it would be “What’s up with Nessie?”

until they have a game where they’re competent in all phases.

there’s no way that the Tigers and Indians both suck next year. This was a really good chance gone to shit for seemingly no reason.

waits for someone to chime in about choking

OH WAIT LOL

TIME TO DROP THE CONTRACT BS AND START EXECUTING.

WAKE UP.

HE WHO DELIVERS WILL BE REWARDED IN KIND.

We fucking blew it again. I don’t even really want to watch this team.

And now I’m off to an ultra white trash house… last time I brought this guy his kid we had to sit under a tent while he tried to keep sneaking swigs of hard liquor

Hermanson, Politte, Cotts, Aardsma, Cisco, McDougal, Dotel, Linebrink,…Margalus recites the litany over on his site.

When did this happen?
Can’t wait for posting abilities.
Thank you!

Or for that matter Lance Broadway.

At least they both throw strikes, and Richard has been effective for stretches here and there.

not that they have any better options, but man… this sucks. To be honest, I wasn’t really in to last night’s game. It’s like the Minny series killed my enthusiasm. I still want to see them win and get to the playoffs, no doubt, but I feel like I’ve never left that state of resignation.

Royals hopefully handle the Twins before the Sox game starts.

Sox notice they are officially tied for first and this time actually play with determination to over the Central.

Matchup: Indians (80-80) at White Sox (86-73), 7:05 p.m. CT
Probable Starters: Zach Jackson (51 1/3 IP, 6.31 RA, 1.52 WHIP, 27 K) vs. Javier Vazquez (204, 4.68, 1.31, 195)
Pythagorean Record: Cleveland, 84-76 (792 RS, 750 RA); Chicago, 87-72 (791 RS, 714 RA)
Hit List Rankings: Cleveland, #14; Chicago, #7
Prospectus: Before Vazquez made his last start in Tuesday’s opener of Chicago’s huge series in Minnesota, manager Ozzie Guillen questioned the clutch credentials of his right-handed workhorse. “He hasn’t been [a big-game pitcher]. That’s the bottom line,” Guillen told the press, and Vazquez proceeded to go out and give up five runs in four innings to Minnesota in a 9-3 loss. Vazquez pitched poorly in his only postseason in 2004 with the Yankees, but there’s little other evidence to support Guillen’s claim: Vazquez has pitched better in the second half than the first for his career, and his career September RA (4.04) is actually the lowest he has put up in any month. Vazquez can prove his manager and any doubting fans wrong tonight with a strong performance against Cleveland in this, his biggest start of the season. Getting knocked out early on Tuesday led to him throwing just 78 pitches, so Vazquez will come back tonight on three days’ rest for the second time this year. The first came two starts ago at Yankee Stadium, when he was lit up for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings after throwing 106 pitches in beating Detroit the last time out. Vazquez also lost his two other outings on short rest, in 1999 with the Expos, and in 2004 with the Yankees.

Perhaps part of the problem for Vazquez is the outfield defense behind him, and in particular having Ken Griffey Jr. trying to cover center field, as he has for the last four of the righty’s starts. Vazquez is a fly-ball pitcher, with a G/F ratio below one this season, and Griffey can no longer run those flies down in center like he used to, as evidenced by the catchable ball he let sail over his head for a Joe Mauer run-scoring double in the first inning of Thursday’s loss to Minnesota. Griffey’s 2.23 Range Factor since moving to Chicago is lower than that of any other starting major league center fielder this year, and his .864 Zone Rating is not much better. Coupled with his slumping bat, Griffey’s defense suggests that perhaps Nick Swisher (who has started just four times in the last 10 games) has been unfairly made the scapegoat in the Chicago outfield.

Matchup: Royals (74-86) at Twins (87-73), 2:55 p.m. CT, FOX
Probable Starters: Gil Meche (204 1/3 IP, 4.23 RA, 1.31 WHIP, 176 K) vs. Glen Perkins (146, 4.93 RA, 1.49 WHIP, 70 K)
Pythagorean Record: Kansas City, 71-89 (687 RS, 773 RA); Minnesota, 88-72 (821 RS, 740 RA)
Hit List Rankings: Kansas City, #24; Minnesota, #12
Prospectus: The Royals won their 12th game in the last 14 last night, preventing Minnesota from extending its half-game lead in the AL Central. You know things are going especially well for the Royals when even Tony Pena Jr. is chipping in the odd single, as he has in each of his last three games. Minnesota now has to rely on the struggling Perkins to get them a step closer to an unexpected division title, making this the biggest start of his young career. The 25-year-old left-hander will be on the mound for the first time since September 18, as he had his last turn in the rotation skipped after giving up five runs in 2/3 of an inning to the Rays. That was the worst of a rough stretch of starts; over his last four outings Perkins has given up 20 runs in 14 1/3, taking his RA up by nearly a full run. It appears that he has simply hit a wall: between the minors and majors this year he has thrown 179 1/3 innings, over 130 more than he threw in an injury-shortened 2007, and over 40 more than his previous career high of 134 in the minors during ’05. Perkins has been tagged for nine home runs in his last five starts, after being hit with 16 in his first 20. The Royals have not faced Perkins yet this season, but they hit left-handers well, with a team OPS 82 points higher against southpaws than righties.

If the Twins do manage to win the division, it will be the fifth time in seven years since Ron Gardenhire took the helm for the 2002 season. Minnesota’s run under Gardenhire is especially impressive when you consider that in none of those seasons did the team have a payroll above $71 million, according to the indispensable site, Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Here are Minnesota’s payrolls during Gardenhire’s tenure, along with where that figure ranked in the junior circuit and where the Twins finished in the Central:

Year Payroll AL Rank Finish
2008 $56.9 12 1*
2007 $71.4 10 3
2006 $63.4 10 1
2005 $56.2 8 3
2004 $53.6 8 1
2003 $55.5 7 1
2002 $40.2 12 1
*pending

…even if the sox do make the playoffs they will get their ass handed to them. this knowledge makes this choke-fest more bearable

I know baseball is the one sport where all you have to do is make the playoffs and anything can happen….but I’m much happier in believing that they would have gotten uber-pwned by the Rays (2 away games in dome? roflz).

This team needs bullpen help, maybe KenWo can help us out.

heading up for the game next week, any recommendations

0-0 after 1

how many times has a walk, balk, and wild pitch occurred in the same inning by the same pitcher?

- B. Francisco walked
- S. Choo grounded into fielder’s choice, B. Francisco out at second
- S. Choo to second on balk
- J. Peralta popped out to shallow center
- R. Garko walked
- S. Choo to third, R. Garko to second on wild pitch
- K. Shoppach walked

- E. Wassermann relieved M. MacDougal
- F. Gutierrez walked, S. Choo scored, R. Garko to third, K. Shoppach to second
- J. Barfield struck out swinging

Aviles up

Bases loaded with one 1

jbasic89@yahoo.com
password jordan for my mlb.tv account

Twins bullpen is in early

Bad news is the Royals are still down 2-1

2 on, 0 outs!

I love the Twins pen!

I’m totally getting blowed tonight

0 OUTS!

woot!

Please God

BLEH!

maybe they can make something of it this time

‘’You can say Orlando took a shot at the players,’’ Guillen said. ‘’To me, the problem is Orlando thinks he’s better than what he really is. He acts like he played with better people, better managers, better players, like he’s doing us a favor. Well, everyone has a different personality, and that’s the way we are here. Am I supposed to take things away from the players because we’re losing? I won’t do that. I’m the same way all year long, and I’m not going to change that because we’re losing. He’s not going to change the manager.

‘’The thing is, be careful what you say, and you better look yourself in the mirror. Orlando is lucky that no one has called him out on this ballclub. I was surprised none of his teammates haven’t called him out and say, ‘You better explain about this.’’’

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/1186501,CST-SPT-ssep26.article

It might be fully accurate to say Garcia is an “old friend” of the White Sox. Asked Wednesday who his closest friends on the current White Sox are, Garcia smiled and said, “I don’t have anymore friends there. I’m a Tiger now.”

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080925/SPORTS02/80925010/