ptatc

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Jan 24, 2014 -> 12:04 PM) I mostly just think the manager isn't super-important so I guess I feel very 'meh' about it. The manager is very important in managing the clubhouse and players egos/personalities. On the field not so much.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jan 24, 2014 -> 11:55 AM) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 24, 2014 CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension with manager Robin Ventura. Terms of the contract were not released by the club. Ventura, 46, has gone 148-176 in two seasons with the White Sox after being hired as the 39th manager in franchise history on October 6, 2011. He was one of three finalists for American League Manager of the Year in 2012 after guiding the White Sox to an 85-77 record and second-place finish in the Central division. “Jerry, Kenny, Robin and I have had many conversations about our objectives in both the short and long term,” said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. “We are in complete agreement with the direction and vision for this organization in 2014 and beyond. I have great confidence that Robin’s leadership and direction will help us reach our goals, and there was never really any question in our minds as to who we wanted in the White Sox dugout now and into the future.” “We have been on the same page since day one, but I’m very happy to have this behind us so we can continue to keep our focus on the playing field,” said Ventura. “I’m excited about the direction of the club and the moves we have made this offseason, but there is still a lot of work to be done so I think we’re all ready to get to spring training and get started.” Ventura spent 16 major-league seasons with the White Sox (1989-98), New York Mets (1999-2001), New York Yankees (2002-03) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2003-2004), hitting .267 (1,885-7,064) with 294 home runs and 1,182 RBI in 2,079 games. He didn't push for a lifetime contract so I really don't think he is committed to being the manager.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 24, 2014 -> 11:32 AM) Smart, intelligent people say stupid s*** all the time. Poking fun at a guy for being dumb once doesn't mean you're saying he's an unintelligent person generally. I think it all stems for subsequent discussions. It was either me or someone else you said that he is not an idiot because he got into Stanford and got a GPA of 3.7. Which in turn lead to the discussion of grades meaning nothing and anyone can get into Stanford if they can play football.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 10:58 PM) I'm quite curious what's going to happen to the Bears' defensive scheme. It would seem a 3-4 is becoming more likely, but both of these coaches have plenty of experience in 4-3 defense so I still wouldn't look too much into it. Regardless, Trestman/Emery aren't helping us figure it out. I'm sure we'll just be more multiple next year. That's basically how it is in the NFL anyway. It seems like "being multiple" has been the hot catch-phrase for coaches the last couple years, and I'm sure Trestman will say the same generic coach-speak when it comes to it. Emery said in an interview on the radio that he envisioned the Bears to have a "hybrid" defense similar to the Patriots where they could go from 2 to 5 players with their hands down with the same personnel. He compared McClelland to Ninkovich (LW Central grad) where he would be all over the place depending on the defense called. I think they are going to a match up type defense instead of the current defense where it is very basic and they just rely on the players to stay in their gap beat the other players.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 09:32 AM) Really the only time it's worth mentioning state income tax in regards to professional contracts such as these is when a player goes to a state like Texas or Florida that has no income tax. Then roughly half their contract is state income tax free and that can be significant, but if you're talking a state being a couple percentage points higher than another it really doesn't make much difference to a player when they're making the kind of money they're making. There are also "short term employment taxes" in many cities. This is when you work in the city or county for less than a week there are added taxes. This is in addition to the normal taxes. This is targeted at sports teams obviously. I hated them when I worked in the leagues because we didn't make as much but still had those dumb taxes taken out.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 22, 2014 -> 08:33 AM) Quite a dream, no? Restless are the Sox fans

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 09:34 PM) Oops. I was thinking of the current Roberto Hernandez. Completely forgot about that one. I didn't reply because I though you were joking.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 09:09 PM) Roberto Hernandez says hi I've got an autographed game worn jersey of that in gray. When I brought it to a signing he laughed and said "if you were dumb enough to get it, I'm dumb enough to sign it." I told him I bought it and he said "you really are dumb." It sounded alot funnier with his accent.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 09:44 AM) I would delete Baines & Guillen from that list. And I've never heard of Charley Lau. Without Charley Lau there wouldn't be the player in your avatar. He is the man who basically came up with the style of hitting that led to the success of the Red Sox in the 80's. Guys like wade Boggs and Frank Thomas went to the HOF with his help. He came to the White Sox then died of I believe brain cancer not long after he left. You know how JR likes his loyal employees.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 07:54 AM) Agreed. It irks me more that a dead hitting coach from 30 years ago has a retired number too. I think they have some type plaque up somewhere for Charley Lau. That's good enough. Without officially retiring his number, there's no real point to it. Give 6 to somebody that wants it. Blasphemy!!!! Harold was one of the greatest Sox players of all time. Kind of like Gayle Sayers (don't freak out yet) in that if he hadn't hurt his knees he could have been an outstanding all around player for a long time. Before the injuries there were few that could match his all around game. He was one that you would stop to watch hit.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 08:42 PM) Nope. I have more faith in Q building his arm strength and being helped by Herm and Coop to pitch effectively and avoid fatigue and injury throughout the year. Last year they were pretty even in stats with Bailey having way more K's. Give me the 24 year old left hander who has improved each year at the major league level who performed similarly in the AL with the better pitching coach and better athletic trainer over the 28 year old who despite his great stuff took forever to figure it out in the NL. Yea a shout out to an athletic trainer. We dont get those often from the outside.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 07:31 PM) I loved Kenny, but he was a dick very often. Hahn is direct and non-dickish. Both are geniuses & we're lucky to have them. Remeber KW started that wayas well. He did every radio show and was interviewed alot until he was burned a few times by a couple of radio shows then he stopped doing all of them.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 12:51 AM) I'm okay with losing out on Tanaka if it means we then sign Garza, Jimenez, Burnett, or Richard. Then trade Erik Johnson and De Aza for a catcher. I'm confident that the Sox will sign no free agent pitchers whether or not they get Tanaka. I think they believe they have a good rotation and aren't bringing an outside starter. They believe he is special and will pay for that but not a good one.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 05:10 PM) Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 1h Reported Jan. 9 that Tanaka took physical at Kerlan-Jobe in LA. All suitors got report. Signing team might want own doctors to examine him. If team signing Tanaka wants him to take physical, it must be completed by 5 p.m. ET Friday. There can be no contingencies in contract…. I would guess that most teams will accept Jobes examination. His group and Andrews in Birmingham are the top two in the nation.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 04:45 PM) inversely correlated to the number of posts on a message board That is the best definition I've heard. Maybe twitter replies is better though.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 04:09 PM) Nope, no one said that. I just graduated with a 3.5 GPA in college, but that doesn't prove I'm smart, it just says that I tried. I know. Iwas was being facetious. Its just a comment on the aspects of getting good grades doesnt mean you are intelligent. You still need to be somewhat intelligent to get good grades but effort plays a role for some. I know a number of people who were lazy but got good grades anyway and others who didnt care but and got average ones. However, there are also people who try and get poor grades so effort isnt the only variable. Good grades implies at least some intelligence.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 04:02 PM) Not if it's Conor Smith III whose family donated $500k, right? This is why some schools like Northwestern dont have minimum criteria to get into the school. Its not for the athletes its for the applicants with parents with deep pockets.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 03:59 PM) Giving obviously dumb students an A average seems highly unlikely. You can inflate by a half grade or so but giving D students an A seems like there would be some big time investigations. Sometimes grade inflation is a policy. There are some schools which have a requirement on how many As you must give and others that have a limit.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 03:55 PM) I'm still waiting for your foolproof evidence that he is in fact a dumb person. If you get good grades you are stupid if you get bad grades you are smart. Its the argurement iget from all of the applicants we deny. I went ot a better school, my professors were unfair, my family had problems, im smarter than people with better grades but i dont do well on standradized tests...... Most people people just dont want to admit that they cant compete with others on an intellectual level. Not that the grades make someone a better or worse person or makes them more effective at their occupation.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 03:34 PM) Im pretty sure most of the people in this thread would struggle to get a 3.7 at Stanford regardless of major. I dont know how smart or dumb he is, grades dont really mean s*** for that, but he got a Stanford degree and not many people can say that. And Im pretty sure not many of us have "Stanford" grads working for us. We actually just accepted a stanford grad into our pt program who was also a all american wrestler and was 4th in the last olympics in wrestling. I think im a little scared.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 03:04 PM) When getting across the point one is trying to make, a double negative does not make for a grammar error. But continue, please. Never said it was an error, I said I like the effect, especially in a communication degree comment. I'm the last person to criticize someone's writing. I'm awful. And thanks for the permission to continue.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 02:52 PM) Very true, but nobody is committing $100+ million dollars to draft picks. Many of the variables that make draft picks questions marks are also negated in these situations such as maturity, workload and professional schedule.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 02:51 PM) I actually have to agree with this post. Getting a whopping 3.7 gpa in Communications doesn't make Sherman not an idiot. I have college grads as co-workers who are f***ing morons, too. I like the effect of the double negative making the point.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 02:44 PM) Call me crazy, but grades don't mean everything. You can be socially inept and come off like a gigantic idiot, even if you are really good at retaining information from your Anthropology classes. I know plenty of people who got terrible grades, but are actually really smart. And people who aren't every smart that got great grades. It's more about effort than intelligence. So yes, in the times I have seen Sherman on TV, my impression of him is that he is a big f***ing idiot who can't control his emotions and looks clinically insane. Schools vary due to grade inflation. Sometimes grades don't mean much but most often they do especially from a school like Stanford. Also you are correct that intelligence does not mean you can apply it. Often it is about effort, lazy people can be smart with poor grades. However, good grades don't come from being stupid but could be grade inflation. My personal view about him after seeing the incident and subsequent comments from him is that he is an intelligent person with an immense ego who knows how to draw attention to himself for personal gain ala Miley Cyrus.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 21, 2014 -> 02:45 PM) There's been about as many Japanese players that have completely flopped as there has been that have succeeded. Compared to the MLB draft, that's a good track record.