Sox vs Tigers Game Thread 6-3-11

[SoxFan562004]

I assume your YAY is sarcastic? Dunn needs to hit his way out of this slump, sitting on the bench after an off day isn't going to help anything.

especially since he is still taking walks and seeing a lot of pitches. Obviously MUCH more is expected from him, but he is contributing a little something still. Basically if you hit him 7th, as they were discussing on MLBN the other night, he is going to get walked a ton because no pitcher or manager wants to be the team that he snaps out of it against at the bottom of the order.

[kane0730]

Not a fan of sitting Dunn tonight, even as bad as he's been. Hope I'm wrong.

[Balta1701]

Not a fan of sitting Dunn tonight, even as bad as he's been. Hope I'm wrong.

Against a lefty, right now, you just have no choice but to go with the Stealth Elf. It makes your defense better and right now we're gaining on offense by putting him in there.

[iamshack]

If they don't go well, then it all is officially over pretty quick.

 

What is it with you and these warnings lately?

 

We know!

[kjshoe04]

I'm shocked that Castro isn't playing with a lefty on the mound and Buehrle pitching.

[The Ginger Kid]

I assume your YAY is sarcastic? Dunn needs to hit his way out of this slump, sitting on the bench after an off day isn't going to help anything.

no sarcasm at all. I believe this team is better w/o him in the lineup right now, walks or no walks. And we need wins. He's had 2 months to snap out of it. And against a lefty? Do we really need more evidence of his futility? No thanks.

[Balta1701]

 

What is it with you and these warnings lately?

 

We know!

It's the appropriate reply to a person being concerned about playing in the division.

 

Gotta take this series.

[southsider2k5]

LOL. All that money he's getting paid and we can't even count on him against our division rival after an off day.

 

It's no win. If he plays Ozzie is an idiot to play him against a lefty. If he doesn't, it is apparently bad as well.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Honestly, I have MUCH more confidence in lillibridge than Dunn right now, so I am cool with no Dunn. Just use him as a PH late in the game.

[SoxFan562004]

Honestly, I have MUCH more confidence in lillibridge than Dunn right now, so I am cool with no Dunn. Just use him as a PH late in the game.

or at least as a decoy to burn a LHP out of their pen.

[Ross]

I don't know, Dunn is taking a lot of walks and needs to get out of this slump but I think playing Lillibridge tonight is the right choice.

[BearSox]

I assume your YAY is sarcastic? Dunn needs to hit his way out of this slump, sitting on the bench after an off day isn't going to help anything.

And how will looking completely lost vs a lefty help?

 

It's gotten past the point of letting him play through the slump, plain and simple. We need to win ball games now, and until he fixes his approach and starts hitting the ball, he can't be playing everyday, and especially not vs lefties. I'm not saying outright bench, but no more blind faith that he will snap out of it eventually.

[Balta1701]

And how will looking completely lost vs a lefty help?

 

It's gotten past the point of letting him play through the slump, plain and simple. We need to win ball games now, and until he fixes his approach and starts hitting the ball, he can't be playing everyday, and especially not vs lefties. I'm not saying outright bench, but no more blind faith that he will snap out of it eventually.

****. I have to agree with Bearsox now.

[greg775]

I assume your YAY is sarcastic? Dunn needs to hit his way out of this slump, sitting on the bench after an off day isn't going to help anything.

 

Dunn deserves to sit the bench tonight. How much more do you guys have to see to realize he can't hit a lefty?

Does he have one hit against one yet?

Oh he draws walks. Great.

I really hope people don't f***ing rip Ozzie and get on Lilly if Lilly sucks tonight.

Dunn is a fat piece of garbage. Sit him against lefties!!! He can play against righties and pinch hit against righties.

Edited June 3, 2011 by greg775

[ILMOU]

And how will looking completely lost vs a lefty help?

 

It's gotten past the point of letting him play through the slump, plain and simple. We need to win ball games now, and until he fixes his approach and starts hitting the ball, he can't be playing everyday, and especially not vs lefties. I'm not saying outright bench, but no more blind faith that he will snap out of it eventually.

 

Agreed completely, Bear. We've got too much invested in the Mule to give up on him, but we need to start this homestand with the guys who give us the best chance to win against a lefty tonight.

 

There's also the "light a fire under his fat a**" factor, that I can only see as a positive. And normally, I'm a coddler/power-of- positive-thinking kinda guy.

[NorthSideSox72]

And how will looking completely lost vs a lefty help?

 

It's gotten past the point of letting him play through the slump, plain and simple. We need to win ball games now, and until he fixes his approach and starts hitting the ball, he can't be playing everyday, and especially not vs lefties. I'm not saying outright bench, but no more blind faith that he will snap out of it eventually.

We aren't talking about some fringe guy just out of the minors here. This is one of the most prolific power hitters in the past decade. There is no such thing as "past the point of letting him play through it", unless we think he's done for, which I don't think is the case. You play him until he gets out of it. Sitting on the bench only prolongs the pain and gives him fewer good-Dunn days in the Sox lineup for the season.

 

Not to say you don't give him a day off here and there, but this is a game after an off day. You play your starting lineup, and let guys like Dunn and Rios play through it until they get better.

 

Dunn is far too valuable to become a platoon player, and I am damn near 100% sure he will come out of this, so I would play him full time until he does.

 

[greg775]

We aren't talking about some fringe guy just out of the minors here. This is one of the most prolific power hitters in the past decade. There is no such thing as "past the point of letting him play through it", unless we think he's done for, which I don't think is the case. You play him until he gets out of it. Sitting on the bench only prolongs the pain and gives him fewer good-Dunn days in the Sox lineup for the season.

 

Not to say you don't give him a day off here and there, but this is a game after an off day. You play your starting lineup, and let guys like Dunn and Rios play through it until they get better.

 

Dunn is far too valuable to become a platoon player, and I am damn near 100% sure he will come out of this, so I would play him full time until he does.

 

I guess this is going to become a big issue. Poor Lillibridge. This isn't going to bode well for him cause people are still in love with the name "Dunn" despite his lousy production against lefties.

 

[Balta1701]

We aren't talking about some fringe guy just out of the minors here. This is one of the most prolific power hitters in the past decade. There is no such thing as "past the point of letting him play through it", unless we think he's done for, which I don't think is the case. You play him until he gets out of it. Sitting on the bench only prolongs the pain and gives him fewer good-Dunn days in the Sox lineup for the season.

 

Not to say you don't give him a day off here and there, but this is a game after an off day. You play your starting lineup, and let guys like Dunn and Rios play through it until they get better.

 

Dunn is far too valuable to become a platoon player, and I am damn near 100% sure he will come out of this, so I would play him full time until he does.

Stop making me agree with Greg!

[Chisoxfn]

I completely disagree. Right now the Sox have done nothing but play Dunn and now I think it comes to the point where mentally he might need some breaks. I would work on getting him into the field more but until he starts hitting confidently against righties we need to consider our useage of him against lefties and in key situations.

 

Somehow the Sox are going to have to figure out a way to get some benefit out of him, becuase as much as I can't stand Dunn, he's a better player than this (duh). I could argue all day how valuable he really is and his OPS makes him appear more valuable than he is, but the Sox have to hope he figures it out. I would say that my biggest concern is his bat looks very slow and that is a very alarming fact because if he has no bat speed (and its a result of aging), he really will be worthless.

[maggsmaggs]

To me it's pretty simple. Dunn has been abysmal against lefties, so he deserves to sit on the bench against them right now. He should bat against righties exclusively until he starts hitting. Once (hopefully) he starts hitting, then you can play him against lefties. But he simply is too much a liability against lefties to start tonight regardless who the lefty is.

Edited June 3, 2011 by maggsmaggs

[Eminor3rd]

We aren't talking about some fringe guy just out of the minors here. This is one of the most prolific power hitters in the past decade. There is no such thing as "past the point of letting him play through it", unless we think he's done for, which I don't think is the case. You play him until he gets out of it. Sitting on the bench only prolongs the pain and gives him fewer good-Dunn days in the Sox lineup for the season.

 

Not to say you don't give him a day off here and there, but this is a game after an off day. You play your starting lineup, and let guys like Dunn and Rios play through it until they get better.

 

Dunn is far too valuable to become a platoon player, and I am damn near 100% sure he will come out of this, so I would play him full time until he does.

 

I agree with this. He isn't learning anything on the bench, he just needs to break out. It doesn't have anything to do with money being on the bench, it has everything to do with the fact that he needs to snap out of it if we're going to seriously contend. If you're expecting Lilli to slug. 600 all year, you are short-sighted. Lucky wins are the only reasons we're still in this, something has to change if it's going to continue.

 

Honestly, if you want to ride the hot hand, I'd rather see Lilli in left and Pierre on the bench.

[BearSox]

You want to ride the hot hand yet you say bench Pierre, who has actually been hitting for the past two weeks?

 

Don't get me wrong, Pierre sucks. But he actually does give us a better chance to win than Dunn right now.

 

 

[Eminor3rd]

You want to ride the hot hand yet you say bench Pierre, who has actually been hitting for the past two weeks?

 

Don't get me wrong, Pierre sucks. But he actually does give us a better chance to win than Dunn right now.

 

Right, but I'm saying we can't continue to rely on luck and hustle, because it isn't going to last all season. Pierre isn't really hitting much better than he was before, he's just finding holes. And guys are wild-pitching on intentional walks, and not covering first base on routine plays, etc.

 

For sustained success, consistent, true-talent guys like Dunn need to start hitting bombs with regularity. If they don't we're not going to win the division anyway.

Edited June 3, 2011 by Eminor3rd

[BearSox]

Ok, I dont necessarily agree, but I can understand where you are coming from.

[fathom]

Pierre's been stellar against LHP this year. I'm all for Dunn being benched against lefties now. We can't afford him to continue to be a non-contributor when we're trying to get back into this.