Balta1701

5.1 innings. 1 hit. 1 run, earned. 1 walk. 4 strikeouts. 60 pitches.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:37 PM) I predict the Tigers pitching falls down to earth next year. The Indians will be better, and the Twins will always be tough. I really don't like the long-term financial commitment the Sox have to their rotation. I hope at least 2 and hopefully 3 are sent packing this winter. Maybe sign a free agent or 2, and get some top prospects since even mediocre pitching is in demand. The Sox could set themselves up for several years if they make the right moves. The real key for the White Sox is that in 2 years, we can really expect significant chunks of our team to be damn affordable. Our bullpen is very, very young, and there are still quality pieces on the way up in guys like Logan and Tracy who might be able to contribute next year. We have at least 1, if not a couple of very good young starting pitchers, one of whom is destroying the Twins right now. We have the pieces to put together one of the 2-3 best young outfields in baseball. Our starting rotation and infield will be expensive. But we also have a lot of youth that we've worked in already, and we have a couple vets who we may be able to move for more youth this offseason. If we can get guys like Sweeney and either Owens or Fields to come up and produce someday in the outfield, and find 1 or 2 more bullpen pieces, then we'll have a really well assembled young team.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:35 PM) LOL! "Bomb, or die trying." That should be our motto. That basically wraps it up. Well, if we want the President throwing out the first pitch of the season...(/rimshot)

Do the Twins have a righty on the mound tomorrow? If they do, I'll lay 2-1 odds that Cintron will be at 2nd base.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:33 PM) You dont pitch run for Alomar? Scoring Runs is overrated.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:32 PM) And the division is only going to get tougher. Hawk would have a 9 inning erection every game if Lou was the manager. Yeah, but it's also hard to believe that we could play worse than we've played this year with a roster like we have. Seriously, this division is going to be Hell on earth for the next 4-5 years. Especially if Sweeney can turn into something good for us. Anderson already is, McCarthy already is, we need 1-2 more pieces and it's going to be a 3-4 way dogfight every year.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:30 PM) FOR THE TWINS At this point, I figured that was just implied.

INSTANT OFFENSE!

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:24 PM) For a guy who needs to be stretched out, McCarthy lasted longer than Contreras. For a guy who isn't Cy F***ing Young or whatever ozzie said he wasn't...he's outdueled Santana while he's been in there.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:20 PM) The point you make is exactly why I won't, for one second, start ranting about any "luck" issues this year. Teams create their luck for the most part, and luck occurs when you're playing good baseball and making smart strategical decisions. WHERE ARE OUR BLOOPERS? I definately think there's something deeper than that different about Ozzie's style this year. Last year, when he'd make an idiotic move, like starting Timo at 1b or something like that, we'd still lose games. But then he never did things that would really kill you that often, except when Timo was leading off...he kept Carl Everett out of the OF for the most part, he didn't obsess nearly this much over the righty/lefty matchup (except for his 9 righty lineup against Santana), he didn't hurt his defense to put offense on the field beyond what people needed for rest. This year, it's like he's taken all of the tendencies that cost us games last year and expanded them...so that we no longer see the good games in-between.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:17 PM) As well it should. He's not putting this team in the best position to succeed. All you have to do is watch the way Leyland and Gardenhire handle their team. How's Christine O'Reilly handling things? Ozzie's managing style this year can be summed up quite well as Putting people in the best position for them to fail.

God I just adore having #55 on the mound right now. Even when he has a bad game I like seeing him out there, because you can see all the potential right in front of you.

Hehe, brushback, me likey. Get your ass away from my plate B****.

Man, that last pitch was a strike if Santana threw it.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:08 PM) Twins have a very average schedule the rest of the way. But they're also playing much better baseball than the Tigers are right now. QUOTE(jamalmanburg @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:08 PM) now seems like a good time to pull macarthy. how's mackowiak on the mound? let's find out tonight huh? Are you mad son? We can't live without Mackowiak's bat!

I tell you what, the Twins are going to be looking at being 4 games back in the division after tonight. They're going to have a real shot at this thing.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:04 PM) How many pitches has Santana thrown? 68 pitches, 43 strikes through 5.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 06:04 PM) And then we'll bring in a bad reliever when it's 6-3 in the top of the 9th, and he'll give up another homer to Hunter. However, the Twins still have their closer come into the game, and we go down silently. IMO, it doesn't matter if it's 6-5, 6-3, or 15-3 in the 9th inning. If it gets to the 9th, and Nathan comes in against us, this game ends. We still have never beaten Nathan.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 05:57 PM) Hunter is swinging the bat just awesome right now. He has so much confidence at the plate, and he's hit two changeups for homers in the last two days. That's impressive considering how well he hits fastballs. It's too freaking bad that the Twins didn't trade him 3 months ago. I'm really starting to think the Twins will make a real effort to pick up his contract in the offseason, especially with this recent streak and money from a few playoff games. And I still think McCarthy has looked really good out there.

Man, that was a terrible pitch selection.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 05:53 PM) For those of you who attend games, watch Ozzie during the course of a game. For a manager who supposedly manages by a hunch or by the gut, he sure does look at a lot of stats. I'd love to know which stats it is he looks at. I really would. I'd love to know why Iguchi still gets days off against righties and plays against the lefty the next day, when he's hitting .230 against lefties. I'd love to know why Rob Mackowiak plays against lefties, or why he plays CF in general. I'd love to know why we don't try someone else leading off, especially with Podsednik's performance lately.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 05:51 PM) Didn't Garcia lose a 1-0 game to Santana while pitching a 1 hitter. 2 years ago, Garland took out Santana in one of those 2-1 games, the only runs we got were on a home run by Lee. Last year, Garcia lost that 1 hitter to Santana. 2 days after the Rally Crede made his triumphant appearance last year, McCarthy and Santana both pitched absolute gems against each other in a game the Twinkies won in 14, IIRC.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 05:47 PM) Does it make me a bad fan when I hope that certain players go on the DL tonight in order to improve this team? Of course, I'm not rooting for serious injuries...just little things that they'll recover 100 pct from. Rob Macko...ah screw it. I'm getting beer. Ok, here's an idea...Ross Gload in CF?

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 26, 2006 -> 05:46 PM) I'm not saying what he said is true...but I'm also not saying that Ozzie doesn't favor some of his buddies. I can't wait until next year when McCarthy gets pulled at the first sign of trouble. The good news? I don't think this kid's going to be getting in much trouble. God I love watching him pitch.