JUGGERNAUT

If the CWS do what I want then I like the Lee trade. The trade in my mind is Pods+Luis+Perez+Cairo+PTBNL for C Lee. That's a damn good trade! Odaliz Perez tailed off a little last year but still put up solid numbers. He was rumored a lot in CWS trades last year & with a price drop makes sense for the CWS. I believe both Cairo & Perez can be had for what they saved in the Lee trade. Cairo is not great but he is a much more accomplished 2B than Harris. He provides great insurance & competition for Harris at 2B. The minimal requirement for a team to win consistently is to maintain a team OPS of 750+ OPS every month & a team era in the high 3's/low 4's every month. If KW can put together that kind of team they should win the ALC. Having not won the div in 4 yrs, that should be the first & primary goal for the team. Cairo & Perez help mold the SOX into that kind of team. Cairo has far better consistency than Harris at the plate & is less error-prone with the glove as well. Of course Harris has a far better upside potential but we've been saying that for years. That would bring the CWS payroll up to 70M & I think the team owe's the fans that much. If 70M builds you an expected division crown then that's what you should spend. Looking beyond just a division crown, the SOX need to address their biggest weakness: C. T Green's #'s are impressive & should be signable for less than CJ or AJP prices. He only made 550K last year. COL has offered arbit, so Green would cost a draft pick. I'll add the stats for these 3 later. Other names rumored for the SOX: Matt Clement - Matt will have to choose betw money & home. He enjoys Chicago. I think the SOX will go as high as 7/8M a yr, but the BOSOX are now bidding as well. Slim chance. K Millwood - He had a 4.85 era for 11M last yr. No thank you. E. Milton - He had a 4.75 era for 9M last yr. No thank you. PHI did not offer them arbit. D. Lowe - He had a 5.42 era for 5M last yr. BOS offered arbit. I don't see Lowe passing up arbit for anything less than 10/2 yr. If you're going to spend that kind of money on a SP go with the least risk, least cost, best gain: O Perez. He will cost you a draft pick but that's going to the LAD & not the CHC. Hudson has been mentioned in a possible 3 way with Chicago. Garland to OAK, Vazquez to CWS, & Hudson to NYY. There's a few other players but those are the big names. I don't see any sense in doing this when Perez can be signed thru FA.

Coskie's out. TBJ Signed 3B Corey Koskie to a three-year contract with an option for 2008. It gives us an idea on what Polanco might cost. 16.5/3 +6.5 if he has 1200 plate appearances over 3 yrs. That's pretty easy to do. So for the most part it's 23/4. Just under 6M a yr. That means our choices for 3B are Crede, Japan, or Randa. I don't like any of them. Beltre is fantasy & not reality for the CWS. Crede 04: 649, 607, 1018, 495, 711, 833 Randa 04: 800, 626, 793, 683, 754, 793 I don't know much about the Japanese guy, so I think I'll stick w Crede's upside potential for yet another year. That leave C, 2B to upgrade. C - Green is still available & not getting much press so KW get to work! 2B - Cairo seems like a no-brainer & Polanco is doable .. IMHO.

I am very upset to see Lee go, but I am equally glad to see Posedinik arrive. You don't win divisions or championships w 30/100/300 players. You win it with guys that can keep their OPS month to month near or above 800 & solid pitching. That's the winning formula. CF Posednik 849, 697, 857, 598, 812, 709. RP Vizcaino 734 OPS v RH, 668 OPS v LH : solid relief pitcher What we gave up Lee 785, 782, 820, 959, 864, 949 The biggest holes on the team are Crede, catcher, & Harris. Monthly avg's -Lee+Pos: 779, 729, 802, 703, 808, 787 Monthy avg's +Lee: 772, 738, 798, 744, 814, 813 To balance out Lee's loss you need a guy strong in Jul & Sep who can play 2B, 3B, or C. http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/hot...bystat=POSITION C: Todd Green COL. Made 550K last year. COL offered arbit. Green 667 812 579 841 857 927 3B: C Koskie MIN. Made 4.5M last year. MIN offered arbit. 2B: M Cairo NYY. FA. 900K last year. Monthly avg +Green: 775, 741, 789, 719, 825, 812 Monthly avg +Coskie: 804, 748, 813, 726, 793, 788 Monthly avg +Green&Coskie: 800, 761, 800, 742, 811, 814 Monthly avg +Green&Coskie&Cairo: 818, 756, 819, 757, 828, 820 Wow! Just the addition of those 3 players can give the SOX the strongest lineup they've had since 2000. Cairo would be a good player to sign cheap to pressure Harris for 2B. Other options: 2B: P Polanco PHI. Made 4MIL last year. PHI offered arbit. 720 649 718 832 813 829 This would negate Coskie+Cairo. SOX+Polanco+Green: 787, 735, 815, 745, 850, 833 SOX+Lee.................: 772, 738, 798, 744, 814, 813 Better across the board for just 2M more than Lee cost. Cheap route: SOX+Lee.....................: 772, 738, 798, 744, 814, 813 SOX+Pos+Green+Cairo: 793, 738, 809, 734, 843, 818 Nearly as good as +Lee for about 2M less than Lee cost. The key for this trade to work is for the SOX to go out & sign Green. SOX-Lee+Pos: 779, 729, 802, 703, 808, 787 That's not going to win a division & luck is usually stingy with this team

I talked to a Chicago White Sox front-office person today that set the record straight on this. There are no changes for 1/2 price nights in 2005. Pepsi is still on board with the Pepsi Tuesday's & they are planning no changes for 1/2 price Monday's. What is changing is the availability of tickets for these games. Presently these sales are driven by walk-up crowds. They will be available at the BO, on-line or Ticketmaster a week in advance. I'm sorry I haven't had more time to post. Been very busy with work. But I had to take time out to squash this unsightly rumor. For those of you who still frequent WSI spread the word. Thanks

I forgot to mention the Twinks have 21 games from now til first week in Sep against teams with better records than themselves. The SOX have about 1/2 as many that fit that category. That's why we're still in it.

I like the acquisition of Contreras. On this team he has a better heater then any other arm on this staff. With the pressure he faced in NYC a move was the best thing for him. Like Garland he has some of the best stuff in the majors. Hopefully he's got a lot more mental toughness than Judy.

The only reason the SOX are still in it is because the Twinks have 21 games from now thru the first week of Sept against teams with better records than the Twinks have. The SOX have 1/2 as many as that. But it don't mean s*** if the team continues to post a 669 OPS in Aug & Sep. That's F'g pathetic & Crede, Valentin, & Harris should be out there practicing when Rowand does.

The team is playing too poorly to bother with this right now. I can barely stomach looking through the game logs when we walk in the winning run in 3 of the last 10 losses. Time permitting I will likely wait until the off-season. The game logs will still be around then. But one group of team stats is glaring: OPS: Apr: SOX 829, Opp 751 May:SOX 814, Opp 725 Jun: SOX 871, Opp 827 Jul: SOX 669, Opp 760 It's pretty clear that the loss of Frank hurt much more than the loss of Maggs. Unless the SOX can return those numbers to at least May the post season is lost.

Montreal is picking up ALL of Everett's salary this year! So now you need to put this in perspective: Everett signed with MTL for 7 mil /2 yrs. The SOX are getting 8 month's of Everett ab's for about 3 MIL. That's worth Rauch & Majewski. Now if they can't sign Maggs or the Hurt they have a viable backup at a very reasonable price.

What is it you want to win? The division? Ok, that's doable. The AL Championship? I doubt it. I think in the end the NYY will pay whatever price AZ asks to get Randy Johnson. A rotation of Johnson, Brown, Vasquez, & Mussina will make the NY All-Stars practically unbeatable. The World Series? Be honest now. Do you really think the White Sox can beat the Cards in the World Series? Keep in mind they would have to play 3 games in STL & they are a team very dependant on the DH in the lineup. If RJ joins the NYY$'s me thinks all bets are off.

I have very little time available for venting or boards in general this summer but after reading his latest Wrigley article my blood is so hot I'm liable to walk down to the Times bldg drag his arse out to the lobby & kick the living s*** out of it! He can't write one F'g baseball article all F'g year without pissing on the Cell. He's a F'g arse-hole not to appreciate the Cell. The only reason our park doesn't cell out like Wrigley is location. I don't want to hear crime statistics, or any other s*** Moronotti wants to spit out of his peanut size brain. Per capita income is the only stat that matters in comparing the two parks. If or when the per capita income around the Cell equals that of Wrigleyville then comparing attendance might matter in the Flub vs Sox debate. The Cell is a very nice ball park. I always have fun there. It's not dead or esoteric any more. The new roof makes all the difference in the world & I like that they are putting more stats on the LED's these days then ads. It's got the best food of any park I've been in & it's not a major hurdle to get in & out of the ballpark. If Moronitti had a F'g brain he would be able to enjoy the park better. I think the idea of changing something each year (no matter what it is) help's the fan base as well. What really pissed me off in the article is his F'g (gulp) reference to the Cell & his insinuation that the Flubs would rather play at Miller Park. What a F'g arse-hole pc of s*** fish food flapping creep he is!

I just read the top 3 in the order (incl Maggs) is hitting 144 since Frank's gone down. There is no one in the lineup who commands the respect of pitchers like Frank did. His OBP was a measure of both his good eye & pitcher's respect in their reluctance to challenge him. KW & JV are fools for suggesting a 300 lb slugger be in the dugout with a stress fracture in his foot.

Arm of Game JULY Honors prediction thread.

Bat of the Game Honor poll for month of July.

Feel free to post your own personal prediction totals for each category: PoG, AoG, BoG, & GoG. If you want to make any predictions for an indiv or group of players, BoG JUL Poll: http://www.soxtalk.com/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=22289 AoG JUL Poll: http://www.soxtalk.com/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=22290

=========================================== =========================================== RACE TO BE THE BEST !!! Jun 1st thru Jun ?? =========================================== =========================================== Indiv Game Honors: PoG: AoG: BoG: GoG: PoG=Player of the Game AoG=Arm of the Game BoG=Bat of the Game GoG=Glove of the Game =========================================== =========================================== =========================================== Running Totals: =========================================== Starter Arms: EL < SS < JG < MB < DW Relief Arms: ST < BK < DM < NC < JA < MJ < CP Starter Bats: PK > MO > FT > CL > WH > AR > JC Relief Bats: JU > RG > MOL > KD > SA > TP DL Bats: Note: cum avg for starters & arms is pts / appearances =========================================== =========================================== Disclaimer: I want to first say that I am a guest in the PTC game & that I fully recognize the owner of the game is SS. This thread has no intention of undermining the scoring system of that game. The purpose of this thread is to keep track of the value of each SOX player as the season progresses. Bats: (Incremental hit values) Hits: 1B=10, 2B=20, 3B=30, HR=50 Hits-Ron: 5 pts for each base + BONUS 5 pts for run scored Non-Hits: 1B=5, Non-Hits-Ron: 2 pts for each base earned + BONUS 3 pts for run scored This system places a value on BOTH the quality of the AB & the effect it has on RON. Non-hits addresses the impact of sacrifices, fielder's choice, errors, etc. Basically if you move a runner over in a non-hit AB you should get some credit for making someone make a play on the ball. Runner: SB: 2B=10, 3B=15, RS=20, -5 pts for each CS (RS=Run Stolen) FP: 2 pts for each base earned in the field of play This system rewards some value for smart base running during the field of play. It's much harder to steal home than 3rd & 3rd than 2nd. Hence the increments. Arms: Evaluation of pitchers will be based on evaluation of opposing team's hitters. That total for each pitcher will then be divided by innings pitched. The pitcher with the least point value is the arm of the

If the Stros can get past this inning it should go another a 2

It's a weird schedule vs the Tiggers this year & it's definitely in their favor. 6 in Jul, 7 in Aug, & 6 in Sep. The 4 games series is at Det. We took the series 11-8 last yr playing some of our worst ball. I don't think we can win if we play the same way. Hopefully the fact that Oz is our mgr & I-Rod is their best player will keep the team from a letdown.

In less then 24 hrs a tired cubs team is going to face a red-hot SOX team. Thank you Beltran & Houston for extending this game. Win/Lose weary those arms.

Call me crazy if you will but our biggest competition in the 2nd half will be the Tiggers. They are likely to make a move if they are a few games back & we have the whole season series to play them next. More importantly they have some arms that have shut down the SOX in recent years. This thing is far from over & the Twins could find themselves in 3rd or 4th before it's done.

Ozzie, Cooper, & KW know that whether he gives up 3 or 4 runs a game as long as he pitches 6+ in he's getting the job done. Having him in the 4th spot forces opposing teams to juggle their lineups & it does make a difference. Ideally if we could have a rotation of Garcia, Buehrle, Loaiza, Garland, & Schow that would be the best case scenario. There isn't a single series where a team won't face at least 1 LH & therefore have to juggle the lineup. The cub game right now is a big game going into round 2 of the chi-town series. A loss probably makes it easier on Diaz then a win. How in the hell did Barrett make that play?

Jim Hendry deserves this loss. You can not be a contender in this league with 1 LH in your bullpen. Remlinger went back on the DL, Mercker just came off the DL & what do the Cubs do? They bring up another RH from AAA. That's stupid beyond belief in this day & age. Beltran's OPS is about 200 pts less vs LH. But Mercker? Jim Hendry has no one to blame but himself for this predictament. If the Cubs farm system is so weak in LH pitching that they have to bring up a RH what does that say about all these reports we've heard over the years on how they are stocked with arms? Compare this to the SOX. If Cotts goes down, we bring up Munoz. We have a good stock of both RHer & LHers that can fill a spot. Again the little things make a big difference when it comes to contending & KW seems to get the job done.

If it is true that it came down to a choice betw Crede & Miguel then KW made the right choice. Just take a look at Crede's production as we enter July! Yowza!

The guys human. Ok? Cut him some slack! Sheesh. I think it's important to have 2 LHers in your 5 man rotation. The only way he goes to the bullpen is if the SOX acquire another starter. If that happened Schow is simply giving Kenny the option of using him in that trade if it means he can start. I don't fault guys that are so passionate about starting. He's proven to be a warrior on the mound.

Ditto!