caulfield12

What have you done for me lately...ism. Evaluating performance isn't just about productivity, because that would reward some of the most selfish, low EQ individuals in every business, team or organization.

Talking about guys like Betts, Bryant, Lindor...at least is closer. The difference is I can’t think of a team that ever traded a young player like that before the team hit its playoff peak. Maybe the Rays or A’s or Pirates, but it is an extremely rare occurrence. When White Sox fans have been waiting at that point for 14-17 seasons (basically, a whole generation of fans) for another deep playoff run, trading Moncada or Giolito for A or Advanced A level prospects is pretty much crazy. Even trading the three main guys we did, a lot of those guys were closer to the bigs and have still required lots of additional time at the big league level. That kind of trade just turns is into the Rays or A’s without their level of expertise in constantly retooling.

Still not seeing how the O’s looking up at all four teams in their division is anything like Sox situation will be after 2021 unless absolutely everything possible goes wrong...

No....although that’s a better way to look at GDP wealth between the two countries.

Over 9,000 suspected cases not included in the reporting as of yet because the testing can’t keep up (especially in smaller cities), which would put it at over 16,000 and climbing.

It’s more important to look at cases “cleared” vs. critical vs. serious vs. reported/suspected cases, and then there are already thousands or even tens of thousands under observation. The biggest risk is that nearby city of 7.5ish million that I’d never even heard of named Hanggang blows up...48 miles to the east. Undoubtedly, you’ll eventually have huge outbreaks in Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen/Guangzhou. That leads to a situation where those other megacities don't finish their peak cycles of infection until April or even May. For example, today the mortality rate (updated from yesterday’s) is just a tick under 2.4%...which doesn’t on its face seem that much worse than the common flu until you consider the rate of spread and overall lack of preparedness around most of the world. Netflix just debuted a six part show called Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak, and there’s a much more interesting to watch series The Hot Zone based on the 1976 and 1989 (averted in DC area) ebola outbreaks. Scary stuff.

This explains AJ Reed, haha. Altuve dies come off looking better. And it makes our “go out and get Springer instead of Betts” discussion take an added moral/ethical dimension, as well.

Not necessarily. There were reportedly at least 150-200 critical cases still, and many not released or cleared yet. That’s not counting the serious cases (another 200-300 or so) and the underreporting or lack of up to date testing from countryside or rural hospitals across the 15 city quarantine zone. These numbers are just for Hubei Province. The best guess, since this is 85% similar to SARs is the mortality rate in the next week will be somewhere in the 4-6% range...so more dangerous than the flu but also much more alarming due to the rapidity of the spread. It can’t get to Africa without catastrophic consequences.

The death count is not the worry, it’s the rapid, almost exponential growth in cases per day. Mortalities are running at around 2.5%, but it’s spreading at least 3x faster than SARs and SARs after three months was running at a less alarming 4.8% and eventually ended at close to 10%. The real concern in under reporting and projections of as many as 80-250,000 contracting the virus...the horse is already out of the barn, and with more Chinese connections with Africa via construction, trade and tourism, that continent would be particularly devastated by a potential outbreak. As for me, haven’t gone outside for going on a week now.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-offseason-winners Not sure if this is always a good thing for Sox based on similar “titles,” but we’ll take it for now.

Grenier I think...Cade.

Yep.

Has to be the son or nephew of Joe Altobelli, right? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Altobelli Hard to watch the interview with Doc Rivers...Ernie Johnson was just on CNN with Wolf Blitzer and was really torn up. The last time I remember something so shocking was the announcement about Magic Johnson in the 90’s that changed the world in terms of AIDs/HIV awareness.

It is spreading three times faster than SARs, but with roughly 1/3rd the mortality rate (so far.) The fact that they’re actually trying to build THREE prefabricated hospitals in the next two weeks and that even China can’t match the demand for medical supplies like masks, goggles and protective gear should tell you everything you need to know...protective capacity is down at least 75% during the holidays, too. And Kobe Bryant is actually five times more popular in China than he is anywhere in the world. This will hit everyone extra hard here.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/justin-verlander-laughed-saying-astros-122334554.html Verlander just soaked up all the attention going to Keuchel.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28562849/dodgers-frustrated-sign-steal-scandal-want-fake-banner-2017 At least the Dodgers are taking the high road...not that you would expect any player to feel right about claiming a tainted title that wasn’t won on the field of play.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28556285/dallas-keuchel-apologizes-sign-stealing-says-ex-teammates-well

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mike-fiers-said-his-piece-on-astros-sign-stealing-and-baseball-is-better-for-it-023658790.html

The entire Cubs’ Fest was a debacle except for Ross, but nobody will give a damn of they get back to the playoffs again this year. Tony Kemp (traded) was one of their featured autograph guys. It will all blow over and everyone will be complaining about carrier costs for Marquee or not being able to access the games. 24 hour news cycle. Not to mention this whole impeachment thing, lol.

I guess the answer with Zion is guys like Barkley and Malone. In baseball, Sabathia or Gwynn. He does need to get down to the 265-275 pound range, part of it’s just stamina and conditioning, the other part is to protect his body from serious injury. You can argue that smaller framed players like Penny Hardaway, D Rose or Morant are equally at risk...especially getting beaten up so badly and exposed to serious injury every time they attack the basket. This is something MJ really learned to do the second half of his career, and LeBron as well...protecting/preserving his body.

You don’t burn bridges if you’re a current professional athlete...it’s just the way it is. It’s the same mentality in the US armed forces, that you have to trust your brothers in the bunker next to you.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/Brian-Cashman-Yankees-guard-Astros-sign-stealing-15001595.php https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/01/24/dallas-keuchel-apologizes-astros-sign-stealing-scandal You have to look at Keuchel’s comments in a bigger context. He’s still only one year removed from the team he spent his career with...and piling on now does what, exactly? The horses are already out of the barn. At least he has the guts to talk to the media at all. Everyone else is running away from responsibility and simply trying to protect themselves, other than Beltran...who’s no longer an active player. Would Fiers have done this were he still an active member of their roster? Seems impossible, he had an axe to grind, so he got his revenge but he is still far from a hero in the eyes of the players, far from it.

Preller gets at least through 2021... They’re in the same division as the Dodgers, and they played well the first four months until the wheels fell off after Tatis went down. They also have Gore coming up at some point, possibly on O.D., but more likely he has to wait until May.

Not old news. Cooled discussions are back on again... https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/story/2020-01-23/padres-mookie-betts-trade-red-sox-wil-myers Does say deal is not likely.

Can be updated to Padres and Red Sox again... Apparently the Padres are willing to trade some big-time prospects AND Myers’ contract for Betts in 2020. Myers salary helps as an offset for SD financially next season, SD would probably have to send some additional money along for 21/22 or really dig deep into their prospect vault to make it worthwhile. Dennis Lim from The Athletic reported it first. http://sports.yahoo.com/padres-pursuing-betts-110000843.html Myers, Patino, Abrams and Trammell for Betts...that’s just too much for a one year rental, but it would be ballsy as hell on the part of Preller. Could also cost him his job.