AND THAT'S A WHITE SOX WINNER!!!

[Jordan4life_2007]

I'm just worried that taking Jenks out of the pressure cooker will make him a terrible reliever. We all know the stereotype about Jenks in non-save situations.

 

Bobby is going to get a pretty long rope. He has no value to this team as anything but a closer.

[Real]

I think he's fine. It's called the AL. We have no problem pointing out on this board the differences between the two leagues. If you're waiting for the Peavy from 2006/2007, you're going to be very disappointed. But I think he'll be fine.

 

It's not called the AL, not even CLOSE.

 

Look at his STUFF with your EYES. His slider is FLAT, and his fastball is 89mph. When his stuff is mediocre, he will BE mediocre.

 

Seriously, watch some games when he was in San Diego, or last year when he pitched for us. Look at his STUFF compared to now. It's got NOTHING to do with AL vs NL.

 

I'm not advocating that there isn't a skill difference between the two leagues, but his terrible outing tonight has nothing to do with THAT at all.

[Lillian]

Because he keeps giving up hits and putting men on.

 

I'm sorry, Jenks does not have closer stuff IMO.

I've been watching this for quite a while now, and he just can't dominate hitters anymore. That ball Gonzales hit was a rocket. But more importantly, does the stuff he's featuring look all that impressive to you people?

Now Thornton can dominate, and even Santos' stuff appears to be really almost unhittable. But Bobby doesn't have the velocity, or movement to be a dominate closer. If he keeps throwing like this, I would guess that opposing teams will make the last inning of an awful lot of games very anxiety ridden for many of us.

 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

It's way more fun to watch Sportscenter and BBTN when we win.

That's so yesterday. MLB network is where it's at now

[ScottyDo]

Because he keeps giving up hits and putting men on.

and he's got a K/9 of 13.50. the reason you want your closer to K people is because K's save runs in the face of things like walks and hits. i mean clearly we're not looking at central statistics like ERA or saves/opportunities, so if you're going to look at peripherals like WHIP you can't just ignore K/9. I mean, he's not Todd Jones out there.

[kjshoe04]

I'm sorry, Jenks does not have closer stuff IMO.

I've been watching this for quite a while now, and he just can't dominate hitters anymore. That ball Gonzales hit was a rocket. But more importantly, does the stuff he's featuring look all that impressive to you people?

Now Thornton can dominate, and even Santos' stuff appears to be really almost unhittable. But Bobby doesn't have the velocity, or movement to be a dominate closer. If he keeps throwing like this, I would guess that opposing teams will make the last inning of an awful lot of games very anxiety ridden for many of us.

I'm with you, I hate watching him throw these s*** sliders up there. He needs to either regain trust in his curve or become our 7th inning man. Santos is the future. His stuff is electric.

[ScottyDo]

I'm with you, I hate watching him throw these s*** sliders up there. He needs to either regain trust in his curve or become our 7th inning man. Santos is the future. His stuff is electric.

I think he's behind Jenks, Thornton and Putz right now. Perhaps even Pena.

[kjshoe04]

I think he's behind Jenks, Thornton and Putz right now. Perhaps even Pena.

I wouldn't go to him just yet. I'd personally hand the job to thornton right now though. I do think Sergio will be our closer in 2011 though.

[ThunderBolt]

I'd like Santos to become the 7th inning man for the team. He can makee a far better contribution to the team as a lead-in to Thornton then being stuck in the closers' spot.

[Harry Chappas]

I put this in the game thread. I think Jenks looks good. He is using 4 or 5 pitches and once he gets into a groove he will unhittable. He pitched back to back. Other than the Thome hit yesterday I do not think he has given up any real good hits.

 

He will find his control and the pen will look good...not Joe Morgan good but real good.

[BigSqwert]

This slightly reminds me of the Tigers a couple years back where they had unhittable 7th and 8th inning guys and used Todd Jones as the closer.

[Lillian]

I think he's behind Jenks, Thornton and Putz right now. Perhaps even Pena.

 

That may be where he is officially, but Santos' stuff is better than Jenks' or Pena's stuff.

I'm also impressed with his poise. He looks pretty confident out there.

[earthshiner]

I wouldn't go to him just yet. I'd personally hand the job to thornton right now though. I do think Sergio will be our closer in 2011 though.

and leave Williams as the only lefty in the pen?

[witesoxfan]

Thornton is by far this team's best reliever, but he loses value when he loses his "ability" to come in during the 7th or 8th when a group of lefties come up. Lefties have seemingly no chance against him at all, and if he becomes the "closer" and Ozzie uses him strictly in the 9th, then Randy Williams becomes the main lefty in the pen.

 

As great as Thornton is, I don't think he's ever considered as a closer by the Sox unless they bring in another lefty (or two) capable of being good to great. Putz is very likely next on the list, followed by Pena and then maybe Santos (though thinking of Santos in that manner is scary too...3 or whatever good performances be damned, he's still relatively new to this whole idea of pitching in the major leagues).

[ScottyDo]

and leave Williams as the only lefty in the pen?

If we had significant closer trouble, I'd still do it. The man is filthy, filthy, unhittable, and filthy. Also, he can get 2+ inning saves if necessary, so if you have a lefty matchup in the 8th or late in the 7th that needs to be taken care of, you can still use him. I'm not suuuuper comfortable with williams as the only lefty or anything, but man...thornton...

[SockMe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_bmOp2UWOc

[Quin]

Peavy's pitches aren't looking good at all, and that worries me.

[SoxFan1]

Very interesting box score. How did Andruw look in LF?

[SoxAce]

Ima go out on a limb and say regardless if it's a RHP tomorrow, Jones will be in the lineup.

 

9 of our 14 hits were from guys who weren't on the team last season or the years where we sucked in Toronto. (Teahen, Rios, Jones)

 

Very interesting box score. How did Andruw look in LF?

 

As good as he did at the plate, though he didn't have many chances out there, but it's good to see runners now aren't testing all three OF arms when Pierre isn't in LF (or when Pods was here).

Edited April 13, 2010 by SoxAce

[heirdog]

In Toronto on business and was at the game tonight...a few rows behind the White Sox dugout (I was 3rd row on the Bulls baseline for yesterday's big win over the Raptors too) so I guess I had a pretty great two days in Toronto.

 

Some of my observations during the game:

 

Rios getting booed. I asked a few people around me why Toronto boos this guy when he was waived by them and didn't leave voluntarily and people really had no idea but thought it was fun. I heard a dad telling his kids, "He used to play for Toronto" and kid asks "Why did he leave?" and dad says "More money, why else?" No clue!

 

A crazy fan that looked like Mark Buehrle with glasses (would easily pass for his brother). He started his loud rant as soon as Konerko stepped up to the plate for the first time. He started going off about Konerko being a geriatric and kept asking "what was invented first...time or him" meaning Konerko, which I thought was stupid and not funny whatsoever. People were laughing at first so then he started commenting on everyone and people grew tired by the second inning. He then decided to save his heckling for Konerko only except once he went off on Juan Pierre as the ugliest man alive and kept calling him Otis Nixon...even though Juan looks nothing like Otis Nixon, I did find that a little funny.

 

Actual game:

 

Peavy looked uncomfortable from the time he came off the mound in the first inning (in which he looked dominant). He was adjusting his jock (as all players seem to do) but it seemed to me that he was walking gingerly. I can't say that I've really watched Peavy that much so I'm not sure if that's what he always looks like but he definitely didn't have it the rest of the way...the Jays were really squaring up the ball as were the White Sox off Tallet.

 

Beckham is incredible with the bat in his hands...how he drops the barrel on the ball so consistently. It never seems like he's cheated.

 

Pierzynski and Quentin both seem so frenetic up there and seemed to be in a rush to swing the bat as early in the count as possible. It's expected with AJ but it's odd for a high OBP guy like Quentin.

 

Thornton is unbelievably smooth out there. He just worked so effortlessly and efficiently. He had one pitch which looked to be a K but wasn't called...instead of staring down the ump, it's the only time he went behind the rubber, picked up the rosin and then promptly came back and got the guy out. Ozzie definitely seemed at ease for those two innings.

 

Santos looked nervous in his first true test with the bases loaded and Alexei made that web gem which really saved the game. Santos then K'd two the next inning but he still seemed to have butterflies coming off the mound and he kept taking deep breaths as though he was hyperventilating.

 

The ball doesn't seem to fly off Andruw Jones' bat as he hits high, looping homers as opposed to the velocity that Alexei creates when he connects. But Jones can muscle those out and Alexei seemed to have warning track power today. The first one that Wells caught on the track seemed like a no-doubter when it left the bat.

 

And that Jays closer, Jason Frasor, looks like a little league pitcher. I was thinking if Craig Grebeck were a pitcher that's what he would look like and then he started popping the leather at 92/93.

 

Peavy's fastball was 89-91 today and his stuff did seem to be moving but there was very little tilt on his slider. Santos hit 96 but mostly around 94. Putz was low 90s and Thornton was consistently 94-96 with one hitting 97. Jenks was 92-93.

Edited April 13, 2010 by heirdog

[RockRaines]

I'm sorry, Jenks does not have closer stuff IMO.

I've been watching this for quite a while now, and he just can't dominate hitters anymore. That ball Gonzales hit was a rocket. But more importantly, does the stuff he's featuring look all that impressive to you people?

Now Thornton can dominate, and even Santos' stuff appears to be really almost unhittable. But Bobby doesn't have the velocity, or movement to be a dominate closer. If he keeps throwing like this, I would guess that opposing teams will make the last inning of an awful lot of games very anxiety ridden for many of us.

That change looked almost Hoffman-esque to me. Nasty. His fastball was cutting too much, thats why his command was so bad. Not sure what closer stuff is then.

[chw42]

What we learned:

1. Jones can still hit and should start more than Kotsay.

2. Teahen is not dead

3. Randy Williams should not be put into big situations.

4. Bobby Jenks is becoming a terrible closer.

5. Jake Peavy may be hurt or maybe it was just a really bad day.

 

It was great to win here for the first time in two years, but I think we might have learned something really, really bad.

[RockRaines]

What we learned:

1. Jones can still hit and should start more than Kotsay.

2. Teahen is not dead

3. Randy Williams should not be put into big situations.

4. Bobby Jenks is becoming a terrible closer.

5. Jake Peavy may be hurt or maybe it was just a really bad day.

 

It was great to win here for the first time in two years, but I think we might have learned something really, really bad.

Jenks 1.0 IP 0H 2BB 1k sv 2.25 ERA

Terrible huh?

[chw42]

Jenks 1.0 IP 0H 2BB 1k sv 2.25 ERA

Terrible huh?

 

The two walks is really bad, especially when you consider that he walked Alex freaking Gonzalez and Jose Bautista.

Edited April 13, 2010 by chw42

[daggins]

I'd rather have a closer who doesn't walk as many as he K's. Not only does that make you a bad closer, it makes you a bad reliever.