AngelLeroy

Its been awhile since I've posted here; I usually prefer to lurk. But I'd like to comment on this. If Jerry Reinsdorf can only afford $50 or $60 million for payroll, when the ML average is around $70 million, then why does he still own the team? It's obvious that he's at a disadvantage, and other teams field higher payrolls with attendance at about the same level, or even lower. Maybe he should sell the team, or go for it all one year and raise the payroll by as much as it takes to get a seriously competetive team. If the fans still don't come, we know it's not his fault, and he can sell the team or cut payroll as much as he likes. If he truly wants a World Series more than anything as we've often heard, he should at least try something new. Maybe the stadium enhancements are on the right track now, I don't know. I'd still like to be in the mix for a few key free agents every offseason, however. I also don't understand why some feel Sox fans should pack the stadium every night for a mediocre performance. No one wants to spend $25-$100 to go see corpseball. Winning teams have fans, losing ones don't, with the exception of the Cubs. Maybe the Sox won't draw 3 million every year, but I bet they'd be consistently above 2.25 million or so.

Same beard as Clement, too! Hmmm... same ears as well. Oh yeah... one more thing. :fthecubs

I'm much more excited about Cotts than I am about almost any other Sox pitching prospect. A 94 mph moving fastball does not a good pitcher make. Look at how Wright has struggled, and he can hit 95-97 (or so I hear). It sounds as though Cotts just needs to work on some fine-tuning of his control, and I'm sure that will come as he throws more. I'm not too worried about injuries with him either, because it sounds as though he doesn't put a whole lot of strain on his arm (aside from the high pitch counts, which are suspect as a measurement tool anyway.) I wouldn't be surprised to see him earn a spot (or at least a cup of coffee) next year, and be a strong candidate for a starting job out of '05 Spring Training.

I wanted to talk about a few things regarding the large amount of topics on both this website and WSI that bemoan the fact that the Sox have taken an undeserved back seat in the media to the woeful Cubs. I agree that this has become a Cubs town, and that it SUCKS. It's sad that it happened, but we have to accept it. Talking about how unfair it is that the Cubs get all the attention doesn't really do anything, no matter how much fun it is to bash that pathetic organization. We need to focus on the Sox, because the more we talk about the Cubs, the worse we make it for our team. As the old saying goes, "there's no such thing as bad publicity." That being said, we also need to realize that the national (and the majority of the local) sports media is a bunch of sensationalist lickspittles pandering to what they think people want. I'd bet that the majority of them know more about marketing their "product" than they do about the sport they cover. Either listen to what they say, laugh your arse off, and continue on your merry way, or do what I do and don't even bother watching ESPN or FSN or whatever. What do you guys think?

I've always liked Carlos Lee. If he works on his approach at the plate (he might not be walking much lately, but I love the way he's been fouling off pitches and working the count), keeps hitting to right, and can keep the baserunning mistakes to a minimum, I think he can be a great player. He's got pretty good speed, especially considering he's a rather big guy, and plays a decent left field now. I really think he should steal more often, maybe 20-25 attempts a year.

I think Ozzie Guillen used to live in Berwyn... that's not exactly a high-profile area... And the Bridgeport/Canaryville/Bronzetown area is being revamped pretty drastically. It's going to be a nice place to live in the upcoming years, and if Paulie wants to get good property cheap, more power to him. I go to IIT as well, and would think its pretty cool to go to school near a washed-up player's house as well. I'd have to do what Moe did to Mr. Burns to him as well... Pauly- "Oh my gimpy hip is acting up again... looks like another sub-.200 season for me!" Me- "Take THIS!" ::Cracks Pauly in the hip with a crowbar:: Pauly- "...Wow! That well-placed attack by that masked assailant has knocked my hip back into place! I can play again! ::puts up consistent .300 30 100 years:: Me- "...Well, at least I got to hurt someone..."

The only player I'd want is Castillo. His numbers are at least a little better than Jimenez's, I think he's the one who had that 37 game hitting streak, he has better speed, and cannot POSSIBLY be as lazy and lackadaisical as Jimenez. I view him as a Willie Harris who can actually do things BESIDES run. I would be willing to give up Jimenez, Harris, Wright, Rauch, Adkins, (I had to throw him in there... ) and perhaps some B prospects like Ruddy Yan or various minor league relievers. That SHOULD be enough for the Marlins, and if it isn't, then Castillo isn't worth it. I honestly think that center can be a strength in the years to come for the Sox, (Borchard, Anderson and Reed all have a chance to play and excel there) so getting Pierre would either create a glut, or we'd end up with nothing in the long run. Plus I'm not convinced that Pierre could repeat what he's doing in the years to come. Alomar is too old, too expensive, and wouldn't pose much of a long-term solution. I want this team to contend for more than 1 or 2 years. I never wanted Weaver, and if he struggles with the Yankees... Cotts, whether he pans out or not (I think he will) is WAAAY too much for him. Every day I think that Williams' worst move as GM BY FAR was to part ways with Ray Durham. Speed + decent power + good range to his right & on popups + ability to hit .300...

Whoops! Forgot about that. Although I'd rather call it "spin-doctored piece of journalistic garbage." Or just s***ty.

I don't care if he puts up Mark Johnson numbers. If he's decent on defense, he should be a good ML backup. And if he can hit... well, having a platoon of two catchers with good defense and decent hitting solidifies a position that most teams have little to nothing at. If he fails... he's a cheap minor leaguer. Who cares?

Garland basically threw one bad pitch, which turned into a 2-run moon shot to Bonds. His sinker was on like crazy. I saw a lot of weak grounders, broken bats, and foul balls off the batter's leg. He also struck out a few more than usual, and only like 1 or 2 walks.

Uh, last time I checked, a "long" home run doesn't count any more than one that squeaks over the fence. And I don't see what there is to "overcome" in a 2-run HR. It's two-freakin runs, and the Sox tied the game the next half-inning anyway, which was HUGE. Stupid Tribune. Worst newspaper EVER.

Hopefully Frank plays first, and Konerko and Daubach DH vs. lefties and righties respectively. If Frank does continue to play first, I think he'll stay hot for awhile and may carry the offense for a little while. If he stays hot, the rest of the team will start hitting as well. If all this happens I think the Sox will finish June and carry on to the All-Star Break playing pretty well. If not... probably drop a few more below .500.

I always find it ironic (and funny) when people whine about Frank Thomas whining. Frank may not have the greatest personality in the world, but scrutinizing everything he says and taking everything as negatively as possible does nothing but make the situation worse. Maybe the "clubhouse cancer" just needs to be left alone. Many say that he doesn't deserve special treatment, so stop giving it to him by looking for "cancer quotes."

We weren't vastly overrated in 2000, moron. In fact we were as much of an underdog as you guys were in 2001. At least we were able to hold on to the division in our underdog year. You should try to know what you're talking about before you go troll on another team's boards.