the course of a season. I'm pretty pissed right now. This is a shortsighted move for the organization, and even this season.

there we go, 3 run bomb and this game looks alot better, come on Kong!

big inning here damnit

I agree that it should have been Gload shipped out instead of Borchard, given if Gload is not going to get any burn. At this point, neither Gload or Borchard is anything other than a replacement player, but Borchard at least can play a passable CF, and still has some upside as a possible 4th outfielder. Gload is probably just a AAAA player, given that he can't hit well enough to be a full time 1B, and has no defensive value in the corner OF as well.

I hear the sun rose today as well. Get over it folks--Mariotti sucks, and there is nothing we can do about it except continue to win and prove him wrong.

I was against this trade when it happened, but it's starting to look like the Sox made a good move. Of course, Thornton has had his share of bad innings so far, but nobody in the bullpen has been lights out, and having his 97 throwing southpay ass is probably more valuable than Borchard taking AB's away from Ozuna.

Uh, Robin Ventura is not a HOFer. Not even close. Raines is close, but he shouldn't be in. He was a good or above average player for a long time, however, when players such as Rock try and get in, I think a few questions are asked: Was he ever the best player in the league, even for a year? Was he the best player on a championship team? Unfortunetly, Rock answers "no" to both those questions. Rock was one of my favorite players growing up a Sox fan in the early 90's, and his career was a good one, but not HOF worthy.

I'm sick of Rob Mackowiak's no defense in center, slap hitting ass getting playing time over BA. Mackowiak is not a good CF, he should be used mostly for LF/RF subs, and so far this season, he's mostly been used in CF.

I think instead the Sox should just sign two guys from Soxtalk and have them play CF and LF.

LOL, this is Gameday's take on the Lugo bunt: "Last Play: J. Lugo grounded bunt out to pitcher"

Great post...

This is past insane. It's as if Kenny Williams and Ozzie are mistaking Boone Logan for a highly touted AAA call-up that is struggling under the big lights. He's a draft and follow who we should be following in Charlotte or Birmingham

IMO, Iguchi, provided he doesn't completely collapse this season, would be a more than adequate stop-gap measure for 2007, but it would have to a priority in the 2007 offseason. It's hard to project so far down the line, but if Iguchi can get on base at a .365 clip in 2007 with some pop, like a .790 OPS, that would be fine.

I wouldn't be surprised, but I'd be pissed. Mackowiak is a veteran with a proven level of mediocrity at the plate and he's not even average in CF. BA, even on his worst day at the plate, is an upper-echelon MLB CF defensively. That is valuable, a good CF makes the whole OF better, and saves quite a few runs. I want BA to start 3/4 or 4/5 games for this club. Mackowiak needs to be used more in the corners--LF and RF--over Ozuna.

Yea, LF is a lot less important than 3B defensively, and part and parcel of that is how easy it is to play. Most players that show defensive weaknesses but excellent hitting are moved down the defensive spectrum in the minor leagues. Like others have said, it happens all the time. If he has the arm for 3B, he has the arm for LF easy. Taking 50 fungos a day from the OF will make him a MLB capable LF in a year provided he projects as an above average OPS guy. Again, this timetable fits perfectly with Pods expected (and IMO rightful) departure in 2007.

I'd like to see the defensive efficiency ratings for those games, along with the "error" totals. I put "error" in quotes because it's such a stupid stat, completely subjective and misleading. Errors certainly don't help, giving away outs never does, but I think that any correlation between errors and losses should at least look at the runs scored in those games. It's perfectly possible that the multi-error games are also games the offense has stalled. I like to use DER more than fielding percentage to grade a teams defense. The Sox were a sliver behind the A's for best in baseball last year, and I believe they are top 5 right now as well. I'm too lazy to google it on my 24.4KBPS connection right now.

Thing is, you can't blame Boone Logan for this. It's like Microsoft hiring a second year business school undergrad, with a history of "B" grades, and asking them to head up the marketing division.

God, can we please end the f***ing Hindenburgh that is the Boone Logan experiment? This has to be the biggest, most easily foreseeable blunder ever. Well maybe not that bad, but close. I've been saying this since opening day: 1) Spring training is mostly meaningless, and 2) It's not a good idea to promote "A" pitchers to the big leagues. No, you're wrong. They ONLY way he will get is it in AAA. He is not ready for this right now--no pitcher that has never pitched above A ball is.

Yea, I can't believe your friend wouldn't let a single game chage his mind. Like earlier this year, Jim Thome went 0-4 with 3K's and I tried to tell my friend he sucked: but he wasn't having any of it--I was just like, "whatever".

Eh, don't worry about it. I've been posting on sports message boards for awile now, and I've seen it all. I'm unfortunate enough to be a lifelong Detroit Lions fan, and I've been called much worse. It seems we're at a basic philosophical crossroads regarding fandom--you have your thoughts, I have mine. I'm not going to get too upset about anything said on either side--we're just two fans having a conversation thanks to the wonderful internet. I would suggest not making arguments "ad hominem" in the future though--it's common courtesy.