bigruss

QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 14, 2011 -> 06:31 PM) If La Chouffe is only decent I have to hang out with you. La Chouffe is a personal favorite. Ha, it just wasn't to my taste, I know a ton of people at the bar were loving it. But my brother and I agreed (along with my friend who doesnt like beer so he doesn't really count) that it just wasn't that great.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 09:54 AM) I hope you climbed up that clock tower or whatever the heck it is... "The tower.is.closed" *pokes head* Yea, I went up the last time I was in Bruges, great view!

Recap from Belgium Decent Beers: La Chouffe Rochefort 8 Delirium Nocturnum Bellevue Kriek Good Beers: XX Bitter Delirium Tremens Augustijn Saison Dupont Bels Pilsener Straffe Hendrix Tripel Brugse Zot (same brewer as the beer above) Great Beers: Moinette - Jim, this is from Dupont Brewers, the same that did Avec Bons Vouex (and Saison Dupont), they quickly moved up to one of my favorite brewers De Garre- a local only beer served only in a very small bar, 12% and served with cheese, absolutely delicious of a beer Straffe Hendrix Quad - the best from the local brewery in Bruges, blew the Tripel out of the park

QUOTE (Real @ Apr 14, 2011 -> 01:43 AM) we'll be 8-7 after the angels series (we're not beating Haren and Weaver, put that on the board), and could easily be swept if the Sox pull another gem like today in the Humber game dear god this team is a mess right now Ive been skeptical of this team but that's pretty exaggerated.

I was in Bruges last night, got completely wasted without really knowing I was getting that wasted and I remember just a few parts. The first was that I walked out of the pub and got lost, the second is that I fell in a construction ditch and now have scratches on my arm, and the last thing I remember was getting some fries. I thought it was atleast 2am, turns out this all happened by midnight. I was a messss.

Konerko

Beckham

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 09:15 AM) Um, judging a guy on potential, is pretty much the definition of "if". Jackson was pretty much the same way though, loads of potential and spotty results.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 04:18 AM) I can concede there was a history there that suggested he could be a successful major league pitcher, but I don't even think Daniel Hudson's own mother would have suggested he would pitch as well as he did with Arizona. Secondly, despite those 11 starts with Arizona, I still believe that odds that Jackson succeeds in our rotation were/are much, much higher than the odds of Daniel Hudson succeeding in our rotation. I also believe Jackson will easily outperform Hudson this season. Whether this leads to postseason victories will probably ultimately determine how much sleep many fans who share your opinion of the trade will lose in the years to come... Yea, this is the key thing for KW and co, because if they don't make it they will have a ton of big holes in the starting pitching staff to fill, and if we assume that attendance does not spike due to not making the playoffs, then they will be in a financial mess.

Beckham

Rios

Konerko

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 04:58 AM) I can respect that position. Two things that sum up the way our FO does business and the belief we have in our pitching coach: I believe Kenny realizes the huge failure rate of major league prospects, and also has tremndous faith that Don Cooper can straighten out some issues with high-upside, inconsistent arms. We have shown a repeated willingness to operate with these philosophies in mind, and for the most part, have succeeded with it. Because of this, I think we somehow overpay in order to acquire very specific targets, rather than simply a certain "type" of player or a player rated in a certain tier. You'll see a lot of organizations treat prospects and mlb players alike as fungible, whereas we very much do not. We identify specific players and target them (or at least we are led to believe we do, and very much seem to). Anyone who has had experience trying to acquire very specific goods or services will quickly realize that often times a premium is necessary in order to transact for said goods. I, for one, have never really minded paying such a premium, but when viewed separately from the eventual results, the price paid at the time of the transaction can often be questioned. However, when the actual production is measured at a later time, the value of the transaction often comes out on the side of the White Sox. Yea, they fall in love with certain players, and are willing to pay more for them. And like I've said, I was actually really intrigued by picking up Jackson especially if Cooper saw something he really thought could help him, I just thought trading Hudson for the reasons I stated was a bad idea. Also, I really do think that Hudson's numbers from last year get lost on this board because Jackson had good success last year, but Hudson was beyond phenomenal with the DBacks in his 11 starts with them. In 80 innings he had a .84 WHIP, a 1.69 ERA and showed the control that was expected out of him. Now, there is no way to know if he could have done that with the Sox, but his minor league numbers showed a pitcher that was ready to be successful in the majors.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 03:29 AM) Russ, let me ask you this...what if Hudson were to struggle this season, ultimately get sent back down to AAA, and never really end up doing anything more than being a long relief kind of guy? Would you still view the trade as one we lost because we might have gotten more in return for him had we made a deal with someone else? It's baseball, so of course this is a real possibility, but you have to view the trade from when it was currently made, and from the results. To me, it wasn't just the value of the return (I actually liked picking up Jackson, though I did feel it was an overpay especially without getting a fair amount of cash back), but the position that the Sox were/are in in terms of starting pitching depth. The Sox are taking a large gamble on competing this year, I would rather see a plan to compete for the next 3-5 years. Trading away your only MLB ready young starter with good potential for an iffy starting pitcher who had shown tons of question marks throughout his career with only 1.5 yrs left on his deal was just not a decision I would make, unless I got the Dbacks to pick up half of this year's contract and we also didn't send along Holmberg. I say the last part because you can then use those savings in $ towards resigning Jackson or another one of our pitchers who are hitting FA soon, while still "going for it."

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 4, 2011 -> 08:38 PM) Throw everything out the window that's normal in this league. I still can't fathom that I'm starting the likes of Wilson Valdez, Adam Lind and Matt Laporta. And you're crushing me in offense, fortunately my pitching is holding up and keeping this an interesting matchup.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 12:29 AM) I don't really take issue with anyone's opinion of the deal anymore. I think reasonable minds can easily disagree on this one. What I do disagree with, is the notion that somehow a value judgment can be made as to who won the trade at this point. We just haven't seen enough play out yet. I can understand those who feel like we could have gotten more for Hudson, but ultimately, I care about results on the field, not who won the negotiations. Agreed, I have obviously stated my opinions on the trade, but I can understand the mentality of the other side, I just don't agree with it. But here's to hoping he keeps it up and wins us some more ballgames!

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Apr 8, 2011 -> 12:36 AM) That's a pretty "iffy" word itself. That's what happens when you try to predict the ultimate outcome of a trade well before the results are in. You say "if" a whole bunch. Jackson was just as big of an IF as Hudson IMO.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 7, 2011 -> 12:01 PM) Whoa, really? So who comes up, De Aza or Gartrell? Or a pitcher? Jeff Gray to save the day.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Apr 7, 2011 -> 09:37 AM) Arthur looks like it could be the worst movie ever. I think Your Highness looks good. Im a big fan of McBride, so I'll probably have to see Highness at some point. Plus, I still have a crush on Portman.

StrangeSox, does the data show the % of minorities unemployed filtered by specific degree areas? As someone who is a business student, I have had jobs a plenty for my taking even in this economy, because I was constantly improving myself and my resume. Some business students believe that just a degree will get you a job, that one will be handed to you and it's simply not true, but there are so many opportunities for people to take advantage of in college but they don't and they are behind many others by the time they graduate. Also, I brought up the specific degrees because while business degrees may be getting hired right now, journalism degrees most likely aren't. Most of my friends who aren't business/engineering are having a much harder time to find jobs, so it is quite possible that minorities aren't as often going into fields that are in good demand right now.

Quentin

I still plan on doing something similar to this someday soon with my dad, just seems like to great of an experience to pass up, and after living away from Chicago for 5 yrs, and the last game I bought tickets for I couldnt go to because I had ACL surgery unexpectedly, I think we deserve to be treated well at a Sox game.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 6, 2011 -> 10:18 PM) Just make sure you make your flight there, buckeroo Im essentially using Soxtalk and facebook as a source to keep awake, and set a few alarms to make sure I wake up. W've got a pilot who is vacationing here going to the airport with us tomorrow mornin so he should be keepin us a bit responsible too. Usually we are more responsible than going out hte night before a flght, but it was a pub crawl night and well, the ladies were hitting on us. We obliged.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 6, 2011 -> 10:06 PM) And you've gotten a lot of "sexy time!" too! Yupp!! My friend travelng with me is hookin up in the shower right now, so i stole his shirt that he hung up over the shower door. I may be really drunk btw

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 6, 2011 -> 09:58 PM) Boyfriend = Australian for Russ has bad breath I kid, I kid... Sounds like an amazing trip you've had, Russ! Hahaha she never told me it, her friend did!! But yes, I still wake up in disbelief about everything I have been able to see and experienced here. Its a life long dream coming to life, and Im so thankful for it.