kitekrazy

This was interesting. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5484947

QUOTE (lostfan @ Aug 18, 2010 -> 07:35 PM) I love football, and I am a huge Bears fan (although unfortunately I agree about the stupidity of fanbase factor, ugh) but the overcommercialization of the NFL is what really dulls it for me. The round-the-clock coverage of everything is nauseating, and the annual Favre soap opera and things like the verbal fellating of Tom Brady, so I tend to avoid it as much as I can. This has costs though because I find myself not knowing things I normally would when I watch postgame coverage, shows throughout the week, and so on. Basically everything I don't like about the NFL anymore revolves around the its relentless pursuit of revenue, and it just feels bogus as hell. The excessive commercials, the skyrocketing free agent deals, the ridiculous contracts given to rookies (costs which are passed down to the fans in various ways btw), needing DirecTV to get Sunday Ticket, the price of Sunday Ticket who only really care to watch one team, ticket costs going up every year for the same product, charging fans full price for pointless preseason games nobody gives a f*** about, exclusive licenses given to Reebok and EA Sports, I could go on. And a lot of people buy into this brand without questioning its value at all (and not really even being aware that they're doing it), so when you tell them something like this they look at you funny like "what's wrong with you, football is awesome!" If the NFL does away with the salary cap to resemble MLB, I'm done with that sport. You are already starting to see more examples of NFL players after getting paid, mailing it in.

QUOTE (Pants Rowland @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 11:40 PM) I couldn't agree more with you. I find it that much more annoying since I consider the Bears to effectively be the Cubs of the NFL. Yes, they did win a title in some of our lifetimes, but they have a really annoying fan base and a sense of entitlement and royalty that is based entirely on distant history/success versus the present doings of the team. That's the other thing about Bear's fans. Their knowledge of NFL History is nonexistent. Hallas may have had a hand in the popularity of the NFL but there's no dynasty like that of the Cowboys, 49ers, Steelers. If you go back even to the late 60's the only tradition the Bears have is great players on sucky teams. I don't what what other fan bases are like but with Sox and Hawk fans, if the team sucks, people stay home. Cub fans are starting to do this since the Twins have better attendance.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 22, 2010 -> 10:01 PM) Minnie just played an amazingly clean game on TV in a shutout of the Angels. Minnie is so good with limited talent it's scary. The Angels have been struggling of late.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Aug 23, 2010 -> 10:15 AM) In the defense of the Sox, their streak started against NL teams but did carry into an Al schedule. But, you're right that the Twins are having a more respectable streak. A team (the Sox) that play so poorly against their own division should not win the division. It they so somehow win the division it won't be because they beat up on the Twins, Tigers, Royals, and Indians. I was expecting the Sox to lay down against those really bad NL teams since they do play down to the level of competition. The key to winning any division is to beat the teams you are suppose to. If there's a team that always has your number, win as many games from other teams so that isn't a big factor.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Aug 22, 2010 -> 01:22 PM) Of a 8+ game winning streak. Of our starters pitching to a line below 2.75. Of our bullpen not blowing a save or conseding a lead. We want the name of your crack dealer.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 23, 2010 -> 02:02 PM) Anyone here? That is the threshold for a good manager? That he knows more about the game than anyone on soxtalk? Ozzie said it himself. Good players = good manager. How many good coaches and managers have become legends only because they had good players? If you look at guys like Shula, Landry, they had great QBs. How great would Phil Jackson be with a team without superstars? The threshold for a good manager may be to have a good general manager. Probably one of the few that understand that is the NFL's Jimmie Johnson. You don't see him flirting with a comeback to coaching. A coach/manager can be one of the most over rated positions in sports. They do make a perfect scapegoat. If guys like Gardenhire are so great, why is he absent in late October? What if he managed the Yankees? Where's that World Series Lou was suppose to bring Cub fans?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 23, 2010 -> 01:54 PM) the Jackson deal which was dumb. That deal meant nothing. Pitcher for pitcher. I thought that too but you got a starter with more big league experience than trusting Hudson in a race. We never get to hear about the deals Kenny couldn't make because the asking price may have been too high. If you are a GM, you want Kenny to part with that wicked rookie pitcher.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Aug 23, 2010 -> 10:42 AM) I don't agree with this logic at all. Sure, I thoroughly enjoyed that run, but it doesn't make up for yet another disappointing season. Maybe that hot streak made people forget their own preseason expectations. Have the "best pitching staff" in baseball was suppose to eliminate the need for a base clogging DH. Getting Teahan and Pierre didn't make me say "wow" but more like "wft"? I never liked Pierre but he's won me over. Good pitching doesn't exist without good D, which doesn't point to Teahan. Defense has always been Kenny's least priority and it's even more evident in the farm system. Jones and Visquel were another one of Kenny's "lightning in a bottle" acquisitions. Can't complain about Visquel.

The pitching has sucked this year. There's no DH out there or ever will be to conquer that. It's not easy to manage in the big leagues when your pitching sucks. I know it's hard for some people to grasp that the season was lost coming out of the gate because of pitching and now the only way for Sox to win games is if games are 6 innings. Since we like to get in the habit of blaming coaches, maybe Coop is no longer useful.

I think they keep AJ because of how he handles the staff.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 22, 2010 -> 03:12 PM) The former Sox is 2-2. They always come back to haunt us it seems. Too bad Teahan couldn't do the same. He hurt the Sox as a Royal, still hurts the Sox as a Sox.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Aug 22, 2010 -> 12:01 AM) So, how will the bullpen lose this lead? I'm thinking Linebrink in the 8th with a candlestick holder. Maybe it's time some of our starters go Carlos Zambrano on the ass of these guys who has messed up 5 time in two weeks.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 21, 2010 -> 08:24 PM) How in the hell can a successful person like you with great intelligence blame the manager for that gopher ball?? Man. It was Santos' meltdown, baby. ThankYou! Coop always gets a free pass.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 20, 2010 -> 02:24 AM) Too bad for Thornton, then. If they asked him to close, I think he'd close. Uncomfortable? Then he needs to grow up n get comfortable. There's a lot more money for him to make as a closer. He needs to develop an off speed pitch.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 11:37 PM) The Twins are hot. The Sox are cold. There are 41 games left. I think the Sox can pick up 1 game out every 10 played on the Twins. The Sox are not really cold. They've been playing good D and scoring runs. The pitching has been lame.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 10:30 PM) I don't think PK will be a White Sox next year, maybe Viciedo but he's a butcher, nice arm though. I think you have to sign PK. Many believe that having Kotsay/Jones replacing Thome was a failure. Do they walk down that street again this time trying to replace Konerko? You have to wait til the seasons over and see how they fare in the division. Viciedo will not be ready, he's still quite young.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 05:35 AM) It's too late for this season, unfortunately. Snip despite being good stuff I would like to see changes at the farm level. Some of it would be the hitting philosophy. From what I've seen, defense is the least priority with the Sox and the ability to hit a homer is first. One thing I've noticed is how the Twins outfield gets to the ball and gets it back in. That alone make their staff look better. The Sox on the other hand tend to give up a lot of triples, more so the past two years. I don't know if this is a failure in communication between outfield, pitcher, catcher or what. The Twins do have guys who close up those gaps quick. It is interesting that Manuel, Guillen, Maggs, Thomas, Dye, Thome and the many roster changes still can't solve beating the Twins. Maybe this will never change. They only thing I've seen similar to this is that Colts can't beat the Chargers. They only to avoid this is to beat the other teams and have a decent lead so it doesn't matter as much. Every team has it's b****. For the Sox it's often the Tigers.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 10:56 AM) If Thome was here...do you think he would be our everyday DH? If so, do you think he would have the same type of season without the rest he's getting in Minny? I'd like to know your answer. I don't think he would have the same type of season. And I also think we all would be complaining again on how it takes 4 singles to score 1 run. But that's just me. Just saw this from Buster Olney: Great post. Someone must have changed the ingredients in the Jim Thome punch bowl from last year. Everyone forgets that Thome would get hurt playing DH, you still need a backup. Ozzie and Kenny (yes even Kenny) hoped Jones/Kotsay together would provide the numbers collectively. Everyone forgets the paper tiger called the starting rotation is the biggest letdown of the season. Now the biggest letdown is the pen. That's the most vital part of the team in August, Sept. Wasn't that the group that killed us in 2006? Thome's success this year may have a lot to do with who is hitting before or after him in the lineup. It was a lot easier to put guys like Konerko, Thome and Dye because you knew they couldn't hurt you on the bases.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 01:25 PM) A lot of times, most of our pitchers are afraid to come inside and knock the opponents (like Young) off the plate. It's like a broken record, but Farmer mentions the reluctance of our pitchers to go inside almost every single game. Maybe the Tom Emanski/Fred McGriff Baseball Fundamentals got switched with the Sean Tracey/Jon Garland one for our minor league instructional video on pitching. I would say that happens with most staffs since the steroid era. Umps are too eager to give warnings these days since most players forgot that the brushback was part of baseball. It use to be a hitter with those elbow pads never got out of the way but now they can't get away with it. I guess hitters don't have the maturity of Minoso to realize a HBP is part of the game. Quentin will always get hit because he's close to the plate.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 09:27 AM) I don't want to see another "rebuilding on the fly" routine during the offseason. I want us to trade away as many guys as we can for as much value as we can (and I don't mean giving Quentin away for a bag of balls, the deals have to be worth making as either salary dumps or to get younger players in here). Our approach is clearly not working. An actual rebuild is going to be necessary at some point. We have some pieces that will really bring back a haul in the offseason. It might be time to finally take that plunge and commit to changing this team from top to bottom. I don't trust this organization any more with trading away as many guys as we can for as much value as we can. I would wait to see how this season pans out. I doubt anyone would want to see the organization dumps guys if the team is close to 90 wins and follow it up next year with 90 losses.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 02:15 PM) Also the Dewayne Wise thing was all Guillen as well. I get the feeling his input will hold no weight going forward. One could say that was Kenny's. You trade an everyday CF for a guy who can only swing a bat. BA fails and there's probably some reasons we will never know why he was in Ozzie's doghouse. So steps in Wise who will be remembered for that catch. To fix the CF hole was a $10M player who has that ? by scouts. Let's not forget that Jerry Owens was suppose to be another guy that was suppose to work out. I know every team has hit and misses with farm talent but from what I've seen is a joke. It's hard to believe they started a season with a guy like Josh Fields at 3rd. Jerry Owens was a fast guy who couldn't get on base.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 11:37 AM) I wish he knew more. Like how to optimize a lineup, manage a bullpen, etc. How would you manage the bullpen they way they are performing other than use Thornton and a rookie? Considering Jenks health, a bullpen arm at the trade deadline would help more than another bat. Who knows, the rookie might end up being the closer this season. Amazing how Coop always gets a free pass.

QUOTE (Real @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 01:52 PM) I still stand by my accusation of the twins somehow stealing our pitching signs, Mauer is already known for doing it when he's on 2B. Either way, stealing signs or not, twins getting out the brooms tonight They must be doing it to every team then.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 02:12 PM) It amazes me the Twins never have a letdown against us. But they did in game 163.