RockRaines

Best: Every Bulls title 2005 ALCS game 2-was there 2005 WS game 2-there also Worst: Can anyone beat this: in the last 4 years my teams have been in 4 championship games. I went 1-3, recently losing 3 in a row. Also 2000 Sox

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jan 22, 2008 -> 01:33 AM) Well Schaumburg is almost like a mini city in itself. Has the mall close by, a pretty big theater and a bunch of different restaurants of all sorts. Not 2 mention has some of the best public schools in the area. I was under the impression he just got out of school a few years ago, I would think someone of that age would like to be near the actual city in the area. For older people, yes, schaumburg is nice with schools and restaurants.

I just watched my 2005 world series DVD. I would want FG back, if that was him. But the arm is done. He needs probably the whole season off.

QUOTE(Brian @ Jan 22, 2008 -> 06:00 PM) I'm kind of hoping Broadway is our #5 starter. I know, I'm crazy. Even though its said he has pedestrian stuff etc etc, he impressed the s*** out of me last season, out of the pen, and starting. Sometimes there are ptichers who dont look like much in the minors, but their stuff flat out works in the bigs. Who knows.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Jan 22, 2008 -> 02:52 PM) Am I the only one who thinks Bobby Jenks + Uribe and maybe a Lance Broadway (or at most Gavin Floyd) could net Erik Bedard? Am I insane? Yes. It would most likely take something like Danks, Fields, Jenks. Two unproven players with upside and one proven player.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jan 22, 2008 -> 05:09 PM) so who is our mop-up guy when Floyd and Danks can't get through the 5th? Broadway hopefully.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 10:37 PM) To be honest, the only pitcher I am banking on for us to be at least decent (ERA less then 4.5, not get knocked around every other time out) is Vazquez. Buehrle, maybe, but he has to show me he has made some changes from late last season. We really need one Floyd and/or Danks to step up big time. At this point, I'd MUCH, MUCH, MUCH rather have Garland over Cabrera. Hahaha. The odds of Buehrle putting up better than a 4.5 ERA is monumentally larger than Vaz, not even close. You need a hug or something. He doesnt need to show YOU anything, hes only had worse than that ONCE in his career, and according to his career, it was an outlier. Even if he pitched the way he did the 2nd half of last year, he still doesnt put up worse than a 4.5. He had 9 bad starts at the end of the season, a lost season.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 10:39 PM) Agreed, Rock- Chicago is doing fairly well right now compared to others because it is still the pre-eminent place to live if you're anywhere near the City, but eventually that market is going to bottom out a bit. The developers are starting to take the brunt of it now because of that over-saturation of the market by condos but I think the crap will really start to hit the fan in a few years when a lot of those who bought during the "boom" start looking to sell in order to hit the suburbs to raise their families and they realize there are 700 places on the market at their price-point with nearly the exact-same amenities package and so forth. I'm going to be in the market in 8 months to a year but I am somewhat concerned at the thought of buying a condo in the City when they have become so cookie-cutter. I realize there will always be a demand for housing in Chicago but I really think they have passed the threshold a while back. Its really based on neighborhoods in the city right now. The south loop has recently been extremely over developed and has lost some of its noteworthy value growth. Other areas are still continuing to appreciate as well. You have to pick the neighborhood as wisely as your actual unit. Also as far as cookie-cutter, there are alot of very interesting units around the city for different tastes. I live in a condo in a neighborhood of lofts, high rises vs rehabs on the northside. There is still plenty of variance.

QUOTE(ROC Sox Fan @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 09:47 PM) I'm just excited to see anything other than the 07 team on the field. Seconded, and I like watching younger talent hopefully progress.

Ugh, according to Phil Rogers the talks are back on. I wish they would give up on the thought that the cubs are going to get Bedard and Roberts, they dont have close to the amount of players to get them. I love how the cubs fans keep saying the cubs are "willing to give up Murton and maybe Pie now." Come on, Murton has barely any value and Pie is worth more to the cubs than other teams. Quick edit, apparently Rogers actually had the balls to say that it could be a three team deal where the cubs net Byrd, Bedard and Roberts. He mustve been extremely bored today.

Heres a question: Why Schaumburg?

I bought my first place after being out of school for 2 years, and it couldnt have been a better decision. Of course the housing market was a bit different a few years ago than it is now. IM not too clear on how the appreciation is out in the burbs compared to where I live in the city, but buying could never be a bad idea over renting. Especially if you have several friends that would pay some of your mortgage. RIght now I would say its a buyers market and if you are planning on sitting on the property for several years, you should definitely buy. Ive never been a huge fan of staying in a house while helping pay your landlords mortgage, when I could just be paying my own off. Also the good thing about the chicago area is that it is not quite bottoming out like alot of other markets, its quite insulated from that and only fluctuates a bit, and I would say if you are looking to buy, right now wouldnt be a bad time as houses are staying on the market longer and the winter is a very good time to find someone who is desperate.

I'd take my chances with Jerry Owens, Patterson isnt going to bring much else to the table.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 20, 2008 -> 06:42 PM) Quentin hit 9 home runs in his first stint in the big leagues in about 160 ABs. If he's healthy, he's not only hitting "13". Fields hit 23 in 373 ABs. 28 I could buy, but that pretty much assumes he doesn't improve at all next year and hits some major sophomore struggles. HE could struggle, but he has shown that he can hit alot of breaking balls, which is a great step towards being a good hitter. He has the ability to scratch 40 hr, but I like the projection where it is, I think he focuses on more contact this year. Quentin should be able to break into the 20's easily with regular time.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 20, 2008 -> 02:16 PM) This thread depressed me. Not looking forward to the season at all. Really? 1.PODS 2. Iguchi 3. Everett 4. Konerko 5. Dye 6. Rowand 7. AJP 8. Crede 9 Uribe Do you realize how much better offensively our team is this year?

QUOTE(almagest @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 10:19 PM) You can't build a team, or even a bullpen, through free agency. It's too expensive, and you can't rely on the market to provide what you need every year. The Orioles didn't realize that, apparently. You can add a piece here and there through free agency, however, which is what the Indians would be doing. So, yes. If the Indians signed one or all of those guys to shore up their bullpen (which has been weak in the past few years), it would be trying to make a solid team great. That would be a good move. Its also what we are doing, as many of our pen arms are through our system or through previous trades.

Honestly, I would like Richar to break out and hit like he can hit, then I would have this: 1. Richar 2B 2. OCAB SS\ 3. Thome 4. Kong 5 Dye 6 Swish 7 Crede 8 AJP 9 Quentin

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 07:41 PM) Masset is better suited to being a long reliever than Wass. I could see Broadway in the pen. Yet I'd like to see him in the AAA rotation though. I wonder if Masset may have been tanked by going to winter ball. He threw a lot of innings in 2006 and was new to the bullpen that year. He's got to keep his walks down. If he goes back to "career" norms, in terms of hits and walks allowed, Masset should be decent. I was talking about Broadway as the long guy, Wass is a situational guy and nothing more.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 07:02 PM) So you're putting a big distinction between setup men and middle relief? Between specialists like the O's and some of the better set up men in the game? Yes. And GM's put a pretty big distinction between the two as well.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 03:15 PM) I'm not comparing the players. I'm comparing the philosophy. Overpaying for aging middle relievers. neither one of those guys are middle relievers.

QUOTE(Cerbaho-WG @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 02:47 PM) I don't see the parallels between the two sets of players. Me either. Still waiting actually.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 01:03 PM) If this "rumor" is correct, near $30 million guaranteed to 2 aging middle relievers, one with serious health concerns. Yuck. So are you going to answer the question? Our pen with Dotel blows away the O's pen from last season, still waiting to hear the comparison from you.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 11:27 AM) Baltimore Orioles Part 2. hahaha, hows that?

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jan 19, 2008 -> 07:23 AM) That is a good point. IMO, signing Dotel could go a long way toward providing the sox with the right amount of bullpen depth. Closer-Jenks 8th- RH-Linebrink Dotel LH-Thornton Logan 7th-MacDougal Long man-Masset AAA- Wasserman Oneli Perez Adam Russell Dewon Day [?] not sure of his status though Egbert/ Broadway/ Haeger The sox still need some AAA pitching depth. Maybe trading Crede could help there. I feel more comfortable with Wass and Broadway up instead of Masset.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jan 18, 2008 -> 05:28 PM) It improved after about a 3 month stretch where the bullpen ERA was over 7 IIRC. Take away Jenks' streak, and who was all that impressive? Logan seems to be good against lefties, but he's not used exclusively against them. Adding another guy who won't walk everyone who comes to the plate, and actually can get someone out would be a help. Wassermann looked alright, but I have a hard time believing he could keep that up. Thornton reverted back to the Thornton the Mariners had no roster spot for. MacDougal continued to get hurt, and couldn't throw strikes, something that is not new to him. The only relievers who pitched more than 10 innings last season and had an ERA under 4.79 were Jenks and Wassermann, and Wassermann only threw 23 innings. They also were the only 2 relievers with a WHIP under 1.51. If you don't think that is horrible, I want you to be my boss in June when its time for my review. Why do you have a hard time thinking Wasseman can keep that up? He is out of the mold of several pitchers that have had long term success as relievers in the majors. Granted, last season at the beginning the pen fell apart, but with 2 signings and the emergence of Wass and Broadway, the pen has a chance to be very good. Broadway-swing/long man-only 10 IP but .143 BAA Dotel-7th inning/ RH specialist career 1.06 WHIP vs Righties Thorton-Loogy/set up Logan-Loogy Wass-.77 WHIP vs Righties .174 BAA Linebrink 8th Jenks closer Thats what I would have as a concrete pen if we signed Dotel, and its pretty damn good.