iamshack

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 19, 2015 -> 02:10 PM) The White Sox went with the middle ground - trying to compete without giving up their best long-term assets, but while sacrificing some depth and money. In the process they utterly failed. The end result is they have absolutely moved closer to wasting Sale and Abreu's best seasons, because they just wasted one of them at the very least. That's what you said the risk was of slowly trying to develop assets, and they did exactly that while trying to find "near future" assets. I think that's a very strong message from 2015. They spent a lot of assets on this season, got incredibly lucky with health, like unbelievably lucky with the health of their lineup, and they've barely improved from 2014. They have absolutely increased the chances of wasting their best years because they just wasted one. They still have Robertson/Melky/Duke locked up for '16 and '17 and Robertson for '18. I don't think it is fair to write these assets off as useless because the team will not win this year. And yet you are, and have been, for the last several months. You seem to somehow require guaranteed results. What world do you live in? They took a shot and it didn't work out. But they didn't irreparably harm their future. In fact, they added some nice pieces for the next few years for which there still are no solutions. Yes, they surrendered two draft picks for the privilege.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 19, 2015 -> 01:59 PM) Um...I think it's very, very, very clear based on 2015 that what you just said is the risk of doing the 2nd option...building from the ground up and then in the process wasting Sale and Abreu's best years....is absolutely a risk of the 3rd way that you ascribe to the front office as well. In fact, if it keeps the roster caught in the middle and relies on luck to push them into a wild card role, there's a decent case to be made that has the highest chance of wasting Sale and Abreu's best years because it is likely the slowest path to producing a top of the league team even if a roll of the dice could push it to be the fastest way to a wild card spot. There is nothing very, very, very clear about the bolded. Please elaborate. I haven't the slightest clue what you are trying to get across.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Aug 19, 2015 -> 01:15 PM) Although the moves they made in the offseason doesn't necessarily hurt the 2016 or 2017 chances for the main roster, they still lost out on a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick during this years amateur draft. At this point, they need to be focusing on building up a farm system that still ranks on the bottom half of baseball. Then they should be trading their best mlb assets to further that goal, because otherwise you are wasting them on mediocre, meaningless seasons. There are 3 paths to go down at this juncture: 1) Recognize you have Sale/Abreu/Rodon and push all your chips into the middle and try to win over the next few years. Trade anything from the minor leagues that isn't bolted down to try and take advantage of the elite talent you have currently on the big league roster; 2) Continue building from the ground up, recognizing that you need to develop position players to balance out the young pitching you've been developing. Hope you can do this quickly enough to find a window before Sale/Abreu/Rodon leave via FA or their skills begin to erode; and 3) Balance the present with the future, recognizing you have elite talent on the roster now, but not enough. Move assets deemed not part of your "future" to bring in assets that can contribute now or in the near future. It's pretty clear that our FO chose the third path. The risk of taking the path you're advocating for is that by the time this all comes together, you may have wasted Sale and Abreu's best years, and some of Rodon's best years. At some point, you've got to recognize what you've got and give these guys an opportunity to make the postseason.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 19, 2015 -> 09:07 AM) IF Rick Hahn wanted more time then he shouldn't have put himself in a position where his results could and should so readily be judged based on the 2015 season. He's the one who spent big money. He's the one who traded for a pitcher a year away from FA. He's the one who said he had a roster ready to compete. He's the one who on July 31 said "If we keep playing like this we'll be right there in the end" while not making any move to build the team for now or the future. I feel it entirely appropriate to judge Rick Hahn's performance based on his own words. He set the standard on July 31 that he should be held by. I still fail to see how the past offseason created inflexibility in regards to the framework of this team over the next few years. The whole purpose of the direction they took was to balance today with tomorrow. While I was not a fan of the LaRoche signing, it won't cripple us. The other deals are not blocking anyone who's knocking down the door at Charlotte, with the possible exception of Johnson, who can be brought up in less than 2 weeks. I just can't understand why the fact that they took a shot on '15 and missed has some devastating consequences for '16 and '17.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 18, 2015 -> 08:16 AM) Interesting. For a long time they were the trendsetters when it came to international players. Heck, I still think they are. This probably has a lot more to do with Friedman and company wanting their own guys and their own philosophies. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if the club was going to go in another direction, I'd look right at former Dodgers GM Ned Coletti. Him and his team deserve a lot of credit for building a strong Dodger farm system and a lot of the current talent. Clearly the payroll helps. In fact, I think their are a group of Dodger fans that are growing fed up already with the current crew. Interesting. I always thought Coletti was at odds with their development staff. I thought I remember he and Logan White battling constantly as Coletti brought in overpriced veterans through FA.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:32 PM) I 100% agree. Which is why he needs to be with the big club, getting the best coaching with access to the best facilities in the system. It goes without saying the stuff is there. Small thing, it just made me roll my eyes when posters were up in arms just a few weeks ago about Rodon. I guess nothing should surprise me however. The problem with sending him down is he's going to get so many swings and misses on those pitches just out of the zone anyways. I don't know what good it would do.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:29 PM) Where are the posters that wanted to send Rodon back to the minors last month? The thing I don't like about Carlos is he seems to be a bit of a headcase. You're going to need to be a bit extra careful with him to make sure you keep him moving in the right direction.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:26 PM) Yes he is. They are married.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:26 PM) Now we have Saladino Flowers and Beckham for their closer to destroy No, we'll unload the bench to pinch hit in the 9th because, it's the 9th.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:24 PM) I'm pretty sure this pitcher is dating Allie LaForce Joe Smith? Ack.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:22 PM) Hit-and-run time to avoid the 5-4-3

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:20 PM) amazing at bat by LaRoche. That stupid decision also makes it so Flowers or Soto will have to face Street. Fathom, I honestly think I would prefer you manage this team than Robin. And I'm not kidding.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 09:14 PM) If Rodon's K total tonight are any indication, he might not have his best stuff tonight which makes it even more impressive to me. Hasn't really had the slider.

Well s***. I was just about to comment about how Rodon was getting that slider going.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 08:57 PM) Rookies always tend to get squeezed, especially when they're not noted for their strike zone command in the first place. Well Heaney is a rookie too!

I know Trout is struggling versus everyone right now, but it's still great watching Carlos strike him out so often.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 08:55 PM) Seems like he's had a big zone today He didn't last inning for Carlos.

That was a ball. That thing was still 3-4 inches below his knees as it crossed the plate.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 08:53 PM) he swung at 2 balls The guy also called two balls strikes.

He's obviously a stud athlete. Just can't hit for s***.

Carlos, despite the home run, showing command, which is great to see. Looking more for improvement in that department right now more than anything else.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 07:27 PM) He's a terrible bunter. But I really wish Robin used the double steal more. Avi is above average and Trayce has pretty good speed. Avi has a pretty terrible record stealing bases, doesn't he?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 07:04 PM) So far Saladino has put up premium defense at 3rd. Perhaps, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can do so at 2b.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Aug 17, 2015 -> 06:48 PM) Anyone think his D would be better than Sanchez' at 2b? I think his bat will play out the same (more power/speed) when it's all said and done and he definitely has a bigger arm/range. I think Sanchez is a premium defensive player...doubtful that Saladino could equal that. However, you'd want to evaluate his overall defensive and offensive production relative to league average at 2b unless your club was weighted so much on the defensive side that his offense was imperative. To me, the the difference between he and Sanchez offensively isn't even worth entertaining the analysis.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Aug 11, 2015 -> 03:45 PM) I hope that it doesn't sound like I am placing my opinion above others because what I do in school and for a living outside the forum, if it comes of that way it's certainly not my intention. And yet, I completely disagree with everything you said. If TDS2 were the show's first seasn it would've guaranteed a second season just based on the ratings alone. Recently the President of HBO said that they're waiting to open up negotiations with Nic Pizzolatto for a third season and more depending on him (he said during the first season that he is hoping for at least 5), Pizzolatto also has another show in development at the network and he has some high profile screenwriting gigs coming up. Nic Pizzolatto isn't going anywhere for a while, the same goes for True Detective. (I don't follow the points and ratings but S2 has been one of the network's highest rated programs, and is one of theit popular brands) Now, I've said this before and after seeing the whole season I feel vavalidated when I say TDS2> TDS1. I liked the plot and storyline better, the psychosphere was much improved this time in my opinion and the characters were amazing. I could go on but in short I think S2 is way better than 1. I would compare True Detective to what happens when a band puts a phenomenonal debut album (both critically and commercially) and in its aftermath the hype starts to build up amongst fans and the media and in the building of the hype, both parties either start to write the music in their heads or/want (demand) a rehash of the debut. And when the band puts out their (just as good if not better) sophomore album, people are judge it for what it's not instead by what it is. While I understand people may like or dislike certain things, some of the reviews for this season come off like the person who wrote the review either isn't paying attention to the storyline, has some kind of preconceived agenda (some of articles written by critics/bloggers who are affiliated with the alphabet groups are very infuriating, they (GLAAD) sound like they have old fashioned views on gay characters (I can rant about GLADD and some members of the MAC all day)), or they bash the show for not being the second season and while I disagree with that school of criticism, that would make more sense when you're critiquing a traditional serialized television show, that has no place when judging a self contained anthology series. When people asked me what I wanted from the second season of the show after the first season finale, I said that all I want for it is to be good. I think that's the only thing that you/we (the audience) can ask for when it comes to art, anything other than that and you're bound to be disappointed. As I said on reddit and at the viewing party, I wish more people would've watched this without preconceived notions and ideas, because they're missing out. For those that prematurely dropped the show, get away from it for a bit and start the season again (this time watch it in its entirety) and come to your own opinions and conclusions. I'll bet you'll be signing a different tune, if not you can say that I was wrong. I think the bolded is a good comparison. I enjoyed season 2. I enjoyed season 1 more because of the cast, as I am a huge MM and Woody fan, but season two had its moments. And for those saying the first 3 episodes of season 2 were brutally slow, do you not recall season 1? Season 1 started off pretty damn slow itself.