Yossarian

Of course I don't have access to his books. I know that he was very successful at Balcor before he bought the Sox. I know that people who are better positioned than me have told me more than once that the Sox make money, have always made money. Reinsdorf has said on many occasions that he is never in any business to "lose money". I know that he has a sweetheart lease. I've been told that it is constructed in such a way that the ownership group does best when the Sox are less than 2 million in attendance. Perhaps there are others here who are better versed in the tax structure of the White Sox lease. I know that up to a certain point the Sox pay nothing and then as attendance rises a payment structure kicks in. The WS play in the third largest market, but act like they are in KC or Pgh or Milw. Nobody is suggesting that the Sox throw money around like Steinbrenner. A payroll of 70-80 million would still not be in the upper echelon. I am not even suggesting that they HAVE to spend this amount, just to be flexible, not set a number in stone. The first goal should be to win, within reasonable spending limits. If the money can be spent to improve the team and keep it in contention, then I say DO IT! When the Sox went out and got Everett and Alomar the fans responded. If they keep trying the fans will respond further. Sox fans are not sheep like Cubs fans but a little bit of trying will go a long way with them. Honestly, this is a win win situation for Reinsdorf and his group. Chicago is still a hell of a sports town. It is not historically a Cubs town, the pendulum has swung back and forth for a century. That is changing. Since the 1985 season (after the Cubs won a division) the momentum has swung sharply in favor of the Cubs. Since 85 the Cubs have outdrawn the Sox 17 out of 19 years. Losing Harry Caray, being a hard head in the 94 strike, the White Flag trade and insulting the fans has not helped. The Sox are on the verge on losing the whole ball of wax to the Cubs. It's not fantasy, it's hard reality and I'm surprised a hard headed successful businessman like Reinsdorf can't see it. I could go on and on. Of course I don't have "all the answers", but I do have a strong opinion. Why should someone who dares to disagree on one topic have to have "all the answers?" Why is someone who is tired of this ownership group and its penny pinching tunnel vision ways be called a "fair weather fan." I'm sure you're an OK guy in person and I hope we could be civilized over a beer or two if we met, but I have to say based on what I'm seeing I strongly disagree with you on this matter. I just want to see the Sox try to win. I've always been there with my loyalty and support and money, such as I can afford. I'm not happy with what I'm seeing and hearing this off season, but if I turn out to be wrong then that's just fine with me.

If I thought I could improve the team hell yes. The Sox already make money. Reinsdorf has always made money. He could make a hell of a lot more if he tried. Instead he is going to make Chicago a one team baseball city. I'm sorry, I'm ever so tired of this owner. He plays us all for chumps and laughs all the way to the bank. I've made my share of dumb predictions in my life, but on Reinsdorf I called it right in 1981, when nobody heard anything about him.

That's a big problem I have with the new stats. Baseball too is a game of intangibles and they don't always show up nicely in sabremetrics.

Why are you slamming this poster? I feel the same way and I ain't no bandwagon fan. People are seriously underestimating the negativity that will come if the Sox trade Maggs. You think White Flag was bad? Sox fans have shown uncommon loyalty througout the years. The Cubs are on the verge of locking the town up. This is no time for being cheap or rebuilding. The fact is that Reinsdorf has a verifiable history going back to his Balcor days, before he even thought of buying a baseball team.

I did a little research for you. Wilmington High School performs slightly below the state of Illinois average. For the 20002-23 school year the composite ACT score for the school was 19 compared to 19.9 for the average score in the state. Unfortunately for you the composite math score is 18.0 which is considerably below the state average of 20.1. The school district is about 95% white with most of the minority students being Hispanic. Sounds somewhat rural and a little bit below average economically. Regarding your student teaching. The hard truth is that you will be at the mercy of your mentor teacher. If the teacher is on your side, and lays down the law to his/her students then you'll probably have a relatively easy time. If your mentor teacher does what a lot of them do and throws you to the wolves, then it's going to be Excedrin headache time. Another factor is whether or not this school is used to having student teachers year in and year out. If they are it will make somewhat of a positve difference for you. Even in the best of circumstances student teaching and substitute teaching can be rough. High school students can be brutal to both students and subtitutes. You are not that much older than the students so they may have trouble seeing you as an authority figure. The more competent you are in your subject matter the better off you will be. If it looks like you don't know what you're teaching it's all over for you. Ditto if you act scared. The first week is important in establishing order and discpline. In school, as in life, personalities are important. If the kids decide they like you, because you're "cool", "smart" or whatever then the time will go by fast and the experience will be great. If possible it would be good if you could observe your mentor teachers classes for about a week before you actually handle the classes by yourself. This will give the kids a chance to see you, get to know you and feel comfortable around you. They will already think of you as their "teacher" before you even begin to conduct class. This is so much better than trying to teach stone cold. If ISU has a decent Education program they will have thought of all this and you will be well prepared. Unfortunately most schools Education programs leave a lot to be desired. Good luck. Hope all goes well. Let us know.

Since I'm on a roll here let me say that baseball was so much fun before sabremetrics came along. Yeah, I look at all the stats, the new and the old but I think a little proportion is in order. Maggs is #66 all time in OPS. That's out of eveyone who ever played MLB. He ranks above HOFers Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Eddie Matthews and Harmon Killebrew. His lifetime fielding average is above average for his position and his range factor is average. He is not a liability in any way. If he has five more years commenserate with the last five his stats will be close to the HOF category. Maggs is the type of player to keep, to build a team around. The Cubs are getting ready to lock up Chicago for keeps. The White Sox look like they are getting ready to fold up like an old accordiion. And I'm getting quite angry. There are limits to loyalty, even White Sox loyalty. I agree with Greg. It is time for Reinsdorf and his group to go. The sooner the better.

That may be so, but I read the article and I know its a sin to agree with anything he writes on a WS message board but in this case he is totally right. If this franchise is going to do what I think they are going to do then as far as I'm concerned they might as well contract themselves or move out of town.

I agree, I agree a thousand times. He hit the nail on the head. If the Sox trade Maggs for a couple of warm six packs like I think they are then I'm going to have to think things over. I've been rooting for the Sox longer than most of you have been alive, but I am ever so tired of this owner and the flunkies he hires to do his bidding.

This is why I have trouble with the terms "liberal" and "conservative". This conservative doesn't find anything cool about the incident in Berkeley Co. SC is supposed to be a "bible belt" type state but from what I gather initial reaction to this raid is none too favorable. There are ways to do this without coming in like the SS. Shame. If I was a parent in this district they have no idea the rage that would descend upon them.

Are the archives gone forever? Maybe I should be more specific. If I try to look up "Yossarian" or any other poster I get the error message. Were you hacked maybe?

Maybe because Valido isn't ready and we don't want Clayton back? We don't seem to have a lot of options at SS currently. I understand you're being ticked because we're always on a budget. We need that 5 mil to stay competitive.

I don't think so. The steroid thing, if it is allowed to come out is going to be the worst thing since 1919. I also do not agree with the original post. This is not the Golden Age of anything. Where does it say anywhere that this is the Golden Age?? If it appeared that I put words in your mouth then please accept my humblest apology. I continue to disagree with with your original post or at least with what I understand it to be. I know that you are a top notch poster here who is an expert on prospects. I know all things are relative and even in what appears to have been the best of times in baseball or anything else for that matter, there were problems that the passing of time seems to erase. I know that people always long for the "good old days" in baseball as in life. In spite of this I do not see this a high point in the history of MLB in terms of quality of play or anything else for that matter. Regarding play I think defensive play or fielding is better than it ever was. Just about all other aspects of the game, no way. The game has many other entrenched problems that threaten its well being. That's just how I see it.

OK I stand corrected. Not the Golden Age of anything worthwhile.

I don't think so. The steroid thing, if it is allowed to come out is going to be the worst thing since 1919. I also do not agree with the original post. This is not the Golden Age of anything.

You can imagine how those of us who have followed and rooted for the Sox a lot longer feel.

Jack Griffin, Edgar Munzel, Jerome Holtzman, John Schulian, Bob Pille, Eddie Gold it's a long list of decent to very good sportwriters that used to work at the Sun Times. Not anymore.

He came on waaaay to strong and left himself little wiggle room when the inevitable confrontation comes with the first ballplayer who decides to go head to head with him. Whether its Frank or whoever is irrelevant. I don't doubt his passion or enthusiasm, right now I doubt his competence. Big time. If he proves me wrong and shows that he's the best since Al Lopez and Tony LaRussa then great. Right now it looks like Reinsdorf is following his pattern. Get an inexperienced guy and hire him on the cheap.

What? No Jaime Navarro?

I did too, which is one reason my vote total currently stands at a big fat zero. I guess it is time to offer my concession speech. Ladies and gentleman, it has been a long hard campaign and it appears my effort has come up a bit short. I would like to congratulate Asshatsoxfan on his apparent victory. Thank you all very much for your complete lack of support. Next time I will take my cue from Leonid Brezhnev, Fidel Castro, Chairman Mao and other great leaders and count the ballots myself.

It's not feasible to think small market when you're in the third largest market. Like I said until I'm frikin blue in the face, just be a little flexible Mr. Reinsdorf. The first team to win a WS in Chicago is not going to regret spending a little.

When I got upset recently nobody noticed or cared. When I came back ditto. I have no message board pride. It's only the cyberworld, not your job or your health or your marriage, that's the way I see it. It's a little different with Murcie, him being one of the principals of this site. I wonder why he's leaving? All the best. The young folks here have worked their tails off, hope you guys can put it in your resumes as you climb the ladder of success. The internet is the "Brave New World". It's filled with promise and problems.

Sorry for copying you, I didn't see your post. I'll see if I can delete mine.

I guess I'm the only one here absolutely revolted by a Maggs for Soriano deal. I wish Maggs had put up a little better numbers last year. He was really off his game for a lot of the first half. The problem here is as usual Uncle Jerry has put us in a vise with a set in stone payroll. Again I say I don't want to spend like Steinbrenner, but a little flexibility is in order here. Maggs should be a cornerstone, a franchise player. If they deal him, and don't clean up on the deal then I'm doing some serious thinking and I've rooted for the Sox longer than most of you have been alive. This is one example of what is so badly wrong with the game of baseball. I say it again, if the Sox deal Maggs then that means we are looking like the Pirates of the AL. One other thing. It looks like salary madness might finally be ending in MLB, if the dumbass owners can avoid another "collusion" fiasco. Maggs and many others got their contracts at the tail end of this nonesense. These contracts are an albatross on many teams. As previously stated the team we trade Maggs to may not want to eat all of his contract. Just like we did not have to pay Everett and Alomar all of their money. This whole thing stinks and if ya'll want to celebrate the possible trading of Magglio Ordonez then be my guest. Why this love affair with Soriano? Is it the damn sabremetrics thing? The guy has no plate discpline. He's one bad season away from being solved by ML pitchers. In addition he sucks in the field. Just what we need, another free swinger who plays s***ty defense. If Maggs is traded I say there's a 90% chance that those who are clicking their heels will come to bitterly regret it. If Maggs stays healthy he has some monster years ahead of him. I expect both he and Lee will come up big in 2004 whether or not it's for us.

The only thing that trading Ordonez would mean to me is that we've become the Pirates of the AL.