Chisoxfn

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 05:26 PM) See, my problem is why are we waiting these guys out. Freddy and/or Javy should have been off the team mid-season. We're not getting any younger with two of our best players being in their mid 30s (Thome and Count) and our best player this season is having an out of his mind career year (Dye). It's only going to get harder for this same team to win next year, unless KW is already planning a massive overhaul. That should be obvious. You can do that in the off-season, its impossible or nearly impossible to do that at the trade deadline. On a sidenote, sorry about being overly harsh, it wasn't really direct at you, rather I'm so sick of seeing a million posters seemingly thinking we could have done that. Fact of the matter is that wasn't an option. We could have tried to get Lidle and some other veteran (like a Greg Maddux) but I still don't think that makes this rotation acceptable. Plus we'd have been stuck with other starters.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 05:20 PM) Once you something is not working, you can make changes to the team. There is no rule against trading players mid-season. There wasn't a f***ing move out there to make the team better. The quicker you get your head out of your ass the quicker you may realize this. I didn't see one team in baseball bolster there starting rotation at the deadline via a trade (sans the Yanks with the Lidle move and thats hardly the type of acquisition that would have made the Sox better). I'm sorry for being a dick but I'm sick of tom and joe douche bag consistently saying we could have traded these guys at the deadline and got more starters. It would have been nice and I know we argued in the past about hte trade value of some of the guys, but bottom line teams weren't giving up starters and even if they did our team has s*** in the farm systems (and thats coming from someone who talks with members of the org and players in the system) to offer to get top notch pitching.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 05:19 PM) Exactly. I will not even listen to an argument about Williams not putting this team in the best position to win. Coming into this season, we still had the 4 aces that got us a Championship, along with adding Vaz. These guys all have underachieved,and your a liar if you said "I called them all being worse" Even if you said they'd be worse, they would still have been the best rotation in the majors (or at least thats what 99% of baseball expected). The fact that they completely fell on there face, well whats to be said. Garland is the only guy I have faith in...thats it. People can show me his ERA but without him we would be done already. He stopped so many losing streaks. Than there is Count who is just mediocre and the rest of the guys SUCK. Our rotation is bloody awful and has really not had any dominant stretch all season and there is no reason to think or expect them to do it. Could they reveret in a year, sure, guys (even Hall of Famers) have the ocassional down season but its just odd that all of our guys decided to suck at the same time. My guess is Kenny may be patient with Mark because of his history, mixed with the fact that he gives innings, actually holds runners (plays d) and is one of the teams leaders. The same can not be said about Javy and Freddy and I'd be stunned if either of htem were around. Javy will be around if this team wins the world series or goes deep into the playoffs. I say that because the only way we do anything is if Javy turns things around and pitches strong for this team down the stretch and in that case he'll be back.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 05:14 PM) Shame on Williams for trading and signing up a pitching staff that was the core of a World Series Champion, shame on him. There was absolutely no way to predict this. The only thing you could potentially slam/argue is the Vazquez move, thats it.

Buehrle could get dealt, but I doubt it. I think he's pretty tired and an off-season will help him. I also think he's mentally spent. I think both Vaz and Freddy will be gone, unless Vaz makes some serious strides. Hell, I wouldn't even be shocked if we considered moving Jose. I think we could have a very very busy off-season. It will mainly involve, SS/LF and the rotation.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 04:41 PM) Just that he's hit about 6 balls in the last 3 weeks to the warning track. We've been discussing this in these threads, and we've talked about whether or not he's tired. Please don't take it as me complaining about that out. It was one of the best swings we've had against Rogers in years. Gotcha, I took it as a complaint and I had no idea how anyone could complain with that swing. Oh, thankfully BA is in CF because that ball was crushed and he gets it (mack doesn't). Any other park and its gone.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 04:34 PM) Joe Crede = King of Warning Track Power Point being? He took an outside pitch and hit it far enough to be a HR at most any park.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 04:30 PM) Seriously. I am SICK of all the umpire complaints. Face the facts, the starting pitching is mediocre (and thats being kind). I'd prefer to say our rotation stinks, especially when you figure Garland is the only worthwhile member of the rotation (Jose has been mediocre at best since his injury, Buehrle has sucked, Garcia has sucked and recently has become a 4th or 5th starter while Javy has sucked). Facts are facts and our rotation is awful. I don't care how much potential it has, its awful in the results category and thats what gets things done in the end.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 03:41 PM) I think Ryan Sweeney has an upside to be a perennial All-Star. He won't K 100x a season (which I love), and has the potential to hit 300+, hit 30 homers (maybe more. His power is finally comming around), and drive in 90+. Plus, he has a canon arm and plays pretty darn good D himself. 30 plus hr's is a stretch. I could see him (if all went well) getting up to 25 but its far more realistic to predict 10-20 HR's, a high average, and above average defense.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 03:34 PM) Giovany Gonzalez > Chris Young... Chris Young is highly overrated, IMO. He has only had decent numbers in the minors, but his "potential" to be a 40-40 guy makes everyone get a boner for him. I see him being a decent OF AT BEST. Couldn't disagree more, but than again I was the original guy on the Chris Young bandwagon a few years ago with FutureSox

Am I reading things right, some of you are actually suggesting having Sweeney as our leadoff or #2 hitter at the start of next season. I hope you guys are planning on having a rebuilding type season cause if your frustrated now you'll be going nuts next year. Sweeney is fine, but if you are going to do that you better have acquired a SS to be our leadoff hitter and made some substantial changes to the rotation. Following that have both Sweeney/Fields up playing LF and platoon them a bit with them also getting ocassional AB's at DH and maybe even RF/CF, etc. Basically just ease both of them into the majors.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 01:48 PM) I disagree completely...this is exactly the way the White Sox brought Buehrle along in 2000. Let him get a taste of the big leagues, they can stretch him out over the winter and in Spring Training. Different situations though. Buehrle was not pitching out of the pen for an entire season and he did have the ocassional spot start.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 01:20 PM) I, personally, would hate to be watching any movie and have a rattlesnake bite me. Possibly if it was something like Cats and Dogs, then it might put me out of my misery.

Brian is a premiere defensive centerfielder as a rookie. This team is not losing because of its offense and while you can make a case for this team losing becuase it doesn't do the little things (or pitch), you can't possibly convine me that Brian Anderson will cost us the playoffs or world series (it will be the pitching and our lack of execution).

Its pretty evident that Kenny and Ozzie see things different when it comes to Brandon. Ozzie's managing has been detrimental to McCarthy's development this season. He seems to finally be figuring things out in regards to Anderson (which is nice to see) but Ozzie has done an awful job (and I've been saying it all season) all season when it comes to McCarthy.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Aug 22, 2006 -> 11:04 AM) Oh Jas, there's a whole thread on SOAP. Sweetness, just found it. I'm so going to see this now that I'm back in town.

Very sorry to hear that Nick. Thoughts go out to you and your family :prays

So no one saw SNakes on a plane. You all failed me cause I want to see how it was. I sure hope its going to be as brutally horrid as I expect (which in turn means it will be hysterical).

QUOTE(Soxy @ Aug 20, 2006 -> 08:28 AM) I hate people that lie by omission. Or only tell you exactly what they think you want to hear. News flash! I really just want to know the truth. People that aren't honest are just empty hollow shells of people whom I would rather not know. And those people, the ones that would rather just tell you you your "personal version of reality" instead of the truth, are the most annoying and fake when they get caught in their lies. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than be in one more hollow, empty, half-truth relationship/friendship. I think true friends have to tell you the truth. Someone telling you what they think you want to hear does nothing except give you a false sense of hope. Ocassionally you have to say the typical, "its going to be okay" or some other cliche, but a lot of the time my theory is there are tons of other people that will do that, so if I have to be the one that tells the truth (you made the mistake, now you pay for it and you better lean from it), even if it means being brutally honest and blunt from time to time. But I'm totally with you on this and I'm sure its a shocker since i'm the most passive person on this entire board. Of course its also why those that are weaker of heart/confidence consider me to be an ass. QUOTE(mreye @ Aug 21, 2006 -> 07:18 AM) No wonder you had beer left! I know a way to get REALLY rich - fast. I shouldn't tell all of you, but I will anyway. I'm going to open up a turn signal repair shop because there's obviously a lot of broken ones out there judging by how few use them. I also hate cops that think they can turn on a left red (without a turn signal) when it says "Left turn on arrow only" I hate cops that weave in and out of the carpool line just because, cops that make illegal turns and do all sorts of other stuff that we as normal drivers can't do. Its one thing if they are going somewhere, but I do think they should have to follow the laws on the road. I respect the hell and thank police officers, but it is one of my pet peaves when I see them driving all crazy when I don't think they are going anywhere aside from just patrolling a road.

Its not really that much different than how a lot of us feel. I know I've been ripping this team for a while.

QUOTE(winninguglyin83 @ Aug 21, 2006 -> 08:33 AM) Chris Young, the best prospect the Sox have traded away since (fill in the blank), got called up to Arizona Friday. Had a single in three at bats after a solid season in Tucson. He's featured on the Baseball America web page today. every time Javy has one of his meltdowns (I've heard that it happens sometimes), check this kid's line in the box score and remember what might have been. Razor Shines, his manager at Birmingham last season, sez he's better than Anderson, better than Sweeney, better than Owens, better than anybody in the Sox system. at least we'll see him play when he comes to Wrigley every year. He's the best prospect to come our way in a long time. It stinks we gave him up for Javy, but at this point all we can do is hope Javy turns into something. I've long said if he can't do something for us, we won't go anywhere this year because I don't have much faith in Freddy/Mark being our guys this season, so we need someone to be that 3 if we do in fact make the playoffs. Heck, I don't have much faith in Contreras.

His average would be much higher, but he's sucked for the past couple weeks to a month. Most all of that came when he was hitting for an average. Pitchers have figured out some sort of flaw and now Napoli is going to have to adjust.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Aug 16, 2006 -> 01:56 PM) I know you're going to be gone, but why were there so many refi's after 3 years on ARMs, and why are there so many foreclosures from people that were on ARMs? You have to be really, really careful on these. That's all I'm saying. It's more riskier, but it can come with a good reward if you really do your research. People don't refi arm's and go to fixed, they typically refi because they could get newer loans with better margin's or that they were refi'ing to again pull some cash out because there property had really appreciated. I know of all the refi's we did, we weren't refi'ing people into fixed loans, they were going right back into ARM's. QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 16, 2006 -> 01:55 PM) I agree with you, moreso because of the investment property, and I know if I was the one asking I would appreciate the advice. I just didn't understand the hatred towards IOL's.. LOL. I think investments in real estate are the best ways to invest. The stock market in my opinion is much more of a crapshoot, i almost consider it to playing poker, where if you are really really good you'll be able to win, but if you are mediocre well frankly its just a crapshoot (if your investing long term and in indexes and funds you may be alright). In the case of real estate you actually own something, you arne't just there relying on accountants numbers and expectations. I really find it ridiculous that a companies stock will drop or take a hit when they make less then expected earnings (yet the company is still making a net profit) yet some other company is in its 5th or 6th year of constant losses, but people expect it to increase earnings and grow so the stock continues to skyrocket even though its not a successful company. Real estate you own property, are able to get some tax benefits (if you spin things properly) and bottom line you are even able to get people to live in your house and help cover the expenses (ie leasing it) and best of all you have about 10% in on the investment so if/when it goes up (and long term they GO UP) you end up getting a nice return (for example CA historically is like 7%, but you are getting 7% on the purchase price while you only put down 10% so really your making a whole lot greater return than that). And I have been brainwashed this stuff for years from my dad, so these opinions really aren't necessarily mine, rather what I've learned from working with my dad (whose been in the biz for 35+ years now) and a few other of my dads friends/agents that have been in the business for 30 plus years. These aren't just the noobs that come rolling out when the refi industry is strong (such as a lot of newer mortage brokers who are gonna realize and already are that it really isn't that easy to make money when the market is down) or when the market is strong (when any jackass real estate agent can sell a home).

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 11:46 AM) You're giving advice with a very broad brush stroke. Well, I'm on the other side of the spectrum in that I think interest only and ARM's are the only loans I'd really recommend. Only in rare circumstances would I recommend anything else because its so much cheaper and there is absolutely no reason to have money tied into your house (as far as I'm concerned). But thats for the area I live in and maybe my recommendations aren't the best for other areas. I also think this 25-30% increase is not going to happen and I think a ton of people are over-reacting to a necessary downturn in the real estate market. Its a cycle and a downturn is going to happen, but its not going to be like the crash of the late 80's early 90's (well at least how bad it was in Cali at that time).

QUOTE(Pauly8509CWS @ Aug 15, 2006 -> 11:14 AM) For some reason I've loved Penn State since I was little. I was a Joe Pa fan. You interested in being a mod for the Penn State forum on talkbigten.com ????