caulfield12

Who else was EXPECTING a three-run game-tying homer there....? PHEW. Twins were lucky to get a split.

Albert Blanco was one of the catchers that stands out... Kubel another blast from the past. Josh Willingham...thankfully, they let David Ortiz go to Boston or it would have been even more unbearable.

Denny Hocking, Bartlett, Punto, Tyner, Luis Castillo, they had an annoying back-up catcher (Latin American) that always got big hits off us. Obviously Torii Hunter after he ran down Jamie Burke. Never liked Shannon Stewart, Jacque Jones or Koskie/Mientkiewicz much either, but they could play some admirable D. I think the Sox have now lost 7 of their last 8 in Minneapolis (after the 1st game).

Star Date, Late August, 2016 Lucas Giolito threw 98 miles per hour during two scoreless innings in the 2015 Futures Game, and the baseball world nodded in unsurprised approval. Everyone knew about the 6-6 right-hander, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, with an elite fastball and uncommon curveball. Everyone expected the mid-to-high-90s fastball they got from him that day. A season later, as he made his fourth major league start Sunday against the Rockies, he never broke 95. Murmurs began. Tweets flew. What happened to 98? After four up-and-down outings in his first major league opportunities, is something wrong with the 22-year-old? Cue prospect paranoia. Then dial it down. Multiple rival evaluators familiar with the Nationals’ minor league system expressed no concern about Giolito’s velocity whatsoever. One scout said the numbers he had on Gioito put the righty’s average fastball velocity at 94.7 during the 2015 minor league season. According to BrooksBaseball, his release speed was 94.8 in his first big league start, 94.2 on Sunday. FanGraphs lists his average fastball velocity this season at 93.6 — though it lists his two-seam fastball velocity at 94.9. Two-seamers are not generally thrown harder than four-seamers, and Giolito does not throw a two-seamer often, if at all, so perhaps a few pitches that might have affected the numbers were misidentified by the Pitch F/X system Fangraphs uses. Maybe not. Either way, most prospect scouting reports prior to this season list Giolito as having a mid-90s fastball, sitting 93-96. He pitched to the lower part of that range Sunday, and is now averaging 93.6 in his four major league outings — just behind Sammy Solis for the eighth-highest average fastball velocity on the Nationals this season. Would you be surprised to learn that Blake Treinen, touted regularly here and elsewhere for his high-90s sinker that seems to always hit 98 on stadium scoreboards, averages 95.3? Or that Felipe Rivero, who hit 100 now and then, only averaged 95.3? The point those rival scouts made, and one worth considering, is that the top fastball velocities often morph into prospect epithets. Average fastball velocities say more. “There’s the hype element of all this that gets a lot of play. If you look at the starters and where they pitch, 93, 94 really has been where he’s been,” Nationals Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba said. “…with Lucas, he went through the Tommy John process, came back, rehabbed, and at times he was upper 90s, touched 100.” “As he went through the full season and pitching every fifth day, you’re going through the grind and the throwing program, the velocity is going to regress a bit to a level that’s more comfortable for him. Will his velocity improve? I can’t say exactly. But 93,94, pitching at that level is something that does fit where he’s been the last couple years in the minor leagues. He’s pitched 96, 97 at times. So is it alarming? I wouldn’t say that at this point. It’s something that’s consistent with his past.” Giolito’s velocity was about half a mile per hour slower on Sunday than it had been at times this season — something to watch, nothing to cause panic — and that velocity was not the problem, he explained later. “I can pitch at 93 if I’m hitting my spots and mixing up well,” Giolito said afterward. “I think I left way too many fastballs up over the middle of the plate. Those are the ones that got hit pretty hard, so the velocity I don’t think is a huge deal as long as I’m pitching the way I should be pitching, which I didn’t do.” Indeed, the numbers show that the problem for Giolito in his small major league sample is not so much how hard he is throwing his fastball, but rather how often. Max Scherzer’s fastball is averaging 94.3 miles per hour this season, according to FanGraphs. He is throwing it 56 percent of the time, in a mix with 20 percent sliders, 12 percent change-ups, and eight percent curveballs. Stephen Strasburg is averaging 94.9 miles per hour with his fastball, using it 57.1 percent of the time, in a mix with 17 percent sliders, 13 percent curveballs, and 12 percent change-ups. Giolito, on the other hand, is throwing 73.8 percent fastballs, 17 percent curveballs, and nine percent change-ups. His mix is not as varied, nor as consistent yet. When he mixed pitches Sunday, he got outs. When he threw consecutive fastballs to Nolan Arenado — including an 0-2 one over the plate — he got hit. Honing command of his fastball has been, and remains, an important developmental focus for Giolito — and Scialabba would not rule out an increase in velocity as the 22-year-old grows into his frame. He is, after all, just 22, and as pitchers sharpen mechanics and establish increased consistency with their delivery, confidence and velocity can follow. In the meantime, establishing command of that plus-curveball and consistency with his change-up seem like the rookie’s more pressing developmental necessities. “The change-up wasn’t as good today as I would’ve liked it to be. It’s been a lot better in the past, and the only thing I can do is continue to trust it and keep throwing it,” Giolito said Sunday. “I think a couple change-ups I threw today were pretty good, and then a couple not-so-good ones. But I got to keep working on throwing everything for strikes.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2016/08/29/should-anyone-be-concerned-about-lucas-giolitos-velocity/?utm_term=.b64b8852a280

And, as far as changing his delivery/mechanics...75% of it was probably trying to prevent another TJS. Now we know with how Strasburg was handled the Nats aren't always right, and nor was/is Dusty Baker...but you don't tear a guy completely down and try to put him back together without good reason. In the same way, Tiger Woods started adjusting his swing in an attempt to cut down on the torque created on his knees, hip and back...if he could have kept doing it the same way (without his body deteriorating further), there would have been no reason to change, right?

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/padres-vs-nationals/2016/07/24/448339#game_state=,game_tab=,game=448339 Read this game story from almost two years ago with the Nationals....was sent back down after it. Nearly the EXACT same issues...could have been written about most of his starts THIS year. "He was really down to one pitch (the fastball)," manager Dusty Baker said. "And you have to have either tremendous gas, or you have to be able to locate to the max. It's back to the drawing board with him." Giolito threw 66 pitches and generated one swing and miss on Sunday, a startling number for a pitcher with the "stuff" that scouts have made him a potential future No.1 starter. He threw five changeups and 13 curveballs compared to 48 fastballs. Each of Giolito's three Major League starts have lasted four innings or fewer, including one that was cut short because of rain in his Major League debut, but the other two have been short as a result of performance. "You're going to get in trouble when you don't command those [offspeed] pitches," he said. "When you can't throw a curveball for a strike or changeup in a hitters count, then you get into trouble and I've been dealing with a lot of that." Giolito said he had been dealing with these command issues at times all season, although he had a good grasp on those pitches during his last start at Triple-A. There he struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings and allowed an unearned run on seven hits. "It's frustrating because my last outing at Syracuse I was commanding offspeed pitches pretty well and I had a good outing," he said. "I didn't translate that into today, obviously, so I just have to keep working and try to get better at it."

At least he built Starbucks from the ground up, and understood what it was like to grow up lower middle class border on poor in NYC...Trump was born with all the advantages in the world. Makes a huge difference in terms of empathy, EQ, understanding, compassion...not saying Schultz should be the next president, but he CAN bring a lot of important economic "fairness" issues to the table and will have a built-in following for his viewpoints not unlike what Bernie Sanders has created for himself.

Or I'll be forced to use the audio of the Roy Hobbs/Wonderboy homer from The Natural that crashes into the lights at Tiger Stadium...

Remember, this is the Twins without Mauer, Buxton (who's not much of an offensive threat this year) and both Kepler/Sano struggling mightily. Not to mention Dozier hasn't been up to his normal (hitting) standards, either. Rosario and Escobar are their only true threats at the moment.

The Babe Ruth was an even chubbier/unhealthier kid who grew up in a poor "On the Waterfront" home in Baltimore... Mickey Mantle, rural Oklahoma, should we keep going on and on?

Going by location/school alone, everyone should be camped out in NJ (Trout), Puerto Rico (Lindor/Correa), Las Vegas (Bryant/Harper), Cuba or circling Maple Woods Community College in KC while waiting for the next Albert Pujols.

Then how can we look at the success/ful (metrics) of Sale, Quintana....or relievers like Kahnle or Swarzak? Albers first half of 2016? Anomalies? Tilson offensively approaching Trayce Thompson Territory after starting out 5/12 on the season...

Approximate odds that runner left on 3B won't play into the final result? YES, I DID FOLLOW THE GAME ON THE SUBWAY ON MY I-PHONE SO I HAVE JOINED THE THREAD WITHOUT READING EVERY SINGLE POST FOR THE PAST FOUR PAGES. NOT SURE IF THAT'S ALLOWED OR NOT, OR IF MEMBERS ARE NOW REQUIRED TO READ EVERY SINGLE POST ON THE BOARD BEFORE RESPONDING. BY THE WAY, Dam and I deserve some credit for calling the Madrigal to Sox pick from the very beginning...without ever wavering. Skeptics will say that Singer STILL could have been the pick had he not looked like garbage in his last start, but if you have followed everything Hostetler has said the last 3-4 years very carefully, you would know he was the ONLY possible choice once Mize, Bart and Bohm were off the board (and we'll never know for sure, but Hostetler said he would have taken him 1-1, fwiw.)

Roger Goodell made a federal case of Deflategate but doesn't defend NFL being attacked by the president? https://sports.yahoo.com/roger-goodell-made-federal-case-deflategate-doesnt-defend-players-attacked-president-202757309.html https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/05/trump-philly-eagles-snub-624838 In her statement, Sanders added: "The vast majority of the Eagles team decided to abandon their fans." ... On Tuesday morning, the NFL Players Association said in a statement posted to Twitter: "Our union is disappointed in the decision by the White House to disinvite players from the Philadelphia Eagles from being recognized and celebrated by all Americans for their accomplishment. This decision by the White House has led to the cancellation of several player-led community service events for young people in the Washington, D.C. area. NFL players love their country, support our troops, give back to their communities and strive to make America a better place."

Don’t forget the pay for play lobbyist involvement in $100k+ trips to Morocco and Italy. The luxury pen purchases. Soundproof booth which is actually illegal. Help with apartment searching for him and his wife. The $50 per night sweetheart apartment owned by another lobbyist and his wife...or maybe it’s a female lobbyist, can’t keep track. Wasn’t he also the one that spent tens of thousands for new office doors...or was that Carson?

Except the O’s will deal Machado, Britton and probably Adam Jones...we add Rodon and possibly Kopech or Jimenez.

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.jsp?sid=milb&org=145&ymd=20180605 LUIS Robert 0/1 with a walk to start his MILB career in the States.

Now the game refreshes and it’s over....JFC!!! 1.6 billion people, 7 underseas cables for all that traffic and a VPN to boot. The White Sox don’t even deserve our support until 2020. They certainly don’t deserve my waking up at 4:00 a.m. on a workday, with a glimmer of optimistic hope they can hold onto a win JUST so they can be on pace for a 54-108 season.

Fuck —-ff. Have you ever thought that an iPad posting in China is on a slight delay? Jesus Christ you have issues. Other than Rabbit, I’ve never complained about the WAY in which someone posts.

But hey...Minnesota staying in the AL Central race prevents them from dealing guys like Dozier, Escobar, Mauer, Santana and Odorizzi for prospects. Winning?

Lopez is the new Quintana... Can’t believe they scored four with two outs in the shadows.

Of course, if Yolmer or Abreu fielded the ball...no comeback. Escobar just destroys the Sox. We need to invest money in multiple places like the pen, not just one superstar.

Fails in baseball...still can be cast in GoT spinoff or Outlander.

Great battle through adversity there. 119 baa 3rd time through a lineup for Reynaldo loudly argues SCREW the STATNIKS

Dammit Narvaez...