iamshack

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 10:52 AM) Good post about the Anderson impact. KW put all of his chips into Brian Anderson, and it hurts this franchise. Well I happen to disagree about Anderson as well. This team was plenty loaded last year to absorb whatever negative impact Brian brought on by his struggling at the plate. I am a firm believer that he neutralized his weak offense by his spectacular defense. The pitching stafff, the offense in the second half, alot of things let this franchise down last year. It wasn't about one trade. It was about our division getting ridiculously strong, and out pitching letting us down. But it's too damn late to continue crying over spilt milk.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 10:35 AM) That didn't stop people from pencilling in Munoz with Zito-like numbers. All the hype started after an ESPN the Magazine tidbit about how Munoz's curve was as good as Zito's. So your logic is now that anyone that is highly-touted before should fail because some in the past have? I didn't mean to suggest before that Gio will turn into Barry Zito. But Gio has put up the numbers which suggest he can be a solid #2 in this league, which is basically what Zito is. I'm not going to doom him to failure because others in the past have reached that result.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 10:34 AM) A Mike Cameron clone who's making no money is better than 4 years of Javy. I do find it funny how some people project Ryan Sweeney or Gio to be so damn good, yet they try and make Young sound bad by saying he can only be a Cameron clone. I disagree, but hey, that's just me. I'd rather have our pitching solidified with some solid, durable starting pitchers than have CY and "hope" he doesn't finally hit his stride when it's time to pay him. With the offense on this team, having Brian out there in center should have been enough. When KW made that deal, it was with the notion that teams seeking to repeat usually have starting pitching that is tired or injured the following year. He studied the Braves and other teams that went deep into the playoffs and that is what occured. He was trying to win another championship, perhaps at the expense of the future of the ballclub. Simply because it didn't work out last year, and probably won't this year is no reason to condemn the guy now. Move on already.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 01:51 AM) I remember when a similar thing was said about Arnie Munoz. Gio is NOT Arnie Munoz.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 08:43 AM) We could single out any of about 15-20 players for blame, KW, Ozzie, JR, the scouting department, Walker, Cooper..."the blame game," whatever you want to call it, the best thing thing KW could do is trade Vazquez and get the equivalent of another Chris Young back. Which basically means KW admitting he was wrong about Vazquez AND Anderson, which is going to be very difficult for him to do...in fact, I think one of the reasons he signed him long-term was to show that this trade was not just about 2006-07 but the long-term future of the White Sox as well. I don't care how long Chris Young's homer was last night. I'll take Javy for the the 5 years we'll end up having him over a Mike Cameron clone every day and twice on half-price Mondays. The venom spewed for certain players on here is so ridiculously immature and pathetic. Some of you are so bitter and irritable that you add nothing other than sheer negativity and arrogance. Thanks for all that adds to this forum.

I love how Phil Rogers comments on Madison Bumgarner being taken by the Indians: "The Indians love kids with good arms." Brilliant, Phil.

Perhaps Mike Pelfrey and Carlos Gomez, instead of Milledge? And enough of the CY stuff every night. He is GONE. GET over it. QUIT whining about it.

QUOTE(joesaiditstrue @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 12:23 AM) someone associated with the Jays apparently said the sox look lethargic to him, just seems like the vets on this team don't really care all that much about winning, especially with their salaries I think someone associated with the Girl Scouts could see that much right now. Jermaine Dye especially irritates the hell out of me- I mean, he's in a contract year if for nothing else...

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 12:05 AM) Hence why I feel sick to my stomach. Last year should have been his last with the White Sox, the writing was on the wall with him there was no way he was going to make it through the 2007 campaign without his back taking him out for a few months. This is just so disappointing. As much as I understood a trade of Crede could be good for our organization, I always wanted him to stay here somehow. He had made such strides at the plate, and he's such a great defensive player. Now it appears he might never be the player he was really settling into. You gotta feel for the guy....why some people experience such horrific back pain and others simply do not is just mystifying...

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 7, 2007 -> 12:06 AM) Sounds like he's just a loyal White Sox fan, his defense of the Organization is quite admirable if you ask me. 90% of the people who call into these postgame shows are reactionary, frustrated, angry, or just ignorant jackasses. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to have to hear the nonsense spewed from these callers on a daily basis. Now don't get me wrong, I hate elitists like Dan Bernstein who hang up on callers because he is always right and he has a diploma from Duke University, but honestly, one can only take so much absolute nonsense before you can't listen to it anymore. I've always wondered what makes these callers believe that they should call up the radio and feel as though they are making a contribution to something other than adding to mass ignorance.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 11:26 PM) Agreed. Gio is tremendously overhyped IMO. He's an injury waiting to happen and his performance craters after a game or two with high pitch counts. Plus he has a very straight fastball which will probably be taken over the fence with regularity once he gets out of Birmingham. The Sox should sell high if they have the opportunity. Right, because another guy with a devastating hook and extremely average fastball didn't just sign a 7 year, 126 million dollar deal this offseason...

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 04:23 PM) You know what would kick some major arse? Podsednik coming back and performing well enough to give himself some trade value. If he starts performing well, chances are the team will as well and he won't be traded. I just want to see the guy succeed because chances are, if he does, we'll get rolling here.

QUOTE(Capn12 @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 03:21 PM) Odd, I'm not sure I've seen one person on SoxTalk say "I hope Prancer does awful, I hate that b****!!" as it was said on page one. Just because alot, ALOT of us don't like him being brought back for 2007, sure as hell doesn't mean we're going to root against him. There are quite a few posters on SoxTalk that seem to confuse agitation and frustration with a player as dislike for the teams wellbeing. I don't get it. Right, this coming from the guy who says he is Pods #1 critic and displays an avatar of the guy getting hit in the head with a fly ball....

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 03:24 PM) huh? Aramis Ramirez strained his left knee and left the Cubs' game against the Brewers in the middle of the second inning Wednesday. With the Cubs ahead 4-0, Ramirez grounded to shortstop J.J. Hardy and reached on an error. After Jacque Jones' inning-ending grounder, Ramirez walked gingerly off the field, accompanied by a trainer. Mark DeRosa moved from second to third, Ryan Theriot went from shortstop to second and Cesar Izturis entered at shortstop.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:27 AM) Personally, I'd rather have some contribute positively on both sides of the ball, rather than on only one side of the ball... but hey, that's just me. Yeah, that would be a perfect world, wouldn't it. But we can't have all-stars at every position. Juan Uribe has saved more runs at SS than practically any other ss in the league over the past 3 years. With the hitters we have on this team, it's not all on Juan when we aren't winning. If you were claiming we would be better off with someone like Jose Reyes at ss, I would certainly buy in. But you're asking for Uribe to be replaced by Aybar, who hasn't proven he can hit anymore than Juan can.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:23 AM) Where did I say I hope he fails? I hope more than anything that he can come back and play at full capacity nothing would help this anemic offense more, I doubt he can but i hope it happens. That was more of a comment directed at the board in general than you yourself, Kalapse. I hope he can come back with some wheels as well.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:19 AM) What are you talking about? Aybar has said to have GG potential, and his arm is as good or even better. Really? Juan Uribe is the second best defensive shortstop to Adam Everett, and has the second best arm in baseball to Rafael Furcal. Let's see Aybar prove himself before we put him on par with Uribe, especially given the fact that he isn't hitting for sh*t himself right now.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:19 AM) There isn't a single person currently in the organization (aside from a healthy Podsednik of course) with the abilities necessary to be even a mediocre major league leadoff hitter which is a serious problem. Well it's good to know how much everyone wishes failure upon the only guy who even comes close to filling the role.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:11 AM) True, though it's not saying much when his main competition is Jerry Owens and Darin Erstad. When you come up with someone better in our system, let me know.

I'll tell you this much: Many Sox fans were pining for the Texas Rangers hitting coach as a replacement for Walker over the past 8 months. Look how well Texas is hitting now. Perhaps he should be fired as well.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 12:59 AM) Thats a bold statement, as for a player with the amount of talent Aybar has, it shouldn't be that tough for him to hit above .240... Uribe's contribution to this team is defensively, with a bit of pop at the bottom of the order. Considering Aybar steals bases at about a 55% clip, and can't hold a candle to Uribe defensively, I'll take Uribe all day over Aybar.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:08 AM) I know I say this a lot and you probably don't want to hear it but every team kicks ass when their leadoff hitter is going well. The problem is Podsednik is playing poorly/is hurt more often than he's playing well. That being said he was one of the better leadoff hitters in all of baseball for the first 15 games of the season. The point is that he has a better chance of being a good leadoff man than any other player we have.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 12:14 AM) I think the umps should let Pods ride a bike on the basepaths. It would put a lot less stress on his legs (although maybe he'd still rupture a quad...who knows). As much as he is the whipping boy around here, the team kicks ass when he is going well. Let's hope he can come back and get back to doing his thing.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 5, 2007 -> 10:34 PM) I don't care if some overrate him. I have been a big fan of his for a while now. He has a better upside then his brother Willy (who is with the Braves now), and could become the type of SS we need. He has great range, a cannon arm as well, and can pick it at SS, a lot like Uribe. But the difference is, he is a switch hitter who has blazing speed and can do a decent job at getting on base. He isn't going to walk a lot, but he will still probably get more then Uribe. And with his speed, he can turn ground outs into singles, and possible DP balls into ground outs, something which Uribe doesn't have enough speed to do. He won't be a future leadoff hitter like some think he might be, but he would be a perfect guy for the 9-hole, sometimes considered second leadoff. Considering his blazing speed, he may be the worst base stealer in the history of baseball, which negates alot of his strength. The kid will be an average major league ballplayer, and certainly no better than Uribe.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Jun 5, 2007 -> 01:06 AM) Buehrle's agent isn't Boras; that means the world in these negotiations. Zito got 7/$126 because of Boras; I think Buehrle will "settle" for somewhere around 5/$80 or 6/$100, and I quite honestly would do either of those in a second because you know Buehrle is going to stay healthy over the course of his career, though he may be inconsistent. And quite frankly, if he has a half a season like he did in 2006 every 3 years, so be it; you deal with a s***ty half of baseball and hope he can be great for the other 9-11 halves. Garland I agree on, but he signed a 3 year extension prior to 2006, and his next contract will be atleast 5 years in length. So, following this season, you try and negotiate that contract. Pretty simple. I love durability, but you've got to be stellar year in and year out if you're making 15-18 million a season. Otherwise, I'll take my chances with a kid or a journeyman making peanuts. I love Mark as much as the next guy, but I just don't believe it's a smart financial move to tie up that much of the payroll in one starter unless he's an ace. Mark is a great pitcher, but an ace he probably will never be.