greg775

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 24, 2013 -> 11:35 PM) I don't doubt for a second that the AJ brought some added toughness to the Sox. With that said, you can't fault the organization for wanting to try and give Flowers a chance. If the Sox thought they were legit contenders this year, I'm sure they would have brought AJ back. This is where I disagree. I fault the organization big-time when it makes a decision that backfires so badly. It turned out they replaced AJ with a horrible, horrible player (to date). That doesn't work. All the Sox have to do is hang 4-5 over .500 in this bad division and they can be in the race. Decisions like this are horrible and somebody should be called out for them ... IMO.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 24, 2013 -> 11:35 PM) You could put Mike Trout from last year on this team and he wouldn't have a 15 game impact. The season went to hell quickly. Loss after loss after loss. AJ may have been a piece to help prevent that crap. Our pitching is GREAT. One other thing. Heaven help us if everytime the Sox have to replace a standout, the decision is made with somebody as bad as Flowers. I'm pointing out a big F for fail in this case. And it was a huge factor IMO in the Sox being an embarrassment this year.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 24, 2013 -> 11:24 PM) There's no way that anyone who has watched this team play this year truly feels like they're a solid hitting catcher away from contending. I'm saying it NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN to this point. We'd be four or five over .500 and in the fricking race. Our pitching is outstanding. AJ brought some intangibles, too, you know. Plus yes his bat would have been nice to have in this godforsaken lineup. I very much disagree. Putting together a team and everyday lineup is a puzzle. And the AJ piece has NOT been replaced. NOT CLOSE.

ESPN praised AJ excessively during Sunday night game. He's hitting over .300 and is doing what AJ does. Hahn or whomever who decided Flowers can play the game of baseball pretty much gets an F for that decision. Considering we are in last place with major holes in our lineup, I'd say the decision to not pony up and sign AJ was one of the KEY reasons our team is an everyday embarrassment, a last-place AL Central team. Yes, hindsight is 20/20 but these guys get paid big bucks to make decisions in the front office and the decision to let AJ go was PAINFUL. And don't say he could have signed. They didn't want him and everybody knows it. It was Flowers time and Flowers looks AWFUL (to this point). AJ is actually just what this lineup needs. Our front office frustrates me.

I think I'll go see The End tomorrow after watching Roeper review. He thinks it's a classic and a solid A.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 24, 2013 -> 08:55 PM) Thankfully, Ventura doesn't talk about how much he drinks nor does he throw young pitchers under the bus for failing to hit players nor does he use homosexual slurs against certain sports journalists. That is a plus in Robin's corner. I was just pointing out the results are the same: very very bad baseball (good pitching).

Sox have lost games in all imaginable ways the last month of last season and all this season. There's been no difference between he and Ozzie. Good pitching under both managers; losing games every way possible last 3 years under Ozzie and during Ventura era.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 24, 2013 -> 05:38 PM) It's all about talent return. We can trade Rios and get "salary relief" but he's our best offensive player, currently. We might get a couple of decent prospects, but we're not going to get any future superstars, and it's doubtful one of them would even replace Rios' offensive production in time. The one thing the White Sox minor league system has done a good job of producing is relievers, as well as identifying guys like Jenks and Santos in other organizations. Unless we buy at top dollar on the free agent market, we're not going to replace Rios.....and Thompson needs to be in CF to be at his highest value as a contributor at the big league level. And I won't even get started on Hawkins. With all due respect, if you can trade Rios, get rid of him now. What have we ever won with Rios? Stick Danks out there and get what we can get for Rios, the ultimate gamer (sarcasm). I'm all for revamping our everyday lineup, keeping our pitching.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 23, 2013 -> 10:38 PM) No. Our goal is to be good as soon as possible and as long as possible. Almost any reasonable offer for Sale would undermine both of these goals. Great post. How can anybody argue with Jake regarding this topic?

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 23, 2013 -> 10:38 PM) No. Our goal is to be good as soon as possible and as long as possible. Almost any reasonable offer for Sale would undermine both of these goals. Great post. How can anybody argue with Jake regarding this topic?

I don't know why we want to trade pitching. The goal is to get good again. To get good, we pretty much need to replace every one of our everyday position players. The pitching is fine. If we trade all our pitchers, we may never be good again, 15-25 years. The way to rebuild is get 3-4 position players through free agency for next season while keeping most of our pitching. If you want to trade one reliever and one starter, I guess I'm OK with that. How bout trading Crain for 2 outstanding prospects and trade Peavy if anybody wants him since he can't stay healthy. Repeat: Completely turn over our lineup; keep the pitchers.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 23, 2013 -> 10:35 PM) This team has no desire to win just collect paychecks the 15th and the 30th. Ding ding ding. We have a winning post. It's actually been this way a while now, IMO. The way the Sox gave away that game was completely disgraceful. I was in the car listening on the radio here and even the Royals announcers admitted KC didn't win, but the Sox gave it to them. Disgraceful baseball team on the South Side this year.

I'm done. Can't watch any more bad baseball. Sox might still win this game but are just a team that is painful to watch.

Sox find more ways to suck. Pitchout. You're out.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 23, 2013 -> 08:46 PM) not getting anything last inning is going to screw us over in the end Very true. At some point you have to bust the game open when given so many opportunities. Sox don't believe in advancing runners or are incapable of doing so.

Sox stranding baserunners as usual. Got to hope four runs are enough today.

Might be wise for somebody to get a clutch hit, though, if we want to win this game and sweep.

What's with the putting the bat on the ball lately? Sox getting a few base hits today.

Hector and DeAza with the nice hits, then the bad break on the bullet and the obligatory pop up to end the inning.

Now Dunn is good again. For the love of God, Adam why don't you always have this approach? When he just makes contact he's so powerful he can hit a one-handed homer out to cf in a big ballpark like Kauffman. 2.) Bad luck we're getting a bad start today. 4-0 leads are rare for our Sox and it's disappearing.

Do you feel China wishes to conquer the world?

I enjoy watching re-runs of The Office late at night after work. Am I dumb?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 29, 2013 -> 11:47 PM) Try to get the $15, settle for the $13 if you can't get it, and then leave them on the first chance you get while making it clear that you would still be there if they hadn't screwed you. Amen. Excellent advice. Bastards.

Good job, Shack. Big time in your life I'm sure.

I'm off this week. Any 2-3 movies I should go see? Not into artsy movies. Give me comedies and/or action.