badatbest

Also i think the people that are really freaking out had certain expectations of this offseason, i know i did. Namely: 1. Upgrade in LF 2. Find a SS that doesnt hit .236 3. Trade one of our starters to make room for McCarthy. 4. Improve the bullpen The offseason didnt pan out quite like i envisioned; i still think we are a good team (maybe an improved team) that will be there in the hunt come September.

I think the short answer to that question is that we finished 3rd last year and we had a decidedly unsexy offseason. We traded away 2 good starters and didnt pick up any names (sheffield, soriano, etc) to fill problem areas. On the surface it makes me cringe. On reflection though, i personally didnt want any of the big names out there. We have enough starting pitching, a better (though somewhat unproven) bullpen and i expect better offensive production from CF, LF and SS this year. I think we will be very competitive; though i understand why some people fret.

I dont think KW is really that interested in bringing back Crede, Dye or Buehrle. Each has significant risk associated with a large, long term deal. I love each of those players but i'm not sure they are the people we want to depend on after this year. I get the impression that KW is thinking that way and is using the bloated market as an excuse (to the fans and the players) for why they will not be coming back. In a backwards way, he could be taking the high road here. I still say he talks too much though.

Contreras has always had the body of a heavyweight boxer; it has to be kinda scary to bat against him. He is the last pitcher in MLB i would charge the mound on.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 19, 2007 -> 01:26 PM) While I don't work under a contract, if I asked for a raise and was told I was free to look elsewhere, and I went looking for a better paying position, if I had to go through the process of looking elsewhere and then got a better offer and my current employer said they would match it, I personally would tell him to f*** off. It would be an insult to me, a total lack of respect, that some place where I have invested a lot of time and effort would only pay me what I evidently was worth (if they are willing to match) if someone I hadn't worked for were to offer me more. I think generally if your current team matches the price of another team, the chances are they will stay with their current team. Spite is nice and everything, but not moving your family all over the place is nicer.

If i had to talk to the media, i'd take my time learning english also.

It would be a pretty boring message board if we all just applauded KW. "Isnt KW brilliant?" "Yeah, completely" "Coundn't have said it better" "What do we talk about now?" "I don't know, maybe how great ozzie is?" "Yeah he is great too" "Totally" *crickets chirping*

its probably from the osteoporosis that comes with aging. its funny, cuz, ya know, everyone thinks he is old.

I think Erstad could bring back some of the team chemistry that we lost when we failed to resign Carl "T-rex" Everett.

KW loves the sound of his own voice.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Feb 18, 2007 -> 03:29 PM) I'm sorry, but this is bad business... I can see JD, Buehrle, and Tada all being highly annoyed that KW felt the need to talk honestly about this. I agree. There is no reason to mention their names. He could easily talk in more general term. I think Ozzie has rubbed off on KW, they both need to shut their mouths more often.

QUOTE(shoota @ Feb 17, 2007 -> 08:49 PM) Nice avatar. How'd you get than hue in the picture? What's the background? Its elliott smith one my favorite musicians. Got the pic off of google images.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Feb 17, 2007 -> 07:24 PM) Thome's a lock. You're probably right. I'll feel more comfortable with "lock" after he wins the World Series with the White Sox this year. I'm just saying

Thome may make it, depends on injuries, etc. I dont think anyone from the 2005 team will come close. I kinda like that though. They'll be remembered by us, thats about it. Pretty sure i'll still be able to rattle off the players on the 2005 team when i'm 80.

Yeah that offer had to be a wake up call for Buehrle that his days with the White Sox were numbered. Personality wise, i've always thought Mark represented the average White Sox fan well. He has always struck me as passionate about the game (its refreshing to see a ballplayer that is still having fun) and not afraid to speak his mind about things he believed in. Always thought it would be fun to grab a beer with him. I'll be sad to see him leave. And he will.

I dont mean to be overly negative about Uribe. His defense is awesome and 20 homeruns is nothing to sneeze at. But I think most people that watch consistantly would probably agree that he has the worst swing/eye in major league baseball. I truely believe that. The talent is there though, i think he could be awesome at the plate, thats what makes it an unwatchable tragedy for me.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Feb 17, 2007 -> 05:39 PM) How can you be such a harsh critic when you don't even watch his AB's??? Ha. I still read the box scores. .236, gulp.

This is kinda off-topic a bit. but still about Uribe. I cant stand to watch Uribe swing a baseball bat, i will actually turn the channel during his at-bats. Despite that he knocks out 20 hrs a year. He clearly has pop in his bat. Why has no batting coach ever gotten through to him and made him adapt a real swing that doesnt break every rule that every 12 year old is taught and actually works. I think with some guidance and discipline he could be an offensive stud instead of my opportunity to see whats on "ESPN classic".

QUOTE(southsideirish @ Feb 16, 2007 -> 07:59 AM) You make him out to be this great pitcher the way you speak of him. I think he was left in the bullpen in 2006 because we had 5 better pitchers than him in the rotation. He is and was not better than the Couint, Buehrle, Garland, Garcia, or Vazquez. If you think he is or was then there is the problem right there. I am not saying that there is anyone else or that there wasn't anyone else available to be on the playoff roster, but that does not mean Ozzie would have put him on there. He was looking for someone that would be better suited in the bullpen. Obviously, looking at what McCarthy did in 06, he could not handle bullpen duties. It is a distinct possibility that Ozzie would have looked elsewhere to fill that bullpen role in the playoffs if El Duque was at all injured. You don't care why I was suspended or how many times, but you sure have no problem stating things you don't know or care about. That is quite odd. You brought that up, but you don't give a s***, how convenient for you. Uhhhh? Looked elsewhere? It was way after the trade deadline and there was no one with near the experience or talent of McCarthy on the White sox roster. He had just pitched decidedly well in several huge pressure games. There was no other option besides McCarthy (if El Duque had been injured) for the playoffs in 05. At the time i was pissed they didnt take McCarthy, that went away quickly after El Duque's magic act against Boston.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Feb 15, 2007 -> 07:03 PM) He is a bad player, he's been below average for the majority of his career and when he is healthy enough to attempt a stolen base he does so at a terrible success rate (worst in baseball last season). When exactly is he going to be healthy then? He was apparently injured all of last season and now he's coming off groin surgery (talk about a nagging injury for a speed player.) Even when the guy has found success at the major league level it has been FAR from consistent and to top it all off he's one of the WORST defensive players you're ever going to see. So ya he's ripped a lot mainly because he deserves it. Exactly.

As much as it pisses me off, i think the organization is staying with Pods (this year). Otherwise they would have gone after one of those guys mentioned instead of signing Pods to a contract. Pods does have a higher ceiling than most of those guys; unfortunately he hasnt been within spitting distance of that ceiling for a year and a half.

QUOTE(southsideirish @ Feb 14, 2007 -> 02:25 PM) I am praying to the baby Jesus right now that he will allow me such an accomplishment. The Christmas version is my favorite. However, I do like it when my Jesus dresses in a tuxedo t-shirt, because it is formal, but it also says I want to party. I like to party so I like my Jesus to party. So he is that big of a head case that he can't adjust to bullpen duty? s***, Johan Santana did it for a year or two. That is one sad excuse. Baserunning is not always about stealing bases. That is something we all learn when we actually play baseball. Johan Santana is God. And i mentioned 2 other aspects of baserunning besides stealing bases. (getting on; scoring runs). Anything else is not really statistically measurable (getting from 1st to 3rd, etc) I dont mean to be overly argumentative, im just bored in class.

QUOTE(southsideirish @ Feb 14, 2007 -> 02:09 PM) Brandon McCarthy proved he wasn't ready last year unless you buy into the argument that he couldn't adapt well to bullpen duty. That is a crappy argument though. Can't play a lick of defense, but can run the bases and gave the White Sox a valuable speedy leadoff man that they needed, not another right handed station to station base clogger. To my knowledge, McCarthy has been a starter and starter only following t-ball (his whole life). Its really different coming out of the pen; he always struck me as a a guy who gets in a rhythm and becomes untouchable (see end of 05 reg season); i dont think he ever hit that rhythm in the pen last year. As far as Podseniks baserunning; i wasnt impressed. .330 OBP (wasnt on base much to run); caught stealing 33% of the time (aka anytime where we actually needed a stolen base); yes, he scored alot of runs (trotting home from our 3-6)

Does anyone know why we didnt trade Garcia before the 2006 season while he had 2yrs on his contract? Gaarcia would have had more value and we had McCarthy ready for the 5th spot (and i dont want to hear any "he wasnt ready", because her was a hell of alot more ready than any of the people competing for the 5th spot this year)

QUOTE(southsideirish @ Feb 14, 2007 -> 12:24 PM) Did we receive a better deal than what we gave up to acquire Freddy Garcia to begin with? I mean we acquired a Freddy Garcia that was probably at his prime market value for Mike Morse, Miguel Olivo, and Jeremy Reed.. BWAAHAHAHAHA!!! And people hated that deal when we made it saying that we gave up too much. OH NO! We lost Jeremy Reed and Miguel Olivo!! What are we going to do now?!?!? Now we trade Freddy Garcia at one of the low points of his career when his arm seems to have lost a lot of velocity for whatever reason and we get 2 young pitching prospects in Gavin Floyd and Gio. Now everyone thinks we didn't get enough in return? What did you people expect to get back for pitcher that has pitched a ton of innings the last few years, has lost velocity, and is in the last year of his contract? I don't know what you people expected or wanted in return for this guy. If someone can please tell me that then please dazzle me. I think I will trust the White Sox and their scouts rather than the people that criticize them on this board. For the most part, the critics are wrong. Isn't Jason Jennings younger, cheaper, and better than Freddy Garcia? I think the answer is yes to all 3 of those questions. I will wait and see if those players the Astros gave up for Jennings turn out to be as good as Floyd and Gio. I really don't think the pitchers will and I really don't want Taveras on the White Sox. I don't think he is very good at all. How so and in what way? You can say we did not want to sign him for more than just this season, but is that a salary dump? A salary dump to me is when you have a guy with a few more years left with a salary you just don't want to pay any longer. Carlos Lee was a salary dump and a great move at that. That is not the case here. He is only making 9 million this year. That is one hell of a deal for a pitcher of his caliber.We were definitely trying to get young, cheap talent, but isn't that what every GM is looking for? I don't see that as a bad thing at all. What did you expect to get in return for a pitcher that has shown a decline, has lost velocity, and is in the last year of his contract? Please tell me. If you are going to disagree with something why don't you have an opinion on what they should have done or what they should have received in return and why. I honestly don't see it. What have you agreed with in the past that KW has done? Have you agreed or thought much of any of his deals or signings? What is your track record in agreeing or disagreeing with KW and his scouts? How did that turn out for you? I have a feeling you are more wrong than right when it comes to what moves the Sox should or shouldn't have made. Then what do you expect to get in return for a .300-30-100-10 guy who is also one of the dumbest baseball players around, has no heart, can't play a lick of defense in FREAKING LEFT FIELD, and has issues running the bases? How many more times would I have had to see him kill a rally by getting picked off. Freaking moron of a baseball player = Carlos Lee. But he sure can hit. I will give him that. Its a much different market for startng pitching now (as opposed to when we acquired Garcia); Most GMs this year had their balls in a vice grip to pick up anything resembling starting pitching. I feel Kenny wasnt ruthless enough. The contracts and trades for pitchers this year were outrageous, i would call what phily gave up, modest.