Bobby Jenks to the Red Sox

[Balta1701]

Wite, you don't have to defend yourself on believing that Jenks has something yet. You've got Bill James actively on your side.

[greg775]

I hope he doesnt so that they get the same Bobby we had, but I will be pissed if all the sudden he decides he wants to prove the White Sox wrong

 

The Bobby we had still had 27 saves after 29, 30, 40 and 41 in the previous seasons.

I think you guys are going to be surprised that our new closer(s) may have trouble doing as well as Bobby did here. He's only 29. He's 6-4 and fat but he can throw hard. Lots of baseball players are tubby. He's not old. He can still pitch.

And I'm not going to pine for Bobby if our new closers suck or actually blow games. Obviously I want the new closers to do well. But I'm just saying I think we may be in for a surprise. Closing isn't automatic in many cases.

Edited December 20, 2010 by greg775

[Texsox]

I'll kinda miss Bobby and I'll hate seeing him in a Red Sox uniform but that's the way it goes. If and when we face him I hope we clobber him but best of luck to him otherwise.

 

^^

 

I pretty much dislike all our threads when a player is leaving.

[soxrwhite]

Jenks may do well the Red Sox. He would not have done well with the White Sox.

[Steve9347]

Jenks may do well the Red Sox. He would not have done well with the White Sox.

Well, there you have it. Case closed, there was no way Jenks could have pitched well again for the White Sox... since56 has spoken.

[NorthSideSox72]

Well, there you have it. Case closed, there was no way Jenks could have pitched well again for the White Sox... since56 has spoken.

Who pissed in your Cheerios?

 

[soxrwhite]

Thanks pal!

[Rex Kickass]

I will miss Bobby Jenks.

 

I will not miss his horrid choice in facial hair.

[witesoxfan]

I will miss Bobby Jenks.

 

I will not miss his horrid choice in facial hair.

 

You trying to tell me that bleach blonde s*** on the chin isn't good?

 

Dammit.

[greg775]

Jenks may do well the Red Sox. He would not have done well with the White Sox.

 

How do u know?

He can still pitch for anybody.

[Kyyle23]

How do u know?

He can still pitch for anybody.

 

How do u know? Like always, you conveniently gloss over the bad with Bobby Jenks because he had World Series saves. The guy was absolutely brutal last year and cost the Sox some pretty big games, specifically games like versus the Twins in the first series after the All Star Break. You know, where the Twins started their insane run that took the Sox out of first place.

[greg775]

How do u know? Like always, you conveniently gloss over the bad with Bobby Jenks because he had World Series saves. The guy was absolutely brutal last year and cost the Sox some pretty big games, specifically games like versus the Twins in the first series after the All Star Break. You know, where the Twins started their insane run that took the Sox out of first place.

 

Here's the post uh, just five or six posts above his post:

 

The Bobby we had still had 27 saves after 29, 30, 40 and 41 in the previous seasons.

I think you guys are going to be surprised that our new closer(s) may have trouble doing as well as Bobby did here. He's only 29. He's 6-4 and fat but he can throw hard. Lots of baseball players are tubby. He's not old. He can still pitch.

And I'm not going to pine for Bobby if our new closers suck or actually blow games. Obviously I want the new closers to do well. But I'm just saying I think we may be in for a surprise. Closing isn't automatic in many cases.

 

That's how I know. He's only 29. He's still got the heat. The Red Sox are led by the great Bill James who has faith in Jenks. In my mind, that's 100 percent certain, baby.

[knightni]

Jenks hasn't had real heat or control for at least 3 seasons.

[Heads22]

It's amazing how people who typically love the higher level stats are alright with Jenks leaving based on the eye test, while those that typically go to the eye test are looking at the raw numbers.

[greg775]

Jenks hasn't had real heat or control for at least 3 seasons.

 

I'm surprised to hear you say that about his heat.

Your standards must be pretty high. You don't think he was popping it during that stretch when he was racking up save after save??

 

I stand by the fact the Red Sox acquiring him proves I am more correct than the naysayers on Bobby. Bill James is a baseball god and if he recommended the signing, that proves I am not alone in my assessment of Bobby's value.

 

Closers IMO are like quarterbacks. Everybody wants the next guy in line unless the closser's name is Rivera.

 

Serious question: I know there are a lot of Sabes people on here who also are glad to see Bobby gone. Let me ask you? How do you feel about Bill James, Mr. Sabermetrics, thinking Bobby still has years left??

 

BTW I think Heads 22 has the post of the year.

Wow. He is a perceptive person! I love it.

Edited December 28, 2010 by greg775

[greg775]

How do u know? Like always, you conveniently gloss over the bad with Bobby Jenks because he had World Series saves. The guy was absolutely brutal last year and cost the Sox some pretty big games, specifically games like versus the Twins in the first series after the All Star Break. You know, where the Twins started their insane run that took the Sox out of first place.

 

Since the board is dead, I have a question off his post.

 

It seems Sox fans throughout the years point to a certain game that killed our season when we know there are so many games in a season that one game probably truthfully doesn't mean squat.

I want to ask you all: Are you of the opinion one or two games, like the ones Bobby blew vs. the Twins, sent the Twins on their winning run and doomed us?

If so ... then why don't the times we have a walkoff or some dramatic win, and we've had them in seasons since the WS season, do those dramatic wins not propel us to the title?

I think Sox fans make too big a deal out of one or two games sending us down the s***ter.

Like in our WS season. We were going to hell in September but righted the ship and still won the division.

Edited December 28, 2010 by greg775

[knightni]

I watched many games last season in particular where he could not throw his curve ball for a strike if he had to. He relied solely on his fastball, which at times, topped out at 92, was straight as an arrow, and got hit around the park quite a bit.

 

If his regression over the last few seasons was an aberration, then, I'll be the first guy in line to recant my statement that Bobby is better off somewhere else for his salary.

 

Until then, I will continue to say, that it was for the best for him to move on, and he was not worth what the Sox would have had to pay him.

[iamshack]

Since the board is dead, I have a question off his post.

 

It seems Sox fans throughout the years point to a certain game that killed our season when we know there are so many games in a season that one game probably truthfully doesn't mean squat.

I want to ask you all: Are you of the opinion one or two games, like the ones Bobby blew vs. the Twins, sent the Twins on their winning run and doomed us?

If so ... then why don't the times we have a walkoff or some dramatic win, and we've had them in seasons since the WS season, do those dramatic wins not propel us to the title?

I think Sox fans make too big a deal out of one or two games sending us down the s***ter.

Like in our WS season. We were going to hell in September but righted the ship and still won the division.

Unfortunately Bobby's role is a very high-profile role and it can be a bit of a thankless one at that. Because of the nature and timing of it, the success of the closer had a huge impact on the team when he fails. Certainly other players had failures that cost the team wins, and while I'm not sure they are remembered quite as vividly, they certainly might have had just as large of an impact on the team.

[Balta1701]

The reality for me is...when those 2 games against the Twins happened, at the end of both of them, I sat there and said "This is going to kill that team". The weird thing is though, I kept following the team and watching the team. Once the Twins caught us, passed us, and then Thome stuck in the dagger and twisted it, you just knew that the team was beaten, but I still kept watching up through the losing streak to start Sept. that officially eliminated us.

[Middle Buffalo]

Since the board is dead, I have a question off his post.

 

It seems Sox fans throughout the years point to a certain game that killed our season when we know there are so many games in a season that one game probably truthfully doesn't mean squat.

I want to ask you all: Are you of the opinion one or two games, like the ones Bobby blew vs. the Twins, sent the Twins on their winning run and doomed us?

If so ... then why don't the times we have a walkoff or some dramatic win, and we've had them in seasons since the WS season, do those dramatic wins not propel us to the title?

I think Sox fans make too big a deal out of one or two games sending us down the s***ter.

Like in our WS season. We were going to hell in September but righted the ship and still won the division.

True, fans place too much emphasis on individual games. The games Jenks blew vs. the Twins were just two losses, and nothing more. However, if they altered Ozzie's confidence in Jenks to the point that he didn't want to use Jenks, they did have a greater effect than just two losses in the standings. I know I never felt comfortable when Jenks was in the game, and it wasn't even like he was being clobbered. He'd give up a walk and a bloop single, and before you knew it it was another blown save.

 

It's a great question that really can't be answered because there are so many variables on a 25 man roster in a 162 game season. I'm sure Jenks' blown saves were no more important than Beckham not hitting for the first two months, the DH being terrible all year, or Peavy's arm blowing up. But, it's easier for us to remember a big home run or a blown save than it is to remember Teahan popping up to the second baseman again and again.

 

I wish Bobby the best. I think the change of scenery will be good for him. He'll always be one of my favorites because in 2005, when he came in, it was over. I'm sure some are sick of hearing about 2005, but I'll never take it for granted. I was 13 when the '85 Bears won the Super Bowl, and just like the '05 Sox, I thought they would win a few more. Hasn't happened.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Middle Buffalo

[chw42]

It's amazing how people who typically love the higher level stats are alright with Jenks leaving based on the eye test, while those that typically go to the eye test are looking at the raw numbers.

 

Because sometimes, the eye test works better, especially with FIP.

 

Jenks had Javy Vazquez disease last year.

 

I think I've made myself a promise to never look at Javy's FIP and xFIP ever again or believe in it.

[witesoxfan]

Yeah. I defended Jenks in this thread merely to show that someone can believe him. I certainly don't believe he is going to be that good this year. Maybe he will, or maybe the Red Sox will make adjustments with him, but from what I saw last year, he wouldn't have made it in AAA.

[justBLAZE]

Jenks not happy with the way White Sox let him go.

[southsider2k5]

Jenks not happy with the way White Sox let him go.

 

Here we go...

 

That confidence was no longer present from White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, in Jenks' estimation. Guillen made it clear at the Winter Meetings how if Jenks returned to the White Sox, the man sitting second on the franchise saves list (173) would have to compete with Matt Thornton, Chris Sale and Sergio Santos for the closer's job.

 

Hearing those words from Guillen, after temporarily losing his job last season upon blowing a couple of second-half saves in Minnesota and Seattle, certainly influenced Jenks' employment thoughts.

 

"I'll always respect [Guillen] as a person and give him credit that's due," Jenks said. "But I want to play for a manager who trusts his relievers, regardless of what's going on.

 

"With the way Ozzie was talking this winter and the way he treated me, I don't want to fight with the guy. How many times did he question my ability, and then saying how he would love to have me back, but I would have to come to Spring Training and fight for the closer's role like anyone else?

 

"Why would I come back to that negativity?" Jenks said. "I'm looking forward to playing for a manager who knows how to run a bullpen."

 

A change in scenery was probably necessary for Jenks and a change of closers was needed for Guillen, who helped Jenks grow into a late-inning force before their work relationship took a direct hit. It simply was hard for Jenks to imagine working somewhere else.

 

"I'm mad, but I'm not mad," Jenks said. "I don't know what to feel about it. I thought with the way I was part of the city and not just part of the team, they would make more of an effort to get me back. I wanted to be part of the White Sox a lot longer."

[NorthSideSox72]

Found this interesting...

 

Other teams besides Boston had interest. Jenks listed those opportunities from closing for Tampa Bay to starting -- yes, starting -- for the Texas Rangers. Jenks was a starter for five Minor League seasons with the Angels before being converted to the bullpen when joining the White Sox.

 

"Starting has always been in the back of my mind," said Jenks, who added how he tossed around the idea with White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper during his final month of 2010 inactivity due to ulnar neuritis.