lasttriptotulsa

I agree with some of you others that if it weren't for sports I would not have satellite. For my tv watching I definitely could get by with a combination of Netflix and Hulu, but I couldn't get by without having CSN. Whether it be the Sox, Bulls or Blackhawks, I watch at least one of the three almost every night. Really sucks having to pay $100 per month just to watch sports, but there is really no other option.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 28, 2014 -> 08:33 PM) He's back in the lineup tonight. No better time to get some confidence back than against the lowly Flames. Yea judging by Coach Q's comments, it sounds like he's not been real happy with Bickell lately.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 28, 2014 -> 01:05 PM) I've alluded to this before too, but the Sox don't HAVE to move De Aza. It'd be a waste of a valuable resource, but there are ways of making things work in the outfield where all of the players get their fair share of ABs. In that situation, Jordan Danks has to clear waivers before being sent back to the minors. Is anyone that concerned with losing Jordan Danks? I don't think anybody is going to cry themselves to sleep if the Sox lose Jordan Danks, but the thing I wonder is do the Sox really want to pay a fourth outfielder over $4 million when they could keep Jordan Danks around at less than 25% of the cost. Danks proved to me last year that he has enough to stick as a fourth outfielder. He is a good defender and has good speed. That's really what you're looking for in a fourth outfielder. I certainly would not just give De Aza away as he has at least a little value, but I would certainly try to move him.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 28, 2014 -> 09:44 AM) Bad weather isn't a home field advantage. The Packers see zero benefit from hosting a single-digit temperature playoff game. A better team could lose early in the playoffs because of a "fluke" or luck caused by the weather, it's part of the game. If they are so adamant about only NFL stadiums hosting Super Bowls, then let every city host it. If the conditions are good enough for every other playoff game, they should be for the Super Bowl. There's much more that goes into picking a Super Bowl location than just the weather. Green Bay, for example, could never have a Super Bowl simply due to the lack of accomidations. People would end having to stay as far away as Milwaukee.

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Jan 28, 2014 -> 06:41 AM) Hahn is not done. Book it. Agreed. I think come opening day, De Aza, Keppinger and Gillaspie will no longer be with the team. I would imagine that Hahn would try to use them to acquire a catcher even though the only one with any value is De Aza.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jan 28, 2014 -> 06:27 AM) Dunn is the starting DH and Abreu is the starting 1B. Konerko is the backup. There is still time to trade Viciedo or De Aza, but if the Sox can't get good value for them, there's nothing wrong with a LF platoon. The guy I'm most hoping to see gone is Keppinger. Either way, I think Davidson is the starter if he can beat out Gillaspie, and at AAA if he can't. If you're talking a Viciedo vs lefty, De Aza vs righty platoon in left field, you're only giving Viciedo around 200 PAs. That would be a horrible idea and basically admitting that he is not going to amount to anything. Not to mention the fact that Viciedo hit righties better last year.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 10:33 PM) I think Rose would recruit Love. I'd f***ing Love "Love". I think Rose would help recruit Love also. Don't they work out together in the offseason? Love is right near the top of my list of people I want to see on the Bulls.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 02:52 PM) Agreed about the losses. Other than home ice in a potential game 7, the real battle vs. the Blues is to avoid the Avalanche in round 1 by winning the division. Hawks haven't had the best success vs. Colorado recently, would like to avoid them in the first round. I just saw that Bickell was a healthy scratch last night, not exactly earning that new contract so far. I had assumed he was out with injury. I wonder if maybe he isn't a little banged up or something. Even the games he's been playing he's only been getting 8-9 minutes a game.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 02:40 PM) The ideal thing would be for Beckham to hit like .300-ish for the full season because even with the streak of righties that makes the order work a lot better (and the streak of righties is almost unavoidable somewhere). If Beckham developed into what we though he was going to, he would be taylor made for the 2 hole.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 02:08 PM) I did the math. If Avi were to play at the same level he did for 150 games last year, he would've hit: 19 homers. I think you need to check your math. No matter how I calculate this, I don't come up with 19. Sox/Tigers - 7 HRs in 72 games. 150/72*7=14.5 Just Sox - 5 HRs in 42 games. 150/42*5=17.8 By PAs - 7 HRs in 256 PAs. 256/7=36.5 would require 694 PAs (not happening) to hit 19 By ABs - 7 HRs in 244 ABs. 244/7=34.85 would require 662 ABs (not happening) to hit 19 Not a big deal, just curious how you got 19.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 01:05 PM) A 117 wRC+ isn't tearing up the minors though either. He was good, but to suggest he couldn't use more refinement in the minors is the wrong mindset. While I'm not 100% convinced he's ready, I think he showed enough in his cup of coffee in the majors last year to get a shot if he has a good spring. This team really isn't expected to win anything anyways and I think he probably could put as good of numbers as Keppinger or Gillaspie. I wonder if the plan really isn't for him to start in the majors and Hahn is just stating he may go to AAA to not completely diminish the little value that Keppinger and Gillaspie have.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 12:33 PM) Davidson is the one guy we keep hearing qualifiers for when his major league status is talked about. I wonder if they are thinking about waiting to call him up to delay making a decision on someone like Connor, or if they are still trying to trade Kepp, and want a back up plan just in case they can't. I have to imagine that they're trying to unload Keppinger. He really doesn't have a place on this team. I mean, yea he plays all over the infield, but he has no speed and with a short bench I want guys that can run. With either Konerko or Dunn available every game, we really don't need the bench guys to be pinch hitters either. Basically the way this team is constructed I would much rather have my backup IF be light hitting, fast and great on defense vs solid hitting, slow and average on defense.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 10:33 AM) They changed the playoff format back to a divisional setup instead of the 1-8 conference setup. The top three teams in each divison qualify, then the next two teams in the conference make it as "wild cards". Barring a first round upset, the Hawks & Blues are on a crash course to face in the second round, even if they were the best two teams in the conference. If the playoffs ended today, the matchups would be: Central: Blackhawks (1) vs. Canucks (1st WC) Blues (2) vs. Avalanche (3) Pacific: Ducks (1) vs. Wild (2nd WC) Sharks (2) vs. Kings (3) The winner of each divisional round face off in the Western Conference Finals My bad. I totally missed that somehow. Either way, they could still end up falling below the Avalanche and gaining the 3 seed in the Central.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jan 24, 2014 -> 04:12 PM) Got a link for it? For some reason I cant find it It's kind of confusing the way they do it. You have to go into the "personalized jerseys" and then they have a drop down menu that has all the players available. Quick link to the personalized jerseys http://shop.mlb.com/family/index.jsp?categ...&cp=1452701

QUOTE (chisoxfan310 @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 10:31 AM) I was just saying he would give them more versatility on our bench which is something we lack with Konerko coming back. And this is of course assuming Davidson doesn't make the team meaning Gillaspie/Keppinger are still apart of the logjam. I understand that. The thing is though, that Garcia is a far better player when you factor in his speed and defense. He has the versatility to play all over the infield and can play the outfield as well. If a roster spot comes down to those two, it better go to Garcia. Between Garcia and the backup OF (whether it be De Aza or Danks) everything is covered. Wasting a roster spot on Elmore just because he could potentially catch in the maybe one time this year that the Sox have to go to an emergency catcher would be almost be as bad as carrying three 1B on the team. Oh wait.

QUOTE (chisoxfan310 @ Jan 27, 2014 -> 10:00 AM) Elmore could possibly make the team to platoon at third with Gillaspie if Keppinger is moved. He has experience all over the diamond and was even an emergency catcher one game last year which could be key considering whoever sits in a game out of the Konerko/Dunn platoon will probably pinch hit for the catcher in the late innings of a game and if anything happened to the backup catcher in there 1-2 innings of having to catch, he could step in. Then assuming Davidson starts the year in AAA, he plays third, Sanchez plays short, and Semien plays second with Garcia getting at bats around the infield and outfield. All these guys can get extra at bats in the DH spot as well. What the hell is with people's obsessions with Jake Elmore? I don't get it. The guy is not a Major League caliber player. I'd say the odds of Elmore getting a roster spot over Davidson or Garcia are slim to none.

Hawks cannot keep giving away games to s***ty teams like the Jets. With the way the Sharks, Blues and Ducks have been playing, the Hawks could very well drop to the 4 or 5 seed if they're not careful.

1. Eaton - CF (L) 2. Ramirez - SS ® 3. Garcia - RF ® 4. Abreu - 1B ® 5. Dunn - DH (L) 6. Viciedo - LF ® 7. Davidson - 3B ® 8. Nieto - C (S) 9. Beckham - 2B ® Bench Konerko - 1B/DH ® Danks - OF (L) Garcia - IF/OF (S) Flowers - C ® This would require trading both De Aza and Keppinger, which I think the Sox are going to try and do. With Danks' ability to cover all 3 outfield positions and Garcia's ability to cover all around the infield and outfield if need be, we can get by with having a backup DH and just 4 guys on the bench. Nieto starting might be wishful thinking and maybe a mistake as he isn't even made it to the advanced minor leagues yet, but he honestly can't really be worse than what we had last year.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jan 26, 2014 -> 10:56 AM) I think he costs the team good will as we heard with the episode at Soxfest. I also think keeping him makes the organization look cheap in the eyes of the common fan and provides them with a reason to question the rebuild. Your posts get more and more ridiculous by the day.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Jan 25, 2014 -> 06:55 PM) 99% of the time(Jamie Navarro/Sox and John Starks when he was very briefly a Bull are a few exceptions I can think of) I'm against booing your own team players/mgr, whatever. They're our guys. Gripe about them maybe sure but show them respect for crissakes. It doesn't matter how much f***ing money they get paid. What the hell does that matter?! Wow, i had completely forgotten Starks was with the Bulls. Goes to show how memorable his Bulls career was. What did he end up playing, 5 or 6 games for them tops?

I dont get why everyone is taking last season out on Dunn. He was probably our best offensive player. He is not the reason the Sox lost 99 games. And he next time i hear somebody use the we pay his salary argument im going to lose it. Any consumer of any product is in a sense paying the salary of said companies employees. That doesnt mean i can walk into wal mart and treat a cashier like s*** just because i feel theyre underperforming.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Jan 25, 2014 -> 04:16 AM) Me being optimistic They may be optimistic, but I dont think its unrealistic at all.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 24, 2014 -> 05:55 PM) Or simpler yet, Alexei Ramirez to the Yankees for a young catching prospect. They're already looking at Stephen Drew. Why is he clearly better than Alexei. Don't think he is. When factoring in cost, Drews probably worse. I believe he turned down a QA and is planning on getting paid.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 24, 2014 -> 10:22 AM) Have Duke pick her up with her things the next time he's driving his rig through town. Now that's funny.

I will admit to the fact that I have gotten an OWI in Wisconsin and I will honestly say the laws here are pretty lax. It really is nothing more than a slap on the wrist. I believe Wisconsin is still the only state where a first OWI is treated as a simple traffic violation. When I got mine, the cop takes you in but you do not sit in a cell. They just let you call someone to pick you up and you're on your way. The ticket was around $700, $200 for an alcohol assessment, $200 to take a class, around $50/month insurance hike, no license for 7 months (occupational license is given) and that's it. It really does not seem to deter people at all. I'm not one to say that our jails should be filled with people who were arrested for driving home after 4-5 beers, but the laws definitely should be a lot stricter in WI.