YASNY

This thread should have died months ago. *Sigh*

Actually, that signing was first announced in December... or earlier. With Mike Cameron being on the FA market at the time, I posted the story under the title "Sox get Cameron!" or something to that effect. Maybe that was when the Sox acquired him and this is announcing his agreeing to a contract.

Ok, it probably is the Nets, considering Trump's ties to Atlantic City. But, let's consider the big picture if Trump were to look at the Sox. First. And probaly foremost. The City of Chicago is STARVED for a World Series Championship. The team that brings it home first is going to be the Big Dog on the block. Inversting in this team, and bringing home a trophy, would make the value of the franchise skyrocket. More so, than the Cubs, because they sellout all the time anyway. The Sox are a potential gold mine to someone smart enough (you listening JR?) to properly invest in and market the team. Second. The area around USCF is already being upgraded. It's going to be a yuppie neighborhood in 5-10 years, from what I saw in May 2003. That means there be neighborhood bars, restaurants and the like opening up. Just investing in the area could be a windfall. Also, Spiff had a very good point. Maybe, just maybe, Trump has targeted the Sox. If he plans to keep them in Chicago, and go for the brass ring, I'm all for it.

The Sox will win 90. KW will do something about the tail end of our rotation. I don't know what or how, but he won't let us start the season without at least one more quality starter, whether this starter comes from within the system or via trade. We lost Colon. That's gonna hurt. Losing Alomar, Everett, Graffanino, Sullivan ..... eh, whatever. Losing Gordon is also going to hurt, but I think he is replaceable. He'll probably have arm trouble this season, anyyway. He's about due. Loaiza can't be expected to have such a good year as last, but he'll be solid. I can see, and do expect, improvement from Garland. I also think that now that Rauch and Wright have had a year to heal, they will be better pitchers than they have shown recently. I also expect Koch to improve over last year. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that overall, our pitching staff will be stronger than last year. Offensively, we will get more production out of Konerko, Crede and Rowand. Harris will be a big key for us. If he can hit leadoff and get on base, we'll be damn good. If not, we do have enough hitting to get by reasonably well. Maggs, if he is still with us will also probably have a better year than last. If we can get similar production as last year from Thomas, Lee, Valentine and Olivo/Alomar we should be ok.

When I started reading this thread, I was annoyed/disturbed by the negativity expressed by another b****y whiney half-assed so-called Sox fan. I was glad to see so many people jump in to show their support and to teach someone what being a true loyal Sox fan is all about! To all of you that did so!

Ignorance and cruelty are two different things.

Interest only comes into the equation on deferred, as opposed to backloaded, money. If a signs a 3 year $24Million contract and gets paid $6M for year 1, then $8M, then $10M, there is no "interest" paid on the final $18M. That will be his salary for those years, which he won't receive until he in fact "earns" it. I put "earns" in quotes because, we all know, sometimes they don't earn crap.

I agree with you assessment. I don't think Borchard beats out Rowand, either. I also don't see Rowand as a career fourth outfielder. I see him as a solid, if unspectacular, starter.

I agree to a certain extent. I'm not so much for making changes based on righty/lefty matchups, but I am for knowing how a pitcher fares against certain hitters and would make changes based on that. So, computers and info management does has it's place in baseball.

Though he never officially "retired" with the MLB offices, he said all through 2003 that it would be the last season for him. An assumed retirement maybe?

Rex. You said KW had to make a choice between Miles and Harris. Why? Ozzie could have made that choice after 6 weeks of spring training. I liked Miles a lot. I like the "grinder" type and that seemed to fit Miles to a T. I hope KW knows what he's doing with this Uribe guy, but I think we will regret this trade ever happened. I understand the upside aspect that keeps getting mentioned, but then again, I also know that sometimes a guy comes to a team and just provides a spark that gets a team rolling. I think Miles had the potential to be that type of player. Even if we only got 2 good years out of him, if he turned into the spark that starts a team on a streak to a division title, then we screwed the pooch with this deal.

Exactly. Robbie wasn't a failure and Steff is right in that he did bring something to the team with with his approach to the game. However, Alomar is on a one way downhill slide as far as his skills go. He was graet once, but will never approach being great on a consistant basis again. Good luck to him, but I'd keep the young guys and see what happens.

The Sox have always knocked Helling around pretty well. I hope we see a lot of him in our 19 games vs. the Twinkies.

For any Sox transactions to sneak past this group is astounding!

I'm thinking that the Padres may be getting serious about winning the NL west this year. They really made some major moves to improve the club.

You'll grow out of that. Without cops we'd all be in deep s***.

I hate the "Lost another loan to Ditech.com" commercials. The MGD ad where the guy is hold a bottle of MGD and his reflection in the mirror is holding a pilsner glass full of draft beer is pretty cool.

Here's may take on this thing. I don't care what the churches do, what the gays do, what the states do. I just want the damn politicians to leave the constitution alone. There is no way in hell that this issue is crucial enough to justify a constitutional convention. Nor is burning the flag or equal rights admendments. Once the call a constitutional convention, they can then put anything they want to into, or take anything out of, the constitution. If the ERA was ratified by the necessary 2/3 of the states, then a convention would have been called. Once that convention is opened, then anything goes. They could have changed things to where someone could be named president for life. I know, it's outrageous but that's an example of what can happen. You want open up a nasty can of worms then let them call a convention to ban gay marriages, or to make it a constitional right, even. It's not the gay issue I am opposed to, it's allowing those bastards in Washington to get their hands on our constitution. It's not worth it people.

Best post of this thread. A-Train is decent, at least. We can live with him for another year if we have to. Gotta protect Grossman though.

Maddux money?

He was a scout with the Sox before taking over as Bulls GM.

I don't care how old he is. I'm sure he's the best coach available. This should be a no brainer to Angelo.

Sadly, I think you are right.

Wasn't he on the Bears wish list last off season, before they had to settle on Stewart?

Marv Levy