witesoxfan

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 01:21 PM) But they're the Royals. It's not like they have an entire 40-man roster of good players. They could afford to dump one of their scrubs for a somewhat young outfielder with power potential. That's what the Royals were looking for in the offseason. Sure, the Marlins would probably jump on Borchard if they could but I doubt they would ever get the chance. So where do you play him? Dump Emil Brown? No Dump Reggie Sanders? No Dump David Dejesus? Hell no Mientkiewicz? No Sweeney? No That covers absolutely everywhere Borchard could play on that team - and they have enough 4th OFers as is. I don't buy the "they're the Royals" excuse - the Royals are probably going to be a surprise team in the AL this year, and I could very easily see them duplicating their 2003 season. They don't have a real big hole anywhere in their lineup, they have 5 starters who will probably all be decent, and their bullpen is, in large part, underrated. Do not sleep on the Royals...I think they will finish in 4th place, but depending upon how any of the teams in the AL Central start out or how healthy they stay, I could see the Royals as high as 2nd place.

QUOTE(chitownsportsfan @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 01:21 PM) Perry is a bleeping idiot and I won't defend him. However: That raises my ire a bit. CS is a wasted out, and a SB doesn't bring up the expected runs that much. However, a guy that is successful at stealing more than 75% is generaly considered an asset by the SABR community. Until his injury, PODS was over that mark. SABR guys don't like PODS because he plays a position low on the defensive spectrum and hits for a crap OPS, not because he steals bases. Of course, what they also have to take into consideration is how good the team is pitching wise and defensively - both resulting in a need of fewer runs to win. They also have to consider whether Podsednik's crap OPS is made up for by a respectable OPS elsewhere in a weaker position(Iguchi and Pierzynski come to mind, though Pierzysnki did have the worst year of his career last year offensively). Both of those, in my mind, have to even out Podsednik's below average OPS.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:05 AM) Very true. I'm not saying he's back - I'm saying he could go either way. Can't write him off just yet. Two broken bones in nearly the exact same spot says it all for me. It's his left ankle/foot - that's the foot he puts all his weight on when he swings. When you put 270+ pounds onto a weakened object, it will crack or break. It has happened twice already, so what's going to stop it from happening again? Frank's my favorite athlete ever by far...but his time in the league is done. I would be surprised if he got to 470 homers, let alone 500. His reasoning for continuing to play again is pretty obvious to me - first and foremost, he wants 500 homers...that has been pretty apparent since the day he hit 400. But I also think part of him wants to be part of a World Championship team, to actually be on the roster and hit in the playoffs for a World Championship. His ring with the Sox is nice, but unlike Elway and Bettis going out on top - two players who played a large part in not only helping their teams throughout the season, but also who were vital parts of the playoff push - Thomas didn't play past June, and didn't help the Sox during the playoffs whatsoever, unless his cheerleading was vital in the team's success. He wants to go out as a member of a 25-man roster that wins the World Series. I don't think that's gonna happen.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 12:39 PM) Don't give me that crap with Chacon and Wang though. Those guys aren't very good at all. Chacon was always a somewhat decent pitcher...he was an All-Star in 2003 and was off to a fairly good start as well...then Colorado f***ed with him and put him into a closer's role, which was probably the stupidest thing they could have done at that point...and he was again off to a solid start in Colorado this past year before being traded to the Yankees, where he put up a 2.85 ERA in 70 some innings to go along with a 1.22 WHIP...the WHIP isn't outstanding, but it is still fairly solid. Wang is only 26 and has put up fairly solid numbers throughout the minors, and while he may not be able to crack the Sox 6, he isn't bad...probably better than mediocre. Given, it was his rookie season, and the league hadn't seen him yet, so perhaps they will adjust to him and start hitting him harder next year...just have to wait and see.

There will also be a short "How-to" clip of Travis Hafner milking a cow.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 02:55 PM) I'd still take Randy on our staff, at least for this year (who knows how many he has left). Most people think he had an off year last year, and he still finished 17-8 with a 3.79 ERA, 211 strikeouts, and a WHIP around 1.12. I know the record is a bit inflated, but that's still pretty solid for about 98% of the pitchers in the league. But yeah, the rest of the staff is pretty brutal. I'm not sure how you think you're going to win when your #2 is Mussina and you don't know who your #3 is because they are all pretty bad. Who are you taking out of the staff to get RJ in though? That's my question. Of all the Yankee pitchers, he was probably the most arguable...but considering USCF and how much the wind benefits RHB and the fact that he's a year older, I'm just not sure I could even see him putting up a sub-4.00 ERA. Also, from how Chacon pitched in the second half of last year, one could argue him over Vazquez or McCarthy - same thing with Wang. I just so happen to love Vazquez having looked at his peripherals from the past couple years and think he is in for a very good year with the Sox, so I'm only ever going to argue for him. McCarthy one could argue over, but it would be hard to with no bias.

QUOTE(chitownsportsfan @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 02:26 PM) I just don't understand this "flat out hit" and "he can run". Where does it come from? A career ops in 373 PA's of .765. Good enough for an OPS+ of 94. If that is "flat out hitting" I'd love to see the words you'd choose to describe Pujols--"demi god", or maybe just "God"? Speed? He's 0/3 in career stolen bases. Yep, speedy alright. I'll even concede he's a good defensive 1B. But let me repeat: he plays the easiest position on the field. So lets say this: he's a below average hitter by league standards, much worse by position standards, and plays a good 1B, something not that important in the grand scheme of things. He will be 30 years old this season, and barring a miracle, has already peaked as a player. The two players in front of him at 1B, Kong and Thome, also happen to be the two best sluggers on the team. Tell me, what use does Gload have on this team? RF? Oh but the same scouting report from STATS INC that says he's a good defensive 1B also says he's got a noodle arm, that won't help in RF one bit. Notice that I don't ask the question "what value does Gload have in general", because yes, he probably could make a roster that needs a backup 1B. The Sox are not that team. I think the "flat out hit" assertion comes more from opinion and watching him play than from statistics. Statistics don't tell you the mechanics behind a hitter's swing, they just show what happen when he hits the ball, and I think that's more of what Rowand was getting at. He does have a good swing at the plate, and he did hit .327 for the Sox or whatever it was exactly with fairly solid splits in 2004. Also, SB's are not always a good way of indicating speed...Paul O'Neill was 22 out of 25 in SBs in 2001 - not only was that a career high in SBs and SB%, but it also just so happened to be the last year of his career. He didn't exactly have Vince Coleman speed, but was smart enough to be able to read the pitcher's movements and swipe quite a few bases for the Yanks. I personally agree with you on Gload being fairly useless to the Sox, just thought I'd make those points.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 03:02 AM) Frank is a better hitter than Juan Gone but Gonzalez can actually play the outfield. Frank can't play a position so Gonzalez would be the better bench option of the two. Unfortunately, neither can stay healthy. If I had to make an assumption, I would assume that you'd want Juan playing the OF about as much as you'd want Frank playing at 1B...any given batted ball at them could be their last play for the season. I'm just not sure it's even worth the risk. Go with Borchard, atleast Borchard can play all 3 OF positions while staying healthy.

QUOTE(Jeckle2000 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 07:19 PM) Wait... doesn't he throw lefty... Why didn't we invite him to camp... He's better then half the crap we have there... Maybe he can even get his high 90's fastball back... Joking...?

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 08:30 PM) Damon going to pitch for them too? Good call...was going to make some sort of comment about their "awesome" pitching staff. Kyle Farnsworth was like the worst signing of the offseason...the guy is a headcase extreme as it is, but going to New York is probably going to multiply that by 100. Add to the fact that for whatever reason he's an every other year pitcher...with odd years being the good years...he probably isn't looking forward to a good 2006. RJ-Mussina-Chacon-Wang-Pavano/Wright/Small...you can't question their depth, but I would venture to guess none of those pitchers crack the Sox top 6. Quanitity over quality is apparently the Yankees' motto when it comes to starting pitching.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 03:25 PM) The final rosters are not due until March 2. He's on the provisional roster right now, and all those players are the ones listed. He might not make the final team. The Dominicans need a catcher, and another OF to round out the lineup. This is the potential they have right now: 1B: Pujols 2B: Soriano SS: Tejada 3B: Aramis Ramirez/Beltre DH: Big Papi OF: Manny Ramirez OF: Vlad Pitchers: Colon and Martinez Miguel Olivo catching - if they're lucky.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 20, 2006 -> 03:10 PM) I wonder if 750 players on MLB rosters were all crying in their beer this off season because they didn't become free agents and sign with the White Sox at any price? HA HA those dumb bastards Thomas will be the next one to sing the blues. He should have begged Kenny to keep him at any price. And what about Sandy Alomar? dumb ass signs with Texas! They were out of it in June. Since, of course, the Sox very much wanted both Thomas and Alomar to come back. That's the difference. The Sox offered Magglio a more than fair contract to come back, whereas they didn't bother offering contracts to Alomar, Thomas, Valentin, and perhaps others too who aren't coming to mind. That would be why Maggs is being referred to as a dumbass and Thomas and Alomar are not. If anything, Thomas is being referred to as a dumbass for b****ing after having signed with Oakland, and holding a grudge against the Sox for not showing loyalty, but at the same time being good businessmen while also being able to make the overall team better. Unless Frank were to show up to spring training hitting left handed with tons of power, thus alllowing him to hit a tailing slider for righties, his use to the Sox is very limited, as he is very similar to almost every Sox hitter in the lineup, aside from Podsednik, Thome, and Pierzynski.

I kept getting rejected when I tried to trade for Yao Ming.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Feb 19, 2006 -> 11:43 PM) A healthy Thome makes the offense better. There's no debating that. Now, if Uribe is able to hold down the 2 slot, our offense goes from being very good to great. I think only the Yankees would be better. And then you look at their garbage pitching staff and realize what good shape the Sox are truly in. The best starting rotation in the majors, hands down, a top 5-10 lineup(and possibly better), in addition to a top 3 defensive squad? I can't wait for it to get started.

QUOTE(q\/\/3r+y @ Feb 19, 2006 -> 06:28 AM) Btw, why do people have to type all s***ty when they claim they are drunk. I actually type great compared to normal because i actually have to concentrate. Dde3 just cz i am drnk does not men i have to typ al good and stuff i men seriuslY...tht is my rgt as drnk prson

I wish I were as good as Isiah Thomas at this. I could only get Tracy McGrady for Penny Hardaway

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Feb 19, 2006 -> 11:51 AM) Seriously, though, how did you treat young players? Does a pitcher who was only up for a month at the end only count for those end-of-season runs? ^^^ To me, this, and players who were injured last year(Jim Thome is screaming bloody murder) are the majors downsides to this. If you can put in some projected numbers for some of these players, then I think you're on to something. I don't view the Sox as 9 games worse when KW did nothing but improve the overall team.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 19, 2006 -> 12:15 AM) The Sox will have the rights to Vazquez for 3 seasons. He is under contract for 2006 and 2007 and arbitration-eligible in 2008 due to the trade. So we could have Vazquez for as long as Garland. So basically yeah, probably long term.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 19, 2006 -> 12:23 AM) Here are Hermanson's 3-year splits: Total: 3.85 ERA As Reliever: 3.46 ERA As Starter: 4.19 ERA Those numbers are probably skewed by his career year last season but I would sure take a 3.46 ERA from him. I would take a 4.00 ERA out of him. He's not a closer going into the year, he's a middle reliever/setup man...if he puts up 4.00/1.25, I will be extremely happy. If he can manage a 3.00/1.10, I will be ecstatic. Anything more, and I would probably have to make manbabies with him.

:banghead

"Gangsta you follow prospects religiously or jizzle wizzy ta gain a shawty mizzle knowledge on tha future of tha organizzles this is tha board fo` you . Real n****s recognize the realness.. Feel free ta visit FutureSizzles fo` more 411 blingin' tha Sox F-to-tha-izzarm teams. Also check out our newest feature, where drug deala adopt, profile, n feature one of tha White Sox minor killa in orda ta provide intimate details on tha pusha. " Also, I officially have the best name ever - "witesizzle"

QUOTE(chitownsportsfan @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 10:49 PM) I agree completely. In fact, Hermie, Cotts and Politte each posted HR as percent of flies numbers that will be nearly impossible to duplicate. Cotts has straight up nasty control, but I'm worried about Politte and Hermie--not terribly worried, but worried enough that the might cost us a few more wins than they did last year. Does a better 5th starter/Thome addition help produce more wins though to balance that out?

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 04:06 PM) They've had them since the late 90s. Damn you

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 08:18 PM) The Reds can't afford to get rid of decent pitching. Hancock was listed at 6'3", 207 pounds so if he gained 17 pounds he's still only 224 pounds. 6'3", 224 pounds is hardly overweight. Another team will pick him up in no time. They don't care. He made the move due to the principle behind it, sending a message to the rest of the team that if you do not listen, you will be released or moved. How much of an effect did Timo Perez's $1 mill have on the team last year? Hardly any at all. The reason people were pissed was the principle behind it...you don't give a player arguably twice as much as he's worth...if anything, $750-$800K would have been much better. In the Hancock example, he didn't listen to what the team wanted him to do. Besides, I'm sure their desired weight for him was not 207...they probably didn't have some off the wall number like that. He might weigh less than 224...perhaps 222 or even 217. Or perhaps it was at 210, and he weighs 227. Or it could be some off the wall number like that, and he does indeed weigh 224. I'm not sure how much Cincinatti cared...like I said, and YAS said, they released him to send a message.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 11:46 PM) If that were the case...then we'd have appeared on the "Worst" list. Somehow I get the feeling that those moves will turn out to be the best ones of the offseason, even better than the Vazquez deal. ^^^ Thome short-term, Garland long-term, and Konerko both short and long-term. I view Vazquez much more as a luxury move, though perhaps even Vazquez was a good move long-term too, allowing the Sox to let Contreras go in the offseason is need be, and slipping McCarthy into the rotation.