Gregory Pratt

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Sep 28, 2007 -> 10:03 AM) No, I really don't know how that would work out. I don't think anybody knows, and for you (or anyone) to act like it would be a forgone conclusion that it wouldn't work is silly. Then again, I tend to think Bonds clubhouse "issues" are overstated. Who has he fought with? Who has openly said they disliked him? Pierzynski had no qualms with Bonds. The only real breakout was with Kent, and Kent fights has been a jackass on every team he's been on (not my word). It's fairly well-known that Bonds and Baker had big issues, which is a big warning sign since Baker is one of the easiest managers to get along with if you're a baseball player on his team. But who cares about clubhouse issues, anyway? And chemistry. And press attention and criticism. Ain't mean nothing compared to Bill James' Knobbly Wobblys

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 03:55 PM) Its funny that you complain about the park, when we play in US Cellular which is just as easy to jack the ball out of. You act like I've never said anything about our ballpark. I like our ballpark okay, as far as aesthetics and appeal (and besides, it's a baseball ballpark, which is good enough for me) but it's nowhere near my list of top ballparks I've been to. I think I actually enjoy most minor league ballparks better, though not the teams. And Wrigley, not to mention.

I'd take him.

What a cheap ass ballpark Citizens Bank is. But I guess it's appropriate that these two teams face each other for a variety of reasons. Hold 'em where they are, Rox!

Hunter Thompson is a bad introduction to politics. Nobody here loves Thompson more than I do, but he's not a guy who you should read to get "interested" in them unless you want to have a distorted view of American government and policy-making. He's a lot of fun when you truly have a handle on politics and history.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 05:52 PM) well, I've always thought you were special needs....now we have the proof. You are dumber than I thought if you didn't catch the sarcasm.

Things I learned from the program: All from a guy who called me out saying I don't know what I'm talking about. "Sure, you were right about Floyd," and he named a couple of other guys, "but you're not so hot...how dare you call me a bad analyst!" And I guess people disagree with my contention that last year's Bears team wasn't that good without Hester and now that people are going to mainly avoid him, the Bears are doomed and were so before the season started. What crazy views! At least I don't think that Lance Broadway has a future as a good major league pitcher. I'll just give Gage credit for not saying that Heath Phillips has a good future, too.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:22 PM) KW also has to be careful, because if he trades someone who took a "hometown discount" to play for the Sox, he's going to have a hard time signing someone to something like that again without a ton of no trade protection. He better make sure its the deal of the century. What puzzles me is why the White Sox refuse to give blanket no trade protection, but have no problem trading for someone who has it. The Braves do that too except they flatly refuse to include NTC. But with regard to why they would have no prob. trading for a guy like that but not giving it out -- in that situation, you can't control it but you know the player's good and so you take a calculated risk that you won't want to trade him or have to.

Ooh la la, I can't wait.

Scott Boras is a funny guy.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 01:45 PM) And you are more Bill Maher than Abraham Lincoln. You know everything and have something to say about everything. Quite easy when you are not ever held accountable. I happen to enjoy Bill Maher, but I'm glad not to be like Abraham Lincoln in your book, although you don't know me enough to compare me to either and it's a rather ridiculous knock from you as I was comparing General Managers to General Managers and you have compared me to a comedian and an American President, which is despite the film Man of the Year a lot like comparing apples to oranges. See, I am a funny guy, and I was elected President of SoxTalk, so I can forgive you for the comparison but perhaps you should make a more valid comparison. But on a more serious note, you know that I'm critical of a baseball organization with a history of deserving criticism, like when the guy in your signature talks about duck farts, makes excuses for everybody on the White Sox, fires Tony LaRussa and babbles about "Nintendo Stuff," or when we make terrible scouting decisions, or when we refuse to go over slot, count on Andrew Sisco to be good in our bullpen and sign AJ Pierzynski to a premature, unnecessary extension. I could go on forever, too, with things about ownership (moving to Cable in the 80s being the first, I suppose, leading to the Strike and the White Flag and that monstrosity we called Comiskey Park II), but we'll leave it at that for now. Now what should I be held accountable for? I'm not the person who said that Nick Masset had a great fastball or that Gavin Floyd was still a "top prospect" or that it would be a good idea to compile wild flamethrowers and put them into the bullpen. I don't sit here and slander people. I've never burned down a village. What, pray tell, should I be "accountable" for? I'm not more "unaccountable" for my thoughts here than you but why should I be held accountable for my thoughts unless I'm, say, thinking that the White Sox should be contracted (which, of course, I don't). I just don't understand what you're talking about, so let's try and get this striaght. You don't like the criticism I have of Kenny Williams, which is a criticism I think is right on -- he is more like Bill Bavasi than any of the good-to-great GMs in the game, so I am like Bill Maher. Gotcha. And I take your knock as a badge of honor from the guy who has Ken the Hawk Harrelson in his signature. I don't ever want to be a "homer" except when I'm at the ballpark watching the game and even that is subject to conditions (like when we should lose for Pedro). QUOTE(RockRaines @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 03:11 PM) He's a teenager, it comes with the territory. Says the guy who childishly insists that Lovie Smith is a "top two" coach in all of football. But really, I'm a College student and I'm very intelligent by almost all accounts. Who cares about that part, though, when you've got to defend yo man?

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 02:31 AM) So my intramural flag football team has had 2 guys quit because they don't get the ball enough. What a bunch of babies. I feel the same way about people that can't hit a softball hard out of the infield.

Kenny Williams is more Brian Sabean than Bill Bavasi and more Bill Bavasi than Walt Jocketty.

Send Reyes to the Twins in a package for Santana. Hachi machi.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 12:13 PM) He's made the playoffs 1 out of 7 years. A lot of teams have done that. I know you will say but most of those teams didn't win, but the playoffs are a crapshoot. You make it, you can win. The GMs job is to get his team into a position to win. Is Walt Jockety a genius because he put together an 83 win team that won in the playoffs, but Terry Ryan or Billy Bean stupid because their teams make the playoffs constantly but don't do anything in them? If you say yes, I disagree. Was it Jim Hendry's doing that the Cubs choked away a WS berth a couple of years ago? Was it KW's will that made a ball go right through Tony G's legs? KW has the most to play with in the AL Central division. He had a golden opportunity to capitalize on it, and make it grow even more, but his stubborness has made the team plummet to depths not seen since Larry Himes was hired to rebuild a broken franchise. BTW, I don't think I'm the only one who finds it odd the Bears cannot find a good QB. In fact, I would bet most people who watch football find it odd that this franchise lines up the crap it lines up behind center every damn week, every damn year. Kenny Williams is more Bill Bavasi than Walt Jocketty, that's for sure.

That's a steep price to pay!

I'm opposed to Roe v. Wade, not necessarily abortion, though I think that that should be left up to each and every state. It's questions like this that bother me.

Oh, and don't think democrats don't disappoint me. I find it abhorrent how many people turn sexual harassment into a partisan issue or discredit Hill/Willey/Broderick as "nuts" or "sluts" or publicity whores. (Paula Jones is off my list of credible people because her original lawsuit asked him to declare they hadn't slept together because that's what an article said. Then she fell in with Ann Coulter & Lawyer Friends who turned it into a sexual harassment suit that she wasn't really looking for.)

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 11:45 AM) Anita Hill climbs back onto the national scene to reply. Oh, she's just crazy. No woman is ever right when she accuses a man of something -- particularly not when it's a Republican, because women are all Democrats.

If we throw in Crede, they'll throw in Wright.

I am just happy they won in 2005 because there's a lot of trouble ahead, especially since we're keeping the core of this aging, one-dimensional offense.

I was calling the game since about the sixth inning for a friend over the phone. Maybe since the seventh or eighth. Somewhere around there. It was my pleasure to call this game. Let's go Rockies!

Julio is absolute garbage and he knows it. You could see it in his face. Still, it's rally time.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 09:49 AM) Since KW has taken the reigns the only teams in the AL to make fewer playoff appearances are Balt., KC, Tor., TB, and Tex. The Tigers and Mariners have both made the same amount. Maybe its unfair to say he took over a 94 win team so he should do better, but its not like he had to overlook a total rebuild. He did win with a lot of inherited pieces. The leash should be short. Very short. He's a proven winner and you know it.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:26 PM) Is this where we start the (useless) speculation about which other Sox players on the 2004 team were on 'roids? Oooh, I want to play: Shingo (for sure), Ben Davis, Kelly Dransfeldt, Arnie Munoz and Felix Diaz. There. Oh -- and Timo, that lil bastard. Joe Borchard.