whitesoxfan101

QUOTE (knightni @ Feb 22, 2010 -> 06:50 PM) Danks or Floyd would have been gone if we got Halladay. Absolutely, people need to keep that in mind here. They'd have probably had to given up Danks or Floyd AND Hudson to get Halladay. Still, Halladay/Buehrle/Peavy/Floyd or Danks/Garcia would be epic. Then again, maybe the fact they'd have had to have given up that much is the reason Roy isn't here.

Good call Canadians. This looks dumb today, and will look even dumber when Russia beats you in the quarterfinals for the 2nd straight Olympics and you don't medal for the 2nd straight Olympics.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Feb 22, 2010 -> 02:40 AM) The best goalie in the world right now was in net for the USA. Even looking at their numbers this year, it isn't even close. Luongo is still a better goalie IMO, but Miller has probably been the best goalie in the league this year (either he or Vokoun, Nabokov not too far behind) and he's clearly a red hot goalie. In a setup like this, I'd probably rather have Miller right now. Especially since Luongo doesn't have the best big game reputation. I think they'll need him to shed that reputation though, because I'd be shocked if Brodeur keeps the #1 spot after his performance tonight. He was AWFUL.

The rotating pile of crap at DH is 100 percent on KW as far as I'm concerned. The GM's job is to give his manager the best players to win, and the manager's job is to manage them properly and to as many wins as possible. Ozzie can suggest some crazy idea like that, but it's KW's job to overrule him and bring in a competent DH.

QUOTE (chimpy2121 @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 10:19 PM) I wonder if Luongo is going to get the nod now. Canadian fans don't take well to losing. I'd be shocked if it's not Luongo the rest of the way. Brodeur was struggling recently headed into these Olympics, and they don't have time to wait for him to get his crap together, especially since his backup is probably the best goalie in the wordl right now and double especially since it's lose and you're out now. As for tonight, not bad for a prelim game huh? I've seen a lot of hockey in my life, and tonights game is certainly top 3 among the games I've ever seen. We beat them at their sport in their house in a thriller, absolutely outstanding. Having the #1 seed is such a huge advantage, 4 of the top 6 teams other than the U.S. are on the other side of the bracket, and the two on the U.S. side, while good, are beatable in the Czech Republic and Finland (and the U.S. will only have to beat one of them in the semifinals to play for the gold medal.) Hopefully they don't come out flat in the quarters. QUOTE (zenryan @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 10:40 PM) I still dont know how he got the shot off. I need to see a slower replay. It was probably the best empty netter I've ever seen, he really didn't even have the puck. He basically not only made a great defensive poke check, but also put it directly into the net. Outstanding.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 02:58 PM) The Tigers traded away Granderson for Financial Reasons, who will make $5.5 million this year, and signed Damon for that same role at $8 million. The Tigers are following suit with the rest of their city in terms of the level of sense and intelligence in their financial decisions apparently.

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 02:58 PM) They traded it to Phoenix in 2004 I think. Isiah Thomas traded for Stephon Marbury. Then the Suns sent it to Utah in a Tom Gugliotta trade. Ha, even better. Isiah is still haunting them.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 02:31 PM) The Utah Jazz hold the Knicks pick this year. Unprotected. Haha the Knicks would do something like that.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 08:10 AM) Here's something interesting from the Tribune: Extra innings: The Sox reported their highest advanced ticket sales since 2006 -- the season after their World Series title Great news. Things like this make it more likely we'll make a move this summer on the trade market if something is needed. Plus, The Cell looks a lot better with people in it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 02:03 PM) Without looking at the schedule/matchups, I'd put Danks ahead of Floyd. Floyd tends to eat a few more innings than D1, so it makes sense to have him next to Garcia to try to use him to rest the bullpen a bit. Danks actually threw 7 and 1/3 innings more last year than Floyd (although in 2 more starts), so the innings per start were basically even, with the edge to Floyd being very slight. With the balance of the rotation, I really don't think the order matters a great deal, other than Garcia is clearly the #5 guy. I might start Floyd in the #4 spot just because he had the injury issue late last year if I had to choose an order though. As for opening day, I'm glad it's Buehrle. I really don't think who is 1 and who is 2 between Mark and Jake matters too much, so might as well let Mark have the opening day start, especially since Jake seems to have no problem with it.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 01:12 PM) Bruce Weber 5 year plan is really looking good. Even though his recruiting has improved (even though it's mainly Jerrance Howard), Weber's job security has to be in question if they don't have a very good season next year. There will be too much talent to accept another middle of the pack, borderline tournament type season in 2010-2011.

QUOTE (That funky motion @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 01:08 PM) Why would you do that?? Yeah I don't get that either. No matter how much you liked a player for the Sox, I can't see how you root for them on a division rival. Not to be cliche, but isn't the name on the front of the jersey most important?

Illinois is right back in the NIT is they don't win their next two games (although if they blow one of them, they'll still have some chances to get very helpful wins and get back in the tournament.)

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:59 PM) Yah I see where you're coming from here, but the way I see it, this is the most unpredictable offense we've ever had so our attempts at sorting it all out are futile. I can completely realistically see us scoring anywhere from 700-820 runs. That's a pretty wide range of possibility, simply because every player in our lineup has a high upside but fair odds against fruition. I just don't see how everything is doom-and-gloom, because more than any year I can remember, we simply have noooooo idea. I think maybe we're really just scared of the uncertainty. If the Sox can somehow score 800 runs, they are without question the favorite in the AL Central as far as I'm concerned. Even 750 puts them in pretty good shape. I will say I'm also scared of the uncertainty. Uncertainty is just a bad thing in sports usually, because Murphy's Law seems to occur so often in them.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:50 PM) I think it's hilarious that we're all just accepting under 700 runs as an inevitability because projections say so. Team-wide projections are wrong more often than they're right. By a good margin. How many runs did Minny project to score last year? I don't know the answer to that, but I'm gonna guess it wasn't mid-800's. Well, that's a fair question. I'm not accepting that because it's the projection, persay. The Sox could score a significantly higher run total than that if Quentin returns to 2008 form and Rios returns to mid 2000's form and Andruw Jones has a good bounceback season. Even if only one of those three things happens, the total is probably a little higher, and if two of the three occur, that probably increases the run total into the mid or maybe upper 700's. But odds are more likely those things won't occur, so odds are in favor of the run total being just below 700. However, the good news is those aren't hopeless causes, it is realistic that any or all of those things occur, which is where the hope for 2010 lies. Well that, and the fact we know the pitching should be great. I also think the big wildcard here is how the defense performs. I don't think it's great, but it could and probably should be significantly better than it was in 2009.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:37 PM) When Collins leads his team to his 2nd national championship this year, he will send you a best wishes card. That still doesn't make him a better point guard. He's just a very solid point guard on a great team, nothing wrong with that.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:46 PM) can someone dispose of this pointless negative thread into diamond club? Damon's a Tiger. Get over it. Why even post in the thread if this is all you have to contribute?

The question is how the heck do you turn 700 runs into 85 to 90 wins just to give yourself a chance in the AL Central? The defense is going to have to be insanely better, for starters, and the bullpen will have to be top 3 in the American League. Both of those scenarios aren't completely unrealistic, but I think the best option to help is add another bat, and it still can be done.

Good Lord, 692 runs. That projection is about right, but it's painful to look that. It's amazing this offense could actually be worse than it was last year.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:36 PM) As I stated in another thread, if Jones does play up to management's hopes and expectations, he should be in the lineup against both right and left handed pitching. He has always hit about the same against both, so it doesn't make any sense to platoon him with Kotsay. 25 homers is a very modest and conservative projection for Jones if healthy, and in shape. I would think that he would produce more power than that. If so, he could bat as low as 5th in the order, providing of course that he can at least match his .325 OBP from last year. Moreover, as some of you have suggested, if he is healthy and in shape, he should be playing right field. He would be a much better right fielder than Quentin. I don't really know who should play Left. Pierre can cover much more ground than Quentin, but Carlos has a far better arm. The intangible there is that, on the one hand it would be nice to have Quentin DH. in order to reduce the risk of injury. However, on the other hand, his intense make up is probably not well suited for that role. He needs to focus on defense, rather than dwell on every at bat. That's probably the biggest positive about Jones if he can have a big comeback this year. We've spent the last 4 years dreading our DH spot everytime a lefty was on the mound, but the handedness of the pitcher would be irrelevant with Jones DH'ing if he produces at past levels. I think you're also right that the team would like to play Jones in the OF and DH Quentin if Andruw proves he can still play. Obviously, you'd wonder about playing Jones in CF and Rios in RF in such a scenario since those are positions both have played in the past, but i'd imagine at this point that Rios is immeasurably better in CF than Jones, so maybe you put Jones in RF and hope it works in such a scenario. Did Jones play in RF for Texas last year much?

QUOTE (WCSox @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:32 PM) I can buy the 4 wins part, but nobody knows how MIN is going to play this year. If MIN is a 92-win team, Damon himself isn't going to pull the Sox that close. This is hyperbole. Damon absolutely would've helped, but let's not kid ourselves about him being some sort of an offensive game-changer. Offensively, Damon is basically a late '90's Ray Durham with less speed. That's a really nice player to have on one's roster, but not the kind of guy who will change the offensive output from worst in the league to middle of the pack. I agree that the Sox are in trouble if Minnesota wins 92 games, even if they had signed Damon. I just don't think they'll win that many games. And I didn't mean Damon would pull the offense overall from worst in the league to middle of the pack, I just meant he'd pull the production from the DH spot itself from worst to average. Considering how important DH production is in the AL, that'd have been a big deal. I know he's not a game changer, but he is decent, which would have made a big improvement.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:13 PM) Sherron Collins is laughing at you. McCamey averages more points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks per game than Collins, shoots better from the field and 3 point range, and plays more minutes. All with a supporting cast not 1/10th the one Collins has. Other than that, I'd say Collins is better though.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:26 PM) 2010 White Sox, Comeback Team of the Year between Jones, Rios, Konerko, Quentin, Jenks, and Putz, we need a whole lot of comebacks. It's really a dark situation if you think about it that way. I think Quentin and Putz will both be fine if healthy though, Jenks is pitching for a contract, and Konerko just is what he is at this point. The big question marks/keys are Jones and Rios IMO.

Neither. The fact that both are on division rivals won't hurt the Sox nearly as much as the fact that neither of them are on the Sox, if that makes sense.

He could make life a lot easier around here if he has a nice comeback season. I just wonder if his struggles are moreso due to the fact he's done than they are he got lazy. He's still young enough that there is hope that it was just laziness causing him to play badly though.