I have a feeling he will not be the closer at the end of this season...

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I am now going to toss out my Bobby Jenks plaque that I won from the Score and Triple Threat Sports for texting into Ranger's show last year.

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You may be right. If Thornton becomes the closer, who is the setup man?

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I think it's more likely Putz is the closer and Santos becomes the RH set up man. If Putz starts sucking, then give Santos a shot. Either way I'd like to see Santos the closer by next year.

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You wouldn't want Thornton closig out games?

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I want no part of Putz closing games. Thornton needs to be the closer.

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nice, Panther...

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I'm not saying he couldn't... although he has struggled as the closer in previous stints. And if he is the closer, the only other lefty is Robby Williams, and you certainly don't want him coming in high pressure situations to face a LH hitter.

Thornton is a known quantity as a setup man. Putz was a pretty good closer in Seattle.

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I hope the Sox can get some trade value for him and do it. He has been a highwire act since 2008 and I have no faith he can go 1-2-3 in the ninth anymore.

Thorton should not close ever because he is perfect right where he is. They can convert Santos into a closer for all I care.

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Thornton cannot close. He has been given opportunities before and it has not worked out.

Pitching the 9th is a whole different world than pitching the 8th. Some guys have what it takes between the ears to do it - some guys don't. Thornton is a guy who does not.

If you make him the closer, you wind up losing a terrific set up guy and getting a shitty closer at the same time.

I won't worry about Bobby unless he starts blowing saves. He's currently 5 for 5.

Keyser, Bobby may be 5-for-5 in save ops, but he hasn't retired the side in order whenever he's in the game this season. Also, keep in mind that Bobby's been like the Maytag repairman this season. The White Sox have been down in so many games, Jenks just sits there like the Maytag guy in all those commercials...

SHARK, I think you have a misperception about the vast majority of closers in the league. Sure there is Rivera and a handful of others, at most, that are absolute shutdown (Nathan pre injury, Papelbon, Soria, etc). Then you have the next handful who get the job done at a good rate although they might give the opposing team some hope. Jenks is in that second tier. This is a group that most in the league would still desperately seek to acquire.

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There are some absolutely horrid pitchers closing games right now. Kevin Gregg has somehow been anointed the closer in Toronto, and they actually have some decent arms to choose from. Qualls is closing for the Dbags, and whomever Houston runs out there is awful. In Philly Contreras is the closer for now, at least until equally sucky Brad Lidge returns. Aardsma may have been a fluke for the M's. Even Trevor Hoffman is getting beaten like a rented donkey right now.

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He looks like he just gave a happy ending to a yeti.

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Once closers lose it, they rarely get it back. Jenks did for a month. Lidge did for 2008, but he sucks again. There might be some other cases, but they're rare.

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Bobby Jenks should only be used in the same situations as Linebrink now is, blowouts going either way.

Jenks is no longer dependable and the Sox need to start the search for another closer or begin to convert Santos into that role. I think Thorton and Putz are perfect where they are now and should not be moved into that full-time closer role.

Santos gets a little wild but I think that can be harnessed by Coop and he could be the future. If not, the search needs to be done for the future.

The Sox need to let Jenks walk after this year and be done with it. The closer role is not an easy one, and you need to be almost perfect from the first pitch but that's what you sign up for and get paid for.

The Sox can't afford to lose games in this manner (Twins and M's) when they are in the midst of a pennant race.

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I'm not sure what's wrong with Bobby, but if the White Sox are in position to beat the A's at cavernous Network Associates or whatever the hell they're calling that ballpark in Oakland these days, Matt Thornton's the guy I think closes in a potential save situation.

he can't throw the curve ball consistently for strikes and thats a big proeblem for him. I thought it was a great sign when he dropped the hammer on Thome to end the game against the Twins. without his curve and with his fastball losing a few mph on the fastball he is a liability

That curve has been M.I.A. in the 2 games he's blown this week, Madden. I just think someone other than Bobby Jenks closes tomorrow in Oakland if the White Sox are in a save situation with a chance to beat the A's.

shark, i agree....i had some hope when he used it for the strikeout agaisnt Thome. I was at the Blue Jay game early in the year when he blew the save and he didn't have the curve then either. hitters only have to look for his fastball now and that is not as dominant as it once was