witesoxfan

QUOTE(soxfan3530 @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 05:35 PM) personally i would rather have cintron in there than an uribe who hits .232. you're likely to get similar results out of the two OPS wise, with Uribe having a slugging percentage influenced OPS opposed to Cintron's mixed OB/SLG influenced OPS (and all that means is that they'll be similarily bad). However, Uribe's reward is much, much higher than Cintron's. In a good year, Cintron will put up a .750 OPS with about a .310 average, whereas Uribe will probably hit anywhere from .260-.280 with an OPS in the .775-.825 region - and that's not including Uribe's superior defensive play.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 03:59 PM) No words are necessary for this one... wallpaper please someone anyone i will kill for one im not joking

QUOTE(Scwible @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 03:09 PM) I can only imagine the conversation

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 01:23 PM) Brandon will be better than Vaz this year, actually, I don't think it'll even be that close. You know I'm going to disagree with that, and that's just why you said it I like McCarthy - not as much as you, but I do - but I figure Vazquez will be better, and I think Danks will too.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 07:07 AM) Also a difference, pitching in Olympic Stadium in Montreal, not facing a DH and pitching in USCF, facing a DH. The NL hit more homers in 1998, but had more teams too. We can throw stats back and forth all day and nothing will come of it. At some point, dominance stops becoming about statistics and starts become about the player himself. McCarthy's stuff, while good, is not overpowering. He can be dominant on certain days, but it's probable that he'll never be able to maintain that dominance over an entire year because his stuff is not overpowering. Vazquez's is stuff is overpowering, and there's no argument against that. It's easy to see that McCarthy is the better "pitcher" - as in he has better command of his stuff and knows how to get hitters out. Vazquez is much more of a "thrower" than he is a "pitcher," but that throwing can lead to dominance over the course of a year. Kerry Wood has done it, and I'd argue Jose Contreras has done it as well. Point blank, Vazquez has been a great pitcher in the past, and only his head really is stopping him from being completely dominant.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 10:56 AM) I think there's 1 thing that could help Owens actually make the team: Scott Podsednik's balls. If Scott has to start the season off on the DL, that leaves Ozzie with nothing other than Ozuna that could provide him with speed at all, especially at the top of the order. Owens could well be a prime candidate to break camp with the team if Podsednik can't. Ozuna and Cintron better be all Ozzie needs as speed/stolen base. If he needs more, he can shove it.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Feb 22, 2007 -> 11:26 PM) I think you're right, and Williams is probably sober. I think KW has Sweeney penciled in for RF in 2008, and that he's already made the decision to let Dye go. FWIW, if Dye is willing to take a slightly below-market contract for 3 years plus an option, I'd sign him. The key would be a no-trade clause. A full no-trade would be a dealbreaker to me. Anyway, if the Sox do let Dye/Buehrle/Iguchi go and then trade Crede, in 2008 they'll have a payroll below what the Royals have in 2007 (Sox 2008 would be roughly 50 million). They'd be ripped apart by fans and media if that happened -- I'm wondering who they're planning to spend money on. Dye and/or Buehrle, along with Iguchi would be a good start. Beyond that, it depends entirely upon how successful the team is this year. If they are a 4th place team, bad things happen. If they are a playoff team, great things happen. It's really that simple.

Owens has about a 1% chance of making the team out of Spring Training. Even with good numbers, he's about the 29th or 30th man. As of right now, Eduardo Perez is 26, Sweeney's 27, Fields 28, and then Owens falls in somewhere between 29 and 30. That's great to hear about Brian also. A shorter swing (which is what he's trying to accomplish) will initially result in less power, but better contact rates and a quicker bat. That's nothing but good news, and I'd give him about an 80% chance at starting the year as the Sox CFer.

QUOTE(shipps @ Feb 23, 2007 -> 02:29 AM) I wonder if its a good thing that Hawk doubts are chances ,or a bad thing.????? if he's doubting the Sox chances, that's a bad thing. I made a homerish prediction in the prediction thread, but I, along with everyone else, would like to see how people are pitching before making any true assertions.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 22, 2007 -> 10:30 PM) Well, I'm not a fan of Vazquez. He's been around 9 years and usually has mediocre seasons. He's had a couple of decent ones, but nothing that would get him serious Cy Young consideration. Besides, if you listen to the people on this board who tell you Brandon McCarthy will never be very dominant because of the homers he allowed his first season, look back at Vazquez's first season. 31 homers allowed in 177 innings in the NL where he gets to face a pitcher, pitching in a big park in Montreal. If McCarthy can never be dominant because when he was 21 or 22 some guys hit some homers off him, I would guess the same applies to Vazquez. Just two things... First, 1.58 HR/9 for Vazquez, 1.81 for McCarthy. It's not a huge, huge difference, but it's a difference. Secondly, Vazquez's threw 61 fewer innings above the AA level, and 77 or so fewer innings at the AAA level. Those are pretty significant differences.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Feb 22, 2007 -> 07:40 PM) He played 6 seasons for Montreal. Also, he was traded by the Yankees for Randy Johnson, a pretty good trade - then traded for El Duque, Viz, and Chris Young. Another good trade. I should have clarified that he from those teams that "gave up" on him, he had only ever been there a year; people were also willing as hell to give him up after this year, one year again. Montreal didn't "give up" on him; rather they were poor and essentially had to trade him (and that trade worked pretty well for them for a little bit - Nick Johnson is fragile, but still solid, and Juan Rivera along with Maicier Izturis turned into Jose Guillen).

wins are overrated, and teams have only ever held on to him for one year that's all I'm adding to this discussion as promised to Kalapse

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Feb 22, 2007 -> 09:39 AM) Pods is not a no-tool player. He was injured last year. Ever try to run with a pulled muscle or a sports hernia? Ya ain't gonna be good. He gutted it out and should be commended for it. He also should have been benched, if there was a good replacement, which there wasn't. So, let him heal and let's see what kind of ballplayer he is this year. Pods has been injured since second half 2005. That's long enough for my liking to say that he's lost his speed, and is thus a no-tool player. And when he was at his best, he was a 1.5 tool player. That's barely acceptable.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Feb 22, 2007 -> 12:36 PM) My only problem with Dye is that he's clearly losing a step out in RF. BUT, all of our problems would be solved if, say, we move him to LF in 2008 and sign a leadoff type hitter for RF. I wonder who that could be, though... It's easy as hell. He plays RF, even with declining range, until 2010, at which point Thome retires and Dye moves into the DH role. (unless of course Ichiro is brought in, then you move Dye to LF)

mon ay

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2007 -> 06:54 PM) Personally, I want the jersey Joe Carter wore one day in 1994 that spelled "Torotno" too bad, that's one I'm keeping

a 93 win season, concluding in a Wild Card berth, preceding a 97 win team in 2008. just saying because there will be no rebuilding

I'll man up to everything I say on this board, and I'll eat the deserved crow if I'm wrong. I've been Vazquez's biggest backer by far for about the past 6 months, I've been critical of Podsednik, and critical of Erstad (though I have cooled down a bit on that front because he should put up a .330 or so OBP he'll be fine) and if Vazquez blows, and Podsednik and Erstad exceed all expectations, I'll admit I was completely wrong and I'll eat said crow. The same can be said if Floyd is just horrendous, if Haeger is great, if Danks sucks...I'll name them all if you want. I'm just not a fan of Pods, and I have my reasons for not liking him as a baseball player - namely how he's essentially a no-tool player at this point, seeing as how he can't even f'ing steal bases anymore at a good clip.

QUOTE(rpmahr @ Feb 20, 2007 -> 10:50 PM) anything could happen...did anyone ever think that loaiza would be a cy young contender...b-anderson could win mvp for all we know (not likely) but it could happen...there is not much to stay about this team other than that they are contenders for the division and possible world series contenders depending on injuries, team chemistry, and performance That is the same about every team in the league. If you stay healthy, team chemistry is good, and the players perform to their fullest capabilities, x team is winning a lot of games, I don't care whether they are from Kansas City or New York.

I'm not going to read too much into any quotes from Ozzie at this point. Give it 3 weeks, and then I'll start listening.

I will not look in that 2006 thread because I am not here to talk about the past, but rather focus on the present. :mcgwire

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 20, 2007 -> 04:10 PM) pwned cubs are gonna suck so bad now

QUOTE(longshot7 @ Feb 20, 2007 -> 12:33 PM) Ersty's my gf's favorite player. Of course, they're both from North Dakota..... Now that I think about it, there was a radio station in ND that broadcasted every Angels game because Darin was on the team. I wonder if they'll switch to the Sox now. Hmmm...... it won't happen, because North Dakota hates me I also assume she is a big fan of Hafner and Coste?