Cali

Anyone else get a feeling it's gonna be the Tigers and Indians the Sox will have to battle with in the upcoming years in the central? Seems like some lean years coming for Minnesota after a pretty incredible decade long run. Mauer and Morneau look like walking (sometimes) injuries waiting to happen every game. Seems like every year they could plug anyone in from their minor league system and they'd immediately have an impact, but that's not happening this year. Of course they've had to plug in A LOT of people with all the injuries.

Maybe it's just me and my dislike of the Derek Jeter constant blowjob he always receives, but seeing replay after replay of "The Flip" from the '01 ALDS.... Does Giambi look safe to anyone else? It's bang-bang, but he really looks safe to me. It's probably because Giambi stayed up, the ump called him out. There's no doubt in my mind, if he picks up whoever was On-Deck and slides he's safe no matter what Jeter does. Makes you wonder how that would have changed the course for the A's for the '01 playoffs and beyond because Hudson/Mulder/Zito in their prime, possibly facing Schilling/Johnson in the 2001 World Series would have been EPIC.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 6, 2011 -> 11:32 AM) He seemed to be one of the few people who came out of spring training ready for the season to start. yes, on the field for sure. I'm talking about the supposed lack of a strong clubhouse guy that Konerko is. That he's kinda stubborn and set in his ways like...well, most of this organization.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Sep 6, 2011 -> 11:03 AM) Thanks. Getting out of the gate is certainly very important. We knew it would be this year, but still seemed to lack the sense of urgency needed to avoid it. One COULD say that this another instance where the org's "too loyal/too comfortable" culture bites us in the ass. I put it almost entirely on the players, myself. But I didn't believe we were completely doomed in this division at 11-22 either. Still don't. The lack of urgency should start with the Manager, but it's definitely on the players as well. Particularly the Captain, which if the things stated here on Soxtalk are true, isn't helping the situation in the clubhouse.

The Sox seem to really have boughten into the whole mentality of "It's a marathon, not a sprint" in regards to the baseball season. Which in most cases is true, but it SHOULD NOT be the White Sox thoughts anymore after the last two seasons. Having a winning April should be priority #1 from now on. The bats can't struggle in April like ALWAYS. Priority #2 BEAT THE CENTRAL teams. After starting 11-22 they've played 12 over .500 and in the second half have performed better within the Division. All of that s*** needs to happen in the first half too and hopefully the new manager can't stress that enough to these players. Win in April + Win vs. the Central = October Baseball

I hope you no get fired, Ozzie

I thought Reed was supposed to have mid-to-upper 90's fastball?

Man, Beckham is just flailing up there.... Good thing JR saved Walkers job.

I've been in the Dave Martinez boat since about May. He fits the mould in a few different ways: 1. Ex-White Sox player so "keeping it in the family (sorta)" 2. He fits the bill as a minority hire, which you know Jerry loves. Not to mention he's studied under one of the best managers in all of baseball for the last four seasons, a guy who's not afraid to play young players unlike our current manager. The only downside is he wouldn't be able to have that beard if he managed with JR's rules and all.... But that's it.

I was convinced this off-season would result in changes.... After this, I'm not so sure anymore. f***ing JR...

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Sep 2, 2011 -> 08:12 PM) 2/4 for Wilkins w/ his 22nd HR and 85th and 86th RBI. Unless Paulie moves to full time DH seems like Wilkins will be blocked for a few years and might wind up trade fodder... I hope not though. A season with the Barons and a season with the Knights with steady improvement like he's shown and he'll be a nice player taking over 1st...

Hell yes for Reed although there's a big chance Ozzie won't use him at all or just bring him in in weird situations... Surprised neither Danks2 or Milledge are getting a call-up, if only for the fact they could be better pinch runners for Paulie then Omar Vizquel (or Zach Stewart haha)

Also, chances Viciedo is benched against a "tough righty" even thought he he BETTER against right hand pitching than lefty's this season in Charlotte (I only put tough righty in quotes as if Ozzie were saying it, not to say that Verlander isn't a good pitcher)

I hope Milledge gets a call up in September...

15-7 vs. The Central in the Second Half so far with every single game from here on out (minus the last three with Toronto) against Central teams. Too little too late? Who knows haha. f***ing hell this team...

Ah, only a few pages ago people thought Minnesota was gonna go on an epic run and win the division....

If Ozzie is fired and KW stays, I'll be happy. If Ozzie and KW are both fired, I'll be happiest. If KW is fired and Ozzie stays, I'll be pissed.

Stras also needs to stay healthy, which I assume with that "dreaded delivery" might not be easy. I hope he does though. I also hope the Nats can sign him longterm. I would vomit for a week and a half if he signed with the f***ing Red Sox or Yankees in a few years.

New regime can't come soon enough.... I don't want Ozzie stunting his development cause he's young and I really don't want Walker INFECTING this kids's mind when it comes to his swing.

Depends on if Walker and Ozzie are gone really.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Aug 26, 2011 -> 11:57 AM) I don't know. I'm thinking that having so many candidates from the top two teams could be a little detrimental. Bautista is not going to get it. No position player from the central or west is deserving. You look at what Verlander has meant to that team, and you could see him realistically winning it. He'll get votes for sure, but in the end someone from Boston is gonna win it more than likely. Remember a lot of these guys are old codger baseball writers, and since Justin Verlander's games aren't broadcast in black & white and Justin Verlander's name is Justin Verlander and not Bob Gibson that might hurt him in the long run... What's ironic is that the only reason he's even in the discussion is because the Tigers aren't that good. He makes himself more valuable because if he was injured they wouldn't be in first place. If they Tigers were running away with the division by 10+ games and like 30 games over .500 with Sherzer and Porcello winning like 16-18 games Verlander wouldn't even crack the top 10 in MVP consideration...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 26, 2011 -> 06:56 AM) Buster_ESPN Buster Olney Verlander has been involved with 803 plate appearances this season; most for any position player is about 600. Still no MVP consideration? If this was like 2008, where there's no real clear cut contenders for MVP, he might have a chance, but too many guys have the credentials on the offensive side. A pitcher is going to have to win 30 (or come close to it) with like a 1 something ERA to win an MVP

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Aug 25, 2011 -> 12:57 PM) They can have Beckham. I would say he'd turn into a superstar away from Ozzie and Walker, but in reality he would stay the same, but hit .350 against the Sox with every clutch hit....

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Aug 24, 2011 -> 02:19 AM) Excuses, excuses and more excuses. I'm insulting the White Sox ability to produce prospects, and I'm making excuses? You're at the forefront of that movement haha. Make up your mind here....

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 24, 2011 -> 12:19 PM) The man's era across 210 innings pitched is 2.28. This post of yours here defies logic. Verlander is aces almost every time out. Exactly. I'm saying there's a chance he might lose ONE GAME. He's lost 5 on the year total. It's not out of the realm of possibility to lose A GAME to a playoff tested (for the most part) Yankee or Red Sox team.