caulfield12

When the Royals received the scouting report on the Mets before the World Series, it was hard to ignore two lines that were heavily emphasized. “Make [Lucas] Duda throw the ball. Make [Travis] d’Arnaud throw the ball,’’ was presented to every Royals player. Nypost.com

We still owe Alexei for overperforming his original deal (in the eyes of JR). No way he's gone.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14034906...16-world-series Step 1: pissing off the Royals and giving them another chip on their shoulders, haha. Cueto isn't going to be missed all that much, or Rios, and Guthrie departing will free up quite a bit of money, not to mention Alex Gordon. They'll miss him and especially Zobrist, but no player is irreplaceable for them other than Sal Perez. Oh, and Chris Young's veteran leadership, too. Finally, they'll have to eat quite a bit of money on Omar Infante's deal, but they already have a plan for Year 3 of their four year window. The Twins should be pissed too, tied with us after how last season ended. No guarantee of another World Series, but, barring major injuries, they're back again in the playoffs at least. And, because Greg called it, we will trade Montas or Adams for Christian Colon (aka Andy Gonzalez II), and one of those guys definitely wins the 2017 or 2018 AL Cy Young. Just imagine if they selected Harvey or Sale instead of Christian Colon...and Kershaw, Lincecum or Scherzer over Hochevar (the last Allard Baird draft)? Guess it was meant to be, the #1 symbol of franchise ineptitude ends up arguably the co-MVP of the post-season bullpen after sitting out all of 2015 with TJ surgery.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 2, 2015 -> 12:22 AM) The Royals won the WS and avenged the performance vs. the Giants. So now for next year, if KC was smart, it would just relax and not play like f***ing douchebags in April and May, starting fights, throwing at people, treating every series as Armageddon. If they mop up the lousy Sox, Indians and Twins and split with Detroit they should easily win the division. Again, if they play like the assholes they played like this year, I hope every series results in a fight. That could happen if they continue that ridiculous chip on their shoulder play they had this season. All the celebrating and throwing at people. Sox's only hope of overtaking KC? Major overhaul of bullpen. Fixing 3B, C and adding a real DH for starters. GOOD LUCK WHITE SOX. It sucks not being on top like we were in 05. That chip on their shoulder is a major reason they won. It will be back again as they lose Cueto, Gordon and Zobrist (probably) and get picked for second or third in the AL Central and underrated again by PECOTA and all of the other prediction models out there. They will be more low key than this season, but that confidence bordering on arrogance isn't going away until Cain, Hosmer and Moustakas all move on. It's the main reason that Hosmer just willed the Royals back after another key error at 1b gave the Mets their second tally in the sixth...he scored the tying run when 7-8 times out of ten he would have been thrown out and forever vilified had they gone on to lose Games 6&7. That's the way they play. Putting pressure on the opposition to make a better play. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...l#storylink=cpy How long will Sox fans be waiting for this column again? Fans will have their own memories, from the ones who believed all along to the ones who will claim they believed all along. They used to bond with something that felt a little too much like Stockholm syndrome, with jokes about the throw home hitting Ken Harvey’s back or Kerry Robinson climbing that wall in Chicago for a ball that bounced in front of him to then-manager Buddy Bell, caught in the middle of another long losing streak, muttering, “I’ll never say it can’t get worse.” ...... Zack Greinke became one of baseball’s best young pitchers in Kansas City, but the losing beat him down, and he demanded to be traded. The Royals tried to trade him to Washington, but Greinke didn’t want that either, so they made a new deal with the Brewers for what they thought at the time was an inferior haul of prospects. Except that haul was highlighted by Cain and Escobar — two foundational pieces for the Royals’ rise, the center fielder and the shortstop, the smiling No. 3 hitter and the unconventional leadoff man. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...l#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...l#storylink=cpy

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 2, 2015 -> 01:57 AM) I knew tonight the Mets were in trouble when Harvey was a whiny b**** after the eighth inning. Verlander does it all the time, so did Peavy and Shark. These pitchers want to stay in the game and many times it's a very very dumb decision. Tonight, Familia probably would have held the 2-0 lead. Maybe not. But he probably would have and they'd be flying to KC right now for Game Six with the weirdly inconsistent Cueto on the mound. Game 7 tickets booked.....Greg had guaranteed, so can he get me a refund on my flight, too?

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 11:32 PM) You take everything so literal it's hilarious. Point is, last season everyone made excuses and explained the Royals wouldn't make it back. They did. And yes statistically it's probably not going to happen; but I wouldn't flat out just say they won't be back as you suggest. Escobar's inside the park homer/error that deflected off the leg/shin of Cespedes. Never can you take your eyes off Harvey. He is must-see TV, the most consistently interesting player on a team that is suddenly fascinating. Nevertheless, the Mets should seriously consider trading him this winter, because of his high-maintenance ways, his rising salary, his injury risk, the Mets’ starting pitching surplus and their need for controllable bats. Nypost.com

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 09:20 PM) LOL at loudmouth Royals fans on Twitter ripping Yost for leaving Volquez in that half inning after there was some trouble. He only gave up one run and it's 2-0. If you are KC you are still feeling good about beating the NY bullpen eventually tonight. Back to the fans ... why can't they just shut up and enjoy like we did in 05. There was no Ozzie bashing in the game threads, just fans havin' fun. Different situation. They destroyed the Red Sox and then were almost down 2-0 to the Angels...after the Crede ball off the wall to win the game late, there wasn't a single thing for White Sox fans (or Ozzie) to worry about other than Buehrle or Pablo Ozuna pitching in the extra inning game Blum eventually won.

Wouldn't be shocked if Cespedes is out for the rest of the Series and has to be replaced on the roster. With how he's been playing, that's not the biggest hit in the world, but you'd have to think any sane Mets' fan would prefer him to the other options like Lagares, Nieuwenhuis or Cuddyer.

Hosmer and the Royals haven't a pretty terrible defensive series for them. Hasn't cost them a game, as of yet (Game 3 you can argue that Morales makes that play they're only down 6-3)...but this Hosmer one might be ballgame if they can capitalize and blow the game open in the bottom of the 6th. 2-0 here, but the Mets need to push across at least one more run. Harvey likely will be out after the 7th...and then who will the Mets go to for the 8th? They can't use Familia again for two full innings. Reed over Clippard, one would guess. Using Thor would be a shocker, but possible. Maybe not a comfortable situation for him, though.

I really am starting to wonder how many adults there are when 50% of the GOP is currently supporting candidates with basically no platform except "sticking it to the man" and not being politically correct but saying whatever first comes into one's mind without any filter or forethought. Of course, in this case, it's even more ironic because the man isn't "liberal Democrats" or hedge fund managers but the majority of the middle class who will suffer as a result from misguided policies. Do we really want someone like Trump or Carson or even Fiorina with the nuclear codes?

That's exactly the type of start the Mets needed. Jumped on top early, and kept Cain from scoring...Harvey needs to trust his fastball and not be afraid to throw it. Of course, with all those comebacks, unless the lead's more than 5 runs, there's going to be a lot of nervousness with Familia already blowing two saves after not doing that for months at a time during the regular season. And Harvey going only 5 or 6 innings exposes and the Mets' middle relief issues. Basically two errors (Wright and then Murphy not turning DP on slow Perez) already this inning but no consequence as of yet for the Mets' defense.

You can look at it like some fans do, based largely on his $11 million price tag and injuries (hard to blame him for getting hit on the hand/fingers by a pitch)....sub 650 OPS for the regular season, but if he's the absolute weakest link offensively (and that's the case with Infante being replaced by Zobrist), it's not one of the biggest concerns in the world. Actually, Franklin Morales being their only LHR and probably the lowest on the totem pole right now in the bullpen is a much larger problem, comparatively. Or just the general lack of predictability with Cueto, Ventura, Duffy and Madson this post-season.

Paul O'Neill, by the way, came over from Cincy. Not home-grown.

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 11:02 AM) Or talking to a friend at her old school, ordering a pizza. We have no way of knowing. And it really should not matter. Generally speaking I have taught students who have been victims of every horrible thing you can think of. Having a close family member in prison was really no big deal. Basically raising themselves was the norm. Where are they going to learn about society and the expectations? These kids need structure and a familiar place that isn't as chaotic as their own lives. They need to know that adults care enough about them to see that they learn good habits that will get them through school and life. A wow, your life is really bad, do whatever you like and we'll hand you a diploma at the end does the child a huge disservice. They do not have good parents, in most cases they do not have any parents guiding them. What would good parents tell their child about following rules? Don't do it, defy the teachers and use your phone whenever you like no matter what is happening in class? That's your expectation for your kids? The key sentence here...care enough about them to see that they learn good habits...in order to do that, you actually need to care, literally, as well. It can't be fake or hypocritical care. It has to be consistent in all your actions toward the students. Sometimes it sounds like we are talking about prisoners and not students in the education field.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 08:41 AM) Who is saying the Sox pulled a bait and switch? I think you've competed misinterpreted my post. I was agreeing with you that this NL players can't hit in the AL argument is stupid and unfounded. Like I said in my previous post, the larger issue is assuming all players can handle DHing. Sure, just because Dunn & LaRoche agreed to DH and probably thought they could handle the role, doesn't mean it was going to work out for us. Our front office has to be smarter about giving big contracts to guys with no track record of DHing if that's going to be their primary role. Right now, we're 0 for 2 in those situations. Actually 2/4. Andruw Jones and Jim Thome from LAD and PHA.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 09:13 AM) The girl is new to this school because her mother recently died and she's now an orphan in foster care. Other students said she's quiet and keeps to herself. Terrific. She needs a social worker/counselor more than to be subjected to nationwide scrutiny. Quite likely she was talking to a family member about personal business that's probably more important at the moment than school-related stuff. Im guessing the teacher had no idea about all this.

QUOTE (High Mileage @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 09:01 AM) I like your style! I'd love to see the Sox give Cespedes a massive contract. The Royals have done well against him everywhere he's been. I'm afraid Rios has played well enough late in the season to cause the Royals to pick up his option. That would be dumb. They have Medlen's as well. Why not try to keep Zobrist, especially with no interest in Infante starting again and Gordon likely gone? Plus they have Dyson, Orlando...Mondesi could be moved out there if need be, and Bubba Starling is coming on too, amazingly enough. http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=2...lb&sid=milb He's in the Top 20 in the AFL in OPS. Of course, so is Adam Engel.

That second generation Indians team from 2003-2007 was pretty darned good. Were very close to a World Series in 2007 before falling to Boston. That 2005 team scared the hell out of us until the final week...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jia_Zhangke One of my new five favorite directors in the world... A Touch of Sin is absolutely must see (banned in China, Palm 'd Or selection at Cannes) if you want to understand everything going on here today, and Mountains May Depart (another nomination, debuted this weekend) is equally excellent until the final third which takes place mostly in English language and largely in Australia. The World, Still Life, Unknown Pleasures, Useless and Platform are among his other more famous works. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jia_zhang_ke/

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 07:39 AM) How many NL position players have come to the sox in the last 5-6 years, Caulfield? Not an incredible amount. It just goes to show how the main fiascos such as Dunn, LaRoche and Shark have started to color perceptions...along with a line of NL players who have struggled recently in the transition, such as Sandoval and Ramirez in Boston this year. I remember a thread this July or August where it was hard to identify more than just a handful of success stories among all 30 teams in the last 2-3 seasons. If you want to count DeAza as a success in this area (based more on original expectations), that's another that could be cited.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 07:07 AM) It's just really lazy whining. And most of it is based on Adam Dunn & Adam LaRoche's struggles. If anything, the takeaway should be that not all players can handle DHing and we should require some experience when filling that spot. It's also based on Eaton being the only starting position player or pitcher to come over from the NL in about the last five or six years and not seriously regress. Quentin, although he was injured a lot and didn't have much of a track record at the MLB level, going back seven years. So pretty much any non AZ Dback.

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 06:54 AM) MY assumption is this has played out several/many times before. I've never seen or heard this happening after only one instance with a student. I meant in terms of his not having the ability to get the student away based on a repoire he'd been able to develop with that student. Maybe she was really a antagonistic or difficult. But I'm sure you also rarely call security except for something bordering on a fight or dangerous situation inside or just outside the classroom in the hallway...or perhaps two girls with long hair and nails fighting, where it's nearly impossible to separate them. Hey used pepper spray quite often in my school, especially in hallway skirmishes that bordered on going out of control.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 02:28 AM) At the July 31st trade deadline the Mets were 53-50. They acquired Cespedes, Uribe, Kelly Johnson and Tyler Clippard . Uribe and Johnson were pretty much non factors but Cespedes did so well he was mentioned as a possible MVP candidate . They finished the season 90-72. To be fair a few other Mets also had good 2nd halves of the season and David Wright returning was a major plus. But that just goes to show what I said in my initial post about how things snowball once a team starts to believe in itself. D'Arnaud also came back from injury in the second half and had the besp ops of any NL catcher. Plawecki was replaced. Their 3b while Wright was out, Campbell, was terrible. Lagares was another version of Billy Hamilton, but guys like Granderson, Conforto (who started the year at Port St. Lucie in the FSL) and Duda all came on as well.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 01:02 AM) Thanks for remembering my post. For those who think I'm a troll and never make pertinent comments, see my previous Rios comment. You also recognized I was correct about Rios' ineptitude, his continued ineptitude. Good post. I thought the same about the reverse of Buckner when the ball went under his glove the same way it did with Buckner. The one I thought of was Graffanino for Boston before Iguchi homered against Wells...

QUOTE (Ballz-n-Strikes @ Oct 31, 2015 -> 11:29 PM) 3 years ago...I'd have loved him. After ALL the NL signing FAIL.. I don't want a single thing from the NL. Nothing. I'm with kite on this. (And that includes Heyward). Puig is the only one that is interesting to me.... I think Hahn could get Puig AND Cespedes if he's smart. If we would had the right manager/coaching to deal with them, sure! Depends on who we hire for bench coach. An empty seat at this rate. That particular combination requires dumping LaRoche and trading Quintana...so the resulting rotation would be Sale, Rodon, Danks, Erik Johnson and Turner/Montas. Playoff worthy? Getting another starting pitcher back with Puig for Q will also cost some key prospects.