Gregory Pratt

Mmhmm, I'm with a girl who'll appreciate a cute pair of socks, dinner and something handmade or handwritten (a poem, for instance). In other words, she's a cheap man's dream. For Christmas I'll probably just get her socks, a love letter and, perhaps, a teddy bear. She asked me what I wanted and I said that you can never go wrong with a book, socks or baseball cards. She plays video games, too, so I might get her a game but I don't think so. I'm just glad to know that I'm with a girl who isn't materialistic and will smile if she gets a pair of socks. (Not that I give socks out at random: she and I are both sock people. Meaning we wear socks to bed and we don't like to go barefoot.)

Nobody on our team is as bad as BA at hitting breaking pitches. Hell, he has a weird little habit when a curveball comes in where he leans backward and thrusts his crotch over the plate. Ooooh, Rowand. I'd take a rookie Ryan Sweeney over either of them.

I'm sure he can hit .260. I'm also sure he won't hit for any power and he still won't be able to hit a breaking pitch.

Maybe. I don't see it in BA, though. Reed either. And, for what it's worth, neither is sexier than AJ.

They both suck.

Plenty of people will tell you we don't need to upgrade Anderson, and I don't believe we have to upgrade Uribe, either. Sorry.

I think, at this point, he's El Hippopotamo more than El Caballo.

You used to work in law enforcement. Does that mean you were a police officer?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 02:47 AM) In a couple years, maybe even this year...I'm going to find a nice, shiny picture or a specific trophy, and I'm going to bounce this thread and laugh a lot. I just hope its because that guy is still pitching for the White Sox. I hope he is still pitching in a few years. I only wish injury on Barry Bonds and a few others. But Brandon McCarthy has "Out of baseball eventually with injuries from his mechanics" written all over him. QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 02:47 AM) In a couple years, maybe even this year...I'm going to find a nice, shiny picture or a specific trophy, and I'm going to bounce this thread and laugh a lot. I just hope its because that guy is still pitching for the White Sox. I hope he is still pitching in a few years. I only wish injury on Barry Bonds and a few others. But Brandon McCarthy has "Out of baseball eventually with injuries from his mechanics" written all over him.

I think McDougal is better than Jenks but, alas, he's a huge injury risk that should be dealt with carefully. McCarthy on the other hand is a guy that I believe will be out of baseball in five years due to injuries and, beside that, I think he's average and nothing more. However, Heads sums it up perfect: good, young, cheap pitching is hard to get, and so you hold onto Jenks and McCarthy and McDougal.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 11:07 PM) If you want to take a chance on a player improving in 2007, IMO Brian Anderson is a much better bet to do that than Pods. And BA is making the minimum. If the Sox do bring in a different CF, I hope they stash BA in AAA. It doesn't cost them anything to do so, and I think he'll only increase his gtrade value racking up some decent numbers there. I really hope the Sox do take a run at Carl Crawford. I would take a lot to get him, but I'd be willing to trade McCarthy and Jenks to do it. And I think the DRays migth consider that deal. Ha! Jenks AND McCarthy? We need a strong bullpen, thanks. Jenks stays.

Found out today that Vazquez, from the Cotts trade, served a steroid suspension in 05. Lovely! Also: Jeremy Reed looks more and more like Brian Anderson to me each day.

I'd miss Uribe if he were replaced by Vizquel and I wouldn't approve of the deal, either.

QUOTE(CrimsonWeltall @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 02:17 PM) Why would he have to be an ace shooter? With the gun he was using, in the timeframe of the official story, he'd have to be to get the shots off on time and be precise.

Mariotti's latest column is interesting: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti/14...T-jay24.article

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 12:13 PM) Drinking and driving is the least of his substance abuse issues. You act as if he's the only player to ever do drugs.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 12:03 PM) Ha....Homer Bailey might be one of the ten most "untouchable" players in all of baseball. And I'll state this again: Freel is a pathetic human being. Because he drinks and drives and talks to imaginary figures? QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 12:09 PM) When he was with the Mets he lost custody of one of his children for "excessive corporal punishment." Well, I believe it was Everett's wife that was being bad to the kids, but, I agree that Everett is not a good guy.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 11:56 AM) You're welcome to see it that way. I don't disagree that its a major factor. I just don't see it as the key difference. You don't think it's key to the nature of the Iraq War that their Civil War is going on between two groups of Islamic extremists who are fighting over religion? Okay then.

I think the Kennedys have actually been there and Ted Sorensen, too. :) I suppose this matter is about done since we're going to go around in circles about sound. My point is that Oswald couldn't have done it unless you believe he was an ace shooter, and that it isn't just nutty movie-makers who believe that: the Kennedys do according to the former Speaker of the House, and that was about all I was saying. Because it was the truth. You belittled my point as if I've ever watched the stupid movie and I thought I'd tell you that, yeah, I've seen a small, small part of it but was busy with other activities and so no, I'm not Oliver Stone's puppet.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 11:04 AM) I don't think that is the most important difference. The key difference is that in Vietnam the U.S. could take a side (U.S. v Soviet influence), and in the American Civil War, the Brits could take a side (UK promoting best trade opportunities). Here, we gain nothing from choosing the Shiites or the Sunnis. There is no side worth promoting. Kind of like with Israel and Palestine. Soviet influence? Ho Chi Mihn wasn't exactly a Stalinist. The key difference is that this is a religious holy war. Period.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 11:06 AM) More to what you refer to in the sounds heard in the plaza than anything. Take it up with Tip. That's his recollection. The book is, Man of the House. He says the Kennedys and Ted Sorenson told him they heard noises from the knoll and other directions but kept it quiet so the country could go on and the family could have peace. (Though I believe, of course, it was to protect the family's name because plenty of nasty s*** would've come up about them, too, if the truth, whatever it is, came out.)

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 11:01 AM) Out of curiousity, have you ever actually been to the spot of the shootings in Dallas? No. A friend is taking me to the museum in the Spring, though (and to Astro games). I'm not sure what that has to do with Tip O'Neill's recollection of conversations with the Kennedy family.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 10:56 AM) If england would have followed through in helping the south...I have a feeling the Civil War could have turned out a little differently, so I don't agree with your assessment. I agree, if we look at it that way, but I also believe that the American Civil War and the Vietnamese Civil War and the Iraqi Civil War are far too different in that what we have today is a religious Holy War.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 10:52 AM) I'm not sure what you're point is with that comment? That JFK alive has no effect on history because he loses in '64? Your comment was just vague, sorry not being a jerk. Sub question... I wonder if Ted Kennedy has ever had information shown to him regarding his brother's assassination and kept it quiet because it would rock the democratic party as well as the nation? As I said in the history thread -- dunno if you've looked at it -- Speaker Tip O'Neill says that the Kennedys all heard gunshots, and their aides did too, from the grassy knoll and from a bunch of different directions, too, but decided to keep it quiet so as to not rock the nation. The Kennedys were mobsters. They know how to cover up a hit and they know that it's important to protect the family's name. I'm a fairly Liberal guy...but I honestly prefer Nixon and Johnson to JFK and RFK. Oh, don't even get me started on RFK's phony campaign in 1968. The one he embarked on after McCarthy had proven him wrong on LBJ's invincability.

I'm not clamoring for Podsednik's return but I honestly think that we'd have easily made the playoffs if Buehrle had been mildly respectable after Zambrano homered off of him and if Logan/Politte hadn't been so awful to start the season. I also believe we'd be just fine with a few new arms in the pen. Besides, I think Sweeney could adequately replace Podsednik.