BlackBetsy

Nah, just some self-deprecation. I haven't posted a whole bunch lately, so I kind of think my blog stinks. 160+ posts this year aren't too shabby, though - about 1 per game. If you're going to read any part of my blog, read my two-part series on the Sox having the chance to trade for Babe Ruth. It was fascinating to write, and hopefully it's a good read. This offseason, I hope to (1) finish up my series on the top 10 White Sox teams of all time; (2) create a Billy-Beane-esque roster for the White Sox (i.e., high-OBP hitters, low walk rate pitchers); and (3) buy the Cheat a pizza.

Black Betsy Sucks. One post in 15 days and then three posts today, including a stupid e-mail with two of his friends (his friends are much funnier than him)? I repeat, Black Betsy suxxx.

I'm just excited that we finally have a player who refers to himself in the third person.

If you haven't talked to her about it...ask her if it's a serious thing. If she's interested in you at all, she'll say its not so serious. If a girl doesn't mention her boyfriend in the first 15 minutes you are talking with her, she's either interested in you or it's not serious with him. That's what girls do- they talk about their boyfriends. Mostly, I wish they'd shut up.

Hey, Soxtalk owners - you may think about filing one of these.

How about these guys? Esteban Loaiza Magglio Ordonez Jose Valentin Not so good in their contract years.

Not sure who is going to offer/give him that. Maybe the Yankees. We'll see. He won't be worth $15 million per year. If Bernie Williams is available, I say the Sox pick him up on the cheap if they can.

Whoops, Johan Santana is eligible for arbitration again this year. Looks like if the Twins want to lock him up, it'll cost them 3 years $22 million. http://www.prosportsdaily.com/mlb/twins/rumors.html "Radke is a free agent and not eligible for arbitration. But if he was, his quality starts, coupled with his major league service time, could result in a $10 million salary next season, equaling what he is being paid this season. • If the Twins make a market-value offer to Santana this winter, as expected, it will be for about $22 million over three years." Hard to see the Twinkies spending $17 million on two pitchers, but they might if they think they've got cheapies in Tiffee, Morneau, Ford, Cuddyer, Mauer, next year. Still, if Santana is at $4.5 mill (I'm assuming a $4.5-$7.5-$10 contract to get to $22 million) and Radke is at $10 million, Stewart at $6 million, that's $20 million on 3 players. Torii Hunter's 2005 deal is worth in excess of $8 million, so we are talking $28 million on 4 players. Throw in Joe Mays at another $6 million, now you are talking about $34 million on 5 players. Rivas is eligible for arbitration, as is Kyle Lohse and Jacque Jones, I believe. I think the Twins are unlikely to resign one of the Guzman/Koskie/Radke trio. I hope they choose not to resign Koskie or Radke. Guzman doesn't get on base and his defense (which is actually quite error prone) doesn't make up for his lack of offense. It's hard to believe that the 2005 Twins would be any better than the 2004 Twins, happily. Unhappily, the 2005 Twins are likely stil 6-8 games better than the White Sox even with Frank Thomas back.

Radke fits perfectly into the mold of the pitcher the Yankees want - throws strikes, walks few hitters. Radke has apparently said he has no desire to pitch in New York, but ol' George might give him 10-11 million reasons to pitch there. Remember, the Yankees freed up $6 million per by trading away Contreras! He would also fit into the Red Sox mold, and I could see them going after him as well. Here's a link to Radke's "No on New York" statement: Radke not New York type "Chances are, no," Radke told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press when asked if he might be interested in signing with the Yankees this winter. His reasoning being what many free agents say about New York. "I think you've got to be a different kind of person to go there and play," Radke said. "I don't think I'm that kind of person."

Why would the Marlins make this trade? Because they like having a lot of salary on the books? Because they would like making the Sox better? Luis Castillo gets on base and plays good defense. Why would the Marlins give him up? And why for Konerko? Power hitting 1B men are a dime a dozen. I don't know why the Marlins would give up great value in a premium position for Konerko. They didn't win the World Series last year by giving up value. By the way, on the Sox e-mail list, I said Castillo was the one guy the White Sox should sign last year. At his current salary, he was a steal.

Bummer. Mike Brown was the best *FOOTBALL* player on the Bears. Always around the ball, always making the big play. He'll be severely missed. What a great guy.

Who's going to want Konerko? NY Yankees - fine at 1B/DH w/ Giambi Boston - fine at 1B/DH Toronto - won't spend $8 million, burned by Delgado Orioles - a possibility. Devil Rays - a possibility Forget the Central Division. Oakland - Have Hatteberg/Durazo Texas - Texeira is just as good Anaheim - this makes some sense, Erstad is horrible offensively Seattle - I could see this as well NY Mets - perhaps, but who do they have left to trade? ATL - I don't think they're giving up on their cheap, young 1B yet. Phillies - They got a guy. He's pretty good. Marlins - Won't take on $8 mil. Expos - Have Nick Johnson Cards - Fuhgeddaboutit. 1B is taken, thank you very much Cubs - D. Lee is pretty solid Astros - Bagwell Brewers - Overbay is cheap and good. Reds - Casey OK for now, Dunn probably becomes 1B of future Pirates - Bay cheap and good. Giants - A possibility, but they have ZIPPY to trade Dodgers - Hee Sop Choi is productive (and cheap) DBacks - Unless they don't resign Sexson Padres - 1B is covered by Klesko/Nevin, etc. Rockies - Oh, that guy Helton plays 1B So I can see the Giants, Mets, Anaheim, Seattle, Baltimore and possibly Tampa Bay interested in Konerko. I'm not sure what any of those teams could offer in terms of value. Tampa isn't going to be stupid enough to give away BJ Upton or Scott Kazmir. So who you going to get from these teams?

I would, too. He's had an injury filled year, but he has patience, very good power, and plays decent defensively. At the price he'll likely go for, he would be a nice pick up for the White Sox. But, boy is he ugly. Think Ron Karkovice. You should have seen the work they did on his face so his bobblehead wouldn't scare children. Mercy!

4.99 Team ERA speaks for itself. The Sox had very little starting pitching and bullpen all year long. Garland with a 5 ERA, Garcia even has 4.95 in a Sox uniform... Contreras looking like a disaster, and with the 5th start spot a rotating catastrophe, it isn't hard to understand why this team is going to be .500.

I'm encouraged that Kenny is thinking of a dump 'em all strategy, but with a 4.99 ERA, I'm not so sure that focusing on the pitching staff isn't more important. Also - Freddy Garcia with a 4.95 ERA in a Sox uni doesn't look so good. Jose Contreras starting to look like a bust inasmuch as the Sox have two more years of him at $6 million per.

I should add that Poker is a game of acting rationally - either acting rationally yourself (throwing away hands you know are unlikely to win) or inducing your opponents to act rationally, even if that act is wrong. A strong bet on the flop with QQ when the board is rags induces someone holding A-K to act rationally, i.e., fold. At the same time, a check on the flop when you've just flopped a set of aces is an inducement to your opponent to act rationally, i.e., bet into you believing they've got the best hand. The hard part is that no matter how good the inducement might be, some people won't act rationally. They'll hold onto those beaten Jacks just because Jacks in the hole looks like a great hand. It isn't, it's counterfeited by overcards, but what are you going to do?

I worry about playing online for money b/c of the potential for cheating (playing against teams of people on the phone w/ each other), addiction, and getting paid. But playing online w/o money is just lame. The thing that really bothers me about poker either online or in person is that you have to play the same game regardless of the money that's at stake - 0 or $300-$600. Most people don't. People will limp in for $2 at the $4-$8 at the Mandalay b/c it's only $2. But if you do that 100 times, it's $200 your wasting hoping to catch top two pair or something on the flop. I played a little $15-$30 at the Bellagio last weekend and it was a little better game...but I still lost when some idjut held K-7 offsuit to the river to catch a runner-runner straight after I bet into that mother trucker with top pair, top kicker (I think it was AQ, but it may have been AJ). At $15-$30, somebody catching a straight on the river costs you $150 easy. Yuck.

No, it is a good point. The Twins' farm system, while stocked with 1B/LF types, is absolutely devoid of major-league ready rotation prospects. That's why you've seen Greisinger, Guerrier, and Mulholland in their 5-hole.

> Wishing that the Sox could draft someone who walks in the first round. Wishing that Rogo and Spidale and Young move through the system.

Gibson's is amazing. The Como Inn is a great place. Love Heaven on Seven for Cajun. Barcelona for tapas. Of course, some of these places might be closed since I haven't lived full-time in Chicago since 1995. Having lived in 3 other cities....Chicago is #1 or #2 in the country in terms of places to eat. (Boston, otherwise sucking, has the greatest restaurant of all time, Dali).

The pair of 4's in the hole against the pair of jacks is not a terrible semi-bluff if he thinks you're on a bluff yourself or maybe have second pair. He actually does have a hand. I hope he acknowledged that it was a semi-bluff. Throwing away QQ takes a monumental amount of discipline. That's awesome. My proudest moment I think was calling a hand Q-high because I just knew the raiser was bluffing. Just had a stone cold read off of his bet on the turn. He had J-high. Beautiful.

What's not to like? The lack of OBP? The lack of power? The lack of ability to play a significant defensive position? Oh, his batting average with runners in scoring position. Yes, and if we had 9 Timo Perezs, we'd never have anyone in scoring position. But he's a grinder. He's going to grind the Sox into fourth place next year if he starts every day in RF.

Top pair being beat in any of those situations is no better than a 6-outer with two overcards. If they call bets on the flop hoping to catch a 6-outer all night, they'll go broke. Although I grant you pot odds may be close on that one with 3 people in the pot on the A-K beat. But you can't hold pocket 4's with two overcards on the board. And you've got to throw those jacks away. You'll go broke holding onto QQ and JJ with overcards on the board. You will absolutely go broke and probably go crazy. Heck, I don't even like seeing JJ in my hand.

Just got back from Vegas where the cards kicked my ass. Was playing super tight all night, up $400 at a 8-16 table (don't ever play 4-8 if you want to play real poker) at the Bellagio. I was the table captain, playing perfect position poker, bluffs working, best hands holding up, etc. Then things like this happen: Holding Q-Q in the hole, I raise from a middle position. Someone else re-raises before the flop, and I make it three raises, which people should understand is QQ, KK or AA. Flop comes J-x-x rainbow, only a runner-runner straight/flush possibility. I lead the betting again. Called by two players! Turn comes K, I bet out again, get one call. River is a blank. Guy turns over A-K hearts. He stayed in on a freaking 6-outer and I got beat. Ugh. Holding Q-9 in the hole from the button and I limp in before the flop. Flop is 9-7-2. I lead the betting again. Two callers. Turn is a 4, River is a 9 to give me three of a kind. Asshole to my right stayed in with a 4-4 and made a full house, 4's over 9's. A TWO-OUTER. Holding K-Q from late position. Flop hits Q-9-x. Sick of being drawn out, I announce to a potential caller that the flop hit me hard. He calls anyway. J on the turn, blank on the river. He turns over JJ. Beaten by another TWO OUTER. Never actually had a hand hold up for any real money in this stretch - my AA didn't get any callers before the flop - and walked away from the table down $500. Did I ever hit a two outer? No. Did I ever hit a six-outer? Once. Did I ever hit a flush on the river? No. I got drawn out almost every time and never caught cards myself. Ugly.