caulfield12

Can't imagine the NBA is nearly as excited about a Rockets/Celtics match-up...but it might be better for the sport in the long run, especially if Boston could win without Hayward and Irving. Of course, it's hard to imagine GS or Houston not wiping out Boston fairly easily...unless Brad Stevens really does walk on water.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/24/tom-perez-andrew-cuomo-primary-endorsements-607799 Here we go again, Tom Perez infuriates liberals (aka progressive) with Andrew Cuomo endorsement in NY governor's race

What's the reason they haven't sent him down after the game today? Simply because Rodon's not quite ready, and now MIGHT have had a setback if he has any concussion symptoms in the next few days? They can always use Volstad...or Danish, or even start Beck. They need to do something SOON.

Two errors this week, averaging 1 every 10 games. That's really good for a AA shortstop. 12 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, .253/814 OPS, 62 strikeouts and 17 walks

I'd say he has been excellent at getting on base (plate discipline) more-so than an excellent pure hitter (think Joe Mauer-esque). To fall into that category, your batting average should be at least in the .280's or above, but that's just my idea.

Another Erik Johnson....goes from 97-100 MPH in high school at Harvard Westlake in LA to TJS to mid 90's to low 90's over the course of 5 years. Just as mysterious is the loss of control and inability to get over his offspeed offerings. It's incredibly rare in this day and age to see a pitcher with more walks than strikeouts. This at a time when the average MLB fastball for a starting pitcher is at 94-95.

Well, 2-3 years ago, he was even more of a "generational" talent than Collins. But it takes catchers, seemingly, a lot longer to come into their own...thinking guys like Zunino and even Tyler Flowers.

It seems we're talking more about 2020/21...to have at least one veteran 2/3 guy (like a Quintana equivalent) added into the mix, like the Royals did bringing in James Shields in 2014 (well, that was a trade). But same idea. Or the Cubs with the Lester. Or the Astros with Morton and Verlander.

The biggest question to me is if SCOTUS keeps moving to the right...and multi-national US corporations become these "too big to fail global behemoths," (along with the Big Banks), then how are the Dems going to fight to prevent the continued hollowing out of the middle class? Republicans don't see this very clearly because of the short term concentration on profits and exploiting labor markets, but eventually there won't be enough US consumers to buy products...and government policy and Supreme Court decisions will essentially be prioritizing the interests of corporations selling at max profit to buyers in China, India, Indonesia and Brazil, for example. These "progressive" ideas are always seen as free giveaways, but without subsidizing those who work/are under-educated so that they can meet their families' essential needs, then the next generation in America will continue to do worse than the preceding ones and it will be hard to imagine reversing that cycle for anyone not in the Top 20% of income earners. And it's still yet to be determined whether AI/VR/AR/robotics will be a net gainer for the middle classes...without Universal Basic Income or taxes on corporations (like they're doing in Seattle in the battle over affordable housing), it's going to be rougher and rougher out there in the future. Seemingly, the only "alternative" solution (beyond government/private investments in green tech, education and infrastructure) is more "high quality" immigrants, which the current administration is obviously against (well, an exception for Eastern European models.)

Well, that's weird because FanGraphs has his highest velocity this year at 96.8 or something like that...it was Covey's best overall velocity in a start over the last two years, other than a weird anomaly in his 6th start last year where his velocity was 2-3 MPH higher than most of his other starts.

He sat 97-98 in a 1-2-3 first inning. I'm assuming that Fegan tweet is about Rodon and NOT Dunning? Just figured out it has to be Cease.

Isn’t it plebes?

Benintendi and Moncada had similar numbers coming into today, both much better than Devers...

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/24/health/trump-mexico-city-policy-abortion-ban-kenya-asequals-intl/index.html Illegal/back alley abortions rise around the world as US cuts funding...

And yet HRC/Obama were perceived to be more in bed with Wall Street (slightly) than Trump in 2016. Same with Bill Clinton and Rubin/Summers. How is that even possible?

14/22 (qualified) at 3rd...so pretty much close to league average https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=3b&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

97-100 mph at Harvard Westlake...Farmer scouted him. Sharp breaking “teacup” curve, more like a slurve at 87-88.

If they push Turner out of OR, will you be happier then at least...? She’s actually alienating Hispanics more than she is bringing African Americans back into the fold. As far as flipping the Senate, chances are pretty darned slim.

Why would we pay him $40 million the next two years ($80 total) when we’re probably not going to be able to win the division until 2021...?

You can’t honestly think African-Americans would sit out another election after everything that’s happened under Trump...that they dislike Sanders so much they’d rather keep Trump for 4 more years? I find that nearly impossible to believe.

Even though every single head-to-head poll consistently had him doing better against Trump than HRC? This is where the Dems have to push back forcefully. No raising of taxes...if the Republicans can create trillions of dollars in debt that won’t be paid back in revenue generated from the tax cuts, then the Dem’s can INVEST money into education, infrastructure and health care that will be paid back tenfold over the next 20-30 years. That’s the only way to spin it...that Medicare for All (the hybrid which allows a choice of continuing with present insurance or opting into Medicare AND negotiating down drug/pharmaceutical prices) will save anyone earning under $100 or 125K or whatever arbitrary number they come up with (indexed to cost of living in that metro area) thousands of dollars more over a decade by cutting out the middleman/insurance monopoly. And that we absolutely have to invest more into education, the environment and infrastructure or China’s going to eat us for lunch while we’re worrying about coal miners and clawing back industrial/factory jobs. The irony, of course, is that Republicans hate giveaways or anything that’s FREE, unless it’s FOR THEM. The middle class has to see a clear difference this time around. It’s all how you sell. It’s not giving away school for free, it’s investing in our future and making our future workforce more competitive with the rest of the world, etc.

The Newest Deal: Dems build a progressive platform for 2020 Six ideas are the centerpiece, and it’s guaranteed to drive Reddy crazy, haha. Actually, the USPS/microloan and bank idea is the one that’s the most interesting to me. That is, as long as they’re bringing in banking/finance experts and not expecting post office employees to handle this job (fwiw, Alibaba in China already is going to be IPOing a $100 billion financial/banking arm called Ant Financial which has a lot of similar properties....threatening traditional commercial banks and the equivalent of payday loan sharks for poor and middle class borrowers.) https://www.yahoo.com/news/newest-deal-dems-build-progressive-platform-2020-090052433.html

https://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfxo.aspx?playerid=14825&position=P&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=daily&start=2017&end=2018&rtype=mult&gt1=15&dStatArray=SI&ymin=&ymax= Covey has picked up about 1 1/2 MPH on his (average) fastball from last year... Hardest pitch he threw last year was 97.2 and 96.8 this year. https://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfxo.aspx?playerid=14825&position=P&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=game&start=2017&end=2018&rtype=mult&gt1=15&dStatArray=SI&ymin=&ymax= Interesting how he threw so much harder his sixth start last year and then again last night...not sure what, if anything, that's indicating

Greg, don't confuse REDDY with widespread hatred. Frustration sometimes, about his (over) support for 2nd Amendment gun rights (but this is true of many Dems from rural areas, not just Sanders)...about his lack of interest in foreign affairs, leading him to focus almost exclusively on domestic (economic) issues, but he's actually "loved/admired/adored" by many people under 35 in America. They might believe a lot of his ideas are impractical from an economic/budgeting standpoint (pie in the sky), but the Republicans just sold an equally preposterous tax package that gives 90% of the benefits to corporations and the rich/elites, and they got away with it...so who's to say what's possible anymore and what's not.

Yeah, Montero's currently listed as a FA as well. Renteria didn't overlap with him though, left at end of 2014, Montero came to the Cubs in 2015.