Chisoxfn

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jul 16, 2015 -> 11:17 AM) Topical question! I had a new fridge and dishwasher delivered last weekend and was debating the same thing. I ended up tipping them 20 because the fridge took a lot of work to get in. They basically had to disassemble everything but the box, move it inside from the back of the house and then reinstall everything inside. I did the actual install on the water line and dishwasher, but still, it wasn't a simple pick-up/drop off situation. I figured 20 bucks for an hour of work, on "free delivery" from ABT, seemed reasonable. I was kind iffy on it and I basically had to grab the guy to give him the tip as he was walking out the door, so I bet it doesn't happen a lot. We went with a Samsung 4 drawer fridge and a Kitchenaid dishwasher. We were set on a Bosch dishwasher but the ABT guy told us that Bosch and other European manufacturers don't install heating elements, so it's common that the dishes don't dry inside, you have to crack the door and give it some time to air dry. It's also crazy quiet. 43 or 44 db's. The loudest part of the cycle is the sound coming out of the sink drain as the water drains out. We're now onto our range. There's a GE Cafe that we like a lot, but i'm not sure I want to drop 3k on it. We'll probably wait until the fall when there are good deals on the 2015 models. If they install, I usually (well the every few years someone actually delivers something to my place) tip them 10 or 20 bucks (presuming I'm getting a few appliances). If they literally just drop it off in my garage, like in your case Hurt, that gets tougher. Depends on how much work it was. If it was pretty easy, I probably wouldn't tip.

AJ & Aaron Rowand would be two primary candidates. AJ would be a great get but I presume he'd rather get a national gig (and would probably be able to get it). I don't know if Rowand could but big difference between travel schedules, etc, between ocassional gig and any form of national gig. No idea how Crede is on a mic, but he'd be another guy. What about a Geoff Blum or Scotty Pods. He would have the personality and could have some interest, I suppose.

According to that article, Sox earn reported $650K in tv rights. That would mean over 162 games, their TV deal pays $105.3M. That # seems high to me, but if it were factual and you added in the national TV money of $50M then before gate sales, you are at $155M. I think it is safe to presume that gate revenues could cover all of your operational costs and then some, so again, for anyone who thinks Sox don't have the money to raise payroll or that we are in some horrible position where we can't possibly add payroll in the off-season, I think you are crazy. That said, it looks crazier based upon the $105M in local TV money which seems to be on the high side.

Is Herd going to FoxSports or what is he doing? Love his show.

QUOTE (BigFinn @ Jul 15, 2015 -> 08:04 AM) Hoffman could become an ace as soon as post 2016 all-star break. Max Pentecost has the bat to start in 2017, despite the surgery. But he may not have the arm to stick at catcher if the surgeries aren't as successful as hoped. I also don't realistically see Max as the guy Hahn gets as a primary piece for the sheer fact that his timetable doesn't jive an ultimate plan to contend sooner vs. later. Right or wrong, we could argue all we want, but Sox intend to give it a go next year with a retooled club and that means if you move Shark, you get back at least one piece you think helps you next year (and potentially even helps you this year if you think you have some semblance). Max is great as the 2nd guy and if he is the 2nd guy, I am happy with the trade.

QUOTE (BigFinn @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 07:50 PM) Stats for Andy Burns: 2015: .277/.338/.360 Career Minors: .268/.344/.432 Burns is thought of as a utility infielder. Pentecost hasn't returned since shoulder surgery this February. Hoffman and Pentecost and its a deal. But I would not trade Shark for Pentecost in a 1 for 1 trade and whomever we get as the 2nd piece should have upside and in fact, should be the better of the two prospects, imo. Catchers are high risk prospects add in the injury and even higher risk. I just don't see that package working. Maybe no one offers what I want but I think we can get more (Shark..keep pitching your ass off to help that cause too).

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jul 15, 2015 -> 03:50 PM) Other than not getting injured not a very good development year for Montas so far. Hasn't developed his secondary pitches and seems like for the most part scouts call his heater "flat" and "straight" even though it's coming at 99-102mph. This is a very Sox move to promote him rather than Johnson. I'm not sure what they are thinking. Montas might not even pitch and Johnson is in the AAA all star game. I think this is a matter of giving Montas a lil brief cup up (and some time with Coop and company) before he gets sent down right after the game. Coop might give him some stuff to work on, etc, but Johnson is still first guy up from a long-term perspective, imo. No point in bringing Johnson up to sit on the bench when he's got the all star game lined up instead (even though I'm sure Erik would like to get the cup of coffee, when it involves maybe not even playing, probably makes more sense not to bounce him and instead let him keep working on what he is doing at the minor league level and then get him up after you've dealt a starter. I expect we'll see extended view of Montas later this year, maybe even before September (although I doubt it). As far as development, Montas is still raw and he has made some strides and he has plenty of time to continue to develop.

Billy Joel...I always thought Hawks' favorite piano player was Ted Williams!!! Very entertaining read Dan. Loved the creativity.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 02:58 PM) Well for starters, I think most teams will disallow their loan players from playing against them. Most teams will probably never loan to a division rival. What if you loaned a player to the NL, then went on a run and ended up playing one of your own guys in the playoffs. Crazy possibilities. I realize this is absurd but I think baseball should, to some extent, think outside the box and if player movement at deadline really is going to be minimized (due to addition of wild card team) then I think something else to spark the craze, would be worth while, without majorly shifting the landscape. If you followed Bmags and only allowed it to a team in another league and then adjusted the rules so that loans could only occur during month of July (no early loaning) and then just ensure that interleague play was done earlier in the year, you could essentially ensure that unless you made the series, you would never face a "loaned" player and if you did, it would just be another intriguing story line.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 02:48 PM) Very cool guys. When does the Mario & Jeff show return?

Fired up for the return of the original, the home of Soxtalk before their was Soxtalk, SoxNet. Back when I was the master at blowing up message boards and deleting entire generations of postings, it was under the demise of soxnet.net/forums (yep...no Soxtalk). I have, no doubt, that Q and Company are going to deliver a fantastic site that will continue to ensure that the SoxTalk Network remains a leader in independent sports networks. From discussion, to the minors, to the majors, the SN Network and Brand has you covered. Any and all feedback as we launch will be greatly encouraged. Additionally, if their are perspectives you want to see / hear about, email us at soxnetchicago@gmail.com Note: I'm not going to spoil any surprises, but their are some pretty awesome people involved with the site (and those people definitely significantly outweigh all the baggage I carry around).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 02:15 PM) So much for making up lost revenue with a big TV contract... Angels are near the bottom and got massive TV contract. Ratings don't necessarily equate to total eyeballs. I'd hypothecize that White Sox still get more eyeballs than Royals although I don't know that and may be underscoring the KC marketsize.

The articles would appear to work better in smaller markets then major markets (in most cases). Presume that is driven by overall # of options / population. Would be curious to see what impacts were in terms of total viewership as I presume it is the total viewership that ultimately drives the checks. Was amazed Angels (who have massive TV deal) were that low. Dodgers makes sense since almost no one can watch.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 01:26 PM) I would absolutely hate this. Every playoff franchise would get a bunch of ringers every year, and it wouldn't even feel like it was the same franchise that actually got through the season in the first place. I understand that trades for pending free agents are kind of halfway there already, but as a fan, I can at least consider the rental player a "part of my team." Well one thing to point out is, you would only be able to acquire 1 player on loan (so it isn't as if you could acquire a new roster...just one guy). I do agree, that it would mean numerous stars trade hands. It could also be extremely exciting. Maybe you add an extra wrinkle that you could only do it every other year (which would further dilute what changes hands). The big wild card is what happens when an injury happens and well, lets be honest, they would happen. You also lose the ability to control the pitch counts, etc, of your player so they could run your pitcher into the ground and thus sets you back the following year. I would think this would be a major benefit for small market teams. While rebuilding, they might have a star player who they could leverage to gain more assets (and thus rebuild faster). When I first read the title I thought I would totally hate it, but when I read the restrictions put in place and fact that money wasn't really going to be the factor, it became far more intriguing.

Found this to be a really interesting article and great read. I do agree that it would at a ton of excitement and if done right, could actually be a scenario where the large market teams don't necessarily win as if the team holding the player had to still make the payment, it essentially means small market teams could get a well paid star for the stretch run (obviously at the cost of a prospect). When I initially read the article I thought it would be terrible, but concept of leaving / allowing just 1 player per team and I think it would be extremely interesting and would also enhance the drama of the deadline, etc. I think this would be a fascinating.

I echo everyone's sentiments. That was the best homerun derby in a long time, if not ever. The addition of the clock made it more dramatic and the whole thing was exciting with the head to head, etc. Fantastic job by baseball taking a stale event and making it extremely exciting. It was awesome.

Sounds exciting. Curious what we'll be able to see.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 11:26 AM) Reminds me of when I first started following the minors as a kid and thought Ruddy Yan was going to be the next Rickey Henderson. Probably cause you had someone like me writing about how great he was going to be (if he could hit). That guy was fast though (Ruddy).

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jul 10, 2015 -> 08:38 PM) Guys what time do the Sox open up the park and can you go and watch BP? Your son will have a very good chance of getting a ball if you guys can get there for BP! I still remember some great times with my pops at the Cell trying to get balls during BP. One time Tony Philips threw me a ball and a fat guy knocked me out of the way (I was like 8-9) and Tony Philips called him a motherf***er and gave me the next ball that came. Philips is good people. I believe he was on the Tigers at that time. Phillips was crazy and I loved him. I think he went into the stands once cause he was pissed off IIRC. I think while with the Sox. Fun ball player to watch on the field.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jul 12, 2015 -> 05:15 PM) That Friday meltdown looks like it devastated the Tigers. They had beaten Minny on Thursday, had the game well in hand on Friday, and then WHAM. they lose the series. Tough game. Tigers might decide to sell. Maybe they could sell Price, but other then that I don't know how they sell. They have so much payroll committed to contend and I presume they'd want to give it another go. Not to mention, they aren't exactly out of the race.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 08:42 AM) I can say this because my kids are older... you'll find that kids who are younger, like less than 1.5 or 2 years old, are EASIER to take to restaurants and the like than toddlers. It's the age 2-4 range that is the worst for travel, dining out, etc. They're old enough to feed themselves sure, but they're also big enough to make all manner of trouble, get antsy, etc. They don't start really calming until 4-5 years old, give or take. Yeah, I have figured as much with our daughter (turns 2 this upcoming weekend but has been an early adopter of the terrible two's...tantrums for no apparent reasons seem to be the norm, haha). We really don't eat out much unless it is grabbing something and going to the park or eating somewhere outdoors so their is plenty of entertainment for her. For example, yesterday we were at Lowes to get a storage shed for the backyard (usually she loves going to stores)...one minute she's happy as a camper...the next minute (or I should say the next 10 minutes or what felt like 10 minutes), the Lowes store (pretty sure the whole store could have heard it) got to hear my daughter have a meltdown because I wouldn't let her play with the bubble wrap they sell in rolls (which she happened to see and want to play with). Thankfully it was early in the AM and the store was pretty empty. She worked up such a fuss, by the time we eventually got back to the car to put the storage shed in the back, by the time I had the car filled up (put her in the car seat first), she was asleep from her lil outburst. But while she was sleeping, you could still hear her still sniffling (as if she was crying in her sleep).

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 08:42 AM) I can say this because my kids are older... you'll find that kids who are younger, like less than 1.5 or 2 years old, are EASIER to take to restaurants and the like than toddlers. It's the age 2-4 range that is the worst for travel, dining out, etc. They're old enough to feed themselves sure, but they're also big enough to make all manner of trouble, get antsy, etc. They don't start really calming until 4-5 years old, give or take. Yeah, I have figured as much with our daughter (turns 2 this upcoming weekend but has been an early adopter of the terrible two's...tantrums for no apparent reasons seem to be the norm, haha). We really don't eat out much unless it is grabbing something and going to the park or eating somewhere outdoors so their is plenty of entertainment for her. For example, yesterday we were at Lowes to get a storage shed for the backyard (usually she loves going to stores)...one minute she's happy as a camper...the next minute (or I should say the next 10 minutes or what felt like 10 minutes), the Lowes store (pretty sure the whole store could have heard it) got to hear my daughter have a meltdown because I wouldn't let her play with the bubble wrap they sell in rolls (which she happened to see and want to play with). Thankfully it was early in the AM and the store was pretty empty. She worked up such a fuss, by the time we eventually got back to the car to put the storage shed in the back, by the time I had the car filled up (put her in the car seat first), she was asleep from her lil outburst. But while she was sleeping, you could still hear her still sniffling (as if she was crying in her sleep).

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 08:32 AM) Well, maybe things have changed. Adam Caplan on twitter yesterday said the sheriff told him it was assault on a neighbor's son. That is consistent with what I saw. I just can't say it was the neighbor's son fighting his son or if it was Kromer and his son who picked the fight or what exactly or if it was Kromer who picked it in its entirety or what.

Sox should do a bit of both. Focus should be on 2016 and 2017 and better positioning the club. They shouldn't be afraid of selling some current assets today a bit (especially pieces who might walk or aren't good fits) while adding to the talent pool, but also, if the right parts are out there, they shouldn't be afraid to buy either. I think we'll be in a unique spot where we sell a couple guys but also get involved as a 3rd team in some trades to try and swap some of our minor league talent for other teams talent changing hands (but maybe as positions we have bigger needs, etc).

2 more years and then the summer vacations begin. I keep telling my wife...no vacation until both kids can at a minimum, feed themselves, haha. Thankfully my daughter is their (that is of course presuming she wants to eat). Yep, I have high standards for my kids