fathom

No thanks, I'll pass on paying Maggs like 12 million for next year on a knee that no one is really confident that will maintain its strength. With our budget, no way we can take such a huge risk. If you want to keep the fans, then go sign a big name free agent like Beltran (never happen), Pedro (never happen), or Roberto Alomar!

There's been a lot of talk lately about how Ozzie wants the Sox to become a defensive, pitching, and speed team in the future. Am I the only one that doesn't think that this is a very good approach playing at the bandbox that is U.S. Cellular? First, getting these types of players will take a lot of personnel moves in the offseason, which will be hard to do on a team with about 5 or 6 big contracts. Teams like the Rockies and Brewers tried to change their philosophies from power to speed, and it didnt work out very well since they both play in great hitting parks also. If Ozzie gets these types of players, it will mean more bunting and reliance on starting pitching. Since the previous Sox teams have been such a contrast to Ozzie's wishes, you really have to wonder why KW hired Ozzie when he had this current Sox roster. Now, I know people will look at the Angels team, and say that's how we should model ourselves after. However, their payroll is a lot higher than ours will ever be, and they caught lighting in a bottle the year they won the WS with K-Rod coming up like he did. I just don't think that playing in a offensive ballpark means that you need to alter the roster in order to make it more competitive in road games, etc., where you don't hit as many homers. If the Sox want consistency, then they need it from the top of the organization all the way down. No more tinkering with the lineup on a regular basis, and keep to the organizational plans. A good example of not keeping to this plan is acquiring Carl Everett, who is about the complete opposite of the type of player that Ozzie wants on his team.

Hey danman, do you know if N. Herron will play this wknd for Northwestern? Got him on my fantasy team, and want to know if I should start him. Thanks

I honestly think that if Johan keeps up his string, the Twins have a solid shot at winning the world series. They hit good enough that they can manufacture 2-3 runs a game during the playoffs, and their defense wont lose them games. If they can pitch Johan 2 games a series, then I really think they have a decent shot.

Exactly, for as much s*** as Ozzie talks about other people (Buck, etc.), he sure has let him team act like a bunch of pansies this year.

Ozzie left Garcia in for one batter too long....again. Remember, Garcia has only pitched once in like a month.

Am I the only one pissed off that we finally decide to do something about Hunter about 2 months and 10 games in the standings after the collision? We had 2 1/2 games to send a message, and we acted like a bunch of pussies. Now, when it doesnt matter, we hit him.

Well, you might want to look at Pierre's stats for his career, and rethink that statement. Pierre has never hit below .287 in his career, and 3 of his 4 full major league seasons were above .300. Pierre also has never had a full season below 46 stolen bases, and has always hit more triples than Willie has.

It's not like Willie Harris is really that young of a player like everyone is describing. He's 26 years old this season. Not only that, he's batting .185 vs lhp, and his overall slugging percentage is .323. If Willie was more like someone like Juan Pierre, I'd have a lot more hope for him. One of the biggest concerns I have with Harris is that he just isn't a very good hitter. He doesnt hit the ball very hard, and when he tries to chop it (like Luis Castillo), he doesnt hit it hard enough to get it out of the infield.

I must be the only one that doesn't believe Willie Harris is a long-term option for the Sox. He could be a valuable bench player/pinch runner, but I don't think he is MLB caliber to start at 2b.

The more I read things about Kenny Williams, the more it seems like he just doesn't have a solid plan for this organization. He seems to manage the personnel of the Sox like they're a high budget team, but in reality, they're a middle of the pack budget organization. He continues to trade away promising young players for costlier veterans, which is not the way to manage a budget sufficiently. Luck at the Cubs for example. They keep trading away their future starters in Choi, Hill, etc in order to get higher priced guys. Then, when their contracts are up, they're left without their prospects, and they have to empty their pockets for high priced players. You would think that with all of the players that the Sox will likely lose to free agency, they'd have a lot of flexibility to sign some players. However, KW has saddled himself with some pretty big contracts (Buehrle, Garcia, Contreras, Lee, Everett, Thomas, and Konerko) that will likely hamper the organization in the off-season. The fact that there are written reports (even though they might not be true) that KW was interested in trading McCarthy at beginning of the year, and Sweeney for Cliff Floyd, really worries me about his/organizational's ability to scout young players. You would think that with all the prospects that KW has traded the last few years, they would have a lot more talent at the major league level than they currently do.

The Blue Jays signed Catalanotto to a 2 yr, 5.4 million dollar extension today. So much for him on the team next year. Not too upset though, he can't play defense a lick, and we have enough DH.

I've hated Timo this entire year, yet other Sox fans complain about my criticism of him. Yes, he's had some clutch hits this year, but in the games that he's started, he's play like s*** for the most part. His defense, in terms of range, is absolutely awful. He plays deep, and lacks any speed to make up on bad jumps. One of the reason I think Sox fans think Timo is so great is that Hawk is a huge fan of Timos. It seems like Hawk believes Timo can do no wrong. I've even seen some fans that want Timo starting in RF next year. Please god no Timo starting! Great write up on him Cheat.

Oh boy, another 2 years of this at 14 million. Contreras needs a lot of work to be successful in this league.

Two things: - Willie Harris is not that fast - How sad is it that the Sox organization has praised Grilli for how he's performed with the Sox this year. His era is 6.5!

then how the f*** is Valentin not in Ozzie's doghouse? There are so many questions that need to be answered.

Another day, another day of having Valentin in the lineup. Another day, another day of no Joe Borchard in the lineup. What exactly is Ozzie thinking about in regards to the season now?

Another thing I've noticed about Willie is that his speed doesn't really make him a tough out like other fast guys like Ichiro, Patterson, and Figgins. He cant bunt for s***, doesnt really have the slap swing down, and basically doesnt hit the ball hard enough to make infielders have to move alot. I really do question sometime if he even is that fast? He looks like he should be fast, but how often does he really beat out infield grounders? Look at Patterson, an infielder cant take 2 steps without a bang-bang play at first.

A huge problem I see with Willie is the amount of times that he strikes out looking. A little more aggressiveness from Harris would do him wonders at the plate.

Baj in line for unfortunate loss . Will someone please tell me though why we let Vlad just walk into 2b? It's not the 9th inning in a tie game. That one run could be huge against Percival.

It's a shame Valentin wasnt in to face K-Rod. I would really like his chances to get a hit.

Why not keep Timo on the bench, and then ph him in situations where he can do the most damage? I would have absolutely no problem w/Timo ph for Borchard in a situation like that.

Uribe won the game against Donnelly, not K-Rod. The Sox tied it in the 8th off of K-Rod, but Donnelly got the lost in the 9th. So, suck on that Tony. JK

Classy, very classy

If KW, Ozzie, and company really think Borchard will amount to nothing, then KW should be fired on the spot for giving up Reed. The thing is, what's there to lose by playing Borchard right now? Maybe he hits 10 homers the rest of the way, and his trade value goes through the roof.