caulfield12

Despite everyone believing I don't love the White Sox because I'm often skeptical/critical, that doesn't mean I haven't thought about how the White Sox can find and develop their next great hitter...and do it relatively cheaply, in a way that benefits the sport of baseball as well as Sox sponsors/Chicago businesses. At any rate, everyone can tell me why this won't work and pick it apart...which will give me something to do when I take a sabbatical from SoxTalk and return when one of Ventura/Hahn/KW is gone, as promised to Kyle. It struck me from watching the movie Million Dollar Arm (about the search in India for a potential MLB pitcher) that they actually had it backwards, they should have called it Million Dollar Bat, because there are so many similarities between the game of cricket and baseball in terms of hitting the ball (as opposed to the throwing motion)...and, from my travels there (three weeks in the summer of 2013), the passion for that sport in the rural areas is just the same as what you'd typically see in the Dominican, Cuba and Venezuela for beisbol, in Central/South America for futbol/soccer...impromptu pick-up games played in fields littered with weeds with balls made out of socks and tape, etc. Another comparison would be all the Hispanic kids playing soccer around Chicago on Sundays... If I was the White Sox, I would set up a baseball academy in India and be the first MLB team with a baseball academy in Cuba. If MLB wants to grow globally, India's a better choice because China is already NBA/basketball crazy and India would be much easier to work with in terms of eventually forming a Development/al League or the equivalent of the old Continental Basketball Association. Growing economy (compared to China's falling GDP trajectory), emerging democracy...it makes too much sense, then you have the Pacific Rim for the World Baseball Classic (Japan/South Korea/Taiwan, China, Australia and India) and the Eastern Hemisphere. China does have hand-eye coordination sports in badminton and ping pong/table tennis, but nothing close to cricket. And, soccer is evolving as the secondary favorite sport here for young boys to play, even though World Cup results have been disastrous considering a 1.5 billion population. But first there would be a Million Dollar Bat competition to find the talent...and I'd hire Tadahito Iguchi, Shingo Takatsu and 2-3 more of the best Japanese instructors/coaches to run it. You'd have a cross-cultural/global interchange aspect going on. From watching baseball since I was a kid, the two most interesting styles of play are the Japanese/Korean team-oriented approach, and the flair and elegance of the Cubans. So the Japanese style would be brought to India. I doubt there's any interest in making another Disney movie because of the lackluster performance of the first one, but I think it would be fairly easy to set up a country-wide talent competition along the same lines...except this time a hitter using a regulation wooden bat would have to hit 3 balls out of 1015 pitches thrown by a pitching machine at somewhere between 88-92 MPH at least 350 feet in the air. It could be called "Bedford Park's BRICS for Bats" (maybe that's too unwieldy a name, maybe just BRICS for Bats or Bats for BRICS) and there would be three goals: 1) Building business connections between Brazil, India, China, Cuba and South Africa to the Chicago-land area/Sox sponsors (and to the White Sox as well). 2) Finding the next great hitter for the White Sox and developing a new, untapped market for baseball, growing the game. 3) Cross-cultural exchange (for example, Takatsu/Iguchi working with youngsters in India)...in conjunction with BASEBALL MIRACLES (non-profit run by White Sox scout John Tumminia and supported by Jerry Reinsdorf, see recent article about their trips to Kenya and Honduras at chisox.com). I think between the combination of the White Sox, Bedford Park, New Lenox and finding an insurance company with ties to the White Sox to underwrite against the possibility of someone actually winning the competition, you could pull it off. The other thing I would do is push to develop the first MLB training academy in Cuba, probably in Havana. The reasons for this are obvious: 1) To make the White Sox Cuba's national team (bringing in Cespedes would have helped...maybe they can still sign Yadiel Hernandez)...but there's the long history there with Jaime Torres (agent), Contreras, El Duque, Alexei Ramirez, etc. As the economy is opened up (and, of course, that could change depending on the new president), more and more opportunities will present themselves. 2) Tapping into the Brazilian and Jamaican markets for athletic/defensive players like Anderson Gomes/Paulo Orlando that would fit the new "small ball" style of play...plus the White Sox should have SOME connections there because of Marco Paddy. (Not sure what Jerry Krause did in that territory in his brief time scouting in 2010, and quite obviously the Dave Wilder situation didn't help there and in the Dominican, but it needs to be overcome...another reason is the White Sox never took advantage of the Ozzie/Venezuelan connection at the major or minor league level. Now, it's probably too late as many teams are pulling out of Venezuela and their training academies due to political/safety concerns.) 3) The Brazilian and Jamaican (because they also have a cricket culture to an extent) players would be funneled through the Cuban academy...along with players coming from Colombia and Central America...or "shared" with the Dominican Academy (obviously there's already a strong connection there with Rafael Santana running it) so they would have the opportunity to learn in both places from teachers with different methods and styles.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 10:01 AM) I will mock any and all of your nonsensical posts that have zero to do with the topic at hand. If you want to join a circle jerk for Royals, they have their own forums. Dick Allen doesn't emulate me, he is just as annoyed with your non sequitur bulls*** as anyone else on this site. It isn't just mods and admins. And for the record, Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn are still employed by the white sox. Just an FYi Fine. I'll leave. At least my Jackson and Desmond predictions will stand the test of time. Dick Allen can find a new group of fans to whine about and leave me alone.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:39 AM) Jackson too. Obviously they'll only pick one, but that was the word on both. If they clear Hammel off the books, it's simple. Soler to TB for pitching...Heyward back to RF where he has the most value and comfort. With all the money the Cubs have already spent, they'll sacrifice another $5-7 million to get more certainty from Fowler.

Hence the reason for this thread...

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:42 AM) Because Lyle Mouton for gods sakes. Lyle. Mouton. And your choice for improving the club or you prefer wasting posts in attempts to mock? You should be proud, you've also got Dick Allen emulating you but he adds four names. Better effort on his part, and he varies them randomly. Ubaldo Jimenez. John Danks. Gordon Beckham. Don Cooper.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:40 AM) Caulfield my god why the hell are you talking about what the royals should have done. Because Dick Allen keeps taking quotes and applying them out of context...from my one long thread written about how the White Sox used to excel in an area the Royals now excel in. And because it's interesting as a baseball fan to imagine what each and every team should do. Never mind. From now on every single post will be about Desmond and Jackson until they're off the board so that he's no longer confused. I can do the same thing as Thad Bosley with his 35 years thing.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:34 AM) In the same thread you started which mentioned signing Desmond and /or Jackson as a better option than Cespedes, with both those players still available, you now say the Sox are stuck at the kiddie table because they didn't overpay for Cespedes. Of course in another thread you say overpaying for a free agent , by a team with a two year window, (and you have stated several times the White Sox have a 2 year window)is not smart. What do the Sox have to do to get you to buy season tickets? Just the feeling of being excited about the White Sox and then being let down...has nothing to do with Cespedes specifically. Nobody thinks the Cespedes deal is a good one for any team but the Mets. I will be perfectly content with Jackson and Desmond, warts and all. Fowler, no. And we should have learned at least one thing these last two weeks, that it's much better to go after players who really want to be here...Fowler's heart is still on the Northside.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:31 AM) I will say this, add Desmond & Jackson, and this offseason suddenly has shades of 2005 in terms of upgrading a ton of positions, many with value plays. The irony is that's really what the Royals should have done, and KW used to do. Buy veterans low, sell high on prospects. So we now have the perfect opportunity to pick up both and still not jeopardize the future too much...the only question is whether that $25 million going to Cespedes or Upton can be allocated to two lesser players who won't create much marketing buzz but should win more games by upgrading multiple positions.

QUOTE (Saufley @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:13 AM) Wasn't there a rumor, or maybe just an article, about Jackson and the Cubs? If you had your choice where would you want to sign? Just asking. Fowler is the one most likely going back to the Cubs...

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 09:17 AM) All true. But once they backed themselves into this corner, committed to a plan, you finish it. Too bad. All got crazy for the so-called Big Three. Fine. Take a pass. Don't be insane. But finish the job elsewhere. To me, this means Jackson/Desmond. Yep, lose a pick. One stinkin pick (out of the three important picks). Chances of getting value out of the J/D combo are a lot better than value from that second pick. Besides, finish this year's plan since we've already committed! Feels like a repeat of 2003 when they refused to pay Kenny Rogers....Twins scooped him up relatively cheaply and the fifth starter's spot killed us that year. We could actually have a really good competitive with a 50/50 chance to make the playoffs at around a $144-146 million payroll or we can create even more skepticism and distrust from fans becoming increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise. Say what you want about financial responsibility, but the Tigers and Royals are all-in and it feels like we're consigned to a permanent seat at the Thanksgiving kiddie table.

Their only choice left is the White Sox, sounds somewhat familiar... Without knowing what was offered for Q, it's impossible to say. Was the return going to be similar to Miller's or was that a one-time situation where the DBacks' front office was already quite familiar with him and bound and determined to get their guy come hell or high water? Somehow I have a feeling the offer isn't lining up with Top 10-20 mlb pitcher statistically.

http://espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/insid...lementes-number http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=23...&type=story Robinson family against... On one hand, he wasn't the first Hispanic player, not by a longshot. On the other, baseball is becoming more and more a Latin American and Hispanic dominated game in terms of the percentage of major leaguers. As Olney stated, that move to retire #47 was one of the most important and impactful of Selig's career as commissioner. There are two factors that stand out that make Clemente unique...the tragic nature of his death while doing humanitarian work, and the breadth and scope of that impact on not only Puerto Rico but all of Latin America in terms of pride in his accomplishments and being a role model for how to play the game with dignity, flair and elegance. Personally, I think something like having all starting right fielders in MLB wear #21 for a day or week would be the best compromise. Or retiring his number only in the NL.

It has to reach at least 400 to set historical precedent... Merkin's comment "the only truly realistic option was Upton...Gordon and Cespedes had their minds set, if the teams cooperated. They did."

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 05:54 AM) If by this statement you mean they make decisions that ensure they continue to amass enormous wealth for themselves and the investors, yes, I would agree. They've managed to take care of themselves very nicely over the years. It's just too bad these so-called "decision makers" haven't even remotely come close to doing well by us, the fans, the paying customers. One playoff appearance in the past decade, and a very brief one at that. Just five in the thirty five years that said massive wealth has been accumulating. Obviously the decisions to ensure profit have taken precedence over decisions to ensure success on the field. The record speaks for itself. The problem isn't the decision-making process as much as the actual results. Although even that process hasn't been 100% smooth between KW and Hahn if you follow all the clues.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/stat...811754205552640 Obviously the opt-out after one year is what sealed it...White Sox would never offer that much power and control to a player coming in from another organization.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 04:35 AM) so they can win even less titles? This sounds like a Dick Allen response...would the White Sox be better off with a Twins/Tigers/Indians AL Central run with no World Series but extended/sustained dominance and profitability? Would Braves fans trade 13-14 consecutive winning seasons for a second World Series title? You make it sound like a bad thing their goal every season is to win it all...when of course the odds of getting hot at the right time and not losing momentum through three consecutive Series still makes it a complete crapshoot.

Captain, there's no Kumbaya singing. Wrong website. That said, the natives are growing testy, and rightfully so. It's not about Don Cooper, though. If he said "f--k you!" to every fan he came across, it would matter not at all (unless they were kids) as long as the pitching staff led the world in war, whip and fip. Conversely, if he spent every waking moment engaged in Sox charities work and won the Nobel Peace Prize, it also wouldn't matter to fans if the pitching staff woefully underperformed and we were twenty games under .500. Unless they have a best MLB charities competition that directly impacts our won loss record, you're wasting your energy. You would be better off sending Cooper a copy of Andrew Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

That would make this whole thread pointless...we'd sign players right and left and wonder how long it would last and how crazy/rich the owner is, probably feeling more sorry for him than ourselves if the team never managed to win the World Series. That's also part of the explanation for why the fans there are so crazy about their teams, they feel he cares just as much if not more about the team winning than the bottom line/profitability/team valuation/ROI.

QUOTE (CB2.0 @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 12:20 AM) Latin signings are a whole different animal. And speaking of: weren't Abreu, Cespedes, and Puig all the SAME class? What MLB team won with their pick and $? You're moving goal posts. The A's and Dodgers got playoff appearances...

0.9 advantage for Trayce over Lagares...

QUOTE (CB2.0 @ Jan 23, 2016 -> 12:04 AM) Beckham held down his job - the problem was he sucked at it after year 1 and yet kept playing. What do you mean...under 21 signings? The Sox love college grads. Their top picks are almost always 21 or close to it so...is this a gotcha attempt or something? No, I mean pretty soon we will be one of the minority of teams that has never gone over the yearly allocations/allotments for under 21 Latin American signings...

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 11:40 PM) In my personal opinion, Sanders would be a total anomaly. Dude is full blown socialist. Whether you or anyone else agrees with that or not is not my perogative and Hillary has her own massive issues. I would agree if you referenced Rubio or Bush as being pretty normal. John Kerry would win this election in a landslide. Honestly, I've never disliked the top 4 candidates (2 on each side) more than in this election. Which version of Rubio? Centrist/moderate on immigration or Tea Party fiscal conservative?

QUOTE (CB2.0 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 11:56 PM) But YOU put up a lineup featuring CarGo in it, right? I'm not crazy? I realize I'm new, but you are all over the place. That guy costs almost $40M unless you get cash and from what I've seen...people on this site are talking about GIVING THEM something to get him... lol. That's patently crazy. Nope, that wasn't my lineup. Actually just playing along since the Rockies convinced Parra to come there largely based on the chance to play at least one year with CarGo. As the franchise player and with his second half and the deals Upton, Davis and Cespedes are getting...the asking price would be Adams and Hawkins. They don't have to trade him...they just got out from under the Tulo deal. Which team needs him more?

Outside of Quentin, Alexei, Abreu and Eaton...that's not a great stretch of eight years considering none of them were your drafts or under 21 signings. Anderson could be the first to hold down a regular job since Beckham.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 11:45 PM) Yes, because God forbid anyone try to get better besides Cubs in NL Central Especially since they "seduced with Maddon Magic" Lackey and Heyward.