gosox41

QUOTE(iamshack @ Mar 5, 2008 -> 12:07 PM) Once again, and I am tired of having to remind people of this. You'd deal all the quality veterans you have for young kids, and you could have one of the best systems in baseball. As Kenny has said, he could build a great farm system in 2 weeks if that was the goal. How about we start with an average ranking farm system built by good drafts. Bob

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 10:38 PM) He's a dick but he's good at what he does. Kind of like Bonds. Which is why I kind of like him. Him being good at what he does could be changing. He's burnt a lot of bridges with GM's and owners with his behavior. And while the superstarts he represetns will aways get their money anyway, it'll be interesting to see how the lesser players fare. Wasn't this the first year he had more players then normal sign short term contracts or give up a year or 2 of free agency? Bob

QUOTE(jenks45monster @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 05:46 PM) Personally, my worst was trading Chris Carter for Carlos Quentin. I just don't think Quentin will pan out as many think he will, and I think Carter is going to be a monster. And my best was trading for Swisher. How about you guys? My favorite was Swisher and the least was signing Linebrink. But that could change when Kenny is forced to dump Crede for next to nothing. Bob

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 03:04 PM) was Bobby Hill a Boras client? Boras didnt endear himself to any general manager with the JD Drew/Phillies debacle Boras also solidified his non-negotiating status with the Sox in the original Alex Rodriguez negotiations, when KW wanted to talk to A-Rod and Boras wouldnt let him without being in the room. Don't forget Bobby Seay. Didn't he get like $7mill from the D Rays? Bob

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 12:01 AM) f*** pecota -- they don't take things like heart, chemistry and grind into account! Would you be saying the same thing if they had the Sox winning 95 games? Bob

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Feb 7, 2008 -> 01:32 PM) Jesus. Yes, he probably was praying to him. Bob

Spring training is only 13 days away and since I'm bored and football is over, I wanted to get an early start on what I remember being a mega thread the last couple years here and at other sites. Can we officially start our annual thread about Jenks lack of velocity of his fastball??? I love the insanity that sometimes occurs around here. Bob

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 09:05 PM) Love it. I'm actually starting to get excited about this team, that scares me. Not too ruin a good mood, but I'll give you 3 reasons not to get too excited: 1. Contreras 2. Floyd 3. Danks Assuming Buehrle is his usual self and Vazquez pitches as well as he did in 2007 and not 2006, one of those 3 needs to step it up to pitch 200 + innings and 15-17 wins. The other 2 have to fall in the 10-12 win category with close to 200 IP. Bob

QUOTE(bschmaranz @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 11:43 PM) I couldn't begin to imagine what Santana would be capable of in the NL. Hopefully he can shut down the Cubs in the playoffs next year. I hate to predict the Cub will be there, but the only team that might be able to stop that is Miwaukee. Bob

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 13, 2008 -> 12:55 PM) Bruce "bombshell" Levine said that the deal is dead because the Orioles want one of Colvin or Pie in the deal as well as Murton, Marshall and Gallagher Long term this isn't a great trade for the Cubs, but for a team going for it now, I'd seriously have to consider throwing in Pie to get a guy like Roberts. Bob

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 11, 2008 -> 10:23 PM) According to the report on the channel 2 news tonight, Ozzie is in the DR talking to Bartolo Colon about coming back to the White Sox next year. Anyone taking odds that a deal is announced the Friday of SoxFest? Bob

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:03 PM) Now that Leyland thinks we are improved and will be right there in the thick of it I have changed my opinion. I feel very strongly both ways about our chances. He's just being respectful and not stating the obvious. Bob

QUOTE(striker62704 @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 02:28 PM) Let's see what the general concensus is. It's kind of a tricky question. I like the trade based on the fact that it's a better option then Rowand or Hunter due to money and age. And I also like the trade based on KW's attitude of going for it next year. But the reason I don't like this trade is this team should be in rebuilding mod after the last 1 1/2 years. Because of that trades like this should never be made, even though Swisher is young. A team rebuilding doesn't trade it's 2 best prospects. So yes I like the trade based on the going for it in 2008 attitude, but I don't think this team based on how it's set up as of 1/5/08 is good enough to make the playoffs and should have been pretty much blown up and rebuilt Bob

QUOTE(spawn @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 12:53 PM) No kidding. I find it amusing KW gets the blame because the players he brought in didn't do their jobs. Or mabe he is getting the blame becuase he is bringing back a lot of those players who didn't do their jobs. Bob

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 11:07 AM) No. The GM's job is to put together a TEAM that can get ITSELF to the playoffs. A team composed of players that PERFORM well enough to reach the playoffs. The GM does not throw a pitch, swing a bat, play the field, or throw anyone out at first. The GM assembles the best team possible with the resources available to him. Kenny, for the large part over his tenure, has done exactly that. He has put this team and these players in position to win this division by PERFORMING well enough SEVERAL times throughout this decade. Unfortunately for him and us, the players he has put on the field have not performed well enough to win the division several years where it was far more talented than any opposition. While it is up to the players to perform, KW is not completely faultless. He speaks of 'championship' players. What are those? Is it a 38 year old slugger who hasn't won a WS but has 500 HR's or is it a SS who can't keep his weight under control and has yet to fullfil his potential but has won a WS? KW has made some bad moves. Rebuilding the bullpen with power pitchers who don't have much control was his fault. Guys like Aardsma haven't done jack anywhere else, what made KW think they would here? I've joked all year that KW got all these power pitchers because he couldn't hit the fastball when he played so he figured no one else could. And what about getting grinders? KW's job is to build a team that can win. And that involves different pieces. It wasn't until Ordonez got hurt (and wouldn't sign that contract KW offered) that KW freed up enough money to allocate elsewhere. Sure Magglio is a great player, as is Carlos Lee, but like the 2008 team, the 2005 team need more then just power. For example, they needed a lead off hitter who could steal bases. KW finally realized the 2005 team needed a cathcer that can hit more then .200 as well as a 2B. Also, one other area KW has failed the team in getting players is in the farm system. The fact that he only gave up Chris Young to get proven players can be perdceived as good or bad. It's good that we didn't get hosed on many deals but it's also bad because outside of Fields, what other minor league players have made a significant impact for the Sox. Also, the lack of a minor league system has hurt this team in trades that were never made, ie Miguel Cabrera. Whether or not we would have overpaid for him is one issue the fans can debate, but the fact that Flordia though our offer was too meager is a bigger issue. KW targeted him, I assume , as a championship player. But he didn't have the pieces to get the deal done. One other point, when you have the same players continually underpeform many years, maybe it's time to get rid of them and not just wait until their contracts are up. It took KW 4 years to figure out a team built around pwoer hitters and 4 starters plus the minor league flavor of the day wasn't going to win. Bob

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 07:28 AM) How completely self-contradictary can you be in the same post? If winning the World Series is all that matter, Williams is the only successful GM we have had in the last 90 years. That means the rest of that crap about playoff appearences and wins is completely meaningless. Which one is it: wins, playoff appearences, or World Championships that matter? I see his point. The point is that the playoffs are a lot about luck... the hard part is getting there. KW has to put this team in position to get there every year and based on how the division was set up from 2002-2006 the Sox should have had a lot more then one playoff appearnce. The team had the highest payroll in the division and KW inherited a division winning team. He didn't start at ground zero. So as I've said in many other posts, KW gets 2008 IMHO. If this team loses 90 games then or is under .500 he should be fired as he chose to go for it rather then rebuild. KW had 3 years after the '05 championship to do something good. He had one great half in 2006. Hopefully '08 will be a success (ie at the very least the Sox contending for hte playoffs) or if not he's given the fans 2 1/2 years of bad baseball with a $100 mill payroll, which would now be the second highest in the division. Bob

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 23, 2007 -> 11:42 AM) Someone said 80% of SoxTalk thinks KW is awful/should be fired. I'm curious what the actual numbers are. And I'm voting for mediocre, not "awful". This is simple. He gets 1 more year. He chose to embark on going for it in 2008 instead of rebuildiung. If this team comes out and isn't a legit contender in '08 he needs to go. If come Sept, they're under .500 he should be canned right then and there. Bob

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 21, 2007 -> 12:59 PM) Who is he talking about that the fans wanted him to throw money at? Why would it have been OK to break the budget with Torii Hunter but not with Buerhle, Contreras, Dye,Konerko, Vazquez et al? Spin, spin, spin. I'm sick of spin. Its funny he's criticizing the fans for looking "at today only", but wouldn't that have been what he was doing with Hunter? Doesn't he always pop off about winning now? Wasn't it KW who wanted to throw money at Bartolo Colon? Didn't he try to throw a lot of money at Magglio? He is so full of s*** its ridiculous. While he is full of it, my guess is if Hunter signed, someonw wiht a big salary was being traded. Bob

QUOTE(daa84 @ Dec 20, 2007 -> 04:53 AM) im starting to think kenny realizes what we all already know.... Hey KW, Welcome to 6 motnhs ago. Do you mean this team won't make the playoffs in 2008? Bob

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 19, 2007 -> 07:07 PM) This was posted on the Baltimore Sun message board- as you know, they are closely monitoring a possible Bedard to Cinci deal... Supposedly we are looking at Cueto and Votto.... http://www.baltimoresun2.com/talk/showthre...ghlight=Buehrle I assume this is a joke. It would be a PR nightmare for the Sox as the fans would be livid. Also, it would send a message to other players not to sign here. The Sox got Buehrle at a big discount and before he throws one pitch under the terms of the new contract, the Sox are going to trade him??? That won't go over well. No way will a player trust KW again. Buehrle would have been better off testing free agency and getting more money from a team of his choice that truly wants him. I'm assuming this is someone having some fun. Bob

QUOTE(Leonard Zelig @ Dec 18, 2007 -> 05:39 PM) When did he say that they were top starters? That was not in the quote I read. I'll have to look it up. It was in the Trib late last week. It was when he was talking about how the pitching won't be a problem in 2008. Bob

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Dec 17, 2007 -> 09:14 PM) Another quality draft pick in the toilet. I think most of us expected this one to be a bust though. I remember hearing Hahn in an interview a few years ago when Honel was healthy, probably in 2003. He said he was a younger Mark Prior. He was right. Both guys are constantly hurt. Bob

QUOTE(WCSox @ Dec 17, 2007 -> 02:43 PM) I would take anything that Kenny or any other GM says with a liberal dosage of salt. If they're smart, they're only going to make comments that either help or have a chance of helping their organization... and that often does not include the truth. They're glorified salesmen. They need to sell the team to the fans and to free agents that they're courting. They need to sell their players and prospects to other GMs. They don't have a vested interest in being honest. It's one thing to be a salesman and another to try to sell a Yugo saying it's a Rolls Royce. We've all seen both Danks and Floyd. In 2008 KW is choosing to go for it and not rebuild. Who is he really trying to sell Floyd as a top starter to? The fans don't buy it. Any Do you think the scouts would buy it? It's almost insulting to a Sox fans intelligence to say Floyd can be a top starter. As for Danks, IMHO he can be a #2 starter, but he won't reach that level in 2008, which unfortunately for KW is what he's banking on. Bob

QUOTE(scenario @ Dec 17, 2007 -> 02:40 AM) Whenever a pitcher is a high first round draft pick, it's reasonable to assume there are scouts that believe he has top of the rotation potential. But I don't think anyone (including KW) expects Danks and Floyd to assume that type of role or responsibility next year. I'll be extremely happy if they just do an average to above average job in the #4-5 slots in 2008. I'm just basing it off KW's quotes about how pitching won't be a problem. He singled out Danks and Floyd as being top starters. I'm not making that claim at all. Bob

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Dec 16, 2007 -> 11:05 PM) Signing Cameron to a short team deal could be the best thing that could happen to this team. As we have said, I don't think Hunter/Rowand/Jones would have put this team over the top, yet it could have really hamstrung this team for the future. To expand on that a little bit, this is my problem with Williams, at least this off-season. He has completely disrespected all of us. More and more, I'm starting to believe all the big fish talk was COMPLETE crap, and all along the goal was not to get tied into long contracts with aging players, which meant no big FA splash. Not a bad strategy, but the problem I have is that isn't what he told the fans and media. He tried to lead the fans on by getting everyone excited, then cried poor. I really don't have a problem with the strategy(I wish he sold off some more pieces) but don't treat the fans like 6 years olds, and expect everyone to eat up what you are preaching. I don't think it was crap. I don't blame KW for not raising his offer for Hunter. The people that do are the same who ripped KW for not overpaying for Colon 4 years ago. How did that work out for LAA. How many wins did Bartolo have the last 2 seasons? The offer was on the table as Hunter himself admitted and what was KW going to do if he accepted it? As for Cabrera, the Sox lacked the talent to trade for him. That's KW's fault for having a crappy farm system. But he did spend a lot of time trying to get him. Bob