Chisoxfn

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 26, 2016 -> 03:31 PM) Royals have an interesting decision to make about rebuilding. Do they believe they can stay in the race without Gordon (who hasn't given them anything) and Moustakas...or should they start trading off all their pieces like Cain, Hosmer, Volquez, Wade Davis and Escobar (Perez isn't going anywhere IMO)? Do they believe that Morales is done or is going to recover offensively? Because they're not going anywhere with only Cain, Hosmer and Perez providing the offense. Just not enough balance. When you only have 2 total homers from FIVE spots in the batting order, you just can't survive with that little pop even if all of those guys were contact hitters (which they're not). My sense is that they believe they can compete if 1) Morales isn't done, and 2) if they can add a couple of pieces at the trade deadline. They are the defending champs. If I were them, with the goodwill of a world series, I'd be potentially buying. No one is running away with this division. Good god...sell off cause of some injuries.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 26, 2016 -> 03:39 PM) I know a lot of a.) rich kids. Parents are paying and buying them cars and luxury apartments. Basically rich kid syndrome. B.) I know some dads and moms who considered it part of their duty as parents to pay for their kids' education. If they were gonna bring 'em into the world, they'd save up and get them through college. A lot also are prepared to pay for their daughter's wedding, too, per the old tradition of doing that. Well Greg...I think it is my responsibility to save up and get them through college. And didn't your dad think it was important to as well (certainly seems like it). So yes, when I had kids, I thought it was part of my responsibility to do everything I could to best prepare them for life and in my opinion exiting school with a giant pile of debt is something I'd like to be able to prevent my kids from having (and I'd like them to pass it on to future generations of "Chisoxfn's"). I can recognize the difficulties in life and try to best position them so that they can have a head start. I am not going to be some parent who isn't involved, who doesn't share my perspectives with them, and instead just goes and spends all the money on myself and say f*** it, you deal with this s***? I'm also not going to spend it all on them (not on materialistic things, but on things that help better prepare and position them, sure I will, to the extent it is within my means). And I'd think it would be pretty rotten (to the extent that you were in a position where you could afford it), if you told your kids to F off (given that your dad did all that for you). Wouldn't you like to pass it forward. Isn't part of the goal of any parent to try and put the next generation in a better spot than where you are (who wants worse for their kids). Now their are absolutely different ways of going about it. Please note, nowhere did I say shower them with fancy cars, buy them fancy apartments, etc., but the facts are the facts, and I'd like to give them head starts that I think would put them in a far better position to be financially independent (life isn't easy so if I can do things to increase probabilities of long-term success for my kids, I'll do all I can...send them to good schools, have them partake in activities, etc, actually be there for them and teach them lessons and talk to them and listen to them). I have no idea what I've gotten myself into (from a parenting perspective...I learn every day on the job) and no idea what my kids will ultimately turn into, but I'll do what I do out of love for them and my wanting them to be in a position to have the best possible foundation where they can succeed in life (give them the best odds, but ultimately, the end game is up to them). Note: Again, this isn't talking about buying them fancy things or ignoring their responsibility. I'm a huge believer in independence and them learning their own lessons and working and going through all those aspects because it makes them stronger. And yes, I actually do think their are extremely valid arguments to be made for why education should extend to a higher level now (I don't know how to pay for it, but given that college is the new norm and given the skillsets we expect out of our economy, I do think there are real reasons to say after high school you go to a trade school or you go to college and at least to some extend their are ways to make it more inclusive / part of our education program or better incentivized). This of course is all presuming I can afford it and doing what I can (I'm not going to travel the world and give my kids the short end of the stick...but if all I can do was put food on the table than well, that is all I can do). Oh and of course I'd be pushing state tuition, etc.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 26, 2016 -> 03:32 PM) I didn't think Steve was bragging; he was uh, responding to a thread on a message board. I don't think he's out of touch either. He hired the 6 prepared Millenials, not the ones who came in unprepared and overwhelmed. Hmmm .. Hard work, sweat, working one's "ass off during summers" seems to still pay off. Alpha Dog worked hard and paid rent to mom and pops. Good for you, Dog. Fair post. Good post. Kids are facing higher costs, but a lot of mamas and daddys are paying for college. They have to. They've raised their toddlers in such a safe environment they have to make sure they go to college. I thank my dad for paying for my college. I am privileged and fortunate in that regard. In that regard I am a spoiled brat, too. But he would have stopped once I got my degree. He wasn't going to get taken advantage of, which I think is what is happening in many cases. It's pretty easy to go back home to live while waiting for some employer to see your resume online and decide you are so special the company has to have you, instead of busting your ass like Steve and Alpha to get your first job and 'work' your way up the ladder. Greg - Who is getting taken advantage of. All of these parents who are allowing it to happen, have control, and they are allowing it to happen. This isn't them doing it against their will. Maybe some of them are upset, but lets face the realities of today's environment. Be realistic. Everyone always wants to blame everyone else or feel better about what they've done vs. recognizing that things can be different and that is okay (and not a negative against new generations). What young people today can accomplish can be pretty incredible given technological advances, etc. How many 20 year old were bagillionaires back in the 50's or 70's or even 80's? Think of the Zuckerberg's and whomever else who are self made trillionaires at such incredibly young ages. The ability to invent and come up with revolutionary technology or processes (Airbnb / Uber), etc, is incredible. Oh and a degree isn't a differentiator in today's day and age, it is a necessity and a bare minimum. People need to figure that out first and foremost, it is the equivalent of what a high school degree was when you graduated. So for you, having a college degree differentiated you....it doesn't differentiate the typical college grad today. I am near certain that overall employment rates for college grades are probably far lower now than they were back when there were fewer college grads, etc. Bottom line, I actually think it is worse for the people who just want to spend time belitting everyone else (which is just an indirect way of telling everyone how amazing they are) should do a 180 and take an ego check. You think a lot of these people don't want to live on their own and be independent. It is there own ego check given the state of the economy and the difference in value of a college education today vs. a generation or two generations ago (along with the fact that the inflation adjusted costs differ greatly as well).

QUOTE (Deadpool @ May 25, 2016 -> 04:10 PM) Why do we have to choose between a bad manager and an alcoholic. Hire a real manager. Heck, give Renteria a shot. If something happens this year, job is going to Renteria.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 26, 2016 -> 01:02 PM) And what happened to Gordon Beckham anyway? That is the exact point. From what I've heard about Beckham, he probably fails either way. Didn't have the mental fortitude. Not comfortable in his own skin. To some extent, similarities to what I had long heard about Konerko, just nowhere near the quick hands Paulie had (and when I say mental fortitude, it is more the continuous self doubt that drove an inability to sustain swing plans and mechanics). For Paulie it was more just his excessiveness that he was so hard on himself that it caused him to consistently tinker and ultimately have negative impacts on him (which he eventually got more comfortable and obviously he had a darn good career).

I don't have any good study on that. You could spend a ton of time in the minors either way. If you count college, it probably equates pretty close to the same amount of overall years. Yes, there is the rare high schooler who is up at a super young age (drafted with minimal time in the minors) but it tends to be pretty rare. Usually guys get to the big leagues around similar ages, high school draft picks who make the show in general probably have a slightly younger age than the college equivalent but also a differing risk profile (and of course there are potential to strengthen / hurt your draft stock if you take the college path). Advice I'd give if it were my kid, unless it is a high draft choice, go to college and keep more of your options open (you still haven't closed off your potential for playing professional ball, but you also aren't hindering / setting back your potential for succeeding in other non-baseball professions if that path doesn't work.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ May 26, 2016 -> 12:57 PM) That's already been proven a while ago. Talent wins football games and those coaches get paid way too much money to not win. Every team has guys that may be considered low character according to some. Every large group of students on a college campus has a few kids like that. But Briles didn't get fired for recruiting low character guys. He was fired because those guys were accused of committing horrific crimes and Briles went after the victims and din't even think about disciplining his own players. Disgusting what he did.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 26, 2016 -> 12:11 PM) I moved out at 19. I'm kinda tired of hearing about the crippling debt of college. The big issue here is that all these kids are staying past 4 years. All four of my cousins are in their 5th to 7th year of college, and they aren't becoming f***ing doctors or lawyers. Two of them are doing political science and the other psychology. The student loans are paid off rather easily by making the minimum payment - I paid mine off last year. The rates are low. These same idiots complaining about their student loans are the ones who just had to get a shiny new car, too, and then they struggle. Shocker. Also, I don't think finding a job today is any easier or harder than it was in 2006 when I went out after it. This isn't 2009 and 2010. I worked an unpaid internship (with the Blackhawks) that opened doors to get interviews, in my eyes. Then I applied for like 200 suburban entry level marketing jobs and studied my ass off and prepared like no other for said interviews so I could get a job. I took the time to know about the company, what they wanted, prepare custom presentations given on a laptop, just to blow them away. And I still got rejected for a bunch because it WAS F*CKING COMPETITIVE THEN, TOO. I wound up taking an entry level job as a marketing coordinator at a f***ing stenography company. Your first job out of college is never going to be your dream job. These kids these days (and trust me, I interview plenty of them) show up for interviews and have no idea what the hell they're even doing there. It's a sense of entitlement that f***s them, and those clowns don't deserve the jobs they're going after. Then they complain about not being able to get a job, live with their parents forever, age themselves out of the jobs they should have gotten years ago, and then cry that Bernie Sanders isn't going to be president. Lazy little b****es. All of them. I have 6 millennials working in my department from tons interviewed. These were the few that actually did what I did and prepared, and they got the jobs. Everyone is unique. 20 year olds from every generation are going to be idealistic. That said, I have the exact opposite opinion of the people I interviewed in the accounting profession and a number of executives I talk with (in different areas of expertise) have a similar opinion to me...we don't even think we'd get hired based upon our resumes. We are blown away at what some people have accomplished by the time they are interviewing for an internship / full time job (and it wasn't that long ago that I graduated and had a resume that put me in a position to get internships, a full time gig at a great company, etc). I will say millennials think differently than previous generations but different doesn't mean worse. They put a different value on money, freedom, and time and really the whole "experience" of things and I don't really think that is a bad thing. Technically I have seen some studies that put me in the millennial bucket where as others put me just outside of it. Either way, the world is more competitive and more complex today than ever before. That again, isn't necessarily all bad. What was amazing 50 years ago shouldn't necessarily be amazing today and vice versa.

I will say, I think both would be solid fits if we could get them on the cheap. Don't know enough on specifics of Gardner's contract and his longer term health (I know he had issues last year). Always liked him but I don't know how well he'll age. Beltran would be a nice pickup and he'll get moved and ultimately he'll want to play for a contender. I could see him potentially waiving if we were able to sell him on what our intentions were (and he'd be another proven leader to have in the clubhouse).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 26, 2016 -> 10:58 AM) The job I started about three yeas ago is actually not in Chicago. Our next level up parent company is in Chicago, and I usually get up there 2 to 3 times a year. Their parent company is in NYC. My office is a 35 minute drive away in Indiana, plus I work from home two regular days most weeks, and whenever I need to for the most part. Never realized that. That is freaking awesome.

Nick - Presume this is your blog you are linking two (given two posts and two blog links). As the owner of Soxtalk, I love supporting various individuals blogs and efforts on the site but do ask that you partake in the community and the overall discussion (and not just pimp links).

I should point out, I think either way I'd probably charge a form of rent, but would follow the methods a few here referred to where it would go towards a savings account for them. My opinions would also be impacted if they lived for free at home and just wasted all of there money (vs. actually leverage it to get ahead and save for a house...hopefully my kids won't have to worry about student loan debt...it is a goal of mine to have them graduate in the best possible position for them to make themselves to be financially independent (ie, graduating debt free...however...after that, they got to maintain that and I hope my wife and I can teach them those values while they grow up, etc). I.e., never carry credit card debt, live under your means, needs vs. wants, selective splurging, etc. Personally, I want to be in a position that if I wanted to, I could quit working at 45 and do whatever the heck I pleased that made me happy. That isn't to say I actually plan on quitting work, but I'd like to be in a position where If I wanted to, I could (I think everything is more fun and enjoyable when you are doing it because you want to and have the choice...vs knowing you need to to pay the very next bill).

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ May 26, 2016 -> 10:18 AM) I just don't see the logic in this. I think we all agree that Anderson is going to struggle initially so why hold back the process? If we plan on contending next year, it's going to be the same thing next April as it is now. To me, he's the Sox best option to be a useful ss this year and he's proven to have the mental capability to survive some struggles. Bring him up and let him adjust against the best competition out there. The only reason I wouldn't bring Timmy up is if I thought he just wasn't prepared defensively for the level. I'm not worried about the bat, I think he can adapt at this level. If the defense is to the point that it passes here, than I think it makes sense and the Sox will move pretty quickly. Personally I think Saladino is good enough that he allows you some patience. Damn would it be nice to have somehow swapped Trayce with someone else in the Frazier deal. How nice would that OF look with Melky at DH.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 26, 2016 -> 10:21 AM) I lived at home until I got married. My mom washed my clothes for my honeymoon But back in your days, it was normal to get married at 16

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 26, 2016 -> 06:58 AM) I did it for about 15. SO glad those days are gone. Is your current gig not in Chicago (for some reason I thought you still had a pretty lengthy commutte via train). Or is it just directionally on a much closer part of Chicago than your previous job?

I think we are going to see Anderson a lot quicker than some do.

Per Friedell (ESPN), Noah still hoping to stay in Chicago. We all know that Pax is a huge Jo guy and when push comes to shove, Pax is in control. I really am curious if Pax has neutered Gar or not.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 26, 2016 -> 12:26 AM) Quin, you are a very intense guy it seems. Way too organized. Why are you mapping this out so every detail is covered? It's either meant to be or it isn't. I wish you the best but from what I have learned if she meets some guy she is fiercely attracted to, you may be out of luck during the long distance relationship. If she doesn't meet anybody, you are still in. Now if you are incredibly good looking and built, which you may very well be, and you are hotter to women than 95 percent of anybody they come into contact with, you are safe. Honestly, when it comes to marriage, the personality matters so much more. Lets face reality, people are going to age so looks aren't everything. Now I fully believe you have to have that physical chemistry but the emotional chemistry is so critical (along with communication) to a successful and happy marriage. But what do I know...presuming nothing crazy happens in the next 2 days, I'll just be on 6 years (which is nothing). But when you have kids, you better be able to communicate and get along emotionally, etc. I feel that kids are the absolute hardest part of a marriage (such a big adjustment to your overall lives and a ton more added stress, etc). Not all stress is bad and kids are worth it, but if you can't emotionally connect before and get along and communicate extremely well before kids, etc, good luck after kids.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 26, 2016 -> 08:21 AM) Anniversary Saturday with my wife, Sunday chilling all day until GoT We have the same plans.

I must have been too stupid cause I can never remember a semester in high school or college that didn't have a ton of finals. Worse one was my last accounting class final...had my job offer, etc....only had two tests in the class, got a 95 or something on the first test, figured I was in great shape and just kind of was coasting (I saved a bunch of electives that final semester so those were cake walks) and than next thing I know I walk out of the final (having not been to class in like a month and a half) and was like, oh s***, I'm taking summer school. Thankfully I ended up passing, but F'ing eh, only C of my college career (and later I saw the professor and I think he ultimately did me a solid cause I had him for a ton of other classes and only got A's with him (and I was the type who always was at class)...this happened to be a not-for-profit account class that made sense to take given the alignment to CPA material but no practical application since I wasn't going down that path). Ruined my perfect 4.0 accounting GPA haha.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ May 25, 2016 -> 02:58 PM) We know it is. And we're stressing that everything we talk about I'd based on an "if". Also helps that we've been close friends for a bit. But it definitely scared us each until we talked it through. I succeded so far. I pretty much knew when I started dating my wife that I'd end up marrying her (we were good friends for a long time so I knew the personality was a fit and that combined with the spark we had worked out well so far). Of course I was always the type who didn't see any value getting into an actual relationship (i.e., girlfriend vs. casual dating) with someone unless I saw some long-term potential.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ May 26, 2016 -> 07:15 AM) This board can really take you into the gutter sometime. Let's take a step back only post positive things in this thread. Get that good ju ju going. Okay I'll start: Since the beginning of the 2016 year the Sox have posted the following records for each week. 4-2 4-1 4-3 5-2 4-2 3-3 1-5 2-3** current week with 3 to go See!! Positive news. We've had ONE losing week thus far. It may seem like the sky is falling currently, but take 2 of 3 and we're .500 for the week. Plus it is baseball, there are going to be losing streaks and struggles. If you went back to the beginning of the season and said we'd be where we were, I think everyone on this board would have said, I'd take it. We are going to need some extra ammo though and I have faith in Hahn making it happen.

Urias is electric.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ May 26, 2016 -> 08:06 AM) If my kid graduates and moves back in to try and save money for their own place I'm perfectly fine with that. If they don't graduate, come home and we work out a rent agreement, I'm ok with that too. There will be no freeloading, that is not going to be accepted. You summed up my stance. I lived in at home until I bought my own place...got along great with my parents and never really had any major concerns from a privacy perspective. I'm frugal so I enjoyed saving more money and I obviously cooked dinner during work weeks, etc., bought groceries for my family, cooked for them at times, contributed, etc. My view is, if my kids are saving for their own place, I'm more than happy to help them (while they are working and being productive members of society). If they aren't, than my story would change. And I think a lot of people think it is just easy to find a career because back in there days a college degree meant everything was rosie. Problem is, everyone hears this story that college is going to make there dreams come true (and this has nothing to do with participation trophies) when the reality is the real world isn't easy and a college degree just means you are one of many (it is the high school degree of 30 years ago). I hope to educate my kids on that reality as they grow up, but I certainly want them to know there is no free lunch, things you want don't come easy and you got to work for what you want and that often times the real differentiater is the combination of smarts + work ethic (i.e., working harder than others who want the same thing). That said, I was lucky, I had a full time career lined up a year before I graduated. And in my wife's culture, it is extremely common for the children to live at home.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 25, 2016 -> 11:09 PM) It's not losing Noah but that free agents aren't going to want to play for this front office even more then before and some of the other players are going to want out. Yep and Noah has a really solid rep in the league, imo. I'll miss Jo. He was a beast on the glass last year and looked so much healthier. I actually think someone is going to get a really solid player when they get him (I don't think his shoulder will reoccur and you could tell how much healthier his knee was). Jo will always go down as one of my favorite bulls. Stupid freaking Gar.