October 5, 200322 yr WHat a choker....................saw this coming in April. It is still better than Koch who can't close any games
October 5, 200322 yr take Marte over either one of them. THAT was exactly the Keith Foulke I remember from the 2000 playoffs from the first series in Seattle in 2002 from the home run Jason Giambi hit 800 feet in Comiskey. From the games he repeatedly blew in the Twinkiedome.
October 5, 200322 yr Author Of course Foulke is better than Koch right now. Ive been saying for three years that Keith Foulke should NOT be a closer but a setup man. He can get 40 saves a year in meaningless games, but when its on the line, he CANT get it done and HASNT got it done. Whether you believe its mental or just that he just doesnt have closdr stuff, its a fact. I dont think Id want my closer in a playoff game to being a guy whose "out" pitch is a changeup. Give me the heat......
October 5, 200322 yr Of course Foulke is better than Koch right now. Ive been saying for three years that Keith Foulke should NOT be a closer but a setup man. He can get 40 saves a year in meaningless games, but when its on the line, he CANT get it done and HASNT got it done. Whether you believe its mental or just that he just doesnt have closdr stuff, its a fact. I dont think Id want my closer in a playoff game to being a guy whose "out" pitch is a changeup. Give me the heat...... Thing is when a guy makes that much money, he aint gonna be a set up man.
October 5, 200322 yr I was thinking the other day when I saw Tejadas obstruction. I thought, if the As lose this game in extra innings and then lose the next two, Tejada will be the f***in goat. Then I thought, ah theres no way in hell that will happen. And look where we are now...
October 5, 200322 yr Author Thing is when a guy makes that much money, he aint gonna be a set up man. well Oakland should plan on being bounced in the first round again and again lol. This Guy is NOT a closer.
October 5, 200322 yr well Oakland should plan on being bounced in the first round again and again lol. This Guy is NOT a closer. Hes a damn good pitcher...but I agree never has he been a great closer!!! Maybe Chad Bradford should close for the A's!!!
October 5, 200322 yr foulke is going to have trouble getting Big big money next season as a free agent if he doesn't step up and save game five tomorrow another el foldo and Foulkie can fuhgetaboutit. ain't that many teams looking to spend big on closers anyway
October 5, 200322 yr this is the problem with having a "closer". any other reliever would've been pulled in that situation, but a closer such as Foulke is left in even though he wasn't throwing good at all, and in my opinion (not sure what the numbers are), doesn't matchup with Ortiz. Foulke needs both his fastball and changeup to work at anytime in order for him to be effective, when one is gone, he is gone as he has no backup plan. this by the way isn't criticism towards Foulke as he is a very good reliever, but the whole closer role is stupid to me.
October 5, 200322 yr Didn't Foulke pitch 3 or 4 innings in the first game of the series? What was that all about?
October 5, 200322 yr If I'm the White Sox, and something happens with their 1st base situation where there's an opening, I'd go right after David Ortiz. Even though he's more DH material, he can play 1st and he's got a mean left handed stick. Just ask Scott Sullivan
October 6, 200322 yr this is the problem with having a "closer". any other reliever would've been pulled in that situation, but a closer such as Foulke is left in even though he wasn't throwing good at all, and in my opinion (not sure what the numbers are), doesn't matchup with Ortiz. Foulke needs both his fastball and changeup to work at anytime in order for him to be effective, when one is gone, he is gone as he has no backup plan. this by the way isn't criticism towards Foulke as he is a very good reliever, but the whole closer role is stupid to me. This goes against conventional baseball wisdom but I agree with you. In any case, too bad for Keith. Overall his record is very good but he does seem to have his meltdowns at the worst possible times. I could see he didn't have his good stuff. The Red Sox were teeing off on him, even the outs were hit real hard. I was yelling for Macha to take him out, all the while knowing it wouldn't happen. He needs to close game 5 or it will be a long winter for him.
October 6, 200322 yr They pitched Foulke so much in games 1 and 2 that I think the A's were just asking for it when they brought him in in the 8th today. Oh well I guess that was their best bullpen option at the time. Pedro is usually lights out in decisive games = Good Bye A's.
October 6, 200322 yr If I'm the White Sox, and something happens with their 1st base situation where there's an opening, I'd go right after David Ortiz. Even though he's more DH material, he can play 1st and he's got a mean left handed stick. Just ask Scott Sullivan Don't forget to ask Tom Gordon and Jerry Manuel while you're at it.
October 6, 200322 yr WHat a choker....................saw this coming in April. And you blame Billy Koch...hmm...
October 6, 200322 yr take Marte over either one of them. THAT was exactly the Keith Foulke I remember from the 2000 playoffs from the first series in Seattle in 2002 from the home run Jason Giambi hit 800 feet in Comiskey. From the games he repeatedly blew in the Twinkiedome. I agree with your post
October 7, 200322 yr Hes a damn good pitcher...but I agree never has he been a great closer!!! Maybe Chad Bradford should close for the A's!!! Bradford is the A's best relief pitcher. Beane considers him almost untouchable. The A's use Bradford to get through the inning with the other teams best hitters up, or when the game is most on the line. Damn right Bradford could close. But the A's use him in other ways, and it has worked for them. Don't disrespect Chad Bradford. He's one hell of a pitcher.
October 7, 200322 yr Billy Koch and Keith Foulke were both misused by the A's. They consider closers disposable. In both cases, they used them so much, that they couldn't get through the playoffs.
October 7, 200322 yr I was thinking the other day when I saw Tejadas obstruction. I thought, if the As lose this game in extra innings and then lose the next two, Tejada will be the f***in goat. Then I thought, ah theres no way in hell that will happen. And look where we are now... He won't be a goat in Oakland. Tejada doesn't have to go back to the A's.
October 7, 200322 yr Billy Koch and Keith Foulke were both misused by the A's. They consider closers disposable. In both cases, they used them so much, that they couldn't get through the playoffs. They're a very successful team who has had 4 different closers over the last 4 years. That tells you right there how much they value them.
October 7, 200322 yr They're a very successful team who has had 4 different closers over the last 4 years. That tells you right there how much they value them. As I said ... disposable closers.
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