caulfield12

Interesting that DeAza's sitting against a RH pitcher. Ventura must be convinced it's going to be better to try him in another game with a different type of pitcher to break that 2/21 slump.

1) All Dunn If today's makeup game had been played as scheduled Thursday, Adam Dunn wouldn't have been in the White Sox's lineup. He was recovering from an oblique injury that had plagued him for a few weeks. Dunn has returned and is 3-for-4 in his career off today's Tigers starter Doug Fister. 2) Fister factor The right-hander will make his second straight start against the White Sox (just as Chicago's Jose Quintana will make his second straight against the Tigers). Last Tuesday, Fister held the White Sox to two hits (both home runs) in seven innings. Will he have to pitch to the White Sox differently today because they just faced him? No, because of how Fister pitches. He doesn't use scouting reports. He goes on what he thinks will work best at the moment. Besides, the best pitchers often dominate the best teams for two starts in a row in a postseason series. 3) Valverde By all appearances Tigers closer Jose Valverde -- who lost Sunday's game -- will be unavailable today except for unforeseen circumstances. Manager Jim Leyland didn't name a replacement. www.freep.com/sports

CLEVELAND -- The Tigers' clubhouse was dead silent Sunday evening after a sloppy, depressing, dejecting, demoralizing, painful loss to the Indians. Jose Valverde put on a suit and buttoned his shirt, and tied his tie, and slipped on his vest, then faced the media. Pitching for the third straight game -- he swears his arm felt great and his velocity was up -- Valverde blew a save as the Indians got a dramatic, 7-6 come-from-behind victory. "I feel good," Valverde said. "Sometimes, you have to give credit to the hitter, too." And that was it. The Tigers packed their bags and jumped on a plane and headed for Chicago for a showdown today against the White Sox. One game. Winner take, well, one game. But that one game is crucial for the Tigers. Because they are now two games behind the White Sox in the American League Central. And if they fall three back, well, that might be too much to overcome. One for the books If the Tigers fail to catch the White Sox. If they fail to make the playoffs. If they break the hearts of countless fans. If they miss the playoffs by one game -- why does that seem inevitable at this point? It might come down to Sunday in Cleveland. It was the day Alex Avila collided with Prince Fielder as they tried to catch a foul ball. Quick note: Never, ever run face-first into Fielder's elbow; it's just not good for your dentures. As a general rule, a face always loses to an elbow. Avila suffered a sprained jaw. "It looked like a knockout punch," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. It was the day Leyland was ejected for arguing the second of three close calls at first base. "I thought all three guys were out, or I wouldn't have been out there," Leyland said. "They were unbelievable, bang-bang plays. ... Emotions run high this time of year." It was the day Drew Smyly pitched fantastic in relief. It was a day the Tigers played sloppy and botched several plays. It was the day the Tigers wasted a dramatic seventh-inning home run by Miguel Cabrera. As several thousand Tigers fans chanted, "MVP! MVP!" Cabrera looked like one as he blasted a 402-foot home run to give the Tigers a 6-5 lead. And everything seemed perfect, everything seemed magical, until that disastrous ninth inning. "We were asking a lot of Valverde today, but he threw the ball well," Leyland said. "He had better velocity than he's had the last couple of nights. ... He's been fantastic." Jackson hurting And finally, it was the day Austin Jackson spent most of the game in the trainer's room, getting treatment on an injured ankle. As his teammates packed their bags, Jackson sat at his locker, wearing an ankle brace. He didn't play Sunday after suffering an injured left ankle while crashing into the wall Saturday. "It was real tight and sore," Jackson said. "We worked on it during the game, trying to get some of the swelling out. It worked pretty well with the treatment we did. Hopefully, today, we can do some more things to loosen it up before the game." He looked at his ankle. He plans to play today. Because this is just so much fun and dramatic. "Honestly, all the games matter from here on out," Jackson said. "All of the games have a lot of pressure on them, to be honest with you." Must-win game? It is almost impossible to predict what this team will do. Suddenly, the Tigers are bruised and battered, heading to Chicago for a game that is as close to must-win as it gets. It will be the last time the Tigers face the White Sox -- in the regular season, at least. The Tigers will start Doug Fister, who has looked brilliant lately. The White Sox will counter with Jose Quintana, a rookie left-hander who gave the Tigers fits in his last start, holding them to one run in 7 2/3 innings. So today means everything. A win and they still have a chance. A loss and they will need some serious help. If ever there is a day to ... hmm ... come down with a strange debilitating illness, preventing you from going to work, and forcing you to sit in front of your television right around 2 p.m. to spend some quality time with Rod and Mario -- this is it. Cough away, Detroit! Today is sick day in the Motor City. www.freep.com/sports (SIEDEL)

Brian and Cangelosi started it, lol. Seriously, Kate Middleton's pictures in Italian and French paparazzi magazines are about as relevant to the White Sox AS Danks' engagement at this point.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Sep 17, 2012 -> 07:15 AM) there is nothing about eastern european women i find attractive. Then you have never been to Prague or Brno (Czech Republic), Budapest, Slovakia, Poland or the Ukraine. Just a guess....

KW should have given that contract to Mark Buehrle, etc. Seriously, it really shouldn't matter, as long as he performs on the field. You could make an argument he should be more focused being "settled down" and if he's not carousing about with Jake Peavy in Wrigleyville and partying with BA's groupies/honeys/hotties, lol.

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QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 07:28 PM) i'm not getting into a "who's richer" argument. That's why you will end up like Romney. It's not going to be a winning argument, no matter how you spin it, when you're criticizing professionals in another field.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 06:27 PM) I'd expect under 20,000 for the make up game, right? Prolly 10-15,000? Hopefully like caufield said the Sox can relax and win one. Even if we lose as I expect, we're still one up with no more games left vs. the Tigers. I'll predict 20-25,000. If they're counting tickets sold from the cancelled Thursday night game, it will be a very good crowd indeed, at least revenue/numbers-wise. I'm sure the fans that do show up will be vocal as hell and into the game.

QUOTE (JoshPR @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 06:27 PM) Could be they trade v-mart Not until he proves he's healthy. And he's got the same issue as Dunn, except Dunn is a power hitter and V-Mart is more and more going to be a clutch RBI with 10-15 homers per year. That contract is not favorable to any team....taking a chance on a rehabbing, injury-prone, 30 something guy. Not very likely, without a 25-50% subsidy from Illitch, not unlike the Thome deal to the Sox from Gillick to open up a spot for Ryan Howard.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 06:20 PM) Those are just insane percentages. The Tigers and Sox play Monday. If Detroit wins (and I would think the departed Caesar will be betting heavily on the Tigers) they are only one out. That's just crazy to have us heavy favorites at this point. And we play the Royals 3 more in KC. WTF? I'd agree with top 30 pitcher I guess, not top 20 in the league. He's a good pitcher, I'll give him that. He's not special I don't think. I'd think some of our knowledgeable stat minded posters could quickly put together a list of the best and I'd expect to see Peavy about No. 25-30. Greg, you can do it yourself. What are the key stats you would accept for a pitcher. Well, obviously his 11-11 record is more indicative of poor run support and a lot of blown games by the bullpen. Some but not all of it was self-inflicted. I did this last week. WHIP, ERA and WAR. Here it is, as of today's games. MLB RANKS WHIP, 10th WAR, 9th ERA, 21st K's, 14th

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 05:07 PM) Love it. Sox win comfortable and Tigers blow one. Huge game tomorrow night. Lets go Sox!!! I think many will forget it's at 1:10 p.m. and miss it.

QUOTE (BlackBetsy @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 06:14 PM) What are they going to do with Martinez? Is he DH / 1B with Fielder, or does he catch and bump out Avila? I can't believe that they are going to continue to put Cabrera out at 3B. Martinez has to be the DH. He's an AWFUL AWFUL catcher defensively, and would make Joe Cowley look good if he played the position. Cabrera has been decent to better than expected at 3B, a bit like Viciedo in LF, to make a comparison. The real problems are up the middle and the corner outfielders defensively.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 07:16 PM) why shouldn't they? they are entitled to that money. so pay up. And your salary is less than $30,000 per year? You are a Peace Corps volunteer and make the "standardized rate of poverty" stipend? For example, when I was in AmeriCorps in 1998, it was $8,740, they don't even call it a salary. I did get a "education award" like the military/GI Bill, but it was 20% less.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 06:05 PM) the vast majority of Chicago is against a raise for these overpaid teachers. Sounds like you did a scientific poll with +/- accuracy of 3-4% or less. May I ask a question? What is your job, exactly?

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 06:07 PM) we are talking about city taxes and county taxes. can't blame G.W. Bush for this one. What is the marginal tax rate in the US compared to most of the industrialized world? In the bottom 25%. And yet in surveys of "happiness," why do those "socialized" countries like Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, etc., always finish higher than the US, despite freezing cold weather for much of the year?

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Sep 15, 2012 -> 12:08 PM) Did you really just quote an article that used the south having worse scores than areas with teachers unions, as evidence of teacher unions being good? Why dont we compare apples to apples. Lets compare a private school in Chicago (no union) to a public school in Chicago. Think about it, and then realize why that entire article completely missed the point. Its not about whether unions are good, bad or indifferent, its about what can we do to ensure that children receive the best education. And Im sorry, but unlike the teachers union, I think that all options should be on the table and there should be no sacred cows. If that is so wrong, I dont understand the world anymore. Simply put, show me some evidence that the teachers union has helped children, because we all know that the union helps teachers. The point isnt about helping teachers, its about helping children. How many poor or middle class parents have ever been able to make up the difference between the vouchers they're to be issued and the actual cost of education at an elite private school? It happens, in theory, but maybe only 2-3% of the time, at most. I have a feeling the same thing will happen when they start privatizing Medicare...great if you have money, not so great if you're struggling middle class or poor.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 15, 2012 -> 08:19 PM) Ya know, if people think the CTU teachers look bad here... how about the Lake Forest HS teachers? They make on average almost twice what CPS teachers do, and the Lake Forest ones are striking purely about money. Kind of hard to get the community in your corner when you are striking over money and most of you make 6 figures. Zion, IL, too, high 5 figures salaries are very common, if not low 100's.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 14, 2012 -> 02:27 PM) the teachers are as bad (maybe worse). they are the top 10% er's stealing from the poor. raising taxes on the poor guy who gets 15k a year and is barely making it. now it looks like another winter without heat for his family. but at least the teacher can get that new Range Rover now. When were the teachers the ones in Congress enacting tax policies? I think that would be mostly industry-paid lawyers and lobbyists. The poor guy earning only $15K per year should be paying LITTLE or no money in taxes, the way the system was designed. He might even be getting a credit or subsidy for actually working but having an income near the poverty rate for a family of 4. There are also subsidies for working poor to received lowered rates on their heat...deferred/discounted payments, etc. Where are these teachers with Range Rovers? Principals, Assistant Principals OCCASIONALLY, etc. But not salaried teachers. And it certainly wasn't anything close to the norm. (And what about all those who looted the country and taxpayers working for the Big Banks, Countrywide Loans, etc.? Did they take away all their BMW's, Mercedes and Audis?) In Kansas City, my salary in 2006-07 with 5 years of experience and 2 Master's degrees was $44,000. I'm not even close to Mitt Romney's vision of what "middle class" is defined as, now am I?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 05:56 PM) Valverde's pitched in 5 of their last 6 games and probably won't be available tomorrow. Benoit will be, but probably no Valverde. Villarreal's the scary one now, with Dotel and Benoit both struggling from time to time in recent months. 79-66, equals their mark of 79-83 last year with 17 games left to go.

Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, which is totally, definitely NOT about Scientology (and wouldya stop asking?!), grossed a stunning $729,745 from just 5 theaters, which gave the film a per theater average of $145,949 — the best opening weekend average for a live-action film of all time. The Master‘s phenomenal per theater average outshadows Moonrise Kingdom, which broke the same record earlier this year. (*Note: Kevin Smith’s Red State technically holds this record, as it grossed $204,230 from 1 theater in its 2011 debut, yet that film’s bow was more of a special event — tickets cost $40 and Kevin Smith was present, so it’s not a totally fair comparison.) The Weinstein Co., who declined to provide budget information for the film, says The Master will expand into at least 135 markets next weekend — about 600-800 theaters. www.ew.com

QUOTE (JoshPR @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 05:38 PM) If the tigers don't win this I think there is gonna be a massive broom through the while tigers org... F you espn too Leyland would probably resign. Doubt he'd be fired, they respect him too much in that front office...they would rather push out hitting and pitching coaches than change players or the manager, IMO. They're getting back Victor Martinez too next year. Really, they need to bounce Peralta out of Detroit and get a SS more like Alexei Ramirez. Dirks has been great, but will he repeat or end up disappointing like Raburn, Avila (injured today) and Boesch? Will the real Delmon Young please stand up? One of the most enigmatic players in baseball, after the dominant run he had in Minnesota in 2010 where he put up MVP numbers for 4 1/2 months. Pitching wise, they're set. When your 6th starter is as good as Smyly (almost a 1:1 IP to K ratio and a lefty to boot), you're pretty well set up in that area.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/standings 71.9% again for Sox. Down to 36.5% for Tigers. Armaggedon tomrw. Maybe the Sox will actually relax, knowing that they will go into the last two weeks of the season with at least a 1 game lead. Pressure squarely back onto the backs of the Tigers to not go 3 games down with 15 left. Orioles cooling off the A's finally today. Except we should also be cheering for the A's because the O's are closer just in case we need the 2nd WC.

QUOTE (Cerbaho-WG @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 05:34 PM) I abhor Papa Grande. I don't usually wish harm on players, but I wouldn't oppose a liner off his massive gut. Maybe in the gonads would be more appropriate.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 05:30 PM) Atta boy anonymous mediocre Indians player! Lonnie Chisenhall. They really shouldn't have walked Carrera IMO. It's definitely the "textbook" managerial move, but it's not always the best one. Loading the bases always seems to put more pressure on the relief pitcher there.