SpringfieldFan

QUOTE(CYGarland @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 09:53 PM) 101 on the Royals broadcast 1 1 !! mercy

was that 101 the on screen graphic or did Hawk actually say it?

Hey, I don't get WCIU down here. Can someone give me a pitch by pitch for Bobby?

Is the air light in K.C. today or are both pitching staffs simply having an off day? (And don't worry, I won't update you what Oakland is doing now)

FWIW they are at it again: CLE 0 OAK 1 (bot. 2nd)

QUOTE(danman31 @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 02:34 PM) Yep. There are 2 teams I fear in the AL. #1 is the A's by far. #2 the Angels kinda have that west coast thing to. I have no fear for the Yanks or Sawx or anyone else that division can throw at us. I believe we won 2 out of 4 in Anaheim this year, so I am not so much concerned about them. I would most prefer it not be Oakland because they match up best against our pitching. If we change our pitching equation a bit by adding someone like Burnett, Schmidt, Wagner, etc. (i.e. power), I would be more comfortable matching up with them. SFF

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 04:15 PM) I think that in a few years you'll really be surprised how much people will be giving up for a quality relief pitcher, especially a left handed one...both in terms of players and cash. Think about this...let's say Cotts was still a starter and was putting up average numbers. If you were Boston, would you prefer to pick him up as a starter or as a reliever? A dominant relief pitcher is starting to turn into a more valuable commodity than a .500 W/L starter, and probably deservedly so. Yes, I agree those are good points, and reassuring too. Like I said, I am just happy Neal relishes his bullpen role. It does seem like a catch-22 though. If Neal really had dreams of being a starter, then what could he have done to earn it back once he was put in the pen. Would he have had to have been less effective in the pen? Something tells me that if he had any problems whatsoever relieving, the Sox would have been even less likely to let him start again then they are now. So, just out of curiosity, what would he have had to do be be a starter again? SFF

I guess that closes the book on him ever being a starter again *sigh*. The day he "temporarily" got converted to middle relief was the day I thought "uh-oh, he will never start again", despite assurances from others to the contrary. At least I am pleased with the value he now adds to the team and that he likes the role of reliever. Otherwise it would seem a cruel irony for him to earn a "demotion" by excelling in a role he may not have wanted.

I am not going to pile on Damaso, despite today's effort. The guy doesn't know within 1000 miles where he will be in a couple of days and has been trade bait since he returned. Not that I want to keep him; not that I don't - but I can understand his lapses lately.

QUOTE(forrestg @ Jul 23, 2005 -> 09:02 PM) If the Marlins want Marte I'll drive him to the airport and buy ihis ticket! I do think he is as good as gone, even before tonight. Ozzie pulled a quick hook on him after one walk last night and was perfectly willing to replace him with Jenks, who is probably the wildest arm on the team. Methinks Marte is on the "showroom floor" whenever he is out there and they don't want to risk him laying an egg.

Well, I guess for what its worth, every time Boston beats us in this series, the Athletics and their fans are saying "s***!". If they wind up 1 game out of the wildcard, I bet we are all happy the Red Sox took at least 2 here this week.

Think of it this way. A couple of weeks ago, when KW looked at possible trades, he had to anticipate where the problems might be and hope he guessed right. He ain't gotta guess now. SFF

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jul 23, 2005 -> 02:28 PM) Im too supersticious for that s***. I would beat the hell outta myself if that happened. Pics included. When compared to the Cubs, didn't Ozzie say something to the effect that the Sox don't need superstitions to explain their fate because the explanation was simply that they had some horses*** teams in the past. Haha, I love it. I do understand your feelings though! SFF

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jul 23, 2005 -> 02:16 PM) How many games up are we? How many more games do we have with the Twins? What is the magic number? Take these 3 qustions into consideration....it aint over till its OVER. This is true. However, I don't see any harm in some of us assuming its over and looking beyond. If the unforseen happens and the Sox lose it, its those fan's problem. I say that as long as the team doesn't assume its over, the fans can think as they wish. SFF

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Jul 22, 2005 -> 11:41 AM) People get confused about Aug 1st & what it means by a player must clear waivers. So let's set the record straight: What is a MLB waiver? A permission granted for certain assignments of player contracts or for the unconditional release of a Major League player. What does it mean to clear waivers? The player has not been claimed by another team after 3 business days." What can a team do once a player clears waivers? Send him to the minors, release him (consent req'd for vets), or trade him. How do teams trade past the Jul 31st deadline? Though all players must clear waivers the team seeking to trade a player has the right to withdraw the player from waivers. It's that right of refusal that still allows trades to happen past the deadline. The GM network in MLB rarely thwarts a trade after Jul 31st. Most GM's know what's going down between teams & you can get a bad rep real quick if you gummy up the works. Likewise GM's know which teams are essentially dumping contracts. These are the teams least likely to challenge a waiver claim from an outsider (a team they did not intend to trade with) because they are more interested in dumping the contract then gettng talent value back. In these cases the seller usually works out a trade with the buyer. When it comes to trades after the Jul 31st deadline having the best record in MLB is a curse. It hurst far more than it helps. Teams rarely put a guy on waivers & they withdraw him to avoid another team. What happens instead is that the selling team negotiates before that time with the teams interested in their player. The weaker team (record-wise) gets the nod over the stronger team. Ex. Let's say Philly finally throws in the towel 2nd week of Aug & decides it wants to sell Wagner. The for sale sign will go out to the other GM's & they will contact Philly to buy Wagner. Philly is under no obligation to sell to a team with a weaker record than the White Sox. But they are more likely to listen to those teams before the White Sox. If they can't come to terms with those other teams they will essentially seek an ok from the other GM's to go ahead & allow the trade between Philly & the White Sox. One way of looking at the trade deadline when your team does have the best record in possible is that after July 31st, the seller has to seek permission from all other GM's to sell to you. Philly's 5GB of the NLE & NLWC. They've won 6/10. The deadline is 9 days away. Atl 5/5 riding a 1W streak. Next 9 (ARI, WAS, PIT) Was 2/10 riding a 2L streak. Next 9 ( HOU, ATL, FLM) Mets 6/10 riding a 4W streak. Next 10 (LAD, COL, HOU) Hou 7/10 riding a 5W streak. Next 10 (WAS, PHI, NYM) Phil 6/10 riding a 2L streak. Next 10 (SDP, HOU, COL) If Philly loses the next 3 series that will probably make them sellers & give KW a chance to get Wagner before the deadline. Go Pads, Stros, & Rocks! Thus concludes this week's lesson. Next week we will ease it up a bit with organic chemsitry, nuclear physics, and differential equations.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Jul 23, 2005 -> 01:36 PM) Hopefully the Twins. For the love of God, it better be the Twins. I nominate this post as the most unlikely quote ever seen on Soxtalk. I also happen to agree with it.

QUOTE(Soxnbears01 @ Jul 22, 2005 -> 09:51 PM) high socks + anything = awesome Now the million dollar question. Are the high black socks just sanitaries or are they stirrups with a very small cut-out? My preference would be high black stirrups with a bit of a white sanitary visible too. I am bowing out of this thread now. This is about as specific as I am willing to get in talking about fashion. SFF

I kinda liked the one that simply said "It's OK, Joe"

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Jul 22, 2005 -> 02:43 PM) Garland also was somewhat raw at the time of the Karchner trade, I believe (traded for in '98, didn't make his debut till 2000, right?). Jon Rauch won MLPOY...I don't care about that award. I believe that if you look at Garland's history before the major leagues, you will find he eventally was close to, if not the highest, rated pitcher at each level he went through. I remeber readin his bio shortly after he was acquired from the Cubs and it was impressive.

QUOTE(knightni @ Jul 21, 2005 -> 05:16 PM) A big nasty spider. http://ohoh.essortment.com/mostpoisonouss_rotk.htm I haven't had this hard a time pronouncing the words in a thread post since some of the Twins game threads a few years back...

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Jul 22, 2005 -> 10:26 AM) Thank you, next question It's a big part of why he's even here. I'd be shocked if we traded Duque or moved him to the pen. Thanks for the stats and insights, everyone. Like I said, I didn't know his postseason history (I don't follow the Yankees) other then coffeepot talk. Therefore, I didn't know if his playoff numbers were just from a "small sample size" and he just happened to be hot at the right time. However, he has logged 100+ postseason innings so his numbers are worthwhile. Now, his age and health might be other issues, but the history sure paints a promising picture. Now this begs another question: What is it about the postseason that makes him improve? Is there a magic button that he only pushes when October approaches? Why can't he push it from April through August? SFF

The prevailing wisdom I hear all the time is that we need El Duke in the playoffs, because that is when he will be dominant. To hear folks, once the playoffs start, you can practically chalk up a "W" when he pitches. My question: is this really true? I didn't follow him much before he came to the sox, but just what did he do in past postseasons to warrant such a reputation? Did he have just a dominant start or two a few years back or has he had a long undisputable history of strong playoff efforts? What exactly are his playoff numbers? I look at him now and I see a guy who lets a lot of runners on and has an ERA of around 5. What about his past playoff history should make me comfortable casting his regular season numbers aside and assume he will be lights out once October rolls around? SFF

top 11 BAL 3 MIN 2

Yeah, I heard most of the commentary too. I tuned in at the point he was apparently trying to refute a Sox fan's charge he has an east coast bias. To paraphrase him, he said The Angels have had lots of coverage too, so he said perhaps it could be called "both coasts" bias but that was reasonable since the "group" from the midwest (i.e. the central) hasn't really done anything in recent times. Then he threw out a stat that really is worth looking at. He said that against .500-plus teams, the sox were only something like 29-28, which is reason to be skeptical of their playoff chances. This point is worth discussion for various reasons: (1) is it even true, (2) are some of the losing teams under .500 because the Sox beat them (3) are the Yanks & Angels records against winning teams any better. Discuss... SFF

NOAA says it is leftovers from Dennis. We had them here in Spfld this last week. Thundershowers and bright sun on and off all day long, every day...