Dick Allen

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 30, 2017 -> 06:30 AM) So you dare to add the Cubs who went through several last in their division finishes in their rebuilding process? You dare to tell me we need to spend big in free agency and then name Boston who spent big money on Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez - literally the only reason Boston is competitive right now is because they stopped that route. The Yankees kept trotting out $200 million payrolls and then started missing the playoffs. They backed off and rebuilt around Judge, Sanchez, and Severino, and look what happened. The Dodgers are insanely good at the draft. Corey Seager, Bellinger, their outfielders, they're developing talent and that's why they're on top. These teams are spending money but it is not their main strategy. They are spending money to fill holes, and even then they are winding up with busts. The Cubs have a contract that is Adam LaRoche quality. You have cited him several times as the kind of thing we shouldn't do. Adam LaRoche is far cheaper than Jayson Heyward and Heyward imploded. You still haven't answered why you're ok with giving money to bums like Heyward and Sandoval? Top 3 payrolls in baseball coming into the 2017 season. Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox. Must be nice to spend $230 million on payroll and have spending money not be part of your strategy. The fact is these teams are all loaded with guys they pay a lot of money. It will be interesting when the Astros guys get all extremely expensive at around the same time. Adding guys like a Verlander may not be possible.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 30, 2017 -> 06:32 AM) half their lineup so 4.5 players? Contreras, Rizzo, Bryant, Happ, Schwarber, Almora, Russell, Baez. Which of those are free agent signings? Zobrist and Heyward were, but they have been poor signings, and John Jay was a backup. Out of their lineup please tell me where the major contributing free agents are, because I don't believe you. When they won the WS or pennant as your post referred. Fowler FA Heyward FA Zobrist FA Ross FA Pitchers FA. Yes. Half.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 10:06 PM) Name a team that has won a pennant dominantly through Free Agency. Literally the last one I've got is the 09 Yankees. That doesn't mean teams don't get some free agents, but literally everyone is using a path different from what you said. No team can make the method work that you keep saying we shoudl do. And if you would have read the post in the Avi thread only 2 or 3 posts before you talked about how "they should sign good free agents instead of bad ones", even the teams that are winning - they have free agent busts. How about your Royals, they have a pennant right? Wouldn't they prefer to no longer have Alex Gordon's contract on the books? The Cubs and that Heyward deal? If you sign 3 free agents, the odds are one of them will be a LaRoche level bust. That's how the Free Agency market works. Cubs. Half their line up was free agents. A quarter of it was trades and a quarter was the draft, int. signings.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 06:57 PM) It was on the Garfien podcast yesterday where they said the WSox weren't in the article now Yeah you can get the article from Carfados twitter and they definitely were removed.

How come Clarence Thomas isn't being revisited? If Al Franken should resign, Long Dong should as well. BTW, the "clever" nickname Trump gave Franken actually pops up automatically. So once again, Trump isn't as clever as he wants you to beleive

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 03:10 PM) my god. Why are men in power such f***heads? Women in power abuse it as well. Probably not as often sexually, but in other ways. People with status let it go to their heads and think they are more important.

3 years of control isn't bad. Look at the White Sox 40 man roster 3 years ago. Only 7 remain from the 40 man. Only 9 remain from the 2015 40 man. A lot happens in 3 years.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 10:47 AM) Looks like they are now focusing on Brohm That would really suck for Purdue.

Illini fans make Lebron look like he never complains. Basketball has got to be the hardest to officiate. The best athletes, not the best angles, a lot more running around than other sports, and a lot of officials are pretty old. They can't hang with these guys.

Abreu is a fine person, and seems to be taking over the leadership role quite well, but 2 years of control, with the team not in contention, makes you wonder. Someday, Ron will be correct, and Jose won't be worth his paycheck. Will he be like Carlton Fisk? Will he fall apart all at once like all of the Adams? I think you use the Dodgers old philosophy here and go with trading him a year too early is better than trading him a year too late. His stock isn't going higher.

The one issue is Boras is JBJ's agent. Could be a killer.

JBJ is a guy controlled for an extra season who also could be extended, and since he is younger, maybe a better candidate for that. Premium GG quality defender up the middle. If you could get a good prospect or 2 with him, I have liked Abreu as much as anyone, but I'd make that deal in a heartbeat. Jose could come back in 2 years and DH.

If there is one GM not afraid to give up prospects, it's DD.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 10:30 AM) I remember him signing while the Red Sox were still in the playoffs. I feel like that kind of hurts negotiations. And they sucked the next season. They had Papi, and Napoli filling the 1b/DH spots. I wonder how bad he would have been at 3B, especially when he was a bigger guy.

The Red Sox were initially going to use him at 3B.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 09:32 AM) House GOP to Propose Sweeping Changes to Higher Education Caps student loans, eliminates loan forgiveness, greatly reduces regulations on for-profit colleges (which are largely high-priced diploma mills) Bring back Trump U.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 09:37 AM) That's great. They should complain as much as possible. It's hysterical to me. They cry about the coaches, the players, but if the refs were competent, they would be undefeated.

QUOTE (Da_Goob @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 09:17 AM) You should probably use this comment after complaints for other games. Not this one. I'm guessing you didn't watch because you sound foolish. It's been going on since probably before you were born. My dad has been blaming refs since I was a little kid. I think it must be a freshman required course in Champaign.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Nov 29, 2017 -> 06:37 AM) Because cbb refs are awful at their job and largely deserve criticism at every oppurtunity. Its the Jay Bilas line of thought. Last night for example, two plays went to the monitor that are unreviewable, overturning calls on the floor. The refs decided to institute full on replay randomly in a game for reasons known only to them. Nothing, of course, will come of it. Unlike the other 5 major sports leagues, there is no oversight committee or conferences that will come down on it. No fan base takes it to the Illini fan extreme. The Illini get screwed every game. Their opponents never do.

Why do Illini basketball fans spend so much time complaining about officiating? It isn't just a couple. I grew up with them, and have watched games since I was a little kid. I would figure they would be just about undefeated in my lifetime if it wasn't for incompetent officiating.

I heard there is no way Fangio will be the Bears interim HC. Supposedly there are some higher ups, and I don't know who, who feel like Fangio doesn't like them. They are counting the days until he is gone.

I think Putnam, Farquhar, and Albuquerque get non tendered.

If she was told that, she was told that. Even if it isn't true, and it hasn't been verified false, it doesn't make her a liar. Look at the commercial. Everyone on it was told something different than the DNA test stated. Are they all liars?

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Nov 27, 2017 -> 10:33 AM) Why not? On a rebuilding team, you don't pick from an area of need, you absolutely pick the BPA. I think Green may have been at the top of the list given he was projected as a late first round pick. r because Pax said they didn't value anyone left on the board. The funny thing was the pick was acquired for Deng to get the Bulls under the luxury tax. Pax said they were going to put the saved resources back into the team.well they did give Wade 39 million for some reason. Of all of JR'S loyalty employees, Gar Pax is IMO, the most inept. What they have done decision wise, let alone Gars rep for lying, Pax assaulting a coach, is mind boggling bad. They had some bad luck, but if Rose HD never been injured, they weren't going to win anyway.

The Bell move wasn't as ridiculous as it looks because the Bulls wouldn't have picked him if GS didn't buy the pick. It still means there is a problem in GarPaxville, but if the Bulls had kept that pick, they probably would have selected some 2 guard who can't shoot, or a 1 who can't shoot or pass. Matt Lloyd leaving was a blow to this team. He is the reason they drafted Jimmy G. Buckets and Gibson. Once he left, the late picks went to s***.