caulfield12

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 08:06 PM) Great thread. I wish we could have a frontoffice do-over back to 2005. Upon winning that title, the Sox should have had been able to ride that momentum to consistent greatness. I bet KW would have made some badass tinkering moves had he known what ridiculously dismal years would follow the greatest sports moment of all Sox fans' lives. Redo/undo the Javy and Thome trades? Keep Rowand and Everett for leadership values? Would Chris Young's presence in 2007 have kept that team from falling apart, along with a young Gio Gonzalez? They still had Brandon McCarthy in the organization entering 2006 and the pitching (starting and bullpen) didn't have enough strength to make it through the 2nd half. A lot of the starting pitchers wore down that year because of the 2005 workload (especially Garcia and Contreras), and Jenks was hurt as well. Then 2007. It's a little bit like the Spanish team in the 2010 World Cup peaking at that moment. It was sort of a perfect storm. No matter what you do, it's almost impossible (except for the San Antonio Spurs) to build the kind of organization that can win 5 championships and make so many playoff appearances over a consecutive period (or the Braves). The Phillies were on top of the world five years ago, and look at them now. Or the Rays. Everything comes and goes in cycles.

If Rodon signs July 18 and only starts 5 times, he's still Top 20-25.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 08:16 PM) I love how they act like that is a lot for a guy like Alexei. The writer must have been reading SoxTalk the last couple of off-seasons...

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 06:48 PM) I agree, I would ask for the minimum of Walker, Guerrero, and Wilson. Heavy price for the best SS in the AL with a great contract. Might want to throw Nick Franklin into that instead to be more realistic. Or Justin Smoak. Or Ackley.

One would never have thought that Victor Martinez would be one of, if not THE best, hitter on the 2014 Detroit Tigers 2-3 years ago. Saying that, we would have thought they'd be a 108-54 type team every year....with Cabrera, Fielder, Austin Jackson coming into his prime, Alex Avila looking like a potential All-Star...and of course the pitching staff. It's amazing how things can go south so quickly when one or both of your elite/superstar pitchers starts to break down or lose their confidence. Verlander and Scherzer and Nathan are pulling the whole team down at this point, with only Sanchez/Porcello/Smyly as counterweights.

Moderators are more necessary for CNN presidential debates.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 03:56 PM) how about a position change for Phegley? If he was the type of bat like the Cubs' Schwarber, then sure. But where would his bat play? Definitely not at 1B/DH...and it's doubtful he could handle the transition to 3B/LF.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 08:13 AM) When the Sox had Maggs, CLee, Big Hurt...their attendance wasn't even average. According to Caulfield's post, they weren't even average when they won the division in 2000 or when they won the WS in 2005. Wasn't there a 10-15 year stretch where the White Sox won more games than just about everyone except for 3 or 4 teams? I think the problem is the fanbase is stuck in the finding an excuse not to attend games mode. Not necessarily the fans fault. There have been great restaurants that didn't draw a crowd. Great TV shows that didn't draw an audience. Somehow, Brooks and his crew need to make USCF a destination, but until they start winning often, I think he has zero chance. It was something like 1990-2006 or 2008 or maybe it was 2000-2008/10....1993-2006, etc. If memory serves me correctly, it was a ten+ year period where it was only the Yankees, Braves and maybe the Red Sox or Cardinals above us. 91-93 was all about the new stadium (and very solid White Sox teams at that time, led by Thomas/Ventura/McDowell/Fernandez/Thigpen, etc.), 2006-2008 about the World Series "hangover" effect of bandwagon fans riding out 2007 for the playoffs in 2008 and 1983/84 is also self-explanatory.

Times the White Sox have been better than the American League average in attendance per season Reinsdorf/Einhorn=8/34 (23.5%) 1981, 83, 84, 91-93, 2006-08 Bill Veeck (1975-1980, 1959-1960)=4/8 (50%) 1977, 78, 1959, 1960 Allyns (1961-1974)=8/14 (57.1%) 1961-1965, 1972-1974 Comiskey Rigney (1956-58)=2/3 (66.7%) 1956-57 Grace Comiskey (1940-1955)=5/16 (31.25%) 1941, 43, 1953-55 Comiskeys (1902-1939)=24/38 (63.2%) 1902-1917 (1918 World War I) 1919 1920 1925 26 27 1933 1935 1939 **************************************************************************************************** 61 years/113 (total franchise history)=54.9% of the time above the AL AVG attendance http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/wsoxatte.shtml Source

http://www.freep.com/article/20140617/SPORTS02/306170058/ Some early speculation about both Huston Street and/or Balfour moving, possibly to bolster the Tigers' bullpen (Joe Bowden).

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 09:19 PM) He is still throwing hard. It's just now he has to overthrow to get it there and it is straightening out. He used to throw 96 with movement. Now the 96 is straight. He is going to need to learn to throw at 93 with movement and take some of the breaking pitch and change. See Paulino. He was getting lit up like a Christmas tree at 94-96. http://www.freep.com/article/20140617/SPORTS02/306180029/ Tigers no longer a sure-thing in the suddenly competitive AL Central Scherzer gave up the 10 runs the night after Justin Verlander gave up seven. According to research by STATS LLC, it’s the most runs ever given up in consecutive games by teammates who have each won the Cy Young Award.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 08:23 PM) Matt Slovin ‏@MattSlovin 56s #Tigers out of first place for first time since July 2, 2013 after 11-4 loss to #Royals. They were tied for 7 days with the Royals this year, in April.

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.jsp?s...mp;ymd=20140617 Erik Johnson with a so-so start, but sort of an improvement...if you're really stretching the interpretation. Davidson 0/4, down to .183 and Jordan Danks was 3/3.

Well, that was some terrible goal tending by Russia but they got bailed out by a late goal for the tie against South Korea. By the way, is it just me, or does Fabio Capelli look a little like a younger Ted Danson?

Were any houses wagered on this one? It would have taken some cojones to bet against Scherzer in DET.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 03:01 PM) I would say absolutely not, except for perhaps something like the trade for Contreras. This org is not a year away from winning with this rotation and a AAA rotation that includes Axe and Veal. Don't forget Heath and Surkamp.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 09:58 AM) I could be reading too much into it, but with as deep as we went into the minors, if Surkamp couldn't get called up then, that is probably pretty telling. Especially when they already gave Leesman a shot. Of course, part of it had to do with whose turn it was in the rotation in Charlotte...but if they believed so strongly in Surkamp, they wouldn't be acting (for the moment) like there was zero concern about Andre Rienzo.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 08:50 AM) Puig is not a good example. When Puig signed people were laughing at the Dodgers and how they overspent, blah blah blah. There wasn't another offer even close to what the Dodgers put in for Puig and that "overpayment" turned into one of the best deals in baseball. In fact, I still think there is pretty shaky scouting and I think the Giants got a potential bargon in Carbonell. Even the kid the Dodgers recently signed for 24M, a lot of people weren't high on him and now that is looking pretty good (other then Olivo taking out his ear) as scouts have been raving about him. Still seems to be a bit of an underappreciated cuban market (although clearly the tip top guys are getting very big paydays). Didn't realize Soler only had 27 PA's all season. (Baez just a 698 OPS at Iowa, and Almora .581 at Daytona/High A). Alex Guerrero was $28 million, by the way...from what I have read...and I don't think the Dodgers ever envisioned Dee Gordon blocking him with how anemically he performed offensively the first time he had a shot at full-time SS play. But for most of the first two months he was well over an 800 OPS playing 2B nearly everyday. Still tend to believe everyone's waiting to see if they will have a shot at Despaigne or Cepeda among the position players...or perhaps even Gourriel. The last two are a big long in the tooth, but would provide veteran savvy and steady leadership for young Latin players on a team like the Pirates, Marlins, etc.

QUOTE (striker @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 08:42 AM) Maybe we eat one of those salaries in order to also acquire Pederson. I forgot about another $25 million for SS Arruebarrena. Well, there's no way Hahn's going to go out on a limb with Ethier or Crawford at their age/s, so it's Kemp...the problem is that the Dodgers still don't seem to have financial pressure to sell him off to the highest bidder, at least for the moment. Until having those four guys together really becomes a chemistry/clubhouse issue where one is decidedly unhappy and causing problems (like a Manny deal), then they won't make that type of move IMO. And we don't have any prospects that would of interest to be the centerpiece of that kind of trade. They'd have to get something significant back from us...starting with Alexei Ramirez, who they won't really need until next season. Would they trade for Alexei and push him over to 2B for half a season? Move Hanley back to 3B and bench Uribe? Difficult decisions. Plus all the money invested in two Cubans at 2B/SS waiting in the minors.

Should have been your favorite selection AFTER Adams, lol. Which could be a "sleeper," because by nature anything from the 3rd round on usually tends to be by nature. Except for our back-up option to Rodon.

How is the lefty the Cubs signed for what was widely-considered to be an overpay doing? Then there's the Miguel Angel Gonzalez situation with the Phillies.... Plus $53 million to Arruebarrena and Alex Guerrero for the future Dodgers' infield, (which also means Beckham or any of our middle infielders to LA is pretty far-fetched.)

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 07:18 AM) You don't sell off pieces for the future for an upgrade for solely 2014. You make moves similar to the trades for Garcia, Contreras, and Peavy in the past with some possibility of helping this year but with an eye towards next season. And keep looking for the equivalents of Humber and Noesi to solidify the back end of your rotation so you don't have to overpay to acquire a veteran free agent like Nolasco, Peavy, Josh Johnson, Feldman, Erwin Santana, Jimenez, etc. Due diligence on every arm out there like Cahill or Romero (or Tommie Hanson/Mulder, rehabbing) that's mysteriously non-performing where Cooper might have identified a fix. Same thing with the bullpen...keep searching for the Guerra's, Rodriguez'es, Cletos, Boggses, Belisarios, Putnams and mix them in with Webb/Petricka to provide a nice balance of veterans and younger/cheaper guys. Obviously, catching and LH power hitting will be the most elusive to find in this manner.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 02:38 AM) Wouldn't it make more sense to use him in the bullpen, where the Sox really need another lefty? Depends on your belief/confidence in Rienzo fixing things or continuing to go backwards.

QUOTE (glangon @ Jun 17, 2014 -> 02:05 AM) I'm with you on this one. We have depth in the infield, the Dodgers have depth on the outfield. This is a trade waiting to happen. I think this all depends on how serious they are about keeping Uribe and Hanley Ramirez around. Remember, they've already sunk $28 million into 2B Alexander Guerrero (Olivo biting victim). And, if you're the Dodgers and you have a $200 million payroll, are you really going to roll the dice on Conor Gillaspie, Marcus Semien, Carlos Sanchez or Micah Johnson to hold down a starting infield position? I sincerely doubt it. That kind of move isn't going to help you make up ground on the Giants. At best, it's lateral. They're going to try to trade you Crawford/Ethier/Kemp and a large subsidy before they give up Pederson.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 16, 2014 -> 09:50 PM) Yeah, that was just a disaster from Bradley. Can't advance without him playing significantly better. Zero control of the midfield and zero creation. He's trying to sabotage Klinsmann and make his dad look like the better coach.