hogan873

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Jan 9, 2013 -> 12:01 PM) Now the Tigers are going after JJ Hardy. All of the White Sox's division rivals are making moves to improve. Hell, the crosstown rival is even improving. And all hear out of the new GMs office is *crickets* I'm waiting for Hahn to come busting through the wall Kool-Aid guy-style, ripping off like three trades in 24 hours.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Jan 7, 2013 -> 11:10 AM) Plus, pretty much the only players who have value are the young guys we're already building around, so we'd probably be further away from contention by going full rebuild right now. If we had some unretainable veterans about to hit free agency, you might have an argument for rebuilding, but as of right now I don't see anybody lining up for Alex Rios and Gavin Floyd... There may be no one "lining up" for Floyd, Rios, or Dunn, but I'm sure Floyd is attractive to some teams. Rios may be attractive too, although I don't see him being traded unless Hahn gets creative an obtains another quality outfielder. Dunn...yeah, I don't think he's going anywhere. I would imagine Hahn has been in talks with several teams about several players, and there will be a few guys gone within the next month or so.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jan 7, 2013 -> 11:04 AM) The problem is the Sox expensive players have little-to-no trade value. I don't think fans would stop coming to the ballpark if they were somehow able to rid themselves of Dunn and Danks. Trading Dunn (and not obtaining another power bat) would probably have some impact. You're right about Danks, though. However, the overall isue is that the Sox have to walk a fine line in putting a quality team on the field, building for the future, and not spending a ton of money. The Cubs are in an obvious rebuild mode, but their attendance will not be taking a huge hit. Remember, going to a Cubs game is cool (hey look, I'm at Wrigley!). If the Sox went into a full rebuild mode, attendance would most certainly take a hit.

I recently bought a new Smart TV with apps like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video built in. So, after signing up for the free month of Prime and Netflix I've been watching movies that I just never rented. Limitless was pretty enjoyable. I never had a desire to see it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I also watched a half-decent horror movie called The Pact. Oh, and I had re-watch Piranha (the one with Elizabeth Shue and Jerry O-Connell...not the horrible sequel 3DD). That movie is awesome.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 3, 2013 -> 10:02 AM) Unbreakable was the only M Knight movie I enjoyed. I think Unbreakable was underrated. There was too much hype and "comparison" to The Sixth Sense (which was an incredible movie), so the movie was never really appreciated for what it was. I enjoyed Signs, too. The Village was weak. I haven't seen anything else by him.

I saw the new trailer for Oz The Great and Powerful in front of Monsters Inc in 3D. The movie looks to be visually awesome. With Sam Raimi at the helm the film could be great. Hopefully it's not completely Disney-ized.

The Following looks like it could be a good show. It's getting a lot of good publicity. I hope it turns out as good as it looks. The Americans on FX looks interesting, too. And I'm very much looking forward to Shameless and Justified.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 2, 2013 -> 09:23 AM) William H Macy is so hilarious in his role. Im just never used to him being such a scumbag and he plays it well He completely disappears into that role. It's amazing how well he plays that character.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2012 -> 02:29 PM) The other thing to ask is...why should the Sox trade him for anything right now? He's not going to break the bank, he's not blocking anyone, and maybe somehow this offseason is the one where he straightens things out. Sure, could be really low probability at this point, but the Sox wouldn't give him away as a throw-in. Good point. And unless Hahn makes a deal and brings in a quality infielder that fits another hole (LH bat), there would be no sense in trading Beckham.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2012 -> 12:25 PM) Beckham has effectively zero trade value right now. He's not negative like Floyd would be to some teams because he doesn't have a huge salary, but he's a first-year arb player, so he won't be underpaid any more, and if he puts up another year like 2011-2012, he's going to be non-tendered at the end of this year. Basically, if I'm a team that might like to try him out, I might as well wait until the end of the year when I can get him off the scrap heap, rather than trade something for him now. Right, which is why I said he could be traded as part of a package. If Hahn swings some deal to acquire an infielder and needs to move someone, Beckham could be a throw in along with Floyd and Thornton for example. In the long run, however, I think it's more likely an outfielder gets traded, and we will be watching Beckham struggle at the plate again.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 28, 2012 -> 09:07 AM) I just think trading Viciedo is risky given that we'll have five guys in our starting lineup over the age of 30 next year. We desperately need to develop some young position players soon or we're going to be in a real bad spot in the next year or two when Rios, Dunn, & Konerko are all possibly gone. Viciedo will be 24 to start next season and is under control for five more years. There's an incentive to stick with him and develop him into a legit middle of the order bat. There just isn't much behind him in the system. Good point. I know the debate over Viciedo and whether or not he will become a dangerous MLB hitter will rage on this site until he either develops or gets past the point where we can say "let's wait and see." But with his young age and the fact that he showed flashes of what could be, I wouldn't mind hanging on to him. If he were to be traded, I would hope the Sox get something they need, especially considering he's under control for five more years. I agree that Floyd and at least one more player will be traded. I could see Floyd, Thornton, and one of De Aza/Viciedo/Rios/Beckham being traded. Depending on what Hahn is targeting, Beckham could be traded (in a package) for a 3B and Keppinger moved to 2nd. Or an outfielder could be traded for an impact LH bat. I just hope something happens soon. We're all getting antsy.

If Rick Hahn decides he is finished this offseason, he will fire himself. This thread is silly, although I'm sure it's in jest.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 27, 2012 -> 08:35 AM) You are taking this wrong. Losing AJ is fine, as long as he's replaced adaquately. It could be a disaster if they think Flowers/Gimenez is the answer. Flowers started 41 games last year. He had to be lifted for a pinch hitter 10 times. I know he was great in Birmingham several years ago. That doesn't make him a star. If they aren't looking for a catcher now, there's a good chance they will be in May or June. My guess is that they are waiting to see how Flowers does before looking for a replacement/platoon partner. Other than Salty (via trade) or Olivo, who could they go after and not spend a lot of money?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 27, 2012 -> 08:25 AM) Except that Flowers can hit a fastball. --- f*** it. If you guys are going to be so butthurt about losing AJ that you won't even give Flowers a chance, then so be it. I'm looking forward to a change in the White Sox lineup - lord knows new blood is exciting, and beyond any of that, the Sox were never going to spend $7.5 million on AJ. If you can't look past the fact that the organization is looking to allocate funds elsewhere while trying to build towards the future while also being happy AJ ended up in a situation that is good for him both financially and professionally, then you are very short-sighted. I'm done with this stupid debate. Yeah, I really haven't seen posters saying Flowers is a superstar defensively, but rather he's better than AJ. I have no doubt the Sox will lose some production offensively, but we all have to remember that 2012 AJ never happened before and most likely will never happen again. The Sox can (and most likely will) take the money saved by not signing AJ and use it to fill other holes. The catcher position was the one that was probably the easiest to fill from within.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 27, 2012 -> 08:12 AM) The one thing I can't get past is all of the above, but then that people have already written him off. This is far closer to an Alejandro De Aza situation than it is a DeWayne Wise situation. As far as the catcher position, I'm more concerned about a back-up for Flowers. I don't know that the Sox necessarily want a LH hitting back-up or if that even matters. If Flowers is going to get 80%+ of the starts, I suppose it doesn't matter if the back-up bats from the opposite batters box. However, I don't want it to be a sure out every time the catcher comes to bat when Flowers isn't playing.

The one thing I can't get past in the Flowers debate is that he has not had a chance to play full time and prove he can be a good starting catcher. I'm sorry to see AJ go, too, but the move makes sense. Paying AJ more than $7.5MM for one year just because Flowers is unproven does not make sense. If July comes around, and Flowers is hitting .190 with a handful of homeruns, the Sox will have to make a decision and a move to improve the position. But right now, what else can the Sox do? Look at what some of the other catchers are getting paid. AJ is most likely overpaid for 2013. I personally think Flowers will be fine. He's not going to hit .300, but he's a good defensive catcher with a lot of power. Plus, as this thread is regarding the Sox looking for a LH bat, the money saved by not re-signing AJ can be used to pay for that bat if it comes down to that.

I clicked because it said there was nothing to see. That's what they always say. I almost didn't click, though, but that's exactly what they'd expect me to do. Damn them. However, I was greeted with one of the funnier threads in recent history...almost as funny as the threads that discuss ad nausem platooning Viciedo. The slight detour into borderline gay porn was a bit concerning. But what does Rick Hahn expect? Hopefully a trade happens soon or this site may come completely off the tracks.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 21, 2012 -> 10:14 AM) And I was in the stands. I was there, too. What a fantastic game and a great play by AJ. I'll miss him for sure, and my daughter was devastated when I told her the news. She loves AJ and always chose #12 for her softball jerseys. There's no doubt he was instrumental in the Sox winning the World Series, but he brought his "play as hard you can" attitude every day. There are so many things he did over the years from big homeruns to little things that just irritated the other team. He's always been the guy you hate on other teams, but I have no doubt he will get quite an ovation when he returns to the Cell next year (for his first at-bat anyway). I think Flowers will be okay. I imagine he will be a better hitter with more consistent playing time, and we already know he's got a ton of power. He could be a .250ish hitter with 20+ HRs. Or he could hit more homeruns with a lower average. We'll have to wait and see. I'm not sure about a back-up for him, though. I wonder if we'll see a minor move to acquire a decent back-up.

I grew up outside of Pittsburgh and was a die hard Pirates fan. I was actually a die hard baseball fan, and I would watch any game that was on TV. We moved to North Carolina in 1987, but I remained a Pirates fan. I also started following the Braves, watching them on TBS on a little black and white TV in my bedroom. This was in the late 80's before they were a good team. Needless to say, my tune changed when they became a good team and beat the Pirates two years in a row in the NLCS. Even after watching the Pirates blow their chances in 1991 and 1992, I was still a fan. Two things happened, though, in 1994. First, the Pirates traded/didn't re-sign most of their good players and went from yearly contender to a farm team in disguise. The other thing was the strike that ended the season. At that point I basically lost interest in baseball altogether. I had joined the Coast Guard in 1992, and I was living in Juneau, AK in 1994, and I had just moved to New London, CT in 1995. So, there really wasn't another team I started following. I transferred to Baltimore in 1997, and I went to a few Orioles games, but I still felt no attachment to any team or even the game. I met my wife in Baltimore in a training class. She had travelled to Baltimore from Chicago to audit the class for the Department of Transportation. We had a long distance relationship until I was transferred to Chicago in 1999. I credit her for getting me back into baseball, as she was (and still is) a huge White Sox fan. I'm not sure what it is about the White Sox, but even as a transport and a relatively new fan, I feel like I've been a fan my whole life. I don't remember having this type of attachment to a team, even when I felt like I was a die hard Pirates fan. Being a White Sox fan can be very frustrating (see 2006-2012), but there's not really anything else I'd rather be, especially in the months of April through October.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Dec 20, 2012 -> 03:00 PM) Right. And people wait in lines at McDonalds for french fries they have to pay for, then eat said french fries, make noises (via their bums), get fat, and then also poop in toilets at home which they also have to pay for. Seagulls have bopped their heads on the question-marked block, collected the mushroom, and have 1-UP'ed their human competitors. Ricky "The Mild THing" Hahn has 1-UP'ed whom? Exactly. At least cars are afraid of seagulls, cars which by the way are cared for & pampered by people. What does that tell you? I need a beer.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Dec 20, 2012 -> 02:39 PM) You guys are all making sense. What I loved about Kenny though was the fact that he would make a move without thinking all day about whether or not it was a mistake. Aggressiveness is an excellent quality for a GM to have and I see none of it with Hahn. It seems like Hahn is playing it way too safe and I don't like that one bit. Look, if you don't think DeAza is a long-term piece then f***ing trade him. Yes, as "dominos" fall, there are fewer players on the market. The flip side is that there are then fewer teams looking to fill holes. Sitting around all day doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get a better return on a player. Often it means you end up getting nothing done & have to take less than what you wanted at a later date. I will now echo the statement of another poster on this thread who asked Rock Raines which direction are we headed in. What is the plan here? Do we have one? Seagulls have a plan. Seagulls have a direction, a very clear direction. When you watch the geese fly overhead, they actually know where they are going. Do the Sox even know that? Is Rick Hahn smarter than a seagull or a goose or a gander? None of this is certain, and the lack of action & the uncertainty surrounding it makes me think about monster trucks. THat is all. Seagulls sit around parking lots waiting for someone to drop a bag of McDonald's french fries. Then they eat said french fries, make noise, get fat, and then poop on cars.

The free agent market is quickly drying up, so some of the potential trade pieces on the Sox are going to look more appealing to other teams. Hahn will probably be able to get more for Floyd, Thornton, etc. after some FAs have signed vs. a couple weeks ago. I imagine a few moves will be made to improve the team, but I'd be suprised if there was a blockbuster involving the Sox.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 20, 2012 -> 12:07 PM) That's why they are a run-of-the-mill outfit. I'm not sure what you mean by that statement. But most teams are doing both, 2012 Miami Marlins excluded. The Sox aren't going to drop their payroll to $50 million and concentrate on rebuilding for 3 years, not are they going to increase payroll to $170 million to "ensure" a World Series showing.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 20, 2012 -> 12:05 PM) Platoon Viciedo/Dunn and get a LF'er. I'm "hung up on" Viciedo because finding a platoon for him is the most cost effective way to improve the offense. No way, unless you want to platoon Viciedo and Wise. There just is not a cheap way to improve the offense that makes the Sox SO much better.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 20, 2012 -> 11:55 AM) Why is developing Viciedo more important than giving the team the best chance possible to compete for a postseason spot? It's not a black and white issue. It's not an either/or situation. If the Sox could go out and get a top notch (and very expensive) outfielder to replace Viciedo, they probably would if winning right now was the most important thing and they had the money. The team has to do what they can to compete AND build for the future.