caulfield12

Wasn't Nix really really good last year against LHP but abysmal the rest of the time? I wonder if you will start hearing JD's name pop up again...it would take him most of July to get ready, but you'd have a fresh body for the "dog days" of August and September, especially if he wasn't playing the field. The problem is that you'd no longer have Andruw Jones' defense and occasional power. I think they're going to have to monitor Andruw the next month and decide if they're going to replace him or not.

If you remember coming down the stretch in 2005, Brandon McCarthy was our second best pitcher. Remember his start against the Red Sox in Boston? I think he lost 2-1 or 1-0 to Johan Sanntana, something like that...as well. He pitched very well against almost everyone. Not saying Hudson will replicate McCarthy's results, but it CAN work more to the pitcher's advantage the first time out against most of those teams. Agreed that those match-ups with Detroit and Minnesota won't be very easy, but it's the major leagues...nothing's supposed to be easy. Heck, if things were easy, we'd be 13-8 or better against CLE/KC and 18-20-22 games over .500 and way ahead of the field.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 03:54 PM) The best thing for Seattle to do would be to trade him to the NL in the next week and a half, so that way he's not even in the league anymore when the Sox head out west in 11 days. Assuming the M's go Felix-Lee-whomever out of the gate, the Sox are scheduled to face both Felix and Lee in Seattle, and then they'll face Lee again in Chicago too. Mets are definitely one of the main players in all this, Philadelphia could go after him again...don't think the Padres or Braves would make a play, though. Supposedly, the Reds and maybe even the Cardinales have shown some interest as well, perhaps the Giants to kick start them back into the race. Dodgers? Rockies? Well, as they say, to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the White Sox usually rise up to the challenge of great opposing pitchers not named Johan Santana about as well as any team in the AL, just as they perenially disappoint against journeymen, rookies, pitchers they're seeing for the very first time and soft tossing lefties.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:23 PM) I wouldn't be surprised if Minny goes hard after a top reliever, even though they are 2nd overall in MLB with pen ERA for the year they were 17th in June with a 4.22 and 22nd so far in July with a 4.83 to go along with a June WHIP of 1.24 and a 1.37 WHIP in July, all trending down. Guerrier has blown about 3 games in the past week or so. Crain has always been fairly shaky, despite the great stuff. Duensing has been the key to that pen so far, he's been amazing, and Mijares (before that, D. Reyes/Rincon/JC Romero) has been tough as well. But Rauch is shaky against top competition (just like Foulke) and Slama and Delaney are waiting in the wings in Rochester. The obvious move is bringing up Slama, but Gardenhire has refused to move up Delmon Young in the line-up for Cuddyer/Mauer all season, and he's also refused to take Guerrier out of primary RH set-up. But the biggest problem right now is their defense, 3B, Hardy just came back, Mauer's power disappearance and the fact that Slowey/Blackburn/Baker are all pitching like 4th/5th starters, and not 2-3 type pitchers. Liriano finally getting it back together has really saved this team, and Delmon Young finally figuring out he's a major league hitter, but his defense along with Cuddyer's is atrocious.

QUOTE (jhonnydanks @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:21 PM) jhonny danks is who we thought he was Except I don't think he's Spanish!!! First four game sweep of a series since 2008 against the Indians.

QUOTE (jhonnydanks @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:21 PM) jhonny danks is who we thought he was Except I don't think he's Spanish!!! First four game sweep of a series since 2008 against the Indians.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:17 PM) What's the latest on Teahen and who gets sent down when he's healthy? It's an interesting choice. Undoubtedly, it will be Viciedo.... However, Lillibridge, Beckham and Andruw Jones (DFA) all should be possibilities...I don't think Ozzie is quite ready to part with Jones, simply from a defensive standpoint. I really think they need to hold back Teahen until this team cools off, feels like we need to keep the chemistry with this team exactly the same.

QUOTE (Controlled Chaos @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:15 PM) They were 24-33 exactly one month ago and 9 1/2 back. They've gone 22-5 since. DIRTY!!!!!!! Don't conjure up any bad vibes thoughts of Nick Swisher, please.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:13 PM) I heard on 670 that Pena actually walked up to the park yesterday with Ozzie and told him is willing to start this Sunday. Ozzie told him thanks for the offer, but I want to keep the bullpen roles the same. It's worth a try, if Hudson gets hit hard. I think I would rather try Pena (with his overall ability) than Torres or Marquez...the Sean Lowe/Carrasco spot.

The Orioles and Tigers aren't playing today. The Twins and Blue Jays do play tonight at 6...the Detroit and Minnesota play each other.

Not to mention improbably picking up exactly 11 games in the standings on the Twins in roughly a month. Obviously, that seemed impossible not too long ago. I'd have to recheck it, but we've gone from the 26th or 27th place in MLB standings to tied for 10th in all of MLB.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jul 8, 2010 -> 02:03 PM) Awesome win and performance by Danks!!! so 7-3, including 6-1 against a hot Texas team and a 2nd place Angels team since all the pundits said the White Sox would fade starting back the AL schedule, up all of their asses. Huge thing for Danks to go 9 today, pen is fully rested for the weekend series. Get even a slightly better than average bat and Hudson is OK, this team will be tough to beat, Cliff Lee or no Cliff Lee in Minny. There are so many teams in the Lee sweepstakes...now the Rangers are one of the frontrunners...that I think that drama gets drawn out until close to the end of the month. So there are at least 6 teams involved and 4-6 more "kicking the tires" on Lee. Latest I heard, the M's were asking for Ramos, Hicks and MORE from the Twins. The Twins have offered Ramos and Slowey.

22-5 The impossibly hot run that the Indians put us on us in late 2005 was 24-6. Pretty amazing, especially with how we've responded by winning 3 games in a row after Peavy went down, especially against a team like the Angels. NOW, for once this season, we need to take out the Royals while Minnesota and Detroit are beating up each other.

Viciedo runs a little better than most expected....should be a doubles machine. The thing I liked about him the most (and the same thing was said of Beckham last year) is he really has a nice, natural opposite field and up the middle stroke, but he has also shown the ability to turn on some balls already when the occasion demands it. Until today, the defense was also much better than advertised, and the error was one of those where the 3B just gets off balance and the throw either sails or goes into the dirt...unfortunately it sailed but the unearned run didn't come back to haunt us (or 5 total errors, aka one month for the Twins when they're playing well). As far as the Uribe comparison, I'm not really seeing it. Dayan has a lot more pop and overall hitting ability...the one thing about Uribe that was always undervalued, clutch RBI's, driving in the runner from 3B with less than 2 outs was always his specialty. No matter what his average was, you could always count on him for 20 homers and 60-75 RBI's without fail, along with super solid D.

So our two main DH's are averaging around a 730 OPS? Not counting Quentin when he's batted there...what is the AL average for OPS from the DH spot?

Can Castro just not bunt? Strange decision not to move the runners...maybe Ozzie thinks Jenks with a five run lead is more dangerous than 3.

Maybe the better comparison is going to Michael Bay movies...despite knowing there will be no plot or acting whatsover exhibited. Tebow's a known brand name, but it's more like making a political/family values statement for some people I think. Perhaps there are some who really believe he'll be good at the next level, but it's more for what he represents...

When is the last time an MLB team won a game in which they made 5 ERRORS?

That's not good. C'mon Sergio.

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 10:39 PM) Probably why they have no winning season's since the early 90's. The Rays, Marlins and now the Reds have shown you CAN build a good team through the draft and a couple of smart trades. Also the A's for most of the decade, the Angels (although they have a big budget), Twins, Brewers and the Rangers have really become an interesting organization. Of course, the model for all teams to emulate is the Schuerholz/Atlanta Braves model.

Bartlett was great last year, slumping a lot this year...in the 220's for most of the season, and not nearly as good defensively either. One of the big mysteries with the Rays' team this year.

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 10:29 PM) I was actually thinking the same thing. If Lillibridge did this kind of thing for the Twins we would be like...who the heck is this guy and how is he just hitting it all over the yard? Denny Hocking Matt LeCroy Jason Tyner Lew Ford Jason Bartlett Nick Punto Henry Blanco Mike Redmond

I think KW would have been shocked to know (and now realize) he possibly had four infielders in Viciedo, Nix, Vizquel and Lillibridge would make (in different ways) picking up Mark Teahen superfluous.

Who ever would have thought that Lillibridge and Nix in 2010 would be fighting it out for AL Player of the Week? Or at least 2-week period...pretty amazing. I think we all gave up Lillibridge for dead and never believed we'd see him in a White Sox uniform again. Or that they might intentionally walk or pitch around Lillibridge to get to Beckham EVER?

Attaboy, tried to fool him with the change-up. Maybe Teahen getting hurt this season was the best thing that happened...no disrespect to Mark, but something changed right around the time we started playing Vizquel consistently and Pierre starting picking it up a bit as well.