Another Drone:This time calling out Paxson

[Dpauley23]

Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls: The White Sox not only won a World Series just a few years ago, but they have stayed committed to winning, signing Bartolo Colon. He has a major test coming up this offseason when Jermaine Dye's option comes up. With the Bulls, the owner has been as inconsistent as the play of his team. Sometimes he seemed involved and ready to get rid of bad personnel, sometimes he seemed like he was going to sit back and let Vinny Del Negro and John Paxson do whatever they wanted to his team. With the Bulls' playoff run, Reinsdorf's sins as an owner are partially obscured, but when the smoke clears this fall, the team will still be coached and managed by two guys who seem lost in their jobs. That is Reinsdorf's fault.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/sports/mo...rst-Are-Chicagos-Owners-Getting-it-Done-.html

I'm little confused here how is it John Paxson fault this team sucks? The writer actually says John Paxson is clueless really? How about how he brought team out of dumps and got it to steady playoff team. How about the trade he made this year as I would call it like stealing candy from baby. Maybe author should realize that all Paxsons wrongs were either Gar Formans or Reinsdorf. Couple weeks ago I was listening to Afternoon Saloon and they had KC Johnson on when he slipped this line: Gar Forman was the one who wanted Tyrus and convinced Paxson to pick him. How about Luol Deng signing and not signing Gordon how did that work out for you Reinsdorf?

 

[Dpauley23]

[No message]

 

[PJ Brown]

That's fine if someone isn't happy with John Paxson. We've had many discussions where perfectly reasonable complaints have been addressed. But to say he's lost just shows the writer isn't that educated on the team. You'd think the trade deadline deals that saved the season would by itself show the guy isn't lost.

 

[Newskoolbulls]

Paxson has done a fine job. This writer is an idiot. Plus Dye is going to be 80 years old so I would let him walk.

 

[Dpauley23]

I was going to email on what a joke she was, but didn't have the guts to put out her email address

 

[engies]

Thank god I don't have to put up with reading about Bulls on our newspapers it would drive me up the wall. Media drives up the wall with things that im less passionate about.

 

[Kush77]

"but they have stayed committed to winning, signing Bartolo Colon"

So signing a washed up overweight pitcher to a 1 million dollar contract shows a commitment to winning? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever read. The Sox did nothing this offseason to improve the team. That's why they're so bad now.

 

[Dpauley23]

Kush77 wrote:

"but they have stayed committed to winning, signing Bartolo Colon"

So signing a washed up overweight pitcher to a 1 million dollar contract shows a commitment to winning? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever read. The Sox did nothing this offseason to improve the team. That's why they're so bad now.

Woah woah woah what the hell are you talking about? They building a farm system unlike Cubs who have noone besides Vitters. How about that Cubs offseason getting Bradley whos hitting solid .100 when they could of just kept Derosa and signed Abreu.

 

[Kush77]

Dpauley23 wrote:

Kush77 wrote:

"but they have stayed committed to winning, signing Bartolo Colon"

So signing a washed up overweight pitcher to a 1 million dollar contract shows a commitment to winning? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever read. The Sox did nothing this offseason to improve the team. That's why they're so bad now.

Woah woah woah what the hell are you talking about? They building a farm system unlike Cubs who have noone besides Vitters. How about that Cubs offseason getting Bradley whos hitting solid .100 when they could of just kept Derosa and signed Abreu.

Yeah, but the person that wrote this didn't say "they have stayed committed to winning, by building the farm system." The person cited the signing of a washed up pitcher. That was my point.

You can rip the Cubs, I don't care. I wasn't making this into a Cubs/Sox argument. The Sox are bad, that's a fact. And I'm not saying that as a Cubs fan, but as an objective baseball fan.

They did nothing in the offseason to improve (sorry Colon doesn't count), they are old, slow, and can't win unless they hit homers. They've been shutout 6 times already and it's mid-May. That's bad.

Believe me, as a Cubs fan I know I've lost my trash talk ammunition to Sox fans in 2005. I'm just saying the Sox are bad. I don't think anyone can say otherwise.

 

[Dpauley23]

Ya I realize they suck now, but they had same exact record this time and still was able to win more playoff games than Cubs. With your little no speed and all really homeruns is just revert to Chicago media like people with Ben Gordon case. Chris Getz, Alexi Ramirez, Scotty Pods/Anderson gives them pretty good speed. It's funny how they say that all they do is hit homeruns, but what about in 2005 thats all they were doing too by leading league in homeruns. By the way who do the Cubs have that is fast Theriot, Soriano? Seems to me like their getting up their in age. They better win title in next two years or their in trouble

 

[Kush77]

Dpauley23 wrote:

Ya I realize they suck now, but they had same exact record this time and still was able to win more playoff games than Cubs. With your little no speed and all really homeruns is just revert to Chicago media like people with Ben Gordon case. Chris Getz, Alexi Ramirez, Scotty Pods/Anderson gives them pretty good speed. It's funny how they say that all they do is hit homeruns, but what about in 2005 thats all they were doing too by leading league in homeruns. By the way who do the Cubs have that is fast Theriot, Soriano? Seems to me like their getting up their in age. They better win title in next two years or their in trouble

Sure, they got individual guys who have speed. Unfortunately they don't get on base often.

As for the 2005 team, they hit homers but they traded Lee for Podsednik (which I thought was a great trade). Some didn't like it because long term, and overall, Lee is far more productive. But going into that season, Podsednik is what they needed. A guy who would set the table and steal about 75 bases. The Sox had all the big home run hitters but didn't go anywhere between 2001-2004. They also added Iguchi and A.J. So while they still led the league in homers, the lineup was far different than the previous years.

Theriot and Soriano have speed, and they get on base. I'm just looking at the main guys, Konerko, Thome, Dye. They are old and slow. And the Sox didn't make any moves to improve this offseason. That's why I thought it was funny when the author of that column (or blog) said that signing Colon showed a commitment to winning. What?!? You find me one Sox fan that would agree with that statement. Signing CC Sabathia would show a commitment to winning, even though he hasn't been that great so far. But you know what I mean.

"They better win in the next two years" I'm not holding my breath DP.

 

[Dpauley23]

I agree with you that it was idiotic to say signing Colon signaled key offseason signing. What about the Cubs core guys how are they doing? 2 of them are hitting below the Mendoza line and the other one hasn't been able to stay healthy the whole year. Just to let you know the main guys are Dye and Quentin on the Soxs

 

[Kush77]

Dpauley23 wrote:

I agree with you that it was idiotic to say signing Colon signaled key offseason signing. What about the Cubs core guys how are they doing? 2 of them are hitting below the Mendoza line and the other one hasn't been able to stay healthy the whole year. Just to let you know the main guys are Dye and Quentin on the Soxs

I'm not worried about Bradley. Lee on the other hand....he'll get his average back up, but he has no power for some odd reason.

But while two of the Cubs' core guys are struggling, we have a bigger core. Fukudome is hitting (hope he keeps it up this year) we have Soto, Theriot, Ramirez, Soriano. Even with the injuries, the Cubs are right there.

And it's early, the Sox could start hitting. But when I was telling friends that I didn't think the Sox would be good this year, the first thing they shot back with me was "the Cubs suck" or "what have the Cubs done?" Nothing, but I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about the Sox. That's all.

 

[Dpauley23]

This is how the always start hitting, but once June comes they start hitting. My question is why are you not worried about Bradley? Sure he get his average, but that guy never play more than 100 games. Lee hasn't had his power since he broke his wrist injury so its not really surpursing

 

[dougthonus]

I'm not worried about Bradley. Lee on the other hand....he'll get his average back up, but he has no power for some odd reason.

Hmmm...

What would have happened around 3-4 years ago that might change for D-Lee and cause his power numbers to go on. Nothing comes to mind except that he stopped the steroids when it became a huge issue before congress.

Not that I care one way or the other, but it doesn't surprise me when I see power numbers go down around the time that baseball starts pushing the steroids investigation hard.

 

[dougthonus]

As for the Sox, I agree that it's crazy to think they made a commitment to winning. They trimmed payroll substantially this year if I'm not mistaken. Going into the season, I felt the team had no chance unless the central just sucked.

The Cubs made a commitment to winning. It may or may not actually pay off, who knows, but they certainly made a commitment to trying.

 

[2ndcitydiehard]

dougthonus wrote:

I'm not worried about Bradley. Lee on the other hand....he'll get his average back up, but he has no power for some odd reason.

Hmmm...

What would have happened around 3-4 years ago that might change for D-Lee and cause his power numbers to go on. Nothing comes to mind except that he stopped the steroids when it became a huge issue before congress.

Not that I care one way or the other, but it doesn't surprise me when I see power numbers go down around the time that baseball starts pushing the steroids investigation hard.

Except he had 1 career year and then broke his wrist. I think it's kinda ridiculous to acuse Lee of steroids when more than likely it's a wrist injury from Furcal running in to him and a neck injury from a colision at the plate that are hurting him.

DLee is painful to watch at this point. The bat has slowed down to the point where he's pulling a Big Papi... cheating on the fastball getting pull happy to get the power and then simply rolling over anything away. I do believe the Cubs need his glove because of how poor their INF is defensively... but if he's not going to get that average back in the .280s and hit some doubles it's going to be hard to justify keeping him in the line-up.