caulfield12

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 09:44 AM) If the Cubs want to throw a quarter of a billion dollars at David Price, I am OK with that. Same with the Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox, or whoever. His K rates and fastball have been declining over the last couple of seasons. That's a red flag. Obviously, guys like Felix Hernandez have adjusted, but I definitely would be leery about throwing $175-190 million his way based on his past performance. Plus, Comerica has a way of making pitchers look better (than reality) because of the size of that outfield...think guys like Fister and Porcello, for example.

Lester really went through a stretch in Boston where he wasn't very good...not Lackey/Beckett bad, but no longer really pitching like an ace. Then he seemed to get it back together again the last 2-3 seasons. So their biggest issues, at least to me: 1) Lester doesn't come close to living up to that contract, starts to be affected by "Chuck Knoblauch-itis" 2) Injuries (well, we can always say this, like in the NFL...special teams will play a decisive role) 3) Bullpen issues 4) They don't find a young catching cornerstone to build around...Montero seems to be wasted money...and it's probably not Schwarber 5) Baez/Almora/Alcantara/McKinney see their value/s fall through the floor 6) Defense, although Russell at 2B will be an upgrade (Barney-esque)...and they can't find a young CFer to captain their D like Lorenzo Cain in KC (maybe still Almora, but not looking good for him at the moment) Even with all those eventualities, they will still have Schwarber and their first round draft pick this year to work with....and then the eventual expected media rights payoff in 4 years.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 09:32 AM) that'd be Kevin Towers... http://www.northjersey.com/sports/baseball...reene-1.1313642

Feel bad for Jared Mitchell's career. 2/28, 15 K's. Nearing the end.

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 06:42 AM) Because he is one of the greatest players of all time? Just a wild guess. Seems pretty hypocritical. If they're going to do that, then A-Rod should be there as well. How can you glorify Bonds when he's unlikely to ever make the HoF? Notice, they also don't have Roger Clemens, for example. If it's the thin/skinny 80's/early 90's Pirates' version of Bonds, he's a HoF guy but maybe not on the first ballot.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 09:07 AM) Schwarber's off to a slow start. Edwards has been moved to relief and has been awful. P. Johnson is hurt, while McKinney is not doing anything special. They still have some ok prospect, but Bryant and Russell were clearly the potential superstars in their system that made them ranked #1. Except I'm not so sure that Soler doesn't end up the best of all of them, except for Bryant (since he's looking like he might stick at 3B).

Poor Knights, didn't really get to take advantage of the Carlos Rodon marketing potential...they still have him on their home page banner.

QUOTE (GoGoSox2k2 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 08:55 AM) Ole Dick Allen would remind me of our "great" treasurer Rita.. She puts us on the map after everyone forgot about Ronald Reagan's hometown. Hell we are now known more for Rita then we are The Gipper. No relation to the Beardstown investment grannies? But Reagan also needs to give some credit to the Quad Cities for his big radio break/early fame.

Except Castro's got a decent-sized contract already, so that's going to somewhat limit his return...but I'm sure there will be a decent-sized market there for him (off-the-field issues, notwithstanding), nevertheless.

Let's just put it this way....if you start comparing Bauer with, say, Greene/Simon, you take him every time and don't look back. New thought not necessitating another thread or post to follow: But I'm sure Cashman's still feeling dumb with yet another pitcher getting away and Gregorius looking like an anemic bat.

Schwarber's lighting it up again this year, right? What about CJ Edwards? McKinney? P. Johnson (P)?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 06:27 AM) That was a sweet win. I have heard the Indians have quite an advantage in the AL Central from the managerial position. Leaving Aviles in CF and letting your closer give up 6 hits would be considered a fireable offense in these parts. Great, one win, two losses....still a net of negative one this last week on the managerial side.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 08:34 AM) The talent is there. For some reason this team has seemed to have the attention span of a Hummingbird with ADHD. If they figure that out, they can go somewhere. And who is responsible for that, Hahn, Ventura or both equally? Also, your characterizations sounds like you're describing the way posters take potshots at Alexei when he does something baffling or mystifying, or just has a brain cramp/fart about 10-15 times per season.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 08:06 AM) no they were playing in, they dont have the arms for the outfield and the only chance was for a shallow fly and quick throw home. Where Melky hit it, there was no way they were throwing out Flowers there Unless Flowers didn't tag up properly and had a brain cramp, along with McEwing.

Cannot.displace.Gordon

QUOTE (Tmar @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 12:29 AM) http://youtu.be/EQ5UDp_bMh0 RIP Michael Clarke Duncan 1) Francona was absolutely nuts for having Aviles in CF...that "double" Ramirez hits is caught, it's a completely different game Michael Bourne was 4/14 coming into the game (against Danks) but only 9/45 on the season and struggling with his OBP and only 1 steal...Tito thought it was better to match him up with Noesi and Samardzija instead, but you HAVE to put in there defensively when you're paying him $48 million over 3 seasons (more than Melky's making)... 2) What the heck was Avi doing with that "pump" fake on the Brantley double against the wall...if he picks it up and throws it to the cutoff man right away, the trail runner doesn't advance and they have a good shot at the runner rounding 3rd. 3) 75-85% of managers are going to pull their closer when a 3-0 lead has turned into a blown save and tie game with only one out recorded...very surprising he left Allen in against Cabrera, especially since it's not like Allen has a pedigree of successfully closing out games over a 3-5 year period. The Indians just aren't as dangerous without Gomes....and their bullpen is a mess. OTOH, the Tigers and Royals are better than most were expecting or predicting. Still, that Indians rotation will keep them in a lot of games if they can firm up their defense and back end of the pen. FINALLY, never pitch to Ryan Raburn again, geez....the guy has like 17 or 18 career homers against the White Sox, I bet he doesn't have more than 30-40 against all the other teams in MLB combined.

QUOTE (OnlyGillis @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 09:22 PM) Maddon became available when the VP of Tampa's baseball ops quit. Maddon had a clause that if that guy left, he could opt out of his contract. Andrew Friedman, who left for the Dodgers job

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 07:18 PM) 4 errors for Sanchez in AAA already DFA. Or flip him for Tim Anderson.

QUOTE (OnlyGillis @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 09:24 PM) Probably because Pedro was better. But he didn't have as long a career near absolute peak as a lot of other pitchers...

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v8207...f-single-in-9th Cabrera's walk off "single" to the gap....Flowers scoring and the celebration. 13,055 fans (probably 50-75% left early) will quickly morph into over 40,000 were there with vivid memories nearly overnight.

Now they need Lester to actually pitch like he's paid to do. Maybe it would help Baez if they converted him to OF and left the INF Bryant, Castro, Russell and Rizzo. That would give you an OF of Fowler, Soler, Coghlan and Baez (and eventually, McKinney/Almora/Alcantara). Of course, they're probably going to have to trade Baez, Alcantara and another one of those outfield prospects to open up LF for Schwarber eventually...

I saw the score was 3-0 going into the 9th and Avi had just reached 2nd base. So I promptly went to the convenience store to get M&M's and Powerade, and poof....couldn't believe the score when I came back. (The Bryant homer was further adding to the gloom). A lot like the time in late 2005 when the White Sox were wiping out the Royals....I gave up and went to bed (was in the Valle de Cauca in Colombia at the time), and was absolutely shocked and frightened they'd somehow lost that game and that's when the apprehension about choking and the Indians closing in started to sink in.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 05:45 PM) I' m making stuff up? He played mostly 3B with the White Sox. He is a horrible SS. Where did he play in 2012, 2013, 2014 in the Sox minor league system? 2011 55 games at SS, 4 at 2B 2012 80 games at SS, 24 at 2B 2013 44 games at 2B, 23 games at 3B, 73 games at SS So you've made the decision he's a terrible SS and 3B? Wonderful, he'd only played 3B 23 times in the minors before the White Sox just stuck him out there at the major league level. At the position he has the third most experience. Makes a lot of sense to help build up the confidence of your players by doing so.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 01:44 PM) The Franchise Four is all players living or deceased. The greatest living players is something different they are doing to decide the four greatest living players regardless of team. Their ballot for this is ridiculous. It only lists eight players: Aaron, Bench, Bonds, Henderson, Koufax, P. Martinez, Mays and Seaver. While you can write in names this ballot is ridiculous as most people will just vote for who they can click on without having to type anything. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y20...reatest_players How did they pick Pedro Martinez over, say, Randy Johnson or Greg Maddux? Just weird. And why are they inserting Bonds into the discussion? (Assuming they mean Barry and not Bobby). How could anyone not vote either Mays or Aaron there? If it was "most impactful/disruptive" leadoff hitter, then sure, Rickey Henderson, okay.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 01:25 PM) Nice try. How come you weren't saying these things when he was sent down? Afraid to be unpopular? Not once did you mention what you are mentioning now it that thread, but almost 11 months later, now there's a problem and let's blame Soxtalk hot bottons Ventura and Beckham. If you blame those guys, most won't even care if it makes sense or not. He needed to go down. He wasn't ready. He was hitting .218, and very bad playing mostly 3B. Classic trolling. Classic. I'm trolling when you're just making stuff up now. Guess what position he's playing with Oakland now? Hint, it's not 3B. Why do the White Sox insist on playing young players out of position, such as Beckham at 3B or Viciedo having to go through four different position changes in his early career when he should have been allowed to focus on just one or two (at most)? Should I start a thread to second guess every decision ever made so I have an official response you can look up and reference? Should I set my alarm here in China to wake up at 1-3 every morning to chime in when something happens in US time? Now that I think about it, since none of us are working in the front office, why is anyone here qualified to second guess the front office when they were hired to run a professional baseball team to the best of their ability by Jerry Reinsdorf? Can't every single thread just go back and forth debating over this important point?