Chisoxfn

Awesome...I've ripped Josh more than a lot of people. I think he has a lot of natural ability and tools but I think his swing has a decent size hole in it that will prevent him from ever hitting for much of an average. However, I could see him being a player similar to Troy Glaus (ie, big power, albeit Glaus had a lot more massive power in his prime not a great average).

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 11:14 AM) You could argue the same thing about the NBA and about soccer. Except the NBA is much different in the sense that the extended season (ie, tournaments) won't impact there future days unless they are battling an injury. Where as in baseball, pitchers are a very unique position which couldn't handle a ton of additional work. It would be like there being an international football tournament after months of rest. You just couldn't do it and have it be that great (this is besides the fact that football is pretty much US only). Plus it's much easier to have a team of 10-13 guys travel and practice together since basketball players don't have the extended off-seasons that baseball players due (due to the grueling nature of the baseball season).

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 08:07 PM) Why does it have to follow the World Series? What makes the United States the king of the baseball world and have to make it go according to their schedule? Sure, they have the biggest and most competitive domestic league, but that's exactly what the WBC is supposed to do. What makes it king....the fact that 98% of the best players in the world all play in that domestic league. Thats what makes it king.

Anchorman and Your MOMMA

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 02:34 PM) Which is the point Jason is trying to make. The US just has too much depth, the team would in fact be head and shoulders over anyone other country over a full season. I really like the WBC. There are few changes I would make, but overall, I like it. People take the event way too seriously, and want to make more of it than it really is. While it's a "World Tournament", it's a bunch of exhibition games broken up by countries. Thats it. It's like when the NHL used to do the All-Star game between North America and the World. What it comes down to is what entertains me. I'm a baseball fan, then a White Sox fan. I love the game, and want to be enjoy watching baseball. The WBC is held in March. During that time, I could either watch Sox vs. Padres, or USA vs. Dominican Republic. As a baseball fan, I want to watch a bunch of all stars play each other instead of watching a two AA teams battle it out for 5 innings. It's an nice alternative for two weeks or whatever. Nothing more, nothing less. I should point out that i actually watched most of the WBC and will watch it again. I enjoy it and think its a fun format, but it ain't even close to the best baseball in the world. Not when the vast majority of the talented players in it aren't even close to being in mid-season form or able to really pitch to there full capabilities (due to them being limited because of there need to be ready for the real round robin...the MLB season).

QUOTE (SleepyWhiteSox @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 02:25 PM) You really think they'd destroy other teams over a full season based on depth? Yep, the US and Dominican team would absolutely run away with things. Could you imagine a pen consisting of Putz/Pableboner/Jenks. The US would also have a much better rotation which is why I'd give them the nod. The Domincan team would have a ridiculously good 9 man lineup, one that you could argue is just as good, if not better than the US's.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 01:58 PM) So, essentially, because the WBC is new and has no tradition, it makes it ok to keep all domestic leagues in much higher priority than international competition and throw athletic/international pride (when it comes to baseball) out the window? And US basketball has only been dominant since they allowed professionals to play, in which case I agree, since then, the US has been pretty dominant, though it isn't as big of a gap as it seems. What you're proving, however, is the double standard I'm talking about. In basketball, where the competition isn't quite as good, it's cool to have the best players. But in the WBC, where things are a lot closer and the US isn't guaranteed to be awesome, it's stupid if the best players compete. No, I clearly bleieve that the US has the best in baseball and basketball. In basketball there is clearly a large GAP because it takes fewer players to put together an NBA team (and the US has the 2 best players in the world, if not far more than that...but no one can debate Kobe and Lebron as the best two players in the world and than I'd at least have Chris Paul next). Arod is the best baseball player in the world and whether or not he's US is beyond me. We don't have the best pitcher in the world either (Santana) but the US has the best talent pool in the world by far. Oh and I put far greater pride on NBA titles than US basketball titles. And again a tournament where you aren't practicing for an extended period of time is pretty ridiculous (ie, WBC). The US team doesn't do anything aside from a short WBC sprint where as World Cup you have tons of competitive tourney's as a national team, same for the US basketball team even. That and baseball is a far more historic sport than basketball and there is absolutely nothing more storied or greater than the World Series.

Why should our priority be an international tournament? It isn't, but if it was, I have no doubt that the US would dominant the tourney in the history just like they've done with basketball (even that short-lived recent run of dissapoints considered, US basketball has been pretty darn dominant). Look at World Cup, US soccer fans care more about world cup than they do some stupid league, why because the history of the World Cup is there and while we aren't as good as many of the countries it doesn't matter, it's a big deal to a US soccer fan because an MLS championship means jack.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 01:39 PM) Get off your high horse. Great, you can field a 25 man roster and it's deep. But the 9 guys on the field is what matters. No, not when your talking about an actual season. The US would destroy other teams. Give me a break, there are a few other countries that could even come close. I'm sorry that US WBC baseball is an after-thought to the actual past-time which is the World Series. That means more to an American baseball fan than the WBC and it also means more to an American player than the WBC. Speaking as someone who grew up admiring baseball and playing it, I dreamed nothing more than to be up with the bases loaded with the chance to win a world series. Thats what its about, not some stupid baseball tournament that happens before players are even in mid-season form.

There is no way any other country could field the quality of depth a team that the United States could. If your talking about a full 25 man roster over the course of a full season. None. There would be a few teams that come close, but that is all.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 08:52 AM) That would actually be a really interesting study. Take a few given years, and look at where the Top 100 prospects ended up, versus all the rest. See which ones succeeded, by some basic measures (games played, years in majors, basic offensive/defensive/pitching stats). I'd bet that if you look at which players, for example, managed to play full time in the majors for at least a few years, that you'd have just as many outside the top 100 as inside of it. But I do not have this data, so its just a guess. Also, I am certainly not saying that the CHANCES of any given player in the top 100 are less or the same as those below. The chances are higher. But its not some on-and-off thing, is what I am trying to say. Player A who is #50 on that list in a given year may have a 70% chance, and some player that would be around #150 may have a 30% chance. And since there are so many players outside the top 100, versus in it, if you add up the partials, the total for the below group might be higher. There will be a lot of busts in the top 100, but most MLB stars and all stars ranked in the top 100 prospects at some point in there career which gives a lot of value to having high upside prospects and its why those type of prospects should be heavily valued in a farm system ranking.

Love that idea Steve.

Its going to be interesting to see what my Titans can do.

I don't like Danks being a part of it...not at all.

I think I said Cards/Steelers and I'm going to stick with the Steelers winning it all.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 16, 2009 -> 09:35 AM) The Hawks are drawing 22,557 a night, the Bulls 20,984. There is no comparison of the two sports. NBA is clearly more popular than the NHL and it isn't a competition. There are 10 times as many Bulls fans as there are Hawk fans (and thats probably a conservative estimate). The Hawks definately have the buzz of Chicago though.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 11:32 AM) If someone is dropping a serious bomb and shows know courtesy to others just turn the lights off. I have honestly done this twice before and it will make you feel alot better. Dude...there is no such thing as a courtesy flush....I consider it better to give people a courtesy whiff.

f*** me...no conclusion to prison break. That was my fear.

Would anyone else trade young if the deal involved Dye elsewhere for prospects and the Sox acquired Young for Broadway and other prospects (maybe even in a Dye trade where we got Young and others)? I think that could be a potential deal that the club could make and YOung at 2nd base would be a pretty attractive player. Plus the Sox should have the ability to take on that sort of salary.

It's going to be Steelers vs Cards with the Steelers winning it all.

I don't know what dry-socket is?

Marti would be a really nice fit considering the Sox have a serious need in the back of the rotation.

Wow, didn't see that about Smoltz. If he is at all healthy thats a really good signing.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Jan 11, 2009 -> 01:04 PM) Your mouth should heal pretty fast, you will be snappin into a slim jim (oh yeaaah) within a week Ya, everyone pretty much said two weeks and your better. It hasn't even been a weak and I've eaten things like broccoli. Still I've been taking it relatively easy and having mostly noodle based dishes.

QUOTE (Palehosefan @ Jan 4, 2009 -> 04:55 PM) Roy's "Charmin soft" recruiting strategy is frustrating. He ends up with a lot of good people and good basketball players, but none ever tough enough. The only tough player I remember him recruiting is Paul Pierce. Roy won't seem to recruit Paul Pierce, Rashad McCants types anymore. Hinrich was a pretty scrappy player, imo.