Jordan4life_2007

Even Balta has seen the light.

lmao@we didn't fall a lot short. I guess 16 games is within striking distance. Yeah, I definitely agree with you, dirty, now that I read it again. They'll never come out and say they're punting a season. Then Dickallen, Rockraines, etc, will threaten to discontinue their season tickets because youth is bad. Familiar expensive vets is good.

QUOTE (WHITESOXRANDY @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 04:49 PM) Now, the Sox are backing off rebuilding according to JR. I knew they would never do it. Say hello to 3rd or 4th place thru 2020 +. Want to be a little more specific?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 04:23 PM) So instead of spending millions JR should just be pocketing it? The White Sox successfully rebuilt beginning after the 1986 season. 1990 was the return to prominence. Even drafting guys like Thomas, McDowell, Ventura and Fernandez, that didn't net them a WS either, so I guess by your standards that rebuild was a total failure, however, in 2005, picking up retreads like Dye and El Duque, they did win the WS. Go figure. The White Sox have many advantages over their division counterparts. Its time they use them. A new GM, the right GM, would have this team dominating. The GM we have now apparently has now become content to be in first place a few days during the season. Honestly, there's no talking to you. We can go back and forth all day and night. You can poke all kinds of holes in rebuilding. I can do just the same in going with the status quo or throwing millions at free agents or "name" guys. Ozzie's gone. Walker's gone. Mark's gone. We've got a manager that's never managed. Like it or not, the franchise is going in a different direction. But you can do your part and stop going to games to send a message that you're not happy. I will continue to go to games, even if on paper 3rd/4th place is more realistic than 1st. Yes, KW sucks and I want him gone. He offered to step down and Jerry wasn't having it. So KW's got one last chance. In his defense, and this really pains me, we've never seen KW in any mode other than go-for-it mode. It'll be interesting to see if he FINALLY learns from his past mistakes.

lol. Sounds like the Rockets want the Lakers to get Paul more than the Lakers want to get Paul.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 04:14 PM) Why are people looking at replacing Alexei? We have him for the next 5 seasons at a pretty fair price, and we have literally no foreseeable SS talent in our minor league system that could take over. Marty in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1111111111111111111111111111

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 03:47 PM) I think its effect is overrated. Besides, the Sox aren't going to win anything in the next 2 years. Rebuilding is going to be a daunting enough task. But if it were up to you, yes, we'd definitely be the AL version of the Pirates.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 03:20 PM) You're against signing him for the next five years? If he did, you'd want to flip him for more pitching.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 02:56 PM) The Bulls would still be considered Rose's team by the media, Derrick would still be getting more endorsement deals and he'd still be seen as the face of the franchise, stuff like that could absolutely matter to a guy like Dwight who seems to like to be the life of the party. Oh, I totally agree with you there. Little guys have always been easier to sell than big guys. Shaq was an exception. 2nd fiddle to me has always meant, like, the clear-cut second best player on a team. Like Pippen, Kobe (when Shaq was there) or even a Pau Gasol. That's what I was arguing.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 02:13 PM) Judging from his comments, Chauncey's almost undoubtedly going to the Heat. He wants no part of being claimed and he's letting it be known. That'd be just wonderful. C: Anthony/? PF: Bosh/Haslem SF: LeBron/Battier SG: Wade/Miller PG: Billups/Chalmers Obviously C still sucks. And Miller might be gone. But they're deeper and better. But RIP is on the way. QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 02:20 PM) He'd be 2nd fiddle to Derrick in this city, whether he'd be the most important cog on the team, well that's definitely up for debate but there's no question that he'd be the 2nd "star" on his own team and that might be the reason he doesn't want to be here, who knows. If you mean it's Rose's city in the way it was Wade's city and that any superstar that comes in by default becomes the "2nd" star, I guess I can agree with that definition.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 01:34 PM) Since KW has been the GM, the Sox have made the playoffs twice. The Mets only have made it once in that time. The Cubs have made it 3 times, the Dodgers 4 times. If KW made the playoffs 4 times in 11 seasons, most wouldn't complain. And look at the state those franchises are in right now? They spent their millions and millions and millions and won nothing (not even a single WS appearance).

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 01:47 PM) You said he'd be the most important cog, and that would be incorrect. That'd be up for serious debate. Not around here, obviously. But anywhere else, yeah, lots of people would beg to differ. But it doesn't matter. It will never happen.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 01:37 PM) That really makes no sense. Here's where your argument derails. Just because Dwight is the best center in the NBA doesn't mean he can hold Shaq's jock strap. Shaq was a much better center, and it certainly isn't close. You can't just throw Dwight to the top of the pyramid of greats by default because he stands out in this era. By my logic, which is all I stated, is that Dwight's flaws are too great for him to be considered on the level you consider him to be at already. s***, an in prime Shaq had actual moves (a library of them) at the rim and was a much better passer. On those Laker teams, Shaq was outscoring Kobe, for Christ's sake. I'd love to see an in-prime Shaq vs today's Dwight Howard. He'd flash that 'Superman' tattoo and tell Dwight to stop stealing nicknames. Why did you quote me then? I never said Dwight was flawless. But he is peerless at his position. That's an advantage that can't be understated.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 01:13 PM) In the details available to Yahoo! Sports, Paul goes the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets, and Houston still sends Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets. The main changes in the deal, originally nixed by the NBA, will come between New Orleans and the Lakers, sources say. link So they just leave Odom out of the trade? First time in history a player literally cried his way out of being traded? That'd be a first. Lamar acted like a little f***ing b****. Jesus. Players get traded, dude. I don't remember him being this upset over losing his infant son.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 12:49 PM) What Dwight does hasn't exactly been the best thing in the league. Is he the best center? Yes. Has he been the most valuable player? No. He's rather useless from outside 10 feet and is worthless in crunch time. He's fun, of course. He gets big time boards, big time dunks, big time blocks, but as much of a freak as he is, he has way too many issues with his game that have yet to be rectified. So by your logic Kobe > Shaq. Shaq wasn't shooting many jumpers in his prime (thankfully). Yes, the lack of talent at the C position makes Dwight stand out more. But oh well. It is what it is. I don't really get into the whole batman/robin stuff. I just don't agree at all with the thinking that one of the reasons Dwight doesn't want to come to Chicago is because he doesn't want to play "2nd fiddle" to Rose. As if he would be Rose's Pippen equivalent. They're both franchise superstars.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 10:34 AM) This is Derrick's city and team, he'd absolutely be 2nd fiddle here. If 2nd fiddle means being the most important cog then I agree. Nothing against Rose. But there's guys out there that can do what he does. There's nobody out there that can do what Dwight does.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 11:15 AM) That'd be awesome. And let's not pretend that the Rays got to where they are simply by losing and getting awesome picks. They devoted a lot of resources to finding and developing talent. I'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot about the Royals, Pirates, and Orioles for some time. I'll just have to get used to that. They're the epitome of failure, so they're the stock argument. The Rangers are another prime example of the impact a top-flight front office can have. How many top-10 picks have they collected the last 6-7 years? But like you said, it's easier for the anti-rebuild squad to cite the worst-case scenarios. It's funny to me. With Rios, Peavy and Dunn still here, there won't be a full-blown rebuild regardless. PK and AJ are still here. The anti-rebuild guys can simply go into next year hoping and praying that Peavy goes circa '07 and makes 30+ starts (lol at that), Rios FINALLY lives up to his tools/talent (double lol at that), and Adam Dunn remembers how to not be the worst baseball player to ever live. Even with Buehrle, all those things would have to happen for there to be any chance at competing at all. That should be enough for some people. If all those things happen, they should be right in the thick of it. KW will dive into what's left from a pathetic farm system and go get some past his prime, expensive vet to 'put us over the top'. Same M.O of the last 10 years. The anti-rebuild guys are happy because that's familiar and what they know.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 10:30 AM) Salivating over A ball rosters isn't much fun. The fans in Pittsburgh, KC and Baltimore are probably sick about hearing of prospects. I'm sure the few fans left in Oakland are getting a little sick of getting prospects, developing them, then dealing them for some more wondering if the cycle will ever stop. One poster thought the Sox should be more like the Rays. Apparently he didn't realize how bad for how long the Rays had to be to get to their current position. The fact is most who want this do not have the patience for it. Gordon Beckham played in the minor leagues a very short time. Yet it hasn't taken long for many to call him a bust. I don't have the patience for it. I want to get to the middle of winter with some hope on my mind, knowing that chances are I will be dissappointed at some point, but the 2 or so times a decade I'm not, makes it well worth it. Going into seasons with no hope isn't going to be good for business. Milkman will be there. He'll probably have his own personal vendors. Losing period isn't much fun. You bring up the Pirates, Royals and Orioles? I counter with the Mets, Cubs and Dodgers. You seem to be content with losing as long as the names on the roster are recognizable (I'm canceling my season ticket package because I can't watch Mark Buehrle throw every five days; who cares if we're perpetually stuck in no-man's land). The Rays aren't where they are simply because of high draft picks from five years ago. That's the lazy/easy way to look at it. There were they are because they're a top-flight organization from top-to-bottom. They scout better than any other team. They pick up dirt-cheap impact talent better than any other team. They know when it's time to part with guys (Kazmir when he was done, Garza when he was getting expensive) and not lose anything because they're always planning ahead. They preach defense, baserunning and execute both better than any other team. All this while dealing with the Yankees and Red Sox. The game has changed over the last five years and the Sox have failed miserably at adapting to that change. They've dismissed the draft/LA; made multiple short-sighted trades for non-impact talent or past their prime vets; took on extremely hefty contracts in years and money for guys with serious question marks and here they are. It didn't have to be this way. But it is now. Forgive me if I choose to want to see a new M.O. For you, just believing there's a chance going into the season is enough. I've seen enough fail over the last five years where that is no longer good enough for me.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 09:59 AM) Yeah but you get to see prospects, and for a lot of people on this board, that's a better option than watching your team win. Or you could spend 120+ million on an old, unathletic, played out roster. But hey, at least they're familiar names.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 09:19 AM) Man, I really dislike the idea of Rip. The thought of having another guy who needs the entire team to set screens for him is annoying. He's Kyle Korver in that regard, but worse from 3 pt range, and can draw a foul inside. He should be the last option. You mean a 34-year old one-dimensional, no defense playing SG doesn't wet your whistle?

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 08:05 AM) Still need 4 to 6 more people. ID: 22963 PW: nba2011 Draft, Sunday December 18th @ 7pm CT I joined.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 12:52 AM) I still have no idea how they made the playoffs last season...I had the Jays winning more games than the Rays...they lost Crawford, Pena, their entire bullpen, and replaced everything in-house, basically. Crazy that they managed to come back and win that division, Red Sox collapse or no collapse. There was obviously some luck and good fortune involved. But on paper, they never should've been in striking distance in the first place.

QUOTE (sircaffey @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 01:05 AM) One has been that he will always play 2nd fiddle to Rose. Meh. I don't really buy that at all. Howard is a 3-time DPOY, 3-time rebounding champion, a top 5 finisher in MVP voting the last 4 years and he's already led a team to the finals. He'd be at worst 1A. Many could argue that it'd be Rose that would have to take a backseat to Howard. Chicago is just not a desired enough destination for elite free agents. I thought back in 2000 it was due to the huge stink leftover from the premature breakup of the dynasty. But other than that, we can't seem to lure the big boys. We end up with the Ben Wallace's and Carlos Boozer's of the world.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 9, 2011 -> 11:27 PM) I used to give most of the credit to all of the top 10 draft picks the Rays had. Those picks definitely made it easier, and they suffered through tons of awful seasons, but they have done so much else right, they deserve tons of credit. Plus, the Pirates & Royals have had the same top picks and they both still suck ass. Other than Longoria, Price and Upton (the latter being a perpetual underachiever), their entire roster during the last 4 years has consisted of late or non first-round picks all together. And I mean guys that they've drafted. To get to the post-season three times in four years with their payroll in that division? That's incredible scouting, keen shrewdness and mastering the art of cornering the bargain-basement market.

The Blazers remind me of those early 90's Hornets teams with Alozno, LJ, Gill and even Mugsy. That team should've been a powerhouse.