JUGGERNAUT

Specifically wrt to treason there would need to be a more substantitive cause such as suspect relationships with terrorists, or enemies of the state (N Korea for example). However outside of treason, if there is strong evidence suggesting person B commited a crime as a result of the flag burning then it is reasonable to charge person A as an accomplice. It's one of the risks one takes when one commits an act equating to "death to America" for the world to see.

Frank's not a doctor so I don't think we should blame him. The doctor's okayed him to play. Schneider wasn't the one making the decisions. Schneider was just the representative for the White Sox. Frank had his own doctors. Having observed him both from TV & live this year when he was hitting the dingers to where his avg was going south quickly I saw a noticeable change in his swing. In the first few weeks he had a golf like swing. The leg was perfectly still & he would pivot on it as the swing crossed the zone. Weeks later that swing degenerated to where he was turning the foot prior to the bat crossing the zone. I imagine that's when he fractured the other bone near the one that had the screws. I'm no doctor of medicine & I've been blessed never to have anything worse than a major bruise or sprain but I've been around enough people with sports injuries in my time (football, swimming, softball, baseball in junior high, & high school) to know that when you come off an injury of that kind it's best to play with a brace to reduce pressure on the bones. I can't recall whether Frank wore a special shoe with a brace for the ankle or not during his rehab at Charlotte. But it didn't seem obvious when he returned to Chicago. FYI I'm not talking a metal brace. It's more like spandex only with a metalic composite. It's specially designed to balance stiffness vs mobility. Maybe Frank tried such a thing in Charlotte but found it a hinderance so with doctor's approval he went w/out it. We'll probably never know.

ESPNNEWS breaking report: Red Sox: Cameron, Huff Tampa Bay: boatload of prospects Mets: Manny, Baez Possibility Boston would go after Griffey then. Nevin to Texas, Park to Pads. Soriano would reject Cubs deal because he has no interest in playing LF. Indians are ready to trade Wickman & Milwood. Pirates: Lawton, Mesa, Redman TAM, SEA, CIN, PIT asking prices are coming down.

I wonder if Manny & Carl are friends. WSox winning 1-0 right now. With Frank out if not Manny then Griffey. I don't want Soriano. He is not an Ozzie type player. I can't believe Boston would trade the WS MVP for a struggling Huff. They must really hate Manny or Tampa has an ex used car salesman working the trade wire.

I we have not seen the last of Frank in the WSox uniform he wears so well. Reading the AP report made me :. Frank has always been a MLB idol to me. I'm sure many WSox fans feel that way. The Doc says it's not the same bone he had the screws in it. It's hairline fracture of another bone. They will immediately put him in a cast boot & see if it heals naturally. It's very doubtful he can come back & do a Gibson but I can't give up that hope. The Doc emphasized it is not career-ending. KW's comments were encouraging. He said this wasn't in the script. He said Thomas was expected to come back & help the WSox win in the post season & come back next year to hit HR #500. He said if Thomas had not been hurt these past yrs he's sure we'd be talking about #600 instead of #450. It sounds to me like Thomas will be back after signing what is likely to be the most incentive ladden contract in league history. Still it won't be the same without Frank this year. We miss you big guy. Get well soon

You can't trade Frank, & no on Konerko & Rowand. They are a BIG part of the White Sox being one of the best defensive teams in the majors right now. You'd be insane to trade good bats with great gloves for a great bad with a below avg glove. Scott "I can't see the ball .. Rowand help!" Podsednik for Manny is intriguing. If that & prospects could Manny + cash Kenny would be a fool not to consider it. Pods is an all-star because he is the best base stealer in the game today & a good lead-off guy. But Manny is last year's WS MVP. The lineup with Manny: Iguchi-Rowand-Manny-Konerko-Dye-Everett-Uribe-AJ-Crede Everett LF, Manny DH. Sweeney/Anderson become a LF option in Sept. Uribe had two solid months as a #2 in 2004 so I think he would do better behind Everett than #9. If he gets on that puts better on the pads for the sluggers AJ & Crede. It would be tough to face SPods in the post season but we are talking about Manny here. The fans would forgive KW for the move. Going forward the Sox are solid WS contenders for the remainder of Manny's contract. On the emotional side I liken Manny to that of Carl Everett. He was hated in Boston & he's been pretty well received here. I think Manny would be as well. Chemistry wise he's probably a friend of Ozzie's as well.

They appear on CSN once & a while. I saw them play the Aussies. I'd imagine it's the closest thing to a world league we have. It's sad the IOC gave softball/baseball the boot.

It really sounds like she is scared s***less of William McKnight & he is running her life. If somehow they can get a restraining order out of all this it might be the best thing for her.

It is true he could not write a song to save his life but there are few that match his skill. I saw him life as an adjunct to a bigger band once. As they took a break he took the stage & did his bad arse solo for which he became famous.

Should we call you Neil now? I basically agree with what you said. But I can see the other side of the argument as well. If the American Flag transcends all other symbols as a representation of America then burning it is equivalent to saying "death to America". The action in & of itself is not an act of treason but if it were to inspire acts of civil unrest or disobedience then it can be. With respect to treason if there exists a more substanitive cause other than flag burning then the courts should recognize the act of flag burning as admissable evidence supporting that cause. In short, whether flag burnig is considered a harmless act or indicative of treason should be decided on a case by case basis.

The thread has gone off into a tangent so I'm just going with the flow I didn't see his name but he is a legend in his own right: http://www.yngwie.org/

The bullpen matters the most in the post-season. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/mspost.shtml Read the game stories. That 2000 Seattle M's team resembles our 2005 WSox a LOT. If not for Moyer's early exit they probably beat the NYY$ & win the WS (vs Mets). All of their wins in the post-season feature great plays, a great bullpen, & timely hitting. That's has been the signature of this 2005 WSox team. The main difference between the two teams is we have a MUCH better rotation. So, no I don't want a new SS unless I can be guaranteed the defense won't suffer the slightest. I'm all for upgrading the bullpen but even then I'm not sure what's available is any better than what we have. If we can obtain a better option at DH then by all mean's we should spend what we have to w/out sacrificing an everyday player. That means saying no to any trade involving Pods, Rowand, Dye, Crede, Uribe, Iguchi, Konerko, AJ & Widger.

Way back machine to 2000. White Sox vs M's. Lost first game 7-4 in 10IN. Lost 2nd game 5-2. Lost 3rd game 2-1 on a bunt single in the 9th. All 3 were tough contests where an error or a mis-play made the biggest difference. SEA lost Moyer to injury for the remainder of the playoffs & went on to lose 4/6 to the NYY$ in the ALCS. Had Moyer been healthy they might have won the whole thing.

I'm going to of course throw some stats at you before you decide. ER:earned runs against, UER:unearned runs against WSox Apr 05 17W-07L, ER 076, UER 5 WSox May 05 18W-10L, ER 101, UER 6 WSox Jun 05 18W-07L, ER 089, UER 9 WSox Jul 05 12W-11L, ER 103, UER 12 The point: Defense is the biggest factor to this team winning & losing. If a trade for a bat is going to weaken us defensively I say no. Crede is a major part of the defense so I say no to moving Crede. We've lost 3 games alone in Jul because of errors. We'd be 15W-08L otherwise. If we're trading for a bat then it's got to be for a DH or reserve role. Otherwise the bullpen remains the top priority but we should not trade any of our core position players to upgrade it. The same theory applies to the rotation.

Lucchino: "Because of the size of his contract, obviously, it's hard." "..but it depends how little you're willing to take in return with respect to trades." "A club might want to make a deal if it asks the Red Sox to pay 95 percent of Ramirez's salary, but that's not a particularly intelligent thing for us to do." I'd say there is definitely room to operate there. They would definitely want an all-star OFer they can use in return. That makes the Cub a non-factor unless they can pull in a 3rd team. It does make the White Sox an attractive player though. How much would Rowand or Pods be worth to their offense in replace of Manny? If you're BOS & KW were to offer Koney/Everett + Pods/Rowand + BMac + Sweeney/Anderson in exchange for Manny + a LOT of cash that's certainly worth considering. It would sure add to the drama of the season.

I don't know how you can say that about Wade & the Phils. Looking at their schedule if he feels his team is capable of beating the rest in the NLE then why shoudn't he go for it? I agree they don't have enough to last in the post season but when was the last time they made it that far? Just making the push means Wagner is likely to sign an extension. Right now they are playing as well as any body else in the NLE & the Nats continue to free-fall.

BP is high on Schmidt & Griffey & so am I. With Thomas down we need a solid playoff caliber DH. Everett is a not it. Griffey meets that requirement. Can Griffey play 1B in his wanning years? If so the trade makes great sense because then the WSox would like be the favorites with Griffey at 1B & Thomas at DH in the middle of the lineup. If he can't & DH is all that makes sense then I'm not sure if a healthy Griffey Jr offers more than a healthy Thomas. I really like Schmidt because he has the resume that spells post season success. He's not only talented he's smart. If he doesn't have his best stuff he's more capable of keeping his team in the game than Burnett.

The White Sox glove defense aside, Burnett's ERA at the cell rise to 4.35. They are higher on Schmidt than Burnett. When trading for Griffey Jr. think of it as a trade for Ellis Burks years ago. Griffey has advantaged in the OF because his experience has led him to get better jumps on the ball. They are high on Griffey Jr. Stay clear of Baez. Good link: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php The 31-32W for the White Sox are in line with the team's 2nd 1/2 4 yr avg. I expect them to exceed that.

Interesting link by bp on odds of a team making a trade: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php Interesting math: I computed 31-32W based on looking at the White Sox post-break avg the past 4 yrs. They computered the same thing running simulations over the remainder of this season. My guess is the White Sox will exceed that mark.

For the team with the best record in MLB it comes down to this after July 31st.: A team wishing to trade a player to the White Sox must first seek approval from all 28 other teams.

A Philadelphia columnist wrote today that the White Sox are likely to be the biggest buyers. If there are any buyers the White Sox are sure to be amongst them. If we do stand pat consider this. We may have 35 L's but only 12 of them have occured in games when the White Sox do NOT commit an error. We compiled the best record in baseball when the team was hitting below or slightly above .250. The past two months it's hitting slightly above .270. When you consider Thomas' avg the everyday players are hitting better than that. So when you combine rising hitting, with solid defense, & solid pitching few teams can beat us & they have to play their very best game to do it. In most cases we can only beat ourselves. See the last KC series as evidence of that. We are not good enough to overcome errors. We don't have that kind of firepower. So we have to play Ozzie ball to win.

It's these kind of threads that absolutely piss me off. Corpseball you say? The team is hitting .270 in the months of June & July with an OPS in the high 700 - low 800 range. How is that corpseball? Thomas' arrival weakened the team bat averaging which means the everyday guys are hitting better than .270 in that time. Now here's a stat I just worked out. DYK that 23 of the Sox 35 L's are games in which the Sox had at least 1 fielding error? Most of those games were close so the error likely cost us. DYK that the remaining 12 L's came against teams that were playing better than .500? With the exception of the Cubs, & the Tigers they represent the #1,#2 teams in their division today. So no this is not the '69 Cubs team. If we play errorless ball the odds are in our favor to win. Top to bottom our team is that good!

The 2005 Chicago White Sox are 65-35. As you know many of the 35 L's are close games. Of the 35 L's, 23 came at the expense of at least 1 fielding error. The remaining 12 L's break down as follows: 2 vs DET,2 vs CHC,1 vs ANA,2 vs TEX,1 vs SDP,1 vs AZD,2 vs OAK,1 vs BOS All teams that were playing > .500 at the time we played them. The same can not be said for the '69 Cubs. The only thing that can derail the White Sox are things they can't control like injuries.

Compliments of the NYY$'s the MN is now 51. Which means the Twins have to dominate us, at least split with teams having a better record that their's, & go 23-9 for the remainder of their schedule. The odds of them doing are greater than what the Mets had to do to overtake the 69 Cubs. If you are still a non-believer I am working on the White Sox record in errorless ball games. If that doesn't convince you nothing will.

All eyes are on the M's. LHRP's Villone, Guardado. Starters Meche, Moyer. Hitters: Winn, Ibanez. All of them rumored to be for sale to the highest bidder. The White Sox showing interest only in the LHRP's. Most other contenders looking at the entire menu. As for TAM, the White Sox seem to have the strongest interest in closer Baez, & LHB Huff. Redman: Pitt's LHSP acquired earlier from the A's is expected to be traded. The usual suspects have interest. Hopefully Kenny is one of them. Another LHSP at the right price could do wonders for the rotation. Cincy: Pick 1: Ken Griffey Jr., Wily Mo Pena, Austin Kearns or Adam Dunn. They can't all stay & the asking price in talent is expected to drop. Boston: Mueller continues to be mentioned. All of the above will likely face wheeling & dealing even past the deadline. The team with the best record in MLB has the worst disadvantage then as all other GM's pretty much have to agree with any trade (what the waiver process really means). The pipe-dreams left alive by rumors: Schmidt: A high ranking SF scout has been tailing the WSox for weeks. More so than any other team. That be a sure waste of time if something wasn't going down. Burnett: Both the RSox & WSox have asked for 72 hr windows to negotiate multi-year contracts with AJB. Some reporters feel that's impossible but they forgot the classic trade approval line: "have agreed in principle to a trade ... subject to ....". That usually fits under the 31st deadline & extends the negotiating window. Wagner: He's off the market. It looks like a 2 yr extension to remain in Philly is in the works. Soriano, Matthews: Texas continues to say they are not for sale, but the Mets continue to think Soriano is theirs for the taking. Manny Ramirez: The wee-wee story was the last straw. Last yr's WS MVP has asked to be traded. It's been confirmed. It remains to be seen how much BOS will chip in & what their asking price will be but the NY papers are all a flutter over the idea of Manny playing LF in Shea. That's your around the league trade news for today. I need to go look up Baez's numbers now to see what he brings to the table.