fathom

How good is Laird's throwing arm?

QUOTE(TLAK @ Jul 22, 2006 -> 12:34 AM) Our old buddy Hunter Wendelstedt is behind the plate tonight. Could be an interesting evening. This is going to be an ugly series, and I don't necessarily mean the Sox getting their asses kicked by the Rangers.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 22, 2006 -> 12:30 AM) Well it looks like the Twins and Tigers don't feel like losing so we better take care of our own business. Fixed

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:52 PM) Ya, I still go with Neal, especially since he owns Righties and lefties. Thorty is pretty darn good too though. Is Thornton a FA after this year? If so, he's making himself a fortune.

I'd like to make a suggestion to our manager....please shut the hell up about the whole Padilla thing! The last thing we need is for Ozzie to make the incident into such a big deal that the Sunday game will be played with warnings handed out before it starts. I don't know about my fellow Sox fans, but I sure don't want to see Garland face this Rangers line-up with the inside pitch being taken away from him.

Cabrera would drive us absolutely insane. Anyways, I see no way that the Orioles/Mazzone give him up, especially as they're not in contention this season. For some reason, I have a feeling we're going to see a Fields/Lumsden for Gordon trade in the next 10 days.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 05:47 PM) Upton could come up at SS when Lugo is dealt. 29 errors at 3B? Good grief. That doesn't seem his spot either Sweeney IMO is untouchable as viewed by the sox brass. If the sox haven't given up on him yet w/ his lack of power I don't see them giving up now. BMac's not going anywhere. But any other pitching prospect could be dealt. Almost all of Upton's errors were when he was at SS. He makes every play look like a tough play.

Jeff Brantley, considering his run of stupidity, said there should be no doubt that Schilling is the one American League pitcher that should be selected if you need to win a game. Isn't this the same guy who said Papelbon is the player he'd want on his team most, over Pujols?

There's some talk that the Padres and Red Sox are discussing a deal involving Mike Lowell.

QUOTE(TLAK @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 01:30 AM) No but the clock is ticking, if the Tigers play .500 the rest of the way they will finish with 98 wins. The Sox would need to play .600 ball the rest of the way to match them. It could happen. The Tigers are playing .674 ball right now, if they continue the Sox would need to play .750 to tie. Now were talking unlikely. One thing I have learned as a baseball fan, everyday is a new day, you can't tell whats going to happen until it happens. If they get Soriano, like I think they will, the AL is in a lot of trouble.

QUOTE(Brian @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 01:19 AM) Gibbons sucks. Halladay got jobbed. If the Yankees go on to win tonight, this might be the worst baseball day of the season so far. Not a single thing has gone right for the Sox today in regards to teams winning/losing. QUOTE(redandwhite @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 01:25 AM) stuck? Any White Sox fan in there right mind would take him in a heartbeat at those dollar amounts. That would be true, but it will be interesting to see if he can stay healthy. Also, the Red Sox should do everything in their power to make sure he gets as many home starts as possible.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 11:21 PM) For me, I dont know if I should be more scared because of it, or be happier about it, but from everything I saw from the last two weeks, is teams for the most part are not getting the best of us, we are getting the best of ourselves. Hawk says it all the time, and it really is true. The 05 only beat itself a handful of times. The last two games alone were big L's to the 25 man roster. The Tigers STILL dont scare me. For the most part, they played like spiff. We played spiffter. In 6 of our 7 losses during this horrible stretch, we were a clutch hit on offense or a big out by our pitchers away from having a great shot to win the game. I would love to see Ozzie just play our main 9 players in all three of the games this wknd, and see how it goes.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 11:32 PM) And it was a slider that hung, not a curve. Vazquez said so after the game, and most people in the game thread called it correctly as the slider. I was scared to admit it might have been a slider, as you're not going to see a bigger hanging slider than the cookie Monroe got last night. That pitch had no tilt to it at all. FWIW, DJ's been great this year. Hawk's not the easiest person to work with, but he's the best of our four announcers, in my opinion.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 10:57 PM) It's very scary. I was unable to see the game today, however listened to it all outside painting. After the game, I really was just thinking about things, and this is probably the least amount of faith I have had in this team since 04. Even the horrible skid in 05, I hung with it just because of the lead they had built up. This year is different. These last three series, they never really have had the one big hit that they need. There always a hit short or a run away. I hate being so down on this team, but they are making it really hard. Something that I've noticed in the last 10 games or so is that our pitchers can't get that big double play ball in a tight situation like they did so often last year. Instead, our hitters are the ones hitting into double plays in crucial situations that are killing rallies. Of course, the fact that everyone in the field seems a step slow is puzzling also. I have no clue why Crede decided to lob the ball whenever he had to make a throw this series.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 09:49 PM) Interesting. I don't know much about Torrealba. How's his defense? Just curious. I've heard some bad things about his attitude. He does have a pretty strong throwing arm. Miguel Olivo would be perfect as our back-up catcher about now, but I can't see him being brought back (and yes, I know our pitchers didn't like throwing to him). QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 09:52 PM) Awesome post and enjoy the ride. You guys deserve it and I know I'll be pulling for the Tigers to get into the playoffs (obviously not at the expense of the Sox) but both teams are well built and deserving and if they take care of business down the stretch I'll be looking forward to a nice matchup in October. Yep...and it's fun to point out to my fiance that I struck out Granderson a few times in high school.

QUOTE(Zoogz @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 09:15 PM) Quick note from the Tigers fan... You guys realize that the Sox outscored the Tigers through this series, right? That the final game, this one, was a one-run game that could have legitimately went either way as one-run games often do? I saw much the same talk after the Tigers started 0-5 against the Sox, about how the Tigers just could not compete. This is a small sample size. Even smaller than a playoff game. And anything can happen. While I understand that losing sucks, I am still petrified of your team far more than of the streaking Yankees or the Twins. In all seriousness, you guys should be proud of a team that is, in July, doing as well as the Sox are (and have proven themselves winners). As you may have noticed, the Tigers offense is horrid too. The Yankees have an outfield of stiffs and a pitching staff barely held together. The Twins consist of two great pitchers and two great position players. EVERY team has holes, and in all honesty the White Sox' holes are pretty miniscule compared to those teams. I have no clue which way this season will go, but I am still looking forward to an awesome stretch run and fully expecting the Sox to not only heat up but to make a major run. And hey, I hope it happens anyway, as the AL East has been in the playoffs far too long for my tastes anyway. Feel free to direct any additional flames you have my way, I don't mind. Great post. Enjoy your team this year, as they're playing with as much enthusiasm and fun as our great team did last year.

I don't know of anyone who's given up on this team. There were just as many people jumping off the bandwagon after the first week of this season. We're all Sox fans here (for the most part)....if you don't like the way that certain people post, then get over it. QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 09:13 PM) Stick around Ribbie...sure a few people are over-reacting, even if it is the vast majority. We are a good team and if they don't accomplish things this year it will be a dissapointment but hey we won last year and if things don't work out this year (and the odds of us winning it all, while they are good, they are obviously far from a lock) I'm confident in our staff to make thing even better for next year. The one bright spot this year, no matter if we win or lose the rest of our games this year, has been the attendance. The attendance should guarantee a competing roster again next season.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 09:02 PM) First, I'll believe it when I see BA rank him that highly. Second, Jeremy Reed was a top 10 MLB prospect too. Prospects are just maybes. If we can trade him to upgrade the team, we have to do it. Or if we project him to be a MLB all-star like KW suggested, we can keep him, and have a cheap power hitter on a roster full of high salaried guys!

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 09:02 PM) First, I'll believe it when I see BA rank him that highly. Second, Jeremy Reed was a top 10 MLB prospect too. Prospects are just maybes. If we can trade him to upgrade the team, we have to do it. Lets just say I have a great source at BA, and Fields will be rated very highly.

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 08:45 PM) I feel that so many here WANT the White Sox to lose just so they can be proven correct. As one of the posters most notorious for pessimism on this site, I think this comment is 100 pct false.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 08:35 PM) Is he even a top 50 MLB prospect? No. He shouldn't be untouchable. This team CAN win the WS this year. If we can upgrade the team by trading him, then we should. Um, he easily will be in the top 50. Most prospect experts believe he's a top 10 offensive prospect.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 08:25 PM) He has an option for next season. And he's a setup man. Good to hear about the option year. I still don't see why the Padres would trade their set-up man, especially with Hoffman slumping. Fields might not be a great player in the majors, but he could be a very valuable part of our team in the next couple of years. He also gives us leverage in the Crede negotiations. I don't think adding Linebrink makes us a lot better.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 08:23 PM) Fields to San Diego for Linebrink + spect Garcia to the Mets for Heilman McCarthy to the rotation and suddenly I'm feeling a whole hell of a lot better about this team. I'll be sickened if we trade Fields for a middle reliever in his contract year.

I'm actually optimistic about this Rangers series this wknd. We face Wasdin tomorrow, and he's the type of guy we could hit a few homers against. It will be nice for these guys to have the home crowd behind them. Basically, they have to play well the rest of the way to make the playoffs. There's no way they can play .500 ball the rest of the way, and expect to make the playoffs.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 08:07 PM) Interesting #'s Balta thanks for posting it. Goes to show that basically the top of the order was awful. Tigers are taking advantage of every single mistake too. Yes. I've really admired, from a baseball aspect, how they've capitalized on every opportunity they've been given this year. They believe they're going to win games, no matter what the score is in the 6th or 7th inning. Like I said the other day, if they were in the NL, I would be a fan of the team this year.