caulfield12

QUOTE (harkness @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 05:03 PM) Lax attitude doesn't have to be about "yelling".... There are about 100 other verbal and non verbal signals involved. Except that it still happens nearly every week in baseball, most recently with Giles in Philly jawing with McClure (pitching coach) and Ryne Sandberg in the dugout. It's unfortunate that we think in the simplest terms, though. Easy going and well-liked player's coach or "R. Lee Ermey strict militaristic disciplinarian" who is always shouting and yelling and intimidating everyone. I guess that comes from the idea that as a leader, you often have to choose between being loved and feared. It's extremely difficult to fall into both categories.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 04:39 PM) oh man, this is going to open a can of worms and i wouldn't be surprise if there would be something in the new CBA. the mlb has a limited recourse. 2 mil and i really can't see anything else. again i am not a lawyer or anything. the things is, if it is not listed in the books, mlb exec can not add it and expect to punish then. there will be some jail time coming, this is a Class B felony and the federal law enforcement agency are involve, if they suspect someone, then the feds are going to apply pressure. btw, if convicted, up to 20 yrs in jail for those who were part of or had knowledge of the crime. if it is based on the Terrorist act, this is mandatory time, no prorole. when this starts, there is no stopping or turning back. you can probably expect life banned. then there will be a slew of civil actions on many fronts. people will be fighting to get some sort of plea bargin. it is going to get real messy. How could it be connected to Terrorism or the Patriot Act? I think that's a bit of a stretch, expecting front office execs to be sent to Gitmo. It might be scaring some of the higher ups though, that the particular individuals involved will argue that DeWitt, LaRussa/Matheny and Mozeliak all knew about this.

Preller said Murphy will bring "a different voice," and he seemed to imply Murphy would have a sharper edge than Black did. "When you look at a manager, you're looking for a guy who's able to connect with young guys, somebody who's not afraid to challenge somebody," Preller said. "Guys that can hopefully get some veteran players to play as well as they've played in the past." Preller is confident Murphy can flip the Padres. "I think he's shown, at least in short time I've been able to know him, but definitely in the time he's been here in the organization, that he's going to talk to players," Preller said. "He's going to be pretty upfront and honest with guys." http://m.mlb.com/news/article/130970688/pa...interim-manager Murphy's the guy (mostly a university baseball coach in terms of history) who AJ Preller blocked from going to join Craig Counsell's staff when he took the Brewers job.

Claimed by the Milwaukee Brewers.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-real-thre...-191525747.html Jeff Passan on the situation... http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/06/16/astros-ca...-ground-control Better take with more background information. But here’s what is so fascinating and new about someone breaking into the data base of the Astros: The motivation seems based more on causing public embarrassment to Houston general manager and former Cardinals executive Jeff Luhnow than on gaining any competitive leverage. It’s one thing to steal information. It’s quite another to leak that information and share it with the world, as was done last year, rather than use it surreptitiously. “The motivation, especially having the information published, seems to have been to embarrass him,” said a source familiar with the investigation. Said one baseball source not familiar with the investigation, “There are people with the Cardinals who think Luhnow took credit for a lot of the things St. Louis has been doing for years. It wouldn’t be surprising that any chance they would have to embarrass him, they would take it.” http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/06/16/cardinals-astros-hacking

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:50 AM) Just to point out again...this massive of a failure does not happen randomly over an entire MLB season. If that's the case (and I'm not sure it is), then there is a systematic problem with something other than the talent on the field. That could be leadership, that could be preparation, that could be something else...but that does not happen to an entire roster by chance. It's the curse of any team with a "process" going against the White Sox. The Royals, the Cubs, the Astros...and the Twins with Terry Ryan once again are putting together one of the most impressive collections of young talent in the game. When the Tigers can outspend you by 25-30%, the Twins have you beat on the development front, the Royals with their bullpen/speed/defense combination...you better damn well find a competitive niche somewhere. Heck, the Indians even have their thing, which is their starting rotation depth. For the White Sox, it has been Cubans, Don Cooper, our training/conditioning staff limiting DL time and our propensity to find pots of gold under the rainbows of Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon and now Fulmer (pitchers with questionable mechanics).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:50 AM) Many do exactly that. Why do you think a guy like Grady Sizemore is still hanging around baseball. 98%, because of Lillian, I believe.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:48 AM) excellent point. but i bet they are not counting on them to perform and to be used right away, as if it was foregone conclusion that it was going to work. Other than the Dodgers....oops, you have guys like Callaspo, Grandal, Justin Turner, Brett Anderson....basically, every team in baseball has 3-5 guys (or more) who fit into this category.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:39 AM) He's at negative fWAR now with the Sox and if you prefer ERA+ he's at 72. They haven't found any success with him. Cooper's pixie dust is long gone, what was their last successful reclamation project, like seriously successful not just a halfway decent start now and there... I figured out of Noesi, Rodon and Danks they might squeeze out 500 innings around an ERA+ of 90. The turned out to be wildly optimistic. This team isn't firing on a single cylinder. Time to clean house. Phil Humber. Jose Quintana. Zach Putnam. Sergio Santos. Hector Santiago (if you consider where he was originally drafted)

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:30 AM) I would figure a very hefty fine and the loss of some draft picks (possibly for many years?). Hopefully this means no more supplemental picks for them as well, as they never get any in the first place. They're redefining the idea of "competitive balance" with this one, haha. It was always a joke how teams like the Cardinals or Tigers ended up in this category in the first place.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:40 AM) 4.68 ERA with supposedly the best defense in baseball behind him. Is he living up to his talent level? Where is the leadership? I'm giving up on this thread and going to bed because there's really no point. Back to White Sox leadership issues.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:33 AM) I don't know why he would need to prove he used advanced stats to sign Jose Abreu. He was the one that got him. Put here is a guy that has been with the Sox for 27 years who apparently you have never heard of. http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/white-...ball-operations Gee, I've written of posts referring to both him and Jeremy Haber, but apparently you missed those. ONCE AGAIN, YOU'RE SAYING THAT KW IS PROFICIENT WITH ADVANCED METRICS. Where is this coming from? Because every team in baseball now has 2-3 guys in their front office who concentrate on that area...not to mention all the guys hired from Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, fangraphs, etc.? As Balta has pointed out over and over and over again, the pitching isn't the problem over the last decade, it's the hitting. How is KW using advanced metrics to bring better hitters into the organization?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:25 AM) I said performance, it's spelled a little differently and has a different definition but ....And so far Ventura has performed a lot more like John Danks than a talented guy who supposedly has all these terrific leaders doing a great job showing him the way. http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/pitching/_/le...ric/order/false 29th out of 56 vs. 47th for John Danks. Okay. WHIP. Ventura 31st, Danks 54th out of 56.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:22 AM) I don't like KW, but you again are writing fiction. You may actually want to do some research. KW has been using advanced stats well before you started using the ESPN.com numbers as gospel. Examples? In the last 7-8 years (after the Quentin/Ramirez/Danks/Floyd acquisitions), there have been just a few excellent players added to the organization. There's Chris Sale, Abreu and Rodon kind of fell into their laps. If you can convince anyone that KW used advanced stats to identify either one of those players...well, I'll believe it when I see it. Earlier, you asked me how much time I've spent playing sports. How much time has Rick Hahn? I'm not the issue to be solved for the White Sox front office, it's talent identification and development that are on trial here.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:11 AM) Explain the Royals' treasure trove of leaders' terrific job with Yordano Ventura. A minute ago you said only talent counted. The only thing that matters is what Ventura does the 30-32 times per season he takes the mound. I could give you the links to numerous articles, but you've already made up your mind so there's no point in even trying because I'm sure you wouldn't read them and would continue to make this about the Royals and not the White Sox...which is yet another distraction from the real issue.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 11:02 AM) This thread is about veteran leadership, and it is ripping the White Sox and praising the Royals. Yet there is Ventura on the Royals, he of the multiple ejections, a suspension, John Danks' stats, why is that good leadership? People got mad at Sale and Samardjiza for their roles in the fight, so damned if you do, damned if you don't. I just think a lot of people are taking liberties with Robin Ventura's personality, and believing they know exactly what goes down in the clubhouse, and with meetings with Hahn and KW. KW is still there, like him or hate him, one thing he isn't and wouldn't tolerate is being "lax". The White Sox are just playing lousy baseball. Sometimes the reason a team sucks is as simple as that. If there's this continuous process of improvement on the part of KW and Rick Hahn...then why hasn't ANYTHING been done about 2B or the catching position? About John Danks? If he wouldn't have wasted all that "small change" money on Keppinger, Downs and Bonifacio, we could just eat that contract and move on. KW once said that he dreamed of going out and winning another World Series...of taking the city away from the Cubs, etc. I'm not sure where you get the idea he's working harder than ever, because some of the complacency (and hubris) that affected Ozzie as manager has got into the bloodstream of Williams as well. He's gotten stale and the game has passed him by, the whole revolution of advanced data and analysis just isn't his thing.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 09:43 AM) How do you know there is a lack of urgency? Did you read it on a message board? The fact is, your favorite team and model organization hasn't been all that great the last couple of months. I guess their leadership or coaching or something must be lacking. The leadership crap is just like the chemistry argument. Konerko was a great leader in 2005. When the team is bad in 2013, where is the leadership. You can have great leaders, that doesn't mean you will win more games than you lose. Have you ever even played a baseball game or any game for that matter? Does the team with the best coach usually win? Or is it the team with the best leaders? Or is it the team with the best players? Or is it the team with the best performers? I'll go with the last one. Gee, no, I've never played sports before, lmao. Many White Sox insiders have noted time and time again that the team was never quite the same after the losses of Rowand, Everett and eventually Juan Uribe and Mark Buehrle. Yes, we've heard time and time as well that the 1970's Yankees players hated most of their teammates but they came together and won because they had the most talent, blah blah blah. Well, the fact of the matter is that there's a TON of parity in MLB today...and when the margin of talent differentiation is lowered, leadership becomes a more important factor in a team's success.

The Astros computer system, dubbed Ground Control, was featured in the Houston Chronicle last year. Shortly after the article appeared, the Astros said people were trying to get into the database because they could see a URL in a photo that accompanied the article. However, the site and link were also available via Google. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/ast...own-5300746.php When the Astros hired general manager Jeff Luhnow in December 2011, he had a 25-page plan he presented to owner Jim Crane. In it were details for this website - a complex, built-from-scratch database - that would be fully tailored to every one of the club's needs. Since senior technical architect Ryan Hallahan was hired in February 2012, the database has become just about the most useful baseball tool available. Some features, like a trade analyzer, seem ripped straight from a video game. It's one of the coolest toys the public will never play with. The Astros are not the first team to build their own database, although they believe theirs rivals anyone's. The Cleveland Indians gained notoriety as the first to build a confidential system, called "DiamondView." The Boston Red Sox further popularized the trend with theirs, nicknamed "Carmine." The name comes from the David Bowie song...."This is ground control to Major Tom"

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 09:51 AM) I just dont get it. Why are the Cardinals hacking the astros back then? The Cardinals were the premier organization and the Astros were just straight up garbage To get back at Luhnow, who had polarized that front office before leaving for Houston. Partly, because they felt they were entitled to, because the system was largely (in the minds of the Cardinals/aka Gavin Belson of Hooli/"Silicon Valley" reference) developed as "work product" in St. Louis and then brought over to Houston under a different name (and further refined by the likes of Sig Mejdal)...and Luhnow brought quite a few of his guys from St. Louis over with him, which led to more hurt feelings between the two organizations. Prior to joining the Astros, Sig worked for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2005-11, most recently as Director of Amateur Draft Analytics. During his time with St. Louis, Sig was involved with modeling, analysis, and data-driven decision making throughout all levels of the organization. He was a key contributor in the draft decision processes that led to the selection of more Major League players than any other organization during that time frame. Earlier in his career, Sig worked at Lockheed Martin in California and for NASA. He earned two engineering degrees at the University of California at Davis and later completed advanced degrees in Operations Research and Cognitive Psychology/Human Factors at San Jose State University. source: Houston Astros website The hack, reported to have been not very sophisticated, was apparently motivated by the suspicion on the part of Cardinals officials that Astros GM Jeff Luhnow had improperly taken proprietary knowledge from the Cardinals upon his departure. The key paragraph from the article states: Investigators believe Cardinals officials, concerned that Mr. Luhnow had taken their idea and proprietary baseball information to the Astros http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2015/6/16/878...sible-hack-into

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 09:30 AM) This is all a bunch of BS. You don't know the leadership structure of either the White Sox or Royals. Abreu bland, Kendrys Morales policing everyone? LMAO. Get real. Once again, obfuscation. Obfuscation. Obfuscation. Why don't you address the question, then...which is that there APPEARS to be a lack of immediacy or sense of urgency from this team. How do you explain this team getting absolutely hammered by opponents in the early innings? If it's not leadership, it's not preparation, it's not coaching...then what is it? All the White Sox players are "mentally weak" and the front office doesn't know how to put together a cohesive and proverbial "sum of all the parts is greater than the individual numbers" team? With Ventura, I should also add Mark Guthrie...who always serves as his "unofficial" translator for post-game interviews.

With Almora disappointing and McKinney probably ticketed for a corner....it does make a lot of sense for the Cubs to go after a game-changing CFer, even one who's 2 or maybe even 3 years away by most reports. Almost nobody believes Fowler is going to be the long-term solution, he's simply a placeholder until a better option comes along...although he's been fine for his particular role so far this season.

I think the reason it's working pretty well (despite the loss of James Shields) for the Royals is that you do have a pretty much perfect mixture of youth and veterans. Obviously, Infante's not playing very well (probably the worst overall 2B in the AL), but each clique of players has a ringleader, like we saw in 2005. With the Latin players, it's Salvador Perez and now Kendrys Morales policing Escobar and especially Yordano Ventura. As much as Hosmer and Moustakas are hated by many, there's the steadying presence of Alex Gordon who arrived as a regular 2-3 years earlier and gets respect as the "veteran" of the group, the vanguard of that first wave of prospects. Gordon, from all reports, work as hard as Juan Pierre on his game, always the first to arrive and the last to leave and never satisfied with all the elements of his game. Then you have Lorenzo Cain doing his own thing and bringing a certain amount of swagger and confidence (just like Torii Hunter in his prime years with the Twins, but even this season again) to the entire organization with his bold style of play. So just in their starting line-up, they have four really strong leaders, and that's not even counting Hosmer and Moustakas, who have big and arrogant/confident personalities as well. What players in our starting line-up match that? Eaton? Abreu is about as bland as Ventura. Expecting Alexei to be a leader? We might as well watch paint dry. Avi kind of has that playful, big teddy bear personality, is a jokester and prankster, but there just aren't enough position players who can be counted on right now. Catcher is perhaps the most important position on the field and we have Tyler Flowers...who is having a hard enough time for the last two years holding his position to be considered a leader. Beckham has a personality, but he's failed so many times offensively he can't be the leader except in granting interview requests, and Conor is even more boring and vanilla than both Ventura and Abreu somehow. Last year it was cute, this year it's symptomatic of the overall team malaise. Then there's the growing disappointment with Samardzija's performance as well as his leadership abilities (so far). Very little out of LaRoche and Cabrera's almost non-existent.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 08:33 AM) Its funny, in hindsight I keep seeing all of the mentions about the Samardjiza deal being bad, and how much we miss Semien. But seeing Liriano last night reminded of missing Eduardo Escobar. I really didn't think we would miss him from that deal, but at the very least he is the utility infielder on this team, and we don't have to worry about defense off of the bench for sure. Thus, saving the money wasted on the Bonifacio signing.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 08:11 AM) Did you have that concern every time a white cop got named? If that happened, then maybe people wouldn't rush to make up lies to fit their agenda? These three were perfectly willing to completely screw the lives of the white officers, possibly even put them in the crosshairs, because of what? Would suck for them, but I don't care. The difference is that a civilian is generally not as well prepared to defend themself from attack. Assuming you're naming these people, and shaming them....do you want them to buy weapons to prepare for that eventuality? How many of the white police officers named in these high profile cases have been attacked by civilians as a result? http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/15/opinions/jon...lity/index.html Blaming black protesters for "increased crime"?

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 07:46 AM) Eye-witnesses are notoriously unreliable. I don't know about this particular case but a lot of them would pass a polygraph with flying colors because they truly don't believe they are lying. They honestly believe they saw something completely different than what really happened. The human mind/memory can be a messed up thing. For example, Anita Hill in the Clarence Thomas case. Passed the polygraph test, etc. Sometimes we believe in a lie so strongly that it essentially becomes the truth, at least our version of it.