The Critic

Smith's just another member of the "It's not what I say, it's how loudly I say it" club. Club president, of course, is Jim Rome. Rome, by the way, said after Game 2 of the NBA Finals, "Sorry, Detroit, that kind of loss is a back-breaker, and I can't see you coming back from it". Real astute analysis, assbag!

Valentin's done all right, but I don't know if he's played well enough to make people "eat crow" about him. He's given what he is capable of - a mediocre batting average, decent pop and average fielding. I'm not jumping up and down about his year so far, but I'm not too down on him either. He's just sort of "there".

That season exposed Grace for the jealous ex-girlfriend he was. He spent more time jabbing at the team he supposedly "loved" for a decade than he did enjoying his World Series win.

Mark Grace as a player = decent stick, no power, NO speed, great glove Mark Grace as a media whore = Gary Carter Version 2.0 aka The Moth Mark Grace as an announcer = Ron Santo Jr.

hmmm.... 2 out of 4..... Bon Jovi = :puke :puke GnR = Metallica MoP = Poison = :puke :puke :puke :puke :puke A .500 batting average is still VERY good!

Broke out an old mix tape to listen to at work tonight: Side 1 - Pantera Side 2 - Megadeth yeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Frank's "problem" - if you want to call it that - is that he set the bar SO high for himself, that a .265 BA looks bad by comparison. But his eye and discipline at the plate is so great that his OBP is always up there, even when the average is down for him. Frank's REAL problem, at least as far as being recognized for the hitter he's always been, is that his demeanor is off-putting to media parasites, who decide to write negative stories about him because he won't suck their asses. I can guarantee you that if Frank had been a big phony glad-handing asswipe like Mark Grace or Sammy Sosa, there'd have been writers pimping him for the Hall Of Fame for YEARS already. But since he's seen as moody, or more accurately, since he is himself around them, they've decided to accentuate the negative on Frank ( off-field stuff ) instead of the positive ( at the plate, during the game, where it matters ). It's a no-win situation, and I for one am glad that Frank has frozen the media leeches out. They're going to write what they want to anyway, why feed them?

Ahhh, it's not that bad. My wife is a big Cub fan, but she also roots for the Sox. I go to games at Wrigley with her, and I "call a truce" when I do. I'm not gonna be a jackoff and make her day awful. That's stupid and juvenile - it's only baseball, for Chrissakes.

Do NOT f*** with Frank at the 3rd spot in the order. He's putting up All-Star numbers and is a true offensive threat. Maggs can fall back into the 4 spot and Lee can drop to 5.

A guy who deserves to go but most likely has NO shot is Shingo. When's the last time he gave up a run? HELL, when's the last time he gave up a HIT??? Maybe if he had gotten into the closer role sooner he could have 7-10 saves by now and maybe get some consideration, but it's way too late for that now.

EAT IT NUKE!!!!! I ate my crow last year, and it was GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

In my own view, I had ( and still have ) FAR less of a problem with the Sox giving a long-term deal to a younger left-hander who keeps himself in shape than an older fatass righty with back concerns, who has NEVER bothered to get in shape. No comparison between the two, in my opinion. I never wanted Mark to go to St. Louis, for what it's worth. I took the St. Louis talk to be Mark kind of joking with the StL media and people he knows at banquets and such. I'm VERY glad he's still here.

Not true. That's a misconception. Frank has a weak throwing arm, but has soft hands, is decent at scooping throws in the dirt and is more nimble around the bag than he is given credit for. He's not a Gold Glove 1B, but he is also no butcher.

I'm SO glad to see a 1-2-3 9th inning! And SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO is so much fun to say!!!! for the Japanese Jimmy Fallon, SHINGO TAKATSU!!!!

If our "ace" was throwing like that, AND taking money away that MIGHT be used next year on other FA's, I don't think we, as Sox fans, would be thinking much about the playoffs this year at all.

Come ON! You don't GET IT? RICHARD LEWIS!!!!

Of the ones I've been to, I'd list them in this order: USCF ( it really is a GREAT ballpark now, and I hope they don't put that LF thing up next year ) Bank One Ballpark ( I really enjoyed this park, even though it felt very similar to Miller Park, which I didn't like ) Wrigley ( a decent old park, with the problems you'd expect from an old park ) Miller Park ( feels like a warehouse, but slightly better when the roof is open ) Busch Stadium ( a dump - Cardinals fans deserve better and will get it in a few years when that cool looking new park is built ) The ones I'd like to see someday: Fenway Petco Camden Safeco

Hey, thanks for chiming in with all that nothing you just added to the conversation...

So sometimes looks are NOT deceiving!

Our friends hooked me and my wife up. We were both in go-nowhere relationships and they thought we'd hit it off. 14 years later, almost 12 of which we've been married, life is good! ...and we don't really ever talk to the friends who hooked us up anymore - they went all born-again on us....ugh.....

Breckin Meyer and that movie looks absolutely dismal.

Goodenow said: "The owners set the scale of salaries for the players and that is the marketplace. It has always been that way for the past 75 years or so and that is the way we are going to go forward with it." Yet, if the owners tried to RE-SET the scale and set the marketplace, THAT would be called collusion. I stick by my basic premise that the NHL AND its players have to stop thinking that they are one of the "four major sports". If there are four major sports these days, they would be: Football COLLEGE football Basketball Baseball Hockey is a niche sport, and a regional one at that. It draws numbers similar to the World Series of Poker, and gets beaten by Cosby re-runs during the playoffs. I absolutely HATE to say it, but if the players union can't come to a compromise based on the premise above, their only North American professional option may be the WHA2 for a LONG time.

I bet he really wishes Bush had died instead of his career...

yep, going with my sister and two nephews. birthday present.

ANDY ROONEY, ladies and gentlemen - let's give him a nice hand!! "Dja ever notice the siiiiiiiiize of umbrellas these dayyyyyyys???"