RedSoxRooter

Umm, no. Mine are better than anyone else's. Admit it.

I never wanted Manny gone. Manny is here for 5 more years and Big O is around till 2007. Schill is here for 3 years and same with Foulke - this team is going to rebuild it's self, and it's minors, right in front of us with a contending team. Youk is impressing me more every day. How many possible draft picks Zenny, if we lose our FAs?

What do you call the players when you're rooting for them during a game? For me it's: Johnny Damon - "Damon", example "C'mon Damon!" Mark Bellhorn - "Blowhorn", example "GDMF Blowhorn!" David Ortiz - "The Big-O" or just "Big-O" (probably originated from Big Mo..) Manny Ramirez - just "Manny". I think Man-Ram is pretty stupid and kinda gay sounding. Nomar - "Nomie" Trot Nixon - "Trotski" - don't ask my why. I've always done it. Kevin Millar - "Kev-bro" - again, don't ask.. "Let's go Kev-bro" rolls out real easy! Kevin Youkilis - "Youk" but I find myself using "Kev-bro" here too. Jason Varitek - "Tek" Pokey Reese - "The Pokester" Bill Mueller - "Billy" Mirabelli - "The Belly", example "OH YEAH, BRING ON DA BELLY!" Gabe Kapler - "Crapler" Pedro Martinez - "Petey" Curt Schilling - I have not decided yet: "Curtski", "Schill", or just "Schilling" Tim Wakefield - "Wake" Bronson Arroyo - "Bronson" - but pronounced "bronsOn" (like when Skinner gets yelled at on the Simpsons by superintendent Chalmers) Derek Lowe - I use D-Lowe but pronounce it "DLowe" (like Hello") Keith Foulke - Yep, "The Foulkster" Scott Williamson - just "Williamson". I hate that "Swilly" nick. The rest by their last names.

Last Start: Zink last started on Wednesday. It didn't do so great as he went 5 innings, gave up 8 hits, 7 runs (3 earned) with 4 walks, 2 k and a homer agains Erie. The Sea Dogs eventually won the game 10-9. The Season: Zink stands at 1-6 with a 5.40 ERA after 15 starts. Next Start: I think Monday against Norwich. (Fun fact: I grew up in the Norwich area. What a s***** place. )

The K's kill me...

"Reese coulda turned that play" - Bellhorn just hit a runner with a throw.

And to top it all off, Bellhorn mocks me! (4-1 Min)

Well... CONGRATULATIONS. I was hoping for a summer of shimmering plays at second and someone to keep the errors in check, but NOOOOOOO. Reese may be out for a couple of months - at least it seems for a while, and we now have Bellhorn as our regular second baseman. Woohoo. Just do me a favor? Count how many times you say to yourself during Reese's possible trip to the DL, "Reese woulda gotten that one" or "Reese coulda turned that play" or "Reese wouldn't have made that baserunning error" or hell, "Reese wouldn't have made that error".........

They're only 5 losses behind us!

Ahhh. The question that runs through my mind every time he pitches. I honestly think this is the problem. He needs to throw about 15-20 more pitches to warm up for a start. Without them he has no life on the fastball until he's at about 20 pitches, which he tries to establish the first time through an order. Once he gets through the order once, he uses his other pitches and pitches off his fastball. That being said, Pedro is really only "good" for about 85-90 pitches per start (if you go by the 106 pitch count phylosophy). That would be pitches 20 - 105. That's why when he threw between starts last time he was more effective in the first inning. Scroll down and look at the split for pitches 1-15 then 16-30. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/spli...ching&year=2004 On pitches 1-15, batters hit .412 against Pedro with only 9 Ks. On pitches 16-30, batters are batting .196 with 18 Ks. This is when Pedro's arm gets loose. So what to do? He could throw between starts more - something I'd suggest. But it may wear him down later in the season. He could throw 15-20 more warm up pitches, but that would certainly reduce him to 6 innings/start. Honestly, I don't really think pitch count should be such a big deal with all our pitchers. I think it's probably healthier to pitch 115-125 pitches a start to build up strength, but Frank's got his stats....

Wow, Schmidt must be on. He just got Bellhorn to strike out

Last Start: Zink pitched last night against the Mets. He gave up 4 runs in 2+ innings before leaving the game after getting hit by a line drive off the knee cap in the 3rd. He is to be re-evaluated today. The Sea Dogs eventually beat the Mets 5-4 in 11 innings. Next Start: TBD.

ovahhh!

Yanks just lost. Bonds just K'd. I'm out till Sunday... Good luck Sox on Sat. Everyone else, have a great weekend! MFGDMLB blackouts.

Bonds SUCKS. OH YEAH.

Man, the bottom of that lineup looks pretty damn weak. I hope the Belly hits a dinger and maybe even a single from Wake. And Bellhorn, no K's (or errors) tonight, ok? We can co-exist if you work with me.

I'll definitely watch the whole thing as tomorrows game is blacked out for me. GDMFMLB

Ok, we all agree Lowe is a headcase. But with headcases, they go through good and bad spells - almost like the knuckleball.. I knew this would happen for Lowe. It was better to have him work his problems out on the mound instead of replacing him with (who?) from the minors.

I think I read an article in a Boston paper mentioning that his first choice was art. I just hope he's like Foulke - baseball's not his first love, but he loves the "art" of pitching.

Very good strikeout to bb/ip numbers. As of the ESPN article, he was 3-3. But he's 6-3 now?

Yeah, from what I've been reading, he's been a little wild - though I don't know if it's entirely with the knuckler or with the fastball as well. I'll keep looking and will let you know what the deal is.

Last Start: Zink last started on Sunday. He pitched well (six innings, one run, three hits, four strikeouts) in a no-decision agains New Britain. The Sea Dogs eventually won the game in a 9th inning comeback, 4-3. Next Start: Either Friday or Saturday night vs. Binghamton.

Floatin' Right Along By Rob Neyer ESPN.com 11/10/03 I have seen the future of the knuckleball, and his name is Zink. Charlie Zink. This weekend, I was in Phoenix for Ron Shandler's First Pitch Arizona, a symposium for serious fantasy baseball owners. I enjoy the symposium, but the real draw is the baseball, as the Arizona Fall League is in full swing. And Saturday afternoon in Mesa, I was treated to a dream pitching matchup: the Mesa Desert Dogs' Charlie Zink vs. the Mesa Solar Sox's Dewon Brazelton. Most prospect hounds would be excited about Brazelton, and he was impressive, showing off a solid fastball, a good slider, and a killer changeup while striking out nine Dogs in five innings. But it was Charlie Zink I wanted to see, because Zink, a Red Sox farmhand, is easily the best young knuckleball pitcher in the world. He didn't disappoint, either, allowing just one hit and one walk in five innings. Zink hadn't fared well in the AFL before Saturday, in part (I suspect) because the knuckleball doesn't dance its normal dance at the Valley's somewhat lofty altitude. But I don't think the Red Sox will hold it against him. 2003 was just Zink's second minor-league season, and here's how he's done so far: Age Level IP H HR BB SO ERA 22 A 57 44 1 19 59 1.42 23 A/AA/AFL 201 170 16 91 128 3.94 Now, let's look at Tim Wakefield's first three seasons as a knuckleballer: Age Level IP H HR BB SO ERA 22 A- 40 30 1 21 42 3.40 23 A 190 187 24 85 127 4.73 24 AA 183 155 13 51 120 2.90 Wakefield and Zink were both born in August, which makes comparing them particularly appropriate. And Zink is clearly ahead of Wakefield at the same age. Zink was better at 22, he was better at 23, and at both ages he was pitching against tougher competition. Does this mean that Zink's going to follow Wakefield's career path? Of course not. Wakefield broke through at 24, in Double-A, and there's no guarantee that Zink will. But Zink will open next season in Double-A, and he'll be 24. As near as I can tell, here's a list of the last three pitchers who had good knuckleballs when they were 24 years old, along with how many games they won in the major leagues: Wakefield, 116 (so far) Charlie Hough, 216 Phil Niekro, 318 (Actually, when Niekro was 24 he was in U.S. Army. But he was a pretty good minor-league knuckleballer at 23 and 25.) The point here is that not many pitchers can throw a knuckleball for strikes while in their early 20s, and the ones who can generally enjoy long major-league careers. But nobody seems to realize how good Charlie Zink might be. Scouts and writers see Charlie Zink and they think, "Oh, isn't that cute. He throws a knuckleball. If everything works out for him, he's got a chance to be a decent pitcher someday." One writer, evaluating the Mesa Desert Dogs, listed Zink as a "Sleeper Pitcher" and concluded, "Future #5 Starter/Reliever." Another writer admitted that "Zink is a very interesting pitcher," and recommended, "Keep an eye on him." Wrong, guys. I'm going to keep both eyes on him, because he's going to be a good major-league pitcher, a better major-league pitcher than the great majority of the pitchers in the Arizona Fall League who are considered better prospects. Among all the pitchers in the Arizona Fall League, Zink has the best chance, by far, of enjoying a healthy career, and (to a lesser extent) he also has the best chance of enjoying a long and productive career. Baseball today isn't particularly friendly to knuckleball pitchers -- it's too easy for a mistake to become a home run -- so I don't think it's all that likely that Zink will become a star. If you're looking for a star in the Arizona Fall League, your better bets are Dewon Brazelton, Neal Cotts, or Boof Bonser. But those guys all have the talent to be No. 1 starters in the major leagues, and Charlie Zink is not that far behind them. I think Zink is likely to have a career something like Tim Wakefield's. And he might be Phil Niekro.

http://soxprospects.com/players/images/charliezink.jpg Charlie Zink Age: 24 Born: August 26, 1979, El Dorado Hills, CA Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Bats: Right Throws: Right Drafted: Not Drafted How Acquired: Undrafted free agent (2002) College: Savannah College of Art and Design ETA: mid-2005 Scouting Report: A hard-throwing right-hander, Zink was signed as an undrafted free agent on the recommendation of Luis Tiant, his former coach at Savannah College of Art and Design. Tim Wakefield has tutored Zink on the fine art of the knuckleball. Zink understands what he needs to do to get hitters out. Good athlete. Also throws fastball and curveball for strikes, using the same delivery as his knuckler. Fearless with his knuckleball, even behind in the count. It's about time the league saw a new knuckleballer. Zink's off to a rough start this year in AA (1-6, 5.07 ERA) but the Sox are not worried. It would be crazy to have two knuckleballers in the rotation in 2006. I'll try to find pitching schedules and box scores on Zink and will post them here.

I HATE Bellhorn.