Pants Rowland

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 01:01 PM) I don't think someone writing about Wrigley Field on SoxTalk.com/Forums counts as "pandering." Praise for Wrigley Field gives almost no one satisfaction on this site, so I would respond that I am not a panderer. That said, I think I'm with RockRaines on this one: things like those described in this thread happen everywhere, including the Cell this week I'm sure, but I will say this in addition: I saw a Cub fan on TV after a homerun -- I think it was Aramis' walkoff -- and he was shirtless and thin as can be and looked really, really drunk and he put his arms up and out like he were being crucified and he just stood there in the bleachers like that, surrounded by humanity, and it was... creepy. Why Gregory, whatever do you mean? Why would you think I was talking about you?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 04:34 PM) There are many die hard cubs fans that really dont hate on the Sox fan base as much as many of their bandwagon imbecile fans do. These idiots are what gives them a bad name, and frankly im surprised that real fans like the ones on NSBB.com don't despise those people more than they despise our borderline fans. They give cubs fans a horrible name, make it impossible for them to get tickets to see their own team, and have basically made it impossible for many die hard cub fans to really feel supportive of their own fan base. I did not realize we had borderline fans. Now, fans with borderline personality disorder, maybe.

A bar is only a Cubs or Sox bar if the neighbors make it that way. I am sure there are a good handful of Cubs fans in the Sox's vicinity, but can they sustain a bar over the long haul? I am not so certain. If JB were to open in Bridgeport, it would have to be careful not to alienate Sox fans, especially considering how much business they could be turning away 81 days out of the year, not to mention the other 81 days the Sox are on the road and locals want to go out to a friendly bar to watch the game. If you think about it, this is one of the big things we Sox fans have pointed to for years as the real reason there are so many Cubs "fans". They are more fans of Wrigley than the team and with that said, it is even more the neighborhood that makes them fans. You can get thrown out of a bar for being too drunk and end up landing in another bar on your way out. If more fun establishments open in Comiskeyville, it could support attendance figures, especially in down seasons, just like it has for the Cubs since the mid-80s. Go ahead and call it a Cubs bar and see how well that sticks. How many cubs fans do you see traveling 8 miles or more south to watch the Cubs at a bar? It might be successful if they play a season or so at the Cell during renovations but I do not see it having any longevity.

Danks Bullpen Alexei Now let's pay back those baby bears!

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 04:47 PM) Sometimes he makes it look so easy. I'd personally like to see him take the 9th as well when he is so efficient with his pitches like that.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 04:25 PM) He was 100% correct, and I loved it. He basically called out more than half of this board. Please explain.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 04:23 PM) What happened to get him tossed? I think Coop is PMSing though, as he was an ass on the Score earlier today. Had he been drinking?

QUOTE (Pants Rowland @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 03:11 PM) Hall can't bunt? Nevermind

Hall can't bunt?

Sheffield HR to tie Cards at 2.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 08:27 AM) How long does anyone realistically expect Wise to keep this up? 8-12 at bats

I did not submit so it will be interesting to see what materializes in the coming days. I do hope to see The Honeymooners, All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Welcome Back Kotter and Three's Company in the mix. Three's Company was not my favorite, but there are elements to it that make it one of the more memorable comedies ever on TV. Another hilarious movie that a lot of people were not sure was a comedy was Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Defoe.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jun 25, 2008 -> 07:49 AM) I'm sure his range is somewhat limited these days, but Santo was a damn good 3B. HOF?

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jun 24, 2008 -> 01:42 PM) As long as the Sox are remotely competitive, I don't see it happening this season. When he's on, Jose can dominate. Plus, you never know how Danks and Floyd are going to do down the stretch. The Sox also run the risk of dealing their playoff hero from '05 being perceived as White Flag II, and I'm sure that Kotex Boy and many of the other tools in the Chicago media will present it that way. That said, I'd love to deal Jose at the end of this year, regardless of where they finish. They need to begin dumping aging veterans and rebuilding around younger players this winter. I agree that it is not likely to happen if they remain competitive all year. I think the only way it works in that situation is if the Sox were to trade him for legit prospects which they in turn dealt along with something else for a legitimate ace and I can not think of one out there that would be available and is worth it.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jun 24, 2008 -> 12:09 PM) Agreed to an extent, although Garcia went from routinely hitting 93-94 on the gun to 86-87 in one year. Contreras has lost some velocity as well, but not nearly as much. With Jose, it was more of a question of health. A healthy Jose still had the stuff to be successful. A healthy Freddy didn't. Despite his recent struggles, Jose is still integral to the rotation right now. With that said, if a team lacking in starting pitching depth (say the Mets as a good example) came to the Sox and offered something the Sox need such as speed and a more solid bat/OBP/situational hitter type (to keep with the Mets theme, say Luis Castillo, although he is hurting), would you do it straight up? What if said team threw in a pitching prospect to boot? What if someone took Uribe as well? Just curious. I think there might be a market for Jose and I am not sold on him giving a great return on the investment over the remainder of his contract. I am also not sold on this being a championship team, even if they win the division. If the Sox were relatively confident they could fill his spot in the rotation with someone in the organization, it might not be the worst alternative to unload his contract and free up a spot for Broadway (or whomever) or cash for a better alternative either via a trade this year or a free agent signing in the offseason.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 24, 2008 -> 04:07 AM) Au Contraire... that ain't the half of it... http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65666 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65337 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65607 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65582 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65417 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65336 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65387 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65365 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65313 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65261 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65180 Overall, that's 12 topics and an average of over 32 posts per day since joining on May 31. Those are ROY numbers right there, especially for a mid-season call-up. Most of these are White Sox winner threads, too. I have to respect the enthusiasm. I guess WSB is more like Rudy rather than Danger Barch.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 23, 2008 -> 03:11 PM) I was too, I just liked baseball and I just wanted to watch whatever team was on. Then when I got to be about 12 I figured I had to choose one and I realized the Cubs just plain sucked and the Sox did not. Yeah, I probably could name as many '84 Cubs as '83 White Sox. It was different back then. Neither team had done much in ages. Both neighborhoods were sketchy in their own way. Both parks were crumbling relics and both franchises were trying to turn the corner with new ownership. Fans would jaw with each other about which team was better, but the arguments over attendance and other silly things of nowadays really does not stick out in my mind. Maybe I am delusional since I was just a kid back then.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jun 23, 2008 -> 03:15 PM) I have? Honestly, like I told Tony, I'm usually in umpire school at this time, but we're out for the summer, and now I'm just trying to follow the team as much as possible. With so much time currently on my hands, like I said, I'm trying to follow the team way more. I seem to recall more than a couple posts trying to deter you from posting so often and starting so many thread but I may be mistaken. To your credit you do not let it deter you.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 23, 2008 -> 01:46 PM) Seriously, step away from the keyboard. Leave the guy alone. He has made the 40 man roster in less than a month despite taking abuse from so many. His resolve reminds me of that character in Million Dollar Baby, Danger Barch. Ain't nothing gonna knock him out for good.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 23, 2008 -> 12:16 PM) There is nothing fun about the Cubs or Wrigley Field period. I don't even buy their chewing gum anymore You know, the Wrigley family no longer owns the team.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 23, 2008 -> 09:13 AM) I was at the game on Friday, and saw one of the sickest displays of humanity in sports. I always wanted to give Cubs fans their fair shake... "Don't lump them together as mostly idiots," I'd think to myself. So throughout the game, it's just in fact a beer garden. Half the fans are more occupied with their next beer than what's on the field. Hardly anyone was paying attention to the game. Sure enough though, when those b2b homers were hit in the 7th off Dotel, they were "fans" once again. The disturbing part of the afternoon was when Aramis hit the walk-off HR. The "Cub fans" who adore Wrigley and call it a shrine launch beers onto the field. Fully clad in White Sox jersey and hat, I'm surprised I didn't get pelted with a beer or two myself, but an innocent 30 or so year old woman got drenched because she had Sox gear on... I can't help but to think had the Cubs followed the law and stopped serving at the 7th inning stretch, maybe every moron in the outfield would not have had a full beer to launch after the Cubs win. They were selling beers right up until that pitch was hit. All I can say is, sweep or not, I'm proud to say I'm a Sox fan, and not a Cubs fan today. I sometimes forget why I can't stand the Cubs and decide to be more mature and open minded. I think that baseball is baseball and, Zambrano's antics aside, I really should not cheer against a specific team just because of their uniform. Then I turn the game on and listen to Len Kaspar stroke these people about what awesome "fans" they are, see the 7th inning stretch with some celebrity "singer" and hear "go Cubs Go" after a win. My hate returns to normal levels and I go back to hoping for them to lose every day, not because I want the players to do poorly but just to shut up these baseball ignorant drunkards. They are not fans of the game and really do not respect their park for anything other than what it is to them, a giant beer garden/singles bar. And if I see one more pandering post about how much fun Wrigley is from a specific member of this site, I think am going to vomit. Stop auditioning for ESPN. No, I am not talking about you, Steve.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jun 22, 2008 -> 11:45 PM) Exactly. I credit Crede's walk off HR vs Cleveland as the real dagger. They closed it to 3 games and that made it 4 with I think like 7 games to play. But definitley, like you said, many things played a role in it. It was 1.5 games. Crede's HR made it 2.5 and the Tribe beat the Sox the next night to make 1.5 again. I believe the Sox won the division by 6 games, sweeping the tribe in the last series of the regular season to knock them out of the playoffs. I think the Tribe needed one win against the Sox to make it as the wild card. I believe that the Sox would have had to play the Yankees to start the playoffs, then. By the way, the weekend (especially Friday which should have been a W) sucked. However, that is a very good, maybe great Cubs team right now, especially at the Urinal. I can't stomach their silly fans but I can not argue with how well they take it to teams, in particular at home. It very well could be their year and I typically ridicule that type of talk. So far seeing is believing.

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 02:16 PM) Brian Anderson is bad. Please come back Paulie. I dont care if you hit 200. I cannot stand to watch BA I am not sure there is a huge difference between the two this year other than the fact that BA is not batting cleanup. That and the fact he is fantastic on defense. I am thinking more and more that this team is better with Alexei in CF, Swish at 1B, and some servicable 2B who can get on base at a decent clip. Konerko sucks.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 01:50 PM) Gotta admit the cubs are very selective, can work the count and seem to understand what a pitcher is doing and how to exploit it. There is a reason they score so many runs and it ain't just power. Paging Paul Konerko.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 01:48 PM) I hate getting behind dangerous hitters. For me it kind of depends on him nice of an ass they have.