Paulie4Pres

One reason. No alternative.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 11:21 PM) It's sad that you can make a case for this. BA, Fields, Poreda, Beckham, and McCarthy, maybe even, Clayton Richard can all attest to this. That being said he seems to have a good relationship with Danksy and Floyd. He would really have no leg to stand on if he messed with Danks' and Floyd's spots in the rotation... Their spots are completely untouchable by the current pitching staff. Aside from that, our young white players are consistently held to different standards than their non-caucasian counterparts. There is ZERO reason Colon should start over Richards, the same way there was ZERO reason for choosing Wise over Anderson. The young white players have to play like all-stars to keep their spot, while the others are allowed to suck perpetually? Give me a break. Ozzie has serious issues with double standards.

Richard >>>>> Colon. The reasoning for Colon getting the initial start over Richard in the first place boggles the f***ing mind. WHAT IS OZZIE SMOKING? WHY IS WISE STILL ON THIS TEAM? I'm beginning to believe some of the racism crap we've seen floating around about Ozzie.

I would love to see some statistics on how many runs we've scored in innings 6-9 this year, compared to what we score in innings 1-5. I can't imagine our sixth through ninth inning totals being even 25% of our totals for the first five innings. Why does this team suck so bad in the late innings? Because they're all old and tired? I really just don't get it. If the Sox are losing after the 5th inning, I pretty much just turn the game off, because is is almost a guarantee that they ARE going to lose the game. They're something like 0-43 when trailing going into the ninth.... I'm lost.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 26, 2009 -> 10:04 PM) That's always the argument. Yes you have the right. But people like me can call you a bad fan. Yes a bad fan. Why? The guy is a closer, one of the toughest jobs on the field. In that role has a good to excellent track record and a spot in our lore with the WS title. He is likeable, not a bum. A true fan would shut the f*** up when he sucks or scream at the situation, not the player. Booing is unproductive and not a classy thing to do IMO. The fans are booing the result more than anything. It really wouldn't matter WHO came into the game, loaded the bases, and then walked in the tying run. They'd probably get boo'd in pretty much any ballpark in the country, and it wouldn't matter who it was blowing the save. The situation is pretty much unacceptable for any closer, especially one making millions of dollars a year, to record maybe 12 outs a week.

Exactly. Eleven saves with a 3 run lead, of which, I can recall several in which he gave up a couple runs before squeeking out of it. He's been had this year. Period. A 4.33 ERA doesn't lie.

QUOTE (bobryansson @ Jul 23, 2009 -> 12:47 AM) As you can probably guess from my screen name, my dad was a Sox fan and lived his life, growing up in Bridgeport with Mayor Daley #1, without ever experiencing a World Series championship. These are my thoughts, based on how I was brought up to behave as a fan. I hope that I can pass them, as I have passed my love of the Chicago White Sox, on to my children. There are 2 ways to look at cheering/booing, from the "I need to express my feelings." point of view and the "What will support my team?" point of view. In addition, and I think it still matters, is the idea of good sportsmanship. I think that the latter two thoughts (team support and sportsmanship) trump the first (the need to express feelings). I try to control myself accordingly. Does anybody think that Bobbie and Ozzie and the team aren't equally frustrated and disappointed? Does anybody think that they don't know the fans won't be happy with serial poor performances? Does anyone doubt Bobbie's effort or his desire to win? Is booing going to help him get better? Don't we really "owe" him the support inherent in accepting a bad spell? It's very difficult to be a player in the MLB. What is the boing except a lack of the ability to control when and how emotions are expressed? It is a game. It's fine to get hugely angry at the events as they unfold, but it is wrong to direct booing at the player when the outcome is bad. I think it is only OK to boo when there is a lack of complete effort and when there is an example on the field of poor sportsmanship or cheating. Silence while exiting the game is fine, as noted in a post above. Obviously, this is America and fans do pay a lot of money to see these game, so there is a "right" to boo, but I think it is wrong and we, as fans, need to control ourselves. Sorry for the long post. This is just, as you can tell, at "hot button" issue for me. Thank you to those who've gotten through this. Steve LOL. Yeah, I'm sure it's really difficult to get paid MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars a year to play a GAME, as you pointed out in your post. It's a game, and he's getting paid millions of dollars of WE THE FAN'S MONEY to play it. I don't agree with booing, but you're dead wrong that we owe him anything. Fans pay for their right to boo him.

The point about Jenks isn't just this game... The point is, when was the last time you saw him come out, and NOT allow at least one baserunner? Hell, he's gotten a couple saves this year where he's given up runs and squeeked out of it. He's not a dominant pitcher anymore, and he rarely, if ever, comes into the game, and doesn't allow a baserunner. Your closer shouldn't blow big games like this for you. He's got an ERA over four for f***'s sake.

Does Jenks even have any value in a trade at this point? I can't see many teams wanting a closer that gives up base runners every time he's in to close. He walks guys. He gives up runs. Let's just face the facts. Jenks is NOT a good closer in this league anymore. He was fine when he could reach back and throw 99-100 every time he came out. Now, he's lucky to tap 95 most of the time, his hook isn't nearly as nasty as it used to be... What does he have that makes him better than, say, Thornton, as a closer?

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Oct 7, 2008 -> 09:32 AM) people here are just sour on OC b/c he's a rental player. you train yourself early not to get attached. the contract negotiation and the scioscia thing are these minor little details that become huge fodder for building this horrible impression of him in your mind. no he's not the most noble guy; few athletes are. plenty of guys have that smug attitude and have been beloved by the fans. frankly, race plays a factor as well. a white guy can have that smugness and it's seen as tough, not as 'overly brash' No, I think most people are sour on OC because he's EXTREMELY overrated. His clutch hitting is atrocious, his playoff numbers are bad, and his defense isn't even GOOD. He's an AVERAGE SS. We did NOT see a gold glove SS this year. Far from it, actually. He's also a "me first" type of player, which doesn't help the matter.

QUOTE (Frankensteiner @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 07:42 PM) Why is OC gettinng singled out? He's one of the few veteran players on this team who actually lived up to their career averages. fathom's had some weird psychotic hate for him all season and I can't quite understand it. You mean the same veteran, fundamentally sound hitter, that went 2/16 in the ALDS? Swinging at garbage pitches? Good riddance. P.S. His numbers with RISP, RISP with 2 outs, LATE AND CLOSE, etc., were all BRUTAL. He's also a weak .242 career hitter in the playoffs....

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Oct 3, 2008 -> 09:14 PM) If Swisher has good speed, I haven't seen it. I heard so much about his passion for baseball and the way he hustles, and I didn't see it this year. Hopefully he hits .250 with his normal .350-.365 OBP next year. He certainly doesn't have good speed. I said he MIGHT have average speed. lol That's ok... Swisher can play 1B next year, and we can move PK to DH. Then we can move Dye in the offseason for a speedy lead-off hitter, and hopefully move Thome as well. Or move PK and Dye for some quality speed, and keep Thome at DH. Honestly, if this team is going to go ANYWHERE, I really think 2/3 of PK, Thome, or Dye need to be moved... They are rally killers in the middle of our lineup, with their lack of speed, and their tendencies to hit into the DP. CQ and one of those guys batting 3/4 would be just fine... We can't try to be successful with 3 cleanup-type hitters, that couldn't score from first on a triple if their life depended on it, any more. They are just way, way, way too slow.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Oct 3, 2008 -> 08:34 PM) Here's a huge problem -- 1-5 in the lineup was 9-22, 2BB, 1HBP.......with only ONE run batted in. They're slow and unable to muster hits at the right moment. If Konerko Dye or Thome are on first base we're going to need two more hits (i wont acknowledge a 3B) or HR. One of those three just have to move. Enough of these guys who are exactly the same type of player with too little speed and too much age. ^^ This. Who, on the White Sox roster, has even AVERAGE speed? Nevermind GOOD speed. We have noone with good speed, compared to everyone else in the MLB. Alexei Ramirez.....Orlando Cabrera....maybe Swisher? The rest of the lineup isn't just average, or below average....they're some of the SLOWEST players in the league. Our entire lineup is a beer league softball team... not baseball players. AJ....slow. PK....slow. JD....slow Thome....slow. Uribe...slow. KG...slow. We have a bunch of plodding, over the hill, softball players, that just go up to the plate every at bat, hoping to hit a home run. With the speed we have, that's really the only way we're scoring, so I can't say I blame them. We need to replace three of our starting lineup with guys that have, at the VERY LEAST, average speed. We need a leadoff hitter. We need a speedy right fielder(JD is too old and slow to play RF, I'm sorry, he just is). We need a second baseman. We need a third baseman. We need a center fielder. If ANY of those positions are filled by slow, plodding assclowns like we have this year, we'll be no better off next year.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Oct 2, 2008 -> 03:50 PM) actually, two of the pitches OC swung at were balls. he should have walked. ^^ This.

Good to see OC stepping up in clutch situations? lol

LOL, what's the deal with OC and Balfour? OC didn't like that pitch way outside like that or what? OC is DUE!

Bases loaded, 1 out... Do we do anything here?

Brutal at bat for Griffey...

Clayton Richard is making the White Sox management look really stupid right now. He is absolutely tooling the Rays.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Oct 2, 2008 -> 03:10 PM) You know, starting Richard may have actually been a better decision. I didnt realize that the Rays start 5 LH. And Navarro is a switch hitter who hits righties better than lefties. Just from that stand point i hope Oz at least considered it You know how bad it is, when we're preferring Clayton Richard over Javvy? heh

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Oct 1, 2008 -> 01:06 AM) And defense, which our team sorely lacks on artificial surfaces We only have one artificial surface to worry about, Tampa. It is also a good homerun ballpark, so I think we'll be ok...

QUOTE (Frankensteiner @ Oct 1, 2008 -> 12:26 AM) Well, I was obviously wrong about the Twins winning this division. And the Sox won it in very impressive fashion, probably playing their best game of the season. But I am still going to stick with my main contention: that the Sox aren't on the same level as the other AL playoff teams. I would like nothing better than to be horribly wrong again... You're right, they're not on the same level. But you know what? All that really matters in the playoffs is lights-out pitching, and the Sox appear to have it in Floyd, Danks, Buehrle, Thornton, and Jenks. The last three games were phenomenal. As we saw in 2005, a pitching staff can carry your club a LONG way. I'm optimistic, for the first time all year. Our big 3 pitchers couldn't have picked a better time to get hot...

I'm eating crow after the last 3 days. I was going insane after the Twins series. It drove all of us completely over the edge, I think. But, the Sox REALLY proved they know how to handle the big games and the pressure situations the last 3 games. Big time pitching, and clutch hitting. Shades of 2005 even. Let's hope they can carry it over to the playoffs. Keep in mind guys....this might be the last chance for a lot of guys on this team to win a World Series. Thome, Griffey, Dye, and Konerko are all getting up there in age. How many more chances are they going to get? Not many I'd imagine. They have to really want this. The Rays are sweating right now, I guarantee it. We're a dangerous team, because our sluggers are desperate for a championship, and our top three pitchers caught FIRE in their last starts.

QUOTE (MAX @ Sep 30, 2008 -> 10:00 PM) The fact that Nathan was throwing 98 mph high fastballs makes me think bobby was too. Yeah, I don't think the gun was off, and if it was, it wasn't off by much. It's just good to see Bobby still able to reach back and fire like that!!!!

QUOTE (hi8is @ Sep 30, 2008 -> 09:51 PM) i think their gun was turned up... i mean, i don't remember danks throwing 95... or am i wrong? I dunno. Most of Danks stuff was 92-93. Same with Blackburn. That's about right for those two guys, no?