Milkman delivers

I think I read Biggio as Bagwell, for some reason. I agree that he could and just might get in on the first ballot.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 08:18 PM) Paul would be decimated in a national election. Expound? I'm sure card-carrying Republicans would vote for him over Obama, and I've heard a good amount of talk that some Democrats would jump over to him for one election.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 03:54 PM) Not a chance. s***, Rose wasn't even a clear and away #1. As popular as the Bulls are, NY is still bigger. If they were corrupt, NY would have gotten him. NY is definitely bigger, but I'd wager that their followings throughout the country are similar and then well into the Bulls' favor globally.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 04:20 PM) This post is filled with awesomeness. QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 04:50 PM) He's Venezuelan, right? Miguel is Mike in Spanish, but the last name is not common...sounds more Eastern European. That's what I'd figure.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 05:28 PM) Rios would have to overachieve big time to have more than an average season by good centerfielder standards. And we know he isn't going to overachieve, not in his current $$$comfort$$$ zone. So all we can hope for is .260 at best with about 15 home runs max and about 70 ribbies max. If we could somehow dump the guy, I'd take DeAza out there anyday. He'd put up similar numbers (at worst) for 1/75th the pay. Not that I care about lining Jerry's pockets with more money. Did he raise parking again? I can't stand your hypocrisy. You constantly espouse how we should treat "our own" better, but that's only for Ozzie and other guys you arbitrarily (read: because they played on the 2005 or 2008 teams) like. When it comes to certain players, JR or KW, you have no problem ripping them.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 07:17 PM) that's my point - he didn't run over to enlist until he was already drafted, and THEN switched on over to the National Guard when the war actually started to heat up. I'm just saying the whole high and mighty act is a little annoying. But he actually served in the Air Force, not just the National Guard. The way I see it, Paul might be the only candidate that could pull in some Democrats. Hell, I'd consider myself more of a Democrat than a Republican, and I know quite a few like-minded individuals. As long as Republicans would vote for him, he could give Obama a run for his money.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 05:14 PM) Everyone sorta gives Bonds the benefit of the doubt on his pre-1998 time. I simply don't. If he was willing to cheat after watching the 1998 home run derby, that stain should apply to his whole career. I agree.

QUOTE (WHarris1 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 02:53 PM) Does he have the same connection to steroids as the rest of them? I honestly don't remember. No actual connections that I know of, but also one of the most obvious users in my opinion.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 04:56 PM) you haven't tried to... I can be wrong. I just don't think I am in this case... If the Air Force has never had a draft, how did he get into the Air Force?? and he DIDN'T go to war, he stayed home and joined the National Guard! show me some shred of evidence to the contrary and I'll roll over and say you're right, and I'm wrong! Are you asking for evidence that he was in the Air Force? I've read that he reached the rank of Captain as a flight surgeon. I'm not sure someone can get away with completely lying about reaching a specific and frankly, quite high, rank. Also, I'm fairly sure you can get drafted into one arm of the military, but voluntarily join another to better suit your abilities (as a doctor) and yes, avoid ground combat.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 02:24 PM) 10 can go in. It has never come close. It seems like it's unofficially a cap of 3.

There a cap on how many can go in a year? 5? QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 02:13 PM) Considering the names coming up in 2013 & 2014, he could be in trouble. 2013 - Bonds, Clemens, Piazza, Schilling, Sosa, Biggio, Royce Clayton 2014 - Maddux, Glavine, Thomas, Kent, Mussina Strange that I can openly admit that Schilling is, by far, the most deserving of the 2013 class. I hate him. And why would anyone even mention Royce Clayton? QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 02:17 PM) I can't believe more than half of the voters still think Raines isn't a HOF. It took me a while to come around on him too, but he belongs. Jack Morris...I don't need stats on him. He belongs. Multiple 20-win seasons, 125 complete games, 3 championships with three different teams, including winning Game 7 of the 91 series. Now with the beefy ballots coming on the next couple years, it will be interesting to see if he goes over the hump next year. 4 championships.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 02:07 PM) BNightengale Bob Nightengale Jack Morris climbs to 66% with 2 years left on ballot. #MLB #Twins If he wants to get in on the regular ballot, he better smarten up and die soon.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 01:52 PM) Eh. That would mean the NCAA and IHSAA are corrupt to, because I see a lot of bad officiating. Perhaps they are. I don't know, and I certainly don't follow or care. When you have a former ref getting caught for fixing games, that Lakers-Kings series from a while back, the absurd special treatment given to start players, etc., you have a corrupt league.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 01:45 PM) Did you see how much press the Knicks got for just assembling a team that is possibly competitive for a playoff spot? I know how big the Bulls were throughout the '90s not just in America, but around the world. Providing them with another potential "greatest player in the game" could spark that right back up. Either way, you'll never convince me that the NBA isn't corrupt as balls. One need only suffer through a game to see it in the reffing.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 09:36 AM) Yes, cause the NBA would have picked the Bulls over reviving NY or pairing Rose & Wade. I think there is more potential in Chicago. I think the NBA agreed.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 11:22 AM) There is a blogger out there who made a spreadsheet of all who made their votes public to this point. Larkin is at about 90% of those (108 reported so far). No one else is at 75%, or even that close. Bagwell, Raines, and Morris are all in the high 50's to low 60's percent range. Larkin is the only sure thing out of those guys anyway, so I won't be upset if he's the only one elected. I'd like Morris and Raines to get in eventually, though.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 01:14 PM) Oh please, the way you stated it made it look blatantly like you were calling him personally a disgrace. I know we get a lot of exposure on this site, including Teahen's wife, and stating things the way you did makes this whole board look bad (not to mention Sox fans in general). You were the one who typed that post that way, not my fault, and sorry for defending good people, I know that's such a bad thing to do. I understood that he meant as a player...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2012 -> 01:03 PM) Sadly that is probably going to be accurate. Though this cycle will be much bloodier, which leaves the door open a bit more. Politics in this country is terrible. It's why I rarely post in this forum. There is simply no choice in our leadership, other than ultra-liberal or mega-conservative. Nothing goes anywhere, as the two fight like jealous siblings instead of working together and compromising to achieve goals. At any level of politics, your only real choice is between two caricatures of their respective parties, and anyone who has a middle-of-the-road view has no actual shot at winning.

So it'll simply be a repeat of 2004. The majority seems to want the incumbent president out (Bush/Obama), but the opposing party can't muster up a candidate worth voting for and just run a handsome moron (Kerry/Romney) that not enough people will vote for, so the voters merely stick with what they already know.

Does Ron Paul have any real chance of winning the nomination? He's the only candidate (besides probably Huntsman) on either side that I'd vote for.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jan 8, 2012 -> 12:39 PM) The Bulls are only where they are at because of one reason: Getting absolutely, extremely lucky with the 2008 Draft Lottery. 1.7% chance, and the Bulls got the No. 1 pick. Who knows where they would be without that? I think it has more to do with the NBA being laughably corrupt than the Bulls being lucky.

QUOTE (The Critic @ Jan 7, 2012 -> 10:31 AM) Not sure how much Roberts has left (I don't pay any attention to the Orioles), but if Theo and Ricketts have proven one thing this offseason, it's that they will eat money now to build for later. Roberts is 34. I seriously doubt that he'd be helping them much by the time they're competing again.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 7, 2012 -> 07:09 AM) If I could internet-makeout with you, I would. Gavin Floyd may not have "stones" to make it as a clutch postseason pitcher but he was regarded as a stopper in the second half of the 2008 season by both the local and national media (when, in fact, he was actual regressing quite quickly to his mean). He's streaky...almost every single pitcher in this league is streaky. You only notice said streakiness when they are on a team that you follow quite closely. As was mentioned somewhere on here, perhaps even within this thread, Ubaldo Jimenez has basically made a living based off of one 16-20 start period. He's been about as good and perhaps worse than Gavin Floyd outside of that stretch of games...I haven't checked the numbers. I do honestly think I'd take Floyd over Jimenez right now on the White Sox, contracts not considered, simply due to durability and relative consistency. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Ubaldo Jimenez is basically Edwin Jackson, only Dominican instead of American, with one extremely good half of pitching. He strikes out a few more, but their relative command of the strike zone and their stuff is practically the same. I'm taking Gavin Floyd before I take Edwin Jackson, and I'm taking Gavin Floyd before I'm taking Ubaldo Jimenez, over the duration of a full season. If it's 1 game, give me the guy with the stuff, which is something Floyd struggles with from time to time. That's one game, which is something I don't care about at this point. No, not after Sirotka. You do your due diligence on every.single.trade you make. It's absolutely stupid and careless not to do so. Good organizations run that way. Sirotka has nothing to do with this and all you are trying to do is make some sort of Toronto-Chicago trade connection between this. Considering that trade happened almost 11 years ago and the Blue Jays have gone through 2 GM changes during that time frame, I think that one is pretty much in the past and nobody thinks about it anymore. It doesn't have to be Drabek. It could, quite frankly, be anybody. But who do you prefer between Jimenez and Jackson? That's the real question.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 10:45 PM) 99.9% sure. You've never been here before? QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 10:45 PM) Just confirmed, Bruney DID re-sign, per CSN Chicago: Brian Bruney: The Sox brought Bruney back on a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training after the righty posted a 5.87 ERA with the Sox in 2011. He had some decent results in the majors before regressing hard in his final few games, after which he was designated for assignment. He doesn't have much upside, but at least the Sox will be aware of what they're getting if he winds up in the 2012 bullpen. If a 5.87 ERA doesn't warrant another invitation, I don't know what does.

Miguel Socolovich? That's a real person? It sounds like one of those randomly generated names from Madden with two completely different first and last names. I don't care what anyone says, I don't want to see Jhan Marinez on the major league roster at any point. Both his first and last name somehow make me angry. I see that Vicente Padilla is out there. Hopefully KW offers him a contract, then when Padilla is just about to put pen to paper, KW choke slams him through the Spanish announce table.