caulfield12

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 09:57 AM) Hmmm, Detroit is 4-2 out of the break, Sox are 3-3 Last 10, Sox are 6-4, Detroit is 7-3. So, how exactly is Detroit on fire? 9-2 I think that's pretty close to being "on fire" They won 6 in a row before that amazing extra inning game against BALT. You can argue Minnesota and KC suck, sure, but the Angels don't. 82 82 Wednesday, Jul 4 boxscore DET MIN W 5 1 40-42 3 4.5 Verlander Duensing 2:33 N 41,023 + 83 83 Thursday, Jul 5 boxscore DET MIN W 7 3 41-42 3 4.5 Dotel Burnett 2:59 D 33,350 ++ 84 84 Friday, Jul 6 boxscore DET KCR W 4 2 42-42 3 4.5 Smyly Sanchez Valverde 2:56 N 39,144 +++ 85 85 Saturday, Jul 7 boxscore DET KCR W 8 7 43-42 3 4.5 Fister Chen 3:00 D 39,392 ++++ 86 86 Sunday, Jul 8 boxscore DET KCR W 7 1 44-42 3 3.5 Scherzer Teaford 2:41 D 36,693 +++++ 87 87 Friday, Jul 13 boxscore DET @ BAL W 7 2 45-42 3 3.5 Fister Hammel 3:00 N 35,566 ++++++ 88 88 Saturday, Jul 14 boxscore DET @ BAL L 6 8 13 45-43 3 3.5 Gregg Benoit 4:43 D 43,215 - 89 89 Sunday, Jul 15 boxscore DET @ BAL W 4 0 46-43 2 3.5 Verlander Gonzalez 3:00 D 30,439 + 90 90 Monday, Jul 16 boxscore DET LAA W 8 6 47-43 2 2.5 Dotel Hawkins Valverde 3:08 N 36,806 ++ 91 91 Tuesday, Jul 17 boxscore DET LAA L 0 13 47-44 2 3.5 Richards Turner 3:09 N 33,950 - 92 92 Wednesday, Jul 18 boxscore DET LAA W 7 2 48-44 2 2.5 Fister Wilson 2:28 N 37,915 +

QUOTE (SOXOBAMA @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 10:23 AM) I'm glad that Crain is coming back on sat.. As long as he doesn't face Cabrera, Fielder or Victor Martinez.

I just want to know when's the last time we have a legitimate position prospect that had a decent walk rate? I don't mean in rookie ball or AFL...just consistently, in his first or second year of full-season. Just watching Youkilis hit, it makes DeAza (hardly takes a walk), Dunn (won't ever hit the ball to the opposite side and change his approach for the situation), Viciedo and Beckham almost intolerable to watch at times. Alexei too, for the first two months. AJ, at least if he's impatient he usually makes contact, except against good LHP. We haven't had a Jeff Abbott or Jeremy Reed in our system for a long time that was a legit 300-325 hitter, at least in the minors. One or two of them would be nice. I know someone will mention Carlos Sanchez this year, but you have to have something (pop, power, speed, fielding ability) to make you a really legit prospect. Maybe he's the closest, but he and Ravelo are essentially singles' hitters.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 09:48 AM) Except viciedo has scored the same amount of runs out of the 7 spot than Pierre has scored leading off. And their amount of at bats are similar despite Pierre platooning. Really, Pierre isn't happening no matter how much you argue with all of us, and it hasnt been proven why a declining player is so much more valuable than a young power hitter. Just leave it at you want viciedo as a trade chip, the Pierre talk is really not proving anything Then he'll argue that Howard and Utley have been out, so it's not fair. It's ridiculous to compare AL and NL stats anyway, especially when the trendline with Juan Pierre in both leagues and at this point in his career (as far as being an effective basestealer) is pretty obvious.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 09:38 AM) Whatever the reason, many posters on Soxtalk were wrong about Youkilis. RBI's really? By the same token Viciedo will not score the number of runs Pierre will. Pierre's arm is a problem, no doubt, but he can go from 1st to third or score from first on a double easier than Viciedo. Not to mention steal a base. His baserunning advantage over Viciedo makes up for his arm, probably more than makes up really. that'10 times every 100 AB's, yes I think that makes a difference when you are in a tight race. Not only that, but you'd have Viciedo available off the bench late in the game as a lefty masher. And if you pinch run for Dunn or Konerko and their spot in the order comes up again you have Viciedo available as a power threat. One of the things about getting another OBP guy in the lineup is it could allow for Youkillis to move to 3 spot which means you won't have to take your 3 hitter out for a pinch-runner. First of all, it's not going to be a 100 point spread, that was just thrown out there as a hypothetical which you ran with, knowing it was highly unlikely that Pierre was ever going to come close to a 400 OBP. If he's capable of doing that, why didn't he do that in 2010 and 2011 when we needed it and he was younger?? Another reason Viciedo can't score is because Beckham and Ramirez sucked or have sucked for large stretches of the first half. There's a big difference when you have Youkilis, Dunn, Konerko, Rios and AJ behind you to drive a run in. Next, Viciedo doesn't have the type of swing that's conducive to just coming off the bench occasionally. To get his good and bad, the upside of his streakiness can't be expected if you play him sporadically. He'll end up with a swing like Tyler Flowers or Brent Lillibridge. Juan Pierre is NO LONGER AN EFFECTIVE BASERUNNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you get thrown out 30-40% of the time, that's HURTING your team, not helping it. Anything below a 75-80% steal rate is simply unacceptable. If we were talking about Juan Pierre 5-10 years ago, fine. But we're not. It's like arguing we should bring back Ken Griffey out of retirement because he might be able to hit RHP better than Dayan Viciedo. In the end, he's had these bursts before for a month or two. They don't last...and they've always taken place in the NL, not the AL. If Pierre was so great, why couldn't he perform consistently well for us? Why can he play well for the Dodgers and Phillies but not an AL team?

Maybe it would be easier if there was a way to block the words Ozzie Guillen and Juan Pierre. In all seriousness, I have a ton of posts in the Marlins thread, some are links and quotes, but many of us share in the blame for the whole Ozzie thing with greg. I also have a lot of posts in Cowley threads as well. In a way, those are like the PHT "train wreck" or industrial chemical spill threads at times that you find yourself wanting not to click on but having a hard time withstanding the urge. Part of it's due to the fact that Ozzie is in town this week and many comparisons are being drawn, some fair, some perhaps unfair. Maybe the other reason is because we're all feeling a bit of tension with the Tigers series coming up this weekend and the trade deadline approaching. We want to believe in this team, we've been waiting for 4 years...but there's a piece or two still missing. And you can pretty much guarantee the Tigers will be even better on paper in two weeks' time. And we're also seeing the "bandwagon effect" too, as more new posters or perhaps some old posters are rediscovering the White Sox again. More voices, more conflicts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 09:35 AM) Daryl Van Schouwen ‏@CST_soxvan Sox-Tigers Fri-Sun: Peavy 7-6, 3.12 vs Verlander 10-5, 2.43, Sale 11-2, 2.11 vs Porcello 6-5, 4.66, Humber 4-4, 5.77 vs Turner 0-1, 10.29 Unlike this Red Sox series, we have a clear advantage (on paper) in two of the match-ups at least. Well, maybe not, who knows what to make of the Sunday game. With a rookie who just got battered, pitching in the rubber game of the biggest series of the year for both teams, I'd give the advantage to the veteran, but I would guess the Las Vegas oddsmakers wouldn't have a clue either other than to look at DET being on fire and the fact that they're at home.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 08:58 AM) Hector should have started the season as a starter in AAA. It really boggles the mind that they did this to him -- the effect of going to the bullpen is that he's lost his offspeed pitches and very well may have lost his confidence as well. Unforunately, at this point he's nearly essential as one of the few "experienced" arms in the bullpen. You can't trade Thornton right now. We've paid him most of that salary now anyway. You could "upgrade" the backup catcher, but you likely won't see the backup catcher at all in a playoff setting. You won't see much of the bench either, basically just Escobar and Danks. I know everyone hates Hudson, but I still like him on the bench and I'm interested to see how he does at the plate now that he isn't learning a new defensive position. Flowers in 27 PA against LHP: .269 Flowers in 45 PA against RHP: .077 Something to think about. Of course with those PA numbers, he's a 3 for 3 game away from mucking everything up Essentially, they owe him about $3 million more (including the $1 million buyout, would be shocked if they exercised the $6 million club option). It's an interesting argument, there's pros and cons both ways with Matt, keeping him or dealing him. It shouldn't be THAT hard to pick up an Oliver or Mijares type.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 09:02 AM) Even after Monday's performance? One would have to believe so. However, one more disaster like that, not sure what Ventura will come up with. Going by the Royals' series (especially the extra inning game) and the fact that Santiago was the first reliever in last night, you'd have to say he's fallen to the bottom of the pecking order for the time being.

Myers will probably do better than Francoeur. Someone was saying (maybe it was Harrelson) a scout told him that Myers had the fastest hands of anyone in the Royals' organization, including the big league roster. It also depends on what kind of a revolving door they open up with their younger pitching prospects like Odorizzi. What's the latest on Montgomery? Bouncing back in AA? Also, Mijares could end up being a key piece for a team. Does Herrera, Holland or Crow take over if Broxton's traded? Lots of bullpen options there. Can't imagine they would look at Coleman or Collins.

Hawkins fits right in with Viciedo in terms of K's and walks. Oh, well. Ayala is going to put himself on the map quickly as our top catching prospect. Which isn't exactly a high bar to jump over.

Well, somehow one would have to think adding $25-30 million per year in payroll (trading Viciedo, adding/extending Greinke and bringing in Cuddyer) probably isn't going to fly with JR.

The result, in Christopher Nolan's conclusion to his Batman trilogy, is an ambitious superhero movie with two surprises: It isn't very much fun, and it doesn't have very much Batman. I'm thinking of the over-the-top action sequences of the earlier films that had a subcurrent of humor, and the exhilarating performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. This movie is all serious drama, with a villain named Bane whose Hannibal Lecterish face-muzzle robs him of personality. And although we see a good deal of Bruce Wayne, his alter-ego Batman makes only a few brief appearances before the all-out climax. Bane, played by Tom Hardy in a performance evoking a homicidal pro wrestler, is a mystery because it's hard to say what motivates him. He releases thousands of Gotham's criminals in a scenario resembling the storming of the Bastille. As they face off against most of the city police force in street warfare, Bane's goal seems to be the overthrow of the ruling classes. But this would prove little if his other plan (the nuclear annihilation of the city) succeeds. Bane stages two other sensational set pieces, involving destroying the Stock Exchange and blowing up a football stadium, that seemed aimed at our society's twin gods of money and pro sports. No attempt is made to account for Bane's funding and resources, and when it finally comes down to Bane and Batman going mano-a-mano during a street fight, it involves an anticlimactic fist-fight. He blows up the city's bridges and to top that lands a right hook on Batman's jaw? This is a dark and heavy film; it tests the weight a superhero movie can bear. That Nolan is able to combine civil anarchy, mass destruction and a Batcycle with exercise-ball tires is remarkable. That he does it without using 3D is admirable. That much of it was shot in the 70mm IMAX format allows it to make that giant screen its own. That it concludes the trilogy is inevitable; how much deeper can Nolan dig? It lacks the near-perfection of "The Dark Knight" (2008), it needs more clarity and a better villain, but it's an honorable finale. . http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...VIEWS/120719981 Ebert gave it 3 stars...that's the hard thing if you're Nolan, to top yourself...everything gets compared to Memento, TDK and Inception 87% positive at RT, 119 good reviews, 18 negatives

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 07:40 AM) I think from 2004-2008 Ozzie did a great job as a manager of this ballclab. Two division championships and a W.S. title. From 2009-2011 it turned into this "Ozzie Guillen" show all of a sudden. His family would be tweeting terrible things about this ballclub and Ozzie would defend his children. The fact that he started bringing up a contract extension in the middle of last season (when they were only 4 games back) really pissed me off. His team pretty much underachieved the last 3 seasons and he wanted an extension. Ozzie started caring more about Ozzie and less about the team and that W.S. title officially went to his head which is very very sad. Ozzie is an excellent situational manager. However, he is NOT a good teacher of the game. He is never one to help out a slumping veteran or groom a young player. Makes me wonder why they even needed Omar Vizquel to help "teach" Alexie Ramirez play SS. Didn't Ozzie play SS his whole career? Ozzie is terrible at teaching, coaching and mentoring the younger players. I could not stand his mind set of "If they are in the big leagues, they dont need to be taught" mind set. From what i have seen thusfar, Robin is doing a great job with the veterans who slumped last year ( it helps having a calm demeanor) AND he is doing a great job with a very, very young bullpen AND he really brought the team together this year. Its pretty cool seeing Dunn hug Viciedo after he hits a HR and vice versa. This team looks loose and they are fun to watch. I haven't seen a team this relaxed since the 2005 season. We'll always be left with "what if's" from the Ozzie Era. What if CQ didn't break his hamate bone in anger in 2008? What if we kept Thome for 2010? What if we hadn't traded for Mackowiak in 2006? What if everyone had stayed healthy in 2004? What if we signed Victor Martinez instead of Dunn? What if we started out the year with anyone but Thornton as the closer? If we benched Pierre for Dayan when Viciedo was tearing up the IL? Things would seem a lot worse if not for the coin flip/Danks/Thome black-out game miracle. Looking back, it's still hard to believe Minnesota collapsed there at the end the way they did. Having watched the Twins 2001-2004, 2006...it didn't seem possible.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 08:03 AM) Nice recall! I actually felt sorry for Munoz that day. What year was that? Ozzie would not take him out, then we scored a bunch of runs later, not enough to win obviously. Not one of Ozzie's better games, either. Munoz actually made it back to the Show, pitched a game or two with Mets, I believe. AKA the greatest game in young Juan Uribe's career (before his 2 World Series appearances). He was hitting .400 around that time in 2004. I also remember it because we had a great chance to win at the end and Willie Harris horribly botched a bunt attempt.

What is this now, Rookie #13 or 14 this year? You knew the KW Genius Again label would only go so far. Oh, well, we learned something valuable and we'll inevitably get to see Castro or Leesman if Floyd's unable to go next week. Understand why they didn't want to push Castro having just come off the DL and started on Sat. He'll get his opportunity at some point soon.

Send him back to the minors? As a starter or reliever? At this point, no clue. Believe he does need to just go out there and pitch again and rebuild his confidence. Especially in any pitch he throws which is not a fastball. And decide whether the screwball's a viable pitch once and for all, if not, junk it. So send him to Charlotte with Hernandez and put him in the rotation or send him out every other day, just let him rediscover what he had going last year and this past spring. In Ventura's mind, Septimo has already passed him anyway. Having a 3rd lefty is luxury. Guess it really doesn't matter in the end if they use Veal or Heath or Santos Rodriguez or Marinez or Bruney, but they seemingly need to try a different approach with him and see if something clicks. It's hard for me to believe that 1) all of our backend relievers will be anything close to consistent, they're rookies and 2) that we might not need Santiago again before the end of the season. I advocated in the other thread trading Thornton + prospect for Betances and then swinging another trade for the equivalent of a Darren Oliver or Jose Mijares. The trust level for pretty much everyone in the bullpen, including Matt, is about zero. It's almost to the point where Omogrosso is #2 right now until Crain comes back, although surely Robin will keep trotting Matt out there in the 8th inning as long as he's on the roster. Thornton isn't bad. He's just not as a good as he used to be. And, with his salary, I'd rather get creative with his salary and use it on another area (no, not for Juan Pierre, although the bench could certainly stand for some improvement). Flowers and Escobar and Hudson could all be upgraded...it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to flip-flop Flowers and Phegley and give Tyler a month of playing every day to see if he can get his swing back, because it's a disaster right now playing once every 10 games. We just can't have a bench of 3 non-entities if we want to go deep in the playoffs, it will get exposed quickly.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 05:57 AM) This. I agree 100% If we can't criticize Ozzie, we shouldn't be able to criticize Rios. Both are rich. Both didn't earn their paychecks for MOST of 2009-10-11. In some ways, it's an eerie parallel, as Rios and Ozzie were both good for stretches in 2010 and very bad in 2009 and 2011. Where their paths diverge is 2012. And yet, the reason we can't criticize Ozzie is because of 2005, so because Rios wasn't a part of that same team, he's therefore an inviting target for constant criticism? You can't defend (or admire) Ozzie for being rich and then turn around and use that same argument against the players. It's illogical.

QUOTE (kwolf68 @ Jul 19, 2012 -> 01:03 AM) Not sure if I can help Caufield here, but my wife was Director of Development for an SRO housing non profit in Wash DC and in Richmond Va, has done major donors, government and grant writing...she has worked in nearly every field of non profits (at risk youth, food banks, environmental, worked for the NPCA, population, Red Cross, family planning in Africa, etc., etc). She is a wealth of knowledge. Though I don't think she ever dealt with corporate giving I did hear her talk of it some. You are right, it's not easy. I'd guess most of the money for non profits comes from foundations and major donors. I too have worked for non profit organizations, specifically on the science side of environmental issues. I don't advocate at all, just do my thing, but she did advocate so she's the person who knows that stuff. If you still need some feedback pop an IM to me or post specific questions here. She wouldn't be able to help with Chicago-based non profits however. Thanks, Wolf. I'm not sure how practical it would be anyway, I really enjoy "direct service" work, out in the field, and that pays shi-. When I was out doing volunteer work, I would always say to myself...if only I could figure out a way to split my job 50/50 between wearing a suit and tie and doing fundraising/PR/grantwriting and then doing the things I most enjoy, but it's nearly impossible to find positions like that. You have to design them yourself, or essentially start your own organization. The hardest part is I've never felt the "calling" to do one specific kind of non-profit cause. I always ending up working or volunteering for others, but I've never stuck my neck out there and tried to do my own thing. Somehow I got away from non-profit burnout into teaching (Teach for America program) and then I haven't gone back because I've kind of gotten addicted to the adventure of living and teaching abroad, along with the abundant opportunities for travel. Ten years ago, I was making $27,000 (keep in mind, it's Kansas City) as a program director, and probably should have been in the mid 30's for that position, but I was happy and had a "hands off" boss. Now, I make a bit about $3250 tax free per month and a free apartment (no car expenses), so that money goes a long long way in China. Still, I've never "loved" teaching like some kindergarten and elementary teachers I know....or many university professors. I really like it, but love...maybe sometimes.

Just found out she's coming from Evanston. At one point, I was thinking of going to Shedd Aquarium at 1000 am but then that would make for a long day of it...having to get up and drive 3 1/2 hours at 6 or 630 a.m., then being out in the sun all day and driving back home.

Nate Schierholtz is supposedly available. His OPS is 719. (Going along with Marty's trade Viciedo idea). Brad Bergesen of the O's was released. Still waiting to see what team will claim Jonathan Sanchez. Doubt he gets all the way to the White Sox.

Every once in a while, the slew of Hawk rants or the perception of umpire bias against us causes the Stockholm Syndrome to set in. We actually start sympathizing with Harrelson and believing there is an umpiring conspiracy against us and that because he loses it pretty frequently with the umpires, that the majority are pretty bad at their job. Well, it's about 75% complaining and 25% praising, which is human nature one would suppose.

I would hope the lowest moment of a fan would actually have something to do with the team's performance and nothing to do with off-the-field drama. That's like getting more excited about the National Enquirer or Globe than the movies and t.v. shows the stars appear in in the first place... In all seriousness, Robin hasn't been as great as we're making him out to be, Ozzie wasn't the worst manager in baseball...it just feels that was because these arguments have become some polarized, back and forth, back and forth. If someone or anyone says something approaching reasonableness, nobody pays attention.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 18, 2012 -> 09:19 PM) Hopefully he gets traded soon and misses the start vs the Sox next Monday. I know Ryan would never trade him to the White Sox and then turn around and have him face the Twins immediately after the trade...that would be crazy. Unless he really dislikes the Tigers/Illitch and would prefer the White Sox win the Central.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jul 18, 2012 -> 08:08 PM) I think it's more important to keep turning that lineup over, getting guys on base for the middle of the order, than it is to sacrifice that for the occasional HR. A benefit of that is you have Viciedo on the bench to pinch hit late in the game against a lefty. PH for Beckham, De Aza, or (for instance) Pierre. Voodoo baseball. Been there, done that. Won't work no matter how many ways you try repackaging it to make it somehow more palatable.