Cubs Suck23

QUOTE(Steff @ Jul 21, 2005 -> 08:08 AM) Ugh.. I'd hate to win it at their house. I mean.. a wins a win.. I know that.. but I can just imagine the fights, riots, etc.. it would be sick. Their is probably be going to be tons of fights&riots in the streets even if we beat the Padres in the world series. I dont understand why fans have to destroy their city after their team wins a championship..

I would love to face the Cubs in the series so we can kick their ass... Sox would win in 5 and the Sox would celebrate the Series win at wrigley in front of those cubs fans crying

They’re taking different paths to the ultimate destination. Consecutive home losses to the Detroit Tigers aside, the White Sox are in the express lane, cruising toward October. The Cubs, on the other hand, are weaving in and out of the local lane. They’ve got some dings on the fenders and have lost some tread on the tires, but they’re making pretty steady progress. Laugh if you want, but don’t be surprised if both the Sox and the Cubs make it all the way to the World Series. How could this happen you ask? Let’s go right to the pitching. As the White Sox have been showing all season, it all starts with a strong rotation, and there’s not a better trio in baseball than Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland and Freddy Garcia. If the Cubs can keep Mark Prior and Kerry Wood on the mound instead of flat ground, they combine with Carlos Zambrano to form an equally dominant threesome. The Sox have a superior bullpen with Dustin Hermanson, Cliff Politte, Damaso Marte and Neal Cotts, but Cubs general manager Jim Hendry still has time before the July 31 trade deadline to add another reliever or two. If Hendry can beef up his bullpen, this pipe dream matchup really has a chance to become a reality. Let’s hope it does. Imagine, if you can, what it would be like around here if the White Sox and Cubs were the last two teams standing. The Sox haven’t won a World Series since 1917. The Cubs’ run of futility dates back to 1908. The two rivals have been going at each other in interleague play since 1997, but the cross-town showdown seems to lose a little steam with each passing year. Pair the White Sox and Cubs in the World Series, and you’ve really got something. Locally, the city and suburbs would come to a grinding halt. Nationally, ESPN and other media outlets would be forced to turn their attention away from the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and that perpetual poker tournament for a week or two. At this point, a White Sox-Cubs World Series matchup is facing some pretty long odds. The Cubs aren’t going to chase down St. Louis in the NL Central, but they are very much alive in the wild-card race. Last year, the Red Sox made it to the postseason as the wild card and wound up winning it all. The year before that, as the Cubs can tell you, the wild-card Florida Marlins won the World Series. And the year before that, the wild-card Anaheim Angels started the trend by winning the Fall Classic. So it can be done. For the sake of a suffering city, go Cubs go. As for the White Sox, it’s still way too early to start printing World Series tickets. For as great as they’ve been, the Sox still must prove they can handle heavyweights like the Red Sox and the Yankees. And shudder over this thought — the White Sox could draw the dreaded Oakland Athletics in the first round of the playoffs. For whatever reason, the Sox have curled up in a ball at the mere sight of the A’s since 2001, and they’re 2-7 against Oakland this season. Determining playoff opponents can wait for another day. For now, in order for the White Sox to get to where they want to go, Orlando “El Duque’’ Hernandez needs to keep his shoulder strong, Hermanson and Joe Crede need to keep their backs limber, and the rest of the Sox need to perform like they’re 1 game out instead of 11 games ahead. If they can do that, there’s no reason why the Sox can’t advance all the way to the World Series. Hopefully, the Cubs will be there waiting for them.

Anaheim Angels Current position: First place, AL West What they need: The Angels have a reasonably comfortable lead in the AL West, and they're a balanced team without a single glaring weakness. The bullpen and bench are strong, and the top four starters are various shades of solid. The Angels rank in the middle of the AL pack in runs scored, but the lineup is without a genuine cipher (although Darin Erstad certainly approaches cipher status). So what to do? The loss of Kelvim Escobar has forced the Angels to wing it without an adequate fifth starter, but that's not a grave problem. The bullpen, as excellent as it's been, has no lefty, so that's something. Possible targets: Fifth starter — Aaron Harang, Mike Maroth, Mark Redman Lefty specialist — Scott Eyre, Mike Gonzalez, Kent Mercker What they can trade: Nominal top prospect Casey Kotchman is blocked by Erstad's contract and is therefore dispensable. Otherwise, the Halos have good depth in the middle infield. Oakland Athletics Current position: 2.5 games out of AL wild card What they need: The rotation has depth now that Joe Kennedy's in the fold, and the bullpen, after some fits and starts, has settled down and now boasts a 3.75 ERA as a unit. With their inability to score in bunches, the A's would benefit from an addition like the Reds' Adam Dunn. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images) What the A's don't have, however, is a potent offensive attack. The A's rank eighth in the AL in runs scored, which, to be fair, constitutes great progress considering where they stood after the first two months of the season. The lineup, as it's presently producing, is balanced without any searing liabilities. So what Oakland needs is not some middling or uninspired quasi-solution; they need a potential superstar that fits within their budget constraints. There's really only one guy for them. Possible targets: Outfielder — Adam Dunn What they can trade: The Reds want pitching for Dunn, and the A's can offer promising arms like Jairo Garcia and, well, not much else. Prying Dunn away from the Reds might require something bold like parting with Joe Blanton. Cleveland Indians Current position: 3 games out of AL wild card What they need: The recent addition of Jason Dubois somewhat helps the Tribe's weaknesses against left-handed pitching, but it's not a pennant-winning move. A common panacea that's often put forth is finding someone to supplant Aaron Boone at third. Look at his numbers on the whole, and that seems to make sense; however, he's been reasonably solid for the last six weeks. Cleveland has one of the best bullpens in baseball, and the rotation ranks seventh in the AL in ERA. An upgrade at the back of the rotation is a possibility, but it's not a concentrated weakness. It's the offense that needs help. Ben Broussard and Casey Blake have both been liabilities, and the Tribe should seek an upgrade for one or both of them before the deadline. Blake's the real problem; among qualifying AL right fielders, only Richard Hidalgo has been worse this season. Possible targets: Right fielder — Adam Dunn, Matt Lawton, Matt Stairs First baseman — Tony Clark, Todd Helton, Lyle Overbay, Mike Sweeney What they can trade: It's a strong system, so they have lots of options. Acquiring Dunn would likely require a premium arm like Jeremy Sowers. Otherwise, farmhands like Fausto Carmona, Michael Aubrey and Nick Pesco could front an attractive trade package. Baltimore Orioles Current position: 0.5 games out of AL wild card, 1 game out of AL East What they need: Erik Bedard is back from the DL, which helps this team tremendously. However, they need another starter so that they can bump the feckless Sidney Ponson from the rotation. They could also use an effective lefty setup man, since Steve Kline has apparently fallen off the cliff. As for the offense, the O's rank fourth in the AL in runs scored, which is fine, but they're not without sinkholes in the lineup. To wit, DH and the outfield corners. Even so, the organization seems fixated on adding pitching. The Orioles would love to add the Marlins' A.J. Burnett to their pitching rotation. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images) Possible targets: Starting pitcher — A.J. Burnett, Jason Schmidt, Jeff Weaver Lefty specialist — Wilson Alvarez, Scott Eyre, Mike Gonzalez, Kent Mercker, Ron Villone What they can trade: Jorge Julio and Hayden Penn have already been linked to the developing Burnett deal, and those are the names you'll probably see in any high-profile deal the O's make over the next fortnight. Texas Rangers Current position: 2 games out of AL wild card What they need: They need to get Richard Hidalgo out of the lineup, and Texas also needs help at the back of the rotation. If they're serious about contending, an upgrade in center is also called for. The middle relief corps is fairly miserable. In other words, the Rangers have much to do — probably more than they can do. Calling up phenom Thomas Diamond for some relief work would help. As far as the pitching quandary goes, given the homer-ific proclivities of Ameriquest Field, they'd do well to focus on hurlers with strong groundball tendencies. Possible targets: Starting pitcher — A.J. Burnett, Jason Schmidt, Jeff Weaver Reliever — Marcos Carvajal, Elmer Dessens, Brian Fuentes, Todd Jones, Kent Mercker, Jose Mesa, Billy Wagner, David Weathers, Rick White, Matt Wise What they can trade: The organizational untouchables include Diamond and John Danks. Otherwise, talents like Adrian Gonzalez, Vincent Sinisi and Joaquin Arias could be jettisoned. Boston Red Sox Current position: First place, AL East What they need: This is not a challenging diagnosis. The Red Sox have a deep rotation and the AL's best offense. What they need is relief help. The pickup of Tony Graffanino solves the second-base problem for the time being. Possible targets: Reliever — Danys Baez, Marcos Carvajal, Brian Fuentes, Eddie Guardado, LaTroy Hawkins, Todd Jones, Mike MacDougal, Kent Mercker, J.J. Putz, Billy Wagner, Matt Wise What they can trade: They'll be loath to part with second baseman of the future Dustin Pedroia and top pitching prospect Jon Papelbon, but the Sox might trade prospects like Hanley Ramirez, Brandon Moss and Jon Lester in the right deal. Minnesota Twins Current position: Tied for AL wild card lead What they need: The rotation is capable, if unspectacular, and the bullpen has the third-best relief ERA in the AL. The offense, meanwhile, ranks a paltry 12th in the junior circuit in runs scored. Since 1980, only one AL team — the 1985 Royals — has made the postseason while ranking 12th or worse in the league in runs scored. So that's a problem. Believe it or not, the lavishly talented Justin Morneau is one of the trouble spots in the lineup. As a whole, the Twins have trouble against lefties, and, to remedy that, they badly need righty-swinging platoon partners for Morneau and Jacque Jones. Possible targets: Lefty-killer — Moises Alou, Emil Brown, Olmedo Saenz What they can trade: Since they don't have a need for an elite performer, don't expect them to part with an elite performer. The Twins will likely shop around not-quite-premium prospects like Kyle Waldrop and Scott Baker. Jason Bartlett might also be dangled. New York Yankees Current position: Tied for AL wild card lead What they need: Robinson Cano has more than held his own since taking over as the Yanks' everyday second baseman. That's most assuredly a boon to their hopes, but it also eliminates one of their scant bargaining chips leading up to the deadline. What they need is another starting pitcher and a center fielder that can either catch flies by the bushel or compensate for defensive shortcomings with a potent bat. And they needs those things desperately. Possible targets: Starting pitcher — A.J. Burnett, Aaron Harang, Jason Schmidt. Center fielder — Eric Byrnes, Mike Cameron, Ken Griffey Jr., Kenny Lofton, Wily Mo Pena, Randy Winn. What they can trade: Well, there's not much. If it's a headline-grabber, then Eric Duncan will likely be involved. Shy of that, Melky Cabrera and Colter Bean may be moved.

Chicago White Sox Current position: First place, AL Central What they need: Chicago is blessed with a tremendous team defense, and a great pitching staff in all facets. The offensive attack is another matter. The Sox have the best record in baseball, but they rank only sixth in the AL in runs scored. That might not sound like an indictment, but U.S. Cellular drastically inflates run scoring. If there's an offensive fault to be isolated, it's at the shortstop position. This season, AL shortstops are batting .273 AVG/.327 OBP/.409 SLG, while White Sox shortstops are batting only .231 AVG/.263 OBP/.345 SLG. That's a significant drop-off, and it's one that needs to be addressed before July 31. Possible targets: Shortstop — Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo, Omar Vizquel What they can trade: If it's a blockbuster-type deal, they might be willing to part with Brandon McCarthy. Failing that, prospects like Ryan Sweeney, Josh Fields and Gio Gonzalez could be involved.

During his press conference after the game Ozzie said he was talking to the umpires in his office during the rain delay

I think the Sox should look into trading him either for a starting pitcher or an OF with alot of power and have Pods move to CF

Alot of baseball so called experts said last year that Rowand is a great 4th OF did the Sox over estimated him.

Last year he had a very powerful season with over 20 Hr's but this year he has only 5 Hr's and 36 Rbi's. He has got alot of clutch hits this year but wondering what happen to his power and aganist some pitchers he looks overmatched. I hope he can turn it aroud.. Does anyone else feel the same way..

Lets just hope Detroit can beat the Twins this weekend

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 20, 2005 -> 04:07 PM) I see the analysis now. I dont like Timo. I dont think highly of Joe Borchard also. I guess I dont like white guys either. you can hate Timo all you want but saying if Gload name was Gloadriquez he would be on the ballclub is a racist remark.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jul 20, 2005 -> 03:58 PM) You're accusing, ASSuming, that the reason Latin players are here is because Ozzie favors them..and then go as far as saying if you aren't Latin you are screwed.. sorry.. but THAT'S bulls***.. and ignorant.. and sounds like you have an axe to grind with latin players because YOU feel they are not worthy of being on this team. You have every right to your opinion and I have every right to claim it, your comments - not you, sounds rasist to ME.. Totally agree with you

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 20, 2005 -> 03:44 PM) Why because Ozzie values his latin players a bit more. I am sure Timo would be playing 1st for the Angels late in games. Ozzie pretty much didnt want Carlos Lee,Jose Valentin or Ordonez back and last time I checked they were all latin as well

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 20, 2005 -> 03:40 PM) Its all about a latin name I guess. Well we have a lefty hitting in AAA at about a .380 clip with an over .1.00 OPS. But he cant play OF so he stays down. If his name was Gloadriguez he is up and playing. We have a midget who masquarades as a 1st baseman because he can pinch hit and provides a dancing partner for our manager. We have Willie who should be anywhere but here, but he is here, because Gload isnt liked. If you are latin and a pitcher you can throw 100 pitches and then start that inning. you need to lay off the latin crap dude...

Twins just won

QUOTE(Mr. Showtime @ Jul 20, 2005 -> 12:36 PM) Who the hell is that? He is an ESPN insider plus the co founder of SABR news. He is on ESPN chat

jordan (ri): will the red sox get burnett ? Gary Gillette: (2:23 PM ET ) At this point, my handicapping of the AJ sweepstakes is as follows: Gary Gillette: (2:23 PM ET ) Baltimore most likely, but certainly not a lock Gary Gillette: (2:23 PM ET ) White Sox next Gary Gillette: (2:24 PM ET ) Red Sox third

QUOTE(Winnin Ugly @ Jul 20, 2005 -> 11:54 AM) See the Sox pick up is Scott Eyre. Maybe we can get Eyre in the Schmidt deal Eyre would be a very nice pick up for the Sox. He is on the trading block so you never know

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:07 AM) If we are considering trading Shingo for Hawkins, then the real question is ... who do you prefer on the 25 man roster, Hawkins or Jenks? I would rather have hawkins that way Jenks can get more experience at tripleA instead of sitting for weeks

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:05 AM) WSCR has been wrong countless times before. I remember when they announced the Sox had signed Dave Stewart. Turns out it was Dave Steib. Wow between Bruce Levine and WSCR isnt their any good reports in Chicago..

Barclay D. (Dartmouth, MA): Heard AJ Burnett could go to the Red Sox and get the a extention, if so what would the Sox give up and do they take on Mike Lowells contract? Jayson Stark: (1:02 PM ET ) I'm not sure where all those three-way rumors of Red Sox-Marlins-Padres came from, but there doesn't appear to be anything to that. The Orioles are now the favorites on Burnett because they've shown interest in taking on Mike Lowell and his contract. The Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays are all still in this. But if Baltimore will take Lowell, this could get done in a hurry.

WSCR radio just said that the Sox are really close to sending Shingo to AZ so i guess NO Hawkins

Last 10 Games: DATE OPP W L ERA SV IP H ER BB SO JUN 05 @NYM 0 0 5.14 0 0.0 2 1 0 0 JUN 08 KC 0 0 5.06 0 0.1 0 0 0 0 JUN 09 KC 0 0 5.48 0 1.2 3 2 1 2 JUL 04 CIN 0 0 5.79 0 0.1 1 1 1 1 JUL 06 CIN 0 0 5.55 0 1.0 2 0 0 2 JUL 07 CIN 0 0 5.33 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 JUL 09 STL 0 0 5.13 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 JUL 14 @LAD 0 0 4.88 0 1.1 1 0 1 3 JUL 16 @LAD 0 0 4.71 0 1.0 0 0 0 1 JUL 17 @LAD 0 0 4.71 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 Totals 0 0 4.15 1 8.2 9 4 3 9

Con Creete (CHC): I heard (and hope) the Cubs are looking to acquire bullpen. Who is out there? The only names I've heard are Mike MacDougal, and David Weathers. Steve Phillips: (12:38 PM ET ) There are more guys available. I expect possibly Spire or Bautista. Baez. LaTroy Hawkins maybe, but not sure you want him back! Guardardo might be available although he has a no-trade clause. Braden Looper could be available depending on the Mets. Jose Mesa and Rick White from the Pirates are available. Fuentes with Colorado is drawing inquiries. There will be more quality relievers available than starters. I agree the Cubs need an 8th inning pitcher to win the Wild Card.

The Giants would be looking for a young OF since they dont have any.