Friend of Nordhagen

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Apr 28, 2008 -> 04:37 PM) Now the idea to bunt really f***ing blows. Yeah, 'cuz when Swisher swung away, he really did well with it.

QUOTE (zenryan @ Apr 28, 2008 -> 04:33 PM) nice inning fatty Roberts. Speed's worthless, right?

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ Apr 28, 2008 -> 05:31 PM) This has been a frustrating series to watch.... we might still take 3 of 4 but very ugly Bobby's got to get the ball up, with some velocity. When he's down in the zone, he's losing 3-4 MPH.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 25, 2008 -> 07:54 PM) This reliever the Nationals brought in, O'Connor, is terrible. The talent level in the NL is just embarrassing. Seriously, fathom, I was thinking the same thing. My goodness, there are some truly terrible baseball players over there. And they all seem to play the Cubs quite regularly.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 24, 2008 -> 08:37 PM) After seeing Floyd struggle with the Yankees due to their patience, I'm still baffled as to why we set our rotation so that Buehrle wouldn't face the Yankees. Because they have a series of left-handed hitters who Buehrle would be effective against.

QUOTE (southsidehawkeye @ Apr 24, 2008 -> 08:33 PM) Im under the assumption (or maybe the hope) that JD will be our DH when Thome is gone... Until then we'll just have to live with his below average defense. Agreed. But if they're serious about going with Quentin every day, then he should be right and Dye in left. To me, it's just like sitting Thome against some lefties. This team is far too concerned with the feelings of some of these older guys -- make the move that makes the team better.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 24, 2008 -> 08:28 PM) Though the runs are earned we should've been out of that inning. A throw by Dye on target and the inning's over. So I didn't see this play. But let me guess: did it involve JD not getting lined up properly to make the throw, stutter-stepping to get himself into position, throwing essentially flat-footed and then being off line?

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 24, 2008 -> 08:28 PM) Though the runs are earned we should've been out of that inning. A throw by Dye on target and the inning's over. Apparently, only the fans can see that Jermaine's been in decline out there for 2 years. Like the team's infatuation with Juan Uribe (and Mackowiak in center), I guess certain mysteries are only understood properly by Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:32 PM) Even if its 75 percent, its his best pitch, his out pitch. Do you think Pad's fans are wondering why Hoffman throws his change so much in 0-2 counts? It makes me mad that even a few of the people on here are putting it on pitch selection and Bobby. The defense failed, our bullpen FINALLY cracked and it is what it is. We will go out and win the the next series. I am mad that they lost a game they should have won, but frankly, the fact that our 5th starter appear so dominant makes me giddy. If Floyd pitches like that all season, we will win probably 95 percent of those games. Agree on Floyd; that's encouraging. I'm not laying this on Bobby, merely making a comment about something that's been pretty obvious for awhile. And Bobby's not as precise as Hoffman. He misses a lot with the curve; he gets it up sometimes, he bounces it. So, as an out pitch, it's not so good that he can be that predictable. And, frankly, it's so predictable at this point, Bobby could probably get an awful lot of outs with his fastball, provided he can still bring it. If Hoffman could throw a fastball even at Bobby's present velocity, you bet he'd be throwing it sometimes on 0-2 or 1-2.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 10:02 PM) Bulls***, would you like to check his game tapes? He will throw a fastball, slider and change on 0-2. He didnt nail it down, so what? It happens, go out and win the next series. Yeah, it happens. I think I said that earlier. I'm not even all that upset. You sound like you might be. And, sure, I guess maybe I overstated the case about throwing the curve every time (although you'll see that I'm not alone in thinking that). But, if we were to check those tapes of yours, I'd estimate he's more than 75% of the time with the curve there. I'd put the fastballs at under 10%. Off-speed, in the dirt -- that's what he predominantly throws. In fact, the whole thing that shows his growth as a pitcher is that he has TOTAL CONFIDENCE in throwing that off-speed -- often wild -- pitch now, even with a runner on 3rd. He didn't have that before.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:46 PM) You mean like the scouting reports that says Jenks throws a goddamn 0-2 curveball every time. Please with the velocity. They gun they had on him said 94 or so. It's not his velocity. It was simply crap pitch selection IMO and not attacking the hitters with 2 strikes. We heard this same crap last year... Seriously, totally agree on the 0-2 curve. Every. Time.

QUOTE (Frankensteiner @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:43 PM) I guess we will see how this holds up the rest of the season when people aren't looking at scouting reports from last year. You may be right, but as a general rule, I never like hearing a guy's velocity is going down. And then it's said the guy is just becoming more of a pitcher or something to that effect (which to me is usually a euphemism for "he's losing his stuff"). This approach is not working out very well for Justin Verlander. The real issue, as I see it, is that Bobby's a young guy who pitches no more than an inning at a crack. Given his role, and even though I understand that it's a long season and maybe a long career, I'm not quite sure that Bobby should be leaving one of his weapons out of his arsenal, if that's what he's doing. No doubt he has a great arm and great stuff -- including that wicked curve -- but he shouldn't be depriving himself of a weapon that can help him.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:41 PM) The more I see what someone like Swisher brings to the team, the more I want the Sox to trade PK. I'm one of his biggest fans, and never thought I'd say that. I don't disagree. But I guess the other way we could look at it is, if Thome and Konerko do get it going, they're going to carry this team for awhile -- because they'd have to get real hot to start getting back to their averages. But I guess we said stuff this a lot last year, too. Ah, I don't know.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:35 PM) Ozzie: I don't care if Anderson made fun of your family, punched your dog, etc.....if he's on the roster, he needs to be on the field defensively in the 9th inning. But then Brian wouldn't be carrying out his important responsibilities in the dugout -- waxing the helmets, applying Swisher's eye-black, filing Ozney's nails. The list goes on.

QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:34 PM) PK and Thome have no clue what's going on at the plate. Might have to split them up. Put Dye between them or something I'd work Carl Everett in there. You know, really mix it up with some crazy.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:32 PM) Uribe is pathetic with the bat, can we DH for the 2nd baseman and let the pitcher hit. At least the pitcher might take more pitches. Yes, but could he carry a team for stretches?

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 09:23 PM) Bullpen didn't look too sharp either. Just a game I'd like to forget. Alright, you have these games. But here are the 2 issues that come out of it that are likely to recur: (1) The terrible outfield defense of Jermaine Dye. It's about 50-50, on any given day, whether Jermaine will look 33 years old or 49 years old out there. That's not going to change. Get him out of the game with a lead. (2) The predictable Jenks pitch selection. This has been going on for about 2 years now. If it's 2 strikes on a hitter, particularly at 0 and 2, it's going to be a curveball. They have got to mix that up back there. (Oh, and any time, Bobby wants to reach back for the alleged 98 MPH fastball, I'm all for it. But, at the least, stop being so predictable.) Roberts knew it; he sat on it; and he pulled it for the hit.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Apr 17, 2008 -> 07:51 PM) Why do you throw an offspeed pitch to a little fart you just blew 2 fastballs by that hasn't hit s*** all night?!?!?! If Bobby's 0 and 2, it's always the curve. Got to mix that up!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2008 -> 07:24 PM) I think he'll get Rowand money or more next offseason on the open market. I think he might take $1-2 million less per year to stay in Chicago if he could get the Boras folks to give up some control. A contract like Konerko's for example. If he puts up the numbers noted earlier in this thread (.270-.280, 25-30 HRs), I could see Boras looking for no less than 5 years at $14-15 million per. That's basically the 2005 Konerko contract ($12 m/5 yrs), with the market mark-up. Time marches; contracts get bigger. Konerko's a better hitter, with more power; Crede plays a tougher position. I also think they'd have a decent shot of getting it, too.

Just checking in now. Waaaiiiiiiiit a minute. You mean, Javy has a high pitch count, is working slowly and getting nicked for runs? Big-time surprises. I mean, huge.

QUOTE(SoxFanForever @ Apr 5, 2008 -> 04:14 PM) His uniform is so tight it is crying.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Apr 5, 2008 -> 04:11 PM) Having pictures of Ozzie and Timo together could be the olnly possible reason Toby Hall is on this team. Toby Hall is terrible. I loved how, in the last week of Spring Training, Ozzie and Kenny called Toby in and asked him if he was healthy. He said yes, and they believed him. So he's on the team. NOTE TO THE BRAINTRUST: IF YOU HAVE TO ASK YOUR BACKUP CATCHER IF HE'S HEALTHY, THAT MEANS -- NO MATTER THE ANSWER -- HE'S NOT PLAYING WELL, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. SO DON'T PUT HIM ON THE TEAM.

QUOTE(SoxFanForever @ Apr 5, 2008 -> 04:03 PM) Gavin struggling to find the strike zone and pays for it. I hate god damn Inge. He only hits off of us I swear. Some solid nibbling by Gavin results in a 2-run home run by Inge.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 4, 2008 -> 09:22 PM) Even as a person who wanted to see Fields get the job...the 6 k's in his first 8 AB's at AAA this season aren't anything to write home about yet. Maybe he does have some stuff to work on there, even if it's just brief. This has been a problem for him since he came up in 2006 and, to some extent, last year: for all of his power, he actually has kind of a slider-speed bat. Good eye, short swing -- but slow through the zone. It's not usually the breaking stuff that gets him; it's letter-high fastballs.

QUOTE(ChWRoCk2 @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 04:35 PM) He will never make the HOF. Hes an older player, gonna need to string together a lot of strong years to even be considered. Who cares we didn't get him, they overpaid for his contract, I'd rather have a younger guy in Alexei personally. Yeah, I wasn't really being serious there.