caulfield12

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 2, 2016 -> 05:26 PM) 2008 was lower than 2007, when they lost 90 games. It's called the World Series Effect. It lasts for at a minimum of five, and even up to seven years, for some franchises. You can clearly see the same thing happening with the Sox, with 2007, 2009 and especially 2011 killing the season tickey buyers. In 2006, you could at least argue you had a 90 win team with perhaps even more talent on paper than 2005. Coming into 2008, the bloom was already off that rose, no dynasty in the offing. Attendance never shows up until the following season, see 2006 compared to 2905, when they were ahead for the whole season.

QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Oct 2, 2016 -> 07:50 AM) This is one of the things I find very odd about politics, and I mean it in regard to how all politicians are treated. We bring up their voting record and and things they said 15 years ago and hold them to it today. It's like they aren't allowed to grow or change opinions without it being called a lie or "flip flop." I understand that their voting records and statements they've made are important, but if 15 years ago I said something that showed a blind devotion to law enforcement, and today I was critical, doesn't that show that I'm paying attention? Would it really be better for me to view a police brutality video and act like I wasn't able to see what was on the video? Again, I don't mean this in a partisan way. I mean it in regard to social, economic, and policy issues. I'm not sure why politicians aren't allowed to grow or change as long as they can justify the change. Well, the present election is a good example. Hillary being dinged for her husband's trade policies from 20+ years ago or using the term "super predators," it goes with the territory. Two events that happened twenty years ago, related to Alicia Machado and Trump's Federal taxes/losses, are going to help decide the election in her favor. Maybe that's why Obama had an advantage in 2008, having more of a blank slate and much less of a record to run on or against, but looking at only "recent" comments would generally lead to younger and even more inexperienced candidates, yes?

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ Oct 2, 2016 -> 12:53 AM) There was a better candidate - his name was John Kasich. If you bought into his transition to a moderate Republican and stripped away all of his extreme viewpoints and statements over the years. He seemed more on point regarding economic solutions and uplifting the middle class than most of his fellow Republicans.

Does anyone planning to vote for Trump really believe he can change his habits? That he wouldn't be threatening war with a random third world country at 3 a.m. when he felt insulted on Twitter? Someone like Duterte in the Philippines wouldn't get under his skin? As it is, these latest comments on women will be the end unless HRC commits more self-inflicted mistakes simply because the average American woman is a Size 12, as opposed to the Size 2-4 average of his three wives.

Clearly, every really good manager can mean a difference of 2-3 games per season, and bad ones 2-3 additional losses. Let's just hope we finally see consistent refinement in some of the fundamentals, especially from the non-veteran players like Anderson, Tilson and Saladino (scary to say rebuilding without a young core of position talent beyond that, and hopefully Collins in late 2017).

You can't afford to give into the temptation of a watered down package to cover 3-5 spots. You have to decide on either Moncada or Benitendi and then get back at least one other above average starter. And Robertson isn't going to be included, unless you want to diminish the return...which would be a typical Sox move financially. The last thing we need to do is add three more veterans (and even Saunders might be out of their comfortable price range)...but maybe they'll do it simply because Cabrera/Frazier AND at least being able to argue they gave Renteria a halfway legit shot.

Anderson ending his rookie year on a roll....opposite of Beckham in 2009, who faded badly the last six weeks.

Not a shocker, but the roller coaster ride this week for the fanbase was completely unnecessary. They could have had a Robin Ventura Appreciation Day scheduled this weekend instead of the farce that ensued...which was so insulting to knowledgeable fans that even the casual ones saw right through it. JR obviously cares more about the perception of loyalty to valued employees than what fans think, and that's why the relationship has gradually been fraying the last five years after the honeymoon period of 2005-06 wore off.

The Cubs have a much much bigger regional fanbase. That's the key difference. Up until at least 2010/11, the numbers of fans attending games identifying themselves as Chicagoland residents for both teams was nearly identical. Not just hardcore fans of the Cubs, but regional fans of other teams who want to make a weekend of it and be closest to the Miracle Mile/Michigan Ave., outlet malls and the ballpark...and then you can't discount the historical value of fans just wanting to take their families to Wrigley or Fenway. All those other reasons get blended into the Cubs' numbers and create the loyalty perception. So much of it is a result of marketing, WGN, Harry Caray, day baseball, all the years without a World Series, etc. If you go to the Quad Cities, you won't see any Sox merchandise. Cubs and Cards dominate...which makes no sense geographically, but the Cards have the winning tradition as well as an extensive radio network. The Twins are third, probably a tie with Brewers and KC for fourth. This year, the WLS signal won't even come in. When I was growing up, 670 WMAQ came in like you were at the ballpark at night.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Oct 1, 2016 -> 02:20 AM) Barring a really bad start Sunday, Sale has locked up the fWAR and pWAR titles. That's why I posted what he needs to do ERA and WHIP wise to be better than Porcello. If he accomplishes that, then the only traditional stats the old-thinking writers can point to is wins and walks. Sale would have the advantage in IP, ERA, K, WHIP, H/9. And you honestly feel he has a chance to finish ahead of Porcello, Britton, Kluber, Verlander, Happ, Hamels, etc.?

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Sep 30, 2016 -> 09:41 PM) The journalism school will always be the crown jewel. It draws in tons of Chinese students. Yes, but not when the choice is Medill... And honestly, there just aren't incredible amounts interested in journalism because of the lack of press freedom. While it may seem significant numbers-wise at one school or department, it's still barely a blip on the radar compared to math/engineering, computer science and business/economics/finance/MBA. I imagine many of those studying journalism plan to stay/work abroad after graduation. Even that's getting more complicated with Canada now agreeing to extradict "financial criminals" wanted back in China...they really don't want any more Chinese money flooding the Vancouver housing market.

You and Southsider2k5 are going to write-in Ventura and Romney...pretty incredible. I honestly might prefer Trump to Ventura, although it's a close call.

Sale is not close to winning...but we can continue to live in the imaginary universe where 45+ voting sportswriters (still the majority of the BBWAA) follow sabre stats more than traditional ones.

QUOTE (miracleon35th @ Sep 30, 2016 -> 04:57 PM) The cubz bandwagon started filling up when Harry Carey moved from the White Sox to the Cubs in 1981. That was huge. It exposed much of the country to Harry and the Cubs via Super station WGN. How cute those Cubbies were to toothless bumpkins in Iowa and throughout the WGN viewing area, and how comfortable grandparents were with folksy Harry, starting his broadcasts, "Hello everybaddy.." Yea, Cubz picked up a lot of fans, especially in remote cities and towns lacking a MLB franchise. There is not question though that Sox ownership were foolish with that nonsense paid Sportsvision. And that came on the heels of substandard WSNS UHF TV broadcasts of Sox games. Dumb and dumber. The thing that turned the dynamic of Cubs/Sox fandom around in a substantial way was how cubs fans were viewed after their behavior at and following the infamous 2003 Bartman game. Then on the heels of that debacle, the surprise World Series Championship that was waiting for our City in 2005. Shock (2003) and Awe (2005). It would be hilarious if the Cubs choked in the playoffs and something like that happened again. What would Illinois be without Chicago? More toothless bumpkins. And half the people who come to games are 50+ year old fans from Des Moines who have had a relationship with the Iowa Cubs for years and years. How many fans in Charlotte and Birmingham can conveniently attend Sox games? It's called marketing and controlling your regional territory. Not to mention the team in Peoria for generations. Once upon a time, the Sox at least had a team in South Bend. Another example, the Royals with teams in Omaha and NW Arkansas. Before that, Wichita for AA. It's called building your fanbase. It also helps when there's lots of young and exciting players to follow before they even reach the majors.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 30, 2016 -> 04:31 PM) Why laugh. You can't have students shouting the N word at people without grave repercussions, meaning enrollment declines of monumental proportions. People have to start behaving. It's fine, we'll just send more students from here in China to pay the exponentially increasing international student fees. Weird thing, I've never had a student in a decade mentioning a desire to go to Mizzou. The Big Ten is really doing a much better marketing job...although obviously having NW, Michigan, Illinois, etc., helps to lift the overall profile of conference schools. Purdue, Penn State and Iowa have a ton of Asian students now as well.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 06:54 PM) Trouble in Columbia, Mo. A fraternity is suspended cause some members screamed racial insults and got caught doing it on tape. The N word. Seriously ... how can any white person yell that at people? Where do college students develop such hatred? I'm like all of you. I don't look at color ... at all. Why do some people hate their fellow human beings just cause of color?? Sickening. I wonder if Mizzou will still exist in a couple years at this rate. Have you been following Trump for the last two years and the barely "coded" treatment of Obama for the last eight? Racism was still there, but now the permission (validated by Trump) seemingly exists for it to come out of hiding again.

The fact that Bill Clinton's indiscretions were already the subject of the 1992 and 2000 elections and are still front and center tells you everything you need to know about 2016. Notice, it wasn't an issue in 2008 to Obama, because the differences are obvious enough without bringing them up. Trump has been married three times, twice to immigrants, who are now conveniently enough, bad for America. Why would a serious newsperson spend ANY time on this subject, just because Trump brings it up to deflect? Next he'll be taking credit for turning Alicia Machado into a successful actress/model/spokesperson near the age of 40 when most American actresses are consigned to "mother/caregiver" roles in the movies. Search Alicia Machado Maxim 2007 Greg.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 30, 2016 -> 05:09 PM) Can you imagine how bad KC would have been this season if Chicago and Minnie had just played .500 ball vs. the Hosmers? Look at their record vs. the AL West. LAA and A's aren't exactly powerhouses this season. Or on the road.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alicia-machado-i...-162627092.html Wonder if anyone ever had Alicia Machado as the one name that would bring Trump's campaign down?

Do we have to talk about Carlos Sanchez and Leury Garcia all offseason? Let's hope not. Because the odds of them sustaining their recent success in starting roles is about 5-10% at best.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Sep 30, 2016 -> 12:47 PM) Sale leads the AL in fWAR And bWAR? Jose Fernandez is ahead in one of those, but something like 6th-8th for the other. Regardless, Sale isn't going to finish Top 3 and Q will be lucky to sneak into the Top 10.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 10:56 PM) Back to the topic ... Maybe the Sox have decided there's nobody exciting available out there. Maybe if the Yankees flop in the playoffs they'll fire their manager and we can get him in a year. Let's face it ... If the Sox can only get somebody like a Martinez or Alomar, why bother? That's what they may be thinking. Robin is a poor manager, sure, but why hire some guy who will likely fail and we'd have to give him at least 3 year contract. Until a good one becomes available we keep Robin. Not saying it's right but it may be the issue here. I do wish Robin would work on his deficiencies. Cmon Robin, the four wins on the road vs. the Central HAS to be addressed. The Sox have some decent players. We shouldn't be THIS bad every year. Don't mistake this post. I want Robin gone, but I'm just saying the people available may suck. Yankees in the playoffs? After next season? Are the White Sox really going to offer Girardi that type of money, and would he really go to a rebuilding team? Miami a decade ago and then "starting over" with the White Sox would be two diametrically-opposed extremes, especially with the Cubs' resurgence and the fact that he was long-considered a possible manager for the Cubs. If anything, you'd think he would be the favorite to take the Cubs' job when Maddon retires, whenever that happens. Definitely the case if they don't manage to win a World Series in the next 3-5 years. KUDOS for no mention/s of Leyland, LaRussa, Francona or Guillen!!!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 03:22 PM) Because the White Sox are the 2nd team in the smallest market with multiple teams. Oakland is behind the Sox...Washington/Baltimore are lumped together now as well, by most.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 01:35 PM) HRC being a better candidate than Donald Trump adds nothing to her allure as a candidate. I never did what you claim with the bolded. My parents vote. My grandparents had voted in every election when they were alive. I don't feel the need to waste my time voting when the state I live in is a foregone conclusion. The rest of your post is all over the place and a task to respond to. I am not sure why you and many others think the government is out here trying to save children. Sure it happens, but like Napoleon said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Something happened during the 1984/1988 elections where the funding elections and money in politics started to blow up. Both parties ended up sucking the tit of the powers traditional liberals used to hate. The banks, wall street, the military complex, etc. Past that, the liberals went so far left that their popular opinions aren't capitalistic or anywhere near in line with the idea of government this country was founded on. This has led to the expansion of government, more ugly foreign affair efforts and a smaller middle class yet the Democrats still scream for more government. With the history of human beings as my basis, it probably won't end in our favor. Yeah, the CHIP initiative is absolutely corruption at its finest. Ironically, Trump fashions himself another Napoleon. Hopefully he ends up exiled as well. So Michelle Obama's wife would have been excoriated had she taken the more active role Hillary did in 1993-94. What should she have been doing, exactly? Besides getting ripped for excessive vacations and spending money on travel expenses, she's been very similar to both Bush wives. Why don't you start your own Ayn Rand Party? Citizens United is 50% to blame for the money issue, and Republicans still aren't smart enough to figure out how to use that huge fundraising advantage to their benefit on the national level. We didn't have Republican presidents for 28/40 years from 1968-2008? From 1994 on, what did the Gingrich Revolution accomplish? The Tea Party Revolution? Did you miss all the inane foreign policy decisions and needless interventions under Nixon, Reagan and the Bushes? In the end, there's no screaming for more government. Social security, Medicare, military spending and interest on the debt is about all we're going to get...so we should believe that trickle down or voodoo economics actually works, and that every politician isn't limited to just two difficult choices, either investing into higher education OR increasing immigration? God help the USA if Melania is First Lady. Although it would be nice to undercut his central campaign theme of being anti-immigration. Mexicans and Alicia Machado, stay out, but if you're a Czech or Slovenian supermodel, come on down. We really don't have enough beauty in America, might as well import some more.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 02:29 PM) But what do you want Robin to do differently? What would you have a new manager do differently? I mean, I think we can all think of some instances where we disagreed with some of Robin;'s bullpen moves, but like really, what is this team lacking from a manager that is preventing it from winning? I get that it's attractive to use the manager as a scapegoat. But if you really JUST want someone's head to roll, I think it's all a waste of bluster. Because if the front office fires the manager and then trots the same half-assed team out there, are you really going to be satisfied? Yes, Robin has a losing record as a manager. So does the janitor, I guess. Who cares? Neither of them win or lose games. Front offices use managers as "fall guys" to placate angry fan mobs. It's a nearly meaningless gesture and it SHOULDN'T be enough for you. Don't let them pass off a different manager as a proxy for change. If the White Sox want to act the opposite of all of MLB teams in regard, great. But at least provide some evidence their plan is working or at least has a decent chance to work. They just shouldn't be surprised when a majority of the fans reject their operating philosophy. Has a school district under pressure from parents ever kept a principal in place with a record of such poor results without trying a change in leadership? Why are they trying to prove they're smarter than everyone else (especially their own fans) when there's almost nothing they can point to as reasons why he should be retained? I'm almost ready to believe they can just change the tagline for 2017 to Returning the Pride, change little of the roster and still believe nobody will be any the wiser.