WCSox

I'd love to be more optimistic, but I'm going to say 83 wins. Big question marks at CF, 2B, and 3B, and I don't see Paulie, Thome, Linebrink, or Contreras being healthy all year. I also see MacDougal and Dotel being wildly-inconsistent. Too bad, because 89 wins would probably lead to a division title.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 29, 2009 -> 05:45 AM) Times have changed. At the time, there probably was no way Linebrink signs for 3 years. KW had already tried with the bullpen what he's trying at other positions now, throwing a bunch of s*** against the way seeing if anything sticks. He had to overpay and frankly if he didn't get Linebrink, even though he did get hurt and was awful after that,(showing there really wasn't anyone to take his place) the White Sox almost certainly miss the playoffs. He overpaid, but he had to. Agreed, and the same argument can be applied to Dotel. Thankfully, Dotel at least has his health.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 29, 2009 -> 04:31 PM) Joe Crede was not a GG caliber defender on Day 1 in the majors. He improved a lot his first couple years. Robin Ventura struggled quite a bit his first year, before going on to be an elite defender at the position. Josh Fields is a superb overall athlete who has already made strides at 3B, and there is every reason to think he'd continue to improve. Making the leap to the majors at 3B is a big one, and LOTS of major league thirdbasemen have struggled at first, and then improved. The majority, even. The idea that players don't improve defensively, particularly at 3B, is just not in the ballpark of correct. And Carlos Lee wasn't a very good 3B either. But found a home in LF. If Fields develops as a hitter, he'll have place on this team. Especially with all of the aging, low-defense-skilled position players coming off of the books soon.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Mar 29, 2009 -> 12:55 PM) i'm fine with 2year if it's cheap as all get out Well, that's part of the problem. I don't think that Kenny could low-ball Paulie, after all that he's done for this organization. Unless he continues to decline this year, in which case you don't want to re-sign him anyway.

QUOTE (hawkubes @ Mar 28, 2009 -> 04:12 AM) Konerko just turned 33 and is locked up for at least a couple of more seasons. Hopefully Paulie stays with the team for several more seasons at first base and/or DH. Paulie is signed through next season and I don't want Kenny over-paying to re-sign a guy in his mid-30's whose OPS has declined over the past three years. I appreciate Paulie like few others who have worn a Sox uni, but I'll strangle Kenny if he gives him another multi-year contract.

Jose is simply bad-ass.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 09:43 AM) IMO, it will really help Dotel if he's a 7th inning guy who we can swap in and out more easily than if he's an 8th inning guy. Right handers hit under .200 against him last year with a .654 OPS. It's when we start saying "The whole inning is yours" that he gets in to more trouble. He was at his worst last year in late July and for the month of August, and that was conveniently the month and a half that Linebrink missed. I agree that he's much better suited for the 7th, as he definitely flourished in that role last year. Maybe it's a mental thing, or maybe it was just a temporary command thing. Either way, I wouldn't expect him to put up his April/May/June numbers from last year over the course of an entire season. He'll be good, but it seems unlikely that he'll be that good. QUOTE (scenario @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 09:57 AM) I recall him hitting 94-95mph last year... not once in awhile either, but pretty consistently. I don't know about that... I saw him routinely hitting 91-92. I only watched about 50 games last year, so perhaps I'm missing something. Dotel routinely hit 97 on the gun during his heydey in Houston. He could throw that pitch right by hitters, even when he got behind in the count. He can't do that anymore because he no longer has the velocity.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 10:34 AM) Dotel had a handful of super megafail outings last summer which I think distorts peoples' opinion of him. I think that last season is a good indication of what we'll get from Dotel this year. At times, he'll be nails. At other times, he'll get shelled. He hasn't been consistently good since blowing out his elbow and losing a good 5-6 mph off of his fastball, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

QUOTE (BobDylan @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 12:28 PM) The surrounding areas bring that 500,000 to over 2 million. There is more than enough around these necks to support a professional baseball team, That's opinion, not fact. I don't consider 2 million people within commutable distance a slam-dunk for a successful MLB franchise. Especially when most of them are already Mariners fans and a half million of them live in Washington. Miami has a metro area of over 4 million people. They had to freaking threaten to leave (after two WS titles) to get serious consideration for something that resembles a baseball stadium, and don't draw well in general. Tampa has a metro area of 2.7 million. They couldn't draw flies until their team was actually competitive, and probably won't draw once the Rays fall back to mediocrity. Nobody had a reason to give a damn about a baseball team in Miami, either. And even after two WS championships in a major market, they still don't give a damn about them. And Florida is home to a Spring Training league and two very well-regarded college baseball programs. What about Northwest Oregon/Southwest Washington makes you think that Portland will support a team better than Miami or Tampa? I agree that the weather out here is perfect for baseball. But that's not what draws fans. Interest in baseball is what draws fans - it's what draws 36,000 to Fenway in 40 degree temps in April. I don't see anything near that level of interest in baseball out here - or professional sports in general. Especially in comparison to the Midwest and East Coast. QUOTE (NorthSideSox15 @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 06:42 AM) But mainly, WCSox is right, people here in Oregon are mostly concerned with the Ducks and the Beavers, and I'm not sure if a major league club would change that. I wouldn't mind finding out though. I think it'd be great too (especially if I wouldn't have to drive to Seattle to see the Sox).

QUOTE (NorthSideSox15 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 12:18 PM) In 2001 and 2002 Mariners broadcasts in Portland got 4.3 and 4.5 ratings from the Portland area, which was better than 19 major league cities, including the Cubs, Yankees and Giants. And during the 2002 World Series, the Portland area had the 7th best viewership for any city watching, and 3rd best for a city without a regional interest. Lastly, according to a 2003-04 poll on ESPN Portland has the highest %age of major league fans for city without a team (72%). Now, these numbers could be a bit skewed. First off, I got my info from a site called http://www.oregonstadiumcampaign.com/. Now, I don't have more current numbers, because these are from the proposal made to MLB when the Expos were on the move. Thats why the numbers are a bit dated. Also, the TV numbers for Mariners could be a bit inflated because thats when the Mariners were winning 116 games and Ichiro was a rising star. The 2002 World series also featured 2 West Coast teams as well, which could inflate the numbers a bit. If the source didn't completely give it away, those numbers are definitely cherry-picked. Portland has a few things working against it... (1) The Mariners. Lots of people in PDX are already fans and it's only 3 hours away. (2) The Portland/Vancouver area is relatively small and the next-closest major metro area (Salem, ~150,000) is an hour away. Corvallis is even further away and Eugene to PDX is a full two hours. If you go north, you're in M's territory. The Cascades make driving in from Central Oregon a massive headache. Driving in from Astoria or Newport through the Coastal Range on those windy, two-lane roads is also a pain in the ass. So, you'd basically be relying on Portland/Vancouver and Salem as the bulk of your season ticket base. That's maybe 900,000 people, tops. (3) Most native Oregonians aren't really into pro sports. The culture difference between here and the Midwest is enormous. They follow the Ducks or Beavers, maybe the Blazers, and that's about it. The transplants already follow other teams and, while they may go to a couple of games, they're probably not going to fork down money on season tickets. (4) Public financing for a stadium might be a problem in PDX. Taxes and cost of living are already pretty high out here. An owner might get a lot more public financial support elsewhere. Portland is sort of like Indianapolis: A large enough city for a baseball team, but with a VERY limited suburban area, no other major metro areas within easy driving distance, no significant cultural interest in baseball, and an established team only a few hours away. My feeling is that Charlotte or Nashville would get a team first. And it's too bad because, like you said, Portland's summer weather is outstanding.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 08:21 AM) Piersall and Caray and then we had Don Drysdale with Hawk. We did have some real good ones. I think Caray was canned becasue he was too brutally honest about some of the past teams we had critical of management I don't know all of the details of why Harry left, but I remember it having something to do with the Sox switching to pay-per-view and the Cubs being televised nationally on WGN. I remember reading about Piersall getting canned because he was too critical of management... but then I also seem to remember him doing the radiocasts back in the mid '80s, so who knows. Throw Rooney (Sox), Stoney (Cubs/Sox), Brickhouse (Cubs), and Milo Hamilton (Cubs) into that mix and, wow, that's an amazing collection of broadcasting talent.

Wow, that's a hell of a broadcasting duo. Man, Chicago baseball fans were absolutely spoiled with great announcers for a long time.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 12:43 AM) It seems to me that the areas that will really thrive in the future include Seattle/Vancouver/Portland (one franchise relocated), San Jose/Silicon Valley/SF (+1), Portland is a bad market for a baseball team. Not only is it relatively small for a "major" city (500,000), but the rest of the state is not very populated and those that do live here don't give a crap about baseball anyway. College sports (and, to a lesser extent, the Blazers) are the big draws in Oregon... and sports in general trails skiing, hiking, and camping in popularity. I also disagree that Seattle and Nor Cal will "thrive" in the future. IMO, both have already seen their heydays and will either remain the same or (more likely) decline somewhat. California is an economic disaster right now with the subprime crisis, and businesses are leaving in droves because of the unfavorable tax laws. Seattle is a little better off, but has many of the same problems that San Fran does (overcrowded, housing is way too expensive, etc.). I agree with this. The Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Texas are going to be the major growth areas. I'll also throw in Boise and Salt Lake City, although I don't see those as good markets for MLB teams. If I had to guess, I'd say that Nashville would be next in line for a relocated franchise.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 09:25 AM) Hawk sounds different. I mean you can tell it's him, but he still sounds different. Yeah, he does. He also sounds like a much better play-by-play guy, given that he's not spewing a catch-phrase every 30 seconds, defending the organization's controversial decisions, or trying to convince us that the umpires are conspiring against the Sox. I had forgotten how much better he was back in the '80s and early '90s.

Personally, I'd rather save the money and give BA a sink-or-swim chance in CF.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 11:58 AM) If he has entered the downside of his career then so has JD since they are the same age. The difference is that Abreu is already showing his age, while JD isn't. Abreu's numbers have been declining over the past two years. JD's really haven't, and I like his chances to play near his career average this year more than Abreu's. I can't argue with Abreu's RISP numbers. But I'd much rather that the Sox have a true leadoff hitter than Abreu. The idea floated in this thread of signing Abreu and dealing Dye for Figgins made a lot of sense. Signing Abreu and dealing Dye for, say, a minor-league pitcher makes less sense, especially since KW would have to eat about half of Dye's salary in a trade.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 10:01 AM) I sure as hell wouldnt. Abreu would be a ridiculous OBP and RBI guy for us. He's a better clutch hitter with men on base and would get on base himself in front of a ton of power. I would have packed Dye's bags for him if we could have traded him. Abreu hasn't been a .400 OBP guy for a couple of years now and is entering the downside of his career. He crossed the plate 100 times last year in 156 games with a solid supporting cast, while JD scored 96 runs in 154 games with a similar supporting cast. This isn't the same guy from 2004 - his numbers are clearly in decline. Agreed that he'd be a nice two-hole hitter with a much better OBP than JD... but then there'd also be about a 10-HR gap between the two. I don't see him as a massive upgrade. Knowing Ozzie, he would also be stuck in CF, where he'd be a defensive liability. Unless Kenny could've moved JD for somebody like Figgins, I wouldn't be in favor of it.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 09:24 AM) Why would anyone take Dye at double that cost? There was no market for us to move anyone. Agreed. And, despite Abreu's better OBP, I'd rather have Dye than him. IMO, the only positive to landing Abreu would've been the opportunity to deal Dye for a leadoff hitter.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 10, 2009 -> 08:10 AM) Actually, the Sports Tier is not required. At least right now, as long as you have digital cable, the following come with your package (I know, because I don't pay for the Sports Tier. NBA TV Big 10 Networks MLB TV The sports tier includes all those s***ty fox sports channels, the NFL Network, and the NHL Network. That's interesting that MLB Network and NFL Network are on different tiers. IMO, the Sports Tier is worth the extra $6 for NFL Network alone.

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Feb 4, 2009 -> 11:28 PM) I have comcast basic cable, I can't see the channel, for those with comcast, what package do you have to watch it? You have to purchase the Sports Tier, which is an extra $6/month. That may only be an option with Expanded Basic, though. Can't remember. BTW, the Sports Tier also has the NFL/NHL/NBA/Big 10 Networks. Well worth the money, IMO.

QUOTE (knightni @ Feb 9, 2009 -> 04:35 PM) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraud LOL, good luck winning that argument in a courtroom.

QUOTE (knightni @ Feb 9, 2009 -> 04:11 PM) /throws topic grenade, runs. What's worse, a legal (at the time) PED or an illegal recreational drug? If MLB never enforced it, how was it illegal/cheating? They're all "illegal," whether or not the CBA had a provision for testing. "Cheating" has nothing to do with the law.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 9, 2009 -> 02:15 PM) It says an awful lot about the people running the game currently that people like Canseco and McNamee are the ones coming out of this looking positive. Canseco seemingly got half his teams juiced, stole a couple MVP awards and a WS ring or two, and is a general scumbag, yet at this point he's been right about virtually everything. Brian McNamee's an admitted steroid distributor, and he mistrusted a hall of fame pitcher who was supposedly a wonderful family man so much that he kept documents and needles safely stored away implicating that pitcher. Yeah, no kidding. I'm especially interested to see what happens to Orza, who will have violated the CBA (at the very least... and possibly served as an accomplice to criminal activity as well) if the allegations against him can be proven.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 9, 2009 -> 12:53 PM) The less Jose Canseco we see, the better off the world As unsavory a character as Canseco is, this issue arguably wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the exposure without his book. Many negative things can be said about the guy, but he's been pretty much on-target at exposing these guys. I'd rather listen to a hypocrite like him than have the entire issue swept under the rug.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 9, 2009 -> 11:31 AM) Well I'll be damned, and it wasn't the "I only did it one time" B.S. either. I give him props for manning up.