caulfield12

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 16, 2011 -> 11:47 PM) I thought I'd heard that the Cardinals' rotation was already set for 2012? For the first time in years the Cardinals have some expectation of depth. 'Waino’ (Wainright) and Carpenter should project for a combined 400 innings even if the club handles Wainwright gingerly post-surgery. Jaime Garcia is locked up for 4 years. Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse are under contract through 2012 for about $20 million combined. Kyle McClellan, Lance Lynn and Brandon Dickson offer alternatives, though the arbitration-eligible McClellan may fit better in small-market rotation. The Cardinals love what Edwin Jackson has provided since his July 27 acquisition; however, the Cardinals are all about short-term contracts given their current posture. Seems like there's not a place for him (Buehrle)...or they would have to trade Lohse, and that would make their rotation (with the Carpenter signing) way too expensive to even dream about bringing back Pujols. Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/rou...l#ixzz1YCvNK9Mb

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 16, 2011 -> 11:17 PM) Thor was second to the first Iron Man for superhero movies in the last few years. And it was close. X-Men/First Class and Captain America were arguably better than Thor. Hard to beat the first Iron Man, though. Hard to be much worse than Green Lantern, as well.

Dick Allen would be the CFO. What was Tex's job, again? Sox Advance Scout/Contrarian?

The White Sox have led the AL (and possibly the entire major leagues) in quality starts since 2003. What hitting category have we come close to leading for such a long time span...one that would actually be considered beneficial to winning baseball games?

The first review I read claimed it was the best baseball movie since "Bull Durham," but that movie had a clear love triangle playing out. It will interesting to see what holds the interest of the viewer in this one, since Sean Penn's ex (Robin Wright Penn) and his daughter seem to be figures in the background of the story. Even the first Major League was largely successful because it was not only about baseball but the relationship between Tom Berenger and Rene Russo. It seems to me that Jonah Hill is getting most of the attention, along with Pitt. So far at RT, 14 positive reviews and only 3 negatives (and Keith Law, as well, haha) http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/sep/09...kin?INTCMP=SRCH UK woman who's obviously not a sports fan http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-lat...5031811.article http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2011/09...ken-with-plums/ Audiences, on the other hand, are likely to be sated until they realize that the film's ostensibly down-to-earth, human orientation contradicts its central historical truth: that, despite Malcolm Gladwell's belief to the contrary, intuition can very often be defeated by the precise and mechanical. Take that, Ozzie Guillen!!!

The first review I read claimed it was the best baseball movie since "Bull Durham," but that movie had a clear love triangle playing out. It will interesting to see what holds the interest of the viewer in this one, since Sean Penn's ex (Robin Wright Penn) and his daughter seem to be figures in the background of the story. Even the first Major League was largely successful because it was not only about baseball but the relationship between Tom Berenger and Rene Russo. It seems to me that Jonah Hill is getting most of the attention, along with Pitt.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 11:15 PM) Wow elrockin also wants to keep Oz. I wonder if it's just us two. I think there's another 2 Oz supporters on this board though I forget their names rite now. I know there's at least one more besides me and elrockin. Marty34

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 08:21 PM) They are mental midgets. Losing is a habit for them. Not unlike us against the Tigers, Twins and Royals for most of the past 3 seasons. Where our homefield advantage went is one of the biggest mysteries yet unsolved by this organization.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 07:50 PM) Package him with Quentin or Ramirez. If you can get a bonafide Top 25-30 Milb catching prospect, sure. Realistically, the biggest need is 1) the bullpen, especially if Sale goes to the rotation and 2) leadoff, if KW isn't satisfied with DeAza/Lillibridge. It would be a bit ridiculous not to at least pencil in DeAza as a platoon player going into 2012, but who knows with Williams. We're not going to be getting rid of Morel or Beckham, in all likelihood...nor Dunn and Rios. So catcher, bullpen (which makes it kind of silly to trade Santos for yet a younger, more unproven prospect), slappy leadoff version of Pierre, (but MUCH younger) and starting pitching depth. How likely is that? Who knows, really?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 07:53 PM) Boy the Sox stink. 6-2 KC. Royals see this as a statement series to show what the Sox and rest of the division are in for next year. They are on the upswing with young hitters. Still shaky starting pitching tho. Greg, how many years have we been saying this about the Royals? Until they get the quality starting pitching, at best they are a .500 club but probably not even that unless Moustakas can start hitting with authority.

But is it really any more bleak than at the end of the 2007? Back then, the only hope for the future was Josh Fields. Owens, Wasserman and Andy Gonzalez made some contributions...but it was pretty clear those guys weren't exactly "can't miss" prospects. Maybe because of the payroll this year and the ongoing disappointment of 2009-2011 as well as the discord between KW and Ozzie...it might be a bit more bleak, but 2007 really was quite a slap in the face after 2005 and 2006.

Chris Sale=Moneyball FWIW, as long as I never have to watch Royce Clayton (The Rookie) hit in another movie, I'll be happy to watch.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 06:28 PM) Didn't McKay Christensen basically halt his own progress by doing volunteer work abroad due to being a Mormon? Yeah, but I think that affected his career with the Angels...by the time he came here, he was more of a "suspect" than prospect, although anyone drafted that high gets a lot of chances to prove himself.

QUOTE (SoIL @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 06:59 PM) Yeah, I suppose they were. Especially Garcia. And maybe I shouldn't have given the impression that I think every single big move hasn't worked out, but in general the big splash hasn't produced like most had hoped. Garcia is certainly as big Wells, etc and was huge for us. Wasn't Contreras struggling when we picked him up? Or at least somewhat of a disappointment in New York? (I do understand that you are emphasizing his contract.) Yeah, Contreras started out well, but he never got over the Boston "hump" and he quickly lost his confidence because of how the Red Sox battered him around (and how magnified that was by the media)...which caused Cashman to throw in the towel too quickly. Watching El Duque and Contreras lead the White Sox to the World Series when they got nothing out of Loaiza must have burned him up a bit...especially since they were paying about 20-25% of his contract.

Esteban Yan and one of fathom's (or balta or jpn, can't remember), John Shelby, Jr. Willie Harris (sort of bust!) Forgot the infamous Anderson Gomes and Paulo Orlando

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 06:51 PM) Don't forget...the 05 offense was pretty average...except they hit a lot of homeruns. The Sox win when they hit homers. When they had a healthy Thomas (briefly) and Pods/Iguchi running on all cylinders. a very good offense. With Everett as DH for most of that season, Rowand and Crede struggling and inconsistent at best....so-so, but still tons better than our 2010-11 offenses.

Marte wasn't a bust, Tony Menendez certainly was. (Looking at it now....even though Guerrier didn't make an impact as a starter and certainly did nothing for the Pirates, you could make a legit argument Matt's had a better overall career, even though Marte at his best was close to unhittable/dominating). Jimmy Hurst, going back to one of our many busted OF prospects to go along with KW. Jeff Abbott...put up some awesome hitting lines in the minors, albeit with limited power. Snopek/Norton Matt Merullo...well, maybe he maxed out his talent, all things considered McKay Christensen...another name from the past

QUOTE (SoIL @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 05:31 PM) Now that I'm not at work, I'll expand on this a bit. Before the 2005 season, Kenny asked, or Ozzie told him what kind of team he (Ozzie) wanted. A leadoff hitter who could get on and steal a base. Better defense and better pitching. Kenny did a great job of doing just that, and what was the result? Since then Kenny has tried to get a big power hitter and a big time starter almost every year, and we haven't been back to the Series since. Maybe it's coincidence, maybe we caught lighting in a bottle, but the 2005 formula did work. Ozzie didn't bring in the Colon's, Wells, Rios and Dunn's (although he may have had input). I thought these moves looked great at the time, but it hasn't worked. What I see is that someone, (Kenny, maybe Ozzie or our scouts) have not been paying attention. The big moves have not worked, the smaller ones for the most part have been successful. In retrospect, we should have kept many of our minor leaguers and let them develop. I hope that is what happens in the future. I'm less and less convinced that stocking up on prospects just to trade them away for the last "piece of the puzzle" is a good philosophy. Actually, I do think it is a bad strategy. I don't really care about Ozzie's outbursts, even if I do wish he had more of a filter. I do think he takes pressure off the team by drawing attention to himself. So again, give Ozzie some BASEBALL players and quit drafting the "best athlete" and draft some baseball players and the Sox should be successful. Contreras (taking on his contract, mostly) and Freddy Garcia weren't big moves? The more you look back at 2005 (with how Pods/Iguchi/small ball have been overstated despite the 200+ homers)...the one thing that seems impossible to replicate ever again was the success and virtual lockdown quality of that bullpen.

As far as Sosa goes back then....it was his speed and arm and fielding ability I liked so much. Ironic that he became the opposite of that over time, a truly one-dimensional player. But with the White Sox, he was considered something of a flop and they discarded him for George Taco Bell.

Okay...flops, Felix Diaz, Arnie Munoz and Jesus Pena. All the women had a crush on Kirk McCaskill, lol.

But didn't Betemit also lead the entire major leagues in spring training home runs before that season started? Doesn't Walker get some credit for ST stats, lol? Heck, Josh Fields looked good that spring as well, if I remember correctly.

Sosa when he first came up in 1989...aka The Panther at that time.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 14, 2011 -> 11:49 PM) Your top two bullpen options make the minimum salary, you think that money doesn't matter? I've never seen a story in my lifetime of following baseball where the highlight of an article was the coaches wanting the team to finish 2nd instead of 3rd. Seems kind of ridiculous after hearing the "All In" mantra constantly throughout the season. That's the problem with the White Sox for most of the last decade. Satisfaction with finishing 2nd and/or .500 or slightly above.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 03:14 AM) I know but this isn't about individual seasons. I said Mark was the best pitcher in Sox history and I was flamed for it. He's da best. MODERN history, though...which for most, is since roughly 1983 or so.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Sep 15, 2011 -> 12:41 AM) He made it it do to longevity. If it were individual seasons...Fernandez, Black Jack, Wynn, Loaiza, etc. all beat Mark. And Jose Contreras 05-06 and LaMarr Hoyt...arguably Thigpen for his saves record as well.