FT35

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 1, 2017 -> 10:22 AM) Harry Caray didn't know where he was at the last 10 years of his career, yet he wasn't hated. I would say as far as eyesight and actually seeing what was happening, Chip Caray was a better broadcaster than his grandfather, but that's not all that is involved. I would have much rahter listened to Harry. You are watching the game, if they get the name wrong or the ball is somewhere the broadcaster can't see, if you can complain about it, you really didn't need someone to tell you where it was. I will take all the you can put it on the boards and he gones I can get. I know time is running out. I went to Yankee Stadium many years ago, and Bob Sheppard was the almost 100 year old PA voice of Yankees Stadium. He had Jose Valentin batting 3 times in a row. Who cares, it was cool to hear him. I like Jason(he also has eyesight issues BTW) . His time is coming. But Hawk has more than earned the right to finish on his terms. Totally. Harry was still saying "it might be...it could be!!!" when the batter was in his trot rounding 3rd heading home. Couldn't see worth a crap but he was one thing...entertaining. Baseball is entertainment before anything else. Players are salesmen. Broadcasters are salesmen...they are a part of the entertainment business and being entertaining is a part of the job. Harry Carey had absolutely no idea what was going on and was tanked by the 3rd inning. You NEVER knew what would come out of his mouth and THAT is what made him great and made people talk...made people say "you gotta see (hear) this." Now there are many paths to that destination--Scully made it there on a much more eloquent path then getting trashed and calling Andre Dawson homeruns when it was actually Sid Bream's 2-out bases empty single. But there is Harry--right there near the top of everyone's list of legends. Now some may have been appalled at his lack of grace...but for the rest of us who allow life to bring us joy...it made us laugh and remains a valuable memory to recall. It's all how you look at it. Hawk isn't as endearing as Harry or Vin, and may not be a legend in everyone's mind, but you can't argue that he wasn't entertaining--love him or hate him--at one point, he jumped out, got your attention and kept it until he was done. There were times when his act was more entertaining than the actual play.

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 25, 2017 -> 08:36 AM) I like Bennetti, sometimes I cringe, but I don't think people appreciate the time it takes to develop into a role like this. For one, I like how he continues to experiment with the broadcast. That discussion in the 8th inning of a blowout between Bennetti and Stone around Matt Barnes was interesting. Podcast-baseball level interesting to me. And that is the perfect time to discuss that, and you know they decided to try and fit something like that in. Sox Math, Hide and Seek, whatever. You may begin to find them corny but he is trying to find engaging things in the broadcast. I know he's going to get better. The one thing that annoys me is he raises his voice a little too often, and when I'm listening in another room hard to differentiate between regular and important plays. Anyway I also like Farmer and DJ. YES! Original content--on the spot analysis instead of regurgitation of mindless twitter facts. I know there's a lot of dead time to fill over the course of the season, but I'd like to hear more of this type of discussion.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 24, 2017 -> 09:38 PM) Here's a vote for Benetti. I love him. I worship Hawk but even I can't take many more of the games with the crabby version of Hawk. If he's happy I'm happy. If he's know it all Hawk and acting crabby, Stoney gets quiet and it's hard to listen to those games. Benetti forever! The happy Hawk forever! The crabby Hawk ... ugh. Gotta agree with you on when Hawk is happy, I'm happy...well said! I think Stone gets quiet when Hawk goes into "know it all mode" because Stone spends most of his broadcasts with Benetti in that mode--and LOVES it. What I like about Hawk and Stone is this...their content comes from experience. Hawk more the social side of the game, Stone more the analytical side. Like it or not, you definitely hear more of the lesser known stories/thoughts of the game with them calling. I still feel like Benetti is a walking Google search when it comes to content--it's surface and widely known content that is saturated with corny puns. I think he's better when he talks about HIS actual experiences and his own thoughts--it forces him to be less cliche. His talents are easier to see when he's being REAL and genuine--which I believe his enthusiasm is very genuine when the Sox succeed--at least it sounds like it. Before I make a judgement on him, I'd like to hear more Jason Benetti and less Google. The best broadcasters GENERATE their own content rather than surf the internet and Twitter for talking points.

I think it matters more to GMs what Q would do for them once he's on their team from that point on rather than what he's doing now with us. Chances are good that they will get really solid innings...lots of them...

Did you all see that Madison Bumgarner is 0-2 this year? I don't think he's the competitor we all thought he was. His team's in last place--he just lost to the Rockies AT HOME in a key divisional battle--and served up a homer to Trevor Story of all people. His team gave him 2 runs of support in his last 2 starts (both losses) and I think he's just given up hope that he can be good anymore. He really has nothing to play for and currently has ZERO trade value so the Giants are stuck with him. He's also 0 for his last 5 at the plate with 0 HR's so apparently he doesn't know how to hit either. He's just not a competitor anymore. The Giants should have traded him after he won that World Series--that's when his value was at its highest. They would have been able to get Gleyber Torres for him--I just KNOW it. Ugh.

Good thing Chris Sale is gone...he might hurt himself trying to cut these up.

Still think there are a lot of GMs out there (most of them in smaller markets), who are looking at the 2 deals Hahn made with Sale and Eaton and they're puffed up saying "he's not doing that to me." The problem is THAT'S the price for a guy like Q--set by the large market teams (Boston/Washington). It's showing why baseball has a little problem with the rich getting richer. There's no deal w/Houston because in the eyes of the seller--they're cheap. They don't have what it takes to get it done. Both sides know it. Q will go to a large market team because they are the only teams who can pool the resources together to get a piece as valuable as him.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Feb 15, 2017 -> 03:16 PM) How about this? Lol! You win.

Something like this?

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 15, 2017 -> 10:28 AM) Oh I thought SoxPride was volunteering. Someone volunteer. We'll endorse you for banner making skill on Linkedin. I may give it a shot...anyone have a vector file of the Soxtalk.com logo by itself?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 14, 2017 -> 01:10 PM) Theoretically could make Reyes available in a trade too. He is easily the most interesting piece in the Cardinals system. It's risky, but ceilings don't get much higher. If he was traded...wouldn't he have to pass a physical!? Reyes is a stud. I feel bad for the guy and certainly hope for the best.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Feb 9, 2017 -> 04:24 PM) Its been reported that the Miami Marlins are going to be sold for some serious money. ($1.6 Billion) I don't know how the Marlins fans feel about that but I sure wish that the White Sox were getting a new owner. It would be page one news. I doubt that many White Sox fans. would care if JR sold the team. If anything it would provide some hope for the future. This hopeless situation would change in a matter of a year. I would like to think that if the Marlins are sold for that type of money the White Sox can probably be sold for that much. I would absolutely love to see it happen. Be careful here...not always is someone new always better. There are a lot of people with money who are clueless on how to run a franchise--let alone have the brain power to turn things around in a matter of a year. Agreed that JR appears to be down and out...but most of that came from riding a dead horse into the ground with unparalleled stubbornness for the last several years. With a new manager, new TV deals, a revamped farm system and the payroll flexibility to make some noise with a LOADED FA market on the horizon--I wouldn't exactly call things as 'helpless' as they were 6 months ago. He's getting older--so I can see selling as being more of an option if this plan doesn't work to revitalize things in the next few years.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Feb 8, 2017 -> 12:32 PM) In 1970 the Sox went 56-106, most losses ever in a season and they drew 495,000 fans for it. Had three managers that season. Mark This is why I think they will never COMPLETELY tear down again. Jerry would never sign off on a full season of no one paying for tickets to see the team play. Getting the #1 pick in the draft next year is not as important to them as it is to still have fan turnout. If they have to punt on Seth Beer so be it, but they will stagger the process to make sure there's always a few reasons to buy a ticket. Do we really think the franchise can withstand a 60 win season and what that would mean financially? They have a hard enough time drawing people to see a 75 win team.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 10, 2017 -> 09:35 AM) The number seems high to me but I started reading Passan's book, and he claims 52% of pitchers wind up on the DL every year. Seems about right when you consider there is a group of the same pitchers out there who have a 100% chance of ending up on the DL at some point EVERY year...

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 3, 2017 -> 03:10 PM) One was a comp bal pick. And it can be traded just not until the season starts making this a moot point for a trade to happen now. Gotchya. Thank you, sir.

You'll have to excuse me...I'm late to this party--haven't read all the posts...but trying to catch up! Quick question...were the picks awarded to Houston competitive balance picks or STL's regular picks? I was under the impression that only competitive balance picks could be traded in MLB? If they were not competitive balance picks, Houston couldn't trade them to us could they?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 28, 2017 -> 03:33 PM) How do you rate a bust? Jurickson Profar and Matt Wieters, jump out, but Josh Hamilton (with the Devil Rays) and Ben Grieve could both be there, as well as Rick Ankiel and Jay Bruce. As far as #1 prospects go, those guys were disappointments, but they were all fairly solid MLB players at one point or another, as was Delmon Young. Also, Brien Taylor is probably the biggest bust of all time. https://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prosp...spects/all-time Matt Bush was another for San Diego...saw him play a couple times in his first pro gig (Single A Fort Wayne MWL). Saw him make a few nice throws to 1st base and that was about it for his career because he couldn't stay out of trouble. I guess he's a pitcher now for Texas...we'll see how that goes. Crazy story though: http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/matt-bu...o-prison-050514

I think anytime a team rebuilds it's important to have that 1 vet that sticks with the team year after year...someone to model on and off the field. A "Paul Konerko" if you will--someone who is still mashing in his prime, but exemplary in conduct and being a professional. That person evolves as the face of the franchise and helps carry the team once they get good. Anthony Rizzo played that role for the Cubs and I think Todd Frazier is that guy for us. They might move him, but with the market being kind of low for 3rd basemen, I just have a gut feeling he's THE vet they would like to keep if they could. Plus, they went 3948 years without a quality 3rd basemen...just a gut feeling--nothing more. I'm not the GM, but I see a rare character gene in Frazier...something about him that screams great leader.

Wow...Robertson to Toronto would mean Josh Donaldson would get no stats.

QUOTE (fredmanrique @ Jan 27, 2017 -> 09:27 AM) Have a feeling hahn has been passing on a package with glasnow and newman but not keller up to this point. I can see this...I'm not the biggest Glasnow fan. I know pitchers grow and develop, but his control issues are real. A lot of Pirates fans agree and say his MiLB numbers are a better pitcher than he is. He's got good stuff, but it's my assumption (based on NOTHING of substance), that if Hahn is looking at Glasnow, it's as a 2nd name instead of the headliner. And I think the Sox as a whole might like Keller better. I believe if they liked Glasnow a ton, a deal would have been made by now.

You have to think of a rebuild as a philosophy that shapes your decision making process as you move forward through time. It's like a photo-filter that impacts decisions until a new state of the franchise becomes apparent and a new plan is required. A rebuild is not a construction project where you come in and demo phase 1, then remodel over the next couple of weeks, then start to add finishes in a massive rush against the clock. This plan ALWAYS fails. A mindset like that puts too much faith in the options that exist NOW being the long-term solutions that will sustain your organization's success year after year. Do we really think that the long-term fix for sustainable dominance (like we had in the 90's) can be obtained simply by acquiring as many names as possible from the winter 2017 Baseball America's top prospects list?! Impatience is putting too many of us into that position--don't get caught putting too many eggs in the "what's available NOW" basket. What if next year's list is even better? You gotta think bigger picture and apply that rebuild mindset to all decisions and strategically add the right pieces each year--not just because scouts rate a guy's contact rate at a "60" (heck, we need better contact hitters what are they waiting for!?!?!?)

QUOTE (Con te Giolito @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 05:00 PM) Archer could very easily already be declining this five years thing that everyone makes such a fuss over is really not that important. It'd be one thing if Archer was coming off his best season yet as a 24 year old but he's 28 and coming off his worst season. He's not bad, but a TOR starter he is not. Whatever I'm glad the Rays are doing whatever it is they are doing because it preserves the market for Quintana. Astros took their best shot at Archer and came up short, let the Rays loss be the Sox gain. Hmmm...I may disagree with you that Archer isn't a TOR starter. Maybe not for Boston, but he would be for most teams. Can see him as a #1 in some cases, a solid 2 in most cases, no lower than a 3.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 08:48 AM) We have no idea what the real offers are. The fact is, if you are scared not trading Quintana this offseason screws everything up, his being just as valuable is probably a better bet than even if they received the exact same package for Sale all working out. I would imagine the Sox have some really nice offers, maybe one or two where they would pull the trigger, but I think they like another team's players even better and may be waiting to see if they will become involved. Ultimately what will matter is how the guys they get actually play, not where BA or Keith Law or BP or MLB.com rank them before they ever play a major league game. Yep. They are in a position where they can afford to wait. That's why there's no rush--because they know they are in the drivers seat since they HAVE what everyone wants. Being in the drivers seat doesn't mean they are driving all the time...they can also park the car if they choose, but they still remain in the drivers seat at the negotiation table. Them NOT making a trade sends a message that they are not desperate and just itching to let Q go for the best available deal on the table at this moment. Other teams involved know that they need to meet the price or no deal. If they want Meadows over Torres they can wait. If they want Frazier over Rodgers, they can wait. Who knows who they REALLY want...we only know that they can hold out for him. Even if the market were saturated with TOR starters, Q's value would still be high enough for them to get who they wanted.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 04:06 PM) Yep. Agreed. Look at the hauls for Miller & Chapman. And those guys aren't exactly cheap by any means. Yes! And it's crazy to think that a half season of Chapman (on an expiring contract) netted a player like Torres and the Yankees balk at including him in a deal for Q--an all-star TOR starter with 4 years of CHEAP control. Seriously...kudos to Cashman on that deal. That's some great GM work no matter what you think about the Yankees organization. However, I would think that forwarding Torres on as a part of a deal to get Q would be a genius move as well--essentially turning a half season of Chapman, on an expiring contract, into Quintana for 4 years. Pretty brilliant. Because of this...I'll call it now...Cashman knows this and ultimately wins the Quintana sweepstakes with Torres as the headliner.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 12:56 PM) That doesnt equate to the comment above. That's part of the overall discussion we are having. Personally and I have no proof of this but I bet Hahn is asking for a ridiculous return for Q. I think it's going to backfire if he's not traded by the start of the season. I think you're right. Obviously the return should be high...but one thing has restored a little of my faith. He's shown his ability to negotiate and complete a trade in which maximizes his return for a top asset. He's done it twice already with Sale and Eaton so my gut tells me that he at least knows what he's doing and will be OK. He is the judge of his own tolerance level at this point--he earned that position by turning many heads with the deals he's completed thus far.