SpringfieldFan

The funny thing is the Yankees are going to fall short yet again this year.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 20, 2008 -> 06:05 PM) You don't care about the stats (read: actual results of baseball games/ plays) because they directly contradict your bulls*** assertions. Sure, we'd all love a Bobby Jenks who can pitch exactly as he did last year and a 100 MPH fastball with movement, but that's not the argument. The argument that some are trying to make is that his drop in velocity over the past two seasons are a clear indication that he's becoming less effective when the exact opposite is true. Point taken, and to be honest I was surpised his numbers hadn't appreciably dropped. However, the argument to me was whether the cause for Jenks' drop in velocity was strategic or physical (injury). I don't believe it was strategic because he could still keep the basic "strategy" yet reserve the 100mph for at least a handful of special occasions (i.e. Gathright). But yes, he remains as effective as ever at closing games. Well, maybe not as effective as in WS05, but that was obviously as tiny "sample size".

QUOTE (scenario @ Dec 20, 2008 -> 03:27 PM) OK... so... if he's 'more hittable', I'm assuming that people would be getting more hits then right? Year - BAA - H/9 2005 - .225 - 7.78 2006 - .253 - 8.53 2007 - .198 - 6.23 2008 - .230 - 7.44 So... he has been LESS hittable (in terms of H/9) in the last two years than he was in his first two years... not more. Just because his stats didn't worsen with the drop in velocity doesn't mean the drop in velocity had a role in that. The stats may well have been even better if he still used the same heat. Basically, these numbers tell me that whatever effectiveness he lost from the drop in velocity was made up for elsewhere, lets say for the sake of argument by knowing hitters tendencies better now. Well, isn't it a shame he doesn't have the added effectiveness from knowing hitters better as well as his original velecity?

Not a major name in the scheme of things, but had to post about a guy who graduated from my old high school here in Springfield: http://www.sj-r.com/sports/x1647199991/O-M...ox-organization

QUOTE (scenario @ Dec 19, 2008 -> 05:04 PM) Bobby is dominant closer whose fastball averages about 94mph. And that ain't bad. Absolutely, no question about it. However. consider if we could say this: "Bobby is dominant closer whose fastball averages about 99mph." All else being equal, how can that not be even better?

Let me put my opinion this way. Bobby has been great since his plane landed in Chicago. Only a fool would argue otherwise. He is one of the top half a dozen closers in the game right now. However, if he were mixing in the 100mph heater, he would be yet another level above even where he is now. He would be THE best. I'm talking "Mariano in his prime, ERA in the 1.00's" type best.

I believe Jenks - mostly. I think he made a decision to drop velocity in part for the reasons he stated. However, I don't think he had the ability to just dial it up again at will. If he could, I think he would have. Why did he revist three digits only in that last game against the Twins? It seems if he always had that ultra heater in his arsenal he would have broken it out at least a handful of times to let hitters know he still had it or to get a critical out when his back was against the wall. Wouldn't a 100mph heater have been a nice pitch to slip in against that pesky Gathright when he had a chance to set that record? How about some of those times when he was slumping and blowing saves, yet still wouldn't leave the low 90's? It just doesn't quite add up to me. I agree dropping the heat a little overall is a prudent move for all the reasons he stated, but at least keeping it availavle for a few critical occasions seems like a no-brainer to me.

Ok, I gotta ask: which are more annoying - Twins fans or Cubs fans? SFF

I am actually quietly confident right now. I think they will pull one of these next two games out of their posteriors and that will be enough to break the Twins' backs. However, even if they are swept, I think they back into the playoffs albeit with their tails somewhat between their legs. In any case, if I were wrong and they were to get swept and miss the playoffs...then they didn't deserve to be there in the first place. I would actually feel justice was served. SFF

"beaten like a redheaded stepchild" "whipped like a dog on the bed" "serious as a heart attack" SFF

QUOTE (knightni @ Aug 27, 2008 -> 11:49 AM) "Funnier than a rubber crutch." On first glance, I thought this said "Funnier than a rubber crotch" SFF

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Aug 27, 2008 -> 11:06 AM) Fixed. Gracias, MMD SFF

I am sure we all have heard those similes (I guess that's what you call them) people use to stress a point. For example, "finer than frog hair". I love these things so I thought it would be fun to share some. Some I have heard: "funnier than a on-legged man in an a**-kicking contest" "drunker than a cowboy on saturday night" "wilder than eight monkeys with seven bananas" "hotter than a two dollar pistol" And some of my own: "sweeter than a blue-eyed prom queen" "hotter than channel 99 in a 30 dollar motel room" "hotter than Satan's kitchen" "richer than O.J's attorney" "busier than a rabbit on viagra" If you got anymore, I would love to hear 'em. SFF

15 home runs for Alexi now. I hadn't realized he had been quietly building those those power numbers. He could have over 20 by the time he's done. Well, if nothing else, he has to be near the top in HR's per pound. SFF

Shhh... don't tell him the Sox won a championship while he was away

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Aug 26, 2008 -> 08:27 PM) One of my favorites was the Austrailian dude nailing 10's on his final dive to win the only gold medal in the diving competition that wasn't awarded to a Chinese athlete. Yes, that! The guy had no clue and was just thrilled to have probably earned a medal. His lady coach or whomever she was grabs him and with a laugh of total shock says "You just won the Olympics!" SFF

You know, if there needs to be an award for "guy that makes the difference and gets his team a ring", that's fine and dandy. However, and I don't care what they call it, but I also want to see an award for the player who's simply the flat out best in the league that year. Is that too much to ask? SFF

Now that they are over, what athletes will you most remember? Certainly Phelps, Bolt, and others had unforgettable achievements, but beyond those of pure accomplishment were other performances I will admire most: Dara Torres - for stepping up and getting the semifinal heat delayed so her fellow competitor could change her torn swimsuit. She simply explained that when outside the pool, her competitors are her friends. Yes. US men's basketball team - They are millionaires and celebrities, but put it all aside for the sake of American pride. Even off court they were everywhere supporting Americans in other events, even asking Phelps for his autograph. Humility in American basketball = nice. Johnson/Liukin - Despite the questions about scoring and ages, they did their business, didn't complain, and always respected the judges and competition. Each said going 1-2 in either order was more gratifying than individual gold - and I believe them. Men's volleyball team - words won't do justice, so I won't try. And the most painful moment: Lolo Jones leaning against the tunnel wall, all alone, crying in torment after clipping the hurdle and losing certain gold. Ouch. Ouch ouch ouch. Admittedly, and probably to a fault, I watched with a focus on the Americans. However, but I must give props to the Chinese fans. They not only respected every nation's athletes, but cheered great performers, even if they weren't wearing red and gold. I hope we can do the same if the games come to Chicago. SFF

With Thome's HR, the Sox now have the top two and three of the top five homerun hitters in the league. And the Sox have 21 more HR's than any other team in either league. And, possibly most impressive...they are up to #10 in MLB batting average. I never learn. I have to wise up and be patient during those cool early season months. SFF

Okay, it has to be asked. Who impressed your more at the time they happened: Bolt at these olympics or Michael Johnson in 1996? SFF

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Aug 22, 2008 -> 02:22 PM) Right, of course, except it's been in the Olympics since Sydney 2000 and until Beijing the Chinese only had the solitary bronze. Actually you know what, I think every country in the world is just conspiring to make sure the US doesn't finish atop the medals table and you know what else, they've done a pretty good job of it. Dang, I think we need an olympic event in sarcasm. I didn't make the "more medals for the Chinese" comment, but I did raise the trampolining issue. To set the record straight, I didn't raise it because the USA sucks at trampolining. I don't even know if we do, and for that matter we aren't such great golfers these days anyway. I brought it up simply because IMO golf is more worthy of being included. If you have ever watched the British Open, you'd swear it was at Epcot with all the nations represented. And yet they have trampolining... SFF

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Aug 22, 2008 -> 10:30 AM) True, but he only played 6 minutes and Manu is a 2nd half player anyways. I think it's fair to say we win by about 10 instead of about 20 if he plays though, and we're better than that. Makes sense, and I didn't see the game, but I would suggest that had he not gone out, the Americans might have raised their level of play to meet the challenge, perhaps getting them on a run that would have resulted in a bigger win. SFF

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 22, 2008 -> 06:37 AM) Great night for the US team in track. 2/3 in the 110 hurdles and 1/2/3 in the 400 meters. This is where these guys earn their keep. I would say more of a salvaged night after those baton drops. The commentators ripped the US coaching/mgmt up and down after that. Right before I was telling my wife whomever is coaching the team needs to get their act together in the next four years. It used to be an automatic two or three medals in any of the sprint races in the past. Granted the rise of teams like Jamaica has closed that gap but dropping batons, stepping on lane lines, etc. as often as we have seen seems more than just bad luck. I would have never guessed we would lead the medal race with the drop in track and swimming success. Not that the olympics should be about medal counts, but the US is fortunate now that Russia and China are now splitting the medal haul in the artsy-judgy type events. SFF

I can't for the life of me figure out how trampolining can be an olympic event but golf isn't. SFF

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 09:45 AM) May and Walsh didnt even lose a set, thats pretty damn impressive to me. I dont think they even lost a set in the last Olympics either, dominating a sport like that is more impressive than running in a straight line in my opinion. Obviously its apples and oranges but watching that volleyball match...we have all probably tried to play volleyball and if you are like me you know how hard it is to even bump the thing straight, even its just dropped on your forearms. Then I look at these ladies - they were just mechanical, every set and bump went precisely where it was supposed to go, like clockwork. And this is on hard serves as well. And in the wind and rain last night. Its freaking magic I tell you. That was more impressive to me than the sprints. Now, relative to the competition, I would have to say Bolts handling of his opponents was certainly more impressive than May/Walsh's handling of theirs so I guess its all how you look at it. SFF