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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 09:18 PM) If Jake Peavy falls apart in the 5th inning in 5 straight starts again, and Robin Ventura doesn't have the cojones to have someone getting ready in the bullpen to start the 5th in the next game to take him out if trouble starts, then Robin Ventura is a wimp, Robin Ventura needs to resign or be fired, the person who hired Robin Ventura needs to be fired, and then Robin Ventura needs to be forced to fight Nolan Ryan as punishment for that awful of managing. I think tarring and feathering would be an appropriate response to Guillen never having anyone up in the 5th to back Peavy up. I see your point and others too, but really when you win you're a genius and when you struggle then it's all the stupid decisions that manager made regardless of whether it was Ozzie or someone else. I personally think that the L/R response and taking out a starter, or even a releif pitcher, at the right time can be argued as either letting the guy battle and work his way out of jam or the manager blew the chance and the pitcher just gave up a big homer or something. Again if it works you are smart and if it doesn't then you have no business being a manager on this team (insert team name here). Bottiom line is Ozzie is gone so case closed.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 06:28 PM) Scott Merkin @scottmerkin Kudos to White Sox head athletic trainer Herm Schneider, who clearly had the CWS best offseason conditioning results. Daryl Van Schouwen @CST_soxvan Nobody looks better than White Sox trainer Herm Schneider, who lost about 70 pounds over the offseason. I want to know his secret

I think it always a good sign when the players decide they will show up and play another year. Maybe there is hope. After all hope springs eternal at spring training time

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 21, 2012 -> 07:40 PM) I believe a less talented team this year, with a rookie manager, will outperform last years mess. I at least have confidence that the manager wants to see the team win. I'm thinking Dunn as comeback player of the year and Rios to suck. Worse in the Central? Yeah it could happen. I'm thinking 3rd or 4th. I am torn. I understand what Greg is saying and to some extent agree, but sometimes taking chances pans out. But, I am counting on Dunn and Rios as professonals that care and want to win to make comebacks and Peavy to be healthy and perform to close to his best level. Trouble with Jalke he has been about three years removed from his glory days. But, he has grit. 3rd place or lower is the projection, but the team might surprise

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 20, 2012 -> 09:03 PM) I struggle to figure out how a player who "just isn't very good" can do what he did out of the gates in 2009. I agree. Gordo is a good talent. Some are too quick to give up if the guy doesn't hit .400 na d75 homers.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 07:33 PM) I just feel that relievers that rely on a dominant slider as an out pitch are a good bet to have a short shelf life of effectiveness due to the stress that pitch puts on the arm. Fair enough that you see issues with Santos, but I still think he is a real good relief pitcher and I am not certain the injury you predict would happen. I think AJ handled Sergio the best by limitig that great slider to what the circumstance directed

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 07:03 PM) This is how the catchers were calling the game though. And Santos's problem wasn't really that his slider was flat, it was that people would be able to lay off of it if he couldn't get ahead of people beforehand. AJ loved the setup with Sergio throwing the fastball to get ahead of hitters and then only use the slider as an out pitch. When Flowers took over some games, we saw Flowers use the Slider much more heavily and stop relying on the fastball to get ahead. In fact, especially in the first half of the season, Sergio's slider was just nails...his control on it was almost spectacular. That pretty much covered the whole season too, he was vastly better than the rest of the league at getting the slider down in the zone and ridiculous at getting people to swing and miss at it. AJ showed his experience

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 06:46 PM) Santos was a middle-of-the-pack closer last year. It's possible he improves, but at 28 and relying as much as he does on his slider, I don't think he'll have much more than a couple of years as an upper-tier closer. I think Williams got the best deal possible for him. Not certain about that. H does rely on the slider as a real good out pitch, but he doesn't have a bad fastball either. How many real great pitches do one or two ining relief pitchers have anyway? Most of those I have folowed have good pitches to set up the one great out pitch, or someone like Rivera (in a class of his own obviously) has basically one great pitch and control. I was more upset with the Quentin trade. Many here didn't support him because of injuries, but his fellow players and talent scouts sure thought he was a good player. I think we could have done better in a lot of trades, but if somehow this buys us time and we can remain competitive maybe we will see all these moves as a positive. Often you don't see the positive results for a few years. We live in a world of instant gratification

I think as long as the "baseball expert" agrees with your personal assessment of the Sox then you are happy and they are the most knowledgable baseball men in the game. If they take an opposite view then of course they know nothing and are some how anti- Sox. Maybe even to the point they they are accussed of trying to cause more problems for our team. I have made my views known of what I thought of the trades and stand bye them. Now only time will tell.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 01:37 AM) Unless Dave Wilder f***ed up Rios, Dunn, and Peavy I disagree. I agree with this post. Those three cost a ton on money and haven't produced. Interesting to see if they come through this year because if they struggle we will be in the cellar IMO

The boys on MLB.TV think the Sox are at the bottom of the Central and fighting it out with the Twins. They also said the Sox did litle or nothing to help themselves and the trade of Satos was really hard to figure out

I wish I had a chance like Balta did to meet Walker. I would have liked to have heard some stories of his playing days, etc. My suggestion is to let things go everyone as it seems he is

The three Sox players mentioned are all on the team and should be starting so the story doersn't rteally mean anything

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 08:34 PM) I can't fathom why the A's would do that either. Do the A's think they have a 4 year window? If not, then they're just blowing money on a guy so they can trade him. I saw the movie! And your suggestion may not really be all that far fetched. Trade Cespedes for younger talent would be a Billy Beane move

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 02:40 PM) $75 million put into those 3 maybe? That is a pile of money. Start spending like that on basically minor league players is not a prudent thing when you are trying to set some kind industry standard for bonuses and salaries. With the poteintial influx on Latin and Caribbean players what does that mean for USA college draftees? Where is all this dough coming from? Might portend more financial difficulties for some teams trying to keep up and compete plus the richer get richer and the poorer slip further down

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 10, 2012 -> 12:33 AM) And guess who oversaw the farm back then? Kenny Williams. Funny how much things changed once he became GM. I think Kenny Wiliams as GM saw the farm system as trade bait in order to compete as soon as possible. On one hand you can see his logic, but on the other building with your own would seem to be a more cost effective way to do it

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 11, 2012 -> 06:28 PM) If the Sox spend all of their money available on player payroll aren't they technically all in every season? I would hope out motto doesn't become "We are in it to lose it"

It's a wonder how they can make a prediction for the season performance in February

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 6, 2012 -> 05:20 AM) You have to keep the both of them no matter the cost. If you are not in it to win, why be in it? We now have a healthy Peavy, but no Mark to go with him? That just plain sucks. I thought we should have kept MB also, but money is what it is- in short supply apparently from some bad decisions. I knew MB was gone just like the Big Hurt was allowed to walk and he was just as much of God to Sox fans, if not more, than Mark was. Frank still had at least three more pretty good years after he left the Sox

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 24, 2012 -> 03:33 PM) It's fluff piece time of year. Stop being frustrated by the fluff pieces and enjoy the fact that spring training is almost here! Balta s right. This is what we will see for awhile still-fluff and feel good and optimism for the upcoming season. It's all good though. Hope Jake does good cause I don't see him back in 2013.

QUOTE (sunofgold @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 01:24 AM) He has hit some clutch HRs in his career. If he is healthy, this could be a nice UTR signing. However, last year he hit below the 2011 Dunn Line with his bad wrist. How many clutch homers? I only heard of one, but looking back at his stats I see he had some decent power numbers with Oakland in 05-06-07. Not a great average hitter, but he might battle for the starting 1B slot at Charlotte.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 1, 2012 -> 06:13 PM) Maybe Coop can fix 'em Apparently Coop can do anything.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 08:33 PM) I thought they said that Cespedes wasn't interested in Miami? Not to generalize or anything, but I would think any Cuban ball player would want to go to Miami. Obviously Miami would want them too. What is your take?

QUOTE (Wanne @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 01:45 AM) Love your handle Cy...he was always one of my faves. Wonder if many of the youngin's know who he is? Dick Allen time period. Had a real good year in '72 and in '73. Then fell off

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jan 29, 2012 -> 08:17 PM) I doubt many GM's can hire/fire the manager without approval of the owner. Guillen was the first to go, Chairman Reinsdorf has put Kenny on the clock. I don't think Sox management is anywhere near Geo. Steinbrenner like, but I think KW shoud have been fired just as much as some thought Ozzie should have been gone for the 2011 debacle. If you accept Jerry's statement that he encouraged Ozzie to go simply out of some paternal feelings for Ozzie then you see that KW staying is more a fatherly thing on the part of Reinsdorf. He is very loyal to his people. I also think the owner does have a right to intervene, if he sees the need.