Wedge

Here's a great quote from an ESPN article about free agency: Link I think we'll try to use a similar strategy to last year: use our cash wisely to pick-up low to middle tier paid players that can make a medium-impact on this team. Hopefully Konerko is back. From that article it looks like the Mets will be the biggest competition. If Konerko and Thomas come back (and Thomas comes back healthy), say good-bye to Everett, but we should be in a great position for next season.

I'd recommend punching him/her in the face.

After a decent career as a player with the White Sox and managing them to a World Series victory, does Ozzie deserve to have his number retired and to take his place on the Left Field wall of fame?

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 02:42 PM) Actually, the White Sox and Athletics were awfully similar this year. Offensive theories aside... -Both ranked near the top of the league in team defense -- Defensive Efficiency, which I believe is the number of balls in play converted into outs, had Oakland and the Sox ranked #1 and #2. I think defense is going to start becoming very popular amongst the saber-oriented teams, especially as better ways of valuing it begin to emerge. -Both ranked near the top of the leagues in pitching. Both teams carried five above average starters, along with a dominant closer (Street vs. Hermy/Jenks) and setup man (Duchscherer vs. Cotts & Politte). Of course, in both cases, we were slightly better (starting pitching) or deeper (bullpen). -And, finally, neither offense were very good. Oakland scored 30 more runs than the Sox scored. Both teams were able to be in their respective positions because of strong pitching and superb defenses behind them. I am, however, a little surprised by the DePodesta decision. I don't know how to judge his offseason moves -- the main guys he brought in didn't do terribly (Kent, Lowe, and Drew were all very good -- you can argue about Drew, but still, a HBP on the wrist? Maybe if he strained a hammy in the OF, but a HBP strikes me as sort of a freak incident), and the guys he let go, for the most part, were awful (Finley and Beltre were awful, but Green was pretty good -- although, the Dodgers have their future catcher now). I don't know, regardless of whether or not you think sabermetrics is the way to go, or whether or not you think DePo is a good GM -- the axe after two years, one of which was a playoff year? Seems harsh to me, but that's the way it is, I guess. Moneyball is a lot of hype, but those Oakland teams always boiled down to having some damn good starting pitching and scrapping together a bullpen and offense. Ultimately, they lacked the star power to succeed in the playoffs. The theory behind Moneyball can be summarized accurately as follows: "you want batters that don't make outs and pitchers that do". Duh!

Can we at least agree to this? If 1) Konerko is not resigned 2) We don't give away every player of value we have 3) Boston would eat a chunk of his contract then trading for Manny is a good option. Depending on who gets shipped out in the trade, there are a variety of good ways the team can be configured on a given day based on rotating the DH position (i.e. Thomas is not an everyday DH in this situation).

Isn't Don't Stop Believin' the World Series Shuffle?

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 02:41 PM) I think the highest the Sox offer Paulie is $13 million a year. $20 million a year for a player is a lot more than $13. I'd even argue that $20 million a year is too much for any player. $13 million is probably even over-paying for Konerko, but with deferred payments I think it's fair. If he gets more, it's because of the horrendous free agent market this off season. If he's unwilling to take $13 million, then he's not that serious about coming back to the Sox.

Carl Everett was b****ing about getting dropped to #5 at the start of the playoffs and b****ing about not playing at Houston. Come to think of it, other than dinosaurs, are Manny and Carl that different (personality wise, clearly Manny is a way better hitter).

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 01:28 PM) See: Carlos Beltran Exactly. Carlos Beltran is Exhibit A of post-season contract inflation. Paul's a great player and he's meant a lot to this franchise, but he's definitely not worth more than $12/year. If he gets up to the $15 range, then it's time to start thinking about Manny for that type of money. Unfortunately, Konerko will benefit from a pretty weak free agent market. If he his willing to accept deferred payments, Reinsdorf and Konerko will probably get something worked out up to the $13 or 14 million range. If Konerko won't take that kind of an offer, he's not serious about staying here and we're better off reinventing the heart of our order for that type of money.

How much was Paul worth before the postseason? I don't see why a great postseason should inflate anybody's value significantly. I'd say Paul's worth about $11-12 million/year to this team, especially considering the "new, steroids-free" landscape of MLB. That said, our pitching is our strength. I think for that kind of money, we can replace Konerko's production, if not his leadership/intangibles.

After our own resignings, the real key will be reinforcing the bullpen. BJ Ryan is the premier guy. The better target might be Bob Wickman, if he plays next season and leaves Cleveland.

After thinking about it... Manny sort of fits in with this group, a cast of misfits, outcasts, and cancers from other clubhouses and yet they came together to form the perfect storm...

ya know... if we had the 3 mp3s, it shouldn't be to hard to just take that video and re-edit in the sound via the mp3s, right? That'd improve the sound quality a ton.

The secret is the pitching. For each of the last 3 champions, the pitching has dropped off drastically the next season. For us, it's a matter of keeping our guys healthy. I'm concerned mostly about Hermanson. Hopefully Jenks can be an everyday closer. He didn't have the consistency that Hermanson had going early on in the season. Other than that, the starters and bullpen are in great shape if they can keep going like they did this year.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 11:32 AM) See: 2003 Angels See the 2005 Red Sox who made changes.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 07:33 AM) i was under the influence that it was the gladiator theme There's two musical parts to it. I have no idea what the first is, but the second is definitely the "He's a Pirate" track from Pirates.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 10:33 AM) Just shoot yourself for posting that. Why on earth would we want that cancer on this team?! Just because he's for Boston doesn't mean he's a cancer. That said, for equal money, I'd rather have Konerko.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Feb 7, 2005 -> 04:26 PM) As Contreras goes, so go the White Sox in 2005. how totally prophetic.

Didn't Vlad have a shoulder injury? That's probably why he was lost in the post-season. The most likely out of the whole group is probably Sheffield, especially considering that he got stuff from Bonds (how quickly we all forget). On the Sox, the most likely is probably Pods, purely going on how everyone was reacting during the parade and stuff. Rowand and Dye were too into everything to be guilty. Pods blew off an interview getting on the bus. That said, I really doubt Pods, but stranger things have happened, I guess you could say.

I don't envy Williams at all. I sort of wish Everett and Perez would retire. That'd make things a lot easier on us. I have no idea about Frank's health or if Anderson is ready to contribute at an MLB level, but I think that putting the two together will work out. That said, Everett really is a great conversation piece. Every time I was watching a game this summer with people that weren't Sox fans and he would come up, I'd explain the dinosaurs bit and tell them about the story of the sign in Oakland that was flat-out hilarious.

McDowell would really be worth listening to if they pick him.

where are the dancing Ewoks?

Seeing Rowand at the Parade today makes me think it wasn't him, either.

The only info I found on AJ said a 1-year contract. Isn't he too old for arbitration? EDIT: He is a 7th year player and I think arbitration only applies to the first 6 years in MLB and only with your original club.

Where can I get my copy of "Kennyball: Beane, You got pwn3d!!!!!!1!" ?