Kalapse

The Phillies have reportedly offered up Aaron Rowand to the Padres for Scott Linebrink. Kevin Towers let out a little chuckle and politely told Gillick to f*** off.

Wow, wow. That was just horrific when I'm yawning in the middle of a movie and checking my watch about a half hour in that's not a good sign. I was actually bored. It's almost as if they had no idea what kind of movie they were trying to make whether it's supposed to be some sort of wacky action/high adrenaline movie lead by crazy off the wall characters that come together for a couple exciting shoot em' up scenes or a thriller with real characters, a serious plot and shocking/believable twists that will keep you interested. It was almost as if they combined the worst possible plot for both genres into one collossal waste of an hour and a half. I'm not sure I enjoyed a second of this thing, it was just that ridiculous. If you were planning on shelling out some cash on this I recommend you save your money.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Jan 31, 2007 -> 02:37 AM) you're not going to have Gould in time for the Superbowl, are you? No, I will not and it's a damn shame.

QUOTE(WHITESOXRANDY @ Jan 30, 2007 -> 03:01 PM) If there's any prospect that the Sox need to get as much PT as possible , it's Josh Fields. That's the whole deal behind this guy is that he's a football player that has high upside because of his limited baseball experience. If they want to count on him next year - at 3B or LF- they have to play him regularly this year. So, he has to atleast start in AAA. I would keep him at third. Crede's going to go and Fields will be his replacement. Why screw around with the kid? Well for one, if Joe Crede ends up leaving for free agency after the 2008 season instead of being traded before then that would open the door for Josh Fields to take over 3B duties in 2009 at the age of 28. 28. 28.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Jan 30, 2007 -> 01:44 PM) Poppycock, didnt you know that Garland was an 18 game winner and wins are all that matter? I really should start watching more baseball.

QUOTE(HeGone83 @ Jan 30, 2007 -> 12:02 PM) Buehrle definitely didn't earn it and I don't think Contreras did either. I don't see why Garland shouldn't be on the mound on opening day.... Because Contreras had a better season.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Jan 30, 2007 -> 09:31 AM) You gotta have Maynard too! Complete the special teams, my man. They will feel the power of Kalapse!!! And I don't know about the best ever...cuz, well, I don't know of any others off the bat. But, he's been awesome as a Bear and is probably the best Bear long snapper ever. Any chance he makes it to the Hall of Fame? I have Maynard already, I got it in March. I'm only short a Gould jersey.

I'll have my Mannelly jersey by Thursday, I don't think I've ever been this excited over a jersey.. After it arrives I'll be but a Gould jersey away from completing the trifecta of excellence in the field of field goal kicking.

I might downplay Crede's offensive abilities/accomplishments more than anyone on the board (and rightfully so I might add) but I can't even go as far as to proclaim Josh Fields equally with the bat to that of Joe Crede. Of course if Joe Crede does follow the career path I believe he will have *cough*sprague*cough* Josh Fields might just catch Joe quicker than most would think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality That my friends is the scary power of Steven Colbert.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 06:53 PM) Actually, the Indians had a better team ERA than the Sox, as well as more runs scored than the Sox. Please don't let the facts get in the way. Despite having possibly the worst bullpen in baseball last season they still managed to post a better team ERA than the Sox, that should say something right there. They also have a defined #1 and #5 unlike the Sox.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 04:12 PM) Preston Wilson signs a 1 year, $1 million deal to return to the Cardinals next season. Ugh, same money as Erstad. He would have been such a perfect fit for the Sox 4th OF spot. He has 2 things going for him that we know for certain Erstad can not provide, he's right handed and he hits for power.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 03:04 PM) Ya, Koch stunked with the Sox but there is absolutely no reason anyone should rip him for his character. The performance wasn't there and I have my thoughts as to why it wasn't there, but he worked his butt off his entire career in the majors and always took responsibility for his actions. I will never attack a person's character if they are responsible for there actions and work hard and thats exactly what Billy did. Rip him for production but not his character, imo. Its one thing if you are Mike Caruso and are completely lazy and high and completely uncomitted (although he was very very talented) and yes Kalapse of all the names I could have chosen, I went with Caruso just for you since I hadn't seen his name come up as of late, lol). Hey, it's a good example. It's not like I can deny any of it. Besides I'm starting to think mentioning his name every once in a while even in an unflattering light could be a good thing. This way 30 years from now the youngin's will know the name and greatest that was Mikey Car.

QUOTE(watchtower41 @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 02:20 PM) I agree with most of what you have to say here, and never did I mention that Joe hasnt earned the right for the big money deal, entering the prime of his career. But this is at a "fan fest", he didnt have to act like a jerk if he didnt want to be there. (which is evident) As for "most" teams being as patient with a player like Joe Crede, we'll have to agree to disagree on that topic. Sure, Joe had unlimited potential, playing a prime postion.... but waiting around 4+ years for a player to develop while playing in the majors is a LONG time. There are plenty of teams that would have shipped him off well before then, and we had our opportunities. The Sox gave Crede every chance to turn into the star he is becoming today, because he is still not there. Do I expect some big hometown discount for a long term contract?? No, Joe would be a fool to at least see what kind of options he has and what the market entails. Can Joe be a little bit more considerate with a fanbase and an organization that has heralded him?? Absolutely. Greed and envy only go so far at the ole ballpark. whoops sorry, I will post some pics later... though I'm not sure how good they turned out...havent got a chance to look at them yet. What did you want him to say to your friend? How about the other 300 people who likely said the same thing to him yesterday? And I'm still not seeing any greed or envy in this situation like you mentioned in the final sentence.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 01:35 PM) Hell, I will always remember the '05 game against KC here where we won without batting in a run. We just held on and they walked in two runs and that's all we needed. That's not a good thing, that's a sign of extreme ineptitude. Thank god Zach Greinke was bad and Contreras pitched a shutout. If Jose gives up 2 runs that day, the Sox would have lost. And as for this thread, my post had nothing to do with pitching really, that part is obvious. I was only talking about the offense while using the pitching as a comparison for both offenses.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:53 PM) I meant stolen bases, sorry my bad Well he stole 28 last year at Charlotte which was significantly more than he had ever swiped in his career before with 7 being his previous high at B-Ham in '05. He also stole a total of 10 bases over 3 years at Oklahoma State. He's always had some decent speed but he put it to work in the SB department last season. QUOTE(103 mph screwball @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 01:02 PM) IF there are no Crede negotiations, then the last thing I want is Fields learning left field at the major league level. I want him in AAA becoming the best 3rd baseman possible. If the Sox need him, fine. Mackowiak, Erstad, Ozuna, Owens, and Sweeney would be ahead of him on my depth chart. If they think Fields is ready then he's going to be in the bigs starting more than likely because he won't serve much of a purpose off the field. They're not going to wait until '09 when he's 28 years old just because that's when the 3B spot will open up. He's an offensive asset and if he is ready, he'll be starting in the majors at some position even if Crede still is on the roster.

QUOTE(watchtower41 @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:16 PM) He said "way to make him (Joe) feel loved" The way I look at it, Joe is the one that came off the wrong way with ignoring a fan... and then laughing at him while saying he "needs" Scott Boars. Joe Crede does not need Scott Boras for sh*t. Sounds like a guy that could careless about how many opportunities the White Sox gave him to get his swing right and being patient with him to become a servicable MLB player that can hit over .240 I love Crede as much as anyone, but the second I start hearing selfish comments like that, how I can defend him as a team guy??? He needs him as a agent. What a joke. Yeah, Crede isnt a stupid guy. He's not stupid enough to realize that the Sox will not negotiate with Boras?? Or maybe, he just doesnt care?? Joe Crede may not be longed for this game and Scott Boras is just the man to maximize Joe Crede's value in free agency, the man will set up Crede and his family for a good portion of thier lives with the contract he gets him after '08. It's not his fault the Sox don't negotiate with Boras, that's their problem, if they're serious about keeping him around then they'll make it work with Scott Boras instead of just pretending he and his clients don't exist. Wow the Sox drafted him and let him work through his hitting problems for the first part of his career, so would have most every club in baseball considering how immensely talented Joe Crede is. Joe's not going to fire his agent and sign to some discounted price just because he was drafted by the Sox. If they want to keep him then they'll have to give him a deal similar to what he'd get on the open market, if this is something they're not willing to do then I don't see why Crede should take less. He does care, he cares about getting a pissload of money on his first big contract, the guy is 28 and entering his prime therefore he's due a nice long term big money contract and it's absolutely his right to do that. How many people do you think have told him to dump Boras over the past few seasons? Hundreds? Likely. Maybe he just laughed off a question which he's been asked countless times since hiring his agent.

It's been up on Deadspin for a while now, they are your unofficial Barbaro Headquarters you know. It's already on ESPN now and will soon consume your sports world. I really couldn't care less about some damn race horse but I'm ready for it to be jammed down my throat by every major sports media source.

QUOTE(103 mph screwball @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:06 PM) I think it would be a bad idea to put Fields out in left without a Crede extension. If he comes up and goes 0-41 with 5 errors, that would not help Crede negotiations. How long does a player need to be in the majors before his arbitration clock starts? Iguchi will be a fine leadoff man until Pods comes back to his 1st half of 05 form. Besides, Erstad is going to be healthy and highly motivated and Mackowiak could also be a fine replacement in left. The 'Crede Negotiations' should be the last thing on Ozzie's mind mainly because I don't think any are going on or will be going on in the near future, the guy is as good as gone. Screw the Arbitration clock and screw any Crede negotiations if the team feels Josh Fields provides the Sox with the best possible chance of winning then they should most definitely give him a shot out there (though I do think Mack would do just fine in LF.)

QUOTE(BurlyMan56 @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 11:09 AM) While talking to Joe...My buddy goes up to him and Joe, ya really gotta fire Scott as the agent, we need ya here. Crede ignores him and then my buddy again says, Joe I wasn't kiddin. Then Joe kind of mumbles with a laugh and says I'm going to need him in the next few years. After that, I had to welcome Josh Fields to the South Side. It stung Joe is a smart man, he knows what's best for him, his family and their future. Good for him.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 08:02 PM) Didn't want to start a new thread. Williams on talking to Garland about the trade rumors this off-season. My god you're not going to find a more candid GM anywhere. That is a classic line though.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 05:32 PM) HA! I said this second half last year repeatedly: we look like the '04 Sox right now. Then, as now, I will take our 1-0 smallball squeaker wins any day over the 13 run-then-score-nothing-for-two-games days of '04 or second half last season. Quite the crock of s***. Just some food for thought. The key to your 1-0 smallball victory is the 0. You need the pitching to shutout the opponent inorder for this to work, something the starting pitching did in '05 but couldn't in '06. As for the all or nothing score 13 runs then nothing for 2 games theory. That amazing small ball team of '05 was shutout by the opponent a total of 7 times quite the accomplishment for an offense that prides itself on eeking a run or 2 accross the plate each game. Of course the '04-esque long ball stylings of the '06 team must have been shutout atleast 7 times but probably more right? Because a team that 'only hit HRs' can not consistantly score runs day in and day out. Well they were only shutout 6 times last year which isn't great but was still better than the Awesome Ozzieball of '05. Like Tony said, it takes great pitching for the smallball approach to work. If the starting pitching is holding the opponent down to 3 or less runs most every day then the offense can maybe get away with scoring 1-3 runs a game but when the pitching sucks like it did last year and 5 or 6 runs are crossing the plate on most days then the smallball approach is not going to work, you're going to need the 3 run HRs to come along. If the Sox would have gotten similar production from the pitching staff in '06 like they did '05 they would have won 95+ games and the division because of that oft-explosive HR heavy offense. And this may be said each time this subjected it debated but it definitely bares repeating it's not like the '05 didn't hit HRs, they still hit 200 that season which isn't exactly smallball, it's a lot closer to inept ball.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 05:17 PM) Small but important note...the White Sox also do have a righty in Right field, and Erstad could back him up as well. I know he didn't need it last year, but I for one wouldn't complain at all about JD getting a handful of games off this year beyond what he was given off last year (mostly because Mack was in CF every game....) I'd much rather have Mack backing up JD in RF.

QUOTE(rpmahr @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 03:30 PM) other than CC their starters havent won more than 15 games....cleveland's starters havent really had any success that the sox have had...garland is a 2-time 18 game winner...buerhle has been a cy young contender and has won 15+ games 4 seasons...i dont even no if cc has been a cy young contender yet in his career...and their bull pen is older and full of rejects from other teams...cleveland seems like another version 2000 sox I could give 2 s***s about Cy Young voting or wins. Of course if you REALLY want to use Cy Young voting as some kind of barometer of success then Cliff Lee > Mark Buehrle since the only time Buehrle ever finished in the top 5 in CY Voting Cliff Lee finished a spot ahead of him. For his final 18 starts last season Mark Buehrle was the worst pitcher in baseball post numbers so horrendous that I don't even want to think about them. Do you know why he was so terrible? No, so I really don't see how you can assume he'll go back to being an above average major league starter next season. CC Sabathia was outstanding last season above and beyond any starter the White Sox had even their #1 starter Contreras. Jose's 40+ year old body and 1 year of major MLB success isn't going instill a whole lot of confidence in me. So as for the anchors of the 2 rotations, Contreras and Sabathia the Indians take a major edge. Just to skip ahead to the next major mismatch in the 2 rotations I'll examine the #5 starters. This should be quick, Floyd the current front runner for the Sox' #5 spot has shown 0 success at the major league level and at this point in his career can only be characterized as a bust with some potential to turn things around but the odds aren't exactly in his favor. Jeremy Sowers on the other hand posted far better numbers than any White Sox starter last season, especially in the second half when he posted a 2.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 2.46 BAA in 11 starts. Another MAJOR edge to the Indians. As for the middle of the 2 rotations, I don't see any real advantages for either team with Westbrook, Lee and Byrd being roughly equal to Garland, Vazquez and Buehrle with the Sox' having more upside. As for the 2 bullpens, both a pretty big question marks despite being constructed in two totally different ways. The Indians' collections of journeyman could be fairly solid but will definitely be an upgrade over last year's joke of a pen that they were trotting out there day in and day out. The Sox' have some major upside in their bullpen with the possibility of dominance but at the same time a collection of incredibly unproven talent. Advantage White Sox. If both teams play up to their full potentials the Sox have the superior pitching staff but that is asking quite a bit of both groups especially after how pathetically last year's Sox rotation fell on its face.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 03:25 PM) I had a great time today at the Sunday soxfest. I was able to park for free 2 blocks on the street, bonus. The wierd thing was the layout. In soxfest's past everything is pretty much on one level, this time it took a while to figure out where everything is at. Using the narrow stairs between some of the floors was a bit interesting. This was about as quick of an autograph line I have seen. they strictly enforced the sign one item routine and kept the lines moving. I was able to get a good amount of autographs. Konerko, Cintron(which no one showed up for), Sweeney who stole Brian Anderson's hair and shirt from last years Soxfest, Fields, and Owens. Out of everyone Fields seem to go out of his way to personalize things. He asked me my first name, and then personalized the item for me. That was pretty cool. I won about 5 shirts and 5 hats with the silly trivia stuff from the Chevy Pride Crew. The first question to me was "Who is the whitesox hitting coach". You should have refused to answer out of protest.