All Day Q&A: Brett Ballantini of CSNChicago.com
The White Sox kick off the September leg of their "Contending By Accident" tour tonight, and we follow them in a state of bafflement. Stumped by strategy. Counfounded by choice of cleanup hitter. Perplexed by a lack of promotion. Troubled by tumult between Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams.
Given that we've tried to piece it together with little success, I'm going to yield the floor to CSNChicago.com beat writer Brett Ballantini (or @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter) to see if he can add any further insight to the ignonimy.
Ballantini, going by the cryptic handle of "Brett," has volunteered to drop by throughout the day to talk about the White Sox on our turf. So drop your questions/comments/bones to pick about the White Sox, covering the White Sox, the media itself, Presidential Royal Rumbles or anything else (within reason) into the comments, and he'll do his best to answer them during his downtime in Detroit today.
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Lets assume you're JR
You have to decide between Ozzie or KW. It’s one or the other, for whatever reason. Who’s your guy?
by Bent Over Beckham on Sep 2, 2011 1:29 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I should add...
Even though my answer is very possibly “neither”, please choose one over the other, and I’d love to hear why. Thank you.
by Bent Over Beckham on Sep 2, 2011 1:31 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
And I should add...
I am waiting to board for Detroit Rock City right now, so this is just a puddle jump into replies today before getting a chance to really dig in this afternoon. Appreciate your patience.
Of course, prior adventures to Detroit have involved my plane being halfway there and then landing back at O’Hare, so you never know, I may end up having plenty more time, plane mechanics pending…
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions
with reluctance...KW
Truly, if this season ends as it has proceeded for the first five months, both Ken an Ozzie probably need new jobs, KW likely just bumped up to make room for Hahn.
But if choosing just one of the two, it’s Ozzie, if only because he has managed this season as if he hasn’t wanted to manage this season. The offenses are numerous and well cited on SSS.
What is a little scary is that it seems sort of clear that while an accomplished manager he simply doesn’t “get” it this season—or acts like he doesn’t get it. Rios at cleanup front and center, and just the latest of his blackout moments.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:35 AM CDT up reply actions
For the 2012 Season...
Do you see any signifcant changes being made? Personally I want De Aza full time next year, as well as Tank. I’d like to have Flowers up also, at least as AJ’s backup. I’d like to see if Dunn can turn it around but I can do without Peavy and I think we could get something back for him. Thoughts?
"Men Lie, Women Lie, Number Don't..."
Focus on CQ
Peavy is going nowhere. His contract kicks up what, $3 million more in overpay and there are huge question marks about his future (personally I think with some rest and lessons learned this season he’ll be solid in 2012).
Flowers is almost assuredly backup to A.J. and possibly even platooning, even in the face of A.J. pouting over playing anything less than 95% of innings.
You’d have to look at CQ as the fulcrum of offseason deals, given that if there is any position of strength for the Sox it’s in right/corner OF power. Dayan will produce similar to CQ at about what, a quarter the cost? Just not a lot of other strengths to deal from on the team.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Thanks for your time, "Brett". I have my eyes on the 2012 pitching staff.
By my count, the White Sox have $88M committed to 11 players for 2012. Add in Danks and Quentin in arbitration (Peña is probably getting cut) and you’re already up over $100M. Pre-arbs like Sale, Santos, Viciedo, Humber, Morel, Beckham, De Aza, and Lillibridge should (hopefully) fill out a good part of the roster as well.
So where does this leave the rotation? Danks, Floyd and Peavy are already there. Humber will mostly like get the fourth spot, but who gets the fifth? It seems to me that shedding enough salary to re-sign Buehrle likely means one of the other starters is gone, so the problem persists. Is it Sale? Stewart? Does KW take a gamble on a cheap veteran? And if one of the starters does get traded, who will it be? Floyd would bring the biggest return because of his lower salary and 2013 option, but that’s exactly why it would hurt to lose him.
"That baseball is the smartest thing out on that field." —Hawk Harrelson
Danks and Q are gonna make something like ~$15M combined in '12 fwiw
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
Rotation could return intact
Pena is goner than gone. I wrote that the minute he was hurt he’d pitched his last game with the Sox. Said the same about Jenks last year, so I’m getting to be good at vulturing Sox pitchers.
This team, like it or not, is All-In for 2012 too, so there is room for Buehrle back. And he’s earned the money every season of this last extension. Safe cash there to get him to re-up on his terms (length of contract).
So if I had to handicap I’d say Mark is back and rotation returns intact.
If not and Thornton is not dealt, Sale is in. If Matt is gone, I think they put off Sale in the rotation one more year.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:46 AM CDT up reply actions
so you can definitely confirm that they have long term plans for
Sale in the rotation?
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
hush, you.
we’re talking to an expert here!
Why buy the cow when the milk is kinda bitchy?
by SkanchoDanza on Sep 2, 2011 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
yeah but i'm officially wary.
whoever provided that anecdote about Coop talking up Sale was reassuring, but i half expect everything to crash and burn at this point.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
me and larry
are gonna be an awesome tag team on this
i get to put the tower in the bayonet and larry stands behind me with a baseball bat
boarding now< back with ya in a few hours!
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions
autofill fail
make that flowers in bayonet. not sure what a tower in the bayonet but doubtlessly something very dirty and suitable for Ozzie’s off-mic stories
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
the spanish twitterverse seems to confirm escobar and infante.
another pitcher, probably reed or shane lindsay. more reinforcements likely to arrive monday/tuesday.
Larry's got it right
Arms, arms and more arms. Lindsay for sure. Infante, Ozzie adores.
Anyone/everyone with an arm who’s not gassed.
Probably not any more light hitting DH types.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:47 AM CDT up reply actions
if anyone happens to be in the charlotte airport and wants to say hi and good luck to eduardo escobar
he’s on the 1:01 pm US airways flight to detroit.
If he knew what Escobar was wearing
That would be stalkerish
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions
esco
was wearing a rather loud sport coat…aqua or purple.
[seeds of Omar’s mentorship]
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 6:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Can you think of arguments in favor of batting Rios fourth?
Thank you for taking the time to respond to our questions at SSS.
White Sox 2011: The season of extraneous body parts.
Temporary Insanity?
The “I don’t have anyone better” is severely weak when Rios boasts an OPS worse than anyone on the team.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:48 AM CDT up reply actions
if it's temporary then perhaps it's possible he will cut it out soon?
i mean seriously, by any measure rios is the worst hitter on the team this season. ozzie has to be aware of this. it’s pretty maddening.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
i stand corrected
allow me to revise my answer to mere “insanity”
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
and on a similar note
Ozzie just spoke and though I don’t have the exact quote I believe in relationship to now playing the best lineup (perhaps a debatable term in Ozzie’s mind) for the stretch run, Ozzie said he is paid to put the best lineup on the field. A paraphrase, but an accurate one…
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 4:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Hi, Brett
On the Itchy and Scratchy CD-ROM…is there a way out of the dungeon without using the wizard key?
What?! I ain't no Professor Pickles!
by 67WMAQ on Sep 2, 2011 6:16 AM CDT reply actions 4 recs
I mean, what are we to believe, that this is some sort of a magic xylophone or something?
by Ken T on Sep 2, 2011 6:21 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
read the Stoney book
and you’ll see that Ron Blomberg was a past day Homer Simpson, eating some 45 lobster tails in one sitting, plus.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Do you have any explanation for why Guillen refuses to stop trotting Rios and Dunn out there to fail? (triple negative)
was it because he was disrespected as a veteran, is it because he has lost his fucking mind, did KW force him to do it, is he trying to prove a point or is he a dick?
thoughout reading this, i started just reading.
then reading and snickering, then reading and giggling, then reading and laughing out loud. then not reading and fucking pissed.
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
2 and 4?
or a reason yet to revealed…long month ahead
ozzie has a lot of faith in his players, one of his strengths as a manager. rios’ and dunn’s inexhaustingly insipid has indicated that being a player’s manager can be taken too far. much, much too far
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Very subjective,
and therefore less relevant. Please list the objective criteria for assessing “dickishness” level.
"MY NAME IS YOANIS CESPEDEZ YOU KILLED MY FATHER" WHAT!
the latter being a difficult thing indeed to accomplish
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
i'm curious about the balance you have to achieve
in deciding what the public deserves to know versus ensuring you don’t burn bridges in the clubhouse.
is there often a struggle for you on this front, or are there clearly-defined lines?
or is it rare for anything that is actually that interesting to pop up anyway?
also: out of the players you have met, which are the most savvy on advanced stats? (include non-white sox players if you’d like)
Expanding on this...did you ever have a juicy story about the Sox shot down because your editor refused to publish it?
Or I guess more appropriately, did you have a juicy story but didn’t write it because you knew your editor would shoot you down?
CSNChicago.com offers a lot of leeway
So I don’t run into nearly the editorial ham fist others do. There’s been a time or two when I was reminded to be a bit more positive but really, trying to be positive is a true challenge of my compadre Pat Mooney on the Cubbies, not me.
There is nothing I wouldn’t write because the editor would shoot it down.
The only thing I’ve written that never got published was my very first gamer from Minnesota, written entirely as excerpts of Fargo dialogue. But that was me testing boundaries, and I ran into one on that day.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions
a fargo recap on the RR would be fantastic.
I live in a simpler place. I speak the language. ~ U-God
part 2 first
i have not met any player savvy on advanced stats.
Danks knew he didn’t suck like an 0-8 pitcher but still was menaced by the 0-8 on the scoreboard
gordon beckham said this year that he had never heard of WAR before a mocking rant on how fielding stats would PENALIZE him for his range and also some jibbajabba about BABIP. So it’s a bacon fail on advanced stats
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions
why do you think this is? tradition? a case of "if on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?"
or rather, do you think it would actually help any of them to know this stuff, or would it just mess with them?
How many questions do you think you get, craig?
"Don Cooper, to the O.R! We have a bleeder!" - SkanchoDanza
by homesickalien on Sep 2, 2011 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
He's just attempting to get some facts to check!
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
I would think a lot of player focus would necessarily be more mechanical
I think coaches should have some understanding of more advanced stats because it helps inform whether what a guy’s doing works. But I think the focus for players doesn’t necessarily need to move away from approach and the physical repeatability of what they’re doing.
What I think players ideally should have a handle on is the wealth of tendency type data that there is. But even that shouldn’t be a big change from what was happening 20 years ago. The information transmitted to the player should just be better.
Here's where I get into trouble.
I would think a hitting coach, for instance, would focus on an approach to mechanics that help a player drive the ball, or increase recognition earlier, or brain storm the “what’s coming next” mental part. If you drive the ball to the gaps, you drive the ball to the gaps. It doesn’t really matter where the fielders were positioned, or whatever else happened on the play.
Why whould a player care what his BABIP was, except for contract negotiations? If he’s “unlucky”, then he just needs to focus on continuing to do the right things.
sideways smiley face
because you can prove to a player that he's unlucky and not a shitty baseball player. you know, for the mental part.
If a player's stinging the ball, but it's always right at someone
I would think he would know he’s killing it, and it’s just a matter of time before they start falling in. It’s the job of the coach to remind him of that, right?
And for the physical, mechanical side of the game, I’m guessing all concern is about the last set of at-bats, not what’s been happening all season.
sideways smiley face
you would think they would know that.
then you have the case of nick swisher. or paul konerko. and so on.
Basically the numbers become a potent, objective second opinion
Or that’s how I imagine things should work.
yup.
i’d approach it by telling the “slumping” player, you know you’re hitting the shit out of the ball, right? it’s just at guys. of course the player knows this. but when you’re not producing for a long time, you’re going to naturally question things. i’d just add the BABIP point on to that. essentially, show him what his BABIP usually is and what it is now. BABIP is a pretty simple thing – i mean, it’s based on batting average – so i doubt there’s going to be any resistance to some crazy, newfangled stat. it’s really just confirming what the guy already knows, which is usually the best use of such things with a player.
in addition to players, management should be made aware too
i mean yeah, he was shooting himself in the foot with the bobblehead doll, but FNS for example
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by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions
sorry, probably being ignorant
but how could they not use it properly?
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by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions
i'm pretty sure they don't get position adjustment
for one thing. or defensive stats in general.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
they've got the cameras
it ain’t that hard to use them.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
they can do field f/x if they so choose
if you’re gonna hate on the d metrics, it’s not that hard to get where the problems come in.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
You are also assuming a player is geared
toward assimilating stats and translating that into performance. Some of these guys are “instinct” players and react. They don’t think, they “feel”.
For a Frank Thomas, Mr. Stathead, I bet the BABIP would be a godsend. For Vlad Guerrero, notsomuch.
"MY NAME IS YOANIS CESPEDEZ YOU KILLED MY FATHER" WHAT!
at this point?
i would think the accuracy would make one year of data pretty valuable. it’s not that hard to make a UZR-type substance given the batted ball data and fielder positions from the cameras and get much much less noisy data.
i know this is all moot, but there are legit gains to be had here.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
i don't think there's much there that a scout couldn't tell me.
it really isn’t that hard to tell who is a good fielder and who is not. field f/x is far more interesting to me for defensive positioning and such.
i agree there
to be clear, i meant gains over UZR. i don’t really look a whole lot at UZR or whatever a given metric is for anybody on the Sox. i just fill in what i think, with some respect to the SSS consensus.
there’s always value in being able to check your work, but like you say, coming up with novel defensive arrangements will be the wave of the future there.
whatever gains there are over scouting, it’s gonna be in the infield. i’d be interested to know how much lateral quickness diverges from sprint speed for instance.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
and you hit the point.
defensive statistics are amusing for those people in their mother’s basement who don’t get to see the players play regularly. if i have scouts, they do. and they’re arguably more reliable.
that brings up another question
hahn is being groomed for a gm position somewhere, if not here. is one of his responsibilities to consult with KW on how to handle players (sign, trade, etc) on the current roster? more like ‘listed kdub, i know you’re getting shit from ozzie, kong, and the rest of the clubhouse, but don’t get rid of FNS, check out his babip, he’s due for a rebound’.
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Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions
listen, not listed
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by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions
maybe he's ignored too
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by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions
But seriously, who gives a shit what his BABIP is?
It’s like his fighter-thief ranking in dungeons and dragons. And if a pro ballplayer starts paying attention to “special” stats, then he’s an idiot.
It’s all mechanical. See the ball, hit the ball.
If he has noodle arms, his BABIP is going to be about .010, and he’ll be out of the game soon. If he is ripping the cover off the ball, he either knows it, or needs a sports psychiatrist.
Seriously, why does a batting coach need to show a pro ball-player his Strat-O-Matic card to convince him he’s hitting the ball okay? That’s a stupid answer, and you know better, larry.
It’s like, "You know you’re hitting the shit out of the ball, right? It’s just at guys. So let’s sit down at home plate with your strat-o-matic card and roll the dice and see if your BABIP changes.
It’s stupidity. Any coach who starts talking VORP or whatever should be forced to wear a wizard’s uniform at the press conference announcing his retirement.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 3, 2011 12:14 AM CDT up reply actions
This is borderline trolling, and you know better, TF.
The policeman who jumps from a bridge to a plane is Detective John McClane, a.k.a. Bruce Willis. He’s just the star of the whole movie series and stuff, no big deal or anything. -Cruiser
by Uribe Down on Sep 3, 2011 12:37 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
I honestly believe he doesn't.
He’s made it clear that he believes progress is bad and new things are awful.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
That being said, I believe TF to be the worst new regular poster we've gotten in quite some time.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
by U-God on Sep 3, 2011 1:35 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
as i said in that gamethread
he’s the Pierce of this community.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
perce, dont' follow
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by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 3, 2011 3:49 AM CDT up reply actions
pierce?
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by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 3, 2011 3:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Community is an American television program
one of the characters, Pierce, is surly and dickish. he is played, in a huge stretch for the actor, by Chevy Chase.
Surely you of all people would be familiar with American television programs. Inconceivable!
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
he's repeatedly insisted he can't help himself
in which case, there’s one obvious solution.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
You could have phrased this in a way that would've actually added to the discourse
But because you need to express everything you disagree with in the most outrageous form possible, here you are, setting a polite exchange ablaze in a great thread with well-worn reactions.
We get it. You think they’re so worthless that you don’t care to learn the principals. Or, if you’d like me to be more taken aback by your vitriol, “Wow! You must really dislike sabermetrics! I’ll never raise that topic with you again nervous laughter ahem.” There.
It’s not required to have an understanding or an appreciation of advanced stats. But if you have no genuine curiosity about them, whether in enthusiasm or skepticism — and you obviously don’t — then just leave the conversations to the people who actually want to get something out of the discussion.
Whales! Squids! Sharks! They're everywhere! Hello, I am Poseidon! Now, when people told me I was crazy that thinly sliced roast beef would be a delicious fast-food option, I knew it was the greatest idea, and you can thank me later for Arby's.
by Jim Margalus on Sep 3, 2011 2:28 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
TF- Seriously. To add on to the pile. You have been around here enough.
There is no reason for you to keep arguing against metrics that are actually proven. Go to another blog if you wanna keep up this incorrect view.
"That might be how you roll at Camp Anawanna, Budnick. But where I come from, we only salute Old Glory." -moroots on May 23rd
by South Side Expat on Sep 3, 2011 4:26 AM CDT up reply actions
my thought on Bacon
was if he doesn’t know advanced stats now, he or his agent better eventually, because he’s a lot more valuable per advanced stats than the “traditional” ones.
Players in many cases are warned against overthinking, and too often advanced stats fall into that realm. Silly, really. The more stats you have, the better the chance you have to find one that says you’re an awesome player.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Is there an advanced stat showing that Dunn is having a good year?
This space is available.
Lego Portraits Created
also
Lego Portraits Purchased
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions 9 recs
bridges burned?
I write under the premise that no one reads. Generally that hasn’t been significantly disproven outside of Coop, who occasionally will sitaspell with me and tell me how wrong I am about something. Usually he has not quite read me closely, but when he has the time to read and something doesn’t sit well with him, he is not shy.
What I figure is that if I am wrong about something or out of bounds, I welcome being told so and, if I was wrong, to correct. So it is not a struggle for me.
That said, I am not a “gotcha” journalism guy and generally am not out to sink the team with my told you sos or cleverness. If you know me at all, I am a lifelong White Sox fan, which contrary to Padilla and Cowley’s constant unfounded jibes about cheering in the press box actually makes me much TOUGHER on the team than a “non fan.” (My gamer for MIN finale was particularly bitter and woeful, and I doubt anyone else was so harsh, instead accenting the comeback or some such.)
But that said, it makes no sense for me to want to run down the team or sport that gives me my living. My first sports job was in basketball at Basketball News, which was then the barely-alive and truly ugly stepsister of Pro Football Weekly. Our publisher would write a column for each magazine, and unfailingly it was negative. That just doesn’t make any sense to me, because sooner or later a reader will say yeah, hell with this lockout and this crappy league, he’s right, basketball sucks! Or, at the very least, find a new sport or team or publication to follow.
There was one positive publishers note written during my tenure there, a memoriam of Wilt Chamberlain, and I won’t say I wrote it, but I was a Research Assistant with capital letters. And I’m still proud of that one.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
so is Coop as awesome as everything i've ever read about him indicates?
and have you ever seen him do his thing up close? i’m pretty sure he teaches new pitches better than anyone else in the league. same thing with mechanical improvements.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
indeed
Coop is an ace and by far the most important coach on this staff. Arguably more important than Ozzie.
Wait, did I say “arguably?”
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 4:58 PM CDT up reply actions
And now the serious question
We know Ozzie and Kenny aren’t on the best of terms. Is there a passive-aggressive roster battle taking place, in which each side is trying to show up the other? Is Ozzie playing Rios and Dunn to stick it to Kenny?
What are the real odds that OG leaves at the end of the year. He did by a new house in Chicago, after all.
What?! I ain't no Professor Pickles!
swordfight?
Can’t fathom this is a passive aggressive battle between the two, at least as far as the roster is concerned. Ozzie just has too much faith in his veterans and DEFINITELY didn’t like the one option he figured would pave Viciedo’s way to the majors, and that’s in place of Pierre. He reminded us of that a few times, eh? In fact, he’s still reminding us of that and I want to say, you know Oz, Pierre still isn’t all that great shakes, you know?
The house, eh, he and his family love Chicago. I imagine they could flip right back to Miami pretty easily. If somewhere else, Chicago could still be the home base. I wouldn’t read too much into the house purchase aside from the fact that all things equal, Ozzie wants to be in Chicago.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Another one
Why are they so reluctant to actually play their minor league talent? Before this year, it appeared that minor league players existed to be traded. Were they gun-shy about playing rookies after years of Borchard, Anderson, Fields, Getz, etc.?
What?! I ain't no Professor Pickles!
that's a tough one
but I think KW’s general philosophy of minor leaguers as fodder to get major leaguers (Peavy deal, ad infinitum) permeates the team. Some of it is practical—there are simply less viable minor leaguers to play, because they are often dealt (or recently the players drafted maybe just weren’t any good)
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions
thanks in advance!
do any of the players read SSS or fangraphs or blogs? how about front office, managerial staff, and other beat writers / reporters?
Easy chief
We’re a community - Tdogg
this falls into the advanced stats category
If players might not even read the daily beat writer clips provided them, I doubt they do much searching outside of that coverage to read.
I will speak generally regarding my peers, and I don’t believe there is a lot of following the blogs. As you have seen often, and recently boiling to a head with the Viciedo debut, bloggers are still “them” and writers are “us” in their eyes. Which I think is a shame, because as much as I might not want to admit it, some of the most compelling and interesting White Sox writing comes from “outside.”
Speaking for myself, I am not “expert” any more than many of you, and I’m smart enough to realize that. I focus a lot on listening as a reporter, rather than shouting or shoving. So yeah, I keep up with the blogs and never hesitate to pass out credit when a tip or idea was borne out of that writing. I try to keep a twitter dialogue going with people and while there are occasional goofballs, 90% or more of my twitter interaction is sharp and smart and fun.
One of the supposed pluses of Rick Hahn’s pending GM job somewhere is that he’s an advanced stats guy, as you all well know…
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
how much of the Wire have you seen?
if none, would you describe it as your top priority or top top? if so, what’s your favorite season and why?
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
by colintj on Sep 2, 2011 7:23 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
just as seriously, how would you rank KW among his GM brethren?
average? below? top 5?
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
working on a big piece on this
that I hope I can get done before it becomes worthless (if KW leaves). But my sense is that KW is upper half, maybe 10th overall at the moment. Going into this season I might have said 5.
But in spite of his good marks in general, this year has not worked out well, with maybe just one bright spot in Humber and some real dark ones in Dunn and Rios.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Relationships go bad -
Do you think Kenny’s and the organization’s handling of Ozzie has been problematic?
As far as the drafting of Ozzie’s kids, and his own, it seems like Kenny is tweaking Ozzie. I guess my question is -
sideways smiley face
whoops, was going to cancel - but what the hell
Do you think Kenny’s handling of his emotional manager reflects poorly on him looking forward – either as Raiders’ GM, or hiring his next White Sox manager?
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd for Raiders' GM joke.
And I’m a lifelong Raiders fan…
by Name's Dalton on Sep 2, 2011 3:46 PM CDT up reply actions
I was surprised
last year when Ozzie was going off in Oakland I frankly was shocked KW didn’t swoop in and nip that whole “where do I stand” nonsense in the bud.
I know I am making it sound like I’m in KW’s pocket, which isn’t true, but what are the options in dealing with Ozzie? Fairly certain more than once he’s advised Ozzie to chill his family out and to not air private business (contracts even) out in the open. My sense now is he might, genuinely exasperated, be letting Ozzie hang himself.
However that does not excuse KW for his general silence this season, particularly with regard to Viciedo. Do I blame him for laying low given Rios/Dunn? No. But his job is to ’splain, and he has been curiously quiet all summer.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Your Final Four in the presidential battle royal? The Winner?
Was the Viciedo thing really what it appears? Or do you have insight into why the hell it took so long for him to arrive this year.
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
I still believe it's a service time issue
But that doesn’t explain it being nearly September before a call up. A bit of a pass because Dayan has been banged up some since the ASB, but double fail for Ozzie and KW on Dayan.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions
If Ozzie is gone after this year....
Is there smoke to the LaRussa fire? Its known that Jerry loves him, but is he really pining to hire him?
I shant be misled a second time
maybe not LaRussa
but Leyland. Jerry likes Leyland more than LaRussa.
Neither are likely. Unless that’s just my wishful thinking…
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions
you can only eat one thing at the Cell, what is it?
I live in a simpler place. I speak the language. ~ U-God
with my dad, it would have been
Elotes. That was a ballpark tradition. I am a veggie burger guy, loved a Connie’s slice, but if there was one sole go to food, nachos with jalapeños.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Jerry Owens?
"MY NAME IS YOANIS CESPEDEZ YOU KILLED MY FATHER" WHAT!
by winningugly on Sep 2, 2011 8:12 AM CDT reply actions 5 recs
Are the Dunn, Rios and Peavy contracts metaphors for the Fed's policy of quantitative easing?
by FlyingSpaghettiMonster on Sep 2, 2011 8:39 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I think you mean TARP, not QE
a VERY AVERAGE Sox Machine refugee
considering the assets being exchanged for cash
i sure hope not
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
clearly didn't fail
it’s almost like you didn’t see moroots’ graph.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
Can you believe
Lucas Harrell is making his Astros starting debut today?
i actually liked his changeup
after that… bad real bad
He must have a great personality.
by mechanical turk on Sep 2, 2011 9:31 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
So a rat may taste like pumpkin pie...
"Don Cooper, to the O.R! We have a bleeder!" - SkanchoDanza
by homesickalien on Sep 2, 2011 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Keith Foulke went from neckbones to T-bones on his change-up.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions
the only reason a changeup works is if you have a fastball that is also effective.
lucas harrell doesn’t.
All I want to do
is thank Jim for the nifty alliteration in the first paragraph. Nice!
I believe Brett does not need to be brought into this discussion.
"MY NAME IS YOANIS CESPEDEZ YOU KILLED MY FATHER" WHAT!
Jim, if you've ever desired to sell WU a bridge, now's the time to do it.
White Sox 2011: The season of extraneous body parts.
lay off detroit, it is setting itself up beautifully for robocop to really happen.
by craigws on Sep 2, 2011 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
THERE ARE NICE THINGS ABOUT BOTH DETROIT AND MICHIGAN
/storms off
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
It's fuck wit Colin day (and everybody's celebratin).
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
UofI men's sports are a bunch of hosers
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
False.
We were the only Big Ten reps at the CWS last year. And I know you aren’t hatin on our gymnastics team.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
oh spare me the baseball team
if it’s the same guy who was there back in my day, anyway. dude blows.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
Michigan: It's Easier to Leave than Ohio
by mechanical turk on Sep 2, 2011 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Michigan: We get more tax credits than Ohio,
so our country clubs golf courses stay manicured!
"MY NAME IS YOANIS CESPEDEZ YOU KILLED MY FATHER" WHAT!
by winningugly on Sep 2, 2011 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Follow up:
Will the Tigers relocate to Delta City?
by dr. lingerie on Sep 2, 2011 10:22 AM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Cleveland
Cleveland is brown. And not brown in the positive, boognish, Ween way. But brown, like rust brown.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions
If I'm not meeting expectations at my job, do you think I should request a long term commitment from my employer?
by striker on Sep 2, 2011 9:07 AM CDT reply actions 7 recs
depends
Do you have a lackey who will post your ravings on urinal walls throughout the company?
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions 7 recs
Your thoughts on whether Adam Dunn can recover to be a league-average DH next year, how long the Sox will give him to try, and what will happen if he can't.
Baseball is life.
Doctoral Dissertations can be written on this
Yes. Adam Dunn can recover. I believe he will recover.
The Sox have three more years to give him to try. What more can they do? This marriage is not going to be busted up by irreconcilable differences.
If he can’t? Well, allow me to introduce you to: Alex Rios.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions
If you could throw a punch at any White Sox beat writer, would you do it?
Football recruiting guy for Hammer and Rails
Lead blogger for 5 other sites.
Follow the Twitter for all the details
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Riles23
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Big10RantPurdue
you may want to rephrase that.
remember, cowley is not a beat writer any longer.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
maybe not,
but i’ve never felt a desire to strike any of them.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
I would probably take a swipe at Merkin if I could
Football recruiting guy for Hammer and Rails
Lead blogger for 5 other sites.
Follow the Twitter for all the details
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Riles23
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Big10RantPurdue
by HawkeyeBoiler on Sep 2, 2011 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions
lately he has seemed like more of a tool.
he could do with a five fingered sedative.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
Yeah Merk needs to get taken down a peg or 2
I like Mark Gonzalez though, even tho he provides 0 actual opinion, but regurgitates what people said or did.
3 things in life I care about
Sox, Colts, and Hawks.
Lifetime banners: '05, '07, '10
I like to get some opinion or analysis of why something happened with my reporting.
3 things in life I care about
Sox, Colts, and Hawks.
Lifetime banners: '05, '07, '10
this
This is great. You are my favorite sox writer and having you here is great Brett. You are also fantastic on twitter. Keep it up.
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
by blackoutsox on Sep 2, 2011 8:08 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Thanks blackout
Thanks to all for making me feel welcome here, it’s been a great day of chatting. I appreciate all the kind words from everyone and great questions and discussion.
Although I am calling the SSS community out if I am the last one left standing, despite having traveled central to east and made to suffer through that painful game live.
But there is an encouraging sign: Ozzie says the guys are still fighting. So there’s that.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
let me answer this delicately, at least initially...
and say that I have told Joe this many times and even reported as much on “his” Score radio station, that if he and I were ever to have a talk show. It would never end on time—it would always end early, in fisticuffs, in some form of Jim Everett-meet-Jim Rome fashion.
That said, his latest attack on the beat writers, claiming his completely trumped up story about Ozzie is some kind of “news” that wasn’t being reported, is horses hit. Utter horses hit. So that does tick me off. But hit anyone? Not really my style.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions
what would rick hahn be like as a GM? what front office will he be working in on november 20 and what will his title be?
Im on pins and needles for this one.
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
I for one am excited to see Rick as a GM
Let me fudge the answer and say Rick will be working as a GM in Chicago on Nov. 20. On the South Side, if the White Sox finish with low 80s wins or worse, and/or comfortably out of contention. On the North Side if the White Sox bristle up and win this thing.
Rick is sharp as hell and is definitely a bridge between the KW school and the Billy Beane school. I think that could be a very strong combination moving forward. I see a lot of success for him in the future and I could see him staying as an assistant only if the job is contractually promised to him in future (like KW is forced up the food chain in 2015 and Rick gets the gig…)
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions
As long as it ends better than Conan/Leno did.
"That might be how you roll at Camp Anawanna, Budnick. But where I come from, we only salute Old Glory." -moroots on May 23rd
by South Side Expat on Sep 2, 2011 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions
alex rios's OPS in july was .383.
i know that’s not a question. i just felt like saying it.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
his slug% up to this date is .318
worse than maggs and miguel tejada and ichiro. yes all 3 HR, 35 RBI and .270 BA of ichiro. think the mariners would trade suzuki for pinto? ichiro would be a great cleanup guy for ozzie
The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists
R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"
by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Sep 2, 2011 9:54 AM CDT up reply actions
very unsafe vehicles.
id rather rely on ichiro to get me from a to b
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
(╯°□°)╯︵ ■≈‰
/flips gum bucket
AAAARRRRRRRRGGGHH!
I shant be misled a second time
by Nordhagen on Sep 2, 2011 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
Well him and Rios both suck pretty hard.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
mobile rec
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
by blackoutsox on Sep 2, 2011 8:12 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Thanks, now you've RUINED the Moneyball movie for me
This used to be my playground
by The Cheat on Sep 2, 2011 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Sounds like cleanup material to me
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
Ozzie met privately with Rios
Pregame. I asked about it and Ozzie rehashed the joke he told when I asked postgame WED, that if he makes contact like he did in the dugout he’ll be great.
Unusual for Ozzie to walk down the hall to summon a player for a private meeting in office, however they entered and exited with smiles. So the news couldn’t have been too awful or appropriate (as in, Alex, we’re sending you home for the season…)
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions
dodgers, white sox, or mets
which pile of turd would you want to pile glitter on? Because trying to flush all of it would blow up the septic tank. Why or why not would you choose the White Sox?
The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists
R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"
by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Sep 2, 2011 9:38 AM CDT reply actions
brett
is it against other beat writers contracts to write anything poorly of the sox players, coaches and/or staff? i think i speak for everyone on this site when i say your latest article about ozzie and his contract “issue” was refreshingly critical.
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
this is where my job and being a fan dovetailed
Because the timing of what Ozzie did, more so than even the mettle of WHAT he said, offended the hell out of me. And he deserved to be called out on it.
I wasn’t expecting to be called a Kenny guy for it, because I’m not. This was independent of any Team Ozzie or Team Kenny stuff. This was right or wrong.
But thank you for the kind words. I got a lot of them, from a variety of directions. Nice to not always be writing in a vacuum
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Team Ozzie vs Team Kenny.
It’s like a really, really awful version of that really, really awful Twilight crap. And once again: everyone loses.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 6, 2011 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions
Seeing flowers produce offensively and defensively (re throwing out runners(!!))
and the fact AJ is going will be a type A when the season passes, how possible do you think it to be that aj gets traded and KW goes with flowers for 2012 – beyond?
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
impossible for AJ to be traded
He’s making $6 million next year.
Ozzie pregame said he has loved how Flowers has caught games. If you want to take that as Ozzie not liking how A.J. catches games, you are free to.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions
and 10 and 5 rights.
only AJ can engineer his departure. sulking b/c of lack of playing would be a good way. but sox obviously would need to send money and can’t see that happening.
plus Jerry is the one who wanted A.J. back
I believe in spite of the protests of KW. So that’s another reason he may be untradable.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 6:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Do you often read the articles and/or comments here on SSS?
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
you da man on questions huh?
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
i guess so
wrote questions before reading other comments/questions
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
white sox baseball:
when CHESSFU makes more sense than the manager you’ve got some problems.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
how often do you get emails from the relatives or friends of players?
by larry on Sep 2, 2011 10:12 AM CDT reply actions 4 recs
Believe it or not
Never. Well, almost never.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions
you have a dead (or resting) horse on your twitter
and I have varying cute and/or unthreatening avatars?
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:21 PM CDT up reply actions
i believe the horse is pining for the fjords
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
by colintj on Sep 2, 2011 11:52 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
I so dearly want to incorporate a Hitchhikers Guide thing here.
It might make the whole season make a little bit of sense at least.
"That might be how you roll at Camp Anawanna, Budnick. But where I come from, we only salute Old Glory." -moroots on May 23rd
by South Side Expat on Sep 3, 2011 4:29 AM CDT up reply actions
lol
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
by blackoutsox on Sep 2, 2011 8:15 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Is there a five-dollar word that you'd love to work into an article, but the opportunity hasn't presented itself?
Whales! Squids! Sharks! They're everywhere! Hello, I am Poseidon! Now, when people told me I was crazy that thinly sliced roast beef would be a delicious fast-food option, I knew it was the greatest idea, and you can thank me later for Arby's.
NO
Well OK, I can only wedge about $100 of words into any given story, so I always have a line of words and lingo taxiing their way into my stories.
Some of my peers are a bit disdainful of overstyling the writing but you know what, I don’t care. I don’t keep score, either.
I want to keep myself interested, and if that means overdoing it and annoying, so be it. But if inserting more cowbell or Canyonero or bustle in the hedgerow into a gamer is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions
How does one acquire a 16,000 sq foot house in Scottsdale, AZ?
by moroots on Sep 2, 2011 10:23 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Have you looked into picking up a BMO franchise?
There’s a powerhouse available.
by Grinder in Training on Sep 2, 2011 10:26 AM CDT reply actions
if so, which do you prefer, roman or american?
"The words "becorned can" just beminded my fuck." - SkanchoDanza
Is that even up for debate?
Clearly the one that gave us Gina Carano & this:

by Grinder in Training on Sep 2, 2011 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions
nitro and gemini! and i always thought lace was cute. haha
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
they even described her as sexy in the intro dammit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE3RQhok7iI
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
that intro is amazing.
everything about it.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
dumb mike adamle was reading the script too fast. lol
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
he had that gig for 8 years!
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
Gladiators and Star Trek: TNG made Saturday nights on Channel 50 a tour de force.
Here’s the intro from several years later:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUhPvOK599Y&feature=related
It was rebroadcast on ESPN Classic on June 25, 2007. How do I know that? The crawl had the Sox playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Trop. The Sox won 5-4 thanks to 2 (2!) RBI’s from Andy Gonzalez. Yes, that Andy Gonzalez.
What?! I ain't no Professor Pickles!
crush wasn't an original though was she? it was lace and zap.
and compared to zap i still say lace was cute. lol
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
Prison, Ozzie.
Turkish Prison.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
It's the line.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
Cut him some slack, jack.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Brett
Bruce Markusen in today’s Hardball Times has a nice piece that reflects on the 40th anniversary of the Black Nine, the nine black players who started for the Pirates in a game against the Phillies. In his piece, he writes about where each of the nine is now (three—Clemente, Stargell, and Ellis are dead). He has high praise for Gene Clines, who has served many organizations well as a coach and hitting instructor, and he has demonstrated a keen talent for getting through to difficult players such as Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent. His dream job, apparently, is to manage a major league team, but nobody has come calling. Any chance that he might be on the JR’s radar, if not as a replacement for Ozzie, at least as a replacement for Greg Walker?
What about Kim Ng, she started out w/ us.
by Grinder in Training on Sep 2, 2011 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions
I would prefer Ana Ng.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
I would ask her to hear my words
they’re the ones she would think I would say if there was a me for her
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
spiegel/cowley fight to the death on score now
cowley sounds like he’shad a bit too much caffeine today
"The game's out there and it's play or get played..."
by Air Raid Siren Stan on Sep 2, 2011 11:10 AM CDT reply actions
It is certainly something
what a weird job that must be, its gotta be weird waking up and saying “well I most likely am going to be getting into an argument with Cowley and thousands will be listening”
Where is our report?
You are the resident SSS Score reporter for us. I want details!
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
Getting ready for a road trip
BM gave a report yesterday, I figured he would have stepped up again.
It was pretty intense. Not much info really. Spiegel basically questioned Cowley’s credibility. Cowley flipped out and said that Spiegel doesn’t do any actual reporting and called Spiegel Jay Mariotti. Cowley said that he doesn’t hate KW and if he really wanted to blow up KW he could have (and told Jerry this). Cowley claimed that KW shut out Cowley so Joe had to go to Ozzie.
Spiegel claims that this basically invalidates Cowley’s stuff which is made worse by all of Cowley’s personal attacks against KW. Cowley basically claimed that he is ahead of everyone in breaking this story and that he gets the info. Cowley claimed that the blame for this year is 90/10 on Kenny.
You forgot about some bizarre Toni Braxton reference
Cowley made about KW.
FifthFeather.com
by El Duque's Raft on Sep 2, 2011 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that was odd.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Cowley really doesn't have any credibility in this case
Any time he is questioned he turns to personal attacks. What a douche.
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm going to venture on a limb
and guess Cowley’s Score contract is not renewed. Just a hunch.
FifthFeather.com
by El Duque's Raft on Sep 2, 2011 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Bets that he takes over as the new Pre and Post game show host?
3 things in life I care about
Sox, Colts, and Hawks.
Lifetime banners: '05, '07, '10
So Joe Cowley is claiming to have KW's life in his hands.
I really don’t care who likes whom, except for the fact that we now know we have a manager who does not exercise caution in talking to an obvious nut-job in the press, knowing whatever he says or doesn’t say is going to blow up into a major distraction.
I’ve always supported Ozzie. I’ve always liked Ozzie. I would be okay with both KW and Ozzie re-upping with a renewed focus. I would not be saddened if Ozzie, KW, or both left this off-season.
Personally, I think a Kim Ng hiring would be the coolest of all.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
elaborate
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions
NO MAAM

Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
by KenWo4LiFe on Sep 2, 2011 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
i have one of these shirts. lol
my wife must be so proud.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
Me t...
Eh, never mind. It’s been done.

To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm all but certain she has seven of these:

"Don Cooper, to the O.R! We have a bleeder!" - SkanchoDanza
by homesickalien on Sep 2, 2011 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Seeing as Ng's probably been a victim of baseball's glass ceiling
she’ll probably have to be the best GM ever just to not get trashed by every misogynist baseball writer.
Just as Jackie Robinson had to be one of the best players in the game to break the color barrier, the first woman GM will have to be one of the best to pave the way for others.
Boy, I hate myself for typing this, but, shit, why not take advantage of a situation where the GM realizes they have to be the best at what they do, and not get into petty pissing matches with the manager over when and where their son get’s drafted.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions
It would have been different
If KW’s kid was any good too
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
I have KWs kid on my "scout team" for fantasy football.
he’s a WR on the 49ers. i think i might drop him though.
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
If your league give you points for KR/PR yards and TDs
He might be worth keeping.
3 things in life I care about
Sox, Colts, and Hawks.
Lifetime banners: '05, '07, '10
i mean... no offense to our resident female posters...
but jesus christ man! They can hardly drive!
Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.
Well...
there’s no highway from the bedroom to the kitchen…
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions
they keep getting distracted by all those light poles...
and want to argue with every stop sign.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
But they're so cute when they're young!
Trying to score runs with Juan Pierre as your leadoff hitter is like trying to suture a wound in a moving car. You might still be successful -- but why make it so hard on yourself?
But... but... I'm still adorable.
And I can drive.
Put me in, Jerry!
"Don Cooper, to the O.R! We have a bleeder!" - SkanchoDanza
by homesickalien on Sep 2, 2011 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
"Married with Children" References
I can get behind that
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions
This
Sans the “like Ozzie” part for me
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
I think Kim Ng would be really good.
Hahn would have to go though. No way he stays if they do that.
by notoneyguillen on Sep 2, 2011 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Can she play the organ?
Trying to score runs with Juan Pierre as your leadoff hitter is like trying to suture a wound in a moving car. You might still be successful -- but why make it so hard on yourself?
by Chiburb on Sep 2, 2011 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
surely all of you
Realize how much hot air is put into a claim that Cowley, or anyone, could “blow up” KW.
Ahead of everyone? On a story he created? Oy.
90/10—it’s closer to opposite, I’d say.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:30 PM CDT up reply actions
this was brewing, wasn't it?
i’m with Tdogg, lets get some info!
Easy chief
We’re a community - Tdogg
Tdogg should be calling in right about now
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
Really looking forward to this
I am going to be traveling all day (Chicago and than South Bend) but I will be reading
Brett: who's responsible for the sorry state of Sox' drafting and development?
is there any hope of changing it? Where does Rick Hahn fit in, either as complicit in the mess or someone who might potentially change things, if promoted to GM?
under Laumann things have gotten better
So I would argue Wilder as a big, bad factor over the last drafts. Of course, if Bacon continues stalling…
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions
wasn't bacon a Hahn boy though?
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
by blackoutsox on Sep 2, 2011 8:20 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
i think beckham would be a better player today if he wasnt jammed into the bigs
I live in a simpler place. I speak the language. ~ U-God
Ozzie admits he thinks the approach
with Bacon was wrong; too much pressure.
Of course, he cites Dayan as being the correct approach, so the Pale Hose might be screaming for a middle-ground approach here.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions
as a rare top 10 pick
everybody better have their fingerprints on Bacon for a full-team buy-in
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Brett: Can you explain all the venom directed at a team which is projected to finish in line with expectations?
If Dunn and Rios perform at even replacement level, this team is probably in first place. Also, can you explain how a team with a run differential of +3 somehow finds itself 13 games over .500? These questions have been gnawing at me for the last several minutes. Thanks.
This space is available.
BP has them at 83 wins.
Is that not in line with expectations?
This space is available.
community projection was what, 85, 86?
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
They're in line with the expectations of those who hate the White Sox.
Our expectations, on the other hand, were high.
and correct.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Hard to argue with this logic.
This space is available.
Im more puzzled by your question on run differential.
and Detroit.
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
So do you think it is normal for a team with a run differetial of +3 to be 13 games over .500?
This space is available.
How long have you been on this site?
We have discussed run differential and variance enough times. The 05 White Sox were 9 games better than their run differential.
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
And they had there share of luck.
Are you suggesting that run differential is a meaningless statistic?
This space is available.
I can't believe you just sighed at me.
Well maybe I can. Lighten up I’m just messing around.
This space is available.
Is that what I remotely said?
The point is asking a Chicago reporter why an opposing team is out performing their pythag record when you just answered your own question in the post above.
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
It was meant to be snarky.
And why are you picking on me?
This space is available.
I'm the resident anti-SABR crank
why are you mocking me?
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Okay, I'm an anti-progressive-stats-American bigot
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Okay Bung
Not trying to turn it into that. Should have just said the answer is luck or variance, especially in 1 run games
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
by Tdogg on Sep 2, 2011 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't mean any ill wilI.
Yes, I know Detroit has been lucky (variance) this year. I guess I caught everyone here on a serious day. Or maybe I’m just not very funny.
This space is available.
Look, I can't change the name I was born with.
How would you like it if someone called you Barb? BTW, my first name is Alastair, in case you are interested.
This space is available.
I'm curious
What kind of range did you have the Sox at?
This space is available.
Okay, so they are on the low end.
I guess I’m a bit more forgiving. I had them about 85ish so maybe that’s why I’m not too upset.
This space is available.
i'm not upset either. i just wouldn't say this team is playing to expectations.
certainly not the expectations with which they beat fans over the head.
If they hadn't of used the "All In" marketing ploy, I think maybe fans may have been more forgiving.
This space is available.
Not of purely goofy decisions like batting Rios and Dunn clean up for most of the year,
Leaving Dayan in the minors, etc. etc.
I picked the team to win 93 games
So I am definitely the wrong gut to ask on this one.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:33 PM CDT up reply actions
What have been the clubhouse reactions to Dunn's stunningly bad year?
Is everyone trying to give him advice, steer clear of him, etc?
I believe they have started the cutest tradition
of kicking him in the nuts when he returns to the dugout from his latest failure.
"Alex is our best option right now." - Ozzie Guillen answering the media regarding Alex Rios continually batting clean-up (8/31/11)
not steering clear in the least
in fact, supportive. Too supportive?
I mean, several times A.J. has had very supportive things to say about Dunn and his struggles. A.J.
The team definitely has these guys’s backs.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
what's the alternative given that they're stuck with him?
and how does his reception given enormous struggles differ from Swisher’s?
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
I was still knee sock deep in basketball
When Dirty 30™ was here, but from what I can gather Swish’s reception in the clubhouse was bloodlust and murderousness, while Dunn is still a decent dude who hasn’t put himself in front of the team.
Not that the two seasons are the same, but Swish pouted not playing down the stretch and ALDS. Dunn is understanding and realizes Ozzie has little recourse.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 3, 2011 12:02 AM CDT up reply actions
that
and Dunn wasn’t really benched all season.
I live in a simpler place. I speak the language. ~ U-God
And Dunn has been way, way worse.
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
Brett: If you could go to any Chicagoland attraction with any member of the White Sox organization, where would you go and with whom?
I’d go to the art institute with Omar.
by mechanical turk on Sep 2, 2011 12:18 PM CDT reply actions
I'd roam Chicago's lost underground delivery train tunnels with Brent Morel
He just seems like a creepy dude that would blossom in truly weird situations.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd opt for French manicures with Rios
or Dairy Queen with Lillibridge.
"Alex is our best option right now." - Ozzie Guillen answering the media regarding Alex Rios continually batting clean-up (8/31/11)
I'd opt for French Revolution Re-Enactment, with Rios as Marie Antionette.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well, yes, so to speak.
"Alex is our best option right now." - Ozzie Guillen answering the media regarding Alex Rios continually batting clean-up (8/31/11)
Not actually said by her, ftr.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions
She was actually referring to pie
not the cherry kind.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions
She get a bit of a bum rap, historically.
Well, she got a bit of a bum rap from the French people of the 1790s too, but that’s not important right now.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
jeez, citing wikipedia at me.
i was just joking. i feel pretty bad for all of them. nobody really came out of that particular revolution looking good.
Sorry, I was laughing
I was also just astonished at how off the public perception was, so I threw it in there for those that wouldn’t try the link.
Sir, I challenge you to a duel!

(Bonus trivia points: anyone tell me what future X-Men actor was in this movie?)
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions
attractive jane seymour sighting. i thought it was only live and let die.
a brief search on imdb reveals it to be mckellen.
I dunno. I always thought Henry VIII had good taste in women...
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Eh....they weren't very big on Catholics at the time (as I'm sure you're aware).
So if by ‘warm up act’ you mean they’d have burned me alive, then yes, I agree.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Practicing.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
they wouldn't have burned you straight off,
they’d have tried to drown you first, then, if you survived that, they’d burn your popish arse.
Kind of like Alexandra of Russia
she was never accepted by the Russian people, and her shyness made her appear aloof.
There’s been a major rehab on MA’s rep over the last decade, it seems.
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions
post punk and kirsten dunst goes a long way
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
if you got dibs on the art institute with Omar
That leaves me to go resale clothes shopping with him.
If Omar’s out, I’d play Wiffleball with Juan Pierre.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions
How does the organization view Morel?
There’s obviously room for improvement, but do they view him as a cost-controlled fixture?
yes they do, Craig
much like you.
Well, not anything like you. You weren’t much of a fixture.
But yes, his upside is still Credeesque, minus Scott Boras.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Credeesque meaning they expect similar power numbers?
Or just defensively speaking?
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Let's say Credeesque
in terms of overall offense (less power but better discipline and less Ks?) and defense.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Third basemen of the future, Today!
"That might be how you roll at Camp Anawanna, Budnick. But where I come from, we only salute Old Glory." -moroots on May 23rd
by South Side Expat on Sep 2, 2011 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Honkbal!
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/honkbal-netherlands-bids-to-host-mlb-in-2014/
Apparantely Holland wants to host a MLB game in 2014. My favorite part of the article, from the comments:
strike – slag (slag actually means hit)
ball – wijd
base on balls – vier wijd
walk – vrije loop
single – honkslag
double – tweehonkslag
run – punt (point)
out – uit
stolen base – gestolen honk
pitcher – werper
catcher – achtervanger
first baseman – eerste honkman
second baseman – tweede honkman
third baseman – derde honkman
short stop – korte stop
left fielder – linksvelder
center fielder – midvelder
right fielder – rechtsvelder
by moroots on Sep 2, 2011 12:43 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
"Rechtsvelder" also happened to be the name of the Deutscheland team
in the 1933 World Baseball Classic. They came in last and none of the players were ever heard from again.
"Alex is our best option right now." - Ozzie Guillen answering the media regarding Alex Rios continually batting clean-up (8/31/11)
MEIN HONK WAR GESTOLEN
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
by colintj on Sep 2, 2011 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
You want to know whether you can give that noose a workout before it starts getting really cold out?
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
That would be a crazy S&M scene
Mistress Pain ties you up and reads the names of Ozzie’s favorites to you over the years.
What would be the safe-word?
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Brett - your thoughts on the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette's historical perceptions?
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 12:57 PM CDT reply actions
I will say this
After the strong work of The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s take on it was one of the most horrid movies I’ve ever watched. But then, I thought Lost in Translation was rather insipid as well.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions
i'll watch anything with scarlett johansson's tits.
by larry on Sep 2, 2011 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
larry's question(s)
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:22 PM CDT reply actions
daryl boston?
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:24 PM CDT reply actions
who will be the first beat writer to make fun of you for posting on a blog?
by larry on Sep 2, 2011 1:27 PM CDT reply actions 3 recs
gregor
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions
then my answer would be none?
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions
i'd say cowley
but that presupposes he’s literate.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
by colintj on Sep 2, 2011 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
once a beat writer, always a beat writer
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
exactly
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions
not sure
But Merkin has noticed that several people want to smack him.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Brett,
your opinion of the handling of the physical aspects of Peavy’s return. 100+ pitches very quickly, the ill fated relief appearance after 100+ pitch outing 3 days earlier. Why, by the Sox of all organizations?
My serenity is inversely proportional to my expectations.
LET’S GO YOU WHITE SOX!!!!!
I give the Sox a pass
based on the fact that this surgery was so unprecedented. And because Peavy is a bulldog.
The relief appearance was not inherently bad. The length of it certainly was.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
brett, thanks for participating!
my real question, when did you start reading SSS?
Jim Thome sponsor(s) this page.
Highly underrated, Mark Kotsay became the best defensive designated hitter in American League history in 2010.
by onlysoxfaninbasel on Sep 2, 2011 1:38 PM CDT reply actions
not sure, exactly
But I was certainly a regular Second City Hockey reader back when I was on the Blackhawks (one year on the beat, one year winning a Stanley Cup, thank you, thank you) and surely dabbled at or before then.
I still don’t keep up as much as I should articles/comments.
Recently have joined the Mac universe and have been lazy (or too overwhelmed) about new bookmarks etc.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, now that there's a whole thread devoted to you, we're going to expect some spot appearances.
SSS was given a cookie today. Thanks a lot for your time and insight.
The policeman who jumps from a bridge to a plane is Detective John McClane, a.k.a. Bruce Willis. He’s just the star of the whole movie series and stuff, no big deal or anything. -Cruiser
Should I put J. Jonah Stankevitz on my business cards?
Beerleaguer -- White Sox: Something about a greased tee, a behind, and a pair of pliers
this is
a rhetorical question?
Cienporciento sí
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Brett - would you like to attend the next Meet-Up?
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 2:05 PM CDT reply actions
absolutely
sometimes have weekends off at home but please keep in the loop
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions
i'd be worried about reportage
but pretty much no one makes it back with memory intact.
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
Brett,
Can you get me Sarah Kustok’s phone number? (don’t post it here, some of these guys are vultures. email me.)
Just give him your address.
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Sep 2, 2011 2:10 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
This was awesome
Gee can we get Cowley next time?
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
If Cowley comes here, we have to ask how many times Ozzie shakes it after urinating.
Now there will be some progressive stats!
sideways smiley face
by TasteeFreeze on Sep 2, 2011 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
As long as we're measuring rate and not counting.
I’d also like something to help me compare it to the league average. ODS+, if you will.
by mechanical turk on Sep 2, 2011 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Do you want a high rate?
Or do you want someone who is more efficient with their ODS? And the better question is do your numbers go up while you’re in your prime and start to taper off with age….
3 things in life I care about
Sox, Colts, and Hawks.
Lifetime banners: '05, '07, '10
Can't believe nobody asked for brett to post pictures of his living room
This used to be my playground
thanks brett.
i don’t think it’s been mentioned on here but, while i could be wrong, i believe the consensus on here is that you do the best job of covering the sox.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
i was going to add "in the MSM"
but i hate using the term “MSM” and also was hoping it was implied. fucker.
"michael gilhaney is an example of a man that is nearly banjaxed from the principal of the atomic theory. would it astonish you to hear that he is nearly half a bicycle?" ~~ sergeant pluck
by BuehrleMan on Sep 2, 2011 5:24 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
this
We need to post his stuff more. It seems like were always posting Cowley stuff to razz on him
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
by blackoutsox on Sep 2, 2011 8:30 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
yeah this was really good
the best sox related thing that happened today unfortunately.
I live in a simpler place. I speak the language. ~ U-God
just wait until you guys realize I'm in the back pocket of
Ramon Castro. Then the razzing will come hot and heavy.
Although as you might imagine, the back pocket of Ramon Castro is not a comfortable place.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 11:35 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
you mean Blastro.
I, for one, am ok with that.
I live in a simpler place. I speak the language. ~ U-God
by e-gus on Sep 3, 2011 1:06 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
how do the players interact with donny lucy?
i would think it would be weird to have a deity in the locker room.
it's weird
because he looks at you, but sort of also looks THROUGH you at the same time.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 5:51 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
Would you like to touch the bat?
"That might be how you roll at Camp Anawanna, Budnick. But where I come from, we only salute Old Glory." -moroots on May 23rd
by South Side Expat on Sep 2, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
oh so truth is relative now?
heretic! we’ve got a heretic!
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
by colintj on Sep 2, 2011 11:58 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Have you witnessed any particular skills or acumen of middling former major leaguers that makes them more proficient at managing or general managing baseball teams?
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
Have you gotten the impression that JR might feel comfortable handing the reins to non-former players?
Or has he not come to that same conclusion?
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
who wins the beat writers wrestling league?
i think merkin is the first to be eliminated. university of michigan, glasses, chubby screams privileged suburban background. daryl seems like a wild card, he’s pretty quiet, not sure how to evaluate him. i’d be worried, though, that he’d bring cowley as his “manager.” cowley is probably one of those all bark no bite types. but he also seems like the type who’d find out where you live, get hopped up on oxycontin and burn down your house. gregor sounds like a guy whose last name was shortened when his family got off the boat. probably some eastern european blood and those guys can be hardcore. but i think it comes down to the latinos. you never know when one of those guys has spent their teenage years in the boxing gym. plus, they just want it more.
by larry on Sep 2, 2011 6:17 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Me and Dusty Baker would like to know if it's hot out for said league. Some people are genetically equipped to play in the heat.
Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
do you think there's a possibility of KW or Ozzie getting fired mid-season?
Easy chief
We’re a community - Tdogg
man, hard to believe that never came up
given his patron saint of SSS status
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
it seems that Jerry is extremely loyal to kw and Ozzie
What are the chances he actually fires them
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
by blackoutsox on Sep 2, 2011 8:33 PM CDT via iPhone app reply actions
If Jerry "ordered" KW and Ozzie to stop acting like children
and one of them has continued acting like a child, I imagine the Chairman might be plenty ticked at his manager—no matter how he loves him—negotiating a new deal while 1 game over .500, and in the media. Because we all know how much Jerry loves having his laundry drying in public for all to see. That could be enough to sever things.
by Chet Lemonhead on Sep 2, 2011 11:57 PM CDT up reply actions
so you're saying this is going to end with Ozzie on a boat out in the middle of Lake Tahoe?
So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.
great answer(s)
thanks!
Joe Buck is just White Noise to me. It’s like the game is being called by a CD of whale songs. - mechanical turk
Hey Brett-
Thank You.
"That might be how you roll at Camp Anawanna, Budnick. But where I come from, we only salute Old Glory." -moroots on May 23rd
by South Side Expat on Sep 3, 2011 4:31 AM CDT reply actions
Media question: Why don't editorial sports cartoonists get to sit the press box, like I saw in 'The Natural'?
Are the sportswriters trying to hoard all the women for themselves?
Why buy the cow when the milk is kinda bitchy?
And furthermore,
When that cartoonist was drawing Roy Hobbs as a goat, from his elitist perch in the press box, how did Robert Redford hit that foul ball directly into the press box? From whom did he learn the bat control? Did he hire Walt Hriniak, or was he coached by the batting coach on staff at the movie studio?
Why buy the cow when the milk is kinda bitchy?
This was a cool thread, BTW. Sorry to be so late.
Way to be, Brett. Way to be.
Why buy the cow when the milk is kinda bitchy?

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