caulfield12

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/sports/b...html?_r=0\ This time, a very different Kris Bryant article from the NY Times. All about hitting philosophy (most of it comes from Ted Williams...father actually met him when he toiled in the minors)... “We’re going to learn how to do two things,” said Williams, the Hall of Famer whose famous mission was to be the greatest hitter who ever lived. “We’re going to hit it hard and we’re going to hit it in the air.” The Cubs’ top baseball executives, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, grew up in New England and had worked for the Red Sox. They loved that Bryant was raised on the wisdom of Williams. But mostly they loved that in a game trending toward pitchers, Bryant was a polished, and unapologetic, slugger. “He knows that when he hits it clean, with the right swing, it’s a homer,” said Hoyer, the Cubs’ general manager. “Most of the guys, their fly balls often don’t go out, so, therefore, you want guys to hit the ball true, hit it low. Someone like him, that’s his swing path. It’ll go out if he hits it.” “He’s being pitched to like he’s a triple crown winner,” Mike Bryant said last Friday. “It’s amazing. I’ve watched every game. He’s seen 374 pitches, and I’ve seen every single last one of them, and I can tell you, unequivocally, he’s gotten one pitch he could hit out of the yard that he’d be comfortable swinging at.” That pitch, Mike Bryant said, was a fastball on a cold night in Pittsburgh that went for a double. Soon enough, he is convinced, the home runs will come. The steady diet of breaking balls will help pitch recognition, and Kris’s discipline — and the dangerous Anthony Rizzo behind him in the lineup — will eventually get him more fastballs.

QUOTE (Dunt @ May 10, 2015 -> 10:05 PM) So have they not conceded that he needs to be starting at this point? Everybody knows it, the organization has to They might DL Noesi and that would make it pretty much academic...

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/white-...&ocid=yahoo Figuring out Rodon's next appearance

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansa...le20651580.html This game story is noteworthy for one reason. For the author's use of preposterous and egregious to describe the same Omar Infante error. Did Omar accidentally run over the writer's kid or something? Too funny.

I'm not even sure his two most ardent boosters here will take that bait.

Beckham making contact against Chapman....never saw that coming. Kudos to Robertson for keeping it at a tie. We need to fix the catching situation.

Lol at Melky. 7 lob.

QUOTE (ptatc @ May 10, 2015 -> 01:00 PM) Orthotics, US, iontophoresis, stretching, cross friction massage. Many options for the short term. It can last awhile if not taken care of properly. Luckily Conor's not a huge dude like Quentin but still quite painful. It wouldnt hurt to play Beckham/Bonifacio/Sanchez there for two weeks.

QUOTE (staxx @ May 10, 2015 -> 02:47 PM) time to give kevan smith a shot? You can't throw a totally inexperienced rookie out there...they would get another veteran like AJ or Ruiz.

Thankfully the weather is aiding the pitchers today...ball's not jumping like it will in another month or so.

Can we ever have a clean game defensively?

Chappie had a decent idea but poor execution compared to previous Blokamp work.

We should have signed Ubaldo Jimenez...

Lester great? This season?

Allen Craig will be available for almost nothing, but no position unless he can catch or play 3b.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 9, 2015 -> 10:03 PM) You gave the answer: "We trade some people who are paid decently away." If the Sox stink this year, at all-star break a huge firesale should begin to try again. No need to keep Shark or LaRoche for starters. Then you deal others just to start over and get a haul. Robertson and Melky will be mighty valuable to teams that are contending. Alexei as well. Now if Sox are 4 in back of the wildcard they might keep everybody which would be stupid. This year somebody needs to decide whether Sox are contenders or not. If it's obvious the team is not getting any better, everybody should be on markest except Abreu and Sale and Rodon and perhaps Avi and Q. The problem with that Greg is something as simple as Robertson....you complained last year about Reed being dealt with nobody to replace him. Do you really want 2016 to be another development year....since trading all those veterans will give you more Avisail Garcias, Davidsons, Sanchezes, Micahs, Montas, Anderson, Danish, Hawkins, etc. All the players coming back in return via trade will require 1-3 years before they could be counted upon. Petricka would be closer again barring a miraculous return from your favorite healthy reliever, Nate Jones. Then Robin Ventura would have two or three more development years to learn on the job. Sounds attractive? The only way to get major league talent back is dealing Sale and/or Abreu. Equally demoralizing. If not moreso.

Great job by Rodon settling down. Beckham has to replace Gillaspie while he is playing this well. That's it. Hahn needs to address the catching....it's a disaster both offensively and defensively.

QUOTE (LDF @ May 9, 2015 -> 06:08 PM) yeah the teams been struggling, but where is the faith. the game hasn't started yet. Lol. Things are really bad when ur the only remaining game thread cheerleader/booster. Of course, we all want Rodon to impress because the final straw we can deal with is...fill in the blank.

Then Lohse will be dealt to the Cards and garner Cy Young votes, lol.

Bryant first homer. White Sox tied for third worst rs/ra differential in MLB. Worst in AL. But hey, pythagorean says we should actually be 8-18!!! The way things are going, Rodon will be removed from a no hitter due to pitch count and then the back end of the bullpen will finally blow one.

It happened. Bryant three run homer. Cubaggedon is finally upon us.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 9, 2015 -> 05:30 PM) This looks like last season. Petricka is another garbage reliever with awful offspeed pitches. How is Cooper not on the hot seat? The defense, lol?

QUOTE (joegraz @ May 9, 2015 -> 05:29 PM) Doesn't bother JR and fellow shareholders. Another year with no rent. Plus, if the Bulls beat LeBron, Blackhawks and Cubs runs will all combine to make the only remaining stories the fate of Ventura/coaching staff/Samardzija.

White Sox pen not exactly inspiring confidence at the moment. Other than Robertson/Duke.

Wonder how close they came to trading him...and to which team / return? Guess we will never know.