2011 White Sox closer

[witesoxfan]

I'd go for that if the Mets give some money in return and don't expect much from the Sox.

 

They could be desperate to cut payroll due to the ownership situation.

 

Francisco Rodriguez is scary due to his contract vesting with 55 games finished. It's a $3.5 mill buyout as is, but would guarantee him $17.5 million.

 

I want nothing to do with Rodriguez simply because of that. Then, at the end of the season, when he's at 52 games finished in the middle of September, you have to decide whether you actually want him pitching in those games and potentially guaranteeing an addition $17.5 million or whether you go with a worse option to close out games. It's just an issue that the Sox shouldn't want to deal with.

[knightni]

Perhaps the Mets could toss in 10 mil if it vests.

[witesoxfan]

Perhaps the Mets could toss in 10 mil if it vests.

 

Or they just wouldn't deal him because then they'd end up paying him more than they would have normally, or the Sox would have to trade someone they really don't want to.

 

Rodriguez makes no sense for the Sox.

[knightni]

Or they just wouldn't deal him because then they'd end up paying him more than they would have normally, or the Sox would have to trade someone they really don't want to.

 

Rodriguez makes no sense for the Sox.

 

I only considered him because he can still pitch well, and he'd be less prospects to send due to his salary.

 

Effective relievers are very expensive to acquire mid-season usually.

[jenksycat]

I'd like to point out that the team with 2 bonafide closers on their roster just blew a save against the Rays and that "all I know is this type of s*** would never happen to the Twins".

 

 

That is all.

 

 

[Balta1701]

Rodriguez has a limited NTC to 10 teams, any idea of the Sox are ont here?

[TheChrisSamsa]

Why would he make that 2nd comment about Sergio being the toughest mentally? Now the rest of the guys will think that he thinks they're mental midgets.

 

They are mental midgets. Someone had to say it for them to grow a pair and pitch like they're capable. Coop is that guy.

[macsandz]

I think it's a forgone conclusion that Santos is the new closer. -As he should be.

 

Fans are gonna have to let him settle in but he, by far has the best closer stuff.

 

Fastball? (Check. 98mph a few nights a go with late action.)

Breaking Ball? (Check. Nasty, nasty slider)

Off speed? (Check. Filthy change).

 

All he needs is some time and confidence.

[witesoxfan]

I think Santos becomes damn near unhittable when he starts using his fastball a bit more when he gets ahead. It's good enough that he can blow people away with it and it leaves the hitter extremely uncomfortable when he gets ahead. And, as the complete opposite of that, I think he needs to come with his offspeed pitches a bit more when he gets behind. Throughout his short career, he's led with the fastball, and when he gets ahead he comes with the offspeed, and when he gets behind (even 2-1), he comes with the fastball. I tend to think that makes him a bit too predictable to close.

 

Naturally, when pitchers get behind in the count, they are going to get hit more often. What Santos has to be able to do is minimize how hard he is hit when he gets behind, and when he is that predictable, it will lead to him getting hit more often.

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

If Santos can keep that slider at the knees or lower, he is going to tear through the 9th inning.

[caulfield12]

http://comments.startribune.com/comments.p...ns&start=20

 

100+ posts ripping Gardenhire for "pulling" Pavano when he had asked to come out, ripping Mauer for being soft (the Twins have only homered 3 times in 12 games now) and worrying about All-Stars Nathan and Capps both blowing consecutive save opportunities back to back.

 

The weird thing is the Twins are now an 6-19 dating back to the end of last season, the playoff sweep by the Yankees and the first two weeks of this season.

 

Outscored 148-79 by the opposition during that timeframe (25 games, roughly 1/6th of a season)....pretty amazing the Twins are only scoring 3 runs a game for that long a stretch, but then you look at their stadium, missing Morneau, a hobbled Mauer, etc. They should still be better than our offense in April and May, 2010, right?

 

Are they merely lulling White Sox fans into a false sense of complacency? What unpredicted Piranha (last year, it was Duensing and Valencia) will victimize the Sox this season?

Edited April 15, 2011 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

I'd like to point out that the team with 2 bonafide closers on their roster just blew a save against the Rays and that "all I know is this type of s*** would never happen to the Twins".

 

 

That is all.

 

Not to mention the manager took out the starter after a 4 hit, 8IP shutout and 104 pitches thrown.

[southsider2k5]

http://comments.startribune.com/comments.p...ns&start=20

100+ posts ripping Gardenhire for "pulling" Pavano when he had asked to come out, ripping Mauer for being soft (the Twins have only homered 3 times in 12 games now) and worrying about All-Stars Nathan and Capps both blowing consecutive save opportunities back to back.

The weird thing is the Twins are now an 6-19 dating back to the end of last season, the playoff sweep by the Yankees and the first two weeks of this season.

 

Outscored 148-79 by the opposition during that timeframe (25 games, roughly 1/6th of a season)....pretty amazing the Twins are only scoring 3 runs a game for that long a stretch, but then you look at their stadium, missing Morneau, a hobbled Mauer, etc. They should still be better than our offense in April and May, 2010, right?

 

Are they merely lulling White Sox fans into a false sense of complacency? What unpredicted Piranha (last year, it was Duensing and Valencia) will victimize the Sox this season?

 

That is mirror image creepy.

[macsandz]

http://comments.startribune.com/comments.p...ns&start=20

 

100+ posts ripping Gardenhire for "pulling" Pavano when he had asked to come out, ripping Mauer for being soft (the Twins have only homered 3 times in 12 games now) and worrying about All-Stars Nathan and Capps both blowing consecutive save opportunities back to back.

 

The weird thing is the Twins are now an 6-19 dating back to the end of last season, the playoff sweep by the Yankees and the first two weeks of this season.

 

Outscored 148-79 by the opposition during that timeframe (25 games, roughly 1/6th of a season)....pretty amazing the Twins are only scoring 3 runs a game for that long a stretch, but then you look at their stadium, missing Morneau, a hobbled Mauer, etc. They should still be better than our offense in April and May, 2010, right?

 

Are they merely lulling White Sox fans into a false sense of complacency? What unpredicted Piranha (last year, it was Duensing and Valencia) will victimize the Sox this season?

 

The Twins blow this season. Time for Sox fans to quit sucking at the Twins teet.

[Milkman delivers]

The Twins blow this season. Time for Sox fans to quit sucking at the Twins teet.

 

And time for the Sox to plain stop sucking.

[Harry Chappas]

The Twins blow this season. Time for Sox fans to quit sucking at the Twins teet.

 

The reason the Twins win the division is because they kick the s*** out of the White Sox, it is that simple. Will it happen this year? Who knows, they do not play until the second half of the season.

[Kyyle23]

Bobby Jenks was the answer.

 

Oh, wait

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310415102

[soxrwhite]

Putz

[BigSqwert]

Why is everyone so worried? The season is so young. We will right the ship.

[Balta1701]

Which man is the biggest culprit? Closer Matt Thornton, who has four blown saves in as many opportunities. Thornton’s strength in 2010 has become his weakness in 2011, and that is eliminating batters with two strikes against them. Last year, the lefty converted 79 percent of two-strike at-bats into outs, six percent above the average player according to Inside Edge. So far in 2011 that number is hovering around 53 percent.

 

Of the seven hits Thornton has allowed in two-strike counts this season, six have come off of his fastball.

Link

[witesoxfan]

Why is everyone so worried? The season is so young. We will right the ship.

 

I agree completely, regardless of whether you were making this comment facetiously. Anybody who is worried is overreacting at this point.

[TheChrisSamsa]

At this rate, we'll never know who's getting the next chance at closing out a game.

[kev211]

 

This guy has the ability to close a ballgame.

[dyuen]

I think Sergio should be the closer. But if Ozzie doesn't want to do that for some reason then I would do something bold and make Peavy the closer.

[Wanne]

I think Sergio should be the closer. But if Ozzie doesn't want to do that for some reason then I would do something bold and make Peavy the closer.

DETROIT -- The Chicago White Sox haven't had a save opportunity since April 13.

 

But if a save situation arises this weekend in Detroit, manager Ozzie Guillen said he has plenty of faith that Sergio Santos can do the job if called upon.

 

Part of Guillen's reasoning is that Santos hasn't allowed a run in seven appearances. The other reason is that Detroit's lineup is stacked with right-handed batters.

 

"Now I have confidence in Santos," Guillen said Friday. "I don’t mind closing a game with Santos if three righties are at the plate. I don’t mind at all. You talk about (Miguel) Cabrera, Magglio (Ordonez) and (Austin) Jackson, you might see Santos in the ninth. That’s the way we’re going to go to right now when we start to set everything ready to go.

 

"This kid (Santos) is hungry. This kid wants to be good. I know everybody else wants to be good, but this kid is hungry. He knows he has good stuff. He knows he is a great candidate to be a closer. That’s all it takes - the confidence, cockiness, arrogance - however you want to call it. This kid has the good potential to be that."

 

bout time....