caulfield12

Anyone want to start speculating as to the players selected for the AFL? Would love to see Beck get to go, even though our minor league staff might just as likely want him to shut it down early and start deconstructing his mechanics and getting him on the Allen Thomas conditioning program to shed all that added muscle mass. Carlos Sanchez, you'd have to think, would be one of the selections. Maybe even Salvador Sanchez. Trayce Thompson, perhaps.

That damn Perez can sure hit and throw. Reminds me physically of a young Sandy Alomar, Jr.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 06:42 PM) I don't know if the Sox have this, but Royals had great fan promotion Friday night. One dollar hot dogs and small drinks. I think they do it every Friday during the summer. I'll take it. Delicious dogs. Guy I was with had four or five. I had 2. Nice to pay 2 bucks instead of 9 for 2 fricking hot dogs. A lot of teams are adding "all-you-can-eat" sections. http://athletics.mlb.com/oak/ticketing/jumbo_tickets.jsp Here's an example from the Oakland A's. No reason the Sox couldn't do the same promotion through their own version of Comcast, since they're part owners of it. About Jumbo Tickets Within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket will be added-value. These "Jumbo" Tickets can be used throughout the Coliseum for redemption at various concession stands for food and beverages and at merchandise stands for souvenirs. A Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket includes a Jumbo Ticket added-value of $6. A Plaza Club ticket includes a Jumbo Ticket added-value of $10. Buy Single Game Tickets Have any questions about Jumbo Tickets? Head down to the Frequently Asked Questions below. Frequently Asked Questions Q. How much Jumbo Ticket added-value is loaded on each ticket? A. $10 of Jumbo Ticket added-value is added within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket and $6 of Jumbo Ticket value is added within the barcode of each Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. What is the price of a Plaza Club ticket or a Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket? A. A's single game ticket pricing is based on current market value. Ticket pricing can fluctuate based on factors affecting supply and demand. Jumbo Ticket added-value will not fluctuate. There is $10 of Jumbo Ticket added-value within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket and $6 of Jumbo Ticket added-value within the barcode of each Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I have four tickets. Can I put all Jumbo Ticket added-value on one ticket? A. No, the Jumbo Ticket added-value cannot be transferred into another ticket's barcode, but more than one ticket can be used in the same purchase. You can use all four tickets toward that jacket in the Team Store or meal at the concession stand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I am a Season Ticket Holder with ticket exchange privileges. If I exchange my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets to another game in the same seating level does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer? A. Yes, the Jumbo Ticket added-value will transfer if exchanging a future home game into another future home game in Plaza Club and Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck areas only. Remember, season tickets must be exchanged at least 48 hours in advance of the game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I am a Season Ticket Holder. If I exchange my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets to another seating location does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer? A. No, the Jumbo Ticket added-value will not transfer to a new seating location. The ticket value of your seats, however, will be applied to any new seating section. The Jumbo Ticket added-value is only available in their designated sections. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. If I transfer my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets using My A's Ticket or re-sell on StubHub does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer to the new ticket holder? A. Yes, the Jumbo Ticket added-value will transfer to the new ticket's barcode and that ticket holder can use the Jumbo Ticket added-value at the game date printed on their ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. If I lose my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets and Ticket Services reprints them does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer to the new tickets? A. Yes, the previous barcode will be voided and the reprinted Plaza Club tickets will have the Jumbo Ticket added-value loaded into the new barcode.

KWJR with a grand salami. Ha! Everything's turning up roses these last 2 weeks, except for our pitching health. Hawkins has a double, now at .262.

Countdown....24 hours until Ozzie arrives back in ChiTown. No question about what questions he'll get asked, the only puzzle is how well he'll do NOT addressing them or putting his foot in his mouth again. I'm sure Loria is going to enjoy this week. Not.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 05:49 PM) Meanwhile, if the Rangers get Hamels, we are really in trouble. We have to play them again soon (Rangers at the Ballpark), but anything would be better than Hamels or Greinke going to the Tigers.

What an amazing run I have had these past 8 1/2 years in Boston! It has been an honor and a privilege to play every home game of my career in Boston before a sold out Fenway Park. I would like to thank everyone who gave me an opportunity in Boston, and stood behind me through all these years. To the Spinners, the Sea Dogs, the PawSox, and to all those teammates on the Red Sox since 2004, I am forever grateful. I want to thank the Red Sox ownership for all the hard work and dedication to making the Red Sox and Fenway Park a special place to play. They have always supported me on the field, and have helped out in many ways off the field. I can't thank them enough for my time in Boston. To Terry Francona, who led us to 2 World Series championships in 2004 and 2007, I thank you for your support and personal guidance through my career with the Red Sox. I thank you for being there for me not just as a manager but as a friend off the field. Thank you for the opportunity to play in 3 All-Star Games, winning 2 World Series, winning the Hank Aaron Award and a Gold Glove. I could have never accomplished all this without all my great teammates and coaches who made me a better player. I want to thank my parents and brothers for all their support from the day I got drafted. Without my Dad's hard work building that batting cage, and my Mom tirelessly schlepping me around to all my games, I would never have lived my dreams in Boston. I want to thank my beautiful wife Julie and all her family for all their support. We will always cherish Boston since it was the city in which we met and married. I also want to thank all the philanthropic people around New England and across the country who supported my charity in the past and continue to support Youk’s Kids. Since its inception, we have raised over $3 million to support the neediest of children in Red Sox Nation. While my days of playing for the Red Sox have ended, I am still committed to serving the New England area through my charity. I thank all the charity’s sponsors for all they have done, and their continued support going forward. And, last but no means least, to all the Red Sox Nation, the home of the most dedicated and knowledgeable fans in baseball, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. That final game at Fenway was the most emotional day of my life on the baseball field. It could not have been scripted any better. And to all those kids out there in Red Sox Nation, I can give you my Dad’s advice. “Life is like a throw to first base, always aim high.” I love you all, and thanks, Kevin Youkilis

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 05:28 PM) And the Detroit Free Press is saying the Tigers are in consideration for him and Scutaro. The latter makes a lot of sense (doesn't he kill the Sox, too?) I'd read Infante, Polance....Scutaro makes sense as well. He can also play SS, which is actually where Peralta SHOULDN'T be playing, but I don't think Peralta can play 2B so Marco would play 2B.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 12:08 PM) Curtis Granderson has also played in 21 more games this season. If jackson could stay off the DL, I would be more impressed That actually worked out perfectly (so far) for them. They figured out what they had in Berry, when nobody expected much. He has been huge for them.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 01:01 PM) It seems like Boesch is starting to get it going finally. It's amazing how bad Raburn's been this year. He had at least two big hits late yesterday. Then the next problem is how to get Young, Boesch, Berry and Dirks playing time, especially when Victor Martinez comes back. But right now, they have to be elated to get productive contributions from Young and Brennan. That said, it has been against Minn, KC and the Orioles without Hammel. Their schedule is about to drastically tighten up.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 11:59 AM) You mean you don't like the possibility of facing a healthy Red Sox lineup with Axelrod, Humber, Quintana and possibly someone like Leesman? Hopefully Floyd's ok and we the offense can carry the Sox. Forgot about Leesman. Knowing KW, it will be Hernandez. Just have to see which one lines up better...with their rest and spot in the rotation.

QUOTE (kapzk @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 12:51 PM) Well sure Jays had the medical records and made him undergo a physical but the timing of when the trade went down raised question marks. Especially when the Sox just signed to him to a very club-friendly contract for a closer prior to the trade. Though Santos was named the closer upon his arrival here, his role in 2013 – whenever he might be ready – will likely be quite different. The injury is another blemish on GM Alex Anthopoulos‘ track record in bullpen pitcher acquisitions, though this one might have been a bit out of his control. I imagine the team would have done their due diligence on Santos and came back with a clean-enough bill of health. Still, the question will inevitably come up at some point – did the team know it was receiving what essentially amounted to damaged goods? Santos did not have any significant injuries during his years with the White Sox, and it’s not as though the Blue Jays gave up a ton to acquire him; so all things considered, perhaps you could argue it was a calculated risk worth taking. Should Santos be able to return in 2013 with his ability fully intact, the Blue Jays will add a dynamite strikeout artist to their bullpen under team control through 2015 – so this wasn’t quite the miss that previous acquisitions (like Jon Rauch) were. At least Darren Oliver turned out well, yes? Orioles have a spot starter going for Hammel (out 4-6 weeks, surgery) against Verlander...so odds of winning this game for BALT, about 5-10%. About to be 2-0 Tiggers. http://www.rantsports.com

Jackson with a 945 OPS Granderson at 865 OPS Jackson's a better defender and can steal more bags (granted, Curtis isn't asked to do that for the Yankees but was never a great pure base-stealer) and he plays half his games in one of the toughest hitter's parks in baseball. Yankee Stadium has made Johnny Damon and Swisher and Granderson look like studs. If Granderson was hitting a ton of homers outside of NYC or to CF and LF, then I'd be more impressed.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/danny-kn...e-threw-100-mph Apparently, Verlander didn't care about the results of the ASG. Shouldn't he have told Washington he was more concerned with throwing 97-100 MPH fastballs rather than actually trying to get batters out? By the way, that walk off homer by Teagarden was only his 2nd at-bat of the season. Crazy. And Benoit's been the Tigers' best reliever.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 12:40 PM) Leadoff homer for Austin Jackson with Verlander pitching Next time he pitches in Chicago, everyone in the Gold Coast seats should hold up life-size posters of Kate Upton behind home plate, like at a college basketball game. Better yet, sign her to an endorsement deal, put her in some type of sexy outfit or even a Sox jersey/cap and give 20,000 of those puppies away to the first 20,000 ADULTS 14 and older. That has to help with attendance!

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 11:38 AM) The fountains of "the K" spew the urine of the White Sox bullpen. Good thing Harrelson doesn't have to do a Mariners game at KC or we'd probably have something else spewing out of fountains and it wouldn't be pretty. Oh, and Austin Jackson is darned good. Take Granderson out of Yankee Stadium and his numbers aren't so glowing. Overall, Austin's become the better all-around player. Sorry Phil Rogers.

Marty, please stop picking on our Cubans. Thanks, Raul Castro

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/8...-support-letter Youkilis is coming back to BOS like some combination of Gandhi and MLK...poor Bobby Valentine. Almost feel sorry him, but nope. Although I do see a future with Bobby V and Ozzie having an ESPN partnership together.

Biggest AL Central disappointment? Carlos Santana or Eric Hosmer?

Pujols finally passed the magic 800 OPS number. 15 homers, .270 average, 53 RBI's.

Why don't they just hold back Floyd until next weekend in DET? Obviously we can't afford to get swept by the Red Sox, but with Axelrod, Humber, Quintana and TBA as the four guys against Boston...not good. And, while we're at it, please inform Chris Sale...maybe not a great idea to throw a FB to Alcides Escobar, who's quickly becoming the best SS in the AL.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 11:29 AM) 122 pitches for Floyd against the Yankees, look at Peavy's pitch count and tell me they aren't pushing their starters. And there was no reason in that Sunday game. It was already basically over. I can't remember if he was on the roster, but they should have tried to use Heath. They gave Septimo two opportunities in that series. And Robin's got to stop letting Peavy talking into leaving him out there. That wasn't necessary for 1) Peavy to give up 6 runs, and 2) for the lead to be more than 1 run. They could have used Santiago or Septimo against Moustakas. No idea why Peavy was still in him with pitch count so elevated.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 11:12 AM) After Saturday evenings bummer of agame I am guessing: Peavy, Konerko, Dunn and others such as our manager Robin Ventura. After than 459 foot homer?

What's the latest with Simon Castro's situation? Any updates? Hard to imagine who's even the next starting pitcher in from the minors? Pedro Hernandez, one would guess. The only other choice would seem to be starting Santiago and giving him 3-4 innings. Where have you gone, Eric Stults, lol?

http://fancostexperience.com/pages/fcx/fci_pdfs/8.pdf However, when you look at the fall of nearly 30% in the average ticket price, I'm going to call BS on that one, with the dynamic pricing. Parking is 4th most expensive in the majors. Very surprised to see the Tigers, Twins, Cardinals and even the Astros ahead of us. Of the top teams, the White Sox had the biggest decrease of -13.8% (overall FCI), with the Dodgers at roughly -10%. That said, some of our season ticket holders and regular attendees and stub hub/dynamic ticket buyers probably have their own opinions on whether there legitimately has been such a marked decrease across-the-board. Seems like a bit of an accounting trick. And, by the way, the Marlins are in BIG trouble. Looking at those markets and/or teams, very surprised to see the Rangers, Braves, Angels, Padres and Diamondbacks all relatively affordable. Kansas City you can understand their increases because of the All-Star game and hype coming into 2012. Rockies, also in big-time trouble after having raised prices significantly.