TLAK

The White Sox will visit Philly June 11, 12 and 13. Too bad it's not in Chicago, I'd like to cheer Rowand and Freddy in person. As it is, I hope we see him and beat him 1-0.

Michael Jordan

In proportion to MLB gross revenue, salaries have actually been declining. Year... Gross Revenue... Player Salaries... Pct 1992... 1,200,000,000...... 805,543,323... 67% 2006... 5,200,000,000... 2,322,299,617... 45% Revenues are up 4.3 times, team salaries only 2.9. Coming off a World Series year, White Sox 2006 salaries were up 3.4 times over the 3rd place 1992 team. Were the Sox to increase salaries to the 1992 MLB ratio the budget would be about $129 Million. Carping over the high cost of players is baloney, there is more money in baseball than ever before. Is it bad that some of the growth money goes to the players, who are the reason you go to the park, or would you prefer it stays in the owners pockets? Revenues quoted from MLB.Com, salaries are from BaseBall Reference.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Dec 10, 2006 -> 12:32 AM) Who was the last White Sox rookie to hit .290? Chris Singleton .300 and Carlos Lee .293, both in 1999.

QUOTE(SinkingShip06 @ Dec 10, 2006 -> 02:37 AM) I'm totally doing this. just gotta decide which brick to get So you can throw it at Guillen?

Joe Crowley quoting Gavin Floyd in today's Sun-Times: At least he's not complaining about being treated like a piece of meat.

Sorry about the bump but this is a wonderful quote from Roland Hemond, who had a triple bypass in '02, talking about Jim Hendry's angio:

QUOTE(TLAK @ Dec 7, 2006 -> 06:44 AM) Does Gonzalez need to be added to the 40 man for Rule V? If so, who gets dropped? RotoWorld:

Does Gonzalez need to be added to the 40 man for Rule V? If so, who gets dropped?

QUOTE(The Critic @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 06:58 PM) Didn't vote for him. I love Hawk, but I don't think he's a Hall Of Fame caliber broadcaster. The teams he's broadcast hit 5,096 Home Runs during his tenure, true stat. What's the standard for HOF?

Statmandu had it right. Bobby Bonds hit 70 HR after leaving the White Sox in 1978, he went to the Rangers for Claudell Washington and Rusty Torres. Bonilla hit all but two of his 287 career HR after being traded to the Pirates for Jose DeLeon. I'll never forget the sign in RF: Washington slept here.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 06:36 PM) Even during the 2005 season when everyone was calling him the ignitor of the White Sox offense, the guy that made the White Sox go, he scored 80 runs and drove in 25. He wasn't in the Top 50 in baseball in OBP or BA. If he was such a distraction on the bases, how come he only scored 80 runs? He played only 129 games. 80/129*162 = 100. There is no guarantee he will do the job, but there is no question that he CAN do it.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 05:55 PM) The only proven track record Scott Podsednik has is for being an incredibly inconsistent, oft-injured, horrible defensive player who's lost more than a few steps on the basepaths. He is not a proven comodity because he's shown no consistency in any facet of the game from one season/month to the next. There ain't a damn thing wrong with giving up on a guy who has never proven that he can do anything well on a consistent basis (especially basestealing). He'll be 31 years old next year and there isn't a single quality that you can gaurantee me he'll be able to provide next year. And since when do errors have anything to do with defensive prowess? Just because an OF avoids committing errors doesn't mean he's any good in the field. Hell, Carlos Lee is known for not committing errors but is also known for being a terrible fielder, much like his successor in LF for the Sox. Duly noted. I've long valued Pods' contributions higher and have always put a lot more weight on avoiding errors at all positions than you. While we don't agree on this, I value your opinion. Podsednik will show us if I'm wrong, and it might be a real long year if I am.

We should change the title of this thread to “Enter all the crow you want to eat about Scott Podsednik”. As rough a year as he had last season, he hit .261 and don’t forget what a force this guy was when healthy in 2005. When he went on the DL on August 13, he was batting .282 and had 54 stolen bases in 99 games. This guy has hit .314 and scored 100 runs one year, stole 70 bases in another year. In 2005 he made 5 less errors than Jermaine Dye and had only 2 more than JD last year, albeit less games, yet many posters write about him as a complete bum. Unlike a prospect, he has a proven upside, it is known fact that he can be one of the best speed players in baseball. Time will tell if this guy can regain his all-star form but I think it would be dumb to just write him off.

My brother tells a story about Hemond in the early 70’s. He and a friend were season ticket holders and Roland would prowl the stands before the games. They would scan the Sporting News and find the most obscure prospect in the low minors and ask about him. Hemond would reply with what the player did in his last game, how his season was shaping up and any health problems. He was always positive about the player, even those he would release the next week. They tried to stump him and trick him but Roland knew every guy cold. The Sox had maybe 200 players under contract and he was up to the minute on every one of them. The story made an impression on me, in that what we read about a GM in the papers or hear on the radio is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to his own team a GM has to be on top of just about every player in organized ball in the case of a trade. Plus the thousands of young amateurs who can be drafted or signed. Being a GM for a Major League team might be the hardest job in sports, but I would also guess it is the most fun job a man could ever have.

QUOTE(kwolf68 @ Nov 30, 2006 -> 06:48 PM) I have a question: Is Gload worse than Pods in LF? Gload would be servicable had he not hurt his arm. He DL'd a lot of 2005 because of it. I hoped against hope that rest would improve him but as recently as September he still looked just awful. I mean awful like every single team in both leagues will run on him every chance they get. There are some things you can do like sending Uribe with his cannon real deep on sac plays but there is no way to finesse a ball down the line, with Gload out there the guy is automatically on second base. It's a shame, but I think you can't play him anywhere everyday except 1B or DH and he doesn't have the power to hold down those positions. That's why he's so cheap. Pods' arm is nothing to write home about but overall, he has decent tools for an OF. He just makes a ton of mistakes, perhaps the coaches can teach, cajole, threaten or beat him into improving. With Ross's arm as it is, he can't get any better so there is no question in my mind that putting him out there regularly would be a disaster.

QUOTE(beautox @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 06:31 PM) Torii Hunter vs. Brian Anderson In 1999 in Torii's rookie season he strugled alot, not nearly as much as Anderson, but no less he struggled, he didn't hit 25+ till age 27. I'm expecting the same out of Brian, now if thats going to be in a white sox uniform is another question. Hunter also has spent all of his career at the Metrodome(#19 in park factor). Brian will hopefully spend most of his career in Chicago(#9 in park factor). And the Twins finished in 5th place his first two years. I'm not saying Brian will never make it, but a team going for a ring can't afford to develop players in the big leagues. I advocate bringing in a suitable journeyman who they can rely on next year. If BA plays better than him then great, put him out there. If BA plays like last year then he needs to go to Charlotte and figure out how to play well enough to become a Major Leaguer. In the mean time the White Sox need SOMEBODY who can play major league CF and hit major league pitching at the same time. Mack and BA really hurt the White Sox last season. KW must not allow this to repeat.

IMO stupid deal. Crede is better than Figgins and Garcia is better than Santana.

QUOTE(chitownsportsfan @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 02:19 AM) The Left Fielder in a home run hitters park shouldn't be dropping in bunt singles then getting picked off -- He should be lacing doubles, taking walks, and hitting the ball out of the park. I'm not offering any quick fixes but Pods is def not the answer and it will be easy to upgrade that position because pods sucked so badly. I'd be willing to bet Gload could play slightly worse or the same defense while posting a 280/350/445 line. And that is just in house. Ozzie put him out there in September against Seattle and if you watched the game you would know that Ross' arm will not allow him to play outfield in the Major Leagues. Chuck Knoblauch threw better.

Happy Thanksgiving to all Soxtalkers. God bless the Chicago White Sox.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 21, 2006 -> 07:46 PM) Please never say that one of our players is "in the clear" again.

Associated Press: Dominican prosecutor: No proof against White Sox shortstop Uribe in shooting November 21, 2006 SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Dominican prosecutors say they've seen no proof that White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe had anything to do with the shooting of two men, and they will not pursue charges if no evidence is presented within 10 days. Uribe, his brother and a friend were questioned and released following the Oct. 13 shooting that wounded a Dominican farmer and a captain in the Italian Navy in the coastal city of Juan Baron, about 40 miles southwest of Santo Domingo. The farmer, Antonio Gonzalez Perez, said he was arguing with Uribe, a Dominican native, when the player pulled out a pistol and opened fire. The naval captain did not press charges. Uribe's lawyers said he was not in Juan Baron when the shooting occurred. "We are giving the accuser 10 days to present some type of proof, because we have found nothing that demonstrates any type of guilt against Juan Carlos Uribe," District Attorney Robert Lugo told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Uribe reported Tuesday to the clubhouse of his Dominican winter league team, the Escogido Lions. He said he was pleased with the decision. "I feel very happy because finally this is coming to an end. I am already relaxed and so I am here, ready to get started," he said.

QUOTE(VAfan @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 01:24 PM) I'm curious what folks think in answer to this question: Would the White Sox win more or fewer games, make or miss the playoffs, if we essentially stood pat this offseason? Given the fact that the Twins will be without Liriano for the year, I believe we would win more games and make the playoffs with essentially the same team, with the only adjustments coming from within. The reason we would be better? Our starting pitching. With added rest and a proper spring training next year, we should bounce back closer to 2005 levels and come close to matching the Tigers' pitching. I'm sure KW will NOT stand pat. But I hope he doesn't hurt the team making moves just to make moves. I know you're just sayin, but does that mean it's OK to tear up a 99 win World Series Champion, changing a quarter the roster, but KW should stick with 90 win roster that played 8 under after the ASB?

QUOTE(Chisox_10 @ Nov 19, 2006 -> 03:18 PM) Prior can end up coming back strong. Wade Miller could be good Wood makes a strong bullpen even stronger. You just named three guys who combined for 85 innings last year. You've got two surgeries and I don't know whats up with Prior. They've also got Zambrano with his dancing ulnar nerve. They are assembling a team which, save Derek Lee, will absolutly not help the pitching. Murtin, Soriano and Jones make for a brutal outfield. Erroramis is a head case on many levels, Izzzyturas no longer has a MLB shortstop's arm since his surgery. I don't think I've seen Derosa play second, but that's understandable since in 9 major league seasons his managers have seen fit to allow him to appear in only 114 games there. Mary Barrett is a left fielder playing catcher. The pitchers are going to have to throw a great game to give up 3-4 runs. All this added pressure will wear them down and kill them. The grub are like the old song: Wishin' and hopin' And thinkin' and prayin' Plannin' and dreamin'

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Nov 19, 2006 -> 03:54 PM) Why would they have to tell them they moved. The eldery Iowan or wrigleyville drunk can barely see anyways. Just put cardboard cutouts, and have some piped in sound and the natives wont know the difference. Its not like with the 1908 based technology they have in the park that anyone will be able to refute it. Wonderful post! I love this thread. The only flaw I can find in your logic is fans might notice the increase in speed.