striker

Summary of todays game: Cleveland can hit 88mph fastballs

Freddy Garcia has nothing on his fastball. He's getting traded.

That's the problem with the bullpen, one bad pitch can make your whole outing look bad when in fact you pitched good. You don't have another 5-6 innings that day to redeem yourself. Look at Vizcaino last year. He had that 1 outing that he gave up like 6 runs in 3 innings and it made his ERA balloon. Overall he had a great year, but that one outing made him look bad. A bullpen pitcher has to have a totally different mindset.

I live in Chicago and I'm looking for Sox apparel for a 2T boy and a 3T girl. Know of any good places in town or online to shop? MLB.com and Chicagosports.com don't have much for kids.

It looks like Rick White

Who is pitching for the sox now?

Frank Thomas is a 6'5" 300lbs woman. "I mean, Robin (Ventura). Guys that could have been cornerstones forever in your organization. Alex Fernandez, Wilson Alvarez. It just continues. OK?" I loved these three guys and was dissapointed to see them leave. But I do recall that none of them amounted to s*** after they left. So the Sox ultimately made the right decision letting them leave. You can add McDowell to that list.

wow, one of the greatest players to never play the game....

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2006 -> 05:16 PM) Joe Crede is not in the last year of his contract this year any more than he was last year. He has several more years of arbitration eligibility before he can become a FA. I did not know this.

Hendry sucks. Huge budget, overated players, no results.

Historically when players are on the last year of their contracts they have phenominal years, then sign huge contracts and return to normal. I'm betting Contreras wins at least 17 games and Crede hits over .300 if he is healthy.

Last year was the first time since 2003 that Contreras has an ERA below 5!! And he thinks he deserves a raise?? He still has to earn that $8mil/year for those 3 s***ty years. Sox are going to let him walk after 2006. They have no need to resign him with Cotts and McCarthy waiting in the wings. Plus, how many players have we seen have AWESOME seasons the last year of their contract?? Use him then lose him.

1) When calculating a teams payroll, do you use the figure the player makes or the team pays them? For example: Thome. Do you use $16mil or $7.5mil? I've estimated the Sox payroll to be about $87.5mil (based on players salaries), not including arbitration eligible players. But it's only $75mil based on what the Sox pay (subtract $7.5mil year for thome, $2mil a year for Vazquez, $2mil a year for Contreras). So really the Sox are only paying $75mil for their team which is nothing. 2) When a team sends cash with a player in a trade (like the $4 mil we received from Arizona with Vazquez), do they give a lump sum right up front or allocate it over a period of time? My estimated salary figures: Player Position 2006 Salary Sox Pay Tadahito Iguchi 2B $2,400,000.00 $2,400,000.00 Paul Konerko 1B $12,000,000.00 $12,000,000.00 Juan Uribe SS $3,150,000.00 $3,150,000.00 Jermaine Dye RF $5,000,000.00 $5,000,000.00 Scott Posednik LF $1,900,000.00 $1,900,000.00 A.J. Pierzynski C $4,000,000.00 $4,000,000.00 Jim Thome DH $16,000,000.00 $7,500,000.00 Paublo Ozuna S-IF $500,000.00 $500,000.00 Chris Widger S-C $650,000.00 $650,000.00 Brian Anderson CF $500,000.00 $500,000.00 Javier Vazquez P $12,000,000.00 $10,000,000.00 Freddy Garcia P $9,000,000.00 $9,000,000.00 Mark Buehrle P $7,750,000.00 $7,750,000.00 Jose Contreras P $8,000,000.00 $6,000,000.00 Brandon McCarthy $300,000.00 $300,000.00 Cliff Politte P $1,200,000.00 $1,200,000.00 Neal Cotts P $500,000.00 $500,000.00 Dustin Hermanson $3,000,000.00 $3,000,000.00 Total $87,850,000.00 $75,350,000.00

I doubt we trade BMac because he is good and inexpensive. I doubt we trade for a CF either. Why add payroll when we have minor league talent that can do the job. Adding Vazquez gets us locked in 3 more years with a good pitcher. KW will offer contracts to Garland and Contreras and whoever signs first won't be dealt. If neither sign both could possibly be dealt as long as we get pitching in return. Think about it. Your first 4 pitchers being Buehrle, Garcia, Vazquez and McCarthy is still really good. I like KW's proactiveness. He's thinking ahead and that will save money in the long run. If you wait til the next year to sign your players you will overspend. I don't like how he get's cocky "the time to get serious is now". It's not classy.

I don't think the Marlins dumping players is necessarily a bad thing. They did it once before and in the past 10 years, only the Yankees have won more World Series. In fact, I think dumping players is smart. They get what they need from their players, dump them for prospects, build up the prospects, rent players to win the World Series (see Ivan Rodriguez), dump again. They are getting prospects for nothing. They had a legitimate chance of winning last year so they signed Delgado. They didn't win, didn't want to spend, so they dump and get prospects and start the process over. Why waste money on salaries if you really don't think you have a legitimate chance of winning? They are smart with money unlike the Rangers, Mets and Phillies who all over spend and go no where. Whey give in to the overpaying of players.

QUOTE(That funky motion @ Dec 4, 2005 -> 04:34 PM) Pierre or Damon would fill both of these needs. I bet Lugo goest to the Braves. I bet Damon goes to the Cubs. If I were the Cubs, I'd rather have Damon then Pierre. Cost you a little more money but won't cost you prospects.

QUOTE(FGarcia34 @ Dec 3, 2005 -> 11:50 PM) After hearing that Garland turned down a three year deal from the Sox on ESPN Radio last week, it got The Rock thinking. From the lists of players to be traded the main pitching name that sticks out is Barry Zito. Now with Garland likely to leave in 2007, why not deal him now while his stock is the highest its ever been. Adding another lefty to the staff would be a great addition and from what I can tell Billy Beane loves good looking white pitchers (Zito, Mulder, Harden, etc). So I suggest trading Garland for Zito and securing Zito to one of those patented 3 year 20-some million contract, what do you guys think? Zito would demand more money than Garland. Both deserve more than what Burnett (possibly $10 mil/year) and Pavano (roughly $10 mil/year) make. Even crappy Kris Benson makes over $7mil. Sox need to just anty up and pay the guy. Unless we resign Hernandez, Hermanson and Contreras in 2007 we will have $15 mil off the payroll.

I doubt Crede or AJ get that big of raises.

QUOTE(qwerty @ Nov 28, 2005 -> 11:05 PM) This should be pretty interesting... Why do you hope he falls down and breaks his back? That's the only way the Met's will learn.

I hope he falls down at the press conference and breaks his back.

Has anyone heard if Mike Sweeney is available? He could be an option to replace Konerko if Konerko signs elsewhere.

QUOTE(Wanne @ Nov 25, 2005 -> 07:01 PM) a) his back...is it a lingering long term thing B) his arbitration number plus the fact Boras is his agent. c) His propensity for extended slumps. So then why would Texas want him and an injury prone Hernandez?

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Nov 22, 2005 -> 05:17 AM) On Sportscenter they had a report from Peter Gammons and he stated the following: "So now, after having one of the oldest rotations, Boston can trot out Beckett, Jonathon Papelbon and John Lester for the next 6 years and compete with anyone in October." Gammons used to say the same about the Sox and Ruffcorn, Bere, Kip Wells, Fernandez and Alvarez.

I love PK just as much as the next guy but anything more than 4 years and $11 mil/per is not worth it. He is good but he had to dig himself out of huge holes the past three years.

I stopped reading after #1. Your friend is a racist piece of s$%&. Tell him it's more appropriate for them not to speak English since they played in the WORLD series.