[Edgar Renteria traded to the Tigers]

I happen to think this was a great trade for Atlanta.

 

I really like Rent, but to clear room for Escobar and to clear salary- that concept alone is great.

 

They're getting a MLB ready arm (Jurrjens looked to have had pretty good stuff in the limited time I saw him and will make the Braves rotation next year). This Hernandez played in the Futures Game last year, hit .293 and stole 54 bases in A-Ball last year.

 

This was a great deal for Atlanta.

[White Sox in 2008]

Last 2 time Red Sox won the World Series, the White Sox won the following year.

 

That's a damn good point.

[Predict where A-Rod will be playing in 2008]

I think he'll end up with the LA Angels.

 

That could be good news for us as the Angels could look to dump salaries to pave way for ARod.

 

OC and Shields could be guys on their way out for a prospect or two to clear around 15 million.

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

K, then without Thome or Dye, how bad are the Sox? 75 win team?

 

Joe Crede did not take the Sox from 81 wins to 90 wins, unless the Sox other choice was Andy Gonzalez.

 

LOL at Andy Gonzalez.

 

Crede took too many big hits away and saved too many runs that year. One of Crede's best attributes is how clutch he is and in '06 he was at his best.

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

If the Red Sox sign ARod that means to me that Lowell is almost surely a Yankee then, IMO. If so, then the Red Sox would probably put ARod back at SS meaning they have a hole at 3B. Possible trade partner if we choose to...

 

I like you're thinking. We should take another step ahead and predict that this now opens the door for the Rangers to sign Tori Hunter. Considering this saved the Rangers 21 million...they'll throw a fair chunk of that money at Hunter.

 

That sounds good to me since I don't want to see us owe Tori Hunter 15 million when he's 38 years old.

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

If Hawk could have children with Joe Crede, he probably would. That's why he said what he did every other day on Comcast.

 

Or Hawk just said that because he really thought Crede was our best player at that time.

 

We're not just talking offense here. Does anyone recall how bad our starting pitching was the first half of '06? Crede would pick some hot shot down the line and turn it into an out. Without Joe, we would've been a .500 team that year.

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

Career high .829 OPS. At the hot corner that's extremely average, probably even below average. Joe's had 500 AB (150 G) is only 2 of the last 5 seasons. Now major back surgery, and we're talking long term deal for him?

 

I don't think anyone here is talking long term. I think the pro Crede people are just wanting him to be given a chance this season and to dismiss all of the stupid trade talk.

 

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

Oh come on, dude, you're ignoring perhaps the most important part of those stats: Joe was on pace for a 30/30/100/.300 season easily until his back went out at the start of September. If the question is..."How good could Crede's numbers have been had it not been for his back" that's certainly worth noting. (last column = home runs that month)

 

Thank you. Nice to hear from someone that actually watched every game in '06.

 

Crede was our best all around player most of that year.

 

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

31 2B, 30 HR, 94 RBI and a .283 AVG is not a 30/30/100/.300 type season. It's a 30/30/95/.285/ (rounding up because I'm a nice guy) type season. I know it seems like nitpicking but rounding up 17 points and 6 RBI is rather disingenuous.

 

You've gotta be kidding me. Considering he was hitting around .300 all year until the last half month until he could barely stand with those herniated discs in his back.

 

Describing that post as nitpicking is an understatement.

[The environment thread]

 

You didn't honestly keep a straight face when you typed that, did you?

 

I hate to step into these threads because no one really wins these arguments, which are ALL subjective.

 

But when you have to poke fun at someone for making a statement....maybe you're the one being laughed at?

[Video Game Catch-All Thread]

I have a pentium 4 processor, which is above the minimum requirements for such games as Gears of War, Crysis, or Bioshock. However, Core 2 Duo is the recommended I should have.

 

Now, if I update my graphics card and improve my ram, all my requirements will be above recommended EXCEPT for my processor. Now, I ask those who are computer savvy, would my computer run the game smoothly?

 

The P4 is going to have a hard time, but I think it'll be "good enough".

 

By the way I played Bioshock last week and it's a great game.

[Video Game Catch-All Thread]

would you say it might just be a better idea for me to get a 360 then?

 

The sports games are better for the 360 right now.

 

If you're a Final Fantasy Nut...then you may want to wait until after XMas and get a PS3.

 

I just bought a 360 last month and bought Halo 3 and NBA2K8. Both games look amazing on my 1080P TV and I can't stop playing 2K8. Probably the best basketball game ever made.

 

As far as Halo 3 goes.........good god it's unreal.

 

PS3 has the better potential, but much like the PS2 did...it may never live up to it's potential.

 

You can always pick up a PS3 NEXT year when it comes down to around $300.

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

gosh, Crede is so freaking overrated by Sox fans. I mean hes a good player and all when and IF he is healthy, but he ain't anything special.

 

For the 1st half of the '06 season, Crede was our best player. Subjective? Yes. But, I'm not alone on that. Hawk said that every other day on Comcast. On scale of 1-10 in rating Crede's defense...Crede is a 10 at the hot corner IMO.

 

Anytime you have an playoff run like he did in '05 and then follow it up with a 30,30,100,.300 type season while having two herniated discs in your back...

 

people will tend to be optimistic about a player like that.

[Crede cleared for baseball activity]

I think it would be a huge mistake to give any long-term deal to Joe Crede early in the year. Back problems have a tendency to linger. You may see Joe play healthy for a couple months then either be out for an extended period of time or in and out of the lineup all season. Is Crede that necessary to this team to risk any long term deal on? Age 30, missed almost a full season, serious back issues, entering declining years...Play Josh at 3B, spend the money on an OF.

 

If Crede has a big year for us and shows no ill-effects from that back injury, I'd sign Crede to a long term deal in a second. However, it's up to KW. KW will not give in to what Boras will ask for.

 

My guess is if Crede reverts to '06 form and is healthy, Crede will get a Konerko like contract.

 

The WSox are in such a tough spot with Fields/Crede. Crede is virtually untradeable at this point with his situation and Fields really isn't worth us trading, either (IMO). Yet after Crede walks this year, we'll have to move Fields back to 3rd and start his learning process at 3rd all over again.

 

It really is a tough spot for WSox management.

[Tyrus Thomas: the joke]

Don't compare Tyrus to Shawn Kemp. Kemp used to snort coke in the locker room. He also got really fat. I think Tyrus is a little brighter. It is amazing what's expected from a guy who would be a junior in eligibility had he remained in college. Tyrus spend the majority of his summer back at home which isn't surprising. I read that when he went to LSU, he hadn't been out of the 100 mile radius around Baton Rouge. One of the worries with him in the draft was how he would adapt to life in the big city. He probably is a little arrogant and probably very naive, but he's still a kid, and kids make mistakes. He's such an athletic freak, he won't have to add much to start dominating. Skiles won't let him blow his ability.

 

Well said.

 

I think Tyrus is right where he needs to be. Once he gets use to being in Chicago as he goes along he'll start working out at the Berto Center. But as long as he comes into camp in shape and looks to have improved in some areas (his shot for example looks great) I'm fine with him working out at home.

 

People forget Tyrus is still a very raw and unpolished product. A knock on Tyrus coming out of the draft was that it was going to take him two years to be productive. Considering Tyrus was very productive for us down the stretch last year...how can anyone have a problem with what he's done for us?

 

Tyrus has done nothing but exceeded expectations up to this point IMO.

 

[Big Hurt MileStone in '08]

Frank has a $10M team option for 2009 that becomes guaranteed with 1000 PA in '07 and '08 combined or 525 PA in 2008. So if Frank has just 376 PA next season he'll have $10M guaranteed to him for 2009.

 

So in other words, the only way Frank retires following the 2008 season is if he's suffers a catastrophic injury.

 

I still think Big Frank's .300 average will be fine. The last two seasons in Oak/Tor, Frank has a BA of .274 in 997 ABs. If Frank is able to repeat those numbers the next two years he (which I believe he will) his average will have fallen to a .29966...which is a .300 average.

 

It's going to be insanely close at that rate...but I think he'll do it.

[Big Hurt MileStone in '08]

There have been only two players in history to have obtained at least the following stats:

 

.300 BA

2500 H

1500 R

1500 RBI

1500 BB

500 2B

500 HR

 

Those two players are Babe Ruth and Ted Williams. Frank Thomas is set to join these two all-time greats this season.

 

KEEP IT GOIN' BIG HURT!!

 

[Tyrus Thomas: the joke]

Alright, I've had enough of this.

 

I wanted Tyrus in the 2006 NBA Draft, I got Tyrus in the 2006 NBA Draft.

 

The Bulls took LaMarcus Aldridge, everyone's concensus breakout player for 2007-08, and traded him for Tyrus and the ever-unstoppable Victor "they used to call me Dalibor" Khryapa.

 

Tyrus has all the athleticism in the world, but get this... he can't even beat out a guy who was picked 49th overall just a few months ago. Tyrus went 4th overall (to the team with the 2nd pick). It's been a year. He should be blowing Aaron Gray away (and to a lesser extent Joakim Noah), and he's not.

 

Why is this? It sounds like its his dedication and his being unwilling to show up for practices in the offseason and to take an active part in improving his game. Yeah, he can still score, rebound, and block. But he makes the dumb plays that make him look like he just left high school still, and it's starting to piss me off. If he were anywhere near the talent that LaMarcus Aldridge is right now, we'd have our PF spot locked up and the best starting lineup in the league.

 

But no. We have a cycling band of players, two who play their asses off without the great talent in Noah and Gray, and one who just doesn't care who could own this town if he'd just give a damn in Tyrus.

 

Tyrus is 21 with only one college season and one pro season. Tyrus looks in shape to me and he looks good this pre-season.

 

People need to settle down on Tyrus and realize he's still well on schedule to be the player we hoped he'd be.

 

[2 Bulls questions and a bonus Q]

The Bulls can't trade for Kobe until after Dec 15th. If the Bulls were to pull of any kind of deal for Kobe, because of salary requirements, they'd have to add one of the following three players: Big Ben, Kirk or Noc.

 

Forget the Bulls dealing Big Ben (nor would the Lakers trade for him) and forget the Bulls dealing Hinrich. Noc would be the main salary piece that gets dealt and due to the Bulls just re-signing him this last off-season, they can't deal him until Dec 15th due to the CBA.

 

The Bulls are about to re-sign Lou Deng to a Hinrich like deal. Ben Gordon on the other hand...nowhere near a new deal with the Bulls as of now.

 

Kobe makes 19.5 million this year. Gordon and Noc add up to a little over 12 million. Another player would have to be thrown in to meet the salary requirements and to appease the Lakers. That other player would probably be Tyrus Thomas. Tyrus makes over 3 million this year. After Dec 15, Gordon/Noc/Tyrus for Kobe would work under the CBA and be accepted by the league.

 

It's just a matter if the Bulls would want to be that thin at the 4 while getting Kobe. The Lakers would probably be willing to throw in Turiaf as a filler and give the Bulls another big body that wouldn't effect the trade as far as the CBA goes.

 

So the deal would stand as this: Nocioni, Gordon and Thomas for Bryant and Turiaf.

 

Would you do this deal? There is no doubt in my mind that the Lakers would do this with Kobe still pounding the doors down to leave. Would Pax? Stay tuned.

 

If I were Pax? I'd say no to Kobe. We can do great things with the players we already have. I hope we keep them together.

[Barry Rozner on ARod / White Sox]

You don't think it won't be a huge deal in 2009 when A-Rod starts chasing 600? or in 2012 when he chases 714?

 

 

BINGO!

 

As much as I hate to say it...Boras is right. ARod, even at 30mil/year will make his team money.

 

Now 10 yrs/300 mil? I don't know how anyone could own up to owing a guy 90 million dollars (or more depending on the type of deal) to a guy on the other side of 40.

 

5 yrs/150 mil? He'd be worth it to the right team.

 

That team is not us if anyone is wondering what my opinion on that matter is. (If you were, thanks)

[Konerko Speculation]

From everything I've heard, the Angels are considered the favorites to land ARod.

 

He'll opt out and I'm glad. This means it'll save the Rangers 21-30 million (since they're still paying a chunk of ARod's deal).

 

Now the Rangers can go after Torre Hunter and prevent KW from signing him to a way over-bloated contract.

 

Hunter lives in Texas and it's been said that he would like to play there and has a good relationship with Tom Hicks.

 

The opting out of ARod might be more relevant to us than we think.

[Konerko Speculation]

The whisper since has been, Cashman says that, and Steinbrenner really wants to keep him.

 

Cashman is a tool. He's just a yes man to the Boss.

 

What is he suppose to say, "Yeah he can opt out, no big deal."

[Many Yankee question marks..]

Torre looks to be all but gone.

 

Posada, Rivera and Pettite are all free agents. They will likely keep Posada but Rivera is reported to be shocked that the Yankees haven't approached him for a new contract. Pettite is likely to go back to Houston or retire with his boy Roger.

 

And then we have A-Rod. Im guessing he opts out of his contract and signs with Boston.

 

IF they do fire Torre....I pray to God they hire Mattingly. Then ARod, Posada and Rivera all leave.

 

I'd love that because I hate Don Mattingly. Why? Because I remember when he was brought in to be the Yankees hitting coach and he acted like he had a tough job to do. I could've coached up a lineup like that...how many all-stars would it take?

 

[Many Yankee question marks..]

Yeah, because the Yankees wouldn't mind swapping Lowell for ARod with ARod going to Boston.

 

Just that comment with your avatar makes me think that Stewie actually said that.

 

As if the sarcastic jolt wasn't funny enough.

[Many Yankee question marks..]

Actually, I just noted that Mike Lowell would be signed by the Yankees the instant AROD opts out.

 

 

The green monster has been kind to Lowell in Boston.

 

If you've ever been to Yankee Stadium, you'd already know that it's extremely tough on right handed pull hitters. LF is way deeper than advertised.

 

I could easily see Lowell falling on his face big time at Yankee Stadium.