caulfield12

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/b.../OPS/order/true Royals second in OPS for all 30 teams, hardest to strike out. K/bb ratio about three times better than the White Sox.

http://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/co...-iowa/26242503/ University of Iowa junior. Looks to go 30th-60th....rocketing up draft boards. Was a catcher until 2012..... Idolized AJ and Yadi Molina.

I bet that was an interesting phone call between Mike and Justin Jirschele (Sox minor leaguer) last night around midnight... Especially after watching his dad get face-palmed when Samardzija missed on Cain.

http://www.southsidesox.com/2015/4/24/8488...-of-words-after Samardzija looking like the one who will miss the most games....8-10 is Passan's guess, five each for Ventura and Volquez. Goes back to Jeff's actions (accused of chirping at Colon and Ventura) in the dugout during the game and even last year with Cain and Ventura when he was playing for Oakland. Hosmer with a long set of pretty accountable/self-reflective quotes...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 06:04 AM) You can also "consider" this is the third incident that Ventura has been involved already this year. Yep, two for Samardzija as well. Obviously MLB is going to make an example out of Ventura this time around...no way around that. "This game is emotional, and it seems to follow them around," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "It has happened often enough. Everybody gets emotional." www.chicagotribune.com

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/white-...t-hell-out-team Eaton takes the high road clearly. http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/lorenz...-im-not-big-fan Lorenzo Cain not so much...and Yost addressing Ventura's behavior and better controlling his emotions in the future.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansa...le19361736.html 68% of Royals fans are blaming Samardzija... 23% Ventura...everyone else under 5% If You're Going to Play Rough... http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...le19340676.html One other thing to consider is Alex Rios is also going to miss 4-8 weeks with a broken finger as a result of a HBP. Pujols denies saying anything negative about KC/team/fans to Lawrie.....calls Yost. http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...le19338300.html

Well, whoever threw that punch at Samardzija as he was going to the ground (and he was wearing a jacket so maybe not n the game or just cold) deserves a 5 game suspension as well.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 09:23 AM) Last night was the first time he played CF as a professional. I could only imagine if Kris Bryant was a White Sox and they had him play CF. I guess Joe Maddon must be a big dope. Because he played it at UC-San Diego and feels much more comfortable with the angles playing straight away, rather than a corner...hooks and slices apparently drive him crazy. He's the one who approached Maddon about it, not the other way around.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 10:24 PM) Biggest issue with Sox lineup right now is that there is no power at all outside of Abreu/LaRoche. Hard to score a lot of runs when you have minimal power and a team that doesn't walk much. 3rd base is a position that looks to need a serious upgrade. With Johnson/Eaton on this roster likely to be starting for the next few seasons, you can't have gaping power issues in RF and 3B as well. Not to mention the gaping chasm that's catcher. And eventually replacing Alexei, although he might turn out to be ageless. Thompson, Hawkins and Anderson can be thrown at the RF issue...catcher, there's simply no internal replacement. MAYBE Nieto...but I wouldn't bet my house on it.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 10:15 PM) can't believe LaRoche has turned into Dunn. It's early, but Morales looks to have been a much better possible fit. And it was a perfect time for the Royals to pick him up salary-wise, coming off the disastrous "sitting out" experiment of 2014 and then going through an in-season spring training malaise with Minny and then SEA. He's definitely going to put up better numbers than Butler this season, IMO. And he's a better fit leadership/chemistry-wise with their younger Hispanic players. Just like missing out on Victor Martinez...Miguel Cabrera, we're usually a day late and 50 cents short.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 10:20 PM) Most exciting professional athlete of 2015 Tim Anderson better start getting ready to play RF... Or Courtney Hawkins.

QUOTE (beautox @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 10:19 PM) batting .154 with RISP isn't going to get it done. Pen performed really well. We had our chances and didn't capitalize. Go get them tomorrow, a 4-3 homestand would be great, and 5-2 homestand would be better. Someone jinxed Sale from the beginning of the game by guaranteeing a victory. You never do that.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 10:17 PM) The Sox have completely turned into the Royals b**** 15 losses in our last 18 games against KC head-to-head. We didn't even manage to accomplish that against the Twins, or A's/Angels/Mariners a decade and a half ago.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 09:35 PM) It's not a negative and should not be interpreted as such that Gordon is doing well It's fine...but we could have used the money elsewhere and just put Saladino or Leury in that role again...last player on the team.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 09:34 PM) Alexei's trying to go yard. That's perfectly logical when all he needs is a single for runners on 1st and 3rd. Maybe he doesn't trust anyone besides Abreu to come through.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 09:32 PM) He's actually done a great job at what he was signed for Making Bonifacio a complete and total waste of $4 million (DeAza/Viciedo money) unless Eaton gets injured.

QUOTE (Big Hurtin @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 08:51 PM) Yeah, Smardzija (sp) is getting a vacation. Is that a new country in Eastern Europe?

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 08:49 PM) Great AP photo from Royals/White Sox brawl. http://t.co/RUXL443dGB (via @KCTV5) https://twitter.com/bigleaguestew/status/591432334081064960 That's Samardzija, right?

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 08:48 PM) Leave Robertson in for 2 please You can't do that with so few offdays and 3 more games against the Royals this weekend (especially Danks/Noesi/Quintana starts)... That said, we'll see how desperate Ventura is to get this win and set the tone with a sense of immediacy.

Well, the predicted rally from the bottom of the line-up hasn't exactly materialized.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 08:41 PM) Neither is Royals -worthy Well, hopefully Gordon will replace Gillaspie, win the MVP and John Danks the Cy Young. Wanna bet? Ventura Manager of the Year? Trifecta...

It's textbook. 95% of managers now go to their best pitcher in a tie game AT HOME, top of the 9th. No second-guessing here....even if the White Sox don't score in the bottom and a secondary reliever blows it. The right move.

That's two key at-bats of failure from Avisail. Not ready for prime time. Gillaspie's not going to be getting playing time on a playoff-contender unless he hits out of his a-- for 4 months like he did last season...repeatable? Probably not.

That was predictable. Youth and hubris...Cain playing way too far in for Abreu. Only 94 MPH on that fb.