SoxAce

Meh, he'll be beneficial to them getting the best record by August, then the Yankees can either just sit him down in Sept and bullpen him in October, or pitch him till the end of the season as there is less pressure for them to win if they clinch the division that early. See it makes sense.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Dec 22, 2009 -> 12:52 AM) Thats just what I was thinking. I didn't know Gage was also batman. He's Batman in a "Gage" way. Meaning he's the type of guy who will confront you, but slip and fall on his ass trying to reach for a pair of bat-cuffs.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 10:45 PM) I'm not an attorney, I just stayed in a Holiday Inn Express. I abandoned that silly profession to sell megawatts in Las Vegas. Doesn't that tell you how crazy I am? Well then... you have found a home in soxtalk galore then.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 10:01 PM) You guys are all a bunch of crazy motherf***ers Your an attorney. You and soxbadger are the craziest bastards I've seen post on this site because of it.

QUOTE (Ranger @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 06:51 PM) The outfield defense has already improved and it wasn't even really the problem last year anyway (the real defensive issues last year were on the infield). Uh.. what? I believe it was Kalapse who had a statistic saying we were, defensively, the worst defensive OF in the entire league or something to that extent. Our defensive OF was a definite problem. And as far as the infield, other than Josh Fields, our infield defense was not nearly as bad as the OF defense. (Getz was serviceable, Alexei besides the ADD, has alot of range and had a good UZR, and Konerko is Konerko) The sox team last year had alot of problems entirely. I will agree that KW has address that well with Pierre in LF (despite the arm) Quentin moving back to his natural position in RF, Rios (defensive stud) in CF, Alexei taking another step at SS and we will see how Teahan and Beckham do in a full year at their positions. QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 07:10 PM) I would consider Dye in RF and Podsednik in CF last year as a pretty brutal defensive OF last year. Defensive inferiority is often less noticeable unless you have a Soriano or Carlos Lee to admire, but the defense needed to be much improved in OF and infield. I'll wait and see if Teahan can be that upgrade, but Alexei and Beckham need to show some strength early on for me to call it an upgrade. Agreed, and your not even counting Wise (despite "the catch") Kotsay (some games) Lillibridge, etc.. we ran out there. Dye is one of the worst defensive RFs in the game. We even had Pods in RF in some games which was pretty embarrassing to watch. No doubt, our defensive OF has greatly improved from last year. We'll see how the defensive IF (mainly Teahan and Beckham) do.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 06:37 PM) Sirotka was my favorite all-time Sox pitcher (granted i only go back til the late 80s). Not sure why, other than the fact that he was pretty much the ace for awhile. I always thought he would be Mark Buehrle before Mark Buehrle in terms of numbers.. sad to see that injury ruined what could had been a promising career.

My god... what an embarrassing loss. Please fire VDN, and I usually don't say fire coaches as fast as some here on this board... my lord that was horrible.

QUOTE (Ranger @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 05:20 PM) What would have been a better, realistic option for them? I am also not entirely enamored with Pierre but I don't think picking up Austin Kearns and hoping he isn't bad is a better option than Pierre. I do. And really.. I don't like (or see) the comparison of a LF and a RF (as Kearns is a RF, even if they both play the OF) but I stated that as well on the Pierre thread to you with what Ozzie Ball was saying.. In his horrid, injury plagued years, Kearns was still a defensive stud in RF. I think if you take him out of a really bad franchise of losing like Washington and put somewhere that the emphasis of that said team is winning, then I believe he will have a nice bounce back year. Hell even as a minor league option, wouldn't do any harm. And BTW, like I said before, I agree with you on Teahan. I really believe the guy will also have a nice year as he is set in one position, is going to a team who wants to win, and is hitting half his games at a hitter's park. (though he won't be facing Mark Buehrle anymore) If he is still average, hey I was wrong and he is, what he is.

Dan Marino and Jim Kelly don't have Super Bowl rings. Obviously they must suck since Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have one.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 06:12 PM) Bears deny report Smith is returning http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/news...e=ESPNHeadlines I gotta say.. if this is true from Jerry, then it gives most of us Bear fans some optimism.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 04:35 PM) 2 Cutler INTs, 1 in the red zone, got lucky with a missed Balt FG, only Bear TD is a punt return. I'm about to stop defending Cutler. He seems lazy on his throws. Rarely steps into it. Meh.. when he does this with a real OC and a QB coach who can actually develop somebody next season, then I'll stop as well. A talented QB like him doesn't go from a Pro Bowler/one of the top QB in the game, to Rex Grossman in one season without something being up.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 01:05 PM) Brittany Murphy died this morning at the age of 32. Heart attack. Yikes Holy s***. And I watched 8 mile yesterday too. Crazy.

Wow.. talk about a throwback.. I remember this was talked about back in the day a few times actually. SoxFan1 (Slav) loves Tucker Max, kinda got me into it a while back, though I haven't followed up on the stories much anymore.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 01:49 AM) Probably because you're always masturbating... That is... partially true.

I always have to close the door in my room to go to sleep. Even if it's open slightly, it gets to me.

Well.. this deal was pending a physical and Lowell failed his physical. He'll have surgery on his thumb, but is expected to be ready by spring training.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxfan1986 @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 10:43 PM) It sucks to see the Saints perfect season end, for the simple fact that I'm sick of Mercury Morris and the 72 Dolphins. Hopefully the Colts can win these next two games. I'm still shocked those guys are still talking. Yes the Patriots lost in the super bowl, but they were still perfect in the regular season. I'd rather them talk when a team (like the Colts) loses in the playoffs when/if they are perfect after the regular season.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 09:05 PM) Joe Johnson looking pretty good tonight.... It's been the Joe Johnson and Derrick Rose show today.

QUOTE (Ranger @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 08:49 PM) You're right, but it's the old recency effect. People are usually greatly affected by events that occur recently. I think some people have had time to let the Peavy excitement wear off. Eh.. people still get their shots in with Alex Rios on this board still. Not sayin it's right.. but just sayin...

QUOTE (Ranger @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 08:45 PM) Totally disagree. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They sign two players like that for the same money and are still left with holes to fill. As it stands now, I think they still have a hole. And that's after they've made those other acquisitions. I agree with what your saying, but you can't dismiss what Ozzie Ball was saying either. I can't speak for Randy Winn but say we signed Nick Johnson to 5.5 mil and traded for Gardner (KW mighta overpaid a bit, but as long as it wasn't Hudson or Flowers couldn't careless about the other "top" prospects) who makes the minimum.. whose to say he still could have signed Austin Kearns (whose had a couple bad years on a terrible Nationals team, but has a career .353 OBP and is one of the best defensive RF in the game) for next to little? (And btw, have no problem with the Putz signing and Teahan addition) That's what some mean by creativity which KW has been really good at in the past. I just think he "settled" for Pierre more or less cause of Ozzie's stress with a leadoff hitter, and Pierre being a veteran certainally helps that though I was never a fan of his (hopefully he can hit like last season or his Marlin years when he was younger). Not saying even THOSE additions would be as good/worse as the guys we have now, but I would certianally feel much better about them given their history in their numbers which is what some feel is mediocrity we've been getting, and honestly... it's hard to argue that unless what a couple said.. maybe we strike lightening with a couple of them having career years. (and I still feel good about Teahan this season)

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 08:04 PM) Not questioning, but is him being black and having 2 other blacks there really going to help him? Honestly, just curious. It's actually been of interest with me for a while, especially regarding Contreras and Iguchi in 2005 and then following them afterwards. Well I can't speak for Bradley cause I'm not in his head (though I don't even think Milton Bradley himself knows what's going on in his head) but the year he was with the A's, he was pretty liked, and the year in Texas, he had his best season under Ron Washington. I tend to think the lower market helps more so than having other black teammates, but I'm sure that does not hurt much at all with Milton. He usually clicks with guys with strong personalities I noticed regardless (I.E. Frank, Swisher, etc..) and Griffey already has that respect all around the game, not to mention is a hellova guy. I can see him developing a few handshakes with Ichiro when he drives him in.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 08:13 PM) I think Williams is trying to recreate 2005. He wants the studly pitching staff (he didn't know he had 4 sub-4 ERAs before the season, considering neither Garland nor Contreras had ever done anything like it), a good bullpen (hasn't moved Jenks and brought in Putz while hoping for others to break out), and a very balanced lineup. Early in the season, the Sox had an absolutely dreadful lineup. He's trying to avoid having that. I still think Thome is going to wind up back here next year, but unless he absolutely starts tearing the cover off the ball against both righties and lefties (which is almost certainly not going to happen), he's going to have a reduced role and will probably only play 120 games. That still leaves Ozzie with a rotating DH, the ability of great pinch hitters, some flexibility off the bench. And another left handed hitter really doesn't hurt. Agreed. But we better hope some players have career years like 2005 (I.E. Garland, Cotts, Pollite, etc..) For some odd reason, I have a good feeling about Teahan at least. We'll see.

I have no idea how many times I've mentioned Austin Kearns on this site... but I'm glad it's been credited as a creative imaginative thought.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:14 PM) Second, one thing that is missing from a lot of our guys is significant OBP. Say what you want about guys being base cloggers, one thing I don't see when I look at that lineup is a guy who's going to take a lot of walks and make you throw a lot of pitches. Just for diversity in the lineup, that could well be useful. Agreed 100% and have been saying that myself. Other than Konerko, Beckham, and Quentin, I don't see anyone in our lineup currently that can be a definite .350+ OBP player. We gotta hope some can have good years and perhaps revert back to it or close around there (Teahan, Rios and I'll even add Alexei as well) and a guy who has to find the youth potion and give us a serviceable OBP (Pierre) as most know.. that isn't A.J.'s game. QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:16 PM) Screw whether they are lefty or righty. Just get the best hitter you can afford. I agree 100% with this as well and I'm glad KW sees it that way from some of the rumors of players on blogs/sites and from sources some don't know here. The whole lefty/righty balance is almost as overrated as Ozzie's lefty/lefty (or righty/righty) tendencies for pitching matchups. Give me Thornton (probably the only guy I feel comfortable with before the season AS OF RIGHT NOW of course) to get that tough lefty or righty out 10/10 times. I'm sure if we traded for B.J. Upton (not saying we will, just hypothetically), there would be no complaints about balance of the lineup especially for that stud who helps us win and can hit lefties and rightites.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:22 PM) If Mark Kotsay is the White Sox every day firstbaseman, we better hope Bears training camp is interesting. I'm going to assume he meant as far as defensively. Which I would definitely put Kotsay out there as a late inning sub over Paulie. Paulie of course is much superior with the bat.