LVSoxFan

I can only imagine how expensive it is at a Yankees game these days. Sheesh.

Can somebody explain to me the rationale behind dropping Iguchi that far down the lineup?

Whatever happens, please God, please: no Mack in CF. That was painful. I like him, I like his hustle, but he is not a center fielder. Even in LF I could live with it, but not center. Please.

Guys, guys. I don't mind sitting in the sun at Wrigley on a nice day. The new bleachers are actually pretty nice. But rest assured, there is NOTHING more fun than going to Cubs/Sox at Wrigley, wearing a Sox jersey and talking trash for nine innings. Love it. Going into enemy territory wearing Sox colors--ahh that is what life is all about. The other great thing is seeing all the other Sox fans milling about, at the bars, before and after. Hopefully we'll kick their asses again this year.

BA has until the ASB as far as I'm concerned. Well maybe not even that late. I'd love to see him thrive--that only helps us--but am getting tired of his bat. Did he play winter ball this year?

...for a company outing to the Cubs game in May. Don't ask. What can I say, it's a tradition. While online snagged some Cubs/Sox and thought... man, I'm buyin tickets for Sox games! It's almost that time! When you have to start planning this weekend and that weekend for Sox, you know it's near. Also, when St. Patty's Day is approaching, we know the worst of winter is behind us. And now spring training games are about to begin. Whereas last year it seemed like the gap between seasons flew by due to the Sox playing up to Halloween, this has been a good, long break. I'm ready. Just wanted to pass that warm thought along... before we get buried tomorrow, LOL.

That Zito contract really has made a mess of everything hasn't it? Geez. Actually who was the dude the year before that everybody coveted, who went to Toronto? He wasn't even that great. Burnett?

I thought he was already signed with the Cubs this week. He's their ace, no doubt. That would be a kick to see him in a Sox uniform (with AJ catching, LOL). I think he is way too expensive, multi-year or not, for KW seeing that we are in "budget" mode these days.

Better than last year, for sure. Than 2005? That's a tall order... but if it is, we're in good shape!

That's not Jenks in that picture!!!

QUOTE(bad at best @ Feb 19, 2007 -> 05:31 PM) I dont think KW is really that interested in bringing back Crede, Dye or Buehrle. Each has significant risk associated with a large, long term deal. I love each of those players but i'm not sure they are the people we want to depend on after this year. I get the impression that KW is thinking that way and is using the bloated market as an excuse (to the fans and the players) for why they will not be coming back. In a backwards way, he could be taking the high road here. I still say he talks too much though. I think you're on to something here. I see it as KW setting up his future defense for when they're all gone. "Oh well, they were just too damn expensive!" I understand that the Sox don't want to give multi-year obscene deals like the Zito contract, but it is beyond me why somebody like Iguchi is being considered in play. Crede I know is gone because he's worth a lot more and there's that back thing. Plus they have a potential replacement for him already. Dye I can see not giving a multi-year crazy deal, but is that what all players ask for? But Iguchi? Come on! Gooch was the Great Experiment of 2005, the one who was a big risk that paid off handsomely. And paid off cheaply. Why we wouldn't just lock him up now... I don't get it. Buehrle's a question mark. I think if they offer him something slightly more than previously but obviously not Zito-like, he might stay. A lot depends on his performance this year too obviously. It's all been covered here but I really do think KW needs to keep this stuff private. While KW is the businessman and has to view things in terms of dollars, we as fans don't view people such as Crede, Dye, Buehrle or Iguchi as payroll debits. There is no need to proactively start making them expendable, especially when the damn season hasn't even started yet. PLEASE KW BE QUIET. And I'm sorry: we'll always owe KW for 2005 and I appreciate it, I really do, but dude: you really, really love to hear yourself talk.

The pic of Contreras from Soxfest that I saw made him seem more sleek to me. Probably not a bad thing.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Feb 9, 2007 -> 02:50 PM) Last year was a disappointment, it wasn't "crap-tacular." BIIIIIG difference. No, last year sucked, period. First half was okay, second half was dismal. And uninspired. I didn't say I was quitting the team; I'm just calling it like it was.

I just had this argument with my co-worker. Sorry, 90 wins, 100 wins, 80 wins--who cares? We came in third. Yes, that ranks as crap-tacular, seeing that we dynamited the team and started over after being tired of coming in... second every year. And 2nd half, as noted above, was particularly crap-tisimo!, if we weren't playing at .500 we were probably below it and the team was so lame that even I turned off the games, forget about going to them. So yes, after that season and a total question mark of a team this year, I'm not exactly inspired to be shelling out more dough and facing new restrictions.

Well I mean that's out in the open now. They funnel tix directly to their own scalper. And it's legal.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a parent and want to take kids to games. Hell, for four tix that's easily $100 right there and then you get to the concessions... I would think the Sox would offer us no increase after that crap season last year, but hey: I guess this is capitalism, right? My co-worker was commenting on how it used to be that baseball was the "cheap" sport that everybody could go to, but no more. The one thing I do have faith in, with Sox fans, is that if the team starts sucking, people will stop coming (God bless us) and we'll see how they'll be trying to give the tix away if that happens. Side question: do we think it's that far off when the Sox start scalping their own tix like the Cubs do? After all, it has been ruled legal. I wonder what they're waiting for.... CONSPIRACY THEORY alert! WARNING! TO FOLLOW! Although if I were crafty and a front office for a major team I would simply never put a big block of tix for premium games in the first place, I would simply throw them onto Ebay for a bidding war, posing as individual sellers.... Shhhhh...

I want it to be Buehrle (and erase last year). I chose the dark horse and picked Vasquez. Hell, if he is our ace we are in damn good shape. That guy always seems to be this/close to being awesome, and then the fifth comes along.

That sucks that you can't walk up to the window in this day and age. TM has to make sure to get their blood money.

Hey Bad at Best: I hear ya. The best thing about the season when at home is almost any night, there's something to watch on TV. Although I hate those west coast 9PM start times. Ugh.

QUOTE(Steff @ Feb 2, 2007 -> 04:11 PM) Where were you sitting? Jim and I and Southsider were in the front row. I wasn't front row, further back. But I'll make sure to know what some of you look like this year beforehand so we can all hang. Maybe the squirrel will show up again this year...

Here's one thing to look forward to: for the first time in a while Buehrle's not pitching opening day. That means about 90 more minutes of beer sales. In '05 I was on maybe number three and the game was OVER. Whaa?? Damn you, anti-beer Buehrle! Jose shall now be called Jose Cuervo instead of Contreras, to honor his contribution to our imbibing.

Well thanks guys. I'll DEFINITELY be scratching Puchinello's off my list of "Plan B" places, being the non-Italian, north side, Irish guy who walks in and says (in my A.J. jersey) "Hey you got any Guiness or what?!" //cue Sopranos theme

When I was at last year's I didn't meet one person. I didn't know who was who. This year we should have SOME sort of identifying piece of gear/clothing/pin/nametag... anything. I didn't hear any backbiting in the seats last year--I was too busy watching the squirrel. If you want to max out the number and have it soxtalk.com only, have members invite friends, family, etc.

Here's another funny one: those of us who stand in the outfield the whole time, when the sun sets in the west and you're standing there with your hand in front of your face for a couple of innings because of the sun. LOL. (wearing a baseball hat fixes this) Also: walking around before the first pitch and just checking out the crowd, period. Talk about the ultimate in people-watching.

Yeah that's the bummer about non-Jimbo's bars (I've been to a few). Us North Side losers have to walk all the way back to the el. Oh well! What's another 15 minutes!