JPN366

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 02:57 PM) Before we ask people to elaborate...I probably ought to offer a reminder that occasionally people from the organization do drop by here...and we have no idea how high up those people might be. Just something to think about for your own personal benefit. She can PM me if need be. Just curious if she is implying anything.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 01:08 AM) I think the gist of this thread is that the game has changed. Look all around baseball at the moment. At all the playoff teams or near playoff teams. Other than the Yankees, you see elite, homegrown, and more importantly, cheap and controlled talent up and down their rosters. The Rays, Rangers, Reds, Rockies head the list. And the Twins have obviously flourished at this for years. Yes, I know most of these teams sucked for years before they got to this point. But they're hear now. And it doesn't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon (especially the Rays, they're deeper than Oprah's asshole pitching wise, majors and minors). This is why guys like me, fathom, russ, I think Ace, ect, were so against the Jackson trade. It's not because we think Jackson is the second coming of Todd Ritchie. It's because it was a horrible business move. There was just no real logic behind it. Other than Cooper's insistence that he could "fix" him. But when you're already up against your financial threshold, and you already have glaring holes all over the place that need to be filled, you don't have that option. Somebody used the word "piecemeal" to describe the way the Sox run things. And that's a PERFECT way to describe it. I think that's what I mean when I say the '05 title was a fluke. Yes, we were the best team that year. But the way that team was put together was no formula for a sustained run, obviously. We added a lot of guys coming off down years or that nobody wanted and it magically came together for a year. And we've been doing that ever since with one division title to show for it the last 5 years. Unacceptable. I guess I'm one of the few fans that would welcome a "rebuilding" period (i.e. a down year or two) if that ultimately meant we were building for a sustained run of success. Finishing 2nd/3rd every year is like making out with a relative. Your ass is sitting at home watching the playoffs just like the teams that lost 95-100 games. Except they at least get a top 5 pick to work with. I wasn't thrilled with trading Hudson, but there was no point in expressing it, because everybody thought Dunn would be on his way to Chicago. Of course, I don't like seeing any prospect traded, especially someone like Hudson.

QUOTE (IChaseBlackWood @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 12:52 PM) Chase doesn't dislike him at all, they were roommates in W-S actually ...nobody likes to see people use who they are to get special treatment though ..especially when they work their asses off to get a lot less. I wasn't sure what you had meant, thanks for clarifying. But, are you implying anything with the bolded part of your statement?

What it all boils down to is that we're not talking about a longshot darkhorse prospect, we're talking about KW getting his son six figures in bonus money and giving him a job.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 12:18 PM) I know... but when a player has a total of 600 at-bats in his entire professional career, you have to make judgments based on small samples, because that's all we have numbers-wise. Plus, the 1/2 season we're talking about is really the first time he's been healthy for an extended period. No doubt the Sox are basing their evaluation of him at this point based on tools rather than stats. (He didn't get enough at-bats in college to get an idea of his capabilities either.) So, I wouldn't use the numbers we have to set a baseline for future expectations. All I'm suggesting is that given the information we have, his increased success in 150 at-bats over 40 games (the second half of this year) seems a long enough period to justify continuing the experiment, rather than flushing him. If he didn't play much in college either due to health, then why the hell was he a 6th round pick??? I'd say that his recent success is more to do with the old proverb of a blind squirrel finding a nut. It's easy for you to say it's worth continuing the experiment, you won't be paying to watch him play next year. And, to be accurate, he has 601 career at bats.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Sep 6, 2010 -> 01:46 PM) It's hard to assume injuries and it's not like you're talking about penciling in a guy for a starting position. It's likely the last spot on the roster anyway. I think Gartrell could bring the same kind of power numbers that Andruw Jones does. Although Gartrell is strictly a corner outfielder.

Who else thinks Andy Wilkins will be jumped to W-S to start 2011?

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 10:33 AM) I wouldn't put him on your Kyle McCulloch type hate list yet. If he wasn't KW's son, would you really get this irritated about him? He's played less than two full seasons in the minors. He's got athletic genes. And he showed significant improvement in the second half of the season this year... batting .282 after the all-star break. I think it's worth seeming him at the AA-level (and healthy) before we try to force him into retirement. He just gets way too much playing time and I bet it all has to do with McEwing being forced to play him. Not to mention how he was drafted way too early. Even Oney Guillen got way too much playing time back in 2008. The name Josh Shaffer is a four letter word in Birmingham. I looked at the box scores all year and I noticed how often KW Jr. was playing instead of someone like Ozzie Lewis or Kyle Shelton. Both of whom were much more productive and hit around or over .300. Had KW Jr. been active all season, he would've likely played in close to 130 games. That's out of 140. That's way too many. He played in 74 games, while probably being active for about 80. 74 games is about the maximum playing time he should get over a whole year if healthy. That's part time almost exactly. The most galling thing was that when Short went down, KW Jr. was thrust into the leadoff role. Why would any manager put one of the worst hitters for average on the team as a leadoff hitter? Only if he was forced to. Oney claimed that himself earlier this year. Just look at the Dash player stats for 2010 sorted by average, you'll see that KW Jr. had no business hitting anywhere near the top of the order at any point at all. He should have been hitting 8th all the time. He doesn't draw walks, he doesn't steal bases, his season average was .252 and his OPS was .671. There was no excuse for him playing as much as he did nor the place in the batting order. Short should have been put back in the leadoff spot and that be that. Kyle Shelton's numbers alone were vastly better than KW Jr.'s in less games. I see your point Patrick, but we're not talking about just any player, we're talking about a player benefiting from nepotism. I even got the impression from Bren that Chase didn't think much of him either. To paraphrase her, KW Jr. wasn't going to lose playing time to anyone. I don't think I can support him next year if he's in B'ham and playing way too damn much. If he can barely hit .250 in the Carolina League, then it's going to be a steep drop for him next year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 08:44 AM) That's a lot of at bats to get if you spend a month on the DL. He managed to get 274 at bats in 74 games this year. That averages out to 3.7 at bats per game. He would've gotten more had he not spent so much time on the DL. The only hope is that he spends a lot of time on the DL, otherwise he will get 500 and hit leadoff all year while sucking big time. I hope he decides to retire, he's taking at bats away from other prospects.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 10, 2010 -> 06:36 PM) Yes, but that depends on your wife's tastes. She would like it, but we didn't go.

QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 10:41 PM) So thoughts on the new Linkin Park album? Here's mine, wtf. Haven't listened to the whole thing yet, I do like "The Catalyst" and "Wretches And Kings" though. I'm guessing it's a concept album.

I'm going to vomit repeatedly next year when KW Jr. gets 500 at bats for the Barons, and hits .220 the whole time. While somebody who's hitting over .300 rides the bench. Of course, he'll go on the DL 3 or 4 times.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 06:19 PM) Why does KW Jr lead off in the playoffs? I mean, Short was a leadoff man all year, right? Why does KWJR with his numbers get that chance? Makes no sense to me. What was it Oney said before the season started? KW Jr. has gotten at bats all year long when there were better options with better averages on the bench.

QUOTE (IChaseBlackWood @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 03:33 PM) Chase fan? As cute as that is, I prefer Bren!! ..I wasn't expressing an opinion .. everything I said was fact. You don't have to care about these guys and whether or not they win their titles ..it bothers me none, but for you to imply that Baseball isn't a real job was kinda goofy! These guys work their asses off ..it's not all fun and games. Not only that, they have people all over the country/world critiquing every move they make without the slightest clue of what really goes on in a day of the life of a minor league baseball player. I couldn't work well knowing all that!! LOL These guys are a bunch of bad asses!! I've read up on what they go through. They have it rough if they weren't bonus babies.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 12:43 PM) Another thought... I enjoy watching and following sports at all levels... not just "major league". If sports was all about who was going to 'make it' at the top professional levels, then why bother watching college football or basketball? The odds of minor league baseball players making it are at least as good as that. The way I look at it... these are sort of like the "WhiteSox College" teams. And I follow them and think about them pretty much the same way I do other college sports. Also the same.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 12:32 PM) I love MiLB. And not because it's a feeder system for MLB. The quality of games and competition is generally very good. You get closer to the field and the players. It won't drive you into the poor-house to go. You get to see some players who will make it to the majors, often before anyone except scouts and hardcore fans really know anything about them. One of the best parts, IMO, are the surprises that come as a result of watching players develop... guys who don't look like much... and then the 'light bulb' turns on for them. I think it's exciting and fun. And apparently alot of other people do too. Because attendance at MiLB games has literally exploded over the last 5-10 years. I feel the same.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 12:04 AM) Like I said, to each their own. I've never in my baseball fan life given two s***s about whether one of our minor league affiliates actually won or lost a game. All I care about when it comes to the minor leagues are LEGITIMATE prospects, not nice guys (Jeff Bajenaru comes to mind) that have no chance in hell of making it to The Show. I look at this Dash team, and I don't see one guy with a snowball's chance in hell of sniffing Chicago before, I don't know, 2013? If then? And another thing that makes minor league titles worthless is that the elite talent is obviously going to make it to the big leagues at some point during any given year. The elite talent that's leftover usually jumps at least one level during any particular year. So by playoff time you don't even have anything close to the team you started with most of the time. Just a bunch of roster filler and AAAA guys on their last harrahs before it's time to go out and get a real job. I will say you have a point for those that don't live in Chicago. But you have to see where I'm coming from as well. All I'm saying is there is nothing wrong with wanting them to win the league title. But most of us have cared all season long about them winning games, so why all of the sudden would these games be more meaningless than the regular season games?

QUOTE (The Critic @ Sep 13, 2010 -> 11:51 AM) What a douche, doing something nice for his daughter!!! I picked up my ticket for Suicidal Tendencies, and I'm not giving it to my daughter!!! She's a b***h and a music snob, she's not a fan. Mike Muir's still alive?

Strangely, the Dash don't have homefield advantage in the championship series, even though they won both halves and Potomac did not. Games 3, 4 and 5 would be in Potomac.

I don't know where to ask this, but can someone with photoshop skills make me a banner signature of Pete Carroll with an angry expression and Seahawks logos around him?

QUOTE (IceCreamPants @ Sep 12, 2010 -> 11:39 PM) Me too! I remember it well. I saw it at the Water Tower downtown and my best friend at the time Father asked my mom if it was okay that he take me to see it cuz it was PG-13....my mom laughed at him, how inappropriate when he was just trying to be responsible....lol I remember that the film was distorted all the way through the opening scene when I saw it. Tia Carrere was the bomb.

QUOTE (T R U @ Sep 13, 2010 -> 02:07 AM) So I went to Uproar tonight, Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed were awesome, and we caught wind of where A7X were going to be after the show.. so we went, they weren't there and about 30 mins later I turn around and M Shadows and Mike Portnoy are at the bar.. it was badass.. When we were leaving the rest of em were coming in and I did the head nod "whats up dude" and Gates said "sup buddy" and topped off an excellent night.. Now Bullet for my Valentine next Saturday and I will have had quite the metal week.. I could have had free tickets to Uproar last Friday night here in Pelham, AL, as well as an autographed AX7 press kit. Didn't find out until after the fact, my stepfather-in-law helped with the pyrotechnics because he's one of the Shelby County fire marshalls. He gave the tickets and the press kit to his bloody daughter.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 12, 2010 -> 03:07 AM) For the organization, yeah. I'm talking about you guys. It seems some of you really care if Great Falls or Winston-Salem wins their league title. Like will you order a 2010 Winston-Salem High A championship shirt? Oh my god. I busted out laughing typing that. To each their own. The minor leagues to me are nothing more then for player development. Why stop caring after caring all year long? I spend $1,000 on season tickets every year, I want the Barons to win and go to the playoffs. Those teams have fans, it's easy to say that when you don't live in a minor league town. Those players care and they are part of the organization you are a fan of. Why wouldn't you want them to succeed? Just because the minors are for development, doesn't mean that winning a league title is irrelevant. That's work that the players have put in all year. I understand if you don't care about them winning or losing, but you're basically saying that the minor league teams don't matter and equating them to a glorified practice squad. They wouldn't play competitive games at all or keep records if the teams and leagues weren't legitimate. You're insulting the fans in those cities by saying winning or losing a league title doesn't matter. We don't all live in Chicago.

I saw Wayne's World in theaters.

QUOTE (IceCreamPants @ Sep 12, 2010 -> 11:03 PM) It aint nothin but a G thang baaaabay....2 low down G's goin craaaaaazay Tapping at 30, living like I'm 20 when my future wife is not looking. (Not cheating on her for the record ) lol This is for you, Shipps... QUOTE (JPN366 @ Sep 10, 2010 -> 12:52 PM) For those newly married men, here's an example of something you don't say as a married man..."Man! This f***ing ring is keeping me from getting p***y."