bighurt574

A new deal makes sense. Think of the marketing opportunities as he chases the all-time strikeout record. Only 360 away!

You're kidding yourself if you don't think postseason runs boost attendance. You don't need market research to show that. The actual data bears it out. That said, we didn't go to the postseason this year, so that obviously won't give us a boost in 2013. Within a season, yeah, winning usually doesn't boost attendance that quickly.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Oct 12, 2012 -> 02:14 PM) You have to figure the Sox have done the math that lowering the ticket prices wouldn't equal more revenue when accounting for the increase in attendance and money spent on concessions. The bottom line is revenue (at least that is the Reinsorfian model), so you would have to imagine, the set the prices for what they deem to maximize the revenue. I'm sure they do, but I'm not sure they're adequately taking long-term/harder-to-quantify factors into account. You might not raise more revenue for a particular game by lowering prices, but you're helping to expand your fan base, make games actually look like they're popular and fun, etc... All stuff that can pay off down the road. Maybe I'm off base, but I still have a hard time believing that it's in the franchise's interest to have so many empty seats.

So, have two 100-loss teams ever played each other before? Big series at Wrigley...

If you bought from Ticketmaster, do they automatically just credit your card or do you have to do something with the tix?

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 03:50 PM) Manages the team generally. So one is the general manager, and the other manages the team generally?

Maybe I'm wrong, but ALDS tix on the resale market probably wouldn't get too crazy price wise. ALCS and WS obviously a different story. I'd think $130 would get you in the ballpark somewhere.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Aug 17, 2012 -> 05:52 AM) Hittrackeronline.com is the most accurate. They actually use the physics instead of just kinda guessing. They said 460 on Dunns and 470 on Flowers. I dont know if there is actually an "official" distance. I think as far as ballpark records and stuff go they just kinda say whatever they want. Is it just me or does 460 on Dunn's seem way low? It was right over the 400-foot sign, and it sure seems like more than 60 feet.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Aug 5, 2012 -> 07:10 PM) Easier said than done. The South Side has never been attractive to free agents. That's why if Youk finishes strong, I don't think committing another $12M to him next year is crazy even if you're overpaying a bit, especially once you look at the alternatives.

Tough call. I went with Konerko. He obviously cooled off, but when you look at the entire body of work, and where we would have been without him those first few months, I think he's the pick for now. I'd probably pick someone else in a few weeks if Konerko continues to slump a bit.

Nice idea. I hate playing grammar police, but if you're looking for writing tips, try to cut down on "so," I counted six or seven of those in just the first paragraph of your latest entry.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 25, 2012 -> 06:26 AM) Have you ever heard of the designated hitter? Because the pitcher doesn't bat, it is harder to pitch in the AL than the NL. Every year, pitchers in the NL have lower ERAs because of this DH phenomenon. That's obviously the bigger issue. Even if the NL had better teams than the AL in a given year, it would still be easier to pitch in the NL.

If for whatever reason a fan only makes it to a few games a year, what's wrong with trying to pick the ones that interest him the most?

It's baffling to me that Bulls parking is cheaper than Sox parking (maybe the other lots around the UC keep the Bulls more honest).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 30, 2012 -> 03:22 PM) He was hit in the knee on a pick off throw attempt from the pitcher at 2B. He limped off of the field under his own power and was replaced by Lillibridge. Some have speculated (including Buster Olney) that there was some intent to it. I didn't see it but that would seem pretty risky to do on purpose (if you miss, the ball is in CF).

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 17, 2012 -> 01:54 PM) I can't see a scenario where the NL ever adopts the DH and I can't see a scenario where the AL ever gives it up. At least not in the next couple decades. The AL has the Union on their side (since it extends guys careers), while the NL has tradition and history to not having it. I don't know, seems like we're entering an era where the pitchers have the upper hand again over the hitters. If owners want to generate more offense, the DH is a good place to start, at least in the NL.

QUOTE (59th street @ May 17, 2012 -> 04:47 PM) Sorry, I did not mean to imply that you thought there was no advantage. Yes several have stated they felt little or no advantage and I thought your comment was a nice set up for my side of the discussion. I don't think anyone said that there's no advantage to batting a DH over a pitcher (I'm assuming any team can plug in a DH who will outhit just about any pitcher). They were just comparing whether it's harder for AL teams to adapt to the NL rule or vice versa.

The ultimate solution is a uniform DH rule for both leagues, either keep it or drop it entirely -- what other sport has such a key rule difference between leagues/conferences? But as long as it's split, you have to give the home team its set of rules, you can't just say DH in all those interleague games, that's just catering to the AL.

The whole thing is bizarre. I'm glad Sale's agent is speaking up. The guy should be a starter. I have no idea if this had anything to do with Sale's elbow issues, but I was surprised to see such a high pitch count from him right out of the gate -- 100, 102, 110, and 101 in his first four starts. Seems like he should be the 5th starter this year, skip him every once in a while, and watch his pitch count. There's really no need to send him to the minors to transition to a starter, he's going to have to throw those same pitches whether he's in the majors or minors, might as well be here since he gets people out, just use him a little more wisely.

QUOTE (flavum @ May 11, 2012 -> 10:23 AM) I's ridiculous to even think about making moves right now. Until the Tigers show they can go on a run, the Sox aren't out of it. I assume that if they were really looking at Youkillis, it's a move to improve the team this year, not a salary dump.

We have an awful minor league system, and no major league trade chips that are going to bring back top prospects that could reasonably be expected to power a relatively-short rebuilding job. Whether we go into sell mode or not, it's hard to imagine building a consistent winner until we fix our draft issues. And draft position doesn't even mean a whole lot if we're not willing to invest the $$$ in our picks.

If Peavy continues to pitch well, that might make him tradable without having to eat most of his contract, but it's not going to bring back some massive package of quality talent.

The problem is that most of the parts we have to sell don't have all that much trade value.

At this rate, Phil One (No) Hit Humber

The way I see it, Cowley is a professional writer, his entire job is using words to convey thoughts. If he's not smart enough to know that his alleged attempt at humor (if that's really what it was) could be misconstrued, he's an idiot and could be fired for incompetence.