Greg Hibbard

it better be hermanson after that display yesterday (after the error)

HE GAWN

HE GAWN and HE GAWN

YES!

we're still in good shape here guys, don't panic

is the sound f***ed for everyone else? I'm picking up a lot of interference from Hawk and DJ's mics on the comcast feed...

QUOTE(Reddy @ Sep 6, 2005 -> 01:41 PM) ahh the batting average. you wanna talk overrated theres a stat for you. fine, his average is down but guess what? his OBP is up and his slugging the last 2 years is also much higher. therefore he's got a higher OPS, a more indicative stat than BA. plus he's on pace to score more runs this year than ever in his career. to move him now would be a mistake, even if his batting average has dropped. Oh no don't get me wrong, I completely agree. I think he is worth more now than when he had a higher average. That's why I said re-sign him. I just think his average won't ever be that high, and if we're looking at downside, his variance and hot-and-cold nature, plus his possible BA floor being limitless are definitely detriments.

QUOTE(Felix @ Sep 6, 2005 -> 01:32 PM) I wouldnt be too sure about that. Since the All Star break, he has hit .328 with a .402 OBP, .610 SLG%, and 1.012 OPS. this is just indicative of how wide his variance is getting. I'd be very surprised to see him hit .300 for a season at this point, now that we've seen quite a few years

QUOTE(Felix @ Sep 6, 2005 -> 09:57 AM) I agree with most, but I think Konerko has been running pretty well this year. You are definetly right about his age though. As you said, if he were 32, alright, but he's 29 years old and has been solid as a rock. Also, not sure what you mean by average. He's been a .300+ hitter since the ASG, and he can probably keep it up. He had a very bad first half of the year averagewise though. I just mean that he's definitely not hitting .290-.305 anymore, like he was in his earlier years...

There are two very important factors at work here: 1) Konerko is certainly going to be overvalued for what this organization is and should be looking for in a first baseman. His best years in terms of average are clearly in the rear view mirror, is slower than ever now and is only going to get slower, and is a pure slugger whose streakiness continues to be exacerbated with each year that passes. 2) The counterbalancing factor is that fact that now that Thomas' career with the White Sox is most likely over, the Sox have only one pure slugger in the organization: and it's Paul Konerko. And sure his average has gone down, but his OBP has gone up and his OPS has gone way up. Sure, Dye's hit em out in bunches, but he's not going to crack 40 and Konerko probably is for the second year in a row. We need those homers desperately on a team who can't hit enough jacks. Iguchi? No way. Podsednik forgot how to hit 'em, and that's fine. We can't count on Rowand's power numbers rebounding next year. AJ probably won't have another power year like this one next year. If he gets 12 million next year....he's getting 9 this year! We're talking a 3 million/year raise for a guy who has proven at 29 to be an organizational cornerstone. We had a huge year at the gate and can afford a bump like this. I say re-sign him. If he was 32 I'd cut him loose but he's just 29.

I just started a positive thread but it disappeared

I was conspicuously absent from this thread last night but then again I'm getting married on sunday so I was pulling my hair out doing last minute stuff

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:20 PM) We face Cy Douglas tomorrow, then Robertson and Bonderman and then TBA. We are going to rock the s*** out of them So you are going on record saying you don't think the Sox are gonna win the division?

come on guys, the way some of you are talking, this is EASY money here

FYI I am still taking bets. PM me if you are big enough to put your money where your mouth is.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 03:00 PM) The only convincing wins happend in that last 4 game sweep. Um, yeah.

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 02:29 PM) They are 5-13 in their last 18. The play Minny 7 times, California 3 and the Indians 6. The Royals have a two game winning streak against us and Tigers have played us tight and have a much better hitting team than us. We play them 6 times. Minnny 2 - 5 (We are 2-5 in our last 7 against them) Cal 1-2 Det 3-3 and this is a stretch Clev 1-5 (They want it more sorry) 7-15, go from there Ha! What is the Sox head to head record vs. the Indians this year? Oh yeah, and how much do you want to put down?

FYI, I'll take any bets too.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 09:11 AM) It's a thought that has crossed my mind as I watched him. I'm not saying it's fact. Call it a theory. Me too. I'm hoping he gets a couple days off soon.

The bottom line is that the Sox have not landed much in the way of marquee free agents in the last 7-8 years, and that is an extremely important part of a winning team. Far too important to outright ignore just because Al freakin' Belle didn't pan out the way we thought it would.

by the way, that Griffeytalk banner is f***ing brilliant

QUOTE(Chisoxrd5 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 09:01 AM) Why are you freaking out? Why now instead of during the offseason? Your rant stinks of being an irrational fan who instead of focusing on what is going on in the field your stuck in the front office. I believe that the talent on the field that was provided by the general manager is not good enough to compete with the very best teams in this league, as it turns out. Are they still a good team? Sure. Are they a great team? Hell no. You can only ask players to play within their capabilities, and I'm not sure who you think isn't doing that.

QUOTE(knightni @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 12:28 AM) I will say it again. Chicago is the smallest US market with 2 baseball teams in it. Plus, the White Sox are second to the Cubs in overall revenue. Unfortunately, we don't have a urine-soaked beer garden to draw the drunkards into. Again, this smacks of being an apologist for the owners not doing enough. Why do we need to justify this s***? Why is this acceptable?

QUOTE(wsox08 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 12:27 AM) What do you consider to be a low payroll? and it really depends on what kind of hearts the players play with and how hard they play... Come on.. money isn't everything.. If you don't believe the Sox will get anywhere then why are you here? to watch us fail? I certainly don't believe this ownership group is doing nearly enough to get us there in a major market. How is this my responsibility? Are you actually apologizing for this ownership group's strategy? Again, 8 of the last 10 world series winners have been top 8 in payroll. In a non-salary cap environment, you need to spend to win. Many owners like Colangelo are willing to do whatever it takes, including sending their team far into debt to get their world championship. The Sox ownership group is not willing to do that. I'm not sure why you're questioning my fandom. Sports 101: fans of franchises don't switch allegiances because of wins and losses. Let's stay on topic, please... this ownership group is not spending like they want to win a world series, so no matter how over their heads a White Sox team plays, they'll never have enough pieces to do it in the long haul under this current scheme.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Aug 31, 2005 -> 12:10 AM) Uhh....??? Everyone here already knows how I feel about Oakland in the playoffs but cmon now.... well, they are better than I figured as a team I guess but still, Chavez and Tejada were never the most patient hitters....they consistently average only about 50-55 walks per season, not exactly stellar numbers for guys expected to lead a team offense.