caulfield12

So much for Gold Glove Garcia...should have been caught. Hit off the heel of the glove. Well, we woke up Omar Narvaez this year. Omar Coming (Again).

NOT FOX AFFILIATE in KC where Harris Faulkner got her start, therefore, FAKE NEWS. Used to be CBS, if I remember correctly.

Looks like they're finally going to lose a game to KC. They pretty much just have to pay 7 games below .500 for the rest of the season to make the playoffs, considering they can destroy KCR, Det and Pittsburgh, who might be the worst franchise in modern baseball history when all is said and done (can't lose 100+ games, of course.)

Well, then this team isn't going to go very far in the playoffs with a #2 in Giolito and a #3/4 in Keuchel. Unless they can just bludgeon teams to death offensively. Didn't work all that well in 2000 and 2008 (well, not having Quentin was already the kiss of doom.)

The ideal situation is cash-strapped franchises that are non-competitive dumping contracts that are 1-2 years beyond 2020, providing some measure of team control without over-committing. Stroman is a counter example, bringing someone in for a 4-5 week "internship/trial period" to see if he fits in well with the institutional culture of the team before hitting FA.

How did Rongey manage to date her? (Gets ready to be attacked by those arguing that money/appearance aren't the only qualities a man can possess.) I might have to change my opinion about him at least having some game (one redeeming quality), although not about his broadcasting. Interestingly, Rahimi is the same age as Ginger Zee. Unfortunately, in the broadcasting business, there's always that constant recycling of female sports anchors in their late 30's/early 40's....reverting back to the mid 20's, fresh out of the journalism/analytics school equivalents of peppy blonde, blue-eyed cheerleaders. For me, I'll take the knowledge/insight over the external qualities every single time, but there's always that inner Brent Musburger imprinted in the male brain. I know from when I worked in minor league baseball, about 90% were men. The women were always pushed into ticket sales and on-field promotions, like the quite suddenly VERY dated Chevy Pride Girls. Now, there's actually signs of progress, like Jessica Mendoza and the coach for SFG. AGEISM.

Of course, part of that drive came from being traded before he ever had an opportunity to play a MiLB game. Most importantly, growing from 5'11" to 6' 3 1/2" inches in 18 months. Elijah is still just 5'10" or 5'11," at least at this point. There's another reading on this. He has even more natural ability than his older brother, but hasn't reached his potential or been forced to really push himself...having gotten by on talent and family name alone so far.

Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals, like Buehrle and Crede growing up.

Pretty sure that family is about to be set for life financially. $500k won’t matter much in the overall scheme of things. It was essentially a do over for the Sox, mostly for fighting hard at the last second to sign the older brother in the first place when he was going elsewhere. And pre-existing relationships between Sr. and Sox execs, especially KW and Paddy.

Fine, but WMAQ-670 was the only way (more at night) for this teenage Sox fan to follow the team from Iowa in the 1980’s. Later, of course, SportsChannel and WGN. It was either that, or Jack Buck/Mike Shannon doing the Cards’ games.

The scary part is if we made the playoffs in 2016, got routed and a certain SD shortstop had disappeared into the ether...it would pretty much be like 2013-2015 all over again, except six plus years of losing baseball in all likelihood.

Only at SoxTalk does one receive free Chinese philosophy lessons along with baseball/medical malady insights!

This will never work in a million years because...Elijah.

Well, you’ve just captured quite accurately the fragile state of most Americans in mid-2020. That said, I’m not sure that an MLB messageboard is the best place to turn for psychological interventions, lol. Liberation after essentially being quarantined inside home for 8 months will lift the mood surely enough, so will returning to reconnect with students and colleagues and finally readjusting to a normalized routine again. Generally, walking and excessive sunshine do the trick, most days. Or sappy Korean dramas, haha. Labrador retriever puppies. Legos with my 5 year old. Being able to go back to the movie theatre again. Unfortunately, we’ve already lost two teachers to complete mental breakdowns, but those were 50% excessive alcohol consumption-induced. That’s one thing I don’t have to worry about, at least.

I started this particular Robert thread, lol. I have never said anything but positive things about him. I guess with Moncada, I don’t remember anything particularly negative other than the identical concerns many expressed in 2017-18 about contact and switch-hitting from the RH side, as well as susceptibility to injuries. With Jimenez, it’s strictly a matter of hoping for defensive improvements and more emphasis on that aspect of his game, as well as improving his throwing motion/mechanics from the OF.

He was “fine” in the beginning...and would have been okay if the team performances and franchise in general were going in a positive direction. He became another victim of the toxicity around the team. He didn’t need to get fired like Stone and Caray by the Cubs. Try to demonstrate some objectivity and don’t try to sell the fans something they won’t buy. And especially don’t double down on that position, instead of lightening up and discovering a middle ground between carrying water for the team and doing something where you’re so critical/open/honest you’re constantly on the verge of getting fired (Harry Caray, Piersall, Drysdale.)

Sounds good! The bottom line is that I will never forgive Hahn for that idiotic Shields trade...not until we at least get back to the ALCS. Thankfully, Luis Robert arrived on the scene or we would have been one true impact player short. But I don’t have any reason to believe that Hahn and not KW was the main reason that got done. Secondly, I have never understood hero-worshipping Hahn while denigrating KW, when the latter has been responsible for evaluating and bringing in the majority of talent. This idea of Hahn, Genius on a Leash, with KW, Destroyer of the Franchise, has never made any sense, at all.

I still listen to him doing Rays’ games occasionally, but mostly on the road. He just has a warmth about him, he treats fans with respect...is knowledgeable and passionate, but never belittles. John Rooney had that quality...still does. For me, Wayne Hagin and Rooney will always be the gold standard. After that broadcasting team was broken up, Sox radio broadcasts have always been a bit lacking.

We’re reaching the point where we are getting good again...and the company line is going to be don’t criticize anyone, other than a few designated scapegoats and Renteria. It hasn’t happened yet, groupthink setting in, when you can only praise the team or be considered as a dark cloud, but it will happen soon enough. Maybe it’s worth it, as long as we have a winning team, it could be considered a fair trade. It was the undoing of WSI. But that’s because the mods forced this “must adhere to our viewpoint/s strictly” mentality. I mean, I get it. Parkman has Giolito that he has to defend at all costs. For me, I will never say anything bad about Robert and Madrigal...heck, was the same with Dayan Viciedo. But, at a certain point, you lose the forest for the trees and stop being objective about “your” players. Everyone will always have their favorites, that’s never going to change. And perhaps I don’t appreciate Jimenez because I’ve allowed “WAR is God” to seap in too much into evaluating, which will always over-reward certain types of players and especially positions like SS and CFers. So I can HOPE Eloy Jimenez becomes the next Alex Gordon out there, while mainly just hoping he never hurts himself, or Moncada/TA/Robert around him.

Usually I get mistaken for Tiger Woods, lol. Seriously? Si, se puede!

He was condescending, and took out his anger on fans quite often. He didn’t consider whether he was growing the product or not...how he might be coming across to kids at home listening? Simply, he was a management/front office/ownership spokesperson. No empathy, and he rarely complimented anyone for making an insightful point...like ever. He was always, I’m this “elite” guy with insiderish knowledge and connections, everyone else is beneath me. He was always a bigger fan of the Cardinals than Sox, for another. Listen to C-Span Washington Journal to see it done well. 90% of callers are meatheads that need to be cut off, but they are oh so much more patient with callers. Teach the game if someone doesn’t understand a point. Don’t just mock them and talk down to them and play Hero Ball for the 10-15% who really understand and follow the team religiously. I highly doubt there are many here who simply loved Chris Rongey and felt he was an excellent ambassador for the organization. Because he wasn’t. Give me a Brooks Boyer every day who is positive, optimistic...Dave Wills, same, or even Scott Merkin. They love the game and the White Sox, not just hearing themselves get the last word in time after time.

So why are we allowing so much snark about Madrigal’s limitations, when he answered all those questions in his first full minor league season? With Eloy, we already have had how many defensive “incidents” in the past 15 months? We also know he has one of the weaker throwing arms from the position. That doesn’t mean he can’t be the next JD Martinez, but it has to be at least SOMEWHAT of a concern to White Sox fans. People gave up on Madrigal after his first eight at-bats, in games the White Sox actually WON.

I think every single White Sox fan just wants him to stay healthy and realize his potential as a hitter. Whether he’s actually improved or not, it’s safe to say we should at least have a sense of humor as many times as he puts himself in awkward positions out there. Every game thread is filled with expressions of concern, right alongside the hope he isn’r relegated to full time DH so early in his career, and the ramifications for Vaughn and Abreu. People here have been snarky about Madrigal for 2+ years and yet I don’t recall attacking them forvtheir comments. If you want to defend his defensive game and project how he’s working to protect himself from injury out there, have at it.