caulfield12

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Jun 7, 2017 -> 01:44 PM) This morning. It was heated. Rogers and Coats both said they were not "pressured" or "directed" to interfere with any investigations. Marco Rubio came out of left field and asked very specifically if they were ever "asked" to interfere with investigations. They reiterated that they were not "directed". Rubio responded "Not directed. Asked." Both Rogers and Coats clammed up and refused to address the question because it was "inappropriate" to discuss. Then a number of Senators hammered them over and over with the same questions along with demands for a rationale for why it was appropriate to tell them they weren't directed, but inappropriate to tell them they weren't asked. At one point, Rogers got so fed up with it he told Kamala Harris that she wasn't going to trick him into revealing something just by asking it a different way. Both men indicated they'd be more willing to talk about conversations with Trump in a closed hearing. McCabe and Rosenfield were also there. They pretty much didn't want to talk about anything, saying it could step on Mueller's toes. Rosenstein

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 7, 2017 -> 11:34 AM) I will be honest, most of the time I have no idea what he is arguing. The point is that we can't assess these draft picks until much further down the road... Look at Tim Beckham vs. Gordon Beckham in 2008. Raw high schooler vs. a player already near his ceiling. Then, a lot of times, it's pure luck, like Kolek and Aiken going before Rodon. Can we credit the scouting department for that one? Then all of a sudden, Schwarber became a case of a brilliant overdraft at 4, and yet now Avi Garcia looks like potentially the better player. Things are constantly shifting...a year ago, Trayce Thompson was a "feather in the cap" for developing high ceiling, athletically gifted HS players. Today, not so much. We can go around and around in circles about not drafting Trout, or why we took Mitchell instead...or redrafting Benintendi/Fulmer/Happ, but that's always the case in baseball. In the end, you have to be right more often than not, let's say your difference between good and great GM's is 60% vs. 40-45% decision success rates. The Astros get brought up as an example of blowing some calls (Bryant vs. Appel, the Aiken negotiations), but all their other under the radar moves have more than covered for that. Just like the Cubs more often that not (Soler...perhaps Schwarber and Russell) have been pretty good with nailing hitting prospects, at least two standard deviations ahead of the rest of the league or better.

Fox News host Neil Cavuto tears into Trump: News media is not your problem — 'it's you' https://www.yahoo.com/news/fox-news-host-te...-040202721.html

QUOTE (Big Hurtin @ Jun 7, 2017 -> 08:04 AM) Wait, I thought we weren't supposed to pay attention to what he puts on Twitter. I'm so confused. Speaking of Twitter, perfect timing... NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump may be the nation's tweeter-in-chief, but some Twitter users say he's violating the First Amendment by blocking people from his feed after they posted scornful comments. Lawyers for two Twitter users sent the White House a letter Tuesday demanding they be un-blocked from the Republican president's @realDonaldTrump account. "The viewpoint-based blocking of our clients is unconstitutional," wrote attorneys at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in New York. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The tweeters — one a liberal activist, the other a cyclist who says he's a registered Republican — have posted and retweeted plenty of complaints and jokes about Trump. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/twitter-users-bl...-200138165.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-chinese-fo...-175435160.html Canadian Woman Tells Workers To 'Go Back To China’.. While Ordering Chinese Food in a Toronto grocery

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jun 7, 2017 -> 07:29 AM) "He's, frankly, perfect." Neoliberalism is something else. Why shouldn't a business be able to follow "neoliberal principles" if it leads to more profits? Generally, happier employees lead to higher customer service satisfaction...better benefits lead to loyalty, increased continuity and less need for allocating HR funds to constantly hiring and training.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/trump-nominate-ch...topstories.html Christopher Wray nominated to head FBI In his Twitter announcement, Trump described Wray as a "man of impeccable credentials." Wray, a lawyer, was nominated by President George W. Bush to be the assistant attorney general in charge of the Department of Justice's criminal division in 2003. He served in that position until 2005 and then returned to private practice, specializing in white collar and internal investigations.

Islamic State Claims Deadly Iran Attacks on Parliament and Khomeini Tomb https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/world/mi...-mausoleum.html At least 12 dead...

https://www.thenation.com/article/h-r-mcmas...merican-hubris/ Lots of important lessons for BOTH sides of the political aisle here to draw from...well worth a read. Unfortunately, no solutions or conclusions, simply observations of what HASN'T worked.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/07/news/econo...rism/index.html Trump was just complaining about providing $1 billion (he said "tens of billions) to the UN Green Fund....here he's costing US businesses $1.3 trillion in lost tourism revenue due to the immigration bans. Ironic. Karen Handel in GA-6 doesn't support a livable wage, hands more ad copy to Ossoff campaign. Seems like we've already had this particular argument before. https://www.yahoo.com/news/georgia-gop-cand...-022038168.html “I do not support a livable wage,” she said. “What I support is making sure we have an economy that is robust with low taxes and less regulation so that those small businesses that would be dramatically hurt if you imposed higher minimum wages on them are able to do what they do best: grow jobs and create good paying jobs for the people of the 6th District.” Georgia’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal minimum wage. The minimum livable wage for a single adult in the three counties that make up Georgia’s 6th District is $12.01 per hour, according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/georgia-runoff-po...-140002791.html Looks like Ossoff is leading but barely within the margin of error....+1, +1.5, +7, average of +3.2

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 6, 2017 -> 10:20 PM) Good stuff, BB. I honestly don't flatter myself into thinking I have idea which guy to choose, but I do hope that they take a chance on someone with a high ceiling. If there was someone available with a reasonably high floor at a critical position, I might think differently, but as many have said, high floor, low ceiling corner infielders are not exactly difficult commodities to come by. Take the risk and draft the kid with the potential. Use the payroll dollars to sign the next Mark Grace in FA if need be. raBBit is now, BB? OH NO. I can't adopt that nickname. BB is some dude who plays electric guitar at the local dive bar and can hustle some 8 ball games.

Middle relief collapsed for the Astros...and Ken Giles still can be quite shaky from time to time. Hosmer and Moustakas maintain a lot of trade value. Vargas is attractive. Cain's value is down. Bonifacio playing very well, and Soler playing his way out of baseball with his start to this year. Might end up holding onto Herrera, Kennedy and Soria...unless they can get decent offers.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/senate-republica...-004533737.html GOP most optimistic they've ever been about ACA repeal That said, they've probably lost Rand Paul and Collins already. That leaves a list of Rand Paul/Mike Lee (financial/budget hawks), Capito/Heller (politically vulnerable) and finally Cassidy, who seems like one of the few really ethical conscientious thinkers on this issue due to his own medical background. Still hard to imagine holding all 50 remaining in line, because the sweetening deals (Nebraska for ACA, NY state already for the House on AHCA) to keep those wavering will eventually create a negative counter-effect on those who were originally willing to vote yes.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 6, 2017 -> 09:02 PM) President's son says Democrats are "not even people" I hope it was Barron. Somehow, I'm sure the answer turns out to be Eric, Donald Jr or Jared (honorary son, but cast out now for Bannon). Eric for the win. With his hair slicked back like a wanna be Gordon Gekko/Charlie Sheen in Wall Street, that guy just oozes Drakkar Noir sleaziness. At least Donald Jr's something like a "'true believer," Eric is always the one behind the scenes directing money (often charity events) in the opposite direction from which it SHOULD be flowing.

Beck/Greene

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 6, 2017 -> 08:43 PM) Davis Robertson comes back from that loss showing his good cutting breaking ball. Sounds like an SEC golfer.

Lead has shifted finally again....+1 going in the direction of May's party after sliding for quite awhile, looking like a comfortable 5-7% point margin of victory, terror attack might have stopped all of Corbyn's momentum.

Same idea with Kendall, you already have Luis Robert in the fold, that gives you more freedom to double down with Beck...instead of playing it safe with some of the other more advanced but lower ceiling college bats. That said, Evan White is intriguing. Maybe just not at pick 11. And high schoolers that just put it all together usually get to the big leagues within 3-4 years. If they're going to bust, it's obvious in the first 2 MILB seasons, typically. Beck would have a late 2020/early 2021 arrival....FAST TRACK, obviously. Trout, Jr., stuff. Excellent scouting report on him http://www.talkingchop.com/2017/4/13/15281...scouting-report Austin Beck is a guy who has been compared by some to Mike Trout- Mike Trout at the time of his draft instead of Mike Trout the best player in the world. It’s a comp that makes some sense as they’re both prep center fielders with a good build to their upper bodies, a very good power and speed combo, and the ability to hit for average. I don’t want to buy into that though, as I think Trout was an 80 runner at the time and Beck wasn’t that even before his injury. I also think that Beck’s power now is a grade better than what Trout’s was at a similar point in his career. Beck is a true five tool guy- one whom I can see becoming a .280 hitter with 25-30 homers, and the potential to steal his share of bases- especially earlier in his career with the rest of his career depending on just how much speed he ends up losing as he continues bulking up. Those numbers would be fairly similar to what you could expect from Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon for example.

Frazier on a pretty good offensive run here since May 28th...OPS over 700 now at 716. 5 homers during that stretch. 6 game road losing streak is OVAH!!! Feels nice to get an occasional win this season, contributions from important pieces like Garcia, Frazier and Kahnle. Anderson recovered from a somewhat shaky start, but it would also help to have a legit fielder at 1B for him to work with. Q "survived" with his 5.30 ERA (lowered from start of game), but he is still looking incredibly tentative and really struggling (nothing new) with putting away hitters and getting beat up with his curveball, which is more of a rolling change of pace than a sharp breaker. Really need to focus on cutter/change as a way to get outs with two strikes, as well as the FB, obviously. The problem is they keep fouling off those 92-93 MPH fastballs, just doesn't have quite the oomph to get it by anyone if they're sitting on it.

Great job by Kahnle pitching through adversity and some tough ball/strike calls. Harrelson must be all riled up by this point. (Btw, if the Sox had THIS version of Alex Avila, we might have actually competed in 2016. Sigh. 9 homers, 1.906 OPS, 327 BA) Wow, Kimbrel being used for FULL two inning save in NYC. Just hit 101.

At least he didn't walk him. Kahnle's mentally so much stronger than last year, where he was more reminiscent of Miguel Cleto. Barely missed there for strike 3.

That was a strike. Changed the complexion of the entire at-bat.

Walk Miller again to face Sucre? That would put the go-ahead run on 1st, a managerial textbook no-no unless you're Maddon. Let's see if Renteria gets away with playing with fire twice in one game.

We've been waiting to have a team leader out of the catching position ever since AJ left. STILL WAITING. (Hopefully Collins is the man.)

UH-OH.