QUOTE (Jaxom 1974 @ Sep 17 2008, 21.27)

If penalizing a player who only spent his time playing half the game gets the DH rule out of the game. Power to it then.

As well I'm not a member of the BBWAA, because Frank Thomas wouldn't be getting my vote the first year he was elligible.

The DH rule is a godsend. IF you can't hit at a major league level (and most pitchers can't), I don't want to see you hitting. I don't want near automatic outs on my lineup. And its nice to have a place for aged power hitters to be put out to pasture.

Biggest series of the year kicks off tonight for the White Sox. Once it became clear that the division was between the Sox and Minnesota, always kind of knew it come down to this series. I've had it marked on the calender for quite a while. One of the most unfriendly confines in baseball for visiting teams (not to mention probably the worst stadium in baseball), with a team that plays like shit on the road...winning this first game is HUGE.

Well, the Sox choked. But perhaps even more excruciating was listening to Hawk try to play armchair baseball psychologist. Than we got his unique insights into managing ('Just let em play!').......I'm nearly tempted to take back all the bad things I've ever said about Ron Santo...almost.

QUOTE (Commodore @ Sep 23 2008, 23.05)

I never saw the Steve Bartman incident live, looked everywhere on youtube for it but it's wiped clean.

I laughed my ass off for days after I saw that.

QUOTE (Caliban @ Sep 24 2008, 08.19)

This is a special season.

Bah.

Bah

Bah

QUOTE (smegma @ Sep 29 2008, 20.52)

Yeah I am terrified of playing Tampa Bay, especially at Tropicana. I never thought I'd utter those words.

Twins do probably match up a bit better with Tampa, the White Sox are probably a better fit against the Red Sox. That's why as a White Sox fan I was hoping the Red Sox would over take the Rays. Ahh well, it's been an exciting year regardless.

As a White Sox fan I'm just hoping they can overtake Minnesota. It borders on pathetic that we couldn't close this out days or even weeks ago. And I know anything can happen in the playoffs, but the AL teams are too strong across the board. Sox would be a significant underdog no matter who they line up against.

QUOTE (Weekapaug @ Sep 29 2008, 21.28)

Over Liriano??

This year he has a better ERA, has been better in September, and has actually pitched the whole season instead of just the last 2 months of it.

What a fucking awesome game. I made the playoff games in '05. The atmosphere was that intense if not moreso. Props to the blackout marketing. Just a sea of black everywhere. Of course I'm the guy who always forgets to wear green on St. Patty's day, so its a pure stroke of luck that I was wearing all my black Sox gear for this. (ok, so not really luck. Given their colors, i had a 50/50 shot of getting it right)

Standing room tickets, bought them a few hours before the game. Well fucking worth it. Jesus Christ I've seen that Griffey to AJ play at the plate a dozen times. And that Thome bomb was MASSIVE, landed in the center field concourse. (which for Comiskey is pretty damned far) Was tempted to jump the person who snatched it (I could see them flaunting the ball near me, they'd have been asking for it.), but I figured we're all Sox fans here.

Greatest game I've ever been to and I've been to a few. (Although none of the World Series games sadly) Shouting, screaming, jumping, hugging...every bar we hit after the fact was loaded with Sox fans. Those who were there and those who wish they were there. Still got my towel. (did they just raid a bath and body works? No logos, nothing. Just plain black) My ticket. And tomorrow, most likely my hangover.

Also got an awesome little story from the bar afterwards, but I'll leave that for another day.

GO SOX. No matter what happens in the playoffs, this was an awesome fucking day. And hopefully rather than tired, the players will be motivated and ready to Rally. Tampa Bay wasn't supposed to sniff the post season for any of the next 500+ years in the Red Sox/Yankees division. Hopefully they'll be a bit overwhelmed by all of it.

QUOTE (Myshkin @ Oct 1 2008, 23.37)

Dodgers!

Where'd you go Cal? No more big talk about my city? Did Loney's shot silence you like everyone else in Chicago?

Just to point out that there's an entire section of that city that either cheered his shot on or doesn't give a shit. The don't give a shits will have something to say one way or another tomorrow. So...how many free tickets is Tampa gonna have to hand out to the homeless to get more than 12,000 people there?

When the fuck did all this cowbell shit start? Saw it at a few college games and now they're at Tampa. Trying to make up for the fact that they can only get 10,000 fans per game or something? MLB should ban this shit. Make noise the way baseball fans have been doing it for 100+ years. With your fucking hands and mouths.

Making sure I held my tongue til today's game was past. But only one team alive in Chicago. And its not the team of destiny. So the Tribune can hold back its pre-designed 'Cubbies do the impossible' special issue coverpage. All the amateur scribes in Cubdom can put their word-processors to rest and delete their 'Dream Season' manuscript. Everyone can retract their Ebay bids on World Series ring replicas. There's only one team in town still showing up to work tomorrow.

And I hope to fucking god they're showing up to work the next day and the day after that. If they don't? Still a great season that exceeded most everyone's expectations. And its still one we can extend. Sox were in both of those first two games, usually leading til late. Its not like this is a team they can't play with. Hoping for a warm day tomorrow with the wind blowing out. If I can't get that, another cool day with soggy fields would be great. Either help the Sox power or kill the Rays speed. One or the other.

QUOTE (Caliban @ Oct 5 2008, 21.37)

This is why Sox fans are generally retards. The NLDS Cubs Dodgers series and the ALDS Sox Rays series has never been a competition for what chicago team can stave off elimination longest. The fact that you have a persecution complex surrounding the Tribune's Cubs coverage is pathetic, and doesnt Gary get its own paper?

Most of my close friends are sox fans and i dont root against them becuase i watch them play 80 games a season. The only sock i dont like is Ozzie.

No. But after an entire season and a half (all this shit started well before Spring Training) of Cubs fans giddying themselves up into an apoplectic frenzy of true believing, reinforced by most of the season spent on top (with the occasional manic-depressive bout when their cherished first place was lost or challenged), seemingly shining their WS trophies already with a month to go in the regular season, anointing this the Dream Season and expecting the second coming minutes after their inevitable parade down Michigan Avenue...it was more than a bit poetic...and satisfying to see the unheralded, do-nothing, go-nowhere White Sox outlast them when it came to the playoffs.

Honestly, I expected my South-siders to have to work harder to accomplish that. I at least expected the Cubs to clean the Jr. Varsity that is the National League. But now I can concentrate solely on one more game at home and than the seemingly impossible task this year of winning an away game in a Dome. (they should all be banned)

This MVP debate starts with Carlos and ends with Quentin if the fucker didn't break his wrist with a month to go. Missed the last part of the season and still almost lead the AL in homers. (his 36 to Cabrera's 37)

.290 ba, 36 hr, 100 rbi's while missing the entire last month of the season. And spent more than the first (maybe first two) month on the lower end of the batting order (less at bats, less rbi chances). And he did it on a playoff team. Hell, for the early part of the season he was really the only part of the offense that was working at all. We don't sniff the Central division without him. The fact that he was a great prospect turned injury laden disappointment, picked up for nothing and playing this ungodly season at little more than the League minimum gives a pretty fricken good story as well. (if he did this on the Red Sox, the guy would be the toast of baseball)

But sadly you don't snatch up MVP trophies while sitting on the DL for the last month. Pity.

QUOTE (smegma @ Oct 6 2008, 19.42)

Considering we had lost Quentin and our best option for 3rd base was Juan Uribe, given this up and down season and how low expectations were, I'm sad that we're done but I still felt great we made it at all. I didn't have much hope even if we won tonight that we would win down in Tampa. I think we won 2 games all year in domes, or at least it seemed like it. Upton also kicked the crap outta Floyd.

Now six months of no White Sox, ugh. I hate the offseason. I'll have a lot more time on my hands though.

Edit: Oh and good for the Rays, they definitely played better ball this whole year than we did. I hope we can add some speed and situational hitting for next year!

Largely agree with this. From where everyone expected us to be to start this season to how we limped into the playoffs in the first place, its still a good and satisfying season. No hate for the Rays, they played better (although we had shots both of those first two games, just didn't capitalize on our opportunities. Situational hitting, as you say, would've been nice) and they pretty much are the feel good story of the season. Good luck to them. Very young, talented, and hungry team.

For the Sox, some definite holes to plug and pieces to build on. Buerhle, Danks, and Floyd seem like a decent core to build the pitching staff around. Vasquez will apparently continue to be what he's always been, unrealized potential that results in perpetual mediocrity. Contreras...just hope his contract is up soon, will have to check on that.

Bullpen's are probably the most inconsistent thing throughout baseball. Who knows what the hell ours will look like next year. But Linebrink and Thornton seem set for good things. Jenks will be fine so long as he keeps to the 96-98 range. Another core to build around.

I really like the future for Alexi Ramirez. That kid is outstanding. Great numbers. All the intangibles. Fun to watch. He's gonna be good in this league. Hopefully we lock up Carlos Quentin for quite a while. Jermaine Dye is still a top shelf talent hopefully with a few more years left in the tank. Konerko...been hard on him this year, we'll just hope to god most of his piss poor season was due to injury. He's only 32 and his '05 season wasn't an aberration. He can do that again. And he better.

Wow. Shit. Bad news for the Sox now that I look a bit closer.

Contract expirations:

Gavin floyd: 2008
John Danks: 2008
Carlos Quentin: 2008
Bobby Jenks: 2008

All getting paid closer to 500k than a million. All had great seasons and all are gonna be looking to get paid. We're not gonna be able to keep all of them. We'd be lucky for half.

Ummm...I think we might be fucked. We've got guys locked up who are definitely on the decline and are still commanding 10 million+. And we don't have enough of our young stars signed to anything. We're stuck with Konerko til 10. Contreras for another year. Thome we got an option that we might pick up since he actually does the job we pay him to do. Though I'd say drop him and use that money to sign Quentin long term. Put Swish at first (he's locked up and hope he does better) and Konerko to DH. Move Ramirez (thankfully signed for a few) up in the order.

A 3-4-5-6 of Quentin, Dye, Konerko and Ramirez (or switch the last two, depending on Paulie's performance) could still be formidable. 3 of the 4 are 30-40 HR guys and who knows what the ceiling is for Alexi Ramirez. Hell, he could even play the 2 spot.

But with Crede likely gone (we could resign him, but he's too big of a question mark with the chronic back issues) and Cabrera we've got question marks at Short and 3rd. Uribe is a free agent and I don't want him back, but I don't see any of our minor leaguers picking up the slack.

I'm not seeing the room in the payroll or the batting order to pick up the speed we need or retain the pitching we have.

Gonna be a fun off-season.

QUOTE (Weekapaug @ Oct 7 2008, 02.49)

For some reason I can't find the info, but I think players have to put in 5 service years before they can be free agents. So, the White Sox should have control of all those guys other than maybe Floyd.

Never knew that. And that would actually really suck. (from a players perspective) 5 years from being called up or 5 years from draft?

QUOTE (Weekapaug @ Oct 7 2008, 18.59)

Ok, so the next time the Sox are well below .500 and still trumping most teams for air time, then you'll have a point. You haven't shown that undeserving teams are getting undue time on air. It has been pointed out several times that the teams getting the most time on ESPN are from the major centers of sports (Boston, NY, LA) and they have the best teams (almost always) and the best players.

About one half of the nationally televised games between ESPN and Fox this season involved either NY or Boston. (and of course sometimes both) Counted it up some weeks ago when I got really bored one night.

Not sure if this adds to the debate at all. Choosing not to really take part in it myself much.

Sportswriter friend of mine says Zack Greinke wins the Cy Young this year. Told me this early in the day (before gametime). Fucker must've been drunk cause the notion of anyone on KC winning jack shit just sends me into fits of laughter.

On a side note, KC beats the White Sox today.....Greinke pitches a shutout. Fuck...

Fucker would have to go 30-0 to win shit with the Royals, so that prophecy still ain't coming true.

In either case, I fucking love baseball season. Even if ESPN insists on treating it like Yankees/Red Sox/Cubs season. (yeah I went there.) In either case, may any team north of the Loop and within the original 13 colonies with and die this season. Go Sox! (the real ones)

QUOTE (Jaxom 1974 @ Apr 9 2009, 08.16)

So when the Royals finish above the White Sox in the standings this season, does that mean EHK will stay out of the television threads I like that he doesn't like any more...?

Impossible. Royals ineptitude is as scientifically certain as Republican idiocy.

Who ever said great journalism is dead? Good shit here. ESPN