caulfield12

QUOTE (Sox It To Em @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 04:33 PM) Ugh, nice play by Upton. 1 out. He's killing us. Upton just has a lot of athletic talent and ability that nobody on our team has but Ramirez and Cabrera when he was younger.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 04:30 PM) Next season our offense woes will be a thing of the past. We will add good things, especially Quentin back in the lineup. Then hopefully Rafael Furcal at SS and Casey Blake at 3rd. So that is adding a .800 OPS 3rd baseman, a near 1.000 OPS LF and a top-notch leadoff hitter. KW is probably the sickest person watching this s***, I am confident they will go out and get an impact player somewhere and then hopefully a Alexei-type pickup also. I'm not counting on finding another Alexei Ramirez and Quentin in the same off-season, that happens about once every 25 years. However, I do expect improvements in the htting/offensive approach...unfortunately, I think Walker will still be around. That might not have been the case had the White Sox missed the playoffs, losing on Sunday to complete the Indians' sweep. Think how much different that off-season would feel than this?

Our left-handers haven't done very well against Carlos Pena the last two days. But it is what it is...better than having Horacio Ramirez or Boone Logan out there. At this point...I almost wouldn't mind seeing Vazquez out there, lol. Just to see if he could actually be productive for this team down the stretch.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 04:23 PM) It's mind boggling that our heart of the order hitters miss 88mph 2 seamers by a foot. The offense is just pressing...in the first inning or so, they were waiting for the curveball and hitting the ball pretty well. Now, down 3-4 runs, they are all trying to get too aggressive and hit 3 run homers with nobody on. It's the problem with a power-oriented line-up, we don't have enough singles and doubles hitters to get on and set the table. The entire line-up starts to echo itself and even the "small ball" guys think they are HR hitters.

Griffey has been one of the hitters who came to play this post-season. Cut him some slack...the guy's almost 39 years old. We can't expect THAT much out of him at this point.

One run at a time...we can do this. A few people are giving up too easily...they haven't watched this Sox team come back AND give away huge leads this season apparently. Anything is possible playing in our bandbox.

Actually, Sonnanstine's fastball is slow enough that it's below the "hitting speed" and it is quite difficult to hit because the average MLB fastball now is 89-91 MPH. They've seen this guy 3 three times this season and had decent success...it's just difficult to hit homers as the pitching improves and the weather cools in September and October.

QUOTE (FranktheTank35 @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 04:12 PM) No, I didn't expect another ring. But I can't tell you how many times I watched these games and just got so frustrated. I think we could have done so much better. But losing Quentin, and Contreras was frustrating. Nick Swisher sucking was frustrating. Kong and Thome batting sub .250 was frustrating. Joe Crede finally hitting again, but playing the worst D of his career was frustrating (and then he got hurt). Having to watch Juan Uribe play half the year was frustrating. Just my opinion I guess. If you can't recognize how much more talented (that's what happens when you have so many high first rounders over the years) and quick and efficient the Rays are, then I don't know what to say... Yeah, Gavin picked a bad day to lose his command, but he's had a great season, overall. It's almost like you can't find anything to cheer about or be optimistic about. Frustrating yes, but trying be a Cubs' fan.

Okay...give up on the Sox if you want, but Sonnanstine isn't Josh Beckett out there. We can get back in this game. The Twins pecked back from a five run lead, anything can happen, as long as we don't get down by much more and the bullpen can hold them down like in Game 1.

The same thing happened to the Brewers, oh well. Cabrera with a the ill-advised throw to home when Floyd should still be on 2nd base...or maybe 3rd after the single.

Well, obviously we're going to have to work with Gavin on holding runners better next year and with Clayton Richard on fielding and throwing the ball over to first...I'm not going to get upset, no matter what happens in this game. I expected the season to be over at least a week ago...so this is all a bonus for the White Sox IMO, playing without Quentin.

QUOTE (G&T @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 03:59 PM) Could this ump give any more breaks to the Rays? It would have been nice had he got the call on the curveball against Upton, but our offense still needs to score to win the game.

Well, there's still six innings to go, but I don't like the vibe about this game at all. Maybe things will change, they have all season long when we counted the Sox out, but you have to tip your cap to Upton for hitting two balls like that through the teeth of the wind.

Personally, I still would rather have Richard or even Carrasco as the long man if Gavin or Mark struggled. I just don't trust Vazquez anymore...unless it's just one batter at a time, and as soon as he gives up a hit or walk, I would pull him immediately. Richard at least has the confidence that he can get these guys out and that he belongs on the same field. I think Javier is just "shot" mentally and needs to be anywhere but back on the mound right now. He needs to observe the way winning pitchers go about their business at playoff time.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 07:46 AM) Not to get completely off track, but I believe there is a less looked at aspect of trades, and that is the set-up trade. The one that shows that you aren't going to be taken by the other GM. For instance, the Vazquez trade, to me, set up the Quentin-Carter trade. What I mean is, you are always trying to get the best talent you can out of a trade, but if a GM doesn't feel like they other GM is trying to take the house, the lot, the car and your children (I'm looking at you Chuck LaMar), then it sets up the next trade where you might just fleece a guy. There are two sides to each trade, too, short-term and long-term. There are just too many aspects of a trade to just disqualify one because it hasn't been 3-5 years. Anyway, Danks showed some major cojones the last week...gotta love him. Hopefully his brother will do the same as he comes through the system. Then there's the reverse "set up" trade, which we have going with the Mariners organization. Thornton for Borchard, sounds great! Two former first rounders nobody can fix. Garcia for Olivo, Morse and Reed! Wow. Three for the price of one. Sounds like those amazing trades Cubs fans come up with at hot stove time and call into sports radio with. Of course, none of those guys did much of anything in SEA. So KW calls on the cell from the owner's box and says, I'll give you Swisher, Fields, Getz and Poreda for Ichiro...I don't think the M's would consider it, lol. They would be too scared.

Ummmm...Mark Buehrle will be starting Game 5. There's no need to even have a discussion/debate about it. Already decided.

Just because the McCarthy for Danks/Griffey trade looks very good now, it doesn't mean that will always be the case. You need to give a trade at least 3-5 years. Obviously, the Sox have the huge upper hand now. That could all change if Danks goes down with a Jim Parque/Jon Rauch injury and McCarthy wins 15 games a season from 09-13. I doubt that will happen, but be aware of premature evaluation. As far KW "good" moves not giving us a right to criticize bad/questionable moves, that doesn't make sense to me...it's kind of like the current political season, McCain was "right" about the surge but potentially wrong about all other decision, just because McCain (or Obama) were right once (the speech to oppose the war) doesn't mean you can't question any of their other decisions. I suppose it will take another season or two for us to judge the merits of the Vazquez move. Both teams got to the playoffs. The D-Backs will have Young's services for another five years. A lot depends on how Javier bounces back...or what KW gets in return for trade...or what KW does with that $11.5 million he would have made to improve the pitching? Can we find a legit starting CFer? Well, we haven't had a regular there now for three years that we could rely on 100%. Actually, losing the reliable Luis Vizcaino was a bigger blow than some realized, as he was the last guy out of the pen on the 05 staff...but would have been 3rd or 4th the last couple of seasons. In hindsight, we could have kept Chris Young (for better or worse, at least he would be cost-controlled, we can't pay every starter $8-14 million) and invested that money in a FA and done possibly just as good a job. The whole point of trading Rowand was to free up the spot for a "cheaper and better" player in Anderson to inherit the role, and it just didn't work. Luckily we have Ramirez and Quentin now, but ideally a well-run organization would have 4-5 position players come up through their own system because they are guaranteed cheaper options for six seasons, or at least comparatively cheap to going out and buying talent all the time on the open market.

I wonder if Logan did it intentionally, in order to get released or traded (didn't work so well with Anderson to have a bad attitude, but now things are at least looking okay for him in Chicago)? With Broadway, I would like to hear an explanation first before I jump to conclusions...

CJ, do you think Manager Ozzie Guillen should be disqualified from running the Chicago White Sox due to his known associations (and palling around)with "foreign and domestic terrorists" (Mariotti and Hugo Chavez) and his long-standing friendship with Alvaro "Juan" Uribe of Colombia? Would you be surprised to learn that Ozzie could easily be charged with being an "enemy of the state" according to the Patriot Act?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 06:44 AM) I have wondering if he has the opposite problem - thinks too much. Well, I think he went to Clemson! That should tell you all you need to know. That's kind of like going to ISU or UNI. Just kidding. I have to find something to feel pride in, it's definitely not my Iowa Hawkeye football team anymore. At least there's still the Sox and the election to be excited about. Or someone knocking off the annoying Red Sox. Even though we're in a better position to beat Boston (because of home field and our teams are similar, minus Ellsbury/Crisp/Pedroia at the top), I would love to see the small market Rays or White Sox knock that smug ESPN/Bristol media posse down a notch or two. Of course, if the Sox and Phillies were playing in the World Series, a Kimbo Slice rematch might get more attention.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 06:44 AM) I have wondering if he has the opposite problem - thinks too much. Well, I think he went to Clemson! That should tell you all you need to know. That's kind of like going to ISU or UNI. Just kidding. I have to find something to feel pride in, it's definitely not my Iowa Hawkeye football team anymore. At least there's still the Sox and the election to be excited about. Or someone knocking off the annoying Red Sox. Even though we're in a better position to beat Boston (because of home field and our teams are similar, minus Ellsbury/Crisp/Pedroia at the top), I would love to see the small market Rays or White Sox knock that smug ESPN/Bristol media posse down a notch or two. Of course, if the Sox and Angels were playing in the World Series, a Kimbo Slice rematch might get more attention.

Dodgers' theme song for this year is "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. Hard to imagine Torre rapping in the clubhouse, but he's a way cool, laid back dude. Gotta give him righteous props for running the Manny Circus and keeping that train from going off the tracks. That's a dangerous team right now...and I would NOT be shocked to see them make it to the WS now. Maybe, while they're feeling generous, they should donate Brad Penny to Cooper for him to be straightened out.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 05:41 AM) Yet Uribe has been producing at 3rd base better than Crede was. Oh and he had a clutch hit last night. Crede has had a procedure done on his back, came back, got worse, and now cant play. Explain to me how thats anything like the Maggs situation? 2008 100% Uribe: .285 .333 .442 70-100% Crede: .248 .314 .460 Well, about $10 million dollars in salary...in all seriousness, the only similarity is that the White Sox can't afford to go into 2009 with the uncertainty of Crede's back situation again. They need to go with Fields or find another option through trade or Free Agency. With Ordonez's situation, it was simply a matter of the numbers not making sense for the White Sox to pay superstar money to a non-superstar. They hid behind the injury excuse, and rightly so, in order to appease the fans and make them feel they at least were considering Magglio, but that decision was made as soon as Ordonez signed a long-term deal with the final year ballooning up to $14.5 million. NO way they could give him a long-term deal, even without any injuries, with that as the baseline/bottom average salary per year, for 3-5 years. It would have been insane IMO, despite the way Magglio has recovered and played in DET. Then again, maybe a healthy Ordonez is more valuable than a $11.5 million Vazquez!!! Except we're paying Dye much less, over a short-term, and he's been just as, if not more, productive. You could argue the merits. But we saved a ton of money in 05 and 06 on JD, vis a via Magglio. Crede would probably like to come to Chicago, at least as a fallback position. Even if it's just a one year deal based almost entirely on incentives. A lot depends on the health exams of the other teams and the prognosis if he gets a guaranteed contract for more than one year or not. It's too risky for the White Sox to chance it...and...as noted, Uribe has actually been about as productive offensively as the 70-80% Crede.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008...tory?id=3627822 ESPN Game Story

Which is another reason I think KW keeps bringing in new blood...Ozzie's style works, to a point...but you couldn't keep the same veteran team together with him for 5 years in a row, now that this is possible in the age of free agency anyway. We have, what, 6 players only left from 2005? Konerko, Dye, Uribe, AJ, Buehrle, Jenks? That's a huge roster turnover in 3 seasons. But those are the "core" players who nothing Ozzie does will faze them at all. They're also the players KW trusts most and will go to (along with Thome and now Griffey) if there's the possibility of adding another player to improve the team. I think KW learned with Royce Clayton and Lofton about what the effect of bringing in a veteran who might be susceptible to "attitude" problems, and how that affected other players like Lee and Ordonez, making them a bit more selfish or me first, and Manuel tolerated it and never called the players out like Guillen has consistently done from Day 1, beginning with Thomas (just like Manuel did, ironically enough). Ordonez also was coming off a hernia or "sports hernia" at the time I think, correct? Another problem was that the final years of Ordonez's contract were so backloaded, I think he made $14.5 million in 2004, and there was no way KW was going to give him a long-term deal that averaged that amount....nor an easy way for Ordonez, his agent or the player's union to accept less. Things worked out fine for both sides, I think. I always had concerns about Ordonez adding more weight and being more of a liability in RF as he aged...he's still "serviceable" but he might be a season or two from full-time DH duty IMO. Yep...the whole Sean Tracey incident, the back and forth with Mariotti over it in the newspapers...Garland not hitting a batter he was told to hit. I also think that Jenks just started to fall apart physically and our offense went dead at about the same time, in early August. Those games we lost to "no name" Red Sox pitchers stand out now in my memory...despite great pitching from our starters, even Javy!