kevin57

Like most of you guys, baseball is THE game. Yeah, football and basketball can provide some excitement, but baseball... In terms of weather, it's been a rough winter. Oh, I know it's been mild for January, but milder weather means clouds, gray, ... :puke I too am in the afterglow and am fine with that for a while, but next to Game 4 of the WS, the next sweetest moment will be when the Sox get their rings. Won't that be a moment for the ages?

I assume this inventory has been validated through studies. Otherwise, its value is nil.

QUOTE(rventura23 @ Jan 6, 2006 -> 04:26 PM) reading cub fans message boards only makes me hate cubs fans more, but Im happy to say that after winning last year and being in contention again this year, I really dont care about the cubs. i just hope we beat them and then go about our merry way I agree. It doesn't get under my skin like it used to. Still, some of the crap that gets posted demands a response. It's way overboard.

For years it seemed the gals swooned over Cub players, but from what I've heard quite a few Sox players are getting second looks from the ladies: Pods, of course; Rowand did too; Cotts is another one whose "blue eyes" seem to transfix the womanfolk.

Welcome aboard.

All this talk about great GM's and nobody, but nobody has cited Jim Hendry?

A good friend of mine in Detroit emailed me, surprised that the White Sox Championship has received so little national attention. It's only one perspective, but it comes from a true baseball 'scholar' (he even umpired semi-pro), and not from one of us persecuted, second-child syndrome, inferiority complex Sox fans.

Thanks for the analysis. Interesting...and hope-filled. Of course, always, always a "caveat" that baseball nearly always provides for at least one "surprise" success (anyone say, White Sox 2005?) team per season. I would venture to guess that at least one of the "losing" teams will be on a tear when we face them.

I think that Sox attendance minimally will be 2.4 M next year. If they pay well, look for 2.8 M. A little depends on the weather. They had terrible weather for a good portion of the first weeks of the year.

I'm glad he gives us props for defense, but to describe our pitching as "good" is like saying that Donald Trump lives "comfortably."

Nicely done article... except he refers to the Sox victory as "lifting the curse." For a non-Chicago to say that word in reference to the Sox is dumb. For a Chicagoan to say that about the Sox is ignorant.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 2, 2006 -> 12:50 PM) This guy, like a lot of folks in the media and some on this board, has his pet stats. In his case, he tends to over-value offense versus undervaluing pitching. And aspects like defense and speed are just not even part of the equation in his world. Therefore, Pods sucks, and the Yanks rock. :rolly You gotta love the media. They get self-righteous about what steroids have done to the integrity of the game, but then they glorify offensive numbers, offensive highlights, etc. I'd be the first one to say that that caters to all too many casual fans who would much rather see an 8-7 game than a 2-1 pitching duel. Another blessing the Sox brought to the game of baseball this past year was how pitching and defense make this game what it is...and make it exciting as well!

I'm not so much against a possible trade for Tejada, but it would depend a lot on what they'd want for him. Contreras, I'd talk. BMac, no thanks. Of course, there would probably be more Baltimore would want from the Sox as well. And would the Orioles be willing to pick up some of his salary? The devil in those details would make it interesting or completely unenticing for me.

When Kenny acquired Vazquez he sent an unofficial but very real "memo" to Garland and Contreras, saying it was time for them "to get serious" about a contract. I thought Contreras would be the one who would read the tea leaves, but to my surprise, Garland was the first to ink an agreement. Contreras, who has said he loves Chicago and wants to die here, blah, blah, blah, will now do so for what is reported to be a price tag too high. Look for Contreras to be dealt unless he comes down a whole lot from what he's asking...especially in terms of years.

Too many Sox fans are in denial about Anderson being the CF next year. Get used to it. KW has said it often, "He's the guy we're going with." Is BA so horrific a possibility that some chose to construct a dozen other possible and impossible scenarios?

Ozzie does not deserve HOF for his playing days. I would be shocked if he were to make it as a player. As a manager, it's too early to tell; however, his two years at the helm at 35th St. have certainly gotten him off to a very good start.

I didn't get any White Sox anything for Christmas.

I went to the trophy tour at Gaelic Park on 12/26. Wonderful to behold. I felt bad for the hundred who were turned away. The schedule said it would be showing from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. I arrived at 9:45 a.m. and thel line already snaked from outside through the dining room and back around and into another dining area. Despite the three-hour wait, people were really pretty cool about everything. A beautiful trophy, though, will do that for people.

I've been holding back on purchasing a lot of Sox WS stuff, thinking that relatives and friends would "get the hint." I have no idea what they may be getting me. I couldn't resist: 1) Sox Pride DVD 2) Sox WS winter cap 3) Sox sweatshirt But there is so, so much more...

The Sox Championship Has Made This The Merriest Christmas of My Life.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Dec 22, 2005 -> 12:10 PM) Haha. Yes, veinte means 20. Unfortunately, Coop is not god so I am expecting 12-17 wins for Vaz. You may be right, but I sure hopes JV does us better next year...at least .500 because if Garland gets traded and BMac takes a spot on the SR, how many net games will we be down? That is: El Duque / Vazquez = how much gain or loss? Garland / BMac = how much gain or loss TOTAL = + / -

As a teacher, I wanted to pick up my red pen and mark up the computer screen.

An end-of-a-great year idea for thread/poll, admins.: how about voting for best and worst posters of the year? and other such categories. The awards could be fun.

In the midst of the shake-up in the offseason, the health of Pods Crede Hermanson have been sort of flying under the radar. It would be nice to hear from someone in the organization how rehabilitation plans are coming along.

This is for the baseball historians among us. Aside from the Marlins "fire sale," has there been any other Championship Team that has made this many changes in its lineup? (This is a question, not a commentary, pro or con.) Changes in terms of number of roster differences and in terms of quality moves (i.e., key position players vs. "gang of four" types)