LittleHurt05

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How about they just ban all reporters from the locker rooms, male and female? Let the players change and what not in peace and then interview them when they get out in the interview rooms or wherever.

Awesome article, Posnanski's the man. Just finished reading it and came on here to post it, beat me to it.

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 09:51 AM) Dear KW, Next year, please try to put together a roster that looks like it could win 95 games... Rather than your usual approach of putting together a roster designed to win 85 games, and hoping that - you catch lightning in a bottle - some burned out retread reverts back to their glory days - the team plays above expectations, - and/or that other teams (particularly the Twins) under-perform With the amount of payroll you have to work with, this doesn't seem like an unfair request, does it? Regards, S Considering that every year only 3 or 4 teams win 95 games, it would be pretty freaking impressive if he could manage this year in and year out.

QUOTE (stretchstretch @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 12:52 PM) first, I have to say thank you for what is perhaps the quote of the year, literally sprayed coffee on my desk. second, yes, exactly, as a fan I'd rather watch the growing process with lowered expectations, than sit hoping beyond hope (on TV, PC, Cell), day after day from April-Sept that somehow this year's Sox team will align their $110M payroll of castaways and nonames to outlast MN on Oct1st, and again, end up bitterly bitterly disappointed and wondering what has to change. If they start over and rebuild, at least their will be no guessing why they're not good, we'll know. So if for the next 7 years, the White Sox won about 70-75 games a year, were out of the pennant race every July, but were playing young players that provided hope (but no guarantees) of future playoff success, you would be happier? No thanks.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 12:11 PM) We might not be that far from greatness, but it's also hard to argue how we could possibly be improved... 1) Beckham would need to put up an 850-875 OPS 2) Quentin would need to hit consistently all year, especially on the road 3) We'd have to find the money to resign Konerko and AJ 4) We'd have to find a replacement for Jones/Kotsay with seemingly no money to spend (except on Manny Ramirez) 5) Peavy has to be 100% 6) The Twins would have to succumb to even more injuries or bad luck than they did this year (Morneau concussion)...and not bring in any new FA's, and possibly lose both Hudson and Thome, although I can't imagine Jim retiring OR not going back there again in 2011. And you know Ozzie and KW wouldn't bring him back, Jim would probably refuse after Ozzie's idiotic comments and if he did come back, he would be done after all.7) The one big improvement would seemingly be Chris Sale waiting in the wings instead of Harrell/Torres/Pena 8) The bullpen has to replace Jenks, probably Putz, 50/50 KW lets Pena go, and Sale might be starting in the minors or majors (if Peavy isn't ready)...so that leaves Thornton and Linebrink, NOT good at all, and a huge concern coming off our 2nd half struggles in that area 9) Morel would have to come in and put up a 750 OPS and play Gold Glove caliber defense, because we can't rely up Teahen or Viciedo defensively, and Vizquel due to his age 10) We have to hope the "good" Alex Rios turns up again Good points about the White Sox, but the Twins can have similar questions and they have had their share of good luck as well. Is Brian Duensing gonna keep a 2.25 ERA as a starter next year? Can Carl Pavano keep up his career resurgence at the age of 35? Can Danny Valencia, 19th round pick, keep up an OPS over .800 for a full season? Will Jim Thome once again be able to put up the 3rd or 4th highest OPS of his entire career at the age of 40? I am not doubting that the Twins are a great and better ballclub. But they also have had some stuff go their way this year, that they may not be able to keep up next year.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 10:18 AM) Which is opposed to most other GM's mantras of "I really hope we lose." I'm pretty sure that was Dave Littlefield's mantra with the Pirates. Thats the only way to explain all the awful moves he made.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 03:34 PM) It shouldn't. Iowa is going to mop the floor with Arizona. So you are saying Iowa -1.5 should be a solid bet?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 09:40 AM) I'm going on Saturday night, and I'm treating it like the World Series. This was a fun team to watch for most of the summer, and they earned my respect. The Twins are just too damn good this year. Well said my friend.

It's funny how so many people around here blame Ozzie for this season and want him gone ASAP, while so many outside analysts have called this Ozzie's greatest managerial effort yet, even better than 2005. He took a team dead in the water in late May and got them to believe and play some incredible baseball and get back in the pennant race. Interleague or not, its still not easy to win that many baseball games at once.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 08:21 AM) Unfortunately you are 100% correct. I know the argument of the rotating DH situation has been season long, but I can't see how anyone would not agree that it at least had a hand in this team's overall disappointing performance. Granted the first two months may have set the tone for the season, and everything but the bullpen was bad. I just hope the team goes into 2011 with a DH, not an idea of 3, 4, or 5 guys who could be a DH once in a while. There is still nothing wrong with the concept of the rotating DH. It's the players that you rotate that are the problem. When Mark Kotsay gets over 80 of those starts, then you have a f***ing problem. Letting your best position players get days of rest, but keeping their bats in the lineup in the DH spot is a great idea. But when they are getting replaced by sub-replacement players (I don't know if thats a word), then the idea looks stupid.

Konerko

Green Bay Packers

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 10:59 PM) The Twins are the better team. It sucks, but's it true. We still shouldn't be conceding games like this, but i'm not suprised by results like these. Seriously. They are playing .719 ball since the All-Star Break. Take away the 12 games vs. the Sox, and they are still playing .711 ball. Time to tip your cap and face the facts, Twins >>> Sox

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 11:09 PM) That, but the fact remains our record alone against Minnesota is too much to overcome. You can't give up 7 games to a divisional foe. 5-12? Cmon. That in itself will lose us the title every single year. I repeat ... other teams in the division also have to start beating the Twins some. Royals played us .500; Twins have kicked their ass as well; don't know about Cleve and Det's record against Minnie. This whole division has been put in its place by Minnie. Thank god we won that playoff game vs. Minnesota. That was a special day. Of course the coin flip is the only thing that gave us a chance in that one, unless Thome would have homered 3 times in the Humpydome. The Reds went 6-12 vs. the Cardinals this season and yet still own a 7 game lead in the division. Granted, Cincy kicked the rest of the division's butt, but they manged to get around their inability to beat STL.

Morel at 3B, Viciedo plays 1B or DH, whichever Konerko isnt playing

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 10:33 PM) It's a shame that in a major market like Chicago that 87/88 wins is somewhat acceptable to some folks. I'm not saying that I'm pleased or its acceptable. I just wouldn't call it sickening and wouldn't expect nor want the Sox to rebuild the whole thing right now. The rotation still looks pretty formidable next year (hoping that Peavy should come back healthy at some point) and there is definitely some talent on the diamond. 18 of the 30 other teams in MLB are having worst seasons than the Sox, so if they are sickening, I can only imagine what the other ones must feel. If you want the rebuilding process to go down, just wait to see what a major market like Chicago thinks of a 65 or 70 win season.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 08:35 PM) Bring on the rebuilding phase (I know it won't happen). But this is sickening. 87 or 88 wins???? Blow it all up! This franchise is sickening!

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 02:43 PM) Yeah, the move didn't pay off, but I would make that move 100 times out of 100. It's not a waste of money because of Manny's production, it's a waste of money because of the team's performance. I agree. The Sox were 4 back of the best team in the MLB since the break. Even if Manny went all LA '08, the Sox still might have had little to no chance to win the ALC with the way the Twins have been playing and the lead they had.

CQ

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 03:09 PM) and he was still bad at it.... How so? They made the playoffs in 07 and 08, and the whole sale process went down in 09. Thats exactly what they wanted him to do. They weren't concerned about the future contracts, so Hendry didn't worry about them either.

Time to take a page out of the Rockies handbook. The 18-game winning streak starts here!!!!!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 02:52 PM) Guess the Bob Sanders injury and the length of time he'll be out for! In Peter King's mailbag column today, somebody suggested that the Colts should just not play Sanders during the regular season and save him for the playoffs since he gets hurt so much. As stupid of an idea as that is, maybe the guy had a point. He's already missed 49 games while playing 48, and that doesn't count the rest of the season. They always seem to make the playoffs without him anyway.

Pierre -- LF A. Ramirez -- SS Rios -- CF Konerko -- 1B M. Ramirez -- DH Quentin -- RF Pierzynski -- C Vizquel -- 3B Beckham -- 2B Danks -- p

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 12:44 PM) 136 SBs and 195 outs given up equals negative 59. 57 SBs and 137 outs given up equals negative 80 for the Twins