Old Socks Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 They need him in Charlotte. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Hey Billy just keeps the game interesting. He makes fans keep a close eye... even though he is going to give me a freaking heart attack sometime this year sheesh. None the less he still gets the job done, so leave him be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUGGERNAUT Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Make Shingo the closer. Please. Experience + Post Season success (in Japan) = Sox winner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan99 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Make Shingo the closer. Please. Experience + Post Season success (in Japan) = Sox winner. Yep, because he did so much better than Koch coming with in feet of letting the game get tied up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUGGERNAUT Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 The one good thing about Billy: come 2005 will any one want a closer with a 5+ era, & a WHIP in the high 1's but about 20-30 saves? Â Would the SOX want him back for a mil? 5.11 era, 1.38 WHIP OPS vs (LH 530, RH 833) Â That 833 is awful for a closer. Â Shingo's? (LH 1002, RH 232) But he has greatly improved vs LH of late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Thank God he didn't blow that nice win for Schonie. Â I agree a save is a save, I'm just glad that game wasn't on TV here or it'd have been tough to watch Koch "close" that one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Make Shingo the closer. Please. Experience + Post Season success (in Japan) = Sox winner. no  he was the luckiest pitcher in the game today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUGGERNAUT Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Yep, because he did so much better than Koch coming with in feet of letting the game get tied up. That only counts in horeshoes. In MLB it's a common occurence. Billy is dependant on corner calls to be effective. That's all he has. Fast balls on the corners. Since his fast ball is no longer over powering, he's just not all that effective any more. Â Shingo has filthy pitches. Foulke like filth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxbadger Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I will say one thing, Shingo also reminds me of Foulke in that his out pitch is the change up. Â He just cant double up on a change up when your first pitch is a ball. If they swing the first time you can, but if they take and it misses, he has to give them a fastball even if its a ball. Â I think he can be a very dependable closer if some one helps him learn the batters that he is facing and their tendencies. Because I think he can exploit alot of players weaknesses. Â SB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 no he was the luckiest pitcher in the game today I'm still surprised Javi Lopez didn't hit that HR. He got a cookie right there, just missed it.. (alittle Hawk saying there ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elrockinMT Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Thank God he didn't blow that nice win for Schonie. I agree a save is a save, I'm just glad that game wasn't on TV here or it'd have been tough to watch Koch "close" that one out. Well the game was on TV here (ESPN2) and it was hard to watch. Koch walked the first batter he faced got s K or 2 and then walked another guy. A couple hits later and 2 runs were in and the orioles had runners at 1st and 3rd. That ball hit up the middle was stopped by uribe on a heck of a nice play or it would have ben toed or a loss. I was yelling and biting my fingernails the whole inning. The ESPN guys couldn't believe Ozzie didn't have someone warming up in the pen.  Koch will be the closer, but on BBTN old Gammons and Kruk made comments that Billy should be out of a job and that Ozzie will be asking KW to shop at K-Mart for a relief pitcher. Well, it was a nail biter, but we won and that's the bottom line-WE WON! You just hope that Koch doesn't do this all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I wasn't that convinced watching it on tv that it was going out - the trajectory wasn't right - but damned, damned close  but I was looking for CLee to make the catch - check the game thread, I didn;t comment on that because it looked damned, damned close but out to me as I saw it on tv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmmmmbeeer Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Well the game was on TV here (ESPN2) and it was hard to watch. Koch walked the first batter he faced got s K or 2 and then walked another guy. A couple hits later and 2 runs were in and the orioles had runners at 1st and 3rd. That ball hit up the middle was stopped by uribe on a heck of a nice play or it would have ben toed or a loss. I was yelling and biting my fingernails the whole inning. The ESPN guys couldn't believe Ozzie didn't have someone warming up in the pen. Â Koch will be the closer, but on BBTN old Gammons and Kruk made comments that Billy should be out of a job and that Ozzie will be asking KW to shop at K-Mart for a relief pitcher. Well, it was a nail biter, but we won and that's the bottom line-WE WON! You just hope that Koch doesn't do this all the time. I skipped the ESPN2 broadcast for the Orioles home broadcast. The one dude, I wish I could remember his name, was BK's manager up in Toronto. He seemed to appreciate Ozzie's move not to have anyone up. He was talking about how Billy was just a kind of wild closer, seldom easy, but that Ozzie was just letting Billy know that it was his game, do or die. I remember Oakland fans warning us about Koch's 9th innings when we got him. Seems he's still the same pitcher, minus 5-7MPH velocity. Â Oh, and CW, man I gotta say that Ainsworth was the luckiest pitcher of the night. Maggs was ROBBED over the wall of a grand salami thanks to Larry Bigbie, in the 2nd I think. That would've been a nice 4 spot to have on the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Oh, and CW, man I gotta say that Ainsworth was the luckiest pitcher of the night. Maggs was ROBBED over the wall of a grand salami thanks to Larry Bigbie, in the 2nd I think. That would've been a nice 4 spot to have on the board. I won't argue that point but as long as I live I will remember the look of relief on Shingo's face  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KipWellsFan Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I skipped the ESPN2 broadcast for the Orioles home broadcast. The one dude, I wish I could remember his name, was BK's manager up in Toronto. He seemed to appreciate Ozzie's move not to have anyone up. He was talking about how Billy was just a kind of wild closer, seldom easy, but that Ozzie was just letting Billy know that it was his game, do or die. I remember Oakland fans warning us about Koch's 9th innings when we got him. Seems he's still the same pitcher, minus 5-7MPH velocity.  Oh, and CW, man I gotta say that Ainsworth was the luckiest pitcher of the night. Maggs was ROBBED over the wall of a grand salami thanks to Larry Bigbie, in the 2nd I think. That would've been a nice 4 spot to have on the board. I believe that's Buck Martinez, former catcher as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSF Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Would a 1-2-3 inning be nice? Of course. But we know that's out of the question. Bottom line, Koch came in with the lead, and he ended the game with the lead, albeit smaller. Closers are gonna blow a few. FWIW, he got squeezed by the ump on the 1-2 pitch to Surhoff. That was a strike. But they've missed quite a few this year, so can't really say much. Maybe this is the game where he has the close call, and he focuses and bears down from this point on. At least I hope it is.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSF Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Also walked the bad batters cuz he really wanted to face Tejada for some reason. He wanted to re-enact Rick Vaughn vs. Jack Parkman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I won't argue that point but as long as I live I will remember the look of relief on Shingo's face  Takatsu knew he lucked out on that one. But, the same heavy air that held that one in the park also held in Magglio's shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I agree bring up Bajenaru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick03 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 i know it seems like the only time i post is to defend koch or thomas, but im sticking with koch....it was a save, we won, and we have the 2nd best record in the american league....i would have never imagined this in the off season, so im pretty happy right now life is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I'm sticking with Koch as well. The outcome is what matters most. Â Â By the way, he was only trying to pad the Sox' "1 run game record" to 10-1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 First off I agree billy is our closer until he blows another one, he's 4 of 5 in opportunities. Second, B.J. Surhoff is out on strikes if he doesn't argue with the umpire about strike two, the ump flinched and wanted to call that strike three. Billy got the job done, he let up two runs... yes, but got the job done. That is Billy's problem - he lets the umps get in his head. He had each of the last guys at 1-2. The first time should have been a K but the ump wilted as stated. He got it in his head he had to be spot perfect and that's what screwed Billy up.  Can we once enjoy a win without b****ing, whining and complaining? (Not saying this particular win didn't cost me a nail or two from biting, but it seems that the Sox are 4-1 in the last five games and for each win there was a post complaining about something.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 That is Billy's problem - he lets the umps get in his head. He had each of the last guys at 1-2. The first time should have been a K but the ump wilted as stated. He got it in his head he had to be spot perfect and that's what screwed Billy up.  Can we once enjoy a win without b****ing, whining and complaining? (Not saying this particular win didn't cost me a nail or two from biting, but it seems that the Sox are 4-1 in the last five games and for each win there was a post complaining about something.) Welcome to Soxtalk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Welcome to Soxtalk. LOL! True. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Guys this is Ozzie style of managing at work here. He wants to show confidence in his players, and see if that pulls them through. I think we are already seeing the results early on in Jon Garland. He looks like a totally different guy out there this year, and Ozzie sticking with him in pressure situations is why. Billy Koch is our closer until further notice, like it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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