witesoxfan

Stating the obvious here, but Tampa will get one of those two DT's assuming Bradford is drafted by the Rams. I don't think that's necessarily a given, but I think it's a pretty safe assessment. They absolutely need a QB, and I don't know that you want to gamble whether or not Colt McCoy will be there at 33 (I think he will be, but the Vikings are a team that could look to draft him with intentions of having him start next year, and in the meantime, their only huge need is in the secondary) and I'm not sure they are in a position to draft a project like Tebow, Fordham, or Snead. I also don't know that McCoy will be there for the Bucs at 3. I have seen both Suh and McCoy going to Detroit at 2, and it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that they take Okung there either. Whatever. Can't wait for draft weekend. I love watching the "first" day of coverage.

It would be a hell of a lot nicer if a former player came back and didn't homer in his first at bat against us. I'd just take that.

QUOTE (docsox24 @ Apr 8, 2010 -> 02:40 PM) no reason to boo the guy. he was here for a few seasons, had some nice moments. but it was all at the end of his career. he wont go down as a sox legend. i consider him more of an afterthought as a sox player, sorta like a zisk or gamble. What's crazy to think about is that Thome only played 4 seasons with the White Sox, yet he's 13th all time in home runs with 134. Had he been here one more year, it's very reasonable to assume that he would have moved up to 8th in the all time list ahead of Bill Melton, who has 154. But I generally agree with this. He was great in his 4 years here, but at the end of the day, he will be remembered as a player going into the twilight of his career putting up a few great seasons for the Sox.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 02:40 PM) I voted First Take because Skip Bayless is the most worthless analyst since Mariotti. I would have mentioned the Scott Van Pelt Show just for his co-host idiot. I dislike both especially after the Perfect. Skip Bayless claimed it was nothing special and Van Pelt wasn't there and his co-host didn't mention the perfecto, because no one likes to hear about anything but Brett Favre and Michael Vick. I would say Skip Bayless is more worthless than Mariotti. Whenever I see Skip Bayless, I die a little inside.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Apr 8, 2010 -> 10:42 AM) I know, but i'm a stuff guy. I love Danksy to death, but his straight changes hold a place in my heart that's a bit below Floyd's curve. Floyd's change can be pretty nasty when it's on though too.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Apr 8, 2010 -> 02:12 AM) f*** you ECON 302 (hardest business class here) midterm and Deloitte Case Competition in the same week. f*** you. /Rant ...and back to the allnight studying. Econ 302? Is that intermediate micro or macro?

For my econometrics class, we had to pool some data and run a regression to come up with a result...it was a very ambiguous assignment, but the goal of it was mainly to gather data, run the regression using Stata 11, and then interpreting the results. Anyways, I looked at offensive numbers from the past decade to determine which statistics had the most significant effect on win totals. A pretty bland and thoroughly researched field already, and I knew the results (surprise surprise, OBP is the most significant statistic when it comes to determining wins...who would have imagined that?). What I found thoroughly interesting is how little effect stolen bases had on it. Running the regression, using all 300 observations, I got an R-squared value of like .0139 and an adjusted R-squared value of like .0078 or something along those lines, and both the t and F statistics were rather weak as well. Stolen bases don't do a f***ing thing.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 11:54 PM) So that's the criteria for managing a major league baseball team? Sign me up! I can do that for a lot less money than what they're paying Ozzie. To be fair, I think that's a hell of a lot harder to do than people would really think. Whether it seems like it or not, I'm sure even guys like Jayson Nix and Randy Williams have egos, but compared to guys like Quentin, Rios, Konerko, and Peavy, their egos appear non-existent; that means he has to control 25 egos. To have not only the respect of that many egos, but also having the ability to control that many egos is something not many people can do. You have to have exceptional leadership skills to manage a baseball team, and Ozzie has that. Beyond even that, these guys get criticized and blasted for failing to execute their jobs, even when there is an explanation a lot of times. Ozzie not only recognizes this, but he will take the blame and the stress of these guys when necessary. And, when it is necessary to call these players out, he will do that. I know personally I wouldn't have the balls to call out players to the media (for millions and millions of people to see and read). There are a few things I think I could manage within the context of the game itself better than Ozzie, but he's a far superior manager than anyone on here. There's nothing you can measure it by, but respect is a huge issue when it comes to managing in baseball. What Ozzie really, really needs is a great bench coach, and that is definitely not Joey Cora.

I doubt it is coincidental that the two highest FCI's are also home to the two oldest ballparks in the game. Maintenance costs are a b****.

QUOTE (SteveB23 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 02:41 PM) That's what "they" said about Donovan McNabb...look where he went. Comparing the NFL and the MLB is comparing apples to oranges. Further, comparing a 34 year old QB under contract for one more year to a 27 year old CF who is under team control for 3 more seasons makes the comparison even more outrageous. The Indians will not be dealing Sizemore to Chicago, nor Minnesota, nor Detroit, nor Kansas City, unless the offer was that much better than every other team in baseball's if the Indians even decided to offer him up. I don't see any of that happening any time soon. QUOTE (Kalapse @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 03:24 PM) Sizemore doesn't even make that much given his talent and past production: 10: $5.6M 11: $7.5M 12: $8.5M club option It was just 2 years ago that he was in the top 11 in the game in WAR and even with his bad, injury prone season last year he's still top 5 over the past 3 seasons. Even if the Indians did put him on stupidly put him on the block we would be FAR from the highest bidder. And, not that I wouldn't love to have Sizemore on the roster, the Sox aren't exactly struggling for outfielders right now. They have 3 outfielders under contract for next season, and both Rios and Quentin are under control beyond that. If he ever reaches free agency, then Soxtalk can collectively speculate, but it's just flat out not going to happen.

just found out a friend from here is probably going to be moving (back) out to Seattle after he graduates in a year or so. So there'll atleast be one person I know out there.

Thanks for the support guys. I do want to mention that nothing is set in stone, and I still have no idea what I'm doing. Moving to Seattle would be pretty incredible though. QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 5, 2010 -> 10:57 PM) As logical as this advice appears, I don't think you can really approach a decision like this in such a detached and matter-of-fact way. If you're commited to trying to make a go of it with someone you think might be the one, you throw yourself headlong into it and you don't think about it not working out. If you're in the throes of what is supposed to be the fireworks stage of a relationship you're not supposed to have time to regain your balance and think about how and why it's probably not going to work out. If you go all in and move across the country to be with someone and then it doesn't work out, then you pick up the pieces. I did it, and it was devastating when we crashed and burned, but I'm glad we threw ourselves into it and didn't go in hedging our bets. This is basically it. I'm experiencing a big city for the first time all by myself this summer when I head to China (completely different culture entirely, but I'll atleast get a feel for a big city in Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai), and heading to Seattle will be a mini-culture shock in itself but I plan on going balls out if I do it. The second doubt has crept into my mind at any point during this relationship, it has begun to erode and it would take quite a bit of time and work to put just those small little pieces back together. If I end up out there, and s*** hits the fan, then I deal with it then.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 05:06 PM) I love Bruce too, but in a couple years he won't touch young kids like Heyward and Upton So you are throwing out false accusations on a public message board. Real mature.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 01:59 PM) Not a chance. Add almost a run to his ERA and then tell me where you slot him. If you had Buehrle as our #1 then: Buehrle Peavy Danks Zambrano Floyd I'm actually taking Floyd above Zambrano too, but I'm also an admitted Floyd homer.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 04:23 PM) And there's going to be right handed pitchers that bother Kotsay as well, so that point is kind of moot. He needs to be batting lower in the order and there's just no doubt about it. Having him hit behind your 3 best hitters especially when 2 of them are going to get on base a ton is just one hell of a terrible idea. Just imagine being down a few runs in the 6th or 7th inning, 2 on and 2 out, the opposing team brings in a tough lefty and Ozzie has to decide on keeping Mr. .500 ops vs. left handers in or losing the dh. Two pretty terrible options and something tells me that's going to happen a decent amount this season. You can pinch hit for the DH though.

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 03:14 PM) that's fine, but can rios, with bases loaded, beat out his slow roller that was nearly a double play? Absolutely not, his lack of a beard and grindiness would have caused him to trip and fall on the way to 1st.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 09:13 PM) I always heard it was a terrible idea to move because of a girl (or guy, I imagine). What do I have to lose? I don't have any real strong connections to the Dakotas (I love living here, but it's going to be hard to do great things while living here), and I get the opportunity to explore and experience a big city. I might love it, I might hate it, but I know I'm going to hate myself 20 years down the line if the opportunity arises and I don't take it. I want to live a little and earn my independence, and I'm not going to do that living in South or North Dakota where I can just feed off of my parents if I really wanted to until I got something I can count on. I'm, in essence, throwing myself to the wolves. If I live, I'll be a better and stronger person because of it. And if I end up happily married in the process, more kudos to me. QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 10:19 PM) That changes things big time. In my experiences and others who I have consulted on such a topic, the person you lose your virginity clouds your mind into thinking that's your first love. Have you been with anyone else in terms of a relationship? If you have or haven't, could you explain why or why not? Honestly, I'd slow it down with this girl wite. Just a month ago, she broke up with you to go after some dude she had a crush on. She got rejected more than likely, and now is talking about moving to Seattle away from others. That smells like issues to me. A month ago, she "broke" up with me, if you want to term it that, because I hooked up with a girl that I normally would have nothing to do with (I don't regret the hook up, but it was a mistake). We haven't actually been "dating" since like early December. We've been hanging out on a pretty regular basis, but nothing serious. Throughout this semester, it has largely been me working on improving myself...because of her, but I'm doing it for myself...while she tries to sort through her life. She's graduating in May, living in town during the summer, and then moving to Seattle in August...not because she is trying to move away from others, but because both of her siblings live out there and she's extremely close with them. She did have a crush on this guy, and rather than jumping to conclusions and freaking out (other than the hook-up, which, as I said, was a mistake), I showed patience and let her have her "fling" with this guy. The worst that happens is she ends up with him and we still end up broken up, and it's no big deal, but if nothing comes of it, we can get back together. At the end of the day, she rejected him and he would still like to be with her. I've seen it first hand (I go to a 7,000 person school in a town that has 10,000 people in it...there are like 4 bars that people go to at night...you know what's going on). She's graduating soon, she's starting what essentially amounts to a real job this summer (it's an internship, but it's in the field that she intends on going into), and she's moving out to Seattle at the end of the summer. In the meantime, she is hanging out with her friends as much as she can while also finding time for me too. She's a bit stressed out, so it makes sense that she has some issues at the moment. --- The reason I haven't been talking in this thread recently is because of stuff like this. You can poke holes in every single relationship, leaving people confused, insecure, and second-guessing their relationships. People hear statistics and theories about relationships all the time (long distance relationships don't work, first loves are the hardest to get over, losing your virginity leaves you with a jaded view of your relationship), and most of them have a logical basis, but it's not true for everybody. Most relationships can be painted with a broad, generalized brush (and I'm not saying that mine is any different than anybody else's), but it's much harder to give advice when you don't personally know both parties involved. This isn't to say this thread has been useless to me, because I have appreciated the advice I've gotten. I just don't feel as though I need any more, atleast right now. Maybe my mind is cloudy. Right now, I don't care; what I'm doing feels right. She feels like the one. Only time will tell.

McNabb turns 34 this year, is in the last year of his deal, and they get about the highest 2nd round pick they can (only the Rams were in consideration who had a higher pick) while also getting a 3rd or 4th rounder next year. Personally, I think that's a pretty damn good haul for Philadelphia. If they're very lucky, McNabb doesn't resign with Washington and goes to Arizona in the offseason. If they are unlucky, he resigns with Washington and is a great QB for another 5 years. I'm expecting him to resign, be good this season and maybe next, and slowly begin to tail off. They need to get him some weapons first and foremost, and Santana Moss isn't exactly the greatest weapon in the world.

You can choose whether or not you want to use or understand sabermetrics, but saying they are ruining the game is a joke. Without sabermetrics, there are more than a few players the game doesn't appreciate as much as they are.

So Joe Morgan seriously just compared CC Sabathia to Sandy Koufax and Josh Beckett to Juan Marichal. Holy hyperbole.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 02:29 PM) Qwerty, you're awake in the actual daylight... He needs word on the chatroom yo

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 09:07 AM) You arent considering jumping to Seattle, are you? I am. A lot because of her, but also because it provides an opportunity to go somewhere big and to experience life in a city. I have wanted to do that all my life, but I've never had any reason to go to any city in particular (Chicago made the most sense, but the Sox were the only real reason for going there, and a sports team isn't a great reason), and I've never considered Minneapolis/St. Paul because I can't stand that city. Now I have something pulling me out towards an area. I am crazy, but, like I said, I'm also crazy about this girl. --- Ross, just calm down and live in the moment. If you are just meeting a girl, you have no idea what is going to happen between you two. Calm down and enjoy yourself. Quit worrying about the future so much. Employment doesn't bring happiness, forcing yourself into a relationship won't bring happiness, and just following societies expectations of you won't bring happiness either. Do what makes you happy. Smoke a giant metaphorical joint, sit back, and watch the f***ing sunset as you relax. Everything will work itself out in the future (I know it's cliche, and I know you need some type of work, but seriously, you'll be fine). Go out and have fun and don't worry about dating girls. And honestly, if you get a little shy or scared or over-the-top affectionate because a girl is too hot, go for a 7 out of 10 rather than a 9 or 10 out of 10. I never had the self-confidence to approach a great looking girl when I was getting into the game, and I would make an ass out of myself somehow or another (I have a famous quote in freshman year when I was drunk...I was talking to a hot girl at a party, and she mentioned that she was single, and I said something along the lines of "oh you're single? Wanna date?" and I was dead serious). I always had a little crush on my current one, but how I actually met her was getting drunk and talking to her...we did that for like 2-3 straight weekends, and we eventually started hanging out sober, and then she gave me a massage, and then I told her I liked her and she told me she liked me, and then we kissed, and then we partied together, and we went on a walk and started making out, and we went back to my room and clothes started to come off...it goes on and on from there, but I eventually lose my virginity and get to the point I'm at. Just go out, have a good time, go to an afterbar with some friends, chill, relax, and be yourself. Have a good time, relax, be yourself, and live in the moment.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 3, 2010 -> 12:58 AM) I must be one of the few who sees the Yankees as an aging team that is due to see some injuries rear their ugly head, esp with guys like Sabathia, Pettitte and Burnett. And Boston has some big health concerns with Beckett, Dice-K and Lackey (who has a nasty habit of getting hurt). Injuries are always a wild card and can strike any team, but older teams certainly seem more prone. 4 Yankee hitters are over 30 (and I think they are just hoping Johnson stays healthy), 3 Yankee SP's are over 30, but Burnett is the only pitcher in their rotation who has ever had any major arm trouble, and Park and Marte are the only real old ones in the pen (I don't count Rivera simply because age has yet to slow him down and he has been injured like once). I don't think they are nearly as old as you make them out to be. I could see age slowing down the Red Sox offense (7 regulars over 30, plus Hall, Varitek, and Lowell), but they still have quite a bit of depth to deal with those injuries. They just have a lot of depth up and down their roster. That's what spending $150 mill (or whatever it is) wisely does for a franchise.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 02:36 AM) Ahh, ok. Best of luck, my friend. Thanks. It's going to be interesting. She has said she wants to move out to Seattle with no strings attached to South Dakota (other than her parents, of course), but over the past week or so has been talking about how she could see herself marrying me. We have about 4 and a half months left together before that date, so we'll just have to see how it plays out.

The Twins did lose their first game at Target Field, if it really matters.