PHAT ALBERT

QUOTE (That funky motion @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 12:35 PM) He said a Spanish name as the other player( not reyes) but I cant remember his name. Fernando Martinez? AA OF. Who is 'he?' Levineline?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 10:18 AM) No details yet, but they say talks are getting rather heated. Score isn't mentioning this during their updates at all now. Was this from Steve Stone or just some idiot host?

Great stuff. Thanks. One thing. I do not think Linebrink has a "full no trade." I think KW said on ESPN that it was for 2008 only - which is consistent with that the did with other guys.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 06:44 PM) I got to be honest, at this point, unless it is coming from Levine or it is a press release odds are I don't buy into the rumors I hear surrounding the Sox anymore. Kenny keeps things pretty tight for the most part and I'm guessing that is why we never hear anything about the deals that actually happen where as the deals that don't happen are probably semi intentional leaks that happen after the fact (with the exception of what went down at the winter meetings). I agree. Harry T sure as hell is going to have it first - unless it is news about discounted buffalo wings somewhere in Wrigleyville.

QUOTE(BureauEmployee171 @ Dec 22, 2007 -> 11:54 AM) To the poster who said something about the MLB Scouting Bureau combining reports with the 30 MLB teams - you're right, but I didn't say that they combined. I said that the OFP provided was the one used by the MLBSB, and that I referenced friends from other organizations (12 total that I asked or called and told me when they saw he signed) who had scouting reports turned in on Ramirez and 47 was his OFP. Do these scores "range" from team to team? The short answer - yes. Do they range "greatly" from team to team? No. One team may have a 46, one team a 47, another a 48. But there won't be a team out there that grades Ramirez at higher than 49, and a team won't grade him lower than a 45. And with regard to providing the scouting reports for the ChiSox prospects - I don't want to do so because of possible transactions, etc. I can provide them on two recently traded players (Aaron Cunningham & Chris Carter) from the MLBSB, though. Cunningham - Tool - Current/Future Hit - 50/60 Power - 40/50 Run - 60/60 Field - 50/55 Throw - 45/50 OFP current - 49, OFP future - 55 would translate to an above-avg. MLB OF with All-Star potential in peak seasons. A starter on most teams with a solid well-above avg. hit tool - .300+ avg. Cunningham projects similarly to Eric Byrnes. Chris Carter - Hit - 40/50 Power - 60/70 Run - 35/40 Field - 35/45 Throw - 40/45 OFP current - 42, OFP Future - 50. This translates into an "avg" player, but, in OFP - a huge plus tool in the hit/power category get upwards of 10 overall in OFP. Meaning - Carter could become a 60 based on his power production. He will never be a glove man but has the possibility of being a .275-40+ HR player in peak seasons. A fringe-avg. starter on all teams in the NL, with the possibility of being a valuable DH in the mold of Jermaine Dye with the bat. Oh. I didn't get it the first time. This makes more sense. But, why are these 12 people from 12 different teams sharing with you confidential scouting data? Sounds like there should be 12 jobs in major league front offices opening soon.

QUOTE(BureauEmployee171 @ Dec 21, 2007 -> 11:42 PM) Scouting Grades Hitting - 60 Power - 40 Arm Strength - 60 Fielding - 50 (OF); 55 (SS) Speed - 60 This is the scouting report I saw posted earlier. Now, for the layman, this is the 20-80 scouting scale. Whereas 50 is MLB avg. A player with this OFP would be a 54 - where a 55 is a potential All-Star during peak seasons. The MLB Scouting Bureau - which provides scouting reports filled out by scouts that work for MLB (none of this is available online), and various other organizational reports from other teams have this scouting score on Ramirez Hit - 45 Power - 35 Arm - 60 Field - 35 INF 45 OF Run - 55 OFP: 47 47 would represent a fringe player who may be a starter on 2nd division teams, but is a utility type on 1st division teams. Omar Infante's number: 47. He is maxed out in that - his tools are playable as is - meaning if he were to get 'bigger' he will increase other tools while decreasing in other areas. Meaning - if he got "bigger", he will lose range & speed - negating his defensive ability in positions such as CF & 2B while increasing in power, etc - but his OFP remains the same. Kosuke Fukudome - yes, he was injured - but it was not a major injury and he has displayed thru physicals that he is 100%. Fukudome's OFP according to the reports turned in by all 30 MLB teams: 65 hit 55 power 65 arm 65 defense 50 run 60 OFP. 60 is a starter on all first division teams with All-Star capability. Players with 60 OFP: Alex Rios, Aramis Ramirez, Nick Markakis. Now, please keep in mind that both players will undergo "transitional" seasons this coming year. The game they are about to play is much bigger, faster, and more powerful. The point of this: Fukudome has an OFP of a well-above average MLB player. Ramirez is a fringe-avg. player. Position Players (not pitchers) do not get 48 M and another get 4+ M for no good reason fellas. Ramirez is a known quantity. All 30 MLB teams have seen him play and have the report above in on him. You don't "steal" a player for 4+ M when all teams have their reports on the player turned in. I do not think that the Scouting Buereau gets reports turned in by all 30 teams. Why would they do that? Why would they share proprietary, subjective evaluations with their competitors? No offense, but I think this is kind of bogus.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Dec 21, 2007 -> 06:29 PM) If that was a case I'll send KW a cake. If that is true, my guess is you better address it to Rick Hahn.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 28, 2007 -> 10:05 PM) You don't opt out of $28 million a year, esp. if the team is the Yankes and they're already willing to extend you, if you want to play in a city. Must already know he has $30m times eight or nine elsewhere....

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Oct 27, 2007 -> 12:48 PM) Sign Joe before the season starts. Fields is not the 3B person we need to make a run at a championship. It is Joe Crede. Josh needs grooming out there in LF. He can play an occassional game at 3B along with Ozuna though. One question I have though - does anyone think Fieds could make the transformation at 2B or SS? Did he ever play there? Trade Joe ASAP. Let Field man 3B for the next five years, annually putting up higher HR and OPS figures than Crede will between 2008-2012 but, granted, not getting to a couple of balls a month that Joe would have.

QUOTE(spiderman @ Oct 24, 2007 -> 06:55 PM) It's a valid question - I don't think anyone has answered the key question - "Why is he a good candidate for a GM job - what has he done to become a major candidate ?" I'm not against Hahn at all - obviously St. Louis feels he's qualified, but it's hard to find concrete answers to this question. As did Pittsburgh. I'm not sure anyone outside the White Sox or any other team can answer this question. However, it does appear that those inside baseball, who know more about how things get done at the White Sox, sure think he is.

QUOTE(ChiSox35 @ Sep 14, 2007 -> 01:00 AM) Sports Illustrated wrote that one assistant GM called this position "poison". Could this be the same one who took himself out of consideration? I doubt it. His quote praised the opportunity and all reports had him tight with their new president, Connelly.

Phil is an idiot. He confirms that thought with every flip-flop - remember his article a year ago in which he said KW had this team set up for years by saying how good Charlotte was - and every shortsighted theory on team building that he creates (and which are widely mocked on pages like this one.) Perhaps he will get flushed once the Trib is sold and we finally get a big league columnist in this town instead of this hack. He Gone!

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Feb 15, 2007 -> 09:47 AM) Maybe we will start to see some better drafts. I wouldn't be so sure. I seem to recall Wilder being one of those scouting and praising Broadway and McCullough at the time they were selected. Not that those are horrible picks - just bleh.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jan 27, 2007 -> 03:41 PM) KW needs to stop whining in the media about contracts. We're the wrong fan base to start complaining about salaries to. I think he is just being more honest than people are used to hearing from management. I prefer to know than to be lied to.

QUOTE(retro1983hat @ Jan 25, 2007 -> 02:27 PM) Mike North, while annoying sometimes, went from a regular fan to a millionaire on sports radio and probably considered one of the top sports talkers in the country. The hating on him gets a little tired on this board sometimes. Because he became a millionaire on sports radio, people shouldn't bash him? The man is a living testament to the fact that money doesn't care who owns it. The hating on him is completely deserved regardless of what his w2 says.

QUOTE(103 mph screwball @ Jan 24, 2007 -> 09:42 PM) Rick Hahn was on Comcast Sportsnet Trib Live show. Not a whole ton of new stuff, but here is a recap for those interested. Pods workout routine went to full throttle last week and he aggravated an old injury on the right side of his groin that he had previous surgery on 3 years ago with the Brewers. Not the same injury as last year. 6-8 weeks, but since "speed is such a part of Scott's game, we have make sure that he is absolutely 100% healthy and confident in his ability or he's not going to be able to help us as much as all of us would like." They are going to be conservative with him. This was not discovered earlier because he didn't have a problem until he turned his workouts up to ten. They hope to have something official in the next 24 hours with Erstad. He had a bone spur in ankle last year. He is working out without restriction now. He goes all out and his style of play will cause injuries. He's a grinder and he's being brought for 2 reasons. First, he adds outfield depth, versatility, and help develop Anderson, Sweeny and Owens. Second, the Sox were missing something last year. Hunger, desire, or whatever it is, "This guy (Erstad) is the poster boy, if we were missing something, this guy brings it." Not concerned with his lack of power, wants him to get on base. Lead off, Iguchi, Erstad, Ozuna, Pods, whoever will get on base. If you can't get the jack rabbit leading off, get the guy that is going to get on base. Competition for the fifth spot, Floyd, Haegar, Danks, Gio, Broadway, Phillips. No repeat of revolving door 2004 fifth spot. BMac traded because they feel real good with Danks and Massett and think they will both be impact players for a long time. Thanks for the summary. They said on Interactive that Mike North was on with him too. Had to be brutal to sit through that.