PorkChopExpress

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Mar 21, 2012 -> 02:52 PM) So a pulled tooth is the reason for his poor performance with the bat! His balance was off. This should right things.

I think people put too much stock in these types of statements. He has said in the past that he credits his improvement and consistentcy in recent years to not putting undue pressure on himself. I think statements like these are more for his teammates. "Hey guys, don't get bogged down with the pressure of making the playoffs. Just play well, and that's a good year." I think he's trying to alleviate pressures that may be there for some of the rookies, and some veterans. Just my opinion.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 11:33 AM) Jack Burton here is wrong on so many levels. The "may have been wrong" is the key. The T/E levels that were found in the urine could not have been made by someone who wasn't taking PEDs. The only way practical way to taint this is to have someone else take PEDs and substitute the sample. Braun's lawyers knows this and this is wwhy they came up with the "I'll take a DNA test" idea. They also know that if MLB called their bluff that the union would step in and prevent this and a massive legeal battle would start. Which neither side wants. It would also start a precedent for every player to use the "DNA" defense. MLB will just need to suck it up on this one because their agent screwed up the procedure. I'm sure they are hoping that Braun got scared enough and he'll clean himself up. So there's at least one way to taint it. And there's an unexplained 44 hour gap that the sample was held by someone who could taint it despite his having the opportunity to ship the sample at anytime after having taken it. In Braun's press conference, he just said that they consulted scientists who said a determined person could easily taint the sample. Despite some sources saying that his elevated testosterone ratio was not unusual, the fact that his test results showed his testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was three times higher than any result in the history of baseball's program certainly raises suspicion. Add that to the fact that Braun showed no physical side effects of use, i.e., enhanced performance, based on records kept by the Brewers apart from this situation, and that he has been consistently good his whole career while not ever testing positive the other 25 times he's been tested, and I certainly cannot make the judgment that he is obviously a juicer.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 08:57 AM) I understand what the rules of the procedure are and why they exist...and I repeat, MLB can't suspend him if they didn't follow their own rules. All I'm trying to say is that there's every reason for an outside observer to judge him as a juicer. No there's not. What reasons are you aware of? That the sample tested positive for PED's? Due to improper handling, those test results may have been wrong. Braun has said as much this entire time. According to the legal analyst on Mike and Mike this morning, Braun offered to do a DNA test to prove that the sample wasn't even his, but MLB refused. There's no reason for an outside observer to make any kind of judgment except for an uneducated one, which leads to the lynching-type result I'm seeing in this thread. So many people have already determined he is a juicer based on nothing but speculation and the fact that he performed well in his sport. I would think he has a huge libel/slander claim against whoever leaked the test results.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 08:25 AM) Guy tests positive after winning MVP, positive test thrown out on technicality, and no one knows about it? That strikes me as total BS. Just like it strikes me as BS that the 2003 list hasn't been released. I'm much happier that I know about the situation here for some reason. My understanding is that there was more to the story than just the technicality, though. Braun said it wasn't his sample, and offered to take a DNA test to prove it was not his urine, and MLB said no thanks. They could have just cleared everything up earlier (at least as to Braun) but chose not to and let the technicality become the dominating factor. Again, that's my understanding, but I haven't read the arbitration transcripts, nor do I have inside information of any kind. Just what I heard on ESPN.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 12:04 PM) Fill in the blank. ___________ is in the best shape of his life. Apparently it is Herm Schneider

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 10:39 AM) Hmm...Lillibridge primarily an IF backup then? Or he gets traded. Rumor was he was the most sought after player during the winter meetings.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 8, 2012 -> 03:21 PM) How Kenny has kept his job is beyond me. Dunn.Peavy. Rios. Those are the kind of baseball players who get a guy fired. If Reed fails at closer, he also gave away the Sox only closer candidate for this season. Sergio for nothing. Real wise. Oh I forgot. Ozzie didn't have to play Rios and Dunn so that takes Kenny off the hook. Oz is at fault for playing them. Kenny's not off the hook. The payroll and roster still suffer and that's Kenny's domain. But if there were better options on the bench and Oz chose not to play those better options because of what the players make salary-wise, he simply was not trying to win. It was not Kenny's decision who plays and who doesn't. Oz made the lineups, remember.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 03:17 PM) I don't like that about them, but I'll give their props. Yes, Coop is best pitching coach in Sox history and yes KW is best GM in Sox history cause he did engineer the title team. But I am not high on either of them right now; Coop for his behavior in the Oz thing and KW for his awful GM'ing of late. So why are you still high on Ozzie despite his behavior and awful managing of late?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 26, 2012 -> 07:14 AM) I really don't understand why this sentiment has such a strong hold here. It's not as if he's this DeWayne Wise type player who got hot. He's always put up solid minor league numbers, he has the physical tools, he's made opening day rosters in the past and he came through a pretty well respected minor league system. The only reason it's taken him so long to make it to the majors full time is injuries. The leg injury he suffered in Florida was quite bad and detrimental to his development. Concerns over his ability to stay healthy are one thing, but I think he's proven that, when healthy, he is quite capable of being a major league starter. ^^^

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 20, 2012 -> 11:10 AM) Round Two is about to begin OzzieGuillen Ozzie Guillen People want me to look bad but I so honest i wiil saynthe real true put u seat belt on I will kill peoples fellings no mercy i turn the page but they no let me a long then get ready going to be bad Iam out the country now but i never quit in anything yes be ready when i talk going to be fun When i get to chitown lets make one thing clear what happen last day whit the sox stay tune Even when it's written I still have trouble understanding what he is trying to say. I'm not going to miss that at all. But one thing is apparent. He enjoys the drama. Thinks it's going to be fun.

If the report out of the Baltimore Sun is to be believed (which I saw on mlbtraderumors.com), then the O's certainly value Adam Jones more than some on this board. Supposedly the Braves offered Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado and a prospect for Jones, and the O's didn't bite. That's like us offering Floyd, Quentin and a prospect. I think Jones is good, but not good enough to turn down that offer.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 09:41 PM) Just as much confidence in him as Stewart or Axelrod. And we DEFINITELY need at least one LH starter in our rotation if Buehrle and Danks are both gone. That's 50% of the reason he'll really be given a chance to prove himself this spring. He can get it up there 92-93-94 MPH, that's playable for a lefty, and quite comparable to Danks' heater. It would be crazy to argue he'll be as good or better, but if he can keep improving that screwball, it will have the same effect as the change-up does for both our lefties. Sale is a lefty.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Dec 7, 2011 -> 04:50 PM) That's what people keep getting confused. I think they're just so damn quick to defend him about anything that they can't step back and realize that we're not attacking the man, but basically just stating a fact. The problem is that it is not a fact.

This Buehrle is a hypocrite crap is so wrong. Mark may have said things in the past about what he might do in the future, but he never made promises or guarantees. He was merely speculating in a vacuum without knowing what the situation would actually be. And what he said he might like to do wasn't an option for him. He is one of the greatest Sox players of his generation and people here are calling him names and acting like high school girls who didn't get asked to prom. Seriously, people. Good luck, Mark. I can't stand Ozzie, so I won't root for your team, but I will root for you. Hopefully your NL dominance continues.

So apparently the Dodgers are looking for a bat (OF or 1B type) and a reliever. Anyone know how their farm system is? Anything worthwhile for a Quentin/Thornton package? Any chance Konerko waives his NTC to play there again?

So I saw on mlbtraderumors.com that the Nationals are "fixated" on leaving the Winter Meetings with a new center fielder, per Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com. What are the chances they would take Rios if we ate a large portion of his contract? What other needs do they have that we might be able to include in a package with Rios to lower the amount of his salary we would have to eat? Any thoughts?

For giving away so many victories?

Well, Kevin Davidoff of Newsday thinks the Yankees should trade for Danks, among other moves. Link His impression is that Danks, coming off a down year but with good peripherals is not going to exact a gargantuan price in prospects. Not sure what that means, but he doesn't appear to think the Yankees should use what I assume are their top prospects (Jesus Montero , Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos or Mason Williams) to get him, but maybe some of what I assume are there next level down prospects (Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez, Adam Warren, Slade Heathcott). Also I'm not sure he is suggesting all four of them, but at least you get the idea of what someone on the outside thinks Danks is worth.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Sep 21, 2011 -> 09:04 AM) Even better article than Ballatini's basically saying Indians and Twins might be hitting or at least pitching inside to Sox hitters as part of game strategy. http://www.southsidesox.com/ This is something I have suspected for a while now. And I think it goes beyond the Twins and Indians, but I have no stats to back that up. I just feel like the opposition knows that they should pitch inside to our guys. It may have something to do with the way our hitters swing for the fences so much and pulling for HR's, and the inside pitches get them out so often. I don't know, but I'm with Ballantini on this. I think it is definitely a strategy, and not coincidence.

You've got a good hitting team there on the South Side? Huh?

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Sep 13, 2011 -> 10:11 AM) And there's only one prescription. More cowbell?

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Sep 12, 2011 -> 02:23 PM) Am I the only person who doesn't really give two s***s about the Rios slam on Saturday? The funny thing is that if De Aza hit that slam, he would be sitting the following day.

I am so sick of watching Kubel hit HR's against us. The guy has a career total of 104 HR's now, with 22 of them against us. That's over 20% of his HR's against just us. The next closest total against any other team is 12 against the Indians. Just ridiculous.

QUOTE (flavum @ Aug 9, 2011 -> 09:06 AM) This four game winning streak has been fun, but when I look at the Tigers remaining schedule, I realize the Sox won't catch them unless they get ungodly hot. The Tigers have this left: Cleveland - 12 Minnesota - 9 Baltimore - 7 Chicago - 6 Kansas City - 6 Tampa Bay - 4 Oakland - 4 And let's be clear, no matter how close the Sox get in the end, if they come up short, Kenny and Ozzie both have to go. I love that Detroit and Cleveland will be beating each other up for twelve games. That could prove to be big for the Sox.