mmmmmbeeer

QUOTE (beckham15 @ Dec 16, 2009 -> 04:33 PM) im really surprised dwise isn't being hung out to dry here in this thread...... I think that even having one moment of greatness, like "the catch", is enough to save you from a an easy list of 10 who never even sniffed mediocre.

In no particular order...trying to go with guys that had atleast a partial full-time role at some point: Willie Harris Billy Koch Royce Clayton Roberto Alomar Joe Borchard Josh Fields Jerry Owens Danny Wright Andy Gonzalez Darin Erstad honorable mentions Damaso Marte Scott Linebrink

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Dec 11, 2009 -> 01:47 PM) This really shouldn't be the precursor to any other move, he can't be counted on to give you anything in 2010. Yeah, I'm less than excited about this move as I don't see anything that will solidify the pen until Putz is able to take the mound and get hitters out.

If I'm trading Hudson or Flowers it's for someone who doesn't come with question marks. While Upton is immensely talented, he comes with a whole lot of question marks. If you send Hudson and Flowers to TB, you paid more for potential than you did for a proven stud like Jake Peavy....granted money plays into that comparison, but I'm sure you get my point.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 11:08 AM) He's a nice change in attitude. I'd love to see him and danks go back to back in the rotation. They both have that look that "I want to dominate you". Buerhle is more of a "haha, I'm smarter than you" while Floyd is like "Check out my pitcher face, do you believe it?" These are pure aesthetic observations in how I watch the game, have little to do with performance. More of a cinematic approach to pitching. Ha! I think you're about dead-on with all of those. I really think that Peavy is going to have the biggest influence on Gavin. Even when he's rolling, Gavin looks scared sh**less out on the mound, imo. I think Peavy is going to teach him that it's okay to get out there, have absolute faith in your stuff, and to let the hitter know, simply using body language, that he's going to beat you.

QUOTE (striker62704 @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 04:40 PM) KW stated (I don't remember the source) that he wants a DH that can also play the field. JD is alright out there but I'm sure Dye is not what he has in mind. This is the key, imo. I think we're seeing a trend that he's wearing down as seasons wear on and his age catches up to him. If KW believes that those lapses in endurance can be attributed to playing RF everyday, well, he may still have the energy to hit well through an entire season just being the DH. If KW believes that it isn't playing RF that wears him down then he's got to go. Additionally, as SS2K mentioned, if KW thinks it's all mental I think that means again that he needs to let him walk.

Is it safe to say at this point, after just 2 starts against them, that Peavy owns the Tigers?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 23, 2009 -> 03:01 PM) Those are both 100% true. People can mention them as much as they want. I never said they weren't true nor did I say that people shouldn't mention them, I said it was ridiculous to bring them up as causes for his failures as both were also true when he faced 41 consecutive batters without allowing a hit. They also were true when he came in as a rookie and was clutch in the postseason. In '07 before the trade deadline, before Buehrle was extended, I was one of very few posters on this site to bring up the idea that we should not only trade Buehrle, but also trade Jenks and get a boatload of talent for him. I find it funny that there was so little discussion of trading him then, when he was doing well, but now that he has a bad season everyone wants to trade that "fat tub of lard" at the worst possible moment. The guy who brought up the Mariners is spot on.

Damn...unreal the hatred for Bobby. He's not had a great season by any means but he hasn't been JD or Linebrink bad, not even close. I for one hope he is back next year because that's one helluva tough position to fill. Seems everyone thinks Thornton can just step in and succeed....that's no sure thing, nor is there any sure thing to backfill the LH setup roll. All these "fat tub of lard" and "screw in his arm" crap is ridiculous. The guy was big when he was very successful and he's big now...it has nothing to do with anything. We've also got absolutely zero evidence that his arm has been or will be a problem.

I think Bradley has shown that he feels there are racial issues in baseball. He's spoken out about it before and continues to do so. While that may or may not be fact, the fact that HIS head works like this and sees the world like this explains why he was well behaved in Texas playing for Washington and why he hasn't played well in the white yuppie Mecca that we know as Wrigley. As sad as it is, I don't think that you can discount the impact that a very successful black GM would have on Bradley. I could be way off base, I'm not a shrink and I'm obviously not a friend or acquaintance of Bradley's.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Sep 16, 2009 -> 07:10 PM) I'm sure it is in the spine. Your vertebrae, which make up the spine, are irregular bones with thick bodies and thin projections to which muscles and ligaments attach. They protect the spinal cord but also serve as a guidance mechanism for movement. The facets joints are on the thin projections and are susceptible to stress fracture and cracks. it will hurts with any rotation (hitting) or with bending to extreme ranges. If the fractures progress far enough the vertebra can begin to slide on one another and in severe cases pinch the spinal cord. This extreme case rarely happens. It's best to rest and let it heal if a fracture can be detected because that is a sign of too much stress in the area and it will only continue to get worse. It will probably take 4-12 weeks to heal. He must have some kind of torque going on in his swing to get an injury like you describe. As usual, appreciate your insight dude.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Sep 16, 2009 -> 05:31 PM) If it's truly a stress fracture, there will not be any long term effects. However, if it expands into a larger "crack" so to speak and is near the facets joint of a vertebrae, it can lead to instability and have a lasting effect. Im' sure this is why they are shutting him down, to prevent the problem from expanding into a larger fracture. So a back fracture is on what bone in your back? From your description it sounds like it's actually on his spine?!?!? Jesus, that HAS to be painful as all hell.

QUOTE (joejoedairy @ Sep 13, 2009 -> 12:27 AM) lets go mark kazmir has been terrible this season and we lit him up last time faced him Kazmir has been pretty damn good since joining Anaheim. This is time for MB to show that he's the "ace" that so many people seem to think he is.

"I can promise you this," Peavy said. "On Feb. 15 or whatever day it is I report, I'll be in as good of shape as anybody and be ready to pitch and expect nothing less than what I've done in years, which is giving my team a chance to win and work 200-plus innings." love it.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 7, 2009 -> 05:17 PM) Add on top of it that he's pulling his head off the ball when he swings. This is what sticks out to me about his swing. Most hitters you see their head move downward as the ball approaches...Rios, it appears, doesn't budge his head and is only seeing the ball for 58 feet, calculates where it's going to be, and swings there without really looking. I mean it looks like his eyes follow the ball, but his head is perfectly still and remains facing at the mound. Maybe I'm just seeing things or maybe he's always hit this way and it has worked for him in the past. Whatever the case may be, something looks very wrong with his head during his swing. On a positive note, I don't think he has an extraordinarily long swing, seems reasonably compact actually. This fact makes me comfortable seeing his odd stance...anything he needs to do to be quick and compact works for me.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Aug 25, 2009 -> 09:39 PM) You ever wonder why I (and many others) call the 04-05 years the "Golden Years" of soxtalk? You ever wonder why some outstanding posters don't really post much (or at all) anymore partly because of this? (other reasons as well, but that's another day) It's no secret in my eyes. Because back then we could swear on the board and now we can't?

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 17, 2009 -> 11:22 PM) This sounds familiar. Oh, yes. Texas pitching phenom David Clyde. "The Rangers selected Clyde as the first overall pick in the 1973 amateur draft. Rangers owner Bob Short was looking for some sort of spark to boost attendance. In their first year after moving from Washington, D.C., the Rangers had the second-smallest gate in the American League, ahead of only the Cleveland Indians. Clyde agreed to sign a contract, but wanted to make two starts in Arlington before heading to the minors. Clyde won his first ever Major League start, before 37,000 fans--the first sellout in Arlington Stadium history. He pitched well in his next start as well, and the Rangers dropped all plans to send him to the minors. The youngest player to play in a major league game in 1973, Clyde pitched a total of eighteen games (all starts) that season, finishing with a record of 4-8, with a 5.01 ERA. In the 1974 season, Clyde played in 28 games (21 starts) and finished with 3-9 record, and a 4.38 ERA. He started one game in the 1975 season (a loss) before developing arm trouble and being demoted to the minor leagues. He stayed in the minors for three seasons before being traded (with Willie Horton) to the Cleveland Indians for Tom Buskey and John Lowenstein prior to the 1978 season. Clyde started for the Indians for most of that year, playing in 28 games (starting 25) and finished with a record of 8-11, with a 4.28 ERA and 83 strikeouts. Clyde also finished fourth in the American League with 11 wild pitches. He pitched in 9 games (8 starts) with the Indians during the 1979 season (3-4, 5.91 ERA) before being demoted to the minors. He was traded back to the Rangers after the 1979 season, but was released prior to the 1980 season. Clyde tried to restart his career with the Houston Astros for the 1981 season, but never played a game with them. Many of Clyde's troubles are attributed to the rush to get him into the majors before he was ready. This was due, in part, to Short wanting to sell tickets. The Rangers averaged 27,000 fans in Clyde's six home starts, but 6,000 fans for the other 75 home dates. As it turned out, Clyde's major league debut was the highlight of his career. Whitey Herzog, Clyde's manager in 1973, said in his 1986 autobiography White Rat that he regretted going along with Short's desire to rush Clyde to the big leagues. According to Herzog, he was often forced to leave Clyde in the game much longer than he felt was normal for a young pitcher because fans wanted to see the 18-year-old "phenom" pitch. This led to Clyde's arm burning out at an early age. Clyde recently retired from the lumber business.[2] http://www.answers.com/topic/david-clyde-1 I hear ya, man. There are definitely different schools of thought. I suppose we can be glad that it isn't either of us making those decisions about a talent like Strasburg. It wouldn't be good to be the guy to screw him up. As to your example, in '73 I don't think pitch counts and stress on young arms was a very mainstream conversation. Not to mention Stras is 4 years older with 4 more years of pitching than the kid in your example.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 17, 2009 -> 11:15 PM) The best young pitcher in the last decade? How does letting him start a few games this season cost them the best young pitcher in the last decade? You must be from the "don't rush them" school.....me, I see a kid with 100MPH heat and a Liriano-esque slider. Stuff wise, he's better than 95% of pitchers in MLB today, I think he'll be alright to start a couple games.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Aug 17, 2009 -> 11:10 PM) Will he pitch in the Majors this season? What do they have to lose? Could make for a nice bump in attendance to round out the year. I'm glad the kid signed. I'd be very curious if Boras pushed him to accept or if Stras overruled Boras and told him to tell WAS yes.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 17, 2009 -> 11:04 PM) Sacrifice bunts are called for sometimes and do work sometimes, folks. It wasn't Paulie or AJ on 1st, it was a guy with an 86% success rate in SB coupled with a hitter that won 2 games for you late in the last week. Not to mention, Roman Whateverhislastnamewas, threw over once and it was just a miserable move. Sox win so whatever, it just pissed me off so I had to mention it.

I had a tirade ready to go for ozzie re: Linebrink and the freaking sacrifice bunt with Rios on first. Glad they pulled this one out on a night when MB didn't have it. Also good to see Carlos run 1st to home all out without limping afterward.

This team reminds me of my golf game, they can't seem to get the 3 main phases of their game working well at the same time. If they hit, the defense of pitching lets them down. If they pitch and play D, the offense doesn't show up. If they pitch and hit, there will be some miscues on D that make the game close. It's incredibly frustrating and points to a lack of focus and/or an expectation of failure. Also, I don't think it's fair to compare our April expectations to our expectations here in August. This team had a bunch of minor league crap on the roster in April.

QUOTE (WSoxMatt @ Aug 14, 2009 -> 04:20 PM) Didnt Anderson already ace us once so far this season? He was one of the few pitchers the Sox faced for the first time/failed that actually looked like he had outstanding stuff. He was on a roll then, not so sure now, haven't looked at his game log. I sure hope Count decides to show up tonight.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 11:58 PM) he's a psychic ninja sniper. I'd have to go with the Thornton deal. I just think that this deal was the epitome of KW's ability to identify talent, get input from his coaching staff on what they see, evaluate character, and after all those things show up as positives, he was able to convince Seattle that they were sending him trash for trash. Granted that was Bavasi who we all know was a horrible GM, but still, I just loved this move. Very similar to Jenks and TCQ but in Thornton's case he just showed raw talent and had never shown the success of Jenks, TCQ, Johnny Danks which, imo, proves that KW is indeed a psychic ninja sniper.

I think the big question here is if Jimmy would sign a 1 year deal. If he's looking for a 3 year deal, he's got to go. His skills and health cannot be counted on for 3 more years.