caulfield12

2015-2018=4 But last year felt like a miss because they blew the division lead, lost in Game 163 and lost the Wild Card game. The opposite of 2008 for the White Sox.

His next bromide will be how much the Cubs/Sinclair broadcasting are charging everyone for Marquee Network...just the name alone is annoying. And how they can raise now payroll to $275-300 million... The Cubs do have an ace in the hole, though. Because Sinclair is the largest operator of local networks in the country, they could wield significant leverage against any provider that doesn’t want to pay the Cubs’ RSN price: either you carry the Cubs channel at $6 per month in the greater Chicago area, or we cut off your access to your local ABC/FOX/NBC/CBS stations owned by Sinclair. It’s a cudgel Sinclair used before in getting the carriage it wanted for the Tennis Channel after it purchased that network in 2016. (Notably, Sinclair does not currently own any local providers in Chicago – they tried to buy WGN-9 recently, but were blocked – but they do own stations in downstate Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana. Plus, there’s nothing to say they couldn’t leverage stations in other markets if they wanted to be really aggressive.)

Will happily take the disastrous Kimbrel line tonight for the fantasy team. Crazy...Yelich and Huira homers to chalk it off. Saladino walked in the middle of all that, he’s like 8/60 on the season but had grand slams Sunday and Monday...talking about role players who will be eligible for free beer for life in Wisconsin. Huira picked 9th, two spots before Burger at 11th. Jo Adell, one of the best prospects in baseball now, selected 10th.

Rangel Ravelo sighting...made last out for the Cardinals tonight, 1/16 on the season with 8 k’s, 2010 sixth rounder.

Need to see what Minnesota and CLE do going into next season...2020, sure.

Geoff Blum...can he still get a free drink in Chicago? Shaller’s Pump closed... You’re going to be hard-pressed to find four better than Contreras, Baez, Bryant, Rizzo...maybe Houston, Boston, Yankees or Dodgers can come up with three or four with similar value.

Okay...I was basically just quoting the Twins’ radio announcers, who were questioning the lack of aggressiveness from a team going nowhere. Will have to look at the replay. Buxton can throw well when he has momentum behind him, coming in on the ball.

Darvish might work out in the end. Zobrist paid for himself in 2016 and was surprisingly effective for his age until this year. Overall, he’s better with trades, like Jesse Chavez last summer.

Sounds like a golfer from the Carolinas...

Four pitchers inserted in less than one inning. Finally over, 2-2 tie into the 9th. Guess Kintzler is unavailable, or he doesn't trust him except the 6th/7th...which is weird if you look at the relievers he did choose.

Sometimes I seriously wonder if posters have ever watched some of the people we’re discussing on other teams...

Brewers have the tying run at third against our old friend Derek Holland. Cishek just got lit up. Scratch that, another pitching change, third of the inning. Chatwood in. Two outs, Hiura up. Indians could be just 1 GB and have an easy schedule the next three series following KC.

Guess it worked (it was even hit right-handed!)...but someone with his defensive abilities shouldn’t be on a projected path to 20 errors, not at 3B. He’s lucky he didn’t get pulled from the game outright. And another double...quite the response, OPS at 897.

Jose Abreu's rank among 24 qualified 1B (according to FanGraphs) OBP: 23rd OPS: 17th wOBA: 20th wRC+: 18th K%: 16th BB%: 24th

Will just have to wait and see if it has a positive or negative effect...took him down into the tunnel leading into clubhouse after his terribly nonchalant play on the pop up down the line and really laid into him. Right afterward, Yoan just stayed put at 3B when it was pretty clear he could have scored from third on a medium-depth ball to Buxton (Arraez did score twice this series with less speed on similar balls)....luckily, Castillo followed with a sac fly.

Now Renteria took all of Moncada’s aggressiveness away...when the much slower Arraez scored twice on similar balls.

I’m sure Diamondbacks fans will be simply elated they’re selling when it turns out the Giants might not...they already auctioned off Goldschmidt. Definition of a team stuck in the middle of contending and rebuilding. They have some really good pieces (Marte has been great this year) but just not enough.

Surprised the #metoo movement never organized a protest. Probably because half their husbands and boyfriends value winning a lot more than integrity/morals/ethics/values. In all seriousness, obviously there are many single women too, but the complaints and outcry from protest groups is almost exclusively aimed at the NFL and not MLB. More of a psychological connection between football and violence?....maybe the size of some of the athletes. I guess skin color is impossible to completely overlook, too.

Maybe he’s unhappy with how Epstein defended him in the offseason and then reversed course and finally just gave up on him in the last 7-10 days...protest? By by the way, Strop and Edwards Jr. are toast. Not sure how long until Cishek’s arm falls off. Ryan is not exactly prime time Andrew Miller, either.

Probably Corey Dickerson who’s overpaid with a small market team...injury-plagued....and doesn’t require shelling out for Marcell Ozuna. More likely the LH power comes from the dreaded DH spot we can never seem to fill adequately but consistently overpay.

Lets not forget how Ventura’s career started out. Highly unlikely there’s a repeat, but we owe the fans more of an opportunity for our own home-grown first rounder than AJ Reed is currently receiving.

Let’s not forget how good Loiaza was in 2003...and probably whoever acquires him would turn Lopez into a Cy Young winner, as he’s the pitcher on the big league roster other teams would target, knowing Giolito won’t be going anywhere.

Have a feeling the “infectious fun” will be limited to Yolmer, Anderson, Jimenez and talk, once again, of a higher Top Ten draft pick. Especially with 18 games out of 61 remaining against CLE and MN.

Poor James...he’s already adopting a vegan diet composed of “nuts only” after his name was changed from Fegan. Probably the most knowledgeable, “in the know” guy covering the Sox (professionally) right now.

Three and $20-25 million seems fair...if they love his defense and work with young pitchers enough. You start paying him $5 million as a FA or extension, he’s looking over his shoulder for a replacement to take his place.