Marty34

QUOTE (Wedge @ Sep 30, 2011 -> 12:42 PM) That's probably for the best. I would rank those four: 1) LaRussa 2) Martinez 3) Francona 4) Alomar I know everybody hates LaRussa but it's really, really hard to argue with his track record. We'd all think he's a giant ass, but he'd win and we'd be OK with it. With Francona, it's easy to say he's got a great track record with the World Series rings. I do think he did a good job managing the Red Sox, but I'm not sure if he's the right fit for the White Sox. We're nowhere near as talented as those teams were. I think the team would appreciate his professionalism, but I'm not sure how well he'd wind up doing here. I think you're better served taking a flier on a manager than you are hiring Francona. Martinez is sort of the sexy candidate, and probably rightly so. He's Maddon's right hand man and seems well prepared for his own gig. Obviously, he's an unknown at this point, but at least he's a really good guess. Alomar is the furthest down. It doesn't mean it couldn't turn out to be a great manager, but he's just the biggest unknown on the list. I agree with this. LaRussa for a couple years and then transitioning to a McEwing would be my choice. Probably going to come down to LaRussa or Alomar.

@DKnobler DKnobler It's not impossible that Francona lands with White Sox, but I hear they don't want to pay big $$$ for mgr, unless it's Tony

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 30, 2011 -> 11:34 AM) How do you know this? My guy on 35th told me back in August that LaRussa returning was predicated on Williams not being GM.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Sep 30, 2011 -> 10:59 AM) Take it for what it's worth, but a guy that has worked for the Sox and still with good connections said the buzz is all about LaRussa, with Francona behind him. JR loves LaRussa and if there's any shot of him leaving STL, JR will offer him a good contract to come over. I don't doubt this for a second. It would take some convincing to get LaRussa to agree as he's not keen on having KW remain as GM. I did find it interesting that Williams made a point of saying he could work with anyone in the Comcast interview. I'm surprised that Chairman Reinsdorf didn't move Williams up to pave the way for LaRussa's return.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 10:23 PM) C'mon Marty, I'd miss you too much!!! You and your comrade-in-arms, VictoryMC. Once upon a time, there was a poster at chisox.com named Ncorgbl. You aren't even close to him as a poster in terms of daftness and tin-foiled theories. Keep it up. Okay CF, but please no more beatdowns. I mean that was severe.

Back on topic. Who are pitching prospects the Sox can target for Danks, Floyd, and Ramirez?

Imagine this: Boyer wants to fire Hawk. Monday as Guillen is walking out of Chairman Reinsdorf's office, Hawk is walking in.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 09:07 PM) Maybe Soxtalk should outlaw corporal punishment, because Caulfield just paddled Marty's ass all over this message board. So much so that I'm thinking about putting him on IG-NORE.

Alomar may prove to be a better manager than Martinez none of us know. What we do know is that Alomar would be the comfortable pick for this organization. I think they need something more than "comfortable" at this point in time even if that comes with more risk.

QUOTE (JohnCangelosi @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 05:48 PM) If he hits .200 next year with 20 hrs, sure. But if he hits .150 with 10 hrs in 2012, how would you see it playing out? He would just come back and shut his mouth, sit on the bench and pretend he's actually a legitimate baseball player? I see the White Sox being on the hook for $28M regardless. It's a waste of time believing anything else.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 05:03 PM) Joe Cowley doesn't do that? Surely, you jest. I thought all journalists were filled to the brim with integrity and a never-ending desire to win a Pulitzer. Kenny Williams needs to rededicate himself to his job.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 04:57 PM) You clearly saw the 2004 team, at the end of that season...had the makings of the 2005 World Series champions, largely because Ozzie "Knute Rockne" Guillen was the manager? But because of Ozzie's absence, the 2012 White Sox have zero chance to compete for the World Series title, correct Wizard from Zanzibar? You're making stuff up.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 04:51 PM) But you clearly did in 2004, right? You were there with Rodin to notice "The Thinker" lurking in that block of granite...or warning onloading passengers to leave the Titanic before its maiden voyage, or the Hindenburg. Only Kenny "The Genius" Williams can see it. Mere mortals cannot. What?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 04:25 PM) Well, Marty "The Genius" 34. We finished 9-10 games back of the Twins in 2004. Clearly they were more talented, they'd crushed the White Sox in 2003 and won three consecutive division championships. So tearing apart the entire organization and dumping everyone to rebuild at that point in time would have been the prudent move from a financial standpoint in order to protect JR's pocketbook. Oooops, they did that, well, sort of....getting rid of Ordonez, Lee and Valentin. But KW clearly didn't trade away every talented player left for "prospects/suspects," like you're suggesting with Ramirez and Santos. And we actually won the World Series the following year. What do you know? A clever retort besides we finished 15 games behind the Tigers would be nice, but I'm not expecting much...thanks in advance for your time and consideration. So Marty, how is 2011-12 any different for this organization with KW in charge than 2004-2005? Because we finished 9-10 GB instead of 15 and were OH SO CLOSE (seemingly) to the juggernaut Twins? This post speaks for itself. You see a potential World Series team in the making. I do not.

So the gist of all this is the Sox aren't 15 games worse than the Tigers? If you believe that, good for you.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 04:01 PM) I love how winning championships did not bring out the fans but a new stadium and a firebrand Venezuelan will......ok It will. For 2012.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 03:38 PM) How many games back were we in mid August with 2 of the worst every day players in MLB history, blackholes at 2b, 3b, and LF for months on end? I know you don't use logic, but give it a shot one time. Ended 15 games back after young talent given chance to play.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 03:48 PM) If you are already a top 3 SS, there really isn't much of a need to improve. What if you have only 2 decent starters?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 03:36 PM) You're just being stubborn now in what you define as "Young". The reason you want "Young" talent in MLB is the MLB arbitration schedule. The fact that they're closer to their prime ages and actually still cheap is a pretty darn good thing for the Sox...it means that the Sox should hold their prime years at very low cost. For a guy like Viciedo, it's going to be costly to hold him through his prime years. I want "young" talent not only because it is cheap, but because it is more likely to improve as opposed to older talent. Much of the Sox young talent is 26 and above. In other words, the odds of them being at or near their talent ceiling is pretty good.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 03:28 PM) Of course not, but you left out half the roster! Ramirez is signed forever and is cheap, Humber is under team control forever, Flowers, Lillibridge, De Aza, Santos, going farther to guys like Reed and Stewart, none of them are even to their Arbitration years yet. Reed, I forgot to add to the core, but Ramirez isn't young. Neither are Lillibridge, De Aza, Humber, or Santos. That core would be better if the Sox had $25M to spend to supplement it, but they are probably going to cut payroll by $25M.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 03:03 PM) I see no point in trading Quentin in the off season. Him and Dayan are your starting corner OF, if the team is in it you keep him, if not you trade him at the deadline (which we should have done this season any way) In it? You're going to be very disappointed if you think the plan for 2012 is to compete for a division title.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 03:00 PM) Actually I'd say that's quite true. The Sox got a ton out of their young players this year. The only one I'd legitimately say was absolutely disappointing was Beckham, and he was balanced by guys like Santos, Lillibridge, and Humber well overperforming. When you ask who the 3 players were who underperformed the most, you still come back to Peavy, Rios, and Dunn, and they're not in the "Core of young players". The Sox current core of young players isn't one you can build around. Sale, Viciedo, Morel, Beckham just isn't enough.

This just isn't true. Their core of young players is the problem.

Guillen didn't make the Sox relevant, winning did. A solid organization that produces multiple playoff appearances over a 5-year period or more makes the Sox relevant.

Dunn will not walk away from $28M under any circumstances. Foolish to think so.