ceffa2000

How many tix sold for tomorrows? I'm going tomorrow and I'd love to see the place full.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jul 15, 2005 -> 10:14 AM) You got it wrong, he PWNS in away DAY games... 2.71 Day ERA 2.44 Road ERA Damn, you're right. Thanks for the correction. Whats PWNS?

I should have addded that "No one in the management could explain his injury." Maybe Josh was too busy to talk to the media.

If they get to the playoffs, Frank will atone for his lack of production in 2000. Just a hunch.

Nope, thank God I take the train home from work.

Freddie's got this game tonight. Hello? Away-night game? Time for them to get shut down for two nights in a row . . .

Yeah, it started as just a little prediction thread among friends. And then I got a little carried away.

Okay, I just wasted a half-hour at work on this so it better be worth it. Feel free to rip it apart if you like and I hope you enjoy. Ceffa2000’s official prediction for the MLB season: National League: St. Louis Cardinals finish easily in first place in front of the Houston Astros but falter at the end of the year after losing Carpenter to a shoulder injury. Their playoff hopes dim after he is to be out for 2-3 weeks. The San Diego Padres come into the playoffs on a high note, riding Jake Peavy at the end of the season giving him 5 straight wins. Washington falls back to earth and the Atlanta Braves occupy first place two weeks after the All-Star break. Washington falls to third place after some faulty pitching by Livian Hernandez and the Florida Marlins squeak out a Wild-card berth from the Houston Astros in the last week of the season. American League: Boston and the Orioles battle it out at the end of the season but the Orioles move on. Their trade-deadline pickup of Brad Lidge proves to be huge as he goes 8-2 as an Oriole. The White Sox stumble a bit in late August but end the season with a huge amount of momentum, rattling off 9 straight wins (a season high) going into the divisional series. The Angels open up quite a lead on the Rangers and easily cruise into the playoffs. Their rotation is in question though after Colon passed out on the mound for just simply being fat. He is day to day. The Oakland A's piss everybody off at the end of the season, especially the Minnesota Twins, by making a late charge for the AL wild card. But they split the season series with Texas and the Cleavland Indians are able to sneak into the playoffs as the Wild Card team. Playoffs- St. Louis takes it to the Marlins in the series as Josh Beckett has to leave the first game with blisters on both hands. No one can explain the injury. After a strong outing by Willis, the cardinals take the next two and win in 4 games. The youth of the Braves is too much for the overmatched Padres as they are easily swept, getting outscored 27-3 in the series. Bobby Cox has created another great team and the Padres just say "Yeah, well, we have the better stadium." NLCS-The Cardinals and Braves provide an epic NLCS with the series going to 7 games. The home-field advantage pays off this time as Pujols hits a game winning 2-run homer to put the Cardinals in the World Series for the second year in a row. Annaheim and Cleveland battle it out in an exciting series but the Angels move onto the ALCS after Vlads proves to be too much for the Indians to handle. The Indians just say "We'll probably underperform in '06 as well too." The White Sox and Baltimore series welcomes Sammy Sosa back home to Chicago but it is no party. The White Sox sweep the Orioles out of the playoffs, getting payback for the 1983 debacle. Sosa only bats twice, both pinch hitting in the second and third games, going 0-2. Garland, Buehrle and Garcia roll to nice wins. ALCS-The White Sox and Angels. White Sox thank themselves for getting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs as the series goes the full 7 games. John Garland continues his magical season throwing for 8 strong innings in a 3 hitter. Frank Thomas gets his first chance at a WS ring by smashing a 3 run homer to the Cell's concourse to win it for the White Sox 3-0. World Series Both teams arrive for the World Series worn out from their respective 7 game series and it shows in the first game. 7 errors are committed in the game but the Sox are able to squeak out a win, beating the Cardinals 6-5. The Cardinals come back and take it to AJ Burnett in game 2 tagging him for 5 runs and the Sox go to St. Louis tied 1-1. In game 3, Mark Buehrle shines in his hometown. He baffles the Cardinal hitters, throwing a complete game, 4 hit, 1 run gem. The Sox take the game 3-1 with great plays by AJ, Pods, and Tadahito Iguchi. Game 4 looks like it is going to the Sox as well as Garcia pitches another away-from-home-nighttime gem. But the Cardinals get back in the game in the 7th. Sox win the battle of the bullpen though, eaking out of the game 5-3. In the last game in Busch Stadium history, the ghosts are by the Cardinals side as they blow past the White Sox. Carpenter returns to the series and he wins the battle versus El Duque. The surprise starter, El Duque, gets tagged for 2 runs but the Sox bullpen gives up an uncharacteristic 3 runs in the ninth to give the Cardinals the 5-2 win. In game 6, the struggles of AJ Burnett continue as the Cardinals get him for 3 runs in the second and he is only able to last 3 innings. Not wanting to use his bullpen just yet, Ozzie summons the well rested John Garland. John comes in for long relief and just, plain and simple, shuts down the Cardinals, striking out 5 in 4 innings. Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko and (huh?) Scott Podsednick combine for 6 rbi's on homers giving the White Sox a 6-4 lead going into the 8th inning. Politte comes in and pitches a perfect 8th inning, striking out two but Hermie blows the save in the 9th inning, giving up a crushing 2-run shot to Rolen to bring the game to the bottom of the ninth. In the ninth, it comes down to one man. Frank. It's back, BACK! STRETCH!!! YOU CAN PUT IT ONE THE BOARD! YES! A WALK OFF HOMER FOR BIG FRANK!! It's the headline that Frank Thomas has dreamed about for 20 years: "Big Ring for BIG FRANK and THE SOX!" 7-6, White Sox in 6 games. Hope you liked it.

I try not to look at this game as a signal as to how someone will pitch the rest of the season. Short term memory: Clemens, 2004, 6 runs in the first inning. Has that ever happened to him in any other game in the last 4 years? It was great to see MB and JG get out unscathed but it was such a short amount of time against crazy lineups that it is too hard to judge.

Albert Clemens Love child, duh . . .

QUOTE(ScottPodRulez22 @ Jul 12, 2005 -> 10:35 PM) could have sworn it was 2 yeah 2 sounds right. heat of the moment . . . MB JG

Nice W Mark!!!

And the pieces fall into place. This is our year guys, I can feel it.

Maybe Selig will call a "In the best interest of the game" clause and decide it needs to go into the bottom of the 9th with the AL lead. I think America seeing ScoPo is in all of baseballs interest, don't you?

nice work ryan.

to heck with scottie, lock this thing down ryan!

I woudl think AJ would be a funny guy to read though. Might be hard to talk to. I heard Crede is actually a pretty funny guy to be around as well. Sticking with Mark so far though.

I would say interpreters would be provided if needed. Or what the hell, its hypothetical, you can speak any language you want.

QUOTE(marsh @ Jul 12, 2005 -> 05:14 PM) I would say willie. if he was on the fandeck with me he wouldn't be in the lineup. Aaah, an added twist! Well played!

After listening to Buehrle being interviewed on ESPN 1000, I got to thinking. In the tradition of Kenny and Maggs on the fandeck, which current White Sox player would you most like to sitdown at the Fandeck, grab a couple of beers, and watch a game with? Couple conditions: -Must be a current PLAYER, no front office people, etc. -This is hypothetical, as I know you would probably want your favorite player in the game at that time. My pick would be Buerhle. The laid back attitude off the field would be great to chat with and he just seems like he could shoot the s*** for hours. Anybody? p.s. Apologize if this informal poll has been done before.

Buehrle family:

Franks big return. Nice to se him hit the ground running (well, kind of . . .)

"Sure, there were times when I thought I would quit," he said, "but then I thought, what would I do? I don't know, detail cars? " Who would have thought he and Kerry Wood could have had a pretty nice dealership?

Yeah, that period of time when he had two games of four stolen bases was amazing. He has been in a little funk lately but he seems to be snapping out of it. He just might not have been getting good opportunities recently.

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