caulfield12

Wild Card Standings Last Five Days of July, 2015 JULY 27 LAA +12 MIN +6 3. TOR/Balt E 3 GB 5. TB -1 3 1/2 GB 6. CHW/TEX -4 5 GB 8. CLE -6 6 GB JULY 28 LAA +11 MIN +5 3. BAL +1 2 GB 4. TB E 2 1/2 GB 5. TOR -1 3 GB 6. CHW -3 4 GB 7. TEX -5 5 GB 8. CLE -7 6 GB JULY 29 LAA +10 MIN +4 3. BAL +2 1 GB 4. TOR E 2 GB 5. TB -1 2 1/2 GB 6. CHW -2 3 GB 7. TEX -4 4 GB 8. CLE -8 6 GB JULY 30th LAA +9 MIN +5 3. TOR/BAL +1 2 GB 5. CHW/TB -1 3 GB 7. TEX -3 4 GB 8. CLE -7 6 GB JULY 31st LAA +8 MIN +4 3. TOR/BAL +2 1 GB 5. CHW/TB/TEX -2 3 GB 8. CLE -6 5 GB We all know how this played out. LAA and Minnesota faded big-time. Toronto and Texas made huge moves at the All-Star Break and made the playoffs. The problem is that our position might have been stronger last year, because we were riding a 7 game winning streak...roughly the same positioning in the standings (as 2015) in terms of the clustering of teams and number of games back. You could even make an argument that Baltimore/Minnesota last year were much weaker teams than Toronto, Boston and Houston THIS YEAR. Obviously, David Price/Tulo and Cole Hamels changed the momentum around quite significantly.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0909696/ I thought it was THIS guy...America's Most Wanted, John Walsh

LOL. Crazy game. Khris With a K Davis is on fire for the A's right now. Then Valbuena hits a walk-off bomb. That's 2-3 this week already for him, the other one came late and tied it or gave them the lead. So much streaky power up and down that line-up.

I don't think we can call that ending a moral victory. And no clue why you'd go with Beck over Ynoa or Jennings with just a two run deficit against the Braves at home...or Albers. Or Duke.

The catching situation was a real weakness until about two weeks ago....when their offense picked up. Now it's back to well below average with Narvaez.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 08:59 PM) That's why we should try and pull the trigger on Sanchez from NY For Fulmer?

http://espn.go.com/mlb/features/cyyoung Maybe we can debate from this list. Tillman with Baltimore also bears consideration. No way an Orioles reliever (Britton) will be there in the Top 5.

QUOTE (StrykerSox @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 08:49 PM) The other guy already mentioned Salazar and Wright. I was bringing up other competitors. And yeah, just like superficial s*** like W-L matters, playing for the Yankees matters. That was ME, lol...

Yes, and Sale's been the clear front-runner all season long, didn't win two when he was right there with Kluber/Keuchel... I was more referring to why in God's name Tanaka would be there, other than pitching for the Yankees? You can make a much better case for CC Sabathia, actually. But that's not happening, either.

Wright and Salazar are in much better position than those 3 listed. Tanaka? For the 4th place Yankees? Really?

1. TOR +11 (7 straight wins) 2. BOS +9 3. HOU +6 1 1/2 GB 4. DET +3 3 GB 5. CHW/KCR +2 3 1/2 GB (both teams currently losing, KC by 2 late) 7. SEA +1 4 GB 8. NYY -2 5 1/2 GB Getting close to being able to stick a fork in the Yankees. The Mets are REALLY in desperate need of starting pitchers with Syndergaard struggling with the bone spur issue in his elbow. Cespedes also hurt his quad. Harvey out for the year with thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Trade partner? Semien hit his 19th homer, homers in two consecutive games now.

Not that it's much of any consolation, but, in terms of racial relations...it's PROBABLY better that it was a lone gunman rather than a country-wide social media-driven conspiracy to attack police forces across the country with multiple "spotters" and co-conspirators in every large city.

Realistically, who's the next man in to replace Beck? Kahnle again? Purke? Carroll? Turner? The pickings are pretty slim. Of all those names, would like to see Kahnle get a chance to find some footing pitching in mop-up/blowout situations with no pressure. Can just relax and throw the ball in the general direction of the plate.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 05:27 PM) I suppose you are referring to my crazy talk about Lawrie or Saladino plus Trey M, and C. Hawkins to which I quickly admitted Fulmer would have to most likely be in any deal for Lucroy. So I beat you to the punch on discounting my own idea though it never was Saladino as a centerpiece since Lawrie was the original choice. I just have a hard time figuring out what 1.5 years of a guy is worth. Always seems like too much to me like with Samardzija. 1 year for all those years and players given up seems so very very wasteful. Or even the 2 years of Frazier and Lawrie . I'm not quite a hero worshipper nor a prospect guy. Just try to find the fine line on when exactly is the right time to give up many years for a year or 2 of a decent player. Prospects run the greater risk of flopping than the veteran which is balanced out by the prospect(s) having time to improve . I tend to think organizations give up too much for rentals but that's me. Winning instantly has its own reward to those who have a chance to do it. I then changed it to Fulmer , Saladino + or ++ for Lucroy and Tyler Thornburg in subsequent posts. Actually responding to Southsider2k5's list of remaining "young core" guys, but good response! And yeah, also the idea of Saladino as a centerpiece of anything. He can be a piece, with Fulmer. That said, you leave yourself having to go out once again and find another 2B unless you're a huge Carlos Sanchez fan.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 08:05 PM) If the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Astros all win tonight, it kinda sucks. Don't think the Astros lose two in a row to Oakland at home. 6-3 Houston now in the middle innings.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 11:31 AM) A lot of us are high on the first five picks, Curbelo, and Hickman. The Univ of Iowa pitcher from the CPL that had TJ?

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 08:01 PM) Beck is literally your garbage man. Albers or even Jennings makes more sense. Or Ynoa...

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 07:59 PM) Have chance to get to second place....and this happens Technically, it would have been a tie with the Tigers. At this point, 2nd-4th are meaningless in the division...it's all about wild card positioning.

QUOTE (StrykerSox @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 07:57 PM) Chris Sale isn't going to win the CY this year, or any other year. He'll perennially finish in the top five or so, but never first. He's just missing something from really being on level with Kershaw, Felix and even a guy like Bumgarner. Felix Hernandez barely throws in the low 90's anymore. And they never advanced to the playoffs with him on their team. That said, he's been one of the best pitchers of his generation, overall.

If Beck was EVER going to be motivated to pitch, it was tonight. He attended Georgia Southern. The Braves are the only game in town down there...24/7. Next...

QUOTE (chisoxfan310 @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 07:55 PM) #bringbackbuehrle GREG?

QUOTE (TitoMB @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 07:53 PM) What the hell are the Cy Young voters going to do? Pitcher wins make them drool. I can see Salazar winning if the Indians end up winning the division by like 10 games...because his ERA's going to end up significantly lower. Doesn't have the name recognition, but it didn't stop Kluber and Keuchel from winning. Wright on the Red Sox would be the other primary contender at the moment.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 07:51 PM) Not sure why they bring in the worst pitcher on the roster Maybe Ventura received a "secret" contract extension during this last hot streak...

I'd even say, regardless of what Sale has done or not done, if you can't rally from a two-run deficit at home against the Braves with 4+ innings of at-bats remaining, you aren't that great of a team in the first place.

QUOTE (StrykerSox @ Jul 8, 2016 -> 07:44 PM) He's given up four or more runs in five of his last nine starts. Not very ace like. He's allowed a bad game, but this isn't one bad game. This is a bad stretch. Edit- Also, this team is s***. Beyond Freeman, they have nothing. Arrieta's going through a similar stretch, albeit his ERA is lower due to pitching in the NL. 6 ER in 6+ innings. In fact, I'm sure there will be 10X more panic in Chicago over Arrieta than anything you hear about Chris Sale. Pirates sweep the Cubs and there will be a LONG LONG All-Star break for the Cubs to think about how much all that hype and all those All-Stars are actually worth in the 2nd half.