caulfield12

QUOTE (LDF @ Jul 29, 2014 -> 05:41 AM) I just don't know, are they trying to soft soap HOU miss deeds by reporting that HOU has subtly improve the talent in the minors? I will admit I am confused on the intent of the article. I guess the national baseball media has really been hard on the Astros this year...and the Astros' version of SoxTalk, some of the main writers are wondering why all of a sudden the local media (it would be like if the Trib and Sun-Times suddenly had White Sox players anonymously complaining about Robin Ventura's managerial style or Don Cooper or something that always stays in the clubhouse leaking). Also, this idea that it's so weird or unusual for a minor league prospect to stop by in the morning on his way to another assignment (when he has to go from Lancaster, CA to Corpus Christi and Houston's in the middle anyway)...to work with the major league pitching coach. It's obviously a pretty negative environment in Houston right now....and the team has also gone into another tailspin after getting close to respectability about a month ago. Interestingly, nobody's complaining about possibly trading those three starters. Just that they might not get as much as they want for Kuechel (or Keuchel, however you spell it) and that Cosart has a reputation for being difficult for everyone to deal with (your basic prima dona, pain in the ass), so that might also hurt his value too despite having the best stuff of the three.

There's a reason we're proud of the fact that the White Sox had the most quality starts over a period covering much of the time Cooper has been here. Sure, worst-case scenario it's a 4.50 ERA for the game, but usually not. It's saying more often than not, a team with a good offense/bullpen has a chance to win the majority of his starts. Worth the money we're paying him? Probably not. Can we recover from trading him? Surely, just as easily as the Astros if they trade their top 3 (and Danks is really a 4th starter now, or a 3 on a bottom 1/3rd of the league team).

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 28, 2014 -> 11:10 PM) Damn Goose, that's cold. He probably got confused with Ramon, Jose or Benito or something...wasn't exactly clear who the autograph was for.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 28, 2014 -> 08:11 PM) The Kenny in the player portion was Kenny Lofton. Are you sure about that? I know there were a lot of problems around then...with Jimenez and Lofton and Lee, in terms of attitude/chemistry in the clubhouse. Thomas got into a fight with either Lofton or Jimenez on one famous occasion and ended up sitting on him...not sure which player, my memory's a bit hazy now 12 years later.

http://www.astroscounty.com/2014/07/oh-you...-me-or-day.html You have got to be kidding me, Appel's bullpen should be a non-story http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2014/7/21/592...he-aiken-effect Impact of not signing Aiken/Nix/Marshall on the Astros in the future...9 opinions all say it's really not that bad and most are positive about it

http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2014/7/28/594...-reporters-with On whether there's a bias in the media now against the Astros' front office

I think the part that's funny is the role of China/Taiwan in this whole thing. The boys (especially) in this country just go crazy over every pretty girl, whether it's online or JAV, so that this situation went out of control in Taiwan makes perfect sense (even David Beckham was swallowed up by so many fans and female/male admirers he literally had to run away from one public event in Shanghai or Beijing that got totally out of control)...the most followed woman in the whole world for Chinese is Sora/Sola Aoi, a porn star. In the end, I think the reason for her popularity (volleyball player) is her Asian look and height/legginess...because Asian men go crazy for tall/thin/fair or white-skinned (in general).

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 28, 2014 -> 06:59 PM) Chicken Willie Thompson. That's right. At least he was nice enough to mention Kenny Williams twice, both as a teammate and GM. I miss that 1990 team. So much fun when a team loaded with so many young prospects begins to fulfill its potential. Unfortunately, we had to contend with the A's/Blue Jay's and then later the Indians' onslaught.

Sanchez was one of the prospects falling the most in the recent Top 100 update.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jul 28, 2014 -> 07:29 PM) Could just be a bad year for Davidson and Johnson, they could always rebound next season. Both are young. And who was it that said Angel Sanchez was the 2nd most exciting pitcher in the system lol? Ever since he said that, Sanchez has been getting lit up. That statement (although it was more in jest as Montas and Anderson had just gone down to injury, Davidon/Johnson/Semien were struggling) and Mitchell Boggs as the closer hasn't worked out very well.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 28, 2014 -> 12:39 PM) To me, I'm assuming Matt Kemp's contract is like Vernon Wells' contract when he was traded to LAA. Yes, there is some chance he regains the form he once had, but he's been absolutely terrible defensively to the point where Adam Dunn is a similar fielder in the outfield. There is virtually no chance you even get half value right there. So, are Seager or Pederson going to be worth $70-80 million over the next 6 years? Perhaps, but that's an incredibly risky proposition. I think that's probably what you'd hope their peak value to be in the first 6 years. If they completely bust, then you're left with an albatross of a contract and a busted prospect and lost service time for other prospects too. Best case scenario, you get a decent hitter in Kemp, a really good hitter in Pederson/Seager, and you are still paying $21 mill a year for the combo. Worst case, Kemp continues being a mediocre hitter, the prospect busts, and you're looking at $21 mill per year for 0 production. And people are upset about Dunn because he can't really play the field and he strikes out a lot. That would put Dunn to shame. I think if it were BJ Upton we were talking about instead of Matt Kemp (4 years, $60 million or so left), it'd be worthwhile to have this discussion, but I can't imagine it being anywhere close to worth it with Kemp. I don't think Lester makes a lot of sense, at least at the moment, and given his likely cost, I don't think he'd be worth it either way. Lester's headed for $135-160 million free agency, according to Lou Merloni. Wonders why they (Red Sox) haven't even offered the "hometown discount" $110-125 million deal before he leaves via trade? Greinke at $147 million gives you a good idea that avoiding that Lester deal in his 30's might be a pretty good idea.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 28, 2014 -> 11:05 AM) Willie Chill is Willie Harris. Juice Franco a non mention. That guy was awesome as a White Sox. What did he call Willie Thompson the clubhouse manager? He had a nickname too, like "No Neck" Williams.

I thought I distinctly heard him say "Julio" though. Which means either Franco or Cruz, I guess. No Sammy "The Panther" Sosa mention, of course.

Appel got promoted to AA with something like a 9.62 ERA, fwiw.

They would have to eat half that contract. Doesn't make any sense when you can go after Nelson Cruz, Y. Tomas, Melky Cabrera, Rasmus, Markakis...maybe Michael Morse or Victor Martinez.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 27, 2014 -> 04:08 PM) Frank cut 50 names: I don’t have all day here, I only have 10 minutes and I might be over. Sorry. I’m an emotional guy because I wear my heart on my sleeve. So I will give my guys a verbal montage. Please bear with me. “One Dog (Lance Johnson), Rock (Raines), Grebeck, R.V. (Ventura), Ozzie, Joey (Cora), Pudge (Fisk), Karko, Psycho Lyons, Bo (Jackson), Ellis (Burks), Black Jack, the Deacon (Warren Newson), Sugar Ray (Durham), Alex (Fernandez), Wilson (Alvarez), (Jason) Bere, Roberto (Hernandez), Thiggy, James Baldwin, Billy Bob (who is that, Billy Joe Robidoux, lol??), Buehrle, Hot Rod (McCray) -- thanks for the program Hot Rod. “D. Bo, Magglio, Carlos, Rowand, Jermaine Dye. He’s here today along with Aaron Rowand. Ivan (Calderon), Phil (Bradley), Paulie, Crede, Uribe, Charles Johnson, Sandy (Alomar), T. (Tony) Phillips, Harold, Melido (Perez), Howry, Foulke, Mike Jackson, Flash (Gordon), Kenny (Williams), Sandy, A.J., Robbie (Alomar), McIlroy (Chuck McElroy), (Matt) Merullo, Spanky (Lavalliere), Julio (Franco), Willie Chill (Thompson), Singleton, Mouton, Davey (Martinez), El Duque, Fordyce, Leifer, G. Bell, C. Everett, Danny Pasqua, D.J., McCaskill, Paul (Donn Pall), (Mike) Huff, (Jose) Valentin, (Jeff or Jim) Abbott, (Mike) Devereaux, Cammy Cam (Mike Cameron), John Kruk, Sirotka, (Joe) Magrane, (Marvin?) Freeman, (Chad) Krueter, (Greg Mr.) Norton, Tartabull, (Darren Lewis) D. Lew, Scott Eyre, Navarro, (Chad) Bradford, (Frank) Castillo, Mark Johnson, Garland, (Sean) Lowe, (Cal) Eldred, Graffanino, Marte, Bartolo, Cotts, (Gary) Glover, Loaiza, Contreras, Freddy (Garcia), Politte. “I know it’s long. Sorry. “Jenks, Lee, B.A. (Brian Anderson), Podsednik, Blanton, Keko, Duke, Gaudin, Harden, Haren, Kotsay, The late Joe Kennedy. He left us too soon and was a special friend of mine. Saarloos, Huston, Zito, Kendall, Melhuse, Swisher, Chavy, Crosby, Ellis, D.J., Scutaro, Milton, Kielty, J. Payton, Doc Halladay, Accardo, A.J., Downsie, Frasor, Rios, Casey, League, McGowan, Marcum, B.J., Towers, A. Hill, Vernon, Johnny Mac, Orlando, Reed, Raja and Big Red. “Yeah it was real. You guys were my family away from home. I miss all of you. I’m glad to have known all of you. I’m sorry I couldn’t name the rest of you guys. I’ll probably get hit in the head right now from the guys in the back. But thank you man.” Sounded like he also said Ron Darling...no Scott Radinsky, Pablo Ozuna, Norberto Paco Martin, Greg Hibbard/Hibbie, Timo Perez, Willie Harris, Kenny Lofton (who he famously got into a fight with in the clubhouse and ended up sitting on him I think), Iguchi, Widger, Gload It was hard to hear....sounded like he said "Billy Ball" Billy Bob?? And D Bo? (that has to be Darryl Boston, oops) Not sure if it was Jeff Abbott or Jim Abbott (one-armed pitcher)....going back to that time, from those players, probably Jim Abbott

http://instagram.com/altynbekova_20 Player too beautiful for team/sport? I've never heard of a story quite like this...trying to imagine the story turned around, with a male athlete being deemed too handsome/attractive that it's a distraction for his teammates and coaches. Crazy story, especially since she's from the same country as Borat (Kazahkstan). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/27/s..._n_5625530.html

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...GlkA1ZJUDQ0OF8x Astros' players upset with AA promotion, MLB bullpen work for Appel

Santiago actually had a positive article written about how he'd won his last two starts and found some of his control again. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/improved-cont...GlkA1ZJUDQ0OF8x

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 27, 2014 -> 04:03 PM) Abreu and Sale are about at peak value. Back up the truck. Are you Marty34 now?

Even if the money's in the Puig/Cespedes/Abreu area...his projection as a big leaguer is closer to a Leonys Martin than a superstar. It would be one thing if he could play SS, but on the White Sox, he'd have to play LF or RF, and that would take away quite a bit of his value playing at USCF.

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ Jul 27, 2014 -> 07:53 PM) Late to this thread. One big question: What were the specific things he did wrong today? Pulled Carroll after six? Lucky to get that much out of him. Went to Bella? He had been pitching good. He just didn't respond well to the umpire shakedown. Went to Guerra? Dustin Hermanson's not walking through that door. It's not his vault that Viciedo and DeAza are guys who have no concept about how to put the ball in play and drive in a run from third with less than two outs. silly thread. If you're expecting DeAza to come through against a tough LH closer in that situation...well, good luck with that one. It's not like L.Garcia, Sierra or Dunn would have been better bets...well, who knows? The way Tyler's been going recently, I would have more confidence in him than Viciedo.

The bigger the numbers he put up, the more Thomas was consumed by being recognized as the best hitter in the game. He often was seen poring over stat sheets in the clubhouse and at his locker, and he always seemed to know his exact numbers. Thomas doesn't deny that but wonders why it became such an issue with the media. "Yeah, I did, but that was part of the game," Thomas said. "I did that because I wanted to be great, man. I wanted to know what other guys were doing, the guys who were in that elite level. "I wanted to challenge them every day, and I knew if I played at that level, we were going to win a lot of ballgames. And if I didn't play at that level, we were going to lose a lot of ballgames. So I took it upon myself to do that. It wasn't that I was selfish. It was about wanting to be great." But other hitters passed Thomas' numbers, leading him to feel overlooked and underpaid. He signed a seven-year deal at the end of the 1997 season that was worth $85 million if the two option years were picked up, but it also included a "diminished-ability" clause that allowed the Sox to terminate the contract if he failed to be an All-Star starter or finish in the top 10 in the MVP voting from 1999 to 2001. Thomas staged a brief walkout in the spring of 2000 to protest the contract and still feels like he was underpaid. "That was b.s.," he said. "But that's OK. I've prospered. Take the high road, keep that smile on my face and be happy. That's what I've done. Treat people like we're equal because that's part of me. I came from a small, humble place, and I continue to be that person. Whatever has happened to me has been unimaginable for where I'm from." There are no regrets for Thomas, who said he's happy as a TV analyst for Fox and Comcast SportsNet and working for Genworth, a long-term-care planning company. He always spoke his mind, a trait he got from his dad, who will be there in spirit. "I'm going to miss my dad at the Hall of Fame (induction)," he said. "That's one part of the speech I have to get past. I'm worried about getting choked up on that part because I know what he'd be like Sunday." Guess it wouldn't be the Trib/Sullivan if he didn't go negative on a Sox player. Thank God Sosa or Grace never got in, and they can only "half-claim" Maddux. Palmeiro making it would have been hilarious as well, but... http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-07...s-steroid-users Another article on how he's not going to go negative or attack the PED's users in his HOF induction speech.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jul 27, 2014 -> 07:10 AM) I know that I'm late to the me, but Holy crap was Prisoners good. This movie will have a longer shelf life (like Shawshank) on cable than it did in the box office. Surprisingly compelling film, kind of flew under the radar and wasn't properly promoted by the studio IMO. One of those movies you always ask your friends to see and try to find their opinions on it...which are always mixed. But everyone can imagine themselves in that situation and how they would handle it, or reacting as Terence Howard did along the way perhaps.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 27, 2014 -> 01:26 AM) Don't people skim reviews? How could anybody in their right mind go see Lucy after those scathing reviews. If a movie is deemed a total disaster I immediately cross it off the list. Like Sex Tape. I didn't bother. Lucy is right on the borderline at 50-60% positive and negative reviews. There are a lot of similarities with Salt, the Angelina Jolie movie. If you went only by reviews, pretty much the only movies you'd watch would be the Top 20-30 favorites for the Academy Awards, and 50% of those are movies that bore most people completely to death and leave them wondering how those "artsy" critics could possibly see something in a movie that they're totally missing. God's Not Dead and all of those movies with Kirk Cameron/Courageous/Left Behind are ripped to shreds by critics...so you would be left with only Heaven is for Real and a split decision on Noah, just like Lucy. You would never watch a single Michael Bay or Adam Sandler movie, either.