RME JICO

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Apr 28, 2008 -> 06:07 AM) OBP is great, but its hard to walk in runs. Thats funny that you say that when we scored 4 of our 6 runs yesterday without hits. 3 on Fielder's choice, and 1 on HBP.

QUOTE (gosox41 @ Apr 27, 2008 -> 08:08 PM) I kept telling myself that last year and it never clicked. I hope it does soon because if it does the Sox will be dangerous. Bob Bob, The difference is this team is different. They are taking walks, getting fielder's choices while moving runners over, or getting HBP (Quentin). You can't just look at Average in a vacuum. That is even why they made better stats like OBP and OPS that took more into account than just hits. 6 regulars have an OBP above .350, Crede is at .330, and OCab is at .321. The only waste of an AB is Uribe. Once he is gone, the lineup is pretty solid 1-9. This team is on pace for 700 Walks and over 200 HRs.

QUOTE (gosox41 @ Apr 27, 2008 -> 07:30 PM) While the Sox are scoring more runs this year and they do have a lot more patience at the plate, this teams batting average is bad and concerns me. For all of 2007 the team had a poor batting average and this year they are pretty much the same. What I don't get is how a team that can have so many proven hitters continuously have such a sucky team batting average for such an extended period. Outside of Uribe, all the hitters in our everyday lineup have career batting averages exceeding .244, but there we are as a team. If this keeps up, the Sox will be not make the playoffs. I doubt Danks and Floyd will maintain their current pace. I'm not saying I don't like the walks and watching the hitters work the count, but why can't this team hit for a higher average? Or to think it it another way, if this team can maintain it's pace of walks and the team batting average increase, this team will score a ton of runs and then I'd really be excited about this team. Bob You should almost consider it a positive. There is no way this will continue throughout the entire year. The hits will come as long as they continue their patience at the plate.

This is a trend we are seeing more and more nowadays. Teams may be a little more frugal when it comes to contracts, yeah right.

Per Rotoworld: His drop off is off the charts. SF must be kicking themselves in the arse for this one. At least they have Rowand to make up for it, lol.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 23, 2008 -> 04:27 PM) He's reportedly heading back to Oakland. Per Rotoworld:

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 23, 2008 -> 01:59 PM) Mark threw 239 innings in '02, 230 in '03, and 245 in '04, and then managed to brilliantly pitch 260 total in '05. He (finally) lost velocity and got hammered in '06, but had a really nice bounce-back year in '07. Looks like a lot of it depends on the individual. The jury is still out on Mark. He bounced back in time to sign a contract, just like Zito did the last year with the A's. Hopefully Mark does not fall into that category.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 23, 2008 -> 01:13 PM) How strange is it that two formerly dominant left-handers(Dontrelle Willis and Barry Zito)with very similar pitching motions and early-career results have fallen off their games so much? 5 years ago these two pitchers were the premier lefthanders in the game Here is a really interesting article about pitchers who pitch a lot in one year (over 230IP) and never recover: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=399816 Alex Fernandez, Pat Hentgen, Zito, Willis and Sabathia are all mentioned. Zito blurb:

What is wrong with this guy? He is 0-5 on the year with a 5.61 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP. He is 11-18 since signing his huge deal. Is he truly done? Is it an injury or did batters just figure him out?

Vazquez (3-1, 3.20 ERA) vs Mussina (1-3, 5.75 ERA) No A-Rod. Nationally Televised. Matchups Dye .377 lifetime vs Mussina (53 AB) AJ .371 lifetime vs Mussina (35 AB) Thome 6 HRs off Mussina (48 AB) Ensberg .385 lifetime vs Vazquez (13 AB) Gametime Weather Sunny 63°F Wind: From ENE 8 mph

A-Rod is also hurt. Nice to have him out of the lineup.

QUOTE (SoxWS05 @ Apr 22, 2008 -> 11:42 AM) The Renteria's kind of sound like gangsters in that article and they are strong arming O-Cab. They got him to buy into the baseball franchise and then refuse to pay him on ticket sales and advertising money. Now that Uribe and O-Cab are teammates the Renteria's are terrified. You just don't mess with Uribe's friends. Plus we have AJ.

QUOTE (BobDylan @ Apr 21, 2008 -> 06:07 PM) New sig material right there. That doesn't sound right.

From Rotoworld: Compared with Uribe's defense, it would seem at this point that Iguchi would not be much of an upgrade.

QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 21, 2008 -> 02:59 PM) Somebody PLEASE explain to me how the Indians moved up from #4 to #3 on that same list in the last week... while the Sox are ranked 7th. The Tribe is 7-12. They have lost 7 of their last 10 games They have the lowest batting average of any team in the AL. They are last in slugging in the AL. Their team ERA is 11th out of 14. But... they are 3rd in the Power Rankings this week. LOL. The author must be from Cleveland. They use a weighted scale that gives more credit for wins last year than this year?

When you put some of the numbers together, he then becomes part of some unique company:

Yeah, behind the Indians and Yankees, thats accurate.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Apr 21, 2008 -> 06:48 AM) The White Sox have allowed the fewest runs in the AL, while scoring the second most. That = recipe for success right there! 1st in HRs (25), 4th in BBs (77), 1st in HRs Allowed (5), and 2nd in BBs Allowed (57).

He'd be better than Uribe at this point.

QUOTE (knightni @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 06:25 PM) Seasons that Thomas played over 49 games at 1B with the Sox: 9 Seasons with the Sox: 16 Is that a good thing or bad thing? Also, 49 games (less than a half of a season) seems like a low number. How about how many seasons did he play majority of his games at 1B? As a pure hitter, he is clearly the best, but if you account for his defense or lack thereof, it becomes a competition.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Apr 20, 2008 -> 06:03 PM) An argument can be made anywhere in the top 5. His lack of defensive opportunities is problematic when comparing him to other players, which will be the issue with Hall of Fame voters, especially from NL cities. But he carried the load for some bad Sox teams, sold a bunch of tickets, and was one of the few players that would stop conversations in bars and in homes to watch him bat. The best batter and one of the top three hitters, I've ever seen. I agree, top 5 for sure. The DH thing is going to hurt him, but I think he still gets in first ballot.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 07:28 AM) The Sox were 12-6 vs the Royals last season that's a .667 W% or 17% of their total wins for the season. It's strange, for whatever reason people have this feeling that the Sox have struggled with the Royals in recent years but in actuality over the past 7 or so seasons the Sox have absolutely dominated the Kansas City. Yeah, looking back I can't recall the last time the Royals even won the season series vs us. We actually had more wins last year vs them than any other team (12). Last year it was the Mariners and Sawks (1-7 vs both) and Interleague 4-14 that kilt us.

6-13 and 0-10 in Day games.

Get better? I would take that. He does look like a totally different pitcher. Good for him, good for the Sox, and good for us.

Who would've thought that after 18 games that Floyd and Danks would have the lowest ERAs on the team? Danks and Vazquez also have yet to allow HRs.