Quotes on the debacle last night

[caulfield12]

"That's one of the worst games I hope I see this year," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It was one of the worst I've seen as a manager. I might have seen a worse [one], but I can't remember it.

 

"We couldn't hit, we couldn't catch the ball and we couldn't pitch. When you put those things together, that's the result."

 

And the result was downright ugly -- the White Sox's most lopsided shutout since the Angels scored 19 in 2002 -- with the Blue Jays pounding out 21 hits.

 

Floyd lasted only 41/3 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits and five walks to continue a disturbing trend for the Sox starting rotation.

 

On Tuesday, Jose Contreras allowed six runs on seven hits and six walks in 51/3 innings. Two nights later, Bartolo Colon lasted just three innings while giving up five runs on eight hits and two walks.

 

"I always say it's about the pitching," Guillen said. "Pitching dictates how the game is going to be, and it wasn't pretty."

 

"It was a struggle," Floyd said. "It just wasn't a sharp performance."

 

Ramirez, who is batting .167, is muffing ground balls, although he was charged with only one error.

 

"I worry about him," Guillen said. "When you take your bat out to field, you're not going to have much success. He had his head down and felt sorry for himself. I didn't like what I saw, and he knows it."

 

chicagotribune.com/sports

 

 

''Because the Missile isn't hitting, we're soft at the bottom of the lineup.''

 

Ramirez has only five hits in his last 32 at-bats (.160). His double Thursday against Baltimore came on a breaking ball, and Guillen considered it a breakthrough.

 

''If you can't hit that pitch, they will keep throwing it,'' Guillen said. ''You have to make adjustments.''

 

Ramirez started last season slowly as well, ''but he wasn't playing [regularly],'' Guillen said. ''He didn't worry about it if he went 0-for-4. But when you're playing [regularly], a lot of 0-for-4s add up. He's worried now because he average is low. He never went through this, so he's concerned. But he's my shortstop.''

 

Guillen said he's watching Ramirez to make sure his hitting problems don't affect his defense.

 

''I won't let it happen,'' Guillen said of one affecting the other. ''I saw him with his head down and I addressed it right away.''

 

Ramirez committed an error in the first inning Friday.

 

He finished second in last season's American League Rookie of the Year voting. Today, he will be presented with a trophy from the Topps Co. for being named to the All-Rookie team last season.

www.suntimes.com/sports

Edited April 25, 2009 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

Ramirez had one of the worst all around games I have seen in a while yesterday. His defense was something out of a drunken slow pitch softball league.

[LVSoxFan]

God, that game was fugly. Like, 2007 fugly.

 

Eesh, I'll be there tonight, comforted only that Buehrles is pitching.

[BearSox]

Question, can Fields hit a fastball that 90 mph or fastball? If he can, he certainly can't pull it.

 

I want Fields to succeed, but he is late on everything and can't even hit a 90 mph fastball right down the middle over half the time. If Pitchers were smart, all they would do is pound him inside with fastball, and Fields will be batting .220 at the most this season. If you noticed, about 90% of Fields hits are on breaking stuff down the heart of the plate or away. And, I can't recall Fields actually pulling one ball this whole year.

 

And Ramirez, what the hell is up with him? He needs to take a seat the next few games to get his head on straight. He couldn't handle the baseball at all yesterday, it was a show everytime a ball came his way. And then at bat, he's swinging for the fences! What is he thinking? That is just pitiful. I'm a big Alexei fan, but that is inexcusable how he played yesterday. Lillibridge should and hopefully will play SS the rest of the series.

 

What about Pierzynski? Are his legs hurting him or something? Because he was pitiful behind the plate yesterday. He wasn't getting down to block balls and was instead trying to back hand them, very lethargic back there.

 

And for the rest of the lineup, what the hell? Quentin, Dye and Thome looked pitiful. Hopefully yesterday was just a bad day for them. However, I think all of Fields, Ramirez, and Pierzynski need to take a rest for the way they played yesterday. Aside from the pitching, they were the three worst players we had on the field. If I was Ozzie, the lineup I'd go with would be:

 

2B, Getz

SS, Lillibridge

LF, Quentin

DH, Thome

RF, Dye

1B, Konerko

3B, Betemit

C, Miller

CF, Anderson

[RockRaines]

Question, can Fields hit a fastball that 90 mph or fastball? If he can, he certainly can't pull it.

 

I want Fields to succeed, but he is late on everything and can't even hit a 90 mph fastball right down the middle over half the time. If Pitchers were smart, all they would do is pound him inside with fastball, and Fields will be batting .220 at the most this season. If you noticed, about 90% of Fields hits are on breaking stuff down the heart of the plate or away. And, I can't recall Fields actually pulling one ball this whole year.

 

 

Ahem.

 

 

Josh Fields hitting:

 

.276 vs fastballs

.182 vs curves

.161 vs sliders

.162 vs changeups

 

57% of his balls in play are to left field or the left side of the infield.

He is hitting .340 on the inside half of the plate, .357 down the middle and .296 on the outside corner. These are all belt high stats.

 

So, really there isnt much about him you have observed correctly.

 

[elrockinMT]

That game was just a beat down and when down they kept kicking us. I hope it's an eye opener for this team and gets some of our non-producers stirred up a bit. It happens I know, but giving up 20 runs in two games and scoring only two is ridiculous. That game was an embarassment. Let's win tonight and be happy

[The Ginger Kid]

I was at the Danny Wright game in Anaheim in 2002, a 19-0 loss to the Angels. Felt a lot like that game. It's early but this team is pretty schizo, imo. It's easy to forget that this is only Lexi's second year in the league and the first time he's had to deal with serious adversity. Last year's slow start wasn't that big of a deal, expectations weren't real high anyway and he was still a bit of an unknown. He's dealing with much higher expectations, taking over a new position and failing. I'm pulling for him, but I wouldn't mind seeing Lillibridge get a few more chances until Lexi can show that he's turning it around.

[caulfield12]

One more element that was embarassing...

 

The Blue Jays just took the fight to us. They were aggressive from the very first inning, and Gavin (as usual) had no answer for slowing them down on the basepaths. Floyd just doesn't concentrate at all on anything but the batter when he's on the mound. That's all fine and good when he pitches over mistakes or walks, but not so good when slow/old guys like Scott Rolen are stealing with abandon. It's just demoralizing when the other team is doing something over and over again you have no ability to stop. Between AJ and Gavin/Contreras/Jenks, it's like the 4 X 100 relays out there. CLE has this same problem with Victor Martinez, but that guy is a hitting machine at least, in his defense.

 

You know Cooper and Ozzie have addressed with Gavin and the other pitchers, it just hasn't seemed to lead to any progress. Danks has gotten much better, but Floyd has gotten worse. And the idea of Clayton Richard starting games and throwing anything to 1B is super scary. He still has a case of the yips, aka Knoblauch/Sax throwing to first.

 

 

[greg775]

That stuff on Lexi is scary. No time to over-react but wasn't he almost considered a great fielder at second base? If it ain't broke don't fix it?

 

Shortstop is a different animal. I'd hope he'd just concentrate on defense and f***ing relax at the plate. Sounds like he's a headcase right now or at least his head is spinning right now.

 

[Balta1701]

That stuff on Lexi is scary. No time to over-react but wasn't he almost considered a great fielder at second base?

No

[Dick Allen]

That game was brutal but if Buerhle shuts them down tonight and a couple of Sox homer, it could be back to first place. No need to get your panties in a bunch yet, but I certainly hope they bring up someone better than JVB. If he's the answer, I don't like the question.

 

 

[greg775]

That game was brutal but if Buerhle shuts them down tonight and a couple of Sox homer, it could be back to first place. No need to get your panties in a bunch yet, but I certainly hope they bring up someone better than JVB. If he's the answer, I don't like the question.

 

Nice prediction. You got it right.