Gregory Pratt

Good job, Mark.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:33 PM) Ha...this is freaking pathetic. KW's leaving Buehrle out there to have another game of 7 or 8 runs allowed. You mean Ozzie. Come on Mark, pitch out of this.

All right, an hour 'till game time. I'm going to be gone for most of it, so good luck, team!

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 06:20 PM) No, I liked him in his Yankee days. I also like the story behind the pitcher, and how he defected from Cuba (there's a book out that I'd eventually like to read on the subject). The ALDS pitching performance (and Game 3 WS performance, despite being injured) only cemented his place in my heart (aww, don't that just make ya feel all warm and fuzzy?). Ah, you got to it while I was posting!

I should've said earlier that I'm a huge fan of Contreras and El Duque, not just because they're excellent (or, in Duque's case, used to be excellent) but because their life stories are incredible. I wish someone would make a movie about Contreras' life, and Duque's.

Yeah, what's next? "Don't feed pidgeons because the hookers might eat them and get fat"?

Is Orlando your choice because of his performance in that game, or because of his entire career? I love El Duque, too.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 05:54 PM) Quote from the movie? The only one I know! (I never watched it.)

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 05:34 PM) What's with the brokeback mountain avatar? This skin is narsty. As are the buttons. I wish I knew how to quit you.

QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 05:47 PM) The diary being suspended is a work to promote the angle between he and Heyman. I figured, but wanted to make sure.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 05:23 PM) I thought for a long time RJ was over-rated a bit. Sure he was good and sure he got a ton of strikeouts but for a long time he completely choked in the big games (IIRC he was pretty bad with the Mariners in the post-season). However he had a few absolutely sickening years (in a good way). But thats coming from the person who thinks Nolan Ryan is a bit over-rated. No doubt the guy had an amazing arm and was a strikeout machine, but I think at times he was overly interested in getting the strikeout and because of that he gave up a few more runs than he should have. I should note that when I saw Ryan pitch it was more towards the end of his career for the most part (such a long career it was too). I'm not a big fan of RJ or NR. I'm not a fan of Clemens, either. Great pitchers, sure, I could never take that away from them.

I'm surprised by the Garland love, and by the lack of any mention of Randy Johnson. I think you're right on about Pedro, Jason.

Now that I think about it, I might've misread what he said, since it's not exactly a complete sentence. For what it's worth, I read it as: "I don't see how making it illegal to feed the homeless" but perhaps that's giving him credit he doesn't want (deserve?).

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 04:18 PM) My favorite pitcher just happens to be the most dominant pitcher of his era and that is Pedro Martinez. I absolutely fell in love with him in the mid '90's and 2000 just put me over the top. In quite possibly the single most dominant season by any pitcher in the history of baseball he made American League hitters look like children in 2000. He put up a 285 ERA+ (greatest of all-time) and a .73 WHIP (also the greatest of all-time). Couple that with a 1.74 ERA which is just completely unheard of for his time and it ranks his 2000 season right up there with the greatest EVAR. He's lead the league in WHIP 7 times, ERA 5 times, hits allowed 6 times, SO/9IP 5 times, SO/BB 4 times and ERA+ 7 times. He's won 3 Cy Young Awards, 1 in the NL and 2 in the AL, appeared in 7 All-Star games and finished 2nd in MVP award in 1999. 98 MPH fastball and one of the greatest change ups you'll ever see, it's just not fair. There's not much not to like about the guy. IMO, he was robbed by the sportswriters of the MVP Award in 1999.

QUOTE(loltrain @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 02:56 PM) Two notes: 1. This makes the Reds trade look even crappier 2. The AL Central no longer has a monopoly on fat closers

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 03:58 PM) I believe the anti-immigration march here in Chicago a few months ago had 18 people. Well, yeah, that's pretty weak, I must say.

Of pitchers that I've gotten to watch live, I love Pedro Martinez. He pitched against us in my first Sox game in 1999. I'm also fond of Barry Zito, and Greg Maddux. These are, though, the GREAT pitchers that I like. I also like less-great pitchers like Jamie Moyer and Mark Buehrle. I love everything I've read about Black Jack McDowell, and the videos I've seen of him. Wish I were older. If I had to pick a favorite pitcher of my lifetime, it's probably Maddux. Martinez at second. How about you?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 03:05 PM) I still care, because unlike most, I still realize even if it isn't on the Daily Show, it is still important. I still believe the wrong thing was done by totally dropping this issue all of the sudden. I think it is pretty telling when the attendance drops by 98%. That's nonsense, and I'll call you on it. You're saying that because it isn't on the Daily Show, and attendance dropped off, "pro-immigration advocates" don't care anymore? Yeah, okay. They surely do care, and if Republicans were still debating the bill in Congress, there'd still be marches and protests. Right now, most of them realize that the fight is delayed, but they all care. It'd be equally stupid to say, "Well, there weren't many anti-immigration marches -- at least not compared to the pro ones -- so that must mean that nobody wants to have 'stricter' laws!"

QUOTE(samclemens @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 02:41 PM) i dont see how making feeding the homeless in parks helps the city, its residents, or the homeless. Maybe then the homeless will starve and die, then they can be buried and go away?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 03:36 PM) I think Mark could use some. Just hope it still is allowed. The new rules about swearing and children remind me of the 1960 Presidential Race. Harry Truman called Richard Nixon a "god damned liar" and a "shady son of a b----" and Richard Nixon wound up complaining to John Kennedy. Kennedy gave a speech and said that Nixon had asked him to tone down his swearing because it might affect little kids, and then Kennedy joked, "I'll be careful with my words as children might be watching!" I love Harry Truman.

I've got a few pictures to share, from my cowriding. I'm leaning into her here, hugging her, because the cow began to move. Its neck jerked me forward and nearly knocked me off, so I gripped her. Angy hugged me too, after the picture was taken, though. I like this picture. I love this picture. Me smirking at someone off camera. Angy smiling -- and, so you know, Angy is JUST a friend. A good one. Me making sure that Angy doesn't fall off. You see, Angy had trouble getting on the cow, so I told her "Jump, and I'll boost you." I did. Man of my word! Me and Thelma cow.

Hey, does anyone know two things: One, I read somewhere recently that Heyman and Vince recently got into it backstage. Anyone know the details? Two, ECW.com says that Dreamer's diary was suspended, but he's been on TV of late. Is it a work, the whole "Diary of Violence is suspendeD" thing or what?

I don't like the baseball, compared to the rest. Seems a bit out of line in coloring. Aside from that, I love it.

QUOTE(Beastly @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 02:25 PM) I saw this thread bumped and I was like, oh, not another stupid post. Then I thought, lately I've counted my team down but not out as well. I just, don't see the liveliness that I saw last year with this team. 2005 was something very special, and I know 2006 still can be. But what really needs to happen is someone needs to start pitching the ball and we need to get the clutch hits. I looked at the pitching matchups today and I saw ERA's over 5. And that Buehrle has 7 losses compared to 9 wins. I was very suprised to see this, and I have also been suprised lately of how no one seems to be playing as a team. Or how about our crappy bullpen, who needs to get a serious makeover before we go to the post season, that is, if we can get there. It will be very difficult to dethrone those Tigers, they look how we looked last year, and they still kicked the crap out of us in this series. Yes, they did, do not deny it. I just don't see the hard-nosed ball that I saw last year. Go Sox, don't make me feel helpless watching the game, lets see what you guys can do, START THE TURNAROUND TONIGHT! That's something I don't understand -- our team hasn't got as much liveliness as last year's? Really? Our team only has the potential to be "something special"? Bah, this season will always have a special spot in my heart for such moments as Reyes 1-hit loss, the numerous comebacks against Closers, all those times we battled back from large deficits, and even those occasions where the pitching's been good. I hope there are more of those by the end, but by no means has this team been anything BUT special. I love this team, and I've loved this season.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 12:56 PM) Who has faced unwarranted criticism around here, other than maybe Thome, which is completely ridiculous? I'll rephrase: excessive and senseless criticism. I think everyone's been worthy of some criticism for somethings at some point or another. What I meant was, things like, "This guy freaking sucks," "Trade him," etc. etc. Everyone's been subject to unnecessarily, and undeservedly, harsh words, IMO.