Jim Fainter

I just saw an interesting stat during the Rockies game: There are only three hitters in the majors with a BA over .300 with two strikes on them. Todd Helton leads at .346. Only two others, one is BJ Surhoff. Didn't catch the other guy.

Replays of that catch made by center fielder Chone Figgins of that fly ball hit by Everett confirmed what I thought when I saw it live: It was a made for TV, impress your girlfriends, showboat, not necessary dive for a fly ball that was caught before the dive started.

Too bad Buerhle didn't stay in for the victory. Flash came within a gnat's ass of giving up a run in the ninth on that smash to the mound.

Rowand might get his chance next year.

Jason and WUgly83; Re Frank, if I understand that option correctly, Frank has the first option, and I don't thiink he will move if there isn't some team out there willing to take him on at better terms than he now has, and who would that team possibly be?? There isn't any. No (other) GM is dumb enough to take him for 3-4 years, especially if he doesn't snap out of the current slump. If Frank is still alive, he will be with us in 2004. Pls correct me if I am wrong on his option. Re Jeremy Reed, one of the Carl/Carlos twins has to go next year. We have to have room for Reed to step in and take over one of the outfield positions. With the two slowpokes cluttering up the 1B/DH positions for at least the next two years, I don't see any alternative.

Jason and WUgly83; Re Frank, if I understand that option correctly, Frank has the first option, and I don't thiink he will move if there isn't some team out there willing to take him on at better terms than he now has, and who would that team possibly be?? There isn't any. No (other) GM is dumb enough to take him for 3-4 years, especially if he doesn't snap out of the current slump. If Frank is still alive, he will be with us in 2004. Pls correct me if I am wrong on his option. Re Jeremy Reed, one of the Carl/Carlos twins has to go next year. We have to have room for Reed to step in and take over one of the outfield positions. With the two slowpokes cluttering up the 1B/DH positions for at least the next two years, I don't see any alternative.

Jugger, how is Konerko tradeable? Who who take him at that rediculous salary? And how would lyou renegotiate his salary? I mean, he is flat guaranteed $16 MM over the next two years. I don't think he will volunteer to take a pay cut. Please explain your thoughts on Konerko. Tks.

I wish I were closer to the team geographically. Being a long distance fan makes it tougher to evaluate a manager, and I have never endorsed his removal, just my dissatisfaction with him. It wouldn't bother me in the least to fire Jerry and, when the team comes home Sunday night/Monday morning, have Wally Backman there waiting for them. If the Sox get clobbered again Sunday, I just don't think that they will bounce back as they did before. Either way, I don't think that he will return next year. Do it now. Am I panicing? Yes.

When I started this thread 24 hours ago, I made a few minor suggestions to help the Sox prevail in the Central. Well, I can't blame Saturday's loss on Olivo, althought it would have been worse had Sandy not been catching. I can't blame it on Robbie either, although I never advocated benching him immediately, just giving him a short leash. He came through. Moving Carl or Carlos to DH at the expense of Konerko would not have helped enough either. Notice that when I made my suggestions, I purposely neglected our pitching staff. I thought I would leave those matters to Jason, Rex, Cerb, et al. What happened?

Where is Jerry?

You'r right, it doesn't matter. I was just throwing the s*** out there.

Forkit, no panic here. And I wasn't advocating bringing up young players. I even said "don't" bring up Reed. My biggest leap was sending Olivo down and bringing Burke up. Olivo IS hurting us. Everett to DH is not exactly a wholesale change. It just gets Rowand and his better defense and speed into the game at Konerko's expense. That is the big trade off. Rowand for Konerko. Alomar, I said give him another week. If he goes 1 for 20, again, everyone will be on his ass. No wholesale change there either. Please re-read what I initially said. After I made that post I read the article in the Trib where Carl said something to the effect that we need a spark, and we didn't play well last night, blah, blah. Send Olivo down, play Rowand, keep Carl and Carlos in the lineup, bench PK, live with Frank, Robbie and Jose. I just don't see anything radical or a wholesale change in there. Certainly not a panic. I started by saying that we are only 2 out with 40 to go.

My crack research staff looked up the stats on the kids we traded. Rupe: 4-0; 2.00 ERA; 5 games; 27 inn; 23 hits; 23 K's. A ball Ring: 2-0; 2.20 ERA; 13 games; 16 inn; 11 hits; 14 K's. AA Dunn: 0-0; 2.70 ERA; 2 games; 3 inn; 1 hit; 4 K's AAA Bittner:2-0; 0.00 ERA; 3 games; 15 inn; 6 hits; 15 K's. A Ouch. Both Francisco and Webster are struggling.

I love the way King hung in there. Super slow start, but he kept plugging away. I bet he does well next year on whatever A Ball team he plays for. Anderson, King, Nanita, Sweeney. No particular order. Unfortunately, every GM in the business will see their numbers, too, and they will be on Kenny's doorstep next July, right next to his turnip truck.

Kanny needs some help, don't they.

This winter Garland will be arbitration eligible. I will be really interested to see what a first time, arbitration-eligible, .500 pitcher is worth. Buehrle will have a bit more ammo because of his strong 2001-2002.

Somehow, we are still in this thing. 40 games to go, 2 behind KC, 1 ahead of Minny. Unfortunately, both are playing better than we are. That could change, possibly. The first thing I would do is recognize that Olivo is hurting us. In the words of the immortal Bo Jackson, circa 1993 or 94, "We are a hitter short." Olivo's first at bat was pathetic. The game was still on the line, runner on third, 1 out, and he swings at three straight curves way out of the strilke zone. His last at bat was just as bad, but the game was already lost; the camera was right on him as he walked back to the dugout, and he looked defeated. His average will soon free fall toward Mendoza. He should be sent down to Charlotte where he might regroup and get ready for next year. Bring up either Burke or Rivera. They can both hit. The second thing I would do is recognize that Everett is not a big time centerfielder. He will cost us games out there. Last night his play contributed to early runs aganinst Loaiza. But I like his bat, so he has to play. It is either left or DH. Carlos has been playing pretty well. He is not consistent, but he is a legitimate bat. Gotta keep him in there, too. Your choice, JM, Carl and Carlos, left and DH. Play Rowand in center until he proves he can't do the job. The third thing I would do is recognize that Konerko is a very poor hitter, mediocre on defense, and verrrry slow. I know, I know, he just raised his average from .180 to .230 and he did hit a few BIG home runs that saved our ass, but that little streak was just an abberation. He is still a poor hitter who will hurt us in the next 6 weeks if he is in there every day. First base, it's between Thomas and Konerko, and the nod goes to Frank, but neither one is playing well now, so what difference does it make. The fourth thing I would do is start having second thoughts on Robbie. He is hurting us, too. He is the alter ego of Olivo, who swings at everything and misses, where Robbie takes pitches for strikes. Same result. If Robbie has another 1 for 20 week, his average will free fall down to around .230, and everyone will be on his ass. A week from now it might not make any difference, if we keep playing this way. But if we win a few games and Robbie does his no hit routine, he has to sit. Harris for the rest of 2003. I don't know what to do about shortstop. Keep playing Jose, I guess. Maybe that out he made at third when he was jogging around second toward third was a fluke, because he doesn't have a history of not hustling. Send Olivo down, bring up Burke or Rivera, DH Carl, bench Konerko, put Rowand in center. Team speed goes up, defense improves, hitting improves. I know I'm missing something here. Put Robbie on a very short leash. Like Bo said, we are a few hitters short. Like everyone else, I would love to see Reed, but it would just f*** with the 40 man roster some more and cost us another prospect this winter (as the Cotts move did), and if he comes up he has to play, so I would leave him in Birmingham and plan on his being here next year.

You're right, Ghost. Lee is not a FA unless we don't offer him arbitration. Strictly a matter of service time. We still control Lee. Regarding Jose, if we son't start sitting him, he will get the 575 at bats necessary to kick in his $5 MM option for 2004. He is right on track to get them. If that happens we will have a shortstop hitting .230 next year who would command about half a mill on the open market getting $5 large from us.

I think Hawk is great. He is funny, quick, whimsical, knows the game, and he tells it like it is. So I'm listening to a Braves game this week, and Chip's father Skip (how DOES a Skip beget a Chip?) was discussing possible NL playoff scenarios with his broadcasting partner, and Skip, the begettor of Chip, said, "I hope the Cubs get into the playoffs for Chip's sake." I can't remember what I did first, throw up or change the channel.

Cerb, that hit by Sweeney was his first extra base hit that you were looking for.

Bullard with another effective outing. Not a big outing, but he got the job done again. He has quietly but steadily improved. He should be a shoo-in to move up to AAA next year.

You are right, Cerb. Add to that, his confidence is probably shot, too. Maybe you should be his hitting coach. He never gets any good wood on the ball anymore. He's about 35 hits away from Mendoza.

That actually was one of Schoen's better pitching performances.

Olivo needs a two week vacation in Charlotte.

One of the best jobs of managing I have seen was about 5 years ago when Bobby Cox of the Braves saw young Andru Jones dog it on two plays in the same game, and Cox took Jones out right after the second incident. He jerked him out of the outfield right in the middle of the inning, not caring if he was embarassed. When Jose was dogging it on the bases, he should have done the same thing. Let him go out to short for one pitch and remove him. You do it as much for the offending player as you do for the rest of the team.