BrandoFan

I figured that was a favorite past-time for a juva like you, don't play innocent.

Nah, too much pathos and heavy-handed maudlin in your posts lately. Lighten up and then we'll see.

Yes baby bro, considering Carlos has been one of my Sox players since June 1999 and I have fought with baggio ands hsc defending him....Swing and miss again, V. ETA: Ooops, forgot to mention your man Graffy f***ing up an easy forceout at 2nd in the 6th and the 3 beautiful runs that followed--is that 8 runs we can charge to Graffy in his last 2 SS appearances? Cause that play was so much more difficult than the blooping single on Sunday night, right...

Why thank you! And I will never stop. I will always entertain the good people of soxtalk. Just tell me, you aint a preppy maggot ya' self are ya? Juva, you prefer your biscuits toasted or limp?

No, I think you're the most snarkalicious mofo I've ever come across. I've busted my gut many a time reading your stuff. As long as your footinmouth-isms are still around, soxtalk will never be boring, keep em coming.

*ROTFLMAO* Post of the week!

In that case Sox are dead as a franchise...expect to see A LOT of empty seats and "rebuilding" phases in the future.

That was pure luck...The last time we truly outplayed another team was against Baltimore, and even then, if I remember correctly, Sox were dead offensively. We probably need to go back to opening series against Detroit....

Unlike Crede, Olivo is actually looking good at the plate, making adjustments and learning the pitchers even when making outs. Crede is just regressing every at bat and is killing this team. Can you imagine how good the Sox would be if you take Koney and Crtede's OPS and substitute it with Choi/Karros ones? I am not even talking about Paulie baing an AllStar when it was in mid-900s, but I would like to see someone at least break 600. s***, when Royce Clayton is outhitting you, you are in f***ing trouble. And Royce at least could play D., run bases and doesn't clog 8 million in your already limited payroll. Just saying'.

1. You do realize what happens if Sox don't make playoffs this year and don't enjoy the attendance boost/national exposure as a result? The only thing that is worse is that if Cubs win the WS, something that is very possible if they muster enough to crawl into the playoffs; when it comes to Wood-Prior-Zambrano trio, they can beat ANYBODY in a short series provided they get Lowell or Blalock.....And once they do accomplish the goal 90 years in the making, White Sox are finished in this town. Done. Put that in your "who cares about Cubs?" pipe and smoke it. 2. Crede is not "struggling at the plate--Jose Valentin and Magglio Ordonez are struggling--no, he is absolutely, irredeemably terrible, and I am sick and tired of his Playstation-style pitch selection/recognition. If this team is to win, it will be with Daubach and Graffanino, plain and simple. Joe has had plenty of chances, this organizaiton is a missed October away from a complete catastrophe and you are worried about his "psyche"?! WTF? As far as Koney goes, let him work out his midlife crisis however whereever he wants, he shouldn't be playing. Daubach has been hanging ropes all over the place and hitting long foul balls, it's a matter of time before they start dropping....He's been a clutch player for a playoff Boston team a few times, he is not fast to choke either if it comes down to the pennant race. The catch is you CAN'T play him less than 4 times a week or he goes stale.

Are you for real? You really think Sox were more talented in 2001 than we are now? We are by no means out of in the all-star year at that. (I have been all over this team's collective ass since the KC series, before all the haters came out of the woodwork......but right now I am high on this team as I was coming off the ST) Let Crede earn his way into the lineup, Graff is more deserving to get 4 starts.

I was as big a fan of both last year as anyone...but time for them to sit long and think hard about what being a major leagur slugger is all about. Bench time in other words. Meanwhile, Graffanino and Daubach are itching to play and have shown enough good things to get more than a start a week. I'ts not the results or lack thereof that worry me it's the approach- both C and PK are looking bloody awful, taking good pitches and swinging at bad ones, a signof somebody who just "doesn't get it" for some reason.

this is out of line and not worthy of any other response than this: attack away. Brando is an outstanding individual. This comes from the King of Class and Introspection... (I still love you, beamer.)

Oh, please...I only started to defend him after the second wave of bashings. But, like you, whenever I watch a game form now on and Jose makes a great play, I will notice it and comment on it....And for all the claims that you "cheer for him more than anybody", you sure as hell harbor enough thinly-veiled hostility to last a lifetime...whether against him or more likely me. Too bad. I didn't know you were a Clayton fan. [immitating cwsox brand of point-making] Toss his salad lately? Is he braided down there as well? [/immitating cwsox brand of point-making] Since you bring up errors so much, you should know better than anybody that Jose didn't mess up that play...Ask the official scorer I called you out because of your shots at me, it was sufficiently imperative for me to bring attention to it, lest it be forgotten in the tide of posts....What's the big deal anyway, everyone knows your "name". Overreacting much? Forget about such "difficult" concepts to grasp as saves, DP, range, comparison to other SS, etc for a second.....That Jose only "brought in" 3 legitimate runs all season long and that Minnesota game was the only remotely attributable loss (if you don't take into account that without his bat the score is 3-0 and the error makes no difference that is) this iseason....is a COLD.HARD.FACT and not a silly exaggeration of a love-struck fan as you seem to be implying in every post nowdays...Show me where I said he is a "perfect" or even a "very good" player for that matter......To think you almost pissed your pants when I jokingly called him a Devil...all the while pouring backhanded (up until today that is) abuse and overlooking substance in others' posts routinely and playing innocent, offended "truth-teller". Whatever. Glass house, eh? My facts and opinions were sound enough that you could have at least addressed them point by point..but no, half-baked ridicule is all I got back. Hypocrite. As for the rest of your post....pure and unadulterated horse manure- I have stated many times what I think of Jose's struggles, his mediocre defensive abilities, the fact that he makes that " very makeable" play 9 ouf 10 times like most SS of his caliber and all that other crap that "I should have" said according to you but didn't......even though if you read my numerous "Jose" posts, besides defending him and myself, I also discuss his negatives as a player. Maybe you should concetrate less on what you want me to have said and more on what I actually said. It'd make a big difference.....What, you want me to start exaggerating and "ridiculing" Crede and Konerko in every post? Trust me, I wouldn't have to stoop to "____ thinks he is so perfect, does he suck his dick" type rhetoric to make my point either. Me thinks you'd benefit greatly from a mirror and a glass of "uncalled for".......You didn't tweak anything by short-sightedly repeating how bad Jose really is....nor by needlessly attacking me, knowing full well I wouldn't strike back. I have brought up enough facts to support my stance on this issue and to warrant some credibility and respect. Oh, well, if that makes me a AA and SRKIA according to some, then so be it. This exactly what I am talking about...you are FLAOUT wrong on this one as well as many other things about Jose (check the OPS, check RBI/at bat ratio as well as the RISP for Royce and Jose in 2002 if you wanna talk about clutch...who outhit who)....and yet you arrogantly keep insisting on "Jose police" coming after you instead of maybe reevaluate your own info a bit...Unreal. What's next? Are you gonna continue to hold against me the fact that Sox are a 600 team when Jose starts at short? I mean, it's like I am basing my entire point on that, it was just a side note that YOU my friend blew out of proportion with your midplaced ridicule more than once. Since I know so little about baseball, at least you could provide an example or two of "real" baseball insight, so I could, like, learn and stuff....For my sake, make a difference.

Keep on posting on Fri and Sat. nights (little feature called 'post search", duh?), maybe you will convince somebody somewhere that you have a life and interests....Oh, sweet irony, how I love thee let me count the ways, hehe I have never seen more meaningless stats than errors and batting average.....maybe home runs....Coincidentally they are your favorites, I bet.

I think it is YOU who is not getting something here: not all erors are created equal and a two out/noone error is INFINITELY "better" than the one Graffanino comitted in Toronto which led to 5 runs or the dropped pop up (talk about routine) in Oakland by Jimenez than led to 3 runs or no-bend bases load miscue by Konerko in KC which led to 4 runs, I can go on andf on and on..........The most important defensive stat is +/-, which includes how many runs a players saves (Jose has saved a few in Tornto and this searies alone with dives, jumps, range and DP you can;'t argue with that) versus how many runs he costs (Minnesota botched DP and 2-run error in Oakland are the only ones that come to mind). Check out Tejada, Guzman's numbers or Vizquel's +/- (he costs 1 run in last game, don't you rmemeber)? They are BOTH worse than Jose this season. You're simply wrong on this one, Rio, and you are reaching with "pitcher has to throw additional pitches" arguement because when Jose coples a tough DP and saves those same pitches from being thrown you don't yell :oh, that Jose just bailed the pitcher out", do you? It has shown us nothing, it was NOT a routine play, plain and simple and no amount of "ytes it was"es is not going to change that. Makeable? Therte are lot of makeable plays that don't get made, tons of them and that's why there is a official scorer who decides what is what, K? I am tired of this BS and this whole horse necrophilia. Jose is a medicre defensive playyer at worst and above average at best when all factors are considered. Case closed.

I've had a lot of good will toward you, bro and have been on your side on many issues in the past, but this is getting out of hand... I don't know anything about baseball you say? That may very well be true, but out of 2000+ posts of yours...show me ONE that contains any special baseball insight or showcases superb arguementative skill. Molto, Chisoxfan, Whitesox6111995, Cludjer and many others have all a ton of "analytical" posts......where's yours? I wqould suggest before you decide to engage in pompous, lame sarcasmo smack, why don't you learn what OPS and Rbi/ab ratio stand for or how Real Range Rating is...Maybe? I never expect anything however elemental from BMR, but you aim so high all the time, so it's time to back it up, no?

Cubs, KC and Minny are all losing if ESPN is to be believed. I am semi-glad I insisted on coming back just in time for the game (well 2th inning to be precise): Thomas, Olivo, Jose, Lee have all looked good and Burly was decent. Godron got victmized seeing eye singles and Marte was unreal good. Koch needs work on his curve as the hitter were sititng on dead red which is never good...This team is looking much better, more alive. Maggs will wake up sooner or later and so will Crede and Konerko, call it a hunch. (I also believe Sox are still going to win the division, but that's a story for another day, kids.) See y'all on Tuesday.

1. When I evaluate Jose as a SS I only go by 2000 and 2003; in 2001-2002 he's been jerked around the field and wasn;t healthy because of his hamstrings, altho his clutch numbers or runs saved/cost factor were still satistactory at 3rd/SS- just not as good as when he is a fulltime player. 2. I never said Jose is a "good defensive player"- at best he is average, though at the end of the season he costs the Sox less runs than Tejada, Guzman, etc...even Almighty Vizquel has cost more runs with his errors this seaosn than Jose as hard as it is to believe (4 to 3). My point is that he is in fact NOT the terrible liability on D. some of you seem to think he is looking only at one-demensional error totals. He is no worse than Crede (how many runs his miscues and "infield singles" have costs I shudder to think) and Konerko, to say nothing of Jimenez whose range is worse than I ever thought....,And Jose has only 1 error in last 21 games, vastly improving the ark on his throws as soon as he got regular chance to play SS, which I always mantained he needs to, it has pshychological effect on him more than other plays, IMO. 3. This was a tough play all things considered (wind, sun, power of the swing, where Jose started off, game situation, etc) and he almost made it. Give him 10 chances, he makes the catch on 9, same as most shortstops not named Vizquel.....and yet even He let the ball go between his legs in the last game and has 7 errors this season, BTW.......If you want to condemn Jose based on his play in Minnesota (we still lose without his bat either way), fine, but today's play I've seen personally and no way should it be held against him. No way, itsimply wasn't a routine play.

Vince, way to go not addressing the title post as well as the "GiDP" season stat one in the Game Thread....shows much class and fair-mindedness. Big up.

But wait in order for Jose to be a mediocre defensive player (foeget about a good one), he needs to make a brilliant, stretch dives on every.single.play. to bail out the team.....or else he is a worthless bum. And have you checked Nomar and Tejada's D. lately? There is no way they are better than Jose this year, all bulked up, slow and making terrible jumps. Face it, it was makeable play but not an easy by no means, for once Jose failed to save the day, cry me a river.

Hey, I didn't know that there is some sort of weird dual reality: either the player is an Ozzie Smith like superman...or he is a bum...There is no middle ground, give or take, where a defensive +/- tell the story... This wasn't sarcasm Molto, quit hatin' on Jose.

Yeah, one error in the last 22 games.....2 DPs turned today in addition to a linedrive taken away and almost saved the game in the 9th as well....Yes, very bad indeed. Talk to Jimenez about bad D. Or Crede. Or Konerko and Thomas. Jose is mediocre and always will be, no biggie.

It's only sarcasm if it works, Vince, so relax. It was a big-swing, little blooper, sun blarring, tough play...not an error, Jose didn't bail out the Sox for once...so what? He ain't superman. Cost games? Are you for real? I was told Deadroit crack was the most powerful.....the only game that was lost on Jose "miscue" was Minnesota and that was the game where all the runs scored were credited to Jose's bat, so in essence Jose's glove has cost us--get ready for this....ZERO games. Talk to Vizquel and Tejada about costing games this year, they might know something about it... Swing and miss, Vince.

Again, "little things" good players do are only appreciated when they are not done and games end up being lost...and losses pile up and bite you in the ass in the pennnant race. there's a revelation. It is....considering around these parts some seem to think that great/smart running skills, ability to bunt under pressure, etc are dime a dozen and can be easily acquired. FYI...Jose has missed one bunt all season long out of 6 or 7 opportunities...But, hey, who is counting?