May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ May 30, 2012 -> 10:41 AM) I have a feeling this thread is going to be a roller coaster this year. I agree. I don't see him being a .290 hitter. I think more like .260 with his lack of plate discipline. Plus around 30 hrs. But I think he will be very streaky.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:26 AM) Not in Jan/Feb .... There were enough posters saying the Sox could contend. You may have been in the minority (by a small margin), but you certainly weren't the first to say they could contend. I will say this. I think that most of us who thought the Sox could contend thought so in part due to the AL Central being a weak division. The way this team is playing right now, they could contend in any division. Whether they continue is another story.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:26 AM) Not in Jan/Feb .... Umm...yeah...I've been saying since last year that if we can get these guys turned around we had plenty of talent to contend...
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:22 AM) I love it. I hope there are posts proving me wrong for years. By the same token, I'm curious as to why I get no props for being the first one on here to say the Sox should contend. Posters on here had the Sox losing 90+ games in Jan/Feb. How very Mariotti of you, Marty. Stick a "I think they will contend" statement in the middle of a bunch of "I think they will fail, and fail hard, and KW will be the root of it" statements and all of the sudden you are the only one that saw it coming. Nice job.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (docsox24 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:39 AM) I agree. I don't see him being a .290 hitter. I think more like .260 with his lack of plate discipline. Plus around 30 hrs. But I think he will be very streaky. With that swing, he will be superstreaky.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:48 AM) With that swing, he will be superstreaky. HE'S A SUPAH FREAK.
May 31, 201213 yr I think he's going to start taking walks, now that pitchers are realizing he's bonafide dangerous. He'll surprise many of us with a "newfound patience", but he's really showing me right now that he's a smart hitter - he's adjusted his approach with 2 strikes and is striking out far, far less of late. He's smart enough to take what the pitchers will give him - and they'll be giving it soon. I believe he will adjust and improve, and OBP will be an afterthought, sooner, rather than later.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (iamshack @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:42 AM) Umm...yeah...I've been saying since last year that if we can get these guys turned around we had plenty of talent to contend... I would say the board was 50/50, with the non-contending 90 loss folks trumpeting how bad the farm system is and how everything needs to be blown up. The glass half full guys really needed to hope things for Dunn, Rios, Peavy etc. would turn around and that Ventura would be the relief the team needed from the asshat that ran the team last year. Hope v. Reality and hope is winning today but it is a long season.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ May 31, 2012 -> 10:16 AM) I would say the board was 50/50, with the non-contending 90 loss folks trumpeting how bad the farm system is and how everything needs to be blown up. The glass half full guys really needed to hope things for Dunn, Rios, Peavy etc. would turn around and that Ventura would be the relief the team needed from the asshat that ran the team last year. Hope v. Reality and hope is winning today but it is a long season. 1. Everyone knew Rios was a bum and that he would likely be a bum again this year. 2. Ozzie will be the NL manager of the year.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 31, 2012 -> 12:19 PM) 1. Everyone knew Rios was a bum and that he would likely be a bum again this year. 2. Ozzie will be the NL manager of the year. If the season ended today, he would be NL manager of the year. As a matter of fact, he'll get ML manager of the year as the AL nominee will forfeit the award.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ May 31, 2012 -> 12:21 PM) If the season ended today, he would be NL manager of the year. As a matter of fact, he'll get ML manager of the year as the AL nominee will forfeit the award. I heard he is up for Time's Man of the Year Award...
May 31, 201213 yr Who knows how the rest of the season will unfold, but the AL Central always provides hope. The Tigers were clearly favorites and should be, adding Fielder, but a lot went right with them last year and Victor Martinez was a big part of it. Expecting any team to win 100 games is expecting a lot. Maybe they run away and hide the last 110 games, maybe not. The Sox should be confident they can contend. If they can get Danks back and Floyd returns to his form of a few weeks ago, its hard to imagine they would not be somewhat close for the rest of the season.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (iamshack @ May 31, 2012 -> 01:22 PM) I heard he is up for Time's Man of the Year Award... Hey, Hitler and W won that award. Why not Ozzie?
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:22 AM) I love it. I hope there are posts proving me wrong for years. By the same token, I'm curious as to why I get no props for being the first one on here to say the Sox should contend. Posters on here had the Sox losing 90+ games in Jan/Feb. I think it's being twisted from "would contend" to "should contend" based on the fact that there was no reason they weren't "all in" again despite trimming $25 million in payroll and trading Santos because: 1) KW was still around 2) Danks had been re-signed 3) Dunn/Rios/Peavy/Ramirez/AJ/Konerko/Floyd/Danks/Thornton, a veteran cast, comprised the heart of the roster 4) AJ, Peavy and Floyd would all probably be gone after 2012, not to mention Thornton 5) There were doubts as to whether Sale, Morel, Viciedo, Reed, Beckham, DeAza, Molina, Flowers, etc., could be the heart of the rebuilding process going forward, and if they failed, KW should be fired. That this was their best chance to contend in any given year in the foreseeable future. I don't think there are a plethora of posts where you predicted they'd win 85-95 games. Probably zero. There are a plethora, though, where you claimed that KW should be fired if they weren't in contention or attendance nosedived, which is which pretty much the opposite of your argument now, lol. So, because the team's playing well and contending, KW is therefore doing his job well again? You were right about Santos, but very wrong about them trading Ramirez and/or Viciedo. Edited May 31, 201213 yr by caulfield12
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (docsox24 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:39 AM) I agree. I don't see him being a .290 hitter. I think more like .260 with his lack of plate discipline. Plus around 30 hrs. But I think he will be very streaky. I disagree wholeheartedly. I think Dayan ends up a .300+ hitter. His discipline will continue to improve over time and people seem to overlook that he made significant strides in this department last year in AAA. He's a 23rd year old Cuban, so he's very far from a finished product. I agree he'll be streaky this year, but I think he's such a naturally gifted hitter that he won't be down the road.
May 31, 201213 yr I think Dayan Viciedo has the potential to be a .300 hitter. He's young, has hardly been completely healthy until now and has carried some rather high averages in the minors before. What makes him different from the free swinger that we characterize him as is that he is willing to take the ball to the opposite field. He wasn't doing that early in the season this year but it was actually a complaint in his prospect days. I remember people saying that he was TOO MUCH of an opposite field hitter. As long as he can keep that balance between consistent contact and hard contact, we're going to have a ton of fun watching him. That 9% BB rate and 16% K rate that he carried over 120 games in Charlotte last year should be realizable at this level. The thrilling thing to me about this hot run by Viciedo was watching the adjustments. It wasn't predicated on him just doing the things that he did well while he was slumping (aka, feasting on hanging breaking balls)...he started hitting fastballs hard and to the opposite field when necessary, he laid off the low breaking stuff (occasionally hitting it, actually), and just generally has been picking his spots better.
May 31, 201213 yr Author QUOTE (iamshack @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:42 AM) Umm...yeah...I've been saying since last year that if we can get these guys turned around we had plenty of talent to contend... Don't doubt you did because you know the game, but there wasn't a lot of others.
May 31, 201213 yr Author QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:47 AM) How very Mariotti of you, Marty. Stick a "I think they will contend" statement in the middle of a bunch of "I think they will fail, and fail hard, and KW will be the root of it" statements and all of the sudden you are the only one that saw it coming. Nice job. I've been consistent in saying that if this team does not contend this year that it was time for Kenny to go. How's that being Jay Mariotti?
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 04:56 PM) I've been consistent in saying that if this team does not contend this year that it was time for Kenny to go. How's that being Jay Mariotti? LMAO, really? Calling for KWs head while simultaneously predicting success and failure isn't Mariotti?
May 31, 201213 yr Author QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ May 31, 2012 -> 11:29 AM) Marty, I will support you, sir. Thanks JP. I'm not always right about baseball.
May 31, 201213 yr Author QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 31, 2012 -> 05:00 PM) LMAO, really? Calling for KWs head while simultaneously predicting success and failure isn't Mariotti? How's giving Kenny one last chance, Mariotti?
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 05:03 PM) How's giving Kenny one last chance, Mariotti? You GAVE Kenny one last chance? That is very generous of you, here I was thinking that you were stuck with him, but that wouldn't stop you from firing off thread after thread showing just how bad things really are(ie. This thread). Weird.
May 31, 201213 yr Author QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 31, 2012 -> 05:07 PM) You GAVE Kenny one last chance? That is very generous of you, here I was thinking that you were stuck with him, but that wouldn't stop you from firing off thread after thread showing just how bad things really are(ie. This thread). Weird. To be fair, things haven't been too good with the Sox since the World Series.
May 31, 201213 yr QUOTE (Marty34 @ May 31, 2012 -> 05:11 PM) To be fair, things haven't been too good with the Sox since the World Series. This is true. For me a lot of the blame goes to a guy who left town, and who let his ego get in the way of his job. We always knew what Kenny was, homer or strikeout. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But only one time did I ever ask "wtf are you doing", and that was in 07. They won the next season, and shortly after that the Guillen/Williams feud began, and a lot of what was happening was really clouded by what was happening between them. This is how I see things, it could be right it could be wrong.
May 31, 201213 yr There is alot of "I told you so" going on now. Heck I was wrong somne too, but I am darn happy we are winning and that's all I care about. Let's stay on board for awhile
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