greg775

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Oct 24, 2014 -> 02:22 AM) And visited a bowling alley. Let's hope nobody came into contact with any glasses he may have drunk from. Folks this is SCARY.

This is a compelling series so far. 1-1 heading to San Frisco. I'd like to think the AL superiority will emerge and KC will win the series, but look at it realistically. Game Five is an automatic SF win (Shields vs. Madison B). That means if KC splits games 3 and 4, KC returns home down 3-2 with two games to go. Can KC then sweep 2 at home to win it all? That's pretty difficult to do. KC has to win one of game 3 and 4 or the season is over. p.s. The talk shows here are calling for something radical in Game Five. One host said you start Duffy for 3 innings, then go right to Davis and Holland. One host said he'd actually start Holland. The fans are paranoid here about the Madison B game.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 23, 2014 -> 07:32 PM) Its not just big time program, at Miami U our coach's wife taught a special course for players. I think this all started at Michigan back in the late 80s. I believe they had an easy major for basketball and football players, other coaches noticed, got jealous and the ones on solid ground at their own schools pushed for the same. Schools finally started beefing up "academic support" departments. Those schools with "huge" academic support departments are probably the ones who the NCAA should red flag the most. Big time football and basketball ... cmon, many of the stars either don't want to do any coursework or frankly aren't able to pass coursework. The fact colleges allow "one and done" students at all shows what a sham the notion of "student-athlete" can be in the major sports. You are not going to make any real progress toward a degree in one year and you are majoring in being eligible for one season.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 23, 2014 -> 08:17 PM) For shame greg. For shame. Thing is, in my case, I'm a college freshman and I go to Western Civ class the first day my freshman year and I have 15 books to read and the teacher assistant tells us about classroom discussion and papers and tests and I come back and complain to my upperclass roommate in the frat. He gets the nutty professor on the phone, gets me in the same class where there are no books, no tests, no papers. The nutty professor is some famous guy who gives Western Civ lectures and all you have to do is show up and you get an A. I had no interest in Western Civ, had other difficult classes and a 20-hour a week parttime job. The upperclass frat guy goes with me to drop the tough class, tells me to trust him, and indeed the nutty professor gives me an A and all we had to do all semester was show up and listen to him speak for two hours at a time. He tells the class he's teaching Western Civ II and I quickly enroll in that as well and get another A and don't even buy the books. Was I wrong in accepting these two, easy A's? It's the university's fault for employing this famous guy to teach advanced Western Civ. I just took advantage. Should my diploma be discarded? other kids were in the class, too.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Oct 23, 2014 -> 08:14 PM) Mens college football and basketball need to be taken as a whole other entity when compared to NCAA athletics. Curricula are created for them and if other students benefit great. Good way to put it, Harry.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 23, 2014 -> 07:32 PM) Either way, it's just another glaring example of how much "student" there is in "student-athlete" Very true. I'm guessing most football/basketball powerhouses have it down to a science. They have easy majors (Afr American Studies, Communications). They have friendly wink wink tutors. They have online courses. It's all a machine now. The real laugher is spring semester when the one and dones or two and dones turn pro. They take off a good month and a half to two months before the end of the semester to go work out in Vegas and yet the schools are not concerned about losing points to the APR. Somehow they've taken care of their academic responsibilities with six weeks left in the semester and they're free to go get ready for the draft. yeah right. If a normal student tried that, I'm sure it would work out. If a football player or bball player wants to major in a real field, however, like pre med, or engineering or architecture, obviously it's a different ballgame. Those kids I'd think can't be put through the mill of gift courses. I will say this, though, as far as the North Carolina situation? Some athletes and non athletes taking a gift class or two to save their grades? It's not right, but I did the same thing in college a few times because of my frat. An upperclassman steered me to an advanced Western Civ class in which the nutty professor had no papers, no tests, no classroom discussion. Everybody got an A. And I took him for Western Civ II and it was the same deal. Meanwhile, the real Western Civ classes were a BEAR to pass. No lie there were about 15 books you had to read and discuss and here I was with this class in which I did absolutely no work. I also took an honors biology course in which my frat had all the papers and tests and I basically did nothing. I do believe Roy Williams was right in his quote yesterday that he trusted that the college had legitimate courses. My school had this nutty Western Civ teacher and a few lucky students took advantage of him giving everybody As for no work. Now did I have other courses in which I worked my ass off? Sure. But I took some easy gifts, too. Did I do something wrong? Yes. But I also worked 20 hours a week and had 15 hours of difficult classes. Let's face it. The situation at Carolina happens at a lot of places. I'd say for many football and bball players, the term student-athlete is definitely a sham. I'd love to know the inner workings of all this. I'm sure the Carolina situation gives us a glimpse.

He was so bad in my eyes, yes, more often that not, he ruined the game. He did connect for a few big homers and for that I give him credit. But he was simply a horrible hitter and I applaud the writer for pointing out what he brought to the park.

That was a pretty good game for a 7-2 game in my opinion. I still can't believe Cain scored so easily on that bullet base hit to left. I'm used to Sox station to station baseball. Butler looked good tonight. KC will miss him in the lineup in SF. There's really no way he can play. No where to put him.

With Peavy's performance tonight, I'd sign Jake to a two-year deal for six million a year. Can Sox get him on the cheap?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 08:34 PM) Name me something you've done with good intentions that had good merit and logic behind the decision that backfired that got you into hot water. I am genuinely curious to know. Sales people can make all the calls, work hard as hell, and without results, get canned. I know a guy who was a car salesman for about 2 weeks. He showed up on time, tried to learn, but they saw he couldn't sell well and was gone.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 03:57 PM) It was a good trade, though Davidson had some alarming contact issues as a big red flag, he was a top 100 prospect with a ton of RH power. It's funny how sports never relate to the real world. That was a good trade. Yet if I do something at work with good intentions and it flops I get fired or yelled at or demoted. Results, baby, results.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 07:43 PM) 1) That's exactly the opposite of what I said ("Right now he projects as a slightly worse but still good pitcher..."). You said he projects as a lousy pitcher and that isn't the case. 2) I'm not arguing that the Sox should sign him, I'm arguing about the realities of his career and the market. The fact is, 3/$45 would be a bargain for James Shields (unless you believe every start of his going forward will look like last night), which is why he will be earning more than that. 3) You keep citing the fan reaction in KC. If you ask the fans of a team that lost a World Series game in a blowout the night before about the starting pitcher who lost the game, you are never going to receive a level-headed answer. It's meaningless. Great post. I'm not trying to jump on your points. I guess the bottom line is I don't think Shields is an elite pitcher. So I guess if average to good starters get 18-25 million a year, I guess that's the way it is. I'd think his age would scare some teams, but perhaps they are that dumb. I realize this is all monopoly money. Just raise parking five bucks every year and be done with it.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 07:16 PM) The problem is that you're overrating a few bad games and ignoring that he was not, in fact, a total hack all season or really ever in his career. Right now he projects as a slightly worse but still good pitcher and he'll get paid accordingly. He doesn't project as a guy whose career is doomed because he got lit up a couple times in October. I don't want to make this about Buehrle, but why was everybody against paying him and OK with Shields making a ton? I know we don't do eye tests around here on Soxtalk, but Kansas City wants to put this guy on a train to Boston and have him never come back. Now they fans are grateful for the regular season, and happy Dayton Moore made that trade, very happy, but his performance eliminates any angst about letting him go in free agency. Why do you say he doesn't project as a guy whose career has seen its best days? QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 07:16 PM) So you think Clayton Kershaw is a lousy pitcher too, right? Look what he did in the postseason. I can't comment cause I didn't watch any of those games. i'm to the point in sports I can only watch teams I follow. I can't watch games of other teams. They bore me. Now I could give a s*** about the Royals' success but I do 'follow' the team because I live here. I can't even watch a Cub game and they are from Chicago. I only watch the Sox and Royals. I don't even know what to say about Kershaw and your question. All I can tell you is KC natives don't want him back next year, unless it's one of those bargain type contracts that go to guys like Vargas and Guthrie.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 01:29 PM) Greg, in today's game $18 million is really not all that much. That is roughly equivalent to a 3 fWAR player. Fangraphs has estimated Shields' value at an average of roughly $20 million over the past 4 years. A couple of bad post season starts isn't going to change that. He will get his money and when compared to what other players are getting, he deserves to be pushing that $20 million per year mark. Great post. But at some point a baseball professional GM/owner has to "project." Right now he projects as frankly a lousy pitcher. You can make all the excuses about innings and stuff you want, he's looked like a total hack this postseason. He's ineffective.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 07:46 PM) Ya, if 3/45 was his highest offer, I think he'd be a member of the White Sox. He'll get a lot more. They are tearing apart Shields on talk radio today in KC. I am right now hearing a media host say, "He has been terrible this postseason. He cannot pitch Game Five." The host just said, "Let some other team make the mistake of signing him this offseason. This is what makes the Royals the Royals; be smart, let another team cripple its payroll by signing a declining player." And he's going to get megabucks this offseason? I wish normal life worked that way. His resume is looking questionable rightnow and it will not matter a bit? Wow.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 04:47 AM) Some team will end up spending 18M per year in a deal with Shields based on his history and the likelihood of Scherzer and Lester raising the pay scale with their contracts. Regardless of what Shields signs for, I feel confident and happy it will not be with the Sox. He's 33 years old and has been horses*** of late. I just don't see why teams are overvaluing this guy so much. He does not 'project' as an 18 million a year guy. Crazy. This is insanity, really. Royals fans are bashing Yost for saying Shields would pitch Game Five. Royals fans want him to be done for the season! And this is the same Shields about to get 20 million dollars a year? Which is it, fans? Is he great or horses***??

QUOTE (flavum @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 03:01 AM) A lot of wasted money in those seats tonight. You better believe it. I know a guy who paid 660 for standing room only.

So what is Shields worth now? He's not looked like an ace in the postseason at all. Tonight he was downright awful. I say you pay him 8-10 mill a year for 3 years (total of 24 to 30 mill) and that is it! You get to 15 million a year for that guy and you are not smart. Frankly, is he better than Peavy? So tell me, what is he worth and what will he get??

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 15, 2014 -> 04:07 PM) Trying to get a read on the Iowa State team for this year, and the predictions are all over the board. People seem to not have an idea what to do with them. One preseason poll had them in the Top 10. But the coaches predicted them 5th in the B12. That's a huge gap. Will be exciting to see how the transfers do, and how Niang develops. Will u be at the KU game in Ames this year? I will be there.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 02:58 AM) f*** the royals. I hope they get swept. Why? It's annoying when the NL wins the World Series.

Royals need to put at least a run on the board tonight to get that out of the way. KC was more than due for a clunker. Royals have to have a different script this series. If the NL truly is inferior, then hope in the long run KC overcomes and wins it in seven. As far as Shields, what GM/owner in his right mind would sign that guy to a four-year, 80 million dollar deal. It's just crazy talk.

Regarding the Frank White talk, some Royals preppy front office guy decided Frank was too critical on the broadcasts. That's why he fell out of favor. Royals blew it totally on Frank White. He's Mr. Kansas City and should have been given the cushy job for 150,000 as long as he wanted it. Now, you might say Willie Wilson may have wanted that, too, but Frank grew up in KC. Frank deserved to be George Brett Junior, if you will. Frank White is god, small g.

Giants win tonight, 2-0. Bank it.

QUOTE (LDF @ Oct 21, 2014 -> 12:58 AM) I would have gone with a smartarse answer but I will give this example. he was so dislike by his teammates that during meals, it was reported that no one sat with him at his table. during the half mast for the 9/11 he was the only 1 still sitting. now that is what I remember. my memory took a hit and I would be happy to admit if I was wrong on the 9/11 I didn't like Clayton either. He was another horrific acquisition in Sox history. Let's face it, without 05, we have a very checkered rate of success in this organization.

My dislike of Melky yes, is partly because of what he did. But I also think he's a very blah baseball player. He reminds me of Milton Bradley. If he signs with the Sox I could see disliking him as much as anybody who has worn the uniform. Anybody but Melky, please.