elgonzo4sox

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 02:20 PM) Wow. Blown save for Nathan in the Twinkiedome! Thank you Paulie and Beckham. Let's go for the win now, and tag Nathan with the loss!

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 10:24 PM) You make some great points here, but I think you are also shortchanging the Twinkies a bit too. We've only hit 13 more home runs than they have this season. In my opinion, they have been gradually adjusting to the day they will open their ballpark by sticking with guys like Cuddyer and Kubel. Next season they will probably match us in home runs. Even still, they have no business competing with us. Considering what has happened to their starting rotation, their bullpen, and the fact that Gomez and Punto suck against every other team, how are they ahead of us in the standings? Because they are younger, hungrier, and not convinced they'll lose before the game even begins. I didn't realize the home run count for the Sox and Twins is so close. I know we've been down this year, with the primary culprits being our aging sluggers and Q's injury, which kept him out of the lineup for much of the year. Plus the cold weather for much of the year has reduced the Cell's homer production rate. I absolutely agree that the Twins come out very hungry against us in their building. Does Gomez play with the same look in his eyes against other teams? Against us in the dome, he's Ty Cobb. Ughh. Like I said, I hope Gardy cuts him next year.

Alexei has great range and athleticism. Being a major-league caliber shortstop is the hardest defensive position to play. Most fail, and get moved to other infield positions. Those clamoring for Beckham to play short will probably be surprised at the difference between a major league shortstop and a college/minor league shortstop, if he ever does play at SS. Alexei's errors will go down with more experience at the position. Meanwhile, his bat is strong for a SS, with the main problem being his slow start at the beginning of the every year in the cold weather (I guess it doesn't snow in Cuba). I'm with Ozzie on this one - Alexei is our shortstop for years to come.

QUOTE (klaus kinski @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 10:00 PM) Play ALL the young guys-the hell with these losers Ground ball through the infield + ground ball through the infield + blooper over the infield and the Twins get their winning run. This perfectly illustrates the primary reason why we lose in the Metrodome. It's not a baseball stadium - it's a track meet. Visualize a track circling the field, with the fastest team winning. Speed is what counts in the Metrodome, not how hard you hit the ball. Almost any ball hit further than 200 feet that doesn't clear the outfield wall will be caught by the other team, if they have speedy outfielders. The way you score runs is to get runners on base by infield hits, ground balls through the infield, and bloopers over the infield, and an occasional home run. The Twins know this, and have shaped their roster and lineup accordingly. The Sox in the past have been way too slow to win in the Metrodome. Tonight's lineup was faster than most that we've put out their in recent years, and we came close, but still the Twins got their cheap hits and run to win. The good news is that when the Twins move to Target next year, and have to play on a cold, wet real grass field for much of the year, it will negate their speed, and their power deficiencies will become very evident. The batting averages of all their speedsters will drop by 20 to 40 points, and some of them (hopefully Gomez) will get cut. The Twins are going to have to seriously revamp their roster, or they won't be competitive at all in 2010. They will look as bad as they do when they come to US Cellular or play on the road, where they have a poor record. Meanwhile, thankfully, there's just one more game for us there, and we get them for three more games on real grass, as God intended.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 04:21 PM) Baffles me too constantly. Maybe Rios' attitude didn't impress Oz right away. He's been sitting just about half the time and doing next to nothing when he's playing. He's just up there hacking like he doesn't have a clue. Agree, Rios's at bats have been timid, tentative, scared, etc. But his fielding has been very strong, and his range is excellent. With Rios we actually have a CF who, with the reads he gets off the bat coupled with his speed, actually runs into the RF and LF on many balls (yes, this has even caused errors, but it's a good problem to have, and will straighten itself out over time). It's been a long while since centerfield has been covered as well as what Rios can do.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 04:02 PM) Why the f*** did we get Rios if he's not in CF? Agree. Ozzie could play the same guys and have the same batting order with Rios in CF, Quentin or Pods in LF, Dye or Quentin in RF, and Dye or Pods or Quentin as DH. Mix and match however you want, but keep Rios (not Pods) in CF. Rios is our best fielding CF - why not play him there? Now that Thome is gone and Dye will be DHing more, I'd like to see Quentin in RF on occasion, as that may be where he ends up after the upcoming offseason.

Thanks, Big Jim. You are a class act, and can still hit a ball harder than just about anybody. Sox fans will never forget the Game 163 home run, and your walk-off 500th. We'll see you again in Cooperstown, someday.

Thank you, Jose. Sox fans will never forget what you did for the team in 2005. Your character, your work ethic, and your determination to overcome adversity are examples to us all. You will always be remembered on the south side of Chicago.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 09:36 AM) Since we're married to him, I want Rios in center pretty much every game from here on out. Yes, especially in the dome, where speed and defense are even more important. Rios hasn't done much of anything at the plate since joining the Sox, but he's been a pleasure to watch in center, covering a huge amount of ground. With the speedsters Ozzie can choose to put in the lineup (Pods, Rios, Getz, Alexei, and even Nix and Beckham), the Sox have their best chance to win in years in the Twinkiedome. We just need for AJ to teach the other guys in the lineup how to hit bloopers over the infield - AJ had a couple last night. Fly balls or even liners hit to the outfield that are not home runs are outs in the dome, with the Twins' speedsters. The Twins know how to win in the dome, but we can now match them with speed and beat them, if we get some well-timed hits.

QUOTE (Rooftop Shots @ Aug 31, 2009 -> 04:32 PM) I've been heaing a lot of of SO MANY don't even want to watch th Sox anymore. Many say that "I'm Done!!!" Don't get me wrong............I'm pretty disgusted the way things have been going also. As I take a step back...........I'm a diehard Sox fan........and whether we excell from the Twins series on to the rest of the season.......or when we play the Twins,,,,and we just FLAT OUT take a dump! Either way........I'm either going to go on an extreme high..........or I'm going down with them on the ship. I wait for baseball all winter...............and I'll stick with The Sox and watch them no matter how painful or exciting it may be. Kenny Williams has tried to do what he feels is best. So far...it hasn't worked out that great. But at least we have him for a GM. Anybody remember the Ron Schueller days? Most years......... except for a few players on each team......the lineup sucked.It was never solid top to bottom. We have a GM who is agressive and is HUNGRY to win. Whether his moves work out in this year next year, or never.......... He makes things interesting, creates a LOT of fun discussions on this board, and isn't afraid to roll the dice. He tries to give us something to look forward to every year.........and for that..I'm sticking with The Sox to very end even if we wind up 20 out by September's end. How the heck would you like to be a die-hard baseball fan in Pittsburgh? Washington? San Diego? They never have anything to look forward to EVERY FRIGGIN' YEAR! It's easy to be a Sox fan when they win! Who will watch them with me no matter how ugly it may get? Alllllrighty Guys!!! Start the "Rag On The Rooftop Shots" thread! Knock yourselves out! Either way..........................I'm staying to the end! I love the game of baseball and there's not much of it left. I'll enjoy whatever moments that are left that The Sox will give me! If there aren't any good ones left.............throw me an oar I'm going down with them! Great post. I'm in until the last out of the season is made. There is still hope for 2009 - they still have enough head-to-head games left with the Twins & Tigers. KW hasn't given up on 2009 yet - losing Contreras and Thome doesn't hurt at all for this year (Contreras is a key reason the Sox are under .500 right now, and losing Thome will give more DH time to Q, Konerko and Dye, who could all use some rest by not playing in the field). But they gotta start by kicking some Twin butt, fast, and then beat the flailing Cubs, then do to the Red Sox what they did to the Yankees when the Yankees came to The Cell a few weeks ago.

I sent this email to Ozzie - thought I'd let folks on Soxtalk see it - my 5 suggestions to beat the Twins: Ozzie, You are right, we have to win this series and hopefully sweep. Minnesota has weak pitching, so we have a good chance. Here are my suggestions: 1. Play Rios in CF the whole series. You need his speed and range on defense. 2. Make sure Pods is in the line-up (either as LF or DH) the whole series. You need his speed on the basepaths, plus he's playing with intensity, getting on base, and even driving in runs. He will disrupt the Twins pitchers when he's on base, just like he did in NY yesterday. 3. Keep your starting pitchers in the game until they falter. The bullpen isn't strong enough right now to pull pitchers when the pitch count gets high. If they are still pitching effectively, like Freddy in NY yesterday, leave them in until they put some runners on base or some runs score. It's that time of year - they have to shoulder more burden. 4. For your big guns (DH and corner outfielders), play the hot bats, which appear to be Quentin and Dye. Dye hit the ball well yesterday. 5. Don't let Lillibridge take an at bat, and get Getz back in there ASAP while using Nix to give Beckham a rest for a game. Given the standings, we absolutely have to do well in all the remaining games against the Twins and Tigers. Fortunately there are a lot of head-to-head games, but we have to win them. Go Sox!

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Aug 18, 2009 -> 02:18 PM) remember that game a couple of months ago in KC where Steve Stone broke down exactly how to pitch to Jacobs? He said anything above the belt and he can't catch up to it with his uppercut swing; thigh high and he will crush it. He nailed it to a T. Then go look at the replay of Jacobs' 3-run homer last night and note where AJ set up. Linebrink threw it right to the glove. That ball was right in his wheelhouse. Good point. AJ backed Linebrink after the loss (see quote below), so maybe Linebrink did throw it exactly where AJ wanted it, albeit without movement on it: >>"He'll be fine," said Pierzynski. "We have all the confidence in the world in him. If we have a lead in the eighth inning [on Tuesday], he'll be out there again."

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 04:55 PM) Vikings are working on getting a new stadium as well, one day that atrocity of a building will be gone. Minnie Gophers got a new stadium: TCF Bank Stadium: http://stadium.gophersports.com/index.html The tenants are fleeing the Twinkiedome...pretty soon it will be gone, or hosting flea markets.

He just needs to raise his national profile, in the media. My suggestion: move to the other side of town, then start insulting umpires, getting thrown out of games, throwing balls into the outfield and gloves into the dugout, and beating up the Gatorade dispenser. Then he will be the highest profile pitcher in town, and perhaps get some national recognition.

QUOTE (kwolf68 @ Jul 23, 2009 -> 03:52 PM) I respect the hell out of Ozzie for sticking up for his guy and I do agree with some comments that maybe us fans should give the guys some slack, but... when you sign up for this gig, that's part of mix that you will be booed if you suck. Bobby has sucked and he's been booed...why is this such a weird thing for him (and Ozzie)? He isn't near the first to have this happen and won't be the last. Instead of worrying about the fans, who slap down their hard earned money to watch a bunch of milionaires play a game, maybe they should figure out WHY Bobby is pitching poorly. Ozzie did state why he thinks Jenks is in a slump: location. Too many first pitch balls (falling behind in the count), walks and hit batters. That's what Jenks will be working on. Some of the millionaires care a lot about their performances (I'd definitely put Jenks in this category), and some don't, like "Big Game" Javy Vazquez, who infamously said words to the effect last year that "it doesn't matter if I win a big game or not, either way I'm going to be relaxing on the beach in Puerto Rico when the season is over". Ozzie made sure Javy got a one-way ticket to Atlanta, and Jenks is still here. Support him.

Only drunks and baseball know-nothings would boo Jenks after Tuesday's outing. People whose behavior is governed by emotions rather than rational thinking also could boo Jenks, if their brains hold only short-term memories. If someone boo'ed Jenks on Tuesday night, it shows either: -- they don't understand baseball, and that this is a 162-game season where on any given night something unexpectedly good or bad can happen. -- they don't understand that it was Ozzie's decision to put Jenks in the game and leave him in, when there were other options. -- they focused just on Jenks, rather than the Sox hitters, who scored only 2 runs all game. -- they don't understand that closers are humans, and not robots that nail down 100% of all save opportunities. -- they don't know history or baseball statistics, which prove Jenks to be one of the best closers in the game since 2005 - and someone who closed out a World Series victory for the Sox. -- they don't understand motivation. -- or they were drunk or just stupid. Silence, when Jenks came off the mound, or a "You'll get 'em next time, big boy", was the proper response. Jenks is always hard on himself - witness his reaction upon coming off the mound. He doesn't need any supposed Sox fans giving him a hard time.

QUOTE (elgonzo4sox @ Jul 22, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) 10 of the 11 previous performances are ancient history. What Ozzie should have paid attention to was the most recent performance the previous night. Bobby threw a lot of pitches (28) in the 4-3 victory, and six Rays batters saw his stuff. He was shaky, but gutted it out. Ozzie should have given him Tuesday night off, and gone to Dotel in the 9th, who was warming up in the bullpen in the 8th. Dotel hasn't pitched yet this series, and he is a high contrast pitcher from Richard, even more so than Jenks. Instead it appeared that Ozzie either followed the book ("It's a save situation, so I'm going to put in my closer"), or wanted to give Jenks a vote of confidence after the shaky outing Monday night. I can only hope it was the latter, and that the vote pays off later in the season, in a high pressure playoff atmosphere game, when Jenks pitches with complete confidence because his manager has backed him in the past, as Ozzie did on Tuesday. p.s. I think the biggest reason for Tuesday night's loss was not Jenks, or even Ozzie's decision to use Jenks, but rather the failure to score a few more runs, especially in the 8th. Asking your pitching staff to win a game when you only give them 2 runs to work with is tough.

QUOTE (scenario @ Jul 22, 2009 -> 01:26 PM) Last night was the first time Tampa has ever scored earned runs against Bobby... He had a 0.00 ERA against them in 11 career performances before last night. So I can just imagine the barbequing Ozzie would be getting if he left in Richard or put in someone else and they lost the game. Classic damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. 10 of the 11 previous performances are ancient history. What Ozzie should have paid attention to was the most recent performance the previous night. Bobby threw a lot of pitches (28) in the 4-3 victory, and six Rays batters saw his stuff. He was shaky, but gutted it out. Ozzie should have given him Tuesday night off, and gone to Dotel in the 9th, who was warming up in the bullpen in the 8th. Dotel hasn't pitched yet this series, and he is a high contrast pitcher from Richard, even more so than Jenks. Instead it appeared that Ozzie either followed the book ("It's a save situation, so I'm going to put in my closer"), or wanted to give Jenks a vote of confidence after the shaky outing Monday night. I can only hope it was the latter, and that the vote pays off later in the season, in a high pressure playoff atmosphere game, when Jenks pitches with complete confidence because his manager has backed him in the past, as Ozzie did on Tuesday.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Jul 13, 2009 -> 01:14 PM) HOw many true domes are left? Not the retractable kind, which, at least they have real grass. Is it just Tampa? Can't remember if Toronto's is retractable. Metrodome is the last MLB dome with: permanent roof, artificial turf, and infield dirt only around the bases Tampa Bay has: permanent roof, artificial turf, but a full dirt infield Toronto has: retractable roof, artificial dirt, and infield dirt only around the bases Every other MLB stadium has real grass. So the Metrodome is definitely the worst. Even the Twinkie fans I know say so, which is why they are counting down the days to outdoor baseball. Although once the Twins move outdoors and have to hit the ball hard to get on base, they are going to become the KC Royals North.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Jul 10, 2009 -> 12:06 PM) 3rd to last series ever in that s*** hole Twinkieball countdown counter is at 9 games, and decreases by one tonight and by three at the end of the weekend, thankfully. Next year on grass the slap-hitting Twins will be no better than the slap-hitting Royals. As for this year, I think Ozzie will play the young speedsters (and old speedster Pods) in the Twinkiedome, and we'll do better than 1-9.

Great night for baseball...the Cell is heating up...wind is blowing (out, hopefully)...the slap-hitting Twins are in town...our best pitcher is on the mound...Crede's "back" to normal... Time to get out the grill and FRY UP SOME TWINKIES!!! GO SOX!!!

QUOTE (ROC Sox Fan @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 11:38 AM) I've got the games DVD set, is this program what that other DVD is? Don't think so...I have the DVD set too (I watch it every winter), but this MLBN show is just 1 hour long...Suspect it will be a new take on the 05 series, especially with the comments about the "underdog Sox"...maybe, in the eyes of the national media (MLBN), since the Astros finished ahead of the mighty Cubs and then bested St. Louis, that somehow made them the favorites, versus Ozzie's "team of unknowns"...MLBN, don't blame anyone but yourself if you don't know about the White Sox!!!

It's always amusing to see how the national media mangles stories about the Sox... Anyone see the 1.5 hour MLB show this weekend on the 1982 "Bambi's Bomber" Brewers? A pure paean to Bud Selig's team, by Bud Selig's network (albeit with not-so-flattering footage of Bud inhaling while Cecil Cooper manhugs him). It would be interesting to see them do something similar on the 05 Sox, but I'm not holding my breath.

Recipe for Fried Twinkies: 1. Remove Twinkies (which are mostly air and lack substance) from plastic baggies and all other artificial environments. 2. Smash Twinkies with rolling pin until they are flat as a pancake. 3. Put Twinkies into ceramic bowl (made from God's green earth) and beat to a pulp with wooden spoon, bat or other implements. 4. Place Twinkies into boiling oil. 5. Skewer Twinkies on a stick, remove from oil when fried to a crisp. 6. Serve with champagne and enjoy!

QUOTE (Texsox @ Sep 30, 2008 -> 08:06 PM) Where is that twinkie fan that registered tonight and whined about the coin flip?? Let's flip a coin if you ever post here again The Twinkies have discovered that champagne, when left undrunk, turns into whine. Meanwhile, we Sox fans know that fried twinkies go great with champagne!