balfanman

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 11:53 AM) JIM BOWDEN ‏@JimBowdenESPNxm Serious game of chicken between the Dodgers& Cubs on Dempster right now...Cubs believed to have found another team..LA blinks or loses him Go K.W. !

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 11:40 AM) Bob Nightengale ‏@BNightengale The #Marlins say they plan to put Carlos Lee on waivers if they can't trade him by today's non-waiver deadline. Why would they come out and say this? Didn't they just lessen any trade value he may have had?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 11:04 AM) I would add a few months for a pitcher after surgery. I think he's having surgery. The guy has no desire to throw right now. They need to find out what is really going on. He got his contract ! Seriously, I really doubt this is true as Danks seems like a real stand up guy, but isn't it kind of strange that he always turned down the Sox offers in the past. I don't think that his deal was that big and he seemed like he was headed to free agency prior to his signing. Is it possible that he sensed that something was wrong at the end of last season and wanted to get his deal signed if it turned out serious?

Where is Dr. PTAC?

I have no idea what his contract is, or if he would be considered available at all, but for a name that K.W. could go after, how about Cy (otherwise known as Bruce) Chen. Not an "ACE", but capable of several decent outings yet this year. The Royals have to consider themselves out of it by now right.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 10:07 AM) I was not meaning to single you out. Oh I know, it takes alot to offend me. It's just that from my last few posts people could get the idea that I hate our starters. As Hawk says "It's all good".

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 09:47 AM) Sale: 5 ER in 6.1 IP = really battled Quintana: 4 ER in 7 IP = kept us in it Floyd: 1 ER in 6.2 IP = head up his ass I don't really want to come off as being down on our pitching staff. I think that we have a good starting staff, maybe the best as a group in the A. L., but right now it just looks like a train wreck waiting to happen. I hope that Quintana & Sale get over their respective "dead arms", Peavy never has his "dead arm". Humber & Floyd pitch as well as they are capable of pitching, Lariano pitches like a man on a mission (for a new contract), and Danks has a miraculous healing happen and pitches like an "ACE". Wouldn't it be great to be arguing 2 months from from now on which ones of the 7 deserve to be in the playoff rotation more than the others.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 09:41 AM) Marlins begging people to take Carlos Lee of their hands, what a joke of an organization. Can he pitch?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 09:30 AM) I know you are all about doubting the pitchers, but Floyd has been pretty good his last six starts. his WHIP has been high because of a lot of walks, but I think his ERA is something like 1.60 I think that this was debated on another thread recently, but I tend to disagree with this. Floyd has been at best "okay" recently. He is very fortunate that all those walks haven't come back to bite him much. I actually like Gavin Floyd and keep hoping that "busts out" to be the pitcher that I think he can be. In fact, I'm not going to go back and find it, but in a March - April prediction thread I think I said that Gavin would lead the Sox in victories this season. To say that he has been very good of late I think is an overstatement, he has however, been a little lucky.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 09:16 AM) I don't think he is questioning whether or not he feel they are good/solid enough stuff wise, he is questioning whether or not they can hold up for the next two months plus a post season. And he makes a valid point with the exception of Liriano and Floyd, the rest of those guys have either never pitched in Aug and Sept in the bigs or that many innings or haven't pitched in Aug/Sept after a whole season in 2 years. Those should be more then concerns it's downright scary. Especailly if you look how these pitchers have performed their past starts. Thank you; it's a good feeling to have your back covered when you have to step away for a while. The Sox have a very solid rotation when they are all healthy and rested. Quite frankly, they are not currently in that state.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 08:01 AM) It is impossible to start game threads while gainfully employed. Also - LIRIANO. Well.....quit your job then.........Priorities.....Duh !

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 07:59 AM) So, then I ask, who is left who is both better than Floyd/Humber/Quintana and available at a reasonable price? There are guys available who are better (Lee) but the Sox simply aren't in that game. We stole Liriano to fill that 6th starter spot. Better than those guys when? When those guys are "on", or close to it? Or better than those guys right now? It may not take much more than a corpse to pitch better than some of the performances lately. I don't know who as I really don't follow other teams that closely. There are what, about 12 - 13 teams that would consider themselves out of it by now. There must be at least one of them with a #3 - 4 starter that could be gotten. These guys would be far from "ACE" quality, but maybe good enough to keep their team in the game for a few weeks.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 07:36 AM) The other thing it needs to be is better than someone in our top 6. And really, there aren't a whole lot of guys out there who are obviously better than what the Sox can throw out right now who would be available for little. True, but if anyone can find them, I trust K.W. can. I'm kind of hoping that the Cubs are so frustrated with Dempster that K.W. can swoop in and get him at a reasonable cost. Dempster may not be the answer either, but I think that he would be worth a shot.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 07:20 AM) KW doesn't have the talent to trade for an ace, and he probably doesn't have the room to take on an "ace" salary commitment. If the offense stays fairly good I don't think that you need an "Ace". If K.W. could find someone who can keep the team in the game for 6 - 7 innings every 5th day, that may be all you need to get to the playoffs. Then you hope that 2 - 3 of the starters are good enough, with live arms to take it from there. I would hope that we find someone, who I don't know, that could help out in August. I have a feeling that Santiago may help out a lot in September if he can be stretched out by then. Other than that I think that right now you have to hope that Peavy can last a while longer and that Humber and Floyd can at least give you a chance every time out.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 07:20 AM) Well, from where they're at right now, they've got a very good shot at the playoffs. And the cost for that "ace" is going to be prohibitive. What starters on the market out there would you pick to start a one game sudden death playoff over a healthy Chris Sale? Just a couple. Healthy is the key. No one if Sale is healthy, but what are the odds that Chris Sale is healthy, with a live arm come October? Therein lies the rub. This has shades of the 2000 season all over it. The starters are good enough to get you there, but dead tired and "shot" when it arrives.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 06:55 AM) Brett Tomko That was the pitcher. I thought that he didn't get along with the other catcher there either. Maybe it was just that Tomko prefferred the other cather.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Jul 30, 2012 -> 10:13 AM) I think he may be slightly better than Humber, but right now the White Sox have 5 solid starters, and Humber in reserve (or as a 6th man) so I really don't see them doing much more in the starting rotation unless they surprise us with an upgrade over what they have. No, they do not have 5 solid starters. I'm not sure if they have 2 - 3 currently. Quintana the last couple of starts, Sale both have dead arms, who knows if they can pitch worth a s*** the rest of the way. Peavy hasn't pitched a full season in years, he too is very likely to have a dead arm before long. Humber, Floyd, who knows what they're going to provide. I said it in another thread, but the safest bet of bunch right now may be Lariano, and who really knows with him too. The Sox most definitely do not have 5 dependable starters right now and I fear that this could be their undoing this season.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Jul 31, 2012 -> 01:50 AM) With Soto traded to Texas, I wonder if KW has been looking at Yorvit Torrealba as a slight upgrade to Flowers. I don't know the reasons behind why Texas decided to get rid of him, but he's at least hitting over the Mendoza line. Isn't he the guy that Pierzynski didn't get along with in San Francisco, or am I confusing him with someone else?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 30, 2012 -> 09:34 PM) Because KW would have dumped him in about 10 seconds. No way he would have stuck by Dunn. Do you remember how bad he was a year ago? No way at the time Kenny would have though, "This season is an anomaly. He will lose 15 pounds this winter and work out harder and return to the Dunn of old next year and we'll gladly pay him." Kenny would have dumped that contract if anybody wanted him. At least that is my strong opinion. It may be your strong opinion, but I disagree.....strongly.

QUOTE (Cali @ Jul 30, 2012 -> 06:14 PM) Glad he's being stretched out. I think There will be plenty of slots in the 2013 rotation. He could easily slide into that 4/5 spot if he can work the on the offspeed pitches... I'm thinking the need for another starter may be much sooner than 2013!

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jul 30, 2012 -> 02:37 PM) How many starting pitchers do we need exactly? I know what you're saying, but who knows what type of a rotation we could have in September? Danks - ? Peavy - Not pitched a full season in a while, dead arm ? Sale - dead arm ? Quintana - dead arm? Humber - ? Floyd - ? Liriano - ? When you think about it, the safest bet of the bunch might be Lariano. If I can pick up one more starter at a reasonable price it could mean an extra victory or 2. It might even mean that we would have a starter who could actually, you know.....pitch come playoff time.

It may work out that Santiago could be stretched out enough in September that he could cover a few starts for the Sox while getting Sale, Peavy, & Quintana extra rest for the playoffs.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ Jul 29, 2012 -> 01:55 PM) The Tigers have 13 straight to end the season vs KC and MIN. We really need to have a 5 game lead heading into that stretch (Sep 21). I could easily see them going 10-3 or 11-2 in that stretch, and we have LAA, TB, and CLE over the same period. I figure 7-6 would be doable for us, at worst 5-8, and at best maybe 9-4. The Sox only play 13 games vs equal or better teams (including LAA) the rest of the way, and the Tigers play 23 games vs equal or better teams. I know that is a relative comparison, but they definitely have an uphill battle before those final 13 games. We really need to take advantage before that stretch. Admittedly Detroit has an advantage for those last 13 games, but it's a long way off and I don't think it will be quite as lopsided as you make it sound. The Sox have Cleveland and Tampa, both of which could be finishing out the string at that time. LAA might well have at least a wildcard sewn up by then. Who knows, the Sox or the Tigers might be in a lot different position by then, for better or worse. Anything can happen here, but I'll wait at least another month before I start worrying about the schedule for the last couple of weeks.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jul 26, 2012 -> 08:59 AM) So you don't understand why flying to KC, then turning around and flying to Boston, then flying to Detroit within a week wouldn't make you exhausted? Those are three relatively long flights. And despite the all-star break, this team has been on the road a lot recently, playing seemingly tough series every week. I understand this aspect perfectly, I have travelled extensively myself for job purposes and I know how exhausting that can be. That said, if I were to travel that same schedule, but had a major presentation to make upon my arrival in Detroit, I would be "up" for my time in Detroit. I would of let the exhaustion get to me when I got back home.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 26, 2012 -> 08:37 AM) Great. And then there is the reality that these guys are human, and not the machines that people expect them to be because they get paid a lot of money... If that was even the problem. Oh, I understand that they are human, and maybe I'm making much more out of this than need be, I just can't imagine why they would play like they were exhausted against the Tigers. Even if they were completely exhausted you have to get up for those games. Of course it is still July, not September. JMHO