caulfield12

Proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Since he didn’t play, probably didn’t miss much. That and the weather was pretty atypically bad and finally broke today.

Those OF lineups before April 12th will be absolutely brutal...and that was the case before any injuries. But picking up Jones, CarGo or Span would most assuredly clinch their annual “winning of the offseason,” right?

Rutherford with 3 hits now...although the Pads’ announcers have him down for 4/4. They also keep bringing up how much Alonso and Jay helped in recruiting Manny to the Padres’ Organization. White Sox 0-3 now, game ovah. Conclusion: Chase Rutherford is our Bryce Harper, or at least Ryan Sweeney.

Well, getting rid of Encarnacion, Gomes, Brantley and Chisenhall, not to mention Miller and Allen...has helped, too.

The Phillies haven’t had six consecutive losing seasons....and the worst cumulative record in baseball over that time period. And referring to “mired in mediocrity,” we have this: For 1901-2018, the White Sox have an overall record of 9211-9126 (a 0.502 winning 'percentage').[3]

At least they tried 3-4 times...at least that’s the number of times they have met, plus informal meeting in Vegas at the Winter Meetings.

And locked in Nola long-term...

Frare has impressed Tony Gwynn’s son.

Ironically, he also came over from the Orioles...either waiver wire or Rule V. Looks like he became a minor league free agent in December.

Rutherford having the game of the day so far...or McCann.

Now this is a starting lineup that Sox fans and their families/loved ones traveling over to Peoria will love...it’s like they’re almost deliberately trying to downplay it by putting out the very worst starting lineup that we’ll see all spring (hopefully).

You mean $3 million too much...?

Now THAT would be quite the story to tell the grandkids, especially sitting here in China at 2:55 a.m. on a Sunday night. Ukrainian troll farms! Hanley Ramirez just signed a minor league deal with the Indians...that would have been another classic Sox move. Maybe turning their own fanbase against the team was Hahn’s brilliant plan all along to unite the team, like in Major League? And hey, it worked in 2005, Everyone was projecting us for 3rd through last place in the division after losing Ordonez, Lee and Jose Valentin. The negative stuff always stands out more," (Kris) Bryant said. "Negativity sells. People want to read that stuff. I think that's why I'm at where I'm at in baseball. I read one thing and it just motivates me, and it [success] just shuts that person up or proves them wrong. I've been doing that my whole life, so bring it on." The same goes for the Cubs, who also enter this season with doubters. Las Vegas oddsmakers project them to have their lowest win total in five seasons. "We see some of these projections," Bryant said. "They are selling us totally short. That's not a good thing to do, because when our backs are against the wall, we turn it on. It's going to be an exciting season."

Well yeah, conventional wisdom is the reason 95% of the baseball world was shocked the Padres signed him. Orel Hershiser couldn’t get over it yesterday. Of course, he’s an NL West “homer” who also believes Harper’s headed to the Giants as well.

Sure. So, according to the article, they’ll be in or out on another Terible Tuesday...take it or leave it. That really makes no sense, unless Harper absolutely is refusing to sign at even $350 million with the Phillies. Where else is he going to go that can afford to guarantee that much money upfront...and will fairly happily give him an opt out after 3-4 years?

Doing ABSOLUTELY nothing would have been 10x better than what they’re trying to sell...whatever umpteenth current plan we’re on if someone could check with KW’s ballyhooed Big Board.

What’s next, bringing Chris Rongey back to condescendingly tolerate and then summarily dismiss meathead pre and post-game callers? Even Tony Robbins would lose patience with how brutal it will be this year.

ESPN now reporting Harper to the Phils nearing a conclusion... http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26067919/contract-talks-bryce-harper-phillies-nearing-conclusion

Brian Harper is still a free agent, and we definitely are going to need catching help at some point this year. Or Ron...just for a promotional giveaway night. Bobbleheads with him playing baseball in a Bulls’ Jersey might draw over 18,000 fans for a Sunday Family Day in midsummer. If he’s too embarrassed, we can always go to Derek as our backup option.

Just putting Epstein and Hahn together in the same article must be infuriating to the Cubs’ front office...at least you know they’re motivated to do something about it. Which means Addison Russell will invariably be added to the Sox roster in the next 12-18 months, because he would be a “name” addition. Since we want to help out the Phillies w/ Harper, why not bail out the Cubs too?

Well, we’re still and always the preferred pillow landing spot for future Hall of Farmers and castoff veterans who were once All-Star players...as long as it’s at least 3-5 years past their prime performing years. Manny Ramirez’s contract to finish out the season with us being one of the prime examples of desperation. Griffey Jr.’s finish to 2008 is pretty much the only one we can look back fondly on, or Tom Seaver’s in the 80’s. Or the marketing gimmicks like Bo and MJ.

50-112 for sure has to get Hahn and/or KW fired, right? No way. What about 49-113? And the only players to actually perform well are the much-maligned veterans...before the trade deadline. Nope, those masterful trades for riff-raff are still giving the front office hope they can compete in 2020 with a combination of premiere FA’s and Top 3 picks in 2019 and 2020.

We’re still bottom five after spending $45 million extra on all the crap stopgap veterans we brought in? Now that’s funny...”well, nobody can call them cheap if they spend, albeit foolishly.” That’s not working out so well. If anything, the perception they spent almost twenty years attempting to counter is the first word that comes to mind, unless one prefers delusional.

And Brandon Guyer...