Milkman delivers

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 08:15 PM) Garland has been crap this year except for one month. Have you been following the Sox this season. That has been pretty obvious. Anyone who argues about how good a pitcher is by arguing his pitching wins really shouldn't waste their time making an argument at all. Talking the way you are is going to get you kicked off sooner rather than later.

Have I mentioned I don't like McCarthy as a reliever?

MacDougal-Thornton-Jenks

Very nice, strong outing. And that should bring his ERA under 5 again.

You could tell as soon as he grabbed that ball that he had no chance to throw him out.

This ump's K call is annoying as hell.

Ask and you shall receive.

That's some nice baserunning.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 07:42 PM) El duque just tripled.... Just looked, and he has a better ERA than Vazquez. That deal sucked. And I don't mean it sucks because of his ERA, it just sucked anyway.

He's no daisy. He's no daisy at all.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 04:53 PM) Because Podsednik and Vazquez are on this team to do something they haven't done. Mackowiak is a good bench player, a below average starter (face it) and Vazquez is getting paid 11 million dollars to pitch like spiff. Call it a bad move on Kenny's part, but alike Kenny, I sink with the ship I have. The guys on the bench are good bench players, they add incredible depth to the team, but when the front line plays the way they're playing, it doesn't much matter. The fact is the Sox need a surge of energy and while they close in on the end of the season it should be pretty apparant that it's not going to come from the current roster. Maybe they can flick a switch on (I hope they can), but I really can't believe making a few changes with players on the current roster is going to make any difference. Make all the line-up changes you want...Scott Podesnik is not the problem to this team. Nor is Javier Vazquez. It's the whole damned team. So we should just stick with what's not working because it's the status quo? Why should I face this? Mackowiak has played in 79 games now. He's killing RH pitching this year, and Pods plays mainly against righties. But we shouldn't give him a chance to continue this because "he's never been a starter before?" Why? We may have exactly what we need right on our roster. McCarthy is supposed to pitch multiple innings. Why can't he relieve Vazquez early a few times? Is it because that's not how other teams do it? They're not the problem, but they sure as hell are problems. But we shouldn't try to fix them just because it wouldn't solve every problem we have.

I think everyone loves Mackowiak here. I think a lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon for him replacing Pods.

Didn't see the first two innings. How did they score?

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 04:40 PM) I'd just sit and beach about how the players on the field aren't doing what is expected of them. Mack in LF ain't going to get it done. Pulling Vaz after 5 ain't going to get it done. Benching Uribe ain't going to get it done. The solution is pretty damn simple if you ask me and it doesn't involve any on field changes. It involves the players on the field doing what they're supposed to do. Why won't either of these two "get it done" for us? Pods plays almost exclusively against righties right now, and Mackowiak is tearing righties apart. Why would having a guy batting over .300 with a .400 OBP against righties leading off for us not get it done? And how is leaving Vazquez in there to inevitably give up a bunch of runs in the 6th any good for us? McCarthy is on this team for a reason, and that's to be the guy to go a few innings.

QUOTE(bigredrudy @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 03:43 PM) I think these numbers could justify a platoon situation for next year. Podsednik has lost a step or two since the first half of last year. His stealing percentage for stealing second base since the first half of last year is horrendous. I would bet that Mac is faster to first base than is pods and is faster to second. Pod's infield outs are not even close. He seems to have trouble getting started from a stopped position. I have to believe that Mac is a better fielder than Pods but how much better I don't know. Your thoughts and corrections if any I only want Mackowiak to take Pods' spot for this year. I certainly don't want to go into 2007 with either of them as our starting LFer.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 03:07 PM) Correct, he puts them right at 100 or slightly above it, based on who you believe. That makes me a little less disappointed in what our team has accomplished with a similar payroll.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 02:39 PM) I really can't see it being an NL team that claimed him, based on needs and the fact that they wouldn't trade him to an east team. I think the Angels claimed him, I just doubt the Astros would spend that much more money since they are already over 100 million. Plus, the Angels have the horses to make this deal happen. The Astros' payroll is that high?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 02:22 PM) You know why he might? The reason why is in his splits this year. AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP SO AVG OBP SLG OPS vs. Left 39 3 8 0 0 0 4 2 2 9 .205 .279 .205 .484 vs. Right 146 20 50 8 1 3 11 19 1 27 .342 .419 .473 .892 His numbers look damn good, because his numbers against lefties are terrible, his numbers against righties are freaking great, and he's faced righties almost 4x as many ABs as lefties. Even those numbers out some, and his numbers rapidly go down to his career numbers. Pods only hits. 239 against lefties, and he's still significantly better, even in the OBP. Mack would be ideal in a platoon corner outfield spot if we were to design something like that (actually, with Fields next year, that's not a terrible idea) What happens when we face a lefty? Ozuna plays LF. So, does it even matter really how much better Pods is against lefties than Mack? Let's also remember that Mackowiak is now on a better team that he's ever even come close to being on. His career numbers might look a little better if he weren't on all those garbage Pirate teams.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 02:09 PM) Well, to play him everyday, odds are he would revert back to his career numbers. He's been playing almost everyday. ESPN says he's played in 78 games, and we're slightly over 100, no? That's a buttload of games. I don't see how he'd magically revert to his career numbers so suddenly.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 02:07 PM) It wouldnt be. His career .328 OBP sucks balls for a leadoff man. Oh, I didn't realize we were talking about past performance as opposed to how he's been playing consistently throughout this season.

QUOTE(Controlled Chaos @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 02:04 PM) If he did that, what would you be left with to complain about? Pitching. And let's not act like this wouldn't be a good move.

QUOTE(The Ginger Kid @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 01:46 PM) Now is the time and the time is now. That makes me sick to my stomach.

First, I would replace Pods with Mackowiak. See how that goes for a while, then make changes as necessary.

Ha, I guess good luck. Do we see the Orioles again this year?

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Aug 4, 2006 -> 11:47 AM) Lopez couldn't hold Varitek's jock. Varitek is having a terrible year, and still has more homers, RBI's, and a better OBP than Lopez. He's also a lefty of course and a better defender, so I'm not sure how much this move helps Boston, if at all. Well, Varitek is a switch hitter, not a lefty. I'd also be willing to bet that Lopez's stats will go up because he'll be in a better lineup with more protection. Lopez will also be going to a park where he can smash doubles off the moster, which is what Varitek was able to do. And being a switch hitter, he could also use that short line down in RF (Varitek, this). I can't see how you can say that Lopez can't hold Varitek's jock this year. This move defintely helps the Red Sox, but let's all just say it's a useless move.