YASNY

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Feb 9, 2005 -> 10:24 AM) Don't count me amongst them. I go into every season believing that Garland could have a breakout season. It's not talent, skill, or mechanics that's holding him back. Like Farnsworth he's a head case. I am hoping a tough-nosed no-nonsense C like AJ will be able to help him. I don't think he's going to tolerate him shaking off his calls & I know he won't tolerating him missing the calls. If nothing else I expect both Contreras & Garland to reduce their walk totals. They certainly have the skill to do so. I don't even think it's a case of Garland being a head case. I think it's just a matter of maturity. I believe he'll get to a "Pavano-like" status eventually.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Feb 9, 2005 -> 10:20 AM) Please read the 12/10/04 news link at MLB. Maggs was scared of never being able to play again. He contacted Thomas. Thomas put him in touch with Weil & Weil got the ball rolling for the Schraden treatment. He requested that Weil not contact the WhiteSox about anything they discussed. Now that's clear factual evidence that Maggs was not disclosing his medical status with the White Sox. Since the Sox had a Dec deadline they needed to know what that status was. If Maggs was waiting for the Sox to over arbitration then he should have asked Weil or Thomas or make the call himself to KW & let him know what was going on. I think we all can agree that trying to bluff your way to an arbitration offer is not being honest & sincere. If that's the case, then why should KW have offered arbitration?

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Feb 9, 2005 -> 10:14 AM) The Sox had three very tradeable players for the A's : Rowand, Lee, & Garland. As I said earlier the Sox would have included cash so Lee for Hudson cash wise would be a wash. Based had expressed a desire to get Lee last year. He was mentioned in trade rumors. The problem with looking back is timing. The Sox had already traded Lee & picked up Hernandez before Hudson made his deadline date. So KW probably would have had to pay a higher price to get it done before the Hernandez signing. Afterwards he still had Garland & Rowand to use. Again both had been rumored in A's trades in the past. Without Lee the cost is higher in prospects but then you are getting Hudson in return. As for a Mulder I am glad that KW did not pursue him. The risk is much higher than Hudson. Beane choose to keep Zito because he's the most durable of the 3. Which brings us back to Hernandez. If you maximize his rest betw starts with what the schedule affords your looking at the best quality start man on the 05 Sox staff. If they can somehow get 30 starts out him only 7 or 8 are likely to be bad. But I fear Ozzie is just going to treat him like everyone else & he'll be on the shelf by Aug. Even in that scenario at least they'll start strong while Thomas is getting ready. Still ..... it's was a longshot.

QUOTE(lvjeremylv @ Feb 9, 2005 -> 07:19 AM) In all fairness to Gammons and all the other talking heads with various networks, radio stations, and newspapers, they HAVE to talk about something. Unfortunately, I think many just talk out of their ass to either create controversy, or just to amuse themselves with ridiculous predictions and/or absurd observations. No games were ever won or lost through words or through print, so yes, all of this back and forth stuff is rather meaningless. Just take everything you hear or read from now until April with a grain of salt, and have fun with it. Afterall, it's only baseball. Only Baseball ?!?!?!?!?!?!? What the hell is wrong with you?

The original picture seems like a good one for a caption contest as well.

I see things like this and I don't know what to say. I mean, what can you say that isn't lacking due to the limitations of mere words or is what everyone is feeling in the pit of their stomach already?

QUOTE(The Critic @ Feb 9, 2005 -> 04:23 AM) The Mavericks have talented players, but they are a sloppy team that rushes their shots. Great job by Deng and Curry tonight. Curry was running the floor really well in the 4th quarter. Is this a consistant flaw the Mav have, or was it because the Bulls defense forced them to rush their shots?

QUOTE(backman @ Feb 9, 2005 -> 06:27 AM) it doesnt matter who the illini play in the tournement. we'll just beat any team out there, so there's no worries, undefeated season her we come, national championship here we comenumber one ranking here we are! You're counting on an awful lot. Have those chickens hatched yet?

Well of course Ordonez is going to say the crap about the Tigers. HELLO! I don't believe he believes what he's saying, but he has to say things to that effect.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 12:31 PM) That makes even less sense then Maggs quote. We'll we ever get the truth? If KW is saying the Sox were still prepared to offer the 58/5 cash deal after the bone edema condition was discovered then why didn't the Sox at least offer arbitration? Think about that. KW is saying the Sox were willing to risk 58/5 on Maggs but not one year of arbitration? Does that make sense to you? If he had offered arbitration the Sox at least would be getting a couple of picks from Det. High value picks because Det has drafted high of late. I'm tending to believe Maggs here because it just makes no sense for the Sox not to offer arbitration based on what KW is saying here. Reading that article, I did not see any quotes saying the contract was offered after the edema condition was discovered. It only said (by JR) that is was offered after he got hurt. Ordonez turned it down. Then somewhere along the line, Ordonez' people stopped keeping the Sox informed. I still say the Sox were 100% correct in not offering arbitration. And this point hasn't been made often, if at all. Magglio never would have accepted arbitration unless he believed he was going to have to shut it down for most of the year. If Ordonez expects us to believe that he would have accepted, he's a stupid mofo.

More proof that you should stay away from steroids.

QUOTE(bigredrudy @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 09:41 PM) I made a mistake. The JR quote does not mention years just the amount of money.But I do not think JR would offer Maggs 15 million per year. I think the offer was 12 million per year-no deferred-all cash on the barrelhead. Basically, that is an assumption on your part. We don't know if the offer was 4 years or 5.

QUOTE(Frank the Tank 35 @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 04:36 PM) The 2003 Marlins did have a great rotation, but going into the season they had just as many question marks as we do now. Beckett was pretty much only in his second year plus he had that whole blister thing. Willis was a rookie who they got from the Cubs for Clement and had a ridiculous season. Pavano had shown flashes of dominance in his past, but on the flip side he had a couple seasons where he threw in the 6's for era plus he'd been pitching in the league for like 5 years already. Redman came out and had the best season he'd ever had... like .7 era better than his very best season (granted in the AL... but that only accounts for .3). Their "ace" Burnett was out for the season. Penny was just about the most solid thing they had going into the season. The commonality here is the potential. Unfortunately we don't have the potential of lots of young guys but rather we're sorta relying on the potential of a couple aging Cubans. I see comments like the bold print above and wonder why so many people want to give up on Jon Garland. It just defies logic in my opinion.

Jugger ... the main flaw in your scenario is that you assume Beane would have traded Hudson to the Sox. That is one hell of an assumption. To begin with, he got Hudson out of the AL and does not have to worry about Hudson beating him in the playoffs. You are also assuming that he'd be willing to take on Carlos Lee's contract, which I find very unlikely. Then you have to consider the players he received vs. the players he might have been able to get out of the Sox. The Hudson scenario is so unlikely that it doesn't make a compelling argument.

QUOTE(SuperSteve @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 11:31 AM) Yah, so what is going to be the deal this ST? I've told you all I know. I'm just a poster on a Sox message board.

I don't remember his name, but one of our WWII generals, in response to a German demand to surrender had a response that seems appropriate here. NUTS!

QUOTE(SuperSteve @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 11:05 AM) Why wouldn't we invite him if he's our farmhand? I know he wasn't on the list of guys who were invited. Didn't something else say he was invited last year? He was invited last year and was not impressive. That's being kind.

We got more runs out of 3B last year than we'll get from Crede this year. We got more runs out of CF last year than we'll get from Rowand this year. We got more runs out of SS last year than we'll get from Uribe this year. We got more runs out of C last year than we'll get from AJ/Davis this year. There is something about these projections that just don't add up. Valentin was horrid last year, yet we are going to have drop off at SS? I don't think so. The catcher position is going to be less productive with AJ as our main starter over the Olivo-Alomar-Burke-Davis combo of '04? Not. Lies, Damn lies and statistics.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 10:57 AM) He's been the best pitcher in the Mexican League this year. From what I've read, he hasn't been invited to Spring Training.

Nonexistant "creditability"

Carla ... That's SO clever!

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 09:40 AM) Man...that's the hottest news anchor I've ever seen, and you guys are talking about frog legs?! What's wrong w/ you guys? There's a definite politically incorrect response to make here. Just saying.

QUOTE(Bridgeport Sox @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 09:35 AM) ISU Senior. long time reader of the board and now a member Welcome to Soxtalk. Post smart. Post often.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 09:40 AM) ANd if Mags puts up numbers like he has in the past.. who is the dumb one? That would still be the Tigers. Ordonez is not worth that much money, especially for that long.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 09:39 AM) So we are going to have more baserunners? obp last season: Lee .366 vs. Pods .343 Maggs .351 vs. Dye .334 Burke .386 vs. AJ .319 Jose .287 vs. Iguchi? So why will we all of a sudden have more baserunners? I must be missing something. Compare our combined starting RF to Dye, not just Magglio. Compare our combined starting C to AJ, not just Burke. Then you might have a more accurate snapshot.