shysocks

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 1, 2015 -> 03:22 PM) Given that the $25 mil in new TV money starting in 2014 was known at the time I struggle to think that I would have said that was the limit. Feel free to find a post of mine saying that we couldn't go past that number if we wanted to. I don't think I'd have said that but I could be wrong. This is the result of a quick search of your name and the word "payroll." If I kept going, I am quite sure I would find many more of your posts with an adamant tone that the Sox wouldn't push payroll above roughly $90-$100 million. You were not shy about it. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 27, 2014 -> 07:52 PM) We're at $46 million in commitments right now. Even assuming that we only offer arbitration to guys like Jones and Flowers, non-tendering Viciedo and De Aza, we're still talking about around $10 million, maybe a few million less, for the couple guys we would actually offer. Then, filling out the majority of a roster with minimum salary guys is still going to push another $7-8 million assuming guys like Gillaspie get small raises. That puts us close to $60 million as a good starting point. $30 million in spending would push us beyond this year's payroll, and we also don't know how Abreu's signing bonus is being dealt with. We could afford a $100 million payroll potentially but with the erosion in revenue over the last couple years, I doubt we see that any time soon. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 28, 2014 -> 10:31 AM) The Sox started with a 2013 payroll of about $120 million, moved around $10 million out of the way during the season, and lost $5 million as a franchise on the year based on the Forbes numbers. So $105 million would have been the maximum, break-even point that year. This year, they've spent an extra $8 million on amateur signings and have had revenues erode probably by >$5 million again. They've got $20 million in additional TV money, but that basically is eaten up by the revenue erosion and the fact that money was lost last year. It seems like $100 million is pretty close to a hard cap for this team, and it shouldn't be surprising if they're significantly under that, especially coming off a year when Forbes has them losing money. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 30, 2014 -> 11:54 AM) My best guess is that right now, assuming De Aza and Viciedo aren't back, the Sox have about $60 million in commitments for next season (with the caveat that we don't know how Abreu's signing bonus is budgeted). With the higher draft and international spending this and next year, and decreasing revenues at the gate, my best guess is that the Sox will have up to $30 million to spend next offseason. They could probably push past that for the right guy, but only if they're in a situation where they think a guy is a perfect fit for the next 5+ years or something like that. $30 million isn't bad, but it's not going to land Shields + VMart + relievers. To add to each of those areas the Sox would have to think about pushing the payroll back into the $115-$120 million range next year, and they lost money at $110 million in payroll last season. QUOTE (hi8is @ Sep 9, 2014 -> 07:09 PM) I still think those claiming us to have 30M to add to the payroll for next year are going to see that to be a big underestimate. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 9, 2014 -> 07:27 PM) And I think the Free Agent spending will wind up being less than that. QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 06:38 PM) There are no pieces on the market right now that warrant the Sox overspending to get them because they will put the Sox over the top. The Sox have been very wise with their decision making and fiscal responsibility thus far, and when the time comes, the Sox will be able to open the purse strings a little bit. This team had a $120 or so million payroll not that long ago. They can open the pocketbook, but for a retooling team, spending a boatload of money early on isn't really necessary. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 06:52 PM) They've also lost a lot of ticket sales since they last had that payroll. Last time they started a season with a payroll close to $120 they sold of >$10 million in salaries during the year and then cut payroll by another $20 million beyond that the next offseason.

Chicago White Sox ‏@whitesox The #WhiteSox recalled RHP Erik Johnson and @frankmontas, C @robbrantly and IF @leurygarcia1 prior to tonight's game.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 06:32 PM) Then don't use USCF as a reason Coop can do no wrong. If you are going to use it, shiuldn't they have a split well below average?The 1st inning runs this season have been ridiculous. It hints at pitchers not be ready when the game starts. They seem to be warming up just as much as other teams, but something is missing. Maybe they aren't mentally ready. That would be on the pitching coach. If Coop gets praise for the good, he needs to be ripped for the bad. Are you really arguing that the Cell isn't a hitters' park? You're looking only at 2015, which is a huge anomaly. 2009-2015, White Sox pitching has an ERA of 4.13 at home and 4.06 away. The MLB totals during the same time are 3.81 at home and 4.18 away. To the original discussion, which was that the Sox being in the bottom half of MLB in ERA is an indictment on the pitching staff, add the facts that the Sox play in the league with a DH and that by any defensive metric you want to use they've been one of the bottom three teams. Sox pitching sitting 20th in ERA through the past 7 years is a damn miracle. He is not perfect, but Cooper continues to "get a pass" because the pitching continues to not be the problem.

Gardenhire isn't the answer and the fixation on him really confuses me. I'll blame Hawk like I usually do.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 12:45 PM) I won't be changing a thing. I'm brutally honest about the state of the White Sox. Fair enough Honesty Warrior, keep fighting the good fight. I'll continue to recognize it as tiresome grousing. A post like "Yeah and we are still horses***" doesn't exemplify fearless truth-telling like you seem to think and it can't possibly make anybody happier, yourself included.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 12:06 PM) No one is forcing you to read my comments. I'm positive where positivity is warranted, however this season has been extremely tough to swallow with the FO and coaching staff messing up every step. I can't roll my eyes hard enough at that argument. No one is forcing you to follow a team that evidently disgusts you either, yet here you are. Nobody is forcing me to read your comments, but I'm not gonna put you on ignore because you, like anyone else here, might say something that interests me and that I find worth reading. A few pages ago somebody posted this regarding the Sale-in-the-NL debate: "see that's the thing it's not just the DH factor. yes, that's part of it but as a league the NL has FAR worse hitters (and pitchers) than the AL." That was the full text of the post, right there. You jumped in with: "Yeah and we are still horses***" What purpose does that serve? That's just pollution. It's whining for the sake of whining and while I'm not forced to read it, maybe it's bad enough that it just exists.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 09:48 AM) It's agonizing to have to settle for mediocrity. That doesn't address what somebody might get out of constantly complaining, which is equally agonizing for everybody to read.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:49 PM) Man you sure do whine a lot. The outlook is not as bleak as you claim. QFT. What does somebody get out of constantly complaining?

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Aug 29, 2015 -> 03:56 PM) Saladino batting second again, and no Thompson. lolz Why? Why? Why why WHY? Whyyyyyyyyyyy.....

I stopped eating Subway right around the time I tasted other sandwiches.

The writing's on the wall; I don't think KW will still be with the Sox next season.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Aug 27, 2015 -> 10:24 AM) Yes. Chris Sale is the best pitcher to ever play for the White Sox. Not picking on you, just adding some food for thought, but when it's worded that way, I think Tom Seaver gets the nod.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 26, 2015 -> 12:17 PM) There's a case to be made that one of the reasons why lefties are effective in MLB is that they're somewhat rare. You can get away with good but not great stuff from the left hand side in a way that you can't from the right hand side because hitters are so much more used to seeing right handers and lineups are constructed expecting that 60-70% of the pitchers they'll face will be righties. Adam LaRoche can get a job because the last 2 seasons he destroyed right handed pitching while struggling against lefties because there are more righties than lefties. If you instead go into a 3-4 game series against a team with a lefty dominant rotation, suddenly the hitters get adapted to seeing the ball come from the left hand side and the novelty wears off, maybe suddenly they hit them better as the series goes along (could be especially important in playoffs?) That said, maybe that would matter for John Danks...but otherwise, you go up against Rodon, Q, and Sale, and you tell me that there's some way to get used to that. That's the key. As long as one of our lefties is Chris Sale, this will be overblown. If we're choosing between two starting pitchers to add for next year, I'd still take the righty if everything else is equal. But if Buehrle wants to sign here for $5 million - that's another way of saying if the right lefty is available for the right cost - go for it.

QUOTE (AlSoxfan @ Aug 26, 2015 -> 11:17 AM) I've always liked AJ, especially since the 05 playoffs with all the goofy plays that happened, but I've never heard anything as to why he's hated so much. What does he or did he do to be so hated? Can anyone tell some stories? I have no personal stories, but I guess he's just an unrepentant a-hole. There was a story about him taking a foul tip off his nether regions when he was with the Giants, and kneeing the trainer in the groin when he came over to help. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-02...new-sox-enraged That's really the only concrete thing I know of. The rest of baseball's fanbases hitting him just seems to be a snowball thing. "It was once determined that we should not like this guy, so let's dislike him. And of course he headbutted Michael Barrett's fist that one time.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Aug 26, 2015 -> 09:32 AM) http://deadspin.com/yankees-yell-at-carlos...dium=socialflow I don't see anything wrong with what Gomez did. Even though the game was out of hand, mad at himself for missing a pitch, when he has been struggling since going to the Astros. Yet, the Yankees going after him to act professional which I disagree with. Also, the slide by Gomez looked fine to be as well, just over slid it. Thoughts? Yawn. I'm sure Brian McCann had something to do with it.

The ancient Greeks had a collection of gods who were responsible for everything in the world they didn't have the capacity to understand. As time went on and humanity realized that, for example, lightning was electrical energy and not a weapon hurled by Zeus, we categorized their belief system as a mythology. I think you understand what I'm getting at.

Acknowledged.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Aug 25, 2015 -> 07:57 PM) When you guys first got your driver's license, did you buy a car/did your parents get you one? Or neither I never owned a car until I married into one (07 Pontiac G6). Just relied on friends for rides. It was a pretty sweet deal.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 25, 2015 -> 11:46 PM) Something tells me this Royals team could really suck in the postseason. That's why they need to get their rotation set before the playoffs and Cueto has to pitch a gem in Game One of their first playoff series. Then they turn to either Volquez or Ventura in Game Two. Ventura, Duffy, Guthrie (lol) all those other guys are very inconsistent. Medlen? Gimme a break. Stiff. Ditto the other guy who has been a spot starter. What about Medlen makes him remotely a stiff? He has to prove he can be effective after getting hurt, but he's talented and he could actually be the key for them.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 11:13 PM) I definitely agree. I've always loved the Metal Gear stories, not matter how ridiculous they could be. However, I really enjoyed the Ground Zeroes gameplay and it seems like the Phantom Pain is going to blow that out of the water. It's definitely going to be a different experience from the previous MGS games, but from a pure gameplay standpoint it should be without question the best. I only just played GZ for the first time last weekend, as they smartly made it a free download to build hype for MGSV. It's a great time, it's just small, so if MGSV takes it and multiplies it by 100 or whatever, I'll be perfectly content. Plus the reviews compares the base-building to XCOM, which is a magic word for me.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 10:47 PM) You know what, that's a reasonable position to have. If Robin is back there is no way the team will change its identity of this nonachieving lazy mistake filled bunch of ballplayers. I LOVED Robin as a player but it's true. How the hell is this team going to next April 1 turn this around? It can't. Unless he totally changes, starting in spring training with a military like camp (which he won't do) and thousands upon thousands of ground balls, fly balls to fielders; situational hitting; situational baserunning drills, nothing can possibly change. Even if its change for change sake. I can see why you'd skip the season as a fan. Cause there's no way in hell we're going to finish over .500 with Robin. It's just true. You've figured out the secret to winning games - hopefully Hahn or Ventura is reading this thread.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 25, 2015 -> 06:59 AM) This needs to be said again. And again. Dunn, for example, should not make anybody's list, because as disappointed as one might have been with his performance, he never complained. He never made excuses or pointed the finger at anybody else or took it out on teammates (like that d***head David Wells did).

Honorable mention David Wells.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Aug 23, 2015 -> 10:45 PM) IGN gave Metal Gear Solid 5 a perfect 10. A little disappointed to hear the story takes a back-seat in this one, but otherwise can't wait for next Tuesday. The gameplay sounds incredible. The story thing is a big deal to me, it's one of the things that sets Metal Gear games apart. I'm sure I'll have a blast with the game but this is sort of a bummer.

QUOTE (flavum @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 09:05 AM) Fans are more distracted than ever. Fans sit closer than ever. The ball comes off the bat faster than ever. The bats break easier than ever. Put the screens up. Yup. Just put nets up down the lines and do it before next season. They don't impede the view that much and it's just the best solution.