TLAK

QUOTE(chisox05 @ Mar 24, 2005 -> 05:38 PM) Good Point. However, I've always felt that Lee is an ass and a punk simply from his outfield play especially last year. Did his outfield play improve-OH YES. But he became so full of himself and so lazy that it pissed me off. And nobody on this board agreed with me ,in fact people laughed at me for this. CARLOS IS A PUNK---Maggs is a great guy who has always been great to our organization except when he gave praise to the cubs... I give Lee a ton of credit for learning left field in the Big Leagues. He's criticized for his happy go lucky attitude, but without it he might not have been able to bear the ridicule he went through a couple years back. Might have helped he didn't speak much english too.

SoxTalk is like a good neighborhood bar. I have some experience in bars and notice similarities between the folks you run into at a good tavern and some of the types on this board. It’s not meant to be derogative towards anyone, but to poke a little fun at all of us. Here is a non-inclusive list. The Lifer Did you ever frequent the same bar at different hours and notice there is at least one customer who is ALWAYS there. You try to think if you have ever been there when he wasn’t. You wonder, when does he eat? When does he take a shower? The Rock Star Doesn’t show up very often but when he does he gets into every conversation, whether he’s asked something or not, and turns it into a discussion of his life story. The Assistant He’ll jump the bar to help change a Keg, usually getting in the way. He puts the pool sticks back in the rack even if he isn’t playing, getting greasy fingers on every one of them. He means well. The Monger He is the reason that bad news travels fast. On a slow day he sits looking out the window, just hoping for you to come in so he tell you so and so got a DUI. The Mayor He is highly respected and everyone looks up to him. The quickest route to becoming The Mayor is to state the obvious and otherwise keep your mouth shut. Not a bad philosophy, actually. The Whiner If the juke box is playing he can’t hear the TV, if its not, this place is dead. Bored with the samo-samo every night but doesn’t like all these new guys. The Mimic Watches some talk show or radio all day and spits it back out at night. Not limited to right wingers, I heard a girl recently mimic an AirAmerica Al Franken interview with Robert Rubin about Social Security, poking holes in Bush’s agenda. Almost word for word. The Seagull He flies high above the topic, drops a tremendous load of s***, and then flies on, not even looking down to see where it landed. This type is also prevalent in business. As I said, the list is not inclusive.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Mar 23, 2005 -> 04:59 PM) Now it's obviously not a guarantee...because roids did help Sosa...but Sosa, even off roids, was still probably going to be a .300 35 100 .900 type hitter his entire career. You sure couldn't tell from his first two years with the Sox, he hit .233 15 HR and .203 10 HR. Gulp, maybe we should think again about dumping JoBo.

Wilder was on with Hawk and DJ for an inning in yesterdays game and they said 15 guys were cut from the minor league camp that morning but did not name any names. I've been looking around the net but haven't found who was released. Anyone have information?

Walker got pounded pretty good today. I haven’t seen it yet; the replay is still in the 6th. His next outing will be big. Everyone needs to see if this was just one of those days or is arm is going bad again.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 22, 2005 -> 07:32 AM) CONVERT THE HEATHENS Let them swim in their sewage, sink in their sea of tears, drink their vile poison. Let them consort with their vermin and rot their minds in delusion. Verily I say to you, sow not the evil weed of cubdum in the verdant valley of truth. We are a blessed and chosen people. Thus is the word.

Another thing wearing thin is the Joanie and the slide comercial they seem to play every half inning and every pitching change.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 21, 2005 -> 02:03 PM) Its been 2 weeks and a day since we found out initally, and it has already begun. On the good side, from the age 3 or so children can be trained to get beers from the fridge for dad. Mine was very proud of herself at first but tired of it after about 20 years.

QUOTE(Rooftop Shots @ Mar 21, 2005 -> 08:06 PM) Agreed! For those who disagree, remember that we once had Drysdale as our full time announcer. The guy was a great pitcher, but his excitability towards our home team white sox was like listening to a casket with arms and legs. Maybe Hawks sometimes has the extension lips out with certain praises, but his excitement when good things happen during a game are real. Funny line, but remember, he was better than Jack Drees. I got no problem with Harrelson fans, just a matter of taste. I like to hear Milo Hamilton down in Houston, although one of Hawk's old batting gloves probably knows more about baseball. Did you ever hear Hawk tell the story about inventing the batting glove?

QUOTE(Rooftop Shots @ Mar 21, 2005 -> 07:53 PM) Just wish he would learn to lay off on the constant stories of what happened to him in certain situations. Sometimes a few pitches go by and he's still yakking on a story about himself that can sometimes go on longer than it should. Stay with the game at hand, tell what's going on, and repeat the score and situation at hand a little more often. The TV has a toolbar for reminders, or for when your just tuning in. Radio doesn't, so to leave you hanging for too long gets you antsy as to what's happening. Farmer is good, don't get me wrong, but he needs to lay off the "way too many"stories about himself and stay with the the game comentary that is going on now. There is an appreciable drop in energy when Farmer takes the play by play. Even during good games I lose the pace of the game with him. Rooney stays on top of what is happening and, I don't know how to say it, but I have more of a sense of anticipation about what will happen on the next pitch. I'm glad they split up the innings the way they do, Farmer gets the 4th, 5th and 7th. If he went three in a row somebody would have to wake me up.

For the past couple seasons my habit has been to start Sox games listening on the radio outside on the patio. When I come in later I have the stereo set to Rooney and Farmer while turning the video on the TV. I score most of the games and it’s easier with the radio play by play. So I just haven’t listened much to Harrelson or DJ, except for highlights. This spring there are a lot of games on comcast that radio is not broadcasting. I have no option except the Hawk. So I’m kind of a Rip Van Winkle, awakening to these commentators after not hearing them for many years. After about a half dozen games, I’ve reached a conclusion. Hawk Harrelson is worst commentator and homer I have ever heard in my entire life. Exposure to him beyond 15-second highlights is detrimental to my well being. He has said the most ridiculous things lately. Ozzie is the best manager in the majors, KW is the best GM, is the best he has ever seen, and on and on and on and on. I know it’s his job to sell tickets but he’s worse than QVC. He is very knowledgeable but also very discriminating as to when he displays this knowledge. Fields was in a couple games back and let a high hopper play him then threw a balloon off his wrong foot. He got the guy but as Hawk was gushing about what a great play it was, I was thinking how glad I was Fields didn’t hurt himself. Come on Hawk, Fields has also made some pretty good plays this spring and has a lot of potential but Jesus, Hawk, call a spade a spade. Rooney and Farmer have their faults too, they will also window dress at times but Hawk is so blatant he drives me crazy.

Cooper is on ESPN and says Buehrle feels much better. If he felt that way yesterday he wouldn't have gone to the trainer. The tests from all the doctors are not in yet but if he can throw a side on the 29th he'll start opening day.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Mar 20, 2005 -> 04:22 AM) I've read that Valdez is out of options so the sox would lose him. So somewhere the sox will need to trade for a AAA SS. How could he be out of options? His only MLB experience was last September.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 18, 2005 -> 11:20 PM) KW will be devastated; From MLB Roberto retires with 2724 hits.

Anyone else worried that Pedro Lopez has 'deer in the headlights' syndrome? He has a great defensive rep from the minors but he looks very tentative playing the the big team.

Rep Sanchez is certainly a HUGE baseball fan.

I'm probably showing how out of touch I am, but while we are waiting could someone explain how the supply chain works for these substances? Are they legitimate prescription drugs that are diverted improperly or are they made in boot-leg labs like Meth-amphetamine? Is a steroid a natural substance that is distilled from something or do you mix them up from other things? How complicated is it to produce?

From MLB.Com I told you he was hurt.

QUOTE(The Critic @ Mar 14, 2005 -> 01:02 PM) It would definitely be fun to listen to them together. They would fit like a glove, I think. BTW, anyone happen to hear the new Cub broadcasters? Brenly is okay, but that Kasper guy sounds A LOT like Al Michaels to me. ....hey, I was stuck in Wisconsin on Saturday, okaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy???? Watching the replay. Brenly just gave Glendon Rusch credit for moving an imaginary runner along. There was no one on base and he hit a weak grounder to Willie Harris. I never heard that one before.

QUOTE(ChiSoxFan @ Mar 10, 2005 -> 01:52 PM) Speaking of pre/post game hosts, have they chosen one yet for Comcast Sportsnet? I'm guessing they'll either go with Kerry Sayers or William Jackson. I see Gail Fischer probably doing Cubs pre/post. Judging by the rumors, she's doing more than the pre/post.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 14, 2005 -> 06:45 AM) You're almost pretty much giving up Garland for nothing in that deal. I know Rollins would give us more speed in the lineup, and could probably hit over .300 at one point in time, but Uribe has the potential to put up Miggy Tejada like numbers. The problem with Uribe is he's just so streaky. Remember, he played his way to the bench for a time last season. SS is probably my biggest question mark this year, and SS is a bad place for a question mark. The other iffy's -Pods, Crede, Iguchi- have some one pretty good behind them, but the key position on the diamond is a big gamble. And don't tell me Ozuna, from the games I saw, he throws like Willie Harris. I'm was just speculating on a slow day anyway, not the time of year for teams to make big deals like this.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 13, 2005 -> 08:25 PM) With David Bell injuring his back, it looks like they'll hold onto Polanco for a while. I was really thinking something like Garland & Uribe for Jimmy Rollins.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 13, 2005 -> 08:43 AM) As much I like Brandon, there is no way we bury a $6 million pitcher for a guy with 5 starts at AA. I start Brandon at Birmingham and if he keeps us the great work, he is my first call up in case of injury. Unless you move the $6 million pitcher to a certain team with extra depth in the infield and who's number two starter just went down with triceps tendinitis.

Odds are very good we'll see BMac this year. Last year the White Sox used 13 different starts. Buehrle, Garland, Loaiza, Schoeneweis, Garcia, Contreras, Grilli, Diaz, Wright, Stewart, Rauch, Cotts and Munoz. And that wasn’t even the league high, Texas used 17 different starters! The lowest in baseball were Anaheim and Oakland with 6. The average MLB team used 10.6 different starters. Both WS teams, RSox and Cards, used 8. So, even under the best of circumstances, somebody not in the 'fab' 5 will likely get some starts. Keeping that in mind makes the ST outings from Atkins, BMac, Tracey, Diaz etal much more interesting to watch.

Brandon McCarthy was very impressive, I watched the replay and am reminded of a comment an opposing manager (I can’t remember who) made when Mark Prior was in his first ST with no possibility of making the team. He picked the cubs to win the pennant because any team with 5 pitchers better than him was a lock. If McCarthy continues at the level he’s been on for the last year, it will become apparent he is being wasted in AAA and they will find innings for him on the big club. I say this because he is not a shot out of the blue, a mediocre guy on a hot streak, he was consistently excellent at three levels in the minors and looked the same against some of the best hitters in Major League Baseball yesterday. Other comments; A.J. was so quiet behind the plate I had to force myself to concentrate on him; he did a fine job. Josh Fields looked mighty rough, Iguchi’s sliding for that ground ball had some ‘relish’ on it and I too never saw Crede take as short a swing as he did on his double in the first. I love baseball, Comcast, Miller Lite and tape delay….