caulfield12

Santos blew two of those games in the second half. We'll see how our new and "improved" bullpen stands up to the challenge.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/11867536-41...ll-in-2012.html

QUOTE (danman31 @ Apr 12, 2012 -> 10:11 PM) Just when everyone was saying Keenyn Walker was a bust he does that. How freaking bizarre. Yep, I was one of them. Of course, one GOOD game does not a season make, either. I remember Jerry Owens went 5 for 5 against the Twins once, something like that....in August/September of 2007, but that turned out to be a mirage.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/...ong-as-ever/?hp It was inevitable, Ozzie made the NY Times. Hopefully the only time Ventura makes it is for winning a World Series. One of the four editorial opinions. The fact that Ozzie Guillen is not seeking a new baseball team to manage today is the most compelling evidence that Cuban-American attitudes in Miami have changed as the demographics of the community have changed. It is a stark reminder of the loss of so many of the people responsible for building the Cuban-American community in Miami. For more than 50 years the community, led most passionately by “el exilio histórico” (the historic exiles who fled Castro’s Cuba in the 1960s and '70s) have built a life for themselves and their families in Miami, while all the while hoping, praying and planning for a time when the Castro regime would fall and they could return home. Such disrespect would have led to a far harsher response 10 or 20 years ago, when more of the original Cuban exiles were still alive. Throughout most of this time to have conceded an inch on any issue relating to Fidel was considered tantamount to giving in to the dictator himself. As the Cuban-American community grew, the local civic leadership in Miami became heavily influenced by individuals dedicated to a Free Cuba and their leadership and activism has had a tremendous impact on local, state and national policy for decades. But for the second and third generations of Americans of Cuban descent, for whom Fidel is a historical rather than personal enemy, the virulence of their anti-Castro posture is not as personal or passionate as their parents’ and grandparents’. Where support for the Cuban embargo was once nearly universal, the community is now split; where overwhelming majorities once opposed travel to Cuba, the reverse is now true. Many of those original warriors, like my grandmother, whose strength and determination served as the bedrock for a community that arrived here with nothing, have passed on. Every day there are fewer and fewer historic exiles who know the pain of Castro’s oppression first-hand, every day fewer for whom the defeat of Castro is their most important priority. And so in the final analysis, Mr. Guillen is a fortunate man. Had someone in his position so directly disrespected the Cuban community by daring to praise Castro 10 or 20 years ago, the protesters would have numbered in the thousands, local TV and radio would have erupted with outrage, corporate sponsors of the Marlins would have pulled their financial support in droves and Mr. Guillen — rather than simply being suspended and embarrassed — would have been fired immediately. My grandmother and others like her would have made sure of it.

QUOTE (Dungus @ Apr 12, 2012 -> 09:52 PM) I still think more purging will be done before it's all said and done. So far I do like the look of the young arms. The problem is that the two young arms that look the worst (for now) are Molina and Stewart.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 12, 2012 -> 08:04 PM) If they win 2 WS in the first 5 years, they won't care. Their payroll will grow with time, he can dh, and it's not like they didn't have bad contracts when they signed Pujols anyway. Yeah, Wells and Hunter, to name a few. If Morales can stay healthy enough to play 1B or SOME position on the field, that will help. The jury's still out on Trumbo at 3B. Everyone knows he can hit, but where to play him if he's not at 1B? With how good the Rangers, Rays and Tigers look set up for the next 3 years or so, I'd be really surprised if they managed 2 WS titles, let alone one.

Tyler Kuhn 11 for his first 27, over 400 in the early going. No matter what you say about that kid's defense, power, athletic ability....he just hits. Petricka ended up surrendering 4 runs. Miguel Gonzalez sighting, didn't even realize he was still with the organization.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 12, 2012 -> 06:18 PM) Projecting Pujols to fail because of a slow first few games is not a bet I'd make. He'll be fine, like he always is...he started off slowly last year, too. And, if the Angels win another World Series trophy (and his first as owner), I'm sure Moreno will say it was all worth it. It's just 4-5-6 years out that are going to be a problem. When they had Shields and K-Rod, it was almost impossible to beat that bullpen. Now they're a lot more vulnerable than they were in the past. The same thing happened with the Twins....once the aura of invincibility at the end of games was wiped away, the emperor was wearing much less clothing.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 12, 2012 -> 05:36 AM) My only worry about Cabin in the Woods is that it has been sitting on the shelf since 2009. If a movie is good, they usually dont wait 2 1/2 years to release it. The production company went into bankruptcy, but it has been delayed like 3 times since that was resolved Maybe because the presence of Thor/Chris Hemsworth in it makes the movie a bit more marketable. Most of the cast is no-name, but that hasn't stopped any of the highest-grossing horror movies in the last 5 years at all. http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/reviews/2...e-three-stooges Three stooges actually gets a very positive review. If Cabin In the Woods isn't your taste, this one's supposed to be even better (just not sure where it's showing) http://www.miami.com/039kill-list039-unrated-article-0

Twins had a miracle comeback against the Angels again. All is not happiness in LaLa Land for now. That Pujols deal will be a noose around Moreno's neck, although they have the attendance and broadcast deals and the Dodgers' sale to inflate the value of that franchise into the stratosphere.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7800872/...uillen-keep-job However, the last part is the most important to his long-term future....37% of Cubans and 26% of Miami residents said it would affect their attendance at a Marlins game. Now maybe that's the kind of thing you think is "politically correct" to say when you're polled the week in which everything blew up and it will be old news by May for most Miami residents....it's really hard to say because there's not a track record of attendance for weekday games in April so that someone could come up with conclusive evidence that it was directly correlated with the Ozzie situation. Loria might want to spin it that way if they have to fire him before the end of this season, but attendance could just as easily fall off a bit by next Tuesday if they end up 1-4 in the games Cora is managing.

3) Did a spot with Tony Kornheiser on his national radio show today talking Ozzie and Heat. Tony's intro music for segment on Ozzie: "I'm Sorry" by Brenda Lee. 4) I was to be on with Wolf Blitzer on CNN last evening for more Ozzfest but got bumped by Rick Santorum withdrawal. Catch you next time, Wolfie! 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote] Read more here: http://blogs.herald.com/random_evidence/20...l#storylink=cpy Poor Joey! The Marlins said Guillen was going to spend the night in Philadelphia and return to Miami on Thursday. The players did not elaborate on what exactly Guillen told the team, and Guillen did not speak to the media after the meeting. But some players said they appreciated the visit and the message. “I don’t see it as an adverse time for us,” Logan Morrison said. “It’s tough for Ozzie, but we stand behind him. I think a good way to turn the page is by winning games and doing well this season.” Cora said while Guillen has been his usual animated self when it came to baseball matters, he could tell the situation deeply affected him during the road trip. “He got hit pretty good by it,” Cora said. “He felt it. It was tough to watch him [Tuesday]. It looked like he needed a hug.” Guillen said Tuesday his quotes in the Time magazine article had been misinterpreted. Cora didn’t think Guillen would resort to using a translator in the future. “I doubt he will because then Ozzie wouldn’t be Ozzie,” Cora said. “He speaks from the heart and he likes talking to people directly and saying what he feels. “... We’re baseball people. We’re not politicians.” Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/12/2743...l#storylink=cpy

It seems more like the kind of thing Cowley would come up with, rather than an actual major league baseball team, although you never know with Williams. He's never shown a penchant for letting by-gones be by-gones.

QUOTE (Benchwarmerjim @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 11:05 PM) From what I remember Cuddyer didnt not want to sign, and the Twins wanted draft picks. Jamey Carroll seems like a decent signing so far. He can field and takes pitches, which is a lot more than what the Twins were putting out there last year. Nishioka, Casilla, Tolbert, Plouffe, etc. Valencia's expected to get a strong challenge for his position this year, yes? And Carroll's 38 I think, must be one of the oldest infield starters in baseball.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 09:15 PM) Sale gets the first start in these. I picture him even thinner looking in red pinstripes somehow. Vertical stripes make you look thinner, horizontal, the opposite. Or black. Fashion 101

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 08:36 PM) pee-ew the twinkies look BAAD That huge stadium just doesn't play to their strengths. Not to mention the fact that Mauer/Morneau both went south from a power/health standpoint at the same time. Basically, they ended up replacing Cuddyer/Kubel/D.Young with Willingham. That's never going to have a happy ending, not even at a Thai massage parlor. Meanwhile, 2 miracles today in the AL Central. Rays rally against Verlander, Twins against Jared Weaver, will take at least a one run lead into the 9th. Big blow a Chris Parmalee triple scoring two.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 06:32 PM) Walters... 6IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 10 K Walters Spent two years at Ventura (Calif.) Community College before transferring to Hawaii. ... Went 9-3 with a 5.49 ERA in 50 relief appearances over two seasons at Hawaii. ... Was named first team All-Conference at Ventura C.C. in 2008. So another converted reliever, that we're trying to make into a starter. I'm guessing he's one of those "projectable arm" guys with the mid 90's fastball that KW loves to draft.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 08:39 PM) Ryan Sweeney with more pop in his bat would be a solid corner OF. Of course, we have plenty of corner OF's right now, and the one that Pierre blocked last year is doing ok. When we say we should have gotten more from Torotno...that doesn't mean we'd want to trade with Boston...it means that if we were going to trade Santos to Torotno, it would have been really nice to get one more piece back in addition to Molina. Even if it was father away than Molina, something else to add to our system. Just used this an example because the Red Sox were one of the teams that came out and said they wished they had known Santos was on the trade market.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Apr 10, 2012 -> 10:03 AM) You pretty much nailed it. It was really, really good. I've always liked Seth Rogan for the most part and JGL is awesome. I might pick up Hesher sometime soon just because he's in it. Hesher is VERY intense. It's one of the most outlandish movie characters that you will ever come across, yet it's somehow impossible not to watch. JGL lets it all hang out in this one, you watch a movie like 500 Days of Summer back to back and it's like WHAT? Obviously a very versatile actor, capable of great things if utilized properly. He might not have the stereotypical good looks of a Facebook-generation leading man, but he's always interesting to watch.

Yet the biggest Sparks cliché is found in his interpretation of a leading man. They must be manly yet sensitive, harbour a dark secret, scarred by a tour of duty, able to rebuild a rundown home and hold a special talent, like say…play the piano. It is romance fiction nonsense that women love, and Zac Efron plays it well. But he also does a great job infusing some humanity into the fantasy. Efron is quickly becoming the romantic leading man of his generation, and his performance in The Lucky One is an example of why. That Efron also shares an easy chemistry with Schilling helps sell this love story. Plenty of deep, passionate smooches feature throughout, but they would mean nothing if Hicks didn’t let the love story blossom and characters evolve, silly attributes and all. It’s hard to say what The Lucky One would have been like under a different director, yet under Hick’s it’s the best possible film a Nicholas Sparks novel could be. I thought this review about an upcoming April 20th movie (THE LUCKY ONE) was quite hilarious. Besides the HSM series, pretty sure all of his movies have been busts. Well, I guess Hairspray did well, but that was more of an ensemble cast. And I suppose 17 AGAIN was okay, but that was mostly due to Thomas Lennon and Matthew Perry. I'm sure all the wives/girlfriends will be dragging you to it, so be prepared. It's either that or the FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT the following week with Jason Segel and Emily Blunt.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 04:15 PM) I agree that selling high on a closer is wise. But we didn't really get a high price in return for selling high. But if we got Reddick, Head and Alcantara (the payout for Bailey), would we be any better off? I'm not saying that's the exact trade the Red Sox would have made with us for Santos, just using it as a comparison. Guess it just depends...Reddick would have been in Fukudome's role with us, but is he really more of an everyday player or just another version of Ryan Sweeney with a bit more pop in his bat? If the White Sox go through the 2012 season without any problems at closer and/or Santos struggles, there won't be QUITE so much heat on KW. But between Stewart and Molina, one of those guys should be expected to be something more than a spare part.

Willingham seems to be about the only good move the Terry Ryan made this past off-season. At first, that looked like one of those so-so at best contracts, but he's been the only power source for the Twinkies.

Well, pretty much nobody but McPherson and Kuhn are hitting at Charlotte. I wish I could believe that Drew Garcia could be a possible replacement at 2B or 3B, but that's unlikely. Black with his 2nd homer, hitting the ball well early. Trayce Thompson, whenever he does make contact, gets more than his share of XB hits. Marcus "Bill Melton, Please Don't Call Me Semen" Semien with his 3rd error already. Saladino and Mitchell, despite opening eyes in Glendale, are both struggling. All Ozzie's this week (Martinez in this case), "You, you not so good."

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 11, 2012 -> 08:13 PM) Zimmerman is already in custody in the state of Florida. Despite how bizarre his actions the last couple days were, he did everything appropriately today. The next thing will be keeping him "safe and secure" and away from anyone who might want to wish him harm. While not exactly Jeffrey Dahmer, he's definitely got a target on his head.

http://news.yahoo.com/why-george-zimmerman...ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3 Five reasons Zimmerman's attorneys dumped him, point 5 is the most interesting 5. This is an elaborate ploy on Zimmerman's part to stay out of jail This whole situation might just "be part of an elaborate and not entirely crazy act of self-preservation" on Zimmerman's part, says Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog. Consider this: He fled Florida and contacted Hannity. Let's say he's seeking refuge in "a very red state." Having Fox News rally conservatives to his side could lead a GOP governor in such a state to "refuse to extradite Zimmerman" to Florida if Zimmerman's indicted. Maybe that's an "utterly ridiculous" theory, but this country is so crazy, I think the plan could actually work. Oops, just woke up in China to find he's actually in custody. Well, in hindsight, hiding out in rural Alabama, Mississippi or South Carolina might have turned out to be the better move.