caulfield12

Obviously not personally as meaningful as Blackout/Game 163 in 2008 (for Sox fans), but SELIG definitely deserves some credit for nights like tonight. Who could have imagined 3 games like that, back-to-back-to-back? Only the Cardinals' game was a blowout.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 10:21 PM) Yankees had said Rivera wouldn't be used tonight. Red Sox fans can't complain, as Yanks didn't use some of their better players in that long extra inning game against Boston on Sunday. Definitely agree, priority #1 has to be having him ready to go 1+ inning in the playoffs. Of course, RED SOX fans will complain that the playoffs shouldn't have started the next day...so there would have been no excuse not to use Rivera.

Just to spite the Red Sox Nation? It was curious and it will be a decision that is dissected across the country, not using Rivera there to close it out. ROBERT ANDINO=BUCKY DENT 2.0 Poor Chris Boomer Berman. And Joe Biden's prayers apparently didn't work either

We might have to trade Peter Gammons for Cowley now. Could we have just shifted managers from Martinez to Francona? Wow, wow, wow. What a turn of events in all three games from the 9th inning on. And Andrew Friedman or Freidman or however you spell his name might as well just get a blank check from Ricketts to run that Cubs' organization. Theo Epstein won't be far behind, although Francona will definitely be the scapegoat this time around.

That's 9 NL Central championships in 16 years for the Cardinals. LaRussa definitely won't be leaving now, and Carpenter's also back in the fold, Rasmus was ditched, etc. Right up there with Gardenhire and obviously behind what Bobby Cox accomplished.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 08:59 PM) I never suggested "eating" any of their salaries. That was my rationale for packaging them with the more desirable trading chips. I have Lillibridge platooning with de Aza in C.F. De Aza is much better vs. RHP and Brent is more effective vs. LHP. They could share the lead off spot. I also have Milledge in LF. My motive in moving Rios and Dunn now is to free up some salary, and to give the younger guys a chance to play next year. It may not be possible, but it's a reasonable goal. McPherson's numbers vs RHP this year at Charlotte project to a .305 AVG, with 44 doubles, 32 homers and 100 RBI's. He put up similar numbers last year. Given his previous Minor League stats, why not give him a shot vs RHP at DH, if you could unload Dunn? I know that he's older, but he's really never had a chance to blossom because of his terrible injury misfortunes. Even if you offered Danks and Quentin together, you're still not going to get them to take in the entirety of the Rios OR Dunn contracts. Maybe if the White Sox chipped in one-third or half, like the Phillies did with the Thome for Rowand deal. The problem with that is 1) you don't get any infusion of minor league talent for two of our more valuable trading chips this offeason and 2) you're still losing money on Dunn/Rios, basically paying them not to play, when the odds are at least 50/50 that one or both will recover and have solid seasons in 2012 with a new hitting coach/approach. Beckham, too. This is the type of move you really have to wait until the midpoint of 2012 to make. I would be shocked if KW was STILL AROUND as the GM and gave up on Dunn (eating all or part of the contract) and then used McPherson in that role. The only way that could possibly happen would be with a new GM who wasn't interested in proving or justifying the correctness of his original decisions.

Poor Braves' fans, stuck with Scott Linebrink. That was predictable enough. The only thing that wasn't was the fact it wasn't a 3 run homer. Rays fans must have been elated not to see Mariano Rivera out there in the bottom of the 9th.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 02:01 PM) With the current state of the Sox, the managerial job is not a good one. Due to the success of the Rays, Martinez will get to pick his spot (Cubs?) That would REALLY piss off Sandberg.

QUOTE (daggins @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 07:13 PM) green Hitting Coach - FRANK /green ??? Dallas Green? You want Thomas to be the hitting coach, but you're not being serious?

79-83

VIDEO: Ozzie Guillen meets Marlins media after the press conference, talks Twitter, LeBron SUN LIFE STADIUM -- Ozzie Guillen tackled a wide range of subjects when he met with reporters after the Marlins introduced him as their next manager. For starters, he declared he'll remain a Bulls fan for now until the Heat grow on him. "I'm not a hypocrite," Guillen told reporters in Spanish. He said right now he's a fan of Dwyane Wade, who is better than LeBron James in his opinion. "Everybody wants to go see LeBron. Well, not LeBron. The other one who is better. It's my personal opinion," Guillen said. "I'm not saying LeBron is bad. I just like the way Wade plays. I'm just saying when you're 7-feet, 400 pounds you should be the best basketball player in the world. "I'd like to get to know them. I admire them. I think what they did to LeBron wasn't fair. Everybody should be able to do what they want, even though Cleveland changed a lot when he left." Guillen talked about why he doesn't talk about baseball on Twitter (he was fined $20,000 for ripping an umpire once). And why he has a Twitter account at all. "I wish I made money [tweeting]," Guillen said. "I just do it because I'm bored and there are a lot of crazy people out there read what I say. That's all it is." Of course, he did talk a little baseball. Asked what managing style he'll bring the Marlins, he said: "I'm not going to say Ozzie style. I manage like everybody else. If you have team with speed, you manager a team with speed. If you have a lot of power, you manage with a lot of power. I like pitching and defense. Love it. I don't think you can go anywhere without it. "Managers don't win or lose games. All I can tell them is I'm going to bring passion, love, discipline, leadership. I'm going to go with my gut and what I know about baseball. They're going to play the game the way it should. We have the opportunity. We have a young team. If they don't work hard, we're going to have problems." Obviously, Ozzie is going to be fun to cover. Here are a couple video interviews he did along with Larry Beinfest after the team's press Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fish_bytes/...l#ixzz1ZHw6scO8 That all sounds very familiar. Wish we had seen a semblance of what he was talking about the last 3 seasons in Chicago.

McPherson and Marrero, really? Milledge deserves another shot before those guys. And you're leaving out Lillibridge. He's not going to get a legit shot to play everyday. And if you try to package Rios/Dunn with Quentin/Danks/Floyd/Ramirez/Thornton, etc., we're just giving away all the talent that could actually get something decent back in return. Rios and Dunn (and even Beckham) are sunk costs. We have to give them 2012 to recover and see what we actually have. Trading both of them at this point and eating millions of dollars just doesn't make any sense. Buy low, sell high. You have to wait, as painful as it might be....as predictable as the results might be to some who say they will all suck forever, even with a new pitching coach.

I don't expect DA to feel like he "lost" here, lol. Actually, I would expect that he will argue we'll see the exact same offensive numbers or worse and then WHO will we have left to blame, not poor Greg Walker, the whipping boy for Sox fans these past 3-5 years.

By Clark Spencer [email protected] Ozzie Guillen will be announced as the Marlins’ next manager at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Sun Life Stadium. Guillen is expected to receive either a three- or four-year deal, but for less than the $4 million annual figure that has been reported. Guillen, who has managed the Chicago White Sox since 2004 and won a World Series title with the team in 2005, was released from his contract on Monday. In compensation for Guillen, the Marlins will send a pair of minor leaguers, infielder Ozzie Martinez and right-handed pitcher Jhan Marinez, to the White Sox. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/28/2429...l#ixzz1ZFgYf7Zx A bit weird to see him in that 2002 bright teal Marlins jersey. Buster Olney The Marlins have wanted Ozzie Guillen as their manager for years, and now it's expected to happen, as Joe Cowley writes. There are rival baseball executives and scouts who have been rooting for this to happen, because everybody loves a good circus. The Marlins will now have baseball's most volatile and outspoken manager working for the most reactive owner, Jeffrey Loria. The whole world has heard the stories about how Joe Girardi yelled at Loria during a game and how Loria had to be talked out of firing Girardi that day, about how Fredi Gonzalez was nearly fired about 6,832 times. "There's no way those two guys can co-exist," said one GM. "I bet they don't make it out of spring training." Here's a foolhardy prediction: Guillen and Loria will get along fine. No other rumors, just the usual ones about Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez to Miami.

I think they must have been referencing the squabbles in South Florida over Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson and the workloads of the pitchers, about Girardi and management, Fredi Gonzalez getting canned, etc. It just looks really silly in comparison to what was going on with Guillen and his family and KW at the same time. They did fire two managers who were performing well above (Girardi) or at least "at" expectations (Gonzalez) in the span of just a couple of years. 3. You can’t tell it by the way his tenure with the White Sox ended, but Guillen is as close to being a genius as you can find in baseball. He has the ability to be in an animated conversation in one part of a stadium or clubhouse and know everything going on around him -- like the kid who never seems to be paying attention to the teacher but gets A's without studying. He’s that kid. That’s what I’ll miss the most -- how he catches everything. The man is pretty much a mind reader. His instincts are off the charts. He didn’t go onto the field in Houston to celebrate the White Sox clinching the 2005 World Series. He stayed in the dugout, with his coaches, leaving the moment to guys like Bobby Jenks, Juan Uribe, Paul Konerko and Buehrle. It was easy to love that guy. I hope he’s happy in Florida, and that he gets back to another World Series or two in the next decade, with a franchise that could become a destination for Latin American players. But Jeffrey Loria isn’t exactly Reinsdorf when it comes to being loyal to employees. He’s fired a Who’s Who of managers, getting Felipe Alou in Montreal and Jeff Torborg, Joe Girardi and Gonzalez in Florida, never leaving anyone in place for four years. Guillen might change that, but in baseball the only thing guaranteed is your contract, not your job. Phil Rogers is STILL speculating that it will be LaRussa, but that seems a bit far-fetched with what we know so far... http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,3270471.story

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/major...11/2612403.html When he's right, he sprays line drives from gap to gap with a level swing. He showed strong hands and excellent hand-eye coordination last year, when he looked like a potential No. 2 hitter with doubles power. Martinez's plate discipline took a hit this year and he never got going offensively and his confidence suffered. At times he fell into a pull mode, getting away from what made him successful earlier (but this flaw is expected to be fixed by Sox hitting coach Greg Walker, who's renowned for turning dead-pull hitters into spray hitters). Mentally he wasn't the same player, both at bat and in the field, where his play at short went from steady to erratic. He has the skills to play second and third and could fill a utility role. The strong arm is still there, as are the rest of his tools, but he showed only occasional glimpses of the all-around game that had Florida so excited a year ago. Puerto Rican, by the way. Maybe can guide Alex Rios...

http://www.baseballamerica.com/statistics/...ers/cards/87064 I'm guessing he's referring to this guy, who converted from a hitter to RHP (20 year old from VALENCIA, VNZ). Or it has to be Yolmer Carlos Sanchez, a 19 year-old SS from Maracay. Who's our LH Venezuelan stud in Instructional League? Anyone know?

Williams also stressed the good things that are going on in the Venezuela operations (except for you know, Guillen leaving) even if he doesn't name the two top prospects that he referred to as "The Franchise -- Sanchez -- and a left-handed pitcher in the Instructional League." He can't brag about the team's status in the talent-rich Dominican Republic. Williams seemed to suggest it's getting tougher to scout there, which is odd. "If you look at our reports, across the industry, there's not as many Type I, Type II Dominican players coming out," Williams said. "It's getting harder [and] harder, for whatever reason." The Rangers signed Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara to a record $5 million deal this season. Bonuses are high across baseball for Dominican players. Under the Ricketts family, the Cubs are banking on upgrades to their Dominican operations, which has produced Carlos Marmol and Starlin Castro. No one really brings up the Sox's continued failures in the Dominican, but when the White Sox develop a homegrown Latin American star again, let me know.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 12:45 AM) I didn't think I was giving in. I would think most of my haters would think I haven't budged after presented their "facts, stats" thus their hatred of me grows. You must see me waffling somewhere. I'm really not crazy about Alomar being our new manager. Royals went with an inexperienced catcher once, during a rebuild in Pena, and he was a disaster. If the Red Sox blow it and their fans are imploding why can't we steal their manager just as the Marlins swooped in on Ozzie? If the Twins hate Gardy, why can't we steal him? He's experienced as well. People mock me like when I said if Guillen is so s*** why will Florida give him 4 years? Four years? I was mocked. And what is it ... four years and this disgrace of a manager is now also one of the highest paid in baseball by a cheap team. And the Sox let him go? Smart move. If you remember, you have to give credit to Tony Pena for the first four months of 2003. For nearly a decade, the Royals hadn't had a single winning season, after Brett retired. And from what he learned during that experience (which ended with him leaving in somewhat embarassing fashion), he's still been mentioned as a legit managerial candidate in the last 2-3 offseasons. It's the same thing you've mentioned about Ozzie...that he learned a lot/was trained during his time here, and can used that past EXPERIENCE to be an even better manager in the future. Right? That team was put together like a MacGuyver project....duct tape and baling wire. It was a miracle they stayed in contention so long with their "WE BELIEVE" catchphrase preceding Obama's "Yes, We Can" by 5 years. Florida is REPORTEDLY giving him 3 or 4 years to 1) sell tickets/help market/open up their new stadium, 2) build a bridge to the Hispanic fanbase in South Florida, 3) receive national media attention, 4) put them on the map as a potential destination for premier Free Agents (this didn't really happen in Chicago, only Freddy Garcia can be directly attributed to Ozzie) and 5) work with their young players. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean he was the best manager for the White Sox in 2012 or moving forward. And we're not going to swoop in and pay Francona $4-5 million per year because 1) JR has never done that before, 2) the team will more than likely be in a rebuilding phase and cutting payroll, so the job wouldn't be very attractive to a LaRussa or Francona type. Finally, he WANTED to leave. If you had an employee that was seeking to get out of his contract, once you cross that bridge, there's almost never a going back. The Sox were never going to be able to keep him pacified unless JR fired Williams and allowed him to keep his entire coaching staff intact, including Greg Walker.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...urn=mlb-wp21111 At least this will make you laugh. Funniest thing I've seen tonight, especially since I've seen the same "death stare" in person many times now.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/28/2428...e-move-for.html A much more objective Guillen piece than anything written by the Chicago media. It nicely summarizes the pros and cons of the decision. It would be really ironic if Ozzie had Pujols/Fielder or some of the biggest names in baseball that have never been possibilities on the SouthSide, at least not in the primes of their careers. However, with Loria's track record, you have to see it proven to actually believe in it happening. Part of another Miami Herald article....the whole firing of Cora by text message apparently is a horse that won't ever be put back in the barn thanks to Cowley Praise from Lowell “I told a bunch of people he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for,” said former Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell, who attended a social event at Sun Life Stadium on the eve of the final game there. “I know everybody says Ozzie likes to talk and all that, but he knows a lot about baseball. He’s won a World Series. I’m curious to see how it plays out.” Said second baseman Omar Infante, who signed a two-year contract extension on Tuesday: “I think that’s what we need. I like him because he’s very aggressive. He talks a lot to the players. We’re a young team, and I think he’ll help us a lot.” Outfielder Logan Morrison said it will still come down to the players. “The players are the ones who win and lose games,” Morrison said. “He’s a name. I don’t think he’s going to be an end-all, save-all. But, then again, I don’t know.” Morrison said Guillen’s candor, though, could be good for the Marlins. Guillen is not shy about criticizing players who aren’t performing. “Some guys need that,” Morrison said. “I think you could see some areas [on the Marlins] where that’s needed.” Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/28/2428...l#ixzz1ZDjABF96

Greg, From reading all the threads tonight, if I were you, you should stop trying to defend or justify yourself. Just make an effort to be consistent, don't back down...and don't talk out of both sides of your mouth, waffling back and forth. Notice that Victory, Marty34, Dick Allen (on the Greg Walker thing) never have ceded an inch. We might call the previous two trolls or Joe Cowley or instigators or thread hijackers, but it's apparent they are never going to give up, so you enjoy the intellectual exercise of dealing with them or you completely tune them out, one of the two. The main problem is that in the way you're defending Ozzie, it seems (or is perceived) to many here (my guess) that you're putting your affection/emotions/feelings for Ozzie ahead of the rest of the team or the organization. Think to yourself why you became a White Sox fan in the first place...or why the Royals aren't your favorite team, instead. At some point this offseason, Juan Pierre will no longer be a member of the White Sox. You already lost Bobby Jenks. Life goes on. We will all survive the eventual departures of Buehrle, Konerko and AJ as well. Part of being a fan. Imagine the Cardinals' fans and their reaction to possibly losing Pujols. Will they stop being Cardinals fans? I sincerely doubt it. No one player or manager is greater than the sum of all the individual parts that make up that team and its history. It's okay to be stubborn, obtuse or intransigent in your beliefs and defense of them. Just don't try to appease the people who are criticizing you by giving in and agreeing they might be right or that their opinions have merit (if you actually believe you're right and not just defending someone/something because 95% seem to be against it/you). And look at the situation from all angles. You know that citing Juan Pierre's relatively high batting average as a defense of him won't suffice when there's 10 things he's not doing well...not for $8.5 million.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...urn=mlb-wp21070

What would KW get from J4L if Williams acquired AA to be his assistant/GM-in-waiting and simultaneously sold Hahn's contract to the Cubs?

QUOTE (MAX @ Sep 27, 2011 -> 10:17 PM) I don't think he would even take the cubs job. It would be a lateral move. The buzz around ricketts is that he wants a puppet GM. Hahn loves the Cubs, first of all. Second, being a puppet to Rickets but a major league GM is 100X being an assistant in limbo during a KW Puppet Regime with the manager (if it's Alomar) part of his "shadow team" of spies who are allegiant to Kenny. The ONLY reason for Hahn to stay is watching/observing JR and realizing the GM's job is his once KW finally it out of that chair.