sox-r-us

I am always tempted by this I would get orgasms thinking about Manny hitting 60 HR at the Cell Kidding aside, Ozzie could shape up Manny IMHO (Latino factor). We did take chances on AJP and Carl and see how that turned out. If Paulie leaves, and we decide to re-sign Frank, if we can trade for Manny ONLY for prospects and maybe Marte, I would book hotel reservations for the 2nd World Series appearance right now Of course, I would make Bo SOx eat at least half of his remaining ridiculous contract too.

If Paulie leaves, what would we need to give up to get Mike Sweeney? That would be sweet IMHO....yes he has injury issues, but man if Frank came back at DH.... Pods Guch Frank Sweeney Dye Rowand AJP Crede Uribe SWEET FOCKING 3,4,5 for the table setters. What kind of prospects would something like that require? I would not mind giving up pitching prospects too for a Sweeney....thoughts?

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 06:44 PM) I think Kenny will do what I would do. Be proactive but not make a move just to make a move. Our starting pitching is still intact and not falling apart(like those 2003 Angels) and is proven for the most part minus Garland(who hasn't proved that this was a fluke season which I don't think it was). Don't make a move just to make a move. Just re-sign Paulie....overpay if needed and we are set. In this steroids free era, 40 HR/100+ RBI guys are just impossible to find. Frank will definitely re-sign here. After this WS, he is hungry to win one while hitting in the World Series.

AWESOME I saved it onto my hard drive....sweet

No to Sheffield.....

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 05:59 AM) Haha, don't try telling me he's a power hitting OF now because he hit 2HR's in the playoffs. I was shocked as anyone he did that, because c'mon it's Scott Podsednik. But yeah he had a great post-season, doing what he needed to do. As for having the 05 Pods and the 05 Row, it sure didn't hurt having the Buerhle-Garcia-Garland-Contreras-El Duque/B-Mac rotation either did it. And we will have the same rotation next year which has a potential to pitchbetter than this year (Count for the whole year with his improved stuff; BMac for whole year instead of El Duque) So what is your point?

QUOTE(knightni @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 05:54 AM) Count is the ultimate trade bait. He can't possibly repeat his '05 success. Sell high, buy low. I disagree. Did you read David Ortiz's quote this past season? After facing Count in regular season + post season he said (and I am paraphrasing): - He is definitely NOT the pitcher he used to be with the Yankees and he has changed drastically for the better I will go with the Big Papi's assessment here instead of yours. Now add to that the fact that Ozzie has made all Latino players so much more comfortable and with El Duque, Uribe, Ozuna etc they are all playing for each other, WHY THE FOCK would you take that away? Anyone who talks about trading our pitchers should be freaking shot If you still have not learned that you cannot have enough pitching after seeing what happened to the other teams in our division or in the playoffs, you will never learn.

Don't you dare suggest trading Pods Lisa Dergan

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 05:42 AM) Burnitz, haha that's a good one. Like a fine wine, he's only going to get with age like Vinny Castilla right? He hit 24 HR's in a ballpark that's excellent for LHH power hitters. He's only going to get worse, not better. And don't forget Jacque Jones is absolutely HORRIBLE against lefties, which means you need a good platoon OF. Frank and Jones won't put up 65 HR's like Carl and Paulie did this season. I know everyone wants Thomas back, because everyone loves him, but Cheat's posted the stats, when he comes back from a major injury, first season back, he's not that good. Anderson's a better defender, and unlike Borchard, he's actually hit for a good average in the minor league levels. He should be playing everyday, not sitting on the bench and coming in for a pinch hit once a game. And knight, don't forget the Sox hold an 07 option on Rowand's contract. They could easily decide not to pick that up and give Anderson CF, or they could trade Rowand to the Yanks before then. If we go with Anderson at RF, then we MUST get Frank back AND extend Garland + Count. If we are lettign Paulie walk and saving ~14M a year, there is no excuse to not consolidate our pitching for more than just next year and simply focus on hitting from our prospects + some trade deadline help if needed. Also, I disagree about Frank not doing well the year after his injury. Yes, his avg was down but he was on pace for 50 HRs this year if he had played all through to the series. So I have faith in Frank. The guy takes his off season very seriously.

I have been one of the biggest critics of Crede here (Trade for Vinny Focking Castilla? ), but I am a believer seeing him down the line. I think the evolution carries on and we get very solid production + defense from Crede next year. On a similar note, I see Uribe evolving too into a MUCH better hitter who is MUCH better at his pitch selection. How many times in the post season I saw him lay off pitches he never would before.....if Uribe and Crede play like in the post season all of next year, we definitely win the division, even if we lose Paulie.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 05:31 AM) Burnitz? :puke If Paulie leaves and it comes down to Dye playing first base, Brian Anderson will be out in right field. That's pretty much all there is to it. Why waste money on a bad free agent outfielder when you have a top OF prospect that plays great defense and makes next to nothing? So if Anderson fails and becomes the next Borchard at the big leagues, what do we do? Trade some prospect for a Griffey at the deadline? I prefer to build the team in offseason than waste prospects at the deadline. Since we have the pitching, and getting pitching is always the toughest at the deadline, I prefer we build our team int he offseason and then add depth or insurance if someone gets injured at deadline without paying much for it.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 05:26 AM) Just say no to Jaque Jones, somehow he has become terribly overrated. We don't need a .782 OPS injury prone player patrolling right field next year. Burnitz is just not good. He's struck out 235 times over the past 2 seasons combined and hasn't put up 88+ RBIs away from Coors since 2000. He's old and bad, I really don't want to see him wearing silver and black. So you prefer giving that start to Anderson, who I really doubt gets 88 RBIs? Who would you target at OF if we go with worst case of Dye at 1B assuming Paulie leaves? Given we should be favored to be contenders again next year with our pitching, all we need is solid hitting, not extraordinary hitting. With Anderson, how do you know he will produce for sure in his 1st year in the league? I am not willing to take that chance....I want someone I can depend on to produce. And remember we do play at mini-Coors, so Burnitz or Jacque can definitely hit it out of our park quite a few times too.

DBAHO Sorry dude, but you are absolutely crazy if you think we will trade Garland if we lose Paulie. If we lose Paulie, I rather see us put Dye at 1B and try and go after a decent RF like Burnitz or Jacque Jones who will not break the bank and give us another 20 + HR guy on the team. We add Frank at DH hopefully and Frank + Jacque/Burnitz give us the same production as Carl + Paulie gave us this past year Also, again, if Paulie re-signs forget Anderson becoming a regular OF next year. The OF is set, and Anderson can play platoon resting all the OFs every now and then and getting 70+ starts + some pinch hit opportunities in inter-league games at National league parks + late in games where matchups dictate it. There is NO need for the Sox not to start the same team next year and it very well could be the case if Paulie re-signs. (Frank replacing Carl of course)

From the same article, we should find out soon about Everett and Frank. I hope they re-sign Carl at a lower salary if he fully understands he will platoon again at DH if Frank is healthy and also play some OF when needed to rest Dye etc ============================== Work ahead While negotiations with Paul Konerko may stretch out for weeks, options on the contracts of Carl Everett and Frank Thomas have to be decided soon. The Sox have to tell Everett by Monday (five days after the World Series) whether they will pay him $5 million or buy him out for $500,000. Even if they choose the latter course, they could re-sign him at a lower salary. Thomas is a little more complicated. He has to tell the team by Monday that he will play for $12 million, which is a foregone conclusion, then the team has five days to accept that or pay him $3.5 million as a buyout, which is also a foregone conclusion. After the official contract business, the Sox are expected to try to re-sign him at a much, much lower salary.

I just read what I wanted to hear: "I'm not going to stop being aggressive because we won it," GM Ken Williams said. "As a matter of fact, I want it even more now than I did before." Get ready for another fun season next year. Kenny will git-r-done. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines

Kenny taking a dig at the sabermetric guru Billy Beane? "People who think they have all of the answers in this game, those are the people I try to stay away as far away from as I can," Williams said. "If you ever think you know it all, it's probably time to go and do something else."

Taking a shot at the Cubs later in the same article ================ Williams prefers that his teams have an edge, "a little nastiness." "The guys call it 'Pulling an A.J.,'" Williams said. "Occasionally, you've got to pull an A.J. and let people know where you stand." Cuddly, they're not. These White Sox are the perfect South Side team, hardscrabble and rough around the edges "Half of our bullpen drives pickup trucks," Williams said. "They go hunting. They don't go to South Beach on their off days."

The frosting Given his vision for this year's team, when was Williams comfortable that he had obtained the final piece? On a frigid day roughly three weeks before the opening of spring camp, a day that concluded one of the more bizarre processes in Williams' five seasons as GM. "Iguchi," he said, referring to Japanese second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who signed a two-year, $4.95 million deal with a club option for 2007. Essentially, according to Williams' recollection, this is how the GM's conversation with Reinsdorf went leading into the deal: "Hey, I've got a guy," Williams told Reinsdorf. "I know I'm at the budget, but I've got a guy who will fit into the two hole and play second base and it will really round out the club. And, oh, by the way, I haven't seen this guy play live. But I've got a bunch of video. I'm dizzy from breaking it down over the past two weeks." "You've never seen him play?!" Reinsdorf replied. "No. But I've watched the videos. It's an old football thing with me." "Did any of our scouts see him?" "Uh, no. But I know what I see. I know what I know." Go get him, Reinsdorf said. Iguchi wound up batting .278 with 25 doubles, 15 homers and 71 RBI in his debut season in the majors. "He started out slow this spring, but I had to remind everybody that he was playing at 3 o'clock in the morning (Japan time)," Williams said. "It was spring training. Let his body get used to it. You could see he was preparing for the season and not trying to impress everyone off the bat. I got a few looks out of the side of people's eyes. "But he's been great. He's fit right in. He's one of the guys who has come up big for us." http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9009524/3

The Indians game at the start of the season when Paulie and Dye went back to back to tie it and then we won it against the Injuns closer We made a statement that this was our division right then.

QUOTE(TheBigHurt @ Oct 28, 2005 -> 08:49 PM) Yeah, I'm gong nuts trying to find one of those shirts with all the players pics with "World Champs" in the middle, I did manage to find a few, but tehy were XL, and I'm only 5' 4'' so that isn't gonna work, meh, but I'll look around the local tents and eventually I'll find one, I'm sure. I cried today too....where do you get those shirts? I want one and I am XL

From the Chicago Suntimes: C A.J. Pierzynski Arbitration eligible Should get two-year deal and bump from $2.25M salary 1B Paul Konerko Free agent Strong postseason showing might push him out of Sox' range 2B Tadahito Iguchi Signed ($2.4 million) Offense vanished in postseason, but defense valued SS Juan Uribe Signed ($3.15 million) Emerged as a force both offensively and defensively 3B Joe Crede Arbitration eligible Could get two-year package or nice raise from $400,000 LF Scott Podsednik Signed ($1.9 million) Leadoff hitters are hot commodities; he's one of the best CF Aaron Rowand Signed ($3.25 million) Emerging leader is the symbol for grinder baseball RF Jermaine Dye Signed ($5 million) World Series MVP could move to 1B if Konerko leaves DH Carl Everett Free agent Sox are expected to buy out his option for $500,000 DH Frank Thomas Free agent Sox to buy out option for $3.5 million but might ink new deal SP Mark Buehrle Signed ($7.75 million) Left-hander should reclaim title as ace of rotation SP Jose Contreras Signed ($8 million) Comfortable in Chicago, he will be a force in rotation SP Freddy Garcia Signed ($9 million) His extension in '05 began move to lock up rotation SP Jon Garland Arbitration eligible Look for right-hander to land multiyear deal before camp SP Orlando Hernandez Signed ($4.5 million) Will battle Brandon McCarthy for final spot RP Dustin Hermanson Signed ($3 million) Offseason should provide needed rest for sore back RP Neal Cotts Under team control Left-hander will spend at least another year in bullpen RP Cliff Politte Club option ($1.2 million) Team likely to exercise option on key setup man Closer Bobby Jenks Under team control Postseason seasoning gave reliever key confidence boost

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 28, 2005 -> 08:40 PM) I hope his money keeps his ring finger warm at night. Because Paulie's is gonna be feelin pretty damn good. Ozzie's too. Maybe a bit weighed down. By the way...KW, sign Konerko immediately. I don't care if it's judged to be a bad contract a few years from now. Do what it takes. I agree...even if we bend towards the side of over-spending, re-sign Paulie....he has become the face of this franchise and we need that to keep getting butts in the stands. And if Frank comes back healthy, this lineup will be even better than last year. Imagine Frank for a full year driving in Scott and Guch.... Starting Lineup: Pods Guch Frank Paulie Dye Rowand AJP Crede Uribe Starting Pitchers: Count Buerhle Garland Garcia BMac Bullpen: El Duque (middle relief, long relief if a starter falters or rain delays) Politte (set up) Hermanson (set up) Jenks (closer) Marte (set up) Cotts (set up) Vizcaino (relief when we are losing by big lead or up by big lead) Bench: Anderson (Platoon OF to spell Pods, Dye and Rowand and play ~70+ games) Widger (back up C) Geoff Blum (Utility infielder) Ross Gload (1B/extra DH) Pablo Ozuna (Utility infielder) Everett???? Willi Harris???? Timo Perez???

And I do not know about you guys but JR looks very much like a down to earth guy. He does not wear the suits and he does not come out as being some corporate shirt. He looks like a hard working man....like most Sox fans. And he has said this so many times - he is simply the caretaker of our franchise NOW, hopefully, I do not have to EVER post another attendance thread again. People (not any of you on tihs board since everyone here is a diehard...no doubt in my mind) need to start attending games next year in large droves and HELP Jerry re-sign the Paulies of the world and even get better players here to truly turn this franchise around. I would like to think that we should not wait another 88 years for the next one. Keep this going folks.....

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Oct 28, 2005 -> 08:23 PM) For me, I think the Sox need to re-sign Paulie at 4 years/ $48 million. If Paulie is the classy guy we think he is, he will take this money. Even though, some team will no doubt go above and beyon us, this is more than fair and quite frankly greedy if he doesn't take it. Then, I would try to sign Brian Giles for DH or to trade Rowand or Pods. Then possible sign Eurbiel Durazo as a bench/DH type and finally just get another lefty via trade or Free agency. Financially, my plan works: Add: Konerko ($ 3 million more per year,) Giles ($ 8 million more per year,) Durazo ($ 4 million more per year) and the lefty ($2 million more per year) Subtract: Carl Everett ($ 4 millin per year) and Frank Thomas ( $ 5 million per year, taking into account buyout.) Total: a payroll of $ 8 million more. So then you add player raises and such this comes to around $ 15 million more per year, and a payroll of $ 90 million, something I think is feasible and should be done. Would you happen to know how Maggs is feeling right now?

QUOTE(GreatScott82 @ Oct 28, 2005 -> 08:14 PM) JR= Best owner in Chicago- its that simple! 6 Bulls Championships 1 White Sox title + many, many more! The McCaskeys are terrbile owners. Once Halas passed away the ruined the beloved organization. I won't even mention the Wirtz ownership of the Hawks- TERRIBLE! And the Tribune- well- lets just say its been 97 years. How can an organization accept losing for that long? Actually I think McCaskeys are doing everything to win too....I think the Bears are very close to winning it all. If Orton or Rex turn out to be just solid QBs, the defense, running game, OL etc are all there to win it all. The Bears are young but not that far away. And it only gets better since their cap is healthy,all of the core is signed for a while and the GM has shown he can draft well (I think even Benson will be fine when given a chance). Also, the owners have been shelling out the big signing bonuses for a while now. Ogunleye, Tait, Fred Miller, Kreutz, Urlacher, Mike Brown, Muhsin Muhammad etc have all got great signing bonuses (which is how you attract FAs). Everyone has the same cap, but the ability to pay signing bonuses helps spread the cap hit and helps get FAs to sign since they know signing bonuses is all that is needed.