Gregory Pratt

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Nov 28, 2007 -> 04:46 PM) You all realize that if Kenny did something like this he would be lambasted for bringing such a tool into our clubhouse, trading away all out prospects, etc. Probably not.

QUOTE(Markbilliards @ Nov 28, 2007 -> 09:54 AM) It makes sense that Kenny's going after Taveras since he said he was going for a guy who he wanted last year. If this is true I feel a little disappointed, but Willy is a solid player. I absolute hate Taveras the more I see him play and the more I look at his numbers. It's nice and all that he bunts perfectly and is fast but he can't drive a ball worth a damn and I have no use for such players.

Anderson's funny.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2007 -> 09:17 PM) Voted 5. In order of most deserving: Bert Blyleven Tim Raines Andre Dawson Jim Rice Harold Baines I also almost voted for: Tommy John Don Mattingly Dale Murphy I was amazed how hard it was to decide between the various outfielders - Dawson, Baines, Rice and Murphy. I think their overall values were very similar. You don't believe Jack Morris belongs? (You're not alone. A lot of people don't.) I happen to, but I'm curious. I don't think he belongs in the first ballot class but I think he belongs.

McGwire "hasn't been proven" as a steroid user -- well, what is the proof people speak of? Canseco's testimony, an FBI investigation that netted his supplier/trainer, your own eyes? And yeah, his numbers besides HRs are far from HOF-worthy.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2007 -> 10:16 AM) When everything that comes out of the organization and the players dealing with that organization saids one thing, and the media saids another, it takes a special kind of narrowmindedly focused grudge to ignore the obvious. What are you referring to, exactly? It seems to me that everything out of the organization says that KW really wanted Hunter and he was our top target and it came as a major shock when we lost him. And while the organization contends that they're moving on and going through other plans, it seems to me clear that they were banking on Hunter.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2007 -> 09:10 AM) Why is it that when the media focuses on one guy, they just assume the Sox are operating the same way? The first thing Kenny said after Hunter signed with LAA was that this shouldn't hurt them too much because they have already been operating on mulitple fronts at the sametime. The whole article is faulty. Oh, come on. It clearly hurt our offseason. Hunter was our staple, and he even made the deal for Cabrera in large part because he told Hunter he would. Sure, Kenny's probably operating on multiple fronts but asking someone, "Hey, what would it take to sign you?" or "What do you want for X?" isn't really much. I am having trouble imagining what we're going to be able to get and where from. Kenny has his work cut out for him.

Jackson got f***ed by Comiskey, the other players, his lawyer and Landis. Maybe more than anything, he was done in by his own lack of intelligence. He was a very dumb, very gullible man.

This team definitely needs more than "one guy".

QUOTE(Markbilliards @ Nov 26, 2007 -> 12:30 PM) Is this really true? Was that in his Indian or Phillie days? They were good friends, though, so it's okay that he whomped him. Actually, I am a little off. From an interview:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al...-decision_N.htm Center fielder Torii Hunter heard the words, and suddenly couldn't breathe, his heart pounding against his chest. "Are you sure?" It was a simple question posed by his agent, Larry Reynolds, and now it was time to finalize the most difficult decision of his baseball career. FREE AGENT SCORECARD: Who's staying and going "I paused for a minute," Hunter said. "I could feel myself get emotional. I had the Minnesota Twins in my head. I just kept hoping and praying they would kick the door in and say, 'Here we go, we want you for the next five years.' "It never happened. Now, can you believe it? Me and the Rally Monkey are friends." FIND MORE STORIES IN: MLB | New York Yankees | Minnesota | Angels | Anaheim | White Sox | Twins | Torii Hunter | Free agent | Kenny Williams | Larry Reynolds Hunter is scheduled for a physical Monday in Orange County, Calif., before signing a five-year, $90 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. A press conference is scheduled Wednesday. "I think I'll just put that money under my pillow," says Hunter, who will make $18.5 million in 2008, including a $2.5 million signing bonus. "It's hard to believe a little black kid from Pine Bluff, Ark., can have this kind of money. I don't think any of us are worth what we get, but that's what the market is." Hunter, baseball's top free agent this winter outside Alex Rodriguez, provided USA TODAY a look inside his decision-making process: A period marked by stress, steak dinners, marketing tapes and, ultimately, a fast-food restaurant where the deal came down. "I always imagined my deal would get done inside a board room or a Capital Grille," Hunter said. "Turns out it was done at a Del Taco. Can you believe it? The deal gets done over some tacos." White Sox had inside track Hunter, 32, was certain last week he was signing with the Chicago White Sox. They floored him with their sales pitch, including a video with designated hitter Jim Thome and Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallace imploring him to come. White Sox general manager Kenny Williams told Hunter he would improve the team's speed, vowing to trade for Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera. When he did several days later, Williams left him a text message. "We got Cabrera. You're next." "I love Kenny's aggressiveness," Hunter said. "I knew he would do whatever it'd take to be a World Series team, and he showed that." Hunter's options were similar. The White Sox offered $75 million over five years. The Texas Rangers proposed a five-year, $73 million contract with an option. The Kansas City Royals came in with a five-year, $70 million proposal, with the promise they would go higher. The Twins had offered a three-year, $45 million proposal in September. "I was sure I was going to Chicago," Hunter said. "It was going to be strange, because those guys were always the enemy. I just wanted to hear what the Dodgers were going to do. I was supposed to fly out Sunday to L.A. and meet (manager) Joe Torre and the Dodgers." The Angels made sure the trip was canceled. So was Hunter's marketing video where the White Sox had him dressed as Spider-Man climbing the outfield walls in Chicago. "Tell Torii I want all of that stuff back," Williams said, softly chuckling. "Even though we came out on the short end, I have the greatest respect for Larry and Torii. They were honest throughout this whole thing. "It just bothers me that Anaheim could come in at the last second and blow the market away." The Rangers met twice with Hunter and Reynolds, the last on Nov. 12 at the home of owner Tom Hicks. They had steak, asparagus, cheesecake, and a contract proposal. "I was very impressed, and Tom Hicks was a cool guy," Hunter said. "I thought this guy was going to be uppity and snobbish. He was so down-to-earth. We were talking trash, crackin' jokes and everything. "They made it hard because my family is here. My son (Torii Jr.) is in seventh grade. But even Torii told me, 'Dad, I don't want you to be here if they're going to lose. If you're here and we lose, kids are going to make fun of me in school." Neighbors such as former NFL star Deion Sanders tried convincing Hunter that he'd be a hero in Texas. Sanders told him most of the former Cowboys like Michael Irvin are as popular as when they played. "But those guys won Super Bowls," Hunter said. "The Rangers never won anything." Hunter still held out hope as late as last week that the Twins would make a competitive offer. He instructed Reynolds to contact the Twins, but GM Bill Smith didn't increase the offer. If Hunter had to leave Minnesota, he said his first choice was the St. Louis Cardinals. He grew up a Cardinals fan, but St. Louis wasn't attracted. The Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros expressed interest, but never presented offers. The New York Yankees were the wild card. Reynolds said New York was interested, but only if center fielder Melky Cabrera was traded. Hunter was patient, but wasn't going to wait for the Yankees. "We wanted a decision," says Williams, "but only because we had other things we were working on. When Larry called me at 10 (on Thanksgiving Eve), I'm thinking it's good news." Reynolds instead was informing each team who made bids that Hunter was about to sign elsewhere. "I didn't even ask him where he was going," Williams said. "I didn't care." Sudden pursuit The Angels' pursuit began last Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. PT when Reynolds telephoned Reagins, talking about his other free agents, when Reagins calmly asked: "What's going on with Torii Hunter?" Reynolds, friends with Reagins for about eight years, wanted to be sure he was serious. "If I'm going to drive 45 minutes for nothing," said Reynolds, wearing a sweatsuit and tennis shoes to the meeting, "I'm going to knock you out." They agreed to meet halfway between Anaheim and Reynolds' office in Riverside, at a Del Taco off the 91 Freeway in Corona. They had iced tea, talked for about 90 minutes, and Reagins gave his sales pitch to Hunter via telephone. "I just wanted to be aggressive," Reagins. "I said, 'We're not going to fly you around to meet the manager or the owner. We're no-frills.' " Hunter was euphoric. He loved that the Angels resembled the Twins' style of play. "I didn't think they needed me," Hunter said. "But Tony told me, 'We want you, and trust me, you're going to win with us.' It blew me away." Reagins offered the parameters of a five-year, $85 million deal before leaving the parking lot, and within 24 hours, he and Reynolds were at the Ayres Hotel in Orange County, finalizing the details of the $90 million contract. The deal was done by 10 p.m. PT, with a media conference call at 11:15. Hunter didn't fall asleep until 4 in the morning and awoke three hours later to the buzz of his cellphone. He had 180 texts and messages by the end of the day, including one from Sanders, Hunter said, that read: ???? "This whole thing was surreal," Hunter said. "It was an exciting time being a free agent, but on the other hand, something I never want to go through again in my life."

I've got time and nothing to do at this moment. I'll preface it by saying this is merely my opinion on the matter and I don't encourage fighting or want to REALLY see any of our players fight. AJ Pierzynski 6'3''-240 -- I'm unimpressed by AJ. With the way he let Scott Podsednik do the fighting for him and his only response to being punched in the face was to slap himself and go off flapping his arms like a bird. No defending himself when he taunted Padilla from the dugout and got beaned TWICE for it (that's the Texas scuttlebutt: he was talking s*** from the dugout and so he got hit; I happen to believe that over Padilla magically deciding to hit him). I kind of think he's wimpy, in pure fighting terms. He's clearly a "tough" guy in that he's out there so often, catching, but I don't think he's much of a fighter. Kind of a typical irritatant who can't and won't fight. A "bully" if you will. Jim Thome 6'3''-250 -- Jim could do some real damage to someone. He charged someone once, tackled him, hit him once I think and told him not to move or he'd hit him more. "Just stay there." I forget the dude's name -- he was a reliever. Bobby Jenks 6'3''-275 -- Jenks is a beast. Matt Thornton 6'6''-230 -- I don't see it from Matt. The "killer instinct" or the aggressiveness, but with those long arms I think he could kick the s*** out of someone if he wanted. I don't know if he could take a few hard shots, though. Jermaine Dye 6'5''-240 (Large man, but not a stick) -- I'll bet Dye could kick some ass but I'm not sure he could take someone like Thome and I definitely don't think he could take Jenks. A Healthy Joe Crede 6'2''- 230 (He's actually pretty ripped look'n) -- I put him just ahead of Thornton on the White Sox Boxing Depth Chart. Jose Contreras 6'4''-245 (He's big, but really not much of an option here, he's too old and more fatty looking than muscle) -- As others have said -- he's a beast. I think Contreras would probably be the best Sox fighter. He's tough and built. Brian Anderson 6'2''-220 (Smaller, but quicker) -- No way, crazy haymakers at anyone around be damned. Nick Masset 6'4''-235 (Another big boy, but he's got some chunk) -- I'm not even going to comment. Andrew Sisco 6'10''-270 (Team giant) -- Huge, but clumsy looking. At the least, he's got size but I don't see much else. Other guys: Uribe!!!!!!! Wonder how he'd swing.

To me, there's never been any doubt that Ruth is still the greatest player in the history of the game and I don't take any list seriously of the greatest baseball players that doesn't inclucde him at the very top. But I'd never been all that big on reading his biographies. There were always many other books to read about baseball. I've always been more into articles about Ruth than books, or references to him in anthologies, but never a bio until I picked up The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Homeruns: Recrowning baseball's greatest slugger Easily the best baseball book I've read in the last several weeks and I've read Cramer's book on DiMaggio, am re-finishing Love Me, Hate Me, read Monteville's book on Williams, a book on Cobb, a book on Koufax... Ruth was such a monster with the bat. And then the book goes into depth about the day Ruth played in compared to today's. Very good stuff, from his interviews with Negro Leaguers to Ruth's relationship with Walter Johnson to the way homeruns were ruled foul even if they were fair upon crossing. I'd recommend it to all. R is for Ruth. To tell you the truth, There's just no more to be said, Just R is for Ruth. From Ogden Nash's Lineup for Yesterday That's not really my favorite part of that poem, though. I really like: H is for Hornsby; When pitching to Rog, The pitcher would pitch, Then the pitcher would dodge.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Nov 25, 2007 -> 11:17 PM) The Eagles did show the Pats weakness: the middle of their defense against the pass. Bruschi and Seau are both washed up, and Harrison and Sanders are both weak in pass coverage. The Eagles did a great job protecting Feeley, even with spead out formations to have lots of weapons available, and he made some tough throws. The Eagles showed no commitment to the run, and thus had little success in it, but the blueprint to beat the Pats defense is out there, and if you get a team with a quality RB who spreads out the Pats defense and can threaten you with the run and pass (*cough* healthy version of the Colts), they could have problems. That Pats offense is still unstoppable though, just had an off night and weren't on the field a lot due to the defensive issues. They were ROBBED of 7 points though, the Gostowski FG miss should have never happened, the Moss offensive PI call was horrible on a should have been TD a few plays earlier. What you are talking about is easier said than done!

Yeah, well -- I didn't say they played well. But I agree with you.

Andy Reid is a very good coach and this was his Super Bowl; JJ is a good D. Co. and this was a good opportunity for his team to gameplan. It's good that the Patriots won this game so close against who is still a top NFL strategist and a very determined team. But I'd point out Moss' bogus PI call in the endzone and note that most of the drops the Pats. had today don't happen very often and it was kind of flukeish. Very good job by the Eagles.

Holy f*** -- Andy Reid has stones.

Dear Eagles, I'm trying to write a paper. It'll be easier to write if you stop fighting. Love, Gregory Pratt

Dear Patriots, Don't run it into the endzone. Let Brady throw for TDs. Love, Me.

Let's go PATRIOTS

Jackson wasn't innocent or guilty. I don't think he deserves a lifetime ban but he wasn't "innocent" either.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 25, 2007 -> 05:41 PM) Running game produces 3 yards per carry, the offensive line gives up the most sacks in the league. Grossman hasnt had much of a chance. He still sucks, but he could be passable behind a decent line and an actual running game. Oh and a halfway decent o coordinator. Maybe.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 25, 2007 -> 05:36 PM) He also has the luxury of being behind the worst offensive line in football. Sure, the line sucks and hte receivers aren't all that good but Grossman's just bad.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 25, 2007 -> 05:29 PM) How f***ing stupid are some of these teams. My gosh. Devin's a f***ing man, though... man. I LOL'd