Balta1701

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 10:09 PM) I don't mind Buck on a MLC with a buyout. If guys get hurt, he can be on the roster. If not, he can play in AAA or be on the DL with an "injury," and maybe he's a guy you can say "Look dude, you don't have it anymore, we want you on the coaching staff, please stay with us." My god, is our manager so weak that everyone on our bench must be a coach too?

What the hell. I turned the weather forecast on and it was 7-6, now it's 7-20.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 09:18 PM) So now we're saying the White Sox are the Marlins and act like one extra million in one season is going to be a huge deal to the team (especially for a team that's already under budget)? This is major league baseball, major league clubs waste millions every year. If I had it my way, guys like Flowers and Buck wouldn't come close to 7 figures but unfortunately baseball is a game where players get grossly overpaid. I don't understand why this discussion is about the future at all either. Someone like Buck would be nothing but a stop gap until something better comes along. For a team that clearly isn't rebuilding but retooling and hoping to be somewhat competitive this season while they infuse young talent (which I believe is the goal of Hahn and the org), then to me someone like Buck starting at Catcher makes a whole lot more sense. Also can we stop acting like Flowers has any chance of being a solid contributor now or ever? I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but he is not a good baseball player. Phegley maybe has some very small chance of being a solid player, but I think the team views him more of a backup than a starter down the road. And Nieto, Nieto is why I think a veteran like Buck would make sense. I don't see how Hahn could trust Flowers or Phegley as being the full time starters this year while also trying to hide Nieto on the 25 man roster all year. Hell, Nieto might turn out to be a stud and rookie of the year next year, which would be great, but most likely everyone is expecting a tough year for the guy who has never made it out of A ball before. If you put me in Hahn's shoes, I'd like to have a veteran, even a bad one, who has shown he can handle a full catching load throughout a year be the starter with the question mark of a backup rather than having two question marks on team trying to catch. The way I look at it, Tyler Flowers doesn't do anything Buck can't do, but Buck can do things on the baseball field Flowers can't do. And I think those skills (being solid on defense and a veteran) can help out with Nieto and the team next year more than continuing the failed experiment of Flowers or just going through a year of throwing both Phegley and Nieto to the fire to see what happens. Also, at this point I have given up hope for any positive offensive contributions from the catching position, so at least I'd like to see fundamental and sound defense back there for once. You're acting like Buck has the chance to be a solid contributor. He flat out does not. The only reason you sign him is if you're desperate for someone to handle the pitching staff and there's zero sign of that. You want a stopgap? We have 3.

Letdown? That's what happens when you lose the heat.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 08:19 PM) Even though this is correct, it's the only way for the government to directly make money. It can amount to alot. Fortunately, the only thing you have to do to get a government to build you a stadium is to convince a few politicians that this is true.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 08:22 PM) Really? Really? We're gonna use a 100 AB sample size of bad to say that someone outhit someone else who had a similar amount of bad in 300-400 AB's? To say one or the other is that much better offensively is absurd and that is embarrasing you tried to make that argument. However, if I had to choose which player I'd rather see catch 100+ games, it'd easily be Buck. Unless his defense has just dropped off the face of the earth in the past couple seasons, he provides the club with a catcher who actually knows how to keep the ball in front of him and he does provide a veteran presence behind the plate. He and Flowers are probably equal offensively (except Buck has shown he can hit MLB pitching in the past and doesn't strike nearly at as high of a clip as Flowers). But odds are Buck's defense would help this team win a whole lot more than Flowers. If he's looking for anything other than a one year deal worth maybe 2 million, then I'd completely understand not bringing him in. But if you can get him on the cheap, I'd see no harm in it. Tyler Flowers will be paid half that. John Buck is not getting better and is not going to make the 2014 white sox better. The only way it makes sense is if they have no confidence in the ability of their guys to handle the pitching staff...in which case, why does it seem like so many pitches are called from the dugout, and why did they bother with a rule 5 draft pick? If any of them, phegley flowers or neito, have a 0.1% chance of being a solid long term contributor to the white sox...that's better than the chance Buck has.

Brees a lot more inaccurate than usual here early on.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 07:53 PM) A lot of time left for the Chiefs to get a game winning FG. At the rate this is going...a lot of time left for the Colts to get a field goal in reply.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 07:48 PM) I was listening to a teleconference with Paulie a couple of weeks ago. He has no interest in coaching or managing in the major leagues at least for several years. Are you sure that was Paul Konerko and not Robin Ventura?

Holy S***

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 07:44 PM) What are you a glutton for pain wanting to watch Tyler Flowers get another 300+ AB's? Tyler Flowers has outhit John Buck for 2 of the last 3 seasons and John Buck will cost more. I'd call whoever thinks paying John Buck a solid salary the glutton for punishment.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 07:34 PM) But not much defense really, though now I'm wondering what the record is for combined points in a playoff game. Don't think the 51-45 Cardinals/Packers game from 2010 has been beaten since.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 07:30 PM) I wouldn't be thrilled with John Buck as the starting catcher, but I wouldn't mind it either. Odds are they both have similar offensive upsides, but at least John Buck knows how to play defense and is known as being a good clubhouse guy and leader. I still think a Keppinger and cash for Lobaton trade will eventually go down. Rays need to bolster their bench and have had success with Keppinger, and they have no room for Lobaton on the 25 man roster after trading for and extending Hannigan and re-signing Molina. I'd mind it.

Although, there was some D in the first half.

X-treme. Yeah, why not.

Unless people can't do math, that amount is a pittance compared to the amount the NFL takes. That said...people who can't do math is a pretty good explanation for most of these stadium deals.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 06:03 PM) Everyone that called it one of the worst trades ever was right. Except the Colts were the losing side. It wasn't his Browns teammates fault the whole time, it was actually him sucking that badly. Yeah, I was guessing at the time the Colts believed they saw something that wasn't being exploited by the Browns...but many he certainly hasn't been worth a first round pick.

Seriously though, politicians would be happy to go after the NFL if they actually blacked out a playoff game, and that's a fight the league doesn't want.

"So the first time Trent Richardson touches the football he fumbles it"

Whoa, big play for the Chiefs.

Probably with some help from the taxpayers.

Nope, the bandwagon is frozen outside.

Let's not be too hasty to congratulate them. They may just be after heat.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Jan 4, 2014 -> 05:00 PM) And now ours is terrible, coincidence? The difference between in and out of the playoffs for the Bears right there, perhaps. Sigh.

It took less than 1 minute of the broadcast for the announcers to note that the Chiefs have averaged about 29 yards per return on kickoffs and say "the Chiefs Special Teams have been absolutely brilliant". Their ST coach is Dave Toub.