caulfield12

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/probability.jsp Well, while it's predicting us to have a better chance to make the wild card than three teams, that still leaves 5-6 ahead of us. Toronto is the scenario here, ahead of the Twins. Despite us taking three in a row against the Indians, they still have better odds.

Obviously Hamels is driving his own market up, and some of these other pitching names that are coming up more recently (Shields, Cashner, Ross, Gallardo, Haren) have changed the market to an extent, but each one is a pretty unique situation. The Royals have basically been forced to add another starter, and that wasn't the case two weeks ago...not in order to make the playoffs, but to get anywhere once they arrive there and pitching becomes more and more critical. The Cubs and Astros are also feeling the pressure, although it seems for the moment Houston has weathered the storm and are right back in the thick of things. Then you have the Twins and Mets, two teams that arrived on the scene a year early, like the Cubs and Astros. None of those teams can really afford to completely stand pat without adding somewhere...of course, the Mets have the pitching surplus, but there are always big market teams out there like the Dodgers and Yankees circling like vultures for pitching. Toronto and Baltimore are in situations where they could go either way...but the indicator SHOULD point to adding as weak as the AL East is and the fact that there are two spots essentially up for grabs there if you're not taking the Twins 100% seriously.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jul 26, 2015 -> 06:03 AM) Not sure if this was posted anywhere, but a Cueto trade to the Royals nearly happened yesterday. Apparently one of the guys the Reds would have received had some red flags in their medicals so the trade was called off (for now). Have not seen any other details on parameters of the trade. Looks like we might see some movement on the Shark front as soon as today. I would guess Mondesi, Jr., has to be one of those names. The Reds will need a replacement for Phillips soon enough...and there's a possibility they deal Frazier, although after the All-Star game, he's become even more of the "franchise player" than ever for that organization, and they still might deal Cueto, Chapman and Bruce.

We're really in the middle of no man's land...where there's a PLAUSIBLE scenario of making the playoffs, albeit one that only about 10-15% of fans are willing to buy into. Surely, there won't be any bump in attendance at all until the team makes it back to .500, and the odds of that happening are not that great if we deal Samardzija. Well, let's just say that Erik Johnson doesn't give as much confidence as Shark the way he's pitched the past two months. But picking in the teens compared to #5-8 really significantly decreases our opportunity of drafting an impact collegiate hitter like a Schwarber right away...over the last 10-15 years or so, how many college bats in the 10-15 range of the draft have moved up to the majors in that draft year or the following one?

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jul 25, 2015 -> 02:04 PM) I'm currently arguing with some Mets fan on Reddit who claims Quintana wouldn't come close to making the Mets rotation. Will the guy ever get any love outside Chicago? Undoubtedly bitter because the Mets and Yanks both controlled his rights and let him go for nothing.

http://www.salon.com/2015/07/25/its_not_wh...s_toxic_appeal/ Pretty good article about why Trump has been so appealing.

QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 09:01 AM) I understand, but my guess is that she still follows the Sox. Soxtalk is a good source for info - especially when you are busy with family stuff/work/life. So, it would stand to reason that she (and others who leave) check in occasionally. Going from posting 100 times per day to not posting at all is kind of crazy. Almost as crazy as posting 100 times per day in the first place. Marty34 checked in as recently as June but still hasn't posted in a long time. It's not a last post, but The Ultimate Champion has one of those acts of contrition posts at his profile page, it's pretty funny and sounds exactly like what you would expect from him. I would like to apologize to every one I have offended on this web site. I also would like to apologize to every one who is not a member of this web site who has also been offended by the words I have written. I would like to further apologize to the entire White Sox organization as well. This user name was intended to be a joke, but I have since learned that the joke was on me, and that I was part of the joke also, and that there are many jokes in total, and many lies, and that I was a part of many of them, and that none of them are funny when they hurt. Sports were only a vice for me, and a comfortable one at that, and in reveling in that comfortable vice I casted down others freely and openly, and wrongly, without regard to the feelings of others. I used to go in circles of confusion on here, but I have now found that it is much easier to go in circles toward the TRUTH than anything else. All one needs to do is find a little Inspiration.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 10:10 PM) I think there is some truth to what you say. There are more guys for example dealing 100 MPH then ever before but how many teams can say they have five 'decent' starters and the bullpen to back them? Still pretty rare. The Sox could be in that position if Rodon, Fullmer, Eric Johnson develop in the next two years (since they'll be losing Shark and Danks). I can understand if they feel they can't gamble and deplete that potential rotation even further. (And like with anything else, there's no guarantees someone doesn't get hurt, or simply lose it.) Mark Montas is just as likely as Johnson to make an impact...he probably has the youth/confidence advantage on his side.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 09:36 PM) Two big differences between those franchises and the White Sox in my opinion. 1. Both have won World Series more recently than the White Sox. Their fan base hasn't reached the point that by and large the Sox fan base has. 2. Both are the "only game in town." No other team in their market baseball-wise taking away the casual fans and their dollars or generating positive publicity. Phillies and Red Sox still draw pretty well, much better than the White Sox who last I looked were 27th or 28th in MLB. (That may have changed recently as they drew well for the Royals series because of the 2005 reunion and the Cardinals who brought a ton of fans with them...) Mark They were barely in 26th. Right now, you'd have to say they're in a better position than Oakland (unless a new stadium or relocation), Cleveland, Tampa and Miami. You could argue the Mariners as well, but they just got that huge injection of money from a new regional broadcasting rights deal. That Cano deal will be a killer, and Nelson Cruz in another year or so. Arizona is in a comparable position, the Rockies and Padres (read the AJ Preller article and imagine SoxTalk after a series of moves that dubious and short-sighted) as well. The Brewers also have a pretty bleak future, although they draw much better. Atlanta's in a holding pattern but with a new stadium on the way.

There's no way to get Puig without going through Quintana or Sale. Why would the Dodgers want prospects/suspects when they have plenty of them already? They want close to sure things. Guaranteed performance. They're short term needing a third/fourth starter who's reliable/dependable. Montas and Avi are both far from that, or Tim Anderson as well. They might be willing to trade prospects for prosoects, but definitely not in this situation as the centerpiece.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 06:50 PM) Be honest and think here. In a movie theater, under fire, it's dark, only light is from the screen. You really think that under fire, probably from behind, you could turn around, aim, and get a clean shot off without accidentally hitting the wrong person? While the person has a semi-automatic handgun and can keep pulling the trigger? Per the police, as the crowd was leaving the theater this guy snuck into it and almost got out of the theater before someone stopped the crowd/stopped him. The people fleeing the room didn't identify the shooter as he left the theater with the group. They couldn't tell. Now you're telling me you could honestly figure out who the shooter was with enough accuracy to pull the trigger? The closest example of a mass shooting interacting with a person carrying a weapon I can think of is the Gabrielle Giffords shooting and the person across the street who had the gun nearly shot the wrong person. And that was in the daylight. And he had bright dyed orange hair...and it was still not easy in the dark.

I wonder if there's a close correspondence with the radio ratings? While the inferior product on the field is always the biggest consideration, number two might be the divisive presence of Hawk Harrelson. 1) Older White Sox fans might enjoy Harrelson more, but they're dying out...that generation of fans who grew up with Sox fandom in the 1950s and 60s. 2) The sandwich generation has moved on after the World Series title to getting married and raising their kids. 3) The World Series presented an opportunity in 2005-06 to capitalize on drawing a new younger generation of kids to Sox fandom but the organization clearly didn't capitalize on the opportunity and their interest was also drawn to the BlackHawks. These young fans perhaps don't enjoy grumpy/umpire conspiracy Harrelson as much, and don't get his historical references or golf tangents. 4) Young positional prospects (see Cubs) are generally more exciting for fans (and offense, in general) than building an arsenal of arms.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 04:07 PM) Probably Singapore. There was just an article at yahoo travel about how safe (unless you have weed or gum), hot/muggy, expensive and boring (mostly shopping malls and restaurants) it was there...the main point of the article was that tourism was way down in Singapore as well as Dubai.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 03:43 PM) Tex you are a great person and should run for office! Greg, basically you're describing a mixture of Donald Trump with the aggressive nature of Michael Douglas' character in the "white men fight back" movie Falling Down. While we've probably all sympathized with the breakfast at the fast food restaurant (why doesn't the food ever look like the pictures on the menu? I want my breakfast even though it's 10:31!) scene, perhaps threatening everyone with a handgun to get whatever you want won't work if everyone starts to do that. What if two Trumps meet each other? How will they avoid a "saving face" confrontation...and de-escalate it? From his appearance on the Scarborough show, it seems he wants to just provoke arguments over anything at this point. Imagine the leaders of Iran or North Korea did anything remotely offensive...like airing a propaganda/satire movie (The Interview crossed with You've Been Trumped). Is there any conceivable way to imagine they wouldn't be nuked out of existence? If someone shouted "you lie!" during a speech to Congress (or threw shoes at him) he'd just pull out a revolver and blast away. Is that what we really want to be teaching our children? For every would-be hero who saves someone, there are going to be ten who get themselves and a number of innocent bystanders killed. Do we want "good samaritan" laws that protect civilians who accidentally kill others in public with handguns?

I think one of the reasons the rake or slant of the upper deck became such an issue was the lack of a roof backdrop originally...the perception that it's safer or more protected to be up there. Undoubtedly the inclusion of the club/luxury boxes forced it as well, since the seats were getting pushed further away from the playing surface. If you could look from the upper deck and have a higher, unobstructed view straight towards the downtown skyline those tickets would be much easier to sell for night games. The feel would be totally different.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 03:03 PM) In some but not all cases of deaths caused by guns, the person would still be alive if a gun had not been present. How man children under the age of 12 or 14 die in accidental in-home shootings? One would have to follow the logic that without the presence of a deadly weapon that was accessible (for whatever reason), this category of deaths would be 98% preventable.

Luck and clutch don't exist in sabremetrics. They're just random variations that return to mean eventually.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 06:00 AM) Mike Hampton http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/pro...?P=Mark-Hampton One of our GreenJackets indy league signees during the strike year (1994-95). At least I had Hampton right. The first person I ever saw wearing a Devil Rays hat.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 23, 2015 -> 09:49 PM) This one in Louisiana. There are dead and injured. http://news.yahoo.com/official-2-dead-movi...-015727028.html Our country is officially insane. I know a millionaire who is thinking about denouncing his US citizenship in 10 years when he retires and wants to move to I believe it's Thailand. Here in the USA our political system is worst it's ever been with our political officials failing to work for the people, only special interests. Our crime is off the charts BAD. These type of incidents are ON THE RISE with no signs of slowing. Our economy is horrible and there likely will be an amazing crash one of these days. America is in deep trouble. I'm not trying to start something here, but it remains just a matter of time before one of these nutjobs brings a machine gun into a sporting event. Don't know if they'll shoot the participants or the spectators but it's all set up for the nutjob. Wait until the second half of a basketball game or football game, storm the entrances and start shooting. Once that happens, sports will be changed forever. THIS LATEST INCIDENT angers me beyond belief!!! Quit killing each other, Americans! caulfield- does the world think the USA is beyond hope? No, they just think the U.S. is much more dangerous because of the endless repetition of all these mass shootings...and the fact that someone other than the police or military can own semi-automatic weapons. From living in Thailand for two years, I can honestly say it's 10x more dangerous for tourists and that the person renouncing his U.S. Citizenship will likely be in very precarious circumstances when the current king (longest serving monarch in the world) passes away.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Jul 24, 2015 -> 12:19 AM) I don't either, I'm just trying to start discussion. Edit: But wouldn't be more cost effective to trade for those guys now rather in a couple years When they're closer to the majors? Not unless they're players like Yoan Moncada, Alex Guerrero and Hector Olivera. They can't afford the bust rate of three teenagers who have a better chance of not reaching AA than they do of ever making a big league roster. If you're Hahn, you simply can't afford to be that patient or the rebuild will be a decade-long project.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 23, 2015 -> 07:53 PM) So the Detroit Tigers owe Verlander about 28 million a year for 2016, 17, 18 and 19. Bear with me a second. Let's say the Tigers let somebody else sign Verlander instead of giving him that ridiculous contract. Would it have killed the Tigers? Buried the Tigers? No. The SMART PLAY if you are a GM of any team is simply refuse to give big contracts to pitchers. Just say no. Ha ha to Detroit. Final comment on this: Let's say Verlander becomes so rotten he gets hammered almost every start the rest of his contract. Do they make him a long reliever at 28 mill a year? It's all Monopoly money in sports, but unfortunately the money the customer spends is not Monopoly money. Gimme a 10 dollar beer please and an 8 dollar hot dog, I'm hungry. See Barry Zito, Mark Hampton or Darren Dreifort.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jul 23, 2015 -> 10:52 PM) Not at all. Maybe he will replace Emilio soon. Does Emilio get all his money if we release him Yep, and the option buyout next year as well.

It's the "just get us into the playoffs, anything can happen" move, not "go for broke" like we saw with Beane last year...it's the smart play for a team that looks extremely well-positioned for the next 4-5 seasons, and arrived on the playoff scene one year ahead of schedule.

Hitters in tonight's starting line-up are now 11 for 65 on the season against Bauer. .169 Kipnis is killing lefties this year, .369 and ops well over 1000. If you added Beckham, Sanchez and Bonifacio, you might get to 1.000.

Has anyone actually watched the full documentary? As far as Asians go, they're not only discriminated against for being Asian, they're also reverse-discriminated against in college admissions acceptances for being too good at test-taking, so universities will deny admission for more white, African-American and Hispanic students in order to maintain a semblance of ethnic balance.