witesoxfan

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 02:43 PM) Ah yes, the "negativity means you should go root for another team" argument. I hadn't heard that one before, really. Crede hit 25 points above his career average. If he hits his career average, we probably win 5 less games. If Thome gets injured for half a year, if Paulie has a down year, if Dye doesn't have a career year, if Jenks has a sophomore slump etc. etc. etc. I think this team got noticably WORSE in the offseason, that's all. Jenks did have a sophomore slump dude. Just check the numbers.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 02:17 PM) We lost the division by 6 when: Buerhle had his worst year as a pro Garcia was terrible until august (and even then he only had a couple good games) Garland and Contreras didn't get hot until the summer injuries plagued the team: Thome, Dye, Crede, contreras, etc etc missed key games in the late months of the season the front half of the bullpen stunk worse than horse**** our starting pitching was managed poorly. how many games would we have won if ozzie doesn't stick with vazquez through 6? 5 games at least? uribe had a terrible year, well below his averages detroit played over their heads last year (no way rogers is half of what he was last year) we lacked focus and made terrible errors throughout the season which was abnormal for this group and thats all i can think of right now. but i'm sure there are more. The Sox back end of the pen could have, like, 5 IP of MLB experience. That's real comforting. They could easily have a carousel of a 5th starter. Uribe could come into camp way much slower because of his offseason drama. Crede's back was a huge problem come September, and it's not going to just get better. Thome's not any younger. Contreras is older than Thome. In fact, I think he's older than America itself. Dye's not likely to put up a 1.000 OPS again. Ozzie's still managing. Buehrle isn't guaranteed to do anything. MacDougal is always a huge injury risk, what with his violent motion. Anderson is still an unproven hitter. Scott Podsednik-Dergan - Mr. 333 OBP or Mr. 66% SB rate - is still leading off. The Sox OF depth is still jacks***. There's my what if's, and I think they'll be better than most people give them credit for. There can be optimism, but saying they'll win the division by atleast 5 games is a stretch, at best. That pretty much means they dominate. I don't see any team within this division dominating anything.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 02:11 PM) so what???? because he's young guarantees him a good year????? if that were the case, everyone would have those 18 year old phenoms pitching. Granted, the trend is that he's heading into the prime years but it's still not a guarantee. 2003 - 5.56 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 6 K/9, 1.9 K/BB, 1.28 HR/9 2004 - 4.89 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.3 K/BB, 1.17 HR/9 2005 - 4.57 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 2.5 K/BB, 1 HR/9 2006 - 4.08 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 3.2 K/BB, 0.76 HR/9 Tell me: what in those numbers indicate that he's NOT going to be good again next year? I'd put money on him being better than above league average

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 01:59 PM) I just fail to see the difference between the two, nor do I see how Tomlinson can be angry when his own teammate does that to mock his opponents. To be fair, I think any celebration of any kind is rather disrespectful but when you're playing for a Super Bowl championship and in the NFL, you need to grow a sack on stop being such a poor sport. I really want to do some research into Tomlinson' pop warner, high school, and college career. He's never been one to speak out, he's pretty much been a mute, but I find that hard to believe after his display the last few days. That is the first time I think LdT has ever trash talked of any form in his life with negative connotations. Belichick, while a football genius, is an asshole. There's no real way around it. (and I will forever call him LdT, because players can't just take nicknames of past greats. I don't call Ivan Rodriguez "Pudge" anymore either. That's more disrespectful to Carlton Fisk and Lawrence Taylor than celebrating after a big moment in a game, because it's almost as if you are forgetting two of the best to ever play at their position)

QUOTE(pale_hose @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 02:01 PM) Gentlemen...We will win the Central....Nobody should worry about the Indians...They're awful!...They may play good for like a month, but thats it...they do it every year...then they blow....the Tigers will be our biggest competitors, but there is no way they will be as good as last year...especially in pitching...Verlander is the best they have...and the sox destroyed the Tigers in the season series last year...It will be a battle between us and detroit, and we'll pull out a central title by 5 games or more... Five games or more? Not sure how you can really say that when the Sox lost the division by 6 last year.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 01:56 PM) As far as Detroit goes 1-5 pitching wise...I'd like to see their 5 do it for another year before i say they're better than the Sox starting 5. As we proved this past year, ptiching can disappear for a year. Who's to say that Bonderman, Maroth, Rogers and even Verlander won't go back to being .500 pitchers???? I'm not saying they will or won't but some people seem to assume that they will pitch like they did in '06. If you look at some of their numbers they were career years for them....Bonderman especially. Uhh, Bonderman's 24.

Maybe it's weird, but I talk to myself while I am laying in bed trying to sleep if I don't just like instantly fall asleep. Or I'll just clear my head and think about what I am going to do the next day.

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 12:13 PM) Based on what peripherals? Vazquez had an ERA of 4.84 and 4.91 in the AL in the two seasons he's pitched there. He's pitching in one of the most hitter friendly parks in baseball, and someone thinks he's going to go 4.00-4.25? Weird. 4.50-5.00 is a better estimate, but I think it's way closer to 5.00. Garland will be 3.75-4.00, again, based on what? What peripherals? Have you ever looked at any number OTHER than ERA? 8.2 K/9 3.3 K/BB 1 HR/9 .259 BAA 1.29 WHIP .318 OBPA .409 SLGA .727 OPSA Those peripherals. They suggest he should be a better pitcher than his ERA indicates, but he alway spitches well above that for whatever reason. Some say it's because he's a headcase. We'll see. And I think Garland will put up a 3.75-4.00 based on his last 4 months last year. Without an absolutely disgustingly bad April (say a 5.50 ERA instead of 7.11), his ERA is 4.26. If he can bring his April and May down to 4.75, his ERA for the year is down to 4.05 That's pretty much the same range I was talking about. And, IIRC, Garland was battling a little dead arm early in the year, and I seem to recall quite clearly that he couldn't go inside with any confidence. So long as he has that confidence, he'll be good. That's why. QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 12:35 PM) Name a better AL staff, 1 thru 5. You can find much better #1's, but all 5? Not sure. Detroit. Name me a more talented bullpen. Name me a deeper bullpen. About the only team that comes to mind initially is Minnesota, and I'm not entirely sure Dennys Reyes has another ERA

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 10:53 AM) What do you project Vazquez's ERA to be, based on his career totals in the American League? What do you project the fifth starter's ERA to be? I project Vazquez at 5.00 and the fifth starter at about 5.00 as well AT BEST. Probably more likely is that they are around 5.25. Based on peripherals, Vazquez should be in the 4.00-4.25 region. His ERA is always higher than his peripherals suggest it should be, so I project it to be anywhere from 4.50-5.00, with the potential for it to be much lower. I figure whoever the 5th starter is will probably put up an ERA around 5.25 too. I also figure Buehrle puts up an ERA around 3.50, Garland will be around 3.75-4.00, and Contreras will be in the same 3.75-4.00 neighborhood that Garland will be in too, depending upon health. I don't find that too unrealistic, but those expectations are a little bold. Regardless, I see a 4.50 rotation ERA as not only very possible, but quite likely.

QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 10:28 AM) People need to stop pretending like just because some people were down on the 05 team that being down on the 07 team is similar. For one thing, we did not have a single starter who had not pitched at least 300 innings of major league ball as a starter going into 2005. Our fifth starter situation more closely resembles 04 than 05. If you think we will be as strong as either 2005 or 2006 at starting pitcher, that is seriously delusional, and starting pitching is the most important component to long term success at the major league level. Our fourth and fifth slots are going to be disaster areas for portions of the year. This is an 83-87 game winner without any more moves being made. Starting pitching is so overrated in the regular season. If you can get 5 guys with an ERA of 4.50 or better - and that's very possible with this group - and it's a good rotation. The Sox bullpen is much, much improved this year. That is one key. The Sox lineup has to be better up and down too...if everyone has an OPS of around .700 or better (obviously the middle has to be higher...hopefully the 2-7 are all above .800, yada yada). If the lineup is up and down more consistent - and I think it will be - then I see no reason this team isn't around an 89-92 win team, with potential to be better than that.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Jan 17, 2007 -> 02:02 AM) I'm still very fond of the game against the Cubs in '02 in which we were down 8-0 in the 4th and won like 14-11, I think. YESSSSS My bro came up to me and laughed cuz they were down 8-0 in the 4th. I looked at him and said the game's not over yet. wite = winnar

CMON TIMO CMON TIMO CMON TIMO

Kenny wants to win this year, and this trade doesn't help us in that regard. As much as I've been ragging on Crede over the past week or so in various threads, he's got a ton of value to the team this year. By making a trade such as this, the Sox are forfeiting offense and defense from the 3B position while not getting much, if any, upgrade offensively or defensively at SS. Long-term, this deal makes all the sense in the world at any time. But with a desire to win, this trade can be debunked. If, however, Figgins were included, I see no reason to not make the deal.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jan 16, 2007 -> 10:00 PM) I'd be amazed if the Colts beat the Patriots. I think they're going all the way. The Patriots. Solid team, stingy defense , and a pick-apart coaching staff. Maybe it is just me, but I find it a bit ironic that you are picking the Patriots due to defense, but they've allowed 699 total yards of offense to their two opponents this year, which is 329 more yards allowed than the Colts. And while the Pats have played better offensive talent, it's not 329 yards worth of talent. Indy's playing better defense - thanks in large part to the return of Bob Sanders - and I see Indy winning from the foot of Vinatieri.

Goddamn global warming

I heard you burn .015 an hour in my alcohol class, and that your BAC depends pretty much only upon how quickly you consume your beverage, your weight, and your gender (as women get drunker faster then men).

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Jan 16, 2007 -> 11:13 PM) I never said I hated KW, I just wouldnt wanna see my favorite Sox player get shipped off in a deal like this. I realize hes more then likely gonna be gone soon, I just hope we can get something of value for him. This trade just didnt seem to make sense to me. Currently, this trade makes no sense. Come next offseason, a trade similar to this makes all the sense in the world.

QUOTE(beautox @ Jan 15, 2007 -> 04:15 PM) I'm not believing the hype on Marte his last 500 professional ABs have been pretty crappy, and he is average at 3B; infact i see nothing in his MILB records to even make me say "wow super talent" its no wonder the braves traded him. Agreed, and they got a top tier SS out of the whole deal too. Schuerholz is pretty much amazing.

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Jan 15, 2007 -> 10:55 PM) I used to look at these trade rumors and think nothing of them, but after this offseason I always get worried when I look at these threads. I cant bleieve KW would pull the trigger on a trade like this. Why? And no, there is roughly no chance KW pulls the trigger on such a deal, especially when KW has a respectable SS on the bench. And JFC, don't hate on KW's trades so much. I love McCarthy, and he didn't get s*** for value for Garcia, but SOB, the Sox have more good young pitching close to the majors than any team in the AL Central. Unles Aybar pitches, don't f***ing worry, jesus s***. God I hate people who hate KW. I hate the McCarthy move, but have faith in him until he shows that we don't have to show faith in him (and God I sound like such a KW homer right now, but I'm not)

I think Cheap Seats was cancelled because Steve Garvey didn't host more events.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Jan 15, 2007 -> 07:56 PM) Amen. So I attempted to jump an office chair after Tank Johnson's sack which apparently brought me within less than an inch of a ceiling beam that would have surely knocked me out. God bless football. This does not surprise me for some reason, even considering I am drunk. QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jan 15, 2007 -> 09:59 PM) New Orleans has desperately needed something and the team has been a light of inspiration for a lot of people. The place is still a dump, but at the least, the city is not abandoned, and the city does stand tall in some area. There's nothing at all wrong with mentioning what the team has been for the city everytime the team is on the air. I don't mind the praise for the team and the recognition of what it's been for the city. F*** sports for that city. The best thing ANYONE could do for New Orleans is move it 10 miles north (or however far it is to get it out of that bowl). Do people not realize a sports team can not stop a hurricane in New Orleans, regardless of whether or not it is from Miami or not?

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 16, 2007 -> 03:28 AM) So if anyone bothered to watch the Aussie Open today (Ana Ivanovic is hot ), you probably would have seen it was pretty hot down here today. 106 degrees hot in fact. So hot, that at 4p.m the power goes off in my whole office, and basically everywhere across the whole metropolitan area, causing a lot of chaos. So that meant a few beers in the hot sun, and driving home with basically no traffic lights on whatsoever, on a 30min drive home. Always a fun experience. I would so take 106° over -11° and snow on the road God I hate North America from November-February sometimes

The AL Central won't be the best division in baseball again this year, as I am seeing the AL East taking it this year. The Twins pitching is a bit weaker, I expect the Tigers to regress a little bit (largely due to their offense, not their pitching), but I expect the Indians to improve with the Royals being a 90-95 loss team. I see the AL East having the best offense, and if Boston can stay healthy, the second best offense too, along with another top 5 offense with Toronto. Baltimore is in the second year of Mazzone, so I expect their pitching to improve a little bit, and then there is Tampa who is in the same boat as the Royals. Basically, the AL East is top heavy, whereas the AL Central is pretty solid throughout without an elite team. Toronto compares favorably to all, but their pitching needs to perform. Their offense is good, without question. Come 2008-2010, the AL Central should be the best division in baseball regarding depth and overall talent.

QUOTE(GreatScott82 @ Jan 15, 2007 -> 06:00 PM) Yea that 2003 team was rolling and heading for the playoffs until Manual put in Cotts. Paniagua killed the Sox, not Cotts

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jan 15, 2007 -> 01:30 AM) On Beltre, defensively I agree with you they're basically equals. On the offensive side he's had a few years where he's managed 50+ walks which is basically twice as good as Crede, he also possesses better power than Joe (though he hasn't really showed it since his career year) and despite his abysmal batting average he still has a knack for knocking guys in. He's a year younger than Crede and has no nagging injuries so he will hopefully build on these pluses in the coming years (entering his prime) and become a pretty damn good all-around player. My very quick Garret Atkins scouting report: 26 year old who possesses a mean power stroke which is still developing, RBI machine (120 last season and 89 in his rookie season ('05)), good all around hitter but most importantly he has an excellent eye, the guy knows how to get on base (unlike Joseph). On the defensive side I'd say he's roughly average at this point in his career. I totally forgot about Inge next year should be pretty telling as to whether he's THAT good or not, if he manages to duplicate his numbers (plus raise his average) while maintaining his excellent defense I'd definitely put him right up there with Crede. Agree on Gordon and Glaus as well. Others to consider: Edwin Encarnacion (young and getting better), Mike Lowell and Freddy Sanchez (I have no idea if he's as good as he was last season.) I will say that I have always loved Beltre, even in the years he's struggled. I thought he may have been a possibility for the Sox this year had KW traded Crede away, but that package never formulated (and thank God it didn't). He had a very solid second half last year, so I'm looking forward to see what kind of year he could have this year. I have forgotten Andy Marte. I'm not a huge fan, but he has some pretty mean power. He's probably a year away from being really good, but he could be solid this year and it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Chad Tracy's in the same ballpark as well. And if you want to delve into players who could play 3B, but don't, you can compare Bill Hall to Crede as well. That's when reaching for players comes into play though, so Hall is as far as I'm going to go on that topic. I think we have atleast proven that Crede is not elite.