KW: Rumors distracting, Sox done dealing

by longdrive on Jul 27, 2006 4:29 PM CDT Comment 24 comments

Update [2006-7-27 17:29:24 by The Cheat]: I edited this post to put it on the main page.

"In today's information age, with all of the rumors, Internet stuff and constant barrage on radio and TV, it's actually caused a distraction," Williams said, "and I've got a distracted club right now.

"I've let our young guys know they aren't going anywhere. After meeting with (Jim) Thome, (Paul) Konerko and (Jermaine) Dye and talking about the makeup of the club and the match-ups, they've made it very clear to me that we have enough.

"Yes, a person that can make an impact walking through the door can certainly have a positive effect to a struggling team, but the negative effect is the rumor mill that creates uneasiness and tension among players that thereby makes it more difficult to perform."

Longdrive's commentary: what do you guys think? more smokescreen or is kenny really through? i'm kinda disappointed. yes, it's a given that all of this trade talk may be a distraction to the clubhouse, but i seriously doubt its the cause for us losing. bad pitching is why we're losing. poor hitting is why we're losing. does paulie think he's being traded? does buerhle? these are the guys that are slumping, not the young ones in all the trade talk.

Cheat's take: As I said following yesterday's game, Williams has done his job. He positioned the White Sox to contend with 6 solid starters, 4 high strikeout bullpen arms, and the 9 starting position players all locked up through next season. This team, as is currently constructed, is good enough to win a World Series. The pitching just hasn't gotten it done. It's as simple as that.

Barring a complete turnaround by the starters, the Sox probably aren't going to make the playoffs. There's nothing KW can do to change that. He may make a move in the next 4 days, but rest assured it will not be for a rental player. He will be looking beyond this season, as that's been his Modus Operandi for the last 2 years.

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Sigh...

It's probably the right move to not overpay for Soriano, but it's still dissappointing.

Then again, the one move that would probably have just as much of an impact as any other realistic move would be moving McCarthy into the rotation...

by CWSKeith on Jul 27, 2006 4:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

complete turnaround..

What do you mean:

a) Back to pitching like they did pre-ASB?
b) Back to pitching like last year?
c) In between

AIM: shaftr01

XBL: TheMattressMan

by shaftr on Jul 27, 2006 4:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

C

Career norms from Buehrle, Garcia, and Vazquez would be nice; with Garland and Contreras pitching to their new better-than-career-average potentials.

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jul 27, 2006 4:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'd take that

and in theory, it shouldn't be that difficult to occur. Although these last few weeks shows that it might be.

AIM: shaftr01

XBL: TheMattressMan

by shaftr on Jul 27, 2006 4:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Honestly

before the Twins series, I still had lots of faith in our starters. Garcia was the only one I was worried about.

Then Vazquez did his thing again, dampening anything positive from his 10 innings of shutout baseball in innings 1-5 of his first two starts of the second half.

Then Contreras made one BAD pitch, wasting the Sox best effort against Santana in more than 2 years.

Then Buehrle kept pitching like crap, causing me to finally come to the conclusion that he's hurt.

Then Garcia... well, he's pitching against Bedard, who is pretty damn good right now. I'm not confident about that one.

Which leaves Jon Garland, who has started all of the Sox victories in the second half. At least he has 12 more starts, so the Sox should reach 71 victories.

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jul 27, 2006 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Relief

...is what I have hearing the Sox won't do something foolish to get Soriano for eight weeks. I wouldn't mind a trade that gets Garcia out of town and McCarthy in the rotation. Of course, Ozzie could get McCarthy starts by putting Garcia in relief.

by asinwreck on Jul 27, 2006 4:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I've thought this for a while.....

as much as we all want to win now it's also important to assue that we stay competitive for years to come in an outstanding division. I also think that while I'm sure there is a good deal of interest in a player like Josh Fields, I wonder if KW wants to keep as leverage with Joe Crede in the offseason.

by stanchar on Jul 27, 2006 5:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Barry Zito

If Buehrle is hurt, the coaching staff would be crazy not to put him on the 15 day! Or at least put him in the bullpen for a couple of weeks(might have to even if he isn't hurt)? Especially when you have a 6th starter ready to step up? Just may have to stick with Vazquez for a while.

I personally would like the Sox to go after Zito and give him his 4-5y/$60-75mil. at the end of the year. No doubt he is worth it!

But would the A's even deal Zito to the Sox and if they did, who could we give them? And where would the Sox put him right now (who would go down to Charlotte if one of our arms wasn't part of the trade)???

I agree with Cheat, if the pitching doesn't turn it around, it doesn't look like the Sox will be in the postseason this year. But Zito would give them a shot at the Twins this year...and the years to come!!!

by whtsoxfan2 on Jul 27, 2006 9:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think Zito is that good...

3.50 career ERA, doing about that this year. He's been durable, will be 29 next year. Those are nice stats, but not great. Plus he's not dating Alyssa Milano anymore. So, not worth $15M year. If the Sox are willing to spend that kind of money, they should keep it for a HOF-caliber player or spread it around the diamond.

by hitlesswonder on Jul 27, 2006 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Alyssa Milano

She would definitely make the deal worth it.

by hawksview on Jul 27, 2006 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

shes overrated just like the tiger

tigers wont get far in playoffs

by ckimcircles on Jul 27, 2006 11:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We'd have to trade for Brad Penny,

because that is who she is currently doing.

Cheat, we are still tied for the wild card, have eliminjated dead weight like Widge/Cliffy, and have nowhere to go but up. Let's stay in the game - as Joe Cowley says today, it's in our hand.

I'm off to San Diego for 5 days without much computer access, so I am whistling past the graveyard.

by winningugly on Jul 28, 2006 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

As another has said, if Buehrle is really hurt and

continues to play he may ruin his arm for good.

by southsidefan on Jul 27, 2006 9:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Billy Martin

I love what Ozzie did for the club last year but that is in the past. I hate to say it but Ozzie is staring to remind me of Billy Martin. Overbearing, always with the whip. This is now a veteran club, treat them as such. Are the players to blame or the coach?

by bevrat on Jul 27, 2006 9:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Disagree on Ozzie

He doesn't seem to crack the whip too much with his veterans and he seems to be taking the losing streak well, at least publicly.

I'm not completely enamored with Ozzie, but I don't see him having a Billy Martin type problem. I think most of the players like him.

by buda on Jul 27, 2006 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not Giving Up On 2006

Cheat, I still think the Sox have a decent shot at the playoffs this year. Even after this past series I do not believe the Twins are better than the Sox and the Yankees and Red Sox have their own flaws.

If the hitters start hitting again it will make up for a lot of mediocre pitching.

If there is a move to make KW should be willing to make. We only make the playoffs once every six years or so and the Central is going to be tough for the next few. The Sox need to take advantage of these situations when they can.

by buda on Jul 27, 2006 10:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Out of all the starters.....

I'm very surprised that Buehrle hasn't been able to step up and pitch like his old self. This is the first season I've seen him pitch so badly with those two horrible games with the twins and the cubs, just very disappointing for a guy we have been able to rely on. I also do believe that with the magical season they had last year, there has been extra pressure on our pitchers. In contrast, hitters have been able to relax a bit with Thome. I also believe that KW's clandestine trade bluffs might have put more mental pressure on the pitchers to perform. These are just general opinions that have been floating around for a while....
However, I remember last year with the headlines during their losing streak..They somehow broke out of it and had hell of a run at the end. Let's not forget that!!These starters are capable of showing their good stuff anytime...
NOT GIVING UP ON 2006

by ckimcircles on Jul 27, 2006 11:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

62 left, everything looks okay

I just don't see this team going an entire year without getting hot, we haven't pitched good for 5 straight games this season, we hit are way to the lead we just blew, I think the team will get back to better pitching and defense and the cards will fall into place.

On a side note it was good to see some good at bats from Konerko, but we need Tadahito and AJ to start hitting on the road

by tubesox on Jul 27, 2006 11:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

first big trade

according to ESPN, Carlos Lee has been traded to the Rangers. now that one big bat is already gone from the market, the race for Soriano and Abreu should heat up.

that's gonna be one tough lineup in Texas. the American League has such powerful teams this year, no wonder our pitchers are struggling.

by longdrive on Jul 28, 2006 10:54 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

lee

[AP]

The Milwaukee Brewers today traded All-Star outfielder Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers for reliever Francisco Cordero and outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix. The deal also included the exchange of minor leaguers, with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting that the Brewers sent outfielder Nelson Cruz to the Rangers and the Rangers traded pitcher Julian Cordero to the Brewers.

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Jul 28, 2006 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Zito

KW will never trade for Zito, b/c he just hired Scott Boras as his agent and won't want to have to deal with him after this season (especially if Zito were to come over and pitch really well).

by Indy Sox Fan on Jul 28, 2006 11:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Whose pitching line is this?

0 W 6 L 39IP 61H 40R 34ER 8HR 19BB 17K 7.85 ERA 9.23 RA WHIP 2.05

That's right Mark Buerhle. From 4/20/03 - 5/21/03.
I actually remember that stretch pretty well. Everybody was saying the league has caught up to Buerhle, he's done, he's lost some velocity on his fastball, etc., etc.

The rest of the year he went 12-7 with a 3.84 ERA.
But because of this bad stretch he wound up with the worst ERA of his career, 4.14.

Comparing that month to this month for Buerhle.

0 5 26 2/3IP 47H 36R 34R 8HR 5BB 15K ERA 11.47
RA 12.15 WHIP 1.95

Higher ERA, lower WHIP, more HR/IP. Probably has been worse with men in scoring position just eyeballing the numbers.

The point is that I agree with Cheat we will win or lose based on our starters pitching better. I just think that there is a much higher likelihood that they will pitch to their career norms over the remainder of the season. Now if indeed Buerhle is hurt then that's different and will come out in due time.

by bhoov on Jul 28, 2006 11:12 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs