SoxFan562004

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 02:13 PM) World Wide Wes might be a huge fraud though. It is something I've wondered for a long time. Is he really this powerful and if he is, why won't he shut up. Might be someone trying to make a name for himself. he may be, but there's also the logical POV on Chicago having a decent shot. If Lebron wants to win right now and have it be his team, with everything as is, the Bulls are the best location for him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 01:45 PM) Yes, we have a chance. But it requires us to basically sell off 2 key parts of our 2011 board without the financial resources to replace them. It's all about that. If I'm the Nats and I get the Hudson + Flowers + some A baller offer, I wait a week or so until the AS break and see if I get a better offer, and if not I'd pull the trigger. how many years have we heard the Sox are going to slash payroll? Heard it a lot last year and they added the Peavy and Rios contract. Major market teams, especially those who completely own or partly own cable stations, don't live and die by the attendance like smaller market teams. I am NOT saying attendance isn't important, but comcast ad revenues are also extremely important. The Sox also have bumped their parking $7 in '09, so an increase in attendance may not make up the 3-6k a game you cited earlier, but a late season surge instead of a fade will bring more parking in. Also, 08 they won the division and 09 was the year after that, so it's completely realistic for JR and the owners to think another division title would increase attendance the following year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 11:48 AM) I think it's probably as simple as the tampering rules applying to organizations, not to players. as a Bulls fan I don't want the NBA investigating tampering during this summer with some of the stuff that B & B hinted at was going on with the Bulls during the Thibedau hire.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 01:46 PM) Chad Ford on Twitter: My odds on landing LeBron: Bulls 40%, Cavs 25%, Heat 20%, Nets 10%, Knicks 4%, Clippers 1% interesting, at this point I think it would be a shocker if he went to the Knicks

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 11:28 AM) You can't really say it's all BS since the rumors are based on sources. The big three did have a meeting and did express interest in playing together. They talked about the contract situation. So, being worried about this as a possibility is totally justified. It's not like people are making this stuff up. Believing the rumors as fact is another thing. as much as I post in this thread I'm not aware of everything that has gone down, when are you referring to this happening? If it was this weekend that didn't happen, Lebron was in NY and Wade's agent said Wade was in Chicago all weekend with his kids.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:54 AM) Nope. Bird Rights won't work that way. You can't be under the cap and utilize bird rights to your advantage, I believe. So they can't just use all of Wade's space on those guys and wait. How does the luxury tax work? Even if they can use Wade's Bird rights wouldn't all 3 of them and 9 other players put them way over that?

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:54 AM) A general thought I have, regardless of who we go after: if we're going to acquire a bat, we need to do it as quickly as possible. This team is already a bat short (and really has been two bats short all year up until Quentin's recent turnaround), and now that we're back in the American League, this fact hurts us especially so. I don't think we're going to go back to being a nearly 10 games under .500 level team because our pitching is back on track, but this team is very unlikely to be in the playoffs unless another bat is acquired. Thus, if we're making a move, we need to do it as quickly as possible. I agree with this 100% and luckily the Sun-Times article points to KW agreeing with us.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:47 AM) I find it absolutely comical that the same people who are gung-ho for LeBron and Bosh coming to Chicago to play with Noah and Rose have huge issues with them going to Miami and altering the NBA landscape. Just because we're Chicago that doesn't gives us more right to the dynasty that would come from those two joining a Wade or a Rose. That being said, LeBron isn't signing in Miami. I was trying to look at it from the position of the NBA front office, it would make a ton more sense for them to not have Miami dominate the sport for the next 5 years.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:30 AM) With how this team opened the season, I think there's probably a serious salary cut looming. At best I'm hoping we stay level, at about $100 million, but I think $95 ish is more likely. It's hard to guess where D1 and Q's arbitration figures will come in (depends in part on performance the rest of this season too), but I'd say that $12 million available strikes me as a likely #, $15 million is plausible if the team keeps its salary steady and neither D1 nor Q win a huge arbitration settlement, and $18+ means that their revenue position is better than we've heard and they're willing to gamble a bit more on player salaries. Meanwhile, I count 10 spots to fill for next year. Closer, RH setup man, LH setup man, DH, all 4 bench spots, 1b, Catcher, 5th starter. And that keeps whipping boys like Teahen and Beckham in the lineup as-is. but doesn't how they end the season effect that too? For the Braves series they averaged about 29k in attendance, that included a weekend day game and the typhoon. I can't recall, but don't they still have the NYY and Bos series left at home, which always draw well, and if the Sox stay in it they have series against the Twins and Det.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:38 AM) Alright, here's another way to phrase this. When's the last time a team had three, THREE top 10 players? Because I'd definitely consider Bosh a top 10 player. that's a lot tougher, might have to go back to before the NBA expanded

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:33 AM) When's the last time a single team had two of the top 5 players in the NBA? closest would be the first year Shaq went to LA, would have to think back about top 5, but he was still an elite player then

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:19 AM) I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lakers take a serious step back any of these coming years, nor would I be surprised if they kept it going. Between possibly losing Phil, Kobe seemingly having less and less in the tank every year, and Bynum's legs starting to go all Greg Oden on them, they could use an upgrade soon. A lot of NBA people have said this, a lot of people like to point to Kobe's age, but forget how many games he's played at a high level since he was 19. They are and will be good, but I don't think they're going to steamroll the west for the next 2-3 years

QUOTE (Palehosefan @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:17 AM) People keep saying this and I just don't get it. The Lakers with Kobe, Artest, and all the post depth would give the Heat major problems. The Thunder and Blazers are going to have a ridiculous amount of talent the next few years as well. Having Jordan and the Bulls dominate the league, or the Celtics and Lakers dominate the league certainly wasn't a bad thing for the NBA's ratings. You are talking about one major market in that scenario, back when the Bulls were dominating they battled the Lakers in the first one and the NYKs during the playoffs of the other ones. This scenario eliminates the Bulls, Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Philly, and the Texas teams, all big markets, for years from being relevant. The finals are one thing but those Thursday night TBS games would do far better ratings and ad revenue with the Bulls/Heat than Oklahoma/Heat. Also, it's a different culture we live in since the last Bulls run over 10 years ago, even though it's a short time there is such a greater battle for the eyes of the casual fans, I would think Stern wants as many major markets involved as possible. I'm not saying it's a doomsday scenario for the NBA and they would still do well, but just guessing I would imagine the NBA would prefer if LBJ and Wade were separate.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:21 AM) Which is why I think a trade is a difficult move to make period this year, because we have 10 or so MLB level roster spots to fill next year and by my count, $12 million or so to do so with. We're going to have serious need for Santos, Hudson, and Flowers next year, Viciedo and Morel would be useful as well, and we don't have the money to find FA replacements if they are traded away, nor do we have other obvious backup options. You can pick which guy out of Jenks, Konerko, AJ, Putz, etc., you want to bring back, but once you start talking about bringing back more than 1 of them, you start running out of money. you can always roll the dice and think that a big year this year increases the payroll for next year. Also, are you basing the 12m on next year compared to this year's payroll? because JR has said they have money for the right player and supposedly offered Damon 7m, so that could get up to around 18-19m with that. Again, it's a balancing act of this year and future years, but it's KW and he'll explore every possible option.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:17 AM) He's talking about Sergio. Correct, Sergio Santos. I do apologize, I'm not overly familiar with the Sox farm system, I didn't know there was a guy with a similar name, would have made it clearer in my first post.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:11 AM) Santos is a big part of this team's future. With both Putz and Jenks possibly leaving after this season, you need him more than ever. Well it is KW, I don't rule anything out. You never know how they scout their own players, maybe they have concerns about him. I would agree that he has been impressive and a cheap power pen arm under a teams control for a few years is valuable, but it is an asset and with KW it's worth mentioning. To the Nats a future pen of Storen and Santos could be intriguing

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 10:08 AM) Octavio Dotel vs. the Cubs: 7 G, 6/6 SVs, 7 IP, 14 K, 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP vs. rest of MLB: 23 G, 9/12 SVs, 22.2 IP, 25 K, 5.96 ERA, 1.63 WHIP yeah, they were showing some of his dominant numbers against the Cubs last night, it was baffling, and when you see him pitch against them it shows, they look like they have zero chance and are getting blown away by 92mph FBs

QUOTE (kev211 @ Jun 29, 2010 -> 12:21 AM) Well if all 3 go to Miami then it wont matter who we get and I wont care because the NBA will be dead to me for the next 5-10 years. I do agree with the other posts that say this won't effect their decision but I agree with you 100%. All 3 of those guys in Miami have to make Stern and the NBA execs cringe, it could create a super team that actually hurts the sports growth in other cities.

Even though he hasn't been as sharp as early in the season, with his stuff and to a team not contending this year, I imagine Santos would have some value, although it obviously is a hit to the MLB roster for this season for the Sox, so it would have to be a balancing act.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 28, 2010 -> 10:27 PM) Bosh for Deng and the 2011 #1 pick? that #1 pick would likely be in the high 20's, not have a ton of value...

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 28, 2010 -> 09:57 PM) Comical bottom of the 9th for the Dbacks vs Cardinals Dbacks are a brutal team, I wonder if they will move Haren.

QUOTE (Benchwarmerjim @ Jun 28, 2010 -> 10:08 PM) speculation is that Zumaya either snapped his tendon or broke his arm. either way it wasnt good MLBN showed it and it looked horrible.

obviously this was coming, but Raptors GM Collangelo (sp?) announced today that Bosh will be opting out, only interesting thing was he said they would do a sign and trade so that theoretically opens more teams

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 28, 2010 -> 05:48 PM) Jason Goff is kinda trustworthy I guess... It depends on who his sources are... Boers sources may be old, but he rarely ever quotes them and they are trustworthy and have been around the NBA a long time, so if Boers ever cites his sources it would be really strong in my book...

well, might as well throw everything up here, Jason Goff from the Score, new on the NBA beat, but works really hard at covering the Bulls, is saying is sources point to Lebron with the Bulls... again, I know nothing is concrete, just reporting what I'm reading