caulfield12

Yep, 29th in ratings for t.v. and radio. Only reason they’re not officially 30th is that they have no reliable scores for Toronto. And another year of Benetti witticisms to withstand. At least Hawk doesn’t have to be the company man and feign enthusiasm for another insufferably long year. Might as well leave James Shields’ locker there encased in glass next to Jay and Alonso. Will there even be any energy remaining to boo Machado? Do we have a series with the Padres this year? Home or away?

The money gets split...in actuality, the Sox will still end up making more money because of all the SD fans subscribing for the first time in a decade. Yay! Profits that can NOT go to 2nd round Bulls’ draft picks.

Hahn’s just going to have a miserable year. The only saving grace for him care that the Padres aren’t in the same league or division. Really feel bad for some posters who believed two whales were actually possible. THIS is what has been the typical feeling for White Sox fans for generations...just not good enough. The Cubs’ fans are already wallowing enough in their own misery, but undoubtedly are about to start feeling pity on us. This will be remembered as the year of toasting Alonso, Jay, Castillo, Nova, Herrera and Colome...for NOT being Manny Machado. About the only way this can get any worse would be injuries to Jimenez, Cease, Robert AND then Omar Narvaez going on to become an All-Star catcher for that ONLY other team to suffer longer than the Padres and Sox waiting for that elusive playoff spot, the freakin’ Mariners.

If Trout and Arenado both come off the board before the season even starts...good luck to FA bidders in 2019 & 20.

You can’t even buy cows anymore thanks to the GND! At any rate, we’ll loan you some of our excess 180+ mph trains (too slow and already outdated) from here in China with a swellopt if Manny signs on Taco Tuesday.

Ummmm...no, at least not Hi’s poopsie daisey pants.

It’s those meddling Red Communists! They’ve Huaweied up my I-Pad in the Great Firewall of China. Fortunately, they can’t stop or even hope to contain Bo Jackson.

Bo Knows How to Boat That Bass (Des Plaines River, 2003, si.com)

You’re tearing me apart, Manny Machado!!! Said in creepy Eastern European accent

Charles the Cat? Michael J. Robertson?

Unleash the Kragle!! (Likes will not be so easily handed out today.) Signed, Buddy the Elf P.S. Forget White Sox Wednesday’s. All big signings are now reserved for Taco Tuesday’s.

Hector is still more locked in on the Sox than Dan Clark, Michael Kay, Simonetti paired w/ the damned Yankees...

Is that you, Will Ferrell? “You’re my boy, Blue!” https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboy-pinball-game-leaves-spectators-shocked-participant-unconscious-kentucky-rodeo-054609924.html Most sources the last two months are about as likely to be correct as the Darwin Awards winners from Kentucky (not Florida, Jersey or WV this time) who signed waivers to play “Cowboy Pinball” with a crazy 2000 pound bull for a 1/23 chance at winning $100.

Ben Waffleson’s source is pure unadulterated LOVE...guess that’s a pretty decent-sized improvement over poop?

Will the Padres sign a $250 million-ish player contract this season? 22%No, the owners are cheap and this team is doomed forever. (17 votes) 8%Yes, it's Harper. (6 votes) 50%Yes, it's Machado. (39 votes) 8%It's not my money - eff it, they will both sign. (6 votes) 13%I will gladly pay $30 for a beer if they sign both of these guys. (10 votes) 78 votes total

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2821269-bryce-harper-rumors-phillies-star-nearing-deal-will-receive-more-than-300m?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial Boras has to be able to sell it as bigger than the long-reported (and rejected) Nats’ offer...

Sounds like that ICO that would digitally create a cat/kitty icon and was priced at $180,000 PER. Craziness. As gullible as some fans are, it would probably work. It's not unlike having shares of stock in teams like the Green Bay Packers or Boston Celtics, just something cool to frame and put on the wall and feeling you're contributing meaningfully to the team's positive fortunes.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26026923/red-sox-owner-john-henry-says-spending-more-tends-helps-teams-win Red Sox owner John Henry on spending/potential strike/free agency non-movement Asked about that comment and whether there is a correlation between spending and winning, Henry replied, "I think the Baltimore payroll was double what the Tampa payroll was last year. Close to double. There is a correlation, I'm sure there is a correlation, but it's not as perfect. It's very difficult to predict things in baseball, to predict player performance. Spending more money helps." Many believe the luxury tax is working as a de facto salary cap, driving down spending, especially in free agency. Henry didn't completely agree with that assertion, however. "It has an influence, but the biggest influence is trying not to lose money," he said. "I was talking to an owner of a big team at the owners' meeting and he had the same viewpoint. It's not the luxury tax he worries about. ... Even though people are frustrated and the players are frustrated with free agency, we're finding ways to spend money on other areas in baseball." ... Baseball reported revenue of $9.4 billion in 2018, up from $9.1 billion in 2017, but overall spending on team payroll declined $18 million, the first decrease since 2010 and only the second drop since 2004. Asked about Adam Wainwright's comment (about a possible walkout in 2019), Henry said, "That's crazy. A lot has been said about the free-agent market, but it is a free-agent market. It's a free market, and a free market doesn't always do what you want it to do. "It's important for the union to engage firsthand on what they would like to change. This has been a series of negotiations that led to the kind of market we have today."

But he's got PINK hair...those zany liberals out in Haight-Asbury!!

Seems like you're being hard on Widows....definitely a 3.5/5, not a must-watch (and god knows I keep coming across Liam Neeson too often these days), but the female protagonists made it worth it, similar but grittier version of the new Ocean's 8 movie. Agree 100% on Venom...that movie was a HUGE hit here in China, even moreso than Aquaman, which also made a boatload of money. They really love their Marvel and DC movies here, compared to Star Wars. I expect that How To Train Your Dragon 3 will be the next huge hit that sustains itself for roughly a month or 6 weeks in the cineplex. Hope everyone can get the opportunity to check out ALITA in 3D/IMAX, too. Lego Movie 2 was a bit of disappointment, doesn't have the spark or imagination as the first film...although it does have a Ruth Bader Ginsburg (of all people) cameo. Needed Morgan Freeman and more Will Ferrell (much better villain).

Right back at ya!

Latest on Padres https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/sd-sp-padres-eric-hosmer-manny-machado-bryce-harper-0218-story.html There has been increased communication between the sides (Padres and Lozano/Machado) in recent days. While there were some in the Padres organization who felt a denouement was imminent, another source characterized the pace of talks as “moving slow.” That’s how it goes this time of year. Among Hosmer’s messages on Monday was that the “hot stove” is full of lukewarm reports, speculation and even downright falsehoods. “One thing I know is you just don’t know what’s happening,” Hosmer said. “A lot of you guys report on what’s close to happening, and you’re not far off. But at the end of the day you really just don’t know. I’ve learned to wait for it to be official and read all the stuff afterward. It’s crazy to … try to predict what is going to happen.” With that as a warning, here’s what we think we know: Harper and Machado figure to get contracts worth an average of at least $30 million over at least eight years. Depending on who is doing the talking, the Padres are more interested in one than the other. And since the team has made offers to both players, it is highly likely one is a fallback. The prevailing signals from within the organization and the belief from the outside is that Machado, who plays the Padres’ position of greatest need, remains the team’s preferred target. Other teams in the hunt for Machado began hearing several days ago that the Padres were a significant bidder, but the length and structure of the contract offer are not certain. The value of the team’s offer to Harper is not known, though at least one report pegged it as more than what they have offered Machado, which sources said was a deal potentially worth more than $250 million. The Padres entered negotiations with the two 26-year-old stars with the idea of being creative with signing bonus money, the ability for the player to opt out after a certain number of years and other payment possibilities that could make the offer both more attractive and financially prudent.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/important-luis-robert-205501297.html Crosses fingers on 100% health for an entire 142 game season of play... The Arizona Fall League performance was a mighty positive sign for those waiting to see what a healthy year for Robert might look like. He slashed .324/.367/.432 with a couple homers and 10 RBIs in 18 games. He wowed just about everyone with his talent. He scored from second base on a sacrifice fly. "He's got that type of talent," Renteria said. "I think he's one of those guys that you want to see his overall game come into play. I think the experience that he's going to gain this summer will play a big part. ... Guys like that, that skill set, hopefully they jump exponentially in terms of their growth and their maturation. We're hopeful that he's one of those guys. And looking at some of the video we did see and conversing with everybody, everybody sees where he's going and we're looking forward to seeing him continue to develop."