whitesoxfan101

In 5 seasons since our World Championship, we've missed the playoffs 4 times and have a grand total of one postseason win and zero postseason series wins. I think we've sufficiently killed the momentum the glory of 2005 built. And that's a shame.

I actually think Walk did a good job this year. I wish our manager and GM would retire, but we're not that lucky.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 09:51 AM) Dear KW, Next year, please try to put together a roster that looks like it could win 95 games... Rather than your usual approach of putting together a roster designed to win 85 games, and hoping that - you catch lightning in a bottle - some burned out retread reverts back to their glory days - the team plays above expectations, - and/or that other teams (particularly the Twins) under-perform With the amount of payroll you have to work with, this doesn't seem like an unfair request, does it? Regards, S Amen. And this approach only gets less and less likely to work as years go by, now that the Twins have a new ballpark they fill everyday, and a rising payroll. I can't think of a single thing we do better than the Twins as an organization right now. I know we have 2005 and they have to go all the way back to 1991 to have a World Series, but they are still a WAY WAY better run organization than us right now in every facet. It's hard to say it, but it's completely true.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 10:34 PM) Well I think we need to start with a new GM and new manager. We have had a rotten rotten 2nd half record under Ozzie's watch. If not for 05, he is already gone. The chips all in every single year needs to stop as well. You cannot win the world series every year. Sometimes you need a strategy. I think the 5 year board that Kenny references is a large white board with random Royals players from this decade and former Cleveland Indian players from the 90s. Then we need to undo the mess that is our minor leagues and get some fiscal flexibility. Kind of concerned that we are at max budget before the season ends for next year because we decided to push all chips in again. Couldn't agree more, but I doubt Kenny or Ozzie is gone. Uncle Jerry seems happy trying to live off of 2005 forever.

Kenny has had a really rough 2010, to say the least. Yuck.

Large changes. They are going to end up without Morneau for half the season, without Nathan for all of the season, we're getting just about a career year from Konerko, and we're still going to finish way up the tracks in the standings from them. I don't think small changes are going to cut it, between our payroll situation and just that the Twins are way better than us right now IMO.

Fitting that the 2011 schedule came out on the day the 2010 season ended.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Aug 31, 2010 -> 11:02 PM) All about the W. Yep. And people shouldn't get upset when a school takes some bad people on it's athletic teams to try and win games, because odds are that their school would do the same thing.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 30, 2010 -> 12:33 PM) I'm pretty certain that stadiums have to point a certain way due to where the sun goes down? It'd be pointed due-north, which doesn't seem like a big deal, but there had to be some legit reason. Yeah I think a stadium has to be pointed at least somewhat to the east. However, that means we could have pointed the place northeast, and still had a better look at the skyline. I'm not sure if this is as big an issue as some think though. The Cell isn't in the middle of downtown like a lot of the stadiums with skyline views in the outfield, so the view wouldn't be nearly at the same at such a distance. The one thing I have heard and seen is we should have built the place in the South Loop. But I'm not sure what the South Loop looked like in the late 80's since I was barely born, so I can't really comment on that.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 12:02 AM) Sad that you'd attempt to reduce Scottie's legacy to this. Yeah his post was pretty extreme/hyperbolic. Scottie had his bad moments here, but he without question deserves the honor of a statue IMO.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 25, 2010 -> 03:02 PM) Better than wondering all the time and trying to hide your chubby. Indeed. The one girl I've REALLY liked for the longest time has been dating her current boyfriend since just before we met (bad timing), and odds are high they will be engaged soon. I'm never going to get to tell her how I actually feel because we are really good friends and I don't want to put her in that position. Kinds of sucks, but whatever, I'm over it these days. But it took me a pretty long time to reconcile that fact as it has become more and more clear in the last year or so.

A and C. Can't fire a guy who makes the playoffs, but you can fire a loudmouth manager with loudmouth kids who is CLUELESS about how offense in the American League (and more specifically, our ballpark) works after a disappointing swoon the last month and a half or so of the season, which is the direction we seem to be going in. Considering KW isn't even allowed to fire Ozzie though, I doubt anything happens.

If therapist doesn't start tonight, Wayne Brady is going to have to choke a b****. At any rate, should be a great game.

Yeah I think the plan is hope Freddy can play the El Duque of 2005 role in the bullpen if we make the playoffs (veteran starter with playoff experience turned relief pitcher who doesn't have the same stuff he once did, but still has those giant balls you need in October).

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 11:58 AM) Why exactly do we think Jackson can be trusted? The only answer in your post is "great stuff". He's young (for all the age talk, Hudson is only 3 and a half years younger than Jackson), has vastly better stuff than the man we gave up to get him, and has show himself capable of being a good pitcher in our league before. The issue with this trade is the money each man costs, and how long each is under team control, and I can't defend that from our perspective obviously. But I think man for man, it's not unrealistic at all to think this trade will work out for us. And yes, Hudson has pitched 3 very good games for them, but Jackson has pitched 2 for us. Maybe it'll be a trade that helps both sides.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 12, 2010 -> 08:25 AM) They certainly gave up value, but they turned that value in to perhaps the best wing playing SF that CP3 has had to play alongside since he was drafted. If you're looking at a 10 year plan to try to win a title it's probably not the best move...if you're expecting this to be the last season you have CP3 before the lockout and Free Agency...then you make that move. Actually, I think that's exactly why you don't make this move. You just traded a valuable piece and a legitimately solid replacement for CP3 (who will be gone soon no matter how hard they try to stop it) for a swingman who really can't shoot the ball all that well. I think this was a completely stupid move by New Orleans, and don't quite understand why they did it. They aren't any sort of legitimate challenger in the West now because of this. Absolutely awesome trade for the Pacers though. Troy Murphy is a solid player, but to get what they got makes that deal more than worth it and a win for them.

It seems like there is disasterous flooding almost every year in the state of Iowa these days, at least in the last few years. Hopefully, to palehosefan's point, the damage isn't too bad.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 12, 2010 -> 08:51 AM) This is why so many of us have flipped to NFL network and MLB Network. It's not about performance on the football field...it's about charisma on ESPN. It's about him being a beloved devoutly Christian athlete who performed admirably at a popular SEC school. You know, the bolded kind of leads into a point that I find absolutely fascinating. If you watch the official networks of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, you actually get a lot more honest analysis and intelligent opinions on all three about the leagues than you ever do on ESPN. The fact that the official networks of the leagues give you a more honest assessment than ESPN ever does (which is supposed to be an independent network, but now basically plays like a marketing machine for the leagues) tells you all you need to know about how screwed up that channel is in its thinking.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 12:15 PM) How are we getting closer to something we've always been? Supplant immigrant in this situation (or brown people, since a lot of you think this is all about hating on them only) with black, irish, german, catholic, jew, whatever. I think our getting closer to something we despise doesn't necessarily relate a great deal to the immigration issue, that was more of an off topic political point.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 11:53 AM) I thought it was a little tasteless to show a 5 minute scene of Nancy Faust taking a bubble bath. Two words: Sex appeal. Have to drive up those ratings and advertising dollars!

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 12:03 PM) Can you please cite to the time period you're talking about? I'm not sure we were ever truly a free society. But I find it hard to argue with his point that we're inching closer to what we despise, particularly in regards to our freedoms. And I'm not sure why you bolded the 2nd point you did, I think he's right there too.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 11:57 AM) Right and what is the purpose of this? To prevent more "undesirable" people from entering the US, from becoming citizens, from turning America into something "they" dont want. The problem I have is that this is nothing more than a pretext for racism. And if you let them have the first step, where does it end? Im not going to invoke any of the historical slippery slope arguments, because I think we already know them. I will never support any sort of law that denies entry to the United States based on the fact that "they" are from some where else. I will never support any amendment to the constitution that puts up artificial barriers for "them" to become citizens. I only exist today because there were others before me who showed the same compassion as I am willing to show. At one time or another, all of us were "them", the ones that the people who were already here wanted to keep out. They didnt want immigrants from Ireland, they didnt want Eastern Europeans, they didnt want Jews, they didnt want XYZ, for ABC reason. But some, those who were true Americans, accepted us. They realized that the idea of America was bigger than their own personal gain, bigger than hoping that they had the biggest log cabin or the most beautiful horse, that America was about giving everyone a chance, a chance to be somewhere that they could be free. So while it may seem like a "small" change, to me it is a major shift in the entire idea of America. That every time people have tried to alter the constitution to limit the freedoms of "others" the US courts have stood in strong opposition. Whether it was the Chinese in California, the Irish/Jews/Italians in NY, the Mexicans in California/Texas/etc. Those who are born on our soil are no different than me. I am not in the business of digging up the past. They came to America for a reason, to be some where that their children could have a better life. I hope that I can help provide that child with a better life. And the best way for me to be able to do that, is to allow that child full rights as a citizen. But then again, I dont believe that the US should have artificial quotas or try and restrict immigration. I believe that as long as the person wants to come to the US, agrees to follow the laws of the US and is willing to pay taxes, etc., that they should be allowed in the US and eventually be allowed to be citizens. When times are tough, that is when it is the easiest to turn on "others". It is out of times of despair that the darkest moments in human history have occurred. We can not let our own despair turn us, we must rise above it. The United States is unique. We are an experiment. It is up to use to prevent the experiments failure. We can not go down this road, it is my belief that we must go the opposite way. We must allow more immigration, we must allow easier paths to citizenship, we must get rid of this antiquated idea of "illegal alien". We are all people. We all just want the opportunity to have the best life possible. I refuse to take part in any scheme, plot or movement to restrict some one else's ability to have that similar opportunity. Everyone in the world deserves the same chance as me. If they want to come to the US, I welcome them, I hope that they succeed. Another good post, and I especially like the bolded part because at some point, WE (or our ancestors) were "they" or "them". Unless of course, you're an American Indian, but sadly our government took care of most of them in the past.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 11:53 AM) I just think its funny that this is one of those topics where being reasonable, or trying to come up with a positive change instead of going all out one way or the other, seems to be impossible. Haha that's how political discussion almost always tends to work, and you know that.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 11:47 AM) Here's some interesting fuel for the fire. Through their most recent World Series in 1945, the Cubs were 5593-4256, 1300 over .500, and at a .568 winning percentage through basically their first 10,000 games. In a 162 game season, that would be an average season of 92-70. They were quite literally the Yankees of the NL, although they lost a boatload of WS in the 30s. Since 1945, the Cubs are 4621-5410 through their next 10,000, 800 games under .500, a winning percentage of .461, which translates to an average season of 74-88. And for those Cubs fans that think things have been better since 1984, with the Cubs winning the division 5 times and making the WC once since then....not really. Since 1984 the Cubs still have a sub-500 record at 2083-2167, a .490 winning percentage. That's an average season of 79-83. Really, in terms of civic responsibility, this organization needs to be folded. It is THE most embarrassing organization ever run over the last 55 years. I don't care who you have to compare it to...it doesn't come close, taking into account the payroll. Well put. I'll never understand the love for that franchise: they've been a joke since WWII ended, their ballpark is an absolute pile of s*** that's not easy to get to if you're a suburbanite, there is a much better option for a team not even 10 miles away, and the Cubs have largely embraced their failure for self-promotion while still managing to be arrogant about what they think they mean. How can anybody like that crap? And you're right about civic responsibility too, because those clowns make all of us with Chicago roots look bad (like losers), even those of us smart enough to not buy the crap they sell.

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 11, 2010 -> 11:31 AM) Because there's more to being american than being born here! you must also be living in the "bible belt", be salt of the earth, christian or Jews for Jesus, and tend to be...well, I'm getting ahead of myself. But, the point is everyone else is just sucking on the teets that the real Americans LITERALLY MILK EVERY DAY. You're like the antithesis to kapkomet at times. I like it.