caulfield12

The more Frazier plays 3B, and does it well, the higher his value will be. Davidson and Abreu are irrelevant to the discussion...unless Jose's been DHing for 2-3 months and completely goes into the tank offensively sitting on the bench sulking.

T Turner 709 Puig 706 McCutcheon 705 M Cabrera 699 Manny Machado 691 Tim Anderson 686

We've now joined forces with Syria and Nicaragua, who actually didn't feel the agreement went far enough in terms of impacting climate change. So basically, Syria. Ironic. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-isnt-g...-192705558.html Coal miners and alienated workers just trumped corporate America. By canceling America’s participation in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, President Trump snubbed many of the nation’s biggest businesses. Corporate giants including Exxon (XOM), General Electric (GE), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOGL) urged Trump to stick with the agreement, which nearly every other country in the world has signed on to. Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said he’ll quit as an informal White House adviser on account of Trump’s decision to withdraw. The only major businesses supporting Trump’s move are energy firms dependent on coal and oil. But abstaining from a global agreement embraced by every other developed economy is a headache for American businesses all the same. Multinational companies want to sell their goods and services everywhere, which is easier when their home country is following the same agenda, more or less, as other countries they want to sell to. The Paris agreement will likely spur spending on new climate-friendly technologies, and US firms want a cut of that as well. They could lose out to foreign firms whose home governments do more to cultivate such technologies. https://www.yahoo.com/news/chicago-schoolgi...-141518920.html Meanwhile, Uber drivers (and Greg) are in danger from machete and knife-wielding Chicago schoolgirls. Actually, murdering anyone, at age 16...not really a joking matter. Must have some deep-seated psychological issues. Meanwhile, the Manila ISIS/terrorist attack that Trump led his press conference off with...well, it didn't actually happen. At this point, I'm not still not altogether certain which is more bizarre/surreal at Episode 9 out of 13 in the new season of House of Cards, a fictional t.v. show or Trump World?

http://nypost.com/2017/05/31/college-melts...-day-on-campus/ Greg will get 2-3 years out of posting material out of this story. After protesters at a Washington state college called for a day without white people, a biology professor says he no longer feels safe on campus — and student activists complain they’re being vilified by conservative media. Evergreen State College students said racial tensions have been simmering in recent weeks, but reached a boiling point when a faculty member disagreed with their plans to protest what they say is institutional racism at the Olympia campus, according to The Olympian. Students were particularly incensed by an email that surfaced on Twitter on May 25 between Professor Bret Weinstein and Rashida Love, director of First Peoples Multicultural Advising Services. Weinstein, who is white, allegedly condemned the “Day of Absence” event that asked white people to leave campus for the day.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mayor-no-patienc...-210343122.html Pittsburgh mayor trolls Trump hard after Detroit, Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio are called out by name in speech

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/06...ax-lead-sot.cnn Tapper, Pruitt spar over Paris Accords drop out https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Germany%2...c=yfp-hrtab-900 Italy, France and Germany said on Thursday they regretted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and dismissed his suggestion that the global pact could be revised. "We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies," the leaders of the three countries said in a rare joint statement. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged their allies to speed up efforts to combat climate change and said they would do more to help developing countries adapt. The three leaders tried to convince Trump last week at a Group of Seven summit to stay in the pact and honor U.S. commitments undertaken by the previous administration. The unusual French-Italian-German statement, released barely an hour after Trump announced his decision, underscored the disappointment of the eurozone's three largest economies and their resolve to plough ahead without Washington's support. "We are convinced that the implementation of the Paris Agreement offers substantial economic opportunities for prosperity and growth in our countries and on a global scale," the three leaders said. "We therefore reaffirm our strongest commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement, including its climate finance goals and we encourage all our partners to speed up their action to combat climate change." http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2017liv...nt_29582415.htm Meanwhile, Merkel and China pushed closer and closer together...coincidence?, I think not today. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday confirmed that she had discussed the protocol surrounding Beijing's accession to the World Trade Organization with visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. She said that both Germany and China endorsed WTO rules and principles, and she believed the EU should abide by WTO regulations and fulfill its legal obligations by working out solutions that apply equally to all countries without prejudice against China, adding that Germany wishes to see progress in the EU-China trade negotiations.

The United States leads the way with 65 million tons of oil equivalent thermal units coming from renewable energy sources. This accounts for 22% of the global consumption of renewable energy. Since President Obama’s first term, generation of power non-fossil fuel or nuclear electricity in the United States has steadily increased from 1.5% to above 5%. This push for clean energy in the US has been motivated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Meanwhile, although China has been prominently featured as a heavy polluter due to its vociferous appetite for oil, it actually ranks just behind the United States. The Chinese consumption of renewable energy was about 53 million tons of oil equivalent. The paradox in China’s energy habits is that while many countries are using renewable energy to reduce fossil fuel consumption, China sees renewable energy as a means to energy security. China’s energy demand rate is above 10% per annum and conventional energy sources cannot satisfy this. The expansion of renewable energy consumption has been due to China’s unique position as a technological innovator. This has led to reduction in cost of installing solar cells and wind power stations. Wind and solar power are considered the most effective and affordable sources of renewable energy. Although they trail hydropower by a great margin, the environmental and social impact of wind and solar make them most favourable for development globally. China had highest wind power installed capacity in 2014 of 115 GW followed by the United States at 65 GW. http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-15-...ble-energy.html Some inconvenient facts/reality....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_peo...o_were_beheaded https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISIL_beheading_incidents ISIL-related beheadings

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/233792904/pr...opicId=27118122 Lots of great quotes, Robert puts out a hyper aggressive timeline for helping the White Sox in one year's time

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/prospect-heat...-182454119.html Vlad Guerrero Jr will be top prospect in baseball by end of the year...according to two scouts. Passan article DSL White Sox start season Saturday, Monday-Friday next week http://www.milb.com/schedule/results.jsp?cid=633

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40120770 Five Effects of US Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/06...ibility-sot.cnn CNN's Fareed Zakaria, "US resigned as leader of the free world today" http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/01/opinions/ame...lman/index.html Trump to rest of the planet: Drop Dead

A bar that wants to maintain a “classy atmosphere” has released a dress code, which some are calling racist. The Bottled Blonde, a pizzeria and beer garden in Chicago, recently posted a sign on its doors outlining a lengthy dress code. Here are a few examples from the list of banned items: “No Excessively Baggie, Sagging, Ripped, Dirty, Frayed, Overly Flashy, or Bright clothing. No Hawaiian, tie dye, floral, skull prints, or anything else obnoxious. No gang attire (leather cuts, colors, or insignias) and no camouflage. No Embellishments or Statement [attire]. No plain white tees, long tees, denim, flannel … or zippers on shirts. … Tank tops before 6 PM only. … No Jordans, Nike Air Max, or Air Force Ones. … Hats must be worn forward at all times.” https://www.yahoo.com/style/bar-fire-racist...-214551970.html

Trump's not helping Russia...he's making things far easier for China to lead the world Ceding environmental leadership Pulling out of TPT Allowing AIIB to rival anything the West has to offer Belt and Road Project connecting China, Africa, Middle East and Europe Abandoning NATO Xi Jinping quoting Abraham Lincoln at Davos, Switzerland, leading the new globalist/free trade (far from it, if you understand how intertwined and subsidized industries are here) order No longer calling China out on their poor human rights record Letting China control the South China Seas and North Korea

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 1, 2017 -> 12:49 PM) I agree. My point is this goes two ways. Do all the things you suggest and expect nothing out of it. Do it cause it's the right thing to do. At the same time, I don't need to be Mother Theresa-like and then have somebody aggressively scream at me and tell me to check my white privilege. At least show me the respect to get to know me or leave me the f*** alone in the library or on the street. Don't scream "check your privilege" at me. Believe it or not, Mother Teresa had more than her fair share of critics...perhaps even more than Donald Trump if you count the entire world.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/01/us/lebron-ja...hate/index.html America's Week of Hate As Smithsonian.com noted, in recent weeks someone hung nooses at the Port of Oakland in California, inside a University of Maryland fraternity house and outside a Crofton, Maryland middle school. That's in addition to the nooses and bananas found on American University's campus recently after students elected the first-ever black woman to head the student government. ... The 33-year-old LeBron James, who is no stranger to speaking out on racial strife, further found himself lamenting the state of race relations in the country. "No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough," he said.

It's now June and odds are pretty good the Indians hold first place for most of the remaining season...can't believe the Twins can recover from the past week or so....actually looking/feeling kind of similar to the White Sox implosion last year.

Uh-oh.

Exceptions the Sox can look to as examplars: Indians in the 1990's, and now again Braves from 1990 until about five years ago Oakland A's Twins from 2002-2010 (6/9 seasons in the playoffs) Royals 2013-15 TB Rays under Maddon

‘We were used, abused and exploited’ Victims of immigrant crime say they were taken advantage of by Trump and a non-profit group backing him. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/01/t...campaign-239006

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 1, 2017 -> 09:39 AM) The problem comes when you decide that you know better than someone else as to what is good for them. It is not the government's responsibility to keep the people healthy, just keep them safe from outside harm. When you decide to outlaw salt and Big Gulps because YOU decide it isn't a good thing, you are being a tyrant. And you use the threat of violence to enforce that. You are not the parents of Americans, You are not kings or rulers, you don't get to dictate how people lead their lives like that. I also dislike when the religious part of the R party starts trying to dictate morals (I mean there is a point, no child porn, incest, beastiality, etc.) , but I really hate it when you try and tell me I can't eat or drink something 'for my own good'. My response to that is usually to say go f*ck yourself and then have a beer and a steak. "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." C.L. Lewis Three responses: 1) Seat belts or child safety seats, helmets for motorcycle riders 2) Firearms, 1792 law passed..."Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia...That every citizen, so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch, with a box therein, to contain not less than twenty four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball..." 3) Broccoli and Spinach (see the article below) http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyin...nd_constitution Providing health checks, nutritious food and vaccinations to kids under the age of 12 is really a form of tyranny? How so? And mandatory automobile insurance, at least general liability insurance to protect others (if not yourself): You disagree and think it should be a personal choice to pay or not to pay???

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jun 1, 2017 -> 08:11 AM) Here's the fundamental impasse. I completely disagree that your assessment of the most fair scenario is, in fact, fair at all. That doesn't take into account people being born into poor socio-economic situations through no fault of their own. Is it then fair if they can't afford to pay for medical treatments that someone like me was able to afford, simply out of sheer luck? Beyond that, it's even worse to unfairly penalize children who were born into cyclical poverty before they even have a chance to fight for their share of the American Dream. The shift stems from a combination of factors, including a plan to reduce Medicaid by $1.4 trillion over the next decade and a roughly 20 percent decrease in funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), along with proposed changes to eligibility requirements and the way federal matching funds are calculated. Medicaid provided health benefits for 37.1 million children over the course of fiscal 2016, according to federal officials, while CHIP covered 8.9 million during that same period. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said Tuesday that the administration was acting responsibly by curbing the growth of Medicaid. He did not address funding for CHIP, which covers children of the working poor. “There are no Medicaid cuts in the terms of what ordinary human beings would refer to as a cut,” Mulvaney said. “We are not spending less money one year than we spent before.” Several Republicans, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (Utah) and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (Ky.), quickly joined Democrats, medical experts and children’s advocates in pushing back.The overall budget, they said, would reduce coverage for children in families who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford comprehensive health plans. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hea...m=.aeecee112b1f One of the best things Clinton ever did as President...you know you're too far out to the right here when Orrin Hatch is seeming like a bleeding heart liberal on this particular issue. Weren't the dying kids from the chemical attack in Syria the reason for our Tomahawk strikes? Why are our own children's health and wellness even more of a priority to the President?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 1, 2017 -> 08:13 AM) No you are ridiculous. Look at the photo. Barron just happened to be watching TV that 11 year olds watch and suddenly that popped up. . OK. And he thought it was his father? GMAB. All I said, and clearly you couldn't comprehend, is if Barron is going to be so sensitve, clearly parental controls should be used. I'm pretty sure this image wasn't on Cartoon Network. Everything Trump says and does is to benefit Trump. Lying has never been a problem. His story of it traumatizing Barron is BS. Besides, if things traumatize him, and Barron has full access, why does Donald act the way he does? The guy isn't even a father. He has stated the only responsibility he has as a father is to supply funds. The President lying is something quite common. It's pretty logical to think he would lie about this. Where are the posts with your outrage when Obama was in a noose? Where's the outrage from women, especially Republicans, about this...? https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/alarming-expos...-131526565.html [A visitor to one of Trump’s homes, late into Melania’s pregnancy, recalls him remarking that he agreed to the baby on the condition that Melania would get her body back. “She promised him that everything would go back to the way it was,” says this guest; it struck this person as a “contract.” And he was simply rude to her. “There was no ‘How do you feel?’ No opening of doors, making sure she didn’t fall. Just ‘You wanted to have a baby.’” ([Trump spokesperson Stephanie Grisham] counters that Mr. Trump was “very warm and supportive throughout her pregnancy.”) He never even really wanted a fifth child, but it's pretty apparent reading the tea leaves there was going to be no marriage without one (from Melania's viewpoint.) But now that Barron can be used as a convenient prop....despite the argument they wanted to protect him by keeping him with his mother in NYC, it seems crazy that someone isn't controlling his t.v. time since it had to happen at night (supposedly) as school is in session still. So where was his mother or nanny to supervise him if they already knew the "truly horrifying" Griffin images were out there?

I thought you'd already know given your arguments. I have been taking your greater point here as that we need to mandate governmental health care because there are poor people. Essentially, so there are no situations where an uninsured poor person ends up in the hospital with insurmountable bills and can't get care. I get that your heart is in it and I applaud you. My point is that this is more of a business/operational issue than humanity issue. The business operates in a way so that we don't need the humanitarian efforts. The uninsured and poor get covered when they themselves can't cover it. It's fixed into the industry. This is the fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats. The Democratic argument is that it's a fundamental responsibility of government to keep the people of a country as healthy as possible...with better family health leading to better parenting leading to each succeeding generation attaining higher educational levels and more success (at least theoretically). The problem is at least four-fold...those people who don't have the money to pay 1) going bankrupt/family breakdown/divorce as a result of medical bills, 2) family breakdown because of the opioid crisis, not enough funds for treatment/counseling, 3) not being able to pay results in either higher insurance premiums or higher government reimbursements, which come out of tax revenues and mean funding from SOMEWHERE else has to be cut or taxes have to be raised and 4) the incalculable long-term costs of families being hesitant to go to the doctor until the health situation has degenerated into an ER room type of situation, which leads to even more expensive treatments and often deaths that could have been prevented. Health care costs here in China are CONSIDERABLY lower per person because so much money is invested in preventive care, stressing a healthy diet (no soda for kids!) with lots of vegetables and rice/noodles...maintaining a lifestyle leading to a longer life and less health care issues. The US system tends to be MUCH more REACTIVE. And obviously surgeries like aortic bypass will carry the highest price tag possible.

BITCOIN? Josh Hamilton, Pujols, Nolasco, Garrett Richards (injured) and Huston Street are really soaking up a ton of payroll. That's $80 million just for 2017 alone (those five), and that's not counting another $20 million for Trout. Which is why their payroll is around $150 million, with very few places to cut.

The only concern I'd have (were I a DBacks' fan) is how they're going to be able to afford to improve their current roster. Despite their record, the last couple of seasons especially being massive disappointments (see Shelby Miller deal and collapse of the LaRussa/Dave Stewart regime), the sterling records of the Dodgers/Giants...it has inevitably watered demand for their tickets down to the bottom 25% of MLB franchises. But, as you mentioned, to pull the rug out from under the fans who've suffered over the last 5 years or so would be a death blow to them in all likelihood.