caulfield12

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 07:06 PM) Great points. This team made some huge strides this season. After 2007 I was one of those people who thought there was no choice but to rebuild. Thankfully Kenny made some great moves to get this thing back on track. His only bad move was Swisher, but in hindsight he looks smart so far by selling high on Gio and DLS. I just wish he'd done it for a better player, but oh well. The other moves have more than made up for that one bad deal, and I'm hopeful that Swisher still brings us a solid player over the offseason. One last thing: please Kenny, for the love of God, make Thome put down a f***ing bunt every once in a while when he's being given almost the entire left side of the infield. All he has to do is show he can get the damn thing down and if he does it a few times then teams will reconsider the shift. He could raise his batting average 30 points by just doing that. It's not like there are no home run hitters behind him. If the Sox don't care about taking the free baserunner and actually prefer the typical Thome groundout into the shift or strikeout, then please get him the f*** off this team. Please. I can't take this s*** anymore. Dear Ozzie: 1) Please work with the outfielders on throwing to the cutoff men properly. Let's use some better judgment about when to thrown home and when to eat the ball. 2) BA, if you're around, please learn to tighten up your swing and hit to the opposite field or go up the middle instead of that long/looping Borchard/Crede/Fields swing. Also, knowing how to bunt wouldn't be such a bad idea, either. 3) Uribe, if you are back, that blonde soul patch is ridiculous. AJ, please let your hair go back to a normal color. You look like a coked out Billy Idol wanna be from "Less than Zero." Or one of the vampire gang from "The Lost Boys." ENOUGH! 4) Gavin and Jenks and all relievers. Learn from Buehrle and Danks how to hold runners on...don't let the opposition run wild. It's demoralizing. 5) Clayton Richard, you were the Michigan QB, you should be able to pick up a ball and throw it to first base routinely or throw to first base on pick-offs. Please spend your off-season working specifically on this area. 2)

I would love to see the Angels knock off the Red Sox, to see the match-up of the two most balanced teams in baseball and two managers completely familiar with each other strategically...either way, it will be fun. I will be rooting hard for the Rays no matter who they are playing. In the NL, would like to see the Dodgers, just for the sheer symmetry of Ramirez facing Bay and the Boston fans again...to see their reaction...and to see Torre bring a team not named the Yankees into Boston with very little or no pressure to win the World Series against the Red Sox. Lots of interesting possible scenarios.

I think it's all because of 2005. I wasn't upset, Upton's just a very talented player, and he showed why the last two games. This year, the palpable relief wasn't making the playoffs, it was somehow, improbably, beating the Twins in the fashion that they did when logic and past history argued against it. When AJ's ball was caught by Gross at the top of the fence, I had the feeling it was going to be a long day. That's the kind of ball that goes out June through August, pretty easily...of course, the wind was blowing in a little as well. I wanted to mention how good a job Clayton Richard did the two times he was asked to keep the White Sox within striking distance. I'm leaving this season having a positive feeling about Ken Griffey, Jr., wouldn't have imagined that a month ago. Props to Dewayne Wise for rising up from obscurity to become almost a "folk hero" over the final five weeks. Danks has become a star...our equivalent of Cliff Lee. Gavin Floyd is a very good 3rd starter, and matches up with anyone in our division. Alexei and Quentin are amazing and it's easy to get excited about following their careers the next half-decade. At no point in this series did I feel that I could make an argument with myself that we were the better team. I think they even out-homered us this series, or it was very close to even. I think we're about 3-4 correct acquisitions away from being a 95+ win team again...of course, the wrong moves, a couple of key injuries and we're back to .500 like the Indians. With all the money to Jenks (arbitration), Dotel, Thornton and Linebrink, I don't think KW will spend much money in this area. I think 90% of the concentration and focus will be turned toward improving the speed/defense/contact/patience/fundamentals of our ballclub at 3B, 2B and CF. That and adding a "cheap" FA (not named LIvan Hernandez) as insurance for Richard/Broadway/Carrasco/Ramirez/Poreda. Maybe Sisco will amaze everyone and have a breakthrough in ST! Or MacDougal...Logan, I guess he's about done with the Sox as I'm concerned.

Griffey won't be around. The bigger question is whether or not Brian Anderson and Fields will be, along with Swisher and Vazquez.

Thought I would put this back on the first page...I'm sure those who feel inclined (maybe not tonight...give it a day or two) will chime in with their thoughts as KW approaches the off-season with the goal of somehow getting us back into the playoffs next year without blowing the budget or giving away Aaron Poreda.

Greg Walker isn't going anywhere, forget about it. It's Ozzie's call, it won't happen coming off a playoff appearance.

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?