caulfield12

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/prob...mp;ymd=20080926 My mistake, wasn't paying attention. Although if you go to their website, they have Jensen Lewis listed as the starter...when they are, in actuality, talking about Scott Lewis. This sets up as two series in a row where we are favorites in the second game, but would have to be considered 50/50 to win the wrap-around/bookend games. If we can win the two games we're supposed to win (Games 2 and 5 this week) and then just one of the four toss-up games (1, 3, 4, 6), the Twins would need to sweep the Royals, which would still give us a shot to walk into the playoffs Monday or go to the one-game playoff. The only thing that's scary is the sweep of boht the White Sox and Royals. Then we'd have to sweep CLE and win Monday just to get it. Yikes!!! But you have to think that either Perkins will lose Saturday or Meche will win on Sunday. Knock on wood.

I don't mind Griffey playing LF or RF, would rather see Wise in CF if Griffey is going to play. Maybe I'm sentimental, but I just think Thome and Griffey should prove in the first game or two they can't get it done before benching either of them. Konerko should be playing everyday, and maybe Swisher will get a start based on Sunday, but I think Thome/Griffey might come through big...at least I want to believe it will happen.

Well, it has been a mixed bag so far. Buehrle won his start, and Danks pitched wonderfully with the extra rest. I don't think anyone expected a sweep of the Royals on the road after the way we've been playing recently, but splitting in NY or TB taking 3/4 from the Twins would have been REALLY nice. That said, the division is definitely ours to lose at this point, no matter how you slice it.

The Twins really ran up their record against us in 2001 and 2002, when we were having so-so or bad seasons. We played well against them in 2003 until the last five games, then collapsed/imploded when Loaiza wore down. 2006, we were "dead man walking" the final 6 weeks or so. This is the first time in recent memory that the teams have faced off so late in the season with both teams playing fairly evenly and one or the other not having a dominant momentum or downswing. It seems there have been so many sweeps or blowouts in these games earlier in the season, with wild swings depending on which team had "mo" at the time.

FRIDAY Scott "Sutcliffe/Sabathia" Lewis versus Jon Danks SATURDAY Zach Jackson (crafty LH) against Javier Vazquez (3 day's rest) SUNDAY Cliff Lee versus Mark Buerhle (3 day's rest) Obviously, if it gets to Sunday, that's a scary proposition. Let's hope it is Broadway or Richard starting that game...or Carrasco. That would also allow us to start Buehrle in the first game at TB or Boston. By the way, I think TB is a little vulnerable in the bullpen right now, Wheeler and Percival have been so-so recently. MONDAY ???? DET versus Gavin Floyd (3 day's rest) Not sure about Fausto Carmona's status, and if he will be suspended and miss his scheduled start Wednesday against Boston. If he starts WED, we would miss him. I guess that's good, he has a 5.19 ERA this season, but he's capable of being dominant. Then again, pitchers like Lewis and Jackson scare me too!!! Every opposing pitcher is scary right now for Sox fans, except Blackburn, which means he'll probably shut us out!

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 10:31 PM) If we take the first one, then we take one more, for two total. If the first one is a loss, we don't win any. I don't really EXPECT Javier to beat Baker. When's the last time Vazquez went out and won a huge game for us that was critical? I do expect Buerhle to beat Blackburn, who's been pitching terribly, in the second game. If we lose the first two, then I think it is likely that Floyd succumbs to the pressure and a very tough Slowey (especially in the Dome) knocks us into a tie (1/2 game back).

Well, the worst case scenario, I don't want to think about a sweep, can't imagine it, yet wouldn't be 100% totally surprised. If we can win just one game, then even if Minnesota sweeps the Royals, we only have to win one out of three against CLE to at least get to a Monday game against the Tigers. The key is to win at least one...I think a sweep and we're probably history, although the way this season has gone, neither team has been able to sustain any sort of long-term momentum for more than a series or two, with one or two exceptions for both teams earlier in the season. If they sweep us WITHOUT Liriano going to the bump, then they deserve the division. They also have to pitch Perkins (9.75 ERA his last four starts, skipped and pitching on more than a week's rest like Danks) Saturday night and then face Meche on Sunday. Not to mention the fact that Trey Hillman could be a real bastard to the Twins and skip Duckworth and force the Twins to beat Meche and Greinke back to back on normal rest. Right now, Meche is slated to pitch the finale.

Wow...bringing in Jenks in the 8th.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 03:00 PM) Nice play by Alexei. DJ is saying that this is Danks' last inning. Why in the hell would that be the case? Why would we want to hand the ball off to our horrendous bullpen when our starter is cruising and has a low pitch count? He definitely should be given the 8th, and then hand the ball to Jenks for the 9th. He's at 90 pitches now...I think you have to let him face Maier, if he gets him, you let him pitch to DeJesus. But I have a feeling we might see Thornton.

83

This is the best chance for TB to score. I think they're using rookie Jose Mijares (their fourth lefty) instead of Reyes/Breslow/Guardado.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 02:47 PM) Good, I didn't see that. Wonder if he was at home in Missouri and decided to make the journey to the park. I wonder if Crede and Danks are going hunting tomorrow on the off-day at Buehrle's farm? Maybe that would help Mark to relax before the big series next week.

Danks at 72 pitches. I think he can get the game to Jenks in the 9th...although they might use Thornton against DeJesus.

QUOTE (Felix @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 02:38 PM) If you're going to say things, at least look them up before you do so. It might prevent some embarrassment. Blackburn in September: 7.58 ERA, 26 H, 17 R in 19 IP GENIUS Thanks PK. Insurance is always good, especially today while the Twins are already winning. UMMMM....do you even read, dude? I said why would anyone assume that Blackburn, the way he has been pitching, would beat Buerhle? Your what hurts? Has everyone around here been hypnotized by Sarah Palin-itis and lost IQ?

Especially that Blackburn, the way he has been pitching, is going to beat Buehrle. I can see us losing the 1st and 3rd games more easily.

QUOTE (sox1844 @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 02:32 PM) Whew. Got out of that one. If you're so unhappy his defense at second, can you imagine Lex at short next year? You have to remember this is the first time Ramirez has played a 162 game season. He was playing essentially mid to high A ball last season in Cuba. He'll be fine. Nobody could be worse than Royce Clayton, by the way.

QUOTE (G&T @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 02:30 PM) I wonder if I could steal on this pitching staff. Didn't you see the video from Spring Training with Joe Cowley betting AJ that he could steal off him...it was pretty funny.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 21, 2008 -> 02:25 PM) We can't expect any more favors from other teams regarding Minnie. Don't teams normally play the scrubs the day after wildly celebrating their title? Their line-up isn't that bad. Zobrist and Hernandez are in, Navarro and Akamura are sitting. Longoria hasn't played the best defense, and they simply can't get the big breakthrough hit against Liriano, who keeps flirting with danger. The best hope is the bullpen messing it up for the Twins now.

Send Wise...why not? Jermaine hasn't been hitting recently.

If we do make the playoffs, I would have no idea how to order our first four guys. Realistically, Danks has been our best pitcher this season...but you have the feeling Coop would go with Buehrle and Vazquez, then Floyd. At least that's who they wanted to face the Twins next week.

Juanie needs to get on one of his patented one week hot streaks again.

But didn't we lose 2 of 3 against the Royals near the end of the season that final month? There was one really sloppy and frustrating game (maybe it was raining) when Buehrle was pitching...not to mention that game where we had a HUGE lead against KC and somehow blew it. That was a nightmare, waking up the next morning and seeing the final score and staring in disbelief.

Did we honestly look any better against DET and KC at this point 3 years ago? I remember watching the likes of Blum and Borchard hopelessly flail away...more frustrating than this.

"Dude, you're just not getting it. Man, and I thought I was a fan who lacked knowledge and insight. Wow. Yeah, and once the team was done overachieving, Ozzie's mismanaging become quite apparent, didn't it? NOTHING you are saying is actual logic to the argument. All you are doing is rambling, changing the subject, comparing other managers, and throwing around irrelevant statistics. You presenting just about everything you can that's NOT relevant. I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but you're like a desperate woman in an argument. You'll go on forever and ever and say nothing relevant, but never give up spouting the same meaningless babble because that's your nature. You're another statistic guy who thinks the statistics he's presenting have any relevance to Ozzie's inability as an in-game manager. Not much point in arguing with you further. I'm beating a dead horse here. It's clear no "Ozzie defender" on this board can read or provide any solid argument. I don't see how you people can't see the truth. Ozzie makes f***ups so much it's ridiculous. He has no idea what he is doing with his technical managerial duties. This is a fact. Are you going to deny it? If so, fine, be in denial. If not, then just stop trying to defend him and give it a rest." You can just wait for the White Sox to "choke" this week and then spend the rest of the off-season telling everyone that it's the manager, not the players, that need to be replaced. It's a fun hobby for some who have never even managed a Little League team or worked in professional baseball but think they know everything about the game. I missed the memo from the White Sox where they hired you to do a comprehensive evaluation of the manager because you have insight or knowledge that no other Sox fans apparently possess about Ozzie Guillen. Therefore, I am forwarding this thread directly to the organization so Reinsdorf and KW can clearly see what a mistake they are making by continuing to grant a contract to Mr. Guillen, and that if only you were the manager, they would undoubtedly have won every AL Central title contested in the last decade with ease.

"And as far as his motivational abilities, that's fine and dandy, and that's one thing I LIKE about Ozzie, but what good has it done? How good have the Sox looked since 2005 ended? Ask yourself that question. The actual BASEBALL MANAGING ABILITIES need to be there. They are absent from Ozzie. It's a simple FACT, so why all the defense? I'm not looking to crucify the man, I just don't get why there are still people out there who deny his incompetence." 2004=83-79 (Pythagorean, 84-78) 2005=99-63 (expected 91-71) actually, 110-64 2006=90-72 (expected 88-74) 2007=72-90 (expected 67-95) Every year but one, he's done better or much better than would be predicted statistically (even then, it was only a one game difference in 2004). I think we all understand that the 2005 team overachieved (and you have to give the manager some credit there). but even in 2006 and 2007, the team's overall record was better than it should have been. What more can you ask of the manager? The guy's 66 games over .500 in his career managing the Sox. That's nothing to be ashamed about. You can do the same analysis (it's not perfect, but it's certainly one barometer) for any manager (the ones I listed earlier) and Ozzie ranks right up there with the better ones in the game. Phil Rogers wrote just such a column a year or two ago, I think. In 2006, the starters died in the second half, along with Jenks and the offense. In 2007, when you're playing Andy Gonzalez, Jerry Owens and Josh Fields for significant numbers of games, you can see why the analysis would have projected 67 and not 72 losses. We had the worst bullpen in the American League, qualitatively if not quantitatively.