gosox41

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Oct 13, 2007 -> 02:24 AM) Then, according to the credit your are giving him, he does a great job. I wouldn't say the sole reason, but he was probably the biggest reason Buehrle resigned. I think he's the creative one when it comes to working the budget and finding ways to do different stuff. I will say that I would take Hahn over KW as GM in a nano second. While Hahn is more of an unknown quanitity, I doubt he could do worse with the farm system. Bob

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 12, 2007 -> 05:22 PM) This should be very interesting. I am looking forward to it. If Ross Gload is on that list, I am giving up on baseball. I hope this report goes public. Is there anyway the union can prevent the report from being released? Any chance Mitchell or MLB won't release all the findings so baseball doesn't look bad? Bob

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Oct 12, 2007 -> 09:54 PM) Hahn is really doing something right, because teams are really starting to talk about him. I've heard Hahn plays a bigger role in the Sox front office then he is given credit for. Bob

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Oct 11, 2007 -> 05:17 AM) What people seem to be forgetting is the possibility that a deal like this also opens up Rowand and Eckstein coming to Chicago. Free up $20 mill, give Rowand $12 mill and Eckstein $7 mill. Just playing devil's advocate, as I don't consider myself a doom and gloom type. I would, however, absolutely hate to ever see Eckstein in a White Sox uniform. I imagine they'd just be evil as hell and pick up Erstad's option too just for s***s and giggles. I'm not even trying to imitate a nd movie quote, but after reading this I started tasting throw up in my mouth. I agree here and the thought of paying Eckstein and Rowand a combine $20 mill is absolutely ridiculous and disgusting. KW should be fired for that. Bob

QUOTE(fathom @ Oct 9, 2007 -> 04:52 PM) That would be an awful trade. You need to get some younger players, and adding only one of them in a trade for 2 of your biggest players just wouldn't be beneficial. When you take into account the rumored players in the Teixiera trade to the Angels, we should be able to get a better package. There's no doubt in my mind that any trade to the Angels would bring back Ervin Santana. If teams inquired about PK during July and KW wanted 3 top prospects, why would he lower his demands so much for just PK and give up a 200+ inning pitcher. It doesn't add up. Bob

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 4, 2007 -> 04:45 PM) The Sox were what, 27th according to BA last year or something like that? Similar in other lists too - among the bottom 5 or bottom 10. I don't think they'll suddenly jump to 15th, but I'd bet that they'll be more like 20th, instead of 25th. A small step forward. There's pretty muc no where to go but up. Bob

QUOTE(Colorado Sox Fan @ Oct 7, 2007 -> 08:53 AM) Garland will be with the Sox on Opening Day, along with ARod. You guys listen too much to the idiot sportswriters in Chicago, who have never been correct in anything they write about possible Sox moves. Just because Cowley says Garland is gone, doesn't make it so. So what do you know that makes you think Garland will be here and the Sox will sign A-Rod? If I were a betting man, I'd bet the likelihood of botch occurring is miniscule, though not out of the question. Where do the Sox free up money to sign A-Rod? Bob

QUOTE(BearSox @ Oct 7, 2007 -> 12:13 AM) I have a quick question... why does everyone seem so sure that Garland is 99.9% out the door? 1. Because the Sox need to create payroll flexibility. 2. The Sox have no farm system and the Sox can get 2-3 prospects for him to fill holes. 3. Buehrle has a no trade clause and Vazquez a ltd. no trade making Garland the best trade chip the Sox can offer. Bob

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 08:41 AM) Players likely to be traded, or have their options not picked up, or not re-signed, for 2008 (and their 2008 salaries): Garland ($12M) Uribe ($5M option) Podsednik (~$3M or so) That is about $20M right there. Now add players who already dropped off payroll from 2007: Mack ($2.75M) Gooch ($3.25M) Add that $6M and you already have $26M in flexibility . Then a few more players, at least some of which might go too: Contreras ($10M) Crede (~$6M) Erstad ($3.5M option) MacD ($2M) Thornton ($875k) So you've got between $26M and $48M of flexibility, depending on who from that last list might leave. That's a pretty large amount of money to play with, assuming the payroll will be allowed to stay at similar levels, with the built-in increases coming up. the $94 million (or so) dollars the Sox have committed in salary don't include players with options (Uribe and Pods) You're forgetting all the salaryKW undertook resigning this core. Here are what certain player are costing the Sox next year: PK $12 mill Thome $8mill AJ $5 mill Dye $11 mill MB $14mill Javy $11 mill JG $12 mill JC $10 mill That's $83 mill in 8 players right there. JG can be traded, but JC may not be able to without picking up some salary in return or paying another team a few mill to take him. I haven't included Crede who very few teams will want to trade fair value for with his bad back. That's $88 mill. Toby Hall and McDougal are about $2.75 mill each that's $93.5 mill. Ozuna makes $1 mill. That's not even half the roster. If you're going to look at players who aren't going to be here, then also look at players who are getting raises. Bob

QUOTE(greg775 @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 02:09 AM) I don't know if Williams is so stubborn. He thought he had a plan to improve the bullpen obviously with these tall relievers and that plan failed miserably. He thought Erstad had pop left. Erstad is no good. But why is that stubborn. He miscalculated on Hall, who sucks. So why is he stubborn? He may be dumb but not so stubborn. Well if he doesn't make any major moves with some of the core this off seaosn he's stubborn ebcause he fel in love with '05 and can't let go. Bob

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 12:13 PM) He's made the playoffs 1 out of 7 years. A lot of teams have done that. I know you will say but most of those teams didn't win, but the playoffs are a crapshoot. You make it, you can win. The GMs job is to get his team into a position to win. Is Walt Jockety a genius because he put together an 83 win team that won in the playoffs, but Terry Ryan or Billy Bean stupid because their teams make the playoffs constantly but don't do anything in them? If you say yes, I disagree. Was it Jim Hendry's doing that the Cubs choked away a WS berth a couple of years ago? Was it KW's will that made a ball go right through Tony G's legs? KW has the most to play with in the AL Central division. He had a golden opportunity to capitalize on it, and make it grow even more, but his stubborness has made the team plummet to depths not seen since Larry Himes was hired to rebuild a broken franchise. BTW, I don't think I'm the only one who finds it odd the Bears cannot find a good QB. In fact, I would bet most people who watch football find it odd that this franchise lines up the crap it lines up behind center every damn week, every damn year. Well said. The fact is if Terry Ryan came out tomorrow and said he wants to be the GM for the Sox everyone here who knows a thing or two about baseball would be screaming for him to be hired. Why? How many championships has he won? I'd say the same thing for Beane but a lot of people don't like him because if his ego. He's still a good GM. KW gets one more year. If he finishes below .500 with a $100 mill payroll he needs to be fired. I don't know how any fan can be satisified with 2 sub .500 finishes with the leagues 5th highest payroll. That is so Cubs. The honeymoon has to end sometime for KW, and his decision to stick with an aging expensive club shortens that leash dramatically then if he decided to rebuild. Bob

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 09:35 AM) That's very true, but very short-sighted. Look at Detroit this year. they had 2006 white Sox syndrome. The Sox have been competitive, frustrating, but competitive for the last 10 or so years. I think that's a pretty good run. Of course, you can argue that the AL Central wasn't good. Fine. There's always an argument for and against in baseball and that's what makes it fun. But, to write off a year before the year has even started is silly and short-sighted. It may be, but I see trouble brewing and can't help but point it out. I should amend all these posts with a footnote that says if the Sox jack up their payroll for 2008 they will contend. Bob

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 08:27 AM) That is in fact one of the reasons that major changes will have to happen. But who do you think the Sox will dump of those players under contact for next season. Garland is a given. Maybe Contreras but they may have to take on some salary or eat some of his to trade him. Dye, Buehrle, & Thome all have No Trade clauses. Right now Crede is untradeable (I'm assuming the Sox bring him back.) Sure the Sox may be able to dump Cintron and McDougal and Hall but hey won't get much if anything for them. Getting rid of all 3 means we're going to see more A-Gon and a crappy hitting back up catcher. McDougal isn't a major loss. Bob

QUOTE(The Ginger Kid @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 08:32 PM) Rockies are going to win it all. As long as it's not the Cubs. Bob

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:41 PM) What I don't understand is why 2007 is a fluke year. The White Sox have one the WS exactly 1 time the las 90 years. Is it possible that was the fluke season? That's going to get some people riled up. I see where you're going. The Sox had 1.5 good years in the past 3, and the 3 good halves of baseball all happened together while the lastyear and a half has been torture. Bob

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:39 PM) They had the money and they knew they weren't going to have to win 95 games. It was a no brainer. I don't mean the $300 million spent this past off season. I mean the Cubs model since the mid-90's. Overpaying decent to below average talent, neglecting the farm system, and the worst part having a sucky team. Bob

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 12:32 AM) I'm tired of hearing how this a championship core -- by that logic the Sox should bring back Timo Perez. Williams this season has repeatedly overpaid for aging mediocrity (Dye, AJ....) and is going to give a few million dollars to the likes of Ozuna and Mike Myers. That adds up -- to more than the cost of signing a decent draft choice. I miss the GM who was willing to trade Aaron Rowand. All of a sudden, when the team sucks, KW decides to become conservative. I agree with the championship core comment. KW always talks about getting championship caliber players. What the heck does that mean. How does one identify a championshiop caliber player. It's a load of crap IMHO. Get guys who can play baseball well and aren't dogs. That defines a lot of players. I can easily now say the Sox core players are '4th place caliber players' because that's where we finished with this championship core. Bob

QUOTE(joesaiditstrue @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 04:01 AM) money doesn't equal talent, there are so many players in baseball who get paid way too much money we need to stop dumping so much money into players that aren't great and figure out other methods of acquiring good talent (hello draft/scouts), look at the twins/indians and their payroll and then put it up next to their players, they aren't really making very much money sans a select few, and yet they're pretty amazing talent-wise as a team right now in terms of pure talent, i'd say we're 3rd or 4th in the division 1/2/3 Indians/Tigers/Twins in no particular order, then we're 4th and KC 5th sure, we have some sluggers who can pump out 30-40 a year with around 100 RBI's, and we have one reliable starting pitcher (i love Javy but he hasn't reached that "Reliable" status yet), and our closer seems to be coming around but it all tails off from there we need more talent on this team, and it seems that we won't be able to count on our scouts or minor league coaches to get it, so i guess we have to take approach B: overpay for decent players So we will be following the Cubs model. Bob

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 12:30 AM) A see a CFer, middle infielder (be it SS or 2B), and one veteran reliever being brought in; I also see Garland being traded, and possibly Contreras. If Contreras is traded, there will be an open competition for 3 rotation spots, because I don't think Danks' job is guaranteed for next year (that trade went from being completely one-sided to being a pretty even trade, perhaps even better for Texas in a hell of a hurry). I just don't want to have to mentally connect the names Jeriome Robertson and John Danks any longer, so next year is a big year for Danks. If the middle infielder that's brought in is Eckstein, I'm going to flip s***. If both Garland and Contreras are traded, we are pretty much rebuilding the starting pitching staff. If you're going to do that, then why stop there. I can't think of many teams that have made the playoffs with 2 vets, a second year player, and 2 rookies. KW might be able to get a top pitching prospect for Garland but it would still be a rookie. I'm not too optimistic about the free agent options to fill up the rotation either, especially considering the cost of pitching these days. Bob

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 09:52 AM) Question: Am I missing something??? Answer: The offseason... which hasn't even started yet. So you see major changes on the horizon. It's goin to be awfully hard to do that with the payroll where it's at right now. Bob

QUOTE(Maverick0984 @ Sep 30, 2007 -> 10:53 PM) The sky is falling. Since there is no teal I'll assume you're not optimistic about next year unless major changes are made. If you're being sarcastic then I recommend changing colors as I certainly missed your point. Bob

Can anyone think of another team that was under .500 the last 2 seasons, include one 96 loss season while outspending the rest of their division? Because I unforutnately can, and I don't want to ever but up such patheticness (I just made that word up) as the Cubs. It's time for KW to get it right and for the Sox not to finish beging teams that spend 2/3 of what the Sox spend. I think the honeymoon is over for me from what KW did in 2005. I'll never forget it, but I'll also never for get how bad the team was the last year and a half considering the money KW now is able to spend. And I'll be pretty pissed next year if we do worse then the Twins and their $60 mill. payroll (let alone the Tigers and Indians). Unless I'm mistaken, the Sox have only finished higher then the Twins once under the KW regime- in 2005. And while we have the Series, and the Twins don't doesn't mean I want to spend the next 7 years watching them outplay us. Bob

Was 2007 really just a fluke year where it's worth bringing back the core withour majorly upgrading the glaring holes on the team? Based on KW's recent comments, I have a feeling we're in for a disappoint off season. The team needs some major help, and it seems like KW is looking to dump Garland and overpay for Rowand or Hunter. Uribe looks to be on his way back. It even looks like he's only going to go after 1-2 relievers and odds are neither will be dominant, but more like a crap shoot. Is KW watching the same team I am? I'm seeing a team with about a $100 million payroll that hasn't .500 baseball for a half since the first half of 2006. I see a team of one dimensional power hitters who strike out a ton and outside of PK and Thome can't even match the league average in OBP. I see a SS who has like a .260 OBP and is most likely coming back next year even though his numbers have declined for 3 strasight years. I see a team that is already starting to show it's age turn another year older next year. A team that had a bullpen that sucks that will probably only make an upgrade or 2 while relying on Ehren Wassermann. Why should I think this team can contend let alone win the division next year without undrgoing a major overhaul. If this team played above .500 in the second half of 2006 I can maybe see some glimmer of hope. But now we have roughly 250 games in a row of bad baseball due mainly to lack of execution. The funny thing is our GM and Manager talk about grinder ball and the need for getting guys who can do the little things. I see Ozzie begging for more speed, but we're running out of positions to put guys if we do get speed. While theyre talking about this stuff, they haven't actually done much to act on it. Remember April when the weather was cold and wet? Remember how many of our power hitters weren't hitting their weight? Whose to say it won't be cold next year. At least having some speed will minimize slumps like this. So someone please, give me some hope. If KW makes some major changes I'll be thrilled but I don't see minor one's doing much. Bob

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Sep 23, 2007 -> 04:35 PM) I don't get where people's contempt for BP/BA stems from. Do people expect a 100% CORRECT rate? BP does tend to whine, but who cares? They have a system for predicting things that is sometimes right and sometimes wrong. I'd like to go back to before the seaosn and read what all the prognosticators here saw. I include my self in that category as I had them winning close to 90. I bought into Williams love for Masset and other relievers at Soxfest. Whoops. But if we go over people's predictions year in and year out here, I doubt they're more accurate then BP. BP just chooses a different way to predict it, a way that a lot of people won't or can't grasp since it involves numbers. And of course people here are goin to be defensive when they predict the team they love will do badly. Bob

QUOTE(WCSox @ Sep 20, 2007 -> 12:50 PM) People were saying the same thing about the Tigers and Twins last September. And as recently as a couple of months ago, people here were saying that the Tigers were going to be a "juggernaut" for the next 3-4 years and they're on the brink of Wild Card elimination right now. Divisional strength can change quickly. If the Sox make three or four key off-season moves and their veteran sluggers don't go through a prolonged slump next year, they'll most definitely have a shot. Despite its numerous problems, the core of this team is still very talented. How much of the Tigers problems are a tired pitching staff from the extended games last year? Bob