CaliSoxFanViaSWside

QUOTE(KWs OK for Me @ May 6, 2005 -> 09:13 PM) No no, actually it's scotch out of a sniffer that we drink in our beloved western suburb What's a "sniffer? " The truly hauty know its a snifter.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2005 -> 10:53 AM) So far, I would vote for AJ, with zero second thoughts. He has made this pitching staff instantly better. I went with AJ also for those reasons. Each new Sox on that list has made significant contributions to the team. Wouldn't be where we are without all of them.

Welcome aboard. A word of caution; this place is rough on those who are casual fans so you better know your stuff. Don't wanna scare you off, just a warning. This place is full of guys who can drop stats on you and over exaggerate to make a point . So be prepared to lie, cheat, steal whatever it takes to hang with the big dogs. Even though the welcome thread says "personal attacks won't be tolerated " (or something to that nature). It happens all the time and the longer you have been around here seems to give you more leeway in that respect. If you say something controversial to a long time member some other long time member will be sure to remind you that because you lack the number of posts you have no right to say anything. Don't let any of this discourage you. Speak your mind say, what you want to say. Freedom of speech (or post) is your inalienable right. If you spend any amount of time here at all , you will be amazed at how heated some of the discussions get over the simplest things. If there is a level above diehard this has to be the place for it. But ,overall, if you're a Sox fan this is a great place to be. Intelligent and passionate people abound here side by side with egomaniacs and buffoons.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2005 -> 05:24 AM) As the season goes on, there is no doubt in my mind that the move of the off season was Kenny Williams signing AJ Pierzynski. This guy has made the entire pitching staff better, and most noticably one Jose Contreras, former mental case. I agree wholeheartedly. Oz, Coop and any catcher from last season couldn't get Contreras to stop the over reliance on the splitter. He really seems to trust Pyrz. Maybe its just coincidence that the whole pitching staff is on fire but Pyrz has a lot to do with it IMO. He has supreme confidence in his abilty to call a game and doesnt seem the type to back off and let the pitcher make the decisions. Might as well give KW some props too. He "pwned" the Yankees in the swap of Loaiza for Contreras.

QUOTE(Princess Dye @ May 4, 2005 -> 11:33 AM) why the really low grades for Cotts? i mean, a C i could understand.... but he's your second best lefty, so i dont know what you exactly expect from that slot he's better than a lot of the Felix Heredias (Gah) that are just barely hanging around in this league. He's a lot prettier too but I'm sure that doesnt influence at all.

Seeing the topic title "hitless wonders" made me think of sumthing that I might not have thought of unless I was living in Cali for the past 25 yrs. "Hitless Wonders" and Go-Go Sox" are the two most recognizable nicknames for Sox teams that reached a World Series and now we are playing the same type of ball. Maybe its just White Sox karma that we always need to play this type of baseball to be successful. But if I go back to my Chicago roots I'd say it's only becuz wih our histroy of cheap owners with those types of teams we can only lay out the dough for 1/2 a team . Can't pay for pitching and hitting now can we ? Peace, out dudes.

QUOTE(YASNY @ May 4, 2005 -> 11:54 PM) I love threads like this. It brings the whole Soxtalk community together. Can't you feel the love? Oh i can feel the love so much I completely avoid posting on this topic. Against my better judgement I will say that both sides have valid arguments. There are so many variables as to why attendance is the way it is. My forte is not racking my brain to list them. One side says " you're b****ing about attendance but I can b**** all I want about the weather and who the Sox are playing ". I could have swore the reason we go to home games is to see the home team win. Right now the Sox are an attraction in and of themselves. If that isn't reason enough to go to a game I don't know what is.

Paulie got a big juicy up in the zone hanging slider on the outer portion of the plate tonight and just let it go by for a strike. I thought " damn Paulie used to crush those to right center". He sure seems to be looking fastball only. He's getting a ton of breaking balls. When he finally does see a fastball . He's so ready to hit it he pulls it foul. He's actually looking like Crede on the down and away breaking balls. He doesnt seem to be picking up the rotation on the ball very well.Check his meds for that hip condition or his eyesight.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ May 4, 2005 -> 11:31 PM) I love the addition of Podsednik to the lineup. He just makes things happen near the top of the order. I think Iguchi and him could be a nice combo, similar to Pierre and Castillo (not saying Pods will hit .300, just has a similar style). If he can keep his average above .260 on the year he makes a major impact on the lineup (although I still miss Carlos a bit). I was going to say something in my post right before yours about me not liking this trade very much when it happened. I really liked Carlos. If sumone wants to get back at me they can do a thread on who liked or disliked the trade at the time it happened, just like I did on the Garland haters and lovers.

QUOTE(sox-r-us @ May 4, 2005 -> 11:20 PM) Ever since I started this thread, we have always been in first place : Wow ever since you made this thread I've been reading it and the Sox have been in first place . I hope me posting in it doesnt jinx us.

I have been totally satisfied with the play of Pods . Maybe having a 20-7 record helps. I'm just so very happy with that record I cant nitpick. It's been so long that the Sox have had a base stealer like Pods . You have to go back to Ron Leflore and Rudy Law. You can't really appreciate that skill unless you see it day in and day out. He may not be hitting for avg. but he and Gooch seem like a perfect tandem at the top of the order. They are the epitome of teamwork.

QUOTE(YASNY @ May 4, 2005 -> 10:50 PM) Oh man. You've got to appreciate the well thought out sarcasm behind that post. That was great. I agree. I appreciate a well written piece of journalism. It's sure not the usual "f*** everybody who disses the Sox" stuff.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ May 2, 2005 -> 08:38 PM) Good God. In the game...is a strikeout (note the "out") better than a groundball (note the lack of an "out")? I know what you mean. I'm just yanking your chain because you found something to gripe about on the best pitcher in the AL right now . Bringing up his K/BB ratio was complicating things. Useless and moot.

5-0, 1.38 ERA, hardly walking anybody. Do K's matter ? K's show dominance yes . Clemens , Ryan, Carlton, Jonson all were dominant pitchers but K's are not needed to be dominating. Jon is showing you that now . What further proof do you need? Classic strikeout pitchers are few and far between. Jon doesn't need to become Clemens in order to keep winning.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ May 2, 2005 -> 04:46 PM) I am happy JG is 5-0 but i want a whole year not 1 month to see if he has really turned the corner for real. The bad news is that his strikeout rate (3.9 K/9) is pitiful, and he hasn't faced any of the top five scoring teams in the American League. Garland haters have been able to crow for a few years now. I just wanted to give the lovers a little bit to crow about also. If it doesn't last you can say " I told you so " right back.

QUOTE(1549 @ May 2, 2005 -> 02:59 PM) I'll admit being very down on Garland. As a former hater I owe Jon a congrats for making me eat my words...and I gladly do so. This is more a reply to your signature than to what you said. It must make more than a few people happy ( including me) that Garland and Dontrelle Willis are both former Cub farmhands.

Going back to last year , Jon has a 7 game winning streak which , I believe since Santana lost is currently the 2nd longest streak in the majors. Last night after talking about the Sox and Garland, Chris Berman started singing " Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

QUOTE(mreye @ May 2, 2005 -> 06:52 AM) By a single post? Ouch! OK OK I never said I was a scientist. I knew there would be controversy , which was kind of why I did it. I hope no one is offended . I will be the first to apologize if anyone is. I think the thread is currently 6 pages long because we all like to see what others thought of sumone prior to their success. Were they hopeful ? Were they doubters ? We sure all like to say " I told you so" too.

QUOTE(mreye @ May 2, 2005 -> 06:44 AM) I would LOVE to see the post that makes me a hater. Critical, maybe, but a hater - no way! Sorry Eye , I think I only saw one post by you in my research. If it was critical , you were put on the "haters" side.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 2, 2005 -> 06:19 AM) I don't know that I would have qualified as a lover of Jon, but I definately always thought the best was still to come. All though I will admit it has been a long time since I thought Jon could be this good. But honestly with all of the posts I have I can't believe I didn't make either list I did see some posts by you SS2K5 just couldn't tell one way or the other. Mostly if anyone said "he sucks and always will be what he is" was a "hater" . If you defended Jon and said "he's young ,give him time to get it " you were a "lover." I tried to limit the research to offseason and the end of last year. I figured if I went too deep into last season that people would love or hate on a game to game basis. Guess I should 've made an " On the fence" list too. You probably would have been put on that. Nothing too negative yet nothing overly positive.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ May 1, 2005 -> 09:39 PM) I've always been a Garland backer. You could check back to my WSI days. Sorry Nite, just didnt see any posts by you in the threads I looked at. But thanks again for adding me to Crede's Crew. I might have no life but I'll be the first to admit my "research" only covered a few threads that looked meaningful.

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ May 1, 2005 -> 08:21 PM) Add me to the list of 'haters'. I always said he had the stuff, but not the mental toughness. I always rooted for him, but wasn't sure he would turn it around. He has turned it around in a big way and is our best pitcher right now. Point of this thread? I could never tell if you were a lover or a hater . You saw his good points and his bad ones. The point is just to have a lil fun. Are you the thread police?

Hope that shockwave therapy doesnt give Frank a hernia.

I have updated the list added a few more haters but more lovers.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ May 1, 2005 -> 07:17 PM) Can you give me a link where I said I hated Garland and didn't want him in the roatation? You never said you hated him or didn't want him in the rotation. Here is your post that got you in the haters group. Post #30 8/30/04 in the thread Soxtalk Soundoff: Jon Garland, where does everybody stand.