caulfield12

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Sep 11, 2014 -> 08:04 AM) because Baez, Almora, Vitters, and Bryant Why don't you actually contribute something to the conversation besides snarky comments? If it makes you feel better, then, by all means, have your fun...whatever. But it's not very becoming for a moderator. If you have an issue with me, send a PM. You know where to find me. I would be perfectly happy not to even have a Cubs' thread. This is a White Sox site, isn't it? Why do we need it? Maybe because the White Sox have been one of the most boring teams in baseball (except for Sale and Abreu) the last couple of seasons. These days, we have to struggle to even get a game thread going.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 11, 2014 -> 07:59 AM) Look how the Rays have done without him? They won a play-in game against Texas, beat the Indians in the Wild Card round, and then lost in the LDS in 4 games to the eventual World Series champions. ...unless you're going to tell me that the reason that their offense has scuffled this season and has seen numerous players hit below their career averages and/or poorly all together was because of James Shields, in which case, I'm going to say that you're full of it. Which organization is in a much better position right now, at this exact moment in time? Who knows, maybe Shields even ends up staying in Kansas City...anything's possible. They're definitely jettisoning Butler's salary.

After pitching well during his first season at the Class-A level in 2001, Shields underwent serious shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2002 season. His fastball lost some velocity as a result, forcing him to change his pitching approach and develop a changeup as he worked his way up through the Devil Rays system.[4] And there's another reason...he's already gone through a major surgery on the worst part of the body for a pitcher and bounced back better, learning from it and changing/adapting his mechanics. If they get Shields now, they're in "WIN NOW" mode for the next four seasons, starting the moment he signs. A rotation of Sale/Shields/Rodon/Quintana and Noesi/Montas/Danish/Bassit will be one to be reckoned with. And it will also help attract the couple of bats that might be on the fence about the Sox but be pushed over the edge with a Shields acquisition. I don't think Hahn and Reinsdorf have the cojones right now to do it, but that's THE move I would make, the more I think about it. McHugh's a nice pitcher to have, and he's better than John Danks, but he's not going to change the atmosphere of the entire organization by his presence. Look how the Rays have done without him, that's telling as well.... DETROIT By now, the nickname is part of the persona. But it started out with innocence. James Shields grew up in Southern California, a Lakers fan, and he’s old enough that as a kid he rooted for James Worthy. That’s Big Game James Worthy, you know, so baseball being baseball it didn’t take long before a teammate in the minor leagues started using the nickname on Shields. So, no. As much as the truth has been left behind by sports mythology, the Big Game James thing didn’t start because of what Shields does in important moments. It started because of a different sport and a coincidence of names, but, you know, sports mythology can be fun sometimes, and the Royals’ first pennant race in a generation could use more fun and mythology. Besides, if the nickname started off as a bit of a tease ,it is now very real in the hearts and minds of Shields’ teammates. And so it is that the Royals wrestled back sole possession of first place on the reliable right arm of the man they traded part of their future for. This is two starts in a row where the Big Game thing applies, two shutdown wins on the road — first in New York, and now in a first-place showdown against the Tigers that stands as the biggest game of this most important Royals season in two decades. The Royals beat the Tigers 3-0 because Shields made the same two runs that have served as frustration in too many losses stand up in a crucial win. He did this by allowing no runs, two hits, one walk, and striking out eight over seven innings. He finished it in the most James Shields way possible — a strikeout on a changeup, a roar back to nobody in particular, and then a LET’S GO! toward catcher Sal Perez. That clip will make the highlight package of this season, no matter how it ends. ...... As much as momentum is overstated in this sport, it was clear the Royals could use a boost. Which has been Shields’ job going on two years now, whether in the clubhouse showing Danny Duffy how to use his emotions for good instead of bad or out in front of the crowd and the cameras shutting down one of baseball’s best offenses. There is a stubborn belief in the clubhouse that has been missing in previous years. Most of that is talent, and the fact that this is the best team they’ve had in years. Some of it, too, is in the earned swagger — a very different and more legitimate thing than swag, by the way — of their ace. It’s hard to measure the value of an entire team just knowing their guy is going at least seven strong. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, maybe it’s just one of those rough stretches that every team hits a few times over 162 games, and maybe it’s the unforgiving light of a pennant race, but the last week or two included some rough signs. A team built on defense, for instance, had committed 15 errors in its previous 11 games. Again, maybe this is all just happenstance. But the Royals were flawless defensively on Wednesday. Mike Moustakas, in particular, made one very good play and one spectacular play at third base — leaping toward the foul line to field a chopper, then throwing Torii Hunter out from the coach’s box. It’s as good a defensive play as you can expect to see on any night. When it works like this, it’s just so simple, smooth, no bumps. The Royals would love to score more runs, of course, but there are a lot of teams that would love to prevent runs like the Royals. It doesn’t always have to be about scoring more runs than the other team. Sometimes, it can be about allowing fewer than the other team. The Royals have now allowed two runs in their last five wins. That is an absurd fact, and the pitching and defense is why the team is in an offensive slump (14 runs in their last six games) but still able to open the last homestand of the season on Thursday in sole possession of first place. The Royals are 16 games from the end of their most thrilling season in decades. That’s too many to responsibly call Wednesday a must-win, but there was a different energy about this one. They shut out the team that’s chasing them, and put their arms fully around first place again heading into seven straight home games against non-contenders before these same Tigers come to Kansas City in what should be a wild weekend series. The Royals won a little more than a game on Wednesday, and they did it with their most accomplished player living up to the nickname he never asked for, and the hopes of a franchise that needs it to be true. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...l#storylink=cpy http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...cle2060141.html James Shields absolutely dominant in big game versus the Tigers He came out aggressive from the start, looking to get ahead on Tigers batters with his fastball, which he threw with excellent location all night. He was locating those first-pitch fastballs (and even cutters) so well that he only fell behind in three at-bats in all of his seven innings pitched. Once Shields got ahead, he could get to his breaking stuff. All night, his curve, change and cutter were downright nasty, forcing the Tigers’ lineup into mis***s, rollovers and eight strikeouts. Shields gave up an opposite-field single to Ian Kinsler in the Tigers’ first at-bat of the game — and then didn’t allow a single base runner until the bottom of the seventh. By keeping his pitch count low, staying ahead of hitters and attacking the batters at the right time with the right pitch, “Big Game James” turned in one of his best performances of the year and put his team in a great position to win this crucial game. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...l#storylink=cpy

It would have been a compelling enough argument to stay with Shields because of his pitching alone: He’s 11-6 with a 3.29 ERA, and he’s long since emerged from a mini-funk to give up just seven earned runs over 36 innings in his last five starts. (It's actually even better now, this article was written a month or so ago...) Now, couple that with the notion that his presence at the top of the rotation has helped lend form and structure and proportion to the rest of what right now is one of the best Royals staffs since the 1980s. But it’s his least tangible trait, to outsiders, anyway, that might be the most irreplaceable. No one exerts more influence in the Royals clubhouse and has altered the chemistry and culture of the room more than Shields since he was acquired on Dec. 9, 2012. No one is more in the ears, and maybe even faces, of young pitchers. Ask Danny Duffy about his breakthrough season, and learning how to harness his emotions, and he’ll quickly point to Shields. And no one is more cognizant of the details of the big picture, from setting a standard in work ethic to advising closer Greg Holland what music to run into from the bullpen to orchestrating the way the Royals celebrate after victories. This is a team that looks to and channels Shields. It will only do that more if it reaches the playoffs for the first time since 1985: If it’s a one-game wild-card playoff, count on Shields and his postseason experience to get that call … and as many as possible in any series. Removing that presence from the room would have left a void and discombobulated everyone else in it. Teams adjust all the time to mid-season roster changes, but Shields is a rare presence whose stature is enhanced by the currency of his experience. “He’s got a ton of energy, he’s a tremendous competitor, and he’s a great communicator, and you couple all that together,” manager Ned Yost said. “He’s always talking to guys, he’s always encouraging guys, he’s always upbeat with guys. “And he’s in it for the team more than he’s in it for himself. Guys see it, they recognize it, they go with it.” None of which means the Royals officially can proclaim victory in The Trade that many scorned (or at least questioned): dealing hot-shot outfield prospect Wil Myers and pitcher Jake Odorizzi (essentially) to Tampa Bay for Shields and Wade Davis. Myers was hitting .227 when he suffered a broken wrist on May 30 after being named AL rookie of the year in 2013 (.293 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in 88 games). He may at last return next week. Odorizzi, 24, seems to have a bright enough future and is having a decent enough season. Entering the weekend for the 60-61 Rays, he’s 9-9 with a 3.82 ERA. Those contributions, though, pale next to the exploits of Shields and Davis, suddenly the most fearsome reliever in the American League. Now, the data on this will change in the years to come. And attitudes about this will evolve at different altitudes of hindsight. But in this moment, which is everything to a Royals franchise basically seeking to regain the public trust, we know this: The Royals wouldn’t be in this position without Shields and Davis. This mesmerizing time wouldn’t look like this right now without that move, even if Myers were healthy and productive for the Royals. Now, it would go a long way toward validating the trade if they make the playoffs. But no matter what, these were the right moves for the Royals — both to acquire Shields and to keep him. They triggered changes in the fundamental dynamics of their pitching, which before 2013 had gone 20 years without a staff ERA under 4.00. And they changed the tone of a room and the direction of a franchise whose future always was over a vague horizon to one where it’s now. To reach Vahe Gregorian, call 816-234-4868 or send email to vgregorian@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @vgregorian. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...l#storylink=cpy

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Sep 11, 2014 -> 01:13 AM) Better off spending money on FA? No way. The Sox cannot fill all the holes by relying on FA. Trades will be necessary. Masterson is now an aging reclamation project that is currently making 10M and a big risk as to if he can ever rebound. That's one expensive project! Latos,lol, well he's going to cost more in prospects than McHugh! Yet with McHugh you say its better to hold prospects for one more year? Huh? Shields is going to be 33 and rather costly both in salary and years while he likely begins to decline. No thanks. BMAC will cost as well and is already 31. Again, no thanks. Leake is making just shy of 6M this year, getting a nice bump in salary this winter while he goes into his 2nd arbitration year and will be a free agent after 2016. Oh, and he's going to cost more in prospects than McHugh as well. Adding McHugh allows the Sox to fill a hole in the rotation thus saving the money that would be spent on a FA starter to be spent elsewhere like a higher priced position player via trade. It would give the Sox a better chance to be a contender in 2015. Honestly, I do not see where you're coming from. I never said I wanted any of those pitchers, you brought them up, so I'm not sure exactly who you're arguing with...yourself perhaps? If you saw the way Shields has pitched his last two times out in crunch time, you might rethink your position. The very drawbacks everyone has pointed out are the ones that will depress his price compared to Lester or Scherzer. Nobody knows what McHugh would do pitching for a pennant contender. It's easy to go out there for one of the five worst teams in baseball, with no pressure. Kip Wells looked great for the Pirates, but he couldn't handle Chicago, for example. With all that said, unless they have a plan for moving Danks, they're still going to have issues in the rotation because you're relying on Noesi, a rookie in Rodon and who actually can predict what you'll get with McHugh. I'm guessing he's at an all-time high for innings pitched, so you're also likely to see some regression next season when he hits that wall. I sincerely doubt ANY pitcher gets added...but you can't put a value on the experience, the confidence, the been there, done that attitude that Shields brought to a Royals' organization that had missed the playoffs for 29 years. He's single-handedly holding that rotation up right now, along with a rookie in Yordano Ventura.

Ah, those toolsy high school outfielders....bust rate is even higher on those guys like Hawkins.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 11:58 PM) Please, Humber never put up the numbers McHugh has this year. Take a look for yourself. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mchugco01.shtml I guess more expensive pitchers like BMac, Leake, Latos, Masterson, Shields etc. are better options? Yes, McHugh would cost a few prospects but the money not spent on an expensive starter could in turn be spent on the many holes the Sox have to fill and thats my point. Oh, and to those talking about McHugh being 27 and dfa. Hector Noesi says hello and I would also like to remind you of that the Sox are Hector's third team this season and most Sox fans are rather pleased with his progress. So please don't give me the age and dfa bulls***. The Sox, in their unenviable minor league depth position, would be MUCH better off spending money than giving up premium minor league talent. If they were ALSO going to spend on a DH/LF (probably two hitters, ideally...one Wilkins/Dunn type and one more who's an above-average corner fielder) and spend at least $10-15 million on the bullpen, then I could get behind "going for it at least 50%" for 2015. Otherwise, you have to hold all those trading chips one more year. Because just adding McHugh still leaves you two hitters and a bullpen short of contention. Of course, I would love to have Shields...but at what cost? Masterson, if Cooper has identified a flaw/fix. Latos....maybe? Depends on what we have to give up. Leake and B-Mac would be less interesting, at least to me.

McHugh reminds me of Phil Humber, who actually went to the Astros (along with Lucas Harrell) after leaving the Sox.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 08:27 PM) With only a few weeks left in the year, am I the only one that feels this MLB season has sucked? The most covered stories in the media seem to be Jeter's retirement and the collision rule at home. No record breaking statistics, etc. this year to get intrigued by. Tanaka going down, the Yankees missing the playoffs again, the Red Sox tanking...that's 50% of baseball for ESPN right there. More focus should be on the Giants and Cardinals for seemingly being able to recover from nearly every obstacle injury-wise with depth and pitching. Then you have the A's/Tigers storylines, which are pretty interesting I guess. The M's...and what's going on with Puig/Mattingly/Kemp on a daily basis.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 09:37 PM) Good point. I guess I don't really envision Semien being at 3B all that much. If they don't trade Alexei, and Micah Johnson's not ready (which is pretty clear, physically and hamstring-wise and developmentally)...then Sanchez is your starter at 2B, with Semien filling in at SS/2B/LF and also hitting against lefties for Conor.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 09:44 PM) I see him more as a tight end. How about H back?

Who's closer next year? Petricka? Putnam, doubtful. Webb, probably needs a bit more seasoning. Bassit or Guerra?

QUOTE (Señor Ding-Dong @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 09:39 PM) I agree completely. He's still a well below average fielder at this point in his career. Fast in a 40-60 yard sprint isn't quickness, and that's why he will never be a basestealer...above 8-10 per season. He also isn't "first step quick" in terms of his outfield jumps and reads. On the other hand, he would make a great fullback in the NFL.

Great clutch hit from Avisail overrides Alexei, Abreu and Wilkins' struggles. Great job by the entire pitching staff today.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 08:41 PM) Best trade chip on the roster this offseason Unless it's Alexei...or Tim Anderson.

Royals had bases loaded, no outs and Perez hit into a line out off Al Al with Gordon picked off 3rd...no runs score. Huge for the Tigers, IF IF they can figure out how to score on the Royals' pen.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 08:22 PM) You also have to remember how great Montas looked in the minors this year. Montas can either be a rushed closer to another frontline starter. We'll see how patient they are...and what they really think of Webb. Would like to see how much they push Olacio as well. The AFL placement is indicative. It's also possible that Danish's stuff would play better as closer...another version of Keith Foulke with the angles/movement/deception and "average" fastball velocity.

Huge K of the surprising JD Martinez with runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs... Shields with only 2 hits and a walk surrendered through 7, and 100 pitches. 2-0 Royals going to the top of the 8th.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 08:15 PM) No shock this team is struggling to score without Viciedo and Flowers in the lineup, as they've been nearly the only source of power the last 3 weeks. It will be interesting to see if there's actually more than 4-5 thousand at the game tomorrow. Even 2007 had the entertainment of Fields, Owens, Andy Gonzalez and Wasserman. This is just beyond terrible. Well, at least Bassit's still fighting, there's that. A lot of the positives are being erased for me until/unless Avisail Garcia really impresses. Of course, excuses about the injury will be provided, with SOME validity, but there's far from even 50/50 certainty right now he's a 5/6 hole power bat or run producer at this point in his career. At 7-9, okay...it is what it is. But that's not what the acquisition was billed to be.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 07:44 PM) Since you guys are talking Astros, forget Castro and go after Collin McHugh. I'll take McHugh over signing BMAC or Masterson anytime. Not sure what it would take to get McHugh but I'm all over that s***! Sale, McHugh, Q, Noesi, Rodon with Carroll and Danks ( unless traded) as long men/ back ups in the pen. Hi, Jeff Luhnow here. You want McHugh? Your starting pitching depth sucks, you realize that? Well, at any rate, I would like Tim Anderson or a package of two of these guys (Hawkins/Montas/Danish). No, I DON'T want Davidson, Johnson or Semien, either. You can keep your so-called prospects/suspects. Rick Hahn. Gulp. Phone clicks. Fade to silence.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 08:09 PM) This would be a nice game to lose considering every team worse than us has lost or is going to lose tonight. Only Houston and Arizona are left to play. Trotting out that 6-9 against a contending team desperate for a win and with a rookie starter, we almost deserve to lose. It's pretty clear this team is the M's or Royals offensively with Abreu hitting more like Miggy Cabrera this season than Jose Abreu through July.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 07:43 PM) DID YOU GUYS KNOW HAWK THINKS THE BULLPEN IS REALLY IMPORTANT Let me guess, he's talking about the Royals, Mariners or possibly Detroit's 7th-9th inning struggles?

Despite giving up 38 hits in his past 23+ innings against DET, Shields has earned his Big Game moniker in spades tonight. Huge game for the Royals' pen to win in order to shift the "momentum" which may or may not exist in baseball...ask the Brewers, Mariners or A's/Angels.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 07:39 PM) Wilkins has struggled so bad this September................this may be doing more harm than good bringing him up. How? You find out that he's overmatched and see if he can make the needed adjustments. If he continues to flail away like this, it crosses another option off the list and forces his hand a bit more in terms of either trading for another bat or signing a FA. Personally, I'd much rather see Mitchell out there than Danks, because we already know exactly what Jordan is capable of doing.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Sep 10, 2014 -> 07:03 PM) Why not keep Gillaspie and try trading for Dominguez? He might be easier to get than Castro. That's a R/L platoon I would like to see for the Sox. Because it's much easier to just keep Semien in that platoon role than giving up real talent for Dominguez? Just like it's probably better not to trade two starters for one in Castro unless it's abundantly clear that individual player is a HUGE upgrade at a position.