ChiSox_Sonix

QUOTE (Dizzy Sox @ Jun 28, 2013 -> 12:15 AM) Only 1 k in his last 3 games...a start of something, let's hope. 1K in his last 13 PA. Super small sample size but considering how he's been, it's encouraging.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 27, 2013 -> 12:13 PM) When do you start attending games simply to wear a paper bag over your head? And I thought we had an emoticon for that, maybe not? Hopefully never. People who do that at games just look stupid. And they mostly belong to franchises known for futility. I don't want to be associated with that crap.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jun 27, 2013 -> 01:10 PM) Sure, and considering how similar Soptic and Phegley are as prospects it's basically just syllogism right? Phegley - 25 yo, 5th year, college draftee, unique injury history, catcher, late success, MLB ready. Soptic - 22 yo, 3rd year, HS draftee, no injury history, big arm, minimal statistical success, ways off. So why was Soptic mentioned again? Because of Tyler Flowers and David Holmberg. And because of the package that the Rangers got from the Braves in the Mark Teixeira deal.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 26, 2013 -> 03:14 PM) And Conor Gillaspie's wife opens up the door for Morel. I don't think Conor will mind. Unless, of course, if she opened up the door for Morel nine months ago...

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Jun 26, 2013 -> 02:58 PM) Yeah, but there are only gun charges. No tridents involved.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jun 26, 2013 -> 02:45 PM) If Walker could hit .250 with his pitch recognition/on base skills and speed he could be an awesome #9 hitter. I am starting to warm up to him. Hopefully he finished this year strong and carries it into next year. Have there been any reports about how he is defensively?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 26, 2013 -> 01:17 PM) What time is Hernandez's arraignment? 2 ET

Hawkins HR #14

ProFootballTalk ‏@ProFootballTalk Source with direct knowledge of Hernandez situation tells us: "Assume the worst."

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 03:38 PM) Getting back to the orioginal question of the poll: Yes, letting AJ walk was a mistake. To late now. Let's move on No it wasn't.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 02:08 PM) Russell wasn't pushed all the way up to High A his first season, and the level of competition at Pace High School in Florida is 5X great than anything Hawkins experienced in Texas. He (Hawkins) didn't even play full-time until his sophomore season. So I'll give you points for finding one example, and a player who wasn't even in the Top 10, for extra bonus points. Keep in mind, he hit .369 last year. That's a little bit different than Hawkins' results, although they were impressive for his age, to put up an 800 OPS overall and only strike out 25% of the time, roughly. Hawkins played 5 games there. Plus their playoffs since Kanny's season ended. Let's stop pretending it was anything significant. They were drafted back to back, both had success in A ball the year they were drafted and both were started in High A the following year. Pretty comparable.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 02:03 PM) And yet Bryce Harper, the most hyped prospect in recent memory, didn't get pushed in this way, did he? WHO. THE. f***. CARES? Why is Bryce Harper even in this discussion? Jesus Christ. Stop with the random player tangents. We're not talking about Bryce Harper. Or Mike Trout. Or Frank Thomas. Or Ken Griffey Jr. So why the hell are they being brought up? Man you're frustrating.

I love that you continue to push the fallacy that he was rushed to Winston Salem last year. And Addison Russell, who is 2 months younger than Hawkins, is also in the Carolina league this year. But continue pretending this is a once in a lifetime situation.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 01:11 PM) And yet STILL, nobody answered the question. What other position prospect, drafted in let's say the last decade out of high school, was pushed to High A that same year he was drafted and then started out the following season in High A??? Why can nobody answer that question, if it happens so frequently? Stop making things up. Who has said that? And no one has answered because it's a totally irrelevant question.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 12:18 PM) I would say that it's by far the smallest jump. A+ to AA is the biggest, followed by AA to AAA (young, hard throwers to slower, breaking stuff), and then rookie to A ball. Really, other than rookie to rookie, which you really don't see, I think A- to A+ really is the smallest. That's exactly the way I see it as well.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 11:46 AM) MLS plays in larger stadiums than the NBA & NHL. Unless NBA and NHL games are legitimately always sold out (not fudging numbers to make them look better), then venue size isn't relevant. I know some franchises draw very well, but I'd wager half the teams in each league struggle somewhat with attendance.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 11:13 AM) The amazing thing is that North Dakota and Minnesota are crazy about hockey too - I imagine Wisconsin and Michigan fall in line with that too - but the Wild can't draw for s*** and it's why the North Stars moved to Dallas. The Gophers and Fighting Sioux (or whatever their name will end up being) draw like crazy though. Hockey is becoming quite popular in the pacific northwest as well. Attendance shouldn't be the be all end all of a popularity debate. I believe the MLS outdrew on average both the NBA and NHL (and possibly MLB). I'm a huge soccer fan, and the sport is absolutely growing in this country, but it'd be silly to suggest it is more popular than the aforementioned sports.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 11:17 AM) No, I'm using that as an example. You're missing the point. Not even the Los Angeles Angels pushed the god-like Mike Trout into High A the season he was drafted, and then to start the subsequent season thereafter. Can you name a team that has done that with a position player drafted out of high school in recent memory? It's almost unprecedented. Depending on how his career goes, it's going to be a move that is dissected over and over again. Honestly, who cares? And again, Mike Trout has nothing to do with Courtney Hawkins. Hawkins was promoted after having a great debut in Kanny, on a team that wasn't going to the playoffs, to W-S, a team that was going to the playoffs. They did not push him. They used it as a way to get him more at bats. The difference in pitching from A to High-A is negligible. And his performance in those 10 games or so suggested that he was not overmatched. Having start the year in Kanny would have been fine, just as starting in W-S was also fine. Every player is different, you do what you think you should with everyone individually. What the Angels did with the "god-like" Mike Trout doesn't matter. Nor does it matter what any other team did with .

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 10:45 AM) No one in their right mind would argue hockey's place on the national stage but this city has absolutely fallen in love with the Hawks. Look at the sell out streak, ticket prices, tv ratings, whatever you want to look at, Chicago has been hockey crazy for a bit now. On a national stage you are right. But hockey in the northeast, midwest and northwest is very strong. Hockey is clearly behind the NFL, NBA and MLB, but there is enough of a following in large areas of the country to clearly place it among the "big sports". Tough to argue cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit don't care about it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 25, 2013 -> 11:00 AM) If he's striking out at a 55-60% clip TWO YEARS FROM NOW, that might be a pretty strong indication he's not ever going to figure things out. When's the last Sox position prospect who hit below .200 for 3 consecutive seasons and then suddenly turned things around? Now if he makes gradual progress, like Thompson, there will hope. But this idea of him being a special talent who could make it to the majors as quickly as someone like Mike Trout (2000 Midwest League) is rapidly disappearing. That should be a pretty strong indication (if you look at Trout's history) that they pushed him too hard. The fact that Mike Trout was at least playing in the far inferior Midwest League through the All-Star Break of his 2nd season...before he was promoted based on merit. When's the last time a non-pitching prospect from a high school background was pushed into High A ball the year he was drafted as well as to begin the following season? Can you name one? Why are you making these completely arbitrary comparisons? Who cares about Mike Trout. No one except you is comparing him to him. There was never the idea that he was going to make the majors as quickly as him. Stop making things up.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 24, 2013 -> 11:09 PM) He (Thompson) has to be...nobody else has more raw (overall) potential in the system, other than Hawkins. Some might argue Barnum, Tim Anderson or Micah, but it's one of those five, as far as position players go. No one would argue that. And of course Thompson is most likely to reach the majors - he's already producing a level or two ahead of the others at a similar age.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 23, 2013 -> 10:21 AM) There was a foreign basketball player, Slobodan Jankovic,(playing in Greece)that was playing in their championship game. They were losing and he was called for a foul, he lost his temper and he grabbed the base of the hoop and rammed his head into it, and broke his neck. I nominate that number one. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/30/sports/s...ming-block.html He is in a wheelchair now According to wikipedia, he died in 2006 due to heart failure at age 42. Could be related.

No. I would listen to offers and wouldn't hesitate to trade him if the right deal came across but I would not actively pursue trade options with him.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 21, 2013 -> 04:09 PM) I realize it's a meaningless tournament and it's fine when New Zealand makes it, but I just don't see the point in having Tahiti show up to lose 3 games by a total score of 20-1. I get that, but it is called the Confederation's Cup. If they want to exclude a confederation from getting an invite then they need to rethink what the tournament is about. I'm fine with them getting a bid.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 22, 2013 -> 10:50 AM) Erik Johnson has been promoted to Charlotte. I'm surprised they're giving him that stop. I just assumed he'd go straight to Chicago