Replacing Jenks

[Balta1701]

In fairness, Mauer is like a career .350 hitter against everyone.

He's 2/10 career against Jenks, 10/39 against Buehrle, 7/26 against Floyd, 0/5 against Putz, 0/3 against Linebrink and 0/3 against Peavy. He's actually only a .278 hitter against the guys currently in our pitching staff.

[Y2HH]

He's 2/10 career against Jenks, 10/39 against Buehrle, 7/26 against Floyd, 0/5 against Putz, 0/3 against Linebrink and 0/3 against Peavy. He's actually only a .278 hitter against the guys currently in our pitching staff.

 

I was only kidding Mr. Statistic!

[Balta1701]

I was only kidding Mr. Statistic!

It actually surprises me how poorly he's hit against some of these guys.

[elrockinMT]

There's a chance that it could be Putz as the 1st option because he's a non lefty veteran.

 

 

I wouldn't mind seeing Thornton as our closer and send Jenks packing if needed, but Putz is not much better IMO as the closer option then Jenks is. He has blown some games by giving up the long ball too

[southsider2k5]

I wouldn't mind seeing Thornton as our closer and send Jenks packing if needed, but Putz is not much better IMO as the closer option then Jenks is. He has blown some games by giving up the long ball too

 

But Thornton is a much better option in the 6th, 7th, and 8th to bridge us to a closer. If Jenks isn't going to close, it needs to be Putz. Thornton is too important, and the pen collapses without him in high leverage situations.

[scenario]

Spiegel was saying that someone told him from the Sox that Thornton doesn't want to close. Then, Bill Melton said later in the day that he knows for a fact Thornton wants to close.

 

No doubt Thornton wants to close. But he and Bobby are friends... and I'm sure he doesn't want to look like he's campaigning for Bobby's job.

 

 

[Kalapse]

Thornton has been a better setup man than closer.

 

When they tried to have him fill in as closer - in the past - he wasn't as effective.

I really don't know why this keeps being repeated over the years because it's just not true at all, it was brought up repeatedly in the '08/'09 offseason after Jenks spent a spell on the DL even though Thornton -- unlike Linebrink and Dotel -- didn't even fill in for Jenks. Thornton in his career with the White Sox has had 2 true closer-like save opportunities where he started the ninth inning with a lead of 1-3 runs. He converted both.

 

9/25/09: Sox ahead 2-0, Thornton is called in for the save opp in place of the injured Jenks, his line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 2K, 0 R (SAVE)

9/30/09: Sox ahead 1-0, Thornton is called in for the save opp in place of the injured Janks, his line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2K, 0 R (SAVE)

 

3 other times in his career he had to enter in the 9th to clean up someone else's mess and record 1 out for the save, his combined line from those 3 outings: 1.0 IP, 2H, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 R, 3 saves

 

All other save opportunities in his years with the Sox came with him entering prior to the 9th, whether it be the 6th, 7th or 8th.

 

So his White Sox career line in 9th inning save opportunities: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 R, 5 SAVES/5 OPPS (1.00 WHIP, 0 ERA, 18.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 6.0 K/BB)

 

Matt Thornton has yet to prove conclusively whether he can or can not handle the closer's duties. All I do know is that he's shown absolutely nothing in his very few chances to close out a game that would lead me to believe that he can not succeed in the role.

[WCSox]

Thornton's lack of a good offspeed pitch that he can consistently throw for strikes bothers me. That said, it's difficult to argue with his results.

 

[justBLAZE]

"That's the thing I don't understand, all the stuff going on,'' Jenks said. "I mean it's one game. Everyone is hitting the panic button in f------ April. Chill out. I don't want to say everything I want to say, but it was one bad game. The game before that I gave up a solo home run, the wind is blowing out 20 mph, what are you going to do?''

 

On the Thome double:

 

"He keeps doing that, I know where he lives,'' Jenks said. "I'll just toilet paper his house.''

 

EDIT: http://blogs.suntimes.com/whitesox/2010/05...er_tuesday.html

Edited May 12, 2010 by justBLAZE

[chw42]

LOL @ the Thome thing.

[Quin]

It actually surprises me how poorly he's hit against some of these guys.

 

It figures.

 

We can contain the Twins best player, but when it comes to their crappy no-namers, we'll get slaughtered.

 

Also, LOL @ the Thome comment by Bobby.

[MiddleCoastBias]

Can we bring back Contreras?

 

/green, maybe...

[lostfan]

It wasn't one bad game Bobby, have you seen your stats?