hogan873

I imagine Davidson is the starting 3rd baseman for the Sox come opening day. Unless he has a really bad spring, that is. And therefore, one of Gillaspie or Keppinger will be gone. Personally I'd rather the Sox hold on to Gillaspie. He's younger, can play just about every IF position, and he's left-handed. Trouble is, who would want Keppinger for the money he's owed?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 27, 2013 -> 02:20 PM) No one has said to stop. On with the chicken porking!

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 27, 2013 -> 12:20 PM) So, top 10 movies of 2013, seperate thread or in here? Separate thread.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 27, 2013 -> 01:43 PM) Keep f***ing that chicken. Lousy segue. More importantly, why are you porking a chicken?

Unless something changes during the offseason, it looked like they were trying to have Garcia abandon the switch-hitting. That may help...but it may not. My guess is that they saw something that led them to believe that he was stronger from the right and should concentrate on his strength. If he becomes a better hitter, he could be a nice bench player with his defense and speed.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 27, 2013 -> 10:55 AM) You mean pretty much every thread that goes over 2 pages True. But, that's what happens when there's no news. So, this is all Hahn's fault. #FireHahn #RumorsPlease

QUOTE (mataipaepae @ Dec 27, 2013 -> 10:39 AM) exactly plus that thread has turned more into a fight of who knows more. not much info being put into it anymore. Well, when there are few rumors floating around, threads like that tend to break down into arguing, nerd stats, and nonsense. Hopefully something will happen soon to get us back on track. To answer the original question, Murphy is the last name I've heard as well. I have to think that the Sox will make some sort of move to at least moderately improve the catcher position.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 27, 2013 -> 06:24 AM) JLaw is attractive, not drop dead gorgeous, but a girl I would see in a bar and think, "I'd absolutely bone that." I think how cool and down to earth she is makes her more attractive than her looks. Anyone who questions her acting chops needs to go. She's definitely one of those girls that catches your eye, but what makes her desirable is her personality. And she is extremely talented as an actor. She does a great job in the Hunger Games movies, but then you see her in Winter's Bone and Silver Linings Playbook and her talent really shines.

Forever and ever and ever.

Xylene is a flammable hydrocarbon obtained from wood and coal tar.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 26, 2013 -> 11:11 AM) Realistically, what are the chances Tanaka signs here? Slim to none. I just don't see the Sox being anywhere close to what he's going to get.

I finally got caught up with Sons of Anarchy. I've always thought the show was good, but this season was by far the best. Because I was so far behind, I knew a few things that were going to happen. You can hardly go onto the internet and not see spoilers. But, there were still a few moments I didn't see coming. The end of the season finale was so brutal. Next season should be interesting.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 01:49 PM) I think 13 is going to stay dormant for a while. Isn't Carlos Sanchez's twitter carlossan29? Mitchell is assigned 29 now, but I'm sure that could be changed. Dunn, I would think stays the same. Scott Downs wears 37 mostly. So Thigpen may have to stick with 58. Jose Quintana needs a new number. Sox have too many pitchers in the 60's. Those should be the coaches numbers. Quintana should just have a drawing of Quetzalcoatl on his back.

Beer is a delicious beverage.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 11:26 AM) Really? Seriously.

QUOTE (hammerhead johnson @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 10:42 AM) What's with all the fluff, stroganoff. Slight mis-spelling there. What fluff? Just answering a question about my original post.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 10:13 AM) oh. Please use a minimum of three words in your posts.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 10:04 AM) Yes, this is why we are on this board. The advanced stats don't make anything worse. If you think advanced stats are bad for discussion because they can't predict the future with 100% accuracy, then you must also think that traditional stats are bad for discussion. Because they predict the future with even less accuracy. I don't get it. If you don't want to discuss what has happened with our team and what we think will happen with our team, what are you doing here on the board? Don't get all defensive. My point was that any stats (traditional or advanced) aren't always the best indicator of how a player or team will perform in the future. As I said, I understand why the stats are looked, and I admit my lesser knowledge of them. The 2014 White Sox are going to look very different compared to the 2013 Sox. If you compare the teams on paper before their respective seasons, most people (statniks and casual fans alike) would say the 2013 team would perform better. Now, I doubt there's anyone that is going to say that the 2014 Sox will perform worse than the 2013 Sox. There's something to be said for injecting youth into a team, and changes in venue, and other factors (personal - I'm looking at you Keppinger and Alexei) that affect player's and team's performance. And I'm on this board, like you, to talk about my favorite baseball team. I never said I didn't want to talk about what has happened and what will happen. Quite the opposite, actually, if you go back and read my original post. I was just pointing out that stats aren't always the best indicators. There are other factors, and one of the biggest factors for the 2014 Sox is the number of changes.

Threads like this are always entertaining. They are filled with opinions and conjecture and arguments, and in the end we all know that how a team looks on paper doesn't always translate to actual performance. Last year's team is a perfect example of that. On paper, there was just no way that team should have lost 99 games. The 2005 team is another good example in an opposite way. There weren't many people that expected that team to win the World Series. And in my opinion, the advanced stats make it worse. In every thread that talks about the future or potential is riddled with acronyms like WAR, bWAR, UZR, FART, etc. To many fans, myself included, the advanced stats don't mean much. Don't get me wrong, I understand their usefulness. But, often enough, the advanced stats don't end up being good indicators of how a team/player will perform in the future. In the end, a post saying "they're just not good enough" may be as accurate as a post that looks like a college thesis. Personally, I don't think this team, as currently contructed, will compete in 2014. That being said, I think they'll make it a lot more difficult for the team (Detroit) that leads the way. However, another tweak or two, and this team could be close. The catcher position is of course the biggest concern right now, and unless the Sox make some "wow" trade and acquire a proven backstop, we're probably going to see either Phegley and Flowers or one of those two and another question mark. I'm excited about the White Sox again. I love the idea of getting younger talent with huge potential. 2014 is going to be a fun year for the Sox. A lineup that will include Abreu, Garcia, Eaton, and Davidson is going to be fun to watch. And by 2015 with another improvement or two, the White Sox are going to be a force...probably for a few years.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Dec 19, 2013 -> 01:09 PM) Just when you think teams are getting fiscally responsible (well not responsible, but better) you see an offer like NY made Choo. What were the Yankees thinking? Seven years?? You know he'll be good to excellent maybe 2 of those 7 at best. First, it's the Yankees. Second, Choo will be at least good for the majority of those years. He's been consistently good since 2009 (aside from 2011 when he missed a good chunk of the season). I'm not saying another team is going to offer him more than what the Yankees did, but a 5 to 7 year contract is probably a safe bet with him.

This is a good move. Helps to solidify the bullpen, and the money isn't bad at all. Could there be a move to get a catcher soon? Almost every need has been ticked of the list so far this offseason. And, the Sox have gotten quite a bit younger and have really started building for the future. I'm impressed.

Getting the oil changed in your vehicle regularly will extend its life.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 18, 2013 -> 12:08 PM) Payroll obligations over the next three years: 2015 $45M 2016 $38M 2017 $24M Add Tanaka at $25M per and there is still plenty of room. Tanaka would also alow them to deal Danks in 2015 if he has a bounce back year. I think that right there makes this entire conversation moot. I don't see the Sox even considering a contract like that. Not when there are more important holes to fill.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 18, 2013 -> 11:56 AM) Who are these upgrades you write of? Point is, if the current core flops these "upgrades" aren't going to win them anything. The availability of players changes all of the time. You know that. If these new core players take off, and the Sox are competing for the division at the trade deadline, there will be players (upgrades) available via trade. If the new core players do well, and the future looks bright for 2015, there will be players (upgrades) available via trades and FA signings in the off season. I don't know why you argue these obvious points sometimes. You know as well as the rest of us that there are "upgrades" available when a team is looking for them.

Unless the Sox grab a guy like Lobaton or Jaso to platoon with Flowers/Phegley, I imagine seeing Flowers or Phegley on the roster with Nieto. I think going after anyone who could be the primary starter would cost too much in the way of young talent.