caulfield12

Streaming: Sunday's game will air on FOX and Jason Bennetti (PxP) and Christy Winters-Scott (Color) will call the action. Following the game, FOX and the FOX Sports App will carry Clark's jersey retirement live. USC at Iowa 1230 pm Sunday on FOX...Caitlin Clark jersey retirement ceremony live after the game

clearly already a finished product out of Oregon State...just turned out to be Kwan instead

Except he wasn't ranked #45-62 last July...just a high-rising prospect with TJS on the horizon.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/alex-bregman-reportedly-has-six-year-offer-from-club-other-than-astros.html Has to be Blue jays or Tigers with other six year offer out there...Toronto with one year opt out if Guerrero Bichette Scherzer all leave makes the most sense.

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/tim-anderson-ready-for-new-chapter-with-angels-2025 Kind of an apt summary for Sox fans too getting nothing out of the rebuild "We did fall short of what the plan was, and it was disappointing,” Anderson said. “We kind of got nothing out of the deal, you know? Just some real moments, but the whole goal was to win a World Series. So, we kind of fell short of that. It goes down to each individual, how bad you wanted it." "We can look over the course of those years, and we can tell who wanted it and who didn’t, from top to bottom. If you ask people throughout those years who laid it on the line and who fought for what we were trying to accomplish ... that’s enough to say about that.”

saw some of that yesterday at Botanical Gardens...and then a Russian "mermaid" in the aquarium performing almost got her head bit off but a fish, and a boy almost died in the Red Panda Villa due to a banded snake bite lol Started the bad luck Jinx with Uecker I guess. https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/us-news/giant-fish-bites-mermaid-performers-head-in-front-of-screaming-children/

How can the Twins not be Central Division favorites with the 6th best system and a bidding superstar in CF Walker Jenkins??

"They've only put themselves in a better position to compete with the White Sox..." KW

What's the origin of the phrase 'There is no such thing as bad publicity'? ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity’ is often associated with Phineas T. Barnum, the 19th century American showman and circus owner. Barnum was a self-publicist of the first order and never missed an opportunity to present his wares to the public. As with many other supposed quotations, there’s no hard evidence to link the ‘bad publicity’ quotation to him.

Rangers and Mets emerging as two possible favorites for RHP Ryan Brasier...

Just trying to throw everyone off about favorite team with SD/Royals no longer as interesting or relevant...can't manage to be confused with being a closet Cubs' fan, though.

Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo talked about National League breakout prospects, and also were high on (Emil) Morales. “I like the swing, there’s a good eye for the strike zone. Big power for his age, and he’s 6’4 probably 195, close to 200 pounds,” Badler said. “The power potential is there for him to be a 25-30 home run guy. “Defensively I don’t think he’s a shortstop long-term, but it’s a rock solid third base profile. He has the arm, he has the hands, and certainly the offensive projection that suits him well over there.” Collazo mentioned Mike Sirota, the outfielder acquired from Cincinnati in the Gavin Lux trade, as a potential Dodgers breakout prospect this year. “I just like his overall skillset,” Collazo said. Eduardo Quintero, Justin Wrobleski and h.s. drafted Brendan Tuning were also prominently featured. https://www.truebluela.com/2025/1/31/24355741/dodgers-prospects-emil-morales-eduardo-quintero-brendan-tunink-mike-sirota

Be relevant enough to be under consideration might be at least somewhat helpful. "Noah Syndergaard could not figure himself out in LA, Jack Flaherty fell off a cliff from budding ace to middling starter after joining the Dodgers at the last deadline. Do we remember the Lance Lynn experiment, who by the way was pretty solid for the Cardinals last season? Walker Buehler was never the same post-sticky stuff crackdown, and now he is looking for a new life in Boston. Even with all these resources, the Dodgers are not immune to failed experiments. But if you do enough things well and commit to putting the best product out there, you’ll reap the rewards. Right now, for the Dodgers, that means being the premiere destination for many stars and solid players alike." https://www.truebluela.com/2025/1/31/24354453/dodgers-roster-destination-spot

"The Mets, meanwhile, have signed a number of starters this winter but lack impact at the front of their rotation and are already planning on using a six-man staff for 2025 that could make fitting Cease into the mix fairly easy (especially if a starter like David Peterson went the other way — speculatively speaking). A recent poll of MLBTR readers suggested that a slim majority of fans believe that San Diego should trade Cease, whether that be on his own or in addition to fellow rental starter Michael King. Could a deal get done before spring training?" https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/the-opener-moniak-yates-cease.html Lance Lynn as a reliever and Kendall Graveman drawing some interest....

https://sports.yahoo.com/even-with-all-the-dodgers-spending-there-will-never-be-a-salary-cap-in-major-league-baseball-204545090.html

Tanner Bibee Round 5 $259,400 Shane Bieber Draft: 2016, Rd: 4, Pick: 16, Ovr: 122 Lively: Free Agent (CIN) Dec'23 Draft: 2013, Rd: 4, Pick: 29, Ovr: 135 Tristan McKenzie Draft: 2015, Rd: CB-A, Pick: 6, Ovr: 42 Luis Ortiz might be the steal of the last year from the Pirates for Spencer Horwitz... Gavin Williams 2021, Rd: 1, Pick: 23, Ovr: 23 Draft Team: Cleveland Guardians Signing Bonus: $2,250,000

"The 28-year-old Okamoto has enough service time that he would not be subject to amateur signing-bonus restrictions upon entry. The Detroit Tigers are one potential suitor for Okamoto. They have expanded their scouting efforts in Asia since Scott Harris took over their baseball operations, and the Tigers are looking to add power after returning to the postseason this year." Detroit Tigers have been one of the main teams interested in Bregman...obviously AJ Hindu connection there as well. Torkelson has been a complete mess. You're going to have arguably the two best Japanese FA hitters next offseason as questionable 3B who best profile at 1B arguably. Seems the top guy in 2025 will go to the Dodgers and #2 to the Tigers if they pony up the cash.

He needs a nickname. Hot Saucke is too easy and was Dayan Biciedo's already.

Who the hell is SriRacha Saucke? A former water polo player? Caleb Bonemer's yet another fringy SS, I know that much...

Hanshin Tigers Staying with the “if 2023 Tigers were a car” analogies, 5'6" Koji (not a Fletcher) Chikamoto would be the wheels, as a car can move without an engine if it’s on a steep hill, but it’s not going anywhere without wheels. A dynamic 5-tool player (though he is lacking a bit home-run power), the 29-year old has been a model of consistency since being drafted as a 1st-round consolation pick. Over 5 full seasons, Chikamoto has a .291/.348/.402 career slashline for a 117 wRC+ while swiping 30 bags per season. 2023 was Chikamoto’s best year to date, as he had 44XBH (24 doubles, 12 triples and 8 homers), walked 11.5% of the time (double his career mark), while retaining his trademark skills of elite defense and baserunning. Yomiuri Giants This is about 1B/3B Kaz Okamoto though, who has been on one of the most impressive streaks in baseball, hitting 30+HR in each of the past 6 seasons, but only hitting 40+ once, in 2023, which made him NPB’s HR king. In 2023, Okamoto hit .278/.374/.584 with 41HR, 31 doubles for a 178wRC+, which was 2nd best across all qualified hitters. The 27-year old has been mostly at 3rd, with stints at 1st and LF, but he will settle in at 1st. https://borjaonsports.com/baseball/top-npb-hitters/ https://www.patreon.com/posts/top-25-under-25-87885632 https://www.mlb.com/news/roki-sasaki-japan-korea-players-who-could-come-to-mlb

For basically one full week, it's going to be all Dodgers/Cubs/NPB in the news...the White Sox will be even more of an afterthought. "Major League Baseball announced that its 2025 regular season will begin with the Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim at the Tokyo Dome, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers with Oshu, Japan native Shohei Ohtani and Bizen, Japan native Yoshinobu Yamamoto against the Chicago Cubs with Kitakyushu, Japan native Shota Imanaga and Arakawa, Japan native Seiya Suzuki on Tuesday, March 18th and Wednesday, March 19th. On March 15, the Chicago Cubs will take on the Hanshin Tigers at 12pm and the Yomiuri Giants will face the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7pm. On March 16, the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Hanshin Tigers at 12pm and the Yomiuri Giants will take on the Chicago Cubs at 7 p.m. All games of the 2025 MLB World Tour: Tokyo Series including the four exhibition games will be played at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo." https://www.mlb.com/international/events/tokyo-series Ofc, Guggenheim...the event's title sponsor, IS essentially the LA Dodgers

"We are but nine days away from the first team (the Cubs) welcoming its pitchers and catchers to Spring Training, and only 46 days from the season opening with the Cubs “hosting” the Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome on March 18. (It’s very likely that the first pitch of 2025 will be thrown to Shohei Ohtani, by the way, perhaps even by countryman Shota Imanaga." source: mlb.com

No potential TOR after Top Two guys...then Taylor. Then who is fourth? Wolkow might STILL be 4th best hitting prospect, either him or Meidroth. Stagnant progress with Pr.Berroa/Iriarte/Leasure and Nastrini. Zapata backsliding this year...and perhaps not sticking in CF, either. Dodgers have at least 4-5 five tool potential guys at SS/CF...White Sox totally lacking there, comparatively. Braden has four tools (hit for average uncertain), but certainly not blazing speed.

Must be un-addressable character concerns with Grifol/Robert relationship...maybe newfound belief Venable and Fuller can reach him with examples of Moncada/Jimenez/Anderson flaming out.

And a near monopoly on any Top NPB player coming over from Japan, starting with Murakami the Japanese Babe Ruth at third...really quite easy to now imagine going over to the Dodgers as well. Robert would likely thrive hitting 7-8-9 with little pressure or expectation to carry the offense. Everyone around the game is simply salivating over their Top 15 prospects (like Boston Big 3) and intl. signings, they got Hope/Ferris for Busch and their low first rounder in 2024 as well as Emil Morales (2024 intl.) could easily join Jose DePaula Rushing and Hope in the Top 15-30 range a year from now. Finally, they have a boatload of young pitching depth beyond their Top 7...it's almost an embarrassment of riches. And more quality relievers than they know what to do with them.