The Beast

QUOTE (rowand's rowdies @ Nov 18, 2016 -> 07:34 AM) We're at a pretty low point in White Sox history. We've had 11 seasons since we won the World Series. The Cubs just won it all. Our team looks to be going into a partial or full rebuild, which a lot of fans want to see. We have a unique situation because of the trade chips we have this off-season. We should also have some guys who can rebuild their value and be traded in season as well for potentially solid prospects/younger players. We have enough quality trade chips to really bring in a whole new team if we choose. 4 or 5 of our players could bring back 15-20 (no joke) prospects, many of which would be Top 10 prospects from other teams. If we traded Sale, Q, Shields, Abreu, Eaton, Jones & Frazier this off-season and traded Robertson & Melky during the season we could potentially net 20-30 new prospects/young players from those 9 players alone. This is unlikely to happen but could actually realistically happen. But who will play if we trade everyone you wisely ask? Ask the Phillies, Brewers, Reds, or 4-5 other NL teams last year. They found a way to play with no name players for 162 miserable games. It happens now. Before we hand the mic over to Jerry Kenny & Rick to hear their 3 man karaoke version of Don't Stop Believing with this roster, I would like to hear about your personal perspectives on what TYPE of team we should try to build if we go into a rebuild. What STYLE of baseball do you believe is the way to go in 2017 & beyond? If you personally believe we are just some fixes short of being competitive, what BRAND of players do we need to bring in and which current players need to go? I think this thread will allow us to dig deep and think about how we view the game itself and how we want to see baseball played by our White Sox. It's better than another Chris Sale thread, no? Obviously I'd like to see this team's offense and defense built in the likeness of this organization's minor league outfield and baserunning instructor. Starting pitching wise we should build around Q & Rodon. I'm really becoming a believer in bullpens. I wouldn't invest $100 million in a Chapman or Jansen, but loading up on high ceiling power arms who can be groomed for 1-3 innings instead of pushing them to become starters. Now for brighter baseball minds to chime in on their vision... So my understanding of all of the new stats is limited since I just don't get it (WAR is wins above replacement...the replacement being who they replaced, or is it the next best average ball player? Help me out here if you can.) I am in for a full rebuild because if we stood pat and stayed with the same players, I don't see this team being a championship caliber team. I see more one run games lost and I see lots of strikeouts and blown leads from the bullpen (how can you be leading 7-1 against KC and be beating the tar out of Texas and lose a game?!?!?!) with the current roster. You can have a quality pitching staff and not hit worth a dick and lose 80+ games. I want to see a team that plays good defense and has a pitching staff to keep them in the game. I want to see some clutch hits and POWER instead of the crap we have been seeing. Trade the pitching and get hitters because pitching can always be signed or dealt for when you're good and not mediocre. I want them to get as many prospects as possible and just see who swims and see who fails. Since they suck at developing position talent and drafting it, why not import from other organizations and get lucky with some pitching going forward? Even if they suck initially because they are young they will be better to watch than a team who is mired in mediocrity. I want to see the 1999 White Sox, not the 2016 White Sox. Hopefully they can catch fire like the Northsiders and not end up like the Browns or 76ers.

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Nov 9, 2016 -> 01:35 PM) loud music doesn't get people pumped up, it irritates them. It depends on how loud it is. The speakers in the outfield are unnecessarily loud, but playing songs like I suggested and bringing back what I suggested might bring in an intimidation factor. Sure it won't matter if nobody is at the games. It it would be nice to be more who the Sox were than have some weird basketball like gameday. It's far too friendly at the Cell.

If they do any crazy stuff with abortion, gay rights, race or other social issues, I bet the protests will be just like what we saw for those police shootings but a lot worse. I can't see him winning again if he doesn't do what he says or if there isn't something done to "better the country." I hope and pray that the government won't do anything too harmful and that the army of people that don't agree will take action so that don't have something like this happen again.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 7, 2016 -> 09:52 PM) I would like to say as we enter Election Day, I realize we already know the results. Hillary has won. I've read enough stories about past elections to know that the candidates already know who has won because of the polls, etc. I can't remember which candidate for the life of me, but I remember reading one candidate had to put on a good face for the public when he voted at 9 a.m. one year cause he knew he'd already lost. That said, I congratulate those of you who voted for Hillary. No hard feelings on my end. I am truly disgusted that it's come to having another Clinton in the White House (you know my opinion is for 8 years), but from this point on I will wish for the best. I hope she has an awakening and decides to be the best leader we've had since Reagan (sorry but I don't think anybody else has really LED, though I do love Jimmy Carter). I hope Hillary wakes up and fixes the problems with Obamacare. We truly have a sick health care system. I'm sure she'll do OK with foreign affairs. Nobody can predict what the nutcases around the globe will do. I hope now that Hillary has fulfilled her dream and gotten the job she's always wanted, she decides to screw politics and decides to LEAD. What I'd like is a.) better healthcare. b.) improved economy. c.) taking care of military and seniors. She can forget about the social issues for now and fix those three things. I pray she is truly wanting to make a difference and not just throw up her hands (in some ways like Obama), give up and say, "I cant work with those gawddamn Republicans" and loaf for eight years. So in brief, please forgive me for my weeks of Hillary hatred. As an American I will support her. If I were to meet her I would shake her hand and say something nice to her. Good luck Hillary Clinton. Prove me wrong and bring us back to greatness. If I have offended any of you with my posts and my anger toward our country nominating and electing Hillary, I apologize. LEAD US OUT OF THE ABYSS HILLARY CLINTON. Good luck to you and please do your very best to lead America back to greatness!! I still am not convinced she's won yet with how close the battleground states are. And even if she does win, Trump will take his followers and continue to challenge results and her rhetoric. I have a feelings that the republican congress won't work with her either.

QUOTE (SonofaRoache @ Nov 6, 2016 -> 08:26 PM) Eaton, Melky, Anderson, Lawrie, Abreu, and Frazier has enough talent to get a team to postseason play. Sale, Q, Rodon, Shields have enough talent to do it as does our closer We need to fix CF, DH, and C to compete for the playoffs. We also need a competent manager since Robin was one of the worst in baseball. They need an actual bat or multiple bats instead of just stockpiling arms. The Sox got smoked by their division last year and lost too many one run games. The Northsiders seem to win with home runs, why can't the Sox try that again? Keep drafting some hitters instead of pitchers, pitchers can be bought later when your team can actually contend. I just hope the Sox deal someone or some players to get some bats so there will actually be some offense and some young players doing something (like Anderson) instead of seeing the same old s***.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Nov 6, 2016 -> 07:53 PM) If the skinny is a headcase, he won't bring back a king's ransom. Maybe Q will bring a queen's ransom instead. Skinny weiner is lights out on the field but is an infant off the field. Hopefully some team will take a flyer and overpay.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Nov 6, 2016 -> 05:46 PM) When was the last time the White Sox rebuilt? And was it during the new era of sabermetrics and analytics?

Please God, just get it through their thick heads that it is time to rebuild and get some good players with the right moves. Trade the skinny headcase and get a kings ransom for him and make nobody untouchable. Make some real progress instead of staying stuck in neutral.

I've thought about opening lines of communication with Brooks Boyer asking him to get in touch with the gamesay operations team to bring back things like Pirates of the Caribbean with Thunderstruck before games, the "Let's Go White Sox" song during the game, getting some more loud things to get fans involved during the game and maybe players might consider more intimidating music entering the game - I'd love to hear some "Harvest of Sorrow" in the game again. It would be nice if the place wasn't so chill all of the time and see fans get pumped up for a change...other than when the Checy Pride crew comes out with free t-shirts.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:59 PM) I was a Cub fan as a kid because they played day baseball and WGN was the TV station for kids because they had Ray Rayner and Bozo, and Creature Feature. My favorite Cub player was Joe Pepitone because we were both left handed. Then one year the Cubs played a basketball charity game across the street fro my house. I got autographs from Santo, Monday, the R brothers and Billy Williams signed my glove. Back then you thought it was cool to have autographs instead of thinking they might have some value later on. Funny how the mindset has changed. In 1998 I wore a Cubs hat to my school's play about Mozart and thought it was interesting that Sosa hit all of those bombs (roids). In 1999, I quit baseball and my dad was disappointed that I had done that since I was left handed and could pitch. We didn't see eye to eye when I was a kid, but on the day after the Sox opener in 1999, we went to our first game together. I was instantly hooked and became a Sox fan for life. I'm remaining one even though my kids may want to be Cubs fans with their mother.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:46 PM) I absolutely believe the non-diehards have jumped ship. South suburbs used to be primarily Sox fans. That has absolutely changed over the last year, especially certain demographics in my opinion We will see what happens with attendance and our team going forward. I don't think a Cubs WS win spells the end for our organization but the Sox must have some balls and respond.

QUOTE (Footlongcomiskeydog @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:42 PM) I'll echo that amen. I just hope that we get to see another championship in our lifetime. 11 years can snowball into 30 or 40 pretty quickly. Very true - let's have some faith though and see what Hahn does and see if the organization treats this as a wakeup call.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:39 PM) There was some study a few weeks ago based on Facebook that said Cubs have completely taken over a huge portion of the Sox base Okay fathom, but I find your posts to be intelligent and I believe you to be too - do you honestly believe that? I don't. Maybe they are picking up casual and bandwagon fans, but it's pretty hard to say the Sox faithful switched sides.

QUOTE (whitesoxjr27 @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:36 PM) It's quiet here in the burbs. If I lived in the city I'd buy earplugs My fiancé is in the city to experience it and I am wearing my Sox stuff at home. It's peaceful and I fully expect people to be outside cheering as this is the biggest championship in some time.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:34 PM) Look around, that already has happened the last month. I went to a popular restaurant in the south suburbs last week and I saw more Cubs apparel than I have for the last 10 years combined I've actually seen Sox stuff being worn in the loop. Even though the blue is flourishing like crazy, I don't think it means fans are changing their allegiance.

QUOTE (peavy44 @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:31 PM) Im sure sox fans will turn into cubs fan after they win tonight. Not a chance. Who the f*** would do that?

QUOTE (whitesoxjr27 @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:27 PM) Thanks guys for keeping me sane during all this. Us Sox fans need to stick together if the cubs win tonight. Wear your Sox s*** then, it'a no disrespect to the Cubs or their fans, we exist and have a right to support OUR team just like they do. At least the Sox won one during our lifetimes, they went 11-1 during the postseason and are going to be tied with the Northsiders with 3 titles each - for now.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:06 PM) Russell trade was great. Hendricks and Arrieta being CY caliber pitchers is like the Sox getting Q for nothing Still, they made trades and showed some balls instead of remaining stuck in neutral.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 08:59 PM) Cubs get all the credit for their rebuild but they had a ton of luck as well Fine, the Russell and Arrieta trades were luck. But at least they rebuilt the team instead of patching it up every year.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 09:02 PM) Thats not how Kenny works. He is going to look at a flawed team with 40% of their starting rotation down without a viable offense. All this will do is to allow Kenny to believe that realignment of th deck chairs on the titanic will bring them to the promise land. He will look at the landscape of the central and decide to go for it. What's the point then if they will move by the end of the lease? I hope Kenny steps down. f*** him, I'm preparing remarks and giving him an earful at SoxFest.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 08:48 PM) You mean his token "half-ass plan"? It's bound to work one of these years! I just hope they wake up after seeing what the Cubs have done and see the light to rebuild. There can't be untouchables, only assets going for a rebuild.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 08:46 PM) Well he is right. No reason there won't be a dynasty. I will be shocked if another few titles aren't coming in next five years Think the Sox can survive that type of run?

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Nov 2, 2016 -> 08:43 PM) We will never hear the end of this from Cub fans It's unfortunate too. I bet the Northsiders go on a Bulls dynasty run and we will be almost nonexistent. Hopefully Hahn's plan is a good one.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Oct 31, 2016 -> 12:12 AM) If I never again hear that Cubs "go" song - my life will be 1,000,000,000,000,000 times better. The song doesn't even make sense - "hey Chicago what do you say the Cubs are going to win today." Didn't they already win when the song was sung and the entire city is t for the Northsiders.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 30, 2016 -> 01:36 AM) Why are so many people (not saying you) unwilling to simply write off Hillary? My gosh how many smoking guns do you want? The woman is corrupt as corrupt can be. Keep her the heck out of the Oval Office. When she gets elected, boy oh boy she's going to get a lot done during her first two years when the government will be putting her on trial. I get the feeling even if the Republicans had a normal candidate, people would still want Hillary. It baffles the s*** out of me. Oh well, let's elect her and get it over with an impeach her as soon as possible. probably in 15 months I'd say. Your feeling is wrong, Greg. I would have voted for Kasich over Hillary.