caulfield12

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/democrats-no-answer-trump-tax-cuts-171540438.html Democrats/Pelosi with no answer to the Trump tax cuts The way she's going, her (Nancy's) name will permanently be connected to wanting to raise taxes...in the same way that Paul Ryan's is connected to wanting to tear down Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid. It feels like for the first time that Trump (if he survives Mueller) has at least a 50/50 chance to keep the job in 2020. (I won't go quite so far as Greg to speculate about Ivanka or Donald Jr. being next in line, like his never-ending concern about Chelsea haunting his future.)

The previous TJS makes McClanahan adds an additional layer of risk, and Hahn is usually risk-averse in these situations...especially witnessing Giolito's struggles overcoming mechanical struggles (now) years after TJ

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/trump-voters/?utm_term=.02bf6783145e One of the longest articles I've ever read...but still must reading for any Democrat (and those who are concerned about Trump winning again in 2020). Tracks a large number of Trump voters in NW Illinois, SW Wisconsin, SE Minnesota, NE Iowa over the last 16 months...their changes in attitude (not as many as you'd think) about how Trump is doing, it's fascinating stuff, and a reminder that no matter what happens on the two coasts and even the Southwest, the Dems still have to figure out a more effective message to win back the Heartland and Rust Belt.

Passed ball by Collins allows a run to score...

If you WERE to sign AJ Pollock (costing probably $100-120 million on the open market, 5 or 6 years)...we wouldn't be THAT far off in terms of offense if Luis Robert also becomes a star-caliber player. That would give you a monster 2020 line-up of: 2B Yoan Moncada RF AJ Pollock 1B Jose Abreu LF Eloy Jimenez 3B Mike Moustakas (FA deal for 2019-2021) DH Collins/Davidson/Zavala/Moustakas C ??? Grandal/Zavala SS Tim Anderson CF Luis Robert Of course, that doesn't account for Basabe, Rutherford, Adolfo, Sheets, Burger, etc. Nor does it rely on them making it. Still leaves you money to go out and sign a veteran starting pitcher and a closer. Biggest question (offensively) to me is STILL whether Yolmer can stick as an everyday player...versus the upgrade of a veteran like Moustakas, Asdrubal Cabrera, Lowrie, etc. There's a strong argument on both sides, and no obvious solutions once you get past Machado/Donaldson/Arenado.

MIGHT be the RH side of a platoon at DH with Collins? Probably his best case scenario if he is going to stick around during the contention period.

This is our only evidence so far: 1) Bidding for Tanaka (ace in prime control years) 2) Abreu 3) Luis Robert 4) Paid top dollar for Dunn (for DH's) and Robertson (for closers) Of course, we've never gone much beyond the $65-70 million range for a single contract. Danks, Abreu, Konerko, Buehrle and Ordonez were the biggest deals (if I'm recalling correctly) in terms of total value. https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2018/05/02/aj-pollock-arizona-diamondbacks-free-agency/575785002/ How much could Pollock be looking at? Coming off last year’s strange free-agent market, that’s a hard question to forecast – but two recent deals for center fielders could provide a framework. First, there’s the five-year, $80 million deal the Brewers gave Lorenzo Cain, a player who is two years older than Pollock but has tended to generate relatively similar production. More recently, the Rockies gave Charlie Blackmon a six-year, $108 million extension. Perhaps the biggest hurdle for Pollock to clear as a free agent is his reputation for being injury prone. Staying healthy over the final five months could go a long way toward convincing clubs his past injury issues were more an aberration than the norm. As for the power he’s displayed, it would seem to bode well for reasons perhaps beyond the obvious. This is Pollock’s age-30 season, meaning that whichever team signs him will be paying market rates at a time in his career when he figures to be entering a decline phase. This is especially pertinent given that, because of his position (center field) and offensive profile, his speed is a significant part of his game. But if his power surge is real, teams might feel more comfortable with a long-term deal knowing he has the bat to profile on an outfield corner. “From an offensive standpoint, he could hit one or two in your lineup or he could slide back and hit fourth or fifth,” a scout with an American League team said. “There’s the ability for him to move throughout your lineup; there’s an element of run scoring and run production to his game. “From a defensive standpoint, he can still play center field, and if he slows down a tick or two, I think there’s enough offensive production that you could move him to left field. If he’s a guy who could hit 20 (homers), get on base, score runs and play really good defense, that’s a good player.” Some scouts seem more likely to buy the power jump because they believe in the improvements they’ve seen from Pollock at the plate. They think he might still be growing into himself as a hitter. “He’s a different player than he was a few years ago,” another scout from an AL club said. “He’s continued to make adjustments. He’s still kind of an underrated guy, but he shouldn’t be.” Once free agency gets underway, Pollock still will likely take a backseat to Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Clayton Kershaw, should the latter opt out of his contract. But he could work his way to the top of the next tier. “If he remains healthy and continues to produce the way he has,” the second AL scout said, “there’s no reason to think why he couldn’t.” This will be great for the Diamondbacks’ season, but bad for their future. Unless they surprise everyone once again.

What America is this? Feel like my binge watching of the current season/s of Homeland and The Handmaid's Tale is bleeding over into real life...or reality is reflected right back at us by the dystopian vision of today's television shows?

To nobody's surprise, Trump is STILL dominating the world conversation and MOST of his foreign policy decisions...at least for the moment, seem to be breaking his way. Would probably hold back on that Nobel Peace Prize for now though. The Democrats still haven't rearticulated exactly what they are for...except the opposite of everything Trump represents, fighting for workers' rights benefits, health care, protecting Social Security, etc. I don't think the Dems have a clear idea or consensus on any of these foreign policy issues, either.

When they had Cease and Dunning, you had a strong argument that Winston-Salem had more future Sox players than the current big league roster...still, the most interesting team to watch in the organization (and will especially be the case when Robert debuts.)

In an ideal world, they'd bring in one more outside high level expert/consultant (maybe even from another industry like football or basketball), but I doubt we get that. I would LOVE to think there were a number of people in the front office (Haber, the analytics guys, etc.) pushing back against trading for James Shields in 2016, signing Derek Holland or even drafting Burger, but we'll never know. That kind of healthy back and forth is productive for an organization...and I'm not 100% we have that with the current KW/Hahn dynamic.

If you consider Bregman and Tucker a botch of Aiken...who they wisely passed on when more medical info was forthcoming.

Example of a player drafted 100% to fill a hole in that draft year’s flawed big league bullpen...

There’s no choice but cautious optimism, really One way or the other, this franchise is going into uncharted waters. Hahn and KW will sink or swim. No middle ground.

Whoever buys into the vision the front office is selling...it might take a 5-10% premium for now. That said, the untapped potential is clearly there. It’s likely going to require 2-3 leaders from other teams to get us over the top. But to answer the question, why did Hosmer sign with the Padres? They’re the exact same reasons for signing here, other than geographic location.

Can't believe that was written by George Will...or rather, that the political world has changed so much so that a mainstream Republican like him no longer has a big tent to shelter under.

1) The city of Chicago itself...one of the 3-5 most attractive destinations for any Free Agent. This will come into play this coming offseason, and was already arguably an element of the decision for Luis Robert to choose the Sox over the Cards. 2) More available payroll space after 2018 and 2019 than any team in MLB 3) The AL Central is in a "down" cycle with Cleveland already having peaked. Five of the bottom 12 MLB teams in attendance, which is especially important for Cleveland and Minnesota. Ilitch Sr. is no longer overspending in DET. Royals and Tigers both on downcycles with poor farm system and lots of bad veteran contracts. Twins will lose Mauer, Dozier, Santana, etc. Sano and Buxton not interested in signing long-term extensions, same with Berrios (so far). 4) Storied connection to Latin American players (and Cubans in particular)...one of the few Hispanic managers in the game, with Omar Vizquel trailing in his footsteps. Potential stars in Rodon, Moncada, Jimenez, Luis Robert, R. Lopez, Adolfo, Basabe, etc. Abreu and Alexei Ramirez have set the tone in the last decade, following in the footsteps of Minnie Minoso, Jose Contreras, El Duque, Luis Aparicio, Chico Carrasquel, etc. 5) Don Cooper's success with pitching and Herm Schneider's with keeping players off the DL (Burger injury notwithstanding)...they will be challenged to earn their money the next 3-5 years. Dave Duncan also in place as a valued consultant, Thome on the offensive side. 6) Interest in the Cubs is peaking (might have already peaked)...following that team is becoming increasingly expensive for even upper middle class families. Team looks like it will be tripped up with payroll issues in the future due to Heyward and Darvish. By the time the White Sox fully arrive in 2020, their remaining competitive window will be in its 2 final years, in all likelihood. 7) Top 3 Farm System...and looking to add even more talent in 2018 and probably another 8-12 pick in 2019. I'm not going to bother to cover it all because it's done on a nightly basis, but the system is generally on an upward trend, other than the concerns about Burger (acute), Robert and Hansen. ? For some reason, an 8 is unavailable, lol...but it's the fact that the White Sox have been the only team who had three marquee talents (Sale, Q and Eaton) to jump start the rebuild, and the timing for those moves worked out nearly perfectly (Moncada struggling in 20 at-bats with Boston, compared to Benintendi and Devers), and then the Cubs' desperation to part with Jimenez and Cease in order to get an established anchor for the middle of their rotation. 9) TV contract negotiations coming just in time to allow the White Sox to add another $25-35 million to payroll comfortably without breaking a sweat. 10) Biggest free agent class coming up in the 2018-19 off-season, which is the White Sox are well-positioned to be in the market for any player on the board, even Harper and Machado (should they desire to dip their toes in the deep end of the pool again). I'll add one more....we still probably will need to go outside the organization for an elite closer or set-up guy (Kimbrel/Miller, etc.), but we have an abundance of young pitching talent, and some of the leftovers will naturally fit into our bullpen, supplemented with 2-3 veteran signings.

Knowing the White Sox, it's more likely to translate to Polka instead of "baseball bat."

Was The Process worth it? "I think it was," (guard TJ) McConnell said. "We have a foundation that we built on now. We have two franchise players. Obviously, the losing was hard, and you want to put a winning product out there. But I think the team that is constructed now is a winning product." Opponents of the Sixers' tanking strategy can't be classified as a monolith. There were those who felt that a professional sports team is a civic trust that owes the paying fan, at the very least, the appearance of trying to win. Others believed that the Sixers' manipulation of the league's incentive structure violated the spirit and intent of the system: to help franchises that fall upon hard times through the natural life cycle, not franchises that deliberately construct rosters designed to lose. There were critics who insisted that intentional failure breeds an intractable culture of losing that lingers. Then there were league insiders who resented the Sixers for driving down revenue. It's impossible to measure the emotional distress of the fans who suffered through interminable losing streaks (and how many multiples worse it was than, say, a string of 37-win seasons), but today those same fans in Philadelphia have rebounded. Headed into the 2013-14 season, the Sixers had sold roughly 3,400 season tickets. In the 2015-16 season, that number grew to 10,000. As of next season, that number will have surpassed 14,000. A local Nielsen rating of 0.93 in 2015-16 grew to 1.75 in 2016-17 and to 2.44 this season, according to an industry source. The Sixers finished third in the NBA in merchandise sales this season, with Embiid (eighth) and Simmons (10th) cracking the top 10 in jersey sales. Divvying up credit for this return is a tricky exercise. How much should be attributed to seedlings planted by Hinkie and how much to those who did the harvesting creatively and efficiently? However one assigns praise, the belief Hinkie articulated in his 13-page resignation letter -- that when the Sixers are "eventually able to compete deep into May, [Sixers CEO] Scott [O'Neil] will ably and efficiently separate the good people of the Delaware Valley from their wallets on your behalf" -- was spot-on. Rival owners can rest assured that the Sixers are more than compensating for sneaking out on a few dinner checks during the losing seasons. The claims of a permanent "losing culture" taking hold in Philadelphia have been roundly proved as fallacy. While the Sixers were racking up losses, head coach Brett Brown, with the aid of a staff that is quickly earning a reputation as one of the league's best, was instituting principles and traditions that carried the Sixers through the lean seasons. Brown is an eternal optimist and quite possibly the most earnest man in basketball. His native curiosity -- "Did you know there's a village in China where people routinely live to be 100?" -- has helped build a culture in Philadelphia in which a diverse, young roster has forged close relationships and players pull for one another as they learn as much about the world as they do about basketball. Contrary to the naysayers who believed the losing would take its toll, is it possible the losing seasons were actually an emotional boot camp that primed the young Sixers for the intensity of contention? That likely wasn't an intentional feature of The Process, but it might have been a stroke of serendipity. "The journey is what makes you who you are," Covington said. "That journey made us who we are. The 18-win season, the 10-win season, all that, it built us up for this moment. That's what allowed us to get to where we are now. That was a test to see how strong an individual can be when you're going through all that." One of the most salient points is that letting everything bottom out THIS year will make 2019 look comparatively better...whether it's attendance, television/radio ratings, whatever statistical metric you care to use. They'll have the futures of Kopech and Jimenez to splash on the front pages of the media guide...(maybe Hansen)...another high first round draft pick, a loaded minor league system and a declining Indians team in their headlights. Equally important will be what they do in free agency. They can't go through ANOTHER season like this...things HAVE to get better in 2019 or the fans will start to lose trust.

Hitting above average compared to others...? We're talking the 4th pick in the draft, you BETTER be as close to sure as possible when you're drafting a college hitter.

It's identifying and keeping/fostering/nurturing that talent through into the majors: Eduardo Escobar Marcus Semien Jose Martinez (1B, Cardinals, son of ex-Sox Carlos) Tyler Flowers Fernando Tatis, Jr. Fwiw, the jury is far from out on Yolmer Sanchez and Matt Davidson. Either, or both, being a significant part of the next White Sox playoff contender would be pretty big wins for the front office.

Democrats better be on the worker side of this argument with companies like Uber and this cleaning service... https://www.fastcompany.com/3042248/the-gig-economy-wont-last-because-its-being-sued-to-death Handy (then Handybook), the company that posted the Craigslist ad, is best known as a cleaning service. But unlike Merry Maids or your local cleaning franchise, it doesn’t actually employ any cleaners. Instead, it relies on an army of independent contractors to complete jobs, taking a 15% to 20% commission of every hour worked. It’s part of the “gig economy,” a much-hyped new class of the service industry where workers are expected to operate like mini-businesses. The influence of these companies is growing: according to an analysis by Greylock Partners, the value of transactions over platforms such as car services Lyft and Uber, grocery delivery service Instacart, courier service Postmates, and others could grow as large as $10 billion this year. It was true that when things went wrong, they were responsible. But the Zenelajs had never heard of the gig economy, and it wasn’t until orientation that they realized they would not be employees of Handy. Soon they were booking up to four cleanings a day through the platform. Handy promised to turn them into entrepreneurs, and it was true that when things went wrong, they were responsible: They didn’t get paid to wait for a client who was running up to 30 minutes late, though they drove to his house (Handy does reimburse cleaners for one hour if the client doesn’t show up); they didn’t get paid if they stayed home sick; they didn’t get paid when they got stuck in traffic between jobs. There was no overtime pay or benefits, and they had to buy their own supplies and gas. What’s at stake with these lawsuits and protests? The very definition of “employee” in a tech-enabled, service-driven 21st century American economy. Gig economy companies do not own cars, hotels, or even their workers’ cleaning supplies. What they own is a marketplace with two sides. On one side are people who need a job done–a ride to the airport, a clean house, a lunchtime delivery. On the other are people who are willing to do that job. If Uber and other companies are going to be as big as some claim, a new deal has to be brokered, one that squares the legal rules governing work with new products and services. What benefits can you expect from a quasi-employer? What does it mean to be both independent and tethered to an app-based company? The social contract between gig economy workers and employers is broken. Who will fix it, and how, will determine the fate of thousands of workers and hundreds of millions of dollars. There is no economic security, there is no predictability, and there is no power among workers to get a fair share of the profits. But the gig economy can also be interpreted as a loophole for avoiding labor laws–more of a familiar nightmare than a new dream. Robert Reich, a political economist and the former secretary of labor, compares it to the piecework system of the late 19th century, the very same system that led to trade unions and labor protections in the first place. “There is no economic security, there is no predictability, and there is no power among workers to get a fair share of the profits,” he says. “You and I and everybody else, if the present trends continue, will be selling what we do to the highest bidder.”

I wish I could get a pharmaceutical giant to "grant" me $1.2 million (or is retain the better description?) and then deliver them precisely nothing, but simply trade on my "network/connections." Sounds a lot like Manafort...cut from the same cloth, is Mr. Cohen. https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/09/politics/michael-cohen-trump-lobbying/index.html "I don't know who's been representing you, but you should fire them all. I'm the guy you should hire. I'm closest to the President. I'm his personal lawyer," was how one GOP strategist described Cohen's sales pitch. More recently, Mr. Cohen and his father-in-law lent more than $25 million to a Ukrainian businessman who has a checkered financial record and a history of defaulting on loans. And Mr. Cohen long held a small stake in his uncle’s catering hall, which was frequented by Russian and Italian mobsters. In addition to his legal and taxi businesses, Mr. Cohen has had a seemingly charmed touch as a real estate investor. On one day in 2014, he sold four buildings in Manhattan for $32 million, entirely in cash. That was nearly three times what he paid for them no more than three years earlier. Mr. Cohen borrowed from a half-dozen banks and credit unions to buy taxi medallions. Then he used the medallions as collateral to borrow more money to buy more medallions, former colleagues said. He quickly amassed 30 medallions, each then worth about $250,000, but racked up millions in debt. Together, the two men managed 260 cabs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, some for other owners. Drivers paid them $100 a shift. Millions of dollars in cash flowed in. Mr. Cohen at some point began carrying a licensed pistol in an ankle holster. ... In 2016, a federal judge found that Mr. Freidman had transferred more than $60 million into offshore trusts to avoid paying debts. Last April, New York City regulators barred him from continuing to manage medallions. He currently is awaiting trial in Albany on charges he failed to pay $5 million in taxes. But even as the (taxi/medallion) industry has buckled, Mr. Cohen has continued to use his medallions as collateral to borrow money. In December 2014, with his medallions worth $35 million, he took out loans totaling at least $20 million from Sterling National Bank and Melrose Credit Union, according to a banker who reviewed the transactions. (Documents related to both lenders were among the materials sought by federal prosecutors in their search warrants.) In 2016, Mr. Cohen went so far as to dabble in financial engineering. He spoke to investors about pooling distressed loans that financed taxi medallion purchases, repackaging them and selling them to investors, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions. He also explored buying up such loans at a bargain price in anticipation that their value would recover, the person said. The outcome of those discussions was not clear. The financial maneuvering has continued even after the federal search warrants were executed. On April 24, Mr. Cohen refinanced all 16 of his taxi company medallion loans. The transactions, with Sterling National Bank, appeared to extend the due dates on the loans by four years, according to public filings on the refinanced loans. And they added a new, unusual source of collateral: If Mr. Cohen were to default, Sterling would have the right to any money that Mr. Freidman owes Mr. Cohen. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/business/michael-cohen-lawyer-trump.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

At least you've stayed faithful to your record projections Flavum...someday, a quant/bot can replace you so you have more leisure time to allocate to more productive pursuits, right?

I think you'll find quite a few Sox fans who believe that Moncada still had not evened out his ability to hit capably against LHP at the minor league level...but sometimes talent just wins out in the end, even though his MLB debut last year demonstrated some pretty good arguments for why he wasn't 100% ready. It wouldn't be hard to argue that positive public relations/marketing was one element of the Moncada decision. As far as Timmy goes, Anderson arguably could have used another 2-3 months in the minors but the ghost in the shell of Jimmy Rollins got in the way of that. In his/your defense, he hit and fielded like he belonged for MOST of his rookie season, considering how raw he was from an overall competitive baseball experience standpoint.