NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 01:29 PM) If KW really wants to put a winning lineup on the field, his best way to do that would be to sign Rowand and then trade Richar and Gio for Roberts. I just can't see how teams can stand there as the Cubs are rumored to have a chance at him with a package of Gallagher and Murton. I would like that trade. I just don't know if they'd take it. You might need to ship Uribe too. Oh wait... that would be fine!

QUOTE(WHITESOXRANDY @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 01:17 PM) I'm not trying to bash KW here but doesn't it seem like this is his first year on the job ? That is one of the most contradictory sentences I have read on here. And that is saying something. And do we need another f***ing thread for this discussion? Really?

QUOTE(lostfan @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 01:24 PM) So... what FA is KW going to whiff on next? I hate to sound like a doom-and-gloom naysayer but unless Jerry Owens all of a sudden turns into a .320 hitter with 50 stolen bases... we're a mess. Rowand is next. And he'll probably make contact. And if Owens did start, one thing you could rely on is he probably would steal 50 bases.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 01:09 PM) 50 years would not be a 5.13, but wouldn't that be the same verticle drop that took down Vick? I don't know what a "verticle" is, but it sounds gross. I'm just giving you crap. There is a sliding scale.

This and the Iguchi signings open up good trade possibilities for Uribe (to BAL) and Crede (to MIL) for the Sox. I hope they take advantage.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 12:46 PM) I would say that I am less than impressed by the package they received. 24 year old 3rd baseman hitting .270 in the minors with an OPS around 850, 22 year old pitcher who probably is the most talented player in this package, soon to be 25 year old who put up a 1.60 WHIP and a 5.86 ERA in his rookie season in the NL Central last year, and a pitcher just breaking into the big leagues who'll be 27 around opening day next year, on top of Scott. Seems like the Orioles are just going for sheer numbers and not caring about actual skill. See fathom's post. I think this is a gamble by Houston. High risk, High reward, and the return package takes that risk into account.

Make sure you leave some time to just walk up and down the strip, especially at night. Take in the free shows in front of the casinos (what few are left), watch the fountain at Bellagio, etc. That's actually my fave part of Vegas.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 11:32 AM) They have a Q&A on Saturday and Sunday. I have went to the Saturday one for the last 6 years. What is the best question you have ever seen someone ask?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 02:52 PM) My original comment was, as a society, we have changed in the past 50 years. Is this where it ends, with dogs and cats, or does it get expanded? If two dogs are naturally fighting in your neighborhood, will we someday be held responsible if we do not try and stop it? Again someone worrying about the a-bomb getting dropped from Russia With Love, would find it unbelievable that a guy would lose $140 million dollars and spend two months in prison over dogs. There's slippery slope... and then there is Tex's 5.13 vertical drop.

Anyone know what teams this Radomski fellow worked for, and when?

I'd guess this increases the chances of a Crede-to-MIL trade.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 11:05 AM) Kucinich has been kicked out of the Iowa debates... http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/kucinich-...2007-12-12.html Kucinich is barely a real candidate anyway, he has barely showed up in Iowa. Same for Gravel. Neither should have stage space if they aren't making a serious run at it.

QUOTE(Calderon @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 11:05 AM) They could conceivably roll three guys out of the bullpen next season that were, or should have been, in Birmingham in '07. Wing is a California guy right? A move to the West Coast is certainly an improvement for him then. Actually, if you look at Wing's outings last year, they put him the rotation at B-Ham, and were slowly upping his innings each outing (testing to see if he had the strength to start again no doubt). He actually did better as the year went on and he got more innings. So I was thinking that, especially if the Sox traded away any of the Charlotte starters of '08 (guys like Gio, Eggy, Sisco, Masset, Haeger, etc.), that Wing might actually be the #5 starter at AAA. Oh well.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 10:55 AM) I never said KW should be fired for not getting Fuku (it's the rest of the offseason and last year and a half which is troublnig). I never thought he'd get him, and it appears that there wouldn't have been a match even if we did offer the most money. I think some of the facts that Levine states might not be accurate, that's all I'm saying. I certainly agree that Levine may not be 100% reliable. I just think its laughable the reaction in here to us not getting him. Upset, I get - I was too. I wanted him on the Sox. But immediately assuming that because he didn't sign with the Sox that it was because KW/JR were too cheap or too incompetent, without even knowing anything about the signing, was just absurd. And it now appears that he wasn't going to the Sox in any case.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 10:49 AM) So let me get this straight: Fukudome doesn't want to play CF, and he wanted to be the first Japanese player on the Cubs. So why did we even offer him a contract? Oh now come on. You say KW needs to be fired for not getting him, now you want to know why even offered him a contract? Give it a break. As with M-Cab, its always worth it to take a shot, even if you know you are long odds to get it.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 10:35 AM) Levine just stated that the Rangers made the best offer at over $50 million, while the Sox and Cubs both came in at 4/$48 million. Apparently, Fukudome wanted to play RF. Out of respect for Jermaine Dye, he did not want to cause Jermaine to play a different position on account of him. Basically, it sounds as if he did not want to play CF for us. Another factor was that he wanted to be the first Japanese player to play for the Cubs. Thus, he requested uniform #1. Interesting. If he was set on RF, and the Sox are set with Dye and Quentin on the corners, then I guess Fuku was never a realistic option anyway. I am glad KW gave it a shot though. I'll be curious to see what some posters here who have been saying this was because KW sucks and JR wouldn't spend the money have to say about THIS situation.

New polls... In Iowa, Huckabee shows another strong lead (+16), and is now averaging a 10+ point lead in the last 5 polls. And everyone other than Huckabee and Romney are starting to look pretty irrelevant... Huckabee: 39% Romney: 23% Thompson: 8% Giuliani: 8% McCain: 6% Paul: 5% In NH, Romney continues to hold a significant lead (+13), as has been the case for a while now... Romney: 32% McCain: 19% Giuliani: 19% Huckabee: 8% Paul: 7% Thompson: 1%

Some new polls out... In Iowa, a new poll shows Clinton +3, continuing the appearance of a very close race there. Over the last 5 polls, its an average +1 for Obama... Clinton: 29% Obama: 26% Edwards: 22% Richardson: 7% Biden: 5% In NH, 2 new polls are out, showing Clinton +1 and Obama +3 - this is Obama's first lead there (to go with his recent first lead in SC). It appears Obama has drawn even in NH, so now IA, NH and SC are all neck-and-neck contests at this point... NH Poll 1 from 12/6-10... Clinton: 31% Obama: 30% Edwards: 16% Richardson: 7% NH Poll 2 from 12/11... Obama: 31% Clinton: 28% Edwards: 17% Richardson: 8% Biden: 4%

Wait... I'm older than SS2K5? By almost a year? dammit. Throw one back for me. Happy B-Day!

QUOTE(Calderon @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 09:59 AM) From today's USA Today: OAKLAND ATHLETICS-Assigned LHP Jay Marshall outright to Sacramento (PCL). Agreed to terms with LHP Ryan Wing on minor league contract. Damn. I was hoping he'd stick around - looked to me like he might have been getting back his form.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 08:24 AM) This headline just sucks: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/6927...eluca12.article The funny thing about that headline is, the only reason Hendry has "deep pockets" is that he is spending someone else's money. Its an odd position to be in, but there it is. He basically has NO pockets, just a pile of phantom cash to spend. The next owner of the Cubs is going to face some awful choices in a couple years - raise ticket prices in a huge way, or become the Baltimore Orioles, saddled with those long term, overpaying contracts.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 12, 2007 -> 12:01 AM) We don't know that the Sox are going to get picks. They're going to try their damndest to resign him. Also... what do Linebrink and Cabrera do for us when we're making a half-assed attempt at winning in 2008? Yippie, we get 75 wins instead of 70. It would've been one thing for the Sox to have landed Hunter or Fukodome or Rowand and then made the Garland/Cabrera + Linebrink moves. But now we sit here with two of those three gone, and the Sox don't seem to want to go all-out for Rowand (which is probably the right thing to do, but when your putting up a BS facade about trying to compete in 2008, you can't have Jerry Owens starting). I would've much rather had seen the Sox try and offer Garland for all these teams bidding on Bedard, Santana and Haren. No -- Garland is obviously nowhere near as good as any of those three. But you're telling me the Sox couldn't pull a B prospect or two (two Gio Gonzalez' circa 2007)? See my response to fathom. I don't see 2008 as a loss just yet. And besides, regarding the future, JG was going elsewhere no matter what, and I think Cabrera has a much better shot at re-signing than JG did. And this club won't have a decent internally-bred SS available until AT LEAST 2010, and that's assuming someone like Miranda or one of the teenage prodigies develop well.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 11:59 PM) I much rather would trade for prospects that have shown ability in the minors than to pile up draft picks. As things stand right now, with Uribe and Crede still on the team, and lacking a CF, the Garland trade was a disaster. Hell, I still wish we traded him for 2 strong prospects we could have included in a deal to get Cabrera and Willis. If KW had this master plan of acquiring Hunter and Cabrera, he should have made sure he had the type of players the Marlins were looking for (catcher). I see what you are saying, I just don't agree. I don't tend to agree with the tendency I often see on the board to want to go to one extreme (fire sale, load up on prospects, play the kids) or the other (buy every expensive free agent and trade target, like Hunter and Cabrera), available. I think in baseball like any other business, often times its best to make a little money now and a little later, instead of a lot now or a lot later (except in baseball, its wins, not profit). Just my take, because again, if CF is upgraded and one or two other moves go well, I think this team is NOT out of contention for the post-season, but they can still be looking decent for a few years down the road.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 11:53 PM) How? Money wise, it was basically (as someone pointed out) Garland for Cabrera and Linebrink, addressing two major holes. Plus even if Cabrera doesn't re-sign (and I think he may, mid-season, depending on how things go), Cabrera will fetch more picks that Garland would have. Don't get me wrong, I still think the Sox have a shaky back end of the rotation. But overall, I think it was a positive trade.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 11:47 PM) I'm thinking more and more about the Garland-Cabrera trade. I'm thinking Kenny acted much too quickly. He said he had deals on the table where we would've gotten prospects back -- hell, I don't think it's a stretch to say the Sox could've gotten Milledge for Garland and somebody else (or some cash). Have to disagree on this part. I think the Cabrera trade was and still is a good move, both individually and for the greater picture.