Jose Contreras Removes All Doubt

time to jump off the stool

is that Kenny is relatively blameless in this debacle. He knew there was a high probability that the Class of ‘05 reunion would go to shit, which is why he got Peavy, and saw a need he could fill in the as-yet unproductive-but-not-fatally-so Rios. Our needs are going to be very clear-cut for next year so I think there’s reason for optimism.

hyman roth would roll over in his grave if he saw what cuba has become

ouch

and Im go to bed grumpy.

another witty game thread headline

think it’s time for another dead on prediction. stay tuned.

I did so tonight. I cannot quite explain what it was about this game that was more emotionally devastating than most, but this one felt like more than “a loss in Boston”. Especially since I went into tonight EXPECTING “a loss in Boston”. It isn’t as though they lost a game I thought they’d win, it’s just… the way they lost this one… this was gut-wrenching in the way game 3 of Thunderdome was last year.

Somehow they recovered from that one, so who the fuck knows, maybe they recover from this. God damn, it sure doesn’t feel likely though.

- We’re still not going to bat with our best nine on the field, and that’s on Ozzie. I can understand Dye and Quentin needing to rest every few games, but Rios ought to be out in CF “ay day” (hat tip to Charles Rogers), if only for his defense.

- This team seems to make more dumbass mistakes than any Sox team Ozzie has managed. The pickoffs, the dropped flyballs, the fuck-ups on hitting the cut-off man, the errors… Contreras had plenty of time to get to that ball — he probably could’ve did a little waltz over there with time to spare. Instead he awkwardly sprints like Ellsbury is going down the line… fucking ridiculous.

Sigh… can it be opening day 2010 yet? Okay, so I don’t really mean that — I’ll try to spare y’all the hyperbole. But when do we find out when Peavy descends upon his golden chariot? Tomorrow?

right before the beginning of the 9th they snuck in 3 frames (1/10 of a second) of this:

subliminal marketing? foreshadowing? incompetent video guy? the world may never know.

anyway, thats all I have to say about this game.

Jose will no longer start which means we can at least have a chance to win some of these games. the tigers are going to be mad that Jose wont pitch anymore because there lead is going to start to dwindle.

Real Baseball Will Prevail ask the twins

He worked very hard to come back after his injury last year. But it is obvious that he doesn’t have any gas left in the tank. Who the hell knows how old he really is?

I hope yesterday was his last start. His spot in the rotation is an automatic loss. Plus, I would rather Contreras be remembered for 2005 and 2006 rather than being unable to field a dribbler with the bases loaded in 2009.

Jose’s lasting legacy? He was the Sox’ ambassador to Cuba. I don’t think the Sox get Alexei or Viciedo without Jose and his agent.

Maybe Rios could help, maybe not, but we won’t know as long as Ozzie inexplicably refuses to play him.

Dye has done a lot for this franchise, but fuck him and his .500-ish OPS post-ASB. Podsednik is a better option than him right now.

driving to work at 6:45 this morning. as i pull up to a stoplight, i notice my vehicle is vibrating because some douchenozzle has his stereo turned up to 11. i glance over to try to get a view of said douchenozzle in the lane on my right but i can’t see very well because there is dew on my window because IT IS 6:45 IN THE FUCKING MORNING. (here i should point out that i do not live in chicago, and so while a mind numbingly loud car stereo may be no big deal to some of you, it is a relatively infrequent occurrence for me.) so of course he floors it as soon as the light turns green, and this is when i get a good look. the dude is driving a maroon 3rd generation mustang (80’s/early 90’s, not their greatest effort for you kids out there) and he appears appropriately dastardly. the most troubling aspect of all this, however, is his license plate, which is of the vanity variety, and which reads……. wait for it……………………………………………… SWISHER.
no joke.

Two Rockford cops shoot a guy in a daycare center this morning

My bride is still sleeping and i am on my 4th cup of coffee which has sent me into a tweeting frenzy. Switching to decaf-bye for awhile.

http://twitter.com/BaseballStone/status/3534638883

four cups? must have been a vigorous night, eh, steve.

then shouldn’t the runs that ensue be earned?

Count has average K/BB numbers, good HR/9, average H/9, reasonable BABIP, a good FIP and a well below replacement ERA. The one thing that sticks out is the very low LOB%. Aside from suggesting that Castro should definitely be his caddy and some critical instances shitty defense, I don’t see anything that doesn’t make Contreras worthy of future starts as long as this team needs a 4th (currently) and 5th (post Peavy) starter. So why should we disregard all the numbers? Aren’t these the kind of performances fans would tend to overreact to? Which options are obviously better than throwing Contreras? DJ is the only potential answer to that question and the team hasn’t seemed very inclined to use him as a starter. Presumably, for good reason. Torres and Garcia are blah replacement level options.

it isn’t a mirage. Per UZR, the Sox have the 3rd worst runs prevented to due error. It’s cost them -11.5 runs, more than a full win. And the Sox are at -19.7 runs total, so by far the biggest issue is their errors. The actual cost is probably greater than the computed cost too, since a .500ish team will tend to play in more close games. Small margin for errors, so to speak.

Wow, this really sucks!

Also, I like the “Contreras Cycle”. Good work, Toonder.

I sincerely hope this team stops shitting the bed. I’d love to see the Sox make the playoffs two seasons in a row. At this point, however, I’m not going to hold my breath.

u need to get the annotated g’father script (in book form) w/ coppola’s notes. quite excellent

And by “dinger,” I mean home run.

No worries fellas (and HSA), we’ve got “Big Game Freddy” going tonight, so all is well.

Anyone else (after throwing your remote at the TV) laugh out loud at Jose crawling around clueless after the ball? Too bad Paulie is such a team player…he should have been yelling, “Pick up the ball douchebag!”

Jeff (Pton): Who complains more to you, Phils or Red Sox fans?
Joe Sheehan: White Sox and Phillies.

Chat: Joe Sheehan

But when you have 1 starting pitcher actually playing well and 3 starting pitchers that are almost guaranteed losses, i don’t see us staying 2-3 games behind Detroit for very long at all.