Texsox

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 10:12 AM) Indeed. Anyone who believes Wiki on face value deserves what they get. Like pages getting edited by the likes of us.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 09:09 AM) My throwing of the term limits in there was more in disgust at how he has been in power so long that he doesn't seem to even try to hide it anymore. He wouldn't even answer if the place he was earmarking money for even exists! I would probably like a line item veto, or perhaps a law forbidding the attachment of nor-related items to bills. I agree. There is a sweet spot where they are there long enough to understand the job, be on the right committees, have some historical perspective, etc. The problem I see with term limits is real power will then reside with the people we do not elect. The staffers who stay year after year, for various officials, from both parties. Congressmen cannot be experts on every issue, so they rely on their staff to write position papers and advice. They also need to rely on their party. But at least in the end, they have to push the button and vote. Most of these staffers are very savvy individuals with a depth of knowledge that is very impressive. But I'd still want some elected officials around for continuity.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 10:10 AM) You mean to tell me it's not Josh Fields?! I seriously can't help myself. I think this Crede/Fields thing has become a viral infection and it's spreading like wildfire... Post #5. Those that had the over 4 posts until Josh is mentioned are winners.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 09:48 AM) If wikipedia is wrong, that means almost every paper I've written the last four years could be factually incorrect. I would never use wiki as a cited source, but I do look at the discussion pages and their sources for good ideas. Usually credibility is just two clicks away.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 05:19 AM) Can anybody join the rant?? I have a rant. These scheduled days off after the opening game of a series like today vs. Minny and last week after the season opener @ Cleveland suck balls. The team has some great momentum going and doesn't need the day off. And I want to watch a damn ballgame tonight. /rant I understand the logic because of Spring weather, but have we forgotten about doubleheaders?

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 05:26 AM) I agree, it's incomplete reporting when a Congressperson's party affiliation isn't included in the reporting. On the other hand, every time Fox News "accidentally" puts the wrong affiliation on an elected official when a scandal breaks, that's just a funny look into the fact that Fox News doesn't think much of the intelligence of the average Fox News viewer. I'd rather they did not mention the party at all, unless it was relevant to the discussion. If the guy was trolling in an airport restroom, not important, if he is resigning, important.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 09:28 PM) Well, the Senator in question is John Murtha, so I guess the answer would be 'no'. I am sure there are examples on the Rep side, but here is one example of the need for term limits. This man's ego is bigger than his state! And so, apparently, is his appetite for pork. We already have term limits. They come up for reelection. If you believe it is important, just vote for the other guy.

Tangent, should we make a distinction between athletes playing in China and American businesses playing in China? Seems if our corporations can go over there and play, making money for themselves *and* the Chinese, our athletes should be accorded the same opportunity.

I was going to attach this to one of the Fields threads, but I think it is a fresh alternative to the other 3rd base threads. A few bullet points to kick things off in search for common ground. White Sox 3b eras: Bill Melton Robin Ventura Joe Crede Coming era Josh Fields PTBNL Ventura the best of the lot Set our sights higher than Joe 2007 v. Josh 2006 Need to get Josh to Ventura levels or beyond over his career Developing Fields No rush, Crede is healthy and playing fine More instruction in AAA Is that good? Is that bad? Find spots for him to be successful So a discussion on the best way to develop Fields as our next cornerstone 3b. Limiting the discussion on developing a young player with great potential and not, hopefully, dropping into another Fields is better than Crede thread, which we have had enough of already. For his career, which makes Fields a better player, playing now, or waiting. Will it hurt, or will it help?

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 08:30 AM) I know you may all be suprised by this, but that means Wikipedia is wrong! They have Craig Wilson listed as opening day starter at 3B! And I'm not sure why I thought Herbert Perry was our 3B then...but I did. wiki wrong? Clear your cache

Great start. BTW, a trip down memory lane, Ventura once stretched a run like that for a month. IIRC he finished the month with a walk off home run.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 08:38 AM) You can't win a division in April, but you can lose it! Every game we can put between us and anyone else is a game they have to try to make up later. Every game is important. Sometimes we forget the basics. Great post. Looking over a couple threads and trying to think of every team since the early 70s, this team is easily in the upper half, perhaps the upper quarter. I thought that even before the start. Now, in comparison, they have bigger hurdles to overcome in Cleveland and (despite their start) the Tigers than most other seasons. But if they do overcome those hurdles, the playoffs would look better.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 07:59 AM) As a former moderator, let me say this. These guys and gals running Soxtalk are the best. No one gets booted without a long, protracted, and sometimes contentious discussion. The standard approach is to try and figure out what can be done to keep the person in question around. If somebody gets banned from Soxtalk, I assure you that they have earned it. Yep, with Tex "Patron Saint of Wayward Posters" as the court appointed special advocate, often with Hussein as a client LOL, maybe I shouldn't share but what usually happens is after dozens of comments back and forth, the mod who thinks the person should *not* be banned PMs them and asks them to tone it down, common' be reasonable, put those guys on ignore, etc. Then the person bites the head off of their last advocate, leaving no one left who thinks they should be around, and then their IP gets lost for a long time. By then three mods are pissed at each other for leaving some idiot around months longer than we probably should have. Of course the trolls that SS wacks in under 5 minutes are the exception, that's just fun to watch. I think SS had one Cub troll on his ass in under 90 seconds

QUOTE (shawnhillegas @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 08:36 AM) Who was the White Sox opening day 3rd baseman in 2000? Craig Wilson Jerry Manual was Manager of the Year and Frank got robbed as the MVP to 'roid boy. Edit: Did a couple searches, and there is conflicting information. But, I would say it is not Wilson.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 08:39 AM) Good to hear. Now I'm off to get a good seat for the early bird dinner at Sizzler. Since you have been sitting at Denny's since 5:30 am with your trailer park name tag, and talking about how things are so much better "up north".

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 11:33 PM) And I'll stand by that statement to this day Unless you are playing games in the future and adding them to the stats, then we have two below average 3rd baseman, draw your line where ever you like.

BTW, I'll be even happier when we can compare Fields to Ventura or even Melton.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 08:13 AM) Are you guys trying to tell me something? Yes we are, that good posters will not be treated like meat by ill mannered, inconsiderate, illogical, rude posters. When good posters, like yourself and others, are driven away by others, we'll look at what those bring to the party, and perhaps show them to the door. So we'll be protecting our senior citizens before they go all AARP on our ass.

I did not want to clutter up the Crede thread, so moved my response here, where it fits in better. QUOTE (lostfan @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 07:15 AM) This isn't WSI, the mods here don't get off on suspensions and bans and I get the feeling it's not something they like to do. Honestly, there are a few people whose posts have been to the point that more than a few mods would love to push the button and say bye bye. And yes, at this point, after being down some long roads with those posters, it will be something we'd like to do. But it takes an awful lot to have enough mods to agree someone should be suspended. But we'd be much, much, happier if the manners and dialog would improve to the point it would be unnecessary.

I know most of the posters here are either in college or college educated. Structuring a decent argument should be a simple thing. But I guess we get lazy on a message board and resort to the easiest argument. Put your baseball caps on for a minute. The debate should not be which 3rd basemen is better. The debate is will the person playing this, or any position, play to the caliber that will get this team to another World Series. For most of my almost 40 years as an avid Sox fan, we always had guys out there who where not of a playoff caliber team. Just last season, IMHO, we did not have a CF on the roster who was playoff caliber, a glaring weakness. Other years we were missing a pitcher or two. This year, we have an overabundance of players at 3rd who could get us to the playoffs. To read some of these posts that try and paint Fields or Crede as some stiff, is just silly. If we did not have Fields in the system, we'd be happy with Crede's start and smile he's healthy. If we did not have Crede in the system, we'd be happy we developed such a fine young player with so much potential. We're looking like idiots that we can't be happy we have TWO guys right now that could play on a playoff team at 3rd. We have watched Crede play in a World Series and other pressure situations. I think most Sox fans were pretty happy with those performances. It is too early for me to announce he's healthy and can play to those levels again, but it seems likely. After 100 games, Fields has proven a lot, and I am eager to watch his development over the next few seasons. I can't think of a player who was ruined by too slow a development, but perhaps there was one. I see it as a can't lose situation. Obviously one of the guys will be gone next season, either way, I'll be happy we didn't dig a hole for once, but took from an overabundance.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 08:11 PM) not really. You give Fields another 100 AB's last year, and he'd probably get his HR total up to 30 with an RBI total around 80. So, that would mean he would have matched Crede's career high in HR's and be 10 shy of Crede's career high in RBIs... in about 80 less AB's. Plus, last year Fields 35 walks were more then Crede's career high in a season. I think Fields would at least match Crede's production with less average (and K's) but with more power and possibly OBP. The wildcard here is the defense. I think Fields is going to be a really solid player in this league, but at this point, I'd have a hard time arguing that Fields is the better player. The other wildcard you have to factor in is experience. Ninth inning of a playoff or World Series game, at this point in their careers, I'd rather have Crede out there. Again, not to discredit Fields, he's a young player with what looks to be a great future, but I just can't call him the better player. I've also seen too many one season wonders to announce his arrival. I hope he gets plenty of chances this season to continue to mature because I'm guessing he's the guy starting in 2009, perhaps sooner.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 06:06 PM) I still think Fields is That's confusing. Are you really saying if their careers ended today, Fields would be considered the better player? Wow.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 05:56 PM) One good week isn't going to give him that much more trade value. Step one, prove he is healthy. One week doesn't count much for stats, but he looks pretty healthy, and that will help his value.

QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 05:44 PM) My 8 gb Itouch was stolen from my backpack today at school, along with my bose in-ear headphones attached. So I lost $400 dollars today. I hate people. That sucks, big time. There is a Rant thread in the buster if you would like to cut loose.

I was in the "we have two very good players at 3rd" camp. We have an over abundance of talent at 3rd. Sadly, instead of celebrating that, it divides Soxdom Even more sad, I'm thinking all this does is make it easier to trade him and get good value.