LDF

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jan 5, 2015 -> 05:04 AM) For what it's worth I think there were very few among us who thought the Sox would sign as many free agents as they did. This defintely was the year to do it as I said often in the VMart thread. But even then ,with the Sox history of FA activity as a guide ,we got the usual ideas of signing projects and misfits here. Since the holidays just passed, I'm reminded that it seems as if the Sox are sometimes the "Island of Misfit toys" from the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer animation. Most of us get our ideas on what we would do based on this concept that we are a mid level payroll team based in a large market and play second fiddle to the other team here. Misfits indeed. Even now in this thread the risk of signing the best of the best is so foreign that we continue to want lesser players so they don't hurt the team financially and maybe we'd get lucky and some of them might actually perform at a high level. Hahn and the Sox either traded or signed some of the best talent out there at their respective positions and didn't spend over $46M on any of them. I expected high activity and I got it in spades which is all I could ask for. Asking anyone what they would do differently is not something I would endeavor to answer. I am not qualified nor do I have a plan I have discussed and agreed upon with other high ranking members of management and the owner . nice post.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 15, 2014 -> 12:19 PM) exactly, the sox still need to address the farm. this draft, according to the experts is weak, so the sox need to be spot on in their pick. i will start this yr draft possibilities of players who may be at the sox pick #8. the draft and where the team is now, add to this draft, where the sox in 2 pick shy b/c of FA signings. this drafting needs to be spot on. so the sox needs and this yrs players, for me, i am going to based this on college players. at #8 the sox may have have a hard time, it all depends on how the other 7 picks falls. which team will draft the unsuspected pick or will they all fall as many mock draft sites predicted. Nathan Kirby, out side the top 3 arms is slotted to be there. he is my #1 pick and maybe the fastest in getting to the majors. Phil Bickford, is another arm that may be there, as well. Walker Buehler arm some are saying that is lack of height will not stop him from succeeding he like Kirby may be there. my #2 pick if he is there. some other arms may be there as well but they are looking at this date to be relievers of some sort. there are 2 hitters who may be there as well. Ian Happ my favorite pick. ss / 2b / of Dansby Swanson ss / 2b he is the best ss coming out but with Anderson at SS and Johnson at 2b he should start learning a different position like 3b. or OF. ref the 2 hitters, they both can be fast track to the majors, so who is the better hitter?

a nice little snippet on the sox in this mlb al rundown. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/105470514/al...r-turns-to-2015 this is all Hahn doing.

does anyone have a espn subscription??? olney talked about Scherzer mlb teams breakdown fit. http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-oln...mp;refresh=true

totally unrelated to all who posted here. i really find that all have said that Hahn and the sox have done a wonderful job this offseason. i just want to continue to say that so no one thinks otherwise.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Jan 4, 2015 -> 04:24 PM) Agreed. Bonafacio's defensive versatility is his best asset with his speed/base stealing ability a close second, IMO. The Sox would have no problem getting him ab's. but on the flip side, every player wants to be a starter. so i can see why he might buck at the super sub. then again every player wants to play for a world series and he can help the sox there.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 4, 2015 -> 03:42 PM) How about we avoid the malware http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/01/03/lev...s-or-white-sox/ go ahead and make life easy see if i care.

according to Rant sports, the Sox have an interest in Zob. Waring, popup and other malware thingies .... http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2014/12/30/m...-zobrist-trade/

i don't know if this be posted or not, so here it is. http://minorleaguemadhouse.com/2014/12/24/...-0-part-1-of-4/ this is for all the hard work that you, the Mods / Admin have done. great job. so when is the next sox update???

ASG, five blackhawks players made it. on a sidenote, too bad Hjalmarsson didn't make it and a case can be made for Kris Versteeg. http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey...l-all-star-game

QUOTE (Blackout Friday @ Jan 4, 2015 -> 09:54 AM) I would trade Sale for him simply to hear Melton pronounce his name during ST. welcome to the board. i know you mention trading Sale for this joke of hearing Melton saying his name, but really Sale???

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Jan 4, 2015 -> 05:35 AM) That could be a problem. I would offer a chance to win the job in ST and that's about it. with ref to Bonafacio, if i see this the right way, as a super sub kind of a player he just might put up something like 400 at bats ir not more, depending on if there is a injury or not. with all the positions he can platoon with. he might be more valuable doing that for a very good team.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Jan 4, 2015 -> 01:03 PM) The sox let him walk in free agency. When he was healthy and productive. Aox history would not have changed unless jerry paid him. and the sox thought they had a reliable replacement in the minors.

first let me say that i am more that happy with what has been done this offseason with regards of addressing the rebuilding. we has fans are not privy to the inner discussions of what has been discuss at the higher level with the rebuilding, in other words will the sox sign Jeff S or was it their intention to let him walk after this season. so with that, the only difference is i would have gone and signed Lester instead of trading for Jeff S, and for these reason. 1. i still think Lester is the better pitcher and screw with the rh vs lh. 2. save the prospects we used to make the trade. now the other thing i failed to mention is, signing Jeff S may also help with getting fans, the chi fans who are a fan of his. the last thing i would do different get another SP.

i guess i missed it, i couldn't stand it so i went to bed around toward the end of the 3rd. i am glad they found a way to win.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 08:23 PM) Why Doug Marrone left http://www.thedrawplay.com/comic/why-doug-marrone-left/ that is hilarious. way to go

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 07:41 PM) Let's just be happy Q didn't have Patrick Kane as a rookie. so it is an interesting point, so if Q has this idea of what a player should be and his responsibilities, let say for this discussion, Kane doesn't do it like Q preaches. does not mean Q has double standards??

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 06:45 PM) No, I just meant the marlins are off the hook for the cash. The players involved aren't going back. oh ok, i knew that the dodgers are or were paying for his salary. i just wasn't sure if the trade gets cancel. thanks.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 07:32 PM) No. The Marlins are off the hook, I believe. That was worked out before it went through. so the prospect that the marlin sent will be sent back, right?

i am wondering, if Dan Haren does retire, i wonder is there is a provision in the trade that the trade gets cancel??

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 05:37 PM) I don't remember if this was a year thread or in general. In High School, I never took a class on European history, and along those lines, never had any lessons on the French Revolution. Part of this was on purpose, as I thought too much history was taught from a anglo-/franco- lens because I was really into World War I at the time and the lessons there were so ridiculous. Anyway long-story short, I'm not sure where to start book-wise. I was going to read the oxford history of the French Revolution, but then read that was in the "revisionist" camp. I'd probably like to read a marxist historian as this seems crazy to me that it would not be a class struggle so I'd like that background first before moving on. I started reading "The French Revolution a history by Thomas Carlysle" but had to stop. It basically confirmed that the wordy writers of the 19th century were often terrible, but like we assume British people are smarter than us, read the barrage of vocabulary and think it's intellectual. Any recommendations? My first idea is reading "The 12 Who Ruled" but that's a very specific, not longview, history of the revolution. I'd also like one that doesn't end with Napolean. i like to know more in what you are looking for. are you looking to read a book, any book? are you just trying to read a historical book on a certain era, people or person?

QUOTE (BigFinn @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 04:11 PM) Welcome to the board. I'm new here myself. I'm a long time reader but recent poster because there hasn't been much to post about in recent years – at least not much good to post about. It's a lot more fun to speculate about how the White Sox are going to get better in the coming weeks. As far as further moves, if a trade for Zobrist is too expensive, maybe Adam Rosales could provide a "veteran presence" while Carlos Sanchez or Micah Johnson settles in at 2B. Rosales could play late innings at 3B while Conor Gillaspie shifts across the diamond to spell Jose Abreu at 1B. Emilio Bonifacio has been mentioned several times, and he could also fill that need. as far as i am concerned, i think Bonifacio would be the ideal players. but as someone said yesterday or implied, the cost fact may be a problem esp if the sox are near their spending limit.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 03:28 PM) Has basketball or football ever had a player/manager? I think it's one of those quirky things that gives baseball a unique identity. yeah in football. a long time ago.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 04:39 AM) There is always a lot of talk about Q's favorites, but then again, who has he really been wrong on? Its not like there have been any stars after they left Chicago because Q didn't like them. stars is one thing, a good, a very good player who does all the little things is another thing. the jury is out still on some of the other players. bottom line, Q gets results, and help win the Stanley Cup. that is good for me.

QUOTE (South Sider @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 04:16 AM) I feel as though Saad has shown Q that he is not a black hole defensively. For Q, that is what matters most. I speculate that our top line, talented as it undoubtedly is, is better as a so called checking line, to battle the opponents top lines. Toews, Hossa and Saad are all very talented defensively. They all have great offensive upside, but usually play the other teams best. While they will take advantage of offensive opportunities, they no doubt will have to play top notch defense, because the other teams best is coming. I'm okay with that, and the difference between a guy like Saad and a guy like Morin or Pirri or Hayes is that he is responsible defensively. These guys all had time to prove to Q that they are responsible defensively, and anything offensive is a bonus. In the end, Q liked guys like Smith and Kruger better. That Saad was able to work himself into the top line speaks volumes about him. I know that a lot of Hawks fans take issue with Q's handling of players, but it's likely that fans of the rest of the leagues teams also take issue with theirs. Q thinks very highly of Saad, evidenced by his promotion to the top line. Plain and simple, there should be no surprise that Saad has "survived" Coach Q... because Saad is better then Morin, Pirri and etc. As for TT, with his promotion you can expect that Q will give him every chance to succeed. But, if for every nice offensive play he makes, an equally as horrid defensive one is made, you can expect he will be sent back to Rockford. I'm as excited about TT as anyone else, but he has GOT to be responsible defensively to stick on this team. It's not just Crawford/Raanta/Darling and happenstance that the Hawks have the best goals for/goal against ratio in the entire league by 10 goals. (Hawks +38, Nashville +28) no matter what my opinion or for that fact, anyone else. the proof of Q being a good coach is the amount of championships the Hawks has won.