caulfield12

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 01:38 AM) When has Brignac been linked at all? Who said the Sox were going after him? Just the part in the blurb about the Sox looking for a SS prospect and starting pitcher (young). With the Rays, that means Brignac...Edwin Jackson/Davis/Niemann. KW, I'm sure, wouldn't settle for Niemann or Neimann or whatever his name is...

Are those stats (3rd/6th) just for the American League right? I guess the pitching one is a little misleading...because Contreras won't be a part of the equation, our "old" pitchers in the rotation are now Vazquez and Buehrle. So I think our pitching staff at least is getting much younger. By the way, is that 6th rating counting the bullpen and starting five, or just the starters? I guess by adding Linebrink and Dotel, Thornton's 32/33, and Carrasco, we got a bit older there, too. Out of necessity. Not sure if they are counting Logan/Russell/Wasserman either as part of the average age, because those three would drive it down a little bit. The biggest issue, of course, is the starting line-up and needing to get younger there...losing Cabrera is a start. But Swisher/Crede/Uribe/Hall were still in their primes or relatively close in terms of their ages, so age wasn't/isn't the sole factor. Bringing in Viciedo and Beckham, Poreda, Richard...that will definitely help to lower those averages...along with Ramirez and Quentin, of course.

Well, obviously KW is not going to give Jenks, Dye and Vazquez away like he did with Swisher...seemingly. I guess with the Rays, Reid Brignac has kind of fallen back....as a SS prospect. It's interesting, though, with Ramirez around, why they are trying to acquire a young shortstop? (Besides the obvious fact it's one of the most important positions on the field and Valido and Andy Gonzalez, not to mention Pedro Lopez and Dellaero and Caruso were are flops). But, with Alexei, we should have that position covered for at least the next three years. We also have Beckham, who potentially could play there but whose range is better suited for 2B in all likelihood.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Nov 24, 2008 -> 11:37 PM) I'm still not convinced that the youth movement can't win the division. The Royals are a work in progress, the Tigers are a mess, the Twins will be a tick as always until we scratch them off, and the Indians are trying to rework their entire roster, and will be a dramatically different pitching staff (then in recent years) even with CY Lee. Thankfully, the Indians have lots of holes in their pen. However, if Reyes and Lewis pitch like they are capable of, they probably have the best starting pitching in the division...to go with Lee and Carmona. They don't have a 5th, like us...maybe Laffey, Sowers or Zach Jackson. However, I feel a lot more confident in Danks/Floyd than they probably do about Reyes and Lewis. And Carmona's a real wild card, no telling what you will get with him. DET gets a healthy Bonderman back and Porcello pitches like Bonderman in his rookie season, they have Galarraga too....Bonderman. Willis is the biggest issue there, what to do about him...of course, Robertson was crappy last year and Miner might be back in the rotation. And they have no closer either.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Nov 24, 2008 -> 08:47 PM) It was a very close game this year with a kid making his first ever road start in a really hostile environment. It's a series the home team is winning anymore, and I think Ferentz was stressing it a lot more this year than in year's past. If Iowa rolls into Ames next year thinking that trophy is theirs, they'll get a rude awakening, cause I guarantee it'll get played up here. OTOH, Iowa was still searching for a QB at the time between Christensen (yet another five star recruiting bust) and Stanzi, the much less heralded player coming into spring practice. Iowa's program has a lot of momentum on its side, especially if they can manage to take down a B12 or SEC team in the bowl game. We've beaten Florida and LSU somehow, so it definitely can be done.

Well, if they're raising ticket prices 11% (think how many extra millions that playoff appearance meant, with all the playoff packages and deposits) at a time when Michigan's unemployment rate is soaring towards Great Depression levels...then KW is going to put a better product on the field than Getz/Betemit/Nix at 2B and Anderson/Owens in CF. Just wait and be patient. I'm very encouraged by the Viciedo signing, and the momentum of Armstrong, Beckham, Danks and Poreda generated in the Arizona Fall League. Viciedo is essentially another Top 10 first round draft pick, so we've really managed to become respectable again with our minor league system in the span of 2 seasons, despite trading away Cunningham/Carter/DLS/Gio/Sweeney.

9:24pm: I can't remember a day where so many rumors were floated and then debunked. The latest: Perez's agent and a source familiar with the team's thinking tell MLB.com's Bill Ladson that no multiyear deal is in the works with the Nationals. mlbtraderumors.com I don't even think KW offered a guaranteed one year contract. It was probably 80% based on incentives...and Perez and his agent THINK they can somehow get a 2 year deal, and anything is possible I suppose in this pitching-friendly market. What I think KW is doing is just getting a feel for some of his back-up options/insurance for the 5th spot...the likes of Colon, Garcia, Pedro Martinez, Mark Mulder, Schilling, Odalis Perez, Paul Byrd...maybe Marquis, but I doubt it.

I don't think the Twins have "half" the talent...I think that's very misleading. They've had lots of role players like Tyner, LeCroy, Lew Ford, Denny Hocking, Punto, Bartlett, etc., that have been thorns in our side. However, you look at the make-up of that team, recently...Torii Hunter, Santana, Liriano, Nathan, Joe Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, D. Young, Gomez, Baker, Casilla, Span...I would argue they have just as much, if not MORE talent, than the White Sox. I think this reputation of outplaying us came mostly from 2001-2004...especially when we lost to them head-to-head in 2003. Before this season, that was really our last legit battle with them, as we faded so badly in 2006, it wasn't that the Twins/Tigers beat us, it's just that our pitching staff wore down and the hitting cooled off after a superhot first half when we were 26 games over .500. The players they've brought up have produced...or the ones that they have traded for. I like BA and Owens and Getz and Nix as much as the next guy because I'm a Sox fan, but I don't realistically think that they are the equivalent (Broadway and Richard) of even Perkins and Blackburn. Now Poreda and Fields, I have some hopes for...and of course, down the line, Viciedo/Beckham/Danks/Allen/Shelby.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Nov 24, 2008 -> 06:02 PM) I'm very glad we didn't hire him, actually. And to caulfield, we'll beat Iowa next year. Not too worried about that. Definitely not if Shonn Greene comes back.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122747403752551393.html Very interesting article at the Wall Street Journal which says Texas is facing bad karma this year after politicking four years ago to get into the final game over a more deserving CAL team.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 10:32 PM) With all due respect, that would be the worst trade in Sox history and assure us flip flopping KC in the standings. Dye is one class act! Guillen is one of the most selfish pricks in baseball history. The troubles he had this past year in KC were mind boggling and legendary. He is somebody you do not want on your team, period. He also had slumps as bad as Paulie. Guillen is a disaster. No Sox fan in their right mind would root for that bum. Richard seems to be a good prospect. Dye remains productive. While DeJesus is pretty good, he is no Beltran. He can't steal a base or won't and can't learn at this part of his career. I like him personally and he's the opposite of Guillen personality wise. He'd be OK to have I guess. I predict Ozzie will beat up Jose Guillen before the season is over if we get him. He'll physically kick his ass which is what Hillman shoulda done. Umm....no. Todd Ritchie for Wells/Fogg/Sean Lowe Jorge Bell for Sammy Sosa Jon Adkins for Ray Durham Just in recent memory.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 24, 2008 -> 03:35 AM) Caulfield I understand your loyalty and vouching for him. He was a DISASTER in KC. If you want to say that's because they were a losing team, I call bulls***. He also was not productive at the plate. He was an automatic out for so long as KC fell out of contention then had one very hot period for maybe a month. He sucked again right after the all star break. He was a fricking disaster. You can't write off this season as saying it was simply out of character. I pray he doesn't join our team. He is a clown. If we had a 3rd outfielder who could give us 20 homers and 97 RBI's, I'd be very happy. (If Brian Anderson could do that and hit above .240, everyone in SoxTalk Land would be simply elated). He's like Uribe, he knows how to pick up RBI's. Unfortunately, Guillen is not a CFer and never will be. He's more of a DH than RFer now.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 11:32 PM) With all due respect, that would be the worst trade in Sox history and assure us flip flopping KC in the standings. Dye is one class act! Guillen is one of the most selfish pricks in baseball history. The troubles he had this past year in KC were mind boggling and legendary. He is somebody you do not want on your team, period. He also had slumps as bad as Paulie. Guillen is a disaster. No Sox fan in their right mind would root for that bum. Richard seems to be a good prospect. Dye remains productive. While DeJesus is pretty good, he is no Beltran. He can't steal a base or won't and can't learn at this part of his career. I like him personally and he's the opposite of Guillen personality wise. He'd be OK to have I guess. I predict Ozzie will beat up Jose Guillen before the season is over if we get him. He'll physically kick his ass which is what Hillman shoulda done. I will vouch for him. I was around him every day for one year as the Augusta GreenJackets' Director of PR and Stadium Operations in 1994 and 1995. Guillen is just misunderstood, if you speak to him in Spanish or get to know him... I think OZZIE Guillen could control him, and we have too many veterans on our team, he wouldn't get out of line. He's a leader and he wants to win, period. Yes, I know you're about to bring up the problems he had with Mike Scioscia out in Anaheim, but there's another side to that story which will come out one day about Scioscia's and his overmanaging, overcontrolling methods. The LA Times wrote a great article comparing Torre and Scioscia and why the Dodgers were succeeding and the Angels, not so much. FYI. http://www.latimes.com/sports/columnists/l...,2345712.column

QUOTE (NorthSideSox15 @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 11:27 PM) You barely got any of those countries of origin correct. Contreras and El Duque are from Cuba, as are Viciedo and Ramirez. Ordonez is from Venezuela and Loaiza is from Mexico. Check your facts. Ummmmm...where did I say the weren't from CUBA? I listed a majority of the foreign-born players we've had in the last 10-15 years. I know Loaiza is from Mexico...I saw him pitching in Mexico, in fact. I also met him when I worked for the Pirates....one of my friends (pitcher Francisco Garcia-Luna, formerly of Mexico City Rojos, is connected to him as well). Ordonez and Guillen are Venezuelans. Carlos Lee is Panamanian. I've also been to Panama and lived there in Colombia for one year, I even talked to Edgar Renteria's brother (remember him?) about working together on a baseball camp in Cartagena and/or Barranquilla, home also of Shakira the singer. I don't see anywhere where I said they were or weren't Cubanos. Try reading again please!!! Okay, I see I accidentally typed (PR) next to Loaiza...because I was thinking of Ivan Calderon or the Alomar brothers at the time I guess. Next time I will try to have an interactive spreadsheet with a map and "Where's Waldo?" flags popping up with Sox player locations around the world. Or not.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 10:12 PM) So basically we trade Dye and a bullpen arm for DeJesus, acquire Taveras, and also put Nix/Getz in the lineup. That's a downgrade and I'll be pissed if the Sox sit on Dye's money if they get rid of him. Jackson for DeJesus wouldn't make much sense for me, if I controlled the rights to Jackson. It's one thing to trade Dye (or as part of a bigger package) for a younger player with unlimited potential (like F. Martinez or that kid from the Rangers, Borbon, that keeps getting hyped here, Rasmus, etc.) and we would control his rights for 6 years...but David DeJesus? He's a NICE player, but far from an All-Star and nothing special. Basically, Johnny Damon-Lite. I lived in KC for ten years, and have watched him develop...he's good, but he's injury prone, he can't throw very well, he's not a natural or intuitive CFer and his contract numbers are rising. We're using the same rationale to dump Bobby Jenks, why would we want another player similar to him on the pay scale to take his place, especially not someone who is really what I would call an impact bat?

Pitching, lol. Help in the bullpen. Power in the outfield....although I can't imagine it happening, Dye was also a tremendously popular player when he was there. But they have Guillen's contract to dump. So I can imagine a trade where we sent them Dye and Richard for Guillen and DeJesus. The problem is that DeJesus would have to play CF for us, and that's not a good position for him. I guess it would be "okay" but not great. IF they ate most of Guillen's contract, we'd have to give up Poreda IMO. The other piece they're shopping is Teahen, and he's not a good fit, unless he could play 2B, and that's going to be Beckham's position anyway soon enough.

UT and OU have played far tougher schedules than the SEC teams by current polls. UT: beat no 3, lost no 7, beat no 11, beat no 12 OU: lost no 4, beat no 7, beat no 14, beat no 16 ALA: Beat no 13, beat no 25 FL: beat no 13, lost no 25 Strength of schedules not even close!

One of Florida and Alabama will be eliminated, either next weekend or in the SEC Championship game. Which still leaves the big mess which is the B12 to sort out...the friction (along with the OU loses to OSU, TT loses to MO, TX goes to the title game without playing in B12 Championship) will happen with OU and Texas in all likelihood. If both those teams win out for the rest of the season and one's denied a place in the Championship Game, it will be the stuff of (temporary) legend for a long time in Austin or Stillwater. Oklahoma will also argue that while the Cotton Bowl is sort of neutral, it's still a game played in Texas. Then again, it's also possible that Alabama loses this weekend, then beats Florida for the SEC Championship...that's also quite possible. So then you might have USC going without winning the PAC 10.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 05:41 PM) Iowa hasn't had a bad loss all season and you could make a case that they should have won every game but the Michigan State game (that was the one game where I'd say the opposition controlled them). I could also make a case for the illini game. They had Pitt and NU beat. If they started the season over again today, they would beat PITT and NW for sure...they were also in that MSU game all the way until the end, although they've never done very well in East Lansing. The NW game, it was like another Iowa loss in Evanston where they blew a huge lead and NU recovered an onsides kick in the final moments...one of those games watching on the internet you feel sliding away and there's nothing you can do to stop the momentum...that was arguably the worst lost of Ferentz's career until the final game of the 2007 season losing against one of the directional MAC Michigan teams to stop our bowl streak. We did have three seasons in a row where we finished #8 in the country, pretty amazing run there...unfortunately the great recruiting class that resulted (especially Chicago kids) has been a washout, Jake Christensen/Doerring/Bain/Moeaki/Dace Richardson. We almost, almost got Zbikowski, too.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 02:33 PM) I bet Stoops would be better than 4-6 against us. Well, Iowa lost to ISU when we had our best team in many years with Brad Banks, Clark, Gallery and Sanders that went on to get crushed by USC in the Orange Bowl that year... Ferentz also has a winning record against Paterno (Iowa practically dominates PSU) and has only lost once to Zook. I'm sure if Iowa played Illinois again or on a neutral field today, they would beat them pretty handily with the momentum they have and the confidence of Rick Stanzi growing. Keep in mind, Stoops has struggled mightily against OSU...losing a number of games against them when he had the overwhelming talent, because these games were played up in Stillwater. One game they (OU) won came down to a final play in the endzone that could have resulted in another OSU win. In-state rivalry games are always difficult for any coach. But yeah, when they dissect his record, success against ISU and Northwestern (like Alford in BB) won't be strong points on the resume.

Kansas City's actually been profitable the last 5 years, more or less...maybe just small profits. I would think Pittsburgh isn't in the healthiest shape (financially, as an investment), although McClatchy has plenty of money seemingly. The Indians were basically printing money for 10 years and now they've become pretty tight-fisted under Dolan.

Has anyone seen Gregor Blanco and this Borbon actually play? How do they profile as big leaguers? It seems the two players who are closest to typical speed players (and maybe 3, although WASH won't trade him I'm sure) are Taveras, Micael Bourn and Lastings Milledge. McLouth and Kemp are power hitters with speed playing CF...so they would cost us a lot more to acquire.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 10:37 AM) MLB will soon be asking for a bailout. ) Well, the funniest thing would be if the Cubs were that team...that is applying for help to pay the likes of Soriano, Fukudome, Dempster, Ramirez, Lee, etc. However, Colangelo almost drove the DBacks into bankruptcy and MLB gave them a free pass, excusing the financial recklessness that led them to a World Series title in 2001 but nearly financial catastrophe in the process.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 12:10 PM) to think RR is on the hot seat is just plain stupid. No Michigan team had ever lost 8 games in a season before. Yes, he has one more season of struggling, and that's it. The expectations are too high, and Beilein's showing what you can do in just his second season as BB coach...yes, it's easier to turn a BB program around quickly with 2-3 players, but the patience level isn't high in Michigan, especially with economy exasperating the entire state. I should say that Rodriguez is on warning...he has this "mulligan" year to blame on the past, but not much more rope. Stoops came in his second year, and, using mostly John Blake's recruits, won a National Championship. You can't tell me that Michigan or Notre Dame's recruiting classes have significantly less talent that Blake's when he was the OU coach...can you?

This is all fine and good, but it's very rare that starting position players are traded within the division...it happens, but I can't imagine that KC would give up the player that the fans identify with the most of all the Royals and send him to Chicago.