Alexei goes after A.J.?

[The Ginger Kid]

Tyler Flowers can't come soon enough. AJ's act is getting old.

Ramirez loafs on a play and it's AJ's fault?

[Soxbadger]

i'll agree that AJ has swung the bat nicely this year.....but i'm not sure we are watching the same games regarding AJs defense. He has become the worst defensive catcher i have ever seen play on an everyday basis. He lazily tries to stab and pick the ball instead of getting his ass down and blocking it. when he does try to block it, he's late getting down and doesn't smother it well.

 

He also has a horrendous throwing arm. Everyone complains about how our pitchers are so slow to the plate, and thats the reason why AJ can't throw anyone out. Well, Buerhle is just about the best in the league at holding runners, Richard is well above average, Danks is above average, Colon has been above average at it in his career. The two slow ones are contreras (who is really bad) and floyd who is bad, but a good throwing catcher would be OK with floyd on the bump. He has a slow release, doesn't throw hard, and is VERY inaccurate. I caution Sox fans to not allow hawks BS about AJs defense cloud their own judgement.

 

not that Alexei is ozzie smith out there, but AJ is the last person who should be criticizing someones defense, especially since alexei had little chance to block that throw the threw into second

 

Im not going to spend time retyping what has already been said, but im some what shocked that other people arent noticing AJ's defensive inefficiencies. I understand that AJ plays to win and plays hard, but if he doesnt have the confidence to stop a ball in the dirt in the 9th, then he really cant be our catcher much longer.

 

His pitch calling has been on the decline and I wonder if i because he is trying to over compensate for base runners and for balls in the dirt.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

I understand that AJ plays to win and plays hard, but if he doesnt have the confidence to stop a ball in the dirt in the 9th, then he really cant be our catcher much longer.

That is patently false. AJ is not afraid to call any particular pitch at any time, and he has been very good at blocking pitches in the dirt.

 

You can't just use one pitch against Granderson or an occasional passed ball to judge his overall performance.

 

AJ is a damn good catcher.

[NorthSideSox72]

That is patently false. AJ is not afraid to call any particular pitch at any time, and he has been very good at blocking pitches in the dirt.

 

You can't just use one pitch against Granderson or an occasional passed ball to judge his overall performance.

 

AJ is a damn good catcher.

AJ is a solid game-caller, he's usually decent in blocking balls and taking throws, and commands the field well. His arm is below average, but not as bad as it appears, because he's hurt by his pitchers so much. He does occasionally lose focus and get lazy on balls in the dirt.

 

I'd not call that "damn good", but if you include his bat and his clubhouse presence, I'd say "good".

 

[rangercal]

Ramirez loafs on a play and it's AJ's fault?

 

Tell me how Ramirez Loafed on the play? Did you even see the play?

 

Fact is, AJ has a noodle arm; teams are stealing at will on us because of it.

 

If you watch the play, the throw was accurate, but got there a couple seconds too late; resulting in the runner clashing into Alexei.

Edited July 28, 2009 by rangercal

[The Ginger Kid]

Tell me how Ramirez Loafed on the play? Did you even see the play?

 

Fact is, AJ has a noodle arm; teams are stealing at will on us because of it.

 

If you watch the play, the throw was accurate, but got there a couple seconds too late; resulting in the runner clashing into Alexei.

no, i didn't see the play, but i have a vivid imagination.

 

seriously, the throw was there and lexi was late to the ball and to me he makes a feeble effort to lean over and snare it. And god knows lexi is never going to initiate contact.

[rangercal]

no, i didn't see the play, but i have a vivid imagination.

 

seriously, the throw was there and lexi was late to the ball and to me he makes a feeble effort to lean over and snare it. And god knows lexi is never going to initiate contact.

 

The throw was late too you know. The only reason Lexi was late was because his far shift to the right. Doesn't mean Lexi loafed.

 

 

There are obviously quite a few problems with our defense, I don't think Ramirez loafing is one of them.

[NorthSideSox72]

Tell me how Ramirez Loafed on the play? Did you even see the play?

 

Fact is, AJ has a noodle arm; teams are stealing at will on us because of it.

 

If you watch the play, the throw was accurate, but got there a couple seconds too late; resulting in the runner clashing into Alexei.

This makes no sense. If the throw was accurate and hit the runner, that means Alexei wasn't positioned properly.

 

AJ doesn't have a noodle arm, he has a below average arm made much worse by the pitchers he catches.

 

[SoxFan1]

LOL, everyone is stealing on us because of AJ's arm. Apparently no one understands it's impossible to throw a runner out when they get an 8 step jump by the time AJ gets the ball.

[qwerty]

I believe Johnson was a Boras client, and he deteriorated quickly after the 2000 season.

 

And no one put him in the same sentence as Widger. No one ever should. People try and compare Quentin to god (AKA Widger). Well, atleast Widger finished the 2005 season on the active roster.

 

 

Widger's last game with the Sox - July 20th. The Sox were 58-36, 22 games over .500. White Sox record after July 20th? 32-36, division lost. Coincidence?

 

This is why i love you.

[EvilJester99]

I think its sad that on Mac's show today they were saying the reason Oz was pissed is because of AJ calling out Alexei.....WTF would he be pissed about that? I'm surprised it took this long for someone to get on him. Personally, I think Alexei needs to go back to 2B.

Edited July 28, 2009 by EvilJester99

[The Ginger Kid]

I think its sad that on Mac's show today they were saying the reason Oz was pissed is because of AJ calling out Alexei.....WTF would he be pissed about that? I'm surprised it took this long for someone to get on him.

it definitely sounds like he was pissed at AJ, but who knows? I wasn't there.

 

[Balta1701]

I think its sad that on Mac's show today they were saying the reason Oz was pissed is because of AJ calling out Alexei.....WTF would he be pissed about that? I'm surprised it took this long for someone to get on him. Personally, I think Alexei needs to go back to 2B.

Perhaps because it was public and in the dugout on camera, instead of behind closed doors?

[jenksycat]

Perhaps because it was public and in the dugout on camera, instead of behind closed doors?

 

Oz said that...that its private s*** that shouldn't have been out on display.

[Milkman delivers]

Perhaps because it was public and in the dugout on camera, instead of behind closed doors?

 

Ozzie is the last guy to talk about airing s*** in public. He might not do it in the dugout, but he has said some stuff in post-game interviews. Talking about how Brandon McCarthy picked the wrong guy to be friends with is one example.

 

I do believe that Alexei Ramirez is Hispanic, whereas AJ Pierzynski is Caucasian, though.

 

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

[YASNY]

Ozzie said that he should be the one to call out a player, and maybe he would have after the game. Remember the Carlos Lee grandmother slide into 2B?

[rangercal]

Ozzie is the last guy to talk about airing s*** in public. He might not do it in the dugout, but he has said some stuff in post-game interviews. Talking about how Brandon McCarthy picked the wrong guy to be friends with is one example.

I do believe that Alexei Ramirez is Hispanic, whereas AJ Pierzynski is Caucasian, though.

 

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

 

I get your point. Everyone on soxtalk may side with AJ for that reason and always question Ozzie for that reason, too. I don't think that is the case though. Who knows.

[RockRaines]

Ozzie is the last guy to talk about airing s*** in public. He might not do it in the dugout, but he has said some stuff in post-game interviews. Talking about how Brandon McCarthy picked the wrong guy to be friends with is one example.

 

I do believe that Alexei Ramirez is Hispanic, whereas AJ Pierzynski is Caucasian, though.

 

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

Ozzie should be the only person to call out anything in public whatsoever, and he does it in very calculated ways regardless of what Joe Cowley and others think. Ozzie is VERY good about making himself the center of controversy while keeping his players away from the cameras when there is turmoil.

[rangercal]

Ozzie should be the only person to call out anything in public whatsoever, and he does it in very calculated ways regardless of what Joe Cowley and others think. Ozzie is VERY good about making himself the center of controversy while keeping his players away from the cameras when there is turmoil.

 

Exactly.

 

 

 

Ozzie has a ring. All his critics have 0 rings, they do have plenty of WINE though!

[Harry Chappas]

Ramirez has done this all season if Guillen had not addressed it as of yet I have no problem with AJ doing it. AJ's baseball IQ is off the charts in one direction Ramirez' in the other.

[Dick Allen]

AJ having words with Ramirez in the dugout isn't a public lashing IMO. We didn't hear what was said, we can only guess and probably guess correctly. The fact is Alexei's concentration level has been anemically low this season. This is a big series. He's playing like a p****. They always said when Ozzie played he said whatever was on his mind to his teammates and that made him a leader. Why would any other player be different? As long as Ramirez's intensity level waffles, there should be a few more White Sox willing to get in his face.

 

I do think Alexei should get a day off. Last year, everytime they gave him one, he can back very strong. He needs to step it up.