hogan873

I too thought Katy Perry did a good job. It certainly sounded like she was actually singing and not lip-synching. I'll giver her credit for that. The commercials weren't very good, but they haven't been for a few years now. The Snickers ad with Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi was funny, but Liam (Li-am) Neeson was the best.

Because I am a stat nerd (not just with baseball, but in all things), I'm starting to see how these probability stats are as useful as some think. I think, however, that a season as a whole is less about mathematical probabilities than individual plays or scenarios. Managers have to use those probabilities all of the time. Lefties vs. righties, defensive shifts, pinch hitters, defensive substitutions. That being said, you can see why some teams are built to take that stuff into consideration. So, does replacing Viciedo with Beckham make enough of a difference? I believe so, mainly because Viciedo didn't fit with Shuck (or whomever may fill that spot) and Bonifacio. Beckham at $2 million gives the Sox more flexibility when it come to those probabilities than Viciedo at $4 million (or whatever he would have gotten). Plus, Beckham has better hair.

I attended the Will County Old Timer Baseball Association banquet last night, and Scott Fletcher was the guest speaker. Turns out his daughter is married to Gordon Beckham. He predicted that Gordon will have a great year with the Sox, of course.

I'm okay with the move. The versatility of Bonifacio allows him to be an IF and OF bench player. With Shuck (most likely right now) already here and Bonifacio, there really was no place for Viciedo. Beckham will be a decent bench player...that is if either Sanchez or Johnson do well enough to get the starting 2B job. There is a possibility that Beckham is the Sox's starting 2B, but let's hope it's Sanchez or Johnson. Beckham will be more useful (read: less bad) as a bench player.

QUOTE (juddling @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 08:45 AM) While I thought the Justified season opener wasn't as good as some in the past....last night episode had a couple awesome moments....... Raylan's "I'm not following you" exchange with Choo Choo was great.

Shameless: Frank's verbal explosion (before the house explosion) was awesome. And after the house explosion: "Hey, that's a nice sock."

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 09:35 AM) did i say that the sox never improved this yr???? show me where i did say anything of the sort. i said the sox haven't finished the rebuilding, and i don't they would do anymore excepts for backups. I misinterpreted what you were saying. Sorry about that. What is the final piece, though? I imagine there are plenty of different ideas from the fan base. I'd like to see one more proven starting pitcher, but that could get costly. The bullpen is much better, but they could still shore it up a bit more. There's a question mark at 2B, but that might be a lower priority.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 08:57 AM) in actuality, disappointed is the wrong word to use, or is it. maybe its the context of the sentence. i acknowledge that Hahn and the sox have done a fantastic job in rebuilding esp in a short time. that is a given. i am a little sad / angry that in my opinion the job is not yet done or competed. i have a feeling that the sox are going to see what they have in Erik Johnson, Rodon and maybe even Beck. again seeing if these players are ready or not. if they were not going to continue with the rebuild, then why even bother to rebuild at all, why trade for Jeff S??? why do the lip service of convincing the fans that they, the sox will compete.... oh i see, to sell tickets. How is signing LaRoche, Duke, Robertson, Bonifacio, and Cabrera AND trading for Samardzija and Jennings lip service? The Sox made so many improvements this offseason, and they are in much better shape to contend. That's getting stuff done. That's actually doing what needs to be done.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 18, 2015 -> 02:08 AM) 12 Monkeys TV premiere was.....confusing I'd say. I'm going to read some reviews and then watch Ep. 2 and see if it makes a little more sense. Not sure I like them changing Brat Pitt's character to a girl though. I enjoyed it. I think they did a good job with the time travel references. There was a clever line when he handed the watch back to the girl and said, "Hold on to that. It's going to save us again a minute ago." I hope they can keep it up for the entire series.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 15, 2015 -> 08:19 AM) I'm surprised that no one has stated the obvious. This allows him to easily take a position on the Sox coaching staff as roving minor league batting instructor until there is room on Robin's staff. Not only filling two roster positions as a OF/P but coaching as well. The future of baseball. Plus, he could spend some time in the booth, spelling Hawk or Farmer. And don't forget about hot dog vendor.

One of my favorite threads that unfortunately disappears quickly. I decided this year to read (or at least attempt to read) some books from the lists of the best books of all time. Some on the lists I've already read...some by choice (like Gone With The Wind) and some by mandate in school (like The Great Gatsby). I threw myself a softball for the first one of the year with H. P. Lovecraft's At The Mountains of Madness. I'm really enjoying it. The writing takes a little to get used to, but it's quite the story. His descriptions of the Antarctic are pretty vivid. Not sure which one I'll try next. The one nice thing about many of the books on the lists is that they're cheap (and even sometimes free) on the Kindle.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 15, 2015 -> 06:05 AM) there is a metric ton of sarcasm in this thread. maybe a few pounds more And I'm really surprised they didn't catch on to that.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 09:38 AM) Noob question why is an extension worse than being signed as a FA? It's better for the team (the Sox in this case) because they'll get the first chance to sign him to a longer deal. It's not as good for the player because he'll most likely get less (years and/or money) than if he pursues free agency. We can only hope that the Sox have a good year and Samardzija likes it here. The Sox would have a better chance to extend him.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 06:23 AM) She was also in the recent 24 reboot. Person of Interest Wonder if they'll bring in another cast member for the balance of the season? I'm watching the 24 reboot now. Good stuff. As far as Person of Interest, it looks like maybe Camryn Manheim's Control may be more prominent for a bit. Obviously she wouldn't be a replacement for . But her interaction with Samaritan might be woven into the story.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 07:59 PM) Finished all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights in like 2 weeks, what show should I start next on Netflix? I did the same thing...although it took me a little longer than two weeks. I started watching Chuck. I'm hooked. Great combination of action and comedy. Plus, you know, Yvonne Strahovski.

I like the trade for several reasons. One, of course, is taht the Sox have Samardzija for at least 2015. With the other additions, this team is much better than last year. Second, the Sox also got Ynoa who seems to have some potential. Third, they really didn't give up that much for him. I was expecting to see Anderson or Danish involved, and they weren't. Finally, the Sox now have the first opportunity to sign him to a long term deal. Personally, I think he extends with the Sox for somewhere in the neighborhood of 5/$110.

QUOTE (juddling @ Jan 7, 2015 -> 02:54 PM) Person of Interest is in the middle of their "trilogy" episodes. Last night's was pretty great including the ending. One thing I couldn't believe was

Finally got around to watching the last season of The Killing on Netflix. Too bad they waited until the last (shortened) season to have the best season. I think, though, that the short season helped. The storyline was accelerated. They could have spent three episodes on Holder falling off the wagon, but keeping it to about a half an episode worked great.

The Librarians is a fun show. Nothing at all serious about it, but there is some interesting history discussed.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 19, 2014 -> 09:26 AM) I watched both of those early, and liked them a lot. I lost both with kids being born. That's what I love about Netflix. My kids are a little older, and I have the free time once everyone else has gone to bed. It's nice to find these shows whith a bunch of episodes from years ago. I'm thinking of trying Louie next.

Rock said something a while back about 5/$120. Maybe he was speculating or maybe had some inside info. But, that might be what he would get on the open market (at least in regards to money per year). I'd like to see something like 5/$100 or 5/$105. Overall though, I'd agree that the Sox have a very good chance to re-sign him.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 19, 2014 -> 06:51 AM) I loved Chuck more than I thought I would. I watched FNL as it aired and it's in my Top 5. I must be missing something about HOC. It's good but not as great to me as it is to others. Outside of Spacey and Wright, it feels like the other actors idea of acting is whispering. I'm probably overreacting but it bothers me for some reason. I started watching it because I wanted something lighter. I didn't know what to expect, but I'm loving it. Great mix of comedy and action.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 06:08 PM) Taking suggestions on the next show to binge watch. I've been considering Boardwalk Empire, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards and Banshee. Orange Is The New Black and House of Cards are both good, just very different. Scorpion is a lot of fun. Don't go into it expecting anything serious, and you'll enjoy it. Going back a few years, I recently binged on Friday Night Lights, and now I'm watching Chuck. You may have already seen both, but I'd recommend them.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 09:19 PM) The future's so bright, we've gotta wear shades. (Or sunglasses at night). Are they Cheap Sunglasses?

This poll makes me feel old. I'm at the top of the 36-41 range. What makes me feel really old is when I look at when some of the young Sox players were born. I was a year out of high school before Rodon was even born.