Texsox

We owe them an unrepayable debt.

Thank you sir. So they were using sea water because it was plentiful?

The money maker games are summer dates.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 26, 2011 -> 01:05 PM) The problem is, the teams in warmer weather cities or with domes don't want 10 home dates eaten by April 12th. Great point.

I know there is a small difference in the boiling point of sea water versus freshwater, but it seems rather minimal in this situation, or is it? Why do they make a big deal about using saltwater, now freshwater?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Mar 26, 2011 -> 10:51 AM) I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm so tired of this "sage wisdom" from "wiser" fans because they're older. I also noticed that none of those posters you mentioned even live in the state, so maybe they go to 1 or 2 games a year. I'm not saying that makes anyone a better fan, which I DO believe is the theme of this thread and your overall history of posting, but I'm not going to take advice on how to enjoy a game from someone who hardly ever goes to any. Trust me, I thoroughly enjoy going to and watching games despite my pessimistic attitude. QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Mar 26, 2011 -> 11:21 AM) And being pessimistic doesn't make me any less of a fan. In fact, I'd say that the amount of time I dedicate to this forum and the money I spend at games make me a pretty damn good fan. Yep, we live out of state. No spoon fed Sox news on local stations. No easy drive to a game. Instead we have to work at following the team. We all grew up attending lots of games. Now we have to plan vacations around attending Sox games. I'll bet my trip to attend two games cost me about as much as your 30 games.

Well some people as they get older will not be any smarter and have nothing more to share than what they already know now. And Milkman, of course you can enjoy being a pessimist. I imagine for some people always looking at the down side is fun. Figuring out how everything can go to hell makes you all smiley. I couldn't stand 30 years of that, but knock yourself out. You will be right way more than wrong. And I'll bet in thirty years you won't have anything to share from being a fan.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 23, 2011 -> 12:44 PM) You should try it more often. They even give you a bucket to vomit their crap into.

8th grade and some are already into gangs and stuff. Some have some pretty messed up home lives.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Mar 25, 2011 -> 07:40 PM) Every new stadium in the north should have a retractable roof. Domes no, retractable yes!

If we didn't have Konerko to fit in, I'd say fourth, I like Konerko in the 4th spot, so that bumps Dunn somewhere, and third seems like the spot. Now if Q comes around, Oz has some options, and they all look pretty damn nice. I'm just bracing for a swinging third strike to end the first.

Some of the guys around here with 20+ years following the team have had some side chats about the expectations of the newer fans. Fans in their twenties have arguable witnessed the greatest streak in White Sox history since the 1910's. Fans under thirty rightfully expect this team to compete for a world series every year. Fans in their 40s and 50s have much different expectations. Winning a world series should be the goal of every mlb team. But as a fan to expect that from your team, you are setting yourself up for frustration year after year. The most successful franchise, the Yankees average winning a ws every four years. Eight franchises have never won a world series, five have never been to a world series. The second most successful team, the Cards, average a world series win every 10 years. The sixth most successful, the Reds or Pirates, a win every 22 years, and they may never win another one. Teams win ws when things go right. No one has amassed a team that couldn't be beat. No matter the level of talent, teams win the ws with a little luck, guys having career years, balls falling their way. Try to focus on what can go right for the team to win. There are hundreds of ways for the team to fail, hell only one team is going to win the ws, all the rest either won't get there or lose once they are there. Stuff will go wrong on every one of those teams. It isn't that hard, it doesn't prove your baseball acumen, to figure out what can go wrong. Guys are getting too old, guys don't have enough experience, guys never did it before, it just isn't that hard to find the weak spots. IMHO, to survive as a baseball fan to the ripe old age of BigEdWalsh, YASNY, or FlaSoxxJim you have to be a fan of the game. You have to enjoy a baseball game, win or lose. Be a fan for 30 years and your team will lose over 2,000 games. Attend a lot of games and your team will probably lose close to half of them. Find something to get excited about. Enjoy the sights, the sounds, the smell of the ball park. Baseball is an awesome game. If you can't watch a well played game where your team loses without throwing s*** and being upset, you're killing yourself for nothing. The old guys around here have sat through many a White Sox season where we knew the team had zero chance of making the playoffs. We came away with some great memories. People we met, things we did, great experiences at the games. We saw some great plays from terrible players, we watched some interesting characters. A good season was when a team was competitive until the Bears started playing. Relax and watch the season unfold. Be a fan, look for what could go right. Let your expectations rise, this team, if things go their way, will be in the hunt all summer. Get out of the gloomy shadows of negativity and spend some time in the sunshine thinking about all that is right with the 2011 Sox. If things go to hell, there will be plenty of time to wail and cry. But April is for optimism.

Very slow clap

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 25, 2011 -> 04:06 PM) I finally got a job offer!!! Well that only took 23 months. I'll be starting in about three weeks. Yeah!!! Thank God that the stress of the hunt is over! Awesome news Mike.

I sometimes look at my students and wonder if . . .

I was just reading a different article about the same thing. It reminds me that the tax rates mean nothing if there are enough ways to reduce the rate.

Damn, blocked

QUOTE (La Marr Hoyt HOF @ Mar 24, 2011 -> 09:52 AM) given the fact that we have some borderline starters in the 3, 4 (EJaxx, Gavin) spot and MB is getting on in years, That's the border between really good and great, right?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 24, 2011 -> 05:28 PM) Again, I can't help it if you perceive it that way. Do you guys really believe I sit here with a blade at my wrists over f***ing baseball? I'm not certain if you do, I don't know you, but the screen name Jordan4life does sound like someone that is just sitting there waiting for something bad to happen so it can be posted. Jordan4life sounds like someone who is constantly worried something bad is going to happen. That may be the exact opposite of you personally, I only know what I read from what I consider a fictional character, Jordan4life.

Price alone isn't driving the switch to on-line purchases. Convenience and selection is also a big factor. Many of you live in or near a major city, that is not the case for many Americans. Finding the right item has people jumping on-line. Right in the comfort of your home, every possible item in the world is available. Try matching that anywhere else. Avoiding crowds has people jumping on-line. Unlike catalog and mail order sales, buying on-line is quicker and easier, there's an ap for that! But no matter what reasons people have for buying on-line, the sales tax laws in place are unfair to states and to businesses. Currently companies have to collect sales tax on any "in-state" purchases. That is a great reason to not locate in large states. Sales taxes are a major source of income for states. The more people buy on-line, the less sales tax comes into a state. There needs to be a national sales tax that states share in. One single tax rate, one payee. Companies would have an easy time computing and remitting the payments. Consumers would all be charged equally. That would be simpler than brick and mortar stores that have to track state, county, and local sales tax rates.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Mar 24, 2011 -> 12:53 PM) Buying bottled tap water that may be subject to even less regulations than municipal water is still a dumb idea. But I really do shake my head at people who buy case after case of bottled water even though they get Lake Michigan water at home. When I first moved to McAllen the water was outside of EPA guidelines and tasted funny. Buying 5 gallon water bottles sucked, but we drank more water.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 23, 2011 -> 07:44 PM) Don't know what your problem with me is as of late. You could go the hi8is route, though it's clearly obvious he hasn't really put me on ignore, and that would be the end of it. In one thread I'm supposedly an 8-year troll. Now I just invent things to make up so I can hate on the Sox. If you say so. I don't even know you, but it seems like every thread I've gone into has a post from you about how the team sucks, mistakes they made, how this ir that will be bad, etc. So I don't have a problem with you, but Jordan4life's posts have been irritating. I'm guessing in person you aren't nearly as pessimistic.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 24, 2011 -> 06:17 AM) I'm going with a helping of Humber Pie I'll take 60's rock bands for $800

Ahem, you can't hit into a double play when you strike out. /sorry wrong thread