caulfield12

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 10:06 AM) And again, the same sort of stuff gets said about the Royals for example proving that it isn't just a Cub thing. They have to show something before I will be convinced, especially with a couple of those pieces starting to fall apart at the big league level. Hosmer is doing much better recently.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 09:55 AM) Saw the game on MLB=Network yesterday and it was the first time I saw Phegley. I liked the fact that he made contact and lifted fly balls and then of course the grand slam. But, I hesitate to anoint him the next Sherm Lollar or Fisk. We need to see how he progresses Every ball he's getting under and putting in the air to left field... Not sure how well that will work long-term. He has barely missed a couple more homers, just underneath. Missed it by 1/16th of an inch, dad gummit!

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 08:44 AM) Clayton Kershaw has an ERA of 2.28 over his last 600 innings and is set to win his 2nd Cy Young and 3rd straight top 2 finish, but no, you're right, Juan Uribe. Did someone ask for my thoughts on every player on the roster? C'mon. He was one of my favorite players on the White Sox...and I still enjoy watching him because he enjoys playing the game of baseball and is having a comeback/resurgent season this year. Dare I go with the "we must love every single player on the 2005 roster" explanation? Same way that Viciedo and Hector Santiago have been my two favorite players the last 2-3 years. It's human nature. Balta had Morel and Dylan Axelrod, players he was rooting for until it became tough to defend them any longer. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/yasiel-puig-b...-023405201.html Tim Brown PUIG Backlash attempts to turn prodigy into punk in premature rush to judgement

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 08:31 AM) I wanted to like Pacific Rim so much more than I actually do. The special effects were awesome, the fight sequences themselves were probably the best I've ever seen and (for once) you could tell this was approached with some imagination. The Hong Kong scene was just unreal, it was as epic as this movie advertised itself and that happens very rarely (looking at you Battleship). The problem comes with me missing almost anything interesting any of these characters have ever done. I cant remember any of their names, except for Mako who's the only one we see grow into something. Charlie Day and his sidekick are funny, they get worked into the plot, but they come out of nowhere and each time they have a scene I wonder to myself why I care about them. I remember the names of the Jaeger, though: Typhoon, Gipsy Danger, Striker Eureka and Cherno Alpha. Maybe my brain works the wrong way--but the Jaeger were infinitely more interesting and had much more personality than all but one or two human characters. But we dont meet many of them, we get to know hardly any of the crews because we skip everything interesting that seems to have happened rushing to a "final" conclusion. I think they did this because they were worried about looking Transformers-like. But this movie was nothing like Transformers, the physics seemed plausible, the fight scenes were imaginative and the world in which this took place wasn't just "MODERN WORLD + DEADLY ROBOTS". It was a better movie than any of the Transformers, much better than any big monster disaster movie we've seen since I can remember and honestly, I did enjoy the living s*** out of it, but it hamstrings itself. Oh well, at least it was fun. Agreed. If you recall, these are the same exact arguments critics take against Transformers movies, Michael Bay, Emmerich, etc. Idris Elba was just overdoing it, he was kind of a riff on the drill sergeant character in Avatar in a way. I'm a huge fans of Sons of Anarchy fan and Charlie Hunnam and Hellboy were basically distillations of Jax Teller and Clay (I'll be very interested to see Charlie play a completely different type of character in the next del Toro production...actually, that's how both those guys ended up in the movie, the director was a huge fan of SONS and had worked with Perlman on Hellboy...Hunnam was too virtuous for one of the villainous roles on Hellboy 2 but del Toro always had him in mind for future collaborations). I think Rinko Kikuchi is a wonderfullly-talented actress, she's like a chameleon, if you remember her from Babel. I've seen her in a couple of very strong Japanese dramas as well. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http:/...ed=0CJUBEP4dMA4 The Japanese/Toyko city scene evoked memories of Pan's Labyrinth, and perhaps fans of the director expected too much of that dramatic exposition, and it was never intended to be that type of movie...it was more of a homage to all the Japanese movie monsters of the 50's, 60's and 70's. This is one of the first (mainstream/big-budget) movies I can recall with a love interest between an Asian woman and a "white guy." I think they weren't sure where to go with it, into romantic territory or friend/mentor/admirer. I had NO EARTHLY CLUE what the German nerdy scientist was even saying 50% of the time...and Charlie Day was a little TOO phrenetic, playing the same part Justin Bartha did against Nicholas Cage in the National Treasure movies, comic foil. Whenever they showed up on camera, I wanted to fast-forward to the next scene. Finally, this movie is going to do huge box office in Japan and China...it might need to, if they want to get money for a second film, as this one came in at $185 million and probably the actual costs with marketing/production are up in the high 300's range.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 08:17 AM) I really don't think he can. I do think he could be a reasonably good contributor and a really solid platoon partner if you had a RH hitter playing some first/DHing also. I screwed this up last time I floated it but if the Sox were willing to try something like Flowers at 1b or could come up with a better RH hitting option then it could work. Honestly, I'd rather have Wilkins or Black up there getting those AB's than Tyler Flowers.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 07:42 AM) I think Tim Anderson is way too high. I'd still have Hawkins and Thompson ahead of him. Other than that I'd agree with most of the top 10. That's where you get into the whole proximity to the majors/passed Kanny/W-S vs. potential argument. One of the concerns about Anderson, like Micah Johnson, will have to be whether they can stick at their respective positions. That concern doesn't exist about Trayce. Thompson has both the power and defensive game to fit well at USCF, and those are two critical areas (especially power) where he has tools. For now, Anderson is more of a line-drive/contact hitter, which you definitely need some of them throughout your line-up. And I'm guessing Anderson will always hit for a higher average than Trayce. Hopefully he can be a 25-30-35 stolen base guy and fit in the #1 or #9 spot in the line-up. Of course, we've said the same thing about Mitchell and Walker (fitting as potential lead-off hitters).

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 07:28 AM) Meh, Randall Delgado is among the last things this team needs. The Braves don't often mistakes when choosing which minor league pitchers to trade (except for the Teixiera deal).

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Jul 11, 2013 -> 06:37 PM) That's a safe estimate for stolen base totals, but that would be a very low SB success rate. Currently his success rate is around 75%. 60 steals at a 60% success rate would give an estimated run value of -6. Research into this topic has shown that a 67% success rate is required just to break even in terms of run value. Based on what you have seen, would you say Johnson has a good or bad base stealing technique? And how much room for improvement do you see, if any? Most of these prospect bloggers/amateur scouts take this sort of data from video recordings rather stopwatch-in-hand at the stadium. In this case the timings should be very accurate, even to hundredths of a second. Given the amount of video clips included in his posts, I'd guess this is the method the author used. That said I agree that debating whether a guy has 60 or 70 speed is a fairly pointless exercise. I was just a little surprised by some of the comments on here as they didn't match what I was reading elsewhere. Technique will work in the lower minors, but his lack of pure speed will catch up to him in AA and above. Catchers there have bigger arms, and pitchers are starting to concentrate more on pick-off moves and shortening their strides and times to the plate with runners on base as they inch closer to the majors. As is being mentioned quite often, the Billy Hamilton comparison is not doing him any favors, as he's a completely different type of player than Hamilton.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 07:14 AM) This is the same Tyler Colvin the Cubs gave up on years ago right? Would rather play Colvin than Danks/Tekotte and see if they can catch lightning in a bottle. OTOH, Danks can play CF, and if DeAza's traded or not offered arbitration...they would need someone capable of playing above average defense at that position, rather than one of the corners (if Rios is traded or Viciedo moved to 1B).

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 07:03 AM) Let me get this straight. The Sox are running an ad that shows a kid wearing a Beckham shirt and you equate that to a PR campaign led by Harrelson? Where do you come up with this s***? I was joking about Harrelson. Have you been listening to him praising and cheering especially hard for Gordon Beckham, this season in particular? Am I the only one that notices this? I can't believe that's the case. You would have believed his returning to the defense as the prodigal 2B would bring the White Sox back in the pennant race single-handedly and simultaneously part the Red Sea or at least Lake Michigan or the Chicago River. I just thought it was interesting that a Beckham jersey would appear....it's still probably one of the most popular jerseys in the park, despite the disappointing 2010-2011-2012 seasons for Gordon. The kids seem to really like him, and that's the main thing, I guess. Marketing.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 06:24 AM) I was watching a bit of the Cubs/Cards game yesterday, and my first thought when I saw Adams was "He'd be awesome on the Sox." Looks like a young Adam Dunn, but so far at least it looks like he can hit for average better. The Cubs announcers were saying that the getting him enough playing time has been a struggle for the Cards. I think the Sox could give him plenty of playing time. from bleacherreport.com The Cardinals have been so successful this year that a midseason trade does not make sense. Short of trying to overwhelm the Colorado Rockies for their star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki by offering them a package that included Adams (to replace Todd Helton) and any number of young pitchers, the reward of a potential trade right now is not worth the risk. The team can certainly hold onto Adams for the remainder of this year hoping that he gets enough at-bats through his spot starts and pinch hitting opportunities to continue his growth. Relegating Adams back to the minors would be insulting at this point as he has proven that he is well beyond that level offensively. In 2010 and 2011 in A and AA ball respectively, Adams hit over .300 with more than 20 home runs and 85 RBIs each year, and he was on pace to reach those numbers again last year in AAA before his injury. Adams will likely be a very valuable asset for the Cards coming off the bench late in the year as a pinch hitter with power. With a chance to do special things this year, the Cardinals would be wise to keep Adams through the 2013 campaign. However when the season is over the Cardinals will really need to assess their plans for him both long term and short term. With promising prospects in the minors ready to break through, such as Oscar Taveras, in addition to the already solid major league lineup, the Cards appear to have too many pieces going forward. Although Adams is in good standing with the club, he may end up being the odd man out.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 06:30 AM) Now what's he gonna cost at the arbitration table? Bend over, Jerry. A 2B with a PROBABLE 700-750 OPS by the end of the year...not as much as Carlos Quentin would have, for example. All they have to do is get rid of DeAza and/or Keppinger (plus Crain/Thornton) for next year and it would more than free up the needed money, assuming he can keep this up for 2 1/2 more months, which is debatable.

QUOTE (TitoMB @ Jul 11, 2013 -> 11:08 PM) This. 150 PA is not something to scoff at, but it's obviously not enough to warrant an extension. That said, I would love to see him keep it up, as I'm sure all of us would. I have and will continue to wear my Beckham "jersey" that I bought in '09. If we sign him to an extension and he keeps this up, I'll even put my Beckham wall hanging sign back up! If you notice in the commercials they've been running recently, a little kid was shown wearing a Beckham jersey (maybe confused and thought it was David Beckham?) At any rate, it wasn't Chris Sale or Paul Konerko. Hawk's PR work on behalf of Gordon has been paying off in spades.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jul 12, 2013 -> 06:11 AM) Caulfield, you honestly need to ease onto an easier drug like meth, because Puig is starting to take control of your life. You're literally just using this thread to collect random Puig articles like Pokemon. At some point, if people aren't responding to you, you can't force conversation by simply posting more articles. Haha, but I can. Actually, the Dodgers are fun for three reasons: 1) Juan Uribe 2) Listening to Vin Scully 3) Puig Uribe was the glue that held the infield together, and the most well-liked member of the White Sox clubhouse. He still has the softest pair on hands in the majors. And Scully reminds me of everything the White Sox don't have in their broadcasting both. That said, I will always be a Sox fan first...but the Dodgers are quickly becoming my NL team, shifting from the Cardinals.

http://riveraveblues.com/2013/07/2013-pote...-part-iv-89546/ Discuss. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/minnesota-twi...-062700949.html Article on Justin Morneau, another name mentioned frequently as Option B/C/D behind Morales at 1B/DH.

Still, this feels like a missed opportunity for baseball to capitalize on the sudden burst of popularity for Puig, one of the game’s most electrifying young players. He didn’t make his major-league debut until June 3 but he then collected more hits in his first month than any player since Joe DiMaggio in 1936, and became the first player in the 56-year history of the award to win Player of the Month honors in his first month in the majors. So far, he’s gotten hits in 30 of 35 games, and is batting .394/.428/.634 with eight homers in 152 plate appearances. Puig has also helped Los Angeles turn its season around and probably saved manager Don Mattingly’s job in the process. The Dodgers were eight games below .500 when he debuted, and 12 games below .500 through June 21, but since then they’ve gone 15-3 and clawed their way back to .500 at 45-45, and within 1 1/2 games of first place in the NL West. Even with his late start, Puig’s 2.6 Wins Above Replacement ranks just 0.1 behind Freeman, who has played in more than twice as many games. It’s also ninth among NL outfielders despite the fact that Puig didn’t debut until the season was two months old. According to an MLB report, Puig is also 10th in the majors in jersey sales, on a list that includes Buster Posey, Mariano Rivera, Yadier Molina, David Wright, Matt Harvey, Bryce Harper, Derek Jeter, Manny Machado and Mike Trout. Freeman isn’t even in the top 20. Puig’s late start was viewed as a point against him by NL manager Bruce Bochy and by vocal critics such as Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, who won’t be part of Tuesday’s festivities either. The 22-year-old Cuban defector’s aggressive style of play has occasionally rankled opponents, particularly the Diamondbacks, whose Ian Kennedy hit him in the face with a pitch on June 11, setting the stage for a bench-clearing brawl later in the game. During L.A.’s three-game sweep of Arizona this week, Arizona catcher Miguel Montero — who was in the midst of that brawl — ripped Puig on Wednesday, saying among other things, “He’s creating a bad reputation around the league.” Despite the brevity of Puig’s career, I’ve spent the past few weeks arguing in this space and elsewhere that he was a defensible choice for the All-Star Game given its dual roles as an exhibition for the people and a competitive means of deciding homefield advantage in the World Series. A sizable contingent of fans — though apparently not a plurality — wanted to see him there, and there’s little doubt that he could have helped the NL’s chances at winning, even in a bench role. One swing of the bat, trip around the bases, or throw of his could change a game. Freeman may provide some power off the bench, but he’s nowhere near as complete a player as Puig, nor is he as dynamic a presence. Insistence that he’s “paid his dues” while Puig has not is the kind of traditional thinking that players may care about but fans don’t. What’s more, with the television ratings continuing to decline in the wake of attaching homefield advantage to the process, it can be argued that MLB should be emphasizing fresh faces in this context. There’s still a slight possibility Puig could make the cut if another player opts out due to injury. Bochy could choose him as an injury replacement for either a fan-elected starter or for one of his own previous choices. The Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez, who was elected to the starting lineup, pulled out of the Home Run Derby because of a hand injury, though it isn’t yet known if he’ll recuse himself from the All-Star Game as well. If a participant elected via the player vote opts out, the replacement is based upon vote totals from that process. http://www.cnnsi.com I was eager to get my first in-person look at Yasiel Puig Sunday. I saw Magic Johnson play his first NBA game, saw LeBron James play his. Puig has been giving off the same kind of superstar vibe since being called up to the majors, and Sunday was my first up-close look. I was not disappointed. Puig hit, fielded, ran the bases (out of control), scored the winning run, yapped at two or three Giants. Afterwards, he and teammate Juan Uribe got into an argument over Puig’s treatment of the media. Dull moments with Yasiel Puig: Zero. You can read my take in my column in Monday’s Chronicle. I’m sure Giants’ fans would love for me to blast this kid as a spoiled hot-dog rookie, but I see him blowing into the big leagues like a breath of fresh air. Is he Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Barry Bonds, Bo Jackson? Nah, I wouldn’t make any of those comparisons. Puig’s an original, and he probably won’t continue to hit .400 the entire season, but he will be a force. Great talent, great dramatic flair, great for the game. I call him a six-tool superstar. Puig looks to be part of rivalry for years to come By Scott Ostler Yasiel Puig is the wild kid at the birthday party. Scaring the other kids. Unnerving the adults. If he's your kid, he is wonderfully exuberant and high-spirited. If he's not your kid, he's out of control. On Sunday, the Yasiel Puigs beat the Giants 4-1. The rivalry between the Giants and the Yasiel Puigs (formerly the Dodgers, until renamed by Henry Schulman) is back on, brother, but don't expect it to burn as hot as it burned Sunday. That type of intensity can last only another 10 to 15 years, or as long as the Puigster wears the dreaded blue. Make no mistake, it's Señor Puig who has reignited this rivalry, with strong supporting help from teammate Hanley Ramirez and the Giants' theatrical closer, Sergio Romo. Everything Puig does is on a heroic level, even when he's being a weenie. On Saturday, Puig blew off the media before the game, went 0-for-4 with four whiffs and refused to talk after the game. So on Sunday morning, Dodgers general manager Ned Coletti and the team's Spanish-language broadcaster, Jaime Jarrin, met with Puig and explained that dealing with the media is part of his duties, win or lose. After Sunday's game, in which Puig played a leading role, a handful of media folks headed to his locker, where he sat icing and texting, his back to the room. Finally, teammate Juan Uribe asked Puig if he was going to talk. "Nobody's asking anything," Puig retorted, though he had yet to face the media or look up from his phone. Uribe, big brother setting little brother straight, loudly told Puig (in Spanish), "You have to stand up! If you're not going to talk to them, let them know right now!" Puig stood and performed his media duties. Puig is a bit immature and undisciplined, and it takes a village to educate him, and everyone got in on that act over the weekend, from manager Don Mattingly to Uribe. Here are Sunday's Puig highlights: -- He led off the fourth with a hard single to center, stole second and, with one out, tried to steal third, even though the hot-hot-hot Ramirez was at bat. Guillermo Quiroz gunned down Puig. In the dugout, Puig's teammates and first-base coach Davey Lopes lectured the rookie on careless, mindless running. "No, that wasn't designed" for Puig to run, Mattingly said. "That was pretty much on his own. ... We don't want him going there. It's really part of Yasiel, what we're going through. ... We like his aggressiveness and just want it to be at the right time." -- Quiroz led off the eighth and sliced a shot to right-center that Puig turned into an out with a sprint and Superman-style diving catch. Pure robbery. -- With the score 1-1, Puig led off the ninth with a hard single to left off Romo. The day before, Romo struck out Puig with a slider, after which a teammate took Puig into the video room and gave him a tutorial on the Romo slider. On Sunday, the lesson paid off. On that single, Puig put a cherry on his Sunday sundae by flipping his bat. Not many guys pimp their singles. Puig then hustled (smartly, this time) to third on Buster Posey's throwing error. A three-run rally was born, ignited by Puig, who Friday night kicked off a game-busting six-run rally with a double. So although he had a 3-for-14 series, with seven strikeouts, Puig played a huge role in the Yasiel Puigs taking two out of three. As Puig crossed home plate Sunday in the ninth with the go-ahead run, he had words with catcher Quiroz, and then with Romo. The byplay between Romo and Ramirez goes back to last season, and involves a mutual dis-admiration of the other man's theatrics. Now Puig has insinuated himself in the middle of that theatrical animosity, although he played it off after the game. "No, there weren't any bad words spoken," Puig said through interpreter Tim Bravo. Puig said he knows that if the Dodgers are going to get to the playoffs, they're going to have to go through San Francisco. I asked Puig if he is learning to hate the Giants. "He said he likes the rivalry," Bravo said. "He likes the competition, he likes the emotion and the excitement, with the players and everybody getting excited. ... It's more emotional for the fans, they see everybody getting excited and it's a better game for everybody." That's a young man aware of what's happening. Puig has been called a five-tool player, but he's got six, if you count his strong theatrical instincts. The young Cubano can do Shakespeare. You Giants fans who dislike Puig already, just be patient, wait him out. He'll be gone in 15 years or so. This kid isn't leaving the party early. Scott Ostler is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @scottostler

Who's the next face of baseball? SportsNation Rankings 1.Mike Trout 2.Bryce Harper 3.Buster Posey 4.Yasiel Puig 5.Manny Machado 6.Matt Harvey 7.Yu Darvish 8.Giancarlo Stanton 9.Aroldis Chapman 10.Chris Sale Points 14,587 12,827 10,971 9,787 9,014 8,758 7,276 6,218 5,266 4,159 #1 Votes 791 260 191 172 116 53 34 16 18 9 By The Hater (not to be confused with He Hate Me) ajc.com Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig is exciting. He rakes, runs and isn't shy about showing everyone how much fun he's having out there. Puig is a showman and a showboat. He's young, talented and plays with flair, so he's getting a lot of attention barely more than a month after he broke into the Big Leagues. So of course baseball hates him. The Braves are butthurt because ESPN is encouraging fans to vote for Puig to get the final NL All-Star spot while they think teammate Freddie Freeman deserves it more. Well, that's because ESPN is in the entertainment business and knows that Puig moves the needle more than Freeman. More non-fans and casual fans of baseball already know more about Puig than Freeman and they like what they see. But that kind of thinking doesn't sit well with baseball people, who regularly shun what's entertaining and popular for what's right. You see, Puig needs to “respect the game” and not “show anybody up.” He's a rookie who needs to just play baseball and keep his head down. Drawing attention to himself is a serious crime in baseball punishable by tsk-tsking from players and their allies in baseball media. Note Dan Bickley'shilariously tight-arsed column on Puig for azcentral.com. Bickley takes issue with Puig for having the nerve to ignore D-Backs coach Luis Gonzalez before a recent game. Bickley notes with satisfaction that Dodgers coach Mark McGwire, the roided-out baseball purist, “jumped Puig pretty good.” Bickley says Puig doesn't have enough “respect for his predecessors,” which is another serious crime in baseball. Bickley didn't mention that Dodgers pitcher Ian Kennedydrilled Puig in the head with a pitch earlier in the season, starting a chain of events that led to a brawl between the bitter rivals. But Bickley must think Puig still should warmly embrace Gonzalez to show "respect for his predecessor." Of course, Bickley and his ilk probably things Puig deserves to get beaned for being too exciting and fun. No wonder kids would rather watch "60 Minutes" than baseball. That show takes itself less seriously.

Sale's velocity was noticeably down today from his two previous starts. He was at 91-92-93 today, mostly 91 and 92, whereas the last couple of outings he was routinely throwing 95-96-97. And, of course, his last start was 123 pitches and this one ended up in the mid 120's as well.

http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/tara-rei...-231402869.html Surefire Academy Award nominee for next year...one of the best movies ever made. tweets from key industry figures all around the world about this highly-anticipated movie http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/sharknado-...ers-1200561879/ Grown-Ups 48 negs/only 4 + Pacific Rim 114 positives/41 negatives

However, just because everyone seems to know who Puig is does not mean Puig knows who everyone in the baseball world is just yet. Case in point, Diamondbacks legend Luis Gonzalez, who tried to introduce himself to the rookie phenom prior to Tuesday night's game at Chase Field. "I was just trying to show professional courtesy that I would to any other player just standing around the cage," Gonzalez told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Wednesday. "I was actually talking to (Dodgers hitting coach Mark) McGwire and (John) Valentin, the other assistant hitting coach, and I said 'you know, let me go say hi to Puig.' He was right by the cage." The 2001 World Series hero proceeded to explain that he introduced himself as Luis Gonzalez. "I didn't expect him to know who I was, and I could care less," he admitted. Gonzalez then intimated what AZCentral Sports' Dan Bickley wrote in a Wednesday column -- Puig blew him off, and received a bit of a talking to from McGwire. "As far as the human factor is concerned, this guy's been up in the major leagues for a month, and about four or five months ago nobody knew who this guy was and coming from a family from Cuba, where my parents have always taught me to appreciate everything you have," Gonzalez continued. "This guy is making money now that he will have never even thought about where he was before in Cuba, so you have to learn to appreciate things. "And I think for all of us it was a valuable lesson." Gonzalez then said he walked away and it was "no big deal" to him, and that his only intent was to open up a bridge of communication with a player with whom he shares a connection. "I wasn't asking him to sign baseballs or take a picture with me or anything like that," he said. "I just thought we had a common bond with where my family is from and where he's from." Arizona Sports, arizonarepublic.com/sports

Yasiel Puig's arrogance not a bad thing July, 11, 2013 JUL 11 9:20 PM ET By David Schoenfield | ESPN.com From Buster Olney's blog today on Yasiel Puig and the apparent growing dislike for him among other big leaguers: What the scout saw in Puig in spring training was someone who played as if he were the only person on the field. Without the niceties and with the body language that makes it clear that he believes he is the best player on the field and everybody else should get the heck out of the way. And it’s working for him. He’s hitting .394 and has been a driving force for the Dodgers in their push from the bottom of the National League West. Buster referred to an MLB.com story in which Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero called out Puig's behavior: "If he's my teammate, I probably try to teach him how to behave in the big leagues. He's creating a bad reputation around the league, and it's unfortunate because the talent that he has is to be one of the greatest players in the big leagues." Montero, you'll remember, is also the guy who bashed former Diamondbacks pitcher Trevor Bauer because "he never wanted to listen." In Montero's world, there is one way -- the right way, by his definition -- to do things. If you don't adhere to the time-honored baseball code, you're a jerk or arrogant or a rookie who doesn't know better. What I don't get is what Puig has done exactly to break that code: Play the game hard? Play the game with an enthusiasm and joy that frankly is missing from too many players? Why must baseball be played with such a cheerless disposition? Fear of showing up the opponent? OK, he got in the brawl with the Diamondbacks and got a little crazy. So did Mark McGwire, Matt Williams, Don Mattingly and Alan Trammell, former players who would seemingly know something about the "right way." As Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis told ESPNLA's Mark Saxon, "He just gets attacked for no reason. He's a great kid. All he's done is come in here and make our team better. So what if he rubs the opponents the wrong way? I don't care. He's on my team. I couldn't care less if somebody from our division rival doesn't like what he does." Puig's in good company though. People are comparing his attitude towards that of Barry Bonds, but I think that's unfair. Bonds never played the game with the jubilance I see from Puig, but instead treated it as his own personal feud with the world. Babe Ruth was arrogant, Rickey Henderson flipped his bat and snapped his glove after catches, Pete Rose was despised for running to first base after drawing walks. That wasn't how you were supposed to play the game. Opponents gave him the "Charlie Hustle" nickname out of derision, not out of respect. Pedro Martinez was a head-hunter, cocky and insufferable at times, but I've never enjoyed watching a pitcher more than him. Remember, too, that Puig comes from a culture where baseball is celebrated and enjoyed differently than it is in the States. In Cuba, fans attend games to exult in the performance of the players and the atmosphere, and games are a constant onslaught of noise and cheers. As Puig said today, "I always like to play aggressive and always try to put on a show for the fans. They [the fans] come to spend their time and lose sleep watching us play. It is one, to me, of the more emotional things in baseball." God forbid, playing the game with emotion. So Puig thinks he's good? OK. So far, he has been. Puig-mania turning to Puig backlash July, 11, 2013 JUL 11 10:52 AM ET By Buster Olney | ESPN.com RECOMMEND514TWEET12COMMENTS27EMAILPRINT A scout who saw Yasiel Puig in spring training provided this report in March: He plays hard -- really, really hard. He’s got big-time power, to all fields. He can run like crazy. He’s got a great arm. And, the scout said, with zero emotion, "Other players are going to hate him." Every game is filled with small gestures of acknowledgment and respect between brothers of the game. Before batting practice, rival players wave to each other across the field. There are handshakes and hugs among players wearing different uniforms. When Derek Jeter walks to the plate today for his first at-bat of the season, he will nod at the home plate umpire and likely tap the catcher on the shin guard with his bat. If he gets a hit, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer probably will congratulate him and welcome him back. Before the first pitch of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Jeter stepped into the batter’s box and looked out at the mound at Curt Schilling, and the two men greeted each other with their eyes, like two boxers tapping gloves before the start of a heavyweight fight. It’s part of the game and has been for a lot longer than even old-timers like to admit. What the scout saw in Puig in spring training was someone who played as if he were the only person on the field. Without the niceties and with the body language that makes it clear that he believes he is the best player on the field and everybody else should get the heck out of the way. And it’s working for him. He’s hitting .394 and has been a driving force for the Dodgers in their push from the bottom of the National League West. Whether you like this or hate it, this is the way he is. This is how he goes about his business, and as the scout predicted, he’s rubbing other players the wrong way -- not only on other teams but also in his own clubhouse. The Diamondbacks’ Miguel Montero became one of the first players to put voice to it before Wednesday’s game. From Tyler Emerick’s story: "If he's my teammate, I probably try to teach him how to behave in the big leagues," Montero said. "He's creating a bad reputation around the league, and it's unfortunate because the talent that he has is to be one of the greatest players in the big leagues. "Right now, I'm not going to say he's the best because he hasn't proved anything yet. Does he have talent? Of course. Does he have the tools? Of course. He's got so much talent, it'd be really bad if he wasted it doing the stupid things that he's doing. You have to respect to earn respect. If you don't respect anybody, you aren't going to earn respect." Even though Puig has been with the Dodgers for just over a month, the D-backs already have a lengthy history with the 22-year-old. On June 11, Ian Kennedy hit Puig with a pitch in the nose in a game that saw two bench-clearing incidents resulting in eight suspensions. Puig was fined for his role, but he wasn't given a ban, something that irked D-backs players who said he punched former Arizona first baseman Eric Hinske in the back of the head. Then on Tuesday, Puig was thrown out easily at the plate in the fifth inning but not before he collided with Montero and then stared down the catcher as he walked back to the dugout. Replays showed Montero waving his finger at the rookie, a la former NBA big man Dikembe Mutombo. "I don't blame him running me over, it's part of the game," Montero said. "The only thing I really don't appreciate is why you have to look back at me. I really don't appreciate that." Luis Gonzalez wasn’t thrilled with Puig either, after an exchange with him. How other players feel about him might be irrelevant in the end. Barry Bonds was disliked by almost all his teammates and many opposing players because they found him to be completely self-centered. In time, we’ll know if any of this perception affects Puig in any way. He has earned the role of villain, writes Bill Plaschke. The Diamondbacks bullpen unraveled, Hanley Ramirez came up big again, and the Dodgers drew to within 1½ games of first place.

LOS ANGELES – Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig smiled and shook his head vigorously from side to side when someone asked him whether he will ever tone down his style of play after a series of critical comments came out of a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week. Arizona pitcher Ian Kennedy described Puig's style of play as "arrogant," and catcher Miguel Montero called some of the rookie's actions on the field "stupid." "That's my game," Puig said Thursday. "I'm going to play my baseball the way I play. We don't like the way [Gerardo] Parra plays or the way Montero plays, but we don't go to the press or anybody and talk about how we don't like it, because we're more reserved." Puig's teammates rallied to his defense Thursday. "He just gets attacked for no reason. He's a great kid," second baseman Mark Ellis told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "All he's done is come in here and make our team better. So what if he rubs the opponents the wrong way? I don't care. He's on my team. I couldn't care less if somebody from our division rival doesn't like what he does. "Then, to have people run with it like they do and make things up about him -- that players in our clubhouse are jealous of him -- is a joke." Earlier Thursday, Puig brushed off a question about "playing with arrogance," saying he plays the way he does for the fans. "I learned to play that way as a kid," Puig said. "I always like to play aggressive and always try to put on a show for the fans. They [the fans] come to spend their time and lose sleep watching us play. It is one, to me, of the more emotional things in baseball." Puig, reticent to talk to the media since being called up to the majors on June 3, spoke to ESPN in Spanish during a live interview with anchor Max Bretos, who translated both his questions to Puig, and Puig's answers to the audience. Puig also said he wasn't bothered not to be selected to the National League All-Star team in fan voting for the final spot, which went to Atlanta's Freddie Freeman. Puig had been the subject of much debate on whether a player with only 142 career at-bats in six weeks in the big leagues deserved an All-Star spot. "Everyone has their own opinion," Puig said during the interview. "Only they would know why they say I should not be in the All-Star Game. But that depends on the fan voting and whatever God has planned for me." After the voting was released, he thanked fans in English and Spanish on Twitter. Puig, hitting .394 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs heading into Thursday night's game against Colorado, also addressed criticism that he was less than cordial to former Arizona star and fellow Cuban Luis Gonzalez during a brief meeting with the former World Series MVP earlier this week. "Yes, I did get to meet him in Arizona," Puig said. "I was with my hitting coach [Mark] McGwire. He presented him [Gonzalez] to me. I don't know why those reports have come out. They are going to try and fix the problem today or in the upcoming days. "I did greet him. If they keep saying those things, I can't do anything about it. My thing is to play baseball and not worry what the press says." Puig got into a small spat with Montero after running into the Diamondbacks' catcher while trying to score a run. Montero wagged his finger at Puig, and said after the game: "Does he have talent? Of course. It'd be really bad if he wasted it doing the stupid things he's doing.'' Puig flipped his bat after a single and after a walk in the Arizona series. The Dodgers swept Arizona to cut their division lead to 1½ games. Kennedy had hit Puig in the nose with a pitch on June 11, prompting the Dodgers to hit Montero and sparking a pair of scuffles that resulted in multiple fines and suspensions. "He has a different flair. Not everybody is an average guy out there," Ellis said. "Nobody would watch baseball if everybody was like me. You need guys like him that are entertaining." Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Puig's perceived arrogance was not "a baseball problem," and insisted Puig is popular in the Dodgers' clubhouse. "These guys would fight for him, and I think you're seeing that," Mattingly said. www.espn.com/mlb Puig won't get to play in Tuesday's game at Citi Field in New York unless he is added as an injury replacement. The outfielder was batting .394 with eight homers and 19 RBIs heading into Thursday night's home game against Colorado, helping the Dodgers shoot up the NL West standings following a slow start. "I'm happy with it," Puig said. "It's not what I expected for the team and for the city, but I've just got to keep on playing. I'm very happy. I don't have my head down at all. I want to congratulate Freddie for winning." Puig has been in the majors for only five weeks, leading some to question whether he belongs on the NL team. "I think he'd love to be at the All-Star Game," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "I think he's the kind of kid who'd love to go show off, but the All-Star thing is not going to take his joy away."

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Jul 11, 2013 -> 09:56 PM) Here's what I've been told...(one source), FWIW - Close on a couple deals (real names exchanged) - Sale is not untouchable - Several guys are on their way out just to be gone (out of favor with RV) DeAza and Flowers might be two of them for the last category. Maybe Ramirez or Viciedo, although they seem to be doing everything possible to get Dayan to come back around and be productive. Possibly Keppinger.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 11, 2013 -> 09:30 PM) You didn't read it did you? It says it wasn't covering injury likelihoods with extended oitch counts,and also this Since its introduction, PAP has proven popular as a way to assess a team's tendency to overwork its starting rotation. However, there hasn't been the solid sabermetric analysis to support any particular pitch count metric (including PAP) to date. We will try to rectify that situation this year. The article also admitted pitch counts affect each pitcher differently. They need to start by studying the diminished velocity of Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 11, 2013 -> 09:18 PM) You're right, Freddie isn't as good at blowing off Luis Gonzalez He would probably be even more criticized if he spent all of his time talking to the media like he was George Clooney...for not concentrating on the field enough or being distracted by outside influences. Becoming acclimated to American culture, both on and off the field, was the greater challenge. The Dodgers assigned Spanish-speaking executives to aid Puig in his transition, but word quickly spread that he didn't always hustle and that he was disobedient. "There are unwritten rules that apply here that don't apply in Cuba," Torres recalls telling Puig. Puig's English teacher and chaperone, Tim Bravo, thought Puig was misunderstood. He saw a different side of the ballplayer. When Bravo's 6-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer, Puig offered to pay for the treatment. "I love him like a son," Bravo says of Puig. Puig was scheduled to play last fall in an Arizona league that is a finishing school for baseball's top prospects. After he developed a staph infection in his elbow that required surgery, he instead played winter ball in Puerto Rico — and batted only .232. Between the unflattering reports about his temperament and his disappointing winter season, the Dodgers didn't know what to expect when he reported to spring training in Arizona. He arrived with Eddie Oropesa, a former major league pitcher the Dodgers hired to help Puig acclimate.