caulfield12

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...,4981586.column Compares it to the Blackhawks in 2005 and 2006.

There's no way they're going to take on Josh Johnson's contract with his injury history. Its bad enough with Danks for now to worry about.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06...r-ryan-dempster How the Cubs were irresponsible with Marmol, Dempster and Edwin Jackson...

Puig can go 0 for his next 106 and still be hitting .200. Crazy. Had a line drive single up the middle off Cliff Lee, who Vin Scully claims is the toughest pitcher he's faced so far. Soft liner on his 2nd AB for an out.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 06:29 PM) I see people throwing around Lind and Morales names as 1B/DH, but I haven't seen anyone really mention Morneau. The Twins are likely to let Morneau go and convert Mauer to full time 1B, and if Morneau finds that power stroke again, he can be one of the top 1B in the league for another 3-4 years. I think he would be a phenomenal signing if you can get him without breaking the bank. Still, there's no doubt that if they sign him to essentially the same deal they would be giving to Paul Konerko if he came back again (let's say, $4-5 million, maybe 6 tops), then they could definitely flip him. Maybe one year with a club option/buyout, in case they team suddenly turns competitive again and they want to hold on to him and make a run at it in 2015. Playing in a small USCF should boost his power numbers, but we've seen guys come in here like Swisher and Dunn and struggle mightily offensively...maybe a lot of hitters get too homer-happy when they see the short fences.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 06:13 PM) Give me a break, the whole defense correlating to offense production is so overblown. Beckham never took his bat out there with him on the field, and so far this year his defensive miscues, including one of the worst plays you will ever see any major leaguer ever make, has not effected his bat. If anything, you could make the argument (although I don't buy this argument either) that moving Gordon back to his natural SS position would help his offense, very similar to the argument of moving Rios to RF helped his offensive production. We'll have to agree to disagree, then. Once again, we're going to have a half-season where every number put up will be with the caveat, "yeah, but what would he do if the games actually meant something?" This whole offense/defense thing does seem to have some correlation with players like Rios and DeAza, IMO. Comfort and confidence in the field spills over onto the hitting side, for example, when Alex was taken out of CF.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:57 PM) This is what I see happening. I really think Alexei will get moved prior to the deadline and Beckham will get a couple months at SS to see if can handle it. Who are you going to play at 2B then, if Keppinger's traded? Tyler Greene or Angel Sanchez? I guess it doesn't really matter anymore, though.

QUOTE (JoshPR @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:32 PM) All the years watching this team and I have to say this team is as bad or worse than the '89 team, and that's saying a lot Ironic, because that team was the season right before my favorite all-time White Sox team, the 1990 squad. I remember those years, the best hitter for 2-3 seasons was Ivan Calderon, along with Baines and Fisk, of course. At least you had the anticipation over Thomas, Ventura, McDowell, Sosa, Wilson Alvarez, Alex Fernandez, Jason Bere, etc.

QUOTE (Noonskadoodle @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:52 PM) Beck possibly sliding to the SS position? I would like to see him move over there for a bit & see how he performs if Lexi is moved. I doubt they'd want to mess with his hitting. A more likely scenario is someone like Brendan Ryan, with Sanchez waiting in the wings (and also dependent upon what other prospects we bring back in the next 5 weeks of trading).

QUOTE (Noonskadoodle @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:49 PM) http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1577286...-on-kolten-wong Article from March, but Carpenter has most def produced up to this point I'll say, he's in the Top 20-25 for MLB OPS right now. Speaking of OPS, didn't realize Adam Lind was #10. I know Fathom has brought up his name a few times for 1B/DH next year, let's hope he doesn't keep this up or he'll price himself our of our spending range...although we would still have Morales on the radar screen as well.

Except Wong plays the same position as Beckham, and there's a 90-95% chance Gordon is back next year at 2B.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:39 PM) lol you're an asshole sometimes Depends on my mood.

This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's July 8, Kids In Sports issue. Subscribe today! YOU'VE HEARD THE HYPE: Since his June 3 call-up, Yasiel Puig has been compared to everyone from Roberto Clemente to Bryce Harper. You've marveled at the numbers: The 22-year-old outfielder is the first player in the modern era, which began in 1900, to record at least 27 hits and five home runs in his first 15 games in the Show. But how, exactly, has he done it? We asked John Brenkus and the ESPN Sport Science team to break down the swing of the 6'3", 245-pound Puig and compare it with those of the game's best power hitters. The findings: His talent isn't just special, it's downright legendary. 85.9 Max speed, in mph, of Puig's swing -- above average but not elite. It's his bat control that has allowed him to go yard on four pitch types, ranging from 72 to 94 mph. MLB comparable: Albert Pujols 45 Degrees angle Puig turns his back to the pitch as the ball nears, 10 degrees more than the MLB norm. The result is an upper body spring-loaded for max torque and acceleration. MLB comparable: Carlos Gonzalez .03 Seconds Puig's bat spends in the hittable area over the plate, despite a rather slow 0.16 of a second from the start of his swing to contact. Thank you, acceleration! MLB comparable: Miguel Cabrera 140 Degrees Puig bends his back leg, giving him a straighter stance than most sluggers, who bend at 120 degrees on average and rely more on the lower body for power. MLB comparable: Chris Davis 675 Peak angular velocity, in degrees per second, of torso rotation during Puig's home run swing -- simply wicked. No surprise that his dingers have averaged nearly 400 feet. MLB comparable: Giancarlo Stanton

Yasiel Puig seems able to put on a show, whatever he does BILL PLASCHKE Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig provides drama at the plate — knocking in crucial runs against the Phillies — and during a collision in right field. Soak him in, L.A. June 27, 2013|Bill Plaschke Email Share It was two hours before the first pitch Thursday, and the Dodger Stadium tour guide was ushering a dozen fans from the seats behind home plate when one of them stopped. "Wait a minute," he said. "Puig is hitting." "But…," said the tour guide. "No, no, no," said another fan. "Puig is hitting." Thwack! Home run. Boom! Home run. Bang! Ball off the wall. After Puig had turned the first three pitches into something that sounded like a cartoon brawl, the tour guide sighed. "OK," he said. "We'll stick around and watch Puig." We will, indeed. As the Southern California summer moves from soft to sticky, we'll crowd into Chavez Ravine to stand under the 22-year-old Dodgers sensation as if he were a wildly refreshing sprinkler. He sprayed amazement again Thursday night in a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that left one Matt Kemp as breathless as the rest of us. "Puig, man, he's an amazing kid," Kemp said afterward. Soak him in, L.A. In a span of 20 minutes, Puig crumpled against an outfield wall, then climbed up to crush the Phillies. In the seventh inning, he ran hard into the right field wall, futilely chasing a home run by Chase Utley. It was the same wall that injured the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper, and when Puig collapsed on the ground, Dodger Stadium became one giant gasp. But soon thereafter, his uniform dirty and his gait stiff, Puig staggered to home plate with bases loaded like some sort of action hero. Movie magic ensued. Facing Justin De Fratus, he swung wildly at an outside slider, swung wildly at another outside slider, then lunged and hit a third outside slider into left field to bring in two runs and give the Dodgers the lead and eventual win. The stadium shook. Puig raised his hands in excited triumph even as he was leaving the batters' box. After the fans calmed, they eventually settled into the beginnings of a chant that may eventually define a season. ''M-V-Puig … M-V-Puig …" At Dodger Stadium, where this 22-year-old with less than one year of minor league experience has required all of 23 games to own the place, those people should know. You don't just watch Puig, you experience him. "You feel this energy … shhhhh … everything is fast ... this kid is just all fresh, nobody knows what he's going to do next," said Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly earlier this week. The Chavez Ravine craziness starts at the start, when Puig runs to the outfield before the beginning of the first inning. He sprints and sways like a giant fullback running pregame pass patterns. He's the closest thing this town has had to a professional football player in nearly 20 years. Once he takes his position, well, he never really takes his position. He's caught balls while lunging toward the edge of the infield and while running down near the Dodgers' dugout. He's thrown to all bases whether there was anybody running in that direction or not. And twice, he's nearly decapitated teammates while doing it. He nearly collided with Andre Ethier while taking a fly ball away from him in San Diego, and nearly steamrollered Hanley Ramirez while chasing a pop fly earlier this week. When Ethier was asked about it later, he shook his head, kissed his hand and pointed to the sky in thanks. Ramirez reacted immediately, making the sign of the cross while running into the dugout. When asked if he was worried about a potential wreck, Mattingly did not smile. "A little bit," he said. "I want somebody to catch it, and I don't want anybody to get hurt." The madness continues when Puig comes to the plate. Check that. He's entertaining just standing on deck, On Thursday, while twirling a bat in his left hand, he casually caught a foul ball that bounced off the backstop with his right hand, then tossed it into the stands in one motion amid laughter and cheers. "It's fun to watch," said Mattingly. "Everything is a first time." He walks to the plate amid the catchy tune "Papa Dios Me Dijo." Once he's there, the noise gives way to the ceremony. He carefully makes the sign of the cross in the dirt before reaching the plate, then makes the same sign with his hands before batting. Well, it's not exactly batting. It's more like hacking. On Thursday he swung at the first pitch he saw, swung wildly to strand a runner in his second at-bat, fouled off five pitches in his third at-bat, and then swung three times in his eventual game-winning appearance. "Anything can happen, we've already seen it," said Mattingly. "He just hits. He just plays." He's played with more excitement and surprise than anyone in baseball since he showed up here, and talk about his not playing in the All-Star game is absurd. Puig qualifies under both definitions of the event. He belongs in an exhibition of baseball's brightest stars, and he certainly belongs in a competitive match for World Series home-field advantage. Who knows what he'll do next? All but one member of Thursday's afternoon Dodger Stadium tour thought little about the question as they departed the field- level seats after Puig's first batting-practice session. But one woman stayed behind, and guess what? Puig saw her, smiled, and impulsively tossed her a ball. Of course, she caught it. We've all caught it. The wonderfully contagious summer of Puig rolls on. [email protected]

Or he can join our covert, black op CIA operations centers in Nicaragua or Colombia.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:22 PM) Would it be OK to say Rios is a dog? If that's too critical, how bout a loafer? Or a guy who obviously plays the game for the love of money? Anyhow, how can the Sox lose 3 straight games to an average team in their own division at home? I hate to say it, but fire Robin. Or ask him to resign. Or activate him and let him be the DH. Just end this agony. It doesn't matter, Greg. It's over. GAKE OVAH! The players we're going to see for the next 84 games and the everyday starting line-up for 2014 will likely be completely different, with the exceptions of Beckham, Viciedo and probably Gillaspie. Best for the new manager to have a completely fresh start in spring training to put his own imprint on things from the very beginning, assuming that Ventura's not back.

QUOTE (MAX @ Jun 29, 2013 -> 05:19 PM) I heard someone say Machado on the radio the other day. Yeah, it is Machado. I knew it was someone on the Orioles, who are coming to visit next week and taunt us with Davis, Machado, Jones and Uncle Buck.

The FIGHT FOR #1 MIAMI --- HOU 1.5 GB CHW 5 GB MIL 5 GB Meanwhile, the Indians are now only 1 1/2 GB of the Tigers.

I think there's one other player who has played in every inning (at least in the AL)...for some reason, I thought it was Adam Jones, but that might be wrong.

LOL pinch-hitting Danks for Flowers when Jordan has been 1 for his last 16. Our bench really sucks. And yet some wanted him to play everyday. Maybe we will still see that happen in the next 84 games. Hopefully not in 2014, though.

Crain hit on the slider, fastball and curveball. Probably just tired. Has been getting used so frequently this season, as our only consistent short reliever. Threw over 100 pitches last week. Nick Swisher being a pain in the ass, no surprise. Kipnis doubled up on the nice play by Beckham. Down by 1 with two chances to score.

Nice game by Dayan...3/4, up to .237. Seems to be taking more balls up the middle and to RF recently.

Bad Dunn back again, brought forth by Gake Threa.

This Joe Martinez dude was sporting a 6.23 ERA in AAA. That's not so good.

13 baserunners resulting in only 3 runs scoring....well, that's not so unusual for the Sox. 3-3. Tied like that. Axelrod's ERA for the month around 6. Leadoff walk and Glenbrook North's bomb resulting in RBI's 50 and 51. 405 feet. Also has almost 20 stolen bases. I think that makes 14 homers surrendered by Axe this season already.