whitesoxfan99

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 04:16 PM) Just like the leadoff issues 2 years ago and the DH issue last year, whenever there's uncertainty with a Sox position, you know the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure will occur. The difference being that there is talent in this bullpen and it is capable of being good whereas it was obvious to the entire world that Mark Kotsay sucked and having him DH was as laughable of a decision as there has ever been in baseball and going with Wise was an absolute joke.

QUOTE (Capn12 @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 04:11 PM) OK, now back to back walks by Mr. Thornton... Is it still someone elses fault, and he is still awesome? Face it, he isn't a closer, has failed miserably in each attempt, regardless of defense behind him. Well he isn't closing right now and he is still pitching like s***. The concern isn't that Thornton can't handle the 9th, the concern has to be that he is just awful right now.

QUOTE (DukeofChicago88 @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 03:59 PM) Dunn is looking like Thome now post '06 You mean he looks like a really good hitter? Because that is what Thome was every year with the White Sox.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 02:04 PM) When does his contract expire? Even if they don't resign Pierre I'm sure we will just pick up another slap hitting left fielder who isn't good at baseball but has "speed" because of Ozzie's love for the 2003 Marlins.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 11:09 AM) I take the Lakers as well. When the lights shine, Kobe just becomes a different player. Phil knows how to coach better in the playoffs than anyone in NBA history. And if you mean that in the playoffs Kobe becomes a different player by putting up the exact same numbers that he does in the regular season then you would be correct.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 09:29 AM) He allowed a leadoff double, not just some minor blip of a hit. Then the error. Then a line drive that, luckily, was smashed right into Konerko's glove. Pierre messed up, but Thornton looked terrible, too. A real closer MUST be able to pitch over errors from time to time. I understand this isn't the Thornton we all know and love right now, but fact is, it's the Thornton we have at the moment. We cannot afford to have a closer out there everyone has to play perfect baseball or the game is over. Fielders WILL mess up from time to time...he has to shake that off and pitch over it if/when it happens. How can you pitch over an error when that error leads directly to a run?

QUOTE (IamtheHBOMB @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 12:58 PM) I'm pretty sure that Hawkins for closed for the Twins for a while. I seem to remember him losing the job to Guardado and then going back to destroying hitters as a set up man without missing a beat. So, how exactly did the Cubs ruin him? It wasn't as if he hadn't experienced failure in the 9th inning before playing for the Cubs. He was absolutely horrible as the Twins closer in 2001 and he had never really been that good before that season. For the next two years after his failure as a closer he was a dominant setup man and then he had a strange season with the Cubs in 2004 where he blew quite a few saves but his numbers were actually really good and since then he has been mostly been mediocre to bad with a very good season in 2009 for the Astros. The league is littered with guys who were great relievers for a couple of years and then lost it. Hell, look at the 2005 White Sox. Cotts and Politte were both filthy that year and Cotts has been consistently awful since and Politte was out of baseball after 2006.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 01:28 PM) Thornton should've learned to throw an offspeed pitch for strikes years ago. Most people with his lack of a pitching repertoire don't make very good closers (Bob Howy, Kyle Farnsworth, etc.). Mo Rivera is the one notable exception - only so because his cutter is almost unhittable and his command of it is Maddux-like. Kyle Farnsworth wasn't a very good reliever so it isn't surprising he wasn't a good closer and Howry was nowhere near the pitcher that Thornton is. Let me ask you this, if Thornton was completely unhittable in the 7th and 8th innings with only one pitch why would he suddenly be hittable in the 9th inning just because he is closing? It doesn't make any sense at all.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 11:41 AM) Good, I hope young players keep coming back, it will at least make the talent level grow in college bball. PLayers take large jumps in their first few years in school. This is true but the talent level is also just cyclical in college basketball and I'm a believer that players should be allowed to go pro whenever they want. If they want to stay and pass up the money that is available to them that is fine but they shouldn't be forced to do so (I'm quoting your post but responding to others as well). The 06 and 07 classes were phenomenal so you had some really good years of college hoops. The 2008 class was awful, and while the 2009 class had truly elite talent at the top the depth of the talent wasn't anything special. Add in a 2010 class that didn't have many impact freshmen and you have a really mediocre year of college basketball.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 11:24 AM) I don't disagree. He's really struggling right now. But I'm not saying your 7th inning scenario doesn't also involve pressure or require stones. I'm just saying closing is different. Obviously, its just my opinion and I've never done either, but I've heard lots of baseball say so over the years. I'm not saying there is nothing to it at all, but I just don't buy that a guy like Thornton who has pitched in so many high leverage situations and was a dominant reliever is suddenly struggling because he is pitching in the 9th inning. I am concerned about him for sure but it doesn't have anything to do with his mindset for pitching in the 9th inning.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 11:26 AM) The Sox had the best record in the AL, the Hawks have the 8th most points in the West, big difference. Obviously Vancouver should win this series, I just don't see it being a quick one, this series will go 6 or 7 imo, hopefully the Hawks can pull it out. And while they didn't play great baseball for a decent portion of August and September they did win 8 of their last 10 games and had righted the ship going into the playoffs with a dominant pitching staff.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 10:54 AM) Rafael Furcal. That's a name I don't think I heard once last season. He actually played extremely well when he was healthy last year. But he only played in 97 games.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 07:27 AM) Apparently it was to his teammates too. Baylor might be pretty damn good this year. One of the more athletic teams in the country Insert "maybe he didn't want to take a pay cut joke" here.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 09:56 AM) Can anyone recall a lights-out closer who transitioned from an extended, multi-year "apprenticeship" as a set up man, like Thornton? I honestly can not (I thought maybe the Nasty Boys, but I think they were mostly always interchangeable). There have got to be a few, but it seems like most of the best either got thrown right into the fire, converted from starting, or set up for no more than a year. Latroy Hawkins has been cited here as an example of a failed transition, and I'm wondering how often it’s done successfully. As has been said, I think there is a huge difference between innings 7-8 and 9, and mental intangibles (or just plain gonads) are a key to closing. Unfortunately, they have to be tested under fire, and 0 for your first 3 = a failing grade. So gonads is a key to closing but not coming in in the 7th inning of a run game with the bases loaded? With the way Thornton is pitching right now he would be struggling just as much in the 7th or 8th as in the 9th. He isn't locating his pitches and his velocity is down.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 07:36 AM) And you don't get a Hold for a game where you come in while it's tied or while you're down by 1 either. I would bet he has also come in with runners on base far more often then a typical closer would which also drastically increases the chances of getting a blown save.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Apr 10, 2011 -> 06:43 PM) This 3rd period is going to be scary. What channel?

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 09:35 PM) Was not expecting this round today from Tiger. Golf is just more interesting with him near the top. Like him or hate him. I'm pulling for him for some reason. Probably just to counter act all the haters. It really is and with McIlroy, Day and Fowler all in the mix you also have the future of golf all vying for the title. Should be fun.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 04:54 PM) Problem is that the coaching race is closer. How can you leave out a guy like Popovich considering he's working with 3 geriatric patients and still has the best record in the league? Or a guy like Doug Collins who has a bunch of nobodies in the playoffs? Or even Karl who lost his best player and has been going on a nice run? Thibodeau has been great (best first year for a coach ever right?), but I wouldn't be nearly as pissed if someone else wins than if someone else wins the MVP award. I'm with you, I think Thibs should win it, but IMO that's a closer race than MVP. I think improving a playoff team into a title contender is substantially more impressive than getting a mediocre team into the playoffs although Collins has done a great job. Popovich is the only other guy who I would even consider.

There are legitimate arguments against Rose winning the MVP but I'm going to be pissed if Thibodeau doesn't win coach of the year. His defensive philosophies are simply incredible and has been the biggest reason for the Bulls improvement this year (obviously Rose becoming a legit superstar played a large part as well).

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 09:27 AM) Boston just isn't that scary since the Perkins trade, everyone knew it was a dumb trade and it's certainly turned out to be one. Definitely think we're heading towards a Bulls-Heat ECF. Agreed and with home court the Bulls have a good chance of making the NBA finals. I still can't get over just how stupid that Perkins trade was. Usually when a trade ends up badly a team makes it to improve their team in the present and gives up a young talented player who ends up a stud. Rarely do you see a trade that just makes no sense whatsoever at the time it was made that significantly downgrades a championship caliber team and a move that hurts that teams matchup with the other two premier teams in their conference. The Celtics biggest advantage against the Heat was size and they lost that when they made that trade and they obviously matched up much better with the Bulls when they had a legit defensive inside presence.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Apr 7, 2011 -> 08:52 AM) I'm sure both will be slightly enjoyable comedies. 'Get Him to the Greek' was surprisingly good, so who knows with 'Arthur'. These two movies are basically being universally panned though and Get Him to the Greek actually got good reviews.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Apr 6, 2011 -> 10:39 AM) I watched Dark City last night. I believe it was on the recommendation of qwerty. It was great and I might have liked it more than Inception. You're welcome. And I definitely like it better than Inception.

QUOTE (hitlesswonder @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 04:17 PM) Well who knows what will happen. The Frazier/Meacham backcourt team was good out of nowhere so crazy stuff can happen. In fact if you want a slim thread of hope, it's possible Griffey with his ability to hit a jump shot is a better fit for Weber's offense anyway. And hopefully there will be fewer teammate face punchings. That team also featured a front court that was also very unproven and had less upside than next year's front court.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 03:31 PM) So what does that do to Illinois' starting lineup next year? Richardson and Paul are the go to guys with some combination of unproven guys in the frontcourt. How many freshmen start? Maniscalco, Richardson, Paul, Shaw/Griffey/Egwu/Henry, Leonard. Lot of talent on the roster still but who the hell knows how it will come together. Maniscalco and Abrams will split time at PG, Paul and Richardson should be the go to guys with Head, Henry and maybe Bertrand backing them up at the wings. The PF and C positions are huge question marks. Leonard and Egwu both have huge upsides but who knows how good they will be next year. I think Shaw should be at least solid, he will be able to defend and rebound from the get go. Henry will see some time at the 4 if they want to go small. Griffey showed flashes as a freshman but he was unbelievably bad this year.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 03:33 PM) HAHA, Jereme Richmond what a turd. There is no way he is a lottery pick. I actually think though by him getting drafted late in the first round by a strong team, he will benefit. But I will curious to see how long he lasts in the NBA with his attitude and mediocre game. I would be absolutely shocked if he is a first round pick. It is more likely he isn't drafted at all than he goes in the first round.