almagest

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 07:06 AM) I will say this, the White Sox put up a much bigger fight than the Red Sox have, one dimensional offense and all.Agreed. I actually felt like we were in every game, except maybe the last one. Since that last game in Tampa the Red Sox have looked flat and kind of shell-shocked.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 10:11 AM) Do you have access to their VORP numbers? A-Rod does better in WARP, but interested in VORP of the two and can't find it on baseballprospectus.com This should do it. Rodriguez does seem to win the VORP battle as well, at least in the past 3 years.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 15, 2008 -> 10:05 PM) Anyways, Alex Rodriguez plays 3B, doesn't need to be traded to be motivated, and he annually puts up better regular season numbers than Manny Ramirez. Alex Rodriguez is easily more valuable than Manny Ramirez.Rodriguez and Ramirez have career OPS+ within 7 points of each other, in almost the same career length (15/16 years). Their career highs in OPS+ are within 9 points of each other. If Ramirez can post these numbers while "not trying," he's obviously a much better player than A-Rod on potential alone.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 16, 2008 -> 06:09 AM) Manny Ramirez is a douche bag. He loafed this season with the Red Sox who have only paid him about $120 million. It was so bad, his TEAMMATES told management he needs to go. He gets "motivated" playing for a new contract, and suddenly he's a better player than ARod? Please. Barry Bonds was awful in the post season until later in his career. Frank Thomas has had 2 post season series where he failed to get a hit. It happens. ARod is a superior player. Manny could have been right up there with him, but he was the one who chose not to. He is pretty awesome when he wants to be, but that isn't everyday. He even took a couple of Septembers off with the Red Sox with mystery injuries. God help whichever team opens the bank for him this winter.He also put up a .299/.398/.529 line with the Red Sox, at the age of 36. I guess compared to his obscene 213 OPS+ with the Dodgers those numbers could be considered "loafing," but that's almost exactly the same production the Red Sox are getting from Jason Bay. Is he "loafing" too? Manny and A-Rod have very similar lifetime stats, as well. I don't think you can declare either one as "better." It really just seems like you don't like Manny Ramirez, so you find second-hand accounts of how he isn't liked by his teammates, ignore his actual production, and claim that makes Ramirez somehow inferior to A-Rod/whoever else.

Sonnanstine pitched pretty well tonight. Maddon left him in a little too long I think. I don't feel so bad now getting shut down by him in the ALDS. I also don't feel so bad losing to Tampa period, as they look like world-beaters right now.

QUOTE (tommy @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 10:34 PM) He walked two in the first, then settled and cruised. Bottom 8th now, two on with no out, Rays staging a comeback?Nope! Rays ALCS offense = White Sox ALDS offense.

QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 12:24 PM) Female 'friends' are just women you keep around hoping one day you might nail them. Be honest.Exactly. If you hang out alone with her, and talk to her on the phone, chances are you want to nail/date her. QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 12:36 PM) Really? So being a phony is considered great advice?No, it's amusing and well-written, though.

If she makes eye contact, and smiles, and generally looks approachable (e.g., arms aren't crossed, doesn't turn away from you), just go say hi. It's not as complicated as some people think.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 01:54 PM) He also has a bum knee, and pleaded with Jerry Manuel to bench him at home, because he didn't like to be booed. Yep... he'd go pretty well with the fans famous for making sure Damaso Marte never pitched in the Cell againEven in a down year, Luis Castillo managed a .355 OBP. His lifetime OBP is .367. Assuming his knee problem can be addressed, it might be a good idea to buy low on him, and see what he can do leading off.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 10:38 AM) He IS on Soxtalk, isn't he? There are lots of boobs on this board.As soon as I posted that, I knew someone would run with it.

QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Oct 8, 2008 -> 11:02 PM) I still would like more yes, but I can handle knowing shes with someone else. I'm not waiting for her anymore, I'm done with that bs, we'll see what happens down the road.I speak from experience when I say: if you do want more, then let it go. Seriously. Even if you think it's manageable, or that you're over it, etc., constant contact with her will keep all those feelings in the front, and will probably end up ruining any chance for a relationship, or even friendship. You need to let them die down, and you need to move on, and you can't do that if you're in the "will see what happens down the road" mode. Also, she chose someone else over you, she fed you a line about "needing to see other people to be sure you're the one" line, then got mad at you for doing the same thing. You can't let her expect that everything will continue on like nothing ever happened.

QUOTE (BobDylan @ Oct 8, 2008 -> 04:43 PM) I don't get where this comment comes from. Side by side, the game lists are damn near identical. If you buy a console for gaming only (not including the Wii here), it comes down to which exclusive titles you'd rather have. Off the top of my head, for X-box, I can think of Halo, Perfect Dark and Mass Effect. I know there are others, but I feel these are the big ones. Playstation 3, again, off the top of my head, has Socom, Resistance and Metal Gear Solid, (Final Fantasy?). I enjoy the PS3 titles more. What you said about buying a console for gaming purposes only, I do the same. Anything extra I get with it is an added bonus. But now that I have a PS3, I don't have to buy a blu-ray player. Even today, the PS3 is a very good buy just for the blu-ray capabilities. If I had a PSP, I'd enjoy hooking it up to the PS3. I've seen others do it and it's a fantastic feature. Now that they're planning to add a PSP phone, I'm truly excited for what else they can bring to the table and for the PS3. What you say about online communities within the X-box, it's not really that different for the PS3. The X-box has a few extra features like in game chat, but the PS3 with the XMB bar and the PSN friends list isn't that much far behind. Add in that they constantly improve the PSN, it's essentially limitless (I realize Microsoft updates X-Box live, too). Home, from playing the beta, offers an experience in what you call community, that trumps anything X-Box Live offers. And when it comes out, will be free. But it is foolish to think gaming consoles are just gaming machines these days. Consoles are slowly bridging the gap between the PC's and themselves. When the PSN store gets in full gear with it's movie line-up and what Home does, there is no doubt in my mind that X-Box Live will look like the second tier online experience. Maybe it's just my opinion, but you're making a mistake by going with the X-Box 360. I'm not a fan boy, I've had both systems, but if you're leaning towards the 360 only for the reasons you've stated, I suggest you do a little research before spending that money. FFXIII is coming out on PS3 and Xbox360. Also, if you're an RPG fan like me, the 360 is the way to go -- for now.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Oct 8, 2008 -> 09:21 PM) No he isn't a "plus" fielder and his OBP was .328. He has very little pop as well. I rather have Cabrera or Uribe over him.But he did have gaudy numbers in AAA in 2005 and 2007: 2005 - .355 .403 .518, 20/31 BB/K 2007 - .359 .422 .537, 30/46 BB/K If Iowa/PCL isn't a ridiculously hitter-friendly league, he could be a good "buy low" kind of guy. And now a Desmond DeChone "Chone" Figgins "fun fact", courtesy of Wikipedia: Awesome!

QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Oct 8, 2008 -> 09:25 PM) I was best friends with her before i got the feelings for her. So yeah...But can you STAY friends now? Do you want more?

QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Oct 8, 2008 -> 06:05 PM) Lol thats why I put this stuff on soxtalk, because i know I'm gonna get good responses. I can't just ditch out on her, because we were best friends before all of this stuff happened. I've already got over the fact that I'm not that main guy anymore, it sucks, but w/e. I still want her in my life, but I'm not going out of my way for her anymore. I love everything you guys said.I don't think anyone is telling you to ditch out on her. You really should distance yourself from her, though -- unless you can say for absolute certain that you don't harbor some hope of being with her, because if you try staying good friends with her while she's dating someone else, and you still have feelings for her, it'll eat you up inside. And no one should hurt themselves like that, for any reason.

Yeah, this was pretty much inevitable the moment she told you about "seeing other people." Focus on enjoying yourself at college, and surrounding yourself with as many boobs as possible (this is really a good goal to keep in mind for the rest of your life as well). Don't go out of your way to talk to her, don't become that guy friend she vents to, and really just move on and try to forget about her. Don't be mean or do anything vindictive, though. That never works out well, and you shouldn't feel like you have to stoop to that level.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Oct 8, 2008 -> 10:26 AM) What? This

Reviews on Newegg look pretty good. I'd read through all of those, at least. Also check out ZDNet for reviews on this company's other products.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 11:40 PM) Jim Thome had the 3rd highest OPS+, 3rd highest SLG%, and 2nd highest OBP on the White Sox this season, and he hit .245. Why do people want to get rid of him? He hits homers, he walks, or he strikes out...you can deal with players like that when they're as productive as Thome is. Dye I understand, because his value is high, his contract is reasonable, he's a generally impatient hitter when it comes to walks, he struck out 104 times this year, and he's mediocre defensively (when there's a superior option in RF). Add to it that the Sox have (including Dye) four right handed hitters in the lineup that have considerable power...unless you count Griffey or Pierzynski (and it'd be dumb if you did), the Sox have one left-handed hitter that has good power. Why people want to get rid of Thome is beyond my comprehension. He doesn't hit for average, I guess. Of course, if he was still hitting ~.300 at age 38 he'd probably be considered one of the best of all time, so that's probably not a valid criticism. Oh, and he's also not "clutch", whatever that means. I guess a 3 run homer in the 3rd is like 15x less important than a 3 run homer in the 8th. Seriously, I'd like to see what most people consider a valid option at DH Dye? Konerko? Someone else? And since Thome's option vested, where's he going to go?

19" Recertified Viewsonic HDTV Envision 19" HDTV Sceptre 19" HDTV Those are all under $250 before tax/shipping. I'd go with the Viewsonic if I were you. They make decent TVs, and its 19" should be enough for gaming (XBOX360/PS3 would be in HD as well), TV, and you should be able to use it as a computer monitor, too. Just don't expect to sit any further than a foot or two away and be able to see anything.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Oct 5, 2008 -> 07:51 PM) Figgins is not a free agent. He'll be arbitration eligible in '09 and hit free agency following next season.Everything I've seen shows that he's a free agent following the 2008 season.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Oct 5, 2008 -> 07:37 PM) Ok...is Figgins a FA or not?!? A lot my hinge on whether Texiara resigns with LA IMO.... Nothing is a a given...but I really think prying Figgins over to this team is a priority for Kenny this offseason. Either Figgins or Roberts. Just my 2¢...He signed a 3 year deal on Jan 14, 2006, so he should be a free agent, since I didn't see any other contract info on him since then.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 11:31 PM) Uribe was one of the key reasons we won in 2005. For that reason, I would never call him a "dog" or disrespect him. He's limited offensively, is a streak hitter, and has virtual no patience. He is what he is...which is a good back-up, but not a starter for 75-85% of the teams in MLB. I also think he's been exposed a little defensively at 3B on turf. He doesn't have the quick first step that Crede used to have...don't get me wrong, he's made some great defensive plays to save us down the stretch, and we wouldn't have made the playoffs with Fields playing 3B, but the time has come for KW and Uribe to part company and say thanks for the memories, particularly that catch down the line going into the stands in the final game of the World Series, and the first two months after we acquired him, when he was hitting about .400. The thing about Uribe, no matter what, he consistently drove in runners from 3rd with less than 2 outs, he always managed 20 homers and 70+ RBI's, and those are respectable numbers from a SS. Put that together with his defensive ability and arm, he has nothing to be ashamed about as a player. We've had this discussion about Uribe before. He gets hot for short stretches and can almost carry a team during them, but he also disappears for long stretches, becoming an almost automatic out. All in all, he posts a mid-high .600 OPS which isn't acceptable from a starter. He's proven to be best at the super-sub role, and I wouldn't mind keeping him next year in that role. But not as a starter.

QUOTE (MO2005 @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 10:07 AM) Did or did not all of those world series champions string hits together or were they homerun first approach? Boston hits homeruns, but do you notice their approach? It is different than the Whitesox. All good and winning teams will be tops in homeruns, but it's when they are hit and how crucial of a situation it is? It's called being a smart team!Getting hits with RISP isn't small ball. Also none of the past 7 world series winners were small ball teams. Not sure where you got that idea. There's no sure-fire answer to win the world series -- even if there was, I'd vote for a good bullpen or dominant starting pitching more than I would small ball.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Oct 3, 2008 -> 07:40 PM) I never said he was bad. But he isn't a good HITTER. He is a good all around offensive player because of his good eye, not because he rips singles all over the park.Semantics. Dunn doesn't hit for average, but he does everything else. Add in hitting for average, and you start talking a hall of fame caliber player. That's an awfully high benchmark. So, based on that, do you think a player who ONLY hits for average is better, or something? You really aren't making any sense.