Gregory Pratt

I'm not excited by today. We needed, what, four unearned runs? We've had games like this before. It's corpseball. Good game once a week. Wish we'd save them for Mark Buehrle's starts. Hey, listen. If we roll, I'd be thrilled, but I'm not going to predict a turnaround from today at all. At all.

What was Foley's promo?

Pierzynski was never bad. Everett didn't work out each time we traded for him/picked him up. Contreras is a fine example but Contreras was a grown ass man that dominated international competition for years and was just getting over some serious things that Gavin Floyd will never have to deal with (not that I'm discounting Floyd's life struggles. I'm sure he's had some serious struggles, as we all have, but I for one don't think I've dominated the world then left my home and family to be hostages to a dictator). Thornton's year last year was good, but he was more than a change of scenery. He needed to throw strikes and Cooper worked on that for one year. I guess I can concede him.

Let's stop comparing Gavin Floyd to Chris Young and John Danks and whatever other crazy comparisons people have been making of him. Gillick gave up on Floyd and so did Philly the city + organization. THAT much is well-known.

I didn't think it'd be pretty Hamels v. Indians. It was just a hunch. I didn't know it'd be this bad.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 03:56 PM) Thanks for displaying your knowledge of baseball. No GM would consider a top 5 draft pick who was a top 10 prospect in the game 2 years ago with no injuries a bust. Every GM would also love to take a chance on the guy. I'm not getting into the argument of whether he is ready or not, but he has shown some Major League success in the past (3.49 ERA in 28.1 IP in 2004) and his AAA numbers this year are the best of his career in a hitters' park. Don't call this guy a bust. There's a reason the Phillies thought they'd completely ripped us off with the Garcia deal and it isn't because they thought Gio was a load of crap (although I'm not sure they exactly coveted him after his year). There's a reason nobody else ever picked him up, either, and as for you saying, "No GM would consider a top 5 draft pick who was a top 10 prospect in the game 2 years ago with no injuries a bust" that's not true. Gillick thought so and I'm sure there are plenty of other people who think so. The consensus was, "Floyd is a bust" through much of baseball until KW picked him up and I still think he's not good. I know I'm not alone, either, and I'll call him a bust until he proves otherwise. Oh, and as for your numbers -- how selective. 28.1 good IP in 2004. 2004? What about his horrible, horrible run last year? His AAA numbers this year are all right but it's his fourth time in AAA and he's in the terrible IL. I'm not impressed. For what it's worth, I don't think he's ready yet and I know I'm not alone. There are other people here who've said it's not a good idea to bring him up just yet. Give him some time to get used to his success this year. I look forward to his starts for the White Sox, whenever they come, because I want to know whether or not I was right or wrong. I think I know, but I want to know for sure. QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 07:12 PM) Konerko didn't spend parts of 4 seasons in AAA. Lasorda traded him to Cincinatti because he needed a closer and was concerned about Konerko's hip. The Reds traded him for an up and comer who they used to get Ken Griffey Jr. Floyd was dumped by Philadelphia, using the courtesy line, "all he needs is a change of scenery". Why thank you.

I know baseball players aren't really good fighters. But you know what I mean.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 03:51 PM) It certainly would be when I was comfortable with the talent on the field being better than the results. The Sox have DP candidates up and down the line-up. The line-up is bad. There really are no huge on base guys besides Thome. I just can't see how its Walker's fault Konerko and Dye suddenly play like they are 45 years old. If they hit like they did last year, under Walker's presence, there would be no problem except that there still is no speed. Walker didn't get dumb overnight. If hitting coaches make 100 point differences in batting averages, they are vastly underpaid. Do you have any criticisms to make of minor league hitting coaches? Since nobody ever comes up and does anything?

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 03:16 PM) And last year the White Sox lead baseball hitting with RISP. They had a higher OBP hit more homers, and struck out less than Texas, who have supposedly the greatest hitting coach who has ever walked. Leo Mazzone was a pitching coach God, now with Baltimore, his relievers blow. Did he suddenly become stupid? Did Walker suddenly become stupid? The offense has no speed, has no one who can hit and run. Is loaded with guys who strike out a lot. Why is it Walker has to change them from what they are but Cooper gets a pass? I have read countless posts how great Javy Vazquez is. Look at his record with the Sox. Cooper is getting nothing from him. Is it the coaches fault? What about the bullpen. MacDougal was good now he sucks. Blame Cooper. Aardsma was decent in meaningless games for the Cubs. Now he sucks. Blame Cooper. Sisco can't throw a strike. I'm blaming Cooper. Personally, I just think its ridiculous to pin the White Sox lack of offense on the hitting coach. The team is constructed very poorly. I would just like to see consistency from the board when placing blame on failure. If its Walker's fault the offense is bad. Its Coopers fault the bullpen can't throw a strike, and Vazquez always pitches well enough to lose. Ozzie gets a pass too. If Jerry Manuel were the manager he would get fried on this site. Gene LaMont got fired about 30 games into the 1995 season for bad results even though he won a division in 1993 when it was tougher to make the playoffs, and led a team whose organization says to this day would have won the WS in 1994 if there had been one. Finally, KW needs to be skewered as well. You might give some credit to Mazzone for Ruthrie and Bedard and Ray as much criticism as you want for his relievers. But let's change the subject around a bit, DA. When do YOU blame the coaches. Do you ever?

Why would anyone fight over a stripper?

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 08:24 AM) Then shouldn't Don Cooper be out of a job? The pitching is why the Sox didn't win last year, and its actually worse by the numbers this year at the same point in time. Don Cooper doesn't get any heat. Everyone bought the playoff tiredness, too bad it doesn't seem to affect other teams that make the playoffs way more often than the White Sox. Its not the coaches. Its the players. They are not that good. The White Sox have a few good individual offensive players. They really have no speed. They really have no lead off guy. They have no one who can bunt. They have no hit and run guys. They are loaded with slow guys who swing and miss a lot. KW needs to go back to the drawing board. With Buehrle, it wasn't necessarily tiredness but he wasn't conditioned properly in the offseason as he, by his own admission, took it a little easy after the WS win. As far as Garcia, all his innings don't hurt. Everyone else wasn't THAT bad. Contreras' innings have definitely hurt him. He's thrown like 8000 in Cuba and here combined. Garland started off with dead-arm. Vazquez was fine. The whole "overextended pitching staff" thing isn't exactly a hollow excuse. Randy Johnson spoke about it last year, too. But what the f*** does he know?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Leo Mazzone has worked wonders with relievers, turning even guys who'd been out of baseball the year before into excellent relievers. I know you're coming to the aid of Walker now, but Walker

Money isn't an issue with Ichiro. He'll pay for himself.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 02:05 PM) Judging the HR statistic to determine the potency of a ballclub again, eh? Hmmmmmm...that has worked in the past. He also mentioned OBP.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jun 17, 2007 -> 12:10 PM) I think you've picked up on the first deal in the upcoming weeks. I don't think there's any team in baseball other than us that'd trade for Gavin Floyd. Before Kenny picked him up, everyone considered him a bust, and I doubt there are many people in baseball who are about to gamble on it because he's had a few good starts in the IL his fourth year in AAA.

I didn't know you were such a clubhouse cancer That's at Southsider, not Cheat. Although with a name like Cheat, he might be a clubhouse cancer, too. (I really don't think Murton's defense is THAT bad, either, but I'm only going off of what I've seen.)

Steroids. PS: you shouldn't be calling out your teammates in the media.

I get it. You're playing with Adam Dunn.

Carlos Lee?

If we're going to lose to the Marlins tonight, I hope he hits one to the concourse.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 12:25 PM) The Sox are 4-13 since May 31st, when Darin Erstad blew up his ankle. I miss Erstad. I don't care what his OPS + OPS+++++++/^13 are.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 12:32 PM) The fat guy who plays EH on my softball team plays a better LF than Matt Murton. Podsednik?

I thought that was the best, personally.

QUOTE(Wedge @ Jun 18, 2007 -> 10:46 AM) Teams that could use an Ace level starting pitcher: Yankees Mets Dodgers Padres San Diego Arizona St. Louis Milwaukee Philadelphia Seattle San Diego has a real ace. You might say Two. Also: you've got San Diego listed twice.

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Jun 17, 2007 -> 11:41 PM) None of that happened. Why do you say that? BBC isn't an unreliable news source or anything