sunofgold

Welcome to Miami. Anything is possible in Miami. Nice place to have a Chicago reunion.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Mar 2, 2012 -> 04:54 PM) The main argument by supporters of the new system (and the MLB) is that is puts a premium on winning the division outright. Seems okay to me. One wildcard team will go on and one will be quickly eliminated. Both wildcard teams will have to use their best starter in the extra game and thus the winner will have that disadvantage in the next series. But really they need to go a 2-2-1 format. Teams with the best records in baseball are being penalized here. They are only guaranteed one home playoff game. However, a wildcard team might host the wildcard extra game and win. Then they get two more playoff games at home..that could give a wildcard team three straight home games. Huge advantage in the playoffs.

Brandon McCarthy never should have been moved to the bullpen in 2006. KW traded for Vazquez which wasn't necessary. Brandon had a looked like a decent, developing starter in 2005. Would have been our 5th starter in 2006. If we had kept him as a starter maybe he would still be starting for us. From interviews in 2006 I could tell that he solely had a starter's mentality and wasn't going to adjust well to being an everyday reliever. However, we did get Danks from trading Brandon McCarthy. And Danks is better than McCarthy. However, I think that switch did screw up McCarthy and might have hurt his development. But he has rebounded.,... he is now the #1 starter for the A's. haha!

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Feb 29, 2012 -> 11:30 PM) They look like really bad minor league jerseys. Wonder if they will have some special 'turn back the clocks" promos. haha!

Also in 2005 almost all of the experts predicted the Twins were going to win the division. Understandable b/c the Twins did look the best on paper. Kinda like the Tigers this year.

M for Mark. I am rooting for the Marlins. Marlins have been my favorite NL team since 1993. They have beaten two of my least favorite teams Indians and Cubs in the postseason (97 and 03). The Bartman game was beautiful.

It is true. Go back and read the predictions for the 2005 White Sox. You never know what is going to happen is baseball. There is some talent on this team. We aren't starting Brandon McCarthy on opening day and following him with Bartolo Colon.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 05:56 PM) Watching some of these videos out there, Matt Thornton looks like he put on a bit of weight. Not a great sign. He probably put on some weight after Sergio was traded. He was saying to himself.."what...they might make me closer again?"

I think that 76.5 is a good place to put us right now. I am going over. Seems like in years when we aren't expected to do much, we overachieve. And then in years when are expected to do well, we underachieve.

Still all good. Nobody hurt. Guys getting their physicals. Herm in better shape to help keep the players in better shape. Ventura and players getting along. Players pretty much saying the same things that they say every spring.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 03:42 PM) paul hoynes @hoynsie RHP Jon Garland no longer an option for #Indians. Was scheduled for physical Monday, but didn't take it. Oh, no. He isn't healthy? Get healthy, then give it a try with the White Sox. Possibly a reliever?

Oh, yeah! We are off to a great start. Nothing bad , it is all good.

Too many uncertainties on this team. That is the problem. Who on this roster can we really depend on having at least a good season in 2012? Probably just Konerko. Humber and Lillibridge were good in 2011 but we don't even know if they are going to have good season in 2012. On the other hand, this really is a weak division overall. The Tigers should win this division..at least on paper. However, there is no way to say that one of the other four remaining teams is the 2nd best..on paper again. Twins might the worst though with the loss of Cuddyer and Kubel.

White Sox can win this division by having all of the other teams suck more than us. In theory, you can win a division with a losing record. Another way..we can overachieve. Last year collectively we underachieved. This year let's hope that we overachieve. We do have some players who could potentially put up some good number. I guess that dreaded word 'potential' comes up. But hope that players like Morel, Flowers, DeAza, and the Tank play in 2012 like they did at the end of 2011 OR maybe even better. Guess you have to hope. Hope Peavy stays healthy and pitches well, hope Sale pitches well as a starter, hope Humber has a good complete year, hope Danks rebounds from last year and pitches like an ace, how Floyd pitches like a #2 starter, how Beckham hits like it is 2009. etc...

Anybody know what Robin Ventura's managerial style is going to be? That to me is the biggest mystery right now.

QUOTE (SmashROT @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 01:47 PM) Jesse "The Body" Ventura? or Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. Maybe we should call Robin ..."Ace" and how about Hangin' With Mr. Cooper? could do a lot for Kenny Williams.. Billy Dee, Robin, Michelle, JoBeth, Treat, Vanessa, Venus & Serena

David and Victoria Beckham. Welcome to US Cellular. Gennifer Flowers, where art thou? Pink Floyd, musical guests? Billy Bob Thornton can come as Bad Santa. Martha Stewart, Jon Stewart David Axelrod?

I have not a single bad feeling toward Greg Walker. He was our hitting coach when we won the World Series. I think that he might have helped guys like Konerko, Dye, Crede. Recently for whatever reason it wasn't working with our current team. I believe that he tried his hardest. A change of hitting coach is good for us. Change is probably good for Walker as well. He is from Georgia and it might be a good fit with the Braves.. The fact that the Braves took Walker quickly after we released him tells me that he is probably respected as a hitting coach by other organizations.

Just wondering. Why not tear it all down and rebuild it. They would have about 18 months to complete it. Just work around the clock for 18 months. Then they could make it much better and then not worry about it again for a long time.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Feb 15, 2012 -> 05:18 PM) My wife refers to him as Fuk-U-Dome. I like that. Isn't this what Ozzie used to say when we played in the Metrodome?

Wow, Lin and the Knicks are on fire. And I see that there next games are at home against Sacramento, then New Orleans. As long as they don't have a let down, they should win those two games.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 09:27 PM) Isn't Lillibridge a much better outfielder than infielder? My hope is Ventura sits Rios the first time Alex loafs and then platoons him with Fuko. I think Lilly could have filled whatever role Fuko has on the club this year. I don't know. Lillibridge did look decent in the OF last year, especially some nice catches in Yankees Stadium to help us win a game there. However, he also looked pretty good as first. Lillibridge's role might be defined by whether Escobar or Johnson makes the team. Dunn is going to play some OF, I am not sure about first base. I think that I could live with Lillibridge playing some 2B. Obviously he isn't as good as Beckham defensively there. Not sure about Lillibridge at SS or 3B however. Fukudome definitely is a better OF than Lillibridge. He also bats left-handed which Lillibridge doesn't. Fukudome has a higher OBP while Lillibridge has showed a lot of power. Fuku can play CF however I think that he is better as a corner OF.

I read in another article that Fukudome has a helicopter swing and will spin around 360 degree sometimes when he strikeouts. Well, I don't remember that but heck at least he will look interesting when he strike out. And yeah I forgot how good his numbers are in April. Wonder why his numbers consistent go down after that. Does he just tire out too quickly. Maybe he needs better conditioning. Or maybe Herm can help. Usually in April players are pretty much healthy and then have to play out the season with dings and nicks and small injuries here and there. Maybe that is what is happening with Fuku. I don't know. Just speculating. Or just hoping.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 06:32 PM) The 6 home games against the Cubs would be nice. Yes that would be true. But we would bat first in three of those games. That would kinda annoy me. We would have a bring your goat to the ballpark game as well. Creative minds could come up with some interesting stuff. Maybe honor all of the players/coaches/others that have been with the White Sox and the Cubs. Like Harry Caray, Sammy Sosa, Jorge Bell, Dave Martinez, Ron Santos, Scott Fletcher, DJ, Lance Johnson, Juan Pierre, Will Ohman, Steve Stone, Neal Cotts

Also, Fukudome has something to play for. Play well enough to justify and make the White Sox pick up the option. Not likely, but you never know. He just completed a nice contract. Let us hope that he is a greedy guy who wants to play until he is 40. And could he possibly help recruit players in the future from Japan? And responding to the above quote. It is 500K this year, and he is guaranteed another 500K In 2013 b/c there is a $3.5M club option with a 500K buyout. Thus, we would have to spend another $3M if we wanted to have him back in 2013. Under our control at least through 2013 which is good too.