Texsox

Positive spin. I haven't heard JR or KW say they had to drop the payroll to $59 million perhaps, I'm hoping, they won't dump Jose, Lee, or someone else with the goal of reducing payroll. If they keep trying to improve the club, and we wind up with our current cast of players, it will be a tought season but not as bad as it would be after a Lee for prospects type trade.

Ozzie passed baseball 101. Now let's see if he has the b*lls to follow through after meeting with Frank. IMHO baseball 201 would have had Frank in the #6 hole last season. Flip flopping him with Maggs is a start.

Oh, you want the Greatest lyrics ever There's a bar, in a western bay, and it serves, a hundred ships a day. Lonely sailers, pass the time away, thinkin' about their homes . . . Those great lyrics

beastlt, you're gonna have some competition from BeGood and maybe PA. I definately think you'll be nominated for one of the top 3 spots.

The more I look over the list the more pissed I get at Kong and Koch. Show me the results ~ You got the money!

PA, If we ever find ourselves in the same bar, you can't go near the jukebox. How do you servive in Texas? Pat Green

Who did you steal it from?

I'm starting to have some empathy for KW

Not a baseball but during a Wolves pregame skate around my son and I were in the first row in a corner. My son was standing with his elbows on the boards below the glass when Rierdon was skating with a puck right at him (he was 6 or 7 at the time). I started to pull Brian as Reirdon wound up for a slap shot. At the last moment Reirdon scooped up the puck with his stick and dropped it over the glass Made me an instant fan of the team and Reirdon. I'm not certain if I spelled his name correctly. Last I heard he had a few years in the NHL and is now playing for a team in Ohio.

I think it was all a Hollywood'esque show and Kennedy is alive and well living in disguise with Marilyn Monroe

I'm saying die hards. What you see going to Wrigley are a lot of baseball fans who would support the Sox as well. Only a small minority really believe the f*** the cubs or f*** the sox stuff. We are passionate and view the world from that perspective. Many of the Cub fans are not die hards and refuse to go to a Sox game or cheer on a Sox team. How many of those people sitting at Wrigley sat at a Sox game in 2000?

Are we in LA?

What can the Sox do to close the gap between the Sox and the Cubs for top team in Chicago? My thinking is 1/3 of the people are die hard Cub fans and won't change, anotehr 1/3 are die hard Sox fans and won't change, that leaves the casual 1/3 fan to be fought over. A couple of things that determine the choice, and it's similar to other products Quality, Price, and Service. Quality: The better team, with a better stadium wins here. Also factor in concessions and management and player PR. Price: Both regular prices plus any special off price games, parking, concessions, etc. Service: Easy to get in and out of the game, better parking, nice ushers, concession workers, etc. Other intangibles include cool factor, some people like the loveable losers, some people like to beat them up. What can the Sox do?

The premise that the team makes most of their money from the gate is off base. Add in TV, skybox, concession, naming rights, share of MLB licensing, etc. etc. and you have a better picture. Comparing TOTAL revenue with total payroll would be more accurate. As far as fan attendance needing to increase before the product gets better, that is a dual edge sword. Do you keep watching s***ty tv shows so the shows get better? Eat at crappy restaurants so they can improve their food. Give me one other example where people keep spending their hard earned money to support a s***ty product in the hopes a better product can be made? That logic would have you up to your ass in Beta movies, and Sega games. In politics, a nice comparision since we are after the votes of the masses, campaigns divide up the demographics in three groups. Using that to compare Chicago baseball: 1/3 are die hard Cub fans and will support the team no matter what. 1/3 are die hard Sox fans and will support the team no matter what. 1/3 is the battleground. How do you get these fans to come to your game? Better ballpark, geographics (can't change that), WINNING team, cost, service.

Seems I've got to have a change of scene 'Cause ev'ry night I have the strangest dreams; Gee PA, how original a lyric thread. Didn't BeGood start the last one?

As soon as I read a guy on the East coast was arrested, I thought of BeGood The US post office must be licking their chops hoping for effective bans on spam. It's the bulk mailers that keep all our 1st Class rates low. When the bulk guys send you 6 pieces of mail, they just paid the post office a dollor or so to go to your house, and they target almost everyone.

Oh no. The Bartman ending was too much fun to watch. I want to see how they will top that next year.

:fthecubs

Despite the Buerhle signing which I liked everything this off season has been negative. So JR being at the meetings means 1. Nothing will happen. 2. If something happens, it will be bad. Maybe JR just likes hanging out with baseball guys hoping to become one someday. I see him standing around asking people if they want to see his Michael Jordon autographs.

Nice avatar WsoxShuf LMFAO

You may win by default. If anyone else has a trophy sig they would like to design, I will add a poll. Thank you. That is cool.

I'm not certain if I should add my nominations or not, but here goes. Poster of the Year (soxtalk MVP) southsider, cwsox, steff Thread of the Year (Best Picture) motherf*cking, Post hot Chick, Eau De Colon (song only) Best Poster to start a Thread (leading actor) southsider, PA, chisoxfn, ncorgbl Best Poster to add to a Thread (supporting actor) Steff, cwsox, heads Admin of the Year all Mod of the Year; Mr./Ms. Underrated heather, Special Effects (Who posts the best pics) I rarely look at them White Sox Baseball Analyst southsider, chisoxfn, soxheads, Steff Cubbie (poster who gets picked on, but like a loyal Cub fan, keeps coming back) BeGood, beastly, and PA Drinking Buddy (Who would you like to meet for a drink) PA, southsider, cwsox, ncorgbl LOL (who makes you laugh) southsider, PA, ncorgbl, rhibbierhubarb Anger Management Award (who makes you mad) ncorgbl, cwsox,

Excellent thinking. I too am trying to go into this season thinking we are doomed to a 5th place finish. Then if we get swept the opening series I won't be so enraged. Let's set our expectations realy low and anything is a surprise and an upside. I like starting a team with Maggs, Lee, Frank, Mark, and E-Lo. Let's see what opening day looks like.

pitching has to be the trickiest position to fill. Anyone want to guess if Maddux will be healthy and playing in 2006? Even with position players it can be a crap shoot. Look at Pudge, Hawk wasn't totally wrong in trying to switch him to the OF and he becomes an ageless wonder. It is easy to spend $60,000,000 and get value for 2004. There has to be some responsibilty towards the 2005 and 2006 payroll as well. That is where the better teams excell. Giving almost any pitcher a longer than three year deal is risky at best.

Spiff, you know right now someone is combing through old posts looking for your wrong predictions Fasten your seatbelts, we may be running into some mid flight turbulence.