The White Sox thread

It just gets better for Sox fans, I tells ya! Frank Thomas is pondering having bone fusion surgery on his ankle, which either way could lead to the premature end of his career. Thomas's entire batting power comes from pushing off his front foot, so this could completely cripple his ability to hit for power, not to mention diminish his already diminished speed on the basepaths.

If the Sox enter '05 with no Frank and no Maggs, Ozzie may be getting his wish for a faster, less powerful team earlier than he hoped...

I just saw the item that Ordonez had his surgery in Vienna? WTF?

Either he decided to get in some cool sightseeing at the same time, or his condition is so exotic only a handful of surgeons could handle it. Not good.

He's having the cutting-edge "pastry therapy".

So Maggs fired his dumb-ass agent, looks like. Good move.

Yeah, but his new agent is Reinsy's archenemy, Scott Bor-ass. IOW, buh-bye Magglio (as if we didn't know that before).

RIP Ursula Snelius. I wonder if Alex will continue to dole out $100 per dinger next year?

Was it $100 or $1000?

I was trying to figure out who the Sneliuses were, and how they got their money, and then I remembered, and I found this article. People who are born wealthy are usually tightwads, so it figures:

Paying home-age to the King
January 14, 2001
BY NEIL STEINBERG STAFF WRITER
Devotion to Elvis Presley, for most, is expressed in the form of a music collection or video library, supplemented by various posters, black velvet paintings, ceramic busts, wristwatches and official commemorative plates from the Franklin Mint.
Tom and Cindy Sanocki are going beyond that. Way beyond. On Jan. 8--on what would have been, or, to some, is, Elvis' 66th birthday--ground was broken for the couple's new Palos Heights home, a faithful $1.3 million copy of Graceland, the Memphis mansion where Elvis lived from 1959 until his death--or, if you wish, disappearance--in 1977.
Only the Sanockis' Graceland is bigger. More than twice as big.
"We're not trying to relive Elvis," said Tom Sanocki, 42. "We found his home to be a beautiful place we spend much time at, and now we have the opportunity to do it here, and bring some of that Southern hospitality up North."
The opportunity came courtesy of Cindy's parents, Alex and Ursula Snelius, who won $64 million in the Big Game lottery last September. Electing to receive their jackpot in a single $18 million payment, they promptly gave a million dollars to charity and told their four children to go out and buy or build their dream homes.
"Each one gets a house," said Alex Snelius, 64, a former truck mechanic. "That's all they get. The rest of it, they got to go to work. I started out with nothing, and I was blessed with this and wanted to buy them a home."
"My father-in-law said, `Whatever floats your boat, whatever you want to do, do,' " recalls Tom Sanocki.

http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~presley/elnews135.htm

RIP, Ursula.

It was $100. (I doubt anyone would want to dole out $200,000+ a year, even they won $18 million.)

Holy shit, no way! RIP.

I had no idea how they had achieved their wealth either. That's a great story! Thanks for posting that, Kerry. You could tell by looking at them that they seemed pretty normal, when the TV cameras would occasionally show them sitting at the games (always in the stands, never in a box.)

I had actually been thinking of using Ursula Snelius as my ILX name after I got bored with this one, no joke.

Oh now I know why I'm confused about the amount - there is a band called 'Ursula 1000' - hahahahaha. You're right - I didn't see the part where they only got $18m.

'Ursula Snellius' is so outer-space sounding.

Guys, I have one of those $10 off passwords if you're thinking of buying tix for any April or May games. It expires next Friday, the 18th. Let me know, and I'll e-mail you the details.

And here is where a dopey non-ChiSox fan tries to guess what the South Side's starting line-up for 2K5 will look like:

1B - Konerko
2B - Harris(?)
SS - Uribe
3B - Crede (BREAK OUT OF IT, SON!)
LF - um...
CF - Podsednik
RF - Rowand
DH - Big Hurt
C - um...Ben Davis?

ROTATION:
Freddy G.
Mark B.
Jon G.
Jose C.
Ozzie G. (?)

what about el dookie?

surely they signed him to start not relieve, no?

See, I forgot about The Duke.

2B will split between Harris and Japanese dood that they signed, Rowand moves to Left, Right is Dye, C is AJ P / Davis.

and yeah, they'll probably stink. You never know. Actually the rotation could turn out to be pretty decent. We shall see.

and .... goodbye Dave Wills (longtime pre and post-game dood, die-hard Sox fan; moving on to do PBP with the D-Rays), you'll be missed.

So:

1B - Konerko
2B - Harris / dude from Japan
SS - Uribe
3B - Crede (BREAK OUT OF IT, SON!)
LF - Rowand
CF - Podsednik
RF - Dye
DH - Big Hurt
C - AJ Melanoma

W/ the batting order looking like:

Podsednik
Uribe
Rowand
Konerko
Big Hurt
AJ
Dye
Crede
Who's on 2B

Are all their middle-order guys rightie? Again?

Last night I had a dream that an ILBB poster kicked this thread and was laughing incredulously that the Sox were in 1st place.

ho-lee SHIT what a game by Buehrle!!!!!

Complete game, three-hitter, 12 strikeouts!! ANd he's not even a strikeout pitcher. That's gotta be a career high.

Gametime: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Bueuhrle -- 106 pitches, 73 for strikes. 12 strikeouts is a career high.

All three of Seattle's hits were by Ichiro. Ichiro now batting .432

from Prospectus Week in Quotes...

"I don't think they're going to be more than Dominicans and Latin Americans; they're cheaper down there. Every time you sign a Japanese player, it's a lot of money. In the Dominican and Venezuela, you can sign them with rice and beans."
--White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen (Chicago Sun-Times)

"I'm from Latin America. The first time I signed, they signed me for like $1,000. What can I buy with $1,000 in Venezuela? Nothing."
--Guillen, who last week said 55 dollars could buy gas for a year in Venezuela

"If you sign 10, 11, 12 [Latin American] players, at least one is going to take a shot in the big leagues. Japanese rules are different. You've got to be a free agent and do all kind of different things to come to the big leagues. But when Japanese players come to the United States, they're ready to play in the big leagues."
--Guillen

"I keep saying that it's not small baseball, it's smart. That's what we're playing now. How long are we going to play like this? That's up to my players. Everybody has to be ready for the hit-and-run. Everybody has to be ready to take the extra base. It will be 162 games just like this. We might fail, but that's the way we're going to play."
--Guillen, defining the “speed and defense” makeup of the team

"Too bad the only good player from Cairo was [Robinson] and not Willie Harris. I told Willie, `What happened to you?' Jackie didn't leave anything for Willie."
--Guillen, on how White Sox infielder Willie Harris and Jackie Robinson both hailed from Cairo, Georgia (Chicago Tribune)

yeah, umm...ouch.

Crazy Carl is on fi-yah!!

1:39 actually. It was cool too see BOTH pitchers throw complete games.

Sox are first in the AL. Brings back lots of memories of 1906.

I posted this before, but it got lost, so excuse me if it ends up a duplicate. I went to last night's game - good game, on both sides - the bats were more alive than they have been. I got my money's worth.

Aw, that's great Kerry. I still haven't been to a game yet this season. They really lit it up tonight, I guess they were getting warmed up at the game you saw. Great pitching, too. And with Buehrle going tomorrow they could just keep on goin..

Bruce Levine is an ass, along with a number of others.

Apparently, he said the attendance Tuesday night was 18,000, when the attendance was in fact 27,000.

I am so sick of this shit. I really want to harpoon these motherfuckers.

Sorry, I've got my days mixed up. Still it seemed like a lot more people than that. I guess I'm confused because I haven't been able to get the games on tv lately. Funny how CSN got fixed the night the Cubs game was on.

Alright! Another win! So Crede has been looking good lately.

Okay, this is the funniest thing I've read in days. Maggs throws a hissy fit:

"We never clicked, even when we played together," Ordonez continued on his relationship with Guillen. "I don't consider him my friend. I have nothing to say. I don't want to see him. I don't want to talk to him. He's my enemy. Even if he talks to me and tries to apologize, I won't accept it."

link

WHERE IS THE VENEZUELIAN LOVE??

and oh yeah, I almost forgot, GO WHITE SOX!!

Playing out of their mind right now! It's a beautiful thing. Of course they got pretty lucky too. No way in heck did they deserve to win that Contreras game, and as far as Hernandez is concerned, I've never heard of a pitcher putting 11 on base in 6 without giving up a run!! Insanity. The stars are aligning, my White Sox brethren and sistren.

How about Garland last night? Could he finally have it all together??

and now we get to beat up on Kansas City for a while!

More hilarity.

He's a piece of [bleep]," Guillen told Sox beat writers after learning of Ordonez's contempt for Guillen and alleging his manager steered him away from the Sox and to Detroit.

"He's a [bleep], that's what he is," Guillen continued. "He's another Venezuelan [bleep]. [Bleep] him.

"He has an enemy. Now he has a big one. He knows I can [bleep] him a lot of different ways. He better shut the [bleep] up and play for the Detroit Tigers."

bleep

I bet you are all
very jealous that I just
picked up Joe Crede.

(This would not have had to happen had I not gambled on Russell Branyan and dropped Chad Tracy. Fuck.)

Haiku! If Crede
doesn't take you higher, send
a prayer my way!

I shudder to think how Ozzie wants to BLEEP Magglio.

13-4. Best record in the bigs.

Podzilla with 9 SBs already, Crede catching up with Ichiro in BA.

Unreal.

Soxies squeeze out another one!! Best start in 104 years of White Sox baseball. I am seriously in shock right now.

If they can get through tomorrow -- el Duque should be able to beat KC, knock on wood -- it's back to Buehrle for the Oakland series. Wow. This team is rocking and rolling right now.

I can't believe Willsy isn't here to experience this! We miss you Dave! It's not the same without you!!!

Garland is a monster! Goddamn.

HI DERE

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/images/2004/09/26/A5DeNhbX.jpg

Joe Sheehan in Prospectus chat: "This is basically the '03 Royals all over again, and not a start to be taken seriously."

Wow, so authoritative.

9-1 in one run games so far, right? I'm guessing that factored into Joe-Shee's proclamation.

If you know who Sheehan is, yeah.

http://baseballprospectus.com/chat/chat.php?chatId=117

Basically, they don't get on base and the pitchers aren't going to have a 2 ERA all year.

So, wait:

- team OBP hovering around 300?
- 9-1 in one-run games?
- team ERA around 2.00?

Egads!

9-1 in one-run games is also known as "luck."

According to Baseball Prospectus (Friend To The Stat-Fearing Folk!), the ChiSox's Pythagorean record (based solely on runs scored & allowed) is approximately 13-8.

So, Hunter Wendelstadt: C/D?

I say a definitive, discussion-closing DUD.

Meh. Joe did kind of lean into it. I'm more steamed about that fuckin BALK last nite. WTF was that crap all about?? And gee, bad calls or no, could Marte please suck it up and win a game here?? god. I hate when Buehrle goes into "bad Buehrle" mode like he does two or three times a season, like that Philadelphia game last year. ah well. An off day and coming home should do them a world of good.

On the bright side, it wasn't as disastrous as it has been in the past.