Gregory Pratt

QUOTE(gosox41 @ Nov 10, 2007 -> 10:44 PM) It beats power pitchers who are known to throw one pitch that seems to come in pretty straight and once in awhile hits the strike zone. Bob I don't think it "beats" it. It's one of those cases where both pitchers are generally no good.

QUOTE(Vance Law @ Nov 10, 2007 -> 01:01 PM) Chad Bradford Certainly, there are exceptions to everything but I don't feel "comfortable" having a right-hander in my bullpen who doesn't have much more to his repoitoire than work ethic and delivery-deception.

I have a problem with that: Thornton's lost some velocity but more importantly, everybody knows he's got a straight fastball and no secondary pitches. He's not destined to be all-that good and I love me some Thornton, but it's just not going to happen for him. MacDougal is a borderline guy, Wasserman is a ROOGY at best but I don't even think he's long for that role since the only things that make him special are his work ethic and throwing motion/windup (and that's not really a recipe for long-term success), Logan's a LOOGY and then you've got Jenks, who is good but a wild card and some long reliever? I think we need another setup man. But I really think we could probably use more relievers. Not that I'd go out and overpay for them. It's a sucky situation.

Maybe more than anyone else's I wish I had started this thread. I wasn't aware it was your birthday. HAPPY HAPPY HAMMER HAM HAP YOU AWESOME D00D

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Nov 9, 2007 -> 05:24 PM) Sweeney has no upside with no steroids I see it's catching on. I'm glad.

Alright, since the old one's dead let's start a new one: Everybody knows that the good guys lost

I'm on good terms with all my Professors, not including several who aren't my professors but who I've met through various circumstances. I have found that professors, like anyone else, get along with people who have a good sense of humor and are intelligent. I wouldn't go so far as to call any of them my "friends" simply because they are my teachers and first and foremost I count them as such, but I am friendly with all of them and it goes both ways. And Critic? Not ONE word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, there'd be more than one word if I were... shhhh.... (Ignore that last part, anyone else.)

Robin Ventura is pure class.

New Rule: You Have To Be A Slugger, To Be Considered a Slugger

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Nov 9, 2007 -> 02:49 PM) It's more than that -- the Sox seem to value attitude over talent. In all probability, both Crede and Fields will be bad in 2008. Crede's back is a huge issue -- and he wasn't a particularly good hitter before getting hurt. I think the numbers back up Keith Law pretty well on that. And I agree -- Fields is going to see fastball after fastball right down the pipe next season and so far all he's shown on those pitches is the ability to strikeout. And these are two of the Sox better players. I don't think I've ever seen an organization so bereft of talent. You and I are in complete agreement.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Nov 9, 2007 -> 01:23 PM) According to Forbes, Loria made $53 million in Marlin profit last season. If they locked the gates and let no fans in, they would make money, that's how sad it is. Their revenue sharing check is bigger than their payroll. Basically the Yankees pay the Marlins more than the Marlins pay their employees including players. I'll never forgive Loria or MLB for what they've done and do in Florida and Montreal.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Nov 9, 2007 -> 02:20 PM) If Keith Law says he stinks, he must stink. Its amazing the White Sox ever won with some of the worst players to ever wear major league uniforms. Crede can't get on base, but Fields who strikes out at least twice as much and has a lower OBP is going to be a star. If OBP is the end all why are the White Sox going to throw all that money at Torii Hunter? Crede hit over .280 with 30 homers and 100 rbi and Keith Law says he's awful. Keith Law gets paid to say that. Sign me up. Because we're a bad organization that values "attitude" over, say, OBP? Really, I know you love Crede but he isn't that good. He's certainly replaceable and easily so -- if we had a better organization! Can he be replaced by Fields? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not as high on Fields as others and I'm skeptical. I still think he's going to be beaten up on by the League throwing inside fastballs at him but we'll just have to say.

If Jones is really 5-80, as Heyman suggest today, you sign him.

Soriano

I despise Julio Lugo.

QUOTE(ptatc @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 07:15 PM) This is the "big player" for whom MLB covered up a positive test, at least that's always been the scuttlebutt. Definitely wouldn't be a surprise to me.

Speaking of the conspiracy we talked about earlier: Roger Clemens retires. Say he isn't named, rightly or wrongly. Take the fact that Clemens has basically retired. A "plea bargain" perhaps? A coup d'tat? That was just something that came to mind as I thought about MLB covering up and then someone said, "Maybe Pettitte's named!" and then I said, "Clemens, hmm." 'Cause, you know, Pettitte and Clemens are homies. It's all speculation of course.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 01:52 PM) As far as I'm concerned...no, I do not trade any of our young bats for young pitching unless the deal is an absolute steal (Kershaw for Fields or something like that) My reasoning is very simple...our system has pitchers. They're not necessarily Johan, but we all know what kind of crapshoot pitching prospects can be. Even the top prospect pitchers often fall apart (Gavin Floyd?) or come down with an injury. But starting pitching is one thing our system does have. We may not have anyone as good as Garza or Slowey, but it's also entirely possible that when everyone hits the big leagues, we may wind up with guys who are their better, their equal, or who are at least close enough. We have an awful lot of depth of young starting pitching. So much so that I still think it makes a lot of sense to move Garland, Contreras, or both of them to try to fill in our position player holes. Floyd, Broadway, Haeger, Gio, Sisco, Masset, Danks, all of them at least have it within them to come out and within the next year or two put up average numbers, and with guys like Buehrle and Vazquez in the rotation already, that might be all we need. On the other hand, look at our position player prospects. At the top levels, well, we had Fields who came up last year, Richar who we traded for, we had Owens who did ok and might be able to be counted on as a leadoff guy, we've got a pair of strugglers in Anderson and Sweeney, and maybe a couple of backups. You hardly find a guy in our system who we might count on in the next couple years to come up and fill any hole, let alone fill the specific holes we'd expect to see (SS, C, OF). Carter's several years away and in terms of a position player, if Sweeney can't step it up, he might be our only shot. We're already dumping money on guys like AJ, Uribe, and Dye because we simply have no one who can replace them. Now, you want me to trade one of my only quality position players for a pitcher? That's fine if it's a steal, but what are the odds of that? Let's say we move Fields for a pitcher and then Crede's back flares up again. Are you ready for a full season of Andy Gonzalez and Pablo Ozuna at 3rd base? You could give me Santana in the rotation and that still wouldn't make up for that disaster. I completely disagree with your sentiment. I would never go into the long-term relying on these young pitchers we have right now. Quantity isn't quality and poor quality in great quantities isn't quality and I want quality. I just wish our farm system popped that out a little more often.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 12:42 PM) But yeah, wouldn't it be a great idea for baseball to blacklist any and every player that is named on this report? (complete and utter sarcasm) I'm with you on that. "Blacklisting" steroid users is no good. And I am not being sarcastic.

I don't know if it's been brought up but eleven free agents are named in the Mitchell Report. Allegedly. Man, it would suck to sign Hunter and have him busted right after.

I hate loud people in quiet places. I'm sitting in the general area where WI-FI users sit to use a computer, about to do my political blogging, when I read this headline/article: "my career as a pundit is over b4 it began" and the "article" was a link to Rosie's blog: msnbc one hour live following keith olbermann we were close to a deal almost done i let it slip in miami causing panic on the studio end well what can u do 2day there is no deal poof my career as a pundit is over b4 it began just as well i figure everything happens for a reason bashert - as we say and on we go http://www.rosie.com/blog/2007/11/07/the-s...that-never-was/ LOLZ

Yeah, that's sort of my point. EVERYONE else would have to refuse and even then, Florida would have to be willing to accept our, uh, leftovers?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 11:12 AM) I'm thinking about the money thrown at guys like Gil Meche, Jason Marquis, Ted Lilly, the amount that's about to be thrown at Silva, etc. He needs to step up to the point of actually being a #5 starter to get there, but that's certianly not out of the question. Gil Meche was given that money with the thought that he was very very good, which scouts have always thought, but that he'd finally gotten healthy; Lilly is a good pitcher; Marquis sucks; Silva's a good pitcher, too. As for those guys -- I don't think Broadway is all that comparable to Meche or Lilly and I'm not sure he's as "good" as Marquis and he'll have to eat up a lot of innings putting up Garland-numbers to be comparable to Silva.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 11:08 AM) We've seen several teams in the last year give up surprising amounts for 5th starter type people who do nothing but eat innings. Who are you thinking about, specifically? I'm drawing a blank as to names comparable to Broadway in any way.

QUOTE(Steff @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 11:07 AM) Absolutely, and I believe it's currently being done. Sucks, don't it?