SSH2005

The key to the game is for Contreras to keep Figgins and Cabrera off the bases. If those two get to 1st, they will be at 2nd in no time.

I don't understand this at all. Uribe is cheap, great defensively, and could be a very productive #9 hitter with his new kick stance and patience at the plate. I think he is only going to get better. He may never repeat his great 2004 season but it's not impossible. He's a steal when you consider the contracts of Orlando Cabrera and Edgar Renteria. I have read a few articles discussing how the beginning of Uribe's offensive career looks much like Miguel Tejada's. We need offensive production at 3rd base way more than we need it at SS. If Konerko signs elsewhere in the offseason, the following lineup wouldn't be bad in my opinion. Scott Podsednik Tadahito Iguchi Lyle Overbay (Trade Crede and prospects for him) Frank Thomas (Pick up $3.5 million buyout and sign to a cheap, incentive-based 2-year contract) Jermaine Dye Bill Mueller (Sign to a 2-year contract) Aaron Rowand A.J. Pierzynski (Sign to a 3-year extension) Juan Uribe Brian Anderson would be our fourth outfielder. If Frank gets injured again, DH Dye and start Anderson in right field. This lineup would greatly improve our team OBP. I think this lineup with our pitching staff could win the division again next season. I don't see it happening though because Ozzie has said that he wants to make the lineup faster.

Joe Torre. HE GONE!

That clusterf*** of a play was hilarious.

Jacque Jones is a free-swinging bum. Would you really want him? He's no better than Everett offensively. Take a look for yourself. Jacque Jones http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...layer_id=150218 Carl Everett http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...layer_id=113946

Where have you been? Tillman has been getting burned every game. He's the most overrated player on the Bears.

Let's just hope he hits doubles then.

Well, either way, 1 for 3 isn't a very good success rate. Since we are going to be facing better starting pitchers whether it's the Yankees or the Angels and we likely won't have quite as many baserunners, maybe Podsednik needs to play it conservative.

How so? There is an element of surprise when stealing 3rd base but the catcher's throw to 2nd base is longer than the throw to 3rd base.

That's too risky of a pitch when you actually have to make sure it's near the strike zone.

True, but Podsednik did get injured and it did affect his basestealing. Podsednik was only 1 for 3 stealing bases in the Boston series. He stole 3rd but he was caught twice trying to steal 2nd base which should be much easier. That's not good. I hope these few days of rest will be enough for Podsednik's legs.

You mean it wasn't a good idea to keep Wil Nieves on their roster over Bobby Jenks?

You are correct. It is the difference.

If Marte actually pitches in the next series I will just turn my TV off and turn it back on when I think he's done pitching. I can't handle Marte's drama.

Antonio Osuna is the same guy who thought the Sox historically struggle to hit Wakefield. http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...ndpost&p=906829 Wakefield's 2005 and career numbers against the Sox show the exact opposite. The Sox have always pounded Wakefield. Osuna seems to try to turn anything and everything into a negative thought, even when he is basically warping reality.

Antonio Osuna doesn't seem to understand that hitters can be beat by good pitches. He seems to think that every hitter should be able to take every ball 4, regardless of how good the pitch is. Baseball obviously doesn't work like that. Hitters swing at ball 4's because they are protecting the plate or think they are strikes.

El Duque even hit 93 in the game. When he gets a lot of rest, he has his best stuff. When he is in the rotation every week, he gets burned out.

This is an embarrassment of a post. Pitching, defense, and hitting are all a part of baseball. Boston didn't give us anything. They just failed at the three fundamentals of baseball. Clement was Boston's Game 1 starter. They signed him and he pitched poorly. Do you think Clement was intentionally tanking the game? No, he just got beat by our hitters. How is that luck? Graffanino failed defensively. Watch the replay and you will see why. He was trying to turn an inning-ending double play before he even fielded the ball. He beat himself. Also, why is Graffanino not taking ball 4 just Boston giving us the game instead of good pitching by El Duque? He threw great pitches that they felt they had to swing at. El Duque just flat-out beat Boston's hitters. How is that luck? Pitching wins in the playoffs. Boston didn't have it and we did. That isn't luck. That's baseball.

Uribe and Crede both had Boras as their agent last season. However, Uribe dropped Boras last November right before he signed his new contract with the Sox in December. Crede is the only current Sox player with Boras as his agent.

I'm hoping that the Angels and Yankees go 5 games and tire each other out. It would be nice if both teams burn out their bullpens.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/ml...xt=.jsp&c_id=kc "The Royals claimed Peralta, a right-hander, off the waiver wire from the Angels on Friday. The Royals also announced that Long and Field had elected to become unrestricted free agents. Peralta, a 29-year-old reliever, was 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA in 28 games as a rookie for the Angels this year. He had 30 strikeouts and 14 walks in 34 2/3 innings, holding right-handed batters to a .178 mark. He also pitched for Triple-A Salt Lake, going 4-1 with 10 saves and a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings spanning 19 appearances. In 250 Minor League outings, Peralta is 22-12. He originally signed with the Oakland A's." First, it was Derrick Turnbow. Next, it was Bobby Jenks. Now, it is Joel Peralta.

Yeah, Manny would never pose after a homerun, right?

Once again, like many have already said, just because you are a fan of a certain team doesn't mean you can't do your job properly without rooting for that team. It's called professionalism. Berman has none. There's a reason Hawk will never do another national broadcast again. He admits his bias towards the White Sox and he'd rather just do local broadcasts and be able to root for his team. Hawk said this on Mike North the other morning.

He's still making excuses. "Well, I doubted the White Sox BUT SO DID YOU TOO so I'm not the only one who looks bad." What a piece of crap.