chitownsportsfan

Great job Thornton!

Eh, that was actually a good AB from Juan, he got ahead in the count and drilled his pitch right up the middle. Just a good defensive play to get him.

Hopefully Thornton stays out there, I have a good amoung of confidence in him right now, which is amazing considering where he was at last season.

DAMN, Uribe robbed, good job by Qualls to get some leather on that scorcher

Great job by Thornton, he showed no fear there. He went right after Berkman with 4 97 MPH fastballs, THAT'S HOW YOU ATTACK THE HITTER!

I'm scared everytime a ball is hit to center. BA can't get back soon enough. And RISKE is looking like a very solid pickup.

King Felix got lit up againt last night, 11 hits in under 6 innings. I'm about to go over to USSMARINER and see what they think.

I do think the low average, high OBP, high K slugger gets underated by the "casual" fan. If a player goes .248/365/510 and puts up say--and OPS + of 125 with little speed and lots of K's, the casual fan will think he's a bum, even if he puts up 30 HR and 95 RBI.

Wow, too bad that asshole totally ruined this thread. I came here looking for Tiger rumors, and instead walked away with a mouthful of piss and vinegar from this idiot.

Well, the DH plays a large role. Although the NL is clearly the weaker league.

It's great that all the young pitching talent cannot be horded by the larger payroll teams. Nor, are they necessarily good at finding it. Hopefully this continues to swing the balance towards the middle market but well managed teams--like the Sox last year.

I forgot about Huston. Is he on the DL?

Yep. I remember looking up his stats this past offseason and doing a doubletake. I looked them up to compare him to Buehrle, and I have to say--from the stats--Zambrano is the better pitcher. Could just be the weak ass NL though.

Zambrano is the only player on the Cubs worth keeping and he's def up there. One name I'm surprised nobody has mentioned is Jon Papelbon. He's been lights out this year in the close role, and now the Red Sox have a major decision on their hands regarding his eventual long term role. I have to believe they will use sabermetrics to determine he's much more valuable as a starter. If I recall correctly, I don't think he was that hyped of a prospect, although certainly he was good, I don't think anyone expected him to be this good.

I always feel good about a Contreras start, and in general, the matchups seem to favor the Sox. I'll be happy with 2 out of 3, although a sweep should be the goal. Keep the foot on the gas at this point and build a lead in the WC if nothing else.

No AAA guys or prospects in the minors. I'll name King Felix to start and hopefully a good debate ensues. Felix Hernandez: Off to a bit of a slow start this year, but dominated in a little over 84 innings last year, dazzling everyone with sick stuff and amazing periphereal stats as well. Only 19 and is the youngest player in MLB-- and can't even throw his slider yet, which is apparently his best pitch. Crazy. Stats: In 2005 he pitched 84.1 innings, posting an ERA of 2.67, a K/9 of 8.22, and a K/BB of 3.35. Now for the good stuff: opponents posted an OPS of .545 against him with a G/F ratio of 3.31. Apparently, he has good late and low sink on his pitches! In 2006, according to USSMARINER pitching charts, he's relied too much on the 4 seam fastball early in games, and has had control problems as well. His periphereals are still good, but he isn't getting many people out when he's not striking them out. He had some shin splints in spring training that held him back and conditioning is already an issue in his young career. If he can stay healthy and keep his head about him--staying in good physical condition and not believing his own press clippings--he's all set to be the best pitcher in MLB for the next 10 years. Those are big questions, and many a young pitcher with amazing talent has flamed out too soon. For entertainment value alone, I hope the King beats the odds. Now, someone mention Liriano!

Don't look now, but we are approaching the mythical paradise known only as "the 9 game winning streak!"

Jenks is filthy. He's got the nastiest stuff in MLB from the closer position when he's locked on, and he's been locked on for a month now. FG, man, you give me many a scare of the course of the season, but TONIGHT YOU WERE THE MAN! I hope he smokes a victory spliff with Ozuna and Anderson.

Come on Bobby

Wow, this should be a great matchup between Jenks and Pujols.

LOL, I didn't know Wayne Larrivee was in the house!

I'll say right now FG should go out there for the 8th. Let the 2nd guessing begin.

JIM THOME

Felix Hernandez wants his spot back! Seriously, King and Liriano are both amazing. King has been dominating of late.

haha, Yahoo gamecast has Timo in a Sox hat! Thank god that's the last time I'll see that.