Texsox

Local news guy here in Ranger's country is speculating that the Rangers have him all but wrapped up, didn't even mention the Sox What do they say in Kansas

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 09:54 AM) Absolutely. Make the playoffs 4 out of 5 years or 5 out of 6 years and see what happens. Hell, just make them 2 years in a row even. I think it would make a huge difference. It's just too bad we've never been able to test this theory. But if Cub fans really care about winning why do they fill the park when they are losing? About the last thing I would accuse the Cubs "customers" of being is caring about winning. I think the Sox numbers would increase, but my guess is it would be new fans that are attracted to the winning, not an exodus of Cub customers deciding to move the party to the southside.

And #1 reason it is a Cubs town is TV. All the way back to the late 1960s when the Sox were on 32 and 44 UHF channels that had terrible reception everywhere. All the other factors are well behind losing the TV generation.

QUOTE (MAX @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 11:13 PM) They don't really come to watch baseball though. They come to get drunk, go hang out in wrigleyville and watch baseball. So I don't think they are better fans in any way. They just have a more attractive non-baseball experience overall when attending a game. What if I said better customers instead of fans? I was using the term fans to describe the folks that buy tickets and go to the game. They ring the cash registers. I can see how that doesn't accurately describe all fans. There are plenty of fans who never attend a home game. What is different with Sox fans? I've seen drunks at Sox games. We both watch baseball. The neighborhood? I will concede that more people would leave a Sox' game and party in Wriglyville than leave a Cubs' game and party around the Cell. Now that my daughter lives in the Lakeview neighborhood I have spent some time in Wriglyville on non Cub game nights and it was busy with people partying. I wonder if we confuse people who were at the game with non fans who are just there for a party?

BTW, is there a little irony that the most conservative leaders voted to keep people home and collecting (eventually) a government check without working and the liberals wanted people to actually work for their government check?

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 07:55 PM) They tried harder, and therefore played worse than when other pitchers were on the mound? The numbers actually disprove your point, unless playing harder and focusing more makes you worse at baseball. It doesn't add up. See ball, hit ball. Who your pitcher is doesn't make a difference, he's sitting in the dugout. The other things you are bringing up, aren't nearly the same as "who's my starting pitcher today." No batter makes a conscious decision to "try hard" based on a pitcher. I guess everyone hates Sale. Ok. Players always play with the same effort. Doesn't matter the situation. I guess I imagined guys says "we were trying to win one for X". Sorry.

For example, and it's the first one I see. In comparing two starters on Colorado with similar stats, Chacin (31 starts) goes 14-10 with a 3.47 and 1.26 WHiP DeLaRose (30 starts) goes 16-6 with a 3.49 and 1.38 WHiP Why? Luck? Who would you pitch in a must win game? Better stats or better W-L? Again, as I said earlier, W-L may be the least valuable stat on the back of a baseball card, but I don't think it should be totally dismissed.

So you don't buy that there can be any outside distractions when I guy is hitting? He totally locks in on that and doesn't bring any other factors up to the plate with him? Sick kid? Fight with the wife? The cute girl in the fourth row? A possible batting title? A 0-23 slump? He just gets up there like every other time at bat? he doesn't think man, Chris deserves some run support? I've read quotes from guys who at least claim otherwise. That they were pushing, trying to win one for X, Y, or Z. I think it would be an extraordinary athlete that totally blocks out everything. I mentioned it before, but let me repeat. I think they played harder for Sale, not less. His record could have been even worse.

Think about this for a second is it really true that consistently winning could switch Chicago to a Sox town? The Cubs haven't won s*** in over 100 years. Their fan base doesn't care about winning. They have done what I wish every baseball franchise could pull off, making it seem fun to go to a MLB baseball game no matter the outcome. As Sox fans we take pride often times in not supporting a terrible team. Cub fans, it could be argued, are better "baseball" fans because 2 million of them come out to watch baseball, not just watch their team when it is winning. The Sox should have made a better dent by having the newer modern ball park, but failed because of the too steep upper deck and ball-mall anti-marketing.

I saw the chance to make the 1,000 reply and took it. yeah, I'm bored.

Ok Dems and Reps in Washington, the game is over, shake hands . . .

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 04:39 PM) This is where I would love to see my customized pitching stat that factors in run support along with the pitchers numbers and defense played behind the pitcher to get an expected win total. I like the idea. Don't forget the patent.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 03:03 PM) Do you really think guys didn't play harder when Chris Sale was on the mound? Because frankly, I think that's frankly crazy talk. I think they did or his win total would have been even worst. No stat is perfect. When you really start to consider all the variables that come into wins. Does the other team decide it's a good day to rest starters? Is the guy pitching on a day when the other team's ace is on the mound and the rest of the team is thinking hitting and not fielding?

I wonder who will be the first politician to declare (erroneously) that their side "won". Your side may have lost less than the other, but y'all lost.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 10:16 AM) I guess I'd put it this way: what do pWins tell us about a pitcher's performance that some other stat doesn't tell us better? Perhaps it is the one stat that incorporates or covers that catch all we call "intangibles"? Where else would you find a stat that shows his teamates play just a little bit harder when he is on the mound? Or worse, the guy that his teammates seem to take the day off with? I could be, and mostly am, convinced that W-L is the least valuable of the stats we find on the back of a baseball card. I haven't been convinced yet that we should throw it out.

I read where Cruz was quoted secondhand as saying he will not use any procedural maneuvers to stop it. Of course he will vote no.

I believe you have to look at the complete picture instead of looking at any stat in isolation. While I believe we've historically over used W-L record, I also believe there is a danger in underusing it. When you think about a pitcher that "gets the job done" are you thinking WHiP or WiNS? Do you want a guy that shouldn't be winning but somehow it keeps happening (winning ugly) or a pitcher that is pitching much better than his record and appears snake bit (losing pretty)? We know that both are due to regress to the mean. And eventually you want the guy with better overall stats, but at that moment . . .

I am developing a lot of empathy for Boehler. He is in about the worst situation that any speaker has had to deal with, and I honestly do not believe it is even 10% his fault. I don't think anyone could have provided a solution that would work in this situation. Basically as I am now seeing this it's like a poker player getting a crappy hand, no matter how you played it you were going to have to fold.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 14, 2013 -> 08:44 PM) Greg and I go picking Daisies every Sunday morning. QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 14, 2013 -> 08:45 PM) Lots of third person sexy talk, no doubt. Fixed A to = B too subtle?

The fact that so many of us feel connected is probably why we stay active year round and the arguments get so intense.

Thank you. But out of the thousands and thousands of grad students, how many are doing research like this, and is it typical?

This just came up in the Filibuster and I thought it was a great comment. Over the years I have become friends with a few posters here by meeting them in person. Then facebook came and I even have friends of soxtalk posters now as friends.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 13, 2013 -> 04:28 PM) Ironic that you are posting this anonymously on a message board, right? This doesn't feel anonymous anymore. Dammit Facebook and friending too many people here.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 13, 2013 -> 03:38 PM) I'm talking about this case. She said she did it. The family knows she did it. There is no conspiracy. Yes I want her stricken from the earth very soon, not having to wait years for a trial. If that makes me bad instead of the system, then I'm bad. I contend the system and our world can be very bad. I'm not wrong on this issue IMO. I'm not blaming you or criticizing you. I think the world would be a better place if there was more outrage against people like this woman when everybody knows she did it than people defending the legal system when somebody like me speaks out against this monster of a woman. That's just me. In this case, like all cases in the US, she is innocent until proven guilty. She is entitled to a strong defense in front of an unbiased judge or jury. I support our system, you reject it. We have appeals in this country because we have so many rights. I am fundamentally opposed to the taking away of rights. You have no problem with that. I can express outrage, horror, and empathy for this crime without demanding an immediate execution. There are countries around the world where that does happen, and none of them are where I would like to live.

Being in the humanities this is all out of my area of expertise so pardon the questions. So how many students do you think are affected by what amounts today as a two week shutdown, and how many students if this goes until the end of the year? How did the research begin without money? How does a month or two, or more delay in receiving the next check have such a disastrous affect for most projects?