caulfield12

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Sep 30, 2013 -> 09:00 PM) After reading this article, it sounds as if Hahn plans on spending big this winter. Upgrade the catcher position? YES please. How about 3b, CF and a 1B replacement for Pauly as well? How about finding a new home for Dunn? How about putting together a package involving Ramirez in attempt to upgrade the SS position? Do we stick it out with Viciedo out in LF? SOOOOO many questions need to be answered... there are ALOT of holes on this roster. IMO the only safe starting position players are Beckham 2b and Avi Garcia RF. Everything else can change at this point. I wish you well Hahn... time to get creative. Beckham was a huge part of the problem, too. If you're cleaning house, Viciedo is "owed" at least one more year if you believe that Beckham's earned the starting role for 2014, especially with Semien lurking. There is nobody in our minor league system pushing Viciedo at LF or 1B.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post...-jersey-sellers Puig #3 jersey amongst 2nd half sales, Mo Rivera #1 and Matt Harvey #2 Cespedes was in Top 10 still/somehow, Ryu from the Dodgers must be selling a ton among Dodgers/Korean fans

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 06:12 PM) I don't get the not working on fundamentals in spring training argument. Our defense has been bad all year, that would be one hell of a spring training carry over effect to explain the majority of the change in fielding percentage between 2012 & 2013. Maybe not accountable for all going in the "tank" defensively. Flowers regressed. Viciedo, too. Ramirez and Beckham weren't as good as in the past, particularly Alexei. DeAza continues to be an enigma. Rios wasn't as sharp as well with fundamentals, hitting cut-off men, etc. We all know Dunn/Konerko and their limitations. About the only pleasant surprise was Conor, who was merely decent/adequate. Phegley was as promised. Keppinger was never very good in the first place, was overexposed and his lack of ability to D up contributed to problems that snowballed all over the infield IMO.

2 Guns was pretty darned entertaining.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 04:09 PM) Since it seems unlikely anything could happen this week that would significantly change these grades, here it is: C. Sale-A J. Crain-A J. Quintana- A- H. Santiago- B+ J. Peavy- B M. Lindstrom- B A. Garcia- B A. Rios- B A. Reed- B- M. Thornton- B- A. Ramirez- B- N. Jones- C+ C. Gillaspie- C+ A. De Aza- C+ D. Viciedo- C G. Beckham- C A. Rienzo- C A. Dunn- C D. Veal- C- J. Keppinger- D J. Phegley- D T. Flowers- D P. Konerko- D D. Axelrod- D R. Ventura- D D. Cooper- B- J. Manto- D Too hard on Gillaspie, too easy on Veal... Maybe Viciedo can be a C+ considering he was fighting injuries for part of the way, but then does that excuse Konerko? Not really. What about your impression of Leury Garcia so far?

QUOTE (ptatc @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 03:09 PM) Ivan Calderon, Dave Gallagher and SALOME BAROJAS!!!!!! You just jinxed Dave Gallagher. He's not dead yet, is he? Or maybe I was thinking of Joe DeSa or one of the other relievers of that time period, Ernesto Escarrega or something was his name?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 01:32 PM) Gary Redus was a guy I really WANTED to like. He had insane speed, I remember seeing him do something I've only seen him and Rickey Henderson do - steal 2nd while the pitcher was holding the ball. He also had some power. But he just couldn't get on base enough - wild, hacky swings. Gary Redus A Bedtime Story Claudell Washington Shawn 'Lil Abner Matt Merullo Scott Radinsky Wayne Edwards (because he was part of Stick Figure with McDowell) Wayne Hagin/John Rooney Dave Wills Eddie Williams Ivan Calderon McKay Christensen (don't believe the hype!) Brian Simmons Chris Singleton

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 11:26 AM) You loved CMON TIMO and his 3 run single. You hated everything else. You cannot deny this Was that the one off K-Rod? He has to have more than one highlight with the Sox. Even Orlando Hudson had a couple.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 11:13 AM) I loved Timo. You're a poopy head. Loved Craig Grebeck, Paco Martin, Warren The Deacon Newson (or was it Newsom?), Pablo Ozuna (the infamous safe while flying across 1B sign memories) and even Rodney McCray a lot more, haha. Even Willie Harris, for Greg's 2005 reasoning (just for his commentary about Brandon Backe during the World Series highlights video and his play by play from the dugout). Only one less loved was probably Esteban Beltre. Maybe Andy Gonzalez a close 2nd. Honestly, I see Balta's never-ending point about this season (and I agree, despite having ignored much of the 2nd half intentionally)...and also Dick Allen's. The truth has to be somewhere in between. Is it fair to give up on Ventura if we have another 60-65 win team next year? For whatever reason, and I'm with Fathom on this one, I simply don't think he's that great of a manager and we haven't seen a lot of signs of his evolution. I think down the stretch last year, he actually got worse....of course, it's easier to say "we choked" or "ran out of gas" than to blame the manager, but I'd argue he didn't help us much in the 2nd half of the season as the "Ozzie Effect" wore off and reality set in. I always liked Ventura as a player, but I'm not sure he's the right man for the job, futuristically-speaking. Do I blame him? 30-35-40% maybe. Do I blame KW.....well, that's a big 90% or more. And yet it's hard to lay 2011-12-13 side-by-side-by-side and not wonder how much of it was simply a factor of ANYONE NOT NAMED OZZIE in the dugout....and you wonder how many managers could have held off the Tigers down the stretch. It's easy to play this theoretical or hypothetical game, where greg would have LaRussa/Francona/Scioscia etc., leading us to the playoffs. I guess we all expected last year to be more like we ended up with this year....and for this year to be more like 2012 as the team and manager evolved under a new coaching regime. You wonder if his best managerial year will always be 2012 and it will be all downhill from his peak like it was with Ozzie past 2005. Sad to think Ventura might already have peaked as a manager, but something has gone terribly awry in the entire organization this year, from the minor leagues on up (or down). (And it's nice to see Viciedo and Garcia ending up as positives as the season winds down.) F--- the Indians! At least we screwed them over in 2005 with the Riske/Crede match-up and down the stretch as we mowed them down with scrubs three in a row.

Limited to Grown Ups 2 (surprisingly good), Kick Ass 2 (in Singapore a month ago, surprisingly terrible, or maybe not so surprisingly) and Riddick (not bad)....

Just for curiosity's sake, does anyone know why September 17th was chosen for Clemente Day? I know they weren't going to ever go the lengths of Jackie Robinson Day...nor should they...although they're definitely doing more to promote Roberto than any year in the past, from my perception. The problem is I went to wikipedia and his 3000th hit was recorded on September 29th, 1972. That was the only obvious link I could think of to the day/date September 17th. Nominees for the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet were announced on Monday by Major League Baseball, in advance of Tuesday's 12th annual Roberto Clemente Day and the start of fan voting to help determine the recipient of this prestigious honor. Roberto Clemente Day was established by MLB to honor Clemente's legacy and to officially recognize 30 nominees, one for each club. The annual award, won last year by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, goes to the player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement. The Roberto Clemente Award, presented during the World Series, pays tribute to the namesake's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. Clemente, a 15-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. "It's an honor to be nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award," said Justin Masterson, the Indians' nominee. "So many people have been nominated in the past have done such great things. To whom much is given, much is required, and I try to live by that." "Look at Roberto Clemente, at what he did," Pirates nominee Andrew McCutchen said. "I don't want people to know me because I played baseball. I want people to know me for other things I did outside a baseball field. Yeah, Clemente was a great baseball player, but the things he did off the field said more about him. That's the person that I admire, and that's how I want to be." "Anytime you get mentioned for anything about the Roberto Clemente Award is a tremendous honor," said Hall of Famer Al Kaline, who received the honor in 1973. "Certainly after they renamed it and I was the first recipient, I was thrilled and honored." Willie Mays won the first of these honors in 1971, when it was known as the Commissioner's Award, to recognize community service around the game. He is one of 14 Hall of Famers on the distinguished list of recipients. After 1972, the award was dedicated in Clemente's name. The winner of the fan vote will receive one vote, with the rest cast by a selection panel that includes Commissioner Bud Selig; MLB Goodwill Ambassador Vera Clemente, Roberto's widow; FOX broadcasters Joe Buck and Tim McCarver; Hall of Fame Broadcaster and the "Spanish Voice of the Dodgers" Jaime Jarrin; Hall of Famer and TBS analyst Dennis Eckersley; TBS analyst Buck Martinez; MLB Network analysts and former Clemente Award winners Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds; Hall of Famer, ESPN analyst and former Roberto Clemente Award winner Barry Larkin; ESPN analyst and former Roberto Clemente Award winner Rick Sutcliffe; MLB.com senior correspondent Hal Bodley; and Chevrolet national promotions manager Mike Weidman. www.mlb.com Roberto Clemente Day was first celebrated on September 18, 2002. In the 8 years since Roberto Clemente Day was established, many Latin American baseball players and baseball fans have rejoiced in celebrating the life and contributions Roberto Clemente made to the sport of baseball.Roberto Clemente Day has been established to honor the memory of Roberto Clemente. In 2002, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said: "It has been almost thirty years since Roberto Clementes untimely death... ...He will be remembered as a great baseball player and humanitarian. To honor his legacy, we have designated this special day to not only remember Roberto, but to honor those players who have contributed so much to their communities." The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente. Originally known as the Commissioner's Award, it has been presented by the MLB since 1971. In 1973, the award was renamed after Clemente following his death in a plane crash while delivering supplies to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake. And then the day of the award was changed from the 18th to the 17th...hmmmm.

QUOTE (flavum @ Sep 15, 2013 -> 08:38 PM) They have to let Konerko go too. Great career, but he has no place on a team like this next year. Time to turn the page. Agreed. I can't even stand to pay attention anymore. Move on. Next. (Before Greg protests, Konerko's the greatest Sox player of the post-Thomas generation, and he's always going to be appreciated by Sox fans, JR, statues, Konerko Days, etc.)

It's ugly how many players we probably could make arguments not to come back or be the starter... 1) DeAza 2) Viciedo 3) Beckham 4) Ramirez 5) Flowers/Phegley or Phegley/Flowers (based on your perspective) 6) Gillaspie (unless platooning) and Keppinger That pretty much leaves Avisail Garcia, Dunn, Leury Garcia (utility) and Semien as the only "interesting" position players from any standpoint, although I'm still cautiously optimistic about Viciedo. With DeAza, he's getting more expensive and the defensive shortcomings and wear and tear sort of are weighing him down in my mind...he's gone from more of a leadoff guy to a bottom of the order hitter, IMO. Or the perfect 4th outfielder on a playoff caliber team. Maybe he's a starter for the Pirates or Reds, a couple of NL teams.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 15, 2013 -> 07:25 PM) Beckham now batting .202 since the ASB. It pains me to say this, but there's really no reason to bring him back next season. Agreed. Although you want to get rid of Viciedo and maybe DeAza too, I think we need to give Dayan at least one more season before throwing in the towel on him. Beckham's to the point where he has marginal trade value, at best. DeAza would be a more valuable piece to an equal or greater number of teams, arguably.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 13, 2013 -> 03:19 PM) I think he fooled all of us. We have a bit of a Crede Curse going on at 3rd base it seems. Or the Cubs, Gary Scott/Kevin Orie, etc.

http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/9/13/47...t-likable-teams Turn on the game and they blow their best chance to score with Dunn wasting a great opportunity....sigh. Well, if that's too depressing, just read the Cincy Reds' section, breaking out the Matt Latos/Karate Kid villain comparison and a hilarious version of Bronson Arroyo singing Wonderwall on a cruise ship. That will brighten your spirits momentarily.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Sep 12, 2013 -> 09:22 PM) The security guard doesnt have a face. Like Agent Kruger from Elysium?

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 12, 2013 -> 09:21 PM) Anyone notice Leury Garcia not start running to first on an lazy pop up? Good to see the veterans and their piss-poor effort has reached the young guys. We can't blame it on The Alex Rios Effect anymore. Where Jake Peavy when you need him to motivate the troops...?

So, to summarize... 1) Danks still is pitching more like a 4th/5th starter 2) Viciedo's been a lot better the last month 3) A. Garcia is not a CFer 4) L. Garcia is not an everyday player but he's at least exciting/interesting 5) 3rd pick is pretty much guaranteed

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Sep 12, 2013 -> 02:46 PM) Where did you ome up with the 40% figure ? Link please ? And even if it was 40% , the contract was 5 yrs. $65M he played 2 years at 13M per season so they paid $26 for his services. That leaves 3 yrs at $39 M remaining so it's safe to say insurance paid at least most of that $39 million which I would call a lot and upwards of 50% of the orignal contract. That's pretty much the industry standard...a range between 35-50%, depending on the player/contract/injury history/age, because if they're (insurance companies) agreeing to pay out much more than that, the cost of insuring those huge contracts becomes prohibitively expensive to underwrite on both sides. Too much risk, not enough reward. It's also the rate we were paid back for David Wells' 2001 lost season.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 11, 2013 -> 05:21 AM) Scott Van Slyke? http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/i...weigh-negatives

post

40% is not recouping a LOT of their money...not even a majority of their money.

But, with Belle... 1) That team wasn't competitive 2) A lot of that damage was done in the 2nd half when the season was over...garbage time 3) He wasn't popular at all with fans and maybe drove some away 4) Looking at statistics alone doesn't measure the negative impact on the clubhouse chemistry-wise 5) In the end, we were quite lucky he had an out with that contract or look at the situation Baltimore ended up in with him

DUMB DUMB DUMB. We should have learned this lesson with Albert Belle already, and then Dunn. Dump Magglio/Lee/Ordonez=add Pods, Iguchi, Vizcaino, El Duque, Dye, AJ, Politte, Hermanson, McCarthy (internally), Jenks (FA/waivers). Still save money. In the previous year, added Uribe/Contreras/Floyd to the mix. Same formula coming into 2008...adding Danks/Floyd/Quentin/Alexei to a 72 win team You can't get all the way back with one HUGE move. You have to do it incrementally and not short circuit the process.