ILMOU

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 12, 2010 -> 03:40 PM) Whatever Joe "Wrong Answer Guy" CoolMan. The Rockies DID win 21 of 22 - they won 14 of 15 to take the Wild Card - then won their first 7 playoff games before being swept by PEDSox.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) I was specifically referring to watching him pitch, regardless of success rate. Have you seen him pitch? He's like an OCD buffet out there, and takes forever to deliver a pitch. Watched him a ton with the Rockies this year. He'd be a nice addition. He had one bad year, '08, which is fresh in everybody's mind, but otherwise his career #'s are pretty darn good. He'd be a nice addition, but it's a matter of cost vs. what else we need. The more glaring need is for a lefty reliever.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 02:47 PM) Rafael Betencourt is one of the most frustrating pitchers to watch, ever. EVERY relief pitcher, sans Rivera, can be frustrating. Betancourt is a good one, and would be a nice addition.

QUOTE (JoeCredeYes @ Nov 5, 2009 -> 10:55 AM) This trade blows. Getz is a better player than Teahen. Teahen would be a nice asset to have off your bench, but for close to 4mil, that's not what he's here for. Don't like it one bit. I agree with this, unfortunately.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 27, 2009 -> 09:03 AM) lots of heads beating on walls here. Yep, and only five more months to settle it.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Oct 26, 2009 -> 11:52 AM) Buddy Bell mentioned on the radio that Viciedo had a tired arm. Is that a joke? Thought only pitchers got tired arms.

I think that AJP's strong season, and the fact that he's not all that ancient for a 2-3 year extension, puts Flowers back into the mix as a headliner in a trade for a Fielder, Dunn or AGonz.

QUOTE (tommy @ Sep 17, 2009 -> 11:29 AM) Pick up the option, he might not be the old Freddy Garcia, but when the 5th starter can keep you in games, you bring him back. Absolutely no question you bring Freddy back at that price. I'll be shocked if KW doesn't concur. Starting pitching depth may never be better for the Sox than it will be in 2010. That's one big reason to be confident. Bullpens are historically a crapshoot, but the starter depth should spill over to help this situation also. I like the Rafael's - Soriano ($$$) or Betancourt as FA options if we decide to spend a bit. Much depends on the Dotel situation, and if KW is somehow able to unload Liney.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 15, 2009 -> 08:47 PM) I think it has everything to do with the cold weather. Until last season, I wonder if he ever played a game below about 65 degrees. The Yukon Winter League might be the best option.

QUOTE (earthshiner @ Sep 16, 2009 -> 01:57 PM) how can you set free what is already loose? A loose Colon can be very irritating. Colon, cleansed.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 16, 2009 -> 11:23 AM) If we win the division it'd be arguably the biggest choke job by Detroit in modern baseball history. We still have shown no signs of sustaining anything. It's all on Detroit. Detroit would have to totally piss it away and completely choke by losing five of six against us or all six. We had our chances this season ... this ain't gonna happen. A big choke, yes, but the '07 Mets set the bar pretty high, or low, as it were. If Detroit loses tonight, they have to beat Greinke tomorrow to avoid a 2nd sweep by the Royals. At that point, they'll be pretty tight, if they aren't already. Unlikely, but still a glimmer of hope.

Haters gotta admit Lexi's been a lot better defensively this past month. Maybe he's coming around, or maybe not, but I'm more confident than I was awhile back.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 11, 2009 -> 12:49 AM) so, what, exactly is wrong with Beckham being the leadoff hitter next year? It allows the Sox to concentrate their efforts on a LF or RF (whatever they want to do with Quentin) and spend roughly the same amount on a 1-year deal, it allows a consistent starting lineup (Pierzynski, Konerko, Getz/Nix, Ramirez, Beckham, dude/Quentin, Rios, Quentin/dude, Thome (because I think he'll be back)), and it puts a great OBP with great baseball instincts and the ability to steal a base while putting himself in scoring position without having an adventure (and getting eaten by a dragon 1/3 of the time) a ton. Is there really anything wrong with having a guy who will put up, say, .280/.360/.480/.840 with 20 steals and 15-20 homers in the leadoff spot? full-well knowing that you can move him down in the order as he progresses as a hitter? ^^^^^ Agreed, wholeheartedly. One more thing. Ozzie loves getting the early lead in games, especially when he has huge confidence in the pitching staff, as he may again next year. It was a formula that he followed consistently in '05. (It's not exactly my personal philosophy, but it seems to be Ozzie's) Beckham will quite possibly lead the league in doubles next year. Getz is quite possibly our best bunter/moving runners over guy. Why not a lineup that starts: Slayer, Getz, Q? It could provide a lot of 1-0 first inning leads. I'm confident that Getz' OBP will improve with time, and I don't mind him "giving up" AB's as much as I would other players to move the runner.

QUOTE (WSoxMatt @ Sep 10, 2009 -> 10:38 AM) JD has been a real Pro...I dont think we realize just how awesome he has been in Chicago...we will miss him when he is gone!! We'll definitely miss him, but there's no way we can re-sign him after this atrocious 2nd half. Time to move on.

The Dotel situation is a really tough call, considering his pedigree (likeliness to win arb), the economy/KW's budget, and the fact that his stats this year probably exceed his actual performance. Glad I don't have to make it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 8, 2009 -> 06:01 PM) Has anyone actually seen Santos Rodriguez pitch in person? Does he throw a legit mid-90's from the LH side? Perhaps Jones or Rodriguez become the next Scott Radinsky or Boone Logan to basically jump from A ball to the bigs. This is what I want to know as well. I saw a tweet on FutureSox describing him as a "power arm", so I'm encouraged. I'm hoping he'll be in B'Ham soon enough next year to get some feedback from JPN, and until then, maybe we'll get some input from Mr. Collari at W-S. Or even better, as you suggest, I'd love it if he made the BIG jump. These power lefty relievers aren't easy to come by, and they're expensive to acquire, to say the least.

I'm done with you, WC. You cherry picked - I called you on it. Deal with it.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 8, 2009 -> 01:58 PM) Yes, just like El Duque and his 88 ERA+ and 1.46 WHIP were more crucial to the 2005 Sox's success than Cliff Politte and Neal Cotts. Wow, I guess this one example proves that you're right and I'm wrong. I'll go away with my tail between my legs now. I'd point out that 5th starter Randy Wells is the main reason that the Cubs aren't 20 games below 500, but then I'd be severely cherry picking, wouldn't I? Quit while you're behind.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 8, 2009 -> 01:23 PM) A 7th or 8th inning reliever will appear in an average of three games per week, while a starter will appear only once. A bad starter affects a team every fifth day. A bad bullpen affects it every day. Yes, and their performance on that day is far more likely to determine a win or a loss. We're not going to agree, so this is pointless. My main points are that there should be a competition, and that every inning matters. BTW, I DO like the idea of bringing back Freddy given his cost, and I have no reason to believe that he can't be effective in the pen, if that's where he winds up.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 8, 2009 -> 11:44 AM) I never said that Freddy should be "guaranteed" the starting job. But he should definitely be the front-runner, as he's actually an experienced starter who is currently pitching well in that role. At the very least, Freddy is great insurance. That's just not true, especially on this team. The Sox are much better off with a question mark like Freddy or Torres at the #5 spot and a stronger bullpen. Not to mention that Hudson himself is a question mark with no major league experience as a starter and an arm not yet conditioned for a full 200-inning season as a starter. Pitching staffs need balance. Otherwise, guys like Rivera, Nathan, and K-Rod would never pitch in the bullpen. Hell, look at the 2005 Sox. They didn't have an effective #5 for the majority of the season. Yet, I'll argue that they don't win a WS without strong contributions from Cotts and Politte. I disagree. The starter will pitch 2-3 times as many innings as the long reliever. Any objective analysis will tell you that's more important to the team's well being.

QUOTE (Brian @ Sep 6, 2009 -> 08:42 PM) I have to tip my cap to them right now. They are winning games against a good team late in games. They will deserve to win this crap division. With Verlander and Jackson, they could take the Yankees out in round 1. I'll give a grudging acknowledgement that's they're going for the kill, but not a cap-tip. Tampa has tanked and has basically given up since losing ground to the PED Sox in a home series. It was evident again against the Yanks yesterday - two runs in a double header.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 7, 2009 -> 12:23 PM) Performance? Hudson is a 22-year-old prospect who's thrown a whole two innings in the majors. How does pitching well at AA translate into an effective #5 in the bigs? He's been good in AAA this year, but far from great. I also don't understand the need to throw Hudson in the rotation when our bullpen is currently in shambles and might be in even worse shape next year if Jenks is dealt. Hudson may very well help this team more as a 7th or 8th inning guy than a starter. He's certainly not going to be able to start for an entire season if 180 IP is his ceilling. As was noted earlier in this thread, he's going to throw more pitches per inning in the majors, so even 180 IP is something of a stretch. Hudson should definitely get the chance to compete for the #5 spot in ST. But Kenny would be insane to rely on this guy next year. And he may be more valuable in our bullpen next year anyway. At the very least, the Sox need a veteran backup plan. A dirt-cheap Freddy Garcia provides an ideal safety net. I like Hudson and think that he's going to be an effective part of this rotation in the next couple of years. But you guys need to stop hanging all over this kid's jock. Wait until he's actually done something in the bigs. Some of you seem to be penciling him into the rotation prematurely, with little regard for the disaster in the bullpen or what's good for Hudson in the long-term. Yes, performance. This month, in ST, and wherever else they can evaluate him. This doesn't preclude bringing Freddy back at $1M, but no way do you GUARANTEE Freddy the 5th starter job. If Freddy insists that he has to be a starter to re-sign, then he'll be overplaying his hand. You're not RELYing on Hudson, anymore than anyone else. There should, and likely will, be a competition next ST. Of course, all the bullpen guys are important, but the player who is the best of the bunch (Hudson, Garcia, Torres), should be a starter, because that's where they can be the most benefit to the team. It's not that complicated.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 7, 2009 -> 09:34 AM) Why are you in such a rush to push a young, raw prospect who hasn't pitched an inning in the majors straight into the rotation? Hudson will only be 23 in January and doesn't have anything near the arm strength to throw 200+ innings at this point. Even if the Sox didn't have Freddy as a #5 option, I'd seriously consider going with somebody like Torres and pitching Hudson out of the 'pen initially. When you have a rotation of Peavy/Buehrle/Floyd/Danks, there's no point in rushing a young prospect who isn't ready for a full work load as a starter. Hudson threw 161 innings in '08. He can do close to 180 this year, if they want him to, and close to 200 innings next year as a logical progression. His youth and workload should NOT be an impediment to him winning the 5th starter job next year. It should be determined by his performance.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 5, 2009 -> 06:25 PM) Hudson was at 161 last year, and is at 147 in the minors, plus the 2 in the majors this year. He is ready for 180 innings now. Right. Which means he probably IS ready for close to 200 innings next year, and his youth/workload should NOT be a factor in next year's 5th starter determination. This belongs in the other thread, I am aware.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 6, 2009 -> 12:11 PM) You mean you like Pena? My god. Pena sucks. If they both suck, it isn't a "bad, bad trade", it's a meaningless trade. That's the concept.