hogan873

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 12:36 PM) Seriously. Kid sports at 6 or 7 are mostly chaos. Very true. Coaching a 6U baseball team is chaos. Watching a 6U baseball game is like watching paint dry.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 12:19 PM) You're right. They shouldn't have to worry about it. They likely aren't worried about it, but I'm sure their parents are... sitting on the bench and never playing is way worse than being cut and trying something else. That's true. But when we're talking about 1st and 2nd graders, no one should be sitting on the bench. Everyone at that age should have an opportunity to play. Once the kids get to jr high it's a different story. Teams will have bench players.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 11:30 AM) It's not like the s***ty kids aren't very aware that they suck...it's just as embarrassing to suck ass and still be on the team as it is to be cut or redeployed into a weaker league. It's an unavoidable fact of life, and sheltering kids from it until 12 years old only makes it more difficult for them to adjust later in life. I agree with your last sentence...for the most part anyway. I've seen my share of bad players, and haven't we all secretly wished the kid was on another team? I don't have experience outside of the league where my son plays, but they don't cut anyone. If someone registers, they get to play. They do, however, hold a draft. So, the better players go first. But each team ends up with those that can't play well, or worse are being pushed into it by their parents.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 11:25 AM) So you just limit registration? In many of these areas there are more interested in playing than can conceivably be deployed on a team. Good point. And yes, many leagues limit registration. Right now I think some leagues are hurting for players, and they keep their registration open a lot later. But most have a set TIME for registration, and if someone doesn't sign up in time they're out of luck. Then there's the option of travel ball (speaking about baseball still) where kids can try out. There will certainly be some kids who don't make it. But, again, depending on the number of kids who try out, it might be a matter of only having room for 12 kids per team.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 10:50 AM) And then you start thinking about the team you get to watch come spring... less awesome. I'm still excited about it. I look at it like this: Last year was "All In", and it was one of the most frustrating and depressing seasons I've seen. This year with some fresh blood and a new coaching staff, I'm looking forward to seeing how the young guys do and if the disappointing ones can rebound. I'm not expecting a title run, but if we can start seeing what the future of the Sox looks like, and it looks good, I'm okay with that.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 10:41 AM) The title is mis-leading. 7-year-old Anna Kimball kicked off baseball team just because she’s a girl Should be 7-year-old girl Anna Kimball cut from baseball team because she's not as good as other players Well, in the article the coach said she's better than her brother. But, the title was misleading because other players (including boys) were cut. At least according to the coach, the reason she was cut was that the team was going to be in a league that prohibited girls from playing and to make the team more competitive in said league. Still ridiculous.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 10:16 AM) My first reaction is every sports program up to high school schould be about skill development, sportsmanship, and learning how to be a team mate. Keep score if you like, but winning and losing should not be the goal until high school. Fortunately my school district shares this philosophy. It's good to hear that some areas are doing this. The league where my son plays is all about development. Scores are kept, but both teams just have a team mom or dad doing it. The only time scores count are in the playoffs at the end...and I think some of those games get a little out of control.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 10:06 AM) Basically agree with what you said. They're 6 and 7. How "competitive" is any league at that age? My guess is the coach has some issues and is trying to live his dream through youth baseball. This is a big problem with youth sports. I see too often where coaches expect too much out of the kids and end up yelling at them or making them feel bad about themselves. That's no way to make a kid a better player.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-p...-211302532.html I thought since it's a slow sports day we could discuss this. I read through the article, and I was torn on what I thought. As many people mentioned in the comments on Yahoo, boys aren't allowed to play on girls softball teams. But, I can't help keep coming back to the fact that it's a team for 6 and 7 year olds. And they cut the girl (and several other players) to make the team more competitive. For a team with 6 and 7 year olds... I've been coaching my son's baseball teams for a few years, and our league is open to boys and girls. In the Shetland (6U) division, there are usually a handful of girls on each team, but by the time you get to Mustang (10U) there are almost no girls, as most have moved on to softball. So, I'm not sure which side to argue, except that the article is talking about a team for 6 and 7 year olds, and I don't see how cutting a few players can make them that much more competitive. By the way, mods if you feel this belongs in the Buster, I understand.

I had a ton of shows on my DVR, and I'm working through them one by one. We're catching up with Person of Interest right now. I'm really enjoying it.

I went with Sale. I think he'll do well enough, and when he does falter here and there he'll get a pass since it's his first year as a starter. However, Konerko is a good bet, too.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 27, 2012 -> 10:41 AM) Don Cooper wouldn't let me put his name in the poll. What a bum, what a clown. He's a big meanie!

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 27, 2012 -> 10:14 AM) The system definitely lacks in 1B's and power hitters, even more so than it does in other areas. Wilkins is the one guy who might fit both bills, but 2012 will be a good indicator if that will really happen. Certainly he's worth keeping an eye on for that purpose. The only other power hitter in the system, at least at this point, is Trayce Thompson. But he is still very raw, hasn't hit for a solid average yet, and strikes out a metric f***-ton. Is that an industry unit of measure?

Very well done list. I see lots of pitchers, a few middle infielders, and one 1st baseman...and two catchers. In the opinions of those better versed in the minors, is in concerning to not have a good potential replacement for Konerko? I imagine having pitchers, outfielders, and middle infielders is more important (as 1st base seems to require less athleticism), but after years of having a good power-hitting 1st baseman, what does the future hold for the Sox once Konerko leaves or retires (hopefully the latter)?

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 25, 2012 -> 02:15 PM) While I enjoyed the article and generally agreed with his opinion, I must say I hated that he wrote it. As far as I am concerned, any mention of Oz in a Chicago newspaper or referenceing the Sox is a bad article and further plays into their over inflated opinions of themselves (Guillens). It is a good day when there are no Oz/Sox columns, it is a bad day when there is. And I believe Oz will be one hell of a manager for the next couple seasons. With the team that they've built, Ozzie should look good. But what happens if there's a collapse of epic proportions (which is entirely possible)?

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Jan 25, 2012 -> 10:02 AM) I've said it before here, I just don't think he's gonna recover much. He is not the player he was for whatever reason. I know what you're getting at, but there's a better chance that last year was just a bad year (for whatever reason) than him suddenly not being able to play like he used to ever again. No, I don't have any facts, data, or stats, but in my opinion he'll rebound. I'm not certain he'll hit 40 HRs, but I expect a season closer to his career norm.

A long high-pitched wail was just heard coming from Kansas.

Who are some of the folks on Twitter worth following for trade rumors and such?

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 24, 2012 -> 10:24 AM) Crazy that a movie like Bridesmaids could have a Best Supporting Actress nomination She was one of the best parts of that movie.

QUOTE (G&T @ Jan 24, 2012 -> 11:24 AM) "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" for best picture, eh? A movie with 48% on rotten tomatoes - 30% behind any other nominee. I haven't seen it, but that seems out of place. I'm not sure I like the 10 nominations. It seems like they reach for the last few, and I would guess this movie falls in that category.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 24, 2012 -> 01:38 AM) Let's take your points. Hawk is ... • rambling: They have to fill the airtime. I don't think he rambles that much. • Idiotic: Why would you say that? He's played baseball, seen a lot of ball. Idiotic? I say no to that. • Bellowing: I like his home run call. • Cliched: Maybe, but aren't all announcers more cliched than Hawk? How can you say Hawk has no clue. He also actually criticizes the team some which NO OTHER team does except maybe the Cubs announcers too. I'm okay with Hawk. To me he's entertaining, and he will lay down some criticisms. But he does ramble, you have to admit that. How often does he start talking about guys no one has ever heard of?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 23, 2012 -> 04:07 PM) Has he eaten anything? True. He needs the 30 pounds that Dunn dropped. Maybe they should hang out and discuss their diets. Dunn: I'm going to go ahead and order another burger and a Schlitz. Sale: Not me, I'm full after that crouton and ice water. Dunn: No, the burger is for you. What the hell, you can have the beer, too. Trouble is, Sale could end up looking like Jenks.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 23, 2012 -> 05:21 PM) I'm betting he deals Floyd and Thornton in minor transactions before ST. He'll get 4-5 minor leaguers for the two of them combined. Hopefully some minor leaguers who make the bigs at some point. Floyd alone is worth a couple near major league-ready guys or one who's ready and some minor stuff. I don't think Floyd will be traded before the season starts unless KW can get a very good return.

Could anyone else actually hear Hawk when you were reading that piece? Hawk is certainly not going to come out and say that 2012 looks bad, but he seemed pretty honest about what he saw going into 2011.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jan 23, 2012 -> 01:19 AM) I'm glad the Sox extended Danks instead of Mark. The money was better spent on Danks, as he is younger. In my opinion, and I think in the opinion of quite a few others here, Miami overpayed for Mark. He may be great over the life of that contract, but chances are he will decline, especially during the last two years of the contract (where A LOT of the money is tied up). There's a better chance of Danks to be solid through the life of his contract due to his age alone.