Pants Rowland

It sounds like even Soxtalk can't wait to leave Tucson and get this season started.

Finally weighed in this AM after a long break. 204, so still down from original weigh in but very slow going.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Mar 21, 2008 -> 01:02 AM) My only bold prediction for this season is that the Jays win the AL East. I love that prediction and I do not think it is nearly as bold as many believe.

He also hates puppies.

Sox down 2-0 after 1/2 inning of play. Looks like a two out walk followed by a HR did the damage.

QUOTE(shipps @ Mar 7, 2008 -> 10:47 AM) http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-b...o&type=lgns He deserved the WS ring if only for taking that shot from Hunter the year before.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 7, 2008 -> 11:42 PM) Joe Crede's best year and really only good year. .283 .323 .506 30hr 90RBI Robin Ventura's good years 1991 .284 .367 .506 23 hr 100rbi 1992 .282 .375 .442 16hr 93 rbi 1993 .262 .379 .433 22hr 94 rbi 1994 .282 .373 .459 18hr 78rbi (109 games) 1995 .295 .384 .498 26hr 93rbi 1996 .287 .368 .520 34hr 105rbi 1997 .262 .373 .426 (54 games) 1999 .301 .379 .529 32hr 120rbi he continued to post more than 20hr each season until retirement and posted better than avg obp at .338-.368. And I still have no idea how Crede could have more power, Robin outslugged him over their careers and pretty much each season. Not to get off topic, but I believe Ventura deserved some discussion as a HOF candidate. He is close but in the end probably comes up a bit short due to a lack of an MVP trophy plus his offensive numbers seem a few inches from the goal line. Anyway, I have used Ventura's career as a good benchmark for why Santo also does not deserve to be in the HOF. I think the numbers you just laid out illustrate an excellent career that just comes short of the hall, no matter how much we love him.

5-2 Final Score.

QUOTE(BFirebird @ Mar 5, 2008 -> 04:28 PM) I don't see how Alexi doesn't make the team....and start at 2nd base. Especially if you can unload Uribe. I think he can contribute a lot like Asdrubal Cabrera does with the Tribe. Play 2nd and SS for them. He will probably hit less HR and play worse defense than Cabrera but is a cheaper and better version than Uribe. As of week 2 in ST, I agree. However, right now only a handlefull of teams have scouted him and it was more of a tryout basis. He may break camp with the team and tear it up for a couple months before someone identifies a hole in his swing and poof, he becomes Pedro Serrano. Not everyone fails in the conventional Brian Anderson way.

BA with a 2R shot. 5-2 Sox top of ninth.

QUOTE(BaseballNick @ Mar 5, 2008 -> 02:45 PM) No audio today? Doesn't look like it. Dye with a HR to make it 2-0 Sox. Following on the live box score feed.

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Mar 5, 2008 -> 02:38 PM) Swish leaves 'em loaded. A hit (Richar), 2 walks (Dye & Anderson) and error (AJ) lead to a run - Fields some sort of sacrifice to get the run. 1-0 Sox B2 Sac Fly. BTW, MB no longer perfect.

MB perfect through one inning!

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 2, 2008 -> 03:41 PM) The year before they signed him, there were empty seats at the end of the season at Wrigley (gasp!). He was signed to be there new Sammy. Maybe he does not put names in the seats as he was an olive branch after a miserable season. Attendance doesn't work like that up north. The reason the park sells 98%+ of their seats every year are the sun, the beer, and the attractive young professionals wearing minimal clothing as a result. Further, you can fall in just about any direction in that neighborhood and land in a beer garden. Wrigley Field typically slows down a bit at the end of September. College kids go back to school, younger kids are focusing on their own studies, parents refocus on work, the weather is less consistent as October approaches, the team is officially out of it, etc. If they even have a remote chance of winning something come end of September, the place is going to be packed.

I think I heard that the Cell's configuration makes it one of the toughter parks to accumulate doubles and triples. May just be b.s. since I have no source to quote, but I could swear there was some analysis done to back it up.

QUOTE(knightni @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 05:04 PM) The last times that I've been on the El, I'm the scariest thing on there. I would definitely be scared of a 6' tall owl riding the El.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 04:34 PM) I haven't lived in Chicago since back in the day. It seems people were back then afraid to take the El to the game lest they get mugged. Is that now a crock? is the El safe and sound? I would assume it is. It used to be if you went East of the park people were all scared they'd get mugged. I think the reason folks were so scared was the endless row of housing projects that stretched from north to south. Those have since been demolished and a lot of nice new developments (residential, retail, IIT, etc.) have helped fill the void. If anything, it is the area west of halsted that is more dicey now versus the areas east of the park and Dan Ryan Expressway.

Any updates?

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 03:44 PM) IIRC, Hendry and McFail were the ones who forced him out. I don't see Stone going back there if Hendry's still around. But if he's gone, I agree that there's a shot that he returns. A neighbor of mine had a chance to speak to Stone off the record recently. The subject of the whole fiasco with Dusty came up and Stone's general opinion was that between Dusty, McPhail and Hendry, there weren't two testicles to go around. There is definitely not a lot of respect for Hendry there. People around baseball seem to love him. I suppose it helps that he has a ton of cash to work with and pay every free agent above list price.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 02:59 PM) Stone's going to return to the organization that forced him out? That depends on your interpretation of the organization. I consider Dusty Baker, his players, and the current ownership group the people who forced Stone out. Dusty and the players in question are gone and the ownership group will be changed in due time. The wild card is Hendry, who was also part of the problem. If he is retained as GM after the sale, it could be a big enough obstacle to keep Stone away. Otherwise, it is an entirely clean slate. With the Cubs/WGN/Wrigley myth creation and false nostalgia, I can see one of the first priorities of a lot of ownership groups being bringing Stoney back "home".

The story on Whitesox.com notes that he is fulfilling Singleton's one year contract for 2008. I hope this is going to be more permanent than a one year rental until Stone heads to the Cubs front office or back to the TV booth for Len Kaspar under the new ownership group.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 10:42 AM) my one problem with Farmer, and it is a HUGE problem, is his tendency to try and create and continue inside jokes that really arent funny. Chris never wanted to go along with them, it was painfully obvious. I suspect that Stone will lay the smackdown on what he feels is and is not appropriate He also thinks he is a genius and does not know how to speak Spanish nearly as well as he believes. He hazed Singleton for two years. It does not surprise me Chris went elsewhere so quickly. I think Chris needed another 2-3 years in AAA broadcasting before making the jump to national TV full time.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 08:36 AM) Hopefully he will make Ed Farmer listenable again. Was Farmer ever listenable? I just hope he makes him shut up.

QUOTE(lvjeremylv @ Mar 3, 2008 -> 04:16 PM) Career ERA of 3.21 for Linebrink. That's pretty solid. Since he is a reliever, it may not be as big an issue as with starters who get to face the pitcher 2-3 times, but it is still NL.

QUOTE(lvjeremylv @ Mar 3, 2008 -> 04:10 PM) Um, the Giants' interest in Crede has been widely reported for quite some time. Months, in fact. Did I need to put it in green? It is just being talked about a lot around here.