Pants Rowland

QUOTE (tommy @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 01:45 PM) Alexei struck out, BA grounded out. Quickly 2 out. I used to be in the camp that thought Anderson gets a bum rap and needs more playing time on a team that wants him. Now I am not sure I want to see him play more or even want him. Great D but some really ugly at bats.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 01:39 PM) UGLY by Fuk FUGLY?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 01:35 PM) And Jose Valentin. And Caruso.

I luuuuv 7 pitch at bats.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 12:54 PM) It's always been an uphill battle for the Sox since the whole idea of Cable TV. Eddie Einhorn made what the Sox are today popularity-wise. Had sportsvision never came along and had the Sox stuck to WGN, they would be a lot more popular, no doubt. It's more of a media battle for the Sox, the Cubs are owned by the country's largest media outlet, of course the Sox are going to be discriminated against. White Sox fans constantly bash the Tribune for their lack of Sox coverage and their incredible love for the Cubs. It's a chip-on-our-shoulders type of feeling. We're the underdog. Our fan base is somewhat smaller (to say the least), we don't get full houses every night, and even with a World Series, it still doesn't prove anything to the idiotic Cubs fans we get into arguments with. They say it's a thing of the past, we say their past goes back 100 years. Once Tribune sells the Cubs, it may turn for the better, but right now Chicago is a Cubs town. It might of been a Sox town in the 50s and 60s when the Cubs were nothing, but even with a little bit of hope back in '03 and what they've done in '08, you can see 2/3 of the city erupt in joy. The same joy the White Sox gave to Chicagoans 2 long years ago. The love is definitely spreading though, the WS Championship did its part. But in order to win the city back, the Sox must keep winning championships until the Cubs can match them no more. What he said. Although, my understanding is the White Sox started messing around with their TV contract even before Einhorn. My father said it goes back to the ownership of the Allens. Prior to that the teams would both be broadcast on WGN for a daily day night double header. Einhorn's vision of "fans paying to watch quality players like Carlton Fisk" was the nail in the coffin that ended the good will built up with so many good Sox teams in the 50s and 60s. It is around that time that the national Cubs following really started to take off. WGN became a national power station while the Sox were on UHF channels. In the mid-80s the Cubs neighborhood really started turning around and the gangs got displaced by yuppies. in 1988 the Cubs got lights and attendance levels started to skyrocket. Slowly, more and more bars popped up along the handful of north south commercial strips in the neighborhood, in particular Clark Street. The only thing that derailed this freight train a tad was the 1994 strike. All the while the Cubs were generally a bad team, but they stopped marketing baseball long before that and spent most of their time talking up the charm and experience of Wrigley Field, Harry Caray and the like. My understanding is they also really worked on ballpark upkeep so they were not forced to demolish like the Sox did with old Comiskey Park. Wrigleyville was not only a place for baseball fans at this point, but also drunks, professionals playing hookey, and tourists from Iowa and Nebraska who wanted to experience what they were seeing on WGN all those years. During this same time, the Sox continued to be haunted by 20 or so local low income housing projects riddled with gangland violence and endless road construction on the Dan Ryan Expressway. If that wasn't enough to deter people, ownership continued to upset fans by threatening to move them to St. Petersburg unless they got a new stadium paid for by taxpayers. Once they got a new stadium, it was poorly designed and lacking in charm. Then the strike happened and everyone (or at least the local press, which is all that matters) blamed Reinsdorf for it. In 1997, the Sox were 3.5 games out of first (and sucked, BTW) and traded away a bunch of players to go young. People still talk about that stupid "White Flag" trade as if it were Black Thursday or something important. Reinsdorf was dismissive of criticism of the trade and earned even more scorn as a result. All the while everything Cub seemingly became more charming and cuter. In 1998, Sammy Sosa proved to Frank Thomas what a true superstar was supposed to be. In 2003, they were robbed of their big chance by a fan (not their SS, who booted a grounder right to him). The endless stories of curses, tradition and destiny could not be avoided. 2004 was going to be the Cubs' year and the fans were beside themselves With all that said, the Cubs failed to deliver in 2004. Then the Sox came out of nowhere and really stole some thunder with the 2005 championship. People love a winner and 2005 brought a lot of new faces to the area. Long gone were the housing projects and people realized there were alternative routes to get to the park. The myths of the neighborhood being a dangerous gangland have subsided dramatically since so many people have come out and realize that the area and the renovated ballpark really do not lack anything other than one tavern after another. They may not draw 3 million fans in a season, but they are definitely enjoying a renaissance.I see a lot more Sox hats and casual fans than I ever have before. Being a Cubs fans typically has far more to do with things other than baseball. I like baseball and am glad to be a White Sox fan. Thanks for your writeup.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Jun 19, 2008 -> 06:43 PM) What current player's last name is the same as the name of the team he plays for? Rachel Rays?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 04:54 PM) I dont really want to see anymore posts suggesting trading Floyd or Danks. Those guys are about as untouchable as it gets at this point. Okay. I will knock it off. I really do not think trading such young SP is wise either. However, I must say it is amazing to see what a difference a year makes with the increase in Floyd support here at ST. I hope he continues to build more momentum as September and October roll around. On another non-trade note, is it a coincidence that the lineup is putting up a more consistent attack with Konerko sidelined? I suppose I should wait to see how they do v. the Cubs and Dodgers before saying there is any correlation.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 03:48 PM) In terms of needing extra runs, the Sox really don't. They need to spread them out a little bit more consistently, which may very well come simply from getting Thome and Swisher on track along with the development of Alexei. I totally agree, which is why I believe a more balanced attack featuring competent switch hitters, alternate R/L in the lineup, and higher pitches per at bat will lead to a more consistent performance from one team to the next. This team is very polar in its offensive production. They have games like last night (and recent performances against KC and MIN) but have also been shut out 6 or 7 times already. So, on the surface their runs scored is not awful, but they are prone to bad stretches when they see a group of young pitchers for the first time (Baltimore and Tampa Bay for example) or struggle against the Paul Byrds of the world. Maybe I am overreacting and the 162 game schedule will prove to be the great equalizer for yet another season, but I am not so sure the Sox won't be exposed in that capacity either. On your last sentence, I think Swisher will straigthen out. He was killing the Sox for a while but he looks to be back in the right frame of mind, seeing lots of pitches, taking walks and going with the pitches. I think we have seen a gradual deterioration of Thome and Konerko that is likely to continue, however. To me, the best way to get the most out them is almost to treat them like players you are showcasing for a trade. Let them watch the game from the bench a little more often (at least 5 games off a month for each of them). Put them in situations they are most likely to succeed and give them more rest than they are on pace for at the moment. Have them available to pinch hit and use them as a decoy to disrupt the other team more.

proponent of a sitcom starring juan uribe and ed farmer. That is up there with a sitcom featuring Moe Sizlak and a video game occupied by Abe Simpson's ghost.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 02:45 PM) I can tell, lol Maybe, but a smart GM like Gillick may see the benefit of addition by subtraction. I am not advocating such a trade, but if you were to package something like Poreda and either Floyd or Danks for Rollins and cash, you could make the argument that both teams get better. Sure, the White Sox lose starting pitching depth and financial flexibility, but the bullpen is still there and you help the lineup tremendously by adding far more balance. With Rollins on top you have so much lineup flexibility with placement of Cabrera, Quentin and Swisher, making it really tough to manage against the Sox unless your starter goes 7 innings. This will be difficult since the number of pitches the opposing starter throws is likely to increase with Rollins at the top as well. Your ERA with Broadway or some journeyman filling in the 5th starter spot may go up but you could make up for it with a steady balanced attack and extra speed on the basepaths. Add to this the good relationship that Williams and Gillick have and there may be more of a chance for a blockbuster trade like this than people would believe. I doubt it would happen. I personally like the idea of acquiring Durham the best. However, good GMs know that any player is tradeable. You should not play for individual matchups as much as you should try to take 4 out of every 7 games. The Phillies could use the extra arms and the Sox could use the extra offense. It makes both teams more competitive over that 7 game stretch.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 11:59 AM) Here's the thing though...if you drop April from Alexei's numbers and just assume that those first 33 at bats were the time he needed to adapt to the league...he's actually performing at Durham's level. He's just hitting out of his mind right now. In May and June, Alexei's hitting .346, with a .375 OBP and a .889 OPS. He may not walk as much as Durham, but he's hitting with a hell of a lot more power and he's making up for the OBP by almost never striking out. His numbers may come back to earth, frankly I have no idea, but I don't know why we'd want to either give up something of any value at all to push Alexei to the bench nor do I know why we'd want to take Alexei's bat out fo the lineup if he can give us anywhere close to this kind of performance. I would not mind having Alexei roam the field, virtually playing every day but in different spots. He seems really versatile and does not have the superstar mentality where he needs to play in one spot only. I would love to see him rotate between CF, 2B and SS the rest of the year. Meanwhile, Swisher, Dye, Konerko and Thome could rotate between RF, DH, and 1B. Versus lefties you have Konerko at 1B, Swish in RF, and Dye DH. Versus righties, you have Swish at 1B, Dye in RF, and Thome at DH. Your bench is much stronger with some combination of Alexei, Ozuna, Anderson, Durham and Konerko/Thome available and sets up tougher decisions for the opposing managers late in games. Your defense is probably better since with Durham added to the lineup you can play Anderson more in CF, especially versus lefties and not worry about the offensive dropoff too much. I know many will say you can't pay for all that power to sit on the bench, but with their age and injuries, it might be best for Konerko and Thome (and Dye for that matter) to stay fresh and be ready for more playing time come September/October.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 11:49 AM) I could be wrong, but with both being FA's after the season, I just don't see either one moving to another position in the middle of the season. It is a decent thought though. I have brought it up before, but it didn't catch much fan fare. What about Durham? He probably is going to retire after the season, and is on the last year of his deal. He has had a great bounce back season, hitting .286 with a .372 OBP. With Roberts probably on the market, Durham could be a very nice cheap option for this club, similar to the Iguchi deal last year. Lexi moves to the super sub role, but could still get a ton of time. With Konerko and Thome banged up and probably needing time off down the road, Swish moves to 1b/DH, and Lexi plays in CF. On top of that, Ray will need some time off, getting Lexi time at 2B, and could even give Cabrera some time off at SS. You could still get Lexi starts 2-3 times a week. Ray Ray is a great option if the Giants are willing to part with him. My guess is for a decent prospect, Juan and cash he could be had.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 11:12 AM) Doesn't make much sense at all for this season. Cabrera, like Furcal, are only signed for this season, and Orlando has really started to turn it on. I do however think Furcal will be a big target for Williams in the off-season. Oh, I thought he had more time left on his contract. My mistake. I agree SS is not our big problem, but I thought Furcal was the type of hitter the Sox could use. If you were able to have Cabrera and Furcal on the same team and convince one to move to 2B it could strengthen the offense without hurting the defense.

Anyone think Furcal could be had for the right package right now? I know he is injured, but he could be the type of player the Sox lack if he comes back strong from the injury. Unfortunately, I think the D-Backs have given the rest of their division way too much hope for the season so I am not sure the Dodgers will want to do anything. However, if the Sox could offer them a healthy SS in return (preferably Uribe), some young pitching help, maybe the Dodgers would bite in order to avoid waiting out Furcal's medical reports.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 18, 2008 -> 09:31 AM) They were trying to catch them asleep. I didn't see the play, but it sounds like Longoria made an awesome play just to get the out. He did and the 1B miracously held on to the ball that bounced up to his chest right before Johnson bumped him hard crossing the bag. I may be as dumb as Johnson, but I was actually thinking the same idea when he came to the plate. Longoria was playing back and the Rays looked a little shaken. Longoria just made it happen.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 10:47 AM) Yes, but not the NLCS MVP. The Cubs never made the playoffs in '87. The Cards and Giants did. Ah yes. I did not recall Leonard, but Scott was unbelievable v. the Mets. He came close to beating them by himself. I vaguely remember the interview outside the silent locker room

QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 6, 2008 -> 10:45 PM) Mike Scott and Jeffrey Leonard Wasn't Andre Dawson MVP in 1987?

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 08:04 AM) It existed. Except it was for the HP umpire. That was Charlie Finley's A's that did that, correct?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ May 31, 2008 -> 11:33 PM) I disagree. The record is 73 with people who can't think for themselves. I was excited when Howard approached it recently. To say that Bonds is the owner of the record is just like saying OJ was innocent. It's BS, and everyone knows it. Are you saying OJ was guilty?!

QUOTE (WhiteSoxfan1986 @ Jun 4, 2008 -> 02:32 PM) Since it could happen again this year, what was the last team to have three different players win consecutive MVPs, and who were they? Yankees - Maris ('61), Mantle ('62) and Elston Howard ('63)

On the retread note, any word on Freddy Garcia's recovery progress? Some had speculated the Sox might try to pick him up in June/July.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 07:11 PM) My mom was in an elevator with Carl Everett and Tom Gordon at the Skydome. She said they were very nice, even if she told Flash that he let the game get a little too close. Only a mom could get away with that. LOL

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 2, 2008 -> 09:28 AM) Maybe thats because they were leaving some space for this up and comer Walter Johnson? Nice article ;p And Warren Spahn? I heard he was a heck of a prospect as well.

I saw the Little Hurt Craig Grebek in the food court at the Thompson Center several years ago. He was with a woman who I assume was his wife since she was highly pregnant. As a kid, I ran into Billy Williams at the Chi Chi's in front of Venture in Oak Brook Terrace many many years ago. He was really nice nad signed his autograph for me. Chi Chi's and Venture are now defunct franchises and the site is now home to a Home Depot. I also saw Tom Paciorek at the Lincoln Park zoo when I was a wee lad.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 01:40 PM) Who is, by legend, the man on the MLB logo? I believe it is Harmon Killebrew but it is a little ambiguous since I remember hearing it is shot from a reverse angle or something.