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it sucks to be a Cubs fan right now watching this two former Cub prospect kick butt? 771228[/snapback] Uh, the same can be said for Marlins fans watching DLee kick butt. 771276[/snapback] Hey Marlins fans, Don't be too upset about Derrick Lee's success for the Cubs. With the way they've been playing lately, he's been the only thing good about the north siders. That team has been on "collapse" since the word "go", and there's so much attention here in Chicago about the Cubs, it seems like the White Sox are still operating "under the radar". You guys have a great team...and a great pitcher in Dontrelle going on. Hopefully, he won't run into the "wall" that's affected him over the past couple of years. A strong start is great, but it ain't how you start, it's how you finish. He pitched a great game vs. Houston last night, and I wish him and the rest of the Marlins success. Maybe it'll be a White Sox/Marlins World Series come October...won't that be the ultimate nightmare for Cubs fans?

Hey Marlins Fans, It's been a while since I posted on this site, so let me be another to congratulate the Fish in getting Carlos Delgado. He will be a valuable bat in your team's lineup. And considering the team from the 2003 World Championship squad is pretty much still there sans I-Rod, Derrek Lee, and some others...I think this team has gotten a little better towards this season. Please forgive my ignorance about the Marlins, but I can definitely tell y'all this...you are WAY BETTER OFF with Delgado rather than Sosa. Sosa's nothin' but bad news, and if there's one thing the Marlins DON'T need as far as getting back to the World Series...it's a Sosa-sized distraction. Sammy might increase attendance at Dolphins Stadium...he might peak interest amongst the Latino population in Miami/South Florida...he might become the most popular player in your team's history, but believe me...I've lived with Sosa in my town for WAY TOO LONG...and we Chicago White Sox fans have known for YEARS he's nothing but a fraud. The Cubs fans have been so mesmerized about Sosa hitting home runs for their team, that they either couldn't see or didn't want to see how self-absorbed he is. When he was hitting balls out of Wrigley Field over and over again, people around here sans non-Sosa/non-Cubs fans weren't thinking about how he wanted to be the star of the team, and not a second-fiddle guy who would contribute to bringing a title to the north side of Chicago. Even when Sosa was with the White Sox for a brief time, he wasn't that good of a player. Now...all of a sudden, when he's traded to the Cubs in what's known around here as one of the dumbest trades in White Sox history, he's such a big hero because he can hit the home run. We Sox fans had always been suspicious of Sosa when he was at the height of his popularity. It's a shame that he was only a part of what I and other non-Cubs fans call a scheme of myths and lies Cubs fans were and to some extent, still are swallowing up like a hungry dog who hasn't been fed in days. The notion of Sosa running out to the right field area at Wrigley in front of a throng of adoring fans was nothing short of acenine when you consider who this guy really was. Believe me...you DON'T want that in Miami. Even though he's not going to the Fish, take it from a Chicagoan that you're better off without him there than with him. He couldn't handle the higher-than-normal admiration teammate Nomar Garciaparra received when he first came to the Cubs. He pouted publicly about his place in the batting lineup...complaining in a Dominican Republic newspaper about how "insulting" it was to bat 6th in the order instead of 3rd. He walked out on his team the last day of the 2004 season after his beloved Cubbies choked their way out of a WAY TOO OVERHYPED playoff berth...and then lied about it but was caught. And to really show how much Cub fan have turned on him here...during the recent Cubs Convention a couple of weekends ago, the Cubs showed a highlight video of Sosa, and it was booed mercilessly. A couple of years ago you would've never seen anything like this...Sosa-love was rampant, and anyone who dared questioned Sosa's talent was figuratively tarred, feathered, and crucified. Now...people all over the north side of Chicago are saying "Thanks for the memories." and headlines of him leaving town are all over the local newspapers. To tell you the truth...I don't know if Delgado has any baggage of anything that would cause a distraction to the Marlins. However, I can definitely tell you you'd rather have a little distraction with Delgado than the throngs of distractions your team would get with Sosa wearing the black, silver, and teal. Keep shoring up for 2005, Marlins fans. Best of luck to your team, and once again...if you're thinking about what Sammy Sosa would look like in your team's colors...DON'T!!!!! The only color you'd see is red. The red is for the red you and the team would see as Sosa flaunts himself along Miami, South Beach, and anywhere else where he can get some self fame in spite of the team.

Lemme tell you a few things about what's happening in Chicago in regards to "Stoney"... First, I'm NOT a Cubs fan...I'm a White Sox fan. Second...there are TONS of PO'd Cub fans here in Chicago who are basically learning for the first time what folks like you and me have known for quite some time about the Cubs...you can't be in an official capacity with the team and say anything bad about them. Heck, with this past season when the Cubs were "supposed to go all the way", anyone either in or out of the media was pretty much ostracised if they weren't going with the "Cubbie-blue" hype of an inevitible WS berth. After all, it wasn't the Cubs' fault they didn't go to the World Series in 2003. It was the curse of the Billy Goat rearing its ugly head in the form of Steve Bartman, wasn't it? The italics are there to express sarcasm. Stoney's a class act, and the Cubs basically ran him out because he had the guts to go against the flow and tell it like it is. I've been in the Wrigley Field press box a few times, and they run a tight ship. Talk about spin control...the public/media relations people over there really make sure the good, Cubbie-blue story gets out so no one will be afraid or unwilling to spend their money at "beautiful Wrigley Field." However, when management won't intervene in a situation when players are worrying more about what an announcer says about them instead of what's going on on the field, they don't deserve to win. It's that simple. The truth is slowly, but surely coming out about the Cubs...they're a greedy organization that cares more about making money than producing a winner. The organization will do everything from scalp their own tickets through a ticket brokerage a few blocks away from Wrigley to charging nearby rooftop owners 19% of their revenue to get those views of game from across the street. And with all the money they raked in hand-over-fist...what did it bring them...NOTHING!!!!! Many Cubs fans arrogantly look at teams like yours and wonder how the Marlins could win twice in 11 years while their team takes 30 years to have back-to-back winning seasons. You remember all the grief you took after the Fish beat the Yanks in '03 from Cubs fans? They said it "wasn't fair", "Cubs fans deserved a winner", "the Marlins' didn't deserve to win because more people go to Wrigley than Pro Player Stadium", etc., etc., etc. Well, many of them are either madder than hell about Steve Stone leaving, or are just too blindly following their team to what will be another great season of "wait 'til next year." A local columnist here said both Chip Caray and Steve Stone's departures from the CUbs were the best things that could even happen in their professional careers. There's TONS of mistrust between the SMART, KNOWLEDGEABLE Cub fans and the team. The bandwagoners and knuckleheaded-types who'll flock to Wrigley Field won't know what hit 'em even if a brick from the stadium's upper deck landed straight on the head. Be grateful you Marlins' fans don't have to deal with the team politics people are learning about up here. Sure, it's not utopia in South Florida, but troubles are a LOT easier to deal with when your team wins a World Series...something you've done twice, and I'm hoping my team, the Chicago White Sox, will do very soon. We're not cursed unlike the hype you're hearing about the Cubs...we're just sick and tired of management and leadership going as badly as it has been lately. Believe me...Jerry Reisndorf isn't "Mr. Popular" among White Sox fans here in Chicago and around the country.

Hey Marlins' fans, I was checking out White Sox Interactive, and I thought I'd share this with you. With all the hype over the Cubs' "inevitible" return to the post-season this season, I thought this poem put everything in perspective. It wasn't enough that your Marlins beat the Cubs last year in the NLCS, but the Cubbie-faithful had to make excuse after excuse about why that took place. Now, I know you "owned" the Cubs, as well as the Giants and Yankees en route to your 2nd World Series title in 11 years, but I'm sure you heard the "Cubs are going all the way" hype in south Florida as well as here in Chicago. Well...even though my White Sox didn't contend for the post-season as much as the Cubs did, the expectations for the Cubs turned this season into a failing season for them. Anyway, for what it's worth, read and enjoy this poem. It's worth a look or two, and I think you'll agree with me that the overhyped, overrated Cubs got exactly what they deserved with all the tom-foolery they were guilty of from February to yesterday afternoon. Unloveable Losers Lament By: C. Cassity It started right after the last play was played And a poor guy named Bartman was where blame was laid. If only he hadn?t went after the ball It would have been caught for an out, after all. Instead Moises missed it and in quite a snit He threw his glove down in a huge hissy fit. The shortstop then bobbled a simple ground ball And the floodgates were open and the fakers did fall. Right then the din started and would never diminish ?It wasn?t their fault that they just couldn?t finish?. ?But wait ?til next year and you folks will sure see? ?They?ll win the world series as sure as can be?. The media shills now inferred it was true That Crusty and Corky and Carrie and crew Should not have to play any game until autumn ?There just is no need? they implied in their columns. But baseball said ?NO?, the games must be played And post-season contests will be earned not conveyed. ?Then have it your way?, the morons would write ?We?ll go all the way because it?s our right!?. ?We own this whole town and the fans are so dense? ?We can write what we want ? without making sense?. ?They?ll follow our lead and believe what we say? ?We write mindless drivel ? and for this we get pay!?. The writers were sure not alone in this sham The talking-head sportscasters supported the scam. Day-in and day-out they would spew cubbie crap And each flub fan loved being played for a sap. ?The Urinal is oh such a great place to be? ?We can cell phone our friends that we?re on the TV?. ?And swill down the brew and start a few fights? ?We?re just yuppie scum out enjoying the sites?. This noise from the north was all that was heard And no sportscaster dare utter a contrary word All problems were either ignored or played down This team, after all, would win baseball?s crown. But the Cards were the ones that were playing good ball And the morons would give them no credit at all. And concerning the flubs they refused to disclose That the emperor, indeed, was wearing no clothes. By the month of July it began to be clear That these flubs would assuredly not perservere. As the concrete fell down from their urine-soaked shrine And the redbirds continued to kick their behind They lost their composure and began to melt down Their on-field behaviour more like that of a clown. Old Crusty refused to admonish his boys Preferring instead to defend their dumb ploys. By August the Cards had sewn-up the Division So the moronic mantra now needed revision. ?The Wild-Card is ours? the idiots proclaimed ?Because we deserve it? their cry now became. But the Giants and ?Stros still had something to say And as long as there was a game left to be played They would ensure that the best team would win And the losers go home as a bunch of has-beens In September, without any cork - and no juice The bunny-hop hot dog just couldn?t produce. And the rest of the team really smelled-up the place While the fans threw their garbage ? oh, what a disgrace! Cub-dumb kept flocking to see their team choke Cause all season long they were just blowing smoke. If it wasn?t so sad it would be quite amusing To watch these poor jerks get a kick out of losing! On October the second the verdict was rendered The chokers and whiners would not be contenders. Now who could they blame for the way that they played? It couldn?t be their fault the grade was not made! The umpires! The broadcasters! They were the reason! Why this swell team didn?t quite make the post-season. But if they would look in the mirror they?d see The real reason why this just wasn?t to be. So children remember that hype can?t win games And cheaters and liars should not get acclaim. That whiners will always find reasons to fail And never look for the ways they can prevail. That sportswriters often are idiots, too. As well as the heads that you see on the tube. So, don?t blindly follow the crowd to the shrine You have better things you can do with your time.

Hey Marlins fans, First of all, I'd like to thank you guys for your support of the White Sox as well as your Marlins. Even though it was a bit contentious when our teams played against each other this season, overall, we both were still on the same page when it came to beating the Cubs. But even without that, you guys have endured WAY MORE than fans of other teams this year. It's not too common to have to deal with hurricanes and tropical storms here in Chicago. So obviously, repeat championship or not, y'all deserve a BIG KUDOS for your perseverance, strength, and courage in the face of nature's fury. On a less serious note, I'm sure you'd rather your team be in the thick of a pennant race right now. Guess what...so would we. It's maddening hearing all the "Cubbie-blue hype" here in Chi-town. We're lucky if we even get a Sox score. Granted, our team has been out of it since August, but the obsession over the Cubs this season almost rivals the overkill that was thrust upon all of us last fall. Now that the Cubs are teetering on a playoff berth, every game they play brings out either extreme jubilation or depression from Cubs fans. And of course, whatever the reaction is from them, White Sox fans' reaction is 100% the opposite. And I'd like to personally thank your team to coming to U.S. Cellular Field a month ago. I know we've already talked about it, but it was fun seeing Sox fans supporting your team. I took the Marlins' unexpected 2-game visit to the "Cell" as a chance for Sox fans to thank the Marlins for beating our version of the "Evil Empire" last October. And your games vs. Montreal (next year, Washington) showed why the Fish won their 2nd World Series in their 11 years...strong, fundamental baseball and coming through in a clutch situation. We Sox fans have been waiting for a championship team to grace the south side of Chicago for a long time...unfortunately for us, that championship team came from south Florida. May the people of Florida be granted the grace of almighty God in your recovery. As an outsider, I don't know how the new stadium issues are coming along, but keep me in the know. Hopefully, things are going well. Take care, and good luck to the Fighting Fish in 2005.

I can't wait for the fish to get a new stadium so we can call it something as cool as the cell! :thumbup 556913[/snapback] Hope you enjoyed seeing what U.S. Cellular Field looks like. It's not Wrigley, but it's a great place to watch baseball. Besides...the blue colored seats almost match the teal trim in your team's uniforms. It's unfortunate it was a day game...like another poster said, if the games were at night, more people would've been able to attend. We White Sox fans work for a living...we can't afford to take off for day games as often as our "neighbors to the north." Not to mention, how does it feel to have so many people outside Miami/South Florida cheering for YOUR team? I personally think it's a chance for us Sox fans to thank the Marlins for beating the Cubs last year. What say you?

:thumbup Betcha the finest dinner in town that you do not get a 4 game sweep. YOU'RE ON...LOL Oops...my bad. So much for what I know. On a serious note, when did the Marlins announce Beckett for the 3rd game of this series? When I last heard about this series, the Marlins' starter for the 3rd game was "undecided".

Hey Marlins fans... Well, it was bound to happen...the Sox go to Miami to take on the World Champs. This is going to be a tough series for both teams...they're both in 1st place, and they're both pretty good squads. I think this is going to be a great series. I also know Sox fans will go down to Miami to see the games. You don't have to worry, though...we're not like the idiotic Cubs fans who went to Miami last fall. You stood up to them, and we Sox fans appreciate that. Ozzie is doing an awesome job as Sox manager. Not too many people gave him credit when he first came up here citing his inexperience. Well as of now, his team is 100% better than last year's squad. The players are very much the same as last year's Sox sans Bartolo Colon, Scott Sullivan, Tony Graffanino, Tom "Flash" Gordon, Roberto Alomar, and Carl Everett. I know that's a lot of names, and add on top of that all the names the Cubs picked up to supposedly "put them over the top." Well, after months of hype, the Sox are now in FIRST place in their division, and the "soon-to-be-World Champs" Cubbies are in FOURTH place in their division. By the end of the week, I'm hoping the Cubs will fall further into the abyss as they'll face Houston for 4 games at Minute Maid Park. We haven't forgotten about you down in Miami. Your team is looking pretty good. Continued success, and you'll understand why I'm wanting a Sox 4-game sweep in the Pro. Nothing personal, but even though I've gained a huge amount of respect for the Marlins as of late, in my heart...I'm a White Sox fan. Take care, Marlins fans. Let's have a great series.

Are Paige and Plachske wrong?? Definitely. Should you care?? Definitely not. Look, nobody is going to respect the Marlins. They are all still mad that the Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees all lost last year, and think you guys are a fluke. All that matters is how good you actually are and what you guys think. That's it, screw everybody else, the media is a bunch of morons anyways. I'll second that notion...just think...we Chicago White Sox fans are still fighting to "debunk the myths" about the Cubs here. You Marlins fans are a HUGE reason why your team won last year. There are still people joking about how few people attended games last year. I told them...since when does attendance determine who wins a championship? Keep the faith, Miami!!!! Hopefully your new stadium will come soon with as little red tape as possible. Speaking of stadiums, what do you think about ours? U.S. Cellular Field has gone through a huge renovation...and it's still not done yet. All the renovations to our ballpark will be done before the 2005 season.

I saw pictures of your team's championship ring, and WOW!!!!! IT IS HUGE!!!!!! Congratulations again on winning last year. Best of luck to the Fish in 2004. Let's see the idiot who bought and blew up the "Bartman Ball" try to blow that ring up!!!!! Let some idiot Cub fan try to take the championship banner to "remove any sign of last year's demise." You deserve it. BTW...to answer djm's question, the Cubs are called the "Lovable Losers" because back in the 80's when they couldn't win to save their lives, the team's PR department came up with a way to make going to a Cubs game more fun regardless of the outcome of games. Someone came up with the nickname "Lovable Losers" to make it seem like there's nothing wrong with cheering for a team that can't win. Add that moniker to the national exposure the Cubs get, and you'll have a group of people who want to see the Cubs for the sure novelty of it, and not because they want to see the Cubs improve.

Hey guys, I saw pictures of the Marlins' World Series ring, and I have to say I'm very impressed with it. Jeffrey Loria really went out of his way to make sure your team was decorated VERY WELL for winning it all last year. It's even funnier since on one of the sides of the ring is a list of the series' won to win it all...including a 4-3 series win over the Cubs. A local paper here in Chicago said in a headline something about people are now able to see the Cubs' logo on a World Series ring. Ha!!!!!!!! Too bad it's not their ring. Congratulations again, and best wishes in 2004. Keep in touch with us Sox fans every so often. It'll be good to hear from y'all.

Thanks Fish fans. I appreciate your kindness, and I'm wishing both the Sox and Marlins a great 2004 season. If our teams meet in the World Series...then all bets are off. But, once everything is done, we can lift a glass and celebrate that our 2 teams are the best in baseball...even though only one them won the series. Anyway, I found a cartoon that pretty much describes the whole Bartman Ball crap, and the attitudes of thsoe who supported/opposed the whole thing. Here's the link... You know what...this picture isn't too far away from what actually happened that night. Just no Billy Corgan singing an anti-Sox song before the "sacrifice". If the link doesn't work, then log onto www.desmoinesregister.com . Once the screen appears, scroll down the screen until you see "opinion" on the left hand column. Once you see that, click on "Duffy". When you get to that screen, you'll see a couple of scroll-down menus on the right side under "Duffy's Drawers." On top of a box labelled "View Week", choose the week of "2/22/2004". The first cartoon will depict a group of Cubs fans in a "sacrifice-style" ceremony destroying the infamous baseball. Enjoy the cartoon, and once again...thanks for letting us Sox fans share in your team's victory over both the Cubs and Yankees. Keep the Sock Flying in Chicago and South Beach.

Hey Marlins fans, I'm just dropping you a line to let you know we Sox fans here in Chicago are still appreciative of your team's beating the Cubs in the playoffs last year. And the interaction between us and the Fish fans during last year's playoff run was nothing short of awesome. COngratulations again on winning the World Series last year, and proving to the world that it takes a good TEAM, not super-idiotic and cocky fans and the world's largest payroll to win in October. Just from casual observation, I know your team has lost a few players, including 1st baseman Derrek Lee to the Cubs. Pudge is in Detroit, and Mark Redmond is in Oakland. However, it looks like the majority of your team is still in tact unlike the year after you won your first Series crown. So even though you guys didn't sign A-Rod or Greg Maddux, I expect the Florida Marlins to be a competitve club this year. So many "experts" are saying the Yankees lost last year's series instead of the Marlins won it. Such crap. Give a team the credit their due. That's why in my opinion your Fish beat the Cubs in the NLCS last year...overconfidence by the Cubs fans and Cubs lovers in the media not giving the Marlins the credit they deserved for making it as far as they did. Ozzie Guillen is the obvious fan favorite for us Sox fans, and even though many of us are concerned about his lack of managerial experience, we're glad he's back in a White Sox uniform. In case you haven't heard, when Ozzie was first introduced as Sox manager, he had a press conference talking about what he expects from the team. He "called out" slugger Frank Thomas and said he'll have to play Ozzie's way to make it, and the local press ran with it...trying to create a feud between the two. Thomas didn't interact much with the team during the off-season, and local writers and such were waiting with bated breath over the possible heat between the star slugger and the rookie manager. When the two met in Arizona for spring training, they had no animosity towards one another. In fact, a lot of reporters were surprized at the good attitude Frank had going into the spring. In years' past, he'd go in and be mad at former manager Jerry Manuel, or say something negative that would run in the papers for weeks. Ozzie and Frank said they feel good about this season, and that makes Sox fans happy. I'm sure you've seen that stupid "Bartman Ball" destruction somewhere in your local news. Well, take it from someone who's from Chicago that not everyone...not even every Cubs fan, was impressed with all the hype surrounding that ball. A restaurant manager bought the auctioned ball for over $113,000, and set it up to be destroyed as part of some annual party held at a Chicago restaurant (Harry Caray's). Granted, the party was a fundraiser for a legitimate charity (Juvenile Diabetes), but the hoopla over that ball was something to throw up at. When the ball was first bought, the manager, Grant DePorter, solicited ideas on how to destroy that ball. He said he got e-mails from every corner of the globe offering suggestions on how to put that ball out of its misery, and rid the Cubs of the dreaded curse that has kept them from winning a pennant. I'm sure you know what happened next, so I won't rehash. Bottom line...the whole production in destroying a baseball that supposedly was the symbol of a team's loss in the playoffs what nothing short of a sham. It seems like there are some people who refuse to acknowledge the Marlins were simply better against the Cubs. Granted, maybe that fan interference may have given your team a break, but the Cubs had more than enough chances to "redeem" themselves afterwards, and were just not good enough to do it. Feel free to post on WhiteSoxInteractive.com if you wish. Keep in touch. I know the Sox and Marlins play each other this season in Miami...that ought to be a fun series. One more thing...if Cubs fans really want to "get rid of symbols" of last year's loss...they ought to look to Pro Player Stadium...where your Marlins will display the 2003 World Series Championship trophy and banner. I dare some rich Cub fan to try to buy and destroy that stuff.

Hey Marlins Fans!!!!! I know I hadn't posted here in a while, and I know things aren't all that lovely in Marlinland. Well...that's the price for winning a world championship. And even though...at least in the eyes of many outside of south Florida, this isn't the massive salary dump similar to the 1997 post-season, needless to say...many of the people who helped the Marlins win it all will wear different uniforms in 2004. That's tough...especially with the rumors of I-Rod coming to the Cubs (God forbid). I can understand I-Rod wanting more money, but that's what happens when you win a World Series. It costs money to win, and it costs money to keep winning players. At least you're not going through what we White Sox fans are going through. Many of the players who helped the Sox get a respectable record last season are gone via free agency. Some people are comparing the lack of activity and loss of players to an infamous period in Sox history...the "White Flag Trade of 1997." The Sox were only a few games behind division powerhouse Cleveland late in the year, when Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf traded away many of the veteran players for younger talent. He said that if the Sox thought they would compete with the Indians for the division title that year they "were crazy." Once word got out of his comments, Sox fans stayed away from Comiskey Park in droves. Even now, people are still staying away from U.S. Cellular Field because of that move. In fairness, the trade did bring players who helped the Sox win the 2000 A.L. Central Division, it was still a rough time to be a Sox fan. Okay...back to the point of this post. The ball known as the "Bartman Ball" here in Chicago was put on the auction block by a suburban Chicago attorney who got the ball after Steve Bartman's interference in game 6 of the NLCS. We all obviously know what happened, but that ball went for a pretty penny. Remember...bidding STARTED at $5,000. Here's the link to the auction site...check out the numbers... Hope you like the story.

I'm just curious as to what's going on with the new Marlins' ballpark. Ever since the story made national news, there hasn't been much talk outside of south Florida. Can someone fill me in? Thanks.