SoxAce

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:03 PM) Over/under on Eddie Lacy rushing yards next week? I say 185 if Flynn starts, 130 if Rodgers starts Flip the QBs around. Rodgers defintely helps spread the defense enough to not stack 8 in the box for Lacy. QUOTE (chw42 @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:06 PM) I hope you're being sarcastic. I thought it was obvious.

Just awful. Today I got 170+ points from my team (almost breaking the fantasy record in my league, Shady is still going though) and would've demolished both guys who are in the finals had I won last week. (which I should have... thanks Krush ) Instead I have to settle for third place for a second year in a row. I guess on the bright side, I get my $100 back.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 11:04 AM) Not sure if this was already posted but it's pretty funny. Matt Davidson was doing an interview with Chris Rose and Kevin Millar and Reed happened to be in the background working out. Pretty funny stuff. Yea I saw that earlier. Great stuff. Here is the full interview. http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?topic_id=1739651...ent_id=31274425

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 20, 2013 -> 11:01 AM) Do you consider Downs and Surkamp an upgrade over Heath and Morel? At least those two have a purpose within the system, which is more than you can say about Morel and Heath. Surkamp isn't a groundball pitcher though Blake. I remember Giants fans hyping this kid up to be the next Zito. (A's version) His curve is nice though.

Hey I'm posting to myself, boosting up my post count and going crazy with lack of sleep in the process...

Giggity!

f*** that...

Pretty cool I heard about this yesterday morning before the news broke. (was told to keep it under wraps until..) If anyone doesn't know, I use to work with Down's cousin a couple years back and he gave me a heads up text as he is back down in Louisville. Very cool.

Looks like he won't be after all. Peter Gammons reporting it too.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 18, 2013 -> 01:32 PM) The guy throws 95 and has what many call the best splitter in the world. He can get it up to 95 from what I heard. I believe he usually sits at 90-93. He's also had a declining K rate in Japan. Also has much more mileage on his arm than Darvish (who is built like a horse and increased his innings) had comming out. (Tanaka threw 186+ innings as an 18 year old)

If Tanaka had Yu Darvish's stuff, I think many might be more inclined to take on the risk. I like him as a pitcher, but I don't think the sox will take that route.

De Aza - Lefty, speed, better defense, better eye, surprising power, better war Viciedo - Youth, better power potential, better base runner, surprisingly lower K%, better iso There's more to both than that obviously. (more-so just a quick summary before I go to bed) Personally I prefer neither, but in a rebuild, Viciedo obviously is the more attractive piece. Depending on what kind of hitter/player they get at catcher, I would hope sox get (or develop) a player who has a combination of both of those guys attributes. Too bad Shin Soo Choo is older and more expensive. He would be beyond perfect for this team.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 18, 2013 -> 10:21 AM) Is he any relation to Dave Valle, he of the ridiculous hair plugs? I also think Dave Valle was playing for the Mariners when Bo Jackson hit a home run which clinched the division for the Sox in 1993. None. That Valle is an American.

Well, he's Mexican so I'll give him that much... (I'm half BTW, so that's what I was implying that I like)

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 18, 2013 -> 10:10 AM) I always said "look at all the pretty colors" when i saw yours. It was easier to read too.

Man I must of really been out of the loop of the sox. I didn't even remember Daniel Webb pitching in the bigs this past season, yet alone 11 innings. (not bad on the numbers, from a sample size)

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 04:34 PM) Obviously me calling Grandal Alonso needed to be called out for sake of board confusion, but I think it's rule of thumb when you're going to call someone out all snarky you should at least spell the player's name right! Nah, wasn't trying to be snarky kid, just wondering since you kept saying it multiple times that's all.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 04:13 PM) It's an honest mistake. I've been called on it before. They're both Cubans, from Miami, who play for SD and have been in top 100 prospect lists. EDIT: Who's Alonzo? That's not helping your case as to why you keep saying it then. Thought it was "Alonzo" instead of "Alonso" so now with you saying it is even more baffling.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 03:46 PM) Aside from acquiring the cancer that was an active Barry Bonds, I agree on every point. Wite saying Alonso would post a .300 OBP is way off. That's why I like Alonso because his basement is better than anything we have. If he comes here and underperforms he'd still hit .250/.330 with decent power. There is no way you can go from an OBP of .380 in your first 334 PAs in the bigs to regressing to .300. At every level and phase of Alonso's career he has shown a propensity to get on base. I don't know why you keep saying Alonzo unless you have a weird love for Yonder Alonzo.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 03:21 PM) Not sure of your angle here but PED suspensions didn't stop our front office from acquiring Flowers or Nieto. Not to mention Quintana. (young kid being foolish/had no idea or not, still looms) Don't think any of us wanna run him out of town. (Rienzo as well for that matter) You might as well bring in the one with the highest ceiling (also second youngest on that list) and an OBP machine. As was said earlier though... price is obviously pending of it as it makes no sense to trade someone like Erik Johnson for example. Or unless sox feel they really think Nieto can actually overachieve and maybe get by with his defense/arm throwing out baserunners. I was high on Phegley's bat comming out of IU, but he's just not comparable to a talent like Grandal. Josh has only had 121 less PAs than Grandal (who walks a hell of alot more) and his numbers were much better at the cell (.255/.274/.353/.627) than on the road. Grandals (to combine his '12 numbers as well to average the same amount of PA as Phegley as he was injured) are better on the road than at home. (.288/.399/.460/.859) He would be a tremendous addition for his bat/eye alone. Now, if the sox can find someone to fill that role if LF instead (from De Aza/Viciedo) then by all means I'll live with a Phegley/Flowers/Nieto type. I'm not the type who looks a sour eye on a player who took PEDs like others. I'm one of the few here who will still defend Bonds as a HOF and wanted him on our team a few years ago for example.

Really Balta... really?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 02:16 PM) Then we will agree to disagree. I just find absolutely no meaning in W-L. -ERA tells me how many earned runs a pitcher gives up on average -WHIP tells me how many base runners a pitcher allows on average -IP tells me, generally, how durable and/or efficient a pitcher is (though it tells a lot, though not all is incredibly telling of talent) -GS also tells me about durability; thus, IP/GS is important to me as well -FIP tells me approximate talent level of the pitcher this year -xFIP tells me what he should probably be putting up, given his peripherals -K/9 tells me a little about his stuff and how efficient he is about getting outs (which improves consistency) -BB/9 tells me how good a guys control is and whether it will ever typically get him in trouble -HR/9 tells me how many homers a guy gives up -HR/FB tells me how unlucky the pitcher has been about giving up home runs (typically 10% in all circumstances) -GO/AO tells me how good a guy is about producing ground balls which, while more likely to become hits, are very unlikely to be anything more than singles I could go on. On the other hand, W-L tells me how good the pitcher's team was, or how the team performed when he was on the mound. A pitcher has very, very little control over that. He can pitch to his defense and in NL parks, he can help try and score runs when up at the plate. Otherwise, all he can do is pitch as well as he can and then hope the team wins the game. Theoretically, Chris Sale gives up a lead off homer every game he pitches, but then retires the next 27 by striking them all out. His opposing pitcher loads the bases every inning but gets double plays and keeps the team off the board. At the end of the year, Chris Sale is 0-32 while opposing pitchers are 32-0. Did Chris Sale really deserve to lose 32 games, or should he be upset at his team for allowing him to lose 32 games? Ah... now this is the Blake I know and love. Fantastic post.

Just started to be more active on the board again, but good god Blake what the hell has happened to you? Don't understand the obsession? Advocating for John Buck? What is this crap..

Padres are currently looking for a good set-up man according to their beat writers. They were discussing it on MLB Network if they're willing to "pay the price" to get one. (trade/FA) Oh, and too bad the Pirates weren't looking to take on salary. (I don't believe) They are trying to get a 1B and Dunn might be perfect for them. (If Hahn can convince them Dunn is an NL player, which he might be)

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 01:19 PM) He stopped doing it because B-R started doing it for everyone. Whoa.. didn't know that. Thanks Balta.