kitekrazy

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 12, 2011 -> 01:51 PM) I don't know if Jackson is a headcase...I think his biggest problem is the lack of a third remotely effective pitch. He's all 2 pitches...fastball slider. If both of those pitches are on 100% of the time, then he's near unhittable. If either of those pitches isn't giving him control that day though, then he's rapidly a 1-pitch pitcher or worse. He can still win some of those games because 1 of those pitches is a 96 mph fastball, but he has to throw a lot of pitches to win a game like that if he doesn't have the slider. Throw in one more pitch that comes in the low to mid 80's, even if it's not hugely effective every game, and suddenly even on days where he has no control over the slider, he can keep people off balance by changing velocity. Or, similarly, get him to do a better job of changing up the velocity on his fastball. Something. He just doesn't have the repertoire needed to be an everyday starter unless his 2 pitches are there all the time. I think he takes too much time on the mound. There's no rhythm and it allows your fielders to fall asleep.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 13, 2011 -> 02:25 PM) Should the Braves have fired Bobby Cox after so many playoff flameouts? How about Scocia (I probably spelled that wrong)? I think there's something to be said about consistently getting to October every year. In the NBA, making the playoffs is nowhere near as significant unless you're a top 4 seed. In the NFL, you see 9-7 teams make the playoffs all the time. In baseball, if you can survive a 162 game marathon, 9.5 times out of 10, you were deserving. To do that year after year, yeah, I'd say you're doing something right. The point is those things become complacent where upper management decides that person can't take the team to the next level. Fans of consistent winning teams demand higher expectations than just making the post season. Players and coaches get the label, "can't win the big one". That's how Twin fans label their organization.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jul 13, 2011 -> 11:34 AM) Milkman - just one question. Should Gardenhire be fired if the Twins win the division and get swept? Maybe people here don't really know what it's like on their side of the fence. They believe Mauer is a bad contract. Gardy can't win in the post season, ect. I think their biggest fans are Hawk and Ozzie. I guess you have to be fan of a time that makes the post season every year and know they aren't going to win the whole thing. Last year was the first time I didn't watch the Colts do another one and done. I knew they weren't good enough and got there being in a bad division. I think fans get desensitized when their team can only win divisions. If the Twins win the division this year, I don't think their fans will be that excited. After their one and done they'll want a new GM, new manager and Mauer traded.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 13, 2011 -> 01:49 PM) It's management's responsibility to WIN, not cover your ass on bad signings and bad trades or playing the blame game. You would think so but it doesn't always happen that way.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 12, 2011 -> 07:16 PM) PK got a lot of cheers in Arizona. Q got some too. Funny quote from Rosenbloom Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Starlin Castro¿ combined to go 0-4, make an error, get thrown out at the plate, and make the last out of the All-Star Game with a teammate on third. Doesn’t matter where you play, it’s still Chicago baseball.

I guess the question for me is how big of a risk is it to bench Rios for good? Who replaces him? Is it by a committee thing? Emotionally you think "anyone's" better but last week Lillibridge cost them a game by allowing a guy to score. I think this decision lies with Kenny. Whatever Kenny wants to do I don't see Ozzie disagreeing. Maybe they are hoping from some naive GM by the trade deadline.

There's this one on WSI that has Brian Anderson and a Dolphin. I never did why what was the meaning of it. It's hilarious.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 04:33 PM) I hate the canned music between innings. Bring back the organist. They also think every enjoys hip-hip or rap.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 8, 2011 -> 11:28 AM) When people talk about their fantasy team while at the game. Give it a rest. Nobody cares. And on leaving your seat during an inning, if you can do it between an AB, it's ok. Just make it quick. So funny. I can't stand fantasy sports. I always say it's for fans who can't deal with their favorite team's reality. Which reminds me I should probably get a start on this real soon.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jul 8, 2011 -> 10:47 AM) Its rude and stupid for you to do this in the middle of the action. I LOVE how they limit this in hockey. Which is OK for a Sox game since there is very little action.

QUOTE (captain54 @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 12:08 PM) If you watch the Twins approach at the plate, it's completely the opposite to that of the Sox. Singles hit up the middle, batters finding the holes in the defense and punching the ball through. Watch the Sox hitters and you get guys up there with long loping swings, swinging for the fences, swinging at bad pitches, pitches out of the zone, pop ups, double plays... why do you think its so hard for the Sox to bring a guy in from third with less than 2out? they are under the league average in that respect. Because they don't have the discipline? Because maybe they're not capable? If Ozzie is epousing a more disciplined approach at the plate and they can't get it done...a) its Kenny Williams fault for putting together a roster of stiffs b) if they have the talent to be disciplined at the plate and they aren't doing it despite what Ozzie is preaching, then they've tuned Ozzie out and he's lost the team. Have you seen anyone come up from the farm lately that shows any plate discipline? I guess what makes the Twin's organization work is that the philosophy is the same from from the bigs to the minors. I refuse to put them on a high pedestal like Hawk and Ozzie. Their fan base doesn't even do that. If you look at a lot of their players outside the exceptional great ones, they usually don't have a better career once they leave that system. Even Santana isn't the same pitcher he once was. They look good playing the Sox outside of that they are not the world beaters. Maybe once the steroid era wears off, younger players won't always be swinging for the fences and leave that to the natural power hitters.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 07:41 AM) If nothing else...waiting until the season end gives KW a fall guy and maybe still allows a trade of him to Florida (although not for anything incredibly valuable0. Maybe, just maybe, he'll trade Ozzie before the deadline.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 10:31 AM) "Retard" is a derogatory word used to refer to mentally handicapped people or as an insult for someone acting stupid. Appeals to dictionary definitions or latin roots doesn't change the common usage of the word. It's also not derogatory. They are official classifications as well such as Mild Mental Retardation. I can't agree with your last sentence either. Latin roots maybe spelled differently but pronounced the same. Ritard is a common music term. How long will it be before the political correctness gods tell every orchestra conductor that they can't speak that word.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 10:27 AM) How is your life "ruined" by not being able to use the word gay as an insult? Or by the fact that you can't call a person retarded as an insult? How is the English language ruined when you have to come up with a different insult? Tell me why the word "gay" should be insulting to homos? How about queer? f**? Some words have different meanings in different culture.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 10:26 AM) Yeah that's not over the top. *rolls eyes* Far from it.

QUOTE (wallyburger @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 05:54 AM) It took a dozen comments before a voice of reason commented. It seems to be indicative of how far our society has not come, in fact backsliding. It should not be acceptable on any level to insult someone using homosexual terms. It is a sign of ignorance. Do it, if you want, but along with it's use comes a tag of ignorance. BTW, Gordon's apology is not an apology, "obviously". He's just sorry he got busted. So nice of you to be judge and jury with your last statement. Backsliding, yes. But not the way you view it. You seem very n****rdly when it comes forgiving Beckham.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 09:41 AM) FWIW, they are playing a boys game. If you can't have a little fun while playing it, you are in the wrong profession. It probably took him 10-15 seconds to do it between innings while the pitcher was warming up. I agree but the religion of political correctness seems to have ruined everything, especially the English language. Look at words like retard, it comes from ritard which means to slow. If gay means homo then what are heteros? Miserable?

QUOTE (docsox24 @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 08:01 AM) I agree Greg. At some point people are going to have to accept that he is not a great pitcher anymore and stop making excuses. He, like Jackson, may have a dominant game every so often but the ace potential is gone and an extended rest won't help. I'm not going to reach that conclusion until he finishes his contract.

QUOTE (SouthSideTeacher @ Jul 11, 2011 -> 02:44 AM) Is it wrong that I'm not so much bothered by WHAT he wrote in the dirt as I am that he found the time (and in-game 'focus') to dig around in the dirt like a silly 8-year-old? Yes, very wrong that you would think that way.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 09:37 PM) So what? Is Josh supposed to send him a check every month? Put him through college? Land him a job in baseball? He tossed the damn ball into the stands. This occurs quite frequently. Happened to be a guy went for the ball without any regards to his personal safety and a tragedy occurred. Hey, I feel really bad for the kid. Don't get it twisted. But Q suggested that Josh is forever in debt to this kid because his father died. And anything less than that and he'll hate him? Are you serious? You don't see anything wrong with that? Personal accountability doesn't exist in America.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Jul 10, 2011 -> 10:40 PM) I agree with firing Walker. Some move should be made. I don't think Walker's really to blame, and hitting coaches aren't extremely valuable, but something needs to be done. The reason I think they keep him is because of Konerko.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 10, 2011 -> 08:58 PM) Getz right now is as good a hitter as Beckham which is scary. It's not as bad as watching Wilson Betamit hurt the Sox.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 10, 2011 -> 08:58 PM) If you guys don't think Ozzie was a good player, bless you. or they could get a clue..... It gets annoying when bitterness over individual performances extend to attacking other aspects of an individual This gets worse than hyperbole. There are other places on the web where it goes beyond attacking a person's performance to the point where people want the player's daughter's 5 week old kitten to die a tragic death. We are not there yet but getting close. Outside of Alex Rios I'd bet most of the players do not like how it is turning out. Maybe Rios vents his frustration the wrong way.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 10, 2011 -> 05:51 PM) It could be worse. Just look 8 miles north. But I agree, changes must be made. Who would want to mange that team? They lead the league in all sports for all ages in immaturity.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 10, 2011 -> 02:25 AM) I don't bring up Rowand more often because of the eruption it causes. But it's obvious we have never replaced him and it was very bad for the team to lose him. That's because a lot of people interpret as we still need Aaron Rowand. That was a good trade. Then again you trade an everyday player for a DH. Something better may have come along. Funny how show much money is spent on a limited position called DH. What bothers me is the replacement players from the farm show signs of being able to play everyday and then regress so bad that they are out of baseball. BA didn't pan out and Owens wasn't any good either. The Sox have thrown around some bad money to even make governments envy.