Chisoxfn

Bottom line...neither Lalime or Khaby is special. In fact, I wouldn't consider any of them good. Khaby may be a bit better and he obviously has a better long-term track record, but he isn't 5M a year better and if the Hawks could have dumped his salary I really don't think they would be any worse of a team on paper. How often over the 3 years Khaby was here can you say wow, he actually won that game. Not very often, same with Lalime (who is mediocre at best as well). I don't think the Hawks could find a taker, but given everything, I'd rather have Lalime in net and an extra 5M in cap room which can be spent elsewhere than Khaby in net.

Is there any chance at all the Bulls get involved and try to work a sign and trade for Brand. He seems like a perfect fit in Chicago.

Tell me how I can play a computer game at my house with 4 other people. Oh wait, you can't.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Mar 9, 2008 -> 07:50 PM) Agreed, That is something we can agree on Keith. Hell, I'd probably carrying three backup outfielders too, knowing that if the team slugs themselves to a lead you can throw in Anderson/Quentin/Owens out there. Plus given Thome's weakness against LHP, you could DH Bonds when the Sox play lefties and throw Quentin into LF (obviously you'd rather have him play RF, but Dye is there defensively, whether we like it or not) who mashes LHP. You also know that you'll have AB's to go around as Swisher will be able to play some games at first and you can obviously use that depth with Quentin/Anderson to make sure Dye/Bonds/Thome get ample rest (which is something you should do). Really this could be perfect. Anderson is a stellar defensive replacment while Quentin gets a ton of at bats as a backup (400 AB's is great for him and could really get him in a position where you pencil him in and have him replace Bonds a year from now). Plus, like it or not, the Sox would sell the s*** out of tickets (although for all the wrong reasons in most fans minds).

Titans sweep Souther Miss. After a horrific previous week, which knocked the Titans out of BA's top 25 (ie, getting swept badly by Stanford), Fullerton rebounding with a beatdown of the UCLA bruins (2 game series, one home game a piece) and a nice sweepage of Southern Miss. They have a freaking stud shortstop named Colon (Freshman, who is a stud defensively and seems to have great gap to gap power and speed) and a lot of other young bats who seem to be coming along quickly. Fundementally this team is a typical Fullerton team (ie, probably the strongest fundemental team in the country). They could out bunt/run every single major leage team, imo (not that they could beat any major league team).

Like I said, I'd want something else for Kuo. Kuo would be the equivalent of Andrew Sisco. You know he has great stuff, but the actual production has never been there and he isn't getting any younger. In this case, in addition to arm injuries, Kuo has the command issues that Sisco has (while Sisco has been heatlhy). I would love Kuo if the Sox were forced to move Masset or someone else that was out of options (I'm assuming Kuo still has an option left) but I definitely wouldn't move Crede for Kuo straight up. Give me something else from the lower levels with some upside and I'll listen.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Mar 9, 2008 -> 11:20 AM) Still though, teams had 4 starters per week anyway with midweek games. Granted, those games tended to be bullpen by committee or rotating starters, but it's not too different. They probably need to push the season another week later, give teams another weekend to get these games in. I know Fullerton/LB State/UCI never had more than 3 starters. For midweek games they would typically throw out the bullpen and go with the hot arms in the pen and see what stuck (those are typically opportunity for underclassmen to make a name for themselves). In Friday's performance Fullerton's freshman reliever that came in had a NASTY curve and was using it to get a lot of guys to strike out swinging. Now, teams practically need 5 man rotations. It wasn't bad when you had the ocassional mid-week series as you were able to get things stacked up and prepared for it, but now there is really none of that so guys are going to end up starting a lot more and freshmen are going to get thrown into the fire a lot. Bottom line, its going to lead to inflated offensive numbers and deflated pitching numbers. I predict you'll see a lot more 20 run games this season than in the typical college baseball season.

Out of curiousity would the Sox be considering him as a potential starter or would they seriously be thinking about carrying Thornton/Logan and Kuo in the pen. Also, I want to point out that he's had some arm troubles in his past and has control issues but there is no denying he has a tremendous arm with good stuff. I don't know if I would do that deal straight up though because I am one of those people that really overrate Joe Crede, lol. Plus I want to see Fields shorten his swing. If Fields shortens his swing I have no doubt he'll be a few time all star during his major league career. If he doesn't, I really don't think he'll ever be as good of an all around player as Joe (that said, I'm not going to lie, he had a very impressive rookie campaign).

So, I'm watching the Dodgers spring training game on TV right now and Clayton Kershaw is pitching. Holy s***, I'd give up anyone on our roster for him. He's that freaking good. He has a filthy curve and his heater is worth a million bucks. Plus i just love his mechanics as he really seems to use his leg strength and size/leverage to get the velocity as opposed to his arm. Wow, this is the most impressed I've been with a prospect throwing in spring training since I saw Felix Hernandez pitch a few years back.

Fullerton takes game 2 against Southern Miss. 4 game winning streak after getting swept by Stanford.

Whooo....Cal State Fullerton....Co-Big West Conference Champions for the first time since 1976. I'll be at the tourney game on Thursday and I'm holding out a glimmer of hope that they can win the tourney and go dancing!!!!

QUOTE(Jimbo's Drinker @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 08:19 PM) touche, my friend. Plus, Corlis Williamson had a pretty solid career. I'm pretty sure a lot of people wouldn't mind it if they took Hansborough in the 20-30 range in the draft and he ended up being similar to Corlis (who was a darn good sixth man for a number of years).

QUOTE(danman31 @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 08:19 PM) Only if the team doesn't have more than 3 starters. Mizzou had their home opener today (finally- 2 cancelled games already). Highly touted Aaron Crow was sick in the cold weather. 7 IP, 0 R, 9 K, 2 BB, 2 hits in the 5-1 Tiger win. I looked at the gun for a couple batters, but it was already the 6th and I didn't see fastballs so who knows what he was throwing earlier. Doubleheader tomorrow. Aside from your pitching rich Tigers, what college baseball team has more than 3 legitimate starters? They have went how many years using 3 man rotations in college baseball. I know one thing, starters are going to be asked to pitch more than they ever have and that is a bad thing for both college baseball and professional baseball (given the fact that college pitchers tend to get over-worked as is, nor are there arms truly ready for a more significant workload, imo). These new schedule is complete horses***. That said I don't mind the fact that this Sunday I'm going to get to see our ace go. Although I don't know how good our ace will actually be (but I'm spoiled considering Fullerton year in year out tends to have one of the best staffs in the country). I also learned today that they have the 14th best offense in college basketball (going by PPG).

UNC is GOOD, very GOOD.

So after starting this thing yesterday, I've played basketball on Friday and both basketball and baseball on Saturday. I don't expect immediate weight loss, but if I keep this up I think by April 7th I'll be in the 160 range and than if I get another month under my belt my appetite will increase and the metabolism will just have stuff coming off even when I'm not trying (which is when I'll focus on doing a bit more lifting to try and get more cut). More importantly I want to strengthen my knee as it still doesn't feel the same after I tore the meniscus and sprained my ACL/MCL a few months back.

I've decided to join in. I'm 6 foot, 177 and am looking to get back down to about 155-160 and at that point, I plan on building a bit of muscle mass to get me into the 165 range. Began yesterday (after my busy season ended) and plan on playing lots and lots of basketball to cut the weight (my actual diet appears to be pretty good for the most part so I'm not going to make many adjustments to that). I also am going to begin some early basic lifting (ie, pushups and curls on a bidaily basis and than situps on a daily basis to try to trim up the old abs). Once I get to where I want, I'll do a more normal cardio routine and spent a bit of time lifting (just to try and get my muscles a bit more defined). I'd also like to add this is my heaviest weight ever and I've always typically been in the 157-165 range since my junior year or so of high school.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 03:21 PM) Would you want Rowand as your #3 hitter? Just saying. I'd take last years version of Rowand as my 3 hitter any day of the week. In fact, If Rowand produces like he did last year his contract will be a bargain. I doubt he does, but I think that will be due to him playing in such a pitchers park more than him playing so over his head last year. Note: I don't think he'd duplicate last season, but I actually think he signed a pretty fair contract. He's a better offensive player than he was on Chicago and if he stays healthy his contract won't be a bad one. However, it won't necessarily be a good one either because San Fran is just so far away, imo.

QUOTE(ptatc @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 08:05 PM) You can throw all the stats around you want. They have been successful with it and will continue to do so. Many teams would die for a World Series title (especially 80 some years in the making) and only one losing season in the last 7 years. Don't get caught up in the stats and minutia and forget the results. This team has been successful until last year. Now if they run a couple of losing seasons together then you have a case. We'll see if it's last year over again. Who cares what the individual stats are (unless fantasy baseball is more important) Wins and loses are all that matters in the end. This is how guys like David Eckstein look awful when examining stats but somehow are starting shortstops on WS winning teams and win MVP awards. The games are not judged by individual stats. The season is determined by the numbers of wins and loses which are determined by the integration of all the parts. Sometimes the role players add up to more than the sum of their individual stats. Stats say Mark Buehrle isn't a good pitcher (afterall, he doesn't get strike-outs, higher WHIP than typical, yada yada yad). The thing is, he gets outs, throws innings, doesn't give up many runs and gets wins. I find it so laughable that there are some people that spit out 18 zillion stats that say why a player sucks. Thats not to say you can't look at them, but Its ridiculous how many people live out all of baseball with stats instead of just watching the game. If I looked at stats there are a lot of aspects of a players game I would miss. Ie, how intelligent they were at the plate, whether they could truly handle a bat (some people will hit .280 and it could be a complete aberration with dumb luck for the most part, while someone else could hit .280 and by watching there swing you could sit there and say wow, in time with experience this guy will hit .330). You also can see how fluid of a runner they are, there athletism (which is key, because better athletes tend to be better players) as well as the defensive aspect of the game (plus bunting, being a good base runner, or just knowing when to take pitches/how to work the count as those are aspects that help everyone else on the team). I try to stay out of the stats because aside from a few guys in baseball, you could tear a whole in practically every player and continue to bulls*** about how terrible this guy or that guy is. I try to enjoy the game and while the Sox are clearly not front-runners I know they have talent. I also know that when watching Anderson hit in the 2nd half of 06 (and I was one of Anderson's biggest advocates than because of how f***ing good he was defensively as well as what the other options were) that I still wasn't impressed. He didn't really look like he was improving, more that he was just so entirely terrible earlier that it was just a matter of time for him to make a bit more contact and see a few more things fall his way. I'm looking forward to this swing to see whether his swing is more fluid and improved because stats be damned, he is one of the worse regular offensive players I have ever seen (say what you want about Owens and I'll agree with anyone in that his only value is if he hits around .290+ with a. 350+ OBP and a boatload of steals (and not many caught steals). However, I can easily see Owens actually hitting .290-.310 given his swing (he has a pretty nice swing and can spray the ball opposite field; he needs to work on turning in the inside pitches otherwise he'll never be able to hit for enough of an average to suceed). I also know he won't have a ton of extra base hits and definitely not many HR's, but I don't give a crap about that. I think speed is more important that statistics say they are. Going from 1st to 3rd matters, stealing a base matters, plus just the presence of the speed matters (gets in the pitchers head, makes it more likely for an error to happen).

Garland is one of my all time favorites and I can't wait to give him a huge ovation when I see him pitch for the Angels.

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 11:49 AM) Think Carrasco goes to Charlotte? I don't see why he wouldn't. I always thought he had a good, live arm.

I don't think anyone will. However, if I were to guess Bourgeous would be #1, Getz #2, Carrassco #3.

Fullerton has a shot at the conference title with a win over UCI tonight. They also have had back to back 20 win seasons for the first time in the schools history

This Stanford/USC game will be a good one. I still think USC can be a dangerous team come tourney time (especially since they'll be a low seed). They have the ability to play with almost any team in the country. I love Stanford/UCLA though. I have those two, UNC and Kansas as my final four teams (obviously that is if all of them are in different brackets).

Scalise...happy bday buddy!!!

I'm not going to lie, I've enjoyed this season more than last one and I didn't know that it was possible. The thing is, I fear they will not even be able to close things in the last couple episodes. I'm hoping with the writers strike they end up just picking up a full season to finish it (since pilot seasons won't happen) and than it can at least get a good send off.