South Side Fireworks Man

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 01:53 PM) That sums up Andy Gonzalez...warning track power, not much speed. Well, in his first two AB's today he hit the ball solidly twice, got one hit and scored a run. That's better than most of the Sox veterans lately.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 01:38 PM) I'd rather have him put the ball in play. The SS might bobble it, or throw it away. Either way, Fields and Dye both failed with a runner in scoring position. The only difference is Fields is here from AAA because of an injury, and Dye is supposed to be one of our main cogs in the offense. Iguchi is getting slower.

QUOTE(rafacosta @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 01:34 PM) He K'd...is this not worse than GO? The GO to the shortstop isn't any better and can actually be worse than a K with a guy on 2B.

Toby Hall fitting right in, LOL!

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 01:33 PM) Pretty impressive speed by Terrero. I'm all for giving him the chance to start the rest of this year. I agree.

Oh, for a wild pitch right here!

Terrero and Carlos Lee coming through big for our Sox!!!

Well, at least Fields didn't do any worse than Dye.

Here comes our prospect Fields. C'mon Josh, show 'em how it's done.

Paulie comes through with a double! Time for Dye to step up. Dye fails.....yet again.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 01:22 PM) This is already a long season...I guess it can't get much worse. I suffered through the 1970 season. Believe me, it can get worse! Buehrle with a no-no after two innings. Six up, six down.

Nice job, Andy. Thome needs to give us a lift right here. Softly hit. We need our Captain to pick it up right now. Picked off. Typical 2007 Sox inning.

Can someone look up and post how many game winning hits or RBI's to take the lead Thome has? Maybe that would convince me that I'm wrong if he's near the top in those categories. In 2005, Carl Everett led the league most of the year in driving in runs to take the lead. That's why he was nicknamed "The Chauffer" by DJ. That's what I mean by "clutch", not OBP or OPS.

QUOTE(vandy125 @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 12:50 PM) Can't anyone just admit that they are wrong? Goodness. I cannot even fathom to understand how you would say that Thome has been bad. If you are looking for times when someone fails, you are going to find it. Especially in hitting a baseball. Stop looking at one or two situations that he may have failed and look at his whole body of work. Where did I say Thome has been "bad"? I said he, along with Konerko and Dye haven't carried this team like they are supposed to. When was the last time Thome got a clutch hit late in the game before yesterday? People on this board constantly whine and b**** when Uribe fouls off a cookie, or Cintron strikes out with men on base, but if the guys who are expected to carry the bulk of the offense would come through no one would notice the eighth or ninth place hitters coming up short. This forum is full of whiners, quitters and eternal pessimists that almost never say anything positive or optimistic. I'm not among them. But when I point out that the middle of the offense has been the major problem, and Thome, although his numbers are good hasn't stepped up and carried this team, people take major offense. I guess the general consensus the is the whole team sucks except Thome, who can do no wrong. In summary, here's my point: I just want to see Thome come through like he did yesterday more often. If he does, the Sox will start winning some games again.

I watch the games, not the stat sheets. I've seen Thome come up numerous times this year in key situations and fail. Yesterday was one of the few times I've seen him come through in the clutch, especially that late in the game. When was the last time he did that in the eighth or ninth inning of a close game? He may be the tallest midget in the Sox offense right now, but he along with Dye and Konerko are supposed to carry this offense. QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 01:17 AM) Why should I or anyone else for that matter take anything you post seriously anymore? And why should I give a s*** what you take seriously or what you think about anything? EDIT: PS Watch Thome have a big day today and come through with a big clutch hit, and a few posters here will sarcastically bring up what I wrote. Well, the fact is, I expect Thome, along with Konerko and Dye to carry this team and come through in the clutch. That's why I'm so disappointed that they heven't been. And regardless of how well they do from this point on, what I posted still stands: The main reason the Sox are off to a poor start this season is the Sox offense, namely the middle of the order, Thome, Dye and Konerko, not producing like they were expected to do.

QUOTE(bigred3535 @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 12:23 AM) Can Thome, Dye or Konerko strike out Lance Berkman? None of them have been performing up to standards set last year (except perhaps Thome) but the blame for this team falls evenly among every single player, as well as the coaches and management. Sox pitching performed well enough to win Saturday. The offense let them down--again. The Sox offense hasn't performed all season. The starting pitching has been solid and the bullpen performed well earlier in the year. Even in recent games that the bullpen blew leads, the Sox offense didn't show up. The responsibility for this team's dismal record falls squarely on the shoulders of Dye, Konerko and Thome. They are paid big money and are counted on to carry the offense. Collectively, they have sucked all season so far.

Thome, Dye and Konerko need to step up and carry this team like they're supposed to. The responsibility for this team's success or failure falls squarely on their shoulders.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Jun 9, 2007 -> 06:07 PM) Those weren't straight fastballs from Jenks, they were that cutter-type pitch that moves down-and-in. Last outing against New York he was hitting a legit 96 on the gun -- that's probably the last thing you should be worried about at this point. Boone Logan rocks, and nice game for Fields today. I now await the Jermaine Dye or Mark Buehrle trade. This team is losing games to bad teams in the NL Central. Time to throw in the towel, although I know the Sox can't really afford to white flag it so early in the season. That "hit" to lead off the ninth should have been scored an error on Fields. Jenks didn't pitch that badly. Boone Logan is solid. What a novelty for the Sox bullpen this year. They're not going to get anything for Dye at this point. Dye and Konerko have been killing the Sox so far. I was pleasantly surprised Thome got a clutch hit in the eighth, as he seldom does that so late in a close game. That's what he gets the big bucks for. Well, I've tried to stay optimistic about this season, but unfortunately it looks like the Sox really do suck. Looks like the window has definitely closed. Too bad they won't even be able to rebuild by having a "fire sale" because they won't get much for guys like Dye, Crede and Iguchi now.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jun 9, 2007 -> 10:41 AM) Dye's problem now is that he can't catch up to fastballs. Yeah, but if he can sit on them, maybe he can catch up to them and putting him second may allow him to do that. He'll never get his swing back if he's always caught in between. Batting him second for a while may be what he needs. If he can't catch up to fastballs when sitting on them, then he's through anyway. I doubt if he's through yet. QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 9, 2007 -> 10:43 AM) Keep Iguchi in the 2nd spot, as he's been hitting better and we all know he doesn't really adjust to change well. Let Mackowiak leadoff. Nah.

Here's the lineup I would try for the next few days: Iguchi Dye Thome Konerko Pierzynski Fields Mackowiak Terrero Gonzalez Iguchi is probably our best option to lead off right now and looks like his bat is coming around. Maybe batting Dye second will cause him to see more fastballs and allow him to break out of his slumber. Terrero is the best option to play CF, and it's time to see what Gonzalez can do at SS and at the plate. He can't be any worse than what we've been getting lately anyway.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 8, 2007 -> 07:51 PM) Another start where Danks has little command. Soriano has 3 homers thru 4 innings. It must be nice to have the money to go out and get the top free agents. JR had the money to get Soriano or anybody else that was available. He just wouldn't let Kenny spend it. QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 8, 2007 -> 09:28 PM) Terrible game for Thome. He's been worthless this season against LHP. Last season too.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 11:20 PM) The problem is, what do we blow up? With injuries, we're playing Fields, Owens, Terrero. We got no minor league ss to replace Uribe do we? If we trade starters, we'll just be weak there to go with our weak bullpen. So what do we do? Trade Dye for what? Trade Mark B for what? Remember the talk of dynasty after we won it all? That seems so stupid right now. That's the problem. The guys you would be trading in a fire sale are the ones that are the very reason the Sox currently suck. You're not going to get anything for guys like Dye, Crede and Iguchi now. Who else are they going to get rid of? Mackowiak? Cintron? MacDougal? Bukvich? Who are they going to get for those guys? Best thing that can happen is for the Sox hitters to start hitting like they have in the past. Then they'll start winning games. If around the trade deadline these guys have been producing and they still appear to be out of it, then is the time to trade them off. Hopefully if they start producing soon enough, the Sox can get back into the pennant race and we can be buyers at the deadline for something that can put us over the top. I'm not holding my breath, though.

QUOTE(My Dixie Normus @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 10:19 PM) Opening Day Lineup 2008. Owens CF Crawford LF Dye RF Konerko 1b Thome DH AJP C Iguchi 2b Fields 3b Uribe SS Garland Contreras Vazquez Danks Gio Gonzalez or FA signing? Yuck.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 10:11 PM) Buehrle is the best player possibly available. Even a mediocre GM could get a lot of value for him. Tell me whom the Sox can realistically get for him, and then tell me how much those prospects are going to improve the Sox' chances of making the playoffs the next couple of years.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 10:01 PM) We're now 7.5 games out of the division lead, and after Detroit's inevitable victory, 5.5 games out of the wildcard lead with five teams to jump. If this exact scenario is unchanged in July, I expect Williams to sell off Buehrle and -- to his best efforts -- Dye. This ballclub isn't winning anything, anytime soon. Sooner Williams realizes it, the sooner he can prepare for the future. If they don't turn things around soon, there is no future--at least not for a long time. They're not going to get anything for Dye the way he's playing so far. They probably won't get much for Buehrle either. Prospects are suspects, and nobody is going to give blue chip prospects for guys who are underperforming. If guys like Dye, Iguchi, Crede, Konerko and even Buerhle were performing well, the Sox would be right near the top and there would be no need to sell them off. If they don't begin to perform soon, you're not going to get anything for them.