Texsox

QUOTE (Jake @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 11:30 AM) If sex appeal was the major factor, BA would be #1 all time! But if three posters had them on their list for that reason, would that be wrong? Remember we do have a few posters who like men. Hmm, maybe Heads has an announcement? Name your favorite female tennis stars, perhaps a player who is better known for advertisements and not winning a tournament would be in your top 20? But seriously, explaining why *you* like or dislike someone is a great discussion, challenging why someone else likes or dislikes someone seems pointless. Reading is one thing Reading Is another.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 11:17 AM) Dude, the whole point of this is to talk about them. Asking people not to react would basically take the whole meaning of a message board away. I don't think that's a good call at all. The difference is this, posting why so and so would not be your favorite is fine, dismissing someone else's opinion is pointless. Some people like flash and sizzle, some like a quiet cool. Some like hard charging into a catcher, others like a great hook slide. Some like multi-colored hair and tats, others do not. So I believe a thread of posts explaining why you like or dislike someone is far different then a thread full of your an idiot for liking that guy or that's ridiculous. You are right, it does make for a good thread to react and discuss.

Finally, at the end add up how many players are from the past five years. Current whatevers always have an edge on these lists.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 11:14 AM) NO, you're not an idiot because you like the guy. You would be ridiculous if you ranked him as your #2 favorite all-time white sox though. That's just my opinion, and I know you and Heads both are not idiots. I think it is more ridiculous to see someone with less than a full season on the list. But to each his own. I imagine there may be someone coming up on the list because of his sex appeal. That may be a good reason for some of our members, not so for others.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 11:05 AM) I'm done with this. I wasn't trying to single you out Tex. I was just confused to why anyone would consider him an all time favorite and no one seemed to give a good reason. Heck, look at the first post. There's nothing in it to provide people an explanation as to why he's a fan favorite. I didn't think I was being singled out. No one has a *good* reason for you to like him. They have *good* reasons for them to like him. And that's how they made their lists.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:59 AM) That's what I'm saying. It's fine to have him on your top 50. However, he made Soxtalk's Top 50 largely based on one person putting him at #2. NUMBER TWO. No, BA on the list because he was named on *4* lists. Everyone who was on 4 lists made the top 50. If Harold Baines is not on every list I demand to know why. Great player, great organizational guy. Number retired, statue erected. Great character. There is absolutely no reason he shoudn't be #1 on every list. But he won't be. Some people like a more outgoing personality. Who's wrong?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 11:00 AM) So shocked you are going this route. You think baseball players are directly comparable to food and girlfriends. There's no point in talking about these type of subjects to you. FAVORITE is the same. Again, favorite can happen by stuff off the field. Glen Kozlowski lived in Wildwood and would hang out Gages Lake Beach with a bunch of us. He wasn't a top NFL receiver, in fact made his living knocking people down on specialty teams. He was easily one of my all-time favorite Bears players. Tell me how that is wrong?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:58 AM) It just seems like you made it up to shut me up. Of 100+ years of baseball he's the only college grad that played with the Sox? Aren't there hundreds, if not thousands, besides him that were actually good players or great people off the field? Again, that was one of my reasons that BA is a current favorite of mine. Again, name a criteria that every one of your picks has. I liked Ozzie for his defense, competitiveness, and fire, I really dislike his comments and some character issues. I love Baines for his offense and character. I have no idea if either one went to college. Should I have left one or both off my list?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:55 AM) Is Gload your #2 favorite White Sox of all time? I see I can't win this argument, but there is no reasoning for BA to be #2 on Heads' list other than he's a goofy bastard and picked him to be different. What is your favorite food of all time? Now let's pick apart the food nutritional stats, why you picked it. Who is your favorite girlfriend? Post a picture, tell us why. See if everyone agrees.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:42 AM) I don't understand why you and others are confused about this. Of the 100+ years of White Sox baseball a very lousy player who has zero accomplishments, no on screen persona, isn't a renowned donor to charity, or has any other likeable qualities has made a list of all time fan favorites. How could you not expect people to scratch their head on this one? I haven't heard a single good reason as to why he's cracked the top 500 list let alone the top 50. So the player has to have accomplishments to be your favorite? Why is college grad not a good reason? I also spent some time on Arizona's campus, they were a customer of mine, and saw him play in college. Is that a good reason in your book?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:28 AM) Then I guess I'm confused as to why BA is on your list. Graduating college seems like an odd reason for someone to be one of your all time favorite Sox players. But whatever. I see baseball players as role models. I work woth youth and the more examples of guys staying in school and getting educations, the better. There are some other reasons as well. What single criteria fits for all of your choices?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:25 AM) Does everyone on your list fit that criteria? No. There probably isn't one thing that fits everyone on my list besides playing for the White Sox.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:17 AM) By asking them why it's their favorite. OK. I like Brian because he graduated from college instead of going straight to the major leagues.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 10:03 AM) True. A civil debate shouldn't be discouraged though. It adds to the desire of going through lists like this. It's like debating if sushi tastes good or if Kerouac is the greatest American writer. How can you debate someones favorite?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) But that's just it, there's no reasoning behind it. For BA to be #2 on any list of favorite players (and I know favorite), just show's lack of judgement. With no back story, which there is none, BA could not have proven in his very sporadic playing time enough to be #2 on anyone's list. It just shows a complete lack of fandom. What are valid reasons? Is liking the charities he supports a valid reason? Is liking him because he's from your hometown, high school, college a valid reason? Is liking him because he did something cool off the field a valid reason? The Wolves had a player Reardon (sp?) who came over and flipped a puck to my 6 year old son before a game. He smiled and acknowledged all the kids at the game. I could care less about his playing time or ability, I like the man and he was a favorite of mine. So why does Brian have to prove anything as a player to be a favorite?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 08:42 AM) Energy, maybe (depends on where each car is most efficient -- some cars will get slightly higher MPH at a little higher speed due to gearing). Lives, no. Artificially low speed limits cause greater speed differentials on the highway since some people will drive at or near the limit and others will still go 10-15 MPH over. That creates a much more dangerous situation than everyone just cruising along at 70 MPH or so. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/24/2442.asp http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2008-06/american-autobahn We could lower them all the way to 40 MPH because some people say it "saves energy, saves lives." But its still an arbitrary limit and a nice, fat revenue stream for the police. I'm not talking about a rural highway. I'm talking about streets in the suburbs which are full of shops/ homes and see thousands of cars a day. They have the same speed limit as 3-lane, divided-by-concrete-barriers Interstates around Chicago. Changing laws because some people ignore them is an interesting concept. Are you suggesting that as soon as you raise limits people will stop speeding? I'd love to see some data on that. I think you raise the limit to 70 and some people will drive 75 or 80. Sounds like some of the those suburban roads have too high a speed limit. It's a nice fat revenue stream because people break the law. They chose to make that payment. How is a higher limit not arbitrary?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 06:59 AM) "I cannot recall..." Yup, I can see this coming a mile away. I think we still have to hold them responsible, but are we holding them responsible for poor hiring and poorly instructing the campaign on what funds to accept and under what conditions, or are we holding them responsible for what they had direct knowledge of? Plus, I'm just fascinated regarding the money aspect of campaigns and the daunting task of putting together an organization in all 50 states.

How big of a donation before the candidate himself knows about it? I can't believe either candidate knows about every $5,000 donation that flows in. I wonder what the threshold is.

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin.

Tough to argue against lower limits. Saves energy, saves lives. Not saying people will not try to argue, just saving that's a pretty solid argument on the other side. And the density of traffic and population is a big factor in determining speed limits. A two lane rural highway with four cars and three houses per mile is much different then a Chicago highway with thousands of residents and hundreds of cars per mile.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Aug 7, 2008 -> 11:36 PM) First time I've been in the 'Buster in months, but when I saw 'YASNY' in the thread title .... well, you know. Welcome Back

The goal is to stop him from hurting anyone else. They accomplished that goal. By any sort of direct man to man confrontation, you increase the likelihood that someone else would be hurt. If there was someone trapped in the bus with him, then by all means grab some weapons and get going. Defiling the body? If it's me being defiled, please do not risk your life to save my corpse. Just be a great witness at the prosecution and make sure the guy never is paroled.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Aug 8, 2008 -> 07:32 AM) I'm of the opinion that young kids shouldn't be throwing curveballs (or sliders). High school and Babe Ruth maybe, but at Little League age, no. It's not that it's babying the kid, it's that the strain of a curveball on a still-developing shoulder is one of the worst things you can do to it and it's easy to wreck it early. If my son wants to play baseball and learn how to throw a curveball, I'll show him, but I won't let him throw any in games. Mechanics are the hardest and most important part to get down, the rest isn't that hard. I agree. When they can hold a baseball in their fingers and "flick" it a foot or so into the air, without moving their arm or elbow, they are probably ready. And that isn't so much to help them be durable mlb pitchers, but to protect them for other sports and life down the road. Joint pain sucks no matter what you do for a living.

It is apparent that to become a fan favorite you do not necessarily need to be an everyday player. What I think comes into play is a connection. You cannot expect to be Jim Thome or Mark Buerhle, but somehow we can believe we could be Pablo Ozuna. (just sayin, he wasn't on my list)

TLAK, was that over or on? I believe that list was on the roof.