southsider2k5

I guess I am pretty alone in this, but I really enjoyed the movie, and don't see it as too much different from what we have always had in Star Wars. Yes it is an action packed series of movies, flung all over the galaxy. It is people struggling with the grays in a black and white world, making choices that change them forever. Characters are all over the spectrum. Star Wars has always had a huge cast of characters many of whom are famous for a scene or two, and no real development at all. Sure it would have been great to get to know Snoke more, as we did Darth Vader and The Emperor, but with the focus being to transition from the old generation to the new, there just isn't as much time for them. Kylo is a much more important character to get to know on the dark side. A guy like Hux has always been a joke and a cardboard cut out of guys who only live to take orders. If I could change one scene, it would have been to have Leia die in space instead of forcing her way to the ship. That would have been a nice moment to leave it, I get the movie was done before then, and the idea was that she was going to be a focus in #9, but with her death, it would have been nice to change that. I loved the ending scene between Luke and Leia. Obviously it was supposed to be an omen of Luke's impending death, but it ended up being poetic for Carrie Fisher's untimely death. I also loved the return of the comedic moments. The originals had their goofy moments as well. I mean you don't get more than the "I love you. I know" scene. Yoda was also a fun source of lines, and always had jokes. The very last scene of the movie was awesome in its simplicity, yet the inkling of hope.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 19, 2017 -> 09:24 AM) Sounds like we might be going HS heavy in this next draft which makes a ton of sense. Would also be nice to see some LatAm signings actually make an impact stateside. This really should be a breakout year for some. We have had a pack of those kids get to the states and start playing at the lowest levels, though pretty young while doing it. They should be getting to the stage where they aren't the youngest kids anymore. Guys like Mota, Mercedes, Reyes, and Quijada played last year at Great Falls, and might be ready for full season ball. There were about 10 kids from Latin America in the Arizona Rookie team. Maybe we see a Sosa or a Coranado from that group break out. Maybe one of the catchers of Perez or Alfaro emerges.

QUOTE (wrathofhahn @ Dec 19, 2017 -> 02:18 AM) All those guys are in their twenties and almost ready to be promoted. My point is where is the next wave. None of our top 30 prospects are younger then 20. It's not a major criticism when the farm was rebuilt on the fly we targeted the right guys in trades but inorder for the rebuild to be sustainable our system is going to need depth. That means signing a bunch of Dominicans next year and being active in IFA not just the big splash guys like Robert but the 1,2, million guys as well. Only if their front office wants to get fired.

First time in NBA history that a team has followed up a 10 game losing streak with a 6 game winning streak. 9 seed here we come.

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Dec 18, 2017 -> 04:09 PM) Or they attached significant prospect compensation. Getting Buehler or Verdugo and sending back a Matt Rose or some college player who performed poorly at Great Falls would probably make the Sox interested. I'd love to see the White Sox do this.

I don't know if it is posturing or a recognition that the Orioles might not deal Machado, but it seems like some of the teams that targeted him are moving on.

Bob Nightengale‏Verified account @BNightengale 59m59 minutes ago The Atlanta #Braves carry out promise to Adrian Gonzalez and officially releases him. He is still getting paid $21.5 million and is now willing to play for the minimum salary. He prefers to stay relatively close to his San Diego home, but most of all, is seeking playing time

Jon Heyman‏Verified account @JonHeyman 30m30 minutes ago trade market for matt kemp believed to be virtually nonexistent. if dodgers can find a taker via trade they are magicians.

Now that is really cool. USA TODAY Sports‏Verified account @usatodaysports 44m44 minutes ago Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels donates 32,000-square-foot mansion and 100 acres of land to camp for children with special needs and chronic illnesses. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2...abas/956053001/

Bob Nightengale‏Verified account @BNightengale 2m2 minutes ago The Boston #Redsox clearly want one man, and one man only: JD Martinez

Bruce Levine‏ @MLBBruceLevine 20m20 minutes ago Cubs Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer landed in Dallas this afternoon. Free agent Yu Darvish meeting is likely destination for the two execs.

That is another road for Abreu shutdown.

QUOTE (Pasqua's Mailman @ Dec 18, 2017 -> 01:39 PM) Theo may not be that concerned about the luxury tax but you can bet the Ricketts are. The old man is running the show over there and has absolutely no interest in touching the luxury tax. They are currently making boatloads of money and project to make more... the Ricketts didn't get to the position they are by walking away from profits. There is no way they are going to lower their profit margin when they don't have to. The Ricketts are honestly paying a huge amount of debt down from their purchase of the team from TribCo. I don't think any reluctance is due to profits, but due to that debt being a big burden.

Bob Nightengale‏Verified account @BNightengale 1h1 hour ago Realmuto and Yelich understandably don't want to be the last marquee player standing in #Marlins rebuild, but #Marlins plan for both to be on opening day roster, particularly Realmuto, who is considered close to untouchable.

MLB Daily Dish‏Verified account @mlbdailydish 39m39 minutes ago The San Francisco Giants are reportedly interested in Evan Longoria:

NBC Sports Chicago‏Verified account @NBCSChicago 37m37 minutes ago .@88PKane's past week was so for the @NHLBlackhawks, it earned him 1st honors by the @NHL!

670 The Score‏Verified account @670TheScore 7m7 minutes ago #Blackhawks assign Ville Pokka to AHL Rockford

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Dec 18, 2017 -> 08:16 AM) https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/12/reac...aves-trade.html Here's the part about the Dodgers appearing willing to deal prospects with Kemp to move most of the contract. The White Sox doing something like this makes 1,000 times more sense than trading anything of value for Machado. I would love to see us seek out teams to do deals like this with in order to maximize the amount of players we can get into our system.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 18, 2017 -> 10:41 AM) I think the Sox still have the best offer on the board but Angelos is insisting on the Sox including more, which the Sox are wisely not doing. Thus, the Orioles don't feel they're getting enough for him and no trade will be made. I could see this. I bet with the PR campaign in Baltimore, Angelos is pushing his guys to get a truckload for Machado so he can sell a deal to his fan base.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 18, 2017 -> 10:29 AM) I think they'll hold onto him a little longer then that. lol, you can't tell the conversation I was having at work just then...

The fact that this deal window was supposedly in hours, and now is going on a week tells me that Angelos is having second thoughts. I think no deal gets done with Machado until the tax deadline.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 17, 2017 -> 09:12 PM) Hold on a second here. You dislike Reinsdorf as an owner more than I do, yet you legitimately think the White Sox would pay up for a free agent like Machado? Or maybe you are just being facetious? All you have to do is read his posting history to know that he is 100% using an opportunity to troll me personally because he can't handle it. I mean like 5 posts ago he was talking about how boring this franchise is, and how they never spend on payroll. Either he is trolling now, or he has been trolling Soxtalk for years.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Dec 17, 2017 -> 09:02 PM) LMAO! Could you be more of a wet blanket on this, this being one of the more exciting times in very recent White Sox memory, with the Sox going this aggressively at acquiring a premium talent like Machado? Chr*st on a cracker, already! Here we have for the first time in a long time - a very long time, mind you! - our BIG MARKET ball club talking like a BIG MARKET ball club about pursuing a premium talent like this, a soon to be available asset on the open market, AND giving fairly strong indications that they as a BIG MARKET club will have the ability to meet the market demands and sign the talent long term. When was the last time a White Sox fan was able to get excited about this kind of free agent prospect signing? Yet here you are reigning down with your typical Debbie Downer, "Why, the Sox could never, ever...do this or...do that..." nonsense. As if it were a fool's errand to ever believe the team could make such an acquisition like this come true. Why, then, should we believe your line of thinking on the unlikelihood of the Sox acquiring Machado vs. what the GM has recently and refreshingly suggested as a different approach when it comes to competing for talents such as his? I might have taken this seriously from literally anyone else on Soxtalk.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 17, 2017 -> 08:55 PM) Yea if you think of it as replacing Hossa with Sharp then that is a move that has hurt a lot. Nice win tonight though against the Wild for the 5th win in a row. Crow is on a roll. And some of the role players recently are stepping up like Wingels, Hinostroza, Oesterle, Hartman and Kempny. These last two games are probably their best since the opening two games.

The White Sox know that they have zero chance at winning a bidding war for Manny Machado on the open market. No one else will say it, but I will. Sure they will be "competitive", and "make an impressive" offer, and maybe even be the 2nd highest bidder. They will even give the "bigger contract offered in the history of the franchise". But they won't be the top bidder, and they know it. This is a calculated gamble that if they get Machado here for a season, maybe they won't have to be the highest bidder anymore, much like they have seen with countless other players who came back to the White Sox for less money over the years. It is absolutely a gamble, but one the Sox seem to feel they have to make to have a chance at bringing one of the big boys to the White Sox. The fact we have to go back something like 25 years to talk about the last time the Sox signed a contract of this magnitude isn't lost on this franchise, and their actions now flat out tell me that they know they won't be offering the biggest deal... otherwise they wouldn't be looking at sending guys out to bring Machado here for a year early. Go back and forth about whether it is worth it or not, and how dumb it is to do this a year early, but Rick Hahn is 100% tipping the White Sox view of themselves on the free agent market by being a leading offer for Manny Machado. Despite what people hope, the White Sox actions here are telling completely different.