ptatc

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 4, 2012 -> 09:04 AM) If AJ came back and went 0-60 in spring training and Flowers hit .800 with 10 homers, AJP would be starting. The quote was probably phrased a little awkwardly, but it really was harmless. I like that Flowers thinks he should be a regular catcher. If he gets the opportunity, he will have to show it on the field. Exactly. Flowers knows that if AJ is brought back it is to be the starter. He also knows from experience that if AJ is around he will want to be starting every game. AJ does not like to sit out. He catches as much if not more than almost any other catcher. Flowers knows that he will play less with AJ around than with almost any other starter.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 4, 2012 -> 07:58 AM) http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago...tm_medium=email There is really no reason he shouldn't be ready. The tissues involved are all static structures like ACL reconstruction or UCL replacement in the elbow. These are all very predictable in the recovery time. Moreso, than when you are dealing with active dynamic structures such as muscle or tendon repairs. The usual recovery time is 3-6 months depending on the extent of the repair. His wasn't too bad considering they have him throwing 3 months after the surgery.

QUOTE (farmteam @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 08:32 PM) Currently sipping on a Laughing Fox. So damn good. It's similar to a Fin du Monde or Hoegaarden. I've never tried it but I do enjoy Hoegaarden. I'll give it a shot.

QUOTE (SnB @ Oct 23, 2012 -> 10:50 AM) Definitely my favorite microbrew. Everything they create is so damn smooth. New Glarus makes a really good sour beer. They are fast becoming one of my favorite microbrews.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 10:44 AM) Brad Lidge is retiring. The White Sox should put a statue of him in the park.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Dec 2, 2012 -> 10:40 AM) I hear people say all the time that steroids were not banned, but that's just not true. A quick google search gave me this nugget. "On June 7, 1991, commissioner Fay Vincent sent a memo to each team and the players union that stated: "The possession, sale or use of any illegal drug or controlled substance by Major League players or personnel is strictly prohibited ... This prohibition applies to all illegal drugs ... including steroids." The seven-page document didn't cover random testing -- that had to be bargained with the union -- but it did outline treatment and penalties." Link http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/20...ids-in-bas.html I've seen that before and I agree. However, since it wasn't negotiated and no specifics were named the rule is very subjective. A memo does not constitute a rule. That is why I think some people could debate it. In my mind it is illegal and regardless of the rule in baseball, it's cheating and should be treated as such.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Nov 28, 2012 -> 11:24 PM) As terrible as steroids were, this. Rose and Jackson not being in is incredibly stupid. And what I learned from this is that Buehrle had to be a roider. He was drafted in the 38th round after getting cut in High School. Where did the sudden talent come from? Had to be roids. Rose doesn't deserve to be in the HOF. The rules of baseball said that if you gamble on the game you are gone. It was proven he gambled on the game. There is no discussion. There is discussion about the PED users. I believe it is ethically wrong (and more important medically wrong) to use them. However, there was no rule at the time against them. I wouldn't vote them in but that's more a personal view than rules of the game.

QUOTE (Cali @ Nov 29, 2012 -> 10:10 PM) Getting rid of a loser like Floyd? Sign me up. He is 70-66 lifetime. By definition that makes him a winner. Sorry sarcasm meter is on after watching BBT

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Nov 24, 2012 -> 02:56 AM) Thought the same with Robin, so I can see it happening. Robin did stay around the game though. He did some broadcasting and was working with the front office when KW talked him into interviewing for manager. I see Mark disappearing onto his land and never being seen again (in baseball).

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 18, 2012 -> 12:17 PM) I thin it is a safe bet not one of those guys will ever be as good as Jose Reyes. It is a good trade if you are rebuilding and have to free up,some money, but that is not what it was. It was a trade to free up some money for Loria to put in his own bank account. He probably has lost any chance for fans now. I would think with Reyes, Stanton, Bonafacio, maybe Logan Morrision comes back, Johaon, Buehrle, Nolasco, you had a team with a couple of pieces that could easily be considered a playoff contender. Pulling the plug shows they have no commitment. The park is built, lease is signed, Miami got played. I can understand how Selig cannot reject the trade, but for him not to put pressure on Loria to get out would be sad. I hope this is the end of public money going into ballparks. The guy has a $20 million payroll now. BTW, Escobar is a cancer. They couldn't wait to get rid of him in Atlanta, they couldn't wait to get rid of him in Toronto, and it will be the same any other place he goes. The guy owns the team and has every right to do what he wants with it. However, he has destroyed any confidence the players, fans or city has in him and I hope the other owners can push him out and let him leave with his profits. The trade may be good from a pure player stand point (with prospects you never know). I like public money being spent as long as the public can benefit such as owning the parking, a portion of the tickets etc. It is usually a good way to make money along with the people it brings to a given area.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Nov 15, 2012 -> 08:57 AM) Rodney certainly had an amazing season, but I'd say Eckersley's 1990 season was better. 48 saves, .60 ERA, .614 WHIP an insane 18.25 SO/BB ratio. Only walked 4 batters in 73 1/3 innings (one was intentional). I'm never a fan of voting for a reliever as Cy Young. As remarkable as Rodney's season was, he still "only" had a WAR of 3.7. Amazing for a reliever, but barely over half of what a typical Cy Young winner has. This is where I really disagree with the WAR calculation. It mostly uses innings pitched in the calculation. I would say a reliever could have an impact on more games than a starter.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 13, 2012 -> 05:42 PM) I don't know how the fanbase can ever trust the ownership in Miami ever again. Maybe it's the other way around. The management was probably thinking "we got a new stadium, a new manager and spend alot of money on a team and no one showed up, so screw all of them" I don't think the management believes anyone will ever show up. Play poorly, draw even fewer fans and move in a few years.

QUOTE (ROC Sox Fan @ Nov 6, 2012 -> 09:36 PM) Yea I mean, alcohol and crack cocaine abuse is bad. But are there studies out there that show they directly lead to a more injury prone athlete? I get the assumptions. That s*** ain't healthy, but what data is there to back it up? Chronic alcohol abuse has been shown to limit healing because of abuse to the cardiovascular system with vasodialation and vasoconstriction. This limits the amount of nutrients and such that the body needs for healing. There are studies that show marijuana decreases capacity for healing. The TCH in it really limits the inflammatory process and thus limits healing and will make injuries worse and take longer to heal. This is why you see it used for "medical purposes" in cases of chronic inflammatory conditions like glacoma. I haven't come across any studies with cocaine but as you say it can't be good.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Oct 6, 2012 -> 11:10 PM) We're looking at the same facts and seeing it differently. That's all. Yes. This would have been a significant surgery. I run with a great many orthopaedic guys, including those who work closely with the current and former Sox guys. And it was also a significant INJURY. As I said, in HINDSIGHT (because we couldn't tell whether the chips/bodies would move around in such a way that would free Paul up, or, whether he'd be the miracle man and be able to do the most difficult thing in all of sports -- with one hand tied behind his back), we would have been better off with EVEN a Johnson/Jackson platoon pairing. Clearly, a better idea would have been an acceptable and experienced power bat. I had no problem with trying to see if Paul could play this way. I have a big problem with trying it this was for nearly 2-1/2 months, when even a dedicated fan (and of course all advanced scouts) could see that Paul was no longer Paul, he was essentially Gordon Beckham (but being asked to do Paul's job in the #4 hole). Yep. The Sox have a lot of money tied-up with Konerko. They also have a lot of money tied-uo with an aging roster as a whole (with a limited window to win). And they have a fiduciary duty (of sorts) to put the best product out there for the paying customer. We'll continue to disagree because at some point, sooner or later, they should have stopped Paul from trotting out there with the same old problem, but somehow expecting a different result. Sounds like that folksy definition of "insanity." Really respect your many medical field contributions here, but I think whether to play this guy, and for how long, as you yourself admit, is much broader than a medical decision. That was einstein's definition. And I fully agree that is was more than medical but it also was not PK's alone to make. My original point is that is was not PK's ego or "macho toughness" alone that made the decision. It was a combination of this plus the management team realizing that what PK could give them was better than whatever else they had. I also agree that they could have shut him down if KW could find a replacement that was better than PK with the injured wrist. In hindsight PK was bad but I don't think they really had any other option on the team or in the minors.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 02:44 PM) First off PTATC ... I always enjoy your contributions, especially those involving medical and physical therapy related issues (I have MANY friends and relatives in the orthopaedic surgery world, so I know that the words of those with experience are valuable and carry a lot of weight). However, we'll have to disagree on this one. Maybe better than saying "stupidity and selfishness," I should have said "stupidity and out of control ego." I agree -- Captain Paul is not at all a selfish player. But he IS a player. And ego helps a star player transcend ho-hum, league average players, and play at the star level. Clearly, Paul thought that even one-handed, he had the talent, smarts, and resolve to help the team. But you know what? While you love that attitude, hitting a baseball is fricking difficult. And Paul's post All-Star game stats (NOT his second half ... but post All Star where I believe he hit in the .230's for the remainder of the year, plus the occasional HR or two ... basically, he hit like Gordon Beckham), plus his completely different Mr. Slappy Approach (which told ME ... and I'm sure scouts too .. that he had no confidence that he could continue to mash in his familiar style), was ego overtaking smarts. A mashing threat out of a first baseman or DH (because since Dunn was there for first base, then ANY available strong bat could have replaced Konerko) could have been tried. You're right -- Konerko, and therefore likely Ventura and/or KW, thought a damaged Konerko was BETTER than the other options -- but I guess I disagree. Obviously with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been better to perhaps platoon Dan Johnson and Connor Jackson (probably our system's best and most advanced bats) instead of getting what we wound up getting from post All-Star break Paul Konerko. Or, asked KW to trade away some of our surplus of decent relief arms (your Omogrossos, Marinezes, Heaths, and so on, of the world) for mashers you might like better than Johnson and Jackson. But, all I'm saying now is that some of us are not just saying this in hindsight. We saw it happening. Because Paul is such a known commodity (with certain tendencies), it wasn't difficult to see what was happening. I'm in no way saying that I'm smarter or more baseball savvy than Konerko, Ventura, or Williams, but I also don't have any difficulty using my eyeballs and logic over ego, where I think one or all of these gentlemen prioritized ego over logic. It was worth a try to see if he could still perform one-handed. But that try meant 2-3 weeks, NOT 2-3 months. To me, that was one of the major "bad decisions" of this always interesting 2012 season. Yes, we will have to disagree. I still don't think that a platoon of Jackson and Johnson would have been much better than PK. At the time you didn't know how much it would effect him. If KW could have acquired a better option, I agree. If he has the surgery he is pretty much out for at least 4-6 weeks and with a rehab assignment for getting timing back you are looking at 2 months minimum without him. With the 2-3 weeks of trying it first That's almost September before he returns. I agree that all professional athletes have that ego that helps their confidence and pushes them to another level. However, in a case like this it would have been a combo decision between PK,RV,KW, Herm Schneider and Bush-Joseph (their primary orthopedic surgeon). So putting it on PK and his ego would have been only a small piece of the decision, if at all. With the money invested in the players these days the other members of the decision carry alot of the weight. It's not like this was a sprained ankle, strained hamstring or something to "gut through." This was a significant surgery.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 4, 2012 -> 05:42 PM) You guys need to please erase your disdain for Ozzeroo a moment to hear me out. Olney's scoop proves Oz is out of a job. Ozzie is without a team (KC should hire him TOMORROW but that's a different topic). However I want to make a point about the whole issue. This whole thing is a microcosm of society. What Ozzie did a few weeks ago was anger a rich man, a man who has a bunch of yes men around him. This rich man (Loria) was called out (sort of) by Ozzie. Ozzie said something like, 'Why do they have so many managers that have been fired?' Or something like 'Why has he had so many managers?' When the rich f***, Loria, read those statements, that was it for Ozzie. This tells us a lot about Loria. By god, NOBODY in that man's life talks down to him; nobody in Loria's life can get away with calling him out publicly. Case closed. Ozzie said something about Loria and that is that. Oz was gone on that day. It just obviously INFURIATED Loria. Now the question is: Is Oz smart as a Fox? Did he do it to get 3 years salary for no work? Realizing that Loria is a buffoon and working for him is something you do not want to do? Or did Ozzie get caught being Ozzie again? If you hear the interview it is totally obvious Loria is overreacting. But Loria is acting like the spoiled rich boy he is. Wow! An underling like Ozzie called him out; bye bye. This is a lesson for all of us in real life. You call out your 'boss' and you are GONE! The difference here, Mr. Loria, is Ozzie is also rich. And he's a former spoiled ballplayer. Mr. Loria, if you want a yes man, butt kisser then you better hire somebody who needs the job. Ozzie never said anything bad about Jerry cause Jerry was like his second dad. The joke is on Ozzie and Loria both. Cause Loria is now the new Steinbrenner. He goes through another manager?? Wow. Or is Ozzie laughing all the way to the bank? Did Ozzie do this for the quick cash? I'd think probably not; he probably likes going to the ballpark every day ... but going to the park and having to talk to Loria and his yes-men including his adopted son??? I dunno, folks. Ozzie may be smarter than we all think.... You obviously have something against people with money. I didn't realize it was a crime to to have money. I also didn't realize that only stupid buffoons have money. I'm not sure what you do for a living but "telling off your boss" will get you fired in almost every profession. The fact is I am one of Ozzie's supporters. I think he is a good manager. However, his mouth and antics got him pushed out of here (after the most successful run of any manager in Sox history) and he seemed to escalate it in Miami and didn't give himself a chance to succeed. It's not Loria's fault that Ozzie acted the way he did. Loria should have known about it and not hired him if he didn't like it however.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 07:47 AM) No, the Angels. Yet they are a thriving franchise. Point being the attendance issue is blown way out of proportion. They also have a single majority owner who is a billionaire. That is a great advantage as opposed to the ownership group which the Sox have.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Oct 1, 2012 -> 12:10 PM) To clarify, I am pretty sure he gained a lot of MUSCLE weight, not fat. IIRC, he was told to bulk up, but that added mass ended up hurting him. This offseason he is expected to work back to where he used to be, physically. Gaining the weight even with muscle is not a problem. I'ts a decrease in flexibility that goes along with it that is the problem. There are too many weightlifting programs that do not include the flexibility exercises for pitchers. Pitcher's need to have the range of motion in the hips and core to get the motion they need. Too many focus only on the shoulder range, which is important obviously but the others will hinder the motion as well.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 09:27 AM) I think it ultimately depends on Peavy. If Peavy can be re-signed, Gavin will be gone. If not, he stays. The Sox are in desperate need of some OBP and Gavin is the best trade chip for getting it. Depends on the player in return. You can never have too much cheap, good starting pitching. I wouldn't sacrifice it unless you get a MLB starting or ready player who will really help the offense. Pitching should still be the primary focus. It's more cost effective to have a good staff and defense.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 09:22 AM) What were the Pads thinking of when they gave him that deal? Blows my mind. Locking up a young, popular, Cy Young award winner, who enjoyed playing there, for a long time.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Oct 4, 2012 -> 11:29 PM) Then you pick up his option and trade.him. $9.5 mil for Gavin Floyd will find a suitor and we at least get SOMETHING back. I think trading him would be a mistake. There aren't many proven american league starting pitchers with winning records for under 10 mil. On a team with severe budget constraints, he is very valuable.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Oct 4, 2012 -> 03:08 PM) No offense, man, but me and many others who watch often and closely have been saying the same thing for months. I personally had various comments about this on this board and others for months, including a few weeks ago putting the over-under at something like 5-7 days after the end of the season when it would be disclosed that Konerko was undergoing wrist surgery. Like every player in baseball, he's had his share of slumps, but this was completely different. Slump or no slump, Konerko could always turn around ANYBODY'S fastball. Always. Post All Star break, he was consistently getting beat by major league average fastballs. Once the word got out (and it always does), down the stretch virtually every pitcher in baseball was challenging him with heat (knowing the only way he could turn one around was if he cheated big-time, but, more often than not, he was just looking to slap one the other way anyway). He became a totally different hitter. I've always been a major Konerko fan, but there's a point where tough-guy and macho turns into stupidity and selfishness. Soon, we had no "fear factor" going in the middle of the lineup -- between three outcome Dunn and the slap-hitting ghost that formerly was Paul Konerko, it's little wonder that we posed little threat to good teams, hot teams, or plain old teams who for whatever reason get up especially for the Sox. For that charade to go on for as long as it did was a total slap in the face to knowledgeable fans who understand the game. And for Konerko to come right out and say with 2-3 games left in the year, (paraphrasing) "yeah, the wrist is damaged ... but I don't think it affected my performance," is another slap in the face. Sure it affected your performance. Every advance scout in baseball could see it. And while I'm on a roll, I generally really liked what Ventura did this year as a first year manager (especially the emphasis on fundamentals and focusing on one game at a time), but ALLOWING a clearly damaged PK to play everyday ... in the #4 hole ... is on him as well. He runs the team. Whether Konerko wants to be Mr. Man or not and play hurt/damaged, Ventura needed to be a strong enough manager/leader to tell him to get his butt off the field. It has absolutely nothing to do with this. It has everything to do with helping his team as much as possible. If he wasn't there who was going to take his place? It was a calculated risk that 4 months of an injured PK was going to be better than at least 2 months, if not more, of a lesser player. PK is not a person to put himself before the team. If he and Ventura thought the team would be better without him playing the way he was then it would have happened.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 4, 2012 -> 06:50 AM) Oakland led MLB in team strikeouts and they won 94 games. The Sox had 184 fewer strikeouts than Oakland and won 85 games. Oakland had a K/BB ratio of 2.52, the Sox had a K/BB ratio of 2.61. Maybe sometime this decade people will realize that K/BB ratio matters more than strikeout totals. Sox K/BB ratios: Konerko 1.48 Youk 1.86 Dunn 2.11 Beckham 2.23 De Aza 2.32 AJ 2.79 Rios 3.54 Viciedo 4.29 Ramirez 4.81 The Sox scored 748 runs. Oakland scored 713. The Sox offense was better than Oakland's. Maybe strikeouts do limit your team's offense.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 26, 2012 -> 09:48 AM) This 100%. It's not a motivation problem. This team is just out of gas. I think alot of it comes down to the wrist injury to PK. He had the "minor" surgery but really hasn't been the same. With the rest of the offense being weak, they've really missed his production. Once the pitching began to wear down, the offense couldn't make up for it. Hopefully next year Sale and Quintana are stronger. Although there are some studies that show the huge jump in innings this year will adversely effect their performance next year.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Sep 26, 2012 -> 02:50 PM) I read that article earlier. I would like ptatc to chime in as I find it hard to believe. Playing with pulled oblique had him sitting for a days but he's back playing with torn muscle? I dont buy it. They both could be accurate. A tear is nothing more than a 3rd degree strain. If the MRI showed a tear then it's classified as a strain. A player can play with a tear, it just depends how large it is. If it's smaller the a centimeter massage and electrical modalities could easily keep the pain to a minimum. The oblique muscles cover a large are but a very thin compared to other muscles. I'm sure he is in pain but coming down to the end of the year it's not surprising that he is working through it.