VAfan

Well, after tonight, El Duque is certainly in, as is Willie Harris. And is there life for my man ROSS GLOAD? Does anyone think Geoff Blum could have driven that ball to the wall and plated two runs? Gload looked awful early, but give the guy a break. He's had no ABs this year. Put him in tomorrow or Sunday and I guarantee he'll have a multi-hit game. My final choice for a bench would be Widger, Ozuna, Harris, Perez, and Gload. As for pitching, if Ozzie wants to make the bold move, he should leave Marte off the roster and keep Vizcaino. I don't trust Marte against tough lefties anyway.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 08:56 PM) For a team & a manager that believes pitching & defense wins championships BMac is staying & Vizc is left off. As for the bench: Timo, Harris, Ozuna, Widger are sure things. Blum probably over Anderson. I can live with that if he makes the right call on the pitchers, especially if he uses them correctly in the games.

Who wants to lay the over-under on this game? I guarantee this lineup will score off Millwood.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 07:19 PM) I think he should be #1 in line for the extra roster spot created by going from 12 pitchers to 11...for 1 simple reason...Dave Roberts. Willie's two exceptional defensive plays yesterday I think make him a lock. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ozzie use him as a defensive replacement for Iguchi late in a tight game.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 07:15 PM) Making a case for Blum, I think he HAS to go. Lets say Paul gets a basehit in the 8th,and they put in Willie to run. You then put Blum in at 1st in the 9th. Same situation with Joe. Joe gets a basehit, you put in Willie, then have Blum go in at 3b. Ozuna would do any pinch running for Crede so it only costs you 1 player, and I would keep Gload to either run for or back up Konerko because he's better defensively at first than Blum, plus he can actually hit. But I know I'm fighting a losing proposition here. Ozzie seems to have put Gload in his doghouse, and Perez is his favorite puppy, so I fully expect Gload and Anderson to remain off the roster. The one position I hope they get right is 11th pitcher.

The picture of the Cubans with their cigars is priceless, whether it is just the one by themselves or with Cooper.

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 06:57 PM) No matter what anyone's thoughts are you won't see Vizcaino left off the roster nor will you see Perez and Blum off, both of whom, have either been with this team or at least in the Majors all year. Andeson ain't goin and I am betting McvCarthy isn't either. El Duque will go bad arm or not. That's Ozzie thinking there. I hope we take a lesson from the Angels and go with the best players, not just the guys that have been in the majors. You wouldn't leave Bobby Jenks off the roster, would you?? He started the lowest of any potential postseason guy this year.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 04:35 PM) All I can hope is that none of these moves matter, because if we are talking about Timo and Geoff next week, were f***ed. Granted, that's probably true, though at least Timo has had a clutch game winning hit that I can remember. Maybe Blum is a good luck charm since SD also made it. The one move that may really matter, however, is the 11th pitcher. I'd want both McCarthy and El Duque if I were Ozzie.

For some reason, my post from yesterday didn't get through. I'll try again. 4 starting pitchers: 1. Contreras 2. Buehrle 3. Garcia 4. Garland 5 bullpen arms 5. Jenks 6. Politte 7. Cotts 8. Hermanson 9. Marte (gulp, but we have to have him) 2 more pitchers 10. McCarthy (earned spot; best long reliever, can get K's and doesn't walk anyone) 11. El Duque (experience, could be key if we play Yanks, rested) Odd man out: Vizcaino (only useful when he pitches a lot, and he hasn't in quite some time; otherwise he's a right handed Marte). 14 hitters 12. Konerko 13. Iguchi 14. Uribe 15. Crede 16. Pierzynski 17. Podsednik 18. Rowand 19. Dye 20. Everett 2 obvious bench players: 21. Widger 22. Ozuna Decisions, decisions. 23. Willie Harris (speed in 1-run game is key; still best defensive 2B, can play OF) I would take: 24. Brian Anderson (won't happen, but I'd rather have right-handed pop with better defense, than a lefty (Perez) 25. Ross Gload (also won't happen, but he can pinch hit, whereas Blum cannot, and he's the designated late game pinch runner for Konerko anyway. Plus, he's a better defensive 1B than Blum). Left home: Timo Perez and Geoff Blum. Of course both are going to go instead of Anderson/Gload, but I wish Ozzie would choose the better ballplayers. We don't need Blum especially because he's really 3rd on the depth chart at every position he plays.

Vizcaino should be the odd guy out, frankly. McCarthy has earned the long relief role, and El Duque could be especially valuable in the bullpen if we end up facing the Yanks. Vizcaino has only been sharp after he got a lot of use, and he's had no appearances except mop up work in a long time.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Sep 30, 2005 -> 12:24 AM) Well it was duh to me because MB pitches tomorrow... Game one on Tuesday would be on three days rest. The rotation, even though it has yet to be announced, is Count, MB, Garcia, Garland. -- I also expect McCarthy to make the roster over Duque. Though that could change depending on how they pitch this weekend in Cleveland. -- And yes, El Duque will get a good load of work this weekend. I'd keep El Duque over Vizcaino. If our offense can't score, we may need two long relievers in McCarthy and El Duque, and I'd also trust either of them for an inning in a critical situation. El Duque has playoff experience up the ying yang and is rested. If we have to face the Yanks, I want him for the 7th or 8th innings.

QUOTE(Punch and Judy Garland @ Sep 29, 2005 -> 08:06 PM) Yep. It appears that the movie Jurassic Carl: The Los Swing is over. If only Jurrassic Aaron: The Lost Swing would come to an end too!

When do they expect to put ALCS tickets on sale? I live in Virginia. but I bought on-line in 2000, then never got to use them.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 29, 2005 -> 03:56 PM) Here's a question...if all 3 teams wind up with 96 wins, the Sox would clearly have home field advantage in the ALDS...what happens with home field in the ALCS? Best record head-to-head? I'm sure if we have home field in the ALDS, it will carry to the ALCS.

If we win today, and we better, then only 3 teams can get to 96 wins, and all of them would be in. No playoff would be necessary. If 3 teams make it to 96 wins, we would win the AL Central by virtue of a tiebreaker, Cleveland would be the WC winner, and either Boston or NYY would win the AL East.

QUOTE(JimH @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 03:46 PM) I have a clear grip on AAA vs. major leagues, you've yet to demonstrate that proficiency. We all understand your man love for Gload, you've only posted it, oh, 500 times already. Name me all the Sox players who hit better than Gload's .315 major league average last year that received more than 200 ABs? I don't give two craps about Ross Gload, but I do want our manager to play the better hitter whenever he has the option, whomever that person is.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 04:44 PM) You did see Aarons two double plays, and what would have been a 3rd if their were less than two outs yesterday right? And you did see the pop up he hit when he tried to bunt the day before right? Rowand is definately a bottom of the order hitter. He doesn't have the fundementals to be a #2 hitter. Yes, I did see it and I thought Ozzie should have pinch hit for him. But Rowand responded in the #2 hole with his best season last year, and I think putting him second and giving him a defined hitting role will actually focus his hitting. That having been said, I could also see Dye hitting 3rd, leaving Iguchi where he is. In fact, I think that is probably the better option. We need to compress the best hitters we have together to give us the best chance to score when they come around.

Unfortunately, our hitters haven't responded to big game pressures. And our manager appears to have had a brain cramp. The only good news I see out of this is that the "choke" portion of the season will soon be over and the "second season" will begin. At that point, just as it was when the first season started, everyone will be at square one and this White Sox team will be a decided underdog against every opponent. I'm hoping that makes us respond the same way we did coming out of the gate.

That's confusing Josh. Look at the magic number thread. 1 win = at least WC tie 2 wins = playoff berth 3 wins = division title That's the simplest way to put it.

We're right on track. Contreras, Garcia, Buehrle, Garland, McCarthy. The only thing that might change next Tuesday is to flip Buehrle and Garcia so that Buehrle pitches at home and Garcia pitches on the road. I think McCarthy will make the postseason squad, but I don't know who will get cut to make room for him. Vizcaino? We can't afford to carry 12 pitchers with the offensive woes we've had.

I think the hitters are incredibly tight. But the pitching has had to pitch in tight games all year. So they are used to pressure. What I'd like to see is a "blow out the cylinders" game (anyone see the original Flight of the Phoenix?) with an all-lefty lineup just to loosen things up. Maybe we can do it in the last game if we've clinched. Pods Harris Gload Everett Borchard Pierzynski Perez Uribe Blum Whatever comes down the road, now that I've had my little beef-with-Ozzie post, I want to keep it positive. We gotta believe that this Sox team is going to break the streak and win in the postseason.

QUOTE(JimH @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 03:03 PM) Oh my God, this post has so much drivel I don't know where to begin. If you go back and read the game thread, you'll see I wanted Pierzynski up there to pinch hit, and even if they brought in the lefthander, leave him in there. He is known to be a guy who gets a big hit, and he undoubtedly would have amped it up after failing against Walker the nite before. But, that aside, you are one of the guys who complains about all the lefty-righty matchups Guillen does, and then you want to play checkers with righty-lefty hitting match ups. Which is it? Also, please forward your crystal ball, which assures us that Gload would've been our best pinch hitter by far this year. You really need to take that Ross Gload poster off your wall, after all it was Guillen who gave Gload his big chance in the first place. Ross Gload, savior? Only in your world. Get a grip. Gload was a very good bench player for us last year, posting the best average on the team for guys with 200+ ABs. He's not a savior, but he should have been used ahead of Timo Perez and Geoff Blum this August when our offense went completely south. Can you defend the use of those players ahead of a guy who hit .315 for us last year and showed in AAA he can still hit?

Here's my list of what I applaud Ozzie for. 1. Managing his starters. Ozzie set the tone early that he was sticking with his starters for 100 pitches regardless of how they pitched early in games. Thus, Contreras and El Duque and Garcia would never see the showers even if they got dinged pretty bad early in the game. This has helped make our starting pitching second to none in terms of depth. And even though Buehrle and Garland and Garcia and El Duque have been roughed up in the second half, I think the first three guys will end up working through their issues and be very strong in the playoffs. To show confidence, you have to be willing to let a guy make mistakes. 2. Knowing his team. I love how he coined the phrase "smart ball" instead of "small ball" which everyone else wanted to call it. Up through July, we indeed played "smart ball." It was smart because it played to the strengths of the team we have. Pitching, defense, and just enough offense to win. He knew that our pitching was good enough to win low scoring games, but only if we scored consistently. So he decided to play for one run by stealing, sacrificing, and being hard on anyone who didn't give himself up to advance the runner. He made Iguchi his model citizen for this style of play. The result is until late in the year we ranked lower in the AL in batting and OBP than we did in runs scored. 3. Managing his bullpen. Ozzie hasn't done a perfect job here, but no manager does. Early in the year, he seemlessly switched to Hermanson as the closer. Cotts/Politte also emerged quickly as the best set up guys, and Ozzie used those three guys to win us a lot of close games. Ozzie also brought up and worked in Bobby Jenks when Hermanson's back began acting up. Plus, he eventually got some production out of Vizcaino. And though he's used Marte in way too many risky situations, I don't think it has actually cost us many games. 4. Keeping it loose and lively. Do they still play music after losses? They should. We need to keep loose more than ever right now. Ozzie's attitude is - as long as you give me your best, I'm not going to be hard on you that we lost the game. Give it your all, and then move on. I think that is a great attitude. It may be a lot easier to have it when you are winning at a .700 clip like we were early on, but it is important nonetheless. 5. Beating the weak teams. I'm not sure if this is due to Ozzie, but we have absolutely crushed the AL Central teams this year, as well as the other sub-.500 clubs (except Texas). Of course, this may be a great way to a division title, but may be a negative in the playoffs. I guess we'll find out. I just wanted to put this on this thread so I'm not seen as an Ozzie-basher. He deserves criticism for his mistakes, because if you can't see your mistakes, you can't correct them. But overall I agree with those who point out he took a team no one thought would contend and still has the best record in the AL with it. Moreover, once we clinch a playoff spot (which I hope is tonight), I think you will see a significant change for the better in this club. The pitching is still there. It is the offense that might actually come around. GO SOX!!!

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 01:56 PM) Gload hasn't proved much to me *AT THE MAJOR LEAGUE* level. Lights out at AAA doesn't mean crap. Again, he had the best batting average of ANY White Sox player last year who got more than 200 ABs. Granted, he can't play the OF this year because of his shoulder issues, but Carl Everett went down in August, followed by Podsednik. Gload could have started all of those games (with Everett in left after he healed). And he should have been cultivated as the #1 pinch hitter off the bench. Ozzie just wasted him.

QUOTE(JimH @ Sep 28, 2005 -> 12:55 PM) It wouldn't be a "Guillen Sucks" thread without mention of the great Ross Gload now would it? The guy hit .315 last year for us in spot duty when he was used properly. He showed in AAA he still has the stroke. Geoff Blum and Timo Perez couldn't hit .315 in AA ball, yet they got the call all of August while we lost game after game with no offense. Yes, Ozzie blew it with Ross Gload, who would have been by far our best bench hitter if used properly this year. I'd have certainly rather seen Gload up with the bases loaded last night in the 8th than Blum. And if the Tigers counter with Walker, then pinch hit Anderson. Instead Ozzie uses a guy in a critical situation who can't hit just because he's a switch hitter?? That's not good managing.