BearSox

QUOTE (High Mileage @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 01:36 AM) Yes, those were the days of ownership not spending a dime, and Allard Baird as our general manager. Very little came from his drafts. Aviles and others were offered the $1,000 take it or leave it. Ownership and Allard Baird are the reason we have almost nothing in Double-A or Triple-A. All our prospects are in the lower levels, and they are all Dayton Moore draftees. I like Aviles, but I question whether he'll ever see a Royals uniform again... Moore really went the extra mile last year with all the money he spent on Hosmer and Melville (both struggling a bit this year, but seem to be coming around). Plus, you guys had a great draft this year with Crow and Myers, and Dwyer is pretty intriguing. I still can't get over how you guys got Myers in the 3rd round when he was a possibility for you guys in the first (you guys gonna spend the money to sign him though). Also, Crow is a stud, IMO. Moustakas has been struggling, and I'd say for the no. 2 overall pick in 07 and into his 3rd season in professional ball, you'd like to see him at least in AA by now. Also, when he is ready, does he stick at 3B? Or go to the OF? And I still have no idea why you guys are still running Mike Jacobs out there all the time. He has no business being in the American League. His best fit is as a pinch hitter and situational 1B in the NL, he just doesn't have the tools to be an everyday player. And why the hell is Ka'aihue still in AAA? Granted he is lighting the world on fire, but I'd say it's about time they gave him a shot. Also, Mitch Maier is a bad baseball player. How was he a 1st round draft pick?

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 03:23 PM) Are you really mad that Linebrink didn't do a good enough job with Peavy? No, not now at least... but I was just pointing out, Linebrink must have not been that great of a salesman, and I hope Contreras is better

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) Again, you're completely missing the point. The footwork, body movement, arm angle, and throwing motion at 2B are completely different than at SS. It has nothing to do with physical skill, it's about transition time. And there's no point in Beckham making that transition when the Sox are in a tight division race. This isn't rookie development time. My god, what don't you get? Sure, I never said there isn't an adjustment. But it isn't a tough one. Beckham sure handled 2B well in the AFL and Spring Training, but you're right, we should just ignore all that. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) Following your logic, Ozzie should be able to move Beckham to CF. Because, you know, he's "baseball retarded" and a "mental midget" if he can't pick it up in a day or two. I'm glad that you're not managing the Sox, because your baseball ignorance is off the charts. Yeah, cause CF is so comparable! Get real dude. 2B and SS are very similar, and a fairly easy transition. Beckham's played it before, and he can handle it fairly easy. And again, I'm glad you're not managing the Sox. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) I'm glad that you don't have Ozzie's job, because your expectations of rookies are completely unrealistic. lol, what? Expecting a rookie who's played 2B before to move there mid-season is unrealistic? I'm pretty damn positive Beckham would have felt more comfortble from the beginning at 2B instead of 3B. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) Since I'm an adult with a 50-60 hour/week job and a family to support, I'd say that my perspective on the stress of a high-pressure professional job is a bit more informed than yours. Cool! You want a cookie? Everyone has pressure, it's the people that can preform under pressure that succeed. Like I said before, if you can't handle the pressure, get the hell out of the fire. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) Right, being 27 vs. 23 and having that much baseball experience has NO significance whatsoever. Nor does Nix being a career minor-leaguer (drafted in 2001) who didn't play a single Major League game until 2008. I mean, my God, that's an almost EQUAL background to Beckham trading in his aluminum bat last summer to joint the Sox minor league system. Why don't you compare Beckham to Dewayne Wise while you're at it? LoL, wow. Did I ever say they had an equal background? All I said was that Nix sure handled being thrown from 2B to SS, to 3B, to LF, and to RF pretty good considering he never played anything but 2B except for 1 season, his first, in the minors. And I think we all pretty much know Gordon is pretty superior to Nix, regarding talent. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) The Sox invested a first-round pick and a couple million dollars in Beckham last year. They would be smart to handle that large investment carefully at first, and give him time to develop. If Fields weren't so bad, there's no doubt that Beckham would still be at AA right now. Beckham is up here to hit, not because of his defensive abilities. And you're right, if Fields didn't suck, Beckham wouldn't be here. But guess what, the whole point is to put the best lineup out there every single day. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:12 AM) I don't even know why you're even talking about moving Beckham to 2B in the first place. First of all, who in the hell are the Sox going to acquire at 3B? Scott Rolen, who's overpaid, injury-prone, and hasn't had a good season since 2006? Secondly, why in the hell would you put Beckham at 2B, when Alexei was a defensive stud there last season and Beckham is a natural SS? That doesn't make any sense. Have you even see Rolen play this year or even looked at his stats? He's the healthest he's been since 2006, and he's done nothing but hit, and he can still pick at 3B. Having a veteran like him at 3B would really help this team in the playoff run. And we all know Beckham won't be at 3B for the long run, but he could be a very good stop gap for a year or two while we wait for Viciedo. Plus, while he's expensive, we are going to be cutting a lot of payroll, and we wouldn't make a deal if we weren't getting cash back. As for moving Alexei, that seems out of the question right now as Ozzie still thinks Alexei has potential at SS and won't move him for the rest of the season... but I'll pull your card, why move Alexei back to 2B? He'd just have to readjust and it'll be impossiblezzz!!!!!!!!!! And to be honest, there's no point in moving Alexei at this point. We might as well commit to him at SS for the rest of the year because he possess GG talent out there, but he is dumber than a rock. As for next year, I see Alexei in the OF or 2B with Gordon at SS.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 11:23 AM) So I am the only one who is going to hell because I started humming it? You're not the only one.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 5, 2009 -> 10:36 AM) I think the one that wierds me out the most is the sole survivor of the Yemen Airbus crash. She remembers the plane hitting the water, then she is floating in the water by herself. Thats just out there That seems like something out of a J.J. Abrams TV show.

Looks like a murder, suicide to me. From the articles I read, McNair was shot several times, but the woman, found dead right next to McNair, was shot once with the gun found lying next to her. If I had to guess, McNair was leaving her and she didn't like that.

Lets hope Ramirez actually plays SS today instead of short left center.

Man, this summer has been full of all these freak things.

I'm trying to repair my old one, and will likely by a new ps3 once they do an august price cut.

Oh, the dirty things I would do just to play one game of the show right now...

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 08:32 PM) Did you see any of your posts quoted? I was just making an observation about people in general. Oh come on now, that was obviously in reply to me. Do you see anyone else talking about how they aren't going do all this green stuff in here? I know you didn't quote me, but a monkey missing half of his brain could realize that post was in made in direct reply to my position on all of this. I didn't quote you either, but you realized it was in direct reply to your statement. Oh, and you have me on ignore? That doesn't mean squat, one click and you can see what I posted about, and you can see the quote tags on people replying to me. I wish I could put you on ignore.

Nice, North Korea launches 7 more missiles on our Independence Day. But you know, we just need to talk to them. I'm sure Barry can get this whole situation settled over a nice cup of tea and some crackers.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 08:01 PM) Some people make a contribution to society, others s*** on it. It all depends on the mark an individual wants to make. So now I s*** on society?... that's nice. Yeah, you know me, I go to my local forest and cut down trees for fun! Why stop there? I also push old ladies down stairs, beat up mentally handicapped people, and kill babies for the fun of it!!!! You know, good ole BearSox, loves to s*** on society!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, you know what I want to do with my life... provide as much bit of safety I can for me and my family. Drive your flimsy hybrids and potentially contaminate your home with all the mercury you please, I don't care. This is America, founded on freedom. See, I still believe in this thing called freedom, and I'll make the best choices I deem for me and my future family. Don't like it, too bad. My money, my business. But you know, because I'm not buying into the whole green movement, I s*** on society!!! Forget about the fact that I'm a hard working individual who minds his own business and wants to create a good, safe life for himself and family... I s*** on society!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Disagree with what I say, fine. But to say I s*** on society? Man oh man, I am really holding myself back from a life time ban, cause I really want to go off on you right now. Seriously? s*** on society? You got murders, rapists, child molesters, politicians without an ounce of ethics, etc., and I s*** on society???? Because I don't buy into the green movement???? Get real dude.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 05:59 PM) We know Aviles' story well here, of course. No D-1 offers out of high school, went to a small college where he ticked off some folks by predicting as a freshman he'd take an upperclassman's starting shortstop job*, national player of the year by his senior year, and rewarded with a $1,000 signing bonus from the Royals that was so small Aviles doesn't even remember what he did with it. * He turned out to be right. He did win that shortstop job, and quickly started to change some minds. He was one of the best-liked guys on the team soon. Aviles then spent six years in the minor leagues, more than 2,500 plate appearances, with only one of what you could fairly call a down season. The Royals saw nothing in him.* They made him start at Omaha three straight years, baseball's version of, "Well, she's got a great personality." * When we mention this, it's only fair to point out none of the other 29 teams saw anything, either. They all passed on him in the Rule 5 draft, meaning they didn't think he was worth $50,000 and a roster spot. QUICK UPDATE: Twins rally from a 3-2 deficit late (Magglio Ordonez had a 3 run homer and double) to win 4-3. NIck Punto had the go-ahead/GW RBI in the bottom of the 8th and Nathan nailed it down 1-2-3. Edwin Jackson with the bad luck no decision, continues to dominate along with Verlander, Buehrle, Cliff Lee and Greinke in the ALCD. Sox remain 2 1/2 GB, Twins now at 3 GB. C'mon Clayton, we really need you to show up tomorrow afternoon. 7th rounder with only a 1,000 signing bonus? Sounds like quite the overdraft.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 04:24 PM) But we already have a player similar (defense first) to Wilson/Everett on our roster in Nix. If we played Wilson everyday at SS, then you'd have to bench Getz and stick Alexei back at 2B or in CF in the middle of a pennant race. Just don't see how a limited (offensively) NL player is going to come over and have much of an impact in the ALCD, but stranger things have happened, like Adam Everett compiling almost a 700 OPS after his career looked more or less dead and buried. It's going to take more than Cook to get Snell. Let's say it will be John Shelby and someone like Omogrosso or Santeliz for starters. I bet KW is still kicking himself for not coming up with something better than Matt Joyce for Edwin Jackson...that one move/non-move could mean the difference in the division this season. Jackson's still at a 2.49 ERA at mid-season and will get a boatload of money after 2009. I remember hearing rumors that they wanted Dye for Jackson. I have no problem with us turning down that deal. But I still think we could have come up with a package of players that would be more intriguing than Matt Joyce alone. Joyce is alright, but he won't be a great player, probably a better version of Gabe Gross.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 04:00 PM) I don't see how KW would be willing to pay Gil Meche $11 million per season when he had a similar pitcher (great "stuff" but average results) in Javy Vazquez. Just don't see how he's in the same category with the likes of Haren/Peavy/Halladay/J. Johnson or even Rich Harden that would tip the balance of power in the division completely in the direction of the White Sox for the next 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 seasons. Maybe there's something "correctable" about Meche psychologically that was a roadblock with Javy, though. Snell's got a nice arm, good "buy low, then resurrect" candidate for Cooper to work with...vis a vis someone like Van Benschoten or Marquez. Meche don't have great stuff anymore. He's more like a Jeff Supan type now, IMO.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 03:54 PM) Josh Johnson has a 2.78 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and he's 25 years old. There is no way he's going anywhere. Harang wouldn't be too bad. His ERA is a respectable 3.86. Haren would be f***ing outstanding, but he'd likely cost a lot. Meche won't be traded inside the division. Lannan would be coming from easy going DC to a division title race in Chicago. I'll pass. When you suck like the Royals do, and the future isn't looking all that bright either, you don't really care who you trade with as long as you get good prospects. As for Lannan, I'll add that I think he'd get absolutely rocked in the AL and that he isn't that good, regardless of what his stats look like.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 03:13 PM) Flowers is not untouchable in the case of Halladay. Nobody outside of Beckham and maybe Hudson (because of our lack of starting pitching prospects) should be untouchable in this case. Viciedo is obviously not going anywhere. I firmly believe those players I listed are considered untouchable, not matter who the target it is. They seem to be the players we are looking to build this team around for the long term, along with Danks, Floyd, maybe Q if he gets healthy, and maybe Jenks.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) That last sentence is pure conjecture on your part. Your arguments seem to rely pretty heavily on that. Moving from one side of the infield to the other is not an easy transition. It completely throws off your instincts, as all of your angles and moves are the opposite of what you're used to. One doesn't have to deal with that when moving from SS to 3B. Assuming that reaction time and arm strength aren't issues, 3B is actually much easier to play than SS or 2B. LOL, is this serious? 3B, yeah, probably easier than SS, but 2B is arguably the easiest spot on the infield. At 2B you can get away with a weak arm and slow reflects if you have decent athleticism and range. Oh yeah, 3B isn't known as the hot corner because Joe Crede played there. There are only a hand full of great defensive 3B in the past several years. If you don't have fantastic quickness and reflexes, 3B is very tough. SS gets the nod as the toughest and most important though because you need to be extremely smart, be the leader, have a LOT of range, and a strong arm. And like I have said several times, if you aren't baseball retarded or a mental midget, if you have the tools Beckham has, making the transition from SS to 3B, SS to 2B, 3B to SS, 3B to 2B should really be no big deal. I'm not saying we should shift him around the infield, but if we could get a vet 3B to help us with the playoff push and move Beckham to 2B, that'd help us out a lot more. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) But for some reason, you're foolishly applying it to Beckham's experience in the Majors. I guess you never considered that. You asked me if I ever played baseball and I answered your damn question, which I would say was irrelevant to begin with. However, I guess you never considered the fact that I did stat they were different. All I merely said is if you know what the hell you're doing out there and not fragile mentally, it should be, at the very least, do-able. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) Beckham stands to lose tens of millions of dollars (money that could secure his entire family for generations) if he doesn't pan out in the next three seasons. He also stands to lose a career that he loves. I'd say that's plenty of pressure. So what? What exactly is your point? There's a lot of pressure on everyone. And if you can't handle the pressure, get the f*** out of the fire. So far, Beckham has shown he can handle most of that pressure. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) Nix is also four years older than Beckham, and has played 3B, 2B, and SS extensively in the minors. By extensively, do you mean that he spent his first year in pro baseball at SS and then played only 2B for the majority of his professional career until this year? And I don't really see how age is relavant here. It's not like Nix has been in the majors for the past 3 years, this is his rookie year as well. According to the baseballcube, the number of games he played at each spot, prior to this year: 2B - 807 SS - 40 3B - 9 everywhere else - 0 But you know what, that transition from SS to 2B has been really tough on Nix. And he's handled the transition from 2B to SS, 3B, LF and RF horribly. What were we thinking moving him from position to position? WAY too much pressure on him, Ozzie and KW are sooooo stupid. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) I'm glad that you're not managing the Sox. Because you don't have much of a handle on how competitive MLB is, how much pressure highly-touted rookies are under (from the team, from the media, from themselves), and how the money involved translates into little patience on the behalf of managers and GMs for poor play. And this is exactly why Beckham didn't join the Sox in April, even after putting up a very impressive spring in Arizona. I'm glad you're not managing the Sox either.... and I'm sure you know exactly how competitive the MLB is, as well as the exact amount of pressure every single player has on them. And the reason Beckham didn't join the club out of ST, it was because he had a grand total of like 60 PA in minor league ball. I'd say he needed a little more seasoning, not matter how good he looked in ST.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:55 PM) Well, that's certainly one way to make sure that the planet runs out. And that you have very, very little money. If you got the money go nuts... unfortunately, right now I don't. However, right now instead of working hard and trying to get a well paying job, I think I might just go on welfare and let the rich people take care of me. Hell, if I have a daughter, I'm gonna send her down to North Carolina so we can get a dollar a day for 6 years if she doesn't get pregnant. That's an easy 2,000 plus. Oh, I forgot though, by that time, the dollar will likely be worthless.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:58 PM) Hey man, you want to sit there on the tracks laughing in your SUV while the train approaches, go ahead. Fortunately, since the majority of Americans realize we're headed for disaster, the majority will support ongoing efforts to make your choices more expensive. We, the majority, feel it is OUR freedom to do that to you. And we don't feel badly about it. Hey guess what, there's a lot of dumb f***s, illegals, people w/o licenses and drunks out on the road... When I get the money, I'm buying a nice big SUV. No way I am going to sacrifice safety or myself and eventually my family to make the Earth a little more "greener." Same thing goes for the CFL's. I'll avoid putting a dangerous amount of mercury in my home, even if it means I have to spend a little more on the electric bill. I'm not gonna go around chopping down trees and buying fresh packs of paper and throwing them out for fun, I'm not stupid. But excuse me if I put the safety and well being of myself and my family ahead of being as green as possible.

QUOTE (KipWellsFan @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:59 PM) Well on your deathbed you'll have to deal with that I guess. lol, what? On my deathbed I'll have to deal with it? Yeah, I'm pretty sure "thou shalt be green" is not a commandment in my religion. But then again, according to all you liberals, the only true religion out there is Barackanity. So yeah, if Barackanity is the true religion, I'm f***ed.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:44 PM) Yes, WITH WEEKS OF PRACTICE. Beckham played 3B for weeks in the minors, not on the ridiculous two-day window that you're proposing. I also don't agree with your blanket statement of the adjustment from SS to 2B is easier than SS to 3B. Much of that depends on the player's skill set (arm strength, reflexes, athleticism, etc.). Weeks of practice? Beckham had maybe a little bit over a week at 3B before he got called up. And why exactly couldn't Beckham handle 2B? He'd have more reaction time, has plenty of range, is pretty athletic, and would have plenty of arm strength at 2B. I guarantee he's played more at 2B in his life than he has at 3B. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:44 PM) Playing a position effectively in the Majors requires a much more significant adjustment than what your Little League coach expected. Ozzie and Kenny aren't as patient or forgiving. I already stated that my experience is obviously different than the majors. I guess you missed that part. QUOTE (WCSox @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:44 PM) Yeah, because there's no pressure whatsoever for a first-round pick to field three different positions in his rookie season. Even the most mentally-tough professionals (in any field) feel significant pressure to perform, as their careers and financial security depend heavily on their initial performances. Following your logic, there would be no need for top prospects to develop in the minors. Because if they can't make the necessary adjustments right off the bat in the pros, they're "mentally fragile" and shouldn't be playing baseball. What the hell are you talking about? First off, Beckham isn't like every other rookie. And I don't think Beckham has to worry about financial situations anytime soon, with his 2+ million dollar bonus last year and the fact that even if he doesn't turn into a superstar, he'll still make a decent sum of money playing professional baseball. Beckham will likely never be known as a great defender. The reason he made it thus far is because of his bat. And if he can't handle switching a position mid season, he's more mentally fragile than I thought. Look at Nix, never really played anything but 2B in his professional career. However, so far this year he has been able to play SS, 3B, LF, and RF with no problem. And I guarantee you there was more pressure on Nix because his job was on the line. I know it isn't the best comparison, but if you know the game of baseball and are at least a decent athlete, and aren't a mental midget, you can make the adjustments needed to switch positions in season.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 3, 2009 -> 11:30 PM) You plan to have a civil union with your girlfriend instead of a marriage? No, I'm just one of those crazy homophobe conservatives that believes marriage should be between a man and a woman... Not a man and a woman and a woman and a woman and a woman; or a man and a man; or a woman and a woman; or a man and gorilla; or a woman and horse; etc. I got no problems letting civil unions have the same tax benefits of marriage. To be honest, I got no problem with letting states decide for themselves what the definition of marriage is. Let the people decide. But I got a problem with the federal government telling me what marriage is.

QUOTE (RibbieRubarb @ Jul 4, 2009 -> 12:30 PM) We should have signed Orlando Hudson...But I am happy with Nix/Getz. Yep. The O-Dawg would look really good in the 2-hole right now.