caulfield12

QUOTE(diegotony06 @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:42 PM) Just turned the game on. Does anyone know if we have attempted any bunts? I'm curious to see if we have. Ozuna easily could have bunted into a DP, Willits got a perfect one down. Of course, it figures that rookies and 2nd year players execute better than our veterans.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:38 PM) He should have tried to add more speed and youth to this aging lineup, especially improving their lineup against LHP. Has Uribe really been that much better than last year? Maybe I'm just forgetting how much we sucked last year. At least when Hall returns, we can put him at 1b. Ozuna also was a force last year before getting injured (between .350-.400 for much of first half) and Mackowiak was a high OBP guy who wasn't at least an automatic out. And Cintron was a clutch hitter in his limited time. It's not only the middle of our line-up, it's the entire team, pretty much.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:36 PM) Erstad has been an offensive upgrade over Anderson. I imagine Hall healthy would be an offensive upgrade over Widger/Alomar. Pods was playing better this year than 2006. Uribe is better this year than 2006. So how is it KW's fault that Konerko, Dye, Iguchi and Crede aren't hitting? Was he supposed to trade all 4 of them and bring someone else in? You can argue that AJ, Iguchi and Dye are all getting older, but Konerko and Crede? I don't think anyone saw both of those guys going in the tank simultaneously. Willits is the player that I hope Sweeney can become...although Ryan will never be as fast, hopefully his gap and eventually HR power will make up for it.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:33 PM) Any chance the Mods can get KW to Soxtalk for a Q&A session like they do with prospects. Here's my first question: Bull: We played homerun derby in the second half of 2006 and got crushed. Yet you did not improve the offense. Kenny Williams, what were you thinking? KW: *Silence Bull: Your big offensive acquisition for 2007 was a guy that pretty much did not play in 2006. Was there not any change left in the couch cushions at the Cell this off season to sign a real player to help the team? KW: *Silence ........... A Crede pop-up...wow, wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen that this year. Colon at a whopping 52 pitches. Who'd a thought he would be more efficient than Buehrle? We are absolutely dead in the water, with the exception of Erstad. It feels like the Titanic after hitting that iceberg. Nobody can even stand to watch or argue about Erstad and Anderson anymore.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:30 PM) Now Buehrle can't find the zone. WOOT! God I wish I had some Sunshine. Good pitch Buehrle 30 pitches this inning, 70 for the game....although I guess it doesn't matter, the offense can't score either 1 or 2 runs against Colon. Wow, the Angels bring up Aybar and he plays like he belongs, at another position. They have 3 shortstops, we don't even have much of ONE.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:25 PM) Game Ova! Therein lies the problem. Buehrle doesn't think he can give up a single run, so he's TOO fine with Guerrero. Then he loses his release point and fails to locate against Quinlan, who kills LHPing. Hudler is already talking about holding the lead for the rest of the game.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:20 PM) Ichiro is going to get a fortune this offseason. With all of the holes we're going to have in the next few years with our lineup, we'd have nothing left to afford anything better than the 2 million dollar reserve crap we have right now. Erstad's making $1 million, lol. KW has talked a lot the past couple of seasons about getting old fast, but this team slumped before everyone was ready for it to happen.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:19 PM) If we lose Buehrle, Dye, and Gooch next off season, it will be worth it if we get Ichiro. Ichiro in that situation would just be like Belle in 1998. An attraction to sell tickets, but it wouldn't be enough to put us back in the playoff hunt because we don't have a replacement for Buehrle...we will get prospects like Floyd and Gio back for him, but there are no guarantees that type of deal will work. Ichiro's the kind of player (like Soriano) that might have been enough to make a difference 2nd half in 2006, but KW wasn't willing to sell out the future. As things are looking now, there was a bleak future and he would have been better off putting all his eggs in the 2006 basket.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:18 PM) I vote this offense as the worst offense of all-time. Book it. None of these hitters finish the season sniffing .275. Unless Pods stays on the DL the entire season, lol.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:15 PM) Unreal Pablo....I hate the DH rule. Dye now 6 for 38 career against Colon. That's how desperate we are for offense. That about summarizes our season this year...if the wind's blowing just a little, it's a 2-0 lead and we might be able to win. Colon's about ready to unveil his 95-98 MPH heat in the second half of the game.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:10 PM) I find it funny KW has been quiet lately he knows he has made major mistakes with this team! I really think he has to auction off Buehrle to the highest bidder. Not so long ago, I would have thought we should keep him, but we can get 2-3 position prospects back for him and it's not JR's style to give a pitcher 4-6 years and $60-100 million. I think the justification will be that our season ticket base will be down, and that type of salary will be a fantasy for Sox fans, along with getting A-Rod or Ichiro, who would make no sense to acquire if we have to give Buehrle up. Erstad 10 for 22 against the Angels....talk about REVENGE.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:08 PM) Maybe we can coax Mark McGwire into coming back for a half season, like the Yanks have done with that other steroid inflated media whore Roger Clemens. I can see Canseco and Rickey Henderson out there. Heck, I think Rafael Palmeiro in LF might be better than what he have so far this season out of the position after Pods' injury.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:07 PM) If he even gives up ONE run, we're going to lose. He better f***ing shut them out. Eventually, the pressure on our starting pitching will lead to them struggling as well...you can't force your starters to throw a shut-out every game. That's a like a hitter "trying harder." It doesn't work in baseball. You have to stay within yourself, and Buehrle's not the type of pitcher who throws shutout after shutout, he usually pitches to contact.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:06 PM) You forgot Julio Franco. He will still be available. I actually think Kruk might have a better chance to walk out there and get a hit than Molina.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:03 PM) That makes me think about what happens when Dye and Thome are gone, because Konerko will be here long after both of them. Who will protect Paul then? Probably Mike Devereaux, Cory Snyder, Ellis Burks, Lyle Mouton, Armando Rios, Brian Daubach or Dave Martinez the way we're going. I just wish we had Paco Martin, Warren Newson or even Matt Merullo to throw out in this punchless line-up. Heck, Ron Karkovice would be an improvement, or Joel Skinner even.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:58 PM) Nobody on this team has me more pissed than Pop Up Paulie and his current 5 year deal. He is supposed to be our most fear hitter right now, yet he isn't much passed Brian Anderson 2006 mode. I think we all underestimated how much Thome's presence means to the line-up, in terms of OBP and forcing opposing pitchers to throw to Konerko and Dye. It's no coincidence that we've gone from the #1 offense in baseball to the worst...and a lot of it's directly traceable to Thome's and Pods' health. It also demonstrates the importance of not developing a power-hitting lefty (Borchard or Sweeney), as we will have to replace Thome after next year.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:55 PM) Good inning by our offense....this isn't even fun to watch. It's why we're last or next to last in the AL in runs scored over the last 111 games. And no likelihood of changing anytime soon. This series in Minnesota might be an elimination series if one of the teams is swept, most likely the White Sox since we play so well up there.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:52 PM) ... and has the second highest avg on the team with a whooping .240 Between the head down, shoulder shrugs and swinging his bat in disgust...man up, Paulie, be the captain!!!

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:48 PM) When will Dye rejoin the living? The same time Konerko and Crede do, I would guess. It's telling that Iguchi is hitting 5th in this line-up. Nice slow slider from Buehrle...more of a slurve.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:35 PM) You add Thome, AJP and Uribe to that lineup and its still pretty deadly, its too bad for injuries and a day off for our catcher. The problem is you can't assume that Hall will be able to return to catching...so you can't play AJ every single game. If Hall is a DH against lefties (to rest Thome), you still need to rest AJ somehow. The unfortunate thing is that it looks likely we'll be 5 GB after today, heading into a showdown at Minnesota (where we apparently won't face Santana, finally a break). CLE and DET are both going to win their games.

QUOTE(briguy27 @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:14 PM) yea i said a couple days ago that the sox are the worst team in baseball. im going to correct myself- they arent the worst team in baseball. they, like u said, are an average team. the worst team is washington. im watching them now vs the cubs and man, their bad. they havent won a series all year. just bad. maybe the sox could get austin kearns from them, who is a strong hitter (well best on the nats anyway) to fill their need Are you the same bri who used to fight with ncorgbl all the time at chisox.com? Or is that another?

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/Shaun-Babula.shtml Somehow I have my doubts we'll see Mr. Babula with the White Sox this season...but stranger things have happened!

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ May 6, 2007 -> 12:22 PM) 8 other guys in the lineup either have a future or have power (aside from Pablo Ozuna when he's in there, but he is meant to be a leadoff hitter against LHP). Darin Erstad is a .270 singles hitter and he's not going to hit 15 homers; I know he's the leadoff hitter and he doesn't need to hit for power, yadayada, but he's not getting on base at a great rate and he never will, he doesn't have the speed to steal 30 bases, and thus, he's almost never in scoring position. Offensively, he just does not bring much. However, there's a reason I've shied away from criticizing Erstad and instead Walker over the past 2-3 weeks is because Erstad is actually producing. I don't see it lasting all season, but I'll take it when it comes. He'll have streaks where he hits like this, and then he'll have streaks where he is 4-3 Erstad again. Basically, all I've come to really want through this whole charade of CFers the White Sox have put out there over the past 7 months of baseball is a real CFer. He's not as fast as he was 10 years ago, but he's had more than share of infield hits...he gets in on the 2B/SS quickly and can break up double plays, he always scores from 1st on a double and 2nd on a single. In our starting line-up, the only guys that can run even a little are Iguchi and Uribe. I guess you can include Sweeney/Mack/Ozuna, but we're still the slowest team in baseball without a healthy Pods. We don't know that BA can hit 15 homers for sure either...or get 15 stolen bases. We can just assume Sweeney will have 15 homers or 15 stolen bases his first season either. Probably not. And Erstad has been a clutch hitter, our best clutch hitter over the past 2-3 weeks.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ May 5, 2007 -> 11:50 PM) Because Liriano and Felix are injured by what makes them amazing. The greatest pitchers, IMO, the greatest sustainable pitchers will always be guys with filthy changeups and damn good fastballs with a few other plus pitches as well. Think Pedro, or Maddux. Also have to include Glavine on that list...and Smoltz has been remarkably durable, although he too has had some health-related question marks surrounding him the last five years Clemens' run for 20+ years is going to be something that's looked at in amazement 10-20 years in the future with all of these young pitchers breaking down It's also another feather in the cap of why Buehrle will be so valuable down the line. Heck, Barry Zito's curveball is so violent that it has knocked 3-4 MPH off his fastball. That's one concern going forward with Gio, but not until he's racked up 1000-1500 innings I would guess.

QUOTE(Linnwood @ May 5, 2007 -> 11:56 PM) This may or maynot work... it is Windows Media 9 codec but a Quicktime file: http://files.linnwood.org/video/Erstad.mov ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The response to manager Ozzie Guillen's message became clear in the first inning. Seconds after Darin Erstad broke up a potential double play Saturday, a beehive of teammates congratulated him. That typified the spark that was missing during a five-game losing streak that ended with a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. "Right out of the gate," said Jon Garland (1-2), who pitched seven-plus innings of three-run ball. "It looked like [more energy] was definitely there." www.chicagosports.com