caulfield12

Micah Johnson's another name to watch. Exciting player...hopefully ends up better than Shelby, Jr., Harris or Richar

Then RA Dickey is a power pitcher this year... Danks is somewhere in between. Not a finesse guy, not really a true power pitcher, either. Certainly, at his diminished velocity, he wasn't missing as many bats as before. Any pitcher with a great change-up can strike out a ton of guys. Johan Santana, in his prime, for example.

QUOTE (GO CHI SOX! @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 04:40 PM) Humber has no options left, can't send him down. I just meant for any pitcher in MLB, whether he'd been released or sent down the same year. Or even pitched in the minor leagues in the same year as his perfect game, as Humber is doing tonight (although it's a rehab assignment).

1 run, 2 hits given up in the first inning. Loman, for some inexplicable reason, got picked off at 3B....really really bad baserunning. Barons 4-1 after 1. Smokies' starter already pulled. 2nd inning, first ball was crushed but Martinez tracked it down, infield groundout, K. Through 2. 24 pitches. 3rd, flyout, flyout, K Humber will go 6 innings, 80 pitches, supposedly. Will start next Tuesday against the Red Sox on the road.

QUOTE (Real @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 05:23 PM) has a pitcher ever been traded in the same year that they threw a perfect game? Has a pitcher ever been waived or sent to AAA in the same year (Humber, possibly)?

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 03:16 PM) He said he'd make the first trade without giving up major league talent. I certainly don't think he's implying they would trade Jones for Oliver. Guess I didn't look closely enough and assumed it was a roster with Huston Street and Volquez on it, as well as Oliver. Wrong thread.

On The Franchise last night, the Marlins Team President asked Ozzie about three times "are you sure you're not keeping Heath Bell as closer only due to him making 9 million a year?". Ozzie responded that wasn't the reason why he wanted him to be closer, as he felt the team was better with Bell as the closer and the 9 million dollar salary was the fault of the front office, and not him. I don't understand this. How did he word these things? Did he blast the front office? And what was the team president's point? Who did he want to close? Theoretically, Chisek.

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 03:12 PM) What about Nate Jones? Clearly, he's being moved in one of those trades.

Volquez could be sent down if the Reds thought regular work there might straighten out any mechanical problems. To me it looks like Volquez has a head and attitude problem not an arm problem. He seems to have more than enough natural talent but he does not get much out of it. Sad really. Maybe he will come around some day. Then again maybe he won’t. Some never do. If Sam LeCure and Mike Leake had Volquez’ stuff we would have 2 aces. I am thankful Volquez didnt sign that extension. Thank god. Should teach the Jocketty not to overreact. Volquez really hasnt done much since the 1st year. Also, I get tired of the “he has great stuff” Thats like the old “5 tool player” If you don’t have it between the ears and the grit to earn it none of that matters. If it were me I would scare the crap out of Volquez and send him down. I still think Volkie has that potential - some of those snappy curve balls yestreday were freezing Indian hitters. Unfortunately, his fastballs were dead straight and, on those rare occasions he got one anywhere near the plate, very hittable. His head was clearly somewhere else, and given his comments after the game, I think we can make a pretty good guess as to its actual location. Whatever’s next for EV needs to happen in Louisville, and given today’s rumors (Volkie and Smith called into the office, Frazier on his way to Philly), that’s most likely what will happen. But Edinson Volquez pitched (or threw) and that more than made up for any problems Gomes is experiencing. If a team needs a batting practice pitcher to make their hitters all feel like Babe Ruth, all they have to do is bat against Volquez in the first inning. Once again, just like nearly every first inning he has pitched this year, Volquez was treated with the utmost disrespect by an opponent. The Tribe scored four in the first after Joey Votto gave Volquez a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a home run, the first lead Volquez has had all year. BUT, BOY, did he fritter it away in less than no time flat. Whatever afflicts Aroldis Chapman’s command and control is also possessed by Volquez. And whatever it is troubling Volquez has to be between the ears because he owns major-league stuff, major-league stuff that doesn’t come close to the strike zone. http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/conte..._for_volqu.html This comes from Hal McCoy, who broke the Homer Bailey/Dye trade (almost). I just selected some of his column, as well as random reader comments. Another thing that sticks out is he publicly articulated and complained about the fact that the Reds' offense wasn't supporting him with runs. That's a big no-no.

The Rangers wanted to strangle Volquez. There are many stories about they met up their own set of rules for him simply because he was so frustrating to deal with...just terribly irresponsibly, but terribly talented, at the same time. They were THRILLED to have the opportunity to get the high risk/high reward Hamilton back in return for him. Maybe he has grown up a little bit. They have to do their due diligence on this one. And then there's the inflation of value due to the PetCo Park numbers. See Latos, Matt for example. The Reds feel a LOT burned with that trade, so far, although I think Latos has been a BIT better recently. We have to be careful about upsetting the delicate clubhouse balance. Hudson and Youk have been great, so far...seemingly. The main plus is that we'd have Edinson for 2013 if we wanted, so it wouldn't be just a half year rental. So a lot like the situation with Jackson...and yeah, I'd rather gamble with Cooper "fixing" Volquez than fixing Floyd again. We've seem Gavin's act enough to know what to expect, both good and bad.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 01:58 PM) And he hasn't looked right most of the year on the mound. His numbers are deceptive, as he's gotten away with just a ton of pitches up in the zone. Tons of credit goes to Crain though, as I bet he hasn't been 100% all year. The Sox desperately need a righty set-up man with experience, in my opinion. Volquez won't come cheap though, and I hope KW doesn't consider trading Viciedo for these guys. Mitchell should be the main guy the Sox look to trade if he has any value at all. Not sure they'd want another play similar to Cameron Maybin in Mitchell, and Maybin was a very highly touted prospect originally. After watching Rizzo suffer out there, they'd have to be looking for pure power prospects, especially with Quentin likely to be gone. The best we can do there is Trayce Thompson, and he's just not close enough.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 02:14 PM) When you have a three month slump, then it's not really a slump, it's more so that he's not polished enough to hit the pitching. Have you looked at his BA for the past three months? He's hit .220, .210, then .150 the past three months while striking out 85 times in 215 ABs. He had only have ONE good months the past two years, that was this April, but he's reverted back to his old self again, albeit showing some improvements in walks and power. His ceiling was once absurdly high, and is still pretty high right now, but chances of him reaching the ceiling is very slim now. Mitchell at his floor will not make it too the majors. Saladino might not have a ceiling as high as Mitchell, but his floor seems to be a utility player at the majors, which is what I was saying. I don't know what you are trying say from all those rambling. We could make the same argument about Dayan Viciedo's season as well. Very inconsistent. Some improvements? I would say they're pretty incredible improvements if he's still sporting an OPS over 800 at this point. And a LOT of that is due to his propensity to walk this year, vis a vis 2011. Mitchell will make it to the majors EASILY if Jordan Danks did. If for no other reason than in 2015, we'll be without Rios and Dunn, and probably Konerko as well. You'd like to think that DeAza will play forever, but you never know when a player could suffer a major injury. Utility player in the majors isn't worth much....any more than Lillibridge, Hudson or Escobar. We can't write off Mitchell yet and say he couldn't be a productive leadoff or 9 hole hitter. He could play LF, CF and DH at the big league level. Wait until you see what he does for a year or two in AAA before you jump to those conclusions, in a much smaller stadium that's more similar to Chicago than Birmingham is. The other thing you have to consider is that other managers and peers consider him a true prospect, or they wouldn't have rewarded him with a trip to the All-Star game for the Southern League. That's telling, too. And he's got 49 RBI's, which is very very impressive considering where he's hit in the line-up.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 12:32 PM) I would like to hear some specifics about those reports. Coming out of college, he's known to have a pretty good glove and was a good bet to stay at short. Even as recent as last season, I heard his defense was adequate. Most players move to third base from short either because he outgrew the position or they lack the range or quickness. I don't think either scenario applies to him. If they feel that he doesn't have a strong enough arm for short, given his size and quickness, he will be experimented at second base before moving to third, which still makes him an intriguing prospect. The reason I would place him in the top 10 is that he has a higher ceiling and floor than most of the guys in top 15. I would even argue that he has a higher floor than guys like Mitchell and Thompson because they are still figuring out how to make contact with the ball. Without any solid evidence on his inability to stay at short, dropping him 12 spots on the list, given his improvements in several major areas, is too much. Despite Mitchell's slump, he's beating him (Saladino) pretty handily on the OPS front playing in the same home stadium. Mitchell's just a much more dynamic and exciting player. 8 homers, all those triples, the increased walk totals....he's getting there, or at least making progress. Let's say Saladino is an "average" 2B defensively. That means he needs to put up a 700 - 725 OPS not to be hurting the Sox at that position. He has a chance, but nothing this year would cause one to reach the conclusion that it's a foregone conclusion he's going to put up those numbers. Will he be better than Escobar? Probably. But a starter? Maybe not.

Bell has always been a big guy, but he's clearly out of shape. Jenks issue all over again, minus the alcohol.

Should we also leave Cowley alone? And all of the Guillen children?

Septimo's going to be on short notice too if he has a couple more outings like Sunday. Walks and no clue about holding the runner (Rajai Davis) on base....wild pitch, the perfect storm of a bad appearance. It's one thing to do well against the Yankees in games that are out of reach, but pitching when the pressure's on?

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 07:33 AM) a JUNIOR...western bacon chee I prefer Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger. Or just any mushroom & swiss concoction.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 12, 2012 -> 07:48 AM) It is a Phil Rogers list, so Chris Young and Curtis Granderson have to be on there somewhere... Surely Kipnis and Trout will be joining soon. And Rogers forgets that, all things considered, Austin Jackson has been probably an even better value for the Tigers this year.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/colum...,4124142.column Phil Rogers column on 10 things to watch for the 2nd half

But Casilla could run and bunt...does Sanchez have anything more than average speed?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 11, 2012 -> 11:50 PM) Here's what it boils down to. ... You all believe ... • Oz is the devil for "quitting" on the team with a week left to pursue the Marlins' job late in the season. You think he threw in the towel early. I believe ... Oz and KW couldn't coexist and Ozzie, with the blessing of Jerry, simply agreed in principle to become the Marlins' skipper cause he wasn't wanted in Chicago anymore. You all believe ... • The White Sox are doing better this season just because Ozzie is gone. I say that is crap. Some players are having better years which has nothing to do with the manager. You all believe ... • Ozzie should have benched Heath Bell by now. Give me a break. You ever blame the guy throwing the f***ing baseball? He was acquired for BIG BUCKS and HAS TO BE the Marlins' closer. Ozzie has done what all managers do; replace him for a game or so. But Bell is earning mega millions. He is one of their big offseason acquisitions. He plays. Finally ... My plea to you. Can you lay off Ozzie Guillen for his time in Chicago? He was a good White Sox player for a long time, solidifying our ss position. He had his flaws as a hitter, swinging at too many pitches, but was a very good player. As a manager, he directed the team to one of the best postseason runs in baseball history. If you lay off him, I don't have to defend him. PLEASE PLEASE leave Ozzie alone. Or ignore him. Go SOX!! So in other words, nobody associated with the 2005 World Series team can be criticized in any way, shape or form? What do you think happened with Francona in Boston last year? He won 2 World Series titles. What if he did something like Paterno, won a national championship, but protected or excused Sandusky? Would you take down his statue? What would Ozzie have to do that you would consider indefensible or not part of his acceptable "entertaining Ozzie persona"? By the way, as to the earlier point, is Oney, Ozzie Jr or Ozney included in that comment about having sex with him or just Ibis?

An example would be selecting more Jeremy Reeds, refined collegiate players with gaudy statistics who will peak early or put up incredible minor league statistics but who don't project as well tools-wise. But u can't really say that has been our pattern, especially in recent years.

Humber was supposed to start for the Barons tonight, but the game's already in nearly a one hour delay. Theoretically, he was going to be able to return on the 17th (next Tuesday) against the Tigers. If he doesn't get the game in tonight, they're going to have to move him to another affiliate tomorrow or keep him with the Barons depending on the weather forecast to keep him on regular rest.

Christopher Nolan is throwing down the gauntlet. “We want this to be the most exciting film, the most emotionally engaging and enjoyable blockbuster that an audience can see this summer,” says the director of The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final chapter in the Inception helmer’s trilogy of Batman movies starring Christian Bale. In advance of the film’s release on July 20, Nolan and Bale sat down with Entertainment Weekly for separate interviews to talk about the making of Rises and the remarkable success of their collaboration. The new issue of EW, on sale later this week, also features exclusive new photos from the fil. During a chat in his home office in Los Angeles, Nolan spoke of constructing the story for Rises with writers David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan and discussed how the edgy epic reflects “the things that worry us” about the world. But he dismissed the perception that the movie promotes a specific political agenda. “I don’t feel there’s a Left or Right perspective in the film,” he says. “What is there is just an honest assessment or honest exploration of the world we live in.” Nolan told EW that he’s satisfied with the threequel, which pits Gotham City’s caped crusader against two new villains: Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), a thief who preys on high society, and Bane (Tom Hardy), a fierce, secretive, and brilliant revolutionary. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are back, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard join the cast. “I’m very happy with it. I know it’s the film I wanted to make. It does all the things I really hoped for,” says Nolan, who found inspiration in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, David Lean’s Dr. Zhivago and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner – plus Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities – for his climactic opus. “I look what everyone has done in the film and I think they’ve done a very good job — and I think I’ve done a good job not obscuring it.” Over a breakfast of carrot juice at an L.A. restaurant late last month, Bale told EW he’s both excited and overwhelmed by the imminent arrival of Rises’ pop culture moment. “It’s just begun, hasn’t it?” said the actor, noting the massive billboards outside the eatery. “These movies always start as small affairs, just me and Chris, sitting across a table, talking,” says Bale. “By this point, it starts to become this monster, just kind of roaring. For me, it’s kind of exciting, but don’t get too close, because it might devour you with its jaws.” Not that Bale is anything less than grateful for the beast that’s been the Dark Knight. Before becoming Batman, Bale was frustrated by the lack of quality parts coming his way. Not anymore. Since Batman Begins, Bale has not only been a very busy actor, but one of Hollywood’s best. “[batman] afforded me a change in my life. And it’s up to me to make a hash of that,” says Bale, who won an Oscar last year for his work in The Fighter. “Most actors desperately hope for work to come their way. Batman has given me the ability to say, ‘I don’t have to.’ I can choose, and choose wisely, and make the most of it.” http://www.popwatch.ew.com

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 11, 2012 -> 02:09 PM) I'll take a vote. Do you all really want me to go thru that long, well thought out post point by point and re-but? I will if you want that. I dont think people want me to do that. I love hawk, but he is going to make the current guy look good, which is fine. I like Ventura as well. Ugh. This argument confounds me. My god. they bring in a closer for a gadzillion dollars; you have to pitch the guy in the closer's rule. It's the closer trashing their season, not ozzie. Now I guess it's to the point he's going to have to do something; Oz has indicated that, but he STILL doesn't want to replace Bell. My guess is Bell will start the second half as the closer, as he should. See what happens. Or closer by committee, but you got to go with the high paid acquisition; why can't u guys see that?? It's called a TEAM; gm acquires players; you play them. Now the closer can be kept out of a game or two, but until the GM disposes of him, he's the high paid guy who plays. This is sports; this is life. Ozzie replaced Takatsu with Hermanson and then Jenks. End result? Championship. He went from Matt Thornton to Sergio Santos. Ventura went from Santiago to Thornton to Sale to Reed in about 4-6 weeks. They've already "mini-benched" Bell once this season, replacing him for a game or two with Cishek.