Harry Chappas

This is the entertainment business the more you entertain (i.e. win,) the more revenue you will make. JR does not understand this. Look at the money the cub brought not only to wrigley but the city in general. The JR model is you spend first, then I spend. In the movie industy it would be like asking someone to pay for a movie ticket before the movie was made then based on who buys, then the movie is made.

It is #1 stress free job. Nobody realizes you're wrong for 7 years. Like how JR views his GM's.

The guy has put up better offensive numbers than anyone we have seen in a long time (Thomas MVP years.) Stats Inc. rated him the second most productive player in all of baseball pitchers included. The guy can flat out hit. His head is not on tight but I wouldn't be aginst getting him if the Red Sox paid a good portion (50%) of his salary (Konerko, Koch for Manny & $5M a year of his salary.) If I was the O's I would try and work a deal with Boston. I would take Albert Belle any day of the week, the guy was a gamer. A jag off yes but we all know where nice guys finish. Manny is just a little off. Belle and Manny went to the series with another man of questionable character, Loften. I think there is a little too much stock put into character and attitude. See where Loften ended up the last two years. Winning cures a-lot.

Where is it ever agreed that the deferred comp includes interest. I do not believe this is the case.

Jerry Krause is their new basketball expert. Who the f*** wants to here what this moron has to say. He ran an icon out of town. This should be a complete ratings killer. Why anyone would listen to that crap is beyond me.

I think Soriano is really overrated. He can be had as he has no strike zone discipline. I think he benefits from having a great lineup around him and when/if he becomes the key player on a team, he will crumble, JMHO.

If what some of us were led to believe is true, it says the organization is tired of the bulls*** that's been printed and believed about them all these years as gospel by the fans. They will announce what they want when they want to, and how they want to. And I don't blame them. The media side of it is one thing but the track record for mismanagement and allowing, (what is to be believed,) a dissident to run the operation wheather perceived or real is a joke.

Becasue I really like baseball and I hold out hope that they will turn it around and dedicate themselves to winning. JR will make one move (Colon, Belle, etc.) but will not allow his team to go further. Last year we gave up 9 pitchers in order to pick up players and have their former team pay their salary. This was because JR would not increase payroll. The media thinks this was JR "going for it," no the cub went for it when they took on Ramirez and his big salary. I get frustrated watching this team get close and they be unwilling to seal the deal. The White Sox are the team playing a game at 35th and Shields, JR is the asshole that will not let them succeed and steals my money every year. These are two very different entities. Unfortunatly I am nto wealthy enough to free my team from the asshole run thing into the ground. What other options do I have? Sox fans are held above cub fans because they hold the team accountable for their actions and are not blind sheep. That is why you see conversations about trading Ordonez becasue this is what is best for teh team under teh constraints of the asshole owner.

"Officially"? No, there'd be an announcement. However, it's what I have maintained since June, and others as well. What does this say for an organization that is allowing a figurehead to be so prominent. I hope you are wrong in this matter for no other reason than that it is making this team and its management look like fools, although that is nothing new here.

I can't. But I believe Colon has at least two takers in Boston and the NYY. And I am in 100% agreement that Weaver should not be an option. Deferring money does nobody any good. The more I read on this situation, the more I think the offer was bulls***, probably $5M/yr with $7M deffered. Why would anyone take this? His agent isn't going to state this in the papers. This sounds like the Buerhle deal, all bulls*** from this horses*** organization.

Lack of other quality candidates. There is talk like Shoenweis is going to be a productive stater and Wright is there if we need him. What is this based on? I look at the pitching staff of this team and the only sure thing is Marte and probably Buerhle. Loiaza is still a bit of a gamble as a one hit wonder. Garland looked good at times and appears ready but no sure thing there. I agree Weaver is over priced but plain and simple, pitching wins, not hitting and this is where the gambles and risk need to be made. Our mistake is locking up the Konerko's, Thomas and Ordonez of world and revamping our pitching every year.

After seeing that Colon is gone, I think these two guys would be a good deal if the Yanks picked up some salary for Weaver (i.e. Mike Hampton deal.) I think the chance of one of these guys putting up really good numbers are good. If Weaver is a headcase it may be a problem but I think with the state of our rotation, it is a risk we should take. We have one dependable starting pitcher at this point and no options in our minors. Why do I get the feeling Glendon Raush (sp.?) is going to be in the "Plan," along with Schoenweis. This idea makes me ill.

Why would they take Thomas but not try and get Konerko?

What is wrong with the Raffy contract?

tony, we are on to something now. the sox are not New York or Boston or LA. This is Chicago. now tell me what is wrong with this picture? i think that we (the fans) have been beaten over the head by MLB (in general) and the white sox (specifically) that they "can't afford it" and "can't spend a dollar when you only have fifty cents", which in my opinion is baloney, that we start to believe it. what if i asked you or any sox fan how would you like to have alex rodriguez at short for the sox next year? the answer would probably range from, the sox would never take on that big a contract, or we couldn't afford any other players with him on the team. that would be my reaction. i think that we confuse two numbers. the amount the sox are willing to pay, and the amount the sox can afford to pay. in my opinion the sox management if they wanted to could have a 100 million plus payroll. i think that they have the means or could find the way to come up with the money without much effort. but they choose to go the financially sound or cheap way (whatever way you want to look at it.) there is a reason that we only make the playoffs about once every ten years, and the reason is is because it takes an enormous amount of luck to be successful in the sox system. we rely on our scouting, drafting, plug ins, and the occasional big ticket item, and there is absolutely no margin for error. the years we made the playoffs everything seemed to go our way. no major injuries, guys having career years. we won't cover our mistakes by throwing money at it. now i think it's most important to spend money wisely and not just throw 100+million at the wall and hope something sticks, but the sox, iIF THEY WANTED could do any of the following. trade for a-rod. if we took on his contract the rangers would require probably a couple of prospects, hell they might even take pk off our hands for relieving them of the enormous burden of a-rod's contract. sign bartolo sign vlad the possibilities are endless. i doubt this management would ever do these things but i believe that if they wanted to they could. the financial constraints are self imposed, and i'm sure that bud selig appreciates us not being another NY. but i may be wrong about it all. You are right on. This organization is joke but that is Chicago, city of spendthrift owners, JR, Wirtz, Trib and worst of all the McCaskey's. Each teams makes one move every 5 years and they shove it down the fans throat that they are poor. There will be 5,000 watching the Hawks in January and less than this watching the Sox next September. Why these leagues allow the fools from this city to do this is beyond me. You would think the cub television ratings would prove something. The general economy and morale of a city pick up do to sports but all involved are blind to this and keep the change they make on their teams instead of trying to be something great. Colon, Tejada and Castillo could all be had along with signing Gordon and Foulke. We won't move on one of these though and then wonder why we are irrelevant in the city and world of sports.

Who is going to pay for that flight?

Would you rather have; Cotts or Rauch and Ordonez = $14.5M or Reed and Colon = $14.5; if you give Colon is asking price. In a round about way my point is you can get a good rightfielder much easier than you can a good starting pitcher. Starting pitching takes you to and through the playoffs. Hitting is fun to watch on a Tuesday eve in July. Look at Ordonez numbers in April, May and September. He will leave next year for a warmer/indoor climate because that is when he is a top notch player. He is not a cold weather player, IMHO. Jeff Conine was picked up for the pennant push. There are these types of guys out there. Prime pitchers wheather Bartolo Colon or not, are not out there. If E-Lo, Buerhle, Garland, Cotts and Rauch get you excited for this upcoming year.....well I guess we have different views. I DO NOT WANT TO GET RID OF ORDONEZ BUT IF WE ARE BETTER FOR IT, GO AHEAD.

Tuesday Opener really sucks. The weekend series are pretty god though. My 7 game, bye, bye season tix; Opener; Friday/Sunday cub ((we try and get 7/4 at teh s***hole,) Twins, Braves, Boston, Seattle Much better than last year.

Who the hell this guy think he is? :fyou Some douchebag that has no friends in the world so he will strive to be a pain in everyone's ass becasue nobody pays attention to him. He will come back in a month and tell us we should trade Joe Crede for Fernando tatis or something worthless just to try and get everyone pissed off so he can giggle and play with his imaginary friends.

There is no doubt that Maggs Ordonez is great player and potential hall of famer if he continues to progress. The problem has to do with the fact that we can not afford him. If we were the Yanks, Cards, Mets, cubs, etc. this would not ba a topic of conversation. For every bad contract we have and overpay (Koch, Konerko, Thomas,) the worse off we are. Pitching wins, plain and simple. How many batting champs carry a team to and through the playoffs? How many Cy Young award winners? If the ability of Bartolo Colon was not in the discussion, the thought of Maggs being traded would not come up. I believe that as impressive as his stats are, Maggs does not produce in the clutch as a $14M/yr player should. Case in point, 2000 playoffs and this past season in the last fateful week against the Twins. Teams are built and win with players that know and play to win on a daily basis and a stong pitching staff. I am not sure Maggs Ordonez is capable of this. Don't tell me what you hit, tell me when you hit it. maggs at $8-10M I can handle anything more than this and we are overstating are capacity to compete. See sammy sosa for proof of this.

This is not even close, pitcher B is head and shoulders better than A. Age is important if A is less than 24 but A appears as an average pitcher (Jon Garland,) and B a stud (Bartolo Colon.)

Colon gave us a chance to win every time he went out there. The reason we didn't win had nothing to do with he, Buerhle, or Garland. Our top four guys led the majors or were right there in quality starts. A duplicate performance this year would be great. You remove one of these guys and the chances of this suffer greatly. Good pitching is not that readily available. Any other pick-ups will perform at a much lower level than Colon. That is not to say they won't win, Danny Wright won 14 games two years ago. The thing is, a weak bullpen will be greatly exposed. If Colon is not back, there needs to be some huge money spent to build the pen. The Ginter's, Munoz, etc. cause us to have a repeat of this season.

This is a trade that would allow us live without Colon but this board would probably crucify KW. I really think Weaver could do some damage with us.

Anyone have this handy assuming Thomas picks up his $6M option? Looks like Buerhle has no interest in signing long term as they already are planning for arbitration. How much cash is out there to get us to $60M?

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