fathom

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 09:03 PM) Offer him 4/52 and see if the Cubs beat it. He only wants to take a 3 year deal.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 09:00 PM) And yet, most of the board was ready to lynch KW for not getting M-Cab, even though they had even less of a shot at him. I think that Tampa blog in the few hours leading up to the final decision caused everyone to get their hopes up.

QUOTE(scenario @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:43 PM) Per Foxsports.com today... - updated about 2:40pm "Fukudome's decision on whether to join the Cubs, Padres or an unidentified third finalist might come as soon as late Friday night or early Saturday, sources say. The Rangers, White Sox and Giants are among the other teams that have shown interest." I can just imagine the level of angst on the board if he signs with the Cubs. That would be stupid, as there hasn't been anyone who's suggested the Sox are the frontrunners for him.

The thing is, everyone was saying how the Sox were swinging and missing during the meetings even prior to KW's pathetic outburst. I don't think this is the media's revenge on him. Shockingly, the media has been kind to him on this as well. Maybe it's due to the Bears having a Thursday game.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:41 PM) So if missing out on big players was the standard for being the biggest losers at the winter meetings, why weren't Anaheim, the Yankees, the Red Sox, and Cleveland on this list after missing out on Cabrera, Santana, Santana, and Bay respectively? Maybe because those teams won a lot more than 70 games last season, and don't need the significant upgrades like the Sox do?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:44 PM) Because those GM's didn't verbally pummel the media who are writing the "standard". Also, the Red Sox and Yankees always get the special benefit of the doubt. And how about Texas? What about the Cubs? Those are teams who had big goals and did zip. The Cubs main target hasn't decided yet (and everyone knows they'll get Fukudome). Does anyone really care about the Rangers? Do you honestly believe that the winter meetings were a positive for this franchise, in regards to competing in the AL Central for the next few years? If so, that's where our difference of opinion is.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:36 PM) I don't know about you, but anytime I have a product to sell, I like to tell people it is the s***tiest thing out there. I find the honest helps sell more... How about "we're always looking for ways to upgrade the team"? It comes across a lot less arrogant.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:34 PM) ^^^^ That is the answer to your question, Fathom. Thank you DA. Notice the edit I made to my post, even prior to seeing DA's next post. I can confidently say that DA is just as disappointed as I am in what's happened so far this offseason though. I think the fact that the Sox master plan supposedly included signing Hunter and trading for Cabrera makes the perception of things even worse. The funny thing is I don't think the Sox ever really had a shot at Cabrera, and even if Tigers weren't involved, I bet another team would have made a better offer.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:28 PM) What a joke. The Sox made one move - Quentin for Carter - which improved the club. And they are the biggest losers? There is exactly one reason the media pundits are panning the Sox' winter meetings performance - KW's speech. He outright lambasted them, and now they are getting him back for it. I guess since they were among 5 teams (at least) trying for Hunter, and probably that many or more for M-Cab, those other teams are losers too, right? And before anyone responds "no", think about what that means. Oh please, how can anyone argue that the Sox weren't one of the biggest losers of the Winter Meetings? The Sox desperately needed significant upgrades, and they struck out at the meetings. Quentin is a nice addition, but he's not likely going to be a difference maker for the Sox in terms of finishing in either 3rd or 5th place. I'll never understand KW complaining about the media...I thought they treated KW and Ozzie with kid gloves last year when the team massively underachieved. It will get a lot uglier this year if the team sucks, and it has nothing to do with KW acting like a jerk. Thankfully, there's still a few months to make some moves to get this team possibly closer to the top of the division than the bottom.

If you get the chance, try to watch the replay of the ESPN awards show tonight. Chris Fowler tried to make a joke at the beginning about Snoop and Dr. Dre, and I don't think I've ever seen a joke bomb more. There literally was no reaction from the crowd. Even Corso and Herbie made fun of how bad Fowler was.

Babich really needs to get fired, as well as Turner, the second the season ends.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 03:59 AM) Well that's a good point, considering how bad we are against stud LHP. It'd be pretty welcome on the Southside if we didn't have to face both Santana and Miller in 2008. Of course if Dontrelle rebounds, then we're back at square one. Isn't Dontrelle very good against lefty hitters?

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 03:01 AM) I don't enjoy Chicago Bears football I meant to ask you, why do you like the Patriots?

Please put Orton in.

I hate you Brian Griese.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 01:33 AM) Tragic! Enjoy Griese and his dump off passes.

Freaking offensive line. That's probably the last we'll ever see of Rex on the Bears.

QUOTE(29andPoplar @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 05:04 PM) I think this is a very good post iamshack but also feel most on this site don't want to hear about it. So I see both sides. First, I think KW's comments to the media were unnecessary. He knows how the media works by now, it's part of the territory, things will leak out. It's the nature of baseball. He needs to get over that stuff and work around it. Further I believe he is extremely frustrated on many levels. He's frustrated his core players had lousy years last year. He's frustrated it took him so long to get rid of Duane Shaffer. He's frustrated he has to manage to a certain budget number and he can't blow guys away with offers (Hunter, LAA). He's frustrated with other organizations doling out what he believes to be insane contracts. Well, it's ok to be frustrated but he will have to work around it, which is what he's said he plans to do. I am convinced he's working hard and trying to make stuff happen. But the reality is these winter meetings were a big disappointment to everyone. Getting Carlos Quentin was a decent move but they need much more. He likes to move quickly and get things done ... that didn't happen and it makes him even more frustrated. White Sox fans do not play well to their highly paid GM to be frustrated. They don't want to hear it. While some of the name calling and keyboard lynching of Williams on this site today is more than a bit much, it is what it is. We are the fans and he is the GM, he is held to a higher standard than fans are. The bottom line is he will have to get stuff done. So far he hasn't. I don't hold the brave front against him, he is simply not going to come out to the media and say "woe is us, we are bad, we will continue to be bad". For people expecting that, get a clue. It doesn't work that way. But Williams will have to get more done than he has thus far. Trying is great, but trying doesn't get the job done. If other GM's are jerking him around as he intimates, go elsewhere, there are 29 other teams and it's his job to seal the deal. Great stuff here...like you said, it was just unnecessary for him to act this way with the media.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 04:50 PM) I honestly respect your input, but you continue to have a bit of Mariotti in your comments. I don't want to start this whole crapstorm again, but honestly, at some point players have to get the job done. Ours went from getting it done in stellar fashion (the first half of 06', and everything looked as if it were going exactly to plan), to absolute garbage in the blink of an eye (from about the Boston series right before the 06' ASB until the end of the season). Because of the WS in 05', Kenny had to give the team a bit of a chance to redeem themselves and pay credence to the theory that the run in 05' had negatively affected the team down the stretch in 06'. Therefore, he kept the same core of players around, made some tweaks to the pitching staff and bullpen, but all in all, gave the guys another run at it in 07'. What happened this season was absolutely mystifying on all accounts. Certainly the bullpen failed us, but even had it not, the offense was near the last in the AL. No one could have predicted that after the breakout year the offense had in 06'. And I don't think anyone can predict with ANY certainty what the offense will next year. The volatile swings in production from 05' to 06' to 07' are anyone's guess. And there will be those that say it is age, but I wouldn't be shocked to see the offense produce far more runs this season after growing a year older. Jim Thome was our best offensive player this season, and he is also the oldest non-pitcher on the team. So I don't buy the age card for Pauly and JD. Did you watch one game after the ASB in 2006? It was rather easy to see that the offensive players were beginning to see their bat speed decrease.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 04:04 PM) If it helps the Sox play with a chip on their shoulders...then, who cares? The Sox don't need a chip....they need talent.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 03:42 PM) He did seem to lack focus out there, didn't he? I could never quite put my finger on it, though. No killer instinct. No drive to challenge the hitters. And his mechanics on his follow-thru were just pathetic. It started in June or so, when he couldn't get past the 5th inning without throwing 100 pitches.

QUOTE(BaseballNick @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 03:15 PM) KC was in on Fukudome too. We're being outspent by the Kansas City Royals. Yes, those Royals. And they're going to sign Silva.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 02:39 PM) Agreed. But it isn't, and he knows that. He was sent down because he was struggling, he was tired, and the club wanted to see Floyd in action. And more than anything, they were upset that he wasn't competing.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 07:04 AM) THE SOX ARE NOT A CONTENDING TEAM. PLAY YOUR YOUTH. PLEASE, SOXTALK, F'ING UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT, PLEASE Favorite post of the day!

QUOTE(DonnyDevito @ Dec 6, 2007 -> 06:54 AM) now it is rowand or bust! or atleast a career year from owens or bust! Josh Hamilton or bust!