Mr. Wedmesday

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 10:14 PM) Cooper goes through the other teams hitters with the pitchers and catchers every series. The bench does not call pitches. The catcher will drop the fingers, but ultimately the pitcher is responsible for the pitch selection. Some pitchers are picky, but a guy like Buerhle rarely, if ever, shakes off a catcher. Thanks. I appreciate the cordial clarification.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 08:17 PM) No he's not, Coop is. So Ozzie reports to his pitching coach? I am certainly confused but I am confident you will go out of your way to straighten me out.

QUOTE (bighurt574 @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 06:44 PM) Ozzie is an idiot. No need to throw Thome under the bus... http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/...-departure.html "I'm not afraid," Guillen said. "I can care less what people think. We're in second place. When Jim Thome was here, we finished third three times out of four years (actually two third-place finishes and one fourth-place ending). We went to one playoff because he hit a home run to go to the playoffs. A little fear would do Ozzie good. Watch Thome beat us again tonight......

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 06:06 PM) Once again, he doesnt call the pitches, so why would he have the answer to that question? Do you guys think Ozzie is some sort of God that makes ALL decisions every game? He doesn't call the pitches, but he is ultimately responsible for making sure his pitchers and catchers know what pitch to call. And my point was that Ozzie is primarily responsible for Thome being a Twinkie. If he was a God we'd have clinched the division by now.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 04:20 PM) I'm going to be pissed if we try to start something with the Twins. We're not in a position to give them extra baserunners just so we can prove how macho we are. I'm against it, but if it happens we damnwell better win the f*****g fight.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 04:36 PM) I'm just not sure that I feel like Ozzie is all that peeved about the Twins passing us and beating us senseless right now. He spends half his time praising them and then feels compelled to remind everyone that he hates the twins as soon as their on the field because people are starting to wonder. There sure hasn't been any outside sign of him being annoyed with how any of this has gone down. He's been their biggest cheerleader for years. Ever since he handed them the "Piranhas" nickname and sense of identity on a silver platter. Bizarre from a guy who hates literally everybody else. Maybe, in his mind, it's a kind of excuse for getting owned by them for most of his managerial career.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 04:35 PM) Honestly, if we had to lose that way, I'm glad it was Thome that did it to us. It was like Thome was figuratively pissing on Ozzie's face. Good point, but it's too bad the rest of us had to get wet.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 04:23 PM) Don't forget...if I had to name the biggest White Sox killers of the last 15-20 years...#1 on that list would be a certain former Indians 1b. The only teams he's put up a higher career OPS against than the Sox are the Cardinals and Phillies in limited AB's...and the Tigers. Exactly. Ozzie seems to ignore or not have that little voice that says "Don't do it."

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 11:17 AM) The one question I have is why are we pitching to his strengths? Everyone knows Thome cant hit high inside or outside heat, yet we pitch him low and away and low and in. It makes no sense. Only Ozzie can answer your question. But last night's debacle would have been easier for me to handle if it had been ANY Twinkie other than Thome. When Big Frank was with Oakland, before a then-crucial series out there, Ozzie stated repeatedly, "Whatever happens, we won't let Frank Thomas beat us." I don't remember the exact circumstances, but we pitched to him--I believe it was Jenks-- with 1st base open and men on. Those belt-high fastballs have yet to land, and cost us the games. As I said earlier, this is the karma of the wide world of sports and I have been both expecting and dreading this day since Soxfest. Frank's departure had a karmic stench around it, and most of it came from the Sox--KW in particular. Same with Thome, except ALL of the bad karma came from the Sox. Ignore it it at your own peril.....

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 11:58 PM) I would punt a baby kitten 50 yards if Swisher walked off against us in the play-offs. Yep, and I'd run it back for a TD.

#1, or tonight's variation, was inevitable. Karma. Bill Belichik(sp) gets caught cheating, Pats lose Super Bowl in most agonizing manner. Brett Favre(jerk) loses NFC championship game in most agonizing manner. Tiger Woods(cheating jerk), loses his stroke and all majors since returning in most agonizing manner. LeBron James and crew....

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 11:45 PM) They only option that would work is put the Sox in NL. They don't have to face the Twins and would only have to face the AL East when it counts is in the WS or put the Twins in the NL. I'll sign that petition.

Not dissing Kotsay, just pointing out that we dissed Thome by not re-signing a 1st round HOF'er AND a great clubhouse guy who wanted to come back for next to nothing. $1.5 million! And he ends up with the Twins, one of MLB's thriftiest organizations.! That's your first clue. Management then continues to dis him on "The Club". So, he will likely continue to strike out or GIDP against any team other than the Sox, while beating us repeatedly until the karmic debt is paid. Come on, sports fans, you've all seen this happen before.

Did anybody really believe Thome wasn't going to beat us, and in a devastating manner? I have been expecting and dreading this since the moment he signed with the Twins. The baseball gods were angered, and now they have spoken....

Abreu + cash consideration = why not?

Bobby has never been in "shape". He is one of the few modern-day pitchers that has had relatively long term "success" (CC Sabathia is another) while playing at a weight that would be considered obese to morbidly obese. Not to mention the screw in his elbow... What's more, closer is a position that requires exceptional focus, self-control, determination and the ability to enter the "zone" at will in incredibly pressure-packed situations. Mariano Rivera is the best example ever. His ability to control his mind, and hence his body, is indeed freakish. Bobby's ability to get his head in the game has fluctuated as wildly as his weight. He looked lost from his first warmup pitch yesterday--in no way dangerous. Putz's focus is obvious and he has the record to prove it. Love the sneer!

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 18, 2010 -> 04:41 PM) I might have to wait a few days to watch this, as I'm too disappointed right now. If they at least win the Seattle series I will watch. If not, delete and enjoy the summer.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Jul 18, 2010 -> 04:39 PM) Okay so serious question... Should Jenks be used as trade bait? I bet he would thrive in the NL. Should be be flipped to an NL contender for some prospects that could add to a package for a trade to get a LH bat or another starting pitcher? Yes.

Just to put things in perspective: as unbelievably gut-wrenchingly bad as this game was, the Tigers just got swept out of Cleveland. Weird weekend in the AL Central. Considering where we ended up in the standings, I would stay off the ledge until you see how the team reacts to this nut-cruncher.

He's far more solid in the field, at the plate and physically than I expected. Reminiscent in some ways of Uribe WRT plate discipline but without that corkscrew-out-of-his-shoes swing. Defense is below average(hey, he just got to the Show) but I'll take him over Teahens's bad juju any and every day.

Blylevyn gives off a kind of smarmy "Fargo" vibe. He's now mentioned the Twins at least 3-4 times. Even has that annoying Gardenhire Graying Goatee. Between him and this lineup it might be time to enjoy the beautiful day and let DJ and Farmio take this one....wherever it is going. BTW, are the Twins' two best hitters sitting on the bench today? They're not?????

QUOTE (mmmmmbeeer @ Jun 19, 2010 -> 03:04 PM) I'm in the camp that says Oz is ****ing with KW with this move. ++++1

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2010 -> 01:26 PM) WTF no Viciedo? WTF no Viciedo or Rios or PK??!!?? Worried about the heat so you replace the 20-something and red-hot Rios with the ancient Jones? And PK sits for the career pinch hitter? Oh, I forgot, you can Kount on Kotsay.....because he's left handed? Because, because, because?????? Can't wait for Teahan's return so he can kill all momentum. Ozzie is certifiable.

Joey Cory as interim manager, right now. He may share some philosophy with Ozzie, but from his personalty we can surmise that as opposed to Ozzie, he would ask questions first, them shoot. Bobby Valentine is interesting only if we want a different ego-centric, center of attention guy in the job. And I don't believe it was Guillen who made the Sox relevant, it was winning. Cowley's "opinion" notwithstanding, Ozzie and his family have been the source of much of the off-field bad publicity surrounding this season, ignoring KW's explicit instructions to focus on baseball. KW should stay and should be given full authority to do his job. Whoever the next manager is, he should be KW's guy.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 03:12 PM) When Flowers squares it up, it's like an explosion. Whomever told him to change that is a moron or a saboteur. Based on the increasingly "now it's personal" animosity between Ozzie and KW, sabotage is not at all far-fetched. (Beckham's position pinball comes to mind as well). Throw in huge egos, nepotism, favoritism and the desire to please JR and anything is possible.