ChiSox59

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 25, 2016 -> 12:39 PM) Don't waste your time with him. He, even with hindsight, thinks the Sox were stupid to trade Reed, Morse, and Olivo for Freddy Garcia. Prospects are better no matter what. They don't have to be good. They just have to have prospect status. I know I shouldn't. I should have blocked him months ago. But his logic is just so off base it is frustrating to read! But its all KW's fault!!!!!

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Feb 25, 2016 -> 11:36 AM) Fringe prospect is the best case and highly unlikely with Hahn and Williams running the negotiations You keep saying s*** like this. I just like 2 hours ago in this very thread asked you to list who of any of significance the Sox have moved in trades that burned them, outside of Semien (still an unproven player that didn't fit what the Sox needed) and Gio like 10 years ago. Unsurprisingly, you didn't list any. Because there aren't any! But that wouldn't fit your narrative.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 05:15 PM) It is frustrating because this is the exact same approach Ken Williams has taken for years and it has repeatedly failed. He moves young players for veterans; but leaves significant holes, such that the team is a not real contender (without injuries the team is a marginal contender, as constructed). The org. remains outrageously insular and insider. He says he has a volkswagen budget. Well if that's your budget, you need to use the farm more, and he refuses to do that. And if they really couldn't afford the modest Fowler* salary, then they positively are going on the cheap and cutting the budget and they have to use the farm. *And yes I didn't them to sign Fowler because I'm hoping they can do gangbusters in the draft and because, frankly, I don't think this team contends with him anyway and because i think there's a decent chance Avi becomes competent and the alternative would have been to sell him for dimes on the dollar. They use the farm plenty. Just not always the way you want them to. Again, besides Semien (hardly a proven asset) and Gio years ago, what prospects/young players have the Sox traded that blew up? No one. And I am not ready to anoint Semien anything more than an average major leaguer on a whole at this point. I don't have a problem with mixing in young talent every year, and I feel the sox do that just fine. Maybe not as much on the offensive side of things, and obviously we'd all like that to change (I think they're working on it), but that is more a player development/drafting issue than it has been a failing to give young players an opportunity issue. They haven't had many offensive pieces worthy of giving an opportunity to. I personally like the way the Sox run their team. No, it hasn't worked well recently. But they're working on diversifying they way they go about things. Its not all about trading young players for veterans and signing FAs. They have a nice mix of home grown talent through the draft, trade acquisitions, international FAs and regular FAs. They're spending more internationally in recent years, have adjusted their focus on draft day away from safe picks and going for more upside guys, they're drafting more position players. I want my team to be competitive every year - and I appreciate that they try. It hasn't work much lately, but I personally think the Sox are in a pretty good spot right now and for the next 4 seasons. I am excited, and don't see the need to b**** about what could have been with the Semiens, Phegleys, Ravelos, Thompsons, Johnsons, Wendelkens of the world who are unlikely to amount to anything better than league average players at best.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 07:51 PM) You realize that Semien had nearly 3 times the WAR that Lawrie had, don't you? You realize that Semien had a higher OPS than Melky, don't you? You do realize that Phegley would have had the 3rd highest OPS on this team (behind Eaton and Abreu) don't you? How many playoff appearances has Kenny Williams delivered with his "proven veterans"? So don't lecture me about mediocrity, sonny. KW didn't trade Semien. Hahn did. Semien is a nice player and one I'd like to have back. But he wouldn't be playing SS for the White Sox. He'd be a nice offensive 2B with a below average glove - something the Sox thought they had in Johnson, who they clearly liked more, with further insurance in Sanchez. The Sox really need to improve IF defense and Semien is not the answer to their problems, but he'd be a nice guy to have around. Josh Phegley blows and isn't even remotely on my radar.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 05:15 PM) It is frustrating because this is the exact same approach Ken Williams has taken for years and it has repeatedly failed. He moves young players for veterans; but leaves significant holes, such that the team is a not real contender (without injuries the team is a marginal contender, as constructed). The org. remains outrageously insular and insider. He says he has a volkswagen budget. Well if that's your budget, you need to use the farm more, and he refuses to do that. And if they really couldn't afford the modest Fowler* salary, then they positively are going on the cheap and cutting the budget and they have to use the farm. *And yes I didn't them to sign Fowler because I'm hoping they can do gangbusters in the draft and because, frankly, I don't think this team contends with him anyway and because i think there's a decent chance Avi becomes competent and the alternative would have been to sell him for dimes on the dollar. And those young players KW gave up almost never amounted to anything at all. And I couldn't be less concerned about the prospects we gave up This summer. I'm not a mediocre young player lover like you.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 12:53 PM) You make a lot of great points. The only thing I'd say to you is that Chris Sale is probably not all that interested in the team being competitive towards the end of his current contract. He actually made the comment the other day that he has yet to play in a "meaningful game" in his entire career. That's a pretty strong statement to make, and is obviously indicative of where his mind is at in terms of the team competing sooner rather than later. He actually went on further to say that it's all about making the playoffs, with anything less unacceptable. So at this point, for guys like Sale and Abreu, they might not be too interested in looking at this as a long term project, waiting for the likes of the Adams, Danish' and Michalczewskis to come along before the team is competitive once again. Fortunately it's not really up to Sale. His job is to go out there and pitch, and I am pretty convinced hell do just that.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 04:30 PM) I'm still waiting for the day where a player says, "My play will do the talking this year. No more questions, I'm done talking until October." Theyd get fined.

QUOTE (shipps @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 03:50 PM) Laurence Holmes is of the belief that the Sox were never REALLY in on it with the FA's but had the thought of putting it out there that they were so it might look better to fans...which ended up back firing. I really dont know what to believe. Such a frustrating and strange off season. Any offseason in which the Sox acquired basically an entire new infield to go along with their superstar 1b and one of the best 3B in all of baseball doesn't to me seem "frustrating". I would have liked to see the Sox sign one of Upton, Cespedes or Gordon too. I do think they really wanted Gordon. I was always pretty meh on Fowler, but his deal isn't exactly going to burn you. The sox want to give Avi one more chance, and I hope it pays off. I also hope they bring in a LHB that can compete with him...Hernandez would be nice if he comes relatively cheaply. The thing that bugs me the most, is that if the Sox are around .500 ish June and in contention, they're going to have to pay alot more for a RF then than would have this offseason. That part bugs me, but I also get why they didn't want to relegate Avi to the bench or AAA just yet.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 24, 2016 -> 09:58 AM) So 3/$33 million was not budging from his demands? Great source Bernstein. So guessing Sox were in the 2 years/$20M range.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Feb 23, 2016 -> 03:51 PM) The Rays have been one of the more active teams to trade in baseball. They have had no trouble finding trade partners. Since executive VP Andrew Friedman took over after the 2005 season, the Rays have not been shy about trading pitchers, shipping out 26 in various deals. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/ra...itchers/2156084 Friedman is no longer employed by the Rays.

If anyone out there is top notch photoshopper/illustrator, and cares to do a fellow Sox fan a solid, please PM me. I have a vector logo that I need doctored just a tiny bit. I don't think it would take but a couple minutes for someone with talent, but I have very limited graphic design skills and I don't have access to a vector editing program. Thanks!

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 02:32 PM) The guy took a deal here rather than elsewhere because he looked at our team and said "It's so bad, this is the one real chance I have to start" But don't worry Lawrie said today we have World Series talent 100%!! Aside from this, I think this deal is meh. I'd rather see Sanchez/Saladino battle it out for starting SS and the loser getting super utility role. I personally think Sanchez at age 23/24 is a better option than Rollins at age 37 or whatever he is. Clubhouse presence? Sure okay. Whatever. We've won the offseason of the clubhouse guys. Cant wait. If Sanchez wasn't/isn't going to be our supersub then IMO we should have spent the $3/4mm and got Uribe to do so. He could have been the clubhouse guy who plays a bunch of infield positions too. If Rollins makes the team, whatever his contract is- is probably close to Uribe's with incentives, etc. Maybe I'm just down about this team this year, but this is the least excited I've been as a Sox fan in a while.

Anyone seen a link with a bunch of pictures?

QUOTE (joejoedairy @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 11:25 AM) If nothing else he could DH against lefties to get laroche outta there Or Saladino could play 3B or 2B, or even LF/RF, moving Frazier, Lawrie or Cabrera/Avi to DH vs. LHP.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 09:27 PM) Wasn't the one that gave you that suggestion. Ahh, well I appreciate the tips anyhow!

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 11:16 AM) This was my thought as well. If Rollins can start, Saladino makes a nice utility guy. Does Carlos Sanchez have any value? Sanchez/Petricka get a decent OF or probably not? I would think Petricka plus low level guy could get you Guyer. Maybe don't even need the low level guy.

How is his defense these days?

No reason to get worked up over a minor league deal, but I really hope this is just to give Saladino some competition. Jimmy Rollins better not be the Sox opening day SS, unless Saladino gets hurt. Let the kid play.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 06:29 PM) If you have access to a "UNIX shell", there is a very easy way around all of this. If you had a Mac at home (which runs UNIX) you could even use that to do it. You basically create an SSH tunnel to a destination computer and configure SOCKS proxy in Windows (or Firefox) to push all of your traffic across that tunnel, and the computer it pushes it too is actually what goes out to the Internet allowing fully open access. As a bonus, it's all all encrypted because your doing it over a secure tunnel to the destination computer, so they wouldn't really know what you were doing. If you have access to a UNIX shell, I can easily show you how to configure this. Thanks man! Honestly, I don't need it. The simple solution you gave me gets me all I need. I appreciate the tips. Go Sox!

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 09:16 AM) Technically, he's not breaking any workplace rules. If they wanted to block said websites, they should know you have to block both http AND https (default ports 80 and 443, respectively). Those are the only two standard web ports, one is for standard communication, and one is for encrypted communication. The fact they left one of the two wide open means they don't really care. There are also other ways for the company to prevent such access, such as using a proxy that only allows certain classifications of websites, and social media (including all social media type sites) could be blacklisted regardless of port. You can also block proxy, etc...and none of this is all that difficult for even an unexperienced IT team. Thanks for the additional color - I appreciate it. Social media sites remain blocked under https, so I suspect you're assumption is correct. Furthermore, I can still get on fantasy hockey and basketball, but for some reason baseball is blocked without using https.

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 20, 2016 -> 11:52 AM) So the company that is paying your salary doesn't want you to access those sites using their equipment and resources. So you're looking for ways around their restriction. Is it really worth risking your job over? Thanks for your concern. I figured I was safe from requesting the ol' please spare me the lecture line around here. I am fairly confident that my job is more secure than getting fired for spending some downtime throughout the day time doing a hobby. I get my job done, and I do it well, which is far more important to my employers, I assure you.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 01:54 PM) Try changing the web address from http:// to https:// It doesn't always work but I know if works for Yahoo's fantasy sites and works with most sites that my office has blocked You're my new best friend. What a simple solution!!!!!!! THANK YOU!

I'm not really a techy, and haven't tried to use Proxy sites before in the past (haven't had to), but is anyone familiar with a really good one? Long story short, my office went through a full firewall update this week and have blocked a ton of websites (facebook, twitter, fantasy sports, gambling sites, etc.). Most of that stuff doesn't bug me at all, but I do play a ton of fantasy sports and generally spend my lunch break and other small 5-10 minute sanity breaks throughout the day working on my fantasy teams. Anyways, I've tried a few proxy sites the past few days without much luck. A few of what appeared to be the more well known ones per a simple google search were blocked. One allowed me to actually log onto yahoo fantasy sports, but didn't have functionality. Another made my computer starting beeping and wouldn't let me X out of it without restarting my computer...so I gave up. I don't have the ability to install new browsers or chrome apps like Tor, which looks like it would be a possible solution. Any ideas? It actually really sucks cause I don't have a laptop at home, just an ipad, which isn't nearly as easy to use the research functions and what not on, and mobile app isn't nearly as user friendly as the website, IMO. Not to mention once baseball starts, its pretty much something you need to keep an eye on throughout the day do be competitive. Thanks in advance for any tips.

Cliff Corcoran of SI just called what the Sox did with their catching situation "the worst move if he offseason" on MLBN. True story. Went on to talk about Flowers being a league average catcher with elite pitch framing, Avila shouldn't be catching anymore and Navarro is terrible defensively. ODowd responds...you're really digging deep with that one .

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 05:30 PM) He turned down a difference of about $30 million guaranteed, per press reports of the Nats deal being about $100m, in exchange for a shot at an extra $50-$100m. Call it the Jimmy Butler game. Jimmy turned down $55 million or so before 2014, and then before 2015 was sitting on $90 million. Jimmy - my guy.