I really think you guys are forgetting the competition this year. This is not a good division. This is not the East. If it were, the Sox might be in trouble.

 

Yes, but Longoria, Pena, Upton and Crawford are better than nearly anything that the Sox are throwing out there this season.

 

I don't disagree. But with their weighted schedule, they played nearly a quarter of their games against the pitching staffs of the Red Sox and Yankees. The Sox will have 1/3 of their games against the Royals, Indians and Twins who didn't pitch particularly well last year and I doubt much will change there (though I don't suspect the Twins will pitch as poorly as they did last year if Liriano rebounds and makes the rotation).

 

Having a better DH also slightly decreases the damage done if someone like Quentin, Rios, or Beckham struggles this season.

 

True.

 

 

 

By the way, Thome is not coming back. Just heard.

*Sigh. We better sign an actual DH.

I have the same feeling about the rotating DH that I had when we decided to use a punter for leadoff because he was extra grindy. If they don't want Thome fine, but to leave the DH in the American league to Group 4 is kind of insane. Heres to hoping that Andru Jones finds his power stroke.

 

 

By the way, Thome is not coming back. Just heard.

 

 

aww..too bad

what are the odds ozzie plays a guy at DH who is a significantly better fielder than the guy who is playing in the field?.....seems almost inevitable given our bench

Cowley: "Oz makes it official - see ya big guy. Thome will not be brought back this year."

Cowley: "Oz makes it official - see ya big guy. Thome will not be brought back this year."

Superb. Can we close this thread & stop all Thome talk on ST now?

Superb. Can we close this thread & stop all Thome talk on ST now?

agreed

Well, either they have something else up their sleeve, or this was just incredibly stupid.

 

I honestly can't believe people are happy about this... are there really that many here that think a Jones/Kotsay platoon will be good?

As has been mentioned on B&B lately, it's looking like this will finally be the first year we really see so-called "ozzieball"

I honestly can't believe people are happy about this... are there really that many here that think a Jones/Kotsay platoon will be good?

no. but i know he walked quite a bit, hit hrs, etc. but didnt u get a tad bit tired of watching thome strikeout, esp against lefties late in a game, hit right into the shift, need 3 hits to score,etc? yes i realize hes probly better than what we have, but i just really want to move on

Edited January 26, 201016 yr by Melissa1334

As has been mentioned on B&B lately, it's looking like this will finally be the first year we really see so-called "ozzieball"

 

If he really wants Ozzieball, fine, but for gods sake, go get a bat that is a legitimate MLB starter with OBP skills. Go get Orlando Hudson, get Felipe Lopez and have them DH. Put them at #2 in the lineup, don't waste Beckham in the 2 hole. These guys can at least do the little things, bunt, run the bases and play defense giving all the IF's a break. They are real MLB starters, Kotsay and Jones couldn't start for any other MLB team, yet we count on them this season? Why?

Edited January 26, 201016 yr by dmbjeff

no. but i know he walked quite a bit, hit hrs, etc. but didnt u get a tad bit tired of watching thome strikeout, esp against lefties late in a game, hit right into the shift, need 3 hits to score,etc? yes i realize hes probly better than what we have, but i just really want to move on

Andruw Jones is slow, probably can't be trusted to play the field consistently anymore, strikes out a whole lot, draws a good amount of walks, hits for a terrible average and about 25% of his hits will be HR (only a few percentage points less than Thome.) I guess the good news is there's no real shift for a right handed hitter, what those who haven't seen Jones play in 5 years will soon find out is that he's basically a poor man's Jim Thome.

 

I do find it interesting that for a guy who's supposedly so easily neutralized by lefty relievers Thome somehow managed a .270/.378/.549/.927 line in ~140 PA against relief pitchers last season.

If he really wants Ozzieball, fine, but for gods sake, go get a bat that is a legitimate MLB starter with OBP skills. Go get Orlando Hudson, get Felipe Lopez and have them DH. These guys can at least do the little things, bunt, run the bases and play defense giving all the IF's a break. They are real MLB starters, Kotsay and Jones couldn't start for any other MLB team, yet we count on them this season? Why?

gonza...jk.lol i wonder why the sox even had interest in chad tracy, doesnt seem like hes any good

Andruw Jones is slow, probably can't be trusted to play the field consistently anymore, strikes out a whole lot, draws a good amount of walks, hits for a terrible average and about 25% of his hits will be HR (only a few percentage points less than Thome.) I guess the good news is there's no real shift for a right handed hitter, what those who haven't seen Jones play in 5 years will soon find out is that he's basically a poor man's Jim Thome.

i rather have the rotation than just thome. and u act like its 100% that hed be good and healthy this yr. u dont know. im not going to be like others and say were going to lose the division bcuz were not going to have jim thome. i wouldnt put it all on ozzie about the whole dh thing, they were going to get johnson,of course it was a money issue, not oz.

Edited January 26, 201016 yr by Melissa1334

What would be interesting is hearing that Branyan is being signed as a result of this very public dialogue. Posturing for leverage w/ another player?

i rather have the rotation than just thome.

It just means you'll see a terrible hitter in Omar Vizquel and a bad hitter in Mark Kotsay DH more often and you'll have the pleasure of watching a couple of mid 30 year old's in Jones and Kotsay weaken the defense every time they get a start in the outfield. Oh joy.

i rather have the rotation than just thome.

I don't believe that you realize what you're asking for.

NO Thome No Jim Thome this year... http://twitter.com/SoxNet

i rather have the rotation than just thome. and u act like its 100% that hed be good and healthy this yr. u dont know. im not going to be like others and say were going to lose the division bcuz were not going to have jim thome. i wouldnt put it all on ozzie about the whole dh thing, they were going to get johnson,of course it was a money issue, not oz.

I'd say the odds of Jim Thome being healthy and productive are far greater than those of the Kotsay/Jones platoon. At least Thome has been a consistently good producer over the last 4 seasons, rather than the other 2 who haven't done a whole hell of a lot since their late 20's.

It just means you'll see a terrible hitter in Omar Vizquel and a bad hitter in Mark Kotsay DH more often and you'll have the pleasure of watching a couple of mid 30 year old's in Jones and Kotsay weaken the defense every time they get a start in the outfield. Oh joy.

hey,it may happen, but i really dont see vizquel dh'ing. im sure u dont want thome back but u just think its better than what we have right? why do we have to settle for someone thats not that good, that we dont want, etc bcuz we currently just have junk? cant we get someone a bit better, a difference maker? thome isnt a difference maker. may be better than jones but not a difference maker. there has to be someone out there (that can be had)

Edited January 26, 201016 yr by Melissa1334

NO Thome No Jim Thome this year... http://twitter.com/SoxNet

Thank you Pony Express.

NO Thome No Jim Thome this year... http://twitter.com/SoxNet

I don't know if you realize this... but, this site is a version of SoxNet.

NO Thome No Jim Thome this year... http://twitter.com/SoxNet

 

I think what disturbs us all, or at least me is the fact that the DH as currently constructed is doomed. It is set to fail. Thome appears to be the best available option to DH in all of our eyes. If there is someone else out there who would be better, please, bring them in, but for what we have payroll wise I don't see Damon coming and Thome seems ready to come back on a very friendly pricetag. I hope KW has something in the works we just don;t know about yet.