caulfield12

Puerto Rico ambushing Urias and Mexico 4-0 in the first…

https://sports.yahoo.com/world-baseball-classic-more-than-1-million-fans-attended-first-round-games-shattering-previous-record-182210957.html

Colas coming back down to Earth a bit in these past few games...

Uh oh.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-ran-website-illegally-streamed-214600421.html

https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/news/world-baseball-classic-s-biggest-remaining-storylines?partnerId=zh-20230317-854540-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20230317-854540-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=MnuGhXh5n6iknu6QLFBHSskTEn6nP90Rx3jDgcYQdE8Hs6uKeqZGaNBOzQZ%2BrdZz&bt_ts=1679059985116

But is he a $175-225 million player in his 30’s?

Twins (48%) Why it will be them: Because the AL Central is relatively weak – the Guardians are more good than great – and because the Twins made moves this winter to improve their defense, depth and rotation, which could be sneaky good if Pablo López (sweeper) and Joe Ryan (sweeper, splitter) use their new pitches to really take off. Don’t forget, the Twins did spend 41 more days in first than Cleveland did last year, until they were torpedoed by bullpen and injury woes; no AL team had more injury days missed than Minnesota. Throw in promising reports on swing changes by Joey Gallo and Carlos Correa, the return of Kenta Maeda, and the elite relief of Jhoan Duran, and it’s not that hard to see this team going from 78-84 to October. Why it won’t: Because they don’t have a true ace and Byron Buxton hasn’t played in 100 games since 2017. https://www.mlb.com/news/losing-teams-from-2022-that-could-make-playoffs

What will they be saying at the Applebee's in Lawrence (besides Rock Chalk Jayhawk)??? Would love to hear Ozzie's thoughts over a few cervezas.

No, just what I'm sure is a China-pirated collection of wordwide networks/feeds that I only pay $10-15 USD per month or so for... in addition to the MLBTV.com package. For example, I have CBS TNT TBS but no Tru for NCAA Tourney games. All the big four (NFL NBA MLB NHL) sports channels. ESPN1/2. All the premium movie channels, etc.

FS1/FS2/HUBI are the channels I DON'T get in Chinese subscription package... Watched WBC from Korean and Japanese channels so far. Weirdly, the four Japanese sports channels weren't showing Japan live last night but rerunning Cuba/Australia instead.

NFL safety minus the top flight speed...

https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-questions-to-answer-on-opening-day?game_pk=719088 If these are legitimately their three biggest problems... their prospect depth is obviously light years ahead of the White Sox.

Other than Montgomery and Ramos... not feeling all that confident about those young infielders. And unless Anderson was playing CF everyday... it wouldn't elevate his value any from a FA standpoint to take him off SS. You don't do it for Elvis Andrus. Now maybe if Robert was hurt again... you'd have to consider it at least.

Shades of Avi Garcia injuries in RF there with that size...

Most of those Latin American pitchers without 95+ fastballs are masters of the junkball/offspeed game. Of course, the same is true in Japan/Korea/Taiwan when the majority are throwing 88-91/92.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/breaking-down-a-u-s-canada-colombia-tiebreaker-nightmare/

Should be deGrom Verlander Cease Burnes Kershaw Cortes... etc.

Three way tie for second goes to which team now?

Two more innings to go. US/Colombia in warm-up. Have to win that one in order to advance, right? Or another one of those crazy tie-breaker situations? A loss would mean a 3 way tie with Colombia and Canada...not sure how all the tiebreakers would shake out there.

Puerto Rico beating DR would be one of the bigger upsets of the WBC ... obviously PR has a ton of talent of their own, but still. Everyone had DR, Japan and USA as their top 3 picks. Almost impossible to go against Japan at this point. Cuba just doesn't have enough hitting outside top 4 guys and their pitching depth is relatively weak/er now, too.

Going to anything close to the NBA post-season where you have like 18-20 teams just waters down the meaningful nature of a 162 game season. Them they'd have to go back to 154, 150 games...maybe down into the 140s even which would save the White Sox potential days on the IL I guess. Ownersight prefer if extended postseason gives them 15-20% more tv revenue compared to the loss of 4-11 home games in September when attendance is dead except postseason penant races.

Still don't have an actual $100+ million contract in terms of guarateed pay out to the player, TL however one wants to spin that deal.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox/luis-robert-22648/

Sounds like something Scott Reifert or Merkin came up with... Tax penalties, lol? Now we are adding up separate contracts and putting them together? Might as well add Sale's Red Sox contract to his Sox one. Note can reach is different from guaranteed. See 2025 Yoan Moncada contract terms.