Texsox

I am finding it amusing that folks in Florida are so excited that Ozzie is their new manager. World Series win, .500+ winning percentage, he's their salvation. We've run him out of town. And who did many of us here want? Francona. World Series winner, glitzy winning percentage that Boston is running out of town. Seems like fans want guys that recently had epic failures as their new manager. Because a "new team will fix 'em"™ Trademark™ used by permission of Don Cooper, all rights reserved. I could go out on a limb right now and say there is no way the Sox will win another WS title with Don Cooper as their pitching coach. I think Don's a hell of a coach and if assistants made the HoF more regularly, he should probably be there. But it's so damn easy to say it won't work because only one team wins the WS.

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Oct 8, 2011 -> 03:35 PM) It would be more accurate to say we value HIS life so little that we will kill him. And he valued that guy's life so little he almost murdered him. That is my point. When we put values on lives, that somehow one person's life is worth more than another, it opens up something I'd rather not. If we stay consistent, that all lives have value, there is no ambiguity. Kill a soldier during war and if you get caught we'll put you in a nice POW camp until the end of the war then let you go. You may only sit in the POW camp for weeks if it's at the end of the war. Kill a salesperson and you may get life in prison, kill a cop, get executed. Kill a young black guy in a drive by and you may get 30 years.

Have there been any coaches that used a cane to reach the mound? It would have been interesting if he started to coach right after he retired.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Oct 8, 2011 -> 10:48 AM) There are so many problems with the court system. There's no justice like angry mob justice. It is certainly swift.

QUOTE (God Loves The Infantry @ Oct 8, 2011 -> 10:39 AM) I'm not going to apologize for not wanting murderous scum like that to share the planet with you and I. We're better off without them. Period. No apology necessary. At work, death is a positive result for you. So just like someone who only owns a hammer sees ever problem as a nail, you embrace the death penalty. The quandary as I see it is we feel this guy is evil (and I agree) because he values life so little he would attempt to kill someone with such premeditation and in cold blood. Then as a society we do the same thing. We value life so little we will kill him in a premeditated and cool blooded fashion. With perhaps an even more twisted and cruel manner. We will set a date and allow him to sit in a cell and count down the days until the moment of his death. I believe it would say more about our society when we place such a high value on life that even this murderous scum is allowed to live. I'd prefer he stay locked with a picture of his victim on his wall until God takes his life. I see no reason why he should ever be allowed to walk free again.

Yes, and it sucks. I was going to post something about our X-Country meet if we were still stuck at that worse letter in the alphabet.

FWIW The cross country coach for one of our other middle schools is from Chicago and a White Sox fan. Imagine that, two guys a few miles from the Mexico border, chatting Sox baseball. Last season we were both wearing Sox caps at a race. Anyway, we always talk a little baseball while our teams are running. He likes the hiring. Thinks Robin will manage more conservatively and add some professionalism and a working harder ethos to the organization.

I met Ryan at his hotel / restaurant on Choke Canyon Lake. I wish I had a video camera when we talked about it. He said something to the affect that Robin was in a no win situation. Beat up a 46 year old guy? A legend? Yeah, that ain't good. Still he could have lost more gracefully. Think he'll go out to the mound next season and have Mark put him in a headlock?

QUOTE (God Loves The Infantry @ Oct 7, 2011 -> 05:59 PM) I absolutely agree. Hopefully he doesn't make it out of prison alive. Lives are pretty cheap in your business.

No way he should have only gotten 35 years and with any chance of it being shorter.

I have to admit, this thread is better with pictures

Me too. I suspect that is one of the things he will get better at with experience. Handling the media is an important part of the job, but the media loved Ozzie, and look what that got us.

BTW between the Tribune poll that was posted somewhere, I forget which thread, and this poll, which is more accurate of Sox fans as a whole?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 7, 2011 -> 11:23 AM) Why don't you ask the Sox pitchers what they think of Coop? Oh wait, they freaking love him. Coop really gets me to thinking about Buddy Ryan. Perhaps unfairly, but the same vague feeling that he is perfect in his position, don't mess it up by giving him the big seat.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 7, 2011 -> 10:12 AM) GMAB man. If its a hire designed to appease the average fan, the "unscientific poll" at the tribune is closer to the "Average fan" than anything I'm posting here. In that sense, the invormation is at least useful in evaluating the claim. If you'd like to foot the several thousand dollar bill to put a scientific poll out in the field, we can get started as soon as the check clears. yeah, and how many Cub fan polls have you voted in? It may be the best tool available, but how serious are you going to take it? And, I wonder why teams don't poll more often.

I can see this as a good hire easier than I can see it as a disaster. Since we are predicting, I think he will be a welcome change from Oz. Instead of a "manage from the gut" we will get a more "by the book" manager. I think he will be more fair to players, avoiding the grudges and man-crushes that Ozzie had. Over all I feel confident he is an upgrade, perhaps even a major upgrade. And yes, I am guessing just like everyone else here.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 7, 2011 -> 10:09 AM) Here's the current stats on the Tribune nonscientific poll. (Results not scientific) I'm embarrased a scientist such as yourself would even post that.

Visa owns our souls

Or perhaps Kenny used hiring Robin to motivate JR into getting rid of Ozzie. It could be possible that JR was not too open to one of the other potential candidates but became more enthusiastic when Robin was on the radar.

Does anyone see Robin as a reactionary, manage from the gut guy? I don't. I see him as the anti-Oz. He seems more of the personality of calculated and more "by the book". Yes, we're all guessing. But from watching him play, watching the few interviews and his TV work, I see him as more cerebral. I am at least willing to give him a huge chance. Personality wise, I much prefer him to Oz. I mentioned this before, much will depends on who he surrounds himself with. Coop will keep him out of too much trouble. With all the Walker hate, it will be hard to say he won't have an upgrade there. Hire a solid bench coach, one with experience, and I think it will work out better than Oz, and perhaps be the right fresh, new approach that will shake out a stale team.

On the bright side, it is Friday.

LTS?

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 7, 2011 -> 05:59 AM) People are really upset that this might signal we're not going "all in" the next few years? Consider me relieved and hopeful that the organization will take a step back and see that there's a need to rebuild. I know I've received some ribbing due to praising the Tigers so much, but there's no reason that they aren't the class of the AL Central the next 2-3 years. I'd rather the Sox hope for Dunn and Rios to rebound instead of trying to cover their mistakes by bringing in other high-priced guys. I believe their only hope is Dunn and Rios rebounding. They can't shed those salaries, they may be able to shed the players, but only if they pick up a ridiculous amount of salary. And I think this move shows that is the direction. If Robin manages "by the book" at a minimum it will mean those guys will be sitting a lot more than Oz sat them. That would be an addition. The "rebuilding" may simply be a couple painful years of basically the same 25 while their contracts fade away.

As many will remember I'm a Dem who isn't the biggest fans of unions. However, this seems like a decent win for America and the UAW. Link Ford will add 5,750 entry level jobs that pay $19 per hour. I think the per hour is a little high, but I am living in an area with a cheaper cost of living. I like that it calls for entry level positions, not some bloated middle management type at $100k/year. The company will also invest $4.8 billion in US facilities.

QUOTE (toasty @ Oct 6, 2011 -> 11:54 PM) Last I checked, radio personalities were employees of WSCR.... would they really want to bring on North? IIRC as part of the negotiations to be the Sox station the station has to agree to the announcers. The team would not want to sell the rights without that clause.