fathom

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 03:25 AM) There is something very wrong with his line of thinking. He should be getting a lot more crap over this line of thinking than he does. The more the Sox lose, the more people will begin to question Ozzie's strategy (in the media). I'm confident in predicting that if this happens, there will be more than one Ozzie media blow-up. Why can't we just win the rest of our games, and let Ozzie look like a genius.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 03:23 AM) I really can't blame Ozz. Its hard to listen to the stats that say Javy can't get guys out late in the games, when he throws so dominant and had barely been hit for 5 innings. You and I disagreed on this in the thread, but I think we can both agree that if it's a similar situation in his next start, he needs to get pulled before too much damage can be done. We're facing the Twins bullpen...it's not like the KC bullpen where we can afford to fall behind and then catch up.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 03:17 AM) Nope this will repeat again. I guarentee that Javy will be cruising through, and will hit the 6th, Ozzie will think he finally got over the hump. And then 7 runs later we lose. I had to follow the game online tonight, and was comforted knowing Ozzie had Cotts warming up in the 6th inning. Will someone please explain to me why he wasn't brought in to face Morneau?

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 03:01 AM) Ozzie is managing the same way he did last year. He's going to do some ridiculous things but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt after 2005. We've had a number of players underachieving, or just simply playing like spiff, so I'm going to put the blame on them. This goes for any manager.....when your starting pitchers are overachieving and doing great, it's a lot easier to manage. QUOTE(daa84 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 03:04 AM) this is the first time i really have come on here and said that ozzie is to blame for something...but the decision to pitch to mauer in the 6th was one of the most blatant examples of mismanaging ive seen in quite some time.....3-1 count, runners on 2nd and third, a guy hitting .380 at the plate and you pitch to him??? If it was Matt Stairs, he would have walked him.

This offense certainly could use a boost. The whole team is just going through the motions. All I know is that when your offense is struggling, and you face a team with a great bullpen, you need to manage with a greater since of urgency. Vazquez has now allowed 35 runs in 30 innings after 75 pitches.

No matter what happens, it's Leyland.

A manager is only as good as his player's execution though. If your team can't get a hit with RISP to save their life, you're going to lose a lot of games. I'm not going to get started on his use of Vazquez though. I don't understand why our worst starter has the longest leash.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 02:06 AM) Nice 3-1 big fat "hit me" pitch by Cotts there. This is why Minnesota has been winning and the Sox haven't lately, they execute when they have opportunities. Sox don't, on either side of the ball ... either bad pitches or failure to come thru with the clutch hit. The Twins and Tigers are playing superior baseball to us. When Tyner and Punto are looking like Rod Carew at the plate, you know things are going right. It's real simple...either we start playing better, or we won't make the playoffs. The last thing we can afford to do is fall 3 or 4 games behind the Twins. As was shown in the past, it's very hard to make up games on a team where 2/5 of the rotation is nasty.

I think Vaz could actually resemble Shields if he was a 2 inning reliever, but I'm sure we won't do it.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:57 AM) I've never seen his 2 seamer look so crisp, he was blowing it right by hitters. Then he hit the 6th and it all went to spiff. Once I saw on yahoo that Punto led off the 6th with a single, it really was deja vu from the Tigers game all over again.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:56 AM) So what's worse, the Vazquez trade or the Todd Ritchie trade? Too early to tell. There's still some hope for Vazquez, and we don't know how good Young will become. The thing I don't get is that after focusing on getting winning, grinder type players, we brought in someone notorious for not being a "winner". Damn that golf tournament that Ozzie and Vazquez were at.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:54 AM) Can someone give Ozzie a brain transplant? Javy had no business finishing the 6th, much less starting the 7th. It was clear that he was done, as he was in his last start. And yet Ozzie lets him start a new fire in the 7th. Ozzie isn't a horrible manager, but this kind of decision (which is makes too often) is pure incomptence. Leaving him in after the Cuddyer homer goes against the way that Ozzie has managed his struggling guys in the past.

Terrible...simply terrible. According to good baseball people like jason, he had his good stuff again tonight. It's so disturbing that he's had great stuff the last two games, and still had his typical 3rd time thru problems.

How can Vazquez get the win if he's still not out there?

BTW, Vazquez has given up 33 ER in 30 innings this year after pitch 75.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:49 AM) Why is Gload in the lineup? Is Dye hurt? Isn't Makowiak a better corner OF option? Dye probably got the day off cause he looked bad against Padilla, even though Padilla has had his number all year. Dye had struggled against Radke in his career, but he's hit a couple of homers against him the last few times we've faced him. I have absolutely no clue why Mackowiak isn't playing in RF over Gload. He's better in every single aspect.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:45 AM) Ditto And where did our offense go? It's homer or nothing. In July, we're actually 2nd in all of baseball in homers hit. However, our offense has struggled the last few weeks. This is the last negative thing I'll say about the Vazquez debacle...no one makes a lead disappear quicker than Vazquez.

I just want to know why Ozzie had Cotts warming up if he didn't intend to use him?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:40 AM) He made the pitches, the only exceptoin was Morneu hit a semi hitable pitch (still a decent pitch in which Morneau hit ofut off the end of his bat). Cuddyer's pitch was a good pitch. 3 runs is not the worse thing in the world over 6 innings and his stuff looks fabulous. You can't expect shutouts every game and all you can ask is for a guy to make his pitches and keep a team in the game. Thus far Javy has done just that. And not to slam on ya, but considering your listening to the game (or thats my assumption since you talked about Singleton) I find it hard for you to comment on him choking if you haven't seened the pitches. Yeah, I'm following it online. See my last post...facing Cuddyer was fine. However, if you have Cotts up in the pen, there's not a chance in hell he should have been allowed to stay in. The 3rd time thru the lineup is murder on this guy, and Ozzie just gave him the chance to get the loss.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:39 AM) I dont know why people are upset with Ozzie... this guy is apposed to be a top of the line starter... a manager shouldnt have to pull him out after 5 scoreless innings. Because it's been a pattern in way too many of his starts. I don't mind him staying in to face Cuddyer. However, I don't have the slightest clue why he was left in to face Morneau. I don't freaking care if he's unable to get the win. The Sox getting the win is a lot more important.

So Ozzie doesn't bring in Cotts? Brilliant managing. It must be great to be friends with Ozzie.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 01:37 AM) See how open I am to changing things. I've seen a lot out of this kid to completely change my mind on him. It would just be great for him to actually not choke in the middle innings. The 3rd time thru the lineup really kills him.

The MM strikes again. Our inability to score a run without the use of a homer is killing us again tonight.

Outside of Iguchi's homer yesterday, I can't remember the last time we got a hit with RISP and 2 outs.

2-0 in the 6th....deja vu? BTW, was there any chance for Anderson to tag up on Iguchi's blooper? It's amazing how awful Singleton is doing PBP.