caulfield12

But if Washington had maintained the status quo with its rotation -- arguably the best in the majors as it was -- the Nationals probably would've had an excellent chance to get to the postseason again. That's a tremendous group, reflected in their cumulative 20.3 WAR, and there really is no reason to think that quintet wouldn't do something close to that in 2015, or maybe even better. Fister, who turns 31 in a couple of weeks, is the oldest of the group, and seems to be getting better and better. Gonzalez is 29, Roark is 28, Zimmermann is 28 and Strasburg is 26. www.espninsider.com/busterolney

Obvious Child 4/5 Night at the Museum 3 2.75/5 Leviathan 4.5/5 The Seventh Son 1.75/5 Pride 4.25/5 The Two Faces of January 3.75/5

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/business...p-news&_r=0 More on the why the Oscars omission of Selma matters from a former NY Times film reporter/reviewer Birdman is definitely the most original/creative movie of the year. It might not be the best movie (I'm still going with Selma over Boyhood even though Boyhood's going to win the Oscar next month) but it's packed with a trio of great performances from Keaton, Norton and Emma Stone.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 17, 2015 -> 04:47 PM) i saw american sniper. a really nice movie. i am surprise on the acting, i should have known better. anything with clint eastwood directing is usually going to be good. i got to read up on alot of this movie and real life stories. Everything you read....he was basically a "good ol boy" and pretty darned racist. Seemingly the main positive was the work he did with veterans after the war. Of course you're going to come off more heroically with Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood controlling the story...but it still feels a bit like a recruiting video for the military. Lone Survivor was a much better film. http://www.salon.com/2013/02/07/death_of_an_american_sniper/ Some of the concerns about the real Kyle and glorifying him.

http://variety.com/2015/film/opinion/why-t...ers-1201406226/ Why the Academy Awards will struggle to draw younger viewers...although perhaps the success of American Sniper might offset some of that concern.

http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/1...direction/?_r=0 Selma/African-American actors/actresses and directors shut out of Oscar nominations for the first time since 1998 http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/15/osca...15-nominations/ Full list of nominees

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 15, 2015 -> 05:23 PM) I wouldn't say the Brewers are in that class quite yet, but St. Louis and Pittsburgh I'd definitely say are better. I don't think a playoff appearance is completely out of the picture, but I just don't see how they're better than either of Pittsburgh or St. Louis. Also, I do not think St. Louis could win with me as their cleanup hitter. I would require a $10 million contract and I would hit .005/.008/.008. I explained this in PHT today. With my lack of range, weak arm, inability to catch the ball, terrible base running, fear of bunting a 94 MPH fastball, tendency to run out of the batter's box at the mere sight of a breaking ball, and incapability of sliding (my "slide" is some drunken version of a summersault), I believe I'd be worth roughly -15 fWAR per season, which would make me the worst player in major league history. What was Eddie Gaedel's OPS?

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 05:55 PM) The first part is why I wanted Denorfia, or any defensive minded OF, who I know is going to have a great year with the Cubs. The second part is just gold. I don't know how you came up with Phegley and Swisher as comparables. Other than that the Sox didn't like their individual personalities, there is absolutely nothing similar about them. All of a sudden we trade a player who sucks, and some posters are quickly expecting him to become a legit contributor because they believe deep down that Billy Beane's smarter for some reason, or at least a better judge of hitters/platoon players. Maybe Nick Swisher is a bit of hyperbole, but Beane's far from infallible.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 11:48 PM) well it's not like some team wouldn't trade for him if chicago picked up 2 million on his deal. The clubhouse chemistry issue with Alexei and Jose is a non-starter. You think those two All-Star level players don't know you perform or you leave, no matter how good the chemistry? I think they would be offended if that wasn't the case -- both want to win. If Viciedo wants to file a grievance after a negative WAR season let him. The CBA has wiggle room there and I doubt the Union would pick Dayan's case to try and set precedent. I have written more about Dayan Viciedo than probably the rest of the acquisitions combined this offseason, wtf man. Why would Hahn offer him arbitration if he believed he was going to have to eat $2 million to trade him? That makes absolutely no sense. Why not just NOT offer him a 2015 contract and invest that money in another player, or hold it back for a mid-season acquisition? This whole thing of WAR being the sole indicator of a player's value has to stop. I don't even understand why any team would put themselves in the position of fighting off a grievance...unless Hahn is omniscient and knows that either Cabrera or Garcia will be hurt in spring training. They could only find two examples in recent MLB history, it's a very rare occurrence and far from a slam dunk for the team to win.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 15, 2015 -> 06:08 AM) I love David Fincher, but Benjamin Button was such garbage to me. I can't even explain how because I have successfully erased most of it from my mind. I think it's because it got so much hype like it was a surefire Academy Award winner and most who ENDURED it felt that it was too gimmicky and that the main point of enjoyment was Taraji Henson...plus, that whole criss-crossing ages romance thing just turned out to be weird instead of heartbreaking.

http://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/18/b...t-performances/ Brad Pitt's ten best performances...some might add Legends of the Fall and Burn After Reading, along with the supporting turn in 12 Years a Slave (which I felt was too distracting at that point in the movie, like Matt Damon in Interstellar)

The alternative is the government version of the Wal-Mart approach to doing business, translated to a not-for-profit environment. One would have to believe that's not possible, not with the scale and scope necessary to make purchasing more cost-efficient. If there's any hope, it has to come from a private endowment (probably The Gates Foundation) coming up with a unique solution by thinking outside of the box. Or maybe it's the charity version of Amazon.com, with all the services bundled together in one place. Incredibly difficult to execute in reality.

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/rotten-tomatoe...8109617147.html On the influence of Rotten Tomatoes ratings on the film industry...especially one young director's problems getting financing and actors for a second film when her debut was rated in the 30's and not widely-reviewed.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 08:40 PM) I'm BACCCKKKKKK! Seriously though. I'm surprised to see this much positivity. I know he has stayed in great shape, who knows. Maybe he can still play the outfield and have a good arm. Hit .220. Sounds like Jordan Danks to me.. But whatever. Let him try. Nothing bad can come out of it. Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan and Albert Belle have about the same odds as Anderson playing for the White Sox this season. We thought Kendrys Morales and Drew last year were bad offensively after sitting out? (This is where someone will state it would only be as a defensive replacement, to which I'd counter we already have Bonifacio...and Anderson's not an especially adept baserunner...so one position would be pretty much limited to the same role as Leury without Garcia's positional flexibility.)

NW coming out a bit flat at home after almost taking down MSU on the road. Rutgers gave MD fits in College Park before finally losing the lead the last five minutes. Wonder how many games the eventual B10 champ will lose in conference? 3? 4? 5?

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 06:44 PM) Who are you going to raise taxes on? Don't forget the special non-profit status of churches....and that donations are tax-deductible. OTOH, having a privatized or government-run soup kitchen, even it was done more cost-efficiently (and I'm dubious about that) would have a couple of disadvantages. 1) It wouldn't benefit from any of the volunteer spirit that underpins most non-profit initiatives...turning a mission or calling into just an ordinary, low-paid salaried position doesn't seem like it would have the same type of impact on service recipients. 2) Running programs from the state capitol or Washington, D.C., you lose more and more of the targeted "neighborhood solution" feel and it quickly evolves into another bureucracy, like AFDC/WIC. Those agencies are about as well-liked as the IRS and the Driver's License Bureau. 3) If I'm running a soup kitchen with donated monies and my own funds, I'm much more likely to not be wasteful than someone working for the government, because I'm not incentivized to do anything but keep my job and exert the minimum effort required.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 07:22 PM) Liked Selma like pretty much everyone. Some characters were portrayed differently than I expected and kept from being a cookie cutter telling of events. It's interesting they didn't have a caption about Rev. Ralph Abernathy at the end of the movie. Diane Nash and Bevel are an interesting story, in and of themselves. Roth as George Wallace seemed a bit off, as did Wilkinson as LBJ...it was also hard for me to concentrate on Rev. Hosea Williams when that actor's always been in comedies, but that's a minor quibble. BTW, the actor who played Malcolm X was the spitting image of him, although his part was very brief. And the idea that Coretta Scott King might have been personally enamored with him was news to me. Maybe that part just made for a better movie and has no historical basis in fact.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 07:23 PM) So are we ignoring how hot Aubrey Plaza has gotten? Her old doppelganger is Lip's rich g/f on Shameless. And still believe "Safety Not Guaranteed" is one of the coolest movies of all-time that very few have ever seen or heard much about.

Wonder how many more season tickets this move will practically guarantee?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 01:41 PM) Considering Fran just signed an extension, your one season from being fired isn't very accurate. But their play in the second half of games for a season and a half now, has to be a concern. If they actually played well in the second half most of the time, they probably would be ranked right now. He seems to be finishing runner up for a lot of recruits. He did recruit his son who I think is a sophomore in HS. It seems laughable, but the kid is ranked high for sophomores, and might be his best recruit. Fran and his wife were both pretty good college players, so his gene pool might be good. Bryce Alford he's not, in a good way. Hilarious that Steve has been "showcasing" his son out at UCLA in hopes of getting him a pro contract. Say what you will about McCaffrey, but he was always known more as a passer (the "White Magic") as a player, and a team-oriented, shoot second type of point guard is who you generally want running your team. It is interesting, how often collegiate coaches have sons as their point guards. Lickliter as well, and his son was truly terrible from all accounts.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 01:41 PM) Considering Fran just signed an extension, your one season from being fired isn't very accurate. But their play in the second half of games for a season and a half now, has to be a concern. If they actually played well in the second half most of the time, they probably would be ranked right now. He seems to be finishing runner up for a lot of recruits. He did recruit his son who I think is a sophomore in HS. It seems laughable, but the kid is ranked high for sophomores, and might be his best recruit. Fran and his wife were both pretty good college players, so his gene pool might be good. Div I, Most Losses After Leading at the Half - Since 2010-11 Hofstra - 28 UC Davis - 26 Iowa - 25 South Carolina St.- 25 E. Washington - 25 10:49 AM - 9 Jan 2015 They are starting to get some kids out of Chicago, but they're still essentially 2-3 star recruits and not the 4-5's they really need. They finished 2nd to KY for Tyler Ulis. But there's a reason they are 1-14 against MSU in their last 15, and that has to do mostly with athleticism and toughness. As far as PG play goes (and guard play in general), that's the biggest issue for the remainder of this season. Gesell, seemingly, hasn't improved much since getting lots of playing time as a freshman. Clemmons is inconsistent, and Trey Dickerson (JC recruit) who a lot had high hopes for has practically disappeared from the roster, with Uhl getting the 8th or 9th most minutes in B10 play so far. Jok is essentially pushing Oglesby out game by game, which is a good thing. With White, Woodbury and Olaseni all graduating, that's a ton of frontline production to replace, and Uthoff's closer to a smaller forward than a power forward. For his NBA hopes, he fits in more as a perimeter, 15-18 feet away from the basket guy who can do everything pretty well (pass, shoot, rebound, play D). Woodbury continues to be an enigma, he finally played well again last night.

Rudy 2... Too many talented prima donna athletes are drafted into MLB/NFL/NBA and never reach their potential. The quote about being more excited today tells it all. Back then, he took everything for granted, playing baseball was easy for him at the high school and collegiate level. But, at some point, he failed to make adjustments and/or listen to coaching and also got caught up in the lifestyle, which ended up killing his career. Not the first time. It's just unfortunate White Sox scouts when they were down in Arizona weren't able to identify Ian Kinsler instead.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 05:19 PM) Now You See Me could have been better, but they played it off like the only authorities that existed were Mark Ruffalo and the Interpol girl. I laughed when they pulled off all these heists in plain sight and were nationally wanted criminals but yet they could set up elaborate stage performances. Oh hey, and they were able to deposit millions of dollars in people's accounts no big deal Think of it as the 99% vs. the 1%, or the cinematic version of Occupy Wall Street. All those NYC banks were able to bet against their own customers' accounts in plain sight and absolutely nothing happened to any of them, they were even bailed out with a few exceptions and have finally returned to their previous lifestyles after going into hiding for five years. Nobody was charged, not even the CEO of Countrywide, Mozilo. Credit default swaps and derivatives were essentially their elaborate stage performances.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 01:54 PM) D-Backs still interested in James Shields. GM Dave Stewart on why Shields likes what the org is doing (emphasis mine): "I think James is a throwback guy by the way he goes about his business and the innings he pitches. I think the fact that Tony (La Russa) is here and that we have more baseball people - he probably sees us as a true baseball team vs. some of the other teams out here that are geared more towards analytics and those type of things." http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/...udget/21696949/ I'm sure Billy Beane must be laughing at that one, as they were teammates in Oakland (briefly). Andrew Freidman out in LA must be getting a chuckle, and AJ Preller out in SD, too. I'm starting to think quite a few people around baseball are going to be very happy to see LaRussa fall flat on his face.

Let's not forget how going through a complicated/dicey grievance process is going to affect the rest of his teammates (especially Alexei and Abreu, and Rodon has Cuban heritage and the same agent, lol)... How many times have we heard over and over again how the White Sox prefer NOT to go to arbitration hearings because of the bad feelings engendered? Why would they want to go to the trouble of spending $115-120 on a roster and then turn around and create a huge distraction? It's not like there's any logical outfielder on the roster right now you could say with certainty is a better fit as LaRoche's platoon partner...Campanas's made less interesting due to the presence of Bonifacio. JB Shuck has a 667 OPS vs. LHP over the last three years, and scarily is even worse against RHP, at 624 with only 4 homers in 400+ AB's. No matter how low your opinion of Dayan is, he's a bigger offensive threat than JB Shuck. Some might argue Josh Phegley will morph into the next Nick Swisher, but that ship has already sailed and he's no longer an option offensively.