Al Lopez's Ghost

Good lord, the Cubs could really blow this year. Lookin' forward to it.

QUOTE(knightni @ Dec 30, 2005 -> 01:52 AM) But, but... Gload can play the OF! He is very consistent in picking the ball up after he drops a fly ball, holding the batter to first.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 27, 2005 -> 02:06 PM) UPDATED TROPHY TOUR DATES I went to Orland today - got in line at 9:30 and got my picture taken at 12:10. BTW, they passed out a sheet that said there will be additional tour days TBA for March through June.

Garland is on the Score right now. Said he signed because of Coop, Ozzie and the city - this is where he wanted to be.

QUOTE(Middle Buffalo @ Dec 24, 2005 -> 08:28 AM) There's so many names involved that KW would get confused and somehow get outsmarted by Billy Beane. Or wind up with the wrong Dodger outfielder again.

The World Champion White Sox. Christmas. Doesn't get a whole lot better than that. Happy holidays to all.

I hereby apologize to everyone on this board who has proposed what I thought was an unrealistic trade. This guy gets paid for a living and came up with this.

QUOTE(VAfan @ Dec 22, 2005 -> 01:01 PM) I can't seem to copy their stat lines over from ESPN, but Brazoban's ERA was 5.33 over 72 innings with 6 blown saves, 32 walks, and a WHIP of 1.40. Broxton's line was worse: 13 innings, 5.93 ERA, 12 walks, 1.83 WHIP, 1 blown save. Luis Vizcaino, by comparison, pitched 70 innings, posted a 3.73 ERA, walked 29 guys with a WHIP of 1.47, and blew only 3 saves. So other than the fact that you think these guys arms are great, it looks like Vizcaino performed quite a bit better than both last year. Sure, Brazoban and Broxton are both quite a bit younger than Vizcaino, but that may or may translate into performance next year or beyond. I don't pretend to know what the best choice KW has in front of him is, but you need to remember that this is a projection business. How will the kids you get be in not just this summer but for the next 4 or 5. Remember the Foulke-Koch trade? While KW was getting roasted, he kept saying that you shouldn't ignore who else was in the trade. Couple of years later, Cotts is the best player in the trade, given Foulke's knees, and Koch's, well, everything.

This will only interest older Chicago born and raised Sox fans, but on Saturday night WGN will telecast a retrospective of kids' shows, including Garfield Goose. The Sox connection? They do a bit involving Sox tickets for the 1959 World Series. I've heard this on radio, and it's fun for those who remember this show.

The new issue, dated 12/26, is a recap of the best of 2005. The article on baseball is a tribute to PK. Basically it says certain years just wind up belonging to certain guys, and in 2005, it was Konerko. Really a good read.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 21, 2005 -> 07:05 AM) The Cubs have been surrendering for years. Now, they are relecting that by acquiring outfielders whose names scream "France". Too bad Frenchie Fuqua played football. Time for them to rehire Jim Lefebvre!

FWIW, today's Daily Herald quotes AJ, who said he talked to Garland last week, and Garland definitely wants to stay, but "if he gets 9 or 10 million, that's a break in the budget and somebody else will have to go."

ProSportsDaily today quotes a Washington Examiner columnist who said 'A nice stocking stuffer could be in the form of Kerry Woods in a trade for Jose Vidro and Ryan Church.' I'm pretty sure Wood has a no trade clause, but wouldn't Cub fans just crap all over themselves if Kid K was sent packing?

This may or may not answer your question, Yasny, but I remember one year, probably 2004, when the Sox wanted to put someone on the 45 day DL in late August, and MLB told them it wasn't necessary because (1) the rosters were going to expand anyway and (2) the 45 day designation expires at the end of the season. So my answer is that an "injured" player can be traded, as long as the acquiring team has you pass their physical. But the acquiring team has to be sure they aren't being sirotka-ed.

Rip'em! Again!

I'd like Blalock in the 3 hole - lefty righty lefty righty, etc.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Dec 15, 2005 -> 01:54 PM) I know what we should do. Stick Garland in the bullpen. He'll be good out of the bullpen with that sinker, plus it lessens his value as a middle reliever big time. Then we resign him to a 7 mil a year deal and he'll be forced to accept or be on another one year deal. That way, McCarthy can start. Yeah, that wouldn't cause any dissension at all.

If/when we trade Garland, it'll extend Matt Karchner's value for the Sox.

Jerry Don wasn't a lefty one out guy - he was a lefty no out guy. Bruce Tanner

Boers and Bernstein are saying he'll be on around 3:20.

The trade makes a lot of sense to me, because Garland will bust the bank next year. I'd wish him well and move on. Man, what will our club look like after the 2007 season? Think we resign Freddy and Buerhle????

This was in Sunday's papers. Collector plates from The Bradford Exchange. There's 3 plates, one for the ALDS, one for the ALCS, and one from guess where. The plates have various players in action shots, and the WS one has the team celebrating in the middle of the field too. They also include a black bat with the Sox WS Champion logo, and you hang the plates on the bat. I gotta tell you these look sharp, as each plate has a black rim to it that frames the players. Each plate is basically 40 bucks, and I think the bat is too, so it's not cheap. There's a link at collectiblestoday.com, according to the add. You know, you could claim to be buying it for that special lady sox fan in your life. And no, I'm not getting a cut.

Well, the other point here is that Philadelphia wouldn't have taken Posednik over Rowand. They have different skill sets to be sure, but Rowand's potential is still more valuable than Posednik, who basically has maxed out.

Not for nothing, but if Tejada wants out of Baltimore, and Manny wants out of Boston, well, that's the start of a possible trade, and then Boston has a real shortstop.

Here's some facts. In the regular season, according to my unofficial log of box scores, Garland last year faced these starting pitchers: Westbrook, Johnson (Det), Elarton, Baker (Minn), Colon, Bonderman, Benoit, Towers, Harris (Seattle), Wakefield, Mussina, Silva, Radke, Piniero, Ledezma, Zito, Ledezma again, Lilly, Chen, Astacio, Santana of L.A., Park, Davis of Cleve., Williams of S.D., Ortiz, Greinke, Prior, Saarloos, Saarloos again, Elarton, Robertson of Det, Wakefield, Hernandez. Doesn't exactly seem like the cream of the crop.