IlliniBob72

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George Offman is the biggest weasle in Chicago media. I loathe hi m worse than I do Jay Mariotti, and that's saying a lot.

I saw very little of the Cubs game last night, but it did see something I couldn't believe. Matt Morris struck Kerry Wood out with a wicked curve ball. Right after they showed Matt Morris laughing his ass off. I could only assume it was at how sick he made Wood look. My suspicions were confirmed when I was told today that Wood knocked Morris down 3 times with inside fastballs later in the game. Not surprised. I still enjoyed it though.

I hope they don't work black in. I hate the way that black is permeating it's way throughout sports. The Royals and Mets have gone with black as well. Personally, I'd prefer the White Sox went away from black and back to the blue of the late '50s and '60s. The 49'ers did it also and I see now the Lions have added some black.

I'm sorry, but I believe it was you that said that if they lose the division, it's because they're pouting. Despite the utter ridiculousness of that statement, I took you at your word, since it's supposedly so "inside". Well, the very next game after that your precious Mark s*** down his leg on the mound at Comerica Park and served up 5 runs in the first two innings to the high powered Tigers. So, I assumed it was because he was pouting. I've read his statement and thought it was perfect, but according to you and your inside information, there's a whole lot of pouting going on. So you're telling me that the players were pouting in spite of MB's graceful handling of the situation? Oh yeah, here's your quote... "if they lose the divisioin (sic) its because they are pouting about moves that a certian (sic) manager makes" I won't get into the hilarity in the fact that you hold management responsible for the players pouting their way out of the playoffs and don't seem to have a negative word about the players.

Perhaps the Sox need Bruce Levine to say that many more Sox can't hit major league pitching anymore.

Larry Bowa is going to pop an artery. How is all that fire he shows working for them down the stretch?

Hey, people believe crazy s***. My ex-father-in-law was a strict Bible adherer (is that a word?) Anyway, if the Bible said that Noah lived to be 874 years old, then damn it, he lived to be 874 years old. In fact, he had some pretty whacked theory as to why dinosaurs aren't mentioned in the Bible. Not flat out they didn't exist, but out there nonetheless. I don't care as long as Carl continues to hit.

Just got done browsing through the game thread. Good Lord! I understand being passionate about your team, but people need to get a grip. Declaring them dead in the third and fourth innings? Down by 1??? I hope all the sharp objects are locked away when the game is on.

Is Joe a rookie this year, or too many ABs last year? Either way, he could possibly end up with 22 HR 70 RBI and .270 BA. An excellent first full season in the league.

Did I miss the memo? Is there a "Prick of the Year" award that you're trying to win? If so, you can ease up, you're winning by a landslide.

Its called pyschology. CHeck into it. last time i checked, when employees are happy, they perform better. You should check into management. What would you have JM and KW do, take a team vote before they make a decision? Believe me, if JM stood in front of reporters and said that yeah, it was a s***ty decision, but that's what my players wanted, he'd be crucified. Unless you feel that he should do what his players want him to do, and then when it blows up, take full responsibility. A baseball team, like any workplace, is not a democracy. "Hey guys, do you think I should call for a hit and run here, a bunt, or just swing away? I wouldn't want to make a call that makes you unhappy." LOL uh ok, its only what i do for a living, but thanks for the advice. Really? I'm surprised. So, that's what you do? "Jim is always late and never gets his work done on time. But...he's a pretty popular guy, so we'd better keep him around. No, wait...let's take a poll first before we make a decision." I'm not talking about imposing a 9 pm curfew, but management can't be worried about upsetting the staff with every decision, especially something as silly as not shuffling the rotation. To blame management for Mark Buerhle giving up 5 runs in the first 2 innings is ludicrous and/or scapegoating.

Its called pyschology. CHeck into it. last time i checked, when employees are happy, they perform better. You should check into management. What would you have JM and KW do, take a team vote before they make a decision? Believe me, if JM stood in front of reporters and said that yeah, it was a s***ty decision, but that's what my players wanted, he'd be crucified. Unless you feel that he should do what his players want him to do, and then when it blows up, take full responsibility. A baseball team, like any workplace, is not a democracy. "Hey guys, do you think I should call for a hit and run here, a bunt, or just swing away? I wouldn't want to make a call that makes you unhappy."

Management shouldn't be making decisions based on what will make the players happiest. They should be doing what they feel will help them win games, which is what they're doing. These guys are professionals and should be able to handle things. It seems like everyone did but MB. And why does anybody need to have "Mark's back"? He wasn't screwed over. He wasn't pushed back in the rotation. He wasn't skipped. It's a non-issue. If there should be an issue in the clubhouse, it should be why MB laid an egg in Detroit.

LOL watch and learn son. IF and thats a big if, the sox lose these next two games, its over. Buh bye...... They'd be down at most 2 games with series left with both teams and they'd be through, you say? That's just brilliant. Actually its just not ignorant like the opposing people of this theory. Many of you need a SERIOUS lesson in psychology. Mental state is MUCH more important than any number you can throw out. One day some of you will look past the obvious. A 2 year old can look at the standings and see oh wow theres 27 games left and we are only 2 out, we are in iT!! Big boys and girls can look beyond that, to more important things, like mental states, or attitiude, or heart, desire, passion. The sox arent going to lose the next two. However, if they do, they dont have what it takes to win this division. It would become obvious to the big boys and girls. You can tell which posters on this board think for a living and those who take orders for a living. hahaha Whatever you say, chief. You're right, the Sox have never put together a winning streak after losing 4 in a row. Oh wait...they won 6 in a row after losing 5 in a row just a few weeks ago. Silly me. Anymore psychology lessons for us?

LOL watch and learn son. IF and thats a big if, the sox lose these next two games, its over. Buh bye...... They'd be down at most 2 games with series left with both teams and they'd be through, you say? That's just brilliant.

Jesus, you'd think he asked you to give us the Pythagorean Theorem or something. Just say Bobby Valentine or Cito Gaston or any name!!!

How'd they treat Cotts like "complete s***"? By giving him the opportunity to pitch in the major leagues? It isn't like he was giving up 5 runs a start at Birmingham. He was pitching lights out. Practically unhittable. He isn't the first player to be given a shot and be sent back, and he won't be the last, for any team. In fact, two of his four starts were very servicable. He'll take something from the experience and be better for it. Many Sox players never saw an inning of AAA ball, including Frank Thomas, Magglio, Buerhle, and the beloved Danny Wright (well, before he was sent down after being thrown to the wolves). I hope that someday I'm treated as poorly.

Is that your deal? Whenever anyone disagrees with you you call them moronic or some other ingenius name? Dude, you may want to look at the players just a little bit, huh? Now it's Manual's fault that MB gave up 5 runs in the first 2 innings? I am sure it's also his fault that Konerko isn't hitting his weight. Or MB lost 10 of his first 12 outings. Or Valentin is hitting in the .230's. Or the second baseman for the first half of the season had rocks in his head. Or his new closer couldn't strike you out. I'm sure next you'll argue that JM is also responsible for goofs running on the field or maybe even unrest in the Middle East. Oh, wait, I forgot to add that stupid . There, that's better.

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This coming from a guy that points to Cotts's pitch count after a strong outing as proof that he's right about his readiness for the Majors. Now that takes stones!

I'd go with Loaiza, but KW has had an excellent year. Not just for the moves he's made but for his attitude in making moves to win this year. He was also able to admit a mistake with Jimenez and rectify it.

You used that line before. Come up with another.

Right now Cotts is sitting on the shower room on his haunches thumb in mouth crying Mommy Mommy and I am sure he will never pitch again after this shattering experience - everything that got him to the bigs is gone - and damn you know very well Frank and Mags called a team meeting after this game and said, hey we lost 1 game in New York, it is over, we are losers, no way we can win any more, we are out of it, so lets just surrender because we have been so shattered by this. A baseball team has never won anything and has been forever destroyed by losing to the Yankees 7-5 in a series the Yankees lost. All over. Momentum gone. Confidence gone. No team can come back after this. The Sox need to go to a 3-man rotation to avoid the loss that will send them into a tailspin that will destroy the season. But seriously, let's pretend that the Sox are as fragile as people believe. Would it be better that they lose the last game of the Yankee series and leave having won 2 of 3 and then win game 1 of the Tiger series...OR...go into Detroit, where the last time they played they got swept. Throw Cotts out there, who anyone with eyes can tell can't get anybody out ever, and lose the first game to the Tigers. Well, s***, now the Sox, being such weak sisters upstairs, are thrown into a funk because they've now lost at least 4 straight in Comerica, and mail in the rest of the series. If the Sox are going to lose momentum and the season with their next loss, it really doesn't matter where it happens.

Do you realize that being 16 games over rather than 8 over is winning 4 games that you lost? So, if 4 games had gone the other way, you'd want to keep him?