whitesoxfan101

Can somebody come up with a solution for two, maybe three of those five black holes? I figure, if we can get noticeably improved production from two of the five guys, and somewhat improved from a third, we'll win the division. Because I like the four guys that don't suck right now, as well as the pitching as a whole. I don't think this thread is negative either. All I'm asking for a couple of our players to stop sucking. Or maybe for Lillibridge to play every single day and continue to ball out (even though I don't know if he can). Or maybe for Dayan Viciedo to make an appearance and hit the ball far a few times. Just, average major league production. Rios has looked better lately, which is nice. Anyways, this division is so winnable, and it won't even take extraordinary things from our players to do it.

Loved the Butler pick. I read he wants to be a starting NBA 2 guard, but I think he's a great option/fit as a backup for Deng right now. And the Bulls REALLY need that. I'd have rather taken Brooks with the other pick since I think he can be a solid 2 guard in the NBA, but the kid they did take sounds very talented. Maybe he'll be a starter here someday. I have hope the Bulls can solve the 2 guard spot in free agency or via trade, too. There are some options, and Reinsdorf himself said he realized the Bulls probably lost to Miami due to lack of a 2 guard. Overall, I'm fine with the draft. Also, anybody who hasn't read the Jimmy Butler story needs to, it's incredible. Easiest kid to root for in this draft, and I'm glad he's on the Bulls and hope he does well. Did anybody else find some of those picks late in the draft hilarious? The names were so long and bizarre, and they were guys nobody had ever heard of. I'm convinced some of them were just made up entirely. I couldn't stop laughing at them, and I think a lot of teams just took fliers on foreign guys in the 2nd round so they wouldn't have to pay those draft picks. The NBA financial situation is just dire right now, especially with the impending lockout. Also, no Illinois players picked. Maybe if Demetri McCamey or Jereme Richmond actually gave a s*** during their time in Champaign, they could have been drafted!

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 23, 2011 -> 08:34 PM) Trading Richards is stupid. I thought trading Carter just to get Bryzgalov was nuts. Richards as well? The owner there basically fixed one problem by creating two more. Very, very strange. Bryzgalov will have more pressure on him than any Flyer since Eric Lindros IMO. Any sign of struggle for the Flyers next year, and he's going to take the blame since he's the guy that basically caused Carter and Richards to leave.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jun 22, 2011 -> 01:46 PM) 2007 was when the Cubs fans got really started to get ramped up because it was coming up to the century mark of their WS drought and nobody wanted to see it go to triple digits. Everyone was sure that it was "their year". Then they got swept in the playoffs. 2008 was the century mark and again everyone was sure that it was "their year" Then they got swept in the playoffs. They've been sliding backwards ever since and Cubs fans are finally starting to realize that it's not all that lovable to be a loser. This is very true. Also, I'm surprised some people thought the World Series was a foregone conclusion for them in 2008. I honestly wasn't all that surprised they crashed and burned. I mean, I had my fears going into those playoffs for sure since they had such a great regular season, but after 2003 and 2007 plus the goat thing that they clearly did/do buy into at least partially....I had a feeling the pressure would get to them if things started to go bad. And it did. Plus, everybody knows the regular season and postseason are two different animals. As for this years Cubs, they are underachievers IMO. They aren't good, but that's a .500 ish team, not a 15 below in June one.

The rumors are Kane went to (is still in?) rehab, after urging from Hawks management. I've heard it in so many places, but I still have no idea if it's true because that's a rumor that could easily spread, true or not, because it's so easy to believe. It's been SO QUIET on the Kaner front since the season ended though, it makes me wonder... I've never heard the Miller for Kane/Crawford thing though, that's interesting. I've seen the Erik Cole suggestion in a lot of places that Brian made. Carolina is having trouble with their free agents apparently. The Hawks will open the regular season with a back to back home and home against Dallas, by the way. The full regular season schedule is expected to come out tomorrow.

I thought letting Baker face a lefty and then bringing in a righty to face Ramirez (who has been awful against lefties this year) was bad. But pinch running with Brent there when you know they'll walk Paulie, then bring in a lefty for Dunn is far worse. Does our manager watch the games?!

Quite frankly, I'm hoping our GM is gone or "moved upstairs" soon too. I'd prefer not to do anything big this July with that in mind. If we were to trade Konerko, it'd be for an underwhelming package I'm sure.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 20, 2011 -> 08:34 AM) Oooo, or Brad Richards. He'd be a great fit on the 2nd line. Would love to see that, but it won't work financially. On a subject of which I'm not so sure, how would the cap hit work for next season (the last of the current deal) if Sharpie signs a contract extension this summer that increases the annual value of his deal? Would his cap hit be the same as it currently stands next year, then increase to whatever the deal is when the new one starts in 2012-2013? I'm not overwhelmingly familiar with how that works for extensions done in the summer. Guys like Kane, Toews, Keith, and Seabrook, of course, all did their new deals during the regular season.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 21, 2011 -> 01:05 AM) So... why not pinch hit for Pierre with two on and two outs in the 9th...? At this point, I'm more inclined to question a PROPER managerial decision. Whoever made that call in the 9th tonight was wrong, but it's what I expect at this point since the wrong decision is what is made the majority of the time.

QUOTE (mcgrad70 @ Jun 21, 2011 -> 12:16 AM) If Ozzie slept through the games, he might be a better manager. When he's awake, he's one of the worst in-game strategist ever. I can't say ever since I didn't watch the first century and a quarter of Major League Baseball, but he's among the worst I've ever seen. The White Sox put on the "we're not managed well" clinic last night, letting the only good player on the other team produce their first three runs, leaving the starting pitcher in too long and making sure he burst into virtual flames and the game was over before removing him, and then letting Juan Pierre make the last out of the game during a mild threat with Brent Lillibridge available on the bench (and yes, I know he was ejected by that point, and no I don't buy he wasn't still calling the shots). Ozzie Guillen's PR manager, Joe Cowley, wrote this article after the game. I hope there is heat on Kenny Williams as well, to be fair. But we can only hope Oz is gone in the very near future: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/6074231-417...might-bolt.html EDIT: Sorry Greg, didn't notice you posted the story already.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jun 20, 2011 -> 07:17 PM) Rongey was being a jackass. As opposed to when he isn't being a jackass....which is when exactly? Anyways, the "trying to get a return on investment" argument could not only apply to Pierre, but Adam Dunn as well. It's the only reason why I could see either of them playing at this point. I would almost throw Alex Rios in there too for that matter, although he's at least shown some signs of a pulse the last week and a half. Anybody else would just play Lillibridge every single day in the OF and call up Dayan. But not the White Sox, who crash and burn due in part to their own stubborn tendencies, and do so on a consistent basis. Everybody is going to get paid regardless, so you might as well play the best players. Maybe the White Sox should change their slogan to "All in....unless the better players make way less money".

The cap word officially came from the NHL and NHLPA about this time last year, so we'll get official word very soon by the way. The cap situation isn't 1/1000th as bad as last year, but the Hawks aren't in particularly great shape either, so every dollar counts.

Just saw this on the Twitter: McKenzie is generally very good. That would mean the cap will be up close to 5 million dollars (it was 59.4 last year, for those who perhaps didn't know) which is a bit more than I had been hearing in terms of prognostications. Perhaps the Hawks can keep a Brouwer now, or move him and try to get a pretty big named newcomer. We shall see.

QUOTE (ROC Sox Fan @ Jun 18, 2011 -> 11:55 PM) It was a sick attempt though. He had it above the wall but the collision forced it out of his glove luckily back into play on the ground for an easy scoop and toss. It was a key play in the game, but it's not worthy of top play or even highlight notation IMO since he didn't catch the ball.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jun 18, 2011 -> 11:40 PM) What? Seriously? How the hell is that not in the highlights on mlb.com? Because he didn't catch the ball?

Somebody make a list of reasons the White Sox have given us to have faith in/patience with them from 2006 until now. I've got improvements in and around the ballpark, increased payroll support from Uncle Jerry (which hasn't paid off), and.....that's about it. That's a pretty depressing five plus years.

QUOTE (T R U @ Jun 18, 2011 -> 10:02 PM) Were 5 1/2 out of a weak ass division in mid June.. Im not sure how anyone could think its unlikely It's perhaps unlikely because the team is closer to last than first, hasn't been at/above .500 in a bit over 2 months, and has no historical precedent for coming from significantly behind to make the playoffs at any point in most of our lifetimes?

I'm glad John Danks isn't dead. I enjoy wins, as well as the fact that anytime Rios or Dunn does something well, they're immediately trending on Twitter due to how shocking such an event is.

QUOTE (SoxFanForever @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 02:42 PM) Hopefully Brouwer. You can get someone to do what he does for a fraction of the price. I have a (likely) irrational fear that Sharp will be traded. Frolik and Campoli, it seems, are likely candidates to stay. I doubt Stalberg will be back, and we'll see on Brouwer. A lot of it depends on how much the cap increases by. It's expected to go up about 3 million the last time I read, but I can't remember when we find that out for sure. I'd imagine the Hawks would like to add a more physical defenseman. I'd like to see John Scott go away to Rockford next season, but we're probably not that lucky.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 06:01 PM) The whole thing is just ridiculous. Totally premeditated and would have happened win or lose. People want an "excuse" to act like idiots. Give them a big sporting event, a holiday, anything, and they'll take it. They want to use the excuse of "we lost, I'm pissed" or "we won, I'm so happy" to make their actions "OK" in their minds, even though no one is actually happy or pissed because it's not legit fans doing it. It's almost beyond comprehension that human beings could be this stupid. BTW, as for the picture Steve posted with the guy trying to blow up the cop car? Have fun losing your scholarship, ass clown. Olympics? LOL http://deadspin.com/5813155/look-at-this-u...-police-cruiser I don't disagree with your post...except for the bolded text. Human stupidity should never surprise anybody, it is absolutely limitless. QUOTE (zenryan @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 06:38 PM) I was watching the CBC Hockey Night in Canada intros for the Stanley Cup last night. Would be really awesome if Versus or NBC would try to do something like that one of these days. Some of the Hawks/Flyers ones were absolute classics last year. CBC does a great job, other than the fact that I think Jim Hughson announces the games in Canucks sweaters. I would have only been mildly surprised had I learned he was sighted crying and lighting things on fire after game 7.

QUOTE (Felix @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 07:21 PM) He's not staying in Europe. There is a 0% chance of that. And saying a guy sucks based on his Europe numbers when he can't even legally drink yet in this country is really f***ing stupid. I'm not saying he's going to be good, and I don't think he's worth the hype that he's gotten from Kahn over the years, but the "Rubio is awful, look at these numbers that don't translate to the NBA at all" camp really doesn't know what they're talking about either. I don't think he's awful due to those numbers, I've always thought he was garbage. Those numbers just make me a bit more comfortable with that stance. David Kahn managing to take three point guards in the same first round (incredible on its own merits), have two of them be horse s***, and trade the one that's actually good is among the more incredible draft feats I've ever seen.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 18, 2011 -> 08:07 PM) I know people hate hearing this and it's a cliche around here, but based on the combination of number of posts, tone of said posts, and the timing of said posts, I really have to wonder if some people are happier about being "right" when the Sox are terrible so they can post over and over about the reasons why than they are when the Sox are winning, maybe because there's not as much to hyperanalyze. I don't know, but oftentimes PHT is a pretty depressing place because of this. And I'm someone who's spent more time feeling pessimistic than optimistic since '07 and a pretty big critic of Ozzie and some moves by KW that I thought were boneheaded. I will say I'm actually far more pissed at the Sox than I even usually am this year for quite the opposite reason. I bought in, and thought this team was going to win this division. And I suppose it still could. But it just seem unlikely right now, and that's just disheartening.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 09:58 PM) That's stupid. Miami was not supposed to be this good this year. They had no bench. Give them some vets taking MLE or less and at some point they're primed to make a push for it. Miami wasn't supposed to be good this year? There were people out there, quite a few, who (admittedly insanely, but still) thought they'd win 70 games! Also, the MLE will almost assuredly no longer exist whenever the NBA returns.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 04:30 PM) The article headline "Rubio talking to Barcelona about his future" comes across a lot stronger than anything in the article. I'm on pins and needles over whether a guy that averaged 6.5/3.2/3.5 on 31 percent shooting in 20 Spanish League games will come over here. It would make sense for him to consider staying there though simply due to the labor situation. Even if he wasn't hot garbage.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 07:51 AM) Canucks fans feel that Bettman will not allow a Canadian team to win the cup because he makes more money if American teams win. Its all part of their grand conspiracy theory. It's hilarious. The fans up there probably think it's a Bettman conspiracy that Boston scored more short-handed goals than Vancouver did power play goals in this series. Last night was just incredible. Not only did that scum lose, but every feeling of disdain I've ever had not only for that team, but now also their fans, feels completely justified. I hope that city, whenever it stops burning, once again enjoys their legacy: rioting, and a statue of their coach waving the white flag