WCSox

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 03:32 PM) Priority #1 LEADOFF HITTER Too bad Richar doesn't have a couple years of experience under his belt, as it looks like he may be our leadoff hitter of the future.

KW needs to find two veteran relievers because we have crap in our own system to fill that need. That's priority #1, IMO. After that, SS needs to be addressed. If KW can swing a deal for Tejada, great. If not, I don't have a huge problem with picking up Uribe's option for one last year. Extending Dye or signing a FA outfielder who can hit (e.g., Rowand) should be his third priority.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 01:20 PM) --Contreras still possibly being moved LOL, who would trade for Contreras without making the Sox eat 80% of his remaining salary? QUOTE(kapkomet @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 01:22 PM) Thanks for 2005, but get the hell out of Chicago, Pods. +1 QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 02:51 PM) YOU DO NOT KNOW THIS. You need to stop stating this s*** as fact because at this point in time NO ONE knows what the future holds for Joe Crede, he may never be able to play the field again for all we know. Not only that, but Kenny has already said (before the recent DL trips/back surgery), that they're not going to sign Joe to a long-term deal.

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 02:15 PM) But I think we've also established that 300 wins won't be a benchmark for HOF by the time Mark retires (I'm guessing that we be around 2017). We have? I think that a very good, 250-win pitcher has a good shot of getting in right now, so I agree. Maybe, although he has yet to have a 20-win season and the Sox aren't exactly a perennial playoff team. Unfortunately, wins and being competitive are a big part of the Cy Young. Randy Johnson got absolutely screwed out of the NL Cy Young in '04 because his team sucked. I'm not saying that it's impossible, but Mark has never been a dominant pitcher, he's probably not going to get to 250 career wins simply because he doesn't want to play into his late 30's/early 40's, and the Sox aren't exactly a dynasty team. I don't like his odds. Mark had a career year in '05 when they won the WS and that was probably his best shot so far... but he only won 16 games and he was over-shadowed by Contreras.

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 02:04 PM) Doesn't Mark have almost an identical record to Glavine through his first 7 years though? I know he also said he wouldn't pitch as long as Glavine, but was Glavine always a hall-of-famer or did he just obtain it with longevity? Glavine has two Cy Youngs AND 300 wins. Mark has been in the Top 5 in Cy Yong voting once and has already said that he won't play long enough to be anywhere around 300 wins.

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 01:48 PM) Who that has come up in the last ten years (outside of Santana) is dominant then? Look at all of the studs who have been in the league for the past 15-20 years and either have pitched at a high level recently or are still doing it now: Randy Johnson, Pedro, Schilling, Glavine, Smoltz, etc. I don't see Mark matching up to any of those guys, and let's not forget that Clemens' and Maddux's careers have overlapped significantly with Mark's as well. That's nice, but the voting committee doesn't really care that there has been a lack of Santana-esque pitchers who began their careers in the 21st century. Plus, I don't see Mark being that much more dominant than Oswalt or Zito (despite the latter sucking this year). I've always thought that Mark was on the same level as Andy Pettitte: really good, but not one of the all-time greats.

QUOTE(daa84 @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 11:55 AM) rock, im right there with you...tejada is a great player, and i can't understand why someone wouldn't want him....people act like hes a butcher in the field, hes actually a fairly solid defensive SS I like what Tejada does on the field, but am not sure that the Sox would be wise to pay the remaining $30 million or so left on his deal with all of the other holes that they need to fill.

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 10:18 AM) Buehrle won't win 300, but he will win 250, and be a shoo-in for the hall of fame because by then 250 will be the new 300. It would only take 10 more years of winning 14 games a year (after 2007) to get there. Mark is no lock for the HOF. In fact, I think that he'll have a very tough time getting in, as he's never been a dominant pitcher (e.g., a serious Cy Young candidate). Pitchers who don't dominate at one point or another had better have a very long career and close to 300 wins for serious HOF consideration.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 09:52 AM) To clear up any questions about waivers and other transactions, read the following ... Transaction Primer Good info here. Thanks.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 08:21 AM) Buehrle's going to significantly decline over time, IMO, when he starts to lose a little velocity -- like last year. Not necessarily soon, but I have doubts about his staying power with his current arsenal. I agree with that. Mark's upper 80's fastball is already borderline and he just may lose a few mph once he hits his mid-30's. Then again, as has been posted earlier, I don't think that he's interested in pitching into his 40's. I'm just glad that we've had Mark in his prime. He's a great example of how much heart can make up for limited raw talent and, dare I say, somewhat of an inspirational figure.

The Tigers just may have blown their one and only shot last year. Their pitching (9th in the AL in ERA) is a shell of what it was last year and the slump that they're currently in is what happens when you rely on your lineup to out-slug the opposition. I don't think that they win the division this year. They may even come up short of the WC.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 08:22 AM) The $$ cleared this year from ST holders will pay for next years salary. I would not expect the PR to fall back to the mid to high 80 mil mark until the '09 season. I hope that you're right, as I'd hope that KW could find room for him. But they already have $79 million in payroll committed to next season. So we'll see what happens QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 6, 2007 -> 08:23 AM) I think you misconstrue realistic thinking for hatred. +1

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 06:46 AM) Crede's already done that. His $5 million or so arb figure isn't going to blow the budget. Keep in mind that the Sox are giving Mark a $4.5 million raise next year. In addition, Jon will be making $2 million more. And JD is going to cost more than $6 million if they extend him. Unless they're able to unload Thome's salary, I can easily see them running into budget issues. Are they really going to field a $100 million payroll with declining season ticket sales? QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 02:34 PM) I have seen enough out of Fields to make him a starter for me in 08, whether that is in LF or 3B doesn't matter to me. The kid has potential, he just needs his ABs to round off the rough edges. He made a couple brutal stupid mistakes today but, even with the strikeouts, I agree.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 11:43 AM) If they don't they are fools. No, if they don't fix their bullpen, they're fools. And if JR & Co. deem that, after fixing that and either extending Dye or finding a replacement, they're out of cash, it's perfectly reasonable to make Joe the odd man out. Like it or not, the Sox are going to have to cut ties with Crede at the end of next season. I fully expect Fields to go through his share of growing pains and am aware of the fact that he may not pan out as an every-day major league 3B. I'd love to see Joe in Chi-town for one last season with Fields in LF. But if the Sox are planning on slashing payroll next season (as I expect them to), I imagine that paying $5 million to a one-year rent-a-player who is coming off of back surgery and whose replacement looks like he can play competently at the ML level wouldn't be a priority of theirs. And I wouldn't blame them one bit if they released him or traded his rights.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 02:48 AM) And, beyond that, if you suggest it was pure luck that his players did what they did, then you explain why he had no holes on his roster, and how 80% of the people on this board knew this team had almost no holes on this roster. Coming into this season, several people mentioned CF, LF, and the bullpen as holes; I don't recall the same recognition of holes in 2005, because those holes did not exist, because Ken Williams constructed a team that had no holes on it and that played up to it's expectations. I will never disagree with the fact that 3 relievers had career years, but that type of luck involves every GM in every situation every year. Funny how nobody brings up the "bad luck" of 2005. Like, say, the Sox's future-HOF DH spending the vast majority of the year on the DL and a washed-up Carl Everett taking his place in the lineup. Or how about their veteran closer getting canned 1/3 of the way into the season, having to rely on Dustin Hermanson in the closer role, and then having to rely on a 270 lb alcoholic rookie to take Hermie's place when injuries sidelined him? Or how about the catalyst to their low-OBP offense missing over 30 games with a bad groin and then becoming almost ineffective as a base-stealer down the stretch? It wasn't all roses... they dealt with their share of adversity. The numbers tell it all: 99 wins, 11-1 playoff record, in first place wire-to-wire, tied for the league low in ERA, 200 HRs, one of the best defensive infields in the league, lead the league in sacrifice bunts... the list goes on and on. The 2005 Sox won because they executed on a level that is second to maybe a dozen other teams in MLB history. That type of dominance has nothing to do with "luck." And while KW may not be an elite GM, he sure as hell did assemble a GREAT team.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 04:58 AM) Fields with his 2 hits last night has the average up to .241, and dumping Crede is the subject of the day. For as bad as Crede supposedly was before last season, if he batting more than 50 times his worst season was .239 with 21 homers and GG quality defense. Non tender Joe Crede? Ridiculous. These White Sox "prospects" are a lot like back up quarterbacks. So many people love them until they really have to count on them. So, the Sox should give Crede $5 million next year while their bullpen is in shambles and they have holes to fill at SS, RF, CF, and LF? Oh, and we have no idea how Joe's back will respond to the surgery he just had. That doesn't sound like a good strategy to me. I'd love to have Joe around for another year with Fields in LF, but I'm not sure that the Sox are going to have a choice.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 02:00 PM) One of the CSN post-trophy specials said that PK fractured his foot late in the 02 season, played through it because they were in a pennant race with the Twinkies, and never had time to fully heal coming into 03. I thought it was a foot fracture, but wasn't sure. Thanks.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:52 PM) Football analogies again, and bad ones! Why would NE fans envy Colts fans when they've won more titles and have become known as a dynasty of sorts that the Colts need to win a few more times to be able to claim title of? Why would Yankees fans envy Braves fans when they've won more titles and have become known as a dynasty of sorts that the Braves need to win a few more times to be able to claim title of? Your inability to understand analogies between different sports is perplexing.

QUOTE(29andPoplar @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:55 PM) My understanding, for what its worth, is his hip is not arthritic. His hip joints are not aligned normally is what I've been told. That's what I remember hearing as well. If Paulie had degenerative arthritis, I'd think that he's be experiencing symptoms and missing time by now. This is a guy who's played the equivalent of nine full seasons and only had injury issues once (2003... and I don't believe that had anything to do with his hip). And he certainly wouldn't be playing above-average defense at 1B. Albert Belle was out of baseball at age 34. Paulie's already 31.

QUOTE(SoxFan77 @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:48 PM) Stop.. Im getting all misty eyed.. And word of advise.. S/He is not worth it.. Said user wants the following for next year 2b-Osuna SS-Uribe LF- Mac (yes who was just recently traded) S/He feels that is a formula for winning baseball.. Play your UTL guys as starters. Anthrax Fan, your cover has been blown!

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:40 PM) Well, that's why I was talking about the Schuerholz Braves, which have won one in seventeen years but their division so many times and been to the playoffs almost every damn year. They can give away a ton of talent in a trade and still have plenty in their system. They always have young players who can come in and work the future. Yep, just like the Colts. And nobody in New England envies them. I don't think that their stadium is all that. It's inferior to several of the others built back in the '90s, IMO. And for a team that's so competitive all of the time, their attendance doesn't really reflect that, as they're consistently out-drawn by the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants, and even the Phillies and Padres now. I agree that the Braves WERE the model franchise back in the '90s, but I don't think that's true anymore.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:35 PM) He really is playing on borrowed time, with his hip. I hope I'm wrong. I know that the people at Rush do really good work. I'm not saying move him for a bag of balls, but you definitely consider it and look around. I would. I've been hearing the stuff about his hip for the past seven years. From what I understand, it's not a degenerative condition. He's not going to go down in flames like Albert Belle.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:14 PM) The Braves organization and model under Schuerholz should be the envy of baseball fans everywhere. They do just about everything right. Yep, except winning championships (a whole 3 in 131 years), which is what "baseball fans everywhere" really care about. That's like saying that the Indianapolis Colts are the envy of football fans everywhere.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 01:09 PM) That says average to me, at best. Bias = poor analysis He's 31 and he can move to DH when/if his defense regresses... and there's no evidence of that yet. Paulie's also a lock for 30 HRs and an .850-.900 OPS every year. He's also healthy (typically over 150 games per year) and his contract is reasonable. Until there's some evidence of his bat speed decreasing (which there probably won't be for another three or four years), there's no reason to move him.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 3, 2007 -> 10:55 AM) I dont know, EVERYONE in the world thought that Javy would put this team over the top to repeat. We also didnt know that Brian Anderson would be such a ridiculous bust. Yep. And now with Jose looking like he's done and Jon likely gone after next year, I'd still take Javy over Young.