CanOfCorn

A million times this.

Has anyone mentioned the possibility of Kole Calhoun as a 2 year stopgap? Decent power hitter. Gold Glove OF. LHB. War is consistent and he can play CF. If someone has mentioned him already...never mind.

The guy spent the last few years a stone's throw away from his wife's family. Now he took a little less money to be a stone's throw away from his wife's family. The rumors are Cole wants to be back on the West Coast, near where he grew up. It's not that big of a leap when the money is close. If the Sox offered another year at $20mil and he turned it down, I'd agree with you. Also, he's never pitched in the AL, and there is still the DH stigma for AL pitchers and ERAs. It sucks, but it doesn't define the Sox. Machado did...this doesn't.

If the White Sox win 85 - 90 games and miss the playoffs, you are going to cry? I won't. They are still in the upswing of rebuilding. Show more in the season and you can lock down those targets easier. They still only won 72 last year. It's one pitcher. Who may or may not have worked out. I'm with Taylor St and I'll wait until they hit the field before I assign an offseason grade that really doesn't mean anything anyway.

I don't know...but it could be a team clearing money for another signing or one close to the lux tax? (and no, I don't want Price or Sale).

Just a hunch based on nothing, but I think the Sox trade for a pitcher. Let someone else do the negotiating. If not that, how about taking a flyer on Rick Porcello? As a low risk, high reward type? I know it's not the "Next Step" signing we are all hoping for, but it could be as a former Cy Young winner?

Dealing your "ace" two years in a row is most definitely a tank. Also: There are a lot of OF prospects in the system that could take the RF spot, or move Robert to a corner. You can have Tilson in RF in the meantime. Or maybe Basabe or Rutherford or Adolfo or Gonzalez or even Walker. They are all at different stages of development, but if we are talking about '20 or '21, one of those names might be up with the team...or even traded for a controllable young RFer.

Machado and Harper also seem to be playing off each other, which is odd since they aren't the same type of player. But neither wants to blink first. For instance, if Harper signs for 8/250MM, then Machado could have a bit of a bidding war with the teams that lost out on Harper. So neither guy wants to be the first to sign, which is just delaying everyone.

You are right about football needing more time. Especially considering the dumpster fire that was Tim Beckman. But, Groce didn't really have a system. And because of that, Underwood's rebuild to his system is going to take longer. I'm not ok with this season so far. They have been playing just well enough to lose. But, they aren't far off from what I've seen. They are REALLY young (like football). Now if they are struggling next year and have a crappy recruiting class...I will probably move over to your side of the fence. But, after 1 1/3 seasons, I'm not ready to jump ship yet.

Arizona to the Central...sorry, Chicago West to the Central. (after they are moved to Houston)

They would absolutely make money, but if the fan base doesn't travel and the bowls are essentially downgraded, ticket sales will suffer. Bowl games are still businesses. I'm really not talking about the semi-finals up. But that first round is going to be tough for the teams, the bowls and the fan bases.

It's not just adding games, but it's also travel. Part of the fun of bowl games is the fanbase gets to travel. While places like Boise and New York in the winter are hit and miss, it's still just one bowl game. Whereas, if it's an 8 team playoff, it's hard for a fanbase to travel to up to three different games not even knowing where they will be. For instance, let's say Miami is in the playoff, they are assigned a week one in San Diego at the Holiday Bowl, they win and go back to the Orange Bowl and win that and go to the Championship game in Phoenix or LA? That's hard for the University, but harder for the fan base. I'm not saying it shouldn't happen, just that ticket sales might be difficult.

What both teams need is a belief in a system and time to build it. Lovie came in late his first year, so his first class of recruits is going to be upperclassmen next year. This is when they should start improving. They are still young, but the classes are starting to stack. If he doesn't get to a bowl game next year, it's going to be tough to keep him on, especially if the losses are of the 63-0 variety. As for basketball, I think most people have already commented. It was left in shambles, just like football. What I like about Whitman is he is willing to give the coaches time to rebuild. I hope he stays with the process barring any missteps. That being said, look at the non-revenue sports...Volleyball, tennis, golf, wrestling, baseball...all much better. I know those don't bring in the money, but its still important. And just you wait until they start men's and women's hockey. They SHOULD be powerhouses.

Neil Simon, 91. Playwright, TV and movie writer. RIP.

I'm actually a little surprised Trump hasn't been brought up in a lawsuit about this. I know he is a sitting president and all, but he IS posting from his personal account. I'm sure there is a legal reason why, or maybe they are waiting until after he is out of office, but still....

Secondly, my first concert not with my parents was Kenny G. Don't ask. First record I bought was the Beatles - White Album, but first records I was given (with my Hannukah gift which was a cheap turntable) was Elton John 21 at 33 and Hall & Oates H2O.

The Police. Specifically the show at Comiskey Park with Cheap Trick that my mom wouldn't take me to/let me go to.

Suck it Pants! (But you’re right. I am a bloviating jerkface!)

I think Engel might get the boot down to the minors...although not sure about options left.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 6, 2017 -> 10:11 AM) And I am not a Bennetti hater! But there are too often times where him and stone are having a painfully unfunny back and forth and you can tell they are thinking "look how funny we are!" That doesn't bother me one iota...it's nice to have two people that actually enjoy calling a game together. Unlike Stone and Hawk, who just don't click at all. Another example: I would much rather listen to Foley and Edzo, than Foley and Konroyd. Not because Konroyd is bad, in fact, I think he's excellent. But he's boring. Foley and Edzo enjoy being together calling games and it shows.

It's time to stop ragging on the current President. To borrow from Dennis Green: He is who we thought he was. It's now time to shift the focus to the people who can and should remove him from office. He is unqualified, undignified and ill-prepared. Since there's no where to Peter Principle him up, the only other place to go is out. Time to yell at the House to impeach and remove. And yes, I understand who is next in line and next in line after that.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 3, 2017 -> 12:40 PM) I remember most all posts and here's one of the reasons I'm not a rebuild guy. In various threads I've read some concern about Lopez, Giolito and Rutherford and Burger. So far haven't seen anything much negative on Moncada and Eloy who are generally regarded as stars. We know Rodon is now iffy at best with the injury. Somebody was saying Polo now looks like the key piece in the Yankee trade. Folks, this is why I hate rebuilds. Reality sort of sets in saying some of these acquisitions may suck. Not trying to be a dick, these are posts from respected posters I'm quoting. I'm not a bad guy in real life. Despite my dislike of many things the Sox do, I'm not the kind of guy who would ruin the game for you if you watched it with me. Any negative stuff coming out of my mouth at the game would be in a quiet voice and coupled with hope for an eventual W that particular game. In other words, fans sitting by me would not be saying, "Get an usher." And if we discussed the team in real life I don't think my concern about the rebuild would anger you in a real life conversation. I would listen to your points and in a pretty calm way express my concerns while saying I'm hoping for the best. You know you do lose something in the translation on message boards and social media, etc. In real life I would not come across as strongly opinionated and bossy. I just want to win even though we have won one in my lifetime. Not sure how many games you watched this year, but a lot of your gripes were balanced out by two things that are very important when the talent level on this team starts to creep in the upward direction, which it already is... one is fight. Ricky's guys don't quit. At least this year they didn't. And that made them fun to watch. There were only a few games where I thought they were just out of it and all teams have those games. But they fought for Ricky and they fought for each other which leads me to the next point...they are, for the first time in a LONG time, having fun. I think a lot of that lies at the feet of Yolmer, as that guy can have fun at a funeral. But it seems they genuinely enjoy playing the game and with each other. The moment I realized that was the moment Avi made the catch in the RF corner and high fived the young girl. Then the videos of the guys dancing in the dugout before the game started showing up. Yolmer being Yolmer. They are loose and having fun. That makes it fun to watch. It sucks when your team loses, but there's a bigger picture. This is the new MLB...tear down, rebuild, win. Tear down, rebuild, win. Kenny's retool plan doesn't work anymore unless you get lucky on drafts year over year.

I think it's a little unfair to rate any trade after the fact when it comes to a rebuild. If the Sox were in contention, then results are the thing. But when the cupboard is nearly bare, what Hahn got for what he had was excellent. Plus, with trades, you aren't going to get equal value every single time. So I think the best way to look at it is to see who was traded vs. who the Sox got in return. And in that big picture, Hahn got some pieces that will help now, some that will help in a year or two and organizational depth. The latter being a weak spot for years and years. So since this is a COMPLETED Year 1 Edition, I give the White Sox a 10!

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 9, 2017 -> 10:28 AM) But I would argue that IS happening. And the potential of a true threat is low, because actual aggression will be met with force. So they rattle, they get reminded (see UN) that it is still unacceptable to be aggressive. If they actually attack or perform a land grab, they know they can't win. Possibly, but I also think they believe that China and Russia have their backs. I could be wrong, but I don't believe NK puts too much stock in what the UN says. They know they can't win, but we need to make them understand that they should care about not winning.

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 9, 2017 -> 10:12 AM) Should we invade Venezuela? Somalia? Syria? I want to help them, but I have seen precious little in the last 20 years that shows that toppling a brutal regime that has suppressed a functioning society leads to better results, and has largely undermined rather than strengthened US interests. In Iraq we removed a true existential threat to the Kurds from power, and 10 years later they were facing existential threat all the same. And the power vacuum opened up threats that were frankly far more decentralized and dangerous than a madman with an army. Libya, Egypt, Iraq should be stronger now. They are if anything the same or worse. The welfare of their people is the same or worse. The difference is, NK will not be ignored. You can turn your back, but they will keep developing weapons and threatening. To truly get rid of the threat...all nations need to be on the same page and against NK. And I mean all of them. An attack on one of us is an attack on ALL of us. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen.