Pants Rowland

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ May 5, 2006 -> 09:39 AM) Even though Jim Thome is a major candidate for Most Valuable Hitter in the American League thus far, he is still a .280 hitter. It's all about getting one run at a time. These HRs are nice, but if your leadoff man reaches base with no outs, you sacrifice that #2 hitter to get him into scoring position. And while Scotty Pods sucks hard at baseball, it's still a dumb philosophy to just sit around and wait for a HR. I am a little confused by your Podsednik observation. I think he is bordline "suck hard" in the outfield, but his offense has picked up dramatically since the start. He is not as good as we made him out to be last year, but he can definitely compete and contribute. His legs are probably not strong enough this year to keep him close to the league lead in SBs, but if he picks his spots to run carefully and Thome is batting behind the Gooch, his presence on the basepaths alone should be enough to get him to home plate somehow on a consistent basis. In fact, I'll bet money that, barring injury, Pods will score more runs this year than last.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ May 5, 2006 -> 08:59 AM) Seems pretty obvious to me, and his results seems to indicate he is right. But there are a lot of people on this board (and Sox fans in general) who don't seem to see that big picture. I think the production from the so-called Group Four in the World Series should be enough to convince a lot of the doubters. I know it is tough to show up the game and not see all your favorite regulars in the lineup, but in the long run it makes this a true team with 25 guys that can realisitically contribute on any given day at any given moment. If you want 162 games with your regulars, then you should check out the team playing on the northside. Dusty loves his regulars...and wears them out in the process.

At risk of getting tomatoes and banana peels thrown at me.... Despite Pods' big game at the plate and on the base paths, I contend he almost cost the WS this game. His nonchalant drop of a rather routine fly ball led to the Indians first run. Although it was only one run, it caused the inning to drag on substantially. Vazquez's pitch count was too high for him to come out in the 7th and we all know how the rest of the game went. I might be nitpicking, but Pods needs to be more focused in LF. His play really changed the momentum of the game and may have given the Indians a better outlook for tomorrow's game. Step it up Scotty!

IIRC, while Thome did technically sign a big contract with another team, his departure had much more to do with a rebuilding youth movement masterminded by Cleveland GM Shapiro. Cleveland basically told him he could stay as long as he gave them a huge "home town" discount. Am I mistaken, or do the Indians fans know something more than this? It seemed to me to be another classic example of the childish, high school type atmosphere that we have seen in Cleveland since Jacobs Field opened several years back. I do not care for the Indians or their fans. I would love to see them miss the playoffs again.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 03:00 PM) Good show. ...and an excellent post. Thanks! I am glad to be back in your good graces.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 02:53 PM) I have a very difficult time listening to Farmer on pbp. My remark was in regards to my not being issued an invitation to the Hair Splitter's Convention. Sorry. That was not my intent. My point was we all seem to be barking up the wrong tree. I think Singleton deserves a chance just like any of us deserve a chance when we embark on a new career. To be thrown in front of an audience after never having announced before should allow Chris a pretty substantial grace period. I can bear with him as he develops his style and learns the art of broadcasting. He probably will not become a HOF broadcaster, but not many people acheive that notoriety. Farmer, on the other hand, is a finished product and we are getting a lot more of him this year. He is more pompous and arrogant than Hawk and is not good at his trade. I am so bitter at the Score for screwing up the broadcasts. Sorry, now you are correct, I do need to relax.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 02:48 PM) Relax, champ. Do you find it tolerable to listen to Farmer call a game? Singleton may be painful, but Farmer is downright offensive. He had no business being in the booth with Rooney. The fact that he is in charge of the booth now does not bode well for radio broadcasts well into the future.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 02:37 PM) Singleton is replacing the best play-by-play announcer in baseball. No he is not. Ed Farmer is replacing John Rooney. QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 02:37 PM) It doesn't help that he has to sit next to Farmer, a guy that is barely cut-out for color duties. The venom being spewed at Singleton just floors me. That is the real problem. I would be incredibly patient with Singleton to develop as a color commentator if he truly replaced Farmer and Rooney were mentoring him. Farmer sucks major balls and treats Chris like s***. It is as bad or worse as when Hawk and DJ started out. Farmer is pompous and feels the need to not only teach announcing but also gives lessons in semantics and other bulls***. Farmer sucks ass and those cheap whores at the Score f***ed up my favorite medium for following the Sox. It should be no surprise that their sponsors are all strip clubs, hair loss specialists and ambulance chasers. They are an embarrasment and are showing no signs of trying to step up to the next level in major market broadcasting.

QUOTE(bmags @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 02:31 PM) " ...oh uhhh ohh no..oohh" I think you are confusing Singleton and Santo.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 02:25 PM) Hawk has to be the most pompous, self-righteous, egotistical announcer in sports. And another thing, I'm noticing a lot of, "I used to hate DJ, but, now..." comments, yet, there are still people out there calling Farmer and Singleton the worst radio tandum in history. Last I checked, that was Darrin's first job in broadcasting as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, Soxtalk, I know you will. You are correct. The White Sox convinced DJ to hang it up the spikes and head straight to the booth. He is considerably better than when he first started. For a while he tried to emulate Hawk and they came across as 2 geezers waxing nostalgic about the good old days. DJ still talks too much about Japan and Tony Gwinn but overall I think he adds insightful analysis and has just about conquered his long painful pauses and irrelevent tangents. It also helps that Hawk is showing signs of alzheimers to the point that DJ frequently needs to help him regain his focus. I hate to say it, but for overall baseball announcing capabilities, I would choose DJ over the other three White Sox announcers.

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Apr 27, 2006 -> 11:35 AM) All I know is Ozzie didn't lose a series for us in October last year and his bench guys (who got significant playing time during the year) were a big part of that. Bingo!

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Apr 27, 2006 -> 12:07 AM) Chalk 1 series loss to an Ozzie lineup. We ended up with 4 or 5 series losses last year due to it, wonder how many we will have this year. I'll take 4-5 series losses this year as long as we win the ALDS, ALCS and WS. The rest helps the regulars. It also helps the bench. Our bench stepped up in the postseason. Think about Ozuna's stolen base in the game 2 of the ALCS, Blum's home run in game 3 of the WS, and Willie's clutch hit which turned into the winning run in the clincher. Dusty Baker loves sticking with his regulars and his teams have faded fast as the season progresses. He is starting to ride his bullpen horses too much again and it will likely take its toll. A smart manager knows how to win a game and sometimes lose a game every now and then. It creates a team atmosphere, keeps everyone fresh, and helps build confidence. It also allows him to see if certain guys can't cut it. Guillen ran Billy Koch out for every save opportunity possible in 2004. Everyone was screaming at him for blowing quality performances by the starters. However, it helped the orgnaization realize they were going no where with Koch as the closer and he was out of Chicago in no time. Every player is important on championship clubs. That is why you alway hear about the "unlikliest heros" in the postseason. Guys like Blum, Dent, Landrum (ugh!), and Mazeroski hit home runs when no one expected it. The reason is their organizations put together versatile groups of players that knew how to step up in certain situations. This was primarily because they were part of a team and not a bunch of individual superstars. Think of how the Yankees have fared since they started stocking up on superstars. They have not won a title since O'Neal, Brosius, Martinez and Williams were starters. You do not need all your stars on the field every day in order to win a championship.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Apr 25, 2006 -> 02:10 PM) I watch both games when they are on. What is wrong with that? Nothing at all...as long as you are cheering for whoever is playing the Cubs that night.

QUOTE(GoRowand33 @ Apr 24, 2006 -> 05:19 PM) aww to bad he is banned anyways this guy looks like freddy garcia gone wrong At least he did something with his hair to comply with team policy. What did he do to get banned anyway (other than the obvious reasons)? I really liked the fact the way he had me vascillating whether he was a real person or a very stray figment of someone's imagination.

I disagree that Owens will replace Pods. However, I do agree with the underlying reasoning. I am a bit concerned with his number of caught stealings thus far. I do not like being suspicious but I am not so sure his speed is back to where it was a year ago when he was running the opposition to frustration. I think we could easily see Podsednik back on the DL for a stint or two this year due to a nagging condition. I also could easily see that leading to the white sox acquiring another leadoff man to replace him in 2007. Again, all this speculation could be us torturing ourselves, but I am not 100% sold on his clean bill of health.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 24, 2006 -> 08:38 AM) BTW, I keep my picture in my profile, in case anyone wants to look Just looked. LMAO.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Apr 22, 2006 -> 01:03 PM) Am I the only one stunned that the best records in baseball are held by Chicago and the Mets, teams hailed all off-season long for their teams, but also by the Houston Astros who I, frankly, thought would fizzle and die? Maybe the Rocket will come back to Houston after all. The media keeps saying that he wants to come back with a team that gives him a chance to win. And, if that's the case, then what better team than Houston -- particularly considering that they're in a weaker league and thus likelier to get to the World Series? The Astros have been one of the most consistently successful franchises in the Major Leagues over the past ten years. They have made several playoff appearances, advanced to a few LCS and made their first WS appearance last year. They are a well run organization that continues to have success. I would say they are the best run franchise in the majors after the Braves (and possibly the Cardinals). I mean no disrespect to the Yankees and Red Sox, but while their runs of success have been impressive in their own right, the Astros have done it without spending excessive $$$ on multiple superstars and have also done an exceptional job of promoting from within the organization. Their continued success does not surprise me in the least bit.

QUOTE(White Sox Fan For Life @ Apr 21, 2006 -> 09:06 AM) You never know we could all try to be on the same understanding when we write the paper! LOL Who is suppose to be my father? Huh. In other words..."Whose your Daddy?" By the way, sorry to call you a dude. I guess it shows just how hard I have been working at stalking you.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Apr 21, 2006 -> 12:00 AM) I have a greek ex-girlfriend. She cured me of all things greek in her extreme craziness. The only thing I would ever want out of greektown is the food at Greek Islands. Thanks though Were you the guy that was dating my crazy sister?

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 11:41 PM) Thats a female there, so it is her argument, not his. Thanks and duly noted. I never do the research to check these things. QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 11:41 PM) I have a small belief in curses. Not too much that i believe that I need a greek evil eye pendant to ward away all bad luck. Let me know if you want one of those things. I am on my way to Greektown tomorrow to pick up a few things for Easter this weekend. ;-)

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 08:01 PM) you arent offending, you are straying from the topic. I agree there is no proof of curses. I have a small belief in curses, and I think they can be overcome. Just because the Red Sox and White Sox won, to me, doesnt mean that they werent cursed for however many years that they didnt win the big one. But if there is such thing as a curse, then there has to be a way to undo a curse. How is it done? I have no idea. Belief, maybe. Incredible luck maybe. I know for sure that prancing a f***ing goat around your field doesnt work. To me, Curses just enforce my romanticized view of the sport of baseball. I love the sport, and sometimes it just seems like there are greater forces at hand. LOL, all the atheists on the site are probably pointing and laughing at this post, but I am being honest. This atheist is doubled over in pain laughing right now. I know you know how I feel about religion and curses. I stand by my argument from the last forum when WSFFL asked us all if we believe in curses. Curses only exist if we believe in them. If you think you are cursed, then you will be cursed. If you think you are invincible, then you will be (until you get into a car accident or get old, of course. *smile*). With that said, I guess I am making your argument for you. As defined by answer.com, I definitely do not believe in curses. However, if you look at it from my analysis, the mental stigma of a curse may actually in fact create a curse. It is like the boogieman. If you pay attention to him, he gets bigger and scarier but if you ignore him, he disappears and you fall asleep fast. I get really caught up in discussions like this and think WSFFL is making a big mistake in using anecdotes and fan polls as a basis for his argument. To me, a thorough analysis of each franchise will clearly illustrate that futility has plagued just about every team in MLB for extended periods of time. Most teams have had brief periods of competitive glory surrounded by decades of mediocre play or at least competitive play that still comes up short of a title. Very few of the current franchises in their present cities have won more than 2 World Series in their history. Many folded or moved with one or no championship. The fact is, in the time since the AL reared its young head and the two leagues started playing for a world championship, there has been the Yankees, and then everybody else. This is especially true from 1920 to the present. To me, that is the best refute to the idea of curses. Certain fan bases are just childish and need the extra attention. I am sure we all have similar siblings whose problems are far worse than ours. That is kind of how I look at teams who like to point to a curse as the cause of their woes.

QUOTE(White Sox Fan For Life @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 03:18 PM) That is okay if you are stalking me. So what information have you gotten on me so far. Based on your signature... 1. You have been a white sox fan your whole life. 2. You also love disco.

QUOTE(White Sox Fan For Life @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 02:09 PM) Thank you for all your tips again I really appreciate it. I do have more information to put in the paper but I was freaking out because I really don't know how to word it sometimes. When you ask me where do I attend classes is that something you are making fun of me for because my grammar is bad? No offense I am just very aggravated because I have a paper to write about on how to put a silencer on a gun for my policing class too. Not making fun of you at all. Just curious. I like the notion that I am stalking you, though. That would be a nice subtle question to help me continue my complete profile of you before I start camping out at all the places you frequent on a daily basis. By the way, no need to freak out over this stuff. You picked a fun topic so have fun with it.

QUOTE(White Sox Fan For Life @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 12:16 PM) Hello for anyone on soxtalk! I need your favor! I don't know if you guys remember when I posted a thread last week a thread called curses! I needed that for my research to use toward my thesis statement. Well our teacher assigned us our first rough draft to be due which was required to be a length of five pages. I have so much information that I want to put in my paper which the final paper has to be ten pages long. Well I need your opinions on what you think of my paper. I would truly appreciate this! I don't care what you say as long as they are honest opinions. I want to help you but this is just too long for me to scour while at work. I read a couple pages and have a couple overall suggestions. 1. Avoid redundancy. You frequently restate facts and names and other items from one sentence to the next. Shakespeare said it best in Hamlet..."brevity is the sole of wit" 2. Read your paper back to yourself out loud. If the sentence is awkward to read out loud, it will be awkward to the reader and confuse them, even though you know what you are trying to say when you look at it silently. 3. Avoid contractions (don't, we're, etc) and the first and second person (I, my you, your, etc.). 4. The Red Sox did not "shed" first blood in game 6, they "drew" first blood. Better yet, they struck first. Also, if I am not mistaken, the game was played at Shea Stadium in New York (You made reference to the 1986 Boston World Series Game, or something to that effect. Just call it Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Alternatively, if you have already established the fact that it is the 1986 World Series, then just call it Game 6). 5. Organize your thoughts clearly and concisely in 5 pages for now. Your teacher is going to ask you to elaborate on some of the more compelling points and you will be able to meet the 10 page requirement. That is all I have for now. Good luck. Where do you attend classes again?