bigruss

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 24, 2011 -> 07:03 PM) How do you run an unrestricted FA out of town? The Sox offered him arbitration and he took a much less of a deal to get away from the Sox. Neither side wanted him back.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 24, 2011 -> 06:58 PM) Alrighty, if that's how you perceive me, it's all good in my book. I'm trying to find a good acquisition the last three seasons. I really am. KW has made great moves, and I adore the man for his work from 2003-2006. Since we won the World Series, the Danks/Floyd acquisitions were great. The Thome acquisition was great. Those were a long, long time ago. I mean, just look at these rosters since 2006. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 I mean, feel free to enlighten me on the "good acquisitions" the Chicago White Sox have come up with since the oft-injured, up-and-down Carlos Quentin. Orlando Cabrera? The regime ran him out of town. JJ Putz? Don't you dare say Beckham or Sale, because the jury is very much still out on both players. So I leave it in your hands since you're such a f***ing brilliant know-it-all. Show me these magic great acquisitions. The truth of the matter is, KW is having one of the worst stretches of General Managing, with a huge budget, that I can remember save the situations on the North Side, in New York (Mets), and Los Angeles (Dodgers). To be fair, the Cubs and Mets have been pretty awful considering their payrolls too. Atleast the Cubs can point at the Pujols led Cards, and the Mets can blame having to compete vs. the Braves and the lately stellar Phillies.

QUOTE (Bighurt52235 @ May 24, 2011 -> 06:09 PM) Why the hell does anyone care how much guys are making? Or what OPS you're getting for so many million dollars? You and I don't pay the salary, and there is no salary cap in baseball. We're not exactly handcuffed by Rios and Dunn's contracts. Sure, Rios is not exactly tradeable, but his salary doesn't prevent us from working with the 24 other active roster spots. What would be different if he were being paid $3 mil this year? You obviously don't understand the business side of baseball, and trust me, it is a business through and through.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 24, 2011 -> 03:53 PM) Rios was probably worth his salary last year. We're actually not much behind in terms of performance/pay right now with him. It's not looking particularly great this year, but that can still change. After Rios' second half last season, I really wanted the Sox to ride the value he built back up and trade him for a crap prospect, and maybe move some other pieces to find a replacement. That contract was bad last year, and is still bad now, getting out from under it would have been amazing.

QUOTE (The Baconator @ May 24, 2011 -> 09:44 AM) Can you imagine the ribbing that Agent would get for being 'the guy that let the Bush's get hit with a baseball/have AJ fall in their laps'? Related, I wonder what the Agent would have done had AJ actually fallen into W's lap. Honestly, what could the guy have really done? Tried to catch AJ? From that position he was in that wouldn't work very well.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 24, 2011 -> 03:43 AM) There is a software program called sharepoint that our company uses for employees to communicate online like that. Otherwise, you could just have the restaurant start a facebook page and do it that way, perhaps? Or a google website, and create a google calendar that you can put on the website. Real easy to provision rights on it, super easy to build (even for those who hate technology), and free.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:19 PM) This will be the Logan Square Farmer's Market in 2075: Finally, some decent hills in the city to go skiing on.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:58 PM) Russ, I have little doubt that you would approach things from an analytical and educated perspective. I also think you would be on the job for a few weeks and realize there is a lot more to it than you or I possibly imagined. Very true, which is why having that experience of working in the organization for a number of years would expose one before being in that position of power. It's just like saying taht you feel you would do better than a current CEO, VP, etc, if you have had the same number of years of experience and resources as them, you may feel that your judgements, personality, skills would have been better.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:53 PM) The point is you are claiming Lillibridge should be starting instead of Pierre when in reality, if you were the one making the decisions, Lillibridge would no longer be on the roster. As for you mentioning arrogance, notice I am not sitting here criticizing the roster or the way the club is run. Very, very rarely do I call Ozzie into question. That's not because I think he is above criticism. That's because I don't have all the information he has and therefore I choose not to do so. What I am arguing is that this is just a little more difficult than you or many, many others around here seem to want to admit. I readily admit I do not have all the answers, nor do I think I could just step in and suddenly use logic to make all the correct decisions. I do think Ozzie would probably blow me out of the water when it comes to managing, I wouldn't make as many "stupid" mistakes such as bunting with players who have shown they could never bunt before, but at the same time he does a pretty damn good job within the clubhouse from most accounts. That's just something that I can't say with any real confidence that I would be able to do as godo of a job without having more experience in that role. It is easier to compare moves of a GM than a manager against my own views.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:50 PM) Again, I'm not saying you would have, or all fans would have. The point is these decisions involve a little more than "he sucks" and we should cut him. But that's the type of analysis that often goes on in here because there is no accountability and it's not based in reality. Then I've got this guy posting in Tex's thread that he would have done a better job than Ozzie and Kenny. Give me a break. Not trying to be arrogant, but I do believe that if I had the same amount of years in a baseball organization, and was in the GM position that I could have more success than KW. I believe his weaknesses have really hurt his strengths and kept him back from really being a good GM. Again, this is if I had the experience of being in a baseball organization and knowing the resources and environment that being in his position offers.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:46 PM) Russ, that's not the argument. Notice I am not addressing you in this thread because you actually make real points, instead of just claiming we need to replace this person and that person every other day because "he sucks." I figured I was just on ignore! I guess I was answering more along the line that fans can't do better than a real GM or manager, and although many fans may make irrational decisions based on sample sizes, etc., it doesn't mean that others actually think and explore what they would do long term as a GM.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:40 PM) You're cutting Teahan. You've probably cut Pierre as well. For all I know, you might have cut Rios last season. So now you're on the hook for what $6, 8, 15 million of player salaries (total) for players no longer on your roster?All because you were certain changes needed to be made. Just because KW had made those moves to acquire these players doesn't mean a fan would have. The only one out of those that i would have considered is Rios, and even then his contract would probably have been way to much for me to decide on taking.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:36 PM) So now you are going to start building your annual payroll with players that are now the property of other ballclubs. See how that works out for you. Or, you don't sign players like Teahen to an extension like the Sox did. Some contracts are going to turn bad, that's baseball, but what moves do you make to recover from those moves.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:30 PM) The reality is that KW & OG have to actually live with their decisions. Unlike us who can second guess and change our minds all the time. It wasn't that long ago that you called Lillibridge useless and wanted him off the team and now you want to give him more playing time. He may, I for sure don't.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:27 PM) Because there are no ramifications to you being completely and utterly wrong, other than the random ribbing you might receive on soxtalk. Honestly, what was your position on Lillibridge prior to the last month or so? Did you want him DFA'd last year? Would you have chosen Milledge over Brent? Would you have given him a roster spot this year? If I was in charge, Lillibridge would not be on the team, Milledge would along with Brent. Pierre wouldn't be on the team, Teahen most likely wouldn't be (especially not at the salary he's making), etc etc. A move like keeping Milledge over Lilli isn't a season changer, giving guys like Pierre a starting position is.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 03:15 PM) First of all, when the answer is oftentimes a multiple choice answer, yes, some percentage of the fans sometimes guess right while those within the organization sometimes guess wrong. Secondly, while there is some merit to your point of people sometimes being too close to the forest to see the trees, it is also ridiculous for fans, whether it be on the radio talk show, or on a message board, to claim as if all these decisions are so easy and black and white. Much of the time, the fan doesn't have anywhere near enough information to make the best decision. Additionally, the manager and GM and owner's body of work is all something tangible and factual. These moves and decisions did occur under so and so. While the fan is free to criticize with impunity, entirely free from accountability because his decisions are not saved in time for all to remember. You want to argue that Lillibridge should be starting instead of Pierre? How many of us even wanted Pierre on this team this year? How many of us wanted him DFA'd in the past two years? Would he even be here for that option to exist were things up to most of the fans who are so clearly so fit to be in a position of decision-making authority? No. Hell no. Were it up to the fans, Lillibridge would be playing in another uniform right now. I just want some recognition from people that the jobs Ozzie and Kenny have are incredibly complex and it is very, very easy to be critical of them. Meanwhile, fans, and even writers for the most part, are able to criticize and second guess every day, with no fear of being held accountable or being flat-out wrong tomorrow. The notion that many of us around here would do better than Kenny and Ozzie is so far-fetched and filled with lunacy that it should not even be debated. I never said that Lillibridge should be starting over Pierre, hell I don't want either on my team. Lilli is still an awful baseball player and never should have made the team, he gets exposed real easily and most likely will be one of the worst everyday players if he takes over for Pierre. That said, I never would have allowed Pierre on my team anyways, I hate that style of play and it wouldn't be allowed on my team if I was running things. And of course fans aren't held accountable, but neither are many facets of the Sox organization. This organization is loyal to a fault, and although it is highly important to have trust in people they have crossed that line between trusting and being blind in too many instances. And although I admit that I may never have the same eye for talent or know as much baseball as either of KW or Ozzie, I firmly believe that I could run the team better as a GM than KW if I had the same amount of experience in a baseball organization as KW did. I don't like many of his personnel decisions, his draft/international signing philosophies, and his leadership seems to always be in question when it comes to the power struggle with Ozzie. I do appreciate his agressiveness, though I would have done many trades differently. The GM and Manager positions are very tough jobs, there is truth to that statement. Still, many GMs/managers have come and gone that many fans probably could have done better than, so it's not always as easy as saying that fans could never do as well.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 23, 2011 -> 02:43 PM) Pierre has hit .400 over his last 6 games. Are you sure it's time to sit him now? He's a career .300 hitter. Maybe we should trust 6400 at bats of data here? Lillibridge's results have tailed off as a White Sox whenever we have increased his playing time. Is it best to trust his career .208 average or go off of 44 at bats he's had thus far this year? We have 2.5 years invested in Gordon Beckham already, he's playing outstanding defense, and we have no real in-house replacement, perhaps other than the previously mentioned Lillibridge. Is Gordon's bat in the 8 or 9 hole really costing our offense right now? Would it be best in the long run to send him back down to Charlotte even though he claims to be feeling much more confident recently? Do you really think Ozzie and Kenny, who've spent twenty-plus years of their lives in baseball are basing all their decisions on faulty logic, while you and I, random Moe's who've never played or coached above high school ball, can clearly see the errors of their ways and determine the real and true logic necessary to turn this mess around? Although I can agree with you on some points here, I will say that sometimes fans can make smarter decisions than the coaches/managers/GMs. Just like how a team of engineers may not always make the smartest decision, because they may be too connected to one thing and become too stubborn to change, or sometimes it takes an outside perspective to have a better look at what's going on. It tends to be less emotional, less personal for fans to bench a player, or want them to be DFA'ed, etc. Then you always have the traditionalists vs. the sabers, and many managers haven't changed like many fans have, thus there is a rift in views in the value of some players.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ May 23, 2011 -> 02:17 PM) You can treat dwarfism? I was also unaware that Leno was such a cheater. I used to have a neighbor that was on some steroids or HGH to help him grow, poor kid had almost 35 surgeries before he was 13, about 10 of them serious.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ May 23, 2011 -> 01:41 PM) That's going to be a problem since they're not even on the job search radar right now. People post profiles there but nobody recruits from there...it's more like a personal networking site so people can feel important or something, I'm not even sure. I've had a LinkedIn profile for years and never actually searched around the site, and really don't care to do so. Monster and Dice are FAR more popular job search engines. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even think of using LinkedIn to search for a job...it's the last place I'd go. LinkedIn has so many profiles on there already that they could become huge players, and I believe the job site part of LinkedIn is less than a year old (I remember getting emails just a few months ao from them to see their beta version). But I agree, it would not be my first place I would go to find a job, not yet at least. But the potential is pretty big there.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ May 23, 2011 -> 01:34 PM) This is more in line by what I mean. I'm not saying LinkedIn has NO value. But it's growth will be minimal, at best, especially when Facebook goes public. People login to Linked in once a month and add some contacts to their list, but that's about all they do. I've had a *free* linked in account for years, I have a bunch of accept/deny letters in my maibox, and I'll login once a month and click accept or deny, but I don't spend much time looking through profiles, etc...and I don't know anyone that does. Ive argued over the value of LinkedIn with many people lately, I personally feel that it is a waste of time for most job seekers, especially college students. That said, alexa.com shows it being the 17th most frequented site in the world, and 11th in the states, that's a ton of value right there. But the big difference between facebook and LinkedIn is that the average LinkedIn visit is much shorter than that of Facebook, which could be a huge difference for advertisers.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 23, 2011 -> 01:32 PM) And to that note... someone tell me about future revenue streams for LinkedIn. They are just not that big, even if LinkedIn becomes uber-huge, you really only have two streams - advertising and some small amount for premium account types. The future growth is just not in the ballpark with this price. IF they become the go to search engine for available jobs, they could make quite a bit of money not only from users but also companies wanting to post on there.

I shouldn't be alive, by far the msot blacked out I had ever been, woke up in a bathroom, hallway, and an emergency stairwell before I finally left the apartment building where the party was to go back to my friend's place. My phone had died too and I had about 20 missed calls and another 15 texts from friends that weren't even there because no one could find me. I should not take shots.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ May 20, 2011 -> 02:18 PM) Take it easy, I'm sorry. That was seriously my intent with the post. I'm in no way trying to anger you. Had to get in the last word with the apology.

QUOTE (typewritermender @ May 20, 2011 -> 01:55 PM) Sorry, that's ridiculous. Humber is clearly our 6th starter. He was a fill-in for Peavy, who's back now, and pitching great (granted it's only 2 starts). Who else are we gonna relegate to the pen? Ejax? Danks? We shouldn't keep up a 6-man rotation...that's not allowing our best pitchers enough starts. And we shouldn't trade a good pitcher JUST so that a guy who's been dumped by a bunch of teams and happens to have had a few good starts can be in our rotation. It's always good to have a backup plan. Humber is our backup plan, not the anchor of our rotation. MAYBE if he had a perfect record with a few complete game shutouts. He hasn't been LIGHTS OUT. He's been GOOD. Certainly better than expected. But he's the odd man out. No question. He should have to pitch himself into the bullpen, so far he's been consistently good this season. Ejax has been the one that deserves to go the the bullpen.