ThunderBolt

I know he's a rook, but why put Price on the postseason roster if you're not gonna use him? Wheeler, really? Price was a number #1 pick! LAST YEAR! Edit: Who called it?

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Oct 19, 2008 -> 09:49 PM) Oh Jesus, here we go... Bartlett/Man. God, this could kill the kid's career...

QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Oct 19, 2008 -> 09:40 PM) Aybarrrrrrrrrrr is the man tonight Destiny Thy has A Team

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 19, 2008 -> 08:58 PM) So why was Bartlett not bunting? Because bunting has been proven to be statistically useless, unless the winning run is on second or third?

I wonder what John Madden would have to say about that matchup with Navarro?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 19, 2008 -> 08:23 PM) Fourth inning. The Bosox may be in trouble. They didn't knock out Garza early and he's settled in. Trouble a brewin. My God this kid is incredible. Just Amazing

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Oct 19, 2008 -> 01:02 PM) This is heartbreaking to me. It sucks to see a team that has done so well and even reminded me of us in 2005 going so far to lose a 3-1 series lead. I had the radio on before work Game 5 and heard the announcer say that Pappelbon had to go 2 more innings to give the Red Sox a comeback chance when he already threw nearly 30 pitches in one inning, and it was 7-0 going to the bottom of the 7th. I was SHOCKED when someone ran in and said the Red Sox had come back. I hope i'm wrong, but i think that Pedroia Homer was back-breaker. These sox are the anti-Cubs, and are unfortuantley, on the verge of becoming the new Yankees. I respect their organization, but no team (barring our Sox) desrves to win it all every year. I like(d) these Rays, and their a great story, but this one seems destined to have an unhappy ending. On the plus, that bastard ex-twin Bartlett is goona be their Bartman.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 19, 2008 -> 01:46 PM) http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3651897 Ok, I’m one of the biggest Billy Beane guys out there, but this move doesn't make sense to me. They traded for two of the biggest IF prospects in the game in Cardenas, and E Patterson, and then draft a 2B (Weeks) with their first pick this year. Unless there’s a follow up move immediately following this signing. I just don't get it. Ellis is solid, but the teams rebuilding, and he is in no way part of their long term plans.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 17, 2008 -> 02:45 AM) If he makes accurate throws it's certainly possible. It's very possible. The Brewers changed Jason Kendall's throwing motion this year, instantly turning him into one of these best run-stopping catchers in the league.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 09:21 PM) I spent the last two months of the year hoping Tampa Bay would win the AL East and not Boston They did, it's the other way around. That being said, i think we would of managed a series against Boston quite well. Assuming we had the right gameplan. And with Crede, and Q in the lineup it would be all the more manageable. I still get a smile over my face thinking about that shot Konerko had off Wakefield during the Manny/Papi back to back HR game in 2005. Took the wind right out of their sails.

QUOTE (striker62704 @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 05:55 PM) I don't like the Phillies pitching aside from Hamels. Moyer, Myers and Blanton will all get killed by TB bats. TB has some good pitching. They are young too so they'll be around awhile. Yeah, i can't see this ending well for the Phillies. Hamels and Myers are solid, but Moyer and Blanton are smoke and mirrors for the most part.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 04:25 PM) He isn't a fan of Williams, which means he is going to hate on pretty much anything White Sox. He is still bitter about the Wells trade. Ever since Ricciardi ignored Law's objections and took Romero over Tulowitski in the 2005 draft he seems to of took an us against the world of GM'S mentality.

QUOTE (scenario @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 01:05 PM) One of Law's posts... "Gavin Floyd - Will he win 10-15 games for the White Sox this season? No. Well, he was right. Kid won 17 this season.

QUOTE (Yoda @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 11:29 PM) A lot of that success is due in part to Brad Lidge. So, what you're saying is that if Pujols and Scottie Pods were in the playoffs the Phillies would suck?

QUOTE (daa84 @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 07:11 PM) beckham 0-3 with a K in todays game At least, he'll probably have three days off to sit and think about it.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 06:31 PM) I think Sonnenstine or Jackson could be their closer or even Kazmir if he can not get past he 6th inning on a regular basis. Sonnenstine's control screams lights out closer to me. Sonnanstine as closer would be interesting, as I imagine he would fit into more of the Brandon Lyon mold, but I don't see it happening. In fact, I have a hard time seeing him on the team come next year. The Rays have a surplus of arms on the staff, and on the way in Price, Niemann, McGee, and Davis, Jackson however would be interesting as he's a flamethrower with awful control. In other words, Billy Beane's perfect idea of what a closer should be. Now, the Rays are a very smart organization and I could see them realizing just how much a decision like this could impact Jackson’s trade value.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 11:38 AM) Don Cooper would be one of the best at teaching the cutter. I’ve heard the Coop actually had nothing to do with Danks learning the cutter (except for signing off on Danks using it). It was actually Danks who approached Buerhle on how to throw it.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 06:52 PM) The Sox aren't going to be drafting Broadways or McCulloughs anymore though either. Exactly, the drafting of Poreda and Beckham In the 1st round are clear examples of a seismic shift in the way this team drafts. No more of this “safe” stuff, we take the best player on the board (as suits our needs).

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Oct 13, 2008 -> 06:31 PM) he signed too late for Chicago to request a priority roster spot for Beckham on the Peoria Saguaros. I Just read that the Giants pulled Buster Posey from the Hawaiian League, because he was only playing every three games, and instead sent him to the instructional league. Although it's certainly a different situation since Posey's a catcher it would suprise me if the Sox's decide to pull Beckham back, and send him to get his work done alongside Jordan Danks in the instructional league.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 12:14 PM) I understand that but I find it funny that the guy that replaced him was able to get his team to win do what Lou was suppossed to do. He was a joke with that franchise because he needed to manage not just sit on a big payroll and roll guys out there. I am not comparing his Tampa teams with Maddon's team just the idea that he bailed on that franchise as soon as living in Tampa and close to his family got old and bigger pay day came along. He was brought in to get the franchise to respectabiltiy and he quit on them. I know the GM switch probably helped greatly as well as the trades that brought in Kazmir, Navarro, Jackson and Garza. I just chuckle that the guy that replaced him has won 6 playoff games while Sweet Lou the World Series baseball genius has none. It is an interesting contrast in that; Piniella had what, four years? And couldn't get them above 69 wins. And Madden been there for about three had two god-awful years, but had utterly reversed the trend this year. In my mind, the roster is clearly making an impact, which came with a new front office, and a different mentality. But I’m also beginning to think that maybe the name change did bring about some fundamental transformation for these players. This organization has essentially been rebuilding for five years, and now it’s beginning to payoff.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 10:05 AM) http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3643917 Excellent! A healthy Hafner will be more then enough to lead the Indians Double-AA Affiliate to another championship!

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 10:03 AM) Does anybody other than myself find humor in the fact that if Lou Pinella was the baseball god that he was thought to be he could have been in the situation Maddon is in? I understand the team is grossly differrent now than it was when he was there but Rocco, Crawford and Josh Hamilton were still in the pipeline with high ceilings. Considering the best lineup Sweet Lou had to work with was probably this one from 2004. I think you should cut him a little slack. 2004 Opening Day Lineup Carl Crawford, lf Damian Rolls, 3b Rocco Baldelli, cf Aubrey Huff, dh Jose Cruz Jr., rf Tino Martinez, 1b Julio Lugo, ss Rey Sanchez, 2b Toby Hall, c Victor Zambrano, p Also, keep in mind that Hamilton was still going through his drug problems, and at the time Baldelli, Huff, and Crawford were only beginning to emerge.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Oct 14, 2008 -> 10:20 PM) speaking of Upton. Damn, that was a throw. I was watching the game with a large group, and I was surprised to find myself the only one in absolute awe over that throw. The kid was in the deepest part of the ballpark, has a bum shoulder, but managed to hit Pena’s glove at first without him moving an inch. I’m calling it right now; the Upton Brothers are going to be making a profound impact on baseball for years to come.

Did anyone else enjoy how the Athletics rookie hazing was, like, their entire roster? It makes sense given their rebuild, but the photos of the hazing make it look like a team picture.

These Rays are going to be a force for years to come. Power, Speed, Young Arms, and solid D. Ozzie would sell his soul to manage these guys.