NorthSideSox72

FutureSox now has a page on the site with a list of the best prospect/minor league site we could find for each of the 30 MLB teams. Direct link here, or click the button at the top of the main futuresox.com page. Also this info is pinned in the FS forum for now. Thought it may come in handy during the silly season.

Want to know about the prospects on other teams? FutureSox has added a page to the site with a list of the best minor league/prospect site we could find for each of the 30 MLB teams. Direct link here. Or you can use the button from the main futuresox.com page.

QUOTE (beautox @ Jul 23, 2013 -> 10:06 AM) I think as a whole fans over value tools and undervalue performance and floor. The cards under jeff luhnow developed an amazing pipline of college aged mid-low floor baseball players. Well, I think it is far more complicated than that. But to be clear, when I was talking about tools and Semien, I was more referring to the way those Top 50 prospect lists and the like are compiled. Not about actual prospect value.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jul 23, 2013 -> 09:27 AM) I guess I don't get what else people expect from Semien? He's 2nd in the Southern Leage in OBP & 7th in OPS, all as a 22 year old middle infielder. The only legit prospects doing better than him are Joc Pederson & Jake Marisnick, both who are top 100 talents. I honestly believe we're all underestimating Semien because of the organization's struggles to develop position players in the past. I don't expect more from him. I think he is a very good prospect, one of the best in the system. But Top 50 guys in all of baseball tend to have one or more blow-away tools, which Marcus doesn't have. I personally think he has a decent shot at being a major league starter.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 23, 2013 -> 08:36 AM) Very much agreed, although SS might have a good shot at a bullpen spot before long. It'll be darn hard to find an opening in the rotation with him, particularly since it's already loaded with lefties. Snodgress has been getting a lot better, but yeah, he's not MLB ready yet. Maybe he's in AAA this season, but he isn't as far along as Johnson at all. Johnson and Rienzo are the guys I'd expect to see the roster in 2014.

Also want to add... I like Semien a lot, I've ranked him higher than others in the FS poll group the last few rounds, but even I don't think he's a Top 50 or even Top 100 prospect in baseball yet. I do think he'll be well into the org's T10 this offseason, barring something unexpected happening between now and the end of the season. I think a Charlotte middle infield of Sanchez and Semien in 2014 should be fun to watch. But you never know what happens with the trade deadline and the offseason.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jul 23, 2013 -> 02:27 AM) Not only is there a lack of stat similarities, I don't think this comparison should make people think Semien=Desmond because of a couple statistical similarities in the season Semien is playing. When Macrus hits .354/.428/.461 next year in AAA as a 23 year old then I'll feel better about it. I don't understand why Semien hasn't played SS every game this year. I know Saladino had a nice start to his professional career and a lot of guys like him a couple years back but the power and now the average have disappeared. Semien should be top priority. I'd guess they want both to play both positions at this point, because A) they don't know what position either will be needed at or good at in the end and B) they may both become utility guys and the varied experience gives them another path to the majors. No harm in moving them back and forth as long as they aren't struggling mightily at one of the positions.

QUOTE (G&T @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 08:37 AM) Layoffs and higher taxes. I'm pretty state and local govt has a cap on borrowing unlike the Feds. That will buy them some, but, there are limits. Detroit is WAY under right now. And if you lay off a lot, and raise taxes a lot, then you lose some of that revenue when people leave in even higher numbers, and are left with an even lower-paying and non-paying tax base. They may be beyond where that spiral can be stopped.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 22, 2013 -> 09:52 AM) It goes more towards "they are working with him" than anything else. The myth that Hawkins is on an island by himself is just silly. I never said he wasn't getting any coaching at all. I just question how much he is getting, and what the approach is. And I added all manner of caveats for other possibilities, like the fact that he isn't taking to coaching perhaps.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 22, 2013 -> 09:11 AM) The blogger interview earlier this year with Courtney and Phegley he did make mention that they had been working with him, and they had done some things. Honestly people are just taking snippets of quotes and turning them into the extreme (and wrong) interpretations of them. Well I remember that, but, that was 1.5 months ago. And now he's whiffing a heck of a lot, again.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 21, 2013 -> 09:42 PM) They are working on mechanics. Hawkins himself talked about changes they had made in his swing. Good. I didn't hear the interview so I don't know what all was said.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Jul 21, 2013 -> 10:43 PM) That's wrong. His K rate has ballooned back up in July. It was right up until a week or two ago. His K rate post-DL has been much-improved. But now he's back with the big K's again.

I agree with Bell that sending him to Kanny does basically no good at this point. I am more concerned that I have seen no indication they are working with him on mechanics and pitch recognition, which everyone (including the Sox I am sure) can see are issues. Maybe they are and we don't know it. Maybe he is uncoachable. Maybe they are waiting for the fall instructs to really tear him down to build him back up. I don't know. But I do have some concerns about what appears to be a too-loose approach by the Sox hitting coaches with guys like Hawkins. Again, I could be wrong - just my impressions. And no, I don't write him off yet.

MICHAEL Johnson (not Micah) hit in the ankle a few days ago with a 95 mph fastball, fracturing his fibula. Out for the season.

I think I said this earlier, but... would never have guessed during the offseason that Wilkins would be a guy being considered for a job in 2013 or 2014. Probably not Plan A, but, he's getting a look. That is something.

QUOTE (QuickJones81 @ Jul 21, 2013 -> 07:06 PM) Does this mean he's skipping DSL, or are the player development people just getting a closer look? Per Bristol Sox, it was just a workout. He is not being assigned to Bristol at this time.

If they can't file for bankruptcy... they just stop paying service on their debt. And they go into a series of ugly defaults. Loan companies sue to get their money. Detroit says, sorry, can't help you. This goes on for a while. If the state or other entity doesn't give them piles of cash (which they don't have, and it would be stupid anyway in that circumstance), then essentially, Detroit becomes a deadbeat business entity. But amazingly, since they are not a business per se, they will still keep getting revenue from taxes, and theoretically keep some services running ad infinitum. However, after some period of time, debtors will start claiming property. So Detroit starts losing physical assets, like let's say, buses and fire trucks. This just keeps going in a seriously ugly cycle, until one of the following occurs: --Fed or state government steps in AND is able to fund the city during a turn-around --Private investors "buy" the city's management and services, which I am not sure will fly legally anyway --The state of Michigan amends its constitution (the most sane option) to get rid of the absolute pension protections --A federal court finds the pension protections somehow improper or in violation of federal laws --The City of Detroit empties almost entirely, eventually leaving no city government at all, putting all that burden on the county and state There is no good ending here.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jul 18, 2013 -> 04:27 PM) Recently I've been trying to find a hybrid for my wife. Debating between the Ford Focus, Prius V and Hyundai Sonata. It'd be mostly a commuter car for her, with the need to be big enough to put a car seat (or two in the future) in the back and haul a kid to/from things. I've read up on all three models but haven't driven any yet, though I did sit in them at the auto show. Anyone have any of these models or know people that have them? Loved our Ford Escape Hybrid, but they stopped making them (if you are going new). If it is a second, commuter car... consider an electric maybe. Leaf or something. Big tax rebates on them, and if it is just a get-around car, and the range covers your usual needs (with room to spare - make sure), they are super-cheap to operate. I wouldn't recommend it if it is your only car though. Prius are of course good cars. We liked the hybrid Focus, we test drove one a while ago. Never drove the Hyundai. And I know you have kids, so... check the leg room and measure. That was a big criteria for us.

By the way, I would love to get any kind of scouting info people might have on Nick McCully. I got basically nothing.

Lars Anderson and Jeff Gray released by Charlotte.

Pitching promotions so far today: Chris Bassitt to BHam Braulio Ortiz to WS Tony Bucciferro to Kanny

Further on the injury... just confirmed with W-S, Mark Haddow had a broken hand thanks to a HBP in June. 6 week return timetable from the injury, he's started throwing recently, but no hitting yet.

Also just confirmed, Mark Haddow had a broken hand thanks to a HBP in June. 6 week return timetable from the injury, he's started throwing recently, but no hitting yet.

Brandon Brennan is having TJ surgery tomorrow. He had been struggling in Kanny, then had a pretty nice June, before he hit the DL. Probably out for the season, but I am trying to confirm that with him directly.

Brennan had a much better June, posting this line in 5 games: 33.1 IP, 27 H, 8 R, 8 BB, 21 K, and was inducing ground balls well with a 1.77 GO/AO. Unfortunately, just as he was turning things around, he went on the DL in late June. And he just posted on Twitter that he is having TJ surgery tomorrow (Friday 7/19). So he's probably out for the season.