mmmmmbeeer

Our biggest enemy this season is going to be teams with good pitching. There aren't many teams in the AL that fit the bill. The Jays and O's may be able to hit like we could the last couple seasons, but they don't have the pitching to support them. Our staff should do a good job of keeping these guys at/under 4 runs a game. Against poor pitching we should be able to win. You've also got to keep who these teams have played in mind when evaluating their offenses. IMO, there isn't even a staff approaching mediocrity in the AL East; baltimore and toronto have been taking advantage of that fact. And, not to jinx us or anything, but come playoff time I'd gladly put MB, FG, and JG, with OH and JC coming out of the pen, against any staff in the AL and be confident we'd have the best playoff rotation, with Anaheim being the only team coming close.

QUOTE(qwerty @ May 6, 2005 -> 04:40 AM) Just wait until the yankees when 15 out of 18 at some point this year. It is just bound to happen. Not unless they somehow pull 3 quality starters out of their ass.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ May 5, 2005 -> 11:21 PM) I just don't understand why people are SO concerned about the Sox getting respect. What does it matter? Why do some of you NEED of all people John Kruk and Harlod Renyonds to tell you that this team is good and legit. I can say with confidence that 95% of the Soxtalk population knows more or has seen more of the Sox than the BBTN crew has. I am really starting to believe Sox fans just dont know what to do when there team is winning. I guess there is always something to b**** about on the South Side. :headshake Please see Balta's post before you posted this. He's right. I mean, no s*** we all know more about the team than the BBTN crew. No s*** the members of this site go to every game that they can. Respect or no respect on ESPN, we're there for our beloved White Sox. The respect IS important to casual fans and the money is those fans' pockets has a direct impact on our maneuverability in payroll. There is a national stigma about this franchise that will never be broken without positive press. I don't know how you could act as if that stigma isn't something important for this team to lose when looking at the big picture. The threads do get tiresome but, personally, I can't deny that they are discussing an important issue.

Frankly, I don't see the Boss dumping anyone unless they're still out of it at the deadline. He's not going to allow Cashman to give up a month or two into the season. The only guys I'd like to see the Sox get would be Matsui, Sheff, or Mariano. Mariano isn't going to get dealt. The other two we'd actually have a shot at and would each provide instant spark to this offense. Matsui would have minimal impact in the clubhouse considering his english, although I'd assume Zero and Gooch would respect Matsui greatly given his status in Japanese ball. Sheff, though certainly a source of controversy over the years, is still hitting like a champ and would be a HUGE upgrade over JD in RF. I think he'd fit in well on this team because of Ozzie Guillen and his intolerance for large egos (except for his own). Weren't they in ATL at the same time?

Her writing ability isn't very good considering she writes for a major newspaper. This article seems like something out of a high school comp. class.

We scored 7 runs off of Harden. I was half expecting to lose tonight simply because he was pitching, I'm encouraged by the fact that the Sox once again determined the outcome of this game, not the opponents. This is the kind of game where Ozzie's joking around in the clubhouse becomes invaluable...I'll be the music is blaring in that visitor's clubhouse right now.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Apr 24, 2005 -> 02:29 AM) Seriously, why is Marte still in? This is stupid. If they tie it against Shingo, who's left to pitch? Gotta get all he can from these last two pitchers.

Mariotti's column is s***, but anyways, I really like Ozzie's nature. I think most of the public does as well. How many people have you heard complain about politicall correctness? I hear it all the time, and Ozzie represents that sentiment which will make him a fan favorite. I sometimes wonder if he's got an ulterior motive, like distracting the media away from the performance of his team and placing it squarely on himself, relieving his players of some of the intense media pressure that goes along with winning. Ozzie is a player's manager, he's going to do what's best for the team. f*** the media if they try to take the high and mighty road in their coverage, because deep down over 75% of the public, and the media, love what Ozzie is doing, bringing back an attitude that has been absent from baseball for too long.

You gotta figure Dye and Crede will end up with semi-similar #'s by year's end. I think Ozzie should interchange them playing the hotter bat higher in the order so as to maximize run production out of the middle of the lineup. Dye and Rowand have been a black hole in the middle while Crede as been batting well but with noone on base. I imagine it's tough for a manager to convince himself that changing anything with Crede, considering his past inconsistencies, is a good idea, but he appears to be on more than just a hot streak. He's actually made some serious swing adjustments and changed his offseason routine, meaning this could very easily be the new Joe Crede.

QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Apr 20, 2005 -> 04:20 PM) This was my biggest fear going into this season with him.. Hitter have made the adjustment to him, and they are not swinging at anything outside of the strikezone... Granted I have seen 3 games, and each game it seems this way. See, I don't think the hitters have caught on yet, I just think Shingo is off his game. He's getting behind in the count due to BIG time control issues with his breaking/slow stuff coupled with a fastball topping out at 87MPH or so. Those hitters wouldn't be sitting on the fastball if he could get the junk over the plate. He needs those pitches to work for him....think back to '04 ST in the Arizona air. His breaking stuff wouldn't work for him leaving him no choice but to serve up fastballs when behind in the count. He had an absolutely HORRIBLE spring, we're seeing the same thing now. Shingo will get it together, he's a baseball veteran and is familiar with the ups and downs of a career in this game. He'll find a way to get himself back to where he was. Unless of course his fastball is slow and motion flawed due to injury, but let's not think about that.

It's pretty evident that they respect one another considering Ozzie's reaction to the collision last season. I can't stand Torii Hunter but I see him much like Pierzysnki, a guy who you hate but would love if he were on your team.

Did he just criticize us for not being able to hit like Ichiro? wow. I see his points and agree to an extent, our OBP is absolutely miserable and some "big"ball has earned us a couple of the wins. Although we are leading the league in sac flies, which is an element of smartball. We're probably up the list on sac bunts too, although i'm not sure. We are manufacturing runs with a lineup that has a low obp, there has to be something said for that.

All 3 game summaries I've read this morning (Southtown, Herald, SunTimes) have mentioned how important El Duque was in keeping the Count in the game last night. This is EXACTLY what we all have been waiting to see and I've got to tell ya, I like the results. Contreras would have been pulled by the 3rd inning and given up atleast twice as many runs if this were last season. Apparently Duque was telling him to be aggressive and go at guys and we all got to enjoy the results. If Duque can coach Count throughout this season the way he did last night, our pitching staff is much, much better than we ever thought it was going to be.

From the lack of celebration by the White Sox, it's almost as if they felt guilty for taking advantage of Wickman's complete lack of competence on the mound. Beautiful win and, for as bad as his control seemed to be today, good outing for Freddy.

Wonder what the Cougars guy did to deserve a 60 day suspension?

Did anyone notice Shingo throwing a new pitch? I was kind of hoping Hawk or DJ would mention something because I didn't see anything new.

Extra Innings is awesome. I live in OK and the only games I don't get to see are games at Kansas City or games broadcast on WCIU. The package is costing me 139.99 this season and is worth every penny.

QUOTE(JayMariotti @ Apr 1, 2005 -> 04:05 PM) You wish you could have my life. You get to see Mark Priors calves everyday on WGN, but I get to see much more than that Troll or not, that was funny.

QUOTE(TheBigHurt35 @ Mar 31, 2005 -> 02:57 PM) I don't think it's changed that much at all. People were making the same comments about GOP being too closely aligned with the Christian Right when Bush lost to Clinton in '92. Two years later, Republicans gained control of Congress and haven't looked back since. Reagan was a very devout Christian as well and used the same moralist ("Evil Empire") rhetoric when discussing the Soviet Union that Bush uses in reference to Iran and North Korea. Had the Constitution allowed, he almost certainly would've been elected to a third term. Death of the GOP, my ass. This "neoconservatism" label is just something that liberal, anti-Christian media outlets like the NY Times use to drag conservatives through the mud. They're scared stiff because a major media outlet (Fox News) is pushing a conservative agenda to counter their liberal agenda... and it's working very well. FNC is not pushing a conservative agenda, they're pushing the GOP agenda. There's a BIG difference. NeoConservatism is MUCH more than just a buzzword, it's a REAL ideology. PNAC wasn't planted by the DNC, the neocon family tree is rather easy to follow. There are plenty of republicans who are not part of that tree. Take Newt Gingrich and Pat Buchanan, they have no problem admitting that there is a neocon agenda. Are you implying that those two are leftists in disguise??? Newt and his "Contract With America" earned the GOP their stranglehold in congress back in '94, not the christian coalition. And please don't ever try to draw another parallel between GWB and Ron Reagan, Reagan would be absolutely disgusted by the Patriot Act, GOP fiscal irresponsibility, and big government tactics. I don't deny that Reagan was a man of strong faith, but he didn't use faith as a means to expand government. Just because Bush used Reagan's "Evil Empire" phrase sure as f*** doesn't mean anything more than Bush used his phrase.

Talent wise you've got to pull the trigger...now whether or not the deal fits your team is another story

I'm tellin' ya, this religious brand of neo-conservatism will spell the death of the GOP. It's amazing the way that this party has changed in just a few short years. I was a pretty proud republican when GW was elected and now I'm embarrassed to even associate myself with that party, for many of the same reasons as Danforth discussed. At times I feel as if some folks have been brainwashed by this administration. There's a dude at work, falls right in line with anything and everything this administration/FOX news says. We were discussing a couple of issues and this guy started labeling me a leftist, I DESPISE the left. A proud neo-con calling an old conservative liberal. I could do nothing but shake my head in awe.

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Mar 30, 2005 -> 11:06 PM) Pearl Jam is the first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear the name Mookie Blaylock, as opposed to his superior basketball skills. I actually used to be a huge Pearl Jam fan (mostly of their non-commercial stuff, Eddie is a very soulful mang), but I rarely ever listen to them nowadays. I read like three of their books back in the day, so I know that Mookie heard about then using his name & objected to it being used, so they dropped it. They are some huge Seattle Supersonics fans (huge basketball fans in general). Alice In Chains is good stuff, especially the MTV Unplugged material from 1993. I don't think I've listened to it in about 10 years, though. Another interesting tidbit on the PJ/Mookie tip.... Pearl Jam's first release was named after Mookie's number, "ten".

When Big Frank returned to the Sox in 2002 after missing nearly the entire '01 season due to the tricep problem, he struggled mightily. His numbers were by far the worst of his career hitting .252/.361/28/92 on the season but he was lucky to reach those #'s considering his .239/.333/.774 first half numbers. So we turn the page to '05 and we've got Frank once again returning from a major injury. Am I the only one who is concerned about a repeat of '02? I think it's really important for Frank to have a solid season for this team to succeed, but I'm seriously worried about where his skill level will be when he returns and just how many months it will take him to find his groove again. Could it just be the nature of the tricep injury that had such an effect on his hitting or was it simply the inactivity after surgery that pulled him down? Give me some reassurance please, I could use some.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Mar 27, 2005 -> 06:01 PM) Last I heard he was supposed to start. last snippet I read about him last week said that he's pretty much solidified his place in the 2 hole behind Ichiro.