caulfield12

seriously, play Olmedo tomorrow...Alexei doesn't deserve to be starting if he can't get his head out of his --- with only two weeks left to go in the season, and every game critical/crucial just zero excuse for that, none...

you've got to BLEEPIN me! ramirez deserves to be benched, if we're going to do the same to Viciedo....that, and the bases loaded, one out situation yesterday. that's 2-3-4 runs that we've just wasted...this game should be over now, essentially of course...we'll let KC hang around, it fits the pattern all season long

Unfortunately, double play ball still in order. You'd think opposing pitchers would deliberately load the bases and see how the White Sox could mess it up.

Here we go again. Taking the bat out of DeAza's hands, when he's just not good at sacrifice bunting...only bunting for a hit.

Here we go again. Taking the bat out of DeAza's hands, when he's just not good at sacrifice bunting...only bunting for a hit.

QUOTE (Jake @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 07:59 PM) re: Rios play If you see it from another angle, Rios saw that Guthrie was guarding the plate with his glove right near the ground so he was trying to not slide right into the tag. He actually dodged the initial tag attempt but barely missed the plate on that same stride. Also, AJ had terrible form blocking that "wild pitch" and that's why it got away. He's been lazy to move his body and get down and block pitches for years...always trying to snag them with the glove or backhand a ball he should be getting in front of. This aspect of his game, and throwing out opposing baserunners...it has been his biggest downside since 2005.

No fastballs to Frenchie. Yay. Well, if one thing's for certain, it's that when we've made bone-headed baserunning plays, we've been able to play over them, like the Wise one at 3B against the Tigers.

So there was a wild pitch/passed ball and the ball didn't get away far enough? Why wasn't the on deck hitter or the guy in the batter's box telling RIOS to get down, that it was going to be a close play?

What just happened to Rios? Out at home on a sac fly scoring attempt? How many baserunners have we lost to KC outfielders this year?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 05:17 PM) I dont think anyone cares about that. at all. It probably would have helped Brooks Boyer and our marketing department this past offseason had they announced BOTH Hahn and Ventura as their all-new management team. At this point, coming off this season, it doesn't make so much of a difference, as those who believe KW is still essentially in charge will continue to believe so...and those who think Williams got pushed out of the GM job and Hahn is really pulling the strings will read everything that happens from now on as "Hahn influenced" moves. There will be a lot of tea leaf readings trying to interpret and spin things in different directions depending upon one's bias about those two.

They could always get Miami to help us buy back Buehrle with a subsidy and go to five lefties, just to shut Greg up, lol. Then there's the Fathom option, Veal to the rotation. Actually, if Thornton could throw his two pitches consistently, I wouldn't mind giving him a shot as a starter, again, as that's what he wanted to do when we first brought him over for Borchard way back when, in 2006. Axelrod, Rienzo, Castro, Molina and the usual list of suspects will figure in, but you'd have to believe they will either exercise the Floyd option to give them some more flexibility, bring back Liriano (or Peavy), both are 25% possibilities, or go after a second tier FA pitcher like an Anibal Sanchez that Cooper and the scouting staff have identified some positive upside with. I was pulling for them to add Guthrie as another arm, and that would have saved us a ton of losses and given us the division single-handedly, but there's no way the White Sox (or probably the Royals as well) should overpay him now based on 2 months of season, when the Royals were already eliminated.

No way in hades Castro or Molina are closing to being 3 starters, you can forget that one happening. Santiago has more talent than either one of those guys. What will be interesting is the "tea leaves reading" of all the moves, trying to attribute our offseason to KW or Hahn. For example, will certain posters be thrilled KW is "gone" or will they be even more upset he got a promotion and is perceived to be running the team still? Does anyone believe this will have ANY impact at all on season ticket sales or the perception of the fans, playoffs or not? Will we now not credit KW with getting any more than the 2005 and 2008 teams to the playoffs, officially?

Konerko and Viciedo both sitting. We'll see if it works. Had to change something around, and the speed at the top of the line-up could shake up Guthrie if they can get on base and not get gunned down on brain cramp moves.

Not only did they put some wear and tear on Smyly before Sunday...they shook his confidence completely. Go Twins! 11 pitches, just a few strikes. "It has struggled a little bit here today." Rod Allen, completely understating how bad the Tigers' pen has been in this game.

Huge walk by Smyly. Feeling the September pressure a bit?

Nice to have left-handed 6th starter with 87 K's in 89 IP. Thankfully, the A's didn't trade Gio for Smyly and Jacob Turner. Or they would be leading the division, in all likelihood. Same with the Alburquerque and Victor Martinez injuries, we've had a lot of breaks go our way. Maybe the luckiest break for us was Morel getting hurt when he did, forcing the YOUK trade before other teams were serious about adding a 3B, or in need of one. And the timing with Middlebrooks and Valentine, they pretty much had to dump him when they did.

Great recovery after a Viciedo-esque swing for strike 2. That's the difference with a more experienced hitter. Tigers announcers mentioning he hasn't swung at a first pitch all day long after being extremely impatient the first two games. Cabrera can't tie the game unless 2 runners are on base, nice to have a little cushion. Dotel and Benoit have been up and down all season. Smyly entering the game...interesting. He's theoretically the starter on Sunday.

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 02:46 PM) Kind of interesting for Oak to use a lefty in the 8th when Dirks is only lefty hitter in the sequence...they must not have a good righty option besides closer? Good relievers can be trusted to get both righties and lefties. A novel idea, with how so many bullpens are getting overmanaged these days...and with the expanded September rosters.

A's with a very impressive, albeit unknown to most fans, bullpen. Doolittle following in the footsteps of Sergio Santos, converted position player with a big arm mows down the side. Laird, Jackson and Infante for the 9th, will be at least a 2 run lead. Don't want to give Cabrera a chance to tie it. Possibility we see Avila for Laird, but it seems he's going to get the start tmrw. Tigers still leaning towards using Smyly Sunday against the Twins, as they haven't used him out of the bullpen against the A's lefties.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 02:34 PM) Don't know who that Cook guy is but he just pitched one hell of an inning. Has 14 saves. Nasty stuff. Came over from the D-Backs.

It sucks, but this might be the only game in my lifetime that I cheer for Grant Balfour in any way, shape or form.

Dirks have a great rookie season, homer into RF bleachers off a previously untouched (at least in SEPT) Blevins. 6-4. Also made a nifty defensive play in LF, great jump. Of course, the Tigers have given up 3 basically unearned runs, should be leading this game 4-3, instead. Alburquerque is just nasty. No surprise he only gave up a .164 BAA as a rookie last year. Devastating slider and 95 MPH heater. Probably if they had him all season long, the Tigers are leading the division or tied with us. Let's hope Cabrera and Fielder don't both end up getting 2 more AB's. Miggy leading off the bottom of the 7th here... Cook, nice arm, K's him with a nasty splitter/forkball. Cabrera was easily pulling a 96-97 MPH fastball. His bat speed has picked up over the course of the season instead of slowing down.

Is that a Grady Sizemore play for 2012? Should have been an easy out, but 2 runs score instead. Probably would have been an inside the parker if not for Kottaras being a catcher.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 01:52 PM) More amazing baseball-throwing by Tigers fielders. That's the downside to AA outfielders learning in the heat of a pennant race.

Donaldson rips the hanger to LF after Carter had K'd and Smith was intentionally walked. 1st and 2nd, 2 outs, reliever into the game to replace Sanchez.