TLAK

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 11:20 PM) Agreed. Anderson is such a dumbass, it's awesome. Also, I heard he cut his hair for Soxfest, is this true? Yep, check him out in the photo gallery, he looks like Dobie Gillis. I don't know how to link a Java script, but its the the top link in this story. Soxfest Article

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 08:44 PM) In the 2nd half of 2005, Everett had splits of .228/.305/.386. Taking that into consideration, I don't think he could come close to producing what he did in 2005 for 2006. I believe Anderson will definitely produce what Rowand did in 2006, remember Rowand only had 13 HR's in 2005. Thome should outproduce Everett if he remains healthy. Remember if we kept Frank for the DH and kept Rowand, I'd say there's a much greater risk with Frank trying to come back from his injury, when he's never had a good season coming back from one before. Not to mention, we'd be much weaker against RHP without Thome as well. Your reasoning is good but I object to your premise. You say Thome will out-produce Everett (which I buy) and later, Thome will out-produce Thomas (which I only buy if Thomas gets hurt). My premise is that Rowand + Everett + (Thomas / Injury probability) together is a lesser risk than Anderson + (Thome / Injury probability). And I think this even though Thomas' injury probabilty certainly seems higher than Thome's. The only way the equation works for the White Sox is a healthy Jim Thome. KW is taking a hell of a chance.

QUOTE(DABearSoX @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 08:40 PM) Remember that Dye was a huge injury risk coming into this season....lets just hope the training staff does as good of a job as they did on him. Excellent point. Good things do happen.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 08:04 PM) Outside of the homeruns and RBI's, Everett's offense was horrible. Huh? He hit .251 with 23 HR and 87 RBI (490 AB). Would you prefer a 3/5 hitter with a .300 with 5 HR 40 RBI? Everett also hit .273 in the ALDS, .250 in the ALCA and .444 in the WS, 0 HR 3 RBI tot. Straight up he is certainly not as good as a healthy Jim Thome but he's not chopped liver either. I still feel the 2005 mix of CF/DH was stronger than the 2006 mix projects to be when injury risk is accounted for.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 07:49 PM) Because of they didn't, he'd be with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim right now. And that's a major hole in your lineup that you suddenly have to fill. And of course if you say, well we'll just sign Frank Thomas then, who's going to play 1B? If it's Thome, it increases the risk of him getting injured once again. I loved the signing and am only astounded that the SOX, THE WHITE SOX, THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX did it!

QUOTE(whitesoxmurph @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 07:12 PM) Also we have to remember that Thome's body will take less punishment as a DH as opposed to being a full time 1B. I think the chances of Thome having a injury riddled season are much less than Big Franks. It seemed that in the last few years everytime Frank ran he hurt himself. He was one of my favorites and I hope he has a good season in Oakland, gets # 500, retires and goes into the H.O.F. wearing a Sox uniform. That being said the Sox are a better offensive team this year than last. Will Jim Thome + Brian Anderson hit 48 home runs next year combined? Thats what Rowand + Everett + Thomas contributed last season. Its not impossible, Anderson could be in the teens and should Thome stay healthy he figures to be around 40+. If Jim gets hurt again I don't know what they will do, Ross Gload? Hell of a risk for a defending Champion.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 07:13 PM) There was a multiple year guaranteed contract presented. Frank didn't want to listen and activated his $10M option. The 3.5M option was only guaranteed if Frank first activated his player option for $10M. He could have declined that, with a deal worked out in principle to replace the existing one. Your beef is with Frank Thomas. He didn't want to stay here. Not if it meant having the indignity of taking a pay cut. No. Frank prefers playing the martyr. "He wasn't loved in Chicago. They didn't treat him with the re$pect he de$erved." Cry me a f***ing river. You can keep defending him, but please acknowledge that he only cared about the money, and the perceived power that it brought him. If it played out the way you describe, I got no arguement with you. As time goes by, these things sometimes come to light. I would be astounded if KW's offer amounted to $4 million guarenteed in return for Frank not using his option. Who knows, I was astounded the Sox went 5 years, no strings, with Kong. I get astounded a lot lately.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 06:57 PM) Look, Frank wouldn't take a pay cut to play for the Sox, and that is a fact. KW discussed options to have him finish his career with the White Sox, but Frank wasn't willing to listen to anything that would have cost him his guaranteed $$. (Per KW via BRUUUUCE on ESPN 1000 today) There is no way Frank would have ever signed with the Sox for the deal he took with Oakland. Even if he did, he would remind us of it every chance he got. I interpret that as meaning Frank could have stayed if he gave up the $3.5 million option guarateed by his existing contract. Isn't that equivelent to asking him to pay for the privelege of staying on the team?

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 08:04 AM) So lets get this right, you wanted the Sox to resign Thomas over trading for Thome? kyyle, I don't look at it in that way. I feel the team would have been stronger with Aaron Rowand + Carl Everett + Frank Thomas coming off of surgery (also two good prospects in the organization) than with Jim Thome coming off of surgery, a rook in CF and a ?? to fill out the third roster spot. I'm not bashing Thome, I think he used to be a hell of a ballplayer, and hope he can return to his All-Star form. But I read these moves as related, and feel the team is weaker overall.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 10:59 AM) You are right...he would be playing for...let's see...$3.5 mil buyout + $500,000 + $2.6 mil in incentives, sooo...carry the one... 1 year/$6.6 mil with $4 mil guaranteed. I say...nope, thanks for the memories, I hope you get your 500 hrs...and i hope you go 0-fer against the Sox. The 3.5 is paid regardless. The decision is on .5 million guaranteed, after excersing the 3.5 option which applies in either case.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Jan 26, 2006 -> 11:19 PM) Frank would have cost the Sox $10M I know what you're saying, there is a union rule about how much you can cut the salary of a player you resign. But I thought it didn't apply after the buy out. If you are right about the minimum offer then I would understand the moves better, but if the minimum applied I think we would have heard it.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jan 26, 2006 -> 08:16 PM) Because he's a better GM than you. Scot Gregor is a GM?

QUOTE(Beltin'Bill @ Jan 26, 2006 -> 05:14 PM) Thanks. Gregor did a nice job and I think Kenny did a great job in honoring last year's team with a refusal to compare the champions with the 2006 Sox. I’m disappointed he didn’t ask him why it’s so F’ing smart to trade the most productive two way CF in the American League and two very hard to find LH pitching prospects for a $13 million 35 year old slugger who hit 7 homeruns in a season limited to 59 games due to injury, while letting go a $0.5 million 37 year old slugger who hit 12 homeruns in 34 games a injury season.

QUOTE(TLAK @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 06:29 PM) Here is a list of MLB 40 man rosters and Spring Training invitees. I was going nuts paging through all the team sites so I made one list I can use the browsers find button on. The answer to the question that started the quest? Wilson Valdez is a nri with the Royals. MLB 40 Man Rosters and ST Invitees Updated

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jan 24, 2006 -> 08:24 PM) Mark Buehrle is not an ace. Admit it, you're just practicing a stress test for the new board!

IRC Cuba is not permitting any defectors on their team, in their eyes, they are traitors so no Count or El Duque. If Fidel sends his Olympic team, who have won 3 of the 4 gold medals, it will be interesting to see how they compete against the MLB'ers who are just starting to play exhibition games to get in shape. I also wonder if the WBC will enforce it's pitch count and innings of play rules on them. Finally, I'm going to keep an eye on how he is going to stop his players from escaping his brutal dictatorship when they are in Puerto Rico or San Diego.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 10:18 PM) Really close. There's an online book on Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn and I read like the first 4 chapters and they were talking about it. Do you have a link or remember what it was called, I'd like to take a look at it. The 80's were an interesting and tumultuous period for the White Sox. The baseball and money politics behind the Bartolo’s being blocked from buying the team and Reinsdorf’s group getting it, the estrangement of Bill Veeck. The courting of Carlton Fisk, the move to pay TV and the bad blood with Harry Carry and Jimmy Piersall. Ken Harrelson’s reign as GM and the firing of Tony Larussa. The whole stadium deal, including the role of Governor Thompson. I could be a season from ‘Dallas’, we even have a JR.

Here is a list of MLB 40 man rosters and Spring Training invitees. I was going nuts paging through all the team sites so I made one list I can use the browsers find button on. The answer to the question that started the quest? Wilson Valdez is a nri with the Royals. MLB 40 Man Rosters and ST Invitees

QUOTE(kevin57 @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 07:09 PM) I don't know about this. I think this year's (deserved) whipping boy was Marte...and actually I can think of a couple of others whom fans lacerated on a regular basis. Remember, Billy Koch before that? Ouch! Let's not remember him. Jerome Dead comes to mind.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Jan 19, 2006 -> 06:53 PM) Grieve has shown that he can play at this level with some good years in OAK, I just hope those years were not influenced by the Giambi Products Inc. I don't really know because I didn't see him last year but he wasn't good enough to crack that all-star roster on the grub last year. IIRC he came up when Patterson went down and played so well they brought Patterson back. An ill omen.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Jan 19, 2006 -> 06:56 PM) Wow, I never saw that one coming, Harris playing CF for the Sawks in place of Damon. When Jerry M played him fairly often in 2003 I thought he got better as he went along. The kid can really run out there, which makes up for a lot of bad jumps. But he had a tendency to make a great play to get to a ball and then not catch the damn thing. The last few years he regressed in CF, but he showed enough flashes to be worth an invite, I'd like to see how he looks after a month straight of OF. A guy who can run like that can help any team.

From Rotoworld:

The Central was the weakest division in a fairly well balanced American League last year. The White Sox finished 36 games over .500, picking up 30 of them against the division. This was the key to last season and division play will probably be the key to 2006. Here are the numbers, divisional totals first then Sox record V AL-Central opposition. The Sox divisional record was astounding. It will take a heck of a year to match it.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Jan 18, 2006 -> 09:39 PM) BTW...anyone remember why the Sox won the World Series last year? Pitching, speed, defense. Red sox in 04? Pitching, speed, defense(same may see this as strange, but without Roberts stealing 2nd, there isn't a chance in hell Boston makes it to the series. Nomar was traded and Anthrax was brought in...both moves were made because of defense). Marlins in 03? Pitching, speed, defense. Angels in 02? Pitching, speed, defense. As I recall, the 01 DBacks had all 3 of the same attributes, the Yankees did in the early part of their run, the Twins basically built their entire organization around it, and yet it still gets unnoticed to this very day, and a lot of times it does by so-called statistician writers such as Rob Neyer.

Who's 3rd on the catcher chart this year? I know Davis and Burke are gone and Casanova just signed with the A's. I see Chris Stewart's name on the 40 man but I don't anything about him except that he's 23 years old.