SpringfieldFan

Is anyone else taking note of how the starting rotation is shaping up right now? It is starting to look, dare I say, very promising for the 2nd half. Of course we have Loaisa, who may not be the best pitcher in baseball, but has the best numbers and qualifies as an ace so far. Of course Colon is Colon and is beginning to establish himself again at this point of the season. Add to that the fact that Buehrle is looking like he is his old self. That makes three bonafide stoppers on our rotation. Beyond that, Garland has been very strong for the last two months and even though his last start was shaky, I feel confident when he goes out these days. Even our maligned #5 spot is showing life now. Danny gutted it out like a vet this afternoon and some may forget what a good outing he had last time, where I believe he only gave up a run in six innings or so. I know not every one of them can stay hot for the rest of the season, but dang, our starting staff is quietly shaping up to be something special. What do you think it portends for the rest of the season?

How many of you would like to bet that three or four years down the road he will be wearing a red cap and be the National League Cy Young winner? ...and would you also bet that for whatever reason, he won't ever win it as long as he is in Chicago?

Unfortunately, but my hope for the Sox this year has not returned. Had they been swept the last 6 or 7 games as some had feared, that would have signaled that this team was a 90-100 loss team that belongs in last place. Well, as disappointing as they have been, they are not that bad. They will finish the season about five or six games under .500. That means they will win a few series' here and there; and unfortunately, that won't give any cause to make dramatic changes in the makeup or management of the team. Sorry, but I just don't know how the Sox can all of the sudden become a smart team that knows how to be intelligent in how it handles game situations in the field and on the basepaths. I also don't see anything to assure me that they will find a way to win when the bats start slumping (ok, slumping even worse) then they are now. Hope I am wrong.

Does anyone know the typical lines on their other starters? Do any of them typically go longer then 5 innings? I am just wondering if the manager has a quick hook regardless of who's pitching...

Hey, I like that quote. I really do. I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other on JR, but your image sure adds some perspective to the situation.

Agreed. He has a good work ethic but its time we cut him loose, even if his hitting does improve. A situation in the Twins series earlier crystallized it for me. I don't remember the exact scenario but I do know he was on second and I believe the bases were full in a close game. There was a single to center and he could not advance past third on the play. It was a 1 or 2 run game at the time, and he never did score. What it told me was that even when he gets on base, his lack of speed just gums up the basepaths. If you are as slow as Paulie, you better damn well be a home run hitter and Paulie is not - as I see it, he is a doubles hitter even when at his best. The problem is that he is so slow he is a liablility on the basepaths. If he doubles, you could almost consider it a single, since he is often to slow to score from second on a base hit, and too slow to score on a fly if he advances to third. That is bad enough but I have seen more than once when the sox have rallied and he not only has been too slow to advance the extra base, but also has prohibited the guy behind him from advancing as well. Like I said, he gums up the basepaths and it is a detriment even when he *is* hitting.

I agree we have other prospects that show a lot of promise in the organization and are on a faster track. The thing so far that separates Meaux, though, is his control. We have seen our share of hot prospects promoted to the majors, only to end up walking batters or continually falling behind on counts. I just think that the organization might do itself a favor by putting more of a premium on control, rather than just on hot arms or great curveballs, etc. I just worry the real value in such control pitchers might be getting overlooked as our management looks more at raw "potential". Does that make any sense?

Ok, I have to add this quote from this morning directly from MLB.com: CHICAGO -- Gary Ward was relieved of his duties as hitting coach by the White Sox late Sunday night, culminating a frustrating weekend in which the team lost all three games to Minnesota at the Metrodome. The move will not be officially announced by the club until later Monday but was confirmed by White Sox general manager Kenny Williams.

Does anyone have any insight on Ryan Meaux, who we got in the Lofton trade? Do you think the Sox will have any serious plans for him. I wonder because he is only in A ball and is, I believe, already 25 years old. The reason I have taken an interest in him is that so far he has a microscopic ERA (0.29) but more than that is the control he is showing. In 31 innings pitched so far, he has given up just ONE walk. Granted, 31 innings is not a large sample size, but if he continues to display this kind of control, do you think he will get a closer look? I hear a lot about Neal Cotts, and being and ISU alum, I am really pulling for him and am impressed by his ERA and K/IP. However, being a Sox fan lately has shown me the light on just how important it is to throw strikes and be able to control a count (i.e. Loiaza and pre-2003 Buehrle). What do you all think?

I love it

Hey, has anyone heard who made the decision for Bartolo to plunk Hairston? Did Bartolo and/or Olivo decide to do it themselves? Was it suggested by Cooper and/or Manuel? All I can say is if it was JM's idea, or if it wasn't his idea but he okay'ed it, then he has certainly earned some more of my respect back. That is just the attitude this teams needs and whoever came up with the idea to retaliate to protect Mags in at this moment the most valuable person on the team IMO. LT

Well let's see...let me look at my weights and measures. 2 cups in a pint. 2 pints in a quart. 4 quarts in a gallon. Eight pints in a gallon. Hmmm, I don't see "s***potfuls" anwhere in this list. Does anyone know exactly how much that is?

Count me in on the bandwagon, too. You can also count this as my very first post. After lurking on these boards the last few weeks, and especially during this whole "KW fired/not fired" scenario, I had to actually make the jump and register just to give some thanks and support to Steff and HSC for the effort they have made to keep us informed on this. And as far as this thread goes: Steff, you have taken a lot of crap the last couple days for news that hasn't happened (yet), but you are still not afraid to go out on a limb to give us (possible) breaking news even now. Thanks for not shying away, Steff - you are doing us a great service.