caulfield12

QUOTE(Y2HH @ May 11, 2007 -> 08:44 AM) Sweeney > AAAnderson. Is AAAnderson replacing grindERSTAD now?

QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 10, 2007 -> 09:23 AM) This is most definitely the case but by mid-June there will still be a big hub bub when Ozzie plugs him back into the leadoff spot. People will forget that a strained abductor is sort of a hampering injury for a speed guy when Pods proclaims that he's back to 100% in order to save his starting job. The Sox could suddenly become a pretty scary team if Erstad somehow keeps up this pace and Podsednik never sees the field in a Sox uniform again. With the way the pitching is going thus far this season, there would be good reason for some AL Central teams to be very worried if the Sox get healthy. Erstad has been the leading hitter in the AL (among all leadoff hitters) since assuming that duty when Pods went down.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 10, 2007 -> 09:28 AM) Do you have a link that says Erstad has a vesting option? The only thing I've seen is that if he does get 600 PA this year the team option for '08 rises to $6M, it does not become guaranteed. I guess if he has 700 plate appearances, it would cost the White Sox $1,250,00 to buy out his contract (for next year). If he was injured or didn't play much, the buyout would have been only $250K. The value for next year's contract ranges from $3.5 million to $6 million based on meeting certain incentives.

QUOTE(briguy27 @ May 10, 2007 -> 07:44 AM) i could be wrong, but i think santana is a free agent in the 08 offseason, not the 07 offseason. but like i said, i could be wrong if the sox do get rid of crede and dye at the all star break, they could sign buehrle maybe 6 years, 54 million, and then possibly go after a-rod. i know its a long shot, but hey, its worth it. i also want to see them re-sign erstad. i love the way he plays the game. hes a scrappy guy, hardnosed baserunner, and it seems like everytime he hits the ball, he turns it into a double. if they dont, possibly forget a-rod and try to go after ichiro? we'll see... If they sign Erstad (and it's not a matter of signing him, his option for $6 million vests automatically with 600 plate appearances), then BA is done with the White Sox, unless they let Pods and Dye go and don't replace them via trade or FA (Ichiro, Hunter, Jones, unlikely). An outfield of Sweeney, Erstad and Anderson just isn't going to put up enough numbers to compete in the AL Central. Santana is a FA after 2008. Buerhle is looking at no less than 4 years-$56 million and all the way up to 6-$100 million

QUOTE(Texsox @ May 10, 2007 -> 07:25 AM) If he leaves, I hope he signs for the biggest paycheck in mlb history. That won't happen...he has to compete with: Clemens, $18 million for 4 months, or $27 million for one season (I know you were talking about total years and money, like Zito's deal) A-Rod will get a bigger contract Zambrano will get a bigger contract Ichiro or Andruw Jones MIGHT get a bigger contract Johan Santana will get a bigger contract

QUOTE(CarlosMartinez @ May 10, 2007 -> 07:22 AM) This story comes up all the time. More than just Oz have wondered about their "air" system being turned on or off at crucial times. But since Oz made the comments, people will run wild about it and say he needs to "worry about his club instead of the ventilation." This is a non-story. I think Ozzie was joking because Morneau's ball off Masset would have been a home run if the fences were at 450 and the A/C was blowing against the ball... There has been a discussion about this issue since at least the 2001 season.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10172637 What new? to paraphrase Harrelson...

QUOTE(fathom @ May 9, 2007 -> 09:16 PM) Oh gosh! What a freaking joke. Uribe needs to stop and throw that ball. PK also can't scoop anything this year. And MacDougal can't pitch over any mistakes. Way to set up that Logan/Morneau match-up Mike. Danks must be sweating bullets and going crazy.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 9, 2007 -> 08:23 PM) RACK 'EM UP! Pitched over the close (but bad, in my mind) call! JOHN DANKS! Our fifth starter would have a 3.48 ERA if not for that crazy play in DET. Nice pitching Danks, and welcome back the 92-93 MPH fastball we've been wondering about... Only 53 pitches through 5. Think he's learning something from Buehrle?

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ May 9, 2007 -> 08:19 PM) I want him in CF next year. Ummm....for $11-12 million per season?

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:52 PM) ba woulda done a flip and caught it with his bare hand... Ala Kevin Mitchell. QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:54 PM) better surprise this year, Danks or AAAAAAardsma? I think you'd have to put Erstad in that list as well...

QUOTE(danman31 @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:49 PM) Doubtful. Grindtastic!!! Nice play Darin. Mackowiak would have played that into a triple or inside the park home run for sure. 7 runs scored for Danks in first 6 games. 4 tonight, must feel like he's won the lottery.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:47 PM) Prediction: We will only score 4 runs tonight. Definitely looks like it...we haven't had many "easy" wins this year. Of course, that's the way it was in 2005 too. Except you knew a one-run lead was money then.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:42 PM) Nice job by Danks throwing strikes there. Anyone else notice how much strong Ozuna's arm is than Iguchi's? That's why he came up as a SS through the Cardinals system. Last year, we were at 23-9 with a 3.5 game lead over DET. OUCH.

QUOTE(danman31 @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:37 PM) No it doesn't, it was a single. He advanced to 2nd on the throw. Hmmm...thought it was close enough to give him a double. I guess Tyner was shading him down the line, same as Erstad in the first.

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:34 PM) lets trade casey rogowski for jarrod salt my cockia That .140 average in Charlotte might not even get us Don Wakamatsu in return.

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:32 PM) oh my god, i just turned the game on. sweeney is starting to hit, huh? Well, it looks like a line double to the gap in the box score, lol. Actually, his swing and approach are fine...just got busted in on and broke his bat, but he's a pretty strong young kid. This is a huge inning for Young Mr. Danks. Would really help his confidence to get through this inning without giving up a run.

QUOTE(SoxAce @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:26 PM) Who is in LF for the Twins? That was a Scott Podsednik-like throw right there. Probably Tyner.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:25 PM) my friend once talked to Sweeney and my friend's friend when to high school with Sweeney, yeah I'm special. I hung up on Tom Landry and rode in a car to a NY Giants game with Jordin Sparks. And I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

QUOTE(ChWRoCk2 @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:25 PM) Sweeney you are awesome The 02-04 Twins would have cut that ball off and thrown Sweeney out at 2B.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:23 PM) The Lou Brown method. 30 pushups for every popup. While on the field. Run it out, then 30 pushups before you're allowed back in the dugout. I'd love to trade Willie Mays Hayes for Pods about right now.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:20 PM) hmmm......... From now on, every pitch in batting practice should be low and away. They should be fined $1000 for every ball they pull on the ground instead of hitting it to the opposite field.

QUOTE(SoxAce @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:17 PM) He's the poor, poors little man of Jim Thome. And they walked him.. They were setting up the double play!!

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ May 9, 2007 -> 07:12 PM) Good way to start. Hopefully Sweeney really learns something from being around Erstad for some time this year.

QUOTE(South Side Fireworks Man @ May 9, 2007 -> 06:57 PM) I'd hate to be in a foxhole with some of these guys. How can a rational person go into a season supposedly with high hopes and then panic after the team plays .500 a month into the season??? The mark of a good team (and a good manager BTW) is how they weather the rough times that come to every team in almost every season. If these people think there is no way the Sox can overcome a .500 start with none of their hitters hitting and four and a half months to go they are just showing they have no understanding of a Major League Baseball season. And one more thing about having a "Fire Sale." If the Sox continue to fall behind while guys like Dye, Iguchi, Crede, etc. are hitting and playing well, then it may make sense to white flag it and get a good return on some of these guys while their value is high. But as for now, trying to sell off guys who are batting .200 will get you nothing and it makes no sense when the team is playing .500 ball even while they are not producing. Since the Sox have played .500 ball during a tough stretch of their schedule while their key guys are either injured or batting around .200, wouldn't anybody here want to see what they will do when these guys start hitting at their career norms before clamoring for a fire sale??? Nobody's clamoring for a fire sale...I'm just saying that it's likely to happen if we don't show some positive signs of breaking out of this, and soon. Of course, Thome and Hall will help our offense. And I wasn't optimistic about this season like I was last year. We all expected the playoffs coming into '06, I'm not sure anyone could confidently predict we'd get there this year based on our offseason moves and with a rookie 5th starter and aging Contreras. Games like last night set the tone for the entire season....we will get up off the mat or we will lie down and get swept? I think we all want to be patient, as long as it's feasible. But I think most posters here would like to see KW have a CLEAR direction to go in as June and July are upon us...as doing nothing and standing pat won't help us at all for next year, unless we're expecting Gio and Russell to be starters next year and still be able to contend. Did Sox fans who realized we were dead in the water in August of last year WANT the Sox to lose? Or for Guillen to be fired? I hope not...it was just a sense that something was seriously missing, chemistry, fire, drive...was anyone surprised the last two months of 2006 and the first two months of 2007? If you've followed the White Sox, you've seen it coming. We're getting old and it's catching up with Iguchi, Dye, Pods, Thome and Contreras in particular. Nothing can be done about it, besides transitioning to a younger, more athletic team, as quickly as possible...while hopefully still being a contender simultaneously.