chitownsportsfan

QUOTE (Big Hurtin @ Jan 4, 2017 -> 07:53 PM) I'd rather listen to the ambient sound of a public restroom in a village with a cholera outbreak, than listen to Hawk call another game. literal lol.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Jan 4, 2017 -> 05:52 PM) Cool. I have a hard time understanding how anybody that isn't 25-35ish can enjoy Hawk. I'm right in the middle of that demographic and while I have countless fond memories of Hawk called games they do nothing, absolutely nothing for me, when it's 8-1 Indians in the bottom of the 7th and Hawk is babbling on about whatever it is that he thinks is important other then calling the game. When his partner (who can blame him) then gets pouty, as Stone does, it's even worse. Does Benetti have areas to improve? Hell yea. Is it obvious he wouldn't know a banana turn from a banana boat? Yes. Is he at times overly defferintial to Stone? Sure. But those are all fixable flaws that will improve with experience. Hawk's flaws are not fixable, they are like a wart, on a pretty girl, sure, no big deal, but Hawk is no longer a pretty girl, he's aged. His calls are often inaccurate, he loses his voice or misses an inning because he's old and has to spend 20 minutes taking a piss or a point Stone makes goes completely over his head because mentally he's not nearly as sharp as he was even 5 year ago. Time waits for no man. Hawk's time is long ago gone. Vince Scully, who has had a few "senior moments" in the booth as well, knew it was time to retire because he has a self awareness completely foreign to the egotistical Hawk. Unfortunately, much like KW, Hawk appears to have a lifetime pass in Chicago. Great.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jan 4, 2017 -> 01:21 PM) I'm pretty sure it's insight like this that is why Hawk is still around, right? He can tell you that hitting ahead in the count is better than behind. What a tremendous, rare insight into the game of baseball.

Hawk has been objectively bad at his job (like can't see what's going on, doesn't actually do any analysis) for years. 1995 Hawk isn't walking through that door and he's only going to get worse as his faculties (mental and physical) abandon him. Benetti is fine. It doesn't surprise me DA loves Hawk, of course he does...

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jan 3, 2017 -> 05:11 PM) Today is the 8th anniversary of the Swisher trade. Man time flies. I'm getting older, the days go slower, the years faster.

QUOTE (miracleon35th @ Jan 3, 2017 -> 03:41 PM) The heart of the Cubs rebuild was 4 or 5 young star position players. Once those players came up, the Cubs signed numerous veteran position players - ( Montero, Ross, Lastella, Zobrist, Heyward, Dexter Fowler) and several veteran pitchers. They spent a lot of money to build that roster. Other teams have approached rebuilding by focusing even more on free agents. Whatever works. For the White Sox, I don't envision a long slog to rebuild. That is based on two basic factors. First, I do not think Sox fans will be as patient as some claim they will be. Second, Reinsdorf wants to win and will spend money once he sees a path forward. Those old enough may recall when Reinsdorf/Einhorn acquired Fisk and Luzinski. They built a pretty decent roster around them, even though they never won it. And the 2005 World Series champs were not a team built after a long rebuilding effort. Now, the Sox need to assemble a core of 4 or 5 excellent position players. They already have a pretty decent core of pitching prospects. So Moncada, Tim Anderson and hopefully Zack Collins and perhaps two more premier position players. One might come soon, in a trade for Quintana. Then perhaps get lucky by flipping Gonzo mid season for a prospect if he has a decent year or getting a top prospect for Abreu during the season if he returns to his earlier form. No long term slog will be tolerated by fans or the Sox ownership. We may not get much in the 2017 Draft at #12, and who knows where we will Draft in 2018. So, as soon as this team starts showing it can start to compete, it will be time to start signing players, including free agents to add to the young core. I don't see the Sox tanking the team in 2017. No way they will be as bad as 4 or 5 other teams, even if they try. Another Fulmer or Rodon is not worth tanking a season. The Sox will try to compete in 2017 to the extent they can. I will root for them to win every game they can. I'm not sitting back waiting to win. Field the best team possible and play the games to win. One of these is not like the other. One is completely worth tanking for, the other is not. I've showed the graph time and time again: expected WAR of the first 2-3 picks is much, much greater than the rest of the 1st round. You need to suck hard to get the potential superstars. Yes, they don't always pan out, but more often than not if you draft top 3 you get at least an average MLB player eventually.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 2, 2017 -> 06:36 PM) I think Saladino is a more valuable player on a great team than on a substandard team like the Sox. On a great team you could pick your spots with him, resting your regulars as needed, and Saladino won't hurt you with his glove and his baseball smarts. But give him 135 games, and you'll see his flaws. ok, but there's no reason not to give him 135 games this year.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 2, 2017 -> 12:15 AM) I think it'll be like the Frazier deal. We'll hear some weird thing like a prospect is getting traded then suddenly boom, Q is dealt. hopefully in John Madden's voice.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 1, 2017 -> 10:16 PM) If JR is paying attention, the Rondo situation is yet another prime argument for not pretending to go for it by signing washed up name players... http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rajon-rondo-s...-215845333.html does ronda rousey's loss affect it?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Dec 29, 2016 -> 05:51 AM) You're just jealous that you can't pull that look off. let me get a gut that spills over onto my dick I'll try it.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Dec 29, 2016 -> 01:06 AM) Threads thig bug should have a summary every 25 pages. I'm curious to see where talks are at, but I'm sure as hell not gonna read through that many pages. protip: read the latest page, you'll get a very clear picture of how active talks are by the ratio of "WTF are we waiting for" posts to "I hate this [proposed deal on twitter]". If you see a new thread, well, then something happened.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Dec 28, 2016 -> 11:41 PM) Frazier makes a lot of sense for the Cardinals. Peralta sucks now and Gyorko is pretty bad too. yea there we go.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2016 -> 11:32 PM) Edwin Encarnacion was a 3.9 fWAR player last year and has put up >20 fWAR over his last 5 years. Maybe you project a bit of dropoff for him but on paper, you might call him just under a 4 WAR player next year. He got...$20 million next year. Todd Frazier, as you project, as a 2-2.5 win player, getting the same money per win that Encarnacion got the year beforehand, would be a $10-15 million player. Justin Turner put up 5.6 fWAR last year, more than Frazier has put up in any season of his career, and he got $16 million per year. Todd Frazier is not a $20 million/year player. People simply are not paying right now for Todd Frazier's skill set. If you wanted to call this a market inefficiency that could be exploited to win games I'd probably agree with you, but you can only play so many guys at DH, so there's only so much you can do to win games using this inefficiency. I think Todd can still play a solid 3B next season, which makes him more than just a typical "DH type", but he's just a slightly better than average offensive player (which wRC+ helpfully shows), not good or excellent, and this leaves quite a bit of value tied up in his defense, which makes him a target for relatively few teams. The Dodgers make some sense. So does Baltimore imo. But who else needs a 3B that can afford to take on a mercenary?

Saladino better be trotted out there for 500+ PA this year or I'm going to be pissed. I'm still not convinced he's not a 2-3 WAR starter at 3B. He should have played more last year after they were out of it in July as usual.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Dec 28, 2016 -> 04:55 PM) Our DH next year will be Morneau or Garcia. I can see us getting another OF'er, but one we can keep around and he might comes a prospect from a trade. Remember we are rebuilding so spending a lot of money on a one year deal makes little sense. I'd be shocked if Garcia isn't given the first 3 months in RF.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Dec 28, 2016 -> 04:55 PM) Our DH next year will be Morneau or Garcia. I can see us getting another OF'er, but one we can keep around and he might comes a prospect from a trade. Remember we are rebuilding so spending a lot of money on a one year deal makes little sense. It would be a classic "you scratch my back I scratch yours" scenario: aging slugger will be guaranteed playing time on the South Side in return for a slight discount on the one year -- so they can "bet on themselves" and go after a big contract next year. Chicago hopes for the best case scenario where they can flip the guy for something at the deadline and in the worst case scenario they simply move on. There isn't anybody really to block, so the only thing they'd be out is money, and it doesn't really seem like that's much to worry about given it will most likely be a one year dear for under 10 million.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Dec 27, 2016 -> 02:15 PM) Oh really? So you knew they would trade Sale and Eaton. Got it. Yea seriously. Exhausting? Uh, ok. Just sit back and enjoy the process. It's not like Q won't be as valuable or perhaps even more valuable at the deadline or in June. Hahn has shown he's only willing to make a deal where he gets fair or better value in prospects. If the deal isn't there he's not going to make it just so the fans can relax or something.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 23, 2016 -> 04:05 PM) On to the argument about how we didn't get enough hitters. hey now, did something happen?

QUOTE (Con te Giolito @ Dec 22, 2016 -> 09:56 PM) They really only needed to get healthy to improve dramatically for 2017. It'll be interesting to see what the Tigers and Royals do. They are both rebuilding if this offseason is any indication. It's the Indians division to lose, no question.

281/323/430 ~2-3 WAR. I'm trying to stay conservative and factoring in defensive regression. If his defense stays good and he stays healthy that slash line would put him closer to 5 WAR than 2.

Damn, this guy's swing looks like Ichiro's. I really like the way he keeps his hands loose and away from his body and yet has a quick cocking mechanism and obviously a devastating lower body turn.

Pump and dump baby! Fix'em coop!

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 14, 2016 -> 05:10 PM) If Shuck plays any games in Chicago this year when the Sox have Tilson/May/Engel I will be livid. There is negative value in playing that guy. Someone told me he was a Robin guy last year in ST. Could be a Renteria guy too, but we need young players out there even if it's just to confirm they're not of MLB quality. true.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Dec 14, 2016 -> 04:11 PM) So we can't flip them for anything? Seems like there's a decent chance Frazier and Abreu will both be here and I would say neither really has a future here. Lawrie and Robertson may still even be here. I'm talking someone like Matt Davidson hitting 190 in July with 15 errors. Obviously proven MLB talent like Jose and Todd I'll be rooting for to maximize their trade value. I mean I'll root for Matt too if he's crushing it but the Sox have quite a few replacement level options to trot out this year that are no longer prospects they are just guys. Actually, is Shuck still on the roster? He'd be a perfect CF.

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Dec 14, 2016 -> 02:54 PM) I don't care how many wins they get as long as our supposed building-block players are performing well. This is sig worthy. Well said, in few words. I want the future guys to do well, the guys they are just trotting out there with no future I hope they suck as much as possible. This is a true throwaway year except development wise.