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Your 2010 White Sox All Star- Matt Thornton


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QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 4, 2010 -> 08:29 PM)
Our WS was like the weakest rated World Series in history or something.

 

The ones after were even worse (even the Red Sox one). It was just a time where WS ratings were going down like crazy.

Edited by chw42
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QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jul 4, 2010 -> 09:46 AM)
The All Star game is such a joke, lol at some of the selections to this game including ours. I literally would not watch or pay attention to any of it if it weren't so f***ing stupid and decided home field advantage in the World Series. Even there though, the only reason i'll have any interest is we're back in the race now.

 

Seriously, no Rios? Screw that, I'm not going to waste my time watching.

 

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QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 4, 2010 -> 08:52 PM)
The ones after were even worse (even the Red Sox one). It was just a time where WS ratings were going down like crazy.

 

Yep. I don't know about last year, but I know the 3 World Series after ours were all lower rated than ours.

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As much as I love Jenks, you'll be surprised to hear that I am also in favor of letting Thornton close for a while.

There's nothing wrong with riding the hot hand.

Hope Ozzie continues to ride the hot hand.

Right now Thornton is unstoppable.

Lilly's horrific throw didn't bother him a bit. It should have been two outs nobody on, instead Thornton merely shrugs it off and gets the save anyway.

 

I'd just flop their roles for a while. Or if Bobby can't pitch in tie games and be the set up man, then closer by committee. I trust Oz's hunches, but right now Thornton is the real hot hand and I wouldn't mind seeing him close for a while.

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Congrats to Matt. One more game in a 162 regular game season, plus spring training, plus post season, isn't much of a deal to me. Just off the top of my head I can't think of the All-Star game causing anyone any serious problems for the second half. I actually think home run derbies do more damage for some guys.

 

 

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Keith Law is so anti-White Sox it's ridiculous...

Jose Bautista's inclusion falls into that first-half fluke category, and he's really here just because of his home run total, since he's a well below-average fielder and does so little else with the stick that he's only 17th among AL outfielders in Wins Above Replacement. His spot should have gone to ex-Blue Jay Alex Rios, who has more of a history of strong performances and far more defensive value than Bautista. You could also make a case for Shin-Soo Choo, although he just went on the DL and would require a replacement anyway.

 

I could also argue for Kevin Youkilis over David Ortiz (does the AL really need a backup DH?), Nick Markakis over Ty Wigginton, and Andy Pettitte over CC Sabathia as well. Paul Konerko belongs in here somewhere too. Overall, though, it's not a bad roster, considering

...oh wait, this is not an example of that.

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QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jul 6, 2010 -> 02:06 PM)
Hmm two unignorably obvious points that happen to favor the Sox. He clearly loves us.

Does anybody know exactly WHY he hates us so much? Does he have a problem with Reinsdorf or Ozzie or something? I mean, he's obvious enough about it that I feel like it has to be personal on some level.

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QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Jul 6, 2010 -> 01:20 PM)
Does anybody know exactly WHY he hates us so much? Does he have a problem with Reinsdorf or Ozzie or something? I mean, he's obvious enough about it that I feel like it has to be personal on some level.

 

 

I could be wrong, but: I've always thought it stems from the fact that he fundamentally disagrees with how Kenny runs the team and is essentially constantly trying to prove that he is right and Kenny is wrong. KW is pretty much seen as the opposite end of the spectrum from the Bill James/Billy Beane school of thought, so I think on some level Law is just biased against KW.

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QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Jul 6, 2010 -> 12:20 PM)
Does anybody know exactly WHY he hates us so much? Does he have a problem with Reinsdorf or Ozzie or something? I mean, he's obvious enough about it that I feel like it has to be personal on some level.

 

Haha i'm just giving Ozzie Ball crap. Law supposedly hates us because he's always getting on us about our bad farm system. I am not sure if he actually hates us, that's just the word here so I go along with it.

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QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jul 6, 2010 -> 02:57 PM)
Haha i'm just giving Ozzie Ball crap. Law supposedly hates us because he's always getting on us about our bad farm system. I am not sure if he actually hates us, that's just the word here so I go along with it.

While I can't remember the specific articles that make me think this, I feel like it's been preposterously evident that he has a grudge against the team because of the way his opinions shift the moment the Sox are involved. I bet if we traded for Fielder, he'd suddenly be a useless piece of trash in Law's eyes.

 

The baseball philosophy argument makes sense, though you'd think he'd try and be somewhat impartial because he is generally a good baseball mind. I don't know what he would be accomplishing by rigidly endorsing one point of view over another. Weird.

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Is Matt our new closer?

Has this been discussed? He is really really good right now.

I would think Oz would ride Matt for a while. Make Bobby the setup guy.

I LOVE Bobby but nobody can argue how dominant Thornton looks. My god he's good.

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QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 6, 2010 -> 06:06 PM)
Is Matt our new closer?

Has this been discussed? He is really really good right now.

I would think Oz would ride Matt for a while. Make Bobby the setup guy.

I LOVE Bobby but nobody can argue how dominant Thornton looks. My god he's good.

 

Matt Thornton has more value to this club than as the token 9th inning guy. It's sad that baseball has come to the point where your closer, who should be your best relief pitcher, can't come into the 7th inning because you need him to pitch in the 9th. If there is an absolutely crucial spot where a closer needs to pitch, he should be prepared for that and should pitch.

 

As such, it's really not that big of a deal to me that the two best relief pitchers in the White Sox bullpen are not closers. Bobby does a good enough job at getting 3 outs while not giving up the lead that he can hang onto that "guy who pitches in the 9th inning when the team is leading" role.

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QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 01:35 PM)
Matt Thornton has more value to this club than as the token 9th inning guy. It's sad that baseball has come to the point where your closer, who should be your best relief pitcher, can't come into the 7th inning because you need him to pitch in the 9th. If there is an absolutely crucial spot where a closer needs to pitch, he should be prepared for that and should pitch.

 

As such, it's really not that big of a deal to me that the two best relief pitchers in the White Sox bullpen are not closers. Bobby does a good enough job at getting 3 outs while not giving up the lead that he can hang onto that "guy who pitches in the 9th inning when the team is leading" role.

 

Exactly. We've got two lights out setup men in Thornton and Putz, a very solid one in Santos, and a closer in Jenks who is simply not blowing it when he's in for a save situation. The bereavement thing messed it up a bit, but it all appeared back on track last night. No need to change it.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 01:44 PM)
The Angels broadcasters yesterday mentioned that Paulie was going to be in the home run derby. I hadn't heard that anywhere else. Can anyone confirm?

 

Maybe they know something that we don't?

 

Do not want.

 

There's a reason why Hamilton isn't doing it this year.

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Just for reference, Paulie was in the home run derby in Milwaukee in 2002. His splits that year:

 

Pre ASG: .328/.379/.571/.950

 

Post ASG: .270/.332/.402/.734

 

20 of his 27 home runs were pre ASG as well, and 71 of his 104 RBI.

Edited by whitesoxfan101
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QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 01:50 PM)
Just for reference, Paulie was in the home run derby in Milwaukee in 2002. His splits that year:

 

Pre ASG: .328/.379/.571/.950

 

Post ASG: .270/.332/.402/.734

 

20 of his 27 home runs were pre ASG as well, and 71 of his 104 RBI.

 

Yup, this is the reason why nobody should participate in the derby.

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QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 02:45 PM)
Nobody should participate in the derby?

Why take it so seriously? Let him go hack in the Derby. He probably tries to hit home runs during BP every day.

These hitters know what they are doing.

 

Statistics, greg. Statistics.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 7, 2010 -> 01:44 PM)
The Angels broadcasters yesterday mentioned that Paulie was going to be in the home run derby. I hadn't heard that anywhere else. Can anyone confirm?

 

Maybe they know something that we don't?

I posted this in the game thread yesterday.

 

I think he is considering it based on whether or not he makes the team.

 

He has not yet committed to it, but I can't see Paulie doing it unless he already is going to be there for the game.

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Yeah, it is possible for the HR derby to f*** with hitters heads, but I think its overrated. Was Hamilton's downfall in the 2nd half due to the HR derby, possibly part of it, but overall, he had an incredible first half through his first time through the league and a pace that he obviously wouldn't keep up. I think his lack of production in the 2nd half and the following year was more due to pitchers adjusting to him and him struggling to find a new approach that worked. Did the HR derby make him HR happy and f*** with his head, possibly, I wouldn't doubt it. But he also had a huge spotlight on him and what he did in the HR derby just put more pressure on him.

 

As for PK, again, he's always been a very streaky hitter. I really don't think his struggles in the 2nd half of 02 came from the HR derby but rather him just being a streaky hitter, and him having an incredible 1st half that he just couldn't keep up.

 

Overall, I think the majority of players can have fun and go do the HR derby without having it f*** with them in the head. And I bet the stats back it up.

 

However, one thing I would like to change, instead of only allowing all-stars to do the HR derby, they should invite the hitters with the best power with HR swings to the derby. Russell Branyan, Mike Jacobs, Chris Davis, Justin Smoak, etc... It'd be fun to watch some of those guys in the HR Derby as they have a ton of power and swing like are in a HR derby all the time.

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Strangesox, if it affects players negatively then agents should forbid their players from competing in the Derby or they should get rid of it completely.

Or make it a 5 million dollar first place prize money through some sponsor so it's worth having a s*** second half.

I just can't believe a f***ing home run derby screws up a hitter the whole second half.

That is just too bizarre.

Have any players made comments on how it screws them up?

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