southsider2k5

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 02:34 PM) I think he would recruit Indiana well, maybe better than anyone has ever done. The rest of the Midwest I am not buying. Is basically having your pick of Indiana's best enough to get them to where they want to be? If you included LaLumiere in that list, it makes a pretty big difference. I think he can get some more work done in the area too if he wins something.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 02:19 PM) Absolutely. I look at it this way... the Yanks have Torres, Frazier, Judge, Andujar, Mateo, Rutherford and Mateo to offer the Sox in a trade for Q. Now, look at the position players in the Sox farm and ask yourself, how many position players do the Sox have that can equal or exceed what the Yanks have to offer? My point is that most of, if not all of those Yanks prospects I listed are better than what the Sox already have. Well, excluding Moncada of course. IMHO, a rebuilding team is not only about building the next winner but building future winners for years to come. Depth throughout the minors allows talent to flow upwards towards the majors in waves.The Cards are a great example of what I'm talking about. Year in and year out they are in the division race and have a solid farm with plenty of depth to either call up or to be used in trades. I'll happily take a depth package in a trade for Q. Especially if the package brings back two or three good quality position players. When I looked at it, the Yankees top half of position prospects is better than any prospect the White Sox still have in the minors that was acquired any later than the 2016 draft. Even past Torres/Frazier, you look at Rutherford, Mateo, Andujar, Judge, Garcia, McKinney, etc, and those guys who have all been top 3 prospects for the White Sox in the 2015-2016 off-season. These are all really good prospects. We probably aren't talking about superstar ceilings, but a lot of solid to good players that will give you a positive impact year in and year out. Just because a guy is rated #10 in the Yankees system, and not a top 100 guy, doesn't mean there aren't some very good major league players to be found there.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 02:03 PM) He didn't exactly land the big Indiana fish when he was coaching Iowa. But IU would be a different story. I personally think if they hire him they will be a lot happier the day they do than at any other time during his tenure. As an Iowa alum, I thought his hire was going to be the greatest thing, but it was more mediocrity, and I don't blame him too much for the Pierre Pierce stuff. He took the kid at his word and stuck up for him. Turns out he gets burned badly. I don't know if he would have done the same had Pierce not been probably his best player. But coaches sticking up for their guys usually isn't frowned upon. If he didn't take his side and Pierce was being straight with him, he would have been crushed for that as well. Knowing Alford semi-personally, he was a very trusting guy. Still to this day I fully believe that the kid fed him a line of BS, and he bought it, and stuck up for him. He would have also done it for the last guy on the roster. I personally saw him do it for other kids. He really buys into the father figure thing.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 01:56 PM) He's already recruiting it better than Crean was, he stole Wilkes (who loved Indiana but not Crean). He also already has a big in at LaLumiere, having gotten a kid from there out to UCLA. If he can get his claws in there for kids from the midwest, look out.

QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 01:45 PM) He may dream of it but if he's at a better spot with better future prospects (in LA v. Bloomington, Indiana), it's not an easy choice. What was he doing when Crean was hired? If he wanted to come back why not do it then? Was he still at Iowa at that point? That's just it. In another state, he is just another Coach. In the state of Indiana, he IS IU. He would own this state. Hell he was getting borderline division 1 prospects to a D3 when he was at Manchester. He was convincing D1 kids who weren't getting enough playing time to leave their schools and come play for him at Manchester when I was there. He would have every single advantage in the state of Indiana.

QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 01:20 PM) Or, seeing what was happening, they felt compelled to make a move before someone they wanted went elsewhere. I get Indiana has the name, but what is their roster/recruiting outlook? The Alford connection seems weak. Yeah, he's got the connection, but he's at a blue blood program with great players and has a great recruiting class next year. Why on earth leave that for Indiana and a semi-rebuild? If Alford is smart he knows that his time at UCLA is always limited. He knows if he can do anything at IU, he can retire there. Plus, there is an attachment to IU downstate that I can't explain. It is like a cult for some people. With him growing up in New Castle and playing there, that might be the one place he would leave for without being pushed out the door. I don't know if the rumors are true, but being on the ground level here, they sure as hell are plausible. Think Roy Williams leaving Kansas for UNC on steroids.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 01:29 PM) Q is very good. His value will never be as high as Sale's though. If Hahn is holding out for Austin Meadows or Gleyber Torres, then Q will never be in New York or Pittsburgh. I get the extra year of the deal, but there is definitely a superstar premium in the current market. With Q never getting viewed like that, he might not price out like that.

When do we start the DWade memories thread?

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 11:41 AM) Yeah, I'm skeptical of any reports that Illinois "has" their guy because obviously any coach still in the tournament can't sign anything binding. And with equal money, I'd have to imagine that Indiana is the overall better job (as much as I hate to admit that). So if Bennett or Marshall or Archie Miller are the guy, I have to imagine Indiana throws a wrench in things. But I also assume Indiana is shooting a bit higher than that (Stevens, is Alford on their radar), maybe Illinois is able to lock down their top guy if they exit the tournament early, and Indiana isn't ready to pull the trigger yet... Also, I doubt that Bryce Drew is on Indiana's radar, and I'd love that hire for Illinois. The rumor around these parts about a month ago was that Alford would leave UCLA for only IU. No idea how true that was.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 11:39 AM) Wow that hurts. Indiana is undoubtedly the best job on the market now. And the odds are pretty high that by waiting to announce, IU did its homework behind the scenes with no one watching.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 10:25 AM) I see all these posts/tweets about wanting the Sox farm system to be balanced. I don't know about you guys, but I'd much rather have a top 5 farm system with 7-8 elite prospects than a top 5 farm system with 20 decent ones. I'd much rather have elite talent at the top than balance. So that we can repeat the exact same thing that got us into this mess? Nah. Don't get me wrong, stars are great. But a lack of depth and balance has cost us for the better part of a decade now. No need to make the same mistakes again.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 09:55 AM) Frankly, given that the Sox have already gotten packages revolving around high ceiling players, I would probably prefer a package built around four or so 50-60 FV type players. Obviously you need a couple on the higher end, but mitigating risk with these prospects is good in the long run too. I would have no problem at all with a deal that gives us a boat load of B level guys. Our system kind of goes from A to C guys now anyway. Filling in the middle would be great for depth.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 09:47 AM) Even though he may not even be a part of it, JR does seem to value ATTEMPTING to get bonafide young stars when they hit market. He won't go after Mark Teixera or Soriano, but when an A Rod or big foreign FA came out, we have bid higher than the 6 for 68 number. And were almost a hundred million dollars behind the winners.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 09:14 AM) Yeah, 21 year olds making errors the first couple of weeks of spring training means it's time to change positions. The sample size used to show he needs to be moved is microscopic. If you want a rebuild, you better be prepared not only for busts, but for a lot of growing pains with the guys who ultimately won't fail. There is a reason he's at 2B. Taking anything away from performance so far this spring is so funny. But people fall for it every year. Didn't Q have about a 10.00 ERA either last spring or the spring before? Didn't the White Sox lead the world in HRs last spring? How did that work out? Way to read into that something that wasn't there. Bravo. Mid season form.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 09:14 AM) The Sox will have literally no expensive contracts on the books after the 2018 season once Q/Shields/Robertson/Melky/Frazier/Jones are gone. Probably 75% of the team will be making league minimum or close to it. I don't see any way how they wouldn't be able to afford Machado. It's just a matter if Jerry will pay up to get a premier free agent for once. Afford? Sure. Do it? I would fade that action til the cows come home.

QUOTE (steveno89 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 09:22 AM) Pirates = no Meadows, no deal Yankees = No Torres, no deal Astros = No Martes + Tucker, no deal And here Quintana sits. I wonder who blinks first.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 09:09 AM) Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez to blame for fatal boating crash, investigation concludes Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/comm...l#storylink=cpy How sad.

And on the continuing list of positions that have been completely flip-flopped, now the Democrats are talking about shutting down the government if they don't get their way. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/us/polit...crats.html?_r=0

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 07:31 AM) Yes, Robin Yount moved to CF later in his career . Chet Lemon was a 3B originally. But it depends. Moncada has a ton of tools, but we have no idea what his instincts would be. He could take an Avi Garcia path to the ball. To say it was a slam dunk he could handle it is as wrong as saying he's 21 and it's too late for him to learn. But the great OFs, they have something that cannot be taught. It almost seems as if they are moving before the ball is hit. There are guys with a little bit better than average speed that cover a lot more ground than some who can really fly. We don't "know" that he can play 2B yet either. By all returns he has been pretty awful there this spring.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 07:45 AM) Only way I see it being possible is if there is a new owner. I'd love to be wrong though. This. I know we are rebuilding, and somehow that changes everything, but I don't see the White Sox outbidding the rest of MLB for a $250 million contract.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 08:33 AM) Martin really went from good to great because of Porter news (knock on wood). Porters mean more to Columbia than any other program. But also Martin finally gets us in to SL area which has been a must for program forever. And if the rumor about them stealing the IL assistant and getting Tilmon too? Wow. That is a top 10 squad instantly.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 12:05 AM) CF is not a position you suddenly "learn" at 21. Not especially when you are a on track to be a league average 2B and hit 290/350/500 by 23. I don't know why so many people think that the instincts needed to play a good MLB level CF are easily learned or translated from the IF. They are honed over years of being a CF. If Moncada was a more promising CF then IF, he'd have already been switched. You think the Red Sox didn't say, "Yo, Yoan, go take 500 fungoes in CF" and concluded it wasn't worth it? I mean, yea, eventually he could do it, but at what cost overall to his value and development? A significant one. It absolutely can be done. Craig Biggio did it after being a catcher.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Mar 15, 2017 -> 08:10 PM) That would be the guy. Disagree with his politics, but its nice to see someone take his duty seriously. Personally I love it. We need more people like that.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Mar 15, 2017 -> 07:53 PM) But speed is a large component of range. Jumps and routes the others but Billy Hamilton disagrees. And speed can make up for some deficiencies in the other two.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 15, 2017 -> 09:28 AM) By the way, in terms of transparency, I just want to give a shout-out to house rep Justin Amash (MI - R). Not only has he almost never missed a vote, but for every vote he makes, he writes a post on Facebook and his blog as to the reasoning why he voted how he did. There are other things I like about him too (he's very willing to buck his own party), but he does transparency really well. Is he the guy who cried because he missed his first vote ever?