caulfield12

2-1 Record 1-2 2.61 ERA 6.31 21 K 31 4 BB 21 0.77 WHIP 1.60 Which one is the former NL Cy Young winner and which one is B. Cecil?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 8, 2010 -> 10:02 AM) So why then do you think he's impossible to dump now? He hasn't done anything unexpected this season, except maybe even showing a better fastball that other teams are still hitting. This argument is nonsense. KW should have moved him for value when other teams wouldn't have wanted him and when the other team would have been able to move him but he's unmovable now. I don't think he's impossible to dump now, I just made a typo, as you can see from the context of the rest of the sentence... That said, that $7.5 million would have been better off going to a real DH. That said, blow it up, take the $30 million we're guaranteeing to Pierre, Teahen, Kotsay, Vizquel, Castro and Linebrink and the franchise's future looks bright again with Aroldis Chapman and Daniel Hudson waiting in the wings. We could have done just as crappily without those six players with DeAza/Danks, Flowers, Kroeger, Nix, Lucy, Santeliz, etc. Would our record really be 8-10-12 games under .500 with those minor leaguers? In fact, I think our record might actually be better than it is now. Those guys would play with more hunger and desire than the aforementioned veterans, feeling they have a chip on their shoulders to prove that they belong every day they're in a major league uniform. Do you get that sense from Mark Teahen, who KW set up for life?

He's not unmovable now. And he won't be in May/June/July. There will be always be a market for a pitcher who threw 98 MPH yesterday, just like there are smaller ones for Putz and Linebrink, particularly in the NL. Just look at the evolution of Jose Contreras' career, Jon Garland, etc. They'll all (former Sox pitchers) be perfectly fine in the NL. Those hitters haven't seen his stuff 18 games per season for 5 years like the Tigers, Indians and Twins...it will take them one-half season to adjust to him in the first place.

A significant number of posters argued on behalf of retaining BBBJ. Not only that, but there was the concern that pushing Thornton to the back of the pne would further expose Williams' and KW's lack of depth in the farm system (it would have been Threets as a possible 3rd lefty). Not to mention some implicit concerns that Thornton simply doesn't have the mentality to be a good closer and would end up with a 60-75% save conversion rate. Certainly there has to be 3-5 MLB GM's out there, especially in the NL, who would have been very tempted to pull the trigger, if they thought Jenks was the final piece to put them over the top. Like Milwaukee, for example. Also, keeping him in the fold, there was the idea he could be traded and his contract WOULDN'T (TYPO) seem quite so egregious at $3-4 million as a rental player for a playoff contender.

The only move that could have been made, and it was argued ad infinitum....was TRYING to find a taker for Jenks or non-tendering him. That money could have gone to Damon/Matsui/Vladdy. Hindsight is 20/20, sure, but there were quite a few that were ready to cut the cord with Jenks heading into the season. The only highly-paid closer we've had in the last 20 years (unless you consider Roberto Hernandez as highly paid) was Billy Koch. We all know how well that one worked out. Howry, Foulke, Takatsu, Hermanson, Flash Gordon, Thornton, Marte, Jenks, etc. None of them highly-paid guys.

Last spring it was Gordon Beckham getting the rookie star treatment, the top White Sox prospect called up in early June to energize the team and perhaps validate the standing of the organization's talent pool. With only a year of minor-league experience, the Georgia product made good on expectations, his rookie season earning him honors from The Sporting News, the Players Choice AL Outstanding Rookie award and a fifth-place finish in rookie of the year voting. But even then, manager Ozzie Guillen frowned on the attention showered over Beckham, cautioning about expecting too much and saddling a young player with undue pressures. Now, after making the decision to sit the struggling sophomore second baseman for a few days, Guillen is the one voicing the strongest support for Beckham and doing something to reset the youngster's course. ''He won't be sent down to the minor leagues because he's struggling,'' Guillen said of Beckham, whose average is down to .198 but has been only .157 in the last 14 games. ''He will be sent down [for] attitude and the feeling sorry for himself, putting his head down, I guarantee you that. That will happen. To have a bad game, he's not going to be sent down for that. Not right now.'' Right now is time to sit and watch and recharge, with Guillen coming to the decision as much because he saw Beckham's frustrated gestures as his futile swings. ''I had a problem last year with [shortstop Alexei] Ramirez about a certain way, and I just told him the right way -- I said, 'You are too good to put your head down and look like you don't belong here.' I can deal with struggles and errors. The only thing I can't deal with is long faces and feeling sorry for themselves. I told him he's too good, and you are around a lot of good players to be doing that. The bad habit's not going to happen with me. ''You see him put his hands on his hips. Come on, that's not baseball. Shaking his head every time he made an out. I don't say he's not playing hard. He does. He brings his bat to the field sometimes. And I see him throwing stuff and being upset down at the end of the dugout -- stuff I never saw before.'' (here I think Ozzie has shifted to talk about BECKHAM and NOT Alexei still...) It's because Beckham never struggled like this last season, even though the history of the game says every player will struggle at some time -- and perhaps many times. ''You always have to make adjustments, day in, day out,'' Beckham said. ''I figured I would have to. I was hoping it wasn't going to be this bad, but it's all a mind-set, and I kind of got away from that. I just need to remind myself that I can play the game and go out and do it. ''I reminded myself last night about something that I've always told myself and I just haven't even thought about this year, and it's to just go out there and be fun to watch. That's a little different than just saying go out there and have some fun. What I mean by that is just play the game the right way. People respect people that go out there and bust their butt just because they have to. That's one thing I want to make sure I do: Go out there and just be fun to watch; get a bat, run around and just have some fun. ''It's no fun struggling, but it's not different. It's just another battle. Mentally, I've got to get over it. I think I can, and I think I will. It's nice to have guys like Ozzie and teammates that reach out. Everybody's behind me, and they want me to do well as much as I want to do well.'' Guillen hopes a few days will help Beckham relax and regroup. ''This game can put you down on your knees in a heartbeat,'' Guillen said. ''That's why you have to be strong enough mentally. It's my job to make him a better professional. I don't want him to get down on himself.'' from an actual reporter, Ginetti, not Cowlick Guillen doesn't doubt Beckham's effort, but he wants Beckham to be the best player he can be and used Andruw Jones as an example. "I saw (Andruw) one day not hustle on a ball against the Cubs, and I see (Braves manager) Bobby Cox get him out off the field because he wasn't playing the way he should. Every manager has to have enough guts to treat the players like that. Respect the game, play out there and have fun. You are here for a reason. Everybody struggles. Don't put yourself down when you struggle. "He's not going to be sent down for having bad games, but he will get sent down for feeling sorry for himself. I guarantee you that." Beckham realizes his struggles and admits they are self-inflicted. "It's a baseball game," he said. "Sometimes I tend to forget that because of how well I want to do. dailyherald.com

"We have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, we have to stop complaining, we have to play as hard as we can and hope things work out," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "In the end, it's going to work out or it's not." mark gonzales/chicagotribune.com

The point is, allocating $6 million to Damon for one year, versus committing to the uncertainty of Pods or Pierre (at $8-10 million) over two years.....that's a no-brainer. Damon>Pods=Pierre

This is like the lesser of two evils argument....pathetic we're even having it. Like which was the worst disaster, 9/11 or the Titanic. No matter what we do, seemingly, we're screwed. There's not really a bright light or even dim light at the end of the tunnel...except for the fact that the Royals and Indians MIGHT actually be worse than us, although we certainly haven't proven we're better than CLE on the field this season. And we have the #13 pick in the draft, if we don't mess it up, lol.

And more than GOLDEN BOY BECKHAM, too...haha. (Cowley, still an a--hole actually, that never accomplished anything athletically in his life.) We did win TWO series, haha....against the Mariners (who really really suck now) and the Royals (wow). We're also a putrid 1-5 against CLE, the same team who came into tonight in last place in the ALCD with Austin Kearns as their second best offensive player.

But don't you blame Guillen for being blind to all of those players' faults? Putting Pierre in a situation to have to drive a ball after the bunt, when Teahen has XB power (supposedly). He (Pierre) has ONE hit with RISP all season long I think. Not using Santos over Putz. Leaving Buehrle in way too long, to the point where he could have lost the game. NEVER NEVER EVER EVER use Jenks in a tie game when you have Santos and Thornton in the pen. I suppose we'll hear the old/tired excuse, well, Konerko's neck is hurting and Beckham will snap out of it...if they were both playing, we would have won. For crying out loud, our former ROY shortstop from just 2 years ago went from all those Grand Salamis to having Mark Kotsay (of the 548 OPS) intentionally walked in front of him...

Teahen, Kotsay, Ramon Castro, Vizquel and Juan Pierre=$24.7 million Aroldis Chapman for FIVE years (plus option for sixth)=$30 milllion Future for Reds=exciting Future for White Sox=not so exciting

Will be embarassing to have an attendance of less than 20,000 for a Friday home game in May...yeah, yeah, it's the cold weather, that's it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 7, 2010 -> 09:23 PM) No one cares about Oney Guillen. If they care about Oney Guillen...they should be DFA'd for being idiots. It's not ONEY. It's more representative of the lack of institutional control that Ozzie has over his family (to keep them from embarassing both him and the White Sox) and the fact that all his rants and threats are no longer considered meaningful by any of the players or beat writers that follow the team. No way he can bring this team back the dead.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 7, 2010 -> 09:16 PM) Agreed, if we have like one win on the next road trip, this season is OVA! Wait until people start criticizing Ozzie for his son bashing Thome. I'm sure that will go over well with Konerko and company. This is reminiscent of the "we don't need no f--king milk and cookies in the locker room" rant by Tony Muser against the born-again Christians like Sweeney and Randa in the Royals' clubhouse. Thome soft? Gimme an f'in break. He was soft on Blackburn's fastball in Game 163 into the shrubbery, that's for sure. He has put up the same exact numbers he puts up every year, 1000+ OPS, any surprise? I really think that his son's comments ripping Thome will have some blowback and a residual affect as the season continues to slide away.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 7, 2010 -> 09:15 PM) I'm actually getting optimistic that something will happen soon, either it be with him or Walker. Our record and attendance is severely disappointing to Reinsdorf. We're behind BALT and the RAYS, 21st. But STILL 3.7% up on our attendance at this same exact point last year. I wonder if they meant per game average or that the actual numbers who had attended a game was up at this same date (because of fewer games to this point in 2009), that could be a deliberately misleading stat to cover things up a bit.

Putz at 94-96 but little movement and couldn't throw the split with runner on 3rd, so crippled pitcher. Santos and Thornton, you've been promoted to new roles. Jenks and Putz, you're going to have earn your way back into the circle of trust. 7 1/2 GB.

Might be close to Thornton as the closer....a couple of more Jenks stumbles.

If we go to the 12th, do you go to Santos or Putz? What are the odds that Thornton makes it through the entire season without being shut down or DL'ed?

QUOTE (Capn12 @ May 7, 2010 -> 09:35 PM) Oh man Pierre, if you were looking for a way to drive off the last 3 or so people that supported you, well done. I thought you meant the last three fans in the RF bleachers at first...well, same diffference.

548 OPS hitters walked to face 570 OPS guys. Juan Pierre one for the FREAKIN' SEASON with RISP.

Great job guys! Sigh. These are the games that really really piss you off when you spend 4 1/2 hours listening to a loss when Williams gives up a crooked number.

PR Nix here...let's please not blow out CQ's hamstring and quad if there's a double here. Teahen, don't bunt into a DP, PLEASE!!!!

Baseball is a crazy game. The two catchers in an offensive mano-a-mano duel.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 7, 2010 -> 09:22 PM) So it Ozzie's fault for going to his 7.5 million dollar closer against the #7, #8 and #9 hitters? GMAB. Salary isn't the issue at this point, wins are what matter the most. Thornton and Santos are both better options, and possible Putz...in that situation. How many tie games has Jenks UNTIED in his White Sox career....the list would go on for pages. You just avoid using your closer in that situation.