soxrwhite

I have high hopes for our starters as most of us do. I have some concerns however and I think we should not annoint them just yet. 1. Beurhle had a great start to his career and remains solid but no longer great. He is not a number one and has some off nights. He could easily go .500 say 11 and 11 2. Peavy seems like a great competitor with a Cy Young but has had injury problems. 3. I love danks but what is with this blister/circulation problem on his finger? Remember his outing against the Twins before he went on the DL? He went out of the rotation twice due to this didn't he? This seems like a mystery type of injury that could be chronic. 4. Floyd can't hold a runner on. So he uses the slide step and then injures his hip. He missed the end of the season with this injury. Leave his motion alone and A.J. has no chance to throw any one out change it and? 5. Garcia??? I'm hoping for the best but a reborn junkballer..... I am not predicting total collapse or gloom but lets be realistic, will these guys prove to be the best staff in the A.L.? They might, I hope so.

Ozzie will not DH Vizquel. The way he does it is have Vizquel start at short one day third another and second another. Then the likely Dh is Ramirez or Teahan or Beckham. So in essence what difference does it make if he bats while playing the field or bats as Dh? I think Ozzie (rightfully so) wants a bat handler like Vizquel batting second behind Pierre. It still comes down to juggling the players on the roster. Do we need another bat? A lefty? An outfielder or a DH only? Who? It will not be Thome. Ozzie wants some running and bunting and hit and run moves available to him. A double switch where a guy at least can play in the field for an inning or two. Thome is too one dimensional.

When Jones, Kotsay,Nix or Vizquel are in the field then the DH will likely be who ever they are replacing that day. Either way it comes out to the same players. The guys on the roster. Do we need another bat on the roster? Sure but Jones has replaced Dye, for better or worse. An average fielder, right handed power hitter. Ozzie loved Thome as a man but doesn't like statues as ball players. I think they go with what they got and maybe go after some one at the trading deadline.

Ozie has said it again and again. He doesn't want a set DH. He wants to manage his defense and his batting order game by game match ups and hot hands. He wants versatility and double switches. No lumbering base cloggers in the middle of the lineup.

Ozzie wants to manage. he doesn't want some one who is a DH only. He wants to mix and match in the field and in the batting order.

Flowers has been hyped as the heir apparent but what has he really done at any level? We need some one who can throw some body out. A.J. can't lets face it. He is a good backstop and handles the pithers well and of course he hits so we will take him, but you can't have a defensive liability (Flowers) behind him. If A.J. goes down then Castro and Flowers will be one and two. Until then give Flowers another year in AAA and see what A.J.'s situation is then. As for DH I think what we have is what we are going to get. I don't want to see a slow base clogger in the middle of the lineup. We got guys who can hit (Konerko,Quentin, Beckham, Ramirez,Teahan,and Rios?) Lets run a little this year. Play some Ozzie ball.

Not a whole lot to chose from on the pinch running choices. Providing Vizquel and Nix and Kotsay are not in the lineup then it is those three with a pitcher as a last resort. Hopefully we can avoid the base running blunders that have occurred far too often. Smart running doesn't necessarily require tremendous speed. These guys will do if they execute.

Branyon? No way, not what Ozzie wants. This will probably get laughed at, but how about Vizquel and bat him second?

We had to give them Getz or they wouldn't have taken Fields! Getz will not be a hall of famer but may make an all star team before he is through. A guy you could win with or lose with depending on your team. Injury prone?

If Kenny had Pierre in the pipeline during the Thome deal that is OK with me. If he has to play a little poker with the moves it is all a part of posturing isn't it? I don't think any teams lay it all out for the competition to see from beginning to end. If you think this is misleading the fans I suppose you could look at it this way but it is the way the game is played. You don't think Pods and his agent ever mentioned two years? There is always some truth in these tangled negotiation statements.