Danks' stamina started looking really low in the second half of last year too, it was pretty evident that he'd never thrown that many innings in his life. But he's still what, 22?

Yep. It's a little worrisome to me that he's tiring after 80 pitches, but he's still pretty young and it's only his second MLB season. I think it's going to be really important to try to keep him around 90 pitches or so a game this year, so he can build up stamina gradually, and to keep his confidence high. It's also really obvious that he's going to have to have very good control to keep his pitch count low, otherwise he'll be gone after 5 almost every game.

 

It doesn't bother me in April. Most of these guys are at 100 pitches tops, and Danks is a guy who hasn't been at 180 IP in a season yet. He isn't going to be like MB who can go 120 if he needs to.

another positive - tigers get swept at home by KC, mcab scratched from the lineup with sore quad.

Indians and Tiggers do not look that imposing suddenly....Kenny was right; we can win this division if we decide to play every at bat with focus. If only we can cut down on the # of swings on the 1st pitch, we will be so much better.

interesting to see Uribe and Crede, two of the most disliked members of the Sox get home runs each in a 2-1 victory for the Sox.

It doesn't bother me in April. Most of these guys are at 100 pitches tops, and Danks is a guy who hasn't been at 180 IP in a season yet. He isn't going to be like MB who can go 120 if he needs to.

 

Right, which is why I think it's going to be important to closely monitor his pitch count, and when he starts leaving the ball up more, for every start.

Our # 4 starter (danks) just got picked up in my 10 team fantasy league

Indians and Tiggers do not look that imposing suddenly....Kenny was right; we can win this division if we decide to play every at bat with focus. If only we can cut down on the # of swings on the 1st pitch, we will be so much better.

 

I'm surprised at all of the hoopla over the Tigers. They can slug the crap out of the ball, but many of those sluggers are on the wrong side of 30 (Maggs, Pudge, Sheffield's almost 40). Given that Kenny Rogers is a dinosaur, Nate Robertson's performance in '06 was a fluke, and Dontrelle sucked last year, nobody in their rotation outside of Verlander and Bonderman impresses me (and the latter has only had one really good season). And aren't Zumaya and Rodney both injured... again? They'll probably win 85 games, but I imagine that they'll be on the wrong side of a number of 10-7 contests.

 

The Jndians are still the team to beat, and I actually like them better offensively than Detroit (especially in terms of age). Their bullpen might be their Achilles Heel this year.

Edited April 3, 200818 yr by WCSox

I always felt that the Sox were very close to Cleveland and about even with the Tigers. Everyone added and subtracted this past off season. Plus, the difference between missing the playoffs and winning the WS is not that big a gulf that hard work and a few breaks cannot make it up.

 

It appears that we're going to win today, and that makes a pitchers duel win and a offensive win this season.

I'm sticking with the tigers not winning 80 games. I wrote it all preseason. I have faith in their crappy crappy pitching.

They haven't even thrown the first drunk out at the Cell. Plenty of new faces around the team who are still trying to gel. Plenty of exciting baseball yet to be played.

 

If you want to be negative, there is a trhead for that. If you want to point out the birth mark on Cindy Crawford, the posts will be moved to the appropriate thread.

 

Let's have one place to go to feel better about this team.

 

 

When things are half full they are half empty and vice versa

There are going to be bumps in the road, but the back end of the pen looks to be really solid.

 

absolutely.

 

Add into that how good Boone looks and that Thornton should be solid too, and the Sox have the makings of a pretty solid bullpen. MacDougal's a wild card, and Masset's a big whogivesaf***, but I love it.

 

I do think if MacDougal struggles enough and Wasserman keeps on producing at AAA, MacDougal will be optioned/traded/DFAed (or hell, maybe all 3) and Wasserman will be up soon enough.

absolutely.

 

Add into that how good Boone looks and that Thornton should be solid too, and the Sox have the makings of a pretty solid bullpen. MacDougal's a wild card, and Masset's a big whogivesaf***, but I love it.

 

I do think if MacDougal struggles enough and Wasserman keeps on producing at AAA, MacDougal will be optioned/traded/DFAed (or hell, maybe all 3) and Wasserman will be up soon enough.

lol that would be awesome. Trade, then optioned to AAA, followed by DFA.

I do think if MacDougal struggles enough and Wasserman keeps on producing at AAA, MacDougal will be optioned/traded/DFAed (or hell, maybe all 3) and Wasserman will be up soon enough.

 

That would be fine with me. If Mac can return to '05/'06 form, great. If not, it's nice to know that he's expendable.

 

lol that would be awesome. Trade, then optioned to AAA, followed by DFA.

 

LOL, I was thinking more along the lines of optioned, then DFAed to make room for someone else on the 40 man, to being traded. That would work too though.

 

It would suck for MacDougal though.

LOL, I was thinking more along the lines of optioned, then DFAed to make room for someone else on the 40 man, to being traded. That would work too though.

 

It would suck for MacDougal though.

I hope it doesn't have to happen for him of course... then again I don't feel too good about it after watching him for a little bit. Same garbage from last year.

 

This being the positive thread, if we do have to dump him at least we have Wasserman ready to step in.

If Gavin Floyd and John Danks give us an average outing equiviliant to what even Floyd did today, this team will win 90 games. They don't have to put up MB numbers for this to be a good team. 6 innings and 3 runs will win each of them 12-15 games. Jon Garland made a living of it here.

I almost forgot, Nick Swisher played a very good CF today. If he is really as good as he showed today, along with Quinten being healthy, forget about Brian Anderson, we don't need him.

If Gavin Floyd and John Danks give us an average outing equiviliant to what even Floyd did today, this team will win 90 games. They don't have to put up MB numbers for this to be a good team. 6 innings and 3 runs will win each of them 12-15 games. Jon Garland made a living of it here.

I think Floyd, this is probably about what he'll average for us. Hopefully won't be too many "Get shelled" games in-between though.

 

One thing that I think is worth noting is that there's an old rule of thumb that says you really shouldn't push a pitcher to go more than 25-30 innings more than what he's maxed out at in his career. Danks has pulled about 139 innings each of the past 2 years, so there's a good shot we'll be able to push him to 150-160, but it's probably a mistake to try to push him harder than that this season even if we're closing on the playoffs, because it's a big injury risk.

 

Floyd though, he's positioned to eat some innings this year. He's pulled in 170 and 175 the last 2 years between the minors and the bigs. If he pitches well enough to hang in games, there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to be a 200 inning a year guy this year and for the next several years.

GAVIN FLOYD

It's only 1 start for Floyd, but I was very impressed with him. I'll take that for a 5th starter for sure.

Swisher has only 3 hits this season for a .200 AVG. His OBP is .478. That's impressive.

I've been impressed with the plate discipline Swisher and Cabrera have shown in the first week. They look like they both have a plan when they get up to bat. I think the Sox as a whole should be working the count a little more - Carmona was all over the place on Wednesday and outside of Cabrera and Swisher we looked impatient. I think this team has a lot more heart than last years and with a few lucky bounces could be in it at the end of the season.

Nick Swisher.

It's early, but I really think come early fall, this will still be a race.