Princess Dye

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Jan 10, 2010 -> 07:13 AM) I can't say I root for any particular team but in the playoffs I'll root for the team that annoys me less...but I will NEVER EVER root for the Twins. For some reason I cant find the Twins nearly as hateable as the Tigers. Or Indians. Maybe just because I've had worse experiences with the fans of the latter two. Twins fans gave Buehrle a standing ovation when he set his record. You're not going to get that everywhere. Plus, with AJ stomping on Morneau's foot at first, and Game 163, they have more reason to hate us than the other way around. Granted we have lost a ton to them over the years, but I guess I cant really get tons of hate up for teams that come in year in year out with their just-decent talent level.

I always find this line of thinking amongst the dumbest imaginable If this matters, then why have the playoffs? There'd be no point to it. and actually, if anyone should hate this sort of thing, it's the people who rooted for the 06 Cardinals and were later called undeserving. They won it!!! What more can one do?

Depending on what else we do in free agency...and how many pitchers we keep.. it seems like a final roster spot will come down to Nix and Lillibridge. Lillibridge can play CF, but not 3B. He would hands down be our best pinchrunner in late innings. Our bench looks much improved, but it definitely isnt speed wise. Nix has versatility and some power...but with Vizquel here isnt he duplicated on the bench? Cant believe I'm saying it but Lillibridge might make sense as the last guy to make it.

People keep saying we need left-handed power. What's interesting though...our hottest hitter second half last year mightve been Kotsay, who's currently slotted to spell people as a LH bat. Meanwhile it's from the right side where we dont have a proven guy who can step in. Andruw Jones had a slight '09 bounceback year but in a limited sample size. I suppose there's Flowers too if he makes the team.

So can we infer the Sox pretty much want to spend 3M or less on this position? That assumes they just flat out didnt like Cust. EDIT: though also I should factor in the other money spent on guys that will take a turn at DH

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jan 9, 2010 -> 08:21 PM) Branyan has MASSIVE pop, but he would be hated here for his K's. Tons of K's versus tons of non-K outs..... it seems like very often the latter situation is hated less, even when it comes sans power totals. Hey at least Branyan cant GIDP if he's striking out. And we dont have to bat him that high either...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 8, 2010 -> 06:53 PM) Pods received only slightly more guaranteed than Omar Vizquel. If the Sox offered him a one year deal , it must have been something similar to what they gave Jones. No, the Pods camp was just depending on us overpaying for their guy.

I'm not one to be preset to be negative about our moves. But there's a lot to the sentiment that we couldve just brought back Pods and bid for Matsui. Then, instead of Putz, you couldve hoped for a good year from Peña. There's an argument there. Because it leaves a nice bit of cash open for next offseason when the pool of FAs mightve been better. Of course remains to be seen how cheap Thome/Blaylock/Branyan will be.

Apparently the Vlad story got updated that the original estimate was off by 2M http://www.hotstove.com/2010/01/report-ran...deal/#more-3680

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/artic...sp&c_id=cws

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 5, 2010 -> 04:00 PM) Considering he'll actually be playing a position, that has to set the market for the remaining nearly-full-time DH's, doesn't it? He's coming off a small sample-size year...but still it would be great if things have gotten to this point across the board for DH-types. Especially since he's not a total scrap heap guy. Solid years galore leading up to 2009.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 06:45 PM) According to Peter Gammons, Beltre to Red Sox, 1 year, $9 million, with a player option for $5 million next year? Hopefully this knocks over a few dominos to loosen up the FA DH glut.

I feel like people who have long wanted KW to hang onto the top prospects are going to get their wish this year. Reason being the lack of backup plans for Freddy....the finishing up of AJP's contract.... and also I personally dont see Andruw Jones having been brought here to not play. Plus beyond that, DH is a hole that can be filled cheaply and creatively. At the very least I think we'll hold onto our guys til the trade deadline.

We must rank the prospect rankings

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jan 3, 2010 -> 11:17 AM) Some see the glass half empty and some half full. Might as well enjoy your favorite team and not lose sleep over it. You'll live longer . Being overly critical is no way to go through life as you'll have few friends and make those around you miserable. In general I agree with this.....but when tons and tons of fans fail to keep a critical eye, you start getting what has happened to the Cubs. The diehards are still there but there's this mass culture of people who just like their lovable cubbies coming back year in year out. They kept Grace and Dunston way past their viability just b/c they were popular. What the fans support does have an impact on what the team does. Though I think Sox fans in general are smarter than that. And it's not like elrockinMT is supporting a totally finished guy in Konerko. PK is average at his position right now, no more no less.

At first base, we need to be aiming a lot higher than .350 OBP with 28 HR. The Royals would be thrilled w/ that but we shouldnt be. It was a bounceback year for PK, yes. But for a supposedly contending team it's still not enough. To support that again this year (and getting it again from him is no given), we will need a spike in production from several spots. EDIT: Actually let me correct myself. The Royals having Butler shows how easily replaceable a .350OBP/28HR guy is at first base.

Guerrero would add to a list of 5 guys or so who..if they all decided to have a near career-year, we'd be the Yankees.

Phil Rogers is only beaten out by Rick Morrissey in the stupidity race, based on RM's stated refusal to deal Deng for Kobe 2 yrs ago.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0...0,809746.column insinuates that Peavy in this article has to go a ways to justify what he's paid. As if the whole Cy Young thing never happened. And honestly it's not out of this world $ compared to what staff aces get now. Meanwhile he contrasts this with Buehrle and Konerko having paid their dues to earn what they make. And Peavy hasnt. What? Konerko especially is overpaid at this point in his career. A very generic level of production from the 1B spot.

The way i've calculated it we've added 15 doubles and 12 HR to our infield's offense. Factoring in Teahen over Getz, plus the rest of the year of Gordon over Fields.

The sox are the only team with an awesome away gray jersey for some reason.

Pods is going to re-wreck his career. Kind of glad he wont go north, it would be too weird.

If we're going to get a guy who is 33 or older, then lets get someone who did it last year at an acceptable level. By waiting this thing out we may be in a position to get a lot of value at the DH position for our buck.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 09:33 PM) So where does that rank amongst 2nd half blown leads in NBA history. It has to be near the top if not the biggest blown lead ever. A different kind of feeling for sure, but i was at this monstrosity: http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxsco...9904100CHI.html

QUOTE (Ranger @ Dec 21, 2009 -> 09:02 PM) A baseball team is under no obligation to spend more than they make and are under no obligation to simply break even. It's a business. It isn't a public trust. That said, I still have an incredibly difficult time understanding how people can still call this organization cheap, despite the cascade of hard evidence that proves otherwise. It's almost like arguing that Yao Ming isn't tall. Here's the reality, and where I believe the argument should cease: for the last several years, the Sox payroll is exactly in line (and sometimes even higher) with their attendance for a given season. When they have middle-of-the-road attendance, they have a middle-of-the-road payroll. It happens EVERY year -- except for years like 2006 when they were 10th in attendance, yet 4th in payroll. Hell, you could go back to 2001 when they had the 22nd highest attendance but their payroll was 16th in MLB. There is just no disputing this. This is fact, not opinion. Even though I don't call the Sox tight with money, I think there's a valid argument some make that they refuse to do certain deals out of principle. Boras aside, they wont do what other clubs are doing in overpaying for talent. Is it a distaste for Boras in particular or for what he represents in a larger sense? The whole thing about not signing long term free agent pitchers.... It pains a bit to watch other teams do it and win championships. I think what we'd all like is this great farm system pumping out cheap talent... to cushion the blow for free agent overpays. But obviously it's easier said than done. Overall I agree with you.... the angry Sox fan should focus their argument on how the org spends the money...not claim that they dont spend it. That part is just wrong. Because the Albert Belle signing was such an anomaly for this franchise, it just seems like they're cheap. But that's not doing one's homework.