fathom

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:24 PM) That's why I love the Rangers and O's. Ha, well said.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:20 PM) I meant it in terms of taking on SMART contracts. I'd like to have Zito for the remaining two months of the season, but unless the Sox can get actual face value (I.E. not a five year contract for 10+ million/year) for his services in the re-sign department, I wouldn't even bother to try and keep him. Ok, fair enough. However, Zito could tear his labrum tomorrow, and he'd still likely get over 10 million per year. I think he'll get a 4 yr, 60 mil contract this offseason.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:15 PM) Well, the alternative is to pee away the season while our pitchers try and figure out what's wrong. I don't want to watch that for the rest of the year because Lance Broadway express might hit the Cell 2 years from now with a 4.5 ERA. Also, I can't for the life me imagine why someone who is willing to give up Josh Fields for Scott friggin' Linebrink wouldn't want to give up Fields and Broadway for Zito. First, Linebrink has an option for next year. KW's recent moves show he's trying to load up our relief core for a few years. And in regards to peeing away our season, I think KW/Ozzie are going to live and die with the 25 man roster we have right now. One of the hardest things to do as a GM or Manager is to admit that something isn't working or someone might be a bad fit.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:12 PM) Twist my words any way you like. I thought you meant that re-signing Zito wouldn't be impossible because payroll isn't too big of an issue. You said that money isn't an issue anymore. I'm not sure how else I should take that statement.

EVERYONE in the baseball industry knows that Zito won't sign during the season. I'll be shocked if he doesn't end up in NY next season. QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:09 PM) Ahh, so you were being sarcastic? Unless we unloaded like 2 or 3 high-priced players from the team, it would be very hard for Zito to fit into the budget.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:06 PM) How do you figure that? They wanted McCarthy. We could have gotten Soriano if we offered Fields, Broadway, and another prospect. Also, if money isn't an issue like he said it was, then we don't need McCarthy.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:21 PM) Then it comes down to making any package that doesn't include McCarthy. Plus I don't think money is really a big issue anymore. If it's not an issue, then we really screwed up in not trading for and re-signing Soriano.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:57 PM) Yes, very much so. There is room for one bad player. Especially a rookie. Stats from Uribe like he is putting up are just completely unacceptable. If we had a decent, hell, even someone like .265/.340/.450 at short, we'd be a lot better. BA has also more than made up for his lack of offense to start the year on defense. I'm just not going to respond to this argument anymore.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:42 PM) As far as Zito's free agent status, I think we would have money to re-sign him if we wanted to do so. The way things look now, we're not going to have much money at all to spend to upgrade the team. I believe we already have about 100 million locked up in 13 players.

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:48 PM) well, we have 3 against the Royals and the Twins have 3 against the Rangers. It would be real nice to pick up 2 games on the Twins here. And the Yanks play the Blue Jays, but they miss Halladay. Have no fear though, we'll get him over the wknd.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:43 PM) How so? I don't feel Brian is the problem. It's Pods. He's terrible, and doesn't belong on a playoff caliber team. Neither does Juan Uribe. You say Brian isn't a problem, but you say Uribe doesn't belong on a playoff caliber team? WOW!

If anyone heard a post game press conference with Ozzie, can you please let me know if they asked why he didn't have his middle infield back at double play depth? After seeing the replay just now, that's absolutely pathetic managing.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:29 PM) Obviously Jenks deserves blame for blowing it, but he shouldn't have had to pitch yesterday, and today if Vasquez AND Cotts weren't so fishing awful, maybe Jenks wouldn't have been needed today either. The problem remains the pitching, and to be honest I can't blame Ozzie all that much since it seems like in big spots, no matter who is out there seems to figure out a way to suck. Something that Jenks is going to have to improve upon is his bounce-back ability from game to game. His stuff really tails off if he has to pitch two games in a row. When you're a closer, you can't really afford for this to happen too often. The big boy needs to get himself in better shape.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:30 PM) The Royals would light him up now. Their offense has been much better the last two months or so. Yeah, Hawk was promoting them like they're world-beaters.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:18 PM) I would not do this deal, unless BA or Jones were going to be playing left. Our CF is fine, its the LF that is the problem. Man, have our expectations to have a championship caliber team gone down.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:21 PM) PFB "I cant blame ozzie for not pulling Vazquez, I mean if he is cruising through 5 and just loses it. Its kind of hard to explain. Lets just get them next time" I dont think that Rongey actually is in the studio, I think he just hits play on the same crap he used from Javys last start, because it looks to be the same to me. If you take a step back and think about it, it's absolutely amazing that the thing about Vazquez that EVERYONE complained about after his last start came back and haunted us again today. Even the biggest Ozzie supporters seem livid about his managing today. QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:22 PM) Because we would avoid the upcoming epic battle of some bum named Halladay and Cy Wrong Javy. Can that game please be rained out.

I'm surprised we didn't alter our rotation after the ASB to make sure that Vazquez faced the Royals in this upcoming series.

QUOTE(Jake @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:17 PM) I guarantee Jenks through a significantly larger amount of pitches than Thornton, not to mention Thornton has kicked their asses. I was saying how dumb it was to put Jenks in before we even brought him in. At least wait till Thornton gets in trouble. Nonetheless, Vazquez should have been pulled in the 6th after letting a batter reach base. Not after spiff goes south. It's a debate between Mr. Optimism and Mr. Pessimism, and I'm sticking up for Ozzie.

QUOTE(Friend of Nordhagen @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:17 PM) Yes, The Ronge (I refuse to call him The Ranger because I think it's another lame nickname concocted by Ed Farmer) just "can't figure it out" with Javier. Memo to The Ronge: Javier is dogdung. Vazquez is the opposite of what a grinder is.

QUOTE(Jake @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:12 PM) This is Ozzie's fault. Pitching Bobby for a third straight day after he's looked like spiff the past two days is just stupid. I'm getting sick of this "He's my closer so he will always close" bullspiff. We should have left Thornton in, he only threw 7 pitches the inning before and threw just 1/3 of an inning each of our previous 2 games, not to mention how dominating he has looked. I could just imagine the outrage on here if he left in Thornton, and he blew the game. Thornton had pitched in all 3 games this wknd, and it doesn't matter how many innings he threw. For relievers, they typically end up throwing more pitches warming up in the bullpen than they do on the mound.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:04 PM) Had the Sox actually won today, I would have called it a good win. Difference from yesterday is that my expectations for Vazquez are basically non-existant, and any game won by the Sox with Vazquez on the mound is a good performance. This team was so fun to watch through the end of May. Then you realized the pitching really wasn't that good and now we're just bad in general. Frustrating season so far. I just hate that the Yankees made a huge upgrade today, and it sounds like the Twins will do something prior to the deadline.

I haven't seen anyone that's solely blamed Jenks for the loss. However, he did blow the save today. He does deserve a lot of the blame. It's his job to get the final 3 outs of the game, and he didn't. He's struggled recently, and we need him to get confidence in his curveball again. He's been great this year though, and we'd be in a lot of trouble if he didn't contribute the way he has so far.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 08:57 PM) I'm glad we're not getting Abreu, I just don't think he's as good as people say. If it's possible, he's turned into the most underrated, overrated player in baseball.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 08:56 PM) If not, could we banish Vazquez to Siberia. He'd get about half way there, and then his boat or flight would implode.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 08:54 PM) My dream is to pick the paper tomorrow and read the headline ... VAZQUEZ DFA I'd rather see we traded him for a team willing to pick up his whole contract.