iamshack

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 06:44 PM) Ok, I get what you're saying here, but don't you think you're being a bit naive in thinking that he has never said this stuff before? I mean, it's quite a leap to go from good normal christian sermons to "god damn america" and the white man is the cause of all the black man's problems. I have a feeling he had a pretty apparent viewpoint that was highlighted by these select statements. This is a guy, afterall, that loves Farakhan and forced Opera of all people to leave his church. And I love this argument that "oh, he's just a normal person, he should get a pass for saying something stupid once in his life." I'd like a teacher to tell say such words in their classroom, or a judge, or someone else that we hold in high regard in this society (gloss over the easy distinction of "public" employee...he's still a public figure in society). Trust me, I don't think this story deserved half the attention it recieved, but I don't think it's a stretch at all to say this guy obviously has some pent up hate for whites and the whites that have led/currently lead this country. Have you watched the two sermons that Fox took their soundbytes from, Jenks? If you haven't, just take 15 minutes to watch them. I think your opinions might change a bit.

Have you guys watched the longer clips of those sermons that the sound bytes were taken from? I haven't watched all of them, but the two I watched, I did not find particularly racist. I don't know, maybe I have a different definition of the term racist than others, but I do not find it racist to complain or list off the wrongs that have been done in the past and to condemn the government for doing so. In the sermon wherein Wright states "God Damn America," he proceeds through a whole litany of wrongs that have been committed not only against African Americans, but against other minority groups, such as the Japanese in World War II. And I didn't particularly understand him to be saying that it was "white" people who were deliberately behind these injustices, but the US government (obviously I understand there is often an implication there). I'm not suggesting the guy is the most fair-minded of critics of the US government over the years, and sure, much of his rhetoric was inflammatory (find a preacher who doesn't use such rhetoric), but it just seems that quite a few people are using this opportunity to tee-off on Obama for a lot of things they already felt (or wanted to feel), but had no excuse to.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 07:31 PM) This might be the only time I'll say this all year, but Ozzie isn't stupid. This means Quentin is going to start opening day in LF. The only other possibility is we'll start Uribe or Ramirez at 2nd base on opening day, and Ozuna in LF. That has to be it. The only two possibilities I can think of.

QUOTE(farmteam @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 06:38 PM) Was Bourgeois released, or demoted? Or waived/DFA'd with the attention to going to Charlotte, whatever the case is? He was reassigned to minor league camp.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 05:16 PM) I'm relieved, cause that means we will only be wasting 23 million on Dye... unless he re-learns how to hit and regains his bat speed. I'm not sure if you were watching the second half of the season last year, but he seemed to "re-learn" how to hit then...

QUOTE(BearSox @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 05:00 PM) well, he still must be injured, because this spring training, Dye's bat has looked slower then ever. I still think that 3 years, 30 some million dollar deal we gave him was f***ing stupid. We could really use those 2 draft picks (especially since we are losing one for the Linebrink signing, which I hate as well). We'll, I'm still excited about Quentin and he'll be fun to watch, whenever he gets healthy and gets his chance. It's a 2 year, $22 million contract with a mutual option for '10 and a $1 million buyout.

This is obviously just a stubborn difference of opinion between fans, and we aren't getting anywhere with it. Let's just let it die.

Speaking of Garland and the Angels, they are thanking their lucky stars that they made that deal now. Escobar may be out for the season now, and Lackey is hurt...

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 02:34 PM) I suppose. But I doubt it. I think Brian gets it. Man, and to think that that would happen 2-3 months ago....I'm so happy for the kid...and I'm so happy for the Sox. Just think of how much money a producing Brian in CF would save us...$65-68 million?

QUOTE(Gbubbs @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 01:12 PM) I think we all fail to understand that none of the CF, 3b and 2b questions really matter if Jose, Gavin and Danks are at least .500. I wish Uribe were gone, but, he is a good upgrade at 2b when compared to the league. Don't give me the Iguchi average 2b argument. That is gone and doesn't matter anymore. The point is, we have have a better Offense than 2005, D actually looks good as of today (Uribe, Anderson, Cabrera, Crede), but our SP is a huge ?????????. The rest just does not matter. I can't wait for Monday.http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/bringit.gif Couldn't agree more. Obviously I want Anderson and Quentin in there getting ab's. But this season is going to come down to our starting pitching, and the rest is mostly just nitpicking.

I'm a little concerned about Jose, but I also think he could come out and pitch pretty well...not like he did in 05', but possibly how he did in the beginning of 06'.

QUOTE(Princess Dye @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 12:21 PM) To me, all signs point to yes. 1) Richar's MLB on base pct has been higher than Uribe's was in both 2006 and 07. As soon as Richar's healthy, that spot is his. Only way that's not true is if Alexei is Soriano right out of the gate or something. 2) He's absolutely the kind of guy who could have another strong month at the plate, be dealt, and the fans wouldnt miss him at all. Would blame the org at all. Reason being, of course, that we've seen this before from him. Why? They put him on waivers and someone bit. What more did they want? Apparently someone to eat more of the contract? You don't showcase a guy that's played 4 full seasons. You showcase prospects that haven't gotten an extended look, or who are blocked because of a veteran. I think they're starting him because they're unsure of Ramirez's defense at 2b.

Well, unfortunately this has turned into another "trash the organization" thread over the fact that Crede and Uribe are getting the starting nods. But I'm going to try and counter what Steve initially seemed to be saying in this thread, which is "What the hell was/is the plan this offseason?" In order to try and understand what the plan is/was, you've got to look at how the offseason unfolded, as opposed to what the result is now. 1) First of all, for all the Uribe griping, I think it's fairly clear that the organization, as well as the fanbase, knew that a different shortstop would greatly increase the chances for success. While I have never been completely sold on the Garland/Cabrera trade, as I would have liked to acquire a younger ss with some upside for Garland (think Chin Lung Hu), Kenny did go out and acquire one of the better shortstops in the game, with at least some intention of exploring a long-term contract with him. So he was clearly addressing a major need there. Was it the best idea to do at the expense of Jon? I'm not certain, but with the fanbase clamoring for Buehrle to be resigned last year (as he was), and Vazquez having a deal in place, it was fairly clear Jon was not going to be resigned. But considering most of the people complaining around here lately don't believe we have any chance to compete this season, I really don't see how it matters. 2) We clearly needed some OF depth as we were looking at having a group of OF's including Dye/Owens/Anderson/Sweeney. Now, recalling the uncertainty of what we had in Owens, the fact that it would have been a huge gamble to count on Anderson to do what he has done this spring, and Sweeney's lack of power and ability to get to an inside fastball, I can only imagine the disappointment and venom spewed around here had other options not been acquired. So Kenny goes out and gets Quentin from AZ in what was thought by most people in baseball to be a pretty solid deal. He gets Swisher from Oakland, in a more controversial deal. But Swisher's acquisition filled a second need- and one that was harped on constantly around here for the last few years- OBP. So while we looted our own farm system a bit to acquire him, Swisher will be here, at a reasonable price, for several more years, and he adds something this team badly lacked, and that is someone with plate discipline that reaches base at an extremely high clip over the course of his career. He also appears to be an extremely good clubhouse player (even Frank Thomas loved him). Kenny then signs a Cuban exile with some raw tools, but who has been hitting in a league many scouts compare to A-level ball. The guy signs for an extremely cost-effective contract, one that, should he never really pan out as anything other than a utility player, would not hurt the club. This move is probably one centered around adding depth to our recently depleted system and the lack of bench players (as Mackowiak, Cintron are gone), and a gamble that his raw tools might actually manifest themselves into something approaching a player Ramirez is sometimes compared to, Alfonso Soriano. Then what happens? Spring Training arrives. Brian Anderson comes in with a chip on his shoulder and a new attitude. He tears the cover off the ball as well as any player in baseball this spring. Alexei Ramirez shows that he can, at the very least, hit major league fastballs- and hit them hard- to all fields. He shows a ton of athleticism and is now being reported on nationally as potentially one of the major "finds" of the offseason. Quentin, though still recovering from a shoulder injury, starts off slowly. Yet the last few weeks of spring, he begins to find his stroke and shows the organization that he still may be that player who was so well-regarded two years ago. And then of course there is Jerry Owens, who has himself had a nice spring but has battled injuries and needs to go on the DL to get healthy for what is a very long season. So now we have Dye/Swisher/Anderson/Quentin/Ramirez and Owens when he returns from injury. Suddenly we have a glut of OF's and people are honestly going to complain? Would we rather be in the spot we thought we were 3-4 months ago? 3) Second base was a somewhat uncertain spot and one most hoped Richar would win in ST. However, he shows up late because of visa problems, then struggles with back injuries once he does start playing. He, obviously, could not win the 2b job. So that means it's down to Uribe, who is under contract this year, and despite what some have suggested, has been a very solid defensive player his entire career, and Alexei Ramirez, who is still learning the position, as he was a natural shortstop in Cuba. Which direction to go? Do you sit a guy who you know will be very dependable defensively, especially considering you have question marks on your pitching staff and some guys who tend to walk some people (#'s 3,4,5 in your rotation), or do you start the Cuban upstart who is raw defensively, but shows an ability to play several different positions? Or, you could attempt to trade Uribe, but then you are depending on Ramirez being able to fill the bill, at least until Richar comes back from a back injury (and you know how troubling back injuries can be). I'm not agreeing with everything that was done, but I think it is important to look at things as they occurred, chronologically, to get a better understanding of how things unfolded.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 10:56 PM) This is the start of Brian Anderson, the future Hall of Famer. My one goal with this current Chicago White Sox team is to party with Brian Anderson at some point. I think it would be fun. Can I be invited too?

QUOTE(knightni @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 10:28 PM) Converting land for biofuel worsens global warming New Link Isn't this old news?

This is honestly the ideal situation for me....both Quentin and Anderson on the team with one of them starting every day...

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 05:12 PM) The Giants aren't going to be very good this year. 2 months into the season, they'll likely be sellers and not buyers. They are just getting hammered with injuries though....they gotta put something on the field. Will we get Jonathan Sanchez? Probably not. But there has to be something decent out there...

QUOTE(heirdog @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 05:08 PM) In all the analogies except for baseball, the projectile is moving away from you. So my thoughts as to why its not helpful: 1) Chance of injury 2) Learning to sit back on balls because he gets used to getting funny hops instead of charging grounders that roll true 3) Trying to charge grounders before they take a funny hop instead of getting in good fielding position 4) Getting in the habit of doing a hockey goalie move to block the ball instead of keeping his feet and making the play on speedy runners 5) Chance of injury 6) Did I mention...chance of injury Once again, this is an exaggeration. These are good fields still. Not the ones I play softball on.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 05:01 PM) or he goes down there, and people get even more down on his defense cause he makes more errors than he might on a good field. With all the holes on this team, 3rd base defense isn't even in the top 15. I think you're exaggerating the conditions a bit, fathom. I know you know the International League fairly well, but they're not exactly playing on municipal softball fields out there....come on now.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 04:57 PM) Fields is fine on tough plays...it's the routine plays that he struggles with. This is more of a lack of focus with him. This isn't like Ryan Braun where they wanted him to get repetitions in regards to throwing from 3rd to 1st without hitting someone behind the 1b dugout. I honestly don't worry about Fields defense, it's not nearly as bad as some Crede fans make it out to be. I'm more concerned that he won't get a lot of practice against 93 mph fastballs and up in the minors. Well, than having less than ideal fielding conditions should do nothing but help him focus and not take a "routine" play for granted.

BTW, Aaron Rowand just got drilled by a pitch, was laying face down on the ground, and was removed from the game... Jeesh, these Giants may have no choice but to give us something decent for Crede...

I may be mistaken, but wouldn't it help Fields defensive ability a bit to have to do so under less than optimal fielding conditions? Isn't this why quarterbacks practice throwing into small targets? Why hitters will often write numbers on tennis balls and put them in a pitching machine to improve their vision? Why golfers will try to putt the ball through a very narrow corridor? What good is fielding in optimal conditions going to do to help Fields improve his fielding?

QUOTE(lostfan @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 04:30 PM) I recall last year in one of those ridiculously cold games Anderson was actually the only one that hit CC hard all that afternoon, he hit a flyout to deep center but on that day the wind was heavy and it probably would've been a HR any other day. Just saying. Well, additionally, OD 06', I believe Brian got his first hit of the season on a sharply hit line drive to left off of CC...(not positive though if it was before CC got yanked that game though).

QUOTE(BearSox @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 04:18 PM) What don't you get about talent levels!? What Josh Fields need to work on is facing MLB pitching, not facing primarily AAAA pitchers. Add that to the fact you will be messing with him mentally (KW saying all this crap about him being the guy, him actually outpreforming Crede in ST, etc), you can severly retard his development. I'm not sure if you have a child or not, but perhaps you have a niece or nephew or something. Would you expect him/her to walk before they crawl? Run before they walk? I understand talent levels. And Josh has enough athletic ability to survive against MLB pitching because of his power, but he certainly has things he can learn against lesser talent that will help him become a more complete hitter and help his career in the long run, as opposed to ruining his career or stunting it.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 04:17 PM) Do you think that facing Tim Redding, Felix Diaz and Toma Ohka are great preparations for facing Verlander or CC, or Liriano. Are their stuff comparable. Well, considering Fields has struck out about 35% of the time in Charlotte, yes, he certainly has more to learn. And if you think the league won't make adjustments to Fields this season- and eat him alive with inside fastballs- I think you're sadly mistaken. He needs to learn how to hit average fastballs before he'll ever hit Verlander, CC, or Liriano's stuff.