BrandoFan

How finding significance in Freud smoking big cigars? Great topic.

Comes as a HUGE suprise......

What you mean my Pro-Colon threads aren't enough? Tub of goo?

Ooohhhhh, so sweeet and lurvable. A hug?

Anyway, 2004 team....

You missed the point: there are a TON of naturally physically gifted (either quick, or strong or both) people out there in the world. If pure natural palent was the chief reason for ML success, you wouldn't see 90% of major leaguers out there. Only guys like Bonds, Sorioano, Sheffield, Sosa, A-Rod, etc would stay.........I am sure there were kids who were quicker, faster, stronger than Barry Bonds throughout adolescence, HS competition, etc.....but they became working joes and he became the best slugger of his generation.... Did Pete Sampras become what he is because of most racket speed? Did Magic Johnson become what he is because of super quickness? Did Wayne Gretzky? Maybe it was Brett Farve's hand speed that set him apart from Ritchie Cunningham or Chris Chandler... No, it was excellent physical tools PLUS hard work and home work......PLUS quick recogniztion and decision making.....PLUS fantastic hand-eye coordination.......PLUS developed discipline.......PLUS experience.......PLUS mental toughness that allows to thrive under knee-buckling pressure. Etc. And IMO Robin Ventura did NOT have a bat slow enough to override the other aspects. It was slower of course (his 36!), but he was NEVER about pure batspeed anywway, so I am not sure he is done just yet. And those old players mentioned, all of them have other qualities in abundance that allowed them to thrive despite declined quickness. I am not saying those qualities are commonplace, not by a long shot, so of course they are exceptions! In the 4 years before 2003, playing in PITCHER'S parks, Robin had a cumulative OPS of about 820, with pretty damn good RBI/atbat production for a 5-6 spot hitter especially. Even this year, as a Yankee he was driving them in just fine despite hitting 7-8th in the line-up. *** They should have signed him out right. What an error judgement. Ventura is not just to give Crede competiion against RHP, but also possible play some 1B. Lord knows this team could use a good defensive players cuz Konerko and Dauber sure as hell ain't. Plus his popularity.

BE GOOD, what's your secret? How can you remain so refreshingly self-conscience-free? My life would be so much easier if I could be like you...

Wow, and here KW thought he could get HOF Robbie only 2 years removed from a 920 OPS/35 steal season for 1 year/ 1 Mill base....LMAO.

But you do admit to being a fish?

If it helps I don't think much of either.

Do you know how many quick-n-strong people are out there in the real workd, working as contruction workers, garbage men, military. etc, etc, etc? Tens if not hundreds of thousand. (You seem to be greatly overstating the dificulty of hitting a 92 mph fastball. I can do it with my eryes close and I never played this game until I was almost 17.) What most of them lack and what sets good major leaguers (are you contesting that Robin has been a good hitter, including 4 season before 2003 mediocrity) apart? The EYE that sees the ball earlier and awesome discipline honed by decades of competition......the ability to perform under the kind of pressure where regular folks have their knees buckle just watching on TV...... tremendeous hand-eye coordination......willingness to work and adjust and study opposition on daily basis fueld by relentless ambition, pefectionism............Batspeed and natural strenght are just icing on the cake. Had Robin's bat completely slowed down, I could underdstand, but it simply wasn;t the case. It was a little slow-ER as age, nagging injuries, lack of interest and/or confidence caught up with him, but I am not about to disregard all those seasons he had before 2003. I tell you what, if Robin has ANOTHER mediocre season, then I might change my mind, but for now I still think he is capable of 790-800+ OPS against RHPs, will give you a gold glove defense at 1B and clubhouse presence Uber-prospect? When did Joe "might be a pretty good player eventually" Crede necome Mark Prior/ich Harden? Or even Jeremy Reed? Did I miss a briefing. We OWE Crede NOTHING. If he can't hit RHP in March-April, he should sit. End of story. We can't afford to miss playoffs in 2004. Simply can't. Oh, please, there was a 15 K WALK-UP crowd the second washed up Robbie Alomar was signed-- and the team was performing s***ty in a s***ty division at that point. For a while, we averaged over 30 K after averaging UNDER 20 before we made "buzz". Belle? Never a fan favorite, but if the team was winning the fans would have showed up. Ditto Wells, another guy never popular among Chicago fans/media. Robin will cost nothing (just yesterday he was making over 8 Mill) and is a an unquestionble fan favorite among the old guad that stayed awat from the park in droves. Combination of WINNING (goes without saying we need a hot start) AND fan favorites Burhle, Maggs, Lee, Thomas, Valentin, Marte, Loaiza and Ventura as big contributors? I'll be damned if it's not an extra 10K a game right there......Nothing beats low risk, good reward.

I saw him at the end of 1998 and he was scary good. But looking back at the overall stats, you're right. To be fair, Sox were no match for the Indians coming off the year where they were 2 outs away from winning thwe World Series. Had Belle started off super-hot, it would have been closer, true.....but the fact is Tribe Dynasty was a little too much for us.......Now if you wanna talk about disasters, Konerko singlehandedly ruining our chances this year (and Todd Ritchie and Thomas slow start in 2002).....lolo. Oh s***, you done it now......... He made 11 Mill when the payroll was 55, right?

Everyone's got one, but only mine matters?

1. Don't ever mention one of the greatest pitchers of the last 15 years Clemens with one-pitch wonder Colon. At imilar point of their careers Clemens's career ERA was a whopping full point lower. 2. Clemens workethic is legendary and he was all muscle at 30. Colon is fat and apathetic as can get. 3. Colon's jerky, semi-across the body delivery alone should take his value down a couple of mill. 4. JR was right- as a Yankee, Clemens has an ERA OVER 4.00. I am sorry, but when could the Sox afford an "ace" with that kind of numbers, making a fifth of the entire payroll? Clemens was never the same after turning 35 and leaving Toronto.

In cany case, we need about 15 Million on a true ace pitcher and stud RH set-up man/closer. 11 Mill if Konerko-for Perez happens. That still puts the payroll at about 65 when Lee and Burhle are taken care of. Unacceptable.

That comes to roughly 12.7 Mill a Year. Niicce.

George Will said that Giamantti understood the inner Greek tragedy of baseball better than anyone. Now I understand what he meant.

His defeat of that FRC, 3-termed GOP cocksucker alone was b'ful.

Say it ain't it so.

Anderson is one of the best hitter in AL when you take into account his clutchness of the last 2 years (something like 380 with RISP), is good defensive LF and has deceptively solid speed. And he is relatively cheap and only 31 or 32yo. He is a fan favorite, a HUGE part of 2002 team. Why would Angels, who worked SO hard getting their fanbase back and assmebling a competitive team, get rid of their leader again? Why would they want a one pitch power pitcher with no control and mental issues and a broken down 37yo hasbeen? Patterson? The dude has a horroble OBP, is an overrated slugger and is coming off a career-threatening injury. He is arbit eligible after 2004, so it's not like he'll be super cheap either.

Ok, fine, Michelle was the best mortal poster on SoxTalk. Jason Gage is an Olympus deity in a league of his own.

I suggest you beef up on the history of NATO, UN, foreign relations cousel and the 50+ years of Israeli history, including military-, since it's inception. (I am talking about national hypocrisy and greed at its worst as well as outright provocation and perpetration of crimes.) If you think US is Israel's best friend, you're kidding yourself. At best it's a lukewarm diplomatic alliance, partnership based on what exactly? Democratical ideals? Like with rebuilding Iraq, freedom.....

"You people"? WTF is wrong with you, NUKE. There is not a single person on these boards who is as PRO-Israel as I am. Right now, Isreal is on the brink of destruction and few people know or care about it. The way it's being forced to deal with its enemie with BOTH handstied behind its back is nothing short of disgusting, and almost every country INCLUDING this one is to blame. Anti-zionism/anti-semitism is alive and kicking and is reaching levels unheard of only 12-15 years ago-- hell since 1930s Germany. But I digress.