chisox72

QUOTE(Wanne @ Mar 13, 2007 -> 12:17 PM) Maybe we can just bring him back as a cheerleader. If we make him a member of the Chevy Pride Crew, will that get us into the post-season?? That would be about the only role I would want him to fill right now. Maybe he can man the t-shirt gun!?!?! The only way I am okay with the "heart and soul" of the White Sox coming back is if it takes next to nothing to get him. Knowing it will take more than that, I will go ahead and pass. I loved the guy during his time here as much as anyone. But we can't continue to revert back to needing this mystical "grinder" presence that only Aaron Rowand provides to succeed. This team is much better than whatever mysterious intangible this guy brings to the table.

Love it! Nice work!!

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Mar 9, 2007 -> 02:38 PM) Brian Anderson just homered. Awesome. Sadly Ozzie Guillen was looking away at the time and does not acknowledge this accomplishment. FWIW: The Immortal Brandon McCarthy's line today against the Cubs "B" team: Texas IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA McCarthy 2.0 6 5 5 1 1 2 11.25 ***Of course, as I post this Judy Garland snuck out to the mound to get lit up for a moment***

BA b****es!!!

Just got home to find the DHL man left them sitting in the middle of my porch. I would think at least sliding them inside of the door would be a better idea... At any rate, I am stoked!!!

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Mar 2, 2007 -> 08:13 PM) The weird thing is B-Mac was not the first younger guy to mention the clubhouse. Logan said very similar things about the clubhouse from 2006. Both of their comments were geared towards all the guys being married and older. So it would make sense that B-Mac would be hanging out with Anderson since he was probably the only guy that was near his age and spoke English as a first language. I don't remember that coming from Logan's mouth last year, but it could have.... That being said, I say HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Boone Logan criticized any clubouse? That to me is VERY funny. Those of you that say Ozzie "never" gives young guys a chance...what about Boone? He brought that kid to the show and gave him EVERY chance in the world to succeed, yet he s*** the bed repeatedly. Logan shouldn't be allowed to comment on s***, considering he SHOULD NOT have even been IN the clubouse in 2006. Ozzie took a chance on him....

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Mar 2, 2007 -> 07:56 PM) That's funny...Guillen thinks that McCarthy should have learned how to act on the field from Garcia. Freddy could have explained to Brandon how you only need to try hard in "Big Games", you don't really have to go all out unless you've got a national TV audience. I remember at least twice last season when Freddy showed up his teammates during a game, on the field. All Brandon said was that he didn't have a lot of friends on the Sox and he felt the coching focused on the negative. Which is worse? I am sure he was just using Freddy as an example of a veteran presence and nothing more. For christ sake, this Brandon McCarthy love-fest is beyond me. I am okay with what Ozzie had to say, especially after reading Merkin's article. B-Mac was immature, and his attitude on the team based on all of the reports was also immature. Then he leaves and rips the organization in various news sources. But yeah, he did no wrong, Ozzie is the asshole and B-Mac is the saint. Afterall, he is paving his way to Cooperstown. Maybe without B-Mac around, BA can get his head out of his ass too before he gets sent packing...

QUOTE(U can putitontheboarrrrd...YES @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 09:08 AM) He did no such thing. He said that last seasons rumors of the Nats trading Soriano for player X were false and that he would not hesitate to make any deal if he thought it would help the ballclub win. I am sure he inferred that, if not said it altogether. He said the same exact thing during one of the seminars at SoxFest. What A LOT of the "analysts" never understood was that the trade was NEVER Soriano for B-Mac straight up....I think it was Fields and Broadway included as well, which would have been an incredibly s***ty trade.

QUOTE(WHITESOXRANDY @ Feb 22, 2007 -> 08:05 AM) I forgot to add a prediction to my post: Brandon McCarthy not only has a better 2007 season but will have a better career than any of Gavin Floyd, John Danks and Gio Gonzalez. Seriously?? Another one??? Perhaps you can help construct his wing in Cooperstown as well?? He IS, aferall, BRANDON MCCARTHY!! I am starting to think you may have had too much of this.... Now, my predictions: 1- White Sox (93-69)- Fixed pen helps early on, 5th starter does fine, big 4 get off their asses, offense rocks. 2- Cleveland (89-73)- Offense still monstrous, starting pitching does reasonably well, pen still a problem. 3- Detroit (88-74)- Pitching suffers from WS hangover, offense still undisciplined, no insane hot start to rely on. 4- Minnesota (84-78)- Starting pitching falls off tremendously after Johan, Piranhas come down to earth. 5- KC (62-100)- Bad, Bad, Bad. Enjoy Gil Meche.

QUOTE(gosox41 @ Feb 15, 2007 -> 08:45 PM) So it comes down to Floyd. Can he put up Garcia like numbers or better over the course of a full season? I have my doubts about the guy. This is what I don't get about people that still gripe about these trades. It was NEVER the question mark fifth starters spot to REPLACE or PUT UP numbers like Garcia. That was NEVER what the team was looking for. Javy MUST be better. Mark MUST be better. Jose MUST be better. Thats what the team is looking at. When you say things like put up Garcia numbers, as though Floyd is going to suck for sure right off the bat, does that mean he can also take games off and pitch like s*** against the Royals and D-Rays down the stretch when a win is needed? Just like the immortal Freddy Garcia did? Just because he "can't get up for anything but big games"? Please. As I said in an earlier post. This rotation MUST have the top 4 be as effective as they can be if they want to win. THAT is what won it in '05, the top 4. There is no reason in the world that Javy, with his s*** together cannot put together a 17 win season. Period.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...tesox-headlines This is the kind of stuff I like seeing. I like this kid even more now. Its good to have these guys going into ST with their heads planted squarely on their shoulders and ready to work. This quote from Javy sums it all up though, especially for those that still crab about this fifth starter spot...

I too am sick to death of the panic mode stuff. Get over the trades already, as they do not leave us in bad shape... In 2005, the 5th starter slot yielded these INCREDIBLE numbers: Hernandez 22 Starts-- 9-9 -- 128.3 IP -- 50 BB -- 90 K -- 5.12 ERA McCarthy 10 Starts-- 3-2 -- 67 IP -- 17 BB -- 48 K -- 4.03 ERA (Brandon the irreplaceable) ** Editors note: I know, I know, I am going to hear all about his brilliant labor day performance against Boston that earned him his wing in Cooperstown. Lots of pitchers do VERY well against teams with little to no scouting on them. Take a look at how many no names school the Sox on a regular basis** How soon people forget that El Duque (god bless his inning against Boston) was HORRIBLE in the 5th slot that year. There were days he walked out there and it was almost a guaranteed loss. I see no reason at all that one of the kids we have, be it Floyd, Haeger, or Danks, cannot produce better results than that in that slot. But whatever. Sweaty Freddy is gone, mail in the season, call it quits, might as well trade em all away..... The big 4 need to get their s*** back together, that IS where the season will be made or broken. Not the 5th slot. Get Jose, Mark, and Javier to pull their collective heads out of their asses and the division is ours for the taking.

Me and the guy I split my 27 game package with just bought single lowers for Opening day and the Sat/Sun Cubs series. Whoever uses those can just stand on the concourse or something. It is crazy though. I was shocked to see that there were not 2 together anywhere. Last year I was able to get all three of the Cubs series games, 2 each (granted they were in the upper deck), with no trouble.

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 11:34 AM) Go with your first instinct every time. Don't be such a chicken s***. HAHAHA! It was a b**** move, but I figured I would try to be a bit more respectful .

Just got back home. Great weekend. Was able to get AJ and Bobby to sign the cover of the SI 2005 World Series edition (AJ was limping BAD on Friday night, no idea why though). Town hall meetings were great, with KW and Oz being their usual candid selves. Though I thought Kenny was going to kill someone yesterday when he admitted to being "too honest sometimes" and this woman tossed out over the mic, "you would have thought you would have learned from the Frank Thomas situation." To which he gritted his teeth and said, "That was a COMPLETELY different story." The seminar with Anderson, Javy, JG, and Singleton was good. Brian addressed the mop-head issue and said more or less that Jerry implied that he wanted it cut off. It was great to see Thome on Friday night, unexpectedly. Apparently he showed up halfway through the Konerko autograph session, sat down, and started signing. Other than too many soda pop's at Howl at the Moon last night, the weekend was fantastic. The venue was a little confusing and maze-like from time to time, but overall not bad. The rooms, however, SUCK!

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Jan 23, 2007 -> 07:05 PM) Any word on the buyout? If it's on the same scale, I'd say that's fine. He didn't mention, so I am guessing Levine probably didn't say. $750k to me isn't much of a gamble for a guy that *COULD* help as much as he might. I am by no means running out to buy an Erstad jersey, but I am not pissed off either.

Don't totally quote me on this as 100% factual, but after just talking with a friend of mine, Levine is reporting $750,000/yr with an option for 2008. Assuming Levine is right (BIG ASSUMPTION), that is a very low-risk, potentially high-reward signing. One that I have no problem with.

I will be there for the weekend with some friends. Should be a nice getaway, full of drinking, baseball, and more drinking...

QUOTE(SEALgep @ Jan 4, 2007 -> 06:31 PM) "I'm proud of the year we had, winning 90 games, but we didn't get what we wanted to get done and defend our championship. It's a little more frustrating with the potential we had as a team, and it wears on you a little bit. You want to win and perform." How couldn't you love this guy? I mean, now that he's on the Sox. I hated him on the Twins... I HATED his guts with the Twins and for the last two seasons I have worn his jersey proudly (even in the Twinkle dome AFTER they were already out of contention). I love the guy and love what he brings to the table and to this team. He is a team first guy, period. That being said, with the addition of Hall, I think AJ will have a great year. The tailing off towards the end of the year made it obvious as to the wear and tear. Plus I think it will be a little bit more comforting for him to know that, when he is not playing, there will be a better presence behind the plate than the Widgomar (both of them bad for many reasons, lets just make them one player). That alone should remove some mental wear and tear on a guy that is hyper-competitive. If I had to bet right now..... .310/16/75

QUOTE(ChiSoxLifer @ Dec 26, 2006 -> 02:36 AM) I've taken a little time to think this over before I posted. First of all, for all those so-called Sox fans that are ready to give up on the 2007 season before New Year's, the bandwagon ride is over. You guys sound as if you started rooting for my beloved team in October 2005. Feel free to jump off the bandwagon and I hope you break your ankles as you hit the ground. You can hate the trade or you can love the trade but you never give up on the team. You root for the player but love the laundry. Now my post has a lot of sarcasm in it so try to follow me. KW gets panned for trading Freddy Garcia for Gavin Floyd and Gio Hernandez. My first reaction to the Freddy trade was I thought KW should've received more in return for a guy who throws 87 mph heat and allows runners to run the bases like it's a merry-go-round. However, I decided to do a little research before I form an opinion. Yah he's a big game pitcher and won 17 games last year. Out of the 17 games he won, the Sox offense scored 6 or more runs in 13 of them. The main reason he won those many games is because the Sox were third in MLB in runs scored. Here's a guy who gave up nearly 5 earned runs a game, is in his walk year, and I expected to get a kings ransom for him? If KW could've got a better package for Freddy don't you think he would've done so? Well, ok I was wrong and decided Kenny knows better. The Sox did manage to get the 2nd ranked left-handed prospect in all of baseball and got Floyd as basically a throw-in. This trade basically opens up a roster spot for Cy McCarthy! I mean, after all, he did manage to shut down Boston, Texas, and the heavy hitting 2005 Twins, right? This guy came up and set the baseball world on fire, much like Liriano did in 2006. He's ready for ten Cy Young awards in a row! Then guess what? Kenny lost his mind again and traded our "Dontrelle Willis"! How could he do this to us? I like many others thought BMac was ruined in 2006 because they used him in the bullpen. It's a completely different mindset preparing for relief pitching as it is for starting. You look at how the Red Sox ruined Jonathan Papelbon by using him in relief. Papelbon was one of the BoSox's top starting pitcher prospects and decided to use him as a reliever. That guy had a horrible year and only saved 35 games with a 0.92 era. Obviously, the name of the game is to get the batters out no matter what the situation. Papelbon failed miserably. So KW trades Cy McCarthy and we only received the top ranked left handed prospect (6th overall I believe) in all of baseball. In addition we get a reliever who can throw some serious heat. This trade could do for the White Sox what trading Pierzyinski did for the Twins (Nathan, Liriano, and Bonser). The Garcia trade opened up the 5th spot in the rotation for a player that has question marks. We then traded McCarthy for 3 question marks but could eventually be better than Brandon. The 2007 season does not completely hinge on the 5 spot. It hinges on one through four to pitch the way we expect them to. You can't compare this situation to the 2004 5th starter debacle. The only decent pitcher the Sox had that year was Buehrle. The rest of the starting rotation wasn't that strong with a nearly 5.00 staff era. I fully expect this year's front four to be one of the best in the AL. Buehrle will bounce back and Jon will probably flirt with 18 wins again. Who the heck said Contreras was injury prone? He's averaged 31 starts the past three years. Please tell me where he's injury prone. The wild card in the rotation is Vasquez. He's got the stuff but does he have the mental makeup to get past his so-called 5 inning starts? I tell you what, if Javier had the same run support Freddy got, Javier would've won 17+ games. In his last ten starts, the Sox averaged less than 2 runs per game. It's these four guys that will make or break the 2007 season. Not McCarthy. Floyd will not be in the running for the fifth starter position. Kenny has said he will either be in the bullpen for this year or if he decides he'd rather start, he'll start out in the minors. I truly believe Charlie Haegar will get the 5th spot. I don't care if he throws a knuckler or 100 mph heat. If you can get the hitters out, you're doing your job. I've seen plenty of guys throw 95+ and get knocked around like a pinball. For the true White Sox fans, get the hell off the ledge. The White Sox still have one of the top ranked offenses in all of baseball. The front four rotation won't be as bad as it was for the 90 win 2006 team. The fifth starter only needs to be .500 or better and the bullpen will be downright nasty. It's going to be a great year and I can't wait for the season to start. Can I get an AMEN?!?!?!?! Awesome post. You hit the nail right on the head as far as I am concerned.

No, No, & No.... He is too old, too creaky, and WAY too pricey.... I would take my chances elsewhere... Not to mention...He is the ugliest man in baseball...

Yep, I re-upped. Splitting them with a buddy this year due to a baby on the way.

Interesting little tid bit regarding this situation. I am not sure which direction it will go, but I would love to have Rios in a Sox uniform. I am not sure losing Javy for him would break my heart. Full Story

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 17, 2006 -> 06:37 PM) Disclaimer to sox fans: most likely no player on the white sox is the top player at his position, there may always be someone else you may want on the team instead of that person. Regardless, that is not the way that teams are put together, nor is it rational and realistic. The Chicago White Sox specifically pay extremely qualified individuals to make the best choices for the team in the present and in the future. Thanks and have a great night. I am SO sick to death of those that continue to advocate that the Sox have not made the best of this offseason THUS far. What they fail to acknowledge is that A) Its not over yet and B) The S*IT that was out there was not really worth bragging about. I especially love those who are so dedicated to their hatred of everything the organization does that they can do nothing but whine about it...

I don't see what the big deal would be in seeing what he has left. For as cheap as he'll be, its worth a shot.