witesoxfan

I really do not want to spend $8-10 mill on a guy that has hit .300 or better twice in his career along with his best OPS ever being .874(with his second highest OPs ever being .804).

He wants to go somewhere he can win. That's all he cares about.

Bite my nails Smack my gum(occassionally) Screw and unscrew pens Crack my knuckles Talk to fast Itch my nose when I talk to somebody Probably more too and I just can't remember them right now.

Bonderman will almost undoubtedly be a stud pitcher some day...I'm just not sure next year will be the year. His numbers improved this year from 2003, and I expect about the same next year...but I don't expect him to come out and be Prior-esque of a year ago and just be flat out dominant. He may be like that someday, but I don't think it will be next year. In defense of Bonderman, his K/9, K/BB, ERA, and WHIP got better along with him winning a few more games too...but his BB/9 also got worse, and it's not like he was real good last year either. I could see a year where he has a 4.25-4.50 ERA with 12-15 wins(though I could also see a 10 or 11 win again with an ERA around 4.75)...but not a lot other then that. Not saying that's a bad year, just not a year from a star pitcher.

Can I (try) to settle this argument by saying that I don't think the Bears are as bad as Dan thinks they are, but they are not as good as some of the Bears fans think they are? Personally, I think they are about a 5 or 6 win team, but the reason they have won as many as they have so far is because of the defense...it's probably one of the better defenses in the league. When this Bears team was healthy, they looked like a team who could contend for the NFC North championship...now obviously injuries have hurt them big time, but they are still a decent team, and if they can get any type of an offensive threat going against a team, you are not looking good. The #1 most important stat in football, other then wins of course, is your +/- rating for turnovers. The more turnovers your force and the fewer turnovers you allow, the better off you will be. Given, I do not have the +/- numbers in front of me for the Bears or the entire league, but I'm sure the Bears are solid, and that is a reason they have won games because of it. I'd watch out for the Bears next year...they could be a very good football team.

I couldn't agree more with that. I did think the Vikings defense was better then they've been this year, but at the same time, they do not seem to be getting the turnovers this year that they were getting last year. That's probably a big reason why they aren't nearly as good defensively.

I thought it was obvious enough that the Yankees would pay 75-80% of their contracts while also taking on all of RJ's contract that I didn't have to mention that. Guess not

Vazquez is nothing compared to Johnson, and never will be. We are getting b****slapped in this deal. If we traded RJ to the Yankees, we would make the Yankees give us way, way, way more then just Vazquez...I'm thinking we'd have to have them give us like Posada and maybe even Flash back too, and perhaps even more then that. No way in hell would I do that. Not a chance.

There were rumors of both coming to Chicago at one point or another. KW almost got Russ from San Fran 2 years ago for Konerko, but Atlanta swooped in at the last second and picked him up, and there were the Maggs plus some for Ortiz and Jones talks this past year. There was also a (bad) rumor of a Jose Valentin for Ramon Ortiz swap with Anaheim last year If I had it my way...both of those Ortiz's would be pitching against us at USCF next year, because we would probably hit the s*** out of them.

I believe Bradford is arb eligible for Oakland, but they could look to move him, due to his price increasing, and them having a solid corps of relievers down there. And I would like Eldred too...he's a gamer.

Even then though, I'm not sure he'd get $10 mill on the open market. Him making $6 mill this past year...that was a steal, even considering he only played half a season. $8 mill is when it starts to become a burden, and $10 mill will hurt us a lot.

It's a total matter of opinion, and I'm not gonna bring up the MNF game either. I do think Indy is the only team who could have a better offense then Minnesota. Peyton is the best QB easily, Marvin Harrison is a pretty damn solid receiver, and Edge is awesome...you get a 3-headed monster like that, and your offense is going to be good. A 3-headed monster like that is something Minnesota lacks...however, their depth is incredible. When Mewelde Moore, who was outstanding in the games he played, is your 4th string RB, you are deep. Basically, it's whether your prefer depth or big time talent...I prefer depth, myself.

Makes sense to me, guess I just needed someone to tell me. In that case, I see no reason Frank won't be a White Sox in 2006. Why would he not pick up his option?

That's a reasonable price, I think, for Renteria, but I have no doubt some team will overpay hoping they get 2003 from him(.330 13 100 34 .874), when really, 2004 was better then his average year before 02. I see him getting $8-10 mill from a team like the Cubs, quite honestly.

Does that mean the Sox have the option of buying out his contract right away, or does it mean that he can pick up his option before the Sox can buyout his contract and they can do nothing about it? I'm confused on that topic

His actual salary will be determined on the open market, where any number of teams could drive up his price. Basically all that's saying is that if only 1 team wanted him, he'd get around $6.5 mill...but because multiple teams do, his value will go up, and because he's better then both the SS's who have signed already(Vizquel and Guzman), and they both got around $4 mill per year, he will get much more then that. Right?

I know we have some bowlers on here...can't remember who exactly off the top of my head, but I know we do...so some can relate to this. Anyways, I just thought let everyone know that I rolled my first 300 game tonight. It was pretty amazing, and when I got that 12th strike, it was just an insane feeling. Felt unreal...and is just now starting to sink in. Coolest thing about it is that I beat my dad to getting the first 300 in the family. He's been bowling for like 35 years or so, and has never gotten a 300...his highest game is a 290...and me getting the first one just feels so cool. Hopefully he can get one now too. Anyways...anyone else got any cool bowling stories they have to tell?

I see no need for Lofton if we get Polanco and Kendall. If it were up to me, the lineup would look like this if we got both Polanco and Kendall... Kendall - C Polanco - 2B Thomas - DH Lee - LF Dye/Hidalgo/Guillen - RF Rowand - CF Gload - 1B Uribe - SS Crede - 3B One could argue that it is too RH...but whatever...being too RH didn't hinder our success in 2000 in the regular season, and assuming that we'd get a guy like RJ or Hudson for the top of the rotation, we could have a complete RH lineup for all I care, because that rotation would be solid enough to let us make some noise in the postseason.

I still think they'll make it. It's all a matter of getting Moss back. When they have Moss, they probably have the best offense in the NFL(not sure I can think of any off the top of my head that are better...maybe Indy, maybe KC, but I'm not sure they even stack up). When they don't, the offense takes a major hit. They probably wont have Moss against Detroit...but they'll have him the next week again and then will probably have him the rest of the year. With the way Minny's schedule shapes up, they should win atleast 4 more, and could easily get 5 or 6 of the last 7, though I do not see them winning out at all.

Morris is a fan favorite in St. Louis. That's what I'm basing it on. The guy goes out and busts ass every time out there. And, right now, if KW and the Sox brass cannot convince RJ to come to Chicago, I think RJ is either in St. Louis or Arizona at the start of the year, and no where else. I'm not sure how interested Anaheim is in him(though you would know better then me living in Cali), and from what I understand, Shields would have to be part of the deal and Anaheim does not want to give up Shields whatsoever. And I'm not sure the Yankees have the talent to get him, or if they want to make the committment it would take to get him(probably Posada, Vazquez, like 75% of their contracts, plus some for RJ and all of his contract).

I dont think they will. It'd be a slap in the face to the Cardinals fan base, and that's just not something I think they would do. As much as they like Marquis, I think he'd almost have to be apart of any trade for RJ.

Maybe they'd consider that, just to get rid of Rhodes ugly contract, so long as they do not give up Hudson in the deal, and quite frankly, that's who I want the most out of those 3. Konerko and Garland for Mulder/Zito and Rhodes could be a potential deal, but not Hudson and Rhodes.

No way St. Louis lets Morris go. No way

No, it's because I have seen Guzman for quite a few years, and I want no piece of him, and, quite frankly, the numbers support my argument. He gets lazy defensively, can't draw a walk, and he has benefitted greatly from playing on turf. You can see those in numbers too(and if you want those numbers, check out Cheat's blog...I'm too lazy to look them up)

What was he doing in 2002 with the Mets when they assembled a bunch of soon-to-be losers? That's right, he was busy hitting .215 19 54 .677. Then the Mets had very low expectations in 2003, and he ended up starting the year hitting .274 18 45 .925 with the Mets in 65 games. He was then traded to LA, who actually had a chance at winning, and he promptly went to the s***ter again, going .204 13 32 .643 down the stretch for LA. You look throughout his career, and every year he's been on a team that had very low expectations, he's been a solid player at the very least(all those years with Milwaukee, 2003 with the Mets, and this past year with the Rockies). When he's been on teams with high expectations(2002 Mets, 2003 with the Dodgers), he's been absolutely pitiful. I want no part of Burnitz at all, even if we were going to be s***ty.