Milkman delivers

I take that back, today is no different. Pods is lucky that the Orioles bailed his ass out there.

Not much pisses me off more than someone butchering the anthem. Pods is usually one of the things that can piss me off more, but he's on base, so maybe not today.

Did that girl's voice keep cracking, or was that the microphone? That was a pretty bad rendition of the national anthem.

QUOTE(TLAK @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:55 AM) The raw numbers support you, but the mix of guys in '05 was special. It was a shame to break them up. On July 30, 2005 the White Sox were 67-35. They had scored 501 runs and yielded 409, +92 This year they are 61-41 having scored 581 runs and yielding 495, +86. 6 run differential = 6 game differential? What ever, I've been beating this dead horse since the trades (I'm getting like Hanger). Going forward, I am very excited about what KW has done with year's bullpen. If they start getting some quality starts they could leave last year's team in the dust. How can you argue that last year's offense is anything but trash in comparison to this year's? Using stats or your own eyes, you can see that this year's offense is 10x better than 2005.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 12:27 PM) Anyone who's described as a lesser hitting Willie Harris = superstar in my book. It's just the way our prospects are overrated here. Every time some scrub prospect is traded away, there's a bunch of people talking about how it's going to bite us in the ass. It seems to me that the prospects we trade away usually amount to nothing special. Who is the last White Sox prospect that was traded away that turned out to be a really good player? Owens, like most Sox propsects, will be lucky to be someone's 4th OFer one day.

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 12:21 PM) I disagree, his value is nowhere near last year, but his average is climbing, and i cant imagine that he would be a totally worthless player in 2 years. I find it hard to believe that Owens would be a vital part of this, or any other trade. He's not nearly as good as some people seem to think he is. I guess he was almost the starting CF and ROY for us, though. I can't believe someone actually thought that.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 11:29 AM) Supposedly Tejada is balking at playing 3B which is where he would play for both the Angels and Rangers. I think he stays in Baltimore. I can't believe where some guys put winning on their list of priorities. Even A-Rod, a guy that everyone hates, switched positions for a better opportunity to win. He decided that winning was more important than having the glory of being the SS. And the guy he moved for is actually a worse SS than him. Tejada won't move to 3rd for a guy that might be a better SS than him (OC)? I'm not sure how good Young is, though. Screw him. He apparently doesn't care very much about winning. Keep pumping those steroids there, Miggy.

QUOTE(Sonik22 @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 12:02 PM) They would probably ask for Sweeney or Owens because they don't really like Jay Payton. Nobody wants Owens. I would suspect his value in trade is almost nothing. More of a toss-in than anything else.

QUOTE(DABearSoX @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 11:49 AM) Even with Boras as his agent I believe Crede will sign if he is given a respectable offer. Sorta follow in Paulie's footsteps. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only team to outbid the Sox for PK was the Orioles, and they only gave $1 million a year more. Konerko really didn't take a home town discount.

QUOTE(AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 11:09 AM) Just because of this thread, Javy will go 8+ today just to give soxtalk a big middle finger. We'll see about that one. I guess stranger things have happened.

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 10:20 AM) Excellent point. I've always said it's like winning the heavyweight title by beating a one arm man and then having the nerve to celebrate. Sure King George plays within MLB rules, but what happened to a sense of competition? I was going to say it's like an NFL team playing in the NCAA. When you think about it, it's a pretty good comparison. The NFL team would have the best of all the different players from the NCAA, which is what the Yankees do. Your comparison is definitely awesome, though. And funny.

QUOTE(Jake @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 10:45 PM) I noticed Fasano had to trim the Fu Man Chu but got to keep his mustache. I didn't know the Yankees allowed facial hair of any kind? I believe they can have facial hair, but it must be groomed well.

QUOTE(TLAK @ Jul 30, 2006 -> 09:45 AM) That be he. They cut him before his '07 contract could vest. Would you prefer Everett or Makowiak as 4th OF? Would you prefer Rowand or Anderson as everyday CF? Thome is having a better year than Thomas, but the year isn't over. Either can get hurt again, and either can catch on fire again. I just don't buy that the '06 team has proven to be better or even as good as (remove hat) the World Champion 2005 Chicago White Sox. This offense is, without a doubt, hands down, much better than last year's offense. There isn't an argument you could make that would sway any other person on this site in the least. Sure, this '06 team hasn't proven to be better or even as good as the 2005 team, but that's because the starting pitching has been awful. This '06 offense has proven to be undeniably better than the '05 offense. Hell, if the pitching was as good as it was last year with the new and improved offense, the Sox might have lost 20 games to this point.

It makes me sick how the Yankees can give up nothing prospects for all stars just because they'll take all of the salary. It's just so wrong. Wouldn't it feel a little empty to the Yankees and their fans if they win the WS with a payroll that's $100 million more than any other team? With a payroll that high, they should absolutely crush any competition.

I'm not saying this story isn't true, but we seem to have an excuse for everything.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 10:03 PM) The one big difference is Garland was a 25 year old in 2005. Vazquez is a grizzled veteran, who really wanted no part of the AL after his experience with the Yankees. Ozzie talked him into it, although he really had no choice. I don't like his chances of suddenly being dominant. Hopefully he can win a big game or 2, and win a game win the Sox don't score a lot of runs, but there is just something about him that doesn't seem to click. Its not his effort, he does give it all he has, and is a competitor. If he wasn't the umpires calls wouldn't upset him at all. Ditch the curveball, and see what happens. Ozzie needs to have a lefty and righty ready in the bullpen as soon as the opposition is ready to go through the order for the third time, and needs to be at the top step. The very first sign of trouble, Vazquez has to hit the showers. See if that works. No way. Vazquez has the mindset of a six-year-old girl. If you take him out early, it ruins his confidence and self-esteem. EDIT: Wait, the part about his mindset doesn't need to be green. Please ignore that part.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 09:50 PM) 1st to 3rd can be blamed on his poor speed. 2nd to home though? I'm talking about singles to RF where someone scores from 2nd. He hasn't thrown a single runner out at home, along with the rest of our OFers. I think it all can go back to his speed. He clearly has a cannon still, but he just doesn't get to that damn ball fast enough and he doesn't always get set for the throw well enough.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 09:53 PM) Just like Jon Garland in 2004 really isn't it. Hopefully we can see the same improvement in Javy that we saw with JG in 2005. It's not like Garland was about 7 years younger at that point than Vazquez is now.

Vazquez pitched in a pretty big park in a division that, for years, only had one good team (the Braves). Oh, and in the NL. He had no pressure on him, and he was in a pretty good position to succeed, IMO. Comparing Vazquez to Contreras is almost a slap in the face of the Count.

QUOTE(Jake @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 09:43 PM) Have you seen how many times runners have chosen not to attempt an extra base on him this year as well? Well, I guess you got me there. I don't know of any stat that can tell us one way or the other. We just have to go with our eyes. Your eyes tell you he's a threat to baserunners. My eyes tell me he's nowhere near the defender he used to be. He's painfully slow and I have seen too many runners go 1st to 3rd and 2nd to home on him.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 09:35 PM) To pick up his option. We'd be insane not to, considering what he could get on the open market. Oh, ok. Yes, of course. His offense has been spectacular this year. QUOTE(Jake @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 09:37 PM) Jermaine sucks. He can't throw out runners remember? Have you seen how many times runners have advanced an extra base on him this year? It's happened quite a lot. He doesn't seem to get to the ball fast enough, or he doesn't come up firing when he gets there. And he's extremely slow out in RF this year.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jul 29, 2006 -> 09:21 PM) Jermaine's making the decision pretty gosh darn easy too. What's the decision?

One of the ugliest wins you're ever going to see. But, a win's a win. We sure needed it.

And just like that, we're looking good. 1 more out.

If we do lose, I'd just say this isn't our year.