Not to sound too critical

[Rex Kickass]

I totally understand your points. What I'm concerned about is that its three games into the season and we haven't repeated as World Series Champions yet! I demand satisfaction now! Fire Ozzie! 1-2 after three games? How do we rebound from that? I mean we lost fewer games in the whole postseason last year!

[WCSox]

Let's put this in perspective: We took 1-of-3 from one of the better teams in the league. We dominated the first game, they dominated the second, and the third could've gone either way. It's not like we got beat 10-0 in each. Sabathia on the DL for 3-5 weeks is also a hell of a price to pay for winning a three-game series.

Edited April 5, 2006 by WCSox

[fathom]

It's too bad we have to face Affeldt instead of Joe Mays. Mays is just awful now.

[SSH2005]

I think and I hope that most people realize that the season is far from over. But seeing Ozzie apparently make a couple managerial mistakes in the third game of the season is a bit unsettling IMO.

[fathom]

I think and I hope that most people realize that the season is far from over.  But seeing Ozzie apparently make a couple managerial mistakes in the third game of the season is a bit unsettling IMO.

 

Three causes for concern so far:

 

- Garcia's velocity

- Dye's injury

- Our bullpen blew its first opportunity this year to win a close game.

[southsideirish71]

It's too bad we have to face Affeldt instead of Joe Mays.  Mays is just awful now.

 

 

We should mash Affedlt. He is a hard thrower that trys to pound our guys in. Mays is a soft tosser who spots his fastball on the outer half with a good changeup, that is a harder matchup for our team.

[southsideirish71]

Three causes for concern so far:

 

- Garcia's velocity

- Dye's injury

- Our bullpen blew its first opportunity this year to win a close game.

 

 

Logan should of never have faced Hafner in that situation. That is not unexpected for him to have a problem. I know we want to see how he will do, but no one expected his role in the pen to be the 8th inning lefty.

 

I was more upset with the lack of clutch hitting. Too many Ks with men in scoring position. We had problems all last year with this, and now they are just walking Thome and nothing is happening behind him yet.

 

Dye shouldnt be a big problem.

[WCSox]

Three causes for concern so far:

 

- Garcia's velocity

- Dye's injury

- Our bullpen blew its first opportunity this year to win a close game.

 

Garcia's velocity is the only serious one out of those three. Dye's strained calf will heal in a week or so. Logan blowing the lead is typical of the way a hitter like Hafner will own a rookie. That's more Ozzie's fault than Boone's.

 

We have the pitching depth to absorb even a worst-case scenario here (a season-ending injury to Garcia). No reason to worry. We're still in very good shape.

 

The best thing for this team might be getting out of Chicago. There was alot of hype this series, and maybe it will be best for them to get to KC and pound the s*** out of them.

 

[GasHeGone]

Let's put this in perspective:  We took 1-of-3 from one of the better teams in the league.  We dominated the first game, they dominated the second, and the third could've gone either way.  It's not like we got beat 10-0 in each.  Sabathia on the DL for 3-5 weeks is also a hell of a price to pay for winning a three-game series.

Agreed. We b****ed enough on this board last season and we won 110 games. I can't imagine what it's going to be like now when everyone on here expects us to win 172...well...170...

[Dick Allen]

I thought putting Logan is was odd, considering BMac was dealing. Still even though nobody in the bullpen was very impressive, they did only allow 2 runs in 5 innings. The Sox had their chances. With Podsednik and Konerko go a combined 1-26 in a series and you still had a great shot of taking 2 of 3 from a very good team, things should be alright down the road, although beware of the bullpen, especially if BMac has to ever move into the rotation. Pods needs to quit hitting lazy fly balls.

[LVSoxFan]

For whatever it's worth, I was there today (my first game this year). It sucked. We looked flat.

 

Jose looked good through six, so did Brandon. Then Boone gave up the dinger. Hell, that thing looked like a Thome homer. It was cold, it was boring, and that's just how it goes sometimes.

 

Forget 2005. We're never going to have a start in our lifetime like that. However, I trust that Ozzie and KW know what they're doing, and there's a method to their madness.

 

Give it time, people. We didn't win the series, but KC is up next, LOL. Hell I'd rather have bad first half and then smoke down the home stretch then almost blow it all after a first half like we almost did last year. I know that sounds like heresy, but seriously.

 

Like they say, you can lose a season in the first half, but you can't win one (although didn't Cleveland kind of disprove that?). As long as we don't lose in the first half and put together a solid season, I'm happy. Just sit back and enjoy!

 

Baseball is back, for God's sake! I had a crappy day/night but when I walked into the Cell I thought: "Ahhh! My goodness, I'm back!"

 

We have to stop thinking like champions and start worrying about just toughing out each three game/four game series. Then the division. And then, and then...

 

2005 was great, but it's in the rear view mirror now. This game sucked, but there were some positives. The pitching and defense were good. The bats, I assume, will come around. As will the situational hitting (damn you, AJ! I thought they were toast when you had the bases loaded!).

 

Again, step away from the ledge people. It's been three games. Have fun with the season.

 

P.S. how 'bout that crazy interference on the 1st base side? Or the collision between their pitcher/catcher? That was scary!

 

Side note: the most exciting thing today was apparently some hell of a brawl that was going on in left center, in the bleachers. Politte was pitching but we were all watching that, LOL (I was in 148 along the 3rd base line).

 

GO SOX! Cheer up, people!

[Dick Allen]

For whatever it's worth, I was there today (my first game this year).  It sucked.  We looked flat.

 

Jose looked good through six, so did Brandon.  Then Boone gave up the dinger.  Hell, that thing looked like a Thome homer.  It was cold, it was boring, and that's just how it goes sometimes.

 

Forget 2005.  We're never going to have a start in our lifetime like that.  However, I trust that Ozzie and KW know what they're doing, and there's a method to their madness.

 

Give it time, people.  We didn't win the series, but KC is up next, LOL.  Hell I'd rather have bad first half and then smoke down the home stretch then almost blow it all after a first half like we almost did last year.  I know that sounds like heresy, but seriously. 

 

Like they say, you can lose a season in the first half, but you can't win one (although didn't Cleveland kind of disprove that?).  As long as we don't lose in the first half and put together a solid season, I'm happy.  Just sit back and enjoy!

 

Baseball is back, for God's sake!  I had a crappy day/night but when I walked into the Cell I thought: "Ahhh!  My goodness, I'm back!"

 

We have to stop thinking like champions and start worrying about just toughing out each three game/four game series.  Then the division.  And then, and then...

 

2005 was great, but it's in the rear view mirror now.  This game sucked, but there were some positives.  The pitching and defense were good.  The bats, I assume, will come around.  As will the situational hitting (damn you, AJ!  I thought they were toast when you had the bases loaded!).

 

Again, step away from the ledge people.  It's been three games.  Have fun with the season.

 

P.S. how 'bout that crazy interference on the 1st base side?  Or the collision between their pitcher/catcher?  That was scary!

 

Side note: the most exciting thing today was apparently some hell of a brawl that was going on in left center, in the bleachers.  Politte was pitching but we were all watching that, LOL (I was in 148 along the 3rd base line).

 

GO SOX!  Cheer up, people!

 

It was freezing out there today. I have never been so sunburned while freezing my ass off in my life.

[winninguglyin83]

is there any news on Hermy?

 

i have enough faith in Kenny W that he'll get us a pitcher or two at some point.

 

Maybe Logan will learn something from today's outing and come back and build some confidence in KC.

 

last year was a once in a lifetime experience, leading wire to wire and winning all those one run games.

 

the sooner we stop expecting things to unfold the way they did last year, the better off we'll all be.

 

That won't be easy to do, but it's the only way we can proceed.

[iWiN4PreP]

man this indians vs. whtie sox rival is getting intense

aj taking the ball with bases loaded

they hit 3/4 of our guys

aj talking s*** to blake

 

this will be a great year.

great game today, tho we did look flat

[G&T]

man this indians vs. whtie sox rival is getting intense

aj taking the ball with bases loaded

they hit 3/4 of our guys

aj talking s*** to blake

 

this will be a great year.

great game today, tho we did look flat

 

AJ and Ozuna walked into those pitches after Thome got hit. I thought that was great.

[southsider2k5]

You hurt your chances of playing in October by making stupid ass decisions in April too.

They're also not won when you have 21 year old rookie ball pitchers facing the best lefthanded batter in the division. That's not even mentioning the 4 better options Ozzie had in that situation.

 

GMAB. Did anyone happen to mention that using Logan early just so happened to leave Ozzie Neal Cotts to fave Travis Hafner late in the game? Would you rather have seen Logan or Thornton facing Haf in the 9th or 7th? Also, we all can look back at the last two season and see repeated instances where Ozzie used young guys in key situations. For christ sakes he used a 300 pound alcoholic rookie with an eating disorder to close games in the playoffs and world series against one some of the best powerhitters of our generation! You want to tell me that was smarter than using a 21 year rookie leaguer on April 4th? This is the way that Ozzie manages. I know many people can't see past today, but there is a method to the madness, and you can't convince me that we win the World Series with Cliff Politte close, Damaso Marte facing the key lefties late, and not utilizing our bench in the playoffs. The only reason Ozzie Guillen knew that these kids were cut out for the bigtime is because he tested them in pressure situations that in the grand scheme of things didn't mean a damned thing.

[SSH2005]

is there any news on Hermy?

 

i have enough faith in Kenny W that he'll get us a pitcher or two at some point.

 

Maybe Logan will learn something from today's outing and come back and build some confidence in KC.

 

last year was a once in a lifetime experience, leading wire to wire and winning all those one run games.

 

the sooner we stop expecting things to unfold the way they did last year, the better off we'll all be.

 

That won't be easy to do, but it's the only way we can proceed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check back in 2 months, even though retirement is likely in his future.

 

AJ and Ozuna walked into those pitches after Thome got hit. I thought that was great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep, AJ stuck his ass into a pitch and Ozuna stuck his knee in the way of a pitch. Those weren't intentional HBP's at all. The one to Thome's back probably was though.

Edited April 6, 2006 by SSH2005

[fathom]

GMAB.  Did anyone happen to mention that using Logan early just so happened to leave Ozzie Neal Cotts to fave Travis Hafner late in the game?  Would you rather have seen Logan or Thornton facing Haf in the 9th or 7th?

 

Wait, this is a pretty foolish comment. It was the 8th inning when Hafner was up. In that situation, you go for the damn win! You don't save Cotts to face a lefty who would only bat again in the game if 3 guys reach out of the next 9 batters. If Ozzie manages all year by saving Cotts for end of the game match-ups, we're going to have a billion blown saves by our lefties not named Neal.

[SnB]

I'm not one to second-guess managers after every game, everyone on here knows this. But this decision was inexcusable and the outcome was called by both me and krush at the same time.

 

There's no reason to throw a rookie out there against their best hitter, I don't care if he's left-handed.

 

And even if you want to play the lefty game, cotts was available.

 

It just seems to me the last option that should have been used was, the one, the only, boone "f-in" logan.

[greg775]

Is anybody else not crazy about Boone's delivery?

He lets his arm out like the Royals' lousy No. 1 Elarton.

[SSH2005]

Agreed, you go for the win with the reliever that will give you your best chance to win. That would have been Cotts in today's situation. You don't worry about keeping a certain reliever available for possible extra innings.

[DBAHO]

We heard a lot about Logan's "ability" to throw strikes in ST and get the job done. But ST is ST. This is why he's up here for. To get tough lefties like Hafner out. If he's unable to do that, then we probably need to start looking for other options, even though it's WAY too early to make a knee jerk reaction.

 

I don't really buy the lefty argument much with Cotts. He had better splits against righties last season, and he's our most dominating reliever, so you shouldn't bring him in just to face 1 lefty.

[SSH2005]

We heard a lot about Logan's "ability" to throw strikes in ST and get the job done. But ST is ST. This is why he's up here for. To get tough lefties like Hafner out. If he's unable to do that, then we probably need to start looking for other options, even though it's WAY too early to make a knee jerk reaction.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Other options would start with Javier Lopez I'm sure. And then if Lopez doesn't work, maybe Ozzie will realize that you don't always have to play the lefty/lefty matchup game. You can just use one of your good righty relievers. I doubt this happens though. Ozzie loves the lefty/lefty matchup far too much.

 

I don't really buy the lefty argument much with Cotts. He had better splits against righties last season, and he's our most dominating reliever, so you shouldn't bring him in just to face 1 lefty.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Who said that Cotts only had to face Hafner? Bring him in to face Hafner and more.

[Rowand44]

We heard a lot about Logan's "ability" to throw strikes in ST and get the job done. But ST is ST. This is why he's up here for. To get tough lefties like Hafner out. If he's unable to do that, then we probably need to start looking for other options, even though it's WAY too early to make a knee jerk reaction.

 

I don't really buy the lefty argument much with Cotts. He had better splits against righties last season, and he's our most dominating reliever, so you shouldn't bring him in just to face 1 lefty.

Right and that's why you bring him in for the whole 8th. I really do like Boone actually, I think he's going to be solid up here but you don't need to throw him into the fire right away. I know others are bringing up cotts and bmac being thrown right in there but we did nurse shingo along in 04 until he started to dominate, there is absolutely no reason we can't do that with Boone. I do understand what 2k5 is saying but in that situation you really have to go with Neal.

[greg775]

KC is up next, LOL

 

Don't assume anything. Remember last September when we didn't exactly the roll the Royals.

They have a crappy team but Sweeney is capable of blasting a few hrs, DeJesus isn't bad and their

lousy starters like Affeldt are capable of a good outing every once in a while.