JIM THOME!!!!!!!!

[greg775]

I know, but my god.

It makes me think people on here are from another planet sometimes.

Kotsay also homered and was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two ribbies.

Broken record with the criticism of the guy every single night.

 

[ThunderBolt]

There are some posters here that will either never get that through their head, are stubborn, have a very poor memory, or are just mentally challenged. An admin/mod might literally have to pull up like 5+ threads in January/early February or a poster to bump a few old ones to have it sink in.

Am I the only who doesn’t remember some mass anti-Thome movement on the board during the off-season? I keep hearing this come up, and I only remember a small turn against him after it was quite clear that he wasn’t coming back, and some people tried to defend Ozzie’s stance on the matter. I remember a lot of us wanting to get younger, but not at the expense of logic and reason.

[kjshoe04]

I seem to remember quite a few posters who wanted ANYONE but Jim Thome because he was washed up. He was too old, too slow, and stuck out too much. The general sentiment was literally "anyone but Jim Thome."

 

Well, some got what they wished for.

I'll admit to being one of them. I'm still not mad they didn't bring back Jim. I'm mad they didn't spend the money to get a real hitter here.

[greg775]

I seem to remember quite a few posters who wanted ANYONE but Jim Thome because he was washed up. He was too old, too slow, and stuck out too much. The general sentiment was literally "anyone but Jim Thome."

 

Well, some got what they wished for.

 

Amen, brother.

[Rowand44]

I know, but my god.

It makes me think people on here are from another planet sometimes.

Kotsay also homered and was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two ribbies.

Broken record with the criticism of the guy every single night.

You're not a broken record every night either so don't worry about that.

[iamshack]

Am I the only who doesn’t remember some mass anti-Thome movement on the board during the off-season? I keep hearing this come up, and I only remember a small turn against him after it was quite clear that he wasn’t coming back, and some people tried to defend Ozzie’s stance on the matter. I remember a lot of us wanting to get younger, but not at the expense of logic and reason.

I remember constantly sticking up for the guy for the final 2 or 3 months of the season last year. That's when most people were calling for his head.

 

 

[greg775]

Because one game a season does make. He is a fine pinch hitter or role player as a primary DH he is terrible.

 

He also had a great game tonight and isn't the reason we lost.

We couldn't hold a lead ... again.

[caulfield12]

One inning and he's fine. It will be interesting to see how they piece the bullpen together next season. The Sun Times ran something today implying the Sox bullpen was worn down. That can't be good. They are used less than every other bullpen except two.

 

 

And of course, Minnesota had the best bullpen ERA without Joe Nathan somehow. They lose Nathan, Neshek, Mijares, Reyes, Breslow, Rincon, etc.

 

Doesn't matter.

 

Even Glen Perkins gets us out.

 

No doubt that Thornton and Putz have been overworked. You simply can't trust Pena and Linebrink, and most haven't trusted Jenks all season long.

 

And that one inning for Thornton, he HAS to start it. The thing that Matt hasn't ever been that great at is coming on with multiple inherited runners in the 7th and 8th and getting out of it unscathed. He has a knack for giving up quite a few big hits, and not just the All-Star game. That said, I have 100X more confidence in Thornton than Jenks.

Edited August 18, 2010 by caulfield12

[greg775]

You're not a broken record every night either so don't worry about that.

 

You don't think it's odd Kotsay gets bashed even after tonight's game?

I may be a broken record but it's usually responding to what I find some amazing comments.

[southsideirish71]

He also had a great game tonight and isn't the reason we lost.

We couldn't hold a lead ... again.

 

Great, take a picture of this great game and put it with the rest of his single game awesome events. This is what bench players do. They have a good game here and there. But over the course of a season they get exposed.

[iamshack]

And of course, Minnesota had the best bullpen ERA without Joe Nathan somehow. They lose Nathan, Neshek, Mijares, Reyes, Breslow, Rincon, etc.

 

Doesn't matter.

 

Even Glen Perkins gets us out.

 

No doubt that Thornton and Putz have been overworked. You simply can' trust Pena and Linebrink, and most haven't trusted Jenks all season long.

We scored 6 runs tonight. We do score off their pitching. As Ginger posted, we spotted them a 4-0 lead, came back to tie it, came back again to take the lead. No one in our pen can close out a game right now. It's as simple as that. Not much else to say.

[Dick Allen]

He also had a great game tonight and isn't the reason we lost.

We couldn't hold a lead ... again.

In a way he could be the reason the Sox lost. If they didn't have him, maybe they have Thome and the Twins don't. Of course maybe the Twins score a couple in the 10th anyway.

[kitekrazy]

BTW, what were the options in FA for acquiring another DH? I can't remember anyone that would fit in the Sox budget other than what they have now.

Edited August 18, 2010 by kitekrazy

[Buehrle>Wood]

BTW, what were the options in FA for acquiring another DH?

 

Does it matter? We had Thome if we wanted him. That should have been our floor for our DH expectations.

[fathom]

BTW, what were the options in FA for acquiring another DH?

 

Branyan and Gomes!!!!!!!!!!!

[South Side Fireworks Man]

I would think by now, even Thome's biggest critics would have to admit not bringing Thome back for $1.5 million was a mistake. He has just as much production in half the ABs as White Sox DHs.

The problem with Ozzie is that if KW had signed Thome, Ozzie would be playing him every day as the full time DH and probably batting him third or fourth in the order. The way the Twins are using Thome is the way Ozzie should have been using him for the past couple of years.

 

Thome would have been a good cheap LH DH, batting like fifth or sixth in the lineup. Too bad Ozzie prefers Kotsay for that role.

[Dick Allen]

BTW, what were the options in FA for acquiring another DH?

It really didn't matter. If the Sox need another bat, KW will just get Gonzalez or Dunn at the deadline. Oh wait....................

 

 

Offense was not the reason the Sox lost tonight however.

[southsideirish71]

BTW, what were the options in FA for acquiring another DH?

 

Vlad, pure and simple. Hitting .297 with a .839 OPS. That was my pick, and the one I wanted the most.

[iamshack]

Greg is actually being pretty logical in my opinion. And I hate to say it, but I can't stop thinking about Rongey telling us that the pitching would be the thing that would ultimately sink us if we lost. Kotsay has actually been very good during these last few weeks. It has been the pitching which has done us in.

 

We managed to win games in spite of Kotsay earlier, and maybe it's partially his fault that the staff is worn down, due to pitching in so many high-leverage innings, but since we were 1.5 games up on Minnesota to 4 games down suddenly has very little to do with our DH situation.

[fathom]

Vlad, pure and simple. Hitting .297 with a .839 OPS. That was my pick, and the one I wanted the most.

 

He was never going to play here due to Ozzie and others.

[caulfield12]

We scored 6 runs tonight. We do score off their pitching. As Ginger posted, we spotted them a 4-0 lead, came back to tie it, came back again to take the lead. No one in our pen can close out a game right now. It's as simple as that. Not much else to say.

 

 

Yes, and no.

 

Their bullpen came in from the 5th on and shut us down completely until Capps, and they still got the DP against Konerko, which most will feel was the key play of the ballgame.

 

I know we took the lead, but it felt like we had to score there to win that game for some reason. The only surprise to me was not giving it up in the bottom of the 9th, that we actually scored and took the lead momentarily.

 

Rauch has been the only one really struggling down there. Guerrier has pitched great recently (despite the 2-7 record) and Crain even better, perhaps the best he has ever pitched for Minnesota.

Edited August 18, 2010 by caulfield12

[fathom]

Greg is actually being pretty logical in my opinion. And I hate to say it, but I can't stop thinking about Rongey telling us that the pitching would be the thing that would ultimately sink us if we lost. Kotsay has actually been very good during these last few weeks. It has been the pitching which has done us in.

 

We managed to win games in spite of Kotsay earlier, and maybe it's partially his fault that the staff is worn down, due to pitching in so many high-leverage innings, but since we were 1.5 games up on Minnesota to 4 games down suddenly has very little to do with our DH situation.

 

But a portion of those games have been in really low scoring games (ie: Saturday's game and the extra inning game in Seattle). A better DH could have led to more runs, and thus more insurance for our pitchers.

[SoxAce]

Vlad, pure and simple. Hitting .297 with a .839 OPS. That was my pick, and the one I wanted the most.

 

Johnny Damon and his .288/.356/.438/.793 career line (currently .277/.363/.421/.784) would of been fine with me. Hell I would had taken that guy (though I like him anyways cause his game reminds me of a tier below Swishers) who was cut and has a career .244/.376/.454/.830 line (Cust - currently .275/.395/.441/.835) I would have been more than happy if we platooned him.

 

Some posters here are right though. Tonight, Kotsay was not the problem for once. Danks did not pitch well this game and the bullpen wasn't very good. The offense did it's job scoring runs. Our pitching let us down tonight.

Edited August 18, 2010 by J.Reedfan8

[southsideirish71]

Greg is actually being pretty logical in my opinion. And I hate to say it, but I can't stop thinking about Rongey telling us that the pitching would be the thing that would ultimately sink us if we lost. Kotsay has actually been very good during these last few weeks. It has been the pitching which has done us in.

 

We managed to win games in spite of Kotsay earlier, and maybe it's partially his fault that the staff is worn down, due to pitching in so many high-leverage innings, but since we were 1.5 games up on Minnesota to 4 games down suddenly has very little to do with our DH situation.

 

Right now we can do anything right. We pitched pretty well in Baltimore, but couldnt hit and lost 3 games. When we hit, we cant pitch. When we scratch out a run late, we give it up right away in walk off fashion. Its a toliet bowl s*** storm. They need to right this ship quick before it gets completely away. That series in Baltimore destroyed our cushion.

 

 

 

[iamshack]

Right now we can do anything right. We pitched pretty well in Baltimore, but couldnt hit and lost 3 games. When we hit, we cant pitch. When we scratch out a run late, we give it up right away in walk off fashion. Its a toliet bowl s*** storm. They need to right this ship quick before it gets completely away. That series in Baltimore destroyed our cushion.

Agreed.