Chicago White Sox manager sticking with Scott Linebrink

In reinforcing his faith in embattled set-up man Scott Linebrink , manager Ozzie Guillen stressed the need for the White Sox to cleanse themselves from Thursday's stunning 6-5 loss to the rival Cubs.

[cant hit]

no hit no win. we need bats

[KW fan]

31-36, 95 left

Let's see, the Sox just lost to one of the National League's worst teams who are in the middle of a slump where they just lost 5 of 7 and are missing their two best players. They just went through the easiest part of their schedule and were humiliated by 4 teams who came in slumping and they are now 13-17 in their last 30 against these bottom feeders and are 5 games under .500 for the year. For this team to have had a realistic chance this year they needed to be about 8 to 10 games over .500 at this point in the schedule because their primary competition has already played the hard part of their schedule and the tough part is on its way for the Sox. The sox have a 22 game chunk of their schedule coming up where they play 16 of 22 on the road against Boston4, NY3, Minn3 on the road and then play at home against Boston 4 and Oak 2, then they get to go on a West Coast trip for the LAA 3 and the Mariners.
If this team can't beat up on the teams from the NL Central who were playing their worst ball of the year when they met up with Sox or any of the other teams they have met during the last 30 games who make up the easiest portion of their schedule, how would anyone expect them to do anything when the schedule gets tough?
This is a very poorly constructed team and to expect anything other than what they have delivered so far is not realistic, it almost definitely will get much worse for them very soon.
So if you are Kenny, are you a buyer or a seller? I know there is very little they can sell at this point, but it is still better than Kenny dumping everything that's left on the farm for another Griffey so they might pick up another 2 games. The biggest problem this team has is that its GM put this mess together and rather than admit his mistake, he very well may mortgage the next few years for a run at nothing.

[bottomline is-]

white sox suck man...cant even count on em when we gotta cheer for em...

NASTIEST WIN EVER ON THE NORTH SIDE BY THE WAY, IN CASE YA MISSED IT!

Gregg > Jenks
Guzman> Dotel
Marmol> Linebrink
Ascanio< Thornton
Marshall> Carrasco
Heilman > Gobble

Zambrano>Buerhle
Lilly >Danks
Dempster>Floyd
Harden >Contreras/Colon
Wells >Richard

Soto <AJ
Lee >Konerko
Font/blanco>Getz
Theriot >alexei
Aramis/Font>Fields/bacon
Soriano <Quentin/pods
Fukudome >Anderson/Wise (ewww)
Bradley <Dye (for now, looks like bradley is gettin hot while dye is gettin colddd

[MR KENNEDY]

Linebrick put those pitches on a tee and everyone saw it.

[Allman of Tempe]

Ozzie has lost it again! Thats what Linebrink's problem was, throwing strikes but down the middle of the plate. Stevie Wonder could have hit those pitches out.
But don't take it out on Linebrink, this team just doesn't have it. I only watch the hilites on ESPN and can't stand putting myself thru a whole game with this team.

[CC Sox Fan]

Ozzie wants Linebrink to throw strikes and the world wil be ok. I guess that means "everyone saw it" except for Ozzie Mr. Kennedy. Kind of strange that the first thing the Sox said after Thursdays game was that the health of Linebrink isn't an issue. Why? Because this is the third straight season he's hit the wall in June? His pitches have straightened out and he's been shelled in his last two appearances. He's not hurt though, because that would diminish his trade value.

[bottomline is-]

linebrink does throw strikes...

he throws straight 90+mph heat right over the heart of the plate with absolutely no movement...and they end up in the bleachers compliments of D LEE and SOTO

looks like linebrink is startin his patented second half slide early this year fellas, the sad part is that there will still be sox fans arguin that he is good cuz his era is low...

[Richard]

Every year Ozzie loses 5-10 games with this mentality-Linebrink had nothing but a straight fastball--after 2 hard hits and a homer-take him out!!! No-we wait until its tied..

Also who taught Getz how to play 2b?-Supposedly he has played there in HS-College-AAA etc-yet he makes routine mistakes every week--not going out on pop-ups-bad relays-bad double play pivots-bad throws-and then does not hustle after a ball...stuff you learn in HS or before

[The Hedgehog]

bottomline is- wrote:

linebrink does throw strikes...
he throws straight 90+mph heat right over the heart of the plate with absolutely no movement...and they end up in the bleachers compliments of D LEE and SOTO
looks like linebrink is startin his patented second half slide early this year fellas, the sad part is that there will still be sox fans arguin that he is good cuz his era is low...

BAAAAAHHHAAAAHHHAAA!!! A Cub fan talkin' about someone having a second half slide. Wasn't that a Cub invention?

[The Hedgehog]

bottomline is- wrote:

white sox suck man...cant even count on em when we gotta cheer for em...
NASTIEST WIN EVER ON THE NORTH SIDE BY THE WAY, IN CASE YA MISSED IT!
Gregg > Jenks
Guzman> Dotel
Marmol> Linebrink
Ascanio< Thornton
Marshall> Carrasco
Heilman > Gobble
Zambrano>Buerhle
Lilly >Danks
Dempster>Floyd
Harden >Contreras/Colon
Wells >Richard
Soto <AJ
Lee >Konerko
Font/blanco>Getz
Theriot >alexei
Aramis/Font>Fields/bacon
Soriano <Quentin/pods
Fukudome >Anderson/Wise (ewww)
Bradley <Dye (for now, looks like bradley is gettin hot while dye is gettin colddd

As always, too bad the games aren't played on paper. You could put up crud like this with the Cubs and any team in their division and the Cubs would come out on top. THAT, my friend, is why the Cubs are the biggest disappointment in baseball. They were picked to RUN AWAY with the N.L. Central.

[The Hedgehog]

KW fan wrote:

31-36, 95 left
Let's see, the Sox just lost to one of the National League's worst teams who are in the middle of a slump where they just lost 5 of 7 and are missing their two best players. They just went through the easiest part of their schedule and were humiliated by 4 teams who came in slumping and they are now 13-17 in their last 30 against these bottom feeders and are 5 games under .500 for the year. For this team to have had a realistic chance this year they needed to be about 8 to 10 games over .500 at this point in the schedule because their primary competition has already played the hard part of their schedule and the tough part is on its way for the Sox. The sox have a 22 game chunk of their schedule coming up where they play 16 of 22 on the road against Boston4, NY3, Minn3 on the road and then play at home against Boston 4 and Oak 2, then they get to go on a West Coast trip for the LAA 3 and the Mariners.
If this team can't beat up on the teams from the NL Central who were playing their worst ball of the year when they met up with Sox or any of the other teams they have met during the last 30 games who make up the easiest portion of their schedule, how would anyone expect them to do anything when the schedule gets tough?
This is a very poorly constructed team and to expect anything other than what they have delivered so far is not realistic, it almost definitely will get much worse for them very soon.
So if you are Kenny, are you a buyer or a seller? I know there is very little they can sell at this point, but it is still better than Kenny dumping everything that's left on the farm for another Griffey so they might pick up another 2 games. The biggest problem this team has is that its GM put this mess together and rather than admit his mistake, he very well may mortgage the next few years for a run at nothing.

Barring a major miracle, the only way to build a winner out of what the Sox have is to blow it up and get totally young. They have a really good young core of players that, unfortunately, will need seasoning. I don't see them returning to contention for another three or four years. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

[juan]

bring back cotts

[Nada Surf]

The Hedgehog wrote:

<quoted text>
BAAAAAHHHAAAAHHHAAA!!! A Cub fan talkin' about someone having a second half slide. Wasn't that a Cub invention?

Well said...

[Nada Surf]

The Hedgehog wrote:

<quoted text>
Barring a major miracle, the only way to build a winner out of what the Sox have is to blow it up and get totally young. They have a really good young core of players that, unfortunately, will need seasoning. I don't see them returning to contention for another three or four years. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

You guys keep saying to blow it up...
How much trade bait do the Sox have aside from the guys they'd want to keep?
They'd probably get quite a bit for Jenks, but his loss would hurt the bullpen next season...
I don't think Dye would bring a king's ransom with his age and knees the way they are...
Thornton would bring quite a bit, but the Sox would want him around next year, wouldn't they?
What would Konerko bring? Hardly anything considering a team would have to pay him $12 mil next season.
Pierzynski?
The players holding the most value--Quentin, Danks, Floyd, Richard, Viciedo, Beckham, are keepers.
I don't understand this excitement to blow this thing up.

[Nada Surf]

Richard wrote:

Every year Ozzie loses 5-10 games with this mentality-Linebrink had nothing but a straight fastball--after 2 hard hits and a homer-take him out!!! No-we wait until its tied..
Also who taught Getz how to play 2b?-Supposedly he has played there in HS-College-AAA etc-yet he makes routine mistakes every week--not going out on pop-ups-bad relays-bad double play pivots-bad throws-and then does not hustle after a ball...stuff you learn in HS or before

Relax on Getz...
He didn't hustle on one ball because he was trying to trick the umpire into thinking his dropped ball was a catch...
There will never be a day when Getz doesn't hustle.

[The Hedgehog]

Nada Surf wrote:

<quoted text>You guys keep saying to blow it up...
How much trade bait do the Sox have aside from the guys they'd want to keep?
They'd probably get quite a bit for Jenks, but his loss would hurt the bullpen next season...
I don't think Dye would bring a king's ransom with his age and knees the way they are...
Thornton would bring quite a bit, but the Sox would want him around next year, wouldn't they?
What would Konerko bring? Hardly anything considering a team would have to pay him $12 mil next season.
Pierzynski?
The players holding the most value--Quentin, Danks, Floyd, Richard, Viciedo, Beckham, are keepers.
I don't understand this excitement to blow this thing up.

Excitement? It freakin' kills me! I don't think you understand what I am attempting to convey. Their lack of trade bait is EXACTLY the reason it will take so long to retool. They either have to pretty much give away their journeyman like Dye, Konerko, and Thome. Jenks is part of the core that I was talking about in the previous post. The way the current White Sox are constructed, they are destined to be a middle of the road team for years to come. By blow it up, I mean DUMP veterans. You won't get anything for them, but in the very near future you won't get anything out of them either. Which is the more desirable scenario to you? Instead of pointing out the obvious problems with the situation, what is your solution?

[Nada Surf]

The Hedgehog wrote:

<quoted text>
Excitement? It freakin' kills me! I don't think you understand what I am attempting to convey. Their lack of trade bait is EXACTLY the reason it will take so long to retool. They either have to pretty much give away their journeyman like Dye, Konerko, and Thome. Jenks is part of the core that I was talking about in the previous post. The way the current White Sox are constructed, they are destined to be a middle of the road team for years to come. By blow it up, I mean DUMP veterans. You won't get anything for them, but in the very near future you won't get anything out of them either. Which is the more desirable scenario to you? Instead of pointing out the obvious problems with the situation, what is your solution?

I wasn't talking about just you, I was talking about everyone on here that seems to want the Sox to give up this season while they're only four games back in the loss column...
I realize this team is frustrating, but they've got some unexpected production out of Podsednik, Beckham is starting to hit and so it Getz and Quentin might be back pretty soon...
Contreras has also show a lot of promise of late of being the team's ace again, and I don't think anyone could have expected that...

The only option I see for the Sox is to do what you can to win it this year without mortgaging the future.

[The Hedgehog]

Nada Surf wrote:

<quoted text>...The only option I see for the Sox is to do what you can to win it this year without mortgaging the future.

WOW! Did you get that from your reporters book of cliches? What does it really mean? It means you really don't have an opinion as to how to IMPROVE this team.

[Nada Surf]

The Hedgehog wrote:

<quoted text>
WOW! Did you get that from your reporters book of cliches? What does it really mean? It means you really don't have an opinion as to how to IMPROVE this team.

I guess you're not as bright as I thought...
I have several plans to improve this team, but I certainly wouldn't give up any younger players for this year's team right now...
I also am still of the opinion that the White Sox will win this division...
I didn't see who YOU would deal and what you'd get back.
Let's hear a few trade proposals.

[The Hedgehog]

Nada Surf wrote:

<quoted text>I guess you're not as bright as I thought...
I have several plans to improve this team, but I certainly wouldn't give up any younger players for this year's team right now...
I also am still of the opinion that the White Sox will win this division...
I didn't see who YOU would deal and what you'd get back.
Let's hear a few trade proposals.

There would be no blockbuster trades. I agree that you go the distance(however far that may be) with their current roster. I'm not sure of their contract status, but Konerko and Dye would go for prospects or packaged for pitching, whichever is feasible at the time. Thome wouldn't get re-signed along with Colon( who I don't think they intended to use for more than this season anyway). Then you sign a few young free agent pitchers and a bopper to go along with Quentin. It won't be easy to do or easy to watch for a few seasons. But, who knows what could happen. The only people that liked the Sox to go anywhere near the playoffs in '05 were the Sox. As far as how bright I am, that's not for me to decide. But I appreciate the input.