Wow, Richard puts up two great starts against divisional foes and gets replaced by Colon. I don't like it one bit.

 

Do people seriously not realize we will have ZERO lefties in the pen for the next few days?

Do people seriously not realize we will have ZERO lefties in the pen for the next few days?

If Richard started and gave us 7 or 8 innings it wouldn’t matter who was in the pen.

Do people seriously not realize we will have ZERO lefties in the pen for the next few days?

No I realize it. I talked about that in the article I wrote on the move. The key is that if things stay status quo, he should rejoin the rotation.

I am in the very small camp with Balta on this one, that I think Fields has a good shot at being a good major league power bat in the next couple years, somewhere. Its too bad he was handled the way he was, although the result was Beckham, and you can't complain too much about that.

 

Richard to the pen is a bad joke. Just a stupid move.

 

And I know about Wise and The Catch, but really, he just shouldn't be on the major league club.

 

Honestly, there are all kinds of baseball players that have massive power potential. All you have to do is go down to your local softball diamond and watch some of these guys hit a 12-inch softball.

 

Power potential alone does not qualify you to be a successful major league ballplayer. The guy is a below-average fielder and he cannot hit mediocre fastballs.

 

Those facts have a hell of a lot more to do with his current status than his power potential.

They have tried for three years to get Fields to cut down on his swing. During the times where he listened, he made contact at a respectable rate. When he didn't listen, his swing got so long that he couldn't hit an OK fastball. There really isn't much you can do with a player who refuses to make the necesary adjustments to be an everyday major leaguer.

Honestly, there are all kinds of baseball players that have massive power potential. All you have to do is go down to your local softball diamond and watch some of these guys hit a 12-inch softball.

 

Power potential alone does not qualify you to be a successful major league ballplayer. The guy is a below-average fielder and he cannot hit mediocre fastballs.

 

Those facts have a hell of a lot more to do with his current status than his power potential.

You are seriously comparing a guy who hit 27 HR in his rookie season to a guy on the local softball diamond?

You are seriously comparing a guy who hit 27 HR in his rookie season to a guy on the local softball diamond?

 

23 FWIW...

You are seriously comparing a guy who hit 27 HR in his rookie season to a guy on the local softball diamond?

 

No, it was an extreme example.

 

But to be honest with you, if he doesn't figure things out soon, that's where he'll end up.

 

So he hit 23 HR's one season in the big leagues. Even better, he did it in his first full season. Big deal. The annals of baseball history are filled with guys like Fields who experienced some level of success before the league adjusted and they never recovered.

Do people seriously not realize we will have ZERO lefties in the pen for the next few days?

 

Thornton will be back tomorrow.

*yawn* But Clayton Richard deserves to stay in the rotation. Bartolo Colon, what has he deserved, more Krispy Kremes?

Dwayne Wise is the 2009 version of Andy Gonzalez from 2007...a garbage player who somehow manages to make it on the roster all year batting less than .200. At least...that's what I think his name was...he was so awful I tried to block that memory from my mind....

 

 

Or Julio Ramirez.

The guy is a below-average fielder

 

This is what really doomed him. The Sox were patient with Crede putting up a .300 OBP with average power for years because he could play 3B competently from the start, and improved steadily. (It also helped that Crede didn't have to compete with a stud like Beckham.) As I've said before, I saw Fields as an eventual corner OF or a replacement for Paulie at 1B. Players at those positions can't get away with mediocre OPS numbers.

 

As for Richard, I fully expect to see him back in the rotation if Colon is pitching poorly down the stretch. I think that he's ready.

 

Personally, I don't see how Fields is Walker's fault at all. Anyone average joe baseball fan could tell him what he's doing wrong at the plate. Obviously though Greg Walker and everyone else just hasn't been able to get through to him. You think by now he would have learned how to swing but he still looks utterly lost up there.

 

I got no problem with seeing the end of Fields. Shame cause he had the tools, but a slow bat and horrible mechanics did him in. Hopefully we can still get something of value for him.

 

I really now feel like the Richard to the pen move is just to hold him until the deadline. In the pen, he can't really hurt his value. By August 1st, he'll either have been part of a package to get us an upgrade in the rotation or back in the rotation with Colon DFA'ed.

 

Love the Mark Kotsay for Brian Anderson move. Anderson is in the same boat as Fields and he never learned how to actually be a hitter at bat after several years here. He was a bust. I'd probably rather have him over Wise, but Wise is a better pinch runner. As for Kotsay, he's a solid vet, can play all 3 OF spots as well as 1B, is a very good pinch hitter, and an overall good baseball player. Plus, it looks like Boston is paying most of his contract. Also, most importantly, we'll hopefully be able to see this at Sox games for now on (Mark Kotsay's wife):

 

Colon now scratched, Contreras to start vs MIN tomorrow. per Mark Gonzales

Edited July 29, 200916 yr by tommy

this team is in chaos mode.

 

im gonna make a topic of this.

Colon now scratched, Contreras to start vs MIN tomorrow. per Cowley

hmmm..... What to make of this? I can't imagine he's been traded.

hmmm..... What to make of this? I can't imagine he's been traded.

 

Reason sore elbow, I honestly hope he's being traded.

I hope he's ok...but DARN!

When Josh Fields is traded and some other team works with him on his swing, perhaps in the NL, I think that's one we're really going to wind up regretting.

 

Agree-and does Wise have photos of Reinsdorf at a bachelor party?

Fields got sent down.

Fields got sent down.

Sigh

If Anderson or Fields go somewhere else and become successful, then can we try an new hitting coach? Hire a second hitting coach? Robin Ventura, special assistant to Walker?

If Anderson or Fields go somewhere else and become successful, then can we try an new hitting coach? Hire a second hitting coach? Robin Ventura, special assistant to Walker?

I feel Fields might go off on a different team. Just feel it. He does not have any motivation or will to fix his fixable problems, and a change in teams/management might help him. Got nothing on Anderson....

I feel Fields might go off on a different team. Just feel it. He does not have any motivation or will to fix his fixable problems, and a change in teams/management might help him. Got nothing on Anderson....

You know this how?

You know this how?

benched for a rookie???