caulfield12

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/phil-r...p;vkey=news_mlb With the warm weather, Rogers is predicting McGwire's rookie homer numbers and Albert Belle's HR/RBI numbers from 1998 go down. Long story, but not a bad one for Phil, all things considered.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 08:41 PM) I have no doubt someone would give him a shot, but I really think we're deluding ourselves if we think we're going to get anything exciting back. He can't help anyone right now, and a guy who's had 1500 PA of ML failure is much less likely to help a team LATER than the prospect we would hope they'd give up. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/5...win-encarnacion Encarnacion went from his rookie year through 2011 (and these were years when power was up) hitting mostly in the low 700ish range for OPS. He played 3B at that time, but he was terrible at that position, and eventually moved to 1B/DH. There's also the example of Jose Bautista, who had a very solid rookie year, almost fell entirely off the map and then recovered. Domonic Brown...Pedro Alvarez, etc. No guarantees, but Encarnacion and Viciedo have been compared a lot. He's definitely worth SOMETHING to someone.

One thing we don't want to do is trade Davidson right now...there's no guarantee that Conor's going to repeat his first half performance, he still has many defensive issues and he still probably needs a platoon partner against LHP.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 04:15 PM) I think the reason Micah is playing 2B is because he's an iffy defender there and it's unlikely to increase his value to move him off the one position where he is becoming serviceable. They know that Semien is competent around the IF and are less concerned with his getting reps at IF positions because they are less critical for his development Still, you traditionally leave the best player who you feel has the ability to stick at that position at SS. One could just as easily argue they know Semien can't play shortstop (everyday) at the next level...that Sanchez has the best shot at remaining there, so they need to find out how versatile Marcus is to possibly platoon with Gillaspie, PR, and play all over the field like a Zobrist-Lite.

#22 for Algeria just had a shot at point-blank range and pulled it to the left.

Wow. Shocker so far. Has a Muslim/N.African country ever beaten a European power in the round of 16 in the history of the WC?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 12:34 PM) I'd do it in a second IF Castro came with more team control. He's reputed to be an excellent defender who is developing into one of the best pitch framers in the league. Just one year removed from a 130 wRC+, and two removed from a 100 wRC+. If he gave us 100 going forward with his defense, I'd be thrilled to give up Avi. But he'd have to agree to an extension we liked. Then you're talking about finding two corner outfield bats and a LH/DH. Yes, I am cognizant of the fact that catching is extremely difficult to develop. It seems no matter what/who we trade, let's say Alexei Ramirez, it opens up another gaping hole somewhere else in the major league line-up.

QUOTE (Charlie Haeger's Knuckles @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 12:34 PM) I love this voyeuristic view of the Gm dealings... "Inventory player" "Paydown" completely different terminology than that fans and writers use. Remember, the Astros are viewed as completely bizarre by the rest of baseball. I don't think it's considered normal terminology for any other organization.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 12:30 PM) The guy who is currently hitting .218/.297/.363? And before you say small sample size, he's a career .247/.324/.405 major league hitter. Not saying he doesn't have potential, but for Avi? Injured or not, no freakin way. .729 is really good for a catcher, fwiw. That said, he's closer to being expensive, and his offensive game has really fallen off this season. And I'm not even certain why the Astros would need another OFer.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 11:33 AM) Trade Viciedo for that young Seattle SS who can't hit. Then trade Alexei for some of their young A and AA pitchers....don't know who, but I'm sure they have some - they always do. I watched their game the other night and they have some guy in the pen with electric stuff and an ERA of around 7...looked like a good "coop can fix 'em" candidate. Wilhelmsen?

One wonders if Nate Jones even could have passed a physical before the season started.

Hill got ripped for 8 runs. Boggs continues to be employed in professional baseball, mysteriously. Charlotte attendance already over 400K. Semien under .200 on the season. Sanchez close to .300, Micah hitting a soft .281 (687 OPS), Phegley with a homer. No Davidson in the first game of DH.

QUOTE (MnSoxFan @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 09:15 AM) Better than expected, still need more consistency. Stay where he is, if a promotion occurs Coats and May deserve it sooner. I have a feeling they're going to keep Hawkins and Anderson together, more or less. It's way too early to talk about May going to Birmingham unless he can sustain this success for another month. As far as Coats goes, it's not close to decided that he's the type of prospect that is going to push someone out of the Birmingham outfield yet...not because the organization is high on Thompson or Mitchell, but because they have to be 100% convinced Coats is ready.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 06:50 AM) This is so sad...when crapfest rehash movies like this open huge and a relatively original SciFi project like Edge of Tomorrow bombs in comparison. People deserve exactly what we end up with because we keep paying to watch crap unoriginal sequels instead of going to see an actual good movie, instead. Well, that doesn't apply to me, but it applies to most. A lot of this has to do with the relative failure of Oblivion and sci fi burnout from a slew of disappointing ones...like Prometheus, Star Trek sequel, Pacific Rim (in the U.S.), a horrid remake of Total Recall, Elysium, the list goes on and on. So, in honor of GOOD movies, my Top Ten list so far in 2014, and some others to check out 1) Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2) The Grand Budapest Hotel 3) Snowpiercer 4) X-Men 5) The Lego Movie 6) The Raid 2 (or, if you want a lesser but similar movie, Brick Mansions, Paul Walker's final movie) 7) The Normal Heart (HBO movie, but a very very good one about the first three years of AIDS crisis) 8) Chef 9) Boyhood (Richard Linklater) 10) tie The Immigrant and Locke (Tom Hardy) Honorable Mention: The Edge of Tomorrow, Blue Ruin, Coherence, Foxcatcher, 22 Jump Street, Under the Skin, The Company You Keep

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 01:16 AM) I can not stand mediocrity. I know we all went over this topic last season around this time as well, but I would rather this team tank the rest of the way, or dominate the rest of the way. I don't want to see a midround draft pick next June. Therein lies the argument. The difference between 80, 75, 70 and 65 wins for a fanbase that knows this is a rebuilding year...in terms of attendance for the rest of this season, selling season tickets for next year and the difference between drafting let's say 4-8 vs. 9-12 in the first round. Half of the battle is getting Rodon signed and and evidence of encouraging results from whatever he manages to do in July and August or perhaps the AFL...they will be attempting to market Carlos almost like he's a free agent acquisition, in terms of "spin" to the media. Does Hahn have the budget (with the season ticket/sponsorship/revenues/attendance falloff) to approach 2015 in the same way KW approached 2011...or will they take a softer, less aggressive approach, not putting all their eggs in the basket of getting back to the playoffs as early as 2015 but pushing the timetable back to 2016-18, when it's likely Hawkins, Anderson and Montas would be arriving on the scene as reinforcements and an infusion of more youth/talent??

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 10:48 PM) Pick a lane, Sox. Go 7-2 against the Tigers, Giants and Blue Jays. Get wiped out by the Royals, Twins and Orioles (granted, we easily could have swept that series). Hard to figure this team out, except for the fact that it's fortunes reside with the back end of the rotation, which is why it's going to be so hard for this team to ever go on an extended winning streak.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 02:28 PM) If Sox finish this year at .500 I'll be very confident in our future. But 75 wins more likely. Except no Avisail Garcia, no Dunn...probable changes in the free agency period, some more trades, you've got the possibility of Rodon, you might be changing your entire middle infield so if that were to take place, their overall season record's obviously going to take a huge hit with two rookies adjusting offensively.

How did Campbell play today for C.R.? I tried to wake up at 4 a.m., then 5 a.m. around halftime and couldn't quite motivate myself to get up...

Something with the hitter's backdrop? Didn't/doesn't this happen with Beckham as well...Quentin? Or, conspiracy theory, he's trying to get traded and will become an All-Star once he leaves Chicago.

Mexico got conservative there at the end. It's the equivalent of the prevent defense in the NFL. Nothing Ochoa could have done on either of those goals. Marquez was a bit lucky he didn't get called for another foul earlier in the game...at age 35, he just doesn't quite have the quickness anymore to stay with Robben one on one. Netherlands has the better team and is still one of the 2-3 favorites to win it all, but close to tragic for Mexico, if there's such a thing in sports (when an entire country's hopes are pinned to a team in a national sport and they seem poised to win).

Ochoa, Neymar and James Rodriguez are the 3 best players in the tourney so far... Where the hell was Van Persie today? Only Robben showed up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 09:58 AM) I can't figure out why else a guy who spent 6 innings hitting 93-94 with the fastball regularly wouldn't be able to start missing more bats. See Felipe Paulino at 94-96.

Mexico with a very solid first half but couldn't punch across a goal. Both teams looked very tired at the end of the first (cooling break), Mexico has seemingly controlled 70% of the game. Van Persie and Robben haven't had many chances....a bit of a controversy near the end about a takedown of Robben in box but it wasn't called.

Some of the more interesting names on the market right now (among the hitters) are Cuddyer, Willingham, Seth Smith, Gerardo Parra and Ben Zobrist. Also, Nolan Reimold's about to be released by the Orioles. Career .766 OPS, unfortunately not left-handed. 29 years old.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 07:41 AM) Anyone that takes tmar seriously will be pointed at and laughed at That really stings.