TaylorStSox

They're certainly likable. I'm even warming up to AJ.

Forehead just said it was the 7th ex-Met to throw a perfect game. Is that true? Now that's how you identify talent! f***in Mets. They're like the Clippers with uglier uniforms.

That was awesome. I was scared to post in the game thread. Ryan's a b**** for trying to draw a walk in that situation. Swing the bat, dickhead.

Closer in a non save situation = just plain stupid.

Going to left more seems to be helping Dunn. His timing looks better.

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Apr 20, 2012 -> 10:25 PM) Just turned it on....was Sale effectively wild tonight? Looked at the box score and he seemed to throw a lot of balls..but 11 Ks? Good to see Dunn with a 2B & homer. Threw a lot of sliders. It was working pretty well.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 20, 2012 -> 10:14 PM) Just going by his minor league track record as well. That's why a lot of people have compared him to Carlos Lee as a hitter. When he has a more compact swing, he can go on the hottest of hot streaks. But now he's way too long and in-between. Hence, the nickname Hot Fire. When he came up with the Sox in 2010, when he was hitting well last year in May/June, now he's as cold as can be but it's really just 4-5 games. Here I always thought he gets compared to Lee because they're big, line drive hitters that are converted 3rd baseman. I'm just giving you s***. Nobody knows what Viciedo will be for about 800 or so AB's.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 20, 2012 -> 10:03 PM) You know your manager doesn't have much confidence in you when you haven't been used in the first 15 games of the season. Won the Japanese version of the Cy Young award in the Pacific League five years ago, but not much velocity. Viciedo is now struggling more than anyone on the team. Seems like he will always be very very streaky. Now Montero takes a center cut fastball over the CF fence. 6-2 and close to getting interesting again. Yes, 250 AB's into his career, it's obvious what he'll always be.

Once Sale builds his arm strength for starting, he might get it up around 97-98 more. If he does, look out. When's the last time we had a starter prospect that potential?

How many hits to the opposite field so far?

That'll work.

A swing is like a signature, everyone's is unique. You're not going replicate somebody else's and have success. If that were the case, we'd all be the next Pujols.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 17, 2012 -> 01:05 PM) Of course they don't matter in any way except making all the tools available for these hitters. Walker deserves an A as a hitting coach because by all accounts he was very organized in getting the hitters tapes to watch, organizing all the time they want to hit, tireless in assisting them to the extent they wanted to be assisted. As far as teaching them how to hit or helping them get there ... get real. These millionaires hit the way they want and sink or swim. Watching tape? What year is it? Should I buy VHS or Beta?

I think Eric Davis also had a similar hitch.

QUOTE (LVSoxFan @ Apr 17, 2012 -> 03:00 PM) What exactly is he not doing now that he was doing when he was successful? The thing I hear repeatedly is "long swing." He's always had that hitch with his hands. Now, he can't identify pitches so he's late on everything. A long swing is fine if you have good timing. Beckham has awful pitch recognition and its screwing his timing up. He can't catch up to fastballs and he tries to rock breaking balls he can't hit. I wouldn't even know where to begin with him. If he's going to be a part if the Sox future he has to be sent down. He'll never figure it out here. He's s***. He has no confidence.

I heard he wasn't too happy about his pose in that photo so he paced around the bar for 30 seconds cussing at himself.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 16, 2012 -> 10:58 PM) The only real dramatic change would be sending Beckham down. Stewart's surely on his way out soon. I guess if you call moving Morel down and Ramirez to the 2 spot a big change...not really. I don't know. I'd probably wait until May, at least, to make any changes. Or, I might wait until they have a losing record. In reality this isn't a good team and there is nothing anybody can do about it. There's no sense in getting all Jerry Manuel about it. This year is about finding some talent to salvage and try to build a good baseball team around. I hope you have some patience. You're gonna need it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 16, 2012 -> 10:19 PM) 1. Stewart and Beckham down to Charlotte 2. Lillibridge starting everyday (might as well find out whether he can play everyday now) 3. Morel back to bottom of the order 4. Ramirez batting 2nd, we can't afford to have AJ there with how well he's been going offensively 5. Pray for Dunn and Rios, but don't boo them 6. Pick the name of Stults, Axelrod or Bruney out of a hat to replace Stewart 7. Lillibridge playing infield, you probably go with Jordan Danks for Gordon to provide OF depth, or possibly Conor Jackson (that's for Lillian) 8. Find a Marco Paddy who can make recommendations on hitting prospects, bring back the scouts who identified Carlos Quentin/Ramirez/Viciedo to have them play a bigger role in the June draft assessment process. 9. Continue to monitor McPherson as a band-aid, but not long-term solution for a continued Morel tailspin. Zach Stewart won't survive in the big leagues at 90-91 MPH without pinpoint control. As a starter or reliever. With Peavy gone next year, Molina and Santiago are the two best candidates to replace him. For the future of the organization, Hector should be groomed as a starter to go along with Sale. It won't happen this week or this month, but it SHOULD happen. Closing has caused him to forget about his repertoire of offspeed pitches, which is what shot him all the way into the Sox plans from total obscurity at the beginning of last year. Hope that AJ stays hot and can be marketed to a better team whose starting catcher goes down. With how well he's hitting, you might even get a useful piece or two back in return. Hold onto Gavin Floyd until June/July and realistically assess whether it's better to trade him or hold onto him for 2013, if there's at least a 50/50 chance we can be competitive next year (see the performances of Dunn, Morel, Rios and Viciedo). Feel out the trade market for both Jesse Crain and/or Matt Thornton, depending on offers received. You realize you just wrote a giant post with 9 pretty drastic changes after the 9th game of the season, right? 5-4, with no expectations. Let's change everything! "I love it when you over analyze."

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 16, 2012 -> 09:51 PM) You'll start seeing people asking for Dallas McPherson in no time. I said during the offseason, but if Beckham/Morel/Viciedo all tank, then this organization is completely screwed. Forever.

It all sounds good in theory, but there's a reason that teams don't platoon players all the time, it doesn't really work. You know how to turn a happy clubhouse into a pissed of clubhouse? Platoon everybody not named Konerko.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Apr 10, 2012 -> 04:42 PM) Pitchesd have to help catchers by holding runners on base and slow deliveries don't help matters ewither. AJ may not have the best arm, but he isn't that bad either if given a chance. Now with Mark Buerhle gone the other hurlers have to improve for sure Hi, Hawk. How's it going? This is an awful cop out IMO. How many pitchers has AJ caught in his Sox tenure, 100? 150? Are you going to blame all of them for AJ's miserable arm? I like that he bats LH. I like his durability. I'll give it to him for calling a good game. For me, he's really hard to like because of his baby ass attitude and some of his AB's in big situations. I'm not a huge fan of a guy who has to throw his bat at least twice a game.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 10, 2012 -> 07:23 AM) In the grand scheme of things, the kid is still learning how to pitch. That is the biggest issue of all. Every day is a learning experience. He's running out of time. He's no spring chicken. I don't really buy that either. He's the kind of pitcher that says, "Here it comes, try to hit it." He's never going to get guys out with smarts, most closers don't. He's pure stuff.

I always said Santos had some major red flags. His arm strength could always be an issue. He has trouble repeating his slider. When it's off, he's really hittable. He has a tendency to throw fast balls that go a long, long way. When his slider hangs, even I might be able to hit it. Obviously, it's too early to tell, but I never had a problem with selling high.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 9, 2012 -> 11:03 AM) Ahh, well there was a dog attacked at one of the several hundreds of dog parks that are occupied every day by tens of millions of dogs in the United States. I suppose we should avoid all dog parks now. Dog parks are not without their issues. But considering how little most people exercise their dogs, how little most people allow their dogs to interact with other dogs, how little most people get outdoors themselves, the responsible and attentive owner can realize all kinds of benefits from taking their dog(s) to a dog park. If you've found this utopia of responsible owners with well trained dogs, more power to ya. I agree that dogs aren't exercised enough. Taking your dog for a walk around the block isn't enough. Small dogs have a lot of issues due to poor breeding. There's too many people that breed show dogs with poor health and temperment. Most breeders breed for looks and money, not for sound dogs.