caulfield12

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 08:12 PM) The Sox bats are not heating up with the weather. What is going on? Tip your caps again. Well, we've learned that Juan Pierre probably shouldn't steal for the rest of the season and that our line-up with a pitcher hitting offers even shorter games and less resistance. Unless we keep going to extra innings because both teams are offensively challenged.

You'd think we were on the West Coast playing a Friday night game with the lack of activity in game thread tonight. I guess the Cubs will draw everyone back for at least 3 days. DET coming back against the Mets, it was 8-2 and it has been trimmed to 8-5 in the 6th.

Seems like Pierre lost it in the light bank. Erased by DP. Probably better that he didn't miss it and give up a triple or inside the park home run.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 07:45 PM) At this point now he's back covering for his player. probably as he should be. You just don't know with Rios. Maybe that is the best approach for him, psychologically. But to show him wholehearted support, that hasn't seemed to have empowered him to play as well as he's capable of. Look at the examples with Upton/Maddon and the situation down in Miami with Hanley Ramirez. Perhaps because they're stuck with Rios over the duration of his contract, they can't force the issue in the same ways they did with Javy/Cabrera/Swisher.

We both got clowned/owned with the suggestion he even consider running again. Jimenez used to get it up there in the upper 90's. He's 90-94 tonight. That's quite a drop-off. Any rumors?

Pierre's actually been hitting a lot better the past week. But it doesn't do much good if he can't steal anymore. He's just quit trying to be aggressive....like what happened to Pods after his injury, he got tentative. Can't win for losing, I guess. This is the perfect illustration of why he's practically worthless now. And Ianetta had to throw over Morel, it wasn't an easy throw by any means. Now 10 steals, 10 caught stealings, 50/50 proposition but in reality the odds of him succeeding now are about 25% at best.

QUOTE (Real @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 11:43 AM) I'd still rather keep Kenny than Ozzie. Ozzie's been nothing but problems the last few years, a lot of it having to do with his f***ing family being interjected into his job as the Sox manager. The two things should've never be allowed to overlap, something Jerry should've put his foot down over years ago. Kenny's worst acquisition (and one that I actually supported) is probably Rios, as at the time I wasn't aware of his lackadaisical effort, "I'll play hard when I feel like it" mentality.. I just thought he was an all star outfielder who can hit about .280.. I wanted Peavy as did about 95% of the posters on this site, and being unaware of any arm injuries beyond a brief DL stint in SD for elbow soreness (which MRI's showed no damage..), I didn't have any beef with that acquisition and I was really excited about it. And when he's actually been able to pitch for us, he's been pretty damn good.. Crain was a good signing, and Dunn was a good signing (though the red flags were there, like moving to a new league playing a new position (read: Waiting in Dugout with bat in-hand)), nobody predicted this would happen.. NOBODY. So you can't use hindsight with the Dunn signing, because what's happening now (even with the red flags) was simply not predicted by anyone to happen Getting Alexei, Viciedo.. two guys who weren't coveted by anybody in the majors... well, those are pretty obvious to me at this point to be great signs, nobody can argue that Ramirez, definitely. Viciedo, not so much. He had scouts from about 20-25 different major league teams for his showcases. There were many articles (Jeff Passan specifically) written about where he would sign, the dollars involved, the odds of the White Sox getting him because of Torres as his agent and our already-existing Cuban Connection with Alexei, Contreras and El Duque in the recent past. You can give him credit for writing the biggest check, but I'm pretty sure it was the most expensive Latin American free agent signing in history.

Cleveland already won....looks like DET will lose, so we can't afford to go 6 games back after we were so close to being just 2 1/2.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,3398645.story Ozzie officially backtracking completely on the idea he was sending message specifically to Rios and not to the rest of the team. Hmmm. Doesn't make sense to single out ONE player, then cite examples that he hasn't hustled before, then turn around and say you're directing your anger about it towards the whole team. No wonder our organization is foundering in complete disarray.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 10:17 AM) What? So it's Kenny's fault that the team doesn't play the game right? I disagree but I don't wanna turn this into another Kenny vs Ozzie or GM bashing thread. Who else in baseball had the brazen arrogance to actually believe they could turn around Rios' lackluster/nonchalant attitude about the game and make his contract a good one fo their organization to put on their books? Only KW. At least 75% of that has to go on him for the initial acquisition in the first place.

I'm awaiting KW's response. It should be interesting. On one hand, Rios is the poster child of what's gone wrong the last 2 1/2 years and that one's all on KW and JR. Even moreso than Dunn, he represents the "talented tease" this team has been ever since 2005. A collection of talent that's never seemed to be better than the sum of all its parts. You just wonder if this will blow up into something larger or will it quickly settle down and be forgotten? With Peavy and AJ, beating the Cubs took all the starch out of the situation, but losing games (and especially to a Cubs team in free-fall this weekend) won't be so easily excused or overlooked by anyone.

http://theghostofmoonlightgraham.wordpress...rade-alex-rios/ I think this article almost perfectly summarizes my feelings for Mr. Alex Rios. Enjoy. Interesting that the writer correctly predicted the White Sox as one of his destinations. Laughed about the Cain for Rios idea.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2011062...orts/706279778/ Article arguing for Dunn/Sox to use sports psychologist. Dunn expected to start on Wednesday or Thursday (via twitter). Not sure if it will be in LF/RF/1B.

"Rios don't run the bases and that's why I took him out of the game. This is not the first time it happened. I don't like the way he ran the bases. My players can be very bad .. and that's the amazing thing for everyone out there. They don't (bleeping) run the bases, they don't want to play or whatever, they're tired or just hurt, but if they don't run the bases, that reputation comes on me and I have a great reputation in this (bleeping) game to do it that way. "If they don't run the bases they're out of the game, I don't give a (bleep) if it's (Paul) Konerko or Adam Dunn or anyone. You don't play the game right, you're out of the game." Here's the FULL Ozzie quote on Rios from dailyherald.com

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 06:47 AM) And this is the facebook quote Leggo my Eggos!!!

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 06:47 AM) Managers are overrated huh? I wonder who it is that has been deciding to give Juan Pierre the most plate appearances on the team then? Cuz it sure as s*** ain't Kenny Williams But who would you be leading off? Ramirez, one of our better RBI guys? Alex THE LOAF Rios? Lillibridge? Mark The Human Statue Teahen? It's also on KW to give Ozzie a legit leadoff hitter. How many years since 2005 has he succeeded in doing this? He even drafted Mitchell and Walker, but they're miles away, too.

Starting in CF tonight for the White Sox in place of Rios and The Bridge.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 06:40 AM) I don't care how weird that play was, Lilli got caught flat-footed. There's no excuse for a player to score from 1st on a bloop hit to center field. This team is pathetic. It's not like if he charges it it's going to fly past him, it would have bounced feebly on the turf and worst-case the guy scores from first which is exactly what happened. There's just some bad juju going around with this ballclub. Oh, and f***ing great, Pierre got a hit and dove for a ball to left that he didn't need to dive for, so he just bought himself the rest of the season. ‘‘We’re playing no doubles in one of the biggest ballparks in this league,’’ Lillibridge said. ‘‘Once it stops, I have to make sure [i field it]. I can’t go in on a bare-hand sprint and miss the ball. .  .  . That’s a good call by the third-base coach there because he knew I had to break down and grab the ball.’’ Guillen doesn’t believe in playing his outfielders deep at spacious Coors Field. “Coming here, I think it was a mistake people made when they play deep,” Guillen said. “They make a big hole between the infield and the outfield. I think you should play normal. They played deep because the ball carries. Well, if the ball is over your head, it’s a home run. Make sure you catch the balls in front of you.”

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 28, 2011 -> 11:59 PM) Really. This is your final straw. Get a grip. And stop with the absolutes. You must of missed Rios the Toronto Blue Jay if this is the first time you have seen this before. Oh the outrage, the humanity. If the rest of the team had greg's passion, we'd clearly be in first place and running away with the division. I love you, my man, greg775!!!

QUOTE (Cerbaho-WG @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 06:18 AM) First of all, good for Ozzie for benching Rios. It needed to happen. Second, Lillibridge needs to be benched for what he did last night. He dragged ass and cost us the game. Punishment needs to be handed out evenly. So you'd play Pierre in CF, Dunn in LF and Quentin in RF tonight? Teahen in LF and Pierre in CF? Bring up Milledge and put Rios on the suspended list (not that the union would ever let them get away with it).

Slightly different set of quotes here... http://www.suntimes.com/sports/6229849-419...st-of-year.html ‘‘I was kind of glad,’’ Guillen said, ‘‘because I was suffering there with my coaches. We had opportunities. F--- it. Get the game over with, and we go home and hopefully get it tomorrow. It was the worst game we played all year long. We had chances over and over and over, but we didn’t take advantage. You do that over and over again, the baseball gods get you.’’ ‘‘Rios don’t run the bases; that’s why I got him out of the game,’’ Guillen said. ‘‘It’s not the first time it happened. I don’t like the way he runs the bases. .  .  . And that’s a message for everyone: If they don’t f---ing run the bases, their reputation comes on me, and I have a greater reputation in this f---ing game to do it that way. They don’t run the bases (see the subtle difference?), they’re out of the game. I don’t give a s--- if it’s Paul Konerko or Adam Dunn or anyone. You don’t run the bases, you’re out of the game.’’ Lillibridge described it as a weird play. ‘‘We’re playing no doubles in one of the biggest ballparks in this league,’’ Lillibridge said. ‘‘Once it stops, I have to make sure [i field it]. I can’t go in on a bare-hand sprint and miss the ball. .  .  . That’s a good call by the third-base coach there because he knew I had to break down and grab the ball.’’ After that, the Sox were just plain inept, going 2-for-27 in the sixth through 13th innings. Konerko and Pierzynski were each 0-for-5. ‘‘The way we played today from the first inning, I don’t think we should win this game at all,’’ Guillen said. ‘‘The only thing we did was pitch well. Everything else was very bad." ‘‘When they play like that, they should dress and leave right away. For one second we didn’t deserve to win. Very bad. ‘‘They struggle with men on third base with less than two outs. We [don’t] do the little things, and we expect to win? Hell, no. You play like s---, you go home like s---. What else you want to know?’’

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jun 29, 2011 -> 02:19 AM) Part of me thinks Ozzie wants to go to the Marlins but he and Reinsdorf have a loyalty to each other. Ozzie is more of a NL type manager. The rest of the baseball world doesn't see as an inept manager like the fans do. I've liked Kenny's aggressiveness in getting someone like Jake Peavy. That story hasn't ended yet on whether it was worth it. His moves in the past few years just don't make sense. He's done a poor job handling the minors. The only way to fix that is with more spending. I don't like it when he acquire players from losing organizations. I think there is something there mentally. Well, Crain and AJ are former Twins. Are you referring to all the ex-Royals we've picked up over the years? Swisher played on winning teams with the A's. O Cabrera almost always played on playoff teams. Even Edwin Jackson's pitched for some very good Tigers and Rays teams. Maybe Javy?? A lot of our collegiate draft picks played on College World Series teams, too. Mitchell and Beckham, for example.

“We played like (bleep), you go home like (bleep),” said manager Ozzie Guillen, who pulled center fielder Alex Rios in the bottom of the seventh inning for not running hard. “What else you guys want to know?” “I don’t think we should feel bad because we earned it to lose this game,” Guillen said. “We deserved to lose. I think the way we played from the first inning, I don’t think we should have won this game at all. We had opportunities. The only thing about this game, we pitched well. Everything else was pretty bad. “I don’t know why those guys hang their heads over there when they played like that. Usually they get dressed and leave right away because I don’t think we, for one second, deserved to win this game. The game finished the way it started – very bad. It’s nobody’s fault. If they’re going to blame anybody, they should blame everyone – counting myself.” As for Rios, “(he) don’t run the bases,” Guillen said. “That’s why I got him out of the game. It’s not the (first time) it’s happened.” Rios was 0-for-3 and dropped a fly for an error in the fifth. "They don’t run the bases, they don’t want to play or tired or hurt, that reputation comes with me and I have a great reputation in this (bleeping) game to do (the right) way," Guillen said. "They don’t run the bases, they’re out of the game. I don’t give a (bleep) if it’s (Paul) Konerko or Adam Dunn or anyone. "If you don’t play the game right, you’re out of the game.” mark gonzales/tribunesports.com

“"We played like (bleep), you go home like (bleep),"” said manager Ozzie Guillen, who pulled center fielder Alex Rios in the bottom of the seventh inning for not running hard. “"What else you guys want to know?"” “"I don't think we should feel bad because we earned it to lose this game,"” Guillen said. “"We deserved to lose. I think the way we played from the first inning, I don't think we should have won this game at all. We had opportunities. The only thing about this game, we pitched well. Everything else was pretty bad." “"I don't know why those guys hang their heads over there when they played like that. Usually they get dressed and leave right away because I don't think we, for one second, deserved to win this game. The game finished the way it started, very bad. It’s nobody's fault. If they're going to blame anybody, they should blame everyone counting myself.” As for Rios, "(he) don't run the bases,"” Guillen said. “"That's why I got him out of the game. It's not the (first time) its happened." "They don't run the bases, they don't want to play or tired or hurt, that reputation comes with me and I have a great reputation in this (bleeping) game to do (the right) way," Guillen said. "They don't run the bases, they're out of the game. I don't give a (bleep) if it’s (Paul) Konerko or Adam Dunn or anyone." "If you don't play the game right, you're out of the game." chicagotribune.com/sports (Mark Gonzales) THis should draw some amusing and somewhat hyperbolic commentary.

It has been very clear in their games against the DBacks, Nationals and now the Rockies that the other teams hustled more, busted it down the line much more frequently and also took the extra bases against the White Sox. We're always seemingly on our heels, part of it is that we don't hold runners or throw anyone out or even succeed on pitchouts. That's part of the 4-8 extra innings record. We just don't have the ability to manufacture runs and there's been a consistent lack of hitting with RISP. We've been stuck between 2-5 games under .500 for weeks now. Someone described that as climbing but I really don't see it when you have such an emotionless, limp response to lackadaisical baseball and offense from the manager. Perhaps this latest Rios controversy will light a fire under the team and clubhouse, but it's not going to help us go from first to third (or home) or 2nd to home on singles. We've lost that multidimensionality and athleticism from our offense compared to when Alexei, Rios and Pierre were all running more frequently and being much more aggressive on the basepaths. This team is just kind of lost and has been searching for some kind of an identity all season. They're the slight below average, good pitching, lousy offense "boring" Sox this season.