shoota

At first I wanted to avoid Bonds out of moral respect for the franchise, but since KW isn't going to improve the 2007 team through trades, we need to do something to stay competitive.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 09:59 PM) "The White Sox are still open for business" KW said What does that mean??

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 09:06 PM) You didn't say that. You said "a long stretch" in the second half. I can only find one span where Anderson was hitting better than Mack, and that was from August 10th-15th. Both of them were on fire in July, yet Ozzie kept trotting Pods in LF Yes, I was incorrect to say "long stretch."

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 04:17 PM) Actually I don't. Please tell me when and how long this stretch lasted. To me it looks like you're talking about August 10-15th. Care to back up your silly claim? Sure, Balta has posted the second-half offensive numbers for Anderson and Mackowiak, and statistically it's about even. So technically I was incorrect in stating Brian Anderson was the better offensive player than Mackowiak in the second half. That doesn't mean Brian Anderson wasn't the better center field option in the second half of the season. Based on the very close offensive statistics and the large difference in defensive skill, Brian Anderson gave his team a better chance at winning than Rob Mackowiak. Looking deeper into the statistics, there was a stretch right around the All-Star break when Anderson hit well over .300 after hitting below .200 the entire season. At that time, it was reasonable to wonder if the rookie had started his expected rise to become a good major league hitter. He was certainly on his way. After hitting .313 in July, he continued his improved hitting by posting a .296 average in August. Despite those ample improvements, his manager still continued to start Mackowiak over Anderson. It's rumored Ozzie isn't too fond of Anderson (justified or not), and I wonder if Ozzie's personal approach with BA temporarily retarded his growth and ignited BA's end-of-season hitting slump.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 12:04 AM) I'm startin' to like you Shoota. I'm a likable guy.

QUOTE(SEALgep @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 11:45 PM) Or he let the offense outweigh the defense. There was a long stretch in the second half when Anderson was the better offensive player than Mack. Surely you remember.

QUOTE(tpezz27 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 10:40 PM) Per Rotoworld.... White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Ron Mackowiak wouldn't play any center field next season. Mackowiak rarely played anywhere but center last season, as Guillen chose to go with Alex Cintron whenever an infielder needed a day off. Mackowiak make 62 starts in the field last season and 51 came in center. Nine of the remaining 11 came in the outfield corners. Guillen has a history of saying things in the offseason and then changing his mind once the games begin to count. He has the right idea now -- Mackowiak is a far better choice at third and the outfield corners than he is in center -- but old habits are hard to break. The fact that Ozzie admits Mack is a poor choice in center indicates what we've been speculating for months, that Ozzie knew Anderson in center is the best option he had, yet he let personal bias trump what was best for the team's success.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 12:13 PM) I don't claim we are a small market team, but no team other than the Yankees, perhaps, can afford to be handing out several $10+ annual salaries and expect to have any flexibility were those players to suffer injury, or perform at an unexpectedly mediocre level. I have no problem signing *some* of our players to extended contracts that pay them what they are worth. But as KW has said, you have to consistently infuse your roster with young talent or else you end up with an aging team or roster inflexibility. The answer cannot simply be to sign everyone to extensions. And with the way our system looks now, we don't exactly have a whole lot of young players to infuse into our everyday lineup. We have to be careful with whom we decide to keep, and who we recognize we would be better off trading. Under your theory, we'll demand an exorbitant price for any of our starters, and possibly come up empty. Then we'll walk into 07' with the same rotation, and where will Brandon pitch? Charlotte? That will make him miserable. Out of the pen? Even KW admitted that if you put him in the pen you are risking his ability to become an effective starter in this league. Simply because there are mediocre options out there signing for $10 million annually does not mean that teams are going to trade you their top 3 prospects for your above average starter. It means they are going to give a shot to someone in their system and bank on him producing 80% of the performance of one of those mediocre FA's for 5% of the cost. Believe me, I'm all for taking advantage of our position in this marketplace. But if we don't, because we asked to much, then we have missed a major opportunity to take advantage of our surplus and restock our system. Because sooner or later, under KW's philosophy of player acquisition, we are going to run out of prospects to use in trades to get established veterans. At some point we need to restock the farm so we can continue to move prospects for established players. I'm not arguing that we need to keep whatever prospects we get in return for dealing one of our starters. Just that it would be foolish to miss out on this opportunity to take advantage of this market. Because I don't want the draft picks when these guys walk. I want players that are close. As 2007 World Series contenders, the Sox should use their surplus in pitching to improve the big-league club instead of stockpiling prospects that wouldn't help the 2007 team as much as proven MLB players. Improving a current weakness would improve the 2007 team's overall talent and give them better odds at winning the World Series. You're valuing the unknown future over the much-easier-to-forecast present. I realize prospects are a very important part of an organization. My philosophy places more value on the present when the present contains a World Series contender. Much can happen in the time a prospect is acquired to the time he's projected to be ready. Over a short time, a prospect can get injured, regress in talent and fail to reach projections, rendering him nearly worthless to the parent club after it sacrificed talent in a Series year to acquire him. In that same short time, other once-overlooked talent may exceed expectations and become quality MLB players, the organization may have an excellent draft, make smart rule-5 acquisitions, and develop existing talent. So a once-shallow minor league system can add depth in a short time. Since much can happen from one season to the next, a GM shouldn't subtract from his current WS-contending squad to add to his minor league stable.

QUOTE(AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 05:00 PM) Living in the Philly area, I can tell you a few things. Number 1, Gavin Floyd is a bust. The Phils are trying talk him up to salvage his value. He was brutal this past season and sent down once they brought up Hamels. Number 2, Ryan Madson is no bullpen savior. I'd rather have Riske and others over him. He is still very sour over losing a potiental starting rotation spot to Hamels, and then again when they acquired Jamie Moyer. Third and finally, Jimmy Rollins is OVERRATED. He is not a very good lead off hitter. Many people in Philly would be happier if he batted 6th in the lineup. He doesn't do the lead off things like clucth hitting or situational hitter. He'd rather be a guy that goes for the long ball before beating a bunt out. His stolen base ratio is spotty because he doesn't run as much as he should and he ran all over the poor pitching in the AL. Overall, I would stay far away from a deal with the Phillies. I wouldn't give up much, if anything really for Rowand because he is going to be replaced in Philly with Shane Victoriano. Excellent breakdown. From your post, I've learned the Phillies are only offering trading players who have been or are going to be replaced by better players. And in return for trading no one of value from their team they receive a quality AL starting pitcher? Horrible trade.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 02:22 PM) How is Mark streaky? He's had one bad season and that was last year. Mark is younger and has better career numbers, how is Freddy better? Buehrle didn't have one bad season, he had an All-Star half followed by a very poor half. IMO, much of Buehrle's second-half struggle was caused by fatigue from the IP thrown in 2005's Championship season. QUOTE(ChiSox9 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 03:33 PM) Rotoworld: Phillies GM Pat Gillick is reportedly willing to send Aaron Rowand and either Ryan Madson or Gavin Floyd to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia. It'd be a fair trade for both teams. We prefer the White Sox's side -- both Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez are more valuable properties than Garcia in our eyes -- but the Phillies probably wouldn't lose all that much going from Rowand to Shane Victorino. Source: Arlington Heights Daily Herald I'm a fan of Aaron Rowand, but I don't want him back. Anderson is cheap and good, so we don't need a center fielder. I'd prefer KW turn our extra starter into a LF or SS, the team's two positions most in need of upgrade.

QUOTE(BaseballNick @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 10:15 PM) All of this talk about trading Crede now, while we can still get something for him, angers me as a Sox fan. There were 2.9 million fans who passed through the gates of The Cell last year, leading me to believe there money for Joe somewhere. Setting aside the "Josh Fields Experiment," why can't we sign Crede to an extension? We are no longer in the same class as the A's, Royals, etc. where we monitarily can't keep our developed players and we've proven that by signing Paulie and offering that huge, $70M contract to Magglio in '04. So why is KW still boycotting Boras clients? Boras represents a lot of the top players in the game, so obviously we're denying ourselves of the top tier free agents ever year when we refuse to negotiate with his players. FAs represented by seemingly every agent are being overpaid in today's market, so the argument that his clients are too expensive doesn't work any longer. Can someone please explain why we're giving up on Joe and why we refuse to negotiate with Boras? I can't answer your question, but agree that it's a problem. I understood KW's past decisions to trade for new talent because his payroll wasn't top-tier, but recent attendance changes should lead to recent GM-philosophy changes. He no longer has to rely on trading prospects and top players off his team as the sole means to acquire new talent. I would understand if Crede weren't resigned after the 2008 season if KW believes payroll would be better spent elsewhere, but I get upset when KW believes he has to dump Crede now when he still has Crede at two more years at a relatively cheap contract.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 05:25 PM) i don't think the government should have authoratitive power to forcefully mandate service to the coutry unless there is a relevant and immediate threat to the survival of the country. End of discussion.

QUOTE(SEALgep @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 12:09 PM) I don't know that it is fair to say KW wasn't able to seal the deal on trades which may or may not have been accurate. Just because they are in print doesn't mean they were on the table. Maybe it was discussed, but that doesn't mean KW failed in some respect because it didn't happen. Besides, after some of these FA pitchers sign, we'll be in a better situation to maximize our trade options. That's reasonable, I can't say with certainty that KW failed to complete a Sox-favored trade with the Rangers or Angels.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 07:08 PM) So would you have liked us to sign Alfonso Soriano to that 8 year deal as an "aggressive" signing? Most people think he's overrated. Nowhere in my explanation of why I was uncomfortable with KW's to-date offseason decisions did I criticize him for not signing Soriano. QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 10:29 PM) Boy, you'd be a great Cubs fan. EDIT: Wait, that's an oxymoron. I don't understand how that comment would make me fit to be a Cubs fan. QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 12:07 AM) Patience, my friend. Kenny's sitting in the catbird seat right now. Let him play his ace in the hole when the time is right. I hear your point and agree time might up the trade value of Garcia and Vazquez, but I can't help but wonder if the delay hurts their trade values. Looking from another GM's perspective, he knows KW wants to trade one of his starters this offseason, so the other GM might have the leverage in the deal. Granted, that GM does have to compete blind against other GMs in pursuit of one of KW's starters. QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 11:42 AM) Cry-poor mentality? I've taken his statements as just the opposite - he's said, FA's are too pricey, we're moving on and looking elsewhere. When did he say he can't compete? When did he say is pushing away from the table? That's exactly how I've interpreted his comments about FA too. My cautious feeling towards his offseason decisions were born from his failure to upgrade the team through other avenues.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 04:02 PM) Relax. The Winter Meetings haven't even arrived yet. The 2 main free agent pitchers haven't signed yet. KW is actually being wise waiting this out. Teams aren't going to suddenly not need pitching. He has all the cards. When one of the big market teams gets shut out of the Zito/Schmidt sweepstakes, the price for a White Sox starter should skyrocket. Yeah, I agree we can't criticize KW until he sets the 2007 roster, it's just that his recent actions have given me an unsettling feeling I haven't had before with KW. Here's why I feel that way: his dumbfounded reaction to this offseason's FA prices and cry-poor mentality of complaining to the public how he can't compete in that field; his failure to "seal the deal" on at least two trades he was in discussion with (Rangers and Angels). If KW's budget doesn't allow him to play the big-time FA game, fine, he needs to accept his tougher situation and make the best of it.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 03:51 PM) The fact that Kenny has been aggresive in the past. He's not like 'Stand Pat' Gillick in that regard. Yes, which is why I'm uncomfortable with his lack of quality, agressive deals this offseason (so far).

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 03:45 PM) If Williams gets a deal that he thinks will be benficial to the team, he'll pull the trigger. One thing he has never been is shy about making a gutsy move. And so would every other GM in every sport. How does that relate to my post?

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 03:04 PM) You really have a low view of KW, don't you? What the hell has the guy done that you constantly rag on him like this? I'm not aware of Flash's past comments on KW, but this one seems reasonable. I'm a huge KW fan, but his offseason decisions and comments have left me believing he's somewhat clueless. His staunch reluctance to participate in the FA game, along with his (so far) failure to trade one of his excess starters makes me uncomfortable in is ability to build a 2007 WS winner.

QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Nov 30, 2006 -> 02:42 PM) That depends on the newspaper. I tried it once and got ink from the paper all over the place. Could have been the paper...or more likely user error.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 29, 2006 -> 04:10 PM) I wanted an answer to a particular question, but it probably would be helpful for others on the board to share home repair tips etc. My question is how do I keep my windows particularly the outside of the windows, cleaner longer? It is seriously a pain to keep washing the exterior of my windows, because they seem to get dirty extremely quickly. Anyone have a tip to help me out? This is a great idea for a thread. Men's Health magazine used to have a monthy section devoted to useful, but little-known tips. One tip I recall from memory is using laundry detergent to remove oil stains in your driveway. IIRC, the directions stated to pour detergent liberally on the oil stains and let bake for hours in the hot summer sun. Hours later, hose off. For the safety of other people and animals, one should never leave area unattended once detergent is applied. In reference to windows, one tip I didn't believe until I tried it was using glass cleaner on newspaper to clean car windows.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 04:27 PM) A few things. *Figgins would provide Ozzie with his super sub, while allowing the sox to bring Fields at 3b and Anderson in CF slowly. BA shouldn't need that much time off, though, and Figgins would likely see most of his time in LF and hit leadoff. His OBP was .350 + except for last yr. One series does not detract from what he's done for his career. *Santana's young, has very good stuff, and has room to improve on his 16 win, 4.30 ERA. With the sox need to get younger in the rotation, Santana is a good step toward helping the sox having a strong rotation for years. Maybe he's not a #1. But he's a strong #3, maybe a #2. Also, Santana is more of a strike out pitcher, less reliant on the defense. *Joe would be tough to give up. But he's likely around for only 2007. Figgins and Santana will be around for 3 yrs and 5 respectively. While the sox IF defense might not be as strong, the OF would be. The Sox needed the strong defense in 2005 because the offense wasn't as strong. With an improved O and better pitching, the sox can live with the dropoff of Fields and Figgins at 3b. You've sold me on the trade.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 09:52 AM) I fly 50 percent of the time with my job. I usually fly United because of the benefit of red carpet club, assigned seats and economy plus seating. Economy plus only costs you like 40 extra bucks and you get 6 in of extra legroom. Assigned seats are a must for me as I like to have extra legroom for my long trips and I cannot sit in the window seat due to my fear of flying. Also I have bad knees from sports and I need to stretch and crack my knees every so often. The planes used by United also seem to be newer and of higher quality. The only downside is that getting to Ohare is a pain. Also I like the frequent flyer programs of United and AA because I can use my points for other things like my Red Carpet Club membership. When i fly short distances for work I sometimes take Southwest, based on the fact that they fly out of Midway which is much easier to get to for me. I REALLY hate the waiting in line thing though. There is always someone who gets there 6 hours before the flight and camps out in the line. I hate that you have to stand in line and wait for an hour just to get an aisle seat. People who are taller and do not like to fly like myself need to sit in an aisle seat. Also on some recent trips, I have found that many people are not trying to adopt the "movie theater" rule where they put coats on all the seats by them to either save the seats, or make nobody else sit near them. The one positive of SWA is that they give you free snacks vs the other airlines that make you pay. Interesting, that's they kind of information I was looking for. Thank you. QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 10:07 AM) I prefer some of the lower-cost carriers other than Southwest - Frontier, AirTran, Jet Blue. Those three all do assigned seating, all have either Direct TV or XM Radio or both in all the seats, leg room is decent, and Frontier and AirTran fly out of the less-congested Midway. But you don't have the cattle car, wait in line aspect of Southwest. So I recommend those three when possible for domestic travel. Unfortunately, you can only go direct to a few cities on each of them. Which brings up another thing - never take a connection you don't have to. DirecTV and XM on flight is a nice convenience. I'll definately scope out Frontier, AirTran and Jet Blue for future travel. Thanks!

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 10:08 PM) Usually the cost and the ability to have assigned seats. Southwest has no assigned seating and flies out of Midway. UA and AA fly out of O'Hare and have assigned seating. What benefits do the larger carriers offer that entice consumers to pay more for their service?

Outside of cost, what are the differences between economy airlines like Southwest and Ted and more expensive airlines like American and United?

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Nov 19, 2006 -> 12:15 AM) By his own admission Garland started the season with dead arm, so it isn't as if only Contreras and Buehrle and Garcia experienced effects from 2005. Vazquez is, from what is publicly known, the only one who was physically fine all season. Your response has no substance disproving my statement suggesting Garland is the lowest risk based on physical, mental and mechanical problems. Your point about Vazquez being the only pitcher to be physically fine is useless because my statement was not solely based on physical injury, but factored mental instability and pitching mechanics too. Your argument lacks logic. Are you suggesting Garland's dead arm period makes him less reliable than Contreras who went on the DL and changed his arm angle to avoid pitching pain; Buehrle, who ended the year with the worst half of his career; Vazquez, who had his mechanics changed and fought and lost mental wars; or Garcia who may never get his fastball back?