southsideirish71

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 01:57 PM) By most estimates, Iran is a few years off of getting nukes. I very much doubt that Mahmoud is President for that long, or that the situation remains as it is until that time comes. We'll see what happens, Badger. The North Koreans were a few years away from getting Nukes, then this pakistani scientist who needed some extra cash came by. Now we have these same North Koreans who have nukes, and what do they need. Maybe some Oil. Oil sure is getting expensive especially for a communist isolated state. But what could they barter for oil, maybe some technology transfer with a like minded country. The Iranians and the North Koreans are already working on missles together, why not a helping hand with some of the difficult technology issues of building a nuclear weapon. And you realize that Iran isnt going to fly a plane over to Israel to drop a single bomb like at Hiroshima. They arent going to also fire a missle. The same way that the rockets that Hezbollah is getting came over, a crate will come over, and maybe a van will park somewhere in downtown Tel Aviv and just boom. Mushroom cloud, and no trace and plausible deniability.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 01:53 PM) Neither pitcher feels comfortable pitching up and in on a lefty. Thornton's slider is coming around, but it's still not reliable. Cotts, on the other hand, seems to have completely lost his offspeed pitch, and that's why he's getting smacked around. Thornton has been real good this year. He pretty much gets 2 quick strikes on just about everyone, then for the most part blows the guy away with heat. With his kind of fastball when he goes up with it, its hard for anyone to get ahold of it. I wish he and Jenks would let their fastball fly more up. The big thing between the two of them, just pitch ahead and throw hard. If they keep out of hitting counts I take my chances with their stuff. Their only achiles heel is when they start walking guys and then have to aim their fastball. Thats when they get hurt. It doesnt happen that often for them. Cotts I dont know whats up with him. His fastball still looks good. His location is not good though. Unlike Thornton his fastball isnt as explosive. So when he throws it up and over the plate he gets hurt early in the count. On lefties he has a similiar pattern to Marte last year, not throwing in, and getting behind hitters. With his 3 quarters motion he should be owning lefties. I would like to see Cotts learn a cutter over the offseason. Its the one pitch that I think can help him dominate as a reliever. If he has one, then he needs to throw it more. Running that cutter in on righties hands would be nice.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 01:44 PM) So dont pitch inside or outside, and we will win? Just dont pitch to a specific pattern. Pretty much on 2 strikes with a lefty on lefty we seem always go low and away. We need to mix up the pattern a bit. After 2 strikes, the hitter is looking for a zone just to put the bat on the ball. When they know what the zone is already, its just looking for roation at that point.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 12:44 PM) The pitch Teahan deposited in RF was up an inside to my eyes. That was the homer, the one in the 7th inning was low and away. He hit that one to left center.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 12:37 PM) So, in other words, it's ok for Israel to level ANYONE's backyard, because Hezbollah is making use of some people's back yards. so what is your suggestion to take care of this. We have a terrorist organization launching missles from the saftey and cover of a neighborhood. Negotiations. Sure nothing like negotiating with terrorists. Maybe after 9/11 we should of sat down and asked Al Queda for a peace treaty, and never bombed Afganistan. Maybe Haifa should just get used to the weapons raining down on them. The bomb shelter people could make a killing. If this was happneing in the US and these missles were raining down on your home or your families home, I doubt if you would be sitting here asking for restraint.

Actually a lot of our pitchers get beat on the low and away pitch instead of going in. Thornton got beat the other night by Teahan on a low and away pitch with 2 strikes. Jenks got beat a couple of times with that methodology. Cotts has been getting murdered on the low and away pitch.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 11:19 AM) The pitching is tired. What did everyone expect? We had guys with the highest load of innings last year, and two guys in the WBC. They are extremely tired, and our offense is not very consistent. We just have to hope that we can pull of the WC and hope we get hot in the playoffs. Thats our only hope. Vazquez isnt tired. For the price of talent we paid, and the price that we pay him he was supposed to be a top of the rotation type pitcher. If he pitched to at least like a 3 or 4 we would be okay. But he is pitching like Danny Wright or Felix Diaz. Hopefully this new magic arm angle that coop has been working on will get him to pitch better. Who knows. Garcia or Buerhle should of been shut down for a period of time to get a rest. Its what we did last year to keep El Duque and his 100 year old arm fresh. That was the entire reason for having bmac as an ace in the hole this year. It would of required one more bullpen move. I expected them to pitch to their career norms, not have career years. If they pitched to their career norms we would be sitty pretty.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 09:44 AM) Maybe next start Garcia will start pitching up to his potential. Or perhaps the one after that. I know it's coming, we're only in August. I am just waiting for Freddy to unload his 90s heat from the first inning through the end of his game. The hitting 80s for most of the game, and humming in a 92 mph fastball once in a while is disturbing. Why cant this healthy big pitcher throw hard for an entire game anymore.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Aug 3, 2006 -> 01:05 AM) This is why were 8 1/2 games behind Detroit. How many times have we taken the first two games of a series only to lay an egg in the finale? I'm thinking atleast 8 or 9 times. Detroit usually sweeps a team after winning the first two. Our bullpen has fallen apart after pitching so well for a while. We just can't seem to get the starters and 'pen goin' at the same time. How we have played against the bottom feeders vs Detroit is exactly why we are 8 1/2 games down. We went down to Tampa and lost 2 out of 3. They just went down to tampa and took 2 out of 3. The tigers are 11-1 against the Royals, we are 8-4. Thats 4 games right there.

QUOTE(chimpy2121 @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 11:16 PM) The tarp is off the field. Baseball at 11:30. Well we better figure out how to hit in the next 14 minutes.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 11:11 PM) It's KW's fault more than Ozzie's. If he is a five inning guy then implodes he does not belong on a major league roster. If Oz has him to use, he's got to be able to go 6-7. Managers play the guys on the roster. It ain't his fault Vaz has sucked. We are trying to win and get into the postseason. If he cant pitch past the 6th without blowing up, then why keep putting him out there. This is not like this is a fluke. His ERA is his for a reason. He has an over 10 ERA past 75 pitches for a reason. So just saying he's got to be able to go 6-7 then trot him out. Hang up the season then, and lets regroup for next year. Because between he and Freddy we have to slug our way to each victory.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 10:30 PM) Hawk and DJ talking like the game is over... is it? This game was over the minute Freddy decided to light up the gun with his medicore fastball. If a crappy hitting team can light up Freddy what will the Yanks do. Oh wait we already know the answer to that.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 10:26 PM) Are you serious? You are blaming Ozzie for Vaz's mediocrity/spifftiness? My god. Well if Ozzie figures out that Javy can only go 5 innings that will be using him correctly. Going past 5 innings is dumb.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 10:23 PM) I would have to agree. Nine games and up would take a MONUMENTAL choke by the Tigers. It's gonna be a dogfight for the wild card. We're going to have to play GOOD baseball to land a postseason spot. We won't be able to trickle in by playing .500 or .480. Damn. This team messed up with playing like crap over the last month. We had a big lead, and decided to choke. Now we will have to play great ball for the rest of the year hopefully to get in. The division is done. The only way we win is if either Detroit just chokes, or they play 500 and we play 800 ball.

QUOTE(knightni @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 10:16 PM) This is pointless guys. Boo, no reality in this thread.

Can we make this a Freddy and Javy thread. They both suck. They both get too much rope.

So how long before Ozzie becomes a good between the lines manager. He pulled Buerhle sure quick as hell last night. But then again, Buerhle isnt married to a relative.

this must be to make up for the fact that he forgot to pull Freddy before he detonated. Just like he will forget again to take Vazquez out on Saturday when he reaches the sixth. Our bullpen has the lowest amount of innings in the american league, yet we keep trying to get our tired starters into the 8th inning. He let Contreras throw over 120 pitches on Monday. And now we let Fastball Freddy get to pitch to a guy who jacked him the last AB.

Why is Ozzie making pitching changes now. Stupid!!!!!!!!

Lets walk the crappy fast hitter.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 2, 2006 -> 09:31 PM) But Garcia had a chance for the win, and that's all that really matters, no? Ozzie loves giving his starters the opportunity to win the game. One day he might try and get the team the win.

And that should be game. The ball that bounces in, is not the one you swing at Joe. Nice job by the O and D and Ozzie tonight. Another game dropped to a crappy Royals team.

Swing the bat Joe.

Okay ump. Lets break this up.

Hit the ball crede quickly. Lets go. Times clicking.