LDF

QUOTE (daa84 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 05:56 PM) also re: fulmer -yes he was the closer at the start of the year last year, but that's only cuz they already had two right handed first rounders in the weekend rotation ( beedee and buehler). It became obvious he was suited best as a starter at the college level. His slider is also a plus pitch and might grade out higher than his fastball, he was just spotty with it yesterday. That said, I do think that his command and lack of a solid changeup may ultimately make him a reliever in the pros. His arm action is so fast Id imagine it also will raise some durability issues. re his plus pitches. i keep reading about plus, but i always define it as a pitch that is consistent in everytime he throws it. but if it is inconsistent, then how can it be considered a plus. it is a pitch that is inconsistent, but has potential. but hell, i have problem with this language my whole life> english.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 03:10 PM) Born on 3rd CubsBlog ‏@BornOnThirdCubs 8h8 hours ago Louisville's Kyle Funkhouser's 2015 debut - 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K. ... Not so bad. eh? he is an enigma to me. i just can't get into his makeup. i will follow him and see if i will / can change my opinion on him.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 04:28 PM) Nathan Kirby 7IP 3H 0ER 2BB 5K Mike Matuella 6IP 4H 0ER 2BB 8K YESSS!!! too bad neither will be there at the sox pick.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 05:56 PM) also re: fulmer -yes he was the closer at the start of the year last year, but that's only cuz they already had two right handed first rounders in the weekend rotation ( beedee and buehler). It became obvious he was suited best as a starter at the college level. His slider is also a plus pitch and might grade out higher than his fastball, he was just spotty with it yesterday. That said, I do think that his command and lack of a solid changeup may ultimately make him a reliever in the pros. His arm action is so fast Id imagine it also will raise some durability issues. that is what i was referring to. however, being 5'11, according to the old recipe of shorter pitchers injury B/S.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 05:15 PM) From all the reviews, it wouldn't be a surprise at all if that movie passed 50 Shades next weekend. Nice mini-comeback for Colin Firth. Have always enjoyed his performances, The King's Speech being the last really memorable one...and Love, Actually my favorite of his. A Single Man was really strong, too, but the subject matter made some uncomfortable. i really don't trust reviews to be an index of watching movies. but it does seem to have a great potential to be a very good movie.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 13, 2015 -> 10:58 PM) Scott Merkin ‏@scottmerkin 4h4 hours ago White Sox will have 64 players in big league camp at outset alot of smoke, considering who is being invited.

QUOTE (dewssox79 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 04:54 PM) Id love to get rid of flowers. But in all honesty I dont see another big move to be made. If we could though make a move in a fantasy world it would be for a 3BMN named longoria. On a side note id like to see reed johnson as 4th outfielder. ever since the offseason started, i always thought chi-wash will be a great trade partners. wash has a lot of contracts expiring next yr, they are not going to sign all their own fa's, they might look at trading some for prospects. ref prospects, as long as it is a smart trade done by Hahn. just my opinion.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 12:36 PM) fulmer with 5 IP 0 R 2 H 7 K...88 pitches Watched most of it. FB was popping - no radar gun that we could see but announcer said he was 94-95. That's about what it looked based on the hitters too. Slider was inconsistent - didn't throw if for a lot of strikes and he got away with a few hangers in the zone. Threw a change up more than last year - command wasn't great with it. Btw espn app will let you watch a ton of games this year. Walker buehler won't start this weekend due to soreness - so you won't see him. Tyler ferguson should pitch in the second half of DH today and projects as a second rounder if yoinwanna watch. So many good arms it's insane hey thanks for that visual updated rpt on Fulmer. i like him, but he is a RP who is being tried for as a starter. the problem is, he has only 1 pitch at this time that is plus. his FB which can be touched at 98 with consistently. his slider, according to scouting rpt is really good, but is really inconsistent, and a changeup which he is still developing. i would love to see how this season, how he continue to develop or is he a RP. i love the fact that college ball is starting. can you continue with these updates????

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 02:56 AM) There is a system. It is quick and effective. No long trials or appeals. Isn't that what America wants? Usually we declare people guilty before the trial even starts. no they don't, that is why they are privatizing the prison system, to make money... america..... how to make money.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 02:55 AM) For the same reason that The Golden Compass never had a sequel. Or, more recently, Stephanie Meyer's(Twilight series) YA book-based "The Host" completely bombed...or John Carter, etc. Personally, I enjoyed those books, but they do tend to be very dark in nature...they aren't easily adapted to the screen. Maybe, in hindsight, Rapace was TOO good (Swedish film)...but that still doesn't mean it will connect to a mainstream audience, any more than "Under the Skin" could earn boffo box office. 50 Shades of Grey will sink like the Titanic in the second week, probably down 75%. Then the big question becomes whether a sequel will be profitable enough. And should they go all-out and do an NC-17 sequel and cut the budget by 75%, not put it into theatres via wide release and hope to make it back by DVD sales/netflix/rentals, etc. i hated 50SOG book, sounded like too must of a soft porn, sex forum.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 14, 2015 -> 02:55 AM) For the same reason that The Golden Compass never had a sequel. Or, more recently, Stephanie Meyer's(Twilight series) YA book-based "The Host" completely bombed...or John Carter, etc. Personally, I enjoyed those books, but they do tend to be very dark in nature...they aren't easily adapted to the screen. Maybe, in hindsight, Rapace was TOO good (Swedish film)...but that still doesn't mean it will connect to a mainstream audience, any more than "Under the Skin" could earn boffo box office. 50 Shades of Grey will sink like the Titanic in the second week, probably down 75%. Then the big question becomes whether a sequel will be profitable enough. And should they go all-out and do an NC-17 sequel and cut the budget by 75%, not put it into theatres via wide release and hope to make it back by DVD sales/netflix/rentals, etc. Rapace was hot in that movie and she played it really good, Mara did a great job also. i hated the american movie, had really potential esp with the cast. but come on, too much embellishment and liberties with the story.

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 13, 2015 -> 10:59 PM) I thought it was awful, the 2nd Fincher movie I disliked, so Hollywood decided not to make the other two. i thought i read that they are going to start on production soon,. i just look up and she is listed as the star. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1913734/

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 01:52 PM) It isn't that simple, but realistically, the major league roster will suffer if we spend $80 million ($50 million of it in one calendar year) on the minors. Who exactly would be gone we wouldn't know right away, but with Samardjiza being our next free agent, it makes the most sense to me in terms of a likely scenario. With him about to get expensive, and be a free agent, I would put him #1 on most likely to not be affordable if the Sox got Moncada. Maybe they trade Melky. Maybe they trade Robertson. Maybe they trade Alexei. Heck maybe they trade multiple players to cut salary. The one thing I would bet on is that SOMEONE goes off of the major league roster. therein lie the problem for me. why should the sox look to cut someone b/c of salary. they will have plenty to absorb. they, the sox have yearly money coming in, more than enuf to take care of salary and still make a huge profit.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 01:27 AM) Taken to its logical conclusion, all those automakers (and their attendant lobbyists) who have "conspired" with the oil industry to fight back against building up electric grids/battery charging stations and stunted the development of cars running on alternative energy sources are the real culprits here, not the consumers... Or do we want to say that neighbor with no kids driving a huge SUV is more of a terrorist supporter than someone with a Prius, bio-fuel or battery-powered vehicle? well said, i remember in 2001, the fuel economy cars, 50-65 mph were coming out, the Geo and other cars, but they were stop and shut down. then 2 yrs later the hybrid car, 35-40 car came out, then they were stop. then the whole new hybrid came out 4 + yrs ago and it is doing 25-35 mph..... the technology is there and sometimes shows it head. but big oil puts the kibosh to it. look and remember what i am saying. does anyone remember that???

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 12:31 AM) Using the $7M/WAR data, he has to be an above average player - 2.5-3 WAR - to justify merely the initial cost. The problem lies in idea that, intuitively, this is actually the opposite of how free agency is supposed to work. Teams looking to win and compete will currently borrow from the future - whether it be prospects or money (and that money can be giving a guy a 5 year deal when you really only want him for the next 2-3 years, OR it can be backloading a contract so you can spend less now and then give him more money later on). The Sox got 1 year of Jeff Samardzija and 6 years of Michael Ynoa for 6 years each of Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Rangel Ravelo, and Josh Phegley. That's definitely borrowing from the future for the right now. However, in this instance, teams will be borrowing from the present to spend on the future - there is an immediate upfront cost to acquire this player, while he technically gets cheaper year after year (as opposed, at least, to the initial expenditure of ~$53.3 million ($40 million tax and $13.3 million in year one bonus paid)). Frankly, if there are teams who have money but not a very good team, those are the teams that make the most sense to splurge on a guy like Moncada. Frankly, with the Phillies payroll down, I have no idea why they aren't trying to put together a huge offer for him, because 2 years from now Ryan Howard and his atrocious contract are gone and then they have a guy in Moncada who can be a legitimately good player for them down the road. If the Sox bring him in, I'm most certainly not going to be upset, and in fact, will be very excited. But from a financial aspect, if you really believe that Yoan Moncada is going to be a very good player, I don't know why you wouldn't give him a $50-60 million bonus. Assuming $40 million paid to him via MLB contracts through his first 6 seasons, here are the approximate break-evens (based on $7M/WAR): $40 million - 2.9 WAR $50 million - 3.3 WAR $60 million - 3.8 WAR The risk/reward becomes substantially lesser the more you spend, as is akin to happen when you spend more and more money, but if he is as good as Yasiel Puig at the MLB level (approximately 5 WAR/600), then he's a relative bargain even giving him a $60 million signing bonus. again as in the past, a complete and comprehensive rpt. i would like to add, not to this excellent rpt, but a small addition, the sox will have some movement in contracts in 2 yrs as well, so the sox need to start looking toward the future. i think that is where, adams and other pitchers, comes in, hawkins, anderson, m johnson. there is still some holes but i think some prospects may take a step up, or a excellent 1 rnd'er next yr. Yoan can be added to that list, for forward. oops. i forgot, we are talking about JR here.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 12:11 AM) My basic thought is, the Sox only sign 1 to 3 guys a year over 300k. That's 2 to 6 guys over two years, almost all 16 year olds, each with a less than 10% chance of ever making the majors. Moncada, on the other hand, is a proven talent. Basically, I don't care about the penalty. Blow by it if you want the guy. What it is MUCH more about in this case is the money. Is he worth, say, $40M in bonus PLUS a $40M penalty to be paid right away? Can the team even afford that? And what impact does that loss of money have on the rest of their plans? Forget the penalties in a case like this. Worry more about penalties if we are talking about one guy pushing it over by a million, then it may not be worth the loss as that one guy's value is much lower and the penalty prospect-wise is the same. the sox have the money and can afford it. everything said otherwise is bull crap. the sox haven't break even yet on the money table to be spend and money coming in, and this is not even counting the fans season tickets let alone regular ticket sales and vending.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 12:08 AM) It is in MLB's and the commissioner's best interest to get the international draft started. I think our team has been operating within the constraints of what is deemed acceptable by the commissioner for some time and it has only been a detriment to the team. I sure hope the MLB levels the playing field internationally so JR can take the leash off of his executives who would prefer not to play ball on his behalf. i was with you, until you brought JR into the equation. JR wants to find a way to not spend money but to make it and at every one expense. look at what i been spouting about since the offseason began and later proven right. with the TV money. the team salary this yr is +/- 140 million and the TV deal is 190 million. a net profit so far of 50+ millions. yet the sox FO said they needed the fans support to delve deeper into the FA..... well where is those additional players we were lead to beleive.... oh i forgot, players not on the 40 man roster.... the int't FA is needed so it can establish some kind of order. not for financial reason. TV deals nation wide has been expose, the SAN TV deal, Marlins TV deal is helping them to dive into the FA pool. Philly who is eating huge salary, why, b/c of their TV deal.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:06 PM) ? Where do you get these numbers? AND NO ONE IS SAYING IT'S OK. Jesus. it is their law.... it remind me of how the europeans came to america and force native american to believe in what they believe b/c they thought it was right. what makes anyone think our way of life is better than any other countries. it is this self worth that make americans hated thru out the world.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:27 PM) We gave you reports of people winding up beheaded for witchcraft after reporting sexual harassment to authorities. Other categories include sorcery and dissent against the government. There is also no written legal code, so it's up to the religious judges to decide who they want beheaded. Pretty much all your statements about this being an orderly or legal or just process applied to criminals are 100% false and everyone admits it. They've done more than a dozen already in 2015. They've been at a pace of 1 every 3 or 4 days for several years now. They also crucify the beheaded body publicly afterwards in many cases But that's ok. reminds me of the Salem Witch Trials in the US history books.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 08:22 PM) The top guys are gone for this year all ready. I am pretty sure the Top 30 16 year olds are all signed. yes they are.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:21 PM) It's not necessarily unjust just because we don't agree with their beliefs. It may be corrupt, I don't know. But as I said days ago, if the choice is cancer or cancer, i'm choosing the option that at least provides me with a chance to live. The one where your percentages of survival are much better. there is no legal process for mass genocide of a particular group of people. i will also point out, there is a region who has been fighting for decades, yet it doesn't come to anyone attention, why, b/c they offer no economic rtns. this is Africa.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:17 PM) We can take a stand against ISIS because they are not a country, they are a lawless group of terrorists. We don't get anything from them. All they do is inflict damage and harm. They are not a world player. SA, China, etc. are. Yes, I agree we should be applying pressure, but they know it's all talk unless we are willing to stop buying from them and can convince the rest of the world to do the same. i agree, there are no better than bin laden's group. they should be treated as criminals, by world court standards.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:09 PM) If the "legal process" is corrupt and unjust, how is that better? These are extreme examples to be sure, but Nazi Germany and Stalin era USSR killed a hell of a lot of people by using the "legal process." Again, I don't think we disagree that much - this is a fairly odd discussion - but the United States is doing what should reasonably be expected of it as to ISIS (basically everything short of boots on the ground). We can't say the same thing about the human rights issues in Saudi Arabia. no they didn't they bastardize the law to make it look as they were within the law. all they did was outside the bounds of civility. there appears to be several topics goings and i am getting confuse here.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 09:35 PM) Several pages back, SS posted an article, citing a researcher from Human Rights Watch, discussing the number of people the Saudis behead for witchcraft in a given year. My take is that the one with a terrible justice system that beheads people for "witchcraft" is not a moral high ground compared to someone like ISIS - who is not an actual state (are terrible laws that allow for execution on a whim better or worse compared to it being done lawlessly by a terrorist group). In my opinion, it's a very fair criticism to point out that (1) Saudi Arabia is our ally because of oil; and (2) we should expect a better human right's record from our allies. The solution to that issue obviously isn't "stop using oil," but I do think it's fairly obvious that we tolerate behavior in Saudi Arabia that we wouldn't from our other allies. EDIT to include SS's earlier link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014...th-penalty.html just b/c they are our allies, do you expect all our allies to be like the US??? we, within the US have flawed ideas and believes, even still racial discontent, let alone public opinions on the gays issue. who are we to preach, when our system is far from prefect. the arabs are our allies, b/c they need the US military might as a threat to keep peace in that region. in rtn, the US gets oil at a premium price........ money buys friends and allies. ever since the time and before, Omar Khayyám 1000 when he wrote about the religious fanatics that there, there will always be fanatics doing what they believe their God wants them to do....... in that region, it wasn't only muslims, look at the story of masada > 66 ACE. side note, an area where a group of scrolls were found, the Dead Sea Scrolls.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 09:36 PM) But look how bad their farm system was during that period. you can not judge the farm system based on that. it was bad, b/c they did not have a person who could've picked his nose, let alone players. but, thomas, ventura, the 4 majors pitchers in that era..... they were drafted by the sox. they were older prospects who were drafted. but i will give you this, in the main 90's, KW was drafting and his philosophy was more damning in selecting prospects.