Balta1701

QUOTE(Steff @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 07:27 PM) Can I do my leggs instead? It does work surprisingly well. Perhaps if we had Podsednik do it, we'd add some speed on the basepaths (by reducing air resistance.)

Brandon should not "Spot start". Spot starting would hurt whatever rhythm he has developed in the bullpen, it would hurt the bullpen because it would take him a few starts to be able to go beyond 4-5 innings, and it could hurt by throwing off any rhythm that any other starting pitchers might find. If Brandon goes into the rotation, he DOES NOT leave it.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 05:39 PM) They can either go two ways with this. Promote Ryan Garko to take over at 1st base, or let Kelly Shoppach be the everyday C and let Martinez start at 1B. I think they're going to go for the former, but the latter sounds like a better idea to me, providing that Shoppach could actually hit well enough to be an everyday catcher. I just checked, and Garko's only hitting about .250 in AAA this year, with an OPS of .774. He may be on his way in the upwards direction, but just based on the full season numbers I'm not so sure he's earned a promotion. He hit .303 with an .882 OPS at AAA last year.

Whatever you do, just don't strap it on. We got another email here...

I want a bench clearing 20 minute brawl, causing 1/2 of each team to wind up with 10 game suspensions. Someone convince one of their pitchers to go headhunting.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 04:16 PM) Although, even with this knowledge, I can't honestly fault Guillen for how he currently assembles his lineup. His reluctant to play Anderson -- once a peeve of mine -- has diminished quite a bit. Yes, certain matchups against a pitcher have been strange, but our bench is relatively deep. Or atleast it appeared so until this recent slump. Guillen can't help but tinker. Ozzie's Reluctance to play Anderson has diminished? I'm afraid I barely see that. Take today as a prime example. Anderson has faced Silva 5 times already in his career, is 3/5 with a home run. But because Silva's a righty, Ozzie decides to play matchup, and once again, Anderson winds up on the bench, and Mack is out in CF. For once it probably didn't cost us not having BA out there on defense, because balls just left the yard, but today really pissed me off with that. (Mack was 1/2 against Silva coming into this game) The same thing with Iguchi today too...Iguchi's barely hitting .200 against lefties, but he's hitting well over .300 against righties this season. Cintron has been better against lefties than righties as well. So what does Ozzie do this series? Iguchi plays against Santana, as tough of a lefty as you'll find. And then Cintron plays against the righty. And on top of that, he plays against a righty that he's 0/4 in his career against. I usually don't beach about Ozzie's lineups, because I like his strategery of making sure everyone is rested. But I'm really getting sick of the flapping "lefty-righty" matchup with him and how it determines EVERY single decision he makes, regardless of what the numbers actually say.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 03:02 PM) I'd like to ask, why is everyone so rock solid certain that Brandon would automatically be lights out as a starter, seeing as he's only been moderately successful in his bullpen role? And not the usual stock answer "well he's better than we have now", I would like to know how people on SoxTalk are able to ascertain with absolute certainty that he'd be better than what's in the rotation now. And no I am not happy with their current results, not one bit. Why is McCarthy the savior though? Sounds like the backup QB syndrome to me. As I pointed out in the game thread, Brandon has been more than Moderately successful when he's given a bullpen role. 3 months this season he has pitched regularly out of the bullpen, April, June, and July. His ERA's in those months are 3.38, 3.2, and 2.7. In 1 month, he did not get regular work out of the bullpen, made 1 spot start, and went at least a week and a half between appearances. That month, his ERA is over 6. When he has had a firm role in the bullpen, he has been successful. When he's been screwed around with, not gotten opportunities to pitch, or been shifted around for single starts and then gone over a week without pitching, he was off, like most pitchers would be.

You want a great "The media has no ability to understand a joke" segment? Colbert Report, last night.

Ozzie praising the Hell out of Minnesota, refusing to point fingers. Not going to consider putting McCarthy in the rotation. Didn't really even talk to the team after the game.

At least 8 Israeli soldiers died fighting in a Hezbollah stronghold today. Arab TV was saying 14.

1-5 on this homestand. 3-12 in our last 15. 2-10 since the AS break.

First of all, who do you actually have the A's giving up there? Bobby Kielty and someone named Taveras for Roger Clemens? Wow. That's a steal on their part. And the Astros are simply not trading Clemens. He practically pays for himself just in the extra attendence they get at that park from having him pitch every few days.

QUOTE(dyenamite23 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 01:53 PM) does anyone think there is a chance clemens is moved he goes to the a's and we get zito just my thoughts not any rumor NO.

QUOTE(Melissa1334 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 01:51 PM) has nathan ever blown a save vs the sox? i cant think of one game in which hes blown one ... I'm pretty certain he hasn't. He's only given up 1 run to the White Sox - a solo home run by Crede. He does, interestingly enough, have a loss against us though. Must mean he came in with a game tied and Crede beat him.

Has anyone noticed how the Twins best player got the day off today and they still scored 7 runs on us?

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 01:41 PM) So how is that going to fix the other 2/5 of the rotation that sucks? You can get by on 3/5 of a rotation working. Just ask the Twins.

QUOTE(soxunited @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 01:36 PM) You'd be suprised with KC, they have been playing teams like the Jays and the Red Sox very tough in July The one bit of good news for teams playing KC is that KC has been selling, dumping MacDougal and Graffy and Elmer Dessens.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 01:32 PM) I said I was going to stay out of this thread, but I just wanted to comment on this. McCarthy isn't a fire-baller who can come out of the pen and dominate (like Zumaya). Rather, he's a "feel" pitcher, and his change-up and curve have been nowhere near as effective as it was when he was a starter. He's not a reliever, and I believe it's been very mentally challenging for him this season. I think it's also fair to say that McCarthy has been quite effective when he's been given regular work. He's had one month where he put up terrible numbers - May, where his ERA was over 6. In the other months, it's been 3.21, 3.38, 2.72. He struggled in May, but at least in my opinion, Ozzie was doing a terrible job of getting him into games regularly that month. That was the month he made 1 start for Contreras, then went about a week and a half without pitching, and so forth.

QUOTE(soxpride77 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 12:52 PM) Ozzie should have never picked him to bring to the all-star game anyways. He wasn't deserving of it even back then. Actually I think he was at the time he was picked. His collapse started right after that. His ERA was in the low 3's at the time he was named to the AS team, then the next start was against the Cubs, and he gave up 10 in the first.

Buehrle's line today: 10 hits, 7 earned, ERA at the end of the day = 4.81.

QUOTE(Felix @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 12:35 PM) The pitcher carried the team all of last season. So what? At some point, you have to put the blame on the players, both the pitching and hitting. They aren't getting the job done. Its not Ozzie's fault, its not Cora's fault, its not Walker's fault. The players aren't performing and the team is suffering because of it. Some part of the fault has to fall on managers/coaches who make stupid decisions as well. There's more than 25 guys at fault here.

QUOTE(Balance @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 12:35 PM) Could you please post the score? And be more specific as to what just happened? I don't have the game available right now. 5-3 bad guys, 2 run shot by Morneau.

I believe this is not only the first time in Buehrle's career that he's given up 5+ earned in 4 starts in a row, it's also the first time he's done it in 5 starts in a row.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 12:25 PM) spiff, I was just going to post how good Soriano would've looked with runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs, but it turns out he has a sub .200 BA when there's a runner in scoring position with two outs. In a whopping 35 at bats though.

QUOTE(CWSOX45 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 12:23 PM) Memo to Mr. Buehrle: HOLD THE LEAD DAMMIT. Don't you have to get a lead before you can hold/lose it?