caulfield12

Never mind. Playing along with the Jarrett Jack/Ga Tech reference. Actually, Marbury's one of the most popular players in history here in China, probably #3 to Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant. Has his own museum, shoe line, official lifetime permanent residency (very rare privilege to be granted)...never thought he would mature into a "good guy" and stick it out here, most imports don't last more than 6 months.

Bruce Dalrymple Mark Price Kenny Anderson Tom The Terminator Hammonds Spider Salley Starbury Dennis Scott They could give the Bulls a run for their money if they don't make any more additions. Throw in Travis Best and Harpring.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_phenom...ch=the%20phenom Best baseball movie since Moneyball. Top 10 this year. Great performances from Paul Giamatti (like Robin Williams' Dead Poets Society character), Simmons (the high draft pick pitcher with 98 MPH fastball) and Ethan Hawke (similar to JK Simmons in Whiplash). Not really about the game, but about the psychology and mental aspects of pitching and being a professional ballplayer. Some of the dialogue was too clever/cute/literary and pop culturally by a long shot, and it was disjointed in places, but it was a really compelling movie to watch because it's NOT a typical baseball movie but more of a character study. Some of the plot points should have been edited out in the script. The kid's a #3 draft pick in the first round, but he's already reached the major leagues (he's back in Gwinnett/AAA as the movie develops, as he's struggling with the yips, ala Rick Ankiel, having thrown 5 wild pitches in a single inning). Somehow, he's supposed to be pitching in the majors/high minors and going to high school at the same exact time (his g/f is going to Yale but keeps popping in and out of the story), which made absolutely no sense. But it really doesn't take away from the movie because that's beside the fact, it's fascinating to see such a dialogue-based movie about sports. There's even an agent at the end who's kind of a takeoff on the Scott Boras caricature that made me laugh. Bonus points for the kid asking for an autograph wearing a Roberto Clemente Santurce Crabbers Puerto Rican Winter league jersey. And nice to see Paul Giamatti staying close to his father's two loves, literature and baseball...this movie must have been very personal for him to have made.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Lincecum has been hit hard after his first good start, so he's 1/3. Shields had 3 absymal starts (4 going back to SD/SEA) and 2 good/pretty good ones now. http://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article...rom-8334995.php Looking at how well Bud Norris had been pitching recently (the opposite of Shields when we acquired him), the fact that the Dodgers actually received a player from Atlanta AND cash considerations (and his contract this year was ONLY $2.5 million, and a one-year deal) AND the fact that the Braves received a minor league reliever in A ball and another A ball prospect, it's hard not to question what we gave up FINANCIALLY, and ALSO why we had to give up Tatis in the deal, when this deal had a limited time commitment for 2017, and the White Sox didn't even get anything else useful back like Jon Jay or Wil Myers (would have had to include other pieces from the Sox side to make that work).

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stubhub-new-...-202113927.html Yankees and Stub Hub are "misleading" fans with new deal.

Southside, I wouldn't celebrate too early. As soon as you do, Gonzalez will start sinking like the Lusitania and there will yet another hole left to fill. This season is like whack-a-mole. And beating that Twins' line-up, as it is currently comprised, isn't exactly comparable to facing the AL East, the Tigers/Indians/Royals, or the Rangers/Astros/Mariners. When he can start holding his own against playoff quality teams, that will be the most important sign. For that reason, his last start before this one was more encouraging, even though he laboured through it (and also because Albers gave up 2 of his 3 runs).

Braves have surpassed the White Sox now for having the most "team friendly" stadium deal...private parking outlawed within 1/2 mile of the stadium, even though they currently have 2,500 less spaces than Turner Field and no Metro access YET parking issues were used as the justification of moving out to the suburbs. They should have just done what the NBA ownership group did and said "our predominantly white customers are deathly afraid of African-American people downtown, especially after night games." https://sports.yahoo.com/news/braves-and-co...-161843537.html

Somehow, the Tigers pulled off a miracle rally down 7-2 going in the late innings in Tampa. Scored 8 runs in one inning, so stay a game ahead of the Sox. Boston/KC +6 (KC gets the Phillies next, in PA) 3. Toronto/Houston +5 1/2 GB 5.Detroit +3 1 1/2 GB 6.CHW/SEA +1 2 1/2 GB 8.NYY E 3 GB Eight teams bunched up within 3 games right now. Indians up 8 1/2 in the division, 6 over KC, 7 1/2 over DET.

Portugal also had a really nice deep shot from one of their back line players....just barely missed to the left. Can't remember his name, Cedric maybe?

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ Jun 30, 2016 -> 04:01 PM) Such bulls*** luck! Avi stays alive on this team as all of the replacements get injured or suck. SSS had a column on this, about the many lives of Avi Garcia this year. If Jackson hadn't gotten injured, if Coats hadn't sucked (and/or not been trusted by the front office 100%), if Melky hadn't gotten hurt, if Davidson hadn't gotten hurt. As it stands, he better start hitting for more power (he has had a few clutch singles with RISP) or Saladino's going to take some of his time away. With Bourgeois or Leury, he probably doesn't have much to worry much imo.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jun 30, 2016 -> 03:52 PM) I'm pretty sure Frazier had a 2 run bomb a few games back. Nope. It goes back to like 1965...I think that's what they said during the broadcast. First Kevan Smith, now Davidson? Weird anti-Herm Schneider going ons this year. Webb out for the year, Petricka out for the year, Jackson injured. Still doesn't amount to the injury losses other teams have faced (and are facing), though.

Ronaldo, you might want to practice your foot-eye coordination with some additional drills after whiffing a couple of times there. Lucky to be alive. Sanches looks good. He has a cool hair style, at least. Pretty darned boring second half (defensive stalemate) after an interesting first 45 minutes.

Bourjos has had a much better MLB career though, mostly with the Angels and Cards. Campana's barely had a cup of coffee.

Apparently, they had a ton of kids' groups/summer field trips/comped tickets today. 26,000+.

Huston Street? Fiers, Fister, McHugh are the slated Astros' starters. We miss Keuchel, which probably isn't a good thing, based on how he's pitched most of this season. More importantly, we miss McCullers. That's a difficult stadium to come in and expect to sweep. Win 2/3, you've got Q and Sale going, not out of the realm of possibility. Then we get the Yankees and Braves at home. Essentially, this is an "early elimination" week with the Astros, Sox and Yankees all battling for a Wild Card spot (or two). 2-1, 2-1, 2-1...puts us 4 games over .500 with 74 left to play at the All-Star Break. Do the opposite, 3-6, and the talk turns to selling off assets again as we'd likely be 7th or 8th in the pack. 5-4 or 4-5, no change/status quo prevails.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/full-text-of...-115156180.html Text of Soros speech. For those unfamiliar with all of the issues involved, this is very informative. Heck, even if you don't agree with Soros politically, you'll still have a hard time arguing with his central thesis.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jun 28, 2016 -> 09:45 AM) http://www.baseballamerica.com/internation...DlVjA2Qzpstr.97 There is the INTL Top 50 from BA. Here are the write-ups: http://www.baseballamerica.com/internation...gEyU6skOD5mP.97 White Sox are signing the #33, #36, and #37 prospects on Badler's list. #33 Josue Guerrero OF Dominican Republic 6-0, 185 lbs, 16 years old Vlad Guerrero's Nephew $1 million bonus Not at level of Vlad Jr. Brother of DBacks prospect Gaby Guerrero Corner OF Best tool-Power Aggressive Approach Limited athlete and runner with below average arm #36 Luis Mieses OF DR 6-4 185 L-L Big Offensive Upside Could put another 40 lbs on long, large frame Hits and Hits for power Below Average Runner Above Avg Arm $500K bonus #37 Anderson Cosma OF DR 6-4 170 L-L Same trainer as Gregory Polanco Tall, physically underdeveloped Smooth easy stroke Calm hitter, short clean swing Knack for hitting Similarities to Polanco I watched him (Gabby) play at Clinton a couple of years ago, and, other than the physical similarities, they're nothing alike (also watched Vladdy play for Albany in 1994, he made a simply incredible throw from deep RF, almost at the wall, in the SAL All-Star game that year....the runner was just cruising into 3B standing up and didn't know what hit him. Best throw I've ever seen in person.

Meh.... They really need to find a Korean/Japanese player again...and sign some more 21 and over Cubans who aren't in the intl. pool. We could definitely use someone of Gurriel's ability, and that fits the "resources should flow predominantly towards the big league roster" motif that has long been established.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance It's pretty ridiculous we have four rebuilding teams ahead of us, and two of them THE worst teams in baseball. Also interesting to note is that four of the bottom five are AL teams and the Top 4 are NL teams. Not sure what, if anything, that happens to mean (except the Indians have bad fans! or is it a bad owner who completely screwed them over twice when they had the longest streak of consecutive sell-outs at Jacobs Fields in the 1990's and up through 2001, when their first rebuild happened)

Nunez 3B, Escobar SS, Grossman DH (LOL), Bull Dozier 2B, Trevor Plouffe 1B, Kurt Suzuki C, Max Kepler RF, Danny Santana LF, Byron Buston CF Milone P No Mauer against the tough lefty. Just recalled from AAA, threw 36 balls out of 77 pitches last time out and only lasted 3+ innings, 4 R/1 ER

No game thread today because a certain someone is pooping or popping, not sure which?

No, Applebee's Topeka/Lawrence boards....then he can join the Stormchasers if he passes his probation period and doesn't lose anyone else their house in the process. Or we can send him to hang out with Adam Dunn, LaRoche and Alex Rios in their retirements. Maybe they can have a school to teach every pull happy power hitter to bunt to the opposite side against the shift...or do the 'ol Butcher Boy?

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 30, 2016 -> 05:57 AM) Any random low-A arms that we're traded years ago are now warm MLB bodies and have cool nicknames? If you keep bringing up Devenski, might as well bring up Odorizzi and others. Daniel Moscow on the Hudson Junior Mints Guerra Chris The Dragon Devenski Addison Blame It on Reed (close enough to Rio, works better with Jose Rijo though) Addison Reeds and Woodwinds Joe Be My Valentine

The SoxTalk demand for a Terence Malick/Knight of Cups thread is about as high as another Puig or every single All-Star on the Royals last year has been DL'ed this year thread, lol. What is the next movie coming out to be excited about?

I've heard Hugh Grant was amenable to making himself available. And that Billy Bob Thornton was mounting an independent run in the US elections.