southsider2k5

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 12:26 PM) Yeah the guy's rich but be honest, the Twins in a good year still don't compete with a team from Chicago in total revenue. The Twins drew 1.1 million more fans than we did last year. In 2009 they drew about 130,000 more, but trailed us by about $30 million in total revenue. If you take that difference of a million fans times $30 a person, you make up the difference. Put it at a more realistic $50 a person, and they made about $20 million more than us. We won't know the numbers until April, but I bet the Twins made a significant amount more in revenue that we did last year.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/...-contracts.html

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 01:19 PM) Having him spend 1 more year in the bullpen means it will take 1 more year to get his accustomed to starting again. Maybe this makes too much sense, but if you are trying to build up a youngsters arm for a future starting job, making reducing the amount of innings pitched each year isn't the best policy. And what happens if he does really well in the bullpen this year? Then next year you just strip him from the bullpen and create a hole on a player you relied on in the bullpen? And if Sale is a reliever again in 2010, then who takes over for Buehrle in 2011 in the rotation? Because Sale sure as hell won't be ready for the rotation probably 2013 if you have to stretch him arm out again because of an extra year in the 'pen. And to whoever used the Neftali Felix comparison.....how can you even use that in your arguement when we have yet to see Felix start? Just because it's their plan doesn't mean it will work out for them. I wouldn't be surprised to see Felix struggle a bit in April and then management decide "You know what, he was great for us in the pen and this starter thing isn't working out so far. Let's just put him back into the role we know he can succeed at". And then BAM, you've just gone the easy way and ended his starting career before he even got a fair chance because his bullpen success has given the coach a reason to keep a good thing going. And then you've just drafted (in Sales case) a reliever with your 1st RD pick, and that's about as dumb as it gets. That is exactly how I feel about it. It helps the team in 2011, but it hurts them in 2012 and on when Sale isn't ready to start. Being a starting pitcher is akin to being a marathon runner. Just because you can run a nice 100 meter time, doesn't mean you can do that for 26.2 miles. You have to build up and condition yourself to get up to that distance. Going 200 innings in a year is the same way. If you are conditioned for it, you are going to do your body more harm than good if you just try to go out and run a marathon without being prepared for it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 01:20 PM) You know why Smoltz was able to do it? Because right after his first surgery, his doctor told him that it would be less tough on his arm to limit his innings, so they moved him to the bullpen. But then, a couple years later, they told him that things had reversed, and with the condition of his arm, warming up 60+ times a year would be more likely to re-injure it, so that's when he reverted back to starting. Smoltz did it because he had to in order to follow doctor's advice. Smoltz also had a couple thousand innings worth of conditioning on his arm at that time. Sale doesn't.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 11:50 AM) Why the hell can't we do what the Rangers did with Feliz last year? Give him one full year in the bullpen to the advantage of the entire team, and stretch him out to start next year. Everyone acts like him pitching out of the bullpen for a year is going to f*** his entire career up beyond repair. IMO the Ranges would regret starting him. His highest innings total in his career was 127 innings. There is no way he is ready for 180-200 innings this year.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 10:43 AM) If that's true, he fell apart after about 30 IP. I don't know how you can expect him to build up enough arm strength to be totally relied upon. He threw 28+ innings in 09, his first year of pitching, plus whatever he did in AZ. Last year he made it up to 51+. I am betting we get a solid year out of him. I know the want is to measure him against other pitchers, but he is a pretty unique case.

Sucks

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 07:35 AM) And of course the comments would be so much different if the gunman was a Muslim. FWIW, go back and look at the thread after the gunman shot up the army base. I am pretty sure I said almost the exact same thing. There aren't many things I respect less than people who instantly try to spin tragedy into their favor.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 10:27 AM) Its possible, but its also possible he's hit a wall. He lost a little velocity as the season went along, and if your theory were 100% true, that he's only going to get better, how come he didn't keep improving during the 2010 season as he gained experience. Obviously tools are there for him to be very good, but its also very possible he's just an average guy who has good stuff. He hit a wall because he is literally building a pitching arm from nothing. He did the same thing the year before, except earlier in the season.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 04:42 AM) I wasn't here in the 2005 offseason but was it being called great before Sox won it all ? There were more calls for Kenny's firing and Jerry selling the team, than anything else.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 01:44 AM) I'm in between. I think this offseason thus far hasn't been as spectacular as some are suggesting. Like you said Dunn was a nice signing, but the others? Pretty blah to me as well. Minnesota never even offered Crain a contract. That has to say something what with their bullpen's mass exodus. Ohman, a former Cub and according to Les Grobstein, not exactly a good clubhouse guy is a loogy, a guy in his 30's who never made more than $1.6 million in a season and was just granted his first mutiyear contract, and we know Ozzie doesn't generally use veterans as loogys. And by some projections, the Sox may have 2 or 3 rookies in the bullpen. That could be scary. I am happy they brought back AJP and Paulie, although I think we will see some whining about Paulie's contract somewhere down the road, and probably justified whining, but they did what they had to do to bring him back. On the other hand, compared to other AL Central teams, their offseaon seems to be a lot better. Detroit doesn't scare me. Cleveland and KC aren't going to do much, and what the heck is going on in Minnesota? I figured they would be due for a little letdown even if they brought their entire team back, but it looks like they are going to lose a lot of productive players. The Sox are sitting pretty right now. It has more to do with their owner being f***ing cheap than anything.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Jan 9, 2011 -> 09:29 AM) I would love to get him on a 1 year deal for 8-10 million, but the Sox never seemed to intersted, and the Yankees/Angels would probably be willing to give him 2 years. I really doubt Soriano signs a two year deal. Its not Borass's style at all.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 06:28 PM) I agree w/ Coop. Have Sale start for the first month or whatever, then send him straight to AAA to start until/if a starter gets injured/traded Oh please let this happen.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 07:51 PM) Thank you. There is a 9-year old girl, who was probably walking with one of her parents at the grocery store, dead because of this wacko, and everyone just seems to care whose fault is. There will plenty of time to assign blame, trust me. It just is disgusting to see both sides already trying to label the guy as right and left wing, and finding specific people and outlets to blame. As of today, who cares? If you want to do something, pray for the dead and the families. They need that more than anything right now.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 07:31 PM) 1) that's certainly not SADDER than the fact that it occurred in the first place 2) this isn't for political GAIN, it's saying that the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that's spewed on FOX news, MSNBC and wherever the f*** else is dangerous because stupid people will take it seriously and act on it. It just so happens that the Right is much more guilty of this than the left. (regarding violent rhetoric. also the right doesn't favor gun control thus.........) If it isn't for political gain, why the hell is most of this thread about politics instead of the dead people or families destroyed by this? Give the agenda a rest for a few minutes and think about that.

Oh yes it is!

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 05:21 PM) Those weren't the two I was thinking of but I like it. So masturbation and ?

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 05:32 PM) i'm not saying she encouraged it, i'm not saying he did it because of political motivations, and it's not just Sarah Palin, but the fearmongering that goes on and the calls to action using gun imagery, etc eventually creates an environment in which these things will happen. The sadder thing is that bodies aren't even cold yet, and people are already trying to spin this for political gain.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 06:58 PM) Wow, never in a million years saw that coming. Awesome! I picked Seattle in my playoff pick em.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 03:01 PM) Where did ya hear that Balta? Farmer said it this morning on Rangers show.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 01:35 PM) Santos isn't a product of the Sox system. We lucked into him. And his peripherals scream regression. I have no idea why you threw Carter and Infante at me. They've proven next to nothing. And even Carter's minor league numbers were mediocre. Thing is I was more than willing to give both a shot at the expense of handing out 2-3 year deals to relievers. The Sox were the team who wanted to make him a pitcher and succeeded at doing it. That makes him our product.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 11:06 AM) Correct. The way to a solid economy is budget cuts. Just look at how well it has worked for Indiana. Given the choice between our situation and Illinois, I'll take Indiana every single time.

Farmio said on Rangers show this morning he still thinks Byrdick is on his way to Chicago, even if it is just a spring invite.

QUOTE (hometeamfan @ Jan 8, 2011 -> 11:54 AM) Because clubs like to let the fans know they made an offer...and the player turned it down. They come across as extending a hand....and the player comes across as biting it. When Sox made offer two years ago to Quentin and Danks, people on here called them greedy. Now, in hindsight, they (Danks at least) look smart for declining. Who called them greedy? I don't remember that at all.