Closer Situation??

by HITX on Jul 23, 2008 4:39 PM CDT

After todays debacle against the White Sox, I think that it's time to consider other options. I really hope Guardado didn't cool any interest there might have been in him on the trade front. I know that he's been good so far but, do you think that he can keep up this pace? CJ Wilson...where to start? I know that he's got that quirky personallity that so many fans love. In my opinion, the guy is more suited as a situational lefty or blowing another team's leads. Seriously, the honeymoon is over. What should we do??

Poll

Who would you feel best about handing the ball to in the ninth, with a 1 run lead?

0 recs | Comment 33 comments

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Comments

CJ

Yes, he hasn’t been pitching great, but I still gotta think that you have to give him the whole year before replacing him with someone like Madrigal…

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Jul 23, 2008 4:41 PM CDT 0 recs

Go with the hottest hand (Closer by Committee)

Frankie Francisco right now….

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Jul 23, 2008 4:41 PM CDT 0 recs

On a lighter note,

Madrigal looked great. In 2 innings of work, he did surrender a solo HR and a walk. Any way you slice it, striking out 5 of the 7 batters he faced was impressive.

by HITX on Jul 23, 2008 4:43 PM CDT 0 recs

closer

They should just sound a horn at the ballpark in the ninth and the first fan to make it to the mound who has a pulse will get the chance to close.

Revenge of the Birds

by cgolden on Jul 23, 2008 4:44 PM CDT 0 recs

Frankie.

not Madrigal.

Frankie.

by tyd3311 on Jul 23, 2008 4:46 PM CDT 0 recs

who gives a shit?

who cares about a closer when the rest of the bullpen is a big steaming pile of CRAP!

by blueballlefty on Jul 23, 2008 4:48 PM CDT 0 recs

I disagree

I think that the biggest problem with the bull pen is that they’re throwing WAY too many innings. We must improve the rotation. Doing that, coupled with finding an answer in the ninth goes a long way in making this a solid bullpen.

by HITX on Jul 23, 2008 4:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

every year we need to improve the rotation but no we never do

and this year is no different, next year wont, and they year after wont be either

we may have some good prospects but when they get up here they’re just gonna underperform just like mathis, mendoza, harrison and so on

Feliz and Hurley. The 1-2 punch of the future

by Steal Home on Jul 23, 2008 9:00 PM CDT up 0 recs

C.J. but...

I hope we can get rid of him before the deadline so we can give Frankie a chance.

by cashman on Jul 23, 2008 4:55 PM CDT 0 recs

CJ

why in the hell would we trade him at the deadline. his value is the lowest that it has been since he had tj. it would be insane to trade him right now. the ultimate in selling low.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 23, 2008 6:04 PM CDT up 0 recs

Until they find a real closer (if that ever happens)

the rest of this season should be who is ready and going the best at the time, use a bit of brain power (something this manager does not seem to have) rather than the automatic thing of everyday Eddie in the 8th and CJ the 9th, I have never liked the old automatic thing, i say use a computer and do match ups with pitchers who are ready to pitch and match them team by team and player by player (not sure if this manager or the coaches know how to use a computer or not) everyday Eddie does have that knick name but Wash thinks he is a pitching machine, knick name or not you cannot use the guy every single day, you could see this game today coming, he was due to blow up due to over use.

by TRFAN on Jul 23, 2008 5:19 PM CDT 0 recs

cj sucks, everyone knows it

Feliz and Hurley. The 1-2 punch of the future

by Steal Home on Jul 23, 2008 5:24 PM CDT 0 recs

You know what..

Josh Rupe..

He has the mentality of a closer..

I bet anything he could do a job better than CJ.

Josh Rupe for closer… add his name to the polll.

by tyd3311 on Jul 23, 2008 5:28 PM CDT 0 recs

wow

there were so many things wrong with today’s performance, and yet the shit pile lands on CJ wilson because he gave up a HR to the best hitter in either uniform (at least today). Perhaps if Eddie hadn’t filled the bases with White Sox, CJ would have not been in that position.

Much like aces, few teams have true shut down closers. And as usual, that includes the Rangers.

by clark on Jul 23, 2008 5:54 PM CDT 0 recs

CJ..

its not just today, its everytime he pitches.

this is not just about today.

by tyd3311 on Jul 23, 2008 6:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

no no no

the shit pile doesn’t land on cj….

but when he comes out to the mound with his blue tips and gas can, it seems like a perfect opportunity to revisit the conversation from last week (against chicago) when he tried with all his might to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. at that time, hordes of people were defending him (ignoring his ERA) and clinging blindly to his save record (or lack of blown saves).

those of us that thought it was a problem waiting to happen needed to wait all of five games to get further proof that he’s not a closer.

millwood should get a lot of the blame for being the pile that he is… what a piece of crap…

eddie wasn’t good at all. (that happens very rarely).

but the fact remains that a closer should be able to come in and protect a two run lead with four outs left.

there are 100 options better than a 3-run homer.

even if this team leaves the inning tied or with a one run deficit there’s a glimmer of hope, but when guitar hero pours his gas all over the place and strikes his blue tips it’s over. not a worse outcome, and despite all of the crap, it could have been avoided if our closer could have protected a two run lead with four outs to go.

now that i think of it, the shit pile lands squarely on wilson. hey cj, how does chicago’s ass taste?

by sam in so cal on Jul 23, 2008 6:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

+1

by tyd3311 on Jul 23, 2008 6:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

Granted CJ has been sucking

lately, but he wasn’t the complete reason for the loss. Millwood was sht. EDE was sht. Wash was sh*t for bringing in CJ in the 8th inning to face a righty who is absolutely mashing. Again, not sure CJ is the answer, actually I sort of doubt it, but I’d roll him out there for another month and see what we have. If not, I wouldn’t mind giving FF a shot late in the year.

by RA Dickey on Jul 23, 2008 6:00 PM CDT 0 recs

Wash

How can you blame Wash? If CJ is your closer, he is supposedly your best bullpen arm. The handidness of the hitter should be moot. You brink in your best pitcher (closer) to get out the best hitter in the 8th with the game on the line. Should he be the closer? That’s a different argument, but since he is, he has to be out there in that situation when your 8th inning guy blows it and you need to get one out with the game in the balance.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 23, 2008 6:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

generally yes

But you have one of the best hitters in the majors this year at the plate who is a righty and you have a bullpen guy who is also a righty and who has excelled this year stranding runners. You go with that guy.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Jul 23, 2008 6:24 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well

if you are Wash and that is truly how you feel. Then FF should be your closer or someone other than CJ. If he the handidness of the hitter matters, then CJ should be a LOOGY and not a closer. However, right now he is your closer, so he should be in there at that time.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 23, 2008 7:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

OZZIE FROM THE TUNNEL:

Oye, Carlos… la primera tiro… fassball… all the way…

...en el medio, cabron!

En el Medio!

by oc on Jul 23, 2008 7:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

Jesus Christ people

Some of yall are the biggest bunch of knee jerking motherfuckers I have ever seen in my life. Was it a bad decision to bring in CJ at that point with Francisco in the pen? Absofuckinlutely. Does this loss hurt more than most others? Absofuckinlutely. Does this blown save mean the guy should lose his job? Absofuckinlutely not.

This is a rebuilding season right? Why not let our 26 year old closer stay there all year until he starts showing continually that he cant close games. I could care less if he gives up 1 run in a 2 run game. I could care less if he gives up 2 runs in a 3 run game. As long as at the end of the day we have the W and not the L thats all I really truly want out of my closer. Would I like to have Mariano Rivera in his prime? Fuck yeah. But so would every other team in this league. Only a couple teams have closers that I would consider truly elite. CJ isn’t one of those. But he is in that second tier of closers that a majority of teams would love to have but don’t.

Give the guy a break on today. It sucks I know but knee jerking won’t help the situation long term. If CJ proves he can’t handle closing then fine make a change. But today didn’t prove that. And this year hasn’t proven that. Theres nobody else on this team I would be more comfortable coming in to close a game right now than CJ. Thats not saying CJ should have been the one to come in today. I think that should have been Frankie. But not because CJ sucks as a closer. But in that situation Frankie, as a righty facing a righty and being very good stranding runners, should have come in today.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Jul 23, 2008 6:22 PM CDT 0 recs

see, the thing is that he does suck as a closer

and it’s not a knee jerk reaction when i have been weak at the knees all year whenever guitar hero comes into the game.

Theres nobody else on this team I would be more comfortable coming in to close a game right now than CJ.

that doesn’t make you a good closer. i get sick and tired of saying this. it makes you a bad closer on a team with worse options.

just b/c there aren’t better options on this team doesn’t mean that we can’t wish we had someone else.

he sucks as a closer, and this team is in no way better for having him in that role.

by sam in so cal on Jul 23, 2008 6:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

Agree with Sam

This is by no means knee jerk. He’s been next to awful all season. He’s extremely lucky to have the save rate that he has. His times of dominance have been very few and very far between at this point. He’s been a closer for almost a full season now and it hasn’t been pretty.

Over that time period he has a 4.46 ERA with 93 baseruners allowed in 66.2 innings with only 59 Ks. Not awful, but not what you want out of your closer. I don’t know that they have a guy that you would want to be your closer, but that doesn’t mean that Wilson is that guy.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 23, 2008 7:08 PM CDT up 0 recs

-1000000000 for bigsteve

by tyd3311 on Jul 23, 2008 8:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

CJ under an alias name?

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Jul 23, 2008 8:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

I blame Eric Gagne

but yes, unlike other people, I agree with you based on the fact that, yes this is a knee jerk reaction. Look this year is about rebulkding and anything extra should be viewed as gravy. He should be given a year to see what he can do before having his job taken away.

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Jul 23, 2008 9:09 PM CDT up 0 recs

what exactly do you mean

by rebulkding?

by tyd3311 on Jul 23, 2008 9:20 PM CDT up 0 recs

my bad

no spell check

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Jul 23, 2008 9:24 PM CDT up 0 recs