caulfield12

Well....if the Twins can take 2 out of 4 on the road at TB, and come back from down 3, they deserve the playoffs more than we do.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 07:08 PM) Maybe we could even doop the Twins into picking him up. Ramirez is absolute garbage. They've already done us a huge favor by picking up Guardado. Runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs, Twins threatening to get right back into it again. Price looks like he will facing Mauer and Morneau in a pressure situation.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/aggreg...ng&type=reg White Sox threatening to be 11th in AL ERA after the All-Star break. Sitting at 4.75 ERA right now and climbing. We're just an accidental/anomalous post-season team right now.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:54 PM) would love to see price come in and blow mauer and morneau away at some point in this game Price is warming up now. Gomez/Span/Casilla will be hitting top of 7th, anyone reaches, then Mauer/Morneau.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:45 PM) I just keep thinking we have to win at least one more game in order to lose the rest and still have a chance to make it. 1-11 to end the season? OUCH. I've switched over to Twins/Rays. Twins in good position to get back to down only 1 run. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with only one out. Make that two out, Longoria makes a spectacular play....maybe Ramirez is finally wearing down now at the end of a very long season? If we get swept by Bannister, Davies and Duckworth, we really don't deserve to have a sniff of the playoffs.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:42 PM) jeeez,the Twins might get swept in Tampa Bay and we might not pick up any games the way the offense is going Well, we would get out magic number down to 4 before we play the Twins at least. It's always darkest before the dawn, lol!!! Let's hope. The funny thing is both Sox and Twins fans are scared to death of being embarassed out of the playoffs...although Twins fans have more experience in this area. For most Sox fans, they just have the vague memories of 2000 and Seattle and Carlos Guillen's walk-off bunt.

Get Vazquez out of this game. NOW! We might as well try Adam Russell again, why not? Although I am sure it will be someone like Carrasco or Ramirez.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:33 PM) If they can get a high obp guy in here somewhere else i'm all for this. Hell if you need 2b for the incoming guy, try Alexei in CF. Cabrera's not worth the money for a 3 year deal....his speed and range have declined too much. For one more season, okay. The most logical move is for Ramirez to go to SS, where he's a "plus" player offensively and defensively. In CF, he's average offensively and probably defensively as well. This game reminds me of 2006 when Vazquez was on a tightrope the entire game against the Yankees but somehow we won the game at home.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:33 PM) nuts - looks like javy's struggling. he's been so nails lately, no way he walks a chump like molina. Three game rest usually is tougher on pitchers than Vazquez than Buerhle. Although I think it might help Floyd's curveball.

6-4 TB, Carlos Pena homer. Think of how many MLB teams passed a number of times on that guy, and they could have had him for nothing or next to nothing. Evan Longoria, I think, just clinched ROY, if he hadn't already. 2 homers, 24 on the season now.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:27 PM) Wise is like a year younger than PK. The only reason I mention Wise is because he at least has a little speed and athleticism. That's one thing we miss with Chris B. Young. I know he's Mr. Cameron Jr. and strikes out a ton and has an average OPS and not so great OBP.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 06:22 PM) This offense is killing me right now. I want some youth injected into 09. Frighteningly, Hudson means "youth" to us. Swisher, Quentin and Ramirez are all younger players. Maybe giving Anderson/Wise a chance....and Fields...could conceiveably occur. Of course, nobody likes that version of "youth movement," we only want MVP's and ROY candidates. Think the Yankees will give us Cabrera and Cano???

QUOTE (Wanne @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 05:58 PM) No...not really. Only if my team is on with them. Nothin' but a bunch of douche nozzles who live and breath everything East and sensationalize the crap out of everything to the point of nauseum. I can't even have my volume on watching monday night football because I think Tony Kornheiser is the most worthless POS they've ever employed. I'd have to go with Limbaugh on that count. That was a really silly stretch on their part to think that move would work. Limbaugh would have been better for baseball...almost like having Ebert doing mnf.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 05:55 PM) I honestly don't see how this pussbag has won 17 games. You watch him and think a decent college team could beat him. The same way Greg Maddux won so many games in his 30's, although Maddux never threw 94-96 in his prime like Mr. New York Times Crossword Intellectual.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 05:50 PM) I remember leaving work to go watch the clincher at Outback Steakhouse. Crede botched a routine grounder, and you're right, Polanco's liner sure looked like a double. I was watching it on DirecTV from Colombia, South America, lol. I remember ordering the Freddy Garcia "clinching" shirt with black piping and grey that very instant. I almost ordered a Jose Contreras jersey!!! It looks like the 162 day season and being on the road so much has finally caught up with those inexperienced, 25 year-old Twins' pitchers.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 05:47 PM) the quote i heard on the radio was prefaced w/ "if the playoffs started tomorrow..." but i agree he has to be worked into that role as soon as he can pitch again and should stay there thru as far as we can take this thing. live arm. Oh, how far the mighty (Boone Logan) have fallen. Does that mean they're planning to keep Horacio Ramirez AND Richard?

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 05:43 PM) We had a nice 3 game stretch vs the Twins at home when their lineup was just awful. Then we went to Detroit, and lost two heartbreakers. One was on a walkoff by Granderson, and then Blum hit into a game ending 1-2-3 DP. Thankfully, we won 16 of our next 17!! Not to mention the appearance of Joe Borchard, I think, before Blum. I swear that ball that Jenks gave up gets a little more elevation (the game clincher) and you had the feeling the season was lost...that was a very nerve-wracking save!!!

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 05:40 PM) This team looks the same as so many other Sox teams did coming down the stretch. We just have to hope this Twins team chokes like previous ones didn't. Recently, the 2001 team (14-29 at one point) was the only team that I could think of in recent Sox history which played better from mid-season on. The 2002 and 2004 teams peaked early...same with 2006. A little surprised to Phil Humber in the first inning...but Gardenhire doesn't have anything to lose, and he (Humber) was used as a starter in the minors (part of the Santana deal with the Mets) as far as I know.

This much is clear...the White Sox are "dead man walking" offensively, and that doesn't promise to improve any at all with the type of pitching we're likely to encounter in the playoffs. It seems we are bound and determined to back into the playoffs rather than win it, but anything is possible I guess, after what we witnessed in 2005. It will remarkable that a playoff team goes to the post-season with two combined wins against the Blue Jays and Yankees.

Even though Alexei might be losing the Rookie of the Year as we speak, I'll take it. Thanks for bailing out C-Pena Evan Longoria!!! Looks like Perkins might be shaken up a little bit.

Someone forgot to remind the Twins they were already out of it. Well, let's just hope they can lose in heartbreaking fashion somehow and that another loss really knocks them off stride. It looked bleak for the Indians for half of the game yesterday as well.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 03:21 PM) If this is the injury that they are doing surgery on, then it is a severe problem. Surgery is not done for patella tenonitis unless it has progressed to the point that part of the tendon becomes necrotic or starts to die. They can remove the dead tissue and have good tisuue grow in the spot. This is a severe case and doesn't happen often. Now you're reminding me of Bo Jackson's hip with "necrotic." Interesting...Fields' quote was something along the lines of that it was a simple procedure. "I'm excited to finally know what's going on and get it taken care of," said Fields of the arthroscopic surgery. "I don't know how to explain it because I don't totally understand what the doctors have told me, but they understand what they need to do. "They can go in take care of it really easily. The recovery is not supposed to be hard at all."

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 11:51 AM) I can't see why the Sox would go from an arb-eligible injury-prone 3B to another arb-eligible injury-prone 3B. There has been a lot of talk about Chone Figgins at third, and the D'Backs - Kenny's favorite trading partner - have two 3B in Chad Tracy and Mark Reynolds. Plus there's a logjam in Colorado with Stewart and Atkins, and other one-year possibilities like Melvin Mora and Pedro Feliz (I think he only signed a two-year deal with the Phils) who shouldn't cost much in terms of talent. Then there's Casey Blake, who I believe is an Iowa native and might like to play closer to home. There are several 3B possibilities beyond that and I doubt the Sox are going to restrict themselves as much as you say. In fact, because of all the possibilities that exist at 3B, I expect that to be one of the last holes to fill over the offseason. The first priority IMO is deciding whether or not to bring Uribe back, and at what salary. That decision immediately gives the Sox a direction to take. With Uribe locked in, then the Sox have a back-up plan as a starter for 3B, SS, and 2B. If they decide to pursue someone else as a starter then Uribe becomes a super UT man once again. The biggest question will be whether or not Uribe wants to test the free agent waters for a guaranteed starting job. He does love the Sox though, so if the money is right I could definitely see him re-upping right away even with some uncertainty as to his role. The second priority will most likely be a lead-off hitter. I think Kenny will leave his options open here and will be able to target lead-off types for 2B, SS, 3B, and CF, with the main targets being Figgins, Roberts, and Furcal. Once a lead-off hitter is found then he can move on to addressing other areas. The third priority should be deciding what to do with the Dye-Thome-Konerko-Swisher four-headed monster that should only reign over 3 spots. Dye will have the most trade value, but he has also been the most productive player of the 4 and is a fan favorite. If the Sox believe Konerko will come back and Swisher is still a good player in a horrible year, then trading Dye for parts that allow him a secondary move is an option. Thome I'd think is the safest bet of the four to stay simply because he's a big LH bat, and if you take that out then you have to immediately replace it. Swisher is the worst hitter of the four, but I can't see Kenny selling low on him. Anything can happen though. The fourth priority will be finding a SP, probably another young guy if possible. Kenny has pieces to deal and with Contreras' contract still on the books, I expect another under-the-radar Floyd/Danks type of acquisition. It may not work out the same way, but I bet that's the road Kenny will take. The fifth priority, assuming our new lead-off hitter doesn't play third, is finding a third baseman. Because of the number of options available, including Josh Fields (if he isn't traded by this point) and Uribe (assuming he's brought back) it doesn't make sense to address 3B until the larger concerns are. It's possible that picking up another reliever would hold priority over the 3B situation as well. I expect KW to have a 2005-like offseason. We'll have a lot of money coming off the books, the ability to trade a slugger without strongly damaging the strength of the lineup, we'll have several holes to fill, and we'll have the incentive to build a more fundamentally sound team with a more dynamic lineup. I can't remember where I saw it, but the net subtractions (assuming Cabrera and Crede are gone, and maybe Uribe) aren't that great, maybe we end up saving $5-7 million total. We still have Contreras' deal on the books, and while I'm not sure about how much insurance will cover it, or whether he will actually make a comeback attempt at mid-season....but we have to replace the fifth starter, and that won't happen with Poreda until 2010 I imagine. I think KW will try to find another bargain on the free agent market (like Loaiza) and then TRY to identify a youngster like Danks or Floyd that's undervalued and a team that would be willing to accept a package centered around Josh Fields. I don't see what pieces we have to make a deal for Figgins work...it just doesn't make sense for the Angels to strengthen an AL rival. They certainly don't need Fields. I think Thome will end up making more (because we're losing the Phillies subsidy), Jenks will definitely get a big raise in arbitration (I'm not sure about giving him a long-term deal with "controlled" numbers)...I think we're also carrying Mike MacDougal's contract through at least 2009. It's hard to imagine a Dye trade, even though that's the most logical from a "buy low, sell high" point of view. With Konerko and Swisher at "low value" and Thome very unlikely to be dealt because of the dearth of LH bats, that just opens up another big hole in the outfield. Are you going to trade Dye for another starting pitcher? Well, that's the ONLY thing that makes sense...and then trying to get an underachieving pitcher in the deal, maybe not a Phil Hughes/Homer Bailey in terms of name recognition but someone with a lot of unrealized potential. I just wouldn't count on finding another Quentin in this offseason. And I worry about going into the season with Anderson/Wise as the platoon in CF, with Swisher and Quentin on the corners. I think we can get another year or two out of AJ. He's never going to throw out many runners (our pitchers don't help much in this area either!), but he's a good complimentary player, and statistically, the #2 AL catcher in many categories. Just not a #2 hitter, except for desperate circumstances.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 10:26 AM) In the last few years maybe, but their 1990s teams had a pretty consistent core that played from cradle to near grave. Andruw and Chipper Jones were probably the two biggest constants over their pennant runs...Javier Lopez was probably #3. But it all started with the timely acquisitions of Sid Bream and Terry Pendleton to shore up the infield defense and provide veteran leadership to go with that young pitching staff of Glavine, Smoltz and Steve Avery (before he was hurt)... By the way, thanks for reminding me of that scene with Gabrielle Union "stripping" in that good 'ol predictable Jet Li/DMX movie.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 10:46 AM) I'm sorry. I'm just having a hard time imagining how someone could say a lineup with Denard Span, Carlos Gomez, Brian Buscher, Matt Tolbert, and Alexi Casilla starting for them is "choking". Five position players with less than 5 years of MLB experience between them... and almost all of them performing above their minor league averages. Add that to 5 starting pitchers none of whom have a full year in MLB under their belt. Overachieving is a more appropriate term... not choking. If Hunter and Santana were still around, I have a hard time imagining the same fate befalling the Twins. Those guys simply wouldn't have let it happen...although I have been a little surprised with Nathan's dropoff. And we knew Liriano was due for a bad start, although he still has something like 15 consecutive victories dating back to Rochester in June/July and then the Twins over the past 5-6 weeks.