Milkman delivers

QUOTE (WCSox @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 04:45 PM) Trading a player, not picking up his option after the season, or letting him walk at the end of a contract is one thing. Permanently benching a player or DFAing him for slumping or not playing up to projections in late August is another. And look what we have to show for not designating Contreras for assignment. He gets to come right back to the rotation to f*** up another game beyond recognition. Clearly we have two very different views on how to treat players. I'm not going to get into it again.

QUOTE (G&T @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 04:39 PM) How many times have we heard that? Too many. My idea before was to boycott any more games started by Contreras by not showing up to the game. Since this is an away game, that kind of throws a wrench in the works. I suggest people do not tune into the game en masse.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 04:01 PM) I think your being a bit harsh on Konerko and I find it hard to believe that Kenny would take anything with that subject line very serious. We can say what we want about Paulie, but he's been an above average 1st baseman and a high character guy during his tenure here and that goes along way. Could he be the man showed the door this off-season, sure, but I don't think its because the Sox are over him or dislike him cause that clearly isn't the case. They might think a new voice is needed and maybe to do that they move Paulie, but they might also find a way to keep Paulie and bring in a new "captain" so to speak or maybe Beckham starts to grab that role and AJ is given the title of Captain. Either way I see Konerko get spat on a lot and while I have no problem making changes I do think we should respect that he's been an above average player and a very good White Sox during his tenure. I think that's been a huge problem lately. Just because people want a certain player or players gone, it does not mean that their contributions in the past are not respected. When someone makes a post about letting so-and-so walk, or trading this guy, it is immediately met with "don't you even care what this guy has given to the team in his tenure here?" posts. Yeah, I'm grateful and I respect the contributions. I respect the hell out of guys like Tony Gwynn and Frank Thomas, but I don't want either on this team. I feel like we should take a lesson from the mafia and begin each post discussing getting rid of a player with the line "With all due respect..."

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 04:11 PM) Pretty simple actually cause your stats are skewed. If things stay the way that they are this year, we will have finished in the bottom half of the American League in runs scored for 4 of his 7 years(more telling to look at the AL stats compared to all of baseball considering the whole DH vs. Pitcher thing). Granted, that doesn't say that he's the worst hitting coach ever but it also shows that we've been a below average offense for over half his tenure here. And once again, I don't think getting rid of him is magically going to cure everything but I'd also guarantee that it wont hurt. If it jump starts the team for a little bit then it'd be well worth it imo. Not to mention that Kenny has already pretty much sent out a threat to the players and a firing might just show them that he isn't f***ing around. Rowand FTW!

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 03:58 PM) There are a lot of great bars in downtown Boston. I stayed At the Boston Plaza Hotel when i was there for a conference and you could literaly walk to the actual 'cheers' bar which was pretty neat. Fenway is about 6-8 miles away from downtown so it isn't to bad. Just take the train. Don't stay in Boston for too long though, you will eventually start talking with that ridiculous accent. Well, "actual" Cheers bar is sort of misleading in the first place. They only used the outside shot of the bar, of course, plus there are now like 30 Cheers' around the city.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 03:45 PM) That's true, Boston is not as big as you'd think. You can walk to everything, as you say. Actually, one of the cool things to do (at least to me anyway) is follow that city trail (I think its called the Freedom Trail), that is a yellow line on the sidewalks winding through the city to cool historical spots. The only downside is that you couldn't look more like a tourist, ha. When a lot of my family came to visit, they wanted to do it. I absolutely would not.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 12:25 PM) It wasnt a comparison of players though. Just the situations. What was brought up is -- paraphrased:"think about 05 before you let him go" In my view, you should never think about 05 for anything having to do with 2009 or 2010. 2005 is for the DVD player alone. I would agree if someone said i'm being too finicky but it's just a consideration that some make which bothers me. Here's the exact quote Nice.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 02:45 PM) I'd say most of Boston's great stuff to do is around downtown, not near Fenway. The area around Fenway is really only good for the bars, from what I saw. So I guess if that's your thing, then that's your neighborhood. If not, get downtown. I was probably being too vague, but my point is that the size of the city is pretty damn small. It's pretty much all within walking distance.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 11:13 AM) There hasn't been a thread dedicated to it, but it's been brought up many times when people talk about who we should let go in the off-season. It's not a large contingent, but it has been brought up. Hey, maybe it's the few people I don't bother reading.

QUOTE (Tex @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 11:07 AM) I honestly never disliked him, even when he was on the Twins. My favorite players are catchers. And gee, what a shocker, a sarcastic, get in your head, catcher, just might be someone I'd like. I hated him because he killed us, nothing more than that.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 10:00 AM) Everyone who is clamoring for us to trade him in the offseason will really regret that if we ever do. He is such a beneficial part to this ball club. His first pitch swinging can at times be frustrating, but he's just so under appreciated here. It's surprising actually. I keep seeing people saying this, but I honestly can't recall seeing a post about wanting to trade AJ. I'm sure someone will provide a link to one, and I thank you in advance, but I just cannot remember someone saying it.

Everything to do in Boston is within a 1-mile radius of Fenway. Just walk around and find something you would like to do instead of taking suggestions from other people and forcing yourself to see all of it. And yes, Fenway is a real piece of crap. It may have a dirtier feel than Wrigley, very damp and acrid in certain areas, in fact.

QUOTE (MattZakrowski @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 12:15 PM) What do the top and bottom ones say?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 08:20 AM) LOL. I have a friend who's a Yankees fan and whenever we talk baseball if I bring up the Sox he always has to throw in a "I hate AJ Pierzynski" comment. I then always ask why, and his response is always "Cuz he's an asshole". So I ask why is he an asshole? "Cuz he just is. I hate that guy". So yep, you're 100% correct. I've had many similar conversations. The people who actually know a little will mention that he was hated on his own teams, and then I'll mention how the Twins loved him and only two pitchers on the Giants disliked him, but they were loud-mouths and brought it to the media...one of which has since apologized to AJ. The only thing I can't really clear up is the thing about him hitting the coach in the balls. I just say that that was a stupid thing, but most likely a momentary lapse in judgment.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 08:06 AM) Shall we keep Contreras in the rotation? He was arguably the 05 staff ace. I think one thing that separated this organization from the Cubs, especially the 80s-90s Cubs, is their willingness to make moves that you need to make. The Cubs kept trotting out lovable favorites like Dunston,Grace, long after their peak usefulness. The organization has long been a business first, contending-hopefuls second. Meanwhile, things like the White Flag trade, while unpopular --were our best course of action. We've won. The Sox will do things the public doesnt like, but they have to be done. It's like raising a kid. You do things for the kid that are for their best interests, even though they dont realize it/like it. I'm not like people here that are hating on Dye verbally, I just feel like it's time the organization either keep him here super cheap, or cut ties. More likely the latter. And it doesn't help that the general American public is incredibly stupid.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 07:22 AM) Walker has been a hitting coach for a long time. Several players have come and gone. Name a few who were much better under a different coach. As I said, Swisher was moved in part because he didn't listen to the hitting coach. His dad was his hitting coach. Walker isn't going make Jim Thome a .330 hitter. As long as you have that central core of very streaky hitters, who are station to station guys, your team will score in streaks. You call my excuses lazy, if anyone is being lazy, its you. Name some hitters who where much better under someone else, and find me a better source than a poster on this board for his philosophy of "lift and pull". He's not a bad hitting coach. Konerko many thought was done in 2003 when Walker came over. Paulie gives him all the credit for his comeback which included an ALCS MVP and perhaps the biggest home run in team history in the WS. Once again, you don't want to look at the facts. If anyone's excuses for doing something are lazy or lack a thought provoking argument, its yours. You're lazy answer to my thought-provoking question of who would be a better hitter with another team received, "probably a lot of them". Wow, that's insightful. Most have been with different teams, who hasn't at least hit up to the level they hit before while taking age and injury into question, like Thome.? He already admitted that he doesn't believe Walker actually says this, but that someone has to be held accountable for a lack of offense (at least consistent offense). In most cases, that is going to fall on the hitting coach.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 28, 2009 -> 07:08 AM) You obviously did not read the contents of this thread. It's a joke. He is referring to the fact that Boston's SS Nick Green pitched 2 scoreless innings against us last night. I always wonder if some people even bother reading threads. Or do they just see the title, throw in their two cents, and never again look into the thread?

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 10:50 PM) When people boo him, they don't know why they're booing him. Similar to how when they root for the Cubs, they don't know why they're cheering for them. You, sir, are correct. I would bet a good amount of money that, if you were to ask someone in a random city why they were booing him, they'd respond with "[stutter][pause]...he's a jerk."

No, I would not like that. Keep it the same.

QUOTE (Pumpkin Escobar @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) Dunn would be great but not both he and Thome. I know Dunn has been great for BA this year but he is usually much worse. Him hitting .220 and Thome at .250 isn't monsterous. Drawing a walk or striking out doesnt drive the run home. I am on the comment page and dont want to backtrack but I believe you or someone else mentioned that with Rios here it seems more likely Thome returns and I think thats true. Only because he is a lefty. Dye still makes more sense if one had to come back because he can DH, we can run him out in RF if we're desperate and he can play 1st too. Thome can Dh. Yuck. I meant as Thome's replacement at DH.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 02:17 PM) Dye might get more days off, but he isn't getting benched. The reason Swisher got benched is because he acted like an idiot on a day that Ozzie gave him off. Dye is a professional, and isn't going to show up his manager or other players. Wait, what happened?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 02:10 PM) Ideally I'd like some fresh blood at DH and send them both packing. As mentioned before, Dunn would be nice.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 02:09 PM) Since Dye can't play RF anymore, one of those guys was going to be sent packing anyway. This is more about who occupies the DH spot than anything else. I don't know why we're having this argument or discussion. We agree. It is about who occupies the DH spot, and I believe that acquiring Rios (a righty with some pop) slides the scale toward keeping Thome because the drop off in power from the righties would be less by letting go of Dye than the drop off in power from the lefties would be if we let Thome walk.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 02:05 PM) What did you use to check this out? Common Sense by Thomas Paine.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Aug 27, 2009 -> 01:46 PM) I see Rios as two completely different entities. Rios at the time of the trade, more meant the end of Thome as at worst, the Sox would've extended JD to play DH and probably spell a breather for Quentin or a new RF. Rios is in CF and that's the only spot he should be taking with his excellent glove and crappy bat. The way I see it, one of Thome or Dye was going to be sent packing after this season before the Rios acquisition (maybe both). With the addition of another OF with some power that swings the bat from the right side, in my opinion, Dye became the guy to walk.