ecoyne

Sometimes I just want to email Ozzie (or I assume his son, isn't he the one who answers his emails?) and just say seriously, wtf is going on the clubhouse right now? Is this just a case of end of July blaws or what? This team just looks like a shadow of themselves right now and it's unfortunate

On a positive note, Buehrle had a good inning there

That was absolutely foolish, you don't send a guy like AJ home when there is slight chance that it will be close

Todd Jones is definitely the achilles heel of the Tigers

guys i missed the earlier discussion, but was there a good reason as to why Mack was in CF instead of Anderson?

I really like Vasquez's chances tonight. The Tigers are a really impatient team at the plate and if Vasquez can take advantage of that, he should be alright. Bondo hasn't been his usual self at home this season, he has gone 3-4 with a 4.71 ERA at Comerica Park. All of his losses have been suffered at home. He has also had difficulty against the White Sox, going 3-6 with a 4.08 ERA. The Tigers are also awful at getting Bonderman run support this season, and I have a feeling that tonight will be no different.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Jul 16, 2006 -> 03:15 PM) I don't think that's true. At the start of the season, the sp was pretty solid, but the pen was atrocious. Now it's reversed. Although I wish we could have kept the innings down for the rotation, at the time it didn't look wise. But don't you think that they are now paying a higher price for all those pitches? The pen wasn't going to get any better sitting out there and not going out to the mound regularly. It might have worked in the playoffs, but it doesn't work in the regular season.

Of all the members of the pitching staff, I feel Ozzie shows the most favoritism to Garcia, I can recall on many occaisions early in the season where Ozzie has left Garcia out there to rot when he should have been pulled. I feel that to some degree, Ozzie has to take take some blame for the state of the pitching staff, he has pushed his starters too far in the first part of the season, and it's starting to show. He expected them to throw complete games, and it just couldn't happen this season.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 16, 2006 -> 02:58 PM) He's a free agent, so he's going somewhere. Not if the A's re-sign him, which is in the realm of possibility

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Jul 16, 2006 -> 02:54 PM) I wouldn't count out Schmidt, nor Zito, especially if Harden makes some progress in his recovery. Smoltz could be moved. Then you have to lump Freddy in with the 2nd tier guys, Livan Hernandez, Jon Lieber, Tony Armas. So if all the top tier guys are called untouchable, and all the teams owning the 2nd tier guys demand the very best prospects, then you could perhaps command that price for Freddy. I just don't see that happening. I would be very, very surprised to see Oakland tinker with its rotation right now, especially Zito. I don't see him going anywhere until after the season is done, if he does go here come's Freddie's meltdown

He just needed to slide there and he would have likely have been in

Oh Thome, that's not good at all

Freddy just had a good inning there and they now have a lead off walk, this might be looking up

Yankee lineup: LF Cabrera, Melky SS Jeter, Derek DH Giambi, Jason 3B Rodriguez, Alex C Posada, Jorge RF Guiel, Aaron 1B Phillips, Andy 2B Cairo, Miguel CF Crosby, Bubba If Freddy can't hold this line-up, i don't know what to say

Lineup: LF Podsednik, Scott 2B Iguchi, Tadahito DH Thome, Jim 1B Konerko, Paul RF Dye, Jermaine C Pierzynski, AJ 3B Crede, Joe CF Mackowiak, Rob SS Uribe, Juan

Any word on Crede/Konerko?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jul 15, 2006 -> 07:07 PM) For any team not named the Angels, Athletics, Tigers, or Astros, you could get a freaking king's ransom for them. Right now every damn playoff contender other than a small handful needs pitching desperately, especially veteran pitching who can chew up a lot of innings. There's a reason we have about 5 threads about No AL team in contention is going to go near Vasquez given his track record in the AL. The only team in contention in the AL that is in absolute desperation for SP is the Yankees, what kind of kings ransom do you expect from them? The NL would be another story . . . but most of those teams that are in contention are going to need to hold on to their relievers, which is what the White Sox would want. QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jul 15, 2006 -> 07:10 PM) I don't follow. McCarthy would take the spot of the traded starter. So, all we would really need is a good reliever in return. Right, I was operating under the assumption that the two starters would leave as a packge deal. But i see your point

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jul 15, 2006 -> 06:52 PM) This phrase should be banned. We are more than halfway through the season. It's about time to realize that they're not all just gonna come around. To be patient, must we wait until we fall short of the playoffs or get our asses handed to us in the playoffs because our starters can't give up less than 5 runs a start? No, there's no time for patience anymore. We have a few weeks left to make something happen on the market. That is the only way this rotation will get any better. McCarthy or someone from outside of the organization has to be starting in place of Garcia/Vazquez. There isn't much of a choice now, is there? Who do you honestly expect to get for Garcia and Vasquez? You are certainly not going to get two quality pitchers in return. You would need to get a SP and a reliever in the deal if McCarthy is to come out of the bullpen. McCarthy I agree, should have been starting long ago. It is a disgrace that he has been left to languish out in the bullpen.

First things first: Cliff Politte has to go. I don't know what else the man can do to re-emphasize that he doesn't belong on an MLB club. I'm sure there is a much more deserving individual in the system who could be called up to take his place. The starting pitching will come around, be patient. Buerhle wasn't doing that bad until a few blunders behind him occured. Vasquez I think is just having a difficult time adjusting to the AL, he will come around. Even the relief has been reasonably good. Neal Cotts may have struggled last night, but he is the same Neal Cotts who struck out 2 straight Red Sox last weekend. Back-up catching: Most teams have a reliable catcher who they can call upon if the starting catcher goes down for whatever reason. They are either solid offensively, or can perform well behind the plate. The White Sox do not have this at all. If AJ becomes injured, there is going to be a serious problem. It's at least something the White Sox should be thinking about, because Widger should not be put in that position.

As long as Jones continues to close for the Tigers, the White Sox will continue to have the upper hand on the Tigers. I have a feeling Jones may cost the Tigers quite a few games during the second half.

and it's not going to get easier tomorrow . . . and Buehrle will be on the mound

i really wouild have trusted brandon to finish this inning off, giving one run up at most. One run is possible against Rivera, 2 is another story

I don't know about all these replacements, if the game goes into extra innings, it's going to look pretty bare out there in the bullpen

good job brandon

This does not look like it will end well