greg775

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Oct 19, 2014 -> 05:17 PM) And let's not forget that the Rangers declined Alex Rios' option. That is a man this team needs - Rios. Rios is the kind of guy who needs to retire. I wonder who will sign him and for how much? If I'm a GM I don't want to pay that guy more than the minimum salary.

QUOTE (Bigsoxhurt35 @ Oct 19, 2014 -> 08:05 PM) Boston could make Cespedes available. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that "word has spread" that the Red Sox could make Yoenis Cespedes available for trade this offseason. General manager Ben Cherington said last month that the team would like to discuss an extension with Cespedes, but it seems the outfielder might prefer to play out the final year of his contract before testing free agency. Cafardo also notes that Cespedes doesn't really want to play right field "or work on his defense." The Red Sox figure to make at least one trade this winter given their glut of outfielders, and it sounds like Cespedes might be the one to go. Source: Boston GlobeOct 19 - 1:00 PM He "doesn't want to work on his defense." My gawd. Is that true? If so, shows how lazy the modern rich ballplayer can be. I'd want no part of a bum like that if that line is true.

QUOTE (Jake @ Oct 19, 2014 -> 07:29 PM) Right now, I don't see anything to the Royals model except you can win less than 90 games after a decade of brutal baseball then get lucky in the playoffs. I'm going to need to see more seasons of success before I see anything worth emulating here True, the Royals' model really isn't successful unless this is just the start of something. I said it before but they should have lost the wild card game. Oakland basically choked. Even with the great bullpen, KC got owned by a mediocre Detroit team this year. Fans called for the demotion of almost all their everyday players at some point this season except for Perez. I'll eat my words if this is just the start of something big for KC. Not taking anything away from them, but if Oakland completes the victory, nobody's talking about KC at all.

Well was that a good call or not to end the ND game? I'm not fond of ND's coach so I'm glad they lost. Looks like the Big 12 won't have anybody in the Final Four since they will continue to beat each other. Anybody think KState or TCU has a chance to make the Final Four playoff thing?

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 18, 2014 -> 08:00 PM) Sounds like Rice outplayed them from what I've heard. By this point they're a legit contender for 8A, defense or not. Maybe. Sounds like the Alarcon QB won't let them dwell on this last loss, which is good. Hopefully Rice will get an easy first-round playoff foe and peak at the right time after that game.

I hate checking Twitter for Ferguson cause you get so many posts from things that happened days ago. Anything up in Ferguson this current weekend?

What about all the guys destined to someday be White Sox. Are they free agents? ... • Torii Hunter. (get him!) • Grandy. (not as high on him as I used to be) • John Buck (hate him) • Ethier or Kemp (seems like we're destined to get one or both someday) Would you like Rael Ibanez as our fourth outfielder? Get rid of Danks and let Mr. Team Chemistry join the Sox? Or make Rael a bench coach?

Hell of a game; Providence wins, 45-42. Rice's QB with some insane statistics. I tell you, though. Rice is going nowhere with defensive play like that. You need to play defense to win titles. http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/sports/3...ml#.VEH5NqvwJFY

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 18, 2014 -> 05:40 AM) http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/08/...-doing/related/ Long but very good article on why the royals system is working... That article wouldn't have been written had Oakland held a four-run lead in the eighth in the wildcard game. Just saying. ... That's baseball. Lot of hot air out there.

If anybody has a set of good clubs fit for a 6 foot 2 guy and can ship them to me I could pay u the going rate.

QUOTE (Brian @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 07:57 PM) He's been very average after looking great last year. Think he threw 5 INTs in a game. I think he's Tommy Rees. Wow. Five interceptions in a high school game. Is Fenwick beating people?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 09:18 PM) All you had to do was see the in-season improvements he made this year to know that. I remember watching a game late in the season where he looked like I would trying to dig a throw out, that's why I asked. He seemed clueless on the way to field a short hop throw.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 09:54 PM) Markakis isn't a bad fielder. His range is starting to decline a little bit, but he's steady out in RF. He is a guy I'd be on board with bringing in. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $13-15 mill a year for 3-4 years. This on paper is similar to the Cubs bringing in Johnny Callison back in the 50s or 60s. It sounds good on paper. I wouldn't complain if Hahn signs Markaikis. The Sox brass has to decide whether he's going to remain a good player or turn into a stiff as his 30s progress.

Peavy doesn't appear to be finished yet. If you can get him one year 9-10 million like the one poster suggested, that would be awesome. I'd rather have Jake than Shields.

How is Beneventi faring with Fenwick? Is he a future stiff for Iowa or can he play?

I am thinking of taking up golf again after a 5 year absence from golf when I'd relent and play with my dad who has since passed away. Please tell me if I should bother with a return to the sport. 1.) I worked at a golf course as a youth and my best score ever is a lousy 92 or 88. I forget which. 2.) I am 6-foot-2 and often feel 'awkward' in hitting a golf ball, like I'm too tall to be doing this. I've always felt more comfortable hitting a tennis ball or softball. 3.) When I golfed I often would hit a towering drive or smash a good fairway shot but I always would either duff a chip or smash a putt or hook a drive and wind up getting a 6 or 7 on a par 4. Rarely would I complete a hole effectively, thus I'd get maybe one birdie every 2 rounds and only one or two pars a round. I'd always have at least one nine. 4.) I got frustrated at some point during a round at continued ineffectiveness. 5.) I at some point in every round was glad I played because of either the greenery, the friends, whatever. 6.) I need new golf clubs and would have to buy them and that might be difficult to figure out what to buy. My question to you is: Should I abandon all thoughts of returning to golf? Do you good golfers despise hacks like me polluting a course? Are some people just not meant to golf? Thank u for any advice. The winter is ahead with time to decide.

QUOTE (bear_brian @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 07:12 PM) Our fielding percentage and the Royals was almost identical.? This tells me official scorers are indeed awful. The eye test will tell you Sox defense is blah; Royals defense is excellent.

How come Brother Rice traveled to Michigan to lose a game and Indianapolis to lose a game? Aren't there enough teams to play in the Chicago area? It's their only two losses so far. What am I missing here with that kind of schedule? The reasoning?

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 08:54 AM) Um, no. Be prudent, not worried. As one great philosopher once said, "Worry is the cancer of life." Try not to ever worry about things. Be happy.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 02:47 PM) I am horrified by the media coverage of this, but not surprised. We have two people who got it in the U.S. and they directly were involved in the care of a patient who brought it in from another country and now it looks like hospital and CDC are admitting proper protocols weren’t in place. I’m not saying these aren’t stories that shouldn’t be covered, but the tragedy that is going on with Ebola in Africa is horrific, and that’s getting barely any coverage. Excellent post!!

I worship Jose of course. This may seen petty and minor, but can he learn to dig throws better? He's pretty lousy at that IMO compared to Hosmer/Paulie types.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 03:56 PM) KC also BARELY made the postseason. I think any time you come to a conclusion where you say any of pitching/hitting/defense/baserunning is any more important than the rest, you're overthinking it and you're not making a useful conclusion. A good team needs to be able to do all of those things, and if they don't they're going to struggle to overcome it. KC's weakness is offense, and because of that they snuck in with the wild card. Now, during the postseason, they have more homeruns than EVERY other team. The pitching in defense isn't trumping offense in the postseason -- it's being tacked onto a monster offense that didn't exist before. KC is a solid team that is playing hot at the right time. KC also has owned the White Sox in recent years. The Sox don't match up well with KC cause KC can hit homers in the Cell and have owned the Sox in the Cell. QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 04:59 PM) The Royals model is flawed. We aren't talking about a great team here. Great story yes and they could retain as they have young players, etc. However, one of the key pieces of what makes them so good is their defense and defense tends to be more consistent. Relievers are less consistent, although if you are talking about a plus reliever, the bulk of them tend to have some staying power, but that comes into more focus on the scouting, etc. and their stuff. Plus relievers with smaller sample sizes can have more variability in general driven by luck. Sox defense sucks and we need to fix it more then anything. Your last line is the post of the season. Fix it soon.

1. Bullpen. A closer has to be identified. Now trading for one may not be the answer as we know how brittle they are. Is there a current closer in the organization? Could they turn Petricka into a GOOD one? You may laugh, but I'd try to get Reed back. He's not popular with his new team and we could probably get him for little in return. he'd be a stopgap until the Sox figure out what to do at closer. He knows the organization and would feel comfy on the mound back in the Cell. 2.) Defense. Did you see that catch by Alex Gordon yesterday? Did u see the play of Cain? We're not going to sniff contention against the Royals in the future until the Sox get better bullpen and defense. The Sox defense is far off from being competitive. Some of the key cogs suck at defense so what's a team to do?? 3.) Righty starter. We need a Guthrie type and no, I'm not a big Guthrie guy. I don't want any more lefty starters with the exception of Rodon of course. Good luck Mr. Hahn.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 12:34 PM) Why would that ruin your offseason? Cause he was as productive as Claudell Washington before he hit the steroids. I am not a believer in Melky.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 12:46 PM) Reality called and offered Shields twice that much. Whomever breaks the bank for Shields is one, dumb GM. He's not dominant and he's getting old. Like I said before, Royals fans didn't even want him as No. 1 starter entering the playoffs. The fans at one point wanted Butler benched for good this season. They also wanted Hosmer sent to the minors. I am NOT kidding. Talk shows for a week were all about sending down Hosmer. Sox need a righthanded version of Buehrle. Can they find one?