caulfield12

Wasn't Austin the personal catcher for Rodon? Or am I confusing him with a different NC Stater that we drafted the same year?

They need a new section for fans at G-Rate..."Covey's Coven" (does that sound too much like a #metoo violation, or secret cult?)

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23573718/state-baseball-rebuilding-teams-already-contending-uncertain-futures On the field, it has been a mostly dismal campaign for the White Sox, as evidenced by the 114-loss pace mentioned before. But there are emerging signs of where this is all headed. Yoan Moncada is on a five-win pace in WAR. Reynaldo Lopez looks like a budding front-line starter. Tim Anderson has climbed to league average and is still getting better. Top prospect Eloy Jimenez is mashing the ball in Double-A, while fireballing righty Michael Kopech is knocking on the door in Triple-A. There are bumps -- Jake Burger's ruptured Achilles and Lucas Giolito's command issues, to name a couple -- but there always are. The Chicago rebuild is in just its second season, which underlines the 2021 season as the breakthrough campaign if this all stays on track. There is no reason to think it won't. Basically, behind the Braves/Phillies and certainly the A's (who have the much tougher division to deal with, A's have more "core talent" up in the big leagues right now)...and ahead of the Marlins, Padres, Tigers, Royals and Reds. We're 25th! We're 25th!

Herm Schneider's run of "good luck" is seemingly running out...luckily this year doesn't matter much (except for the future core players).

Well, they're saving X amount of money for the remainder of this season, but it's a setback for our young pitching staff... All in on Yasmani Grandal next year? Hahn, as mentioned, continues to make one bad FA acquisition after another.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-praises-tomi-lahren-restaurant-134118261.html Dems making it harder on themselves by cursing at Tomi Lahren (of course Trump comes to her aid on Twitter and it has nothing to do with her appearance!) and throwing water on her. Both sides! This is the equivalent of Charlottesville, no doubt about it.

The Republicans with their tax cut and bloated budget deficits for the foreseeable future make anything more than subsidized community college/vo tech...some infrastructure spending (nothing like the hundreds of billions being spent here in China each year)...and watered down health care reform possible. I’m not sure how much these “Better Deals” will resonate...at any rate, health care is the most pressing 2018 election issue to voters, as of today.

Greg, Bernie Sanders most definitely is not the one to lead the charge to take away guns...research the positions of any Vermont politician on this, political suicide to go after the Second Amendment. It’s worse than threatening to raise taxes as a policy/platform issue.

I just wish a Baltimore Sun columnist could write a column in the Trib saying how the Orioles’ plan, whatever that is...is ten times worse. They have an albatross contract in Chris Davis, Jones, Britton and Machado all departing, Alex Cobb, Schoop, Mark Trumbo...and a $150 million payroll in the toughest division in baseball most years. I guess they can trade O’Day, Cashner, Gausman and Bundy (and the three big names above)...but where does that really get them? At best, the same position the White Sox were in two years ago but with much less payroll flexibility. And picking off top prospects isn’t nearly as easy as it was when Hahn started his deals. Plus, their farm system isn’t one of the better ones to begin with.

Trump helped suppressed black votes. Well, Bannon strategies, more specifically. Superpredators and the 2008 South Carolina primary where Bill Clinton undid 30 years of political history getting African Americans on his side didn’t exactly help matters. Finally, Obama’s heart wasn’t behind You’re Likeable Enough Hillary...unfortunately, he didn’t realize until too late the threat he posed to his own legacy achievements. Of course, you could say the same for her campaign/Mook, and Comey, for that matter. The perfect storm of overconfidence/hubris on all sides, and 87,000 votes in three states neglected by Dems.

Carlos Quentin...Alexei his first year.

Jason Whitlock was one of the first I can remember who chose this style....

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/2018_generic_congressional_vote-6185.html closest spread between GOP and Dems in one year...fwiw

Democrats can — and must — unite in November, says party deputy chair Ellison https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-can-must-unite-november-says-party-vice-chair-ellison-203111653.html

They’re not going anywhere in 2021 without 3-4 key free agent additions the next two offseasons...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/mlb/ct-spt-white-sox-manny-machado-trade-rumors-rosenbloom-20180522-story.html?src=rss Do the White Sox really think Manny Machado would want to play for a team like theirs? Was this only printed in the Baltimore Sun, or also the Tribune? Same owner/s, right? Seems to be a pretty low blow, even for Steve...

How does Scott Pruitt STILL have a job???

25% of the country is pulling HARD to the right because they feel threatened...by immigrants, by China, by declining self-esteem or self-importance in the face of women and minorities taking their places in the last 20-30 years, well, even going back to beginning of the Reagan years. 40% of the country (especially college-educated white females and educated immigrants) are pulling hard to the left. Then you've got 35% in the middle...who are being appealed to by both sides. Lots of gun owners, lots of people whose insurance costs have skyrocketed (the ACA "Trap"), lots of people turned off by political correctness/constant discussions of racism or bigotry or prejudice in the MSM, lots of people with religious beliefs that aren't as strong as their parents or grandparents but also firm believers in the idea of hard work, a merit-based society and the fact that the government WASTES lots of money and incentivizes people NOT to WORK or even to become illegal immigrants so they can be subsidized by our health care system when they have "anchor babies." They're all about what is fair/just/right. 30-40% of the things that Trump says (not what he actually does) resonate with them and are even refreshing from THEIR perspective. This sense of "genuine authenticity" was the opposite of what they felt they got back in return from career politicians like the Clintons.

The problem is that local races in Iowa are going to be more nuanced than that....Obama won Iowa, he wouldn't be president (arguably) if he didn't win the Iowa caucuses in 2008, but Trump somehow won Iowa by almost 10%. In that election, you have to convince farmers and rural voters that trade policy fights with China (sorghum/soybeans/pork) are actually HURTING Iowa farmers rather than helping them. Second, health care/health care/health care. Third, all OR most of the benefits of the GOP tax cuts are being eaten up by rising health care costs and higher gasoline costs (caused by Trump constantly injecting uncertainty into world market and his Iran/Russia policies). Fourth, protecting Social Security and Medicare from the Paul Ryans of the world. Fifth, investments in infrastructure, education/vo-tech/job training and retraining. Sixth, the immigration issue has to be spun in a way of how those immigrants are taking jobs working in processing plants that ALMOST no local/native-born Iowa workers would ever want to do, slaughterhouses, etc.

I'd almost be tempted to put in Jace Fry at this point...but know that luck wouldn't hold up.

At least Davis can't run....if Gentry was pinch running, he'd probably be on 3rd.

Dreaded leadoff walk against the hitter with possibly the worst contract in the game today...sigh.

Tough pitch...97.1 MPH sinker right at the bottom of the strike zone. Nice "comeback" games for Yolmer and Castillo after last night's debacle...there's that.

Is this guy nicknamed Rocky by any chance?

At least he made contact there after swinging at ball 2 on that cutter inside...small victories.