caulfield12

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 01:29 PM) This season simply has nothing to do with last. I dont expect a bunt in the first inning because Ozzie did it a lot in 2005. Didnt the Ventura led white sox go on a few extended winning streaks in 2012? Tell that to Balta/B. Or 75% of White Sox fans. Yes, the talent has changed, quite a bit. But that kind of inning has been going on since the last two weeks of 2012...seemingly on an endless loop.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 01:25 PM) Obviously he is referring to years past, but he is also forgetting it's the 4th inning and we are only down by 2. I'm not sure why anyone is throwing in the towel on this game. The Twins aren't good. Yeah, I know, Hughes sucks, I get it. It's just that "here we go again feeling" that sucks. I'm sure if it's not the fielding or fundamentals, it will be the bullpen or something else. Maybe it's better not to believe they might actually be able to compete for anything and just accept it for what it is, which is likely a maddeningly inconsistent/unpredictable team which shows flashes/glimpses but also can drive you crazy. Sweeping the Twins wouldn't mean THAT much anyway, most are predicting them to be even worse than us this season.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 01:24 PM) Yea, that has happened a lot this season of 2 games INCLUDING LAST SEASON...whenever you think they MIGHT be able to get on an extended winning streak, everything just falls apart.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 01:21 PM) The Sox have an error on the board, so what was that for? Abreu's baseline interference with Escobar...getting in his way (it wasn't a missed catch as it's saying at mlb.com).

Seems like whenever the White Sox have a chance to step on the neck of an opponent and sweep an opponent, they let it get away. After Mauer didn't hit a predictable double or homer ahead in the count, you ALMOST thought Quintana could get out of it...but, NAH, of course not. Mauer still doesn't have a hit, he and Semien have one thing in common this series.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 01:13 PM) Just horrible by Garcia. Flowers, Abreu, and A. Garcia all with errors this inning. Before someone corrects me, I understand that Flowers and Garcia didn't technically make errors. It was a strikeout and wild pitch, I think. As far as Abreu, it was interference, even though Escobar was technically out of the baseline. The error on that play REALLY belonged with Alexei Ramirez. Just no excuse for SEVEN throws at the major league level. NONE. ZERO.

Gee, that wasn't predictable. Sigh. Better have mandatory 9:00 a.m. infield practice tmrw in Kansas City. Quintana's been rattled the entire inning after getting two outs against Escobar. Ramirez....veteran SS, just a ridiculous play on the pickoff not running the baserunner back to 1st...this after the strikeout that got between Flowers' legs.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 12:05 PM) I see your point, but I'm not sure if Leury can play 3B. Leury Garcia Career: Position/Games 2B/22 SS/7 CF/6 3B/6 So I guess he can, but it seems like he's more of a 2B/SS/CF- much like Alexei. Interestingly, neither of them has played a single minor league game at 3B. Semien has 22 career major league games there now.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 11:55 AM) They didn't move Semien around. He played 3B yesterday. What I should have said was "from Opening Day." I just think you should leave Semien at one position (2B) and that Garcia should be the one you move around between 3B/SS/2B interchangeably. He hasn't gotten a hit yet this season, it would be nice if he could get comfortable in one place instead of having to also focus on changing positions defensively.

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/1...on-jersey-sales Interesting that Puig's ahead of both Harper and Trout in jersey sales, but behind Manny Machado (#10). No Miguel Cabrera or Justin Verlander in the Top 15. Ortiz/Pedroia/Jeter/Molina/Kershaw/McCutcheon/Posey top 7.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 11:47 AM) Connor is so selfish that he got the flu. Connor hates the team. I thought Garcia was playing 3B yesterday with Semien at 2B? Hmmm...is it really that clear that Semien's better at 3B? Most of his minor league playing time has been at SS/2B, and Garcia has the better arm of the two.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 11:47 AM) Interesting take from Keith Law. He's very down on Rodon and always been pretty excited about the athleticism and potential of Hoffman. Nick (Chicago) Rick Hahn has stated the White Sox are targeting a college pitcher with their #3 pick in the draft. Who offers more upside Hoffman or Beede? Klaw (1:04 PM) Hoffman. More velocity, great athlete, underdeveloped as a pitcher right now. Beede's the safer pick of the two, but I would bet that if they have both guys staring them in the face (and Rodon too) they'd take Hoffman. Sounds a lot like the same kinds of things that were said about Zach Greinke coming into the draft. What major league comps are being made with/about Hoffman?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 11:38 AM) I know people have said he's probably a Boras guy, but man, spending an extra year in college because you needed $8 million instead of $5.7 million, when you're a pitcher, just sounds absolutley nuts. Look at how much Beck lost in one year...in terms of projection one year out vs. his actual draft position. And while Appel might have gotten away with it, in the end, wouldn't he have been far happier on a contending team like the Pirates, compared to one that's 3+ years away from contention?

Why are they moving Semien around already? I can understand with L.Garcia, he's not an integral piece of the long-term plan at this point, but I don't know why they're seemingly content with turning Semien into a utility guy. Just increasing his versatility before Beckham returns? Still don't get that, because he should be in Charlotte playing everyday at either SS or 2B, one or the other. Probably 2B, with Carlos Sanchez at SS.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 11:08 AM) Either way they obviously figured out how to not only survive, but thrive with proverbial low attendance. I don't know if "thrive" is the best word, probably adjust/acclimate. They've fallen from 8th in total team value to 14th over the last half decade, so a lot of the progress from 2005...if not all...has been lost. In a way, 2005, has been working against the White Sox. There's not that unique "wait until next year" feeling that Cubs' fans have, the "this might be the year, finally!" marketing ploy to work with. It's almost like we're in a holding or waiting pattern...for that next huge t.v. deal to come our way. Hopefully we have a great team at that time that puts us in a much better position (than say, today) to negotiate the best possible deal. Sure, 50% of it's about the Chicago market, but we can't afford to be in rebuilding mode for the next five years (like the Cubs now being in Year 4 and counting), that's for sure. The White Sox really do follow that 80/20 sports marketing rule that you should put most of your effort into keeping your loyal fans happy, rather than putting it into bringing in new customers...at least moreso than other teams. For example, the upper deck/seat switching thing that has been in place for years, where fans are basically completely walled off from the lower bowl experience, even in terms of food/concessions/souvenirs, etc. Of course, over the last 2-3 seasons, they've been FORCED to lower ticket prices, especially for the upper deck sections, trying to create a more family oriented atmosphere, refocusing on kids' days/Sundays...because of how many of those loyal season ticket holders they've lost since 2006. They can't completely ignore the goal of bringing in a new generation of baseball fans...as opposed to keeping the 2nd and 3rd generations of loyal/diehard local White Sox fans...in other words, growing their appeal rather than fighting to keep what they have/had. Of course, as noted, another important part of this story is the t.v. ratings/shares, which were surprisingly good in 2012...even though attendance didn't reflect it. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/richar...p;vkey=news_mlb Here's a story that features the Mariners, but also refers to the White Sox and Astros in terms of young teams that it's important to get off to a hot start for... Even after adding Robinson Cano, Logan Morrison, Fernando Rodney and Corey Hart, plenty of people thought the Mariners still weren't good enough. There didn't seem to be enough starting pitching behind King Felix and Hisashi Iwakuma, and with Iwakuma beginning the season on the disabled list, there could have been a "here-we-go-again" feeling, both in the clubhouse and the stands. So the Mariners sprinted out of the gate with three victories over the Angels, thanks in large part to great work by young starters James Paxton and Erasmo Ramirez. This is a nice boost for Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and new manager Lloyd McClendon. Zduriencik has done terrific work building a first-rate player development system, but he has taken some shots the past couple of years, as those young players haven't turned into overnight stars. Their development is a reminder that young players don't come with guarantees; that they don't all develop at the same pace, and in the end, they don't all make it. No matter how much money the Mariners spent on free agents, they were always going to rise and fall based on the progress (or lack of progress) of their best young talent. Cano gives the Mariners a giant presence in the middle of the lineup and has a chance to help the guys around him. In the end, though, the kids have to be all right for the Mariners to succeed.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Apr 3, 2014 -> 10:54 AM) Attendance doesn't matter anymore, this isnt 1990. Have you seen the AAV of the TV contracts that a good 1/3 of MLB has received in the last 5 years. Have you not noticed the influx of revenue all teams receive from MLB advanced media. Have you not noticed how the White Sox in the bottom 1/3 in attendance almost every year are constantly in the top 1/3 in major league payroll. Teams, especially the White Sox have introduced so many non ticket sale produced revenue streams into the equation in the last ten years it just doesn't matter. I wouldn't be surprised if half of MLB get more money from media rights than ticket sales every season. This old default view that attendance and team payroll are proportional needs to go away, things have changed considerably since 2004. Yep, it's now only 25-35% of total revenue streams for most teams, as opposed to 50% or more like it traditionally used to be. For some clubs, it's in the 15-20% range even.

Well, at least we're ahead of Miami, Oakland and Tampa Bay. There's that.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 11:19 AM) ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 45m Diminished velocity could be the root of CC Sabathia's struggles: Last night he failed to exceed 91 mph on any pitch and his fastball avg 89 Entering 2014, Sabathia has moved from an ace to a wild card. With his loss of weight and velocity, no one knows exactly what he is, but Sabathia thinks he has the plan. The change is all about the change. Sabathia, 33, thinks he can overcome his fastball dropping from the mid-90s to the high 80s by going to his changeup early and often. The idea was originally hatched late last season by since-fired advanced scout Charlie Wonsowicz to not ignore the changeup. In his final start, Sabathia limited the San Francisco Giants to one run on seven hits over seven innings. On Tuesday night, Sabathia takes the hill for the first time in 2014, against the Houston Astros. We will begin to learn if Sabathia’s worst season was the beginning of a career free-fall scarier than the Tower of Terror or a speed bump in his otherwise terrific major league run. After setting up hitters with his fastball-change combo, his slider will be reserved for mostly a finishing pitch. He also plans to mix in some cutters he borrowed from Andy Pettitte. This is how Sabathia has chosen to attack his move from a power guy to more of a finesse pitcher. While it is hard to be as dominant when you switch from the fast lane, you can still be effective. www.espn.com/andrewmarchand

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 11:19 AM) ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 45m Diminished velocity could be the root of CC Sabathia's struggles: Last night he failed to exceed 91 mph on any pitch and his fastball avg 89 Entering 2014, Sabathia has moved from an ace to a wild card. With his loss of weight and velocity, no one knows exactly what he is, but Sabathia thinks he has the plan. The change is all about the change. Sabathia, 33, thinks he can overcome his fastball dropping from the mid-90s to the high 80s by going to his changeup early and often. The idea was originally hatched late last season by since-fired advanced scout Charlie Wonsowicz to not ignore the changeup. In his final start, Sabathia limited the San Francisco Giants to one run on seven hits over seven innings. On Tuesday night, Sabathia takes the hill for the first time in 2014, against the Houston Astros. We will begin to learn if Sabathia’s worst season was the beginning of a career free-fall scarier than the Tower of Terror or a speed bump in his otherwise terrific major league run. After setting up hitters with his fastball-change combo, his slider will be reserved for mostly a finishing pitch. He also plans to mix in some cutters he borrowed from Andy Pettitte. This is how Sabathia has chosen to attack his move from a power guy to more of a finesse pitcher. While it is hard to be as dominant when you switch from the fast lane, you can still be effective. www.espn.com/andrewmarchand

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 10:44 PM) You knew Buehrle was only going to get better and better. He's one of those guys who will be a crafty lefty into his 40s (if he wants to keep going). That arm has been magical. Here's to that golden left arm remaining strong. He's a marvel. Sandy Koufax?

Or the Bee Gees, lol...

Here we go again. It it scary, in the sense that it indicates we've lost perhaps as much as 30% of our season ticket base. Surprising, no. The idea that bringing in a Pujols/Hamilton/Greinke/Cano/Scherzer and having any more than a minimal impact on attendance....not happening until that team proves something to the fans. Abreu SHOULD be getting the fans excited...Eaton's style of play...Avisail Garcia, watching a youngster in Semien, but we'll have a much better idea over the rest of April and May if the fans will START to support the team if they keep winning...or wait until the summer months.

Too bad Ayn Rand isn't around to write a new book on public financing of sports facilities...they could probably make less of a mess with that movie, lol.

I know a certain someone is quite concerned with how well Rios does for the Rangers, right? And once Dunn's off the roster, I'm surely there will be a lot of comments if he starts playing more like his Reds' days with another team. Then there's those guys like McCarthy, Hudson and Gio Gonzalez who you kind of cringe when they do well, but you're simultaneously proud that they were produced by our system at least.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 1, 2014 -> 11:09 PM) It's not about trying something different, combined they lost 200+ games last season. It's a lack of talent, not something to be too proud of. Or mostly the fact that they want to start Davidson's arbitration clock later. It does point out the fact that we're one left-handed hitter behind where Ventura would ideally like to be...DeAza hitting 3rd would probably be more "imposing" but surely Robin thinks that Conor will get better pitches to hit and that Alejandro's more comfortable out of the top 3 positions in the batting order. Most teams don't have guys hitting out of the 7 hole that can homer twice in a game, either.