caulfield12

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 08:33 AM) To be frank, I didn't think about the protest until this morning when I was reading how no one really seems to know or interpret the rule correctly. And the White Sox are one of several teams that have been victimized by this. From now on, either send everyone and challenge or protest. Something has to be done. Right now getting caught in a rundown between 3rd and home should mean an automatic run. There is no way they a rundown can be executed without a fielder being in the baseline and therefore "blocking the plate". Just make them throw it home and you should be allowed to score. Unless the catcher actually catches the throw behind the plate and then DIVES into the runner and across the plate at the last moment to stop him from scoring, which would actually end up causing MORE injuries, not less. It would look like the Byron Buxton concussion incident everytime as catchers and baserunners smashed together at home in an effort to get there first. Seriously...the White Sox have nothing left to play for at this point in the season, they might as well just send the runner everytime and know that there's at least a 50/50 chance he's going to be declared safe in NYC.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 09:11 AM) 1. Who are these people? Folks that work for fangraphs? BMLB GMs? Just trying to understand the definition of "those involved in sabermetrics." It is cited endlessly as the primary criterion in player performance evaluation, and very rarely used as a "complimentary" statistic in conjunction with other statistics by the countless articles I have read on ESPN, SB Nation, etc. as well as forums on this site. 2. How is it pre-conceived that De Aza is poor defensive LF? I have watched the guy play the position all season. According to the link, he's actually an ABOVE average defensive LF. Just sayin The ball he misplayed against the Twins that ended up being the game-winner for them (late getting back, drifting, and it bounced off the top of his glove as he hopped for it at the last second), was that considered to be a play he SHOULD have made by those who assess these defensive situations?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 08:47 AM) 1. First, because scouts at lower levels are looking to evaluate talent over skill. You can see how fast a guy runs or how hard a guy throws and be certain that a player's capability will remain consistent in the short-term, but you CAN'T necessarily get a good idea of how that will translate to performance going forward. Secondly, in the upper levels or when a decision over acquisition has to be made, they DON'T only see them once. They send multiple people several times and compare their reports with their peers. 2. Certainly rare, but since it's not impossible and there are outliers, then the existence of outliers should not be a sufficient condition to discard a model. 3. I strongly disagree with the premise that hitting is far more mental than defense. I also disagree that hitting is less dependent on physical ability -- it's just a different type of physical ability. Statistics do in fact prove that player's defensive peak years typically occur at a younger age than their offensive peak years, but that does not invalidate the existence of outliers. See Pods, Mackowiak, Viciedo, DeAza, Rios, etc.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 09:02 AM) St. Louis County Police have been relieved of their duties in Ferguson Army or National Guard? What's next? SWAT teams?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 08:12 AM) What kind of neighborhood are they in? If it's "lawless" like parts of Chicago, I don't mind them being a little over the top. Shields and batons don't work against guns. So everyone having a gun, instead of leading to more safety/security, is actually going to lead to more confrontation and violence, correct? Seems like you're saying you have to come with equal or greater force to quell the threat, yes? That trying to be reasonable....meeting with community leaders....negotiating....addressing the concerns of the rioter/protesters or making a public apology or statement expressing remorse....none of those tactics have even been attempted?

QUOTE (knightni @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 08:15 AM) Not umpire related. Anyone listen to the radio broadcast yesterday? Was DJ not in the booth with Farmer? He sounded like he was doing the broadcast from his home while watching a monitor. Farmer actually went off more than Harrelson, actually. Said they should just fold up the game of baseball and...and ripped on the NYC review group, "they should be ashamed of themselves." Apparently, he thought the reviewers in NY were working for the commissioner's office and not actual umpires that were rotating in and out of there when not on the road at the 30 stadiums. As far as DJ goes, maybe he has a deal like Stone since he's from California that he can take time off when the team's on the road once in the first half and once in the second half of the season?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 06:47 AM) greg: I can't believe Rick Hahn didn't have a replacement closer in place after trading Addison Reed Soxtalk: Actually, Hahn thought Nate Jones was a more than suitable replacement. Unfortunately, he succumbed to two major injuries and only faced four batters this year. greg: Nate Jones is a bum, he's not a closer! Rinse and repeat. Nate Jones has horrible mechanics and no control... Lindstrom sucks too! Oh, forgot, Downs and Belisario suck as well. 85% of the team sucks. Why can't we be like the Royals, who always beat the White Sox with Chen and Guthrie. Oh, by the way, Adam Dunn sucks. Paulie and Ozzie rule. Any member of the 2005 White Sox....should have their own statue on the concourse. (Even Joe Borchard.)

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...-050846986.html Joe Nathan building his fanbase in Detroit.

http://news.yahoo.com/robin-williams-death...-225459533.html Media under fire (Limbaugh, as usual...NY newspapers, Fox and Friends) for exploiting Robin Williams media coverage.

QUOTE (beautox @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 03:57 AM) my takeaways from tonight AAA: - Avi is still hitting while striking out and getting ready to come back up. - Wilkins continue to hit 2/3 tonight with another double and a BB, Really want to see what he can do in an extended look at the major league level, even if he flames out and is nothing more than a AAAA player, the sox would be well served in finding out if he can be a serviceable DH and 1B backup. - Semien started at SS tonight and then was moved to LF and Sanchez took over for him. How do people feel about Semien starting left field for this team next year? if we don't land Castillo or Rasmus? would much rather have Yasmani Tomas - Sanchez continues to hit 2/4 tonight and still over .300 for the season over .400 his last ten. Really hoping he can develop into Erik Aybar for this organization that would be a welcome sight.he's not nearly as dynamic as Aybar - Davidson 2/4 with a HR and no strikeouts tonight still over .200 AA - Rangel 3/5 with a BB, a HR shy of the cycle and back at 3B for game one. Is there anything to read into this? Looking forward to when he eventually gets to AAA. Nice article from the 12th on our other Cuban first basemen link, - Thompson 3/7 with a K. What is the boards take on him? are we looking at a best case scenario 4th outfielder? he will only be 24 at the start of next season but his last two years he has stagnated at AA and there hasn't been much improvement from his first go around where he hit .280. This year his K% and BB% are trending in the right direction from last year but not by leaps and bounds.Thompson doesn't seem to have the type of swing that would work well in part-time play, not unlike Danks...that said, I would rather give him the opportunity than Jordan again IF they skip over Taylor, Sierra, Mitchell and Tuiasasopo - Kevan Smith 1/3 with a K. Another interesting guy in the sox org that doesn't get much if any talk. He has hit and hit well every year he has been with the sox he is just older just turned 26 this past june. Does anyone have a read on his defensive ability? are we looking at a best case scenario a respectable back up here or something more along the lines of AJ Ellis / Robinson Chirinos?Sox are hesitating on both Smith and Phegley over defensive concerns A+ - Carlos Rodon, I was just reading that Rodon's last strikeout was on 3 change ups...nasty. - Rondon has hit well at A+ 3/4 tonight. I wouldn't mind seeing him start there next year and possibly get a sip of coffee at AAA next year if he can make the biggest jump in all of baseball to AA and perform admirably. Don't think it's sustainable...he has always been a 625-650 OPS guy and all of a sudden he's an offensive juggernaut? more than likely, it's just a blip on the radar, like Beckham and Viciedo from time to time...at any rate, with him playing less than half the season at Winston-Salem, they probably will start him there again unless he maintain this level of hitting or goes to the Arizona Fall League and continues to impress - Hawkins and Barnum more of the same hope they can both pull themselves out of the cooler they've been in lately and end on a strong note for the year.

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/gif-wh...&ocid=yahoo Ventura now has a GIF that anyone can use as their avatar. And surely he will be getting a fine, as well as his own GIF (take a page out of the Hawk playbook) "It's a vague rule and it obviously went against us today," said Ventura, who received his 10th career ejection and third of the year. "You look at the spirit of the rule of what they're trying to do and what it's actually doing, and it's a joke." With runners on the corners and one out, San Francisco's Joe Panik tapped a grounder to first baseman Jose Abreu, who quickly threw home. Pinch-runner Gregor Blanco was plainly thrown out, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy requested the review on the basis that Flowers denied Blanco a sufficiently clear path to the plate as he awaited Abreu's throw. Analysis of video replays backed Bochy. As crew chief Fieldin Culbreth made the "safe" motion after a review of four minutes, 55 seconds, the AT&T Park crowd exploded with cheers and an enraged Ventura sprang from the visitors' dugout, jawing with Culbreth and kicking dirt several times on home plate. Said Flowers, "If you go by the black-and-white rule, I guess they got it right. But you also got to put into context. ... I could go on for a while." Coincidentally, Ventura asked for a play at the plate to be reviewed for the same reason in Tuesday night's 10th inning. In that sequence, Giants catcher Buster Posey tagged out Jordan Danks, who tried to score from third base on an infield grounder. The ruling stood as called. "I know the rule has created a lot of controversy, and they've talked about reviewing it at the end of the season," Bochy said. "But it is a rule. [A catcher] can't block the plate without the ball." www.mlb.com The play might have been strange, but not unusual. Blanco was the ninth player originally called out at the plate to be ruled safe after the aggrieved team's manager successfully argued that the catcher blocked the plate before he had the ball. This is part of the new catcher-protection rule meant to benefit the hitter, who must be given a clear path to the plate so he need not tackle the catcher. Michael Morse and Adam Duvall started the seventh with singles against Jose Quintana. Blanco was pinch-running for Morse when Joe Panik hit a slow roller to first. Jose Abreu charged the ball and threw home. Blanco slid to the outside of the plate and was tagged. Blanco got up and trotted to the dugout, thinking nothing of it until he heard someone yell, "He was blocking the plate." Bench coach Ron Wotus phoned video review coach Shawon Dunston and got the same opinion, so Bochy used his challenge. As the umps in New York spent 4 minutes, 55 seconds looking at the play, Blanco ran into the clubhouse to conduct his own video review and saw that Flowers' left leg indeed blocked the entirety of the plate. Blanco was thrilled the official eyes agreed. "Oh my God," Blanco said. "That was awesome. I was saying to everybody, 'Whatever it takes to win a ballgame.' We won the game, and everybody is happy about it." www.sfgate.com

Did Tea Party protests ever draw this kind of reaction? Just curious. Not trying to be facetious...wasn't in the US for most of the last decade.

They need someone with some integrity to clean up the game of baseball...Rob Manfred is just Bud's puppet and a shill for the owners. They need another Giamatti or even Fay Vincent, someone who actually cared/cares about the future of the game and not just the profitability of the sport. Fix this rule, the stupid All-Star game home field advantage deal (make it the best record for AL or NL in interleague overall head-to-head of all the games)....or, at the worst, the best record in the regular season between the two teams in the Series...clean up steroids COMPLETELY...speed up the games, enforce the time limits that pitchers have to throw and don't let hitters constantly call time taking 30 seconds in between each pitch like Mike Hargrove.

When's the last time something like this happened outside of the inner city in America? 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago? To me, it's reminiscent of the situation after Katrina in New Orleans...although on a much smaller scale. Or the reaction to the Rodney King beating in LA...and counter-reaction, Reginald Denny, the truck driver pulled from his truck and beaten is the name that still stands out.

Question: Do you have any further understanding of this rule after this? Answer: I don’t think anybody has an understanding of this rule. Apparently they’re interpreting this thing extremely black and white with no context of the play -- infield, outfield, base runner, where he’s at. If you go by the black and white rule, I guess they got it right. But you also have to put into context, I could go on for a while, I’m set up inside, jammed the crap out of this guy. It’s a dribbler to first. I’ve got a bat flying behind me. I realize where the ball is -- OK, Jose’s about to come home, and I just looked at it. So I had two seconds to get from behind home plate, catch a ball and make a tag, and I’m supposed to be able to make sure I don’t block the plate, catch a ball and make a tag, all within two seconds on an infield dribbler. It’s just not realistic. If it’s an outfield throw it’s one thing. I think most people are getting that. When you’re talking about such a short time period there, on a play like that, it just doesn’t make any sense. And that had no impact on Blanco being able to score. It’s one thing if he makes contact with me before I have the ball, but that wasn’t the case. He was still seven-plus feet away. It had no impact on him whatsoever. Q: Did you get the ball in time that you could see how far he was away? A: Yeah. He was at least seven feet by the time I got eyes on him after I caught the ball. This whole rule, that’s not the purpose of the rule. I think that’s the tough thing for people, everybody in baseball, to grasp is the purpose of the rule is to avoid the situation like Posey had. It’s not when a guy is out by 30 feet, Oh, he blocked the plate. Well, that had no impact on that guy being safe or out. And there’s no clarification on that. Where do we draw the line? If a guy rounds third and he’s out by 80 feet, and I’m standing in front of the plate, is he safe? It just doesn’t make any sense. Q: Do the rule penalize teams that makes the play fast? A: Today as an example, yeah. I understand the rule as much as anybody else, which isn’t 100 percent. But you’ve got to put the whole play together. That play is different than a throw from center field. That play is different than I catch and he hits me. When there’s significant distance, it just doesn’t make sense to change a rule on that, and change the outcome, like today’s game, the outcome of a game, drastically. Q: Do you think the interpretation of the rule changes day-to-day from the umpires back at New York at the replay center? A: Every one is different. Every one is an individual play so some have surprised me, some of them haven’t that I have seen on TV. Some of them like today are too literal. Other ones like I said surprised me --- the other day I saw one I would think they would do this one the same. There is some margin there I guess. It’s humans looking at plays and every one’s different like I said. There is going to be a little bit of a variable in every situation. I just don’t think it was used appropriately. Q: Did you hear any further explanations from the umpire (Chris Segal) on the ruling? A: No. Nothing I’ll share. Q: Have you ever seen Robin that upset? A: I knew he would be and the longer that whole thing took I think we all were getting a hunch that it was going that way. I think he’s right. I think if you ask the catchers in this league, first of all no one has the comprehension of what the rule actually is and secondly the majority of us would rather get rid of it if this is how it’s going to be applied. Q: Lost in all that is the way Jose (Quintana) pitched. A: It’s a shame. Today might have been one of his best outings ever. I don’t know what the line ended up but it wasn’t just. Q: Did the wait have an effect on Quintana’s pitching? A: No, not that I saw. Q: It happened so quickly. Would you have had time to react differently if you knew the rule? A: No because I know the basic premise of the rule and I don’t think I could have done anything differently. That’s such a short amount of time. If you put the whole play together. If it’s a fastball away and the guy barrels it up straight to Jose, I see the guy’s coming, that’s different. This is a jam-job, broken bat flying by my head. The hitter is looking back where the bat is going. I realize the ball is in play over there. He’s coming home. ‘Ok, I’ve gotta move up five feet to get into position to make a tag.’ And like I said, this is all in a matter of two seconds. That’s a lot to ask of anybody to have all those things go through your head in addition to catching a ball and making a tag. There’s not enough time to be on top of every aspect of that play. www.csnchicago.com (Dan Hayes)

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 08:36 PM) I'm confused. Addison Reed would have this team in playoff contention, yet without him alone it's one of the worst teams in the league? Welcome to extreme parity among teams 6-24.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 06:57 PM) Yikes, Byron Buxton was stretchered into an ambulance after a collision some dude called the worst he'd ever seen. Didn't move for 10 minutes apparently. I think Ray Fosse might disagree from the 1971 All-Star game. Terrible luck for the Twins this year with Buxton and Sano, two Top 10 MiLB talents.

QUOTE (QuickJones81 @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 07:43 PM) Who in the world is CJ Beatty and am I seeing this right, 25 and hasn't played a game since 2010 yet is starting in right for the Dash tonight? Anyone know the story? He sprints off full speed at any ball hit ANYWHERE in the vicinity of the outfield or even over 2B and 1B, then comes screeching to almost a dead stop when he makes the catch. He's more hyper than Hunter Pence.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 07:04 PM) While interesting, is this really the place for that? Haha, not really....if we really wanted to have a "slam" argument, it could be about the Shephard Smith/Robin Williams "coward" comments....actually, I didn't even notice it was from Fox until now at any rate, I think it kind of goes together a bit, simply because of Harrelson's comments today about wearing a skirt as a catcher and then the idea that there are "women's sports" and sports like baseball girls shouldn't play in the minds of some

Baez up and down roller coaster continues, at least he's entertaining to watch....coming at a time when Abreu's really going through an August funk. 900 OPS, 2 doubles and 4 HR's in 40 AB's, 13 K's....still no walks yet The Cubs would definitely be okay with a 30-35% strikeout percentage IF he can start taking some walks and maintain that XB rate.

http://deadspin.com/fox-friends-host-has-a...avis-1621124476 #mo'nedavisdoesntwearaskirtever

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 06:06 PM) JJ Cooper @jjcoop36 · 47s And now we see 97 from Rodon. And then an 88 mph slider for another taken strike three. Fun to watch. JJ Cooper @jjcoop36 · 15s Rodon starts out third consistently at 95-96, gets k to start the inning with a freeze ya 87 slider. Makes me think back to 2005 when Jenks was throwing that slider at 89-91...

61 pitches and out 60 must have been the pitch count Walk and then a double to the RF wall, but recorded back-to-back K's. Runner scored on an Omar Narvaez passed ball. Terence Marin coming in, 2 outs, Rodon's baserunner on 3rd. Finishes with 7 k's and a walk, which was on a 3-2 count and barely missed the zone.

QUOTE (flavum @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 06:00 PM) Just move Rodon to Charlotte after tonight. He's up in three weeks anyway. Maybe. But would prefer to see him stick with the Dash and get that talented team into the playoffs...if he does gets promoted, I would guess he will go Birmingham first, fwiw.

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 03:45 PM) That's great, doesn't really help the fact that police may have executed a black teen, which has become all too common. Maybe white people shouldn't feel defensive and instead listen to why they are so angry instead of telling them they can't be angry until some standard is met. Try to imagine if the tools that are supposed to keep society running were instead harassing and threatening and even killing your community. Look how pissed people get at bureaucracy in here, which is justified, now imagine the IRS killing your neighbors. Probably would be more vocal. Just look at the Ruby Ridge situation...the Branch Davidian compound/David Koresh in Waco....Unabomber...Timothy McVeigh. In those situations, the arming of militias and posses was justified...not paying taxes or recognizing the right to tax...seceding from the US, etc.