South Side Fireworks Man

QUOTE (Cali @ Oct 6, 2011 -> 05:41 PM) God, neither Kenny and Robin sound confident at all right now. There's something more going on here... I just got that feeling. This can't be what either party wanted and it shows... Yep. This is certainly not the typical New Manager Introduction press conference. Very uninspiring. He comes across as a real nice guy who took the job because he was asked and isn't sure if he's really ready but he's going to do his very best.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 6, 2011 -> 05:39 PM) Insight into Robin : "I'm not a big rules guy". "I haven't really talked to Kenny about that yet" He doesn't seem like a very inspiring guy so far.....

When asked if he's talked to Frank Thomas, he said ,"No." Then says he's trusting the people around him to put the best possible pieces together.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 6, 2011 -> 05:27 PM) Robin sounds as surprised as anyone that he was hired. I hope his heart is really into this. He's not coming across too well. Seems like both he and Kenny are stressing that he's going to need a lot of support.

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 6, 2011 -> 04:32 PM) Me too...as I just told a friend, this isn't like college athletics where you have to bring in a head coach that you know can recruit as well as manage a game. Ventura will get his chance, and if he tanks, he won't be here very long. Since I respect your baseball opinion as much as anyone on this board, let me ask you this - Don't you think that a guy should at least have some type of coaching experience at some level before a major league baseball team in a major market hires him as manager? And shouldn't that person have previously expressed a desire to coach and one day manage? As far as I can remember, Ventura up until very recentlt ( maybe a couple of years ago at the longest) used to always state that he had no desire to be a coach. I hope he turns out to be a great manager, and I believe he already will be better than the Ozzie of the past few years, but why not give someone like Martinez or Alomar at least a chance to interview for the job? I'll hang up and listen for my answer.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Oct 6, 2011 -> 04:20 PM) This 100% stinks of a JR move. Ya think?

They might trade him during Spring Training after he proves he has recovered from the shoulder injury.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 2, 2011 -> 11:16 AM) Chuck Garfien Hearing of a surprise candidate on Kenny Williams short list for White Sox manager. (@thekapman also reporting this) Chuck Garfien Don't know who the surprise candidate is. @thekapman guesses Tony Pena. Here's mine: Carlton Fisk. 2 hours ago If it's a "surprise" I'd rather be surprised by Joe Torre or a Bob Brenly than a Tony Pena or a Carlton Fisk.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Oct 2, 2011 -> 11:22 AM) I want Carlton Fisk! Tough and knowledgable about the game since the catcher directs it and he knows pitchers s***, if they're going to do something crazy like that, I'd rather have AJ. Has Fisk ever coached anywhere at any level? Has he ever expressed interest in being a coach or manager? Seriously, the Sox better get a guy with some experience who appears ready to take over as a major league manager, not someone who needs on the job training.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 1, 2011 -> 12:13 PM) Rock probably has a better record, and we respect his motivations more than Cowley's. Rock has a better record, definitely knows more about baseball than Cowley, and doesn't come across like a guy with an agenda against anyone. And while Rock is good, DocSox is the guy I put the most stock in here as far as inside info goes. If he says it, I take it to the bank. Cowley is just a joke.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 10:22 PM) Should have called their bluff. Then if they did hire Valentine, fired Ozzie later that same day. Would have cost them a few million, but it might have been worth it .....And then they should have sued the Marlins for tampering and got them to pay off Ozzie's final year. I'm sure they could have provided witnesses/proof that they were tampering and claimed they had to fire Ozzie because their tampering poisoned the relationship between Ozzie and the White Sox organization.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 07:52 PM) I read something today comparing Ozzie to Ditka, and it was eerily similar. They also said they wouldn't be surprised if Ozzie's tenure in Miami goes a lot like Ditka's in New Orleans. What's also peculiar is the Marlins obviously tampered. The fact that the Sox don't call them out on this just shows how much they really care Ozzie is gone. Also read where Ozzie's contract is 4 years $10 million. Not bad, but not the $4 million a year many reported. Still its a $700k raise from 2011. If I got a $700k raise, I'd be pretty happy about it. Ditka wanted to stay with the Bears, and even though McCaskey wanted to fire him for years (since '84 actually), Ditka never publicly said anything against McCaskey either himself or through a proxy. JR wanted Ozzie to stay but Ozzie quit on the organization. He said today he and his family discussed doing this for years.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 12:13 PM) Hitting coaches don't impact the game all that much. Those who are celebrating are just grasping at something to soothe their pain. We need people who can hit, and that trumps the minor concern of who their advisor is. Maybe we can trade for Nick Swisher.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox mutually agreed with bench coach Joey Cora that he didn’t have to attend the final two games of the season, but he was not fired via text as has been reported. That’s how general manager Kenny Williams described the situation as Don Cooper was named interim manager for the last two games in the wake of Ozzie Guillen’s departure following Monday’s game. “What happened was that I texted him that he was not managing,” Williams said. “I had heard that someone had told him he was managing today’s game. So I texted him this morning: ‘Don Cooper is managing the game, but if you’d like to talk, stop by my office on the way in.’ He asked me via text if that meant he didn’t have to come to the ballpark.” At that point, Williams said he picked up the phone and called Cora. “We had a conversation that we mutually agreed [since] he is likely to go with Ozzie it would have been, in his words, awkward for him to be here,” Williams said. “So I said, ‘That’s not a problem. I get it. Good luck.’ We exchanged pleasantries and that was the end of it. A three-minute conversation.” Cora is expected to be a part of Guillen’s staff when Guillen is announced as the new Florida Marlins manager. That announcement is expected to come Wednesday. http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/white-sox/...a-isnt-on-bench

So if it's already decided that Cooper is coming back, the Sox probably already know who their next manager is.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Sep 26, 2011 -> 10:08 PM) Hopefully that means Sox will get what they want from Florida once season ends.............Sox just raised the price of poker and I like it. I'm sure the trade was already agreed upon. If not, the Marlins would now hold all the cards since the Sox released Guillen.

No KC batters got hit after Konerko got hit. What a surprise.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Sep 25, 2011 -> 03:28 PM) Let me say something here maybe more out of frustration than anything, but I have been less than impressed with Dayan Vicideo since his call up. He has not done as the Soxtalk following has claimed he would do. Taking a called third strike with the bases full is ridiculous Viciedo is fine. And compared to Dunn, he's a superstar.

JR doesn't hire proven winners.

QUOTE (sin city sox fan @ Sep 25, 2011 -> 07:14 AM) i That may have been what he was trying to say.....but in reality, he has consistently built teams with second, third, or fouth talent only to have Ozzie make them overachieve.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 24, 2011 -> 11:16 AM) The Sox are not scrubs therefore Williams deserves to keep his job. Unbelievable that he would offer that as a defense. Insulting really. Actually he was offering that as a defense of Ozzie and his coaches, as much as himself. And he's just posturing because Ozzie is still under contract for 2012 and he wants him to quit or to get compensation from the Marlins not fire him.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 22, 2011 -> 06:34 AM) Absolutely not. Only if a hitter fails is it proper to give Walker "credit". Now if Morel was a pitcher and pitching in Sept. like he has been hitting, you know it would be because of the fabulous work of one Mr. Don Cooper. If Walker gets the credit for Morel's September performance he must also take the blame for Morel's poor performance for the first five months. Did Morel figure it out on his own or did it take Walker such a long time to help his struggling hitter? I don't know. What about Beckham? Dunn? Rios?

JR will have to extend Ozzie so that he can keep selling those "Ozzie Plan" season ticket packages.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Sep 18, 2011 -> 04:10 PM) I think if the Sox give up on Gordon it will be a big mistake. They shouldn't just give up on him but they should make him earn the starting 2B job next spring. If he doesn't earn it, he should be the utility infielder to start the year. He'd make a great utility infielder providing good defense at 2B, 3B and SS. If he produces well in that role he can always win a starting job back. But to just hand him the starting 2B job without any competition next year would be a mistake.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 16, 2011 -> 07:08 PM) Probably for the same reason you and I aren't in the line up. Good one.