Jake

Looked like Chris started to find it

Looks bad so far

Really appreciate the input guys, I think I'll be going with the i5. It should allow me to fit some other cool bells and whistles into the budget

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 02:19 PM) What is your budget? You are traveling a bunch you said? For the money you can get a macbook air for under 1k which I think is a great deal http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/spec.../macbook_air/13 The i5 will be just fine for what you are doing most likely. Based on my previous experience with Apple while I still think they have a far superior OS I won't be buying again unfortunately. Ideally it wouldn't be over 1k after I buy 2 year accidental damage, etc. QUOTE (danman31 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 02:19 PM) I can't speak for the i7, but I have an i5 and it handles a similar workload just fine. Good stuff, it may save me money/allow me to have other cool features

I'm getting a 15" laptop to be my new primary laptop at school, while traveling for college baseball, and whatever else it is I do. I don't have the budget to spend like I did when I bought my Mac that just went out on me. Is the upgrade to i7 worth the money or should I stick with i5? Should I upgrade to dedicated video card > i7? I will rarely game but usually have 10+ internet tabs going, music, word, maybe a few other programs on at once on a given night. Perhaps utorrent. MLB.tv when applicable.

Man I remember thinking Salvador Sanchez would be an Alex Rios-type player at one point

Can't close the book on Gavin or Humber just yet. I can't disagree with a Humber move to the pen though, we should ride the magic that is Q as long as it will last. Humber will probably pick up a spot start or more later in the season if someone goes down for some reason. I felt like Humber was really on the cusp last outing. This Danks stuff is odd, but everything I hear suggests that he shouldn't have a significant injury -- makes me wonder if he conditioned his arm in the off/preseason I've been harping on this, but I have to say again that the pitch calling has been atrocious. They insist on making our guys into two pitch pitchers, especially against same handed batter. I understand that Mark Parent may have had a hard time hitting a curveball in his playing days, but the fastball-curveball only combo is what makes relievers. Both of these guys have changeups and we should utilizing them, Humber in particular. Humber's changeup output has been halved since last year. I know neither pitcher has a great changeup, but they are both serviceable and throwing the pitch enough to keep it in the mind of every batter changes the composure of every batter. We've also decided not to throw inside apparently, but I'm about to give up on that one I am still against giving up much of anything of value to get a starting pitcher. We don't have many pieces and I can't think of a proposed deal I've heard yet that would be worth it. We came into this season trying to build a perennial winner and trading out of our barren upper minors is just a terrible idea IMO as is trading young players off the active roster.

Banged up Carlos Quentin didn't have much value at the time everybody, get over it. Simon Castro is quickly becoming one of our top prospects again (something he also was as a Padre) and Hernandez was pitching unbelievably until he got hurt

Worth a crack, but he needs to get pitching something like right now

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 09:40 PM) Wow, what a terrible swing on the 3-1 meatball. All day he looked defensive at the plate

PK continuing to look like s*** vs offspeed

The battling Paulies here. The clutch one vs the DP machine one

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 09:17 PM) What the hell run Dunn that was horrid. He's not playing because he has a sprained ankle You expect him to run to 1st well?

He almost had to have gone up there with a broken bat

I know he doesn't have his control, but the pitch calling remains f***ing stupid. Every single one of those right handers was a changeup away from being struck out and I'd imagine the same was true for Beltran. Parent just does NOT call changeups against same handed batters and it's f***ing stupid. Don't take out your anger about being unable to hit curveballs in your playing career on pitch calling. They're starting pitchers for a reason...they're infinitely more effective when the batter has MORE THAN 2 pitches to adjust to.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 06:42 PM) Sounds like his agent does not like the Sox or Kenny. I'd be kinda pissed too if I was passed over in favor of Axelrod/old-ass Eric Stults/AA pitcher (Quintana) right after being exposed and jerked around via Rule 5 That's professional baseball though, of course.

My main worry is that he doesn't really get deep into any ballgames, but I'm still pleasantly surprised. I like the way he goes about things. No fear out there.

Jared Mitchell had some buzz going on after the CWS appearance. It was right around that time when ESPN was getting people to care. Gordo had gotten popular as well. I'm surprised we haven't pushed him up to play in AAA with Danks leaving....but I don't mind. Jordan was an example of a guy who we insisted on pushing up to AAA when the strikeout numbers weren't yet acceptable. The adjustment at a higher level was much more difficult and some would argue that very little adjustment happened. I'm okay with being conservative with Mitchell since he isn't fast tracked to a position of need anyway at this point. Let him work on getting the K's down at a level where the pitching isn't unfamiliarly difficult.

Dayan can come a long way yet. He's only 23, hasn't repeated a level, and is pretty productive so far as it is. Even better, he's not a bad LF'er. He may stick out there for a while -- it's on him to stay in shape. I am concerned about his problems hitting fastballs, but he often approaches them with the intent to go to RF...which is a good place to start. I just want to see him go up there and be able to at least hit the inside fastball hard when he's looking for it...sometimes I think he goes up there knowing they will work him in with fastballs and just can't do anything with it. Magglio oftentimes would get worked inside with fastballs but his career began to turn when he would combine the knowledge that he'd probably see a fastball inside with a newfound ability to turn on it. All of the sudden a whole third of the plate opened up for him and he had a great career. Have we mentioned the raw talent on this guy? Sky high. Last year at AAA he had very serviceable BB numbers btw. He'll work it out, I'd expect him to finish around where he is this year with perhaps 30 HR's. With a good run, I'd say 40 is still in the cards...but not likely of course. Next year should be a big step forward and we'll really learn from what we see him improve on next season. We're just establishing a baseline this year, basically. He is talented enough to keep progressing and I don't expect his game to regress. He's better than he was the first times we called him up and I believe that trend will continue.

Off the wall in the books

Adam Dunn needs no top buttons

Dayan and fastballs do not get along. Hope that gets remedied

Q needs to start working deeper into outings if he wants to take the jobs of the big boys

BTW, While Alexei has struggled this year for sure...his 27 RBIs aren't bad as far as productivity goes.

Great jump ADA