RockRaines

QUOTE(farmteam @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 08:43 PM) From all accounts he's a great guy off the field, which is always a plus. He was the face of Oakland's team, the GM's pet player, its a pretty good get.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 08:18 PM) I was thinking the same. Case in point, that last play. Or like every possession. They are clueless, for both teams, some of the weirdest calls ive seen. I guess I didnt realize how bad of a free throw team ILL is, are they just lacking shooters? Its seems weird that the go to 3 point shooter shoots almost a two handed jumper.

Wow, these officials are awful both ways.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 07:31 PM) You're right in saying our young core has improved. We've basically replaced Podsednik, Iguchi, Erstad, Garcia and McCarthy from the start of 2006 with Quentin, Richar, Swisher, Floyd and Danks. So I give KW some credit at improving that part of our team. However I disagree with you when you say the top levels of our farm system will be insignificant because of that young core. We still have a lot of old aging guys in our team, Contreras, Dye, Thome etc. that will need replacing in a few seasons. The best option to do that should always be through the farm system, if the player is good enough. 6 years of control, with 3 seasons at around 350K prove that, and it shows why those type of guys are so valuable in today's market. You can always try to replace those guys in free agency, but it's costing you more money, and you're probably going to give up more draft picks in the process. And we don't want to turn into the San Francisco Giants for example. Right now, I think a huge key for this franchise in the next 5 years is how KW and his team re-stock the farm system. They need to hit in this upcoming draft, and make some shrewd signings in the Latin American region. Because if they don't, in 4-5 years or so, we're not going to have any possible replacement in - house, and that is going to cost us dearly, since we'll have to overpay to get our guys in FA. I see DLS as more than a A ball player with potential also. He's a possible top 10 prospect in baseball right now. If he does well in AA next season (which he should reach), it only enhances his value. The good thing is that if any of those players leave in free agency, we get picks. If our team isnt contending at the deadline, we can get spects. I like this direction alot. And there is no way in hell DLS is close to a top 10 prospect in baseball right now, no way in hell. In fact, many scouts project him in the bullpen in the future. Right this second, Gio is the main haul in this trade, by a long shot.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 07:06 PM) Swisher must live in Ohio in the offseason. Interesting new workout routine. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/sports/b...amp;oref=slogin He's a buckeye

How many people are going to keep b****ing about the farm system until you realize the absolutely solid core of young studs KW has collected. With a successful farm system, for a contender they usually have what, 3-5 players that are homegrown maximum, that are cheap, young, and hitting their peaks. We have our future middle of the order and possibly 2 arms in the rotation for basically the next SEVERAL years. The top levels of the farm system are so insignificant right now with that young core its ridiculous. KW turned Gio into thome and Swisher, thats ridiculous. Swisher was poised to be Oakland's Konerko, at a younger age, with more athleticism, at a time where salaries are out of control. KW got him for basically an OF prospect that isnt a top ten for any team but us, an A ball pitcher with potential, and a player that could be good, but also has been traded 3 times for impact players already, and was traded with Floyd for freaking 3-game Freddy garcia.

Go buckeyes!! So far in this thread: Cabrera is an avg to above avg defender The sox can't compete because their core is too old Dls and gio are future stars Our farm system is so bad that the team will be in last until 2012 Cle and det have already won the division. About right? Craziness. Step back from prospect love and check out what kw just did here. Our younger core, which should peak sometime in the next 4 years is set up cheaply and nicely with fields, quentin, swisher, owens, richar, danks, and floyd. Within that group you have possibly and entire outfield, a corner infielder, a middle infielder, and two sps. You also potentially just found you 3,4,5 hitters that will replace thome, kong and dye. They are all long term, and cheap players. Do you understand what that does for our future, and how much that negates the importance of several of our top spects now? We could potentially have sewn up 5 of the most expensive and important positions on the team, if not more, from these moves, and without paying a huge cost. Potentially its a brilliant move for our future and not for immediate success like some have wrongly mentioned. Just because you trade prospects, does not mean you are mortgaging your future. s***, look at what mortgaging jeremy reed and olivo has netted us consistently over these several years.

Illinois verbal corey liuget is now planning on taking an official visit to osu on jan 11 with brandon harris. Osu commit travis howard is planning on flying up and showing them around with brewster and the crew.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jan 2, 2008 -> 02:46 PM) The USC front 7 is as good as I've EVER seen at the college level, but their secondary was atrocious. Taylor Mays is really just an OLB playing safety, and the rest of their rotation was very mediocre. Receivers were open all night, Illinois should have thrown the ball way more, although admittedly it's hard to because their front 7 gets to the QB so fast. I'd say they have 5 future NFL pro bowlers in their front 7, just ridiculous. And you just can't see me on Joe McKnight being this scary Reggie Bush type with what Vontae did to him, and he was held on check other than the fluke lateral play. The biggest problem yesterday was the Illinois LB's and safties are just too slow to cover a team with lots of fast personnel like USC, which is why I appreciate guys like J Leman and Mitchell and Harrison and Sanders and Steele et al, but they'll be replaced by guys with much better speed and that's a good sign. Basically, the Illinois offense wasn't out of it's league (it's offensive coordinator just was in the 1st half), but the Illinois defense was WAY out of it's league. Oh, and on a random note, OU might beat West Virginia tonight in a beating equal to the first 2 BCS games. Vontae was the fastest player on the field period.

Split national title huh ESPN? Yeah, most national title winners lose to 40 point dogs who have a first time starting backup qb.

They are just throwing speedy cf names out there at this point, because they know that's what ozzie likes, there is no validity to this rumor.

QUOTE(Brian @ Jan 1, 2008 -> 11:19 PM) Ha. You didn't watch the whole game, did you? Did those defenders look slow as they were knocking Tebow to the dirt all day and putting pressure on him. Michigan's defense played a lot better than the 35 points they gave up, mostly because of the turnovers. You do understand I was being sarcastic right?

I almost took my new TV back because of the blur from all of that SEC speed today. That slow Maize and Blue team looked like they were stuck in mud.

QUOTE(bighurt4life @ Dec 31, 2007 -> 05:11 PM) There are actually many people in baseball who think that Kazmir is one of the more overrated pitchers around. Not saying that he isn't a really good player and he's got good numbers but he may not be the ace that some think he is. Just my two cents but i think someone may end up really overpaying for him and come to regret it down the line Could be, but a possibly ace at 24 years old is worth that risk. Of course when hes 27 and a free agent, Scott Boras will rape someone with the contract, you can bet on that.

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Jan 1, 2008 -> 05:49 PM) Southern Cal > Any team in the country When healthy, there is no better team. D is too fast and O has too many athletics players. A team that lost to Stanford is the best team in the country? They are better than ILL, and ILL played poorly, but beating the Illini doesnt make them the best team in the country.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 31, 2007 -> 04:46 PM) Isn't it funny Marte in Cleveland is now being written off as a bust by their fans and White Sox fans are clinging to hope Richar develops into something good, when Richar is actually the older player of the 2? I do agree, unless KW improves the roster by a great amount before the season starts, you might as well see what Richar can do playing full time during the heart of the season. Richar was a much more raw player, Marte was supposed to being very ready for the bigs at a younger age.

Regardless of the game today, this team looks better after losing skiles, they actually look ready to play.

QUOTE(Fantl916 @ Dec 31, 2007 -> 01:54 PM) haha if people thought a package for bedard might be ridiculous, imagine what a package for kazmir will look like. at the least... Gio, DLS, Sweeney, and Shelby.... AT LEAST THAT, but probably more at 24 years old and starting to look like hes figuring it out, it would take more than we could offer, or should offer, something like Danks, Quentin, Fields, DLS, Gio, Shelby, maybe even more.

He has 3 more years until he hits free agency, no reason to get rid of him now.

QUOTE(bmags @ Dec 31, 2007 -> 11:12 AM) and ohio state played close games/lost to teams nowhere near as good as LSU. Dont you mean game? They had one close game/loss. All their other games were never close. Last year OSU spent more time on the buffet circuit than the practice field. Of course that team may have been more talented than this one during a rebuilding year, then again LSU is the only 2 loss team to play for the title. Should be interesting. Either way, OSU will prob be top 3 preseason for 2008 as well, so you will be seeing alot of them again next season.

QUOTE(He_Gawn @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 04:58 PM) As much as a big ten homer I am, 40 times mean very little when it comes to performance speed times on the field. As much as I would like to see OSU win, I really do not think they have a chance in hell. Hopefully all the LSU players make that same mistake.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 03:13 PM) Touche -- although in complete hindsight, Florida was much more of an athletic team than Ohio State was (or it sure seemed that way). Perhaps a close observer of both conferences (Rex?) can comment about the relative athleticism of both teams. Yeah, more athletic, SEC basically has more speed than god. I think you'd be surprised at the results if I listed the 40 times of each player on each team in the BCS title game

Observations from the bears game today: Orton has a cannon, he had some serious cheese on his passes today, didnt make too many huge mistakes, and actually looked good in the pocket. Wolfe needed to get this much PT earlier in the season Why o why does anyone ever kick to Hester? And why the hell dont we throw that deep ball to him at least once a quarter.\ Sucks we missed out on a better draft slot Our special teams is the only part of the team that doesnt need a huge rehaul We need to draft at least 2 O-lineman this draft, would have loved to grab Jake Long Hunter's time should be up on this team, he just isnt a good player Also, would love to grab Mike Martz from the lions to at least put some damn creativity into an offense that has a few serious weapons in Olsen, Berrian, Hester, etc

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 29, 2007 -> 04:57 PM) The reason I brought Gray into this is that he's a rookie as well, and at least lately, he's a rookie who's been getting more PT than TT or Noah. I have no problem at all with playing Gray, but I have a problem with Gray getting 14 minutes, Wallace and Smith getting 55, and TT and Noah getting 4. And I have a problem with saying that TT needs to cut down on the fouls or the turnovers or to do something specific better when the stats say that Gray is putting up just as many or more fouls and TO's as TT, yet Gray sees time on the floor and TT doesn't. The team needs an offensive presence down low and neither Noah or TT bring that to the table. Pax drafted poorly for need and picked up defensive players and slashers when we really needed a big man who can handle the post with his back to the basket. Gray is the closest thing we have to that.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Dec 28, 2007 -> 12:12 PM) So all the sudden tickets are hard to come by.... I really can't find anything in 300 for Sunday.... wait till the holidays are over. It sucks for us few diehards, but its nice for the organization, so i wont be pissed.