CanOfCorn

The other interesting thing about this year is that the teams that have been the sellers recently, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit and to a lesser extent Baltimore, Toronto and Cleveland, are all closer to contending this year or down the road with the prospects they've received. So no one knows if they are going to trade players or keep them. Mark Redman is a great example. I would love to get this guy. He has finally learned how to pitch, but do the Pirates want to lose him. They have the makings of a pretty good rotation with him, Wells, Van Bent...Bento...you know the guy. And a good nucleus with Jason Bay, Craig Wilson, Jack Wilson and Mackowiak. I know Kenny likes to make a big splash early, but it makes me nervous because teams are probably going to wait longer which means it will take more to pry a player away. The easiest teams to pry someone away from would be KC, Colorado and Tampa Bay...but are there any players on Colorado or TB that we would want?

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jul 7, 2005 -> 03:23 PM) You think she wouldnt go with him? I would look at it as a 3 day vacation with her no matter if I did or did not get chosen for the AS game Dude...the ASG is in Detroit. That's not a vacation.

Could the Sox be looking at another starter from the Mariners along with Everyday Eddie? Like a Joel Piniero or Gil Meche. Both have experience as a starter and a reliever. They aren't pitching all that well this year, but who is in Seattle. With a little bit of Don Cooper and a bit of Ozzie, you never know.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 6, 2005 -> 10:10 PM) The D-Backs are going to want real good young pitching for Chad. I think if he's traded, the New York Mets are the team that will make a move for him. So you're saying the Mike Piazza First Base Experiment is over? DAMMIT!!!

QUOTE(Steff @ Jul 6, 2005 -> 09:25 PM) It's in writing.. thing is.. barely anyone follows it. And then there are ther idiot managers who don't bother to enforce it. Some area's it's bad. The customer service girls dress like hookers - seriously.. capri's with 2 inch heels, and shirts cut waaaay low in the front. They don't work for me and I don't deal with them so I don't care.. but some of these gals have no business dressing like that but no one tells them it's not appropriate. I keep hearing her talking about it... I think she's going to make some waves. That's always been my problem with these overarching statements of codes. Enforcement. Another one of the dress code issues is offensive language on clothing. Who determines what's offensive? I have a workshirt that a friend of mine silkscreened the word Poop on it. Is that offensive? Well, I asked and the HR lady said it wasn't. But, what if someone complains? Does that all of a sudden make it offensive? This is an advertising firm, not an accounting firm. And we are in Austin, Texas, where the dress code at the fanciest restaurant in town is...don't wear shorts or ripped jeans. I'm sorry, but you can't make a gray area black and white. But if you want to, then, like you said Steff, enforce it. And enforce it for everyone. As a side note, the non-shorts wearing dress code came out on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and one of the owners showed up wearing shorts that Friday. Good luck to that woman. I hope they don't consider her a problem employee and terminate her.

Could the Sox want Chad Tracy? The Dbags have Tony Clark ripping the cover off the ball, as is Tracy, but Clark is sitting. Tracy is blocked by Glaus at 3rd. Which I believe is his natural position. He's young, I think cheap, and would be a good starter just in case we don't resign either Pauly or Crede. Just a thought.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jul 6, 2005 -> 08:46 PM) LOL.. na. It was never really resolved. I wear them when I'm not supposed to, so I'm guilty. I would never reprimand another employee though.. too many rules surrounding the dress code are broken on a daily basis. My motto is if it looks professional it's fine. Companies much larger and more hands on with their customers allow them. I don't see the big deal. We just had a dress code put in place because, "we are growing rapidly." This comes after the no-dating policy (the owners are married and there are/were 7 couples that are currently dating/married or met here). Also, the Workplace Answers Harrassment, online seminar we just had to take. But, back to the dress code. It was put in place less than a month ago. One of the things we can no longer do is wear shorts. Then we have 30 straight days of upper 90's/lower 100's weather with absolutely no rain. Now...it ain't my company, but if it were me, I think I would wait until it gets down to below egg-frying-on-the-pavement, that's-not-cologne-that's sweat, shoes-sticking-to-the-blacktop hot. But, I agree with the black or white scenario, if and only if, they put it in writing. But, it has to be dealt with equally, from owners down to mailroom. NO EXCEPTIONS. Again, that's if, and only if, they put it in writing. Personally, I think it should be on a case-by-case basis.

For your 18th, I will give you the "h" you need to finish out your screen name. Here you go. "H" happy birthday.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 6, 2005 -> 07:10 AM) Hough had a knuckleball but it was not his primary pitch. Wood was a pure knuckleballer. Hough's "fastball" barely hit 80. I remember Hawk and Wimpy laughing when he would throw that pitch. It absolutely was his primary pitch.

Please welcome your 2007 Portland Devil Rays.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 10:29 PM) Milwaukee. He'll be the man, possibly have Flip Saunders and have a big man to go along with him. It's more certain than Cleveland in which Bron might even leave after his contract is up. Agreed. And maybe a healthy TJ Ford to drive and dump.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 08:47 PM) anyone else sorta excited about a possible knuckleballer on the sox someday? Knuckling Down For proof that predicting future major leaguers is hard, just look back to Charlie Haeger’s 2004 season in Bristol. The knuckleballing righthander went 1-6 with a 5.18 earned run average. Although the team around him wasn’t great, Haeger also gave up 70 hits and 41 runs in 57 1/3 innings. One year later, Haeger is a lot closer to Chicago than he is to Bristol. Mastering his unpredictable flutterball, Haeger went 8-2 at Winston-Salem of the Carolina League, winning a promotion to Birmingham of the Southern League. Haeger has won his first two starts in Birmingham, including a 16-4 decision at Carolina on June 27, when he worked seven innings and allowed just one run. The timing couldn’t be better for Haeger, who will turn 23 in September and needed a big season to get on the White Sox’s radar. If he keeps getting hitters out, Haeger could become Chicago’s first knuckleballer since Wilbur Wood was flummoxing batters in the early and mid 1970s. And who could have forecast that a year ago? bdent@bristolnews.com | (276) 669-2181 WRONG!!! Charlie Hough was the last knuckleballer the White Sox had.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 10:01 PM) On another note, I read today that Billy Wagner is asking for a trade to a contender because he is contimplating retirement. Really, where'd you see that?

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:51 PM) Wrong, in your eyes its risking the future, and I say its going for the immediate reward. Getting a number 1 starter isn't as risky as staying put. That's all I'm saying. Not even thinking about the future.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:52 PM) :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead For the people who rode the little yellow school bus... If we traded for AJ we would sign him to the deal that he would request before seasons end much like we did for Freddy. So he would not go to the FA market. There is no way IF we trade for him we give up that much and not resign him..It be pointless, much like JS First of all, I may be in the little yellow school bus, but it's running you over. Second of all, Burnett will probably (opinion) want to check out the market. Because, he will probably (opinion) command more than the money that you think we will offer him in an extension. Freddy wanted to play here, for Ozzie (fact), and was willing to sign a competitive offer. Sorry, can't compare the two.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:41 PM) And im saying that aquiring a proven major leaguer is a better bet than trying to fix a minor leaguer who is unproven. Then it can't be risk=reward. There's much less risk in dealing an unproven minor leaguer for the proven major leaguer. Sticking with the team we have now is a much bigger risk. No one thinks this team can continue this pace (except for us Sox fans of course ). Getting a Schmidt or Clemens or anyone that is "proven," is a watering down of risk.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:42 PM) yes we all know its maddux, I would love to see him turn out 1/2 as good as that. But something is wrong with him and they need to fix it.. even in triple-a he sucks. Yeah, it's called confidence.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:36 PM) So you would want unhealthy and unproductive jason Schimdt? Please explain how it would be easier to resign Js over AJ? To use your words...you are missing a simple point. It is NOT a fact that we would want AJ over Schmidt. It is your opinion. Personally, I don't think I want either one anymore. I'm not convinced either will help our team enough to make a deal worth it. I think we need to get a Glendon Rusch-type. Although, not Rusch. Someone that can spot start and go into the pen. Like Sean Lowe a couple of years ago. Anyway...you are spewing your ideas, not stating facts. Let me show you: Fact: AJ Burnett currently plays for the Florida Marlins. Opinion: AJ Burnett would be easier to resign next year.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:35 PM) The Sox don't have a K-Rod in the minors. Face it, so far when the Sox needed pitching help they have turned to BMac who seemed to get progressively worse every start, and Kevin Walker who has as much business wearing a White Sox uniform as I do. That's not promising. Maybe the pitching staff will continue to perform at its current level. It probably wouldn't be wise to assume this. The White Sox are going to need to add to their pitching depth THIS season, and from the looks of it, that help is not going to come from Charlotte or Birmingham. KW is going to have to go out and get it, and its going to cost him some prospects. Maybe a couple of these guys that are dealt will turn out to be good players eventually. But they can't help this year. Most people aren't too upset with Carlos Lee not being here, and look at what he's doing. Chances are small the guys the White Sox give up will ever put up the numbers Carlos Lee puts up. I understand what you are saying, but players can put it together. Whether it's an arm angle adjustment, a batting stance adjustment or a headspace adjustment, sometimes things click. Jenks could be that guy. Baj could be that guy. Or not on any of them. You still have to decide who is worth keeping and who is worth trading to get what you need. But to say that everyone is available and we should trade them because we don't know what they will do...that will just decrease their value. Might as well not have a farm system at all then.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:34 PM) That we would want AJ burnett, over an Unhealthy Jason Schimdt.. And that AJ would be an easier Sign for us that Jason would... That's not a fact, that's a speculation.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:32 PM) Never started as such.. simply (as always) stated the facts.. people can't handle that I guess. List these facts...

QUOTE(palesox38 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:26 PM) I would agree with you if this didn't have advantage for the world series hanging in the balance, but it does, so if they want the best player to start then they have to take the WS home field advantage rule away. For some reason, I don't think the players get all jacked up about the WS Home Field Advantage. While it is a great honor, give them the rest and have them sit and watch. The honor is being there, not playing in the game.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:15 PM) I dont care if he carries it over to the season sometime soon. I want to win now, and the guys in the minors arent going to help us unless its in a trade. This is the best sox team we have ever seen in our lifetime, its time to capitalize on that. You mean like K-Rod didn't help the Angels?

YEE HAW!!!

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Jul 5, 2005 -> 09:13 PM) Its called being a realist, most people here are in fairyland, and think things are great before this season. We still have # 5 starter issues since OH can't stay healthy, we have Garland and Marky playing their asses off, and Freddy showing signs of his former self. B-mac looks like Felix Diaz part 2 so far, granted the kid is young, but all that hype and never was able to get it going in the majors or triple-A.. I like where we are at, just think things could be better, sorry If I want to fix the flaws that we have in the sox, and not just settle for a playoff berth. All that hype? He's 20 years old. It took Garland 5 years to put it together. He has just over a year of seasoning. Give him time. We all want a World Series victory. But, instead of yapping about how we should've signed this guy and that guy, unless you have some sort of device to tell you what could have happened in your alternate reality, just shut the hell up and enjoy this awesome year the Sox are having. I mean, cripes, if we signed the people you wanted to sign, we MAY NOT be in first place with the best record in baseball, could you at least agree to that? It is possible that you are wrong, isn't it?