If the Count and Danks can have solid seasons I think the Sox will suprise people this year. I know MB and Javy didn't light the world on fire in their 1st starts, but I think they'll have solid years and the bullpen hopefully is better, well scratch that, it basically has to be better... Hopefully the bullpen will be solid

Javy had good stuff, he just didn't have his command and that was due to the cold. If Javy is healthy I wouldn't be shocked to see him win 20 games. Yep, I made that prediction and I'm sticking to it. He has a great arm, good command, and has really improved his mechanics/presence with runners on base (where he used to really struggle).

 

I really believe the 3/4/5 will be the x-factors this year just as Contreras/Garland/El Duque were the X-Factors of 05.

Add to those bright spots Dotel and Linebrink!

 

Only downer was the continued bad defensive play of Dye. I'd like to see him pulled out for a defensive replacement about the seventh inning of every game.

 

The Sox coaching staff also needs to go over outfield fundamentals with him and explain to him that the CF is captain out there.

I can't comment on the play, but you have to remember the Sox don't exactly have an experienced guy playing center field so it could lead to some confusion out there. Still, I think it is assinine that Dye isn't in left.

I'm no B.A. fan (we used the call him AAAnderson here, right?) but I don't know why he's not in center. Defensively, he's great. Let's see if his hitting is finally here.

There's a guy on the Rangers ESPN board (LarryLegend) that still to this day is b****ing and moaning about the Danks trade....

He went on to say: "Good news for the Rangers, though... I hear Brandon McCarthy might be ready to throw on flat ground in a month."

Tomorrow's starter for Detroit is Robertson so I expect that Anderson will be in CF batting 8th or 9th with Swisher in LF. If not, then Ozzie really has it out for BA. I hope he does well so he can stay in there against Dontrelle on Saturday as well. Ozuna will need to play some too.

 

I think Alexei is ticketed for the minors when JO returns because it would be sad to see him up against Verlander (if the first couple at-bats against Sabathia is any indication).

I was impressed with the movement Linebrink had on his pitches.

 

He had Grady fishing for his split-finger pitch... completely fooled... it was dropping off a table.

 

I'm not used to guys, other than Jenks, coming out of our pen and making other teams' best hitters look bad.

 

If he has good command of that pitch over the course of the year, he will turn out to be an extremely valuable addition to our bullpen.

Edited April 3, 200818 yr by scenario

I can't comment on the play, but you have to remember the Sox don't exactly have an experienced guy playing center field so it could lead to some confusion out there. Still, I think it is assinine that Dye isn't in left.

I have to disagree about Dye in Left. I'd rather have Quentin in LF. RF gets fewer plays, but requires a stronger arm. As Dye still has a strong arm but is getting slower out there, he's really better in RF, and its better to have Quentin's athleticism (or Swisher's, or Owens') in LF.

 

Will happily eat my crow regarding John Danks. I didn't think he had a chance in hell to hold the Tribe down. I didn't see the game today. How did the new cutter look?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'll take any bet from posters that said Floyd will have a better season than Danks. This outing doesn't change my mind at all even if Floyd throws a no hitter comming up. Danks is mah boy.

It's great to get a win. Now I am looking forward to Sunday's game, (ESPN) and I think Buerhle might be pitching. But, maybe not. I was just figuring the rotation and the number of days till Sunday rolls around

It's great to get a win. Now I am looking forward to Sunday's game, (ESPN) and I think Buerhle might be pitching. But, maybe not. I was just figuring the rotation and the number of days till Sunday rolls around

depends, are they skipping Floyd with the day off or are they going with the 5 man out of the gate?

depends, are they skipping Floyd with the day off or are they going with the 5 man out of the gate?

Contreras - Robertson @ Detroit on Friday

Floyd - Willis @ Detroit on Saturday

Buehrle - Verlander @ Detroit on Sunday

That game reminded me of some of the good things about 2005. A solid performance by our starting pitcher AND our pen? Just enough runs to win a game and some good defense? YEAH!

Wow just got back from work and saw that we won... can somebody emphasize on Danks performance? Also if Contreras and Floyd follow up to something similar its a great sign for this season... Hopefully Jose can rebound and Floyd continues his suprising dominance over those Tigers!

Will happily eat my crow regarding John Danks. I didn't think he had a chance in hell to hold the Tribe down. I didn't see the game today. How did the new cutter look?

 

The cutter was very good.

 

Probably the best thing about it... now he has offspeed pitches he can throw with command to both sides of the plate... keeping hitters off-balance.

 

So the cutter makes his other pitches much more effective too.

The cutter was very good.

 

Probably the best thing about it... now he has offspeed pitches he can throw with command to both sides of the plate... keeping hitters off-balance.

 

So the cutter makes his other pitches much more effective too.

he was keeping the ball low the vast majority of the time. That was huge.

danks is still just 22, and im very excited by his potential...i think he has a chance to be like a ted lilly type pitcher for alot of years...dont think hell ever be quite as good as buerhle, but i think similar to lilly or jarrod washburn is reasonable....which, considering the money those guys make, danks should be solid for quite a few years for pennies

I have a really good feeling about Danks this year. He's always improved after a year in each level of the minors. I think he's going to have a damn good year, especially for a second-year player.

Edited April 3, 200818 yr by Milkman delivers

All I'm going to say is...Coop (and Buehrle) will fix him.

 

This is a smart kid listening to the veterans on the team. If Floyd can do the same, they are going to be better than expected...but will still take some lumps this year.

HEYYYYYYYY OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

 

I'm going to withhold judgement regarding Danks for a while. He looked pretty impressive last year at this time. He needs to prove he can sustain it throughout the season.

There's a guy on the Rangers ESPN board (LarryLegend) that still to this day is b****ing and moaning about the Danks trade....

He went on to say: "Good news for the Rangers, though... I hear Brandon McCarthy might be ready to throw on flat ground in a month."

Danks right now, even if we doesnt have the same results, looks to me like a player that can have a long successful career. He has the type of motion that appears to be repeatable and not max effort, his delivery seems to be decent. He also has the competitive nature that I like and the fact that he went out this offseason and learned a new pitch that would help his game, thats just phenomenal to me. How many pitchers do you see do that nowadays? I have liked Danks from the moment I saw him in a Sox uni, and my man crush gets better the more I see how he prepares and how he adjusts to the league.

Will happily eat my crow regarding John Danks. I didn't think he had a chance in hell to hold the Tribe down. I didn't see the game today. How did the new cutter look?

Check out his GF/FB ratio.

All I'm going to say is...Coop (and Buehrle) will fix him.

 

This is a smart kid listening to the veterans on the team. If Floyd can do the same, they are going to be better than expected...but will still take some lumps this year.

On Floyd. It seems to me like he has bigger hands, I wonder if he has ever flirted with a splitty or a forkball?

Javy had good stuff, he just didn't have his command and that was due to the cold. If Javy is healthy I wouldn't be shocked to see him win 20 games. Yep, I made that prediction and I'm sticking to it. He has a great arm, good command, and has really improved his mechanics/presence with runners on base (where he used to really struggle).

 

I really believe the 3/4/5 will be the x-factors this year just as Contreras/Garland/El Duque were the X-Factors of 05.

Personally I'm not worried about Javy at all. His pitches had some zip on them and he was striking guys out, but he couldn't impose his will on the hitters like he usually does. That deficiency is not something that will carry over to his next start, especially in better weather.